Juvenalas Penitatas
Chapter 33 – A Good Boy's New Year

Hailstones battered the window, their rattling strikes rumbling through the bedroom like booming static. Talek listened to the sound, awake but with eyes closed, savouring the warmth of his bed. Rilka let out a soft murr and nuzzled into him, content in her dreams. He certainly had no desire to wake her; his cream-scaled lover was facing a New Years punishment today. Better to sleep as long as she could.
The blissful peace ended with the heavy stomp of feet from the beyond the glass inner wall of the bedroom. The door slid open and their mother, Liki, barked towards the sleeping pair, “Rika! Get up or we're going to be late!”
The cream-scaled girl's eyes snapped open. She looked up at Talek with a pained expression. “Well, it was nice while it lasted.”
“If you want breakfast you've got two minutes to get to the table! Hustle!” she punctuated her cries with urgent claps. Once Rilka was up and moving, she turned her focus on Talek. “Make sure you behave for your babysitter today. It'd be a shame to have to warm your backside as well.”
“I'll be good as gold,” Talek answered. His eyes wandered as he spoke; Rilka had discarded her pyjamas to take care of her morning needs. When she caught him looking, she thrust her hips at him in a playful manner before hurrying downstairs as fast as parental rules permitted.
“See that you are. Come on, you might as well get your breakfast as well.”
Toast soldiers, soft boiled eggs, and sliced fruit waited for the penitatas upon reaching the table. They sat down to eat while their parents busied themselves elsewhere; in Liki's case, it seemed she was especially flustered. “Shon! What did you do with Rilka's clips?”
Father's footsteps thudded down the stairs. “I've got it here!” He wore a grin as he approached the breakfast table. “What do you think you've got this year, cream-cake?”
Rilka hesitated at the question. “Umm... same as last year?”
Beaming, Shon revealed her necklace of clips. Rilka gasped at the sight. “No way! Two whites? That's a good thing, right?”
“A very good thing!” Shon confirmed. “It means you're on the right track! Who knows, you might be down to three clips next year.”
The girl's smile stiffened as she considered the implications of her clips. “Not sure I want to have to suffer through two punishments on my break...”
“You can always upgrade one. Or both.” Liki reminded her.
The doorbell drew parental focus away for a moment, long enough for Rilka to scurry round the table and steal a quick hug. “I wish you were coming with me. It'd be easier to take if you were there to hold my claw after.”
“I'll have all the hugs and kisses in the world waiting for you when you get back,” Talek replied, and offered a sample via a quick peck on the lips.
From out of the hailstorm, a soggy looking white fox entered the room and shed her waterlogged coat. Isabelle flashed a grin towards Talek and Rilka before resuming her apologies to the Dafrons for getting water everywhere.
“Talek, the babysitter's here!” Shon called, raising a claw and curling a finger to summon the boy over. “Now, Isabelle, make sure he's given a bath before bedtime and keep the treats to what we agreed.”
Rilka's head snapped around. “Talek gets treats?”
“Talek is missing out on the faire,” Liki shot back.
“That's 'fair', I guess.” Rilka crossed to Isabelle and raised a wagging finger. “Don't wear him out, I'll want to use him later!”
“I promise I won't break him!” The fox chuckled.
Unable to put off her fate any longer, Rilka begrudgingly joined her parents at the front door. Accepting the dressing gown, for what little good it would do in the face of the chunks of ice hammering the street, she turned back to call out, “Bye, Talek! Love you!”
“Love you, too!” Talek felt a blush form as the door closed and he was forced to confront his babysitter, who stood and smirked at the lad's shyness.
“I get it,” she said at last. “Those little words make it all so real, don't they?”
“Yeah.”
Isabelle's grin widened. There had been a lot of silence trailing that single word. “I keep forgetting how young you are. Probably too young to understand that love and lust are different things.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Talek asked.
“It means you shouldn't feel guilty about having fun with other people. Speaking of fun, we have permission to enjoy the holo! We can watch anything rated All Audiences!”
“But everything good is at least Parental Approval!” Talek's reply was in a playful tone, but it had some truth behind it.
“Oh hush! I've already got a shortlist of classics.” Isabelle turned on the holo and cycled through the available options. Talek had to fight back a derisive snort; she wasn't lying about them being 'classics': all the films she'd marked were well over a hundred years old. She parked herself on the sofa and gave the seat beside her a pat.
“Are we really watching it right now?” Talek asked without taking the invitation.
Isabelle paused. “I suppose we can leave the holo for later. What about a walk on the beach? There's a private little shelter we can get cozy in and watch the ocean.”
This time, Talek failed to hold back his dismissive huff. “Oh yeah, walking in the freezing rain sounds great!”
“Some people might like a stroll in the rain. The cold makes you appreciate the fire all the more.” There was a subtle twinkle to her eye that made Talek wonder if she had something more than getting cold and soggy in mind, but the look vanished as she turned her head towards the stairs. “But if you want to stay inside, let's see if we can find something to entertain ourselves with?”
“Sure.” Talek let his lips slide into a smile as she headed towards the stairs. The holo sat unattended in the corner with the films still showing. He scooped up the remote with only a flicker of nerves at touching the normally forbidden device and cycled through them, then hopped menus to find something more contemporary. The second hit was a beloved adventure film that came out three years before he was born. He must have watched it twenty times at least. His lips began to move of their own accord, subvocalising lines as phantom music played in his ears. Sold.
“Talek?” the call came from the top of the stairs.
Curious, Talek followed the call up towards his room. Isabelle had made herself comfortable on the edge of his rounded bed. “I think I came up with something we can do together.”
“Oh?”
The fox rolled her eyes. “Right. You're a teenage boy. Talek, I want to have sex with you. Do you want to have sex with me?”
All the blood rushed from Talek's face. Fortunately, it had somewhere else to go. “Y-yes!”
“There we go! Get over here!” she laughed as she unbuckled her belt.
Eager as he was to join her, a spark of self-preservation remained. “You asked my parents-”
“Of course I did! Come over here!” Isabelle called back. She was bare below the waist, panties only briefly hooked on her ankle before coming loose. To punctuate her cry, she flicked them at Talek as he rushed to join her. She fell back onto the bed, laughing at his lustful urgency, and threw her arms around Talek's neck as the Karrian boy half jumped, half fell on top of her. Another playful giggle slipped from her muzzle as she felt his hardening cock rub against her mount in eager pursuit of a hole to enter. “Foreplay!” she laughed into the boy's ear slit.
Blushing at the gentle scold, Talek pulled back enough to look Isabelle in the eyes. Just holding that gaze was enough to make his cock rigid. The gentle kiss upon his lips was doubly enticing. Shivers of bliss ran through him at the feel of her slender fingers touching his swollen member, a caress he returned by pressing a claw to her mound and easing his fingers down over her clitoral nub, pressing and rubbing on his way to finding her cunny. Their breathing became heavy and more rapid as eager paw and claw worked to tease the other into a lustful frenzy, each cub's body declaring their readiness without need for words.
Talek eased himself into position, letting out a sensual groan as the sensitive tip of his cock brushed against Isabelle's folds. He found his mark and eased himself into her, watching how her eyes slid closed and back arched up off his bed. He shifted position, lifting her hips up to keel on the bed, claws now fixed on her hips for better leverage. With a grunt, he pulled back and thrust deep, drawing a gasp from his fox friend that shifted into a lustful moan. Primal growls rolled from behind Talek's grit teeth as he thrust again, and again, hard and fast. He pulled her into him with each motion, driven to engage in rough, feral rutting by her eager gasps. Isabelle's paws slid to her chest, toying with her nipples to enhance her own sensations as they grunted and gasped together, shamelessly indulging in one another's bodies.
Having slipped into the role of rough fucking without challenge, Talek embraced it entirely. He pulled her legs together and twisted her so he was fucking side-on, a series of motions he performed without pulling out. The blissful warmth of her cunny stroked and teased in new was as Isabelle was moved, pushing him to the edge of orgasm in just a few heavenly minutes. He let his seed fly without warning or permission, pumping his load deep inside of her, yet not slowing his thrusts one bit. He turned her again, little gasps of overstimulation drawing from his lips, and fucked her doggy style for good measure. Isabelle slipped a paw to her clit to tease herself as Talek did his best to keep going despite the rising ache in his muscles and tingling of his spent cock. A few minutes more and he heard a sharp squeal from Isabelle, her cunny convulsing through her own climax. Only then, at last, did he pull back and allow his well-used cock to soften.
“Someone really needed a release, huh?” Isabelle snarked as she eased herself off the bed, one paw cupped over her crotch. “I should have put a towel down. Give me a minute.”
Talek let himself enjoy the sight of his friend waddle to the bathroom space. He couldn't help but smirk. “I'm really lucky to have a friend like you,” he sighed as his eyes fixed on her furred backside, a view made all the better by her upraised tail. If there was any 'spillage' on his part, her pale fur hid it entirely.
“Luckiest boy in Northrock!” she called back over the sound of hissing water. She'd started to fill the bath, which let out wafts of steam almost immediately. “Come on over, Penny boy! I know it's early, but you definitely need a bath now. I'll get you into your jammies and we can have some holo time.”
The bath wasn't quite big enough for both of them to get in together, so they washed in shifts with Isabelle going first. Talek had no complaints there; waterlogged fur did nothing to hide the curves of her body beneath, and even so soon after their coupling it was a pleasing thing to see. He even knelt down next to the tub for a better view. She made no effort to turn away and preserve her modesty. Quite the opposite, in fact; with a smirk, she opened her legs a little more. “Say what you're thinking.”
The prompt made the boy's throat slam shut. He swallowed to clear it. “I... was wondering if you were going to pee in the bath.”
“You want me to?” More blood rushed to Talek's cheeks.
“Maybe let me get clean first.”
A devilish smirk formed on her muzzle. “Come on then. Get in. That's an order from your babysitter, mister!”
Unsure what the girl had in mind, Talek stood in the hot water as commanded. Isabelle pushed him down into a sitting position, then straddled him. “Put your tongue to use while you wash. If you stop licking for three seconds or more, I'll pee on you.”
He took hold of her hips and gently repositioned her, then leaned in to plant a kiss on her mound. His tongue lapped out, tickling her pink folds and riding over her nub. Was he going to do it? Did he want her to piss on him? Another slow lick bought him some thinking time; maybe not in his mouth, but she probably wanted to do it...
He pulled back, offering her a shy grin. True to her threat, Isabelle pushed her hips forward and released a hot stream of piss onto his chest, splashing over his soft, green scales and discolouring the bath water. The wide grin and gentle blush on Isabelle's face told him his hunch was spot on, so he grinned and bore the warmth. As the stream died away to a trickle, Talek rewarded her with another deep, forceful lick. The bitter taste of lingering droplets of piss stung his tongue, but a few more tongue strokes had her clean. He continued to lick, enjoying the happy yips and yaps she made while his free claws tried to remember how to wash himself. His still sensitive cock bobbed and twitched, unattended. Just to be naughty, and knowing she wouldn't notice, he indulged in the childish act of wetting in the bath himself.
Once they were both as clean as they were going to get – which involved changing the bath water – the two rejuves dried off and dressed themselves. Isabelle put her clothes back on, Talek was put into pyjamas as promised. “Is this what being a completas is like?” he asked as they headed downstairs.
The Aspatrian girl cocked her head. “Sort of. Barring penitatas, I could sleep with whoever I want, whenever I want, almost wherever I want. You know how much leeway the school will give at times.”
He did. Memories of being with Isabelle at the back of Mister Titus' classroom surfaced. “So... umm... how much do you sleep around?”
She took his question in good spirits. “Not as much as you think I do! When something is always available it's not special, it's just something you enjoy when you feel like it. But when it's rare, when it's special-” her paw slipped into his claw. “-you treasure it.”
“I... I think you're special too.”
A warm blush blossomed under her white fur. “Talek, I know you love Rilka. I also know she needs you far more than I do. If I ever say or do anything that makes you feel like I'm making you choose between us, tell me. I promise I won't be hurt if you choose her over me. Well, I might be hurt a little, but I won't hold a grudge. I want us to be friends. I'd like us to be more than friends. But I don't ever want to put myself between you and someone you love.”
The words swirled about in Talek's head, their shapes familiar and yet difficult to grasp. He fumbled at a proper response. “Do... do you love me?”
The girl seemed flustered by the question. “I... have a crush on you. Had it bad for a while. Sorry, I just don't want to say the wrong thing. Struggling with my words a bit here.”
“Me too.” The paw in his grip squeezed tight as they settled back onto the sofa. Stuttering over his words, Talek fumbled his way to his most pressing concern, a thought that had risen more and more into his mind as post-coital clarity settled in. “I really like being with you, and the stuff we get to do, but sometimes... I feel like I'm betraying Rilka.”
“I understand.” There was no sadness or hurt in the fox's voice, only kindly support. “It especially tough when you have limits placed on what you can and cannot do together.”
A warm, red blanket was scrounged from the cupboard under the stairs for the two to snuggle under.  The fire was low, and while the temperature controls kept the room comfortable the sofa itself sapped the warmth from their bodies like a vampire drained blood. They squeezed up close together to warm it all the faster. “You know I was with Timothy, obviously. Not like we've kept that a secret. You and Rilka are in a similar place right now. I have to admit, I wondered for a long time whether or not I should step in. The last thing I want is for either of you to be hurt.”
“It hurt when he left you though.” Talek shivered at the thought of the looming future. “I worry a lot about what'll happen when I make parole. What if Rilka doesn't?”
“Then you'll lose each other.” The blunt reply was a slap across the snout. Talek glanced at Isabelle's face, but her eyes were focused elsewhere. Somewhere a century back in time, most likely. “The cycle I spent with Timothy was the best of my whole sentence, but losing him was my lowest point. I have had a lifetime to look back on that and ask myself, if I could turn back the clock, would I do it again? Would I let myself fall in love with him again, and be hurt by losing him again, or life without ever having that time together?”
She came back to the present, her eyes glinting with more than just the subtle amber glow of the fire. “I would.  Every time, I would. The pain fades, Talek, but the happiness those days brought stays with you forever.”
Instinct made Talek lean in for a kiss. It caught Isabelle off-guard, but she rallied into it. Her taste lingered on the boy's lips as the pair finally turned their focus to the holo and lost themselves in the film he had chosen.

The subtle click of the door opening snapped Talek back into the waking world. There were a few seconds of confusion before his mind caught up, then he bounced up like an eager puppy, grin on his face, and quickly tempered his expression to be one of support and care as he remembered exactly where Rilka had just been. His beloved smiled back at seeing him, but her eyes opened and closed in slow, heavy blinks and there was a  pained sluggishness to her motions. She did not so much enter as shuffle in, zombie like, pulling her waterlogged dressing gown tight around herself in a futile effort to keep some warmth in.
“How'd it go?” Talek asked as he crossed the room to meet her, offering a hug that she gladly accepted.
“I've had worse.” The words were yawned out, but a sudden snap of alertness came to the girl's cream-scaled face. “Oh! They had a photo booth!”
“What?”
“Yeah! I guess they've started to get on board with the whole 'mementos' thing.”
“Talek can have a look while we get you ready for bed,” Liki said as she gently tapped the girl towards the stairs. Shon provided the stack of pictures in question. The paper was thick, heavy, and had a curious plastic feel to them. A little inkling in the back of his mind suggested there were no digital copies of these; once the physical versions were gone, they were gone forever. That idea, that curious lack of permanence, made him instantly reverent of the pictures. He wiped his fingers on his pyjama top and studied them each in turn. They were all taken in front of a maroon curtain that offered no clue as to where or when they were taken precisely.
First was Kost and Bubbles. The former putting on a brave smile despite the pained crease of his eyes. Bubbles leaned into him, utterly wretched and unable to even pretend to enjoy the moment.
Next came Kost and Ki'reth, both sat side by side, with the curl of their arms suggesting they were holding one another's paw just below the frame of the picture. Ki'reth's smile seemed more genuine, suggesting he'd received a lighter punishment than Kost.
Third was Rilka and Lusu. By far the most playful picture thus far, Rilka wasn't even facing the camera; she was turned towards Lusu, who was caught recoiling in a squeal of surprised laughter. From the pose, and their expressions, Talek guessed Rilka had just planted a sloppy kiss – or perhaps a lick – on Lusu's neck. He lingered on that picture, feeling a pang of jealousy bubble up inside him, and cursed his own hypocrisy.
Fourth, and last, was a group shot. All five penitatas together, crushing in on one another in a group hug, each supported physically and emotionally by their friends. Even Bubbles managed to almost smile, through her anguish was writ clear in her eyes.
Talek handed the pictures back. They'd left him sick to his stomach. Being a Penny sucked, and New Year punishments sucked more than most, but it was something they had all endured, and endured together. Endured without him. He imagined his friends looking back on those pictures and recalling the evening: Kost would no doubt be boasting about how he'd endured the night better than anyone else, or how he'd won at all the carnival games after. Lusu would remember that kiss fondly – no, she'd refuse to speak of it, but when others did she'd blush and giggle and beg them to drop it. Rilka would reply with something playfully filthy. Ki'reth would smile and squeeze Kost's paw, making the boisterous lad suddenly shy.
And he'd have no part in that. The revelation made his eyes itch. A moment that would have bound them all closer together had come and gone without him, as though he were no longer part of their friend group.
He bade Isabelle goodnight as she stepped out to the waiting hovertaxi. Shon closed the door behind her before giving his full attention to Talek. “Holding up okay?”
“Fine. Just tired.” He looked away and blinked hard to stop the tears leaking out.
Shon took the pictures back with care. His free paw came to rest on Talek's shoulder. “I'm here for you if you need me, son. We're both here for you.”
He nodded, simply because it seemed the right thing to do. “I'm ready for bed,” he mumbled, and Shon let him go. Passing his mother in the hall, he crossed to the bed in silence and slipped under the covers. A loving arm draped itself over Rilka's shoulder. “I love you,” he whispered, but the girl was already out cold. He sighed, aching at being robbed of the chance to open his heart to her when he needed to, and did his best to follow her to into sleep.