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If you would like early access to my stories, weekly previews and updates, access to my private discord, chance to have your character become part of the lore, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my SubscribeStar", "writing": "[center][b]Saved by Sorrow[/b][/center]\n[center][u]Chapter 3[/u][/center]\n[center]By XP Author[/center]\n\nUnfortunately, consciousness called him back. And with it came the pain. His face ached and throbbed, as did his chest and sides. His mouth was dry and felt like there was cotton stuffed up into his cheeks. He realized a moment later that was because there really was cotton stuffed into his mouth. He tried to open his eyes, only for his left eye to barely open properly, somewhat swollen shut. There was also something cold covering it. Very cold. An ice pack. He winced as he got his other eye open, finding himself staring at an unfortunately familiar kind of light fixture. He was still in the school.\n\n\"Finally awake, champ?\" He blinked as he heard the bland voice of the school nurse, Mrs. Stevens. He tried to sit up, only for a hand to press his shoulder back down. \"Don't move.\" The doe leaned over, and shined a bright light into his eye. He winced and tried to flinch away. \"Looks like it was just a mild concussion.\" She suddenly jammed her fingers into his ribs, making him wince. \"Hurts?\" He nodded. \"How bad?\"\n\n\"K-kinna... ba-\" He could barely talk with the cotton in his mouth.\n\n\"Well, you're not screaming in pain, so probably no broken bones.\" She sighed and shook her head. \"Well, you got lucky. You'll be sore for a few weeks, but you'll recover. The swelling in your eye should go down after a few hours if you keep ice on it.\" She slid her chair back to her desk. \"You can take the gauze out of your mouth, too. Just put them on the metal tray beside you.\" He turned slowly, seeing a table with the tray. He reached into his mouth and pulled the wad of cloth out of his mouth. It was damp and soaked with blood. As he set it down, the nurse spoke again. \"Don't worry, you didn't lose any teeth, either.\" She shook her head. \"Honestly, you are the last person I'd expect to pick a fight with anyone, let alone two football athletes!\"\n\nHe blinked his one good eye in confusion. \"I... I didn't... pick a fight...\"\n\nShe frowned as she looked at him. \"Oh really? They both came in here with black eyes. Care to tell me how that happens without you picking a fight?\" Black eyes? He could barely throw a punch!\n\n\"I... didn't...\"\n\nShe held her hand up. \"Save it! You can explain it to the principal. You should be okay to get up, as long as you do it slowly. So get your butt over there and explain it to him.\" She sighed as she turned back to her desk. \"I have to finish this. Whenever you kids get into fights, it means more paperwork for me.\"\n\nHe frowned, but didn't say anything more. For a school nurse, she had a pretty foul bedside manner. He'd only had to deal with her once before, and she was pretty bad then, too. He did managed to sit up, though he winced the whole time, his chest aching. He hoped she wasn't just saying he didn't have anything broken. It's not like his mother could afford medical bills on top of everything else... He did manage to get out of the uncomfortable bed, and even get up to his feet, though he felt a little unsteady and dizzy. He looked at the ice pack, and jumped when the doe spoke suddenly. \"Keep the ice pack on your eye. Don't bother returning the bag when you're done. Just throw it out.\"\n\n\"O-okay...\" He put the pack back on his eye, wincing a little, but it did help... a little. He found his backpack against the wall and picked it up, though it felt a little light. Looking inside, he saw half the books were missing. He suspected they were still on the lawn outside the school. He checked his pocket, and was not surprised to find his money was missing, too. Of course they still robbed him. At least he didn't have anything valuable worth stealing. \"Thank you...\" He got a grunt in response as he left. He was very thankful that the current class period was going, so there wasn't anyone in the halls to stare at him as he made the short trip from the nurse's office to the main office.\n\nAs he stepped in, the receptionist looked up. \"Ah. Mr. Logans. One second.\" She stood up and moved over to the door to the Principal's office. \"Mr. Logans is here.\" A voice spoke from inside, but he couldn't hear the words. \"Alright.\" She came back to the desk and looked at him. \"You can go in. Principal Lemenski is waiting for you.\" He nodded and stepped over to the door, pushing it open. Waiting inside was two people. The first was an older basset hound, his fur and hair both greying from age. He sat behind a large, heavy wooden desk.\n\nThe other person, sitting in front of the desk, surprised him. \"Mom?\"\n\nHis mother, Laura, frowned at him. \"Come over here and have a seat.\" Her voice was very short and curt. It was the voice she used when she was trying not to show how absolutely pissed off she was. He nodded and moved over, sitting in the other seat in front of the desk.\n\nThe principal leaned forward, lacing his fingers together in front of him. \"Mr. Logans. You know why you're here.\"\n\n\"...because two guys beat me up?\" He felt the glare from his mother without having to look.\n\nThe canine took a deep breath. \"Well, as those two guys tell it, you tried to beat them up first. Care to tell me why you were starting fights?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"I-I didn't start the fight! I... didn't even fight!\" He looked at his mother, pleading with her. \"I didn't start it!\"\n\nShe scowled at him, but before she could say anything, the principal spoke up. \"Well, if you didn't fight them, then why did both students have black eyes?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"I-I don't know! M-maybe they... punch each other! To make it look like I did it?\"\n\nLaura narrowed her eyes. \"Don't you lie, young man!\"\n\nHe looked between the two. \"I-I'm not lying! Those two h-have been-\" He stopped himself, just letting out a sigh. \"Nevermind...\"\n\nMr. Lemenski leaned forward. \"They have been what?\"\n\nHe sighed again. \"They've been... bothering me all year.\"\n\n\"Bothering you in what way?\" Somehow the man kept an even tone.\n\nHe decided to risk telling the truth. \"They've been... stealing my homework and lunch money every morning for the last few months... And... they call me names in classes and push me around whenever they can.\"\n\n\"Mm. Name calling you should be able to deal with. But stealing your belongings? And you say they started this fight?\" He nodded. \"That is a very serious accusation. What reason would they have to hurt you?\"\n\nHe hesitated this time. \"They didn't like that I didn't have more money...\" He never got that far in the usual morning routine, but he was sure that would be a reason they'd beat him, too. He didn't want to let either the principal or his mother know about Robin. He didn't want her getting into trouble because of him.\n\nThe canine leaned back a little in his chair. \"Well, as Mr. Gentle and Mr. Tiloson tell it, [i]you[/i] started the fight. They admit to insinuating you might be... homosexual... but only in jest. And you lost your temper and started throwing punches. They were defending themselves.\"\n\nLaura shook her head. \"Honestly, Jesse. Hitting other students just because they joked you were gay? I thought that kind of thing was common for kids your age.\"\n\nHe looked at his mother in disbelief. \"I didn't start the fight!\"\n\n\"Well, however started the fight, I'm afraid school rules prohibit any kind of violence on school grounds. Even in self-defense. Zackary Gentle and Wade Tiloson have both been sent home for the day. And you will be, too.\" He leaned forward. \"Now, I want the truth from you. Did you start that fight?\"\n\nHe looked at the dog, still in utter disbelief that anyone could think someone as scrawny as him could ever start a fight. \"No! I didn't!\"\n\nThe man nodded slowly. \"We will look into it. But both Zackary and Wade are promising athletes on our junior varsity football team. This sort of thing could hurt their future. And Zackary's father frequently donates to the school.\" He tapped his desk with a finger. \"I will admit, neither of them are the best student, but they keep their grades up. You, however, have been letting your grade slip more and more. According to most of your teachers, you have failed to complete homework assignments regularly, and you are late to classes. Most frequently math class. Ms. Softpaw has written quite a lot of negative comments about you, too. Disrupting class, poor attitude, constant excuses. All very serious issues.\"\n\nHe felt numb. His mother snapped at him. \"Do you have any excuse for this, young man?\"\n\nHe just looked at her as the numbness spread through him. He gave her a blank expression. \"Zack and Wade steal my homework every day... I said that...\"\n\n\"Don't give me that lip!\"\n\nHe closed his eyes, expecting something more, but the principal interrupted. \"Alright now.\" He cleared his throat. \"We will look into this issue with Mr. Gentle and Tiloson. However, your grades are an issue, as is your constant tardiness and apparent attitude issues. With this most recent altercation, we might have to suspend you for some time.\" That numbness spread to his whole body now. This was not happening. How was he the one getting blamed for all of this? \"We aren't going to make a decision right now, but if you make another mistake like this, I'm afraid we'll have no choice.\" He tuned everything else out after that, his ears refusing to hear anymore. He just went totally blank. He wanted to run out of the office. Run out of the city. Run off the world itself. Just run away. Instead, he sat there, staring at the edge of the desk in front of him. He responded with a bland, almost robotic 'yes ma'am' or 'no sir' whenever either of them addressed him, but he was not there anymore. \n\nThe meeting ended eventually, and he found himself in the passenger seat as his mother drove him home. No longer needing to hold back, she finally exploded at him, ranting and yelling at him, telling him how disappointed she was. Of course, she somehow managed to turn it around to herself, saying how it was her fault for not being a better parent, and how this would look bad for her. She had even had to call her boss for her second job to tell him she would be late, and that might reflect badly on her performance and deny her a raise. He was surprised she didn't somehow work in her usual gripe about not ever having grandkids.\n\nOnce they were home, she pointed. \"You, go to your room! You are grounded!\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yes, ma'am.\" Not like it mattered. He never left the house other than school or work anyway.\n\n\"And you're not getting any dinner tonight, either!\"\n\nHe nodded again. \"Yes, ma'am.\" Like they had any food for him to eat in the first place.\n\nShe sighed, looking at the clock. \"Shit. I need to get to the diner.\" She quickly went to her room and started to change. \"Now you'll only be going to school and right back home, got it?\"\n\n\"Yes, ma'am.\"\n\n\"And the same for that job! No long walks on the beach! You come straight home and to bed after your shift!\"\n\n\"Yes, ma'am.\"\n\nShe came out of her room, now dressed for the diner job. \"We'll talk about this later! Now get into your room!\"\n\n\"Yes-\" The front door slammed shut. \"...ma'am...\" He sighed heavily as he went to his empty bedroom. The walls had nothing in the way of decoration, just bare beige paint that was slightly scuffed in a few places from age. He fell onto his bed, pressing the ice pack to his eye again. He had forgotten he even still had it the whole time he was in the meeting and drive home. He wanted to cry, or scream, or throw something. But all he could do was lay there, still numb. Somehow today had gone from bad to completely terrible to even worse. And it was barely after 3pm. He'd still have to wait another four hours before he could go to work. He was about to reach for his backpack when he realized he was never given any of the homework from any of the classes. So he couldn't even do that. He was sure the teachers would still somehow say this was his fault. Especially that stupid, fat bear.\n\nSo he just laid on his bed, holding the slowly warming ice pack to his face and staring at his ceiling. Time moved somehow slowly and rapidly at the same time. Every second felt like an hour, but three hours passed before he knew it. He took the ice pack off of his face. It had long since stopped being ice cold, and was now just slightly cool to the touch. He threw it into the trash and looked at himself in his mirror. A very tired, battered face looked back at him, with dark blue, fatigue-filled eyes... well, one eye. His left was still pretty swollen. At least he could mostly open it now.\n\nHe washed himself up as best he could, but he was sure he still looked like shit. He got changed for work and headed out, locking the door behind him and started the walk to the pier. It was a little early to start his shift, but his mother only said he was to come straight home after work. She never said anything about leaving to start it early. The sun was just setting and bathing the world in oranges and red as he got to the store. He opened the door and smiled as he heard the familiar, comforting chime. An equally familiar and comforting voice called out. \"Welcome to- Oh! You're here early...\" The old rat was behind the counter. \"Well, I need to talk to you. Could you flip the sign to 'closed' and join me in the office?\" There was something... slightly off about his tone.\n\n\"Okay.\" He flipped the sign over and followed to the back room. The office was very cramped, barely fitting the rat's desk inside, let alone the man himself. Jesse was not sure how he managed to wedge himself back there each time.\n\n\"Alright, now... OH!\" The man flinched once he got a proper look at the squirrel. \"Gods... what happened to you?\"\n\n\"I... got mugged.\" It was technically true. The two jocks did steal what little money he had on him after beating him up.\n\n\"Are you alright?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah. Still a little sore, but the swelling's gone down. It should go away by tomorrow.\" He cleared his throat. \"But if you think I should stay in the back and do inventory so customers don't see, I'm okay with that!\"\n\nGerald pursed his lips, then let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping a little. \"About that...\" Jesse felt the ice forming in his veins again. \"It has come to my attention that you have... lied to me. About your age.\" And there was the bombshell. \"With pretty convincing proof, too.\" He sighed heavily. \"You're only 14!?\"\n\nA billion excuses flew through his head all at once, each more wild than the last. But he just nodded slowly. \"Yes... I'm sorry... But we really need the money at home...\"\n\nThe older man slumped even more. \"Ah... kid. I get that, but... it's illegal for me to employ anyone under 16. And even then, I can't let you work so late! You'd gotta be outta here by 10, and that'd only be a 3 hour shift. Minimum is 4 hours.\" He shook his head slowly. \"I gotta let you go.\" He sounded genuinely hurt saying it.\n\nThat numbness took over Jesse's body again. Once more, he found himself staring at the edge of a desk with a blank expression, his responses almost robotic. \"I... I understand... Mr. Orville.\"\n\nThe sudden formality made the older man wince. \"Look. Kid... Jesse. I like you. Genuinely, I do. You're one of my hardest workers, you never complain, and you're good with the late customers. If you come back here in two years, when you're 16, and you're able to start your shift a little earlier, I'll hire you back in a heartbeat! But...\" He shook his head. \"I can't keep you on staff until you're old enough.\"\n\nJesse nodded slowly. \"I understand...\"\n\nThe man let out a heavy sigh. \"I'm really sorry for dumping this on you right now. You've obviously had one shitty day.\" He pulled open one of the drawers and got out a small booklet. He flipped it open and scribbled onto it, tearing a page off. He held it out to Jesse. \"Here. I can't officially write you your last paycheck, but this should be what you'd get. And a little extra. It's not much, but... you've been a good kid.\"\n\nJesse took the check, staring at the amount. It was more than he'd normally make in a two week period, but not by a huge amount. \"Thank you...\"\n\nThe rat looked heartbroken for him. \"Go on, kid. Get yourself home. You look like you could use a good long sleep.\" He managed to force a smile. \"Go ahead and take one of the dinners, too. Usual deal. And if you ever stop in as a customer, you'll keep your employee discount.\"\n\nJesse couldn't force a smile back, but he did nod. \"Thank you... Gerald...\" He stood up and stuffed the check into his pocket. \"I'll... I'll go now.\"\n\nGerald still gave him that sad smile. \"I'm sorry again, kiddo. You take care of yourself and stay safe, okay? And hey, like I said, in a few years, you want your job back, it's yours. No questions asked.\" Jesse just nodded and walked out of the room, not sure what else to say. He went to the food section, as he always did at the end of his shift, but he wasn't exactly feeling like hungry right now, even though he hadn't eaten anything all day. He grabbed one of the non-frozen burritos and walked out. Though he flipped the sign back to open before he left so Gerald didn't have to.\n\nHe made his way to the pier, walking down to the end and sitting on the edge with his feet dangling off like always. He stared out at the water. It was very calm today, not much wind, so the water was fairly still, painted red and orange by the setting sun. As the sky grew darker, the lights from Alta Ferro started to sparkle and shine across the surface, like it was reflecting stars that weren't there. The light from the lighthouse turned on just before the sky fully got dark. It was all very peaceful, surrounded by the sound of gently lapping water... though the occasional siren echoed from somewhere. He stared at the surface of the water, debating if he should just... jump in. Let the waves take him away. He'd once heard drowning was a pretty peaceful way to die. You get a lung full of water, and it's like going to sleep... and never waking up.\n\n\"You're here early!\" His dark thoughts were interrupted by a kind voice calling out. Robin walked over towards him. \"You get off work early?\"\n\nHe shook his head slowly. \"No... I got fired... Ger... Mr. Orville found out I was lying about my age.\"\n\nShe winced. \"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, man.\" She sat down beside him. \"I know you liked that j- OH! Fuck!\" She stared at him with concern when she saw his face. \"Dude, what happened to you!?\"\n\nHe looked down a little. \"You remember those two guys I mentioned were... bothering me at school...?\"\n\nShe nodded. \"Yeah.\"\n\nHe shrugged one shoulder. \"I stood up for myself... They did this. Beat me unconscious.\"\n\n\"Damn... that's fucked up! Did they at least get suspended for it?\"\n\nHe scoffed. \"No. They got sent home for a day. They'll probably just get a slap on the wrist and that's it.\" He shook his head. \"No, I'm the one they want to suspend.\"\n\nShe flinched. \"What the fuck? They want to suspend you for being some asshole's punching bag!? That's fucked up!\"\n\nHe nodded slowly, his tail shivering. He realized his whole body was shivering. \"I... my grades aren't very good, because I never have the homework, because they steal it. They steal my money for lunch every day, so I'm always tired and hungry, and I can't ever think straight.\" Once the words started, he couldn't stop them. \"And I'm always tired! I needed this job! We don't have enough money for rent and food! Mom has to work two jobs just for what we do have! A-and now I don't even have the job anymore! And they're going to kick me out of school! And Mom grounded me, and she hates me! Everyone hates me!\" Hot tears welled up in his eyes as he started to shake.\n\nThe next thing he knew, a part of warm arms wrapped around him, pulling him close in a tight embrace. \"Not everyone. I don't hate you.\" He looked at her, with her kind smile, her gentle eyes, her... Everything. He suddenly fell against her as the tears came. She let out a soft, almost cooing sound. \"You must have been holding this all in for a long time.\" She pat his back, just holding him. \"No shame, man. Just let it all out. I'm here for you.\" She let him sob against her, just holding him in a gentle embrace. She didn't say anything else. She didn't judge him, she believed him without calling him names or accusing him. She was just there for him, in a way no one else, even his own mother, had ever been.\n\nHe was not sure how long they sat there like that, him sobbing against her while she gently held him. She even started to softly stroke his head a little. Eventually, he got it all out of his system... for now, at least. \"I'm sorry...\" His voice was still muffled against her shoulder.\n\n\"Don't be. You've had a pretty rough time. Trust me, I get it.\" She frowned a little. \"Going through shit that doesn't leave scars, no one believing you when you try to tell them... and when you do get scars, they still don't believe you.\" She nodded. \"Trust me. I get it.\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. She did seem to understand him better than anyone else. \"Mr. Orville did say he'd hire me back when I'm old enough... He was always nice... so I guess there's two people that don't hate me...\"\n\nShe smirked. \"See, there you go. Not everything is shit.\" She smiled as he leaned back a little, though his face was a mess now, his fur matted from his tears. She reached out and gently wiped some of them away. \"Well, it won't always be shit, at least.\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. \"Th-thank you for... always being nice to me, too.\"\n\nShe shrugged a little. \"Hey. You're one of the few guys that doesn't just stare at my tits the whole time.\" She nudged him gently. \"And you're cute. That helps.\"\n\nHe managed a slight smile. \"I... did stare a little...\"\n\n\"A little is okay. I don't exactly have them hidden.\" Though today they were mostly hidden as she wore one of her black t-shirts. \"But you at least know the color of my eyes.\"\n\n\"Yellow.\" He answered without even thinking, only to let out a soft squeak when he did.\n\nShe smirked. \"See? Most guy would have to look up first to answer.\"\n\nHe nodded slowly then did look up at her. \"I think you're eyes are really pretty...\"\n\n\"Aww, thanks.\" She saw how honest he was being, and took it as the compliment it was.\n\nHe nodded, looking serious. \"N-not just your eyes. You're... very pretty.\" She blinked at him then, and his lips twitched slightly as he looked away. \"S-sorry. I know that probably sounds... really creepy or something. B-but I... wanted to say that for a while. I... think you're very pretty.\" He probably should have stopped there, but kept going anyway. \"I like your stripes, too. They're really... unique. B-but in a good way.\"\n\nShe giggled slightly, and actually found herself blushing just a bit at how honest he was being. \"You know what, I don't think it sounds creepy at all. In fact, that may be the first time anyone's ever said any of that to me and I fully believe them.\" He let out a relieved sigh. \"You wanna know something?\" He nodded, and she leaned in. \"I kinda think you're pretty, too.\" She then gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, which immediately flushed so much she could see it not only through the fur, but even as dark as it was. \n\nShe suddenly stood up, making him blink and look up at her. She held out a hand to him. \"C'mon, I don't think we should be out here right now.\"\n\nHe let her lift him up to his feet. \"Um... then... where should we go?\"\n\nRobin shrugged. \"I dunno. Could just walk. See where it leads us?\" She still held his hand as she said it.\n\nHe smiled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. \"Okay... I'd like that...\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\n\"You planned this, didn't you?\"\n\nThe okapi giggled slightly. \"Maybe. But you do feel better after that walk, right?\"\n\nJesse let out a soft sigh, but nodded. \"Yeah... I do actually...\"\n\n\"Right.\" She let his hand go for the first time since they left the pier almost an hour ago. She fished in her her handbag for a second, pulling out a set of keys and unlocking the door to her apartment.\n\nJesse stood outside awkwardly, but still smiled. \"So... I'll... I can try to see you tomorrow?\"\n\nShe frowned at him. \"The hell you talking about? Get your blue butt in here!\"\n\nHe flinched. \"W-wait, what!? I-In... your h-home?\" His tail twitched nervously again.\n\nShe smiled at him. \"Hey, when a lady invites a man inside, he generally says yes.\"\n\nHe blushed. \"B-but... I'm... I'm grounded. I... should get home...\"\n\nShe sighed and reached out, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside. \"Fuck that grounded shit. What you need right now is a friend, not being locked in your room.\" She closed the door behind him, locking the bolt once it was closed. \"Don't worry, I didn't lure into my dungeon or anything. You can leave if you're really that uncomfortable.\" She stepped further inside. \"But I thought you might at least like to see the place.\"\n\nHe followed. It was not really a very large place, about as big as his apartment, actually. Only it was a lot messier. An old couch sat in the middle of the main room, a few blankets and a jacket haphazardly thrown over the back. It faced a TV that wasn't too big, but still filled most of the table it sat on. Under it sat a few game consoles, including one of the newest ones. In the corner of the room was a large stereo set with impressively large speakers. Posters lined the wall, all of them being from some bands, either album covers, or tour posters. Darkace, Bludvist, Hellrise, Quaketown... he had never heard of any of them. But judging by the art, they were probably all metal bands.\n\nShe chuckled as she caught him looking at the posters. \"I'm kind of a metal head. Probably obvious with how I dress, right?\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"I guess. I... don't really have any kind of music I like...\"\n\n\"What!? Oh man, you [i]have[/i] had a hard life!\" She smiled at him. \"Don't worry. I'll introduce you to all the classics eventually.\"\n\nShe walked into what looked like a small kitchen, pulling open the fridge. \"Bit late for coffee. You like soda?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Root beer... if you have any...\"\n\nShe pulled her head back out of the fridge, along with two cans. \"That I do. Love the stuff.\" She walked back over and held one of the cans out. \"Here you go.\" He took it and opened the tab, taking a sip. She sat down on the couch, patting the seat beside her, so he joined. She smiled at him, that soft smile he had grown to miss whenever he didn't see it. She tilted her head a little as she looked at his eye now that she could see it in proper light. \"Man, they really did a number on you, didn't they?\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. \"Y-yeah... they... kinda did...\" He frowned a little. \"I... guess I'm lucky they didn't break anything...\" He winced a little, rubbing his chest. \"Though it still aches a lot...\"\n\nShe nodded, standing up. \"One sec.\" She went off to another room, which looked like it was a bathroom. A moment later, she came back with a bottle and a small bag. She opened the bottle, giving him two of the pills. \"Here.\" He looked at the tiny greenish gelcaps in his palm. \"Don't worry, it's not anything illegal. Ibuprofen.\" She even held up the bottle to prove it. \"It'll help with the swelling and throbbing. Trust me.\"\n\nHe nodded, putting the pills in his mouth and downing them with a sip of the root beer. \"Thanks...\" He smiled softly. \"It... sounds like you've had some rough times, too...\"\n\nShe took a deep breath. \"Oh... yeah... yeah, I have...\" She opened the small bag, and he saw it was a mini-first aid kit. She took a strip of gauze and put some kind of strong-smelling liquid on it. \"This might sting a little.\" She held the gauze up, gently dabbing it around his eye. He winced, sucking in a breath through his teeth. It definitely stung. \"Sorry. But it'll only last a moment.\" She continued to gently apply whatever medicine that was to his still slightly swollen eye. \"It sucks, but it will make it a hell of a lot better by tomorrow. It even helps get rid of the bruise a bit quicker.\"\n\nHe smiled a little. \"Thanks...\"\n\n\"Don't mention it.\"\n\nHe shook his head a little. \"No, I mean... not just for this, but... for just... being... here.\" He frowned. \"That probably sounded really bad...\"\n\nShe smiled at him. \"No. It... it doesn't sound bad at all.\" She was quite for a moment, only to giggle slightly. \"Okay, it did sound a little bad.\"\n\nHe also couldn't help but laugh a little. \"Yeah... it did... but I mean it. You've been... the nicest person to me. And I don't even know why...\"\n\nShe stopped tending to his eye and just looked at him. \"I'm not sure, either.\" She smiled. \"That first time I saw you on that pier, you looked... really sad. And alone. Like you needed someone to just say hi and be nice. You... reminded me of myself not that long ago...\" She smiled brighter. \"And to my shock, you turned out to be a pretty sweet guy, too!\" She reached out and took his hand gently, giving it a squeeze. \"You've been there for me, you know.\"\n\nHe blinked, a little surprised. \"I... have?\"\n\nShe nodded. \"Yeah. More than you realize. I didn't know...\" She took a deep breath. \"I didn't know how much I needed a friend, too.\" Her smile grew a little. \"So thank you, too.\"\n\nHe couldn't help but smile back. \"You're welcome.\" They both got quiet as they looked at each other, both of them slowly leaning ever so slightly closer to each other. Jesse felt his heart racing in his chest. He didn't know it, but Robin felt the same, her heart also racing as they got a little closer, inch by inch...\n\nOnly for the moment to be ruined as Jesse couldn't hold a yawn back. \"Oh... oh, sorry...\"\n\nRobin let out an almost relieved laugh. \"It's okay. You must be totally beat after today.\" She winced. \"Ah... sorry. Poor choice of words. I mean exhausted.\"\n\nHe couldn't help but giggle. \"Glad I'm not the only one that can't pick the right words sometimes.\" He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. \"But yeah... I am... [i][b]very[/b][/i] tired...\" It was like all of the fatigue from the last several days... months... hit him all at once. \"I... should probably go home...\"\n\n\"No, fuck that noise. You can crash here tonight. I'll even let you use the bed.\"\n\nHe blinked in surprise. \"W-wha? B-but...\"\n\nShe waved her hand dismissively. \"Don't worry. I meant by yourself. I can crash on the couch for a night. You've had a rough enough day, I wouldn't dream of making you sleep on the floor or something.\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"N-no, I mean... my mom will be furious with me!\"\n\n\"Let her get mad. What's the worst that could happen? She grounds you more?\"\n\nHe looked down. \"I... guess...?\" He failed to stifle another yawn.\n\n\"Besides. Letting you walk home as tired as you are is more dangerous. I think she'd be happy that you're sleeping somewhere safe, and not passing out on the side of the road. Or worse, getting jumped on the way.\" She shook her head. \"No, you're sleeping here tonight.\" She stood up, holding her hand out to him. \"Now c'mon. I'll show you the bed.\"\n\nHe blushed, but accepted her hand and help up. \"I guess it's rude to turn down a girl asking you to her room, too?\"\n\nRobin let out a chuckle. \"Usually, yes.\" She led him to the last room in the house. \"But I'm not like most girls.\"\n\nHe was not sure what he was expecting her room to be like, but it was startlingly... mundane. She had a queen sized bed in the middle of the room, with a desk against the wall at the foot, though there was more than enough room to get between both. The walls were actually devoid of posters. He half-expected the walls to be painted all black, but instead they were a soft shade of blue, not that different from his fur. Though the bed did have black sheets, but it looked less goth and more... normal. \"It's... nice...\"\n\nShe smiled. \"Hey, I know I pull off the goth metal head thing, but I like nice stuff, too.\" She gently brushed a hand against his arm. \"And I did say I like the color of your fur. I meant it. It's a good color.\" He blushed a little. \"Go ahead and get some shut eye. I'll be out here if you need.\" She paused a moment. \"Oh, uh... you don't... sleep naked or anything, do you?\"\n\nHe shook his head, still blushing. \"N-no?\"\n\nShe nodded. \"Okay. Just wanted to make sure. I usually do, but I'll stay dressed tonight.\" She chuckled. \"That way you don't need to worry about coming out and getting embarrassed!\"\n\nHe was already super embarrassed as he imagined just what that would look like. \"D-don't worry. I won't... do anything. I'm... not that kinda guy. I'm... also not like normal boys...\" Though he meant it in a much different way than she did.\n\n\"And that's why I'm okay with letting you sleep over.\" She backed out of the room. \"Alright, well... sleep well, Jesse. I'll knock in the morning.\"\n\n\"Okay... and... thank you again...\" She nodded and closed the door as she walked out. He looked at the bed, feeling more than a little awkward. Though she was right about how dangerous it would be walking home as tired as he was. He didn't bother getting undressed at all, only slipping his shoes off, and climbed onto the bed. It was firm, but also soft, and very comfortable. As he put his head against the pillow, he couldn't help but notice he was also surrounded by a distinct scent. It smelled a little like cinnamon and vanilla... and Robin. He as really starting to love that smell. It was just like when he had his face against her earlier, only he wasn't bawling his eyes out this time. Instead, he felt himself getting... turned on, his slit getting a little damp between his legs. He cursed himself for that. Though he didn't have the energy to even try to deal with it, not that he would ever feel comfortable enough being that perverted on someone else's bed.\n\nAfter only a few minutes of wrestling with his own thoughts, the fatigue took over, and he drifted off to sleep, where his fantasies could play out safely in his head.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
Saved by Sorrow

Chapter 3

By XP Author


Unfortunately, consciousness called him back. And with it came the pain. His face ached and throbbed, as did his chest and sides. His mouth was dry and felt like there was cotton stuffed up into his cheeks. He realized a moment later that was because there really was cotton stuffed into his mouth. He tried to open his eyes, only for his left eye to barely open properly, somewhat swollen shut. There was also something cold covering it. Very cold. An ice pack. He winced as he got his other eye open, finding himself staring at an unfortunately familiar kind of light fixture. He was still in the school.

"Finally awake, champ?" He blinked as he heard the bland voice of the school nurse, Mrs. Stevens. He tried to sit up, only for a hand to press his shoulder back down. "Don't move." The doe leaned over, and shined a bright light into his eye. He winced and tried to flinch away. "Looks like it was just a mild concussion." She suddenly jammed her fingers into his ribs, making him wince. "Hurts?" He nodded. "How bad?"

"K-kinna... ba-" He could barely talk with the cotton in his mouth.

"Well, you're not screaming in pain, so probably no broken bones." She sighed and shook her head. "Well, you got lucky. You'll be sore for a few weeks, but you'll recover. The swelling in your eye should go down after a few hours if you keep ice on it." She slid her chair back to her desk. "You can take the gauze out of your mouth, too. Just put them on the metal tray beside you." He turned slowly, seeing a table with the tray. He reached into his mouth and pulled the wad of cloth out of his mouth. It was damp and soaked with blood. As he set it down, the nurse spoke again. "Don't worry, you didn't lose any teeth, either." She shook her head. "Honestly, you are the last person I'd expect to pick a fight with anyone, let alone two football athletes!"

He blinked his one good eye in confusion. "I... I didn't... pick a fight..."

She frowned as she looked at him. "Oh really? They both came in here with black eyes. Care to tell me how that happens without you picking a fight?" Black eyes? He could barely throw a punch!

"I... didn't..."

She held her hand up. "Save it! You can explain it to the principal. You should be okay to get up, as long as you do it slowly. So get your butt over there and explain it to him." She sighed as she turned back to her desk. "I have to finish this. Whenever you kids get into fights, it means more paperwork for me."

He frowned, but didn't say anything more. For a school nurse, she had a pretty foul bedside manner. He'd only had to deal with her once before, and she was pretty bad then, too. He did managed to sit up, though he winced the whole time, his chest aching. He hoped she wasn't just saying he didn't have anything broken. It's not like his mother could afford medical bills on top of everything else... He did manage to get out of the uncomfortable bed, and even get up to his feet, though he felt a little unsteady and dizzy. He looked at the ice pack, and jumped when the doe spoke suddenly. "Keep the ice pack on your eye. Don't bother returning the bag when you're done. Just throw it out."

"O-okay..." He put the pack back on his eye, wincing a little, but it did help... a little. He found his backpack against the wall and picked it up, though it felt a little light. Looking inside, he saw half the books were missing. He suspected they were still on the lawn outside the school. He checked his pocket, and was not surprised to find his money was missing, too. Of course they still robbed him. At least he didn't have anything valuable worth stealing. "Thank you..." He got a grunt in response as he left. He was very thankful that the current class period was going, so there wasn't anyone in the halls to stare at him as he made the short trip from the nurse's office to the main office.

As he stepped in, the receptionist looked up. "Ah. Mr. Logans. One second." She stood up and moved over to the door to the Principal's office. "Mr. Logans is here." A voice spoke from inside, but he couldn't hear the words. "Alright." She came back to the desk and looked at him. "You can go in. Principal Lemenski is waiting for you." He nodded and stepped over to the door, pushing it open. Waiting inside was two people. The first was an older basset hound, his fur and hair both greying from age. He sat behind a large, heavy wooden desk.

The other person, sitting in front of the desk, surprised him. "Mom?"

His mother, Laura, frowned at him. "Come over here and have a seat." Her voice was very short and curt. It was the voice she used when she was trying not to show how absolutely pissed off she was. He nodded and moved over, sitting in the other seat in front of the desk.

The principal leaned forward, lacing his fingers together in front of him. "Mr. Logans. You know why you're here."

"...because two guys beat me up?" He felt the glare from his mother without having to look.

The canine took a deep breath. "Well, as those two guys tell it, you tried to beat them up first. Care to tell me why you were starting fights?"

He shook his head. "I-I didn't start the fight! I... didn't even fight!" He looked at his mother, pleading with her. "I didn't start it!"

She scowled at him, but before she could say anything, the principal spoke up. "Well, if you didn't fight them, then why did both students have black eyes?"

He shook his head. "I-I don't know! M-maybe they... punch each other! To make it look like I did it?"

Laura narrowed her eyes. "Don't you lie, young man!"

He looked between the two. "I-I'm not lying! Those two h-have been-" He stopped himself, just letting out a sigh. "Nevermind..."

Mr. Lemenski leaned forward. "They have been what?"

He sighed again. "They've been... bothering me all year."

"Bothering you in what way?" Somehow the man kept an even tone.

He decided to risk telling the truth. "They've been... stealing my homework and lunch money every morning for the last few months... And... they call me names in classes and push me around whenever they can."

"Mm. Name calling you should be able to deal with. But stealing your belongings? And you say they started this fight?" He nodded. "That is a very serious accusation. What reason would they have to hurt you?"

He hesitated this time. "They didn't like that I didn't have more money..." He never got that far in the usual morning routine, but he was sure that would be a reason they'd beat him, too. He didn't want to let either the principal or his mother know about Robin. He didn't want her getting into trouble because of him.

The canine leaned back a little in his chair. "Well, as Mr. Gentle and Mr. Tiloson tell it, you started the fight. They admit to insinuating you might be... homosexual... but only in jest. And you lost your temper and started throwing punches. They were defending themselves."

Laura shook her head. "Honestly, Jesse. Hitting other students just because they joked you were gay? I thought that kind of thing was common for kids your age."

He looked at his mother in disbelief. "I didn't start the fight!"

"Well, however started the fight, I'm afraid school rules prohibit any kind of violence on school grounds. Even in self-defense. Zackary Gentle and Wade Tiloson have both been sent home for the day. And you will be, too." He leaned forward. "Now, I want the truth from you. Did you start that fight?"

He looked at the dog, still in utter disbelief that anyone could think someone as scrawny as him could ever start a fight. "No! I didn't!"

The man nodded slowly. "We will look into it. But both Zackary and Wade are promising athletes on our junior varsity football team. This sort of thing could hurt their future. And Zackary's father frequently donates to the school." He tapped his desk with a finger. "I will admit, neither of them are the best student, but they keep their grades up. You, however, have been letting your grade slip more and more. According to most of your teachers, you have failed to complete homework assignments regularly, and you are late to classes. Most frequently math class. Ms. Softpaw has written quite a lot of negative comments about you, too. Disrupting class, poor attitude, constant excuses. All very serious issues."

He felt numb. His mother snapped at him. "Do you have any excuse for this, young man?"

He just looked at her as the numbness spread through him. He gave her a blank expression. "Zack and Wade steal my homework every day... I said that..."

"Don't give me that lip!"

He closed his eyes, expecting something more, but the principal interrupted. "Alright now." He cleared his throat. "We will look into this issue with Mr. Gentle and Tiloson. However, your grades are an issue, as is your constant tardiness and apparent attitude issues. With this most recent altercation, we might have to suspend you for some time." That numbness spread to his whole body now. This was not happening. How was he the one getting blamed for all of this? "We aren't going to make a decision right now, but if you make another mistake like this, I'm afraid we'll have no choice." He tuned everything else out after that, his ears refusing to hear anymore. He just went totally blank. He wanted to run out of the office. Run out of the city. Run off the world itself. Just run away. Instead, he sat there, staring at the edge of the desk in front of him. He responded with a bland, almost robotic 'yes ma'am' or 'no sir' whenever either of them addressed him, but he was not there anymore.

The meeting ended eventually, and he found himself in the passenger seat as his mother drove him home. No longer needing to hold back, she finally exploded at him, ranting and yelling at him, telling him how disappointed she was. Of course, she somehow managed to turn it around to herself, saying how it was her fault for not being a better parent, and how this would look bad for her. She had even had to call her boss for her second job to tell him she would be late, and that might reflect badly on her performance and deny her a raise. He was surprised she didn't somehow work in her usual gripe about not ever having grandkids.

Once they were home, she pointed. "You, go to your room! You are grounded!"

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am." Not like it mattered. He never left the house other than school or work anyway.

"And you're not getting any dinner tonight, either!"

He nodded again. "Yes, ma'am." Like they had any food for him to eat in the first place.

She sighed, looking at the clock. "Shit. I need to get to the diner." She quickly went to her room and started to change. "Now you'll only be going to school and right back home, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And the same for that job! No long walks on the beach! You come straight home and to bed after your shift!"

"Yes, ma'am."

She came out of her room, now dressed for the diner job. "We'll talk about this later! Now get into your room!"

"Yes-" The front door slammed shut. "...ma'am..." He sighed heavily as he went to his empty bedroom. The walls had nothing in the way of decoration, just bare beige paint that was slightly scuffed in a few places from age. He fell onto his bed, pressing the ice pack to his eye again. He had forgotten he even still had it the whole time he was in the meeting and drive home. He wanted to cry, or scream, or throw something. But all he could do was lay there, still numb. Somehow today had gone from bad to completely terrible to even worse. And it was barely after 3pm. He'd still have to wait another four hours before he could go to work. He was about to reach for his backpack when he realized he was never given any of the homework from any of the classes. So he couldn't even do that. He was sure the teachers would still somehow say this was his fault. Especially that stupid, fat bear.

So he just laid on his bed, holding the slowly warming ice pack to his face and staring at his ceiling. Time moved somehow slowly and rapidly at the same time. Every second felt like an hour, but three hours passed before he knew it. He took the ice pack off of his face. It had long since stopped being ice cold, and was now just slightly cool to the touch. He threw it into the trash and looked at himself in his mirror. A very tired, battered face looked back at him, with dark blue, fatigue-filled eyes... well, one eye. His left was still pretty swollen. At least he could mostly open it now.

He washed himself up as best he could, but he was sure he still looked like shit. He got changed for work and headed out, locking the door behind him and started the walk to the pier. It was a little early to start his shift, but his mother only said he was to come straight home after work. She never said anything about leaving to start it early. The sun was just setting and bathing the world in oranges and red as he got to the store. He opened the door and smiled as he heard the familiar, comforting chime. An equally familiar and comforting voice called out. "Welcome to- Oh! You're here early..." The old rat was behind the counter. "Well, I need to talk to you. Could you flip the sign to 'closed' and join me in the office?" There was something... slightly off about his tone.

"Okay." He flipped the sign over and followed to the back room. The office was very cramped, barely fitting the rat's desk inside, let alone the man himself. Jesse was not sure how he managed to wedge himself back there each time.

"Alright, now... OH!" The man flinched once he got a proper look at the squirrel. "Gods... what happened to you?"

"I... got mugged." It was technically true. The two jocks did steal what little money he had on him after beating him up.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Still a little sore, but the swelling's gone down. It should go away by tomorrow." He cleared his throat. "But if you think I should stay in the back and do inventory so customers don't see, I'm okay with that!"

Gerald pursed his lips, then let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping a little. "About that..." Jesse felt the ice forming in his veins again. "It has come to my attention that you have... lied to me. About your age." And there was the bombshell. "With pretty convincing proof, too." He sighed heavily. "You're only 14!?"

A billion excuses flew through his head all at once, each more wild than the last. But he just nodded slowly. "Yes... I'm sorry... But we really need the money at home..."

The older man slumped even more. "Ah... kid. I get that, but... it's illegal for me to employ anyone under 16. And even then, I can't let you work so late! You'd gotta be outta here by 10, and that'd only be a 3 hour shift. Minimum is 4 hours." He shook his head slowly. "I gotta let you go." He sounded genuinely hurt saying it.

That numbness took over Jesse's body again. Once more, he found himself staring at the edge of a desk with a blank expression, his responses almost robotic. "I... I understand... Mr. Orville."

The sudden formality made the older man wince. "Look. Kid... Jesse. I like you. Genuinely, I do. You're one of my hardest workers, you never complain, and you're good with the late customers. If you come back here in two years, when you're 16, and you're able to start your shift a little earlier, I'll hire you back in a heartbeat! But..." He shook his head. "I can't keep you on staff until you're old enough."

Jesse nodded slowly. "I understand..."

The man let out a heavy sigh. "I'm really sorry for dumping this on you right now. You've obviously had one shitty day." He pulled open one of the drawers and got out a small booklet. He flipped it open and scribbled onto it, tearing a page off. He held it out to Jesse. "Here. I can't officially write you your last paycheck, but this should be what you'd get. And a little extra. It's not much, but... you've been a good kid."

Jesse took the check, staring at the amount. It was more than he'd normally make in a two week period, but not by a huge amount. "Thank you..."

The rat looked heartbroken for him. "Go on, kid. Get yourself home. You look like you could use a good long sleep." He managed to force a smile. "Go ahead and take one of the dinners, too. Usual deal. And if you ever stop in as a customer, you'll keep your employee discount."

Jesse couldn't force a smile back, but he did nod. "Thank you... Gerald..." He stood up and stuffed the check into his pocket. "I'll... I'll go now."

Gerald still gave him that sad smile. "I'm sorry again, kiddo. You take care of yourself and stay safe, okay? And hey, like I said, in a few years, you want your job back, it's yours. No questions asked." Jesse just nodded and walked out of the room, not sure what else to say. He went to the food section, as he always did at the end of his shift, but he wasn't exactly feeling like hungry right now, even though he hadn't eaten anything all day. He grabbed one of the non-frozen burritos and walked out. Though he flipped the sign back to open before he left so Gerald didn't have to.

He made his way to the pier, walking down to the end and sitting on the edge with his feet dangling off like always. He stared out at the water. It was very calm today, not much wind, so the water was fairly still, painted red and orange by the setting sun. As the sky grew darker, the lights from Alta Ferro started to sparkle and shine across the surface, like it was reflecting stars that weren't there. The light from the lighthouse turned on just before the sky fully got dark. It was all very peaceful, surrounded by the sound of gently lapping water... though the occasional siren echoed from somewhere. He stared at the surface of the water, debating if he should just... jump in. Let the waves take him away. He'd once heard drowning was a pretty peaceful way to die. You get a lung full of water, and it's like going to sleep... and never waking up.

"You're here early!" His dark thoughts were interrupted by a kind voice calling out. Robin walked over towards him. "You get off work early?"

He shook his head slowly. "No... I got fired... Ger... Mr. Orville found out I was lying about my age."

She winced. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, man." She sat down beside him. "I know you liked that j- OH! Fuck!" She stared at him with concern when she saw his face. "Dude, what happened to you!?"

He looked down a little. "You remember those two guys I mentioned were... bothering me at school...?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

He shrugged one shoulder. "I stood up for myself... They did this. Beat me unconscious."

"Damn... that's fucked up! Did they at least get suspended for it?"

He scoffed. "No. They got sent home for a day. They'll probably just get a slap on the wrist and that's it." He shook his head. "No, I'm the one they want to suspend."

She flinched. "What the fuck? They want to suspend you for being some asshole's punching bag!? That's fucked up!"

He nodded slowly, his tail shivering. He realized his whole body was shivering. "I... my grades aren't very good, because I never have the homework, because they steal it. They steal my money for lunch every day, so I'm always tired and hungry, and I can't ever think straight." Once the words started, he couldn't stop them. "And I'm always tired! I needed this job! We don't have enough money for rent and food! Mom has to work two jobs just for what we do have! A-and now I don't even have the job anymore! And they're going to kick me out of school! And Mom grounded me, and she hates me! Everyone hates me!" Hot tears welled up in his eyes as he started to shake.

The next thing he knew, a part of warm arms wrapped around him, pulling him close in a tight embrace. "Not everyone. I don't hate you." He looked at her, with her kind smile, her gentle eyes, her... Everything. He suddenly fell against her as the tears came. She let out a soft, almost cooing sound. "You must have been holding this all in for a long time." She pat his back, just holding him. "No shame, man. Just let it all out. I'm here for you." She let him sob against her, just holding him in a gentle embrace. She didn't say anything else. She didn't judge him, she believed him without calling him names or accusing him. She was just there for him, in a way no one else, even his own mother, had ever been.

He was not sure how long they sat there like that, him sobbing against her while she gently held him. She even started to softly stroke his head a little. Eventually, he got it all out of his system... for now, at least. "I'm sorry..." His voice was still muffled against her shoulder.

"Don't be. You've had a pretty rough time. Trust me, I get it." She frowned a little. "Going through shit that doesn't leave scars, no one believing you when you try to tell them... and when you do get scars, they still don't believe you." She nodded. "Trust me. I get it."

He nodded slowly. She did seem to understand him better than anyone else. "Mr. Orville did say he'd hire me back when I'm old enough... He was always nice... so I guess there's two people that don't hate me..."

She smirked. "See, there you go. Not everything is shit." She smiled as he leaned back a little, though his face was a mess now, his fur matted from his tears. She reached out and gently wiped some of them away. "Well, it won't always be shit, at least."

He nodded slowly. "Th-thank you for... always being nice to me, too."

She shrugged a little. "Hey. You're one of the few guys that doesn't just stare at my tits the whole time." She nudged him gently. "And you're cute. That helps."

He managed a slight smile. "I... did stare a little..."

"A little is okay. I don't exactly have them hidden." Though today they were mostly hidden as she wore one of her black t-shirts. "But you at least know the color of my eyes."

"Yellow." He answered without even thinking, only to let out a soft squeak when he did.

She smirked. "See? Most guy would have to look up first to answer."

He nodded slowly then did look up at her. "I think you're eyes are really pretty..."

"Aww, thanks." She saw how honest he was being, and took it as the compliment it was.

He nodded, looking serious. "N-not just your eyes. You're... very pretty." She blinked at him then, and his lips twitched slightly as he looked away. "S-sorry. I know that probably sounds... really creepy or something. B-but I... wanted to say that for a while. I... think you're very pretty." He probably should have stopped there, but kept going anyway. "I like your stripes, too. They're really... unique. B-but in a good way."

She giggled slightly, and actually found herself blushing just a bit at how honest he was being. "You know what, I don't think it sounds creepy at all. In fact, that may be the first time anyone's ever said any of that to me and I fully believe them." He let out a relieved sigh. "You wanna know something?" He nodded, and she leaned in. "I kinda think you're pretty, too." She then gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, which immediately flushed so much she could see it not only through the fur, but even as dark as it was.

She suddenly stood up, making him blink and look up at her. She held out a hand to him. "C'mon, I don't think we should be out here right now."

He let her lift him up to his feet. "Um... then... where should we go?"

Robin shrugged. "I dunno. Could just walk. See where it leads us?" She still held his hand as she said it.

He smiled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Okay... I'd like that..."

*     *     *


"You planned this, didn't you?"

The okapi giggled slightly. "Maybe. But you do feel better after that walk, right?"

Jesse let out a soft sigh, but nodded. "Yeah... I do actually..."

"Right." She let his hand go for the first time since they left the pier almost an hour ago. She fished in her her handbag for a second, pulling out a set of keys and unlocking the door to her apartment.

Jesse stood outside awkwardly, but still smiled. "So... I'll... I can try to see you tomorrow?"

She frowned at him. "The hell you talking about? Get your blue butt in here!"

He flinched. "W-wait, what!? I-In... your h-home?" His tail twitched nervously again.

She smiled at him. "Hey, when a lady invites a man inside, he generally says yes."

He blushed. "B-but... I'm... I'm grounded. I... should get home..."

She sighed and reached out, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside. "Fuck that grounded shit. What you need right now is a friend, not being locked in your room." She closed the door behind him, locking the bolt once it was closed. "Don't worry, I didn't lure into my dungeon or anything. You can leave if you're really that uncomfortable." She stepped further inside. "But I thought you might at least like to see the place."

He followed. It was not really a very large place, about as big as his apartment, actually. Only it was a lot messier. An old couch sat in the middle of the main room, a few blankets and a jacket haphazardly thrown over the back. It faced a TV that wasn't too big, but still filled most of the table it sat on. Under it sat a few game consoles, including one of the newest ones. In the corner of the room was a large stereo set with impressively large speakers. Posters lined the wall, all of them being from some bands, either album covers, or tour posters. Darkace, Bludvist, Hellrise, Quaketown... he had never heard of any of them. But judging by the art, they were probably all metal bands.

She chuckled as she caught him looking at the posters. "I'm kind of a metal head. Probably obvious with how I dress, right?"

He shrugged. "I guess. I... don't really have any kind of music I like..."

"What!? Oh man, you have had a hard life!" She smiled at him. "Don't worry. I'll introduce you to all the classics eventually."

She walked into what looked like a small kitchen, pulling open the fridge. "Bit late for coffee. You like soda?"

He nodded. "Root beer... if you have any..."

She pulled her head back out of the fridge, along with two cans. "That I do. Love the stuff." She walked back over and held one of the cans out. "Here you go." He took it and opened the tab, taking a sip. She sat down on the couch, patting the seat beside her, so he joined. She smiled at him, that soft smile he had grown to miss whenever he didn't see it. She tilted her head a little as she looked at his eye now that she could see it in proper light. "Man, they really did a number on you, didn't they?"

He nodded slowly. "Y-yeah... they... kinda did..." He frowned a little. "I... guess I'm lucky they didn't break anything..." He winced a little, rubbing his chest. "Though it still aches a lot..."

She nodded, standing up. "One sec." She went off to another room, which looked like it was a bathroom. A moment later, she came back with a bottle and a small bag. She opened the bottle, giving him two of the pills. "Here." He looked at the tiny greenish gelcaps in his palm. "Don't worry, it's not anything illegal. Ibuprofen." She even held up the bottle to prove it. "It'll help with the swelling and throbbing. Trust me."

He nodded, putting the pills in his mouth and downing them with a sip of the root beer. "Thanks..." He smiled softly. "It... sounds like you've had some rough times, too..."

She took a deep breath. "Oh... yeah... yeah, I have..." She opened the small bag, and he saw it was a mini-first aid kit. She took a strip of gauze and put some kind of strong-smelling liquid on it. "This might sting a little." She held the gauze up, gently dabbing it around his eye. He winced, sucking in a breath through his teeth. It definitely stung. "Sorry. But it'll only last a moment." She continued to gently apply whatever medicine that was to his still slightly swollen eye. "It sucks, but it will make it a hell of a lot better by tomorrow. It even helps get rid of the bruise a bit quicker."

He smiled a little. "Thanks..."

"Don't mention it."

He shook his head a little. "No, I mean... not just for this, but... for just... being... here." He frowned. "That probably sounded really bad..."

She smiled at him. "No. It... it doesn't sound bad at all." She was quite for a moment, only to giggle slightly. "Okay, it did sound a little bad."

He also couldn't help but laugh a little. "Yeah... it did... but I mean it. You've been... the nicest person to me. And I don't even know why..."

She stopped tending to his eye and just looked at him. "I'm not sure, either." She smiled. "That first time I saw you on that pier, you looked... really sad. And alone. Like you needed someone to just say hi and be nice. You... reminded me of myself not that long ago..." She smiled brighter. "And to my shock, you turned out to be a pretty sweet guy, too!" She reached out and took his hand gently, giving it a squeeze. "You've been there for me, you know."

He blinked, a little surprised. "I... have?"

She nodded. "Yeah. More than you realize. I didn't know..." She took a deep breath. "I didn't know how much I needed a friend, too." Her smile grew a little. "So thank you, too."

He couldn't help but smile back. "You're welcome." They both got quiet as they looked at each other, both of them slowly leaning ever so slightly closer to each other. Jesse felt his heart racing in his chest. He didn't know it, but Robin felt the same, her heart also racing as they got a little closer, inch by inch...

Only for the moment to be ruined as Jesse couldn't hold a yawn back. "Oh... oh, sorry..."

Robin let out an almost relieved laugh. "It's okay. You must be totally beat after today." She winced. "Ah... sorry. Poor choice of words. I mean exhausted."

He couldn't help but giggle. "Glad I'm not the only one that can't pick the right words sometimes." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But yeah... I am... very tired..." It was like all of the fatigue from the last several days... months... hit him all at once. "I... should probably go home..."

"No, fuck that noise. You can crash here tonight. I'll even let you use the bed."

He blinked in surprise. "W-wha? B-but..."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I meant by yourself. I can crash on the couch for a night. You've had a rough enough day, I wouldn't dream of making you sleep on the floor or something."

He shook his head. "N-no, I mean... my mom will be furious with me!"

"Let her get mad. What's the worst that could happen? She grounds you more?"

He looked down. "I... guess...?" He failed to stifle another yawn.

"Besides. Letting you walk home as tired as you are is more dangerous. I think she'd be happy that you're sleeping somewhere safe, and not passing out on the side of the road. Or worse, getting jumped on the way." She shook her head. "No, you're sleeping here tonight." She stood up, holding her hand out to him. "Now c'mon. I'll show you the bed."

He blushed, but accepted her hand and help up. "I guess it's rude to turn down a girl asking you to her room, too?"

Robin let out a chuckle. "Usually, yes." She led him to the last room in the house. "But I'm not like most girls."

He was not sure what he was expecting her room to be like, but it was startlingly... mundane. She had a queen sized bed in the middle of the room, with a desk against the wall at the foot, though there was more than enough room to get between both. The walls were actually devoid of posters. He half-expected the walls to be painted all black, but instead they were a soft shade of blue, not that different from his fur. Though the bed did have black sheets, but it looked less goth and more... normal. "It's... nice..."

She smiled. "Hey, I know I pull off the goth metal head thing, but I like nice stuff, too." She gently brushed a hand against his arm. "And I did say I like the color of your fur. I meant it. It's a good color." He blushed a little. "Go ahead and get some shut eye. I'll be out here if you need." She paused a moment. "Oh, uh... you don't... sleep naked or anything, do you?"

He shook his head, still blushing. "N-no?"

She nodded. "Okay. Just wanted to make sure. I usually do, but I'll stay dressed tonight." She chuckled. "That way you don't need to worry about coming out and getting embarrassed!"

He was already super embarrassed as he imagined just what that would look like. "D-don't worry. I won't... do anything. I'm... not that kinda guy. I'm... also not like normal boys..." Though he meant it in a much different way than she did.

"And that's why I'm okay with letting you sleep over." She backed out of the room. "Alright, well... sleep well, Jesse. I'll knock in the morning."

"Okay... and... thank you again..." She nodded and closed the door as she walked out. He looked at the bed, feeling more than a little awkward. Though she was right about how dangerous it would be walking home as tired as he was. He didn't bother getting undressed at all, only slipping his shoes off, and climbed onto the bed. It was firm, but also soft, and very comfortable. As he put his head against the pillow, he couldn't help but notice he was also surrounded by a distinct scent. It smelled a little like cinnamon and vanilla... and Robin. He as really starting to love that smell. It was just like when he had his face against her earlier, only he wasn't bawling his eyes out this time. Instead, he felt himself getting... turned on, his slit getting a little damp between his legs. He cursed himself for that. Though he didn't have the energy to even try to deal with it, not that he would ever feel comfortable enough being that perverted on someone else's bed.

After only a few minutes of wrestling with his own thoughts, the fatigue took over, and he drifted off to sleep, where his fantasies could play out safely in his head.

*     *     *
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