No Heat acceptance this year, but just like last year, you guys now have a new story of mine to read. ^.^

TIMELESS
by Mog Moogle

	It was the second week in a row he'd been there. The red panda in his zipped up hoodie with a book in his paws sitting on the park bench overlooking the pond. He was always in the same spot and he always had a book. He was the kind of easy to notice that would be easily hidden unless you were looking for it.

	The lithe cheetah in the dressy long sleeve collared shirt had made up his mind that today would be the day. Two weeks of watching the attractive red panda from a distance while he sat under the covered pavilion for his lunch break. He gathered up the spent wrapper of the sandwich he'd just finished and pitched it in the bin as he made his way over.

	Coming up behind the bench, he peered over the red panda's shoulder. Large earmuff headphones covered his triangular ears while his eyes were fixed on the paperback novel. The cheetah walked around the bench into his field of view and cleared his throat. It only earned the briefest of glances before the red panda was looking back at his book. Wondering if the cold shoulder was intentional the cheetah cleared his throat again and added a polite, "Excuse me?"

The red panda looked up at him again and brought his paw up to push back one of his headphone muffs. "Can I help you?" His tone was more confused than rude.

"Yeah," the cheetah said then looked at the empty spot on the bench beside him. "Would you mind if I sat next to you?"

The red panda looked down at the open spot then back up at the cheetah. "Uh, yeah. That's fine, I suppose."

He gave the red panda a smile and moved over to the empty space and sat down. "My name is Antonio, but all my friends call me Tony."

"Oh," the red panda replied, glanced down at his book then back at Tony. "I'm Augustus."

"Good to meet you," Tony said and smiled. "I take my break in the park. I've seen you over here and I just thought it'd be nice to actually talk to you."

Augustus chuckled softly before pushing the other muff off his ear and settling the headphones around his neck. "I'm pretty sure you don't want to get to know me."

"Why would you say that?" Tony asked as he cocked his head.

"I won't be around much longer. I don't think you'll have time to get to know me."

"Moving out of town?"

"No, not exactly," Augustus said with head-shake and then chuckled. "It's not really important. I just don't want to short-change you."

Tony blinked then scratched his head. "Ah, well. I couldn't help but notice you." He paused as he looked Augustus up and down. "I think you're cute."

"Oh? Oh~" Augustus said as it dawned on him the actual purpose of the cheetah's introduction. "Yeah, that's really not a good idea."

"Don't tell me you're not into guys? That's always embarrassing." Tony paused and sighed. "I'm sorry for coming on to you."

"What? No, it's just," Augustus sighed and shook his head. "I actually am into guys. It's not that."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it's not that either." Augustus took his long tail and wrapped it around his leg. He looked out over the pond at the other side. His gaze was distant, as if he was trying to project himself over the pond and away from the situation.

"Augustus?" Tony asked as he saw the shift in his expression.

The red panda looked back at the cheetah and shook his head. He forced himself to smile and said, "You can call me Guss."

"Guss, did I say something to upset you?"

"No," Guss replied. "I just have a lot on my mind. It's complicated. And like I said, I don't think it'd be fair to you."

Tony frowned a bit and shook his head. "I don't want to pressure you," he explained. "Maybe we could do something simple. Go get something to eat or maybe go to a coffee shop." Tony smiled as Guss looked over at him. "Maybe after you move, we could keep in contact. I spend a lot of the downtime at work chatting on the Internet anyway."

Guss laughed out loud then shook his head. He when he got his laughing under control, he looked at Tony and smiled at the cheetah's confused expression. "I'm afraid I won't have an Internet connection."

"Well, all the more reason to get to know you now."

The red panda sighed and shook his head. He looked back over the pond again, taking his headphones off and then tapping his phone screen that the wire was jacked into. Guss looked back at the cheetah. "I suppose that I don't have anything to lose," he said pensively. "I just don't want to disappoint you."

"Well, we'll just see how it goes," Tony said and smiled. "So would you like to get coffee, get dinner or see a movie?"

"Coffee is fine. Did you want to go now?"

"Ah, I actually need to get back to work," Tony said a little embarrassed. "I get off at five though. I can get you at your place, or ... will you be around here?"

"I can be here," Guss said as he looked at the book in his paw. "I got another one after this, and my schedule has been free for the past few weeks."

"Okay," Tony said enthusiastically and stood up off the bench, "I'm actually going to be a little late getting back, so I have to run, but I'm glad you took me up on my offer. I'll see you a little after five, yeah?"

"I'll be here," Guss replied then looked back at his book.

Tony thought he caught a small smile from the red panda before he turned away and walked double-quick toward his office. He couldn't help but think that Guss' responses were a bit odd, but the prospect of a date with a cute guy--his first one in almost a year, no less--was a small victory.

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Tony pushed through the revolving door of his firm. It was the third time in the last two weeks he'd been reprimanded for being late returning from lunch. It hadn't bothered him nearly as much as the first two, because instead of just staring at the cute guy on the bench, he'd actually scored a date. He crossed the street and then made his way a half-block down to the walkway.

The noon sun had dipped in the sky as the evening approached. The shades of oranges and yellows on the pond reflected up as Tony walked up the path to the bench where Guss was sitting and waiting for him. It was late spring, and the few hours they had before sunset made the park even more scenic. He saw Guss glance over at him as he approached. The red panda stood up and stretched off his hours of sitting.

"I half expected you to bail on me," Tony said and then chuckled. "Glad you didn't."

Guss cast his glance down then looked back up at the cheetah. "I guess I did come off as a little cold, didn't I?"

"I can't blame you, too much. You're probably not asked out by a random guy in the park everyday."

Guss smiled as he tucked his headphones in the small shoulder bag by the bench and then slung the strap over his head. "So where's this coffee shop?"

"Just a ways down the street," Tony replied. "It's actually where I get my lunch most days, because they do really good paninis"

"Panini," Guss corrected.

Tony cocked his head a bit and looked at him slightly confused.

"Panini is a plural of panino," Guss explained.

"Wait, my name is Tony, and you're schooling me on Italian food?" he asked facetiously and then chuckled.

"Well, English Lit major until just a few weeks ago," Guss said and smiled.

"Yeah? Did you graduate; change majors or what?"

"Dropped out," Guss said and shook his head.

"Ah. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Guss said and then padded up to him. "Just didn't see the point in going to class anymore."

Tony looked down at the red panda in front of him. He was almost a full head and shoulders taller by comparison. "You know this whole vagueness thing is making me more curious about you and not less, right?"

Guss smiled and extended his arm toward the walking path. "Lead the way, Tony," he said, teasingly avoiding the cheetah's comment.

Tony sighed as he turned toward the walking path and the red panda came abreast of him. They came out of the green onto the gray of the Manhattan sidewalk. The foot traffic was a little heavy as the white-collar professionals flooded out of the office buildings on their treks home. The increased crowding slowed their advance a little, but the half-block walk to the large bank plaza on the corner didn't take too long.

Tony opened the door on the near corner of the building that housed the trendy coffee shop and held the door for Guss. He watched as the red panda walked in past him. His tail sashayed with his step, and as they walked past the high tables to the counter, Tony couldn't help but keep his gaze below the red panda's waist. It wasn't until he stopped at the counter and turned around to catch him staring that Tony pulled his eyes back up.

He could see Guss give him a little smirk before he turned back to the cashier and ordered green tea. When Guss tried to pay, Tony stepped up and told the husky in the apron behind the register that the orders were together. Guss looked surprised at first but then gave the cheetah a smile at his gesture. Tony ordered a simple dark roast and a few moments after he fished a ten out of his wallet, Guss was handed a cup of hot water with a large bag steeping in it and Tony was handed an empty cup to serve himself from the row of carafes next to the counter.

Guss waited patiently beside him as he filled his cup and then they went over to one of the high tables near the door and sat down. Fortunately, the afternoon crowds were lighter than the day crowds. Tony was caught watching the red panda's graceful movements once again as he settled in. Guss looked up at him and splayed his ears back. "I, uh, guess you do think I'm attractive."

Tony looked away. "I'm sorry, I know it's rude to stare."

"It's flattering," Guss said then smiled. "It's just not something I'm used to."

"Really? That I find hard to believe."

"Well, I wasn't out in high school, and I was only in college for about two years before I dropped out."

"You never got hit on in college?"

"Oh, I did, some," Guss said and looked down at his tea. "I haven't been actively looking for the last few years."

"May I ask why?"

Guss looked back up at Tony with his ears still splayed. He nervously bit his bottom lip then shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said as his ears perked back up. "I think we should just talk about something less personal."

"Okay," Tony said after a moment, a little concerned about Guss' response. "So, you're always reading. What do you like to read?"

"Oh, well, it'd be easier to list what I don't like to read," Guss said then chuckled. "I've been reading since I was little. My mom didn't have cable, and she'd only let my sister and I watch TV on Saturdays, but we could read all we wanted."

"Ah, so not the typical American household then?"

"Probably not so much. Because of that, it's rare that I find a TV show I actually like. We would go see the kid's movies every now and then, though." Guss looked up at Tony and flashed a smile. "So what do you like to read?"

"Uh," Tony blushed a little. "If it doesn't have to do with trying to forecast Asian markets, I'm usually not reading it."

"So that's what you do? You're a stock broker?" Guss chuckled as the cheetah looked back at him. "I mean, we're quite a ways from Wall Street."

"No, I'm an analyst. It's pretty boring, but it pays the bills."

"Manhattan can be pretty expensive."

"To say the least. Good thing I live in Queens."

"Yeah? I don't actually live in the city," Guss explained.

"No? It's quite a commute from outside the city to the park, isn't it?"

"Well, I'm actually staying off Fifth, so I can see the park from my window."

"I thought you didn't live in the city."

"It's just a temporary thing," Guss said and smiled.

"Okay. I couldn't even imagine what it would cost for an apartment that overlooked the park."

"More than I could afford, I'm sure."

"So what do you do for work then?"

"Nothing," Guss answered pointedly.

"You don't have a job?"

"No," Guss said and then smiled at Tony's confused expression. "Well, like I said, this whole gig in the city is just temporary. Not much point in looking for employment."

Tony took a sip of his coffee then shook his head. "You remember what I said about that whole vagueness thing, right?"

Guss smiled and nodded. "Maybe I like being the interesting but mysterious type." He paused as Tony chuckled. "No, really. There is a good reason I'm not going into detail. I don't want to let you down."

"You don't owe me any courtesy just yet," Tony said and flashed a toothy grin. "I'm happy you wanted to talk more."

Guss' ears heated but he tried his best to brush off the cheetah's flattery. "So what is it about me that made you want to talk to me?"

"You're cute," Tony replied, which caused Guss' ears to heat even more.

"Is ... that the only thing?"

"That's about all you've given me so far." Tony's tone was more jovial than chiding.

"Well, what is it you look for in a guy?"

"Hmm," Tony paused and looked the red panda up and down from what he could see over the tabletop. "Without trying to sound like a personals ad, I like to have fun. I like an outgoing guy. I'm an affectionate kitty, so cuddles are always nice. You spend your afternoons in the park, so you and I obviously have some common ground on that. If you're talking something more long term, then I would say ..." Tony trailed off as he saw Guss' expression suddenly shift. The red panda looked down at his tea uncomfortably. "I didn't do something wrong, did I?"

Guss ran his finger around the brim of his cup, wafting the steam around his paw. After a few moments, he looked back up at Tony with stern determination. "Let's say you had one night to spend with someone you found attractive, and only one night. What would you do?"

"Is this a hypothetical?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Well, I'd invite him out for coffee to get to know him."

"No, that part I already know," Guss shook his head and sighed. "It's silly, forget I asked."

"It's fine, I don't mind answering," Tony explained. "It would be more up to him, honestly. I would probably ask if he wanted to go for a walk, or go back to my place and watch a movie, or maybe--"

"Your place," Guss said suddenly, cutting him off.

"My place?" Tony asked curiously.

"Mmm. Let's go."

Before Tony could say anything else, Guss grabbed his shoulder bag off the floor, left his tea sitting on the table and was tugging the cheetah's shirt sleeve. Tony looked down at the red panda in confusion as he tugged him out of the store and onto the sidewalk. Guss was pulling him toward the subway stop not too far away. As he descended down the stairs below the street level, they stopped at the turnstiles as Guss was pulling out his prepaid card.

"What train do we need?" he asked as he looked up at Tony.

"We'll take 'C' to downtown and then the 'E' train to Queens."

"Sounds easy enough," Guss said as he swiped his card through the reader.

"Yeah, it's a bit of a ride, but it's not terrible." Tony followed suit with his transit card and they walked down the final set to the platform.

After a few minutes of standing around, the train pulled into the station. The doors slid open and a few furs walked out. Tony and Guss waited for them to clear the door before they walked onto the front of the train car. Tony sat down on the end of the bench beside the door and Guss beside him. The red panda eased a little closer as the mechanical voice announced that the doors were closing.

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The lines moaned and clattered as the train wormed its way down the tunnels. The car wasn't terribly crowded when they started, but as they continued, more and more furs crammed in. Before long, Guss was pressed up against Tony. There hadn't been much conversation on the ride but neither of them seemed to mind.

The cheetah blushed a little as he felt Guss' tail brush against his slacks. The red panda's curious nature was a little perplexing to him. He was reluctant to share personal details at the park and in the coffee shop, but then suddenly wanted to go home with him. He couldn't help but wonder if it was a self-esteem issue. The train slowed to a stop at Kew Gardens, just two more to their stop.

"Almost there," Tony commented as the donkey in the business suit got up from the other side Guss, giving him room to move over but he stayed pressed against the cheetah. "So, not that I mind your change in attitude. It seems like you're the type that sees something he wants and goes after it. It just kind of caught me off guard."

Guss looked at the floor of the train and shuffled his feet. He kept his eyes fixed downward until the doors slid closed and the train lurched forward. When he finally looked back up at the cheetah, he was met by another concerned expression.

"You keep worrying me that I'm doing something wrong," Tony said.

"I'm sorry," Guss apologized. "I don't mean to. I think it's flattering that you believe that."

"Would it bother you if I asked why the sudden change, then?"

"It's just," Guss paused as his ears flattened, "I, uh, think you're attractive. I've never been in any kind of romantic relationship, so I don't know how this is supposed to work. "

"Well, I'll just ask what you'd like to do when you get to my place?"

"You suggested a movie," Guss said then looked back at the floor.

"Yeah, I have a few movies and a comfy couch to sit on while we watch."

Tony saw Guss nod in response as he kept his eyes down. The cheetah let out a sigh; it was a subconscious thing and he didn't mean it to be offensive, but he noticed Guss wince a bit. "I'm sorry," Tony apologized.

"No," Guss said and looked back up at the tiger, "I'm just really new to this. I keep getting this nagging feeling that you won't like me when you get to know me."

"Why don't we just start with the movie and see what happens?"

Guss smiled the chuckled. "You do seem like a really sweet guy."

"So do you," Tony said as he leaned his weight a little onto the red panda. Tony was a little surprised when he felt Guss ease against him and then he rested his cheek against his shoulder. He could smell his shampoo from his headfur. Tony assumed it would be fragrant with some kind of conditioner mix, but it scent was surprisingly sterile.

The ride was quiet between the two before it made its stop at Jamaica-Van Wyck platform. They got off the train and made their way back to the street level up the stairs, both of them squinting a bit as they left the fluorescent lights behind and walked out into the oranges and yellows of the setting sun.

"My apartment is just a few blocks down," Tony said as he looked back at the red panda.

"Okay," Guss said as he looked at the small storefronts and shorter towers than the big buildings in Manhattan. "I've never been to Queens before. It looks kind of nice."

"I was born in Brooklyn, but I've been really happy here," Tony said as he started walking down the block with Guss beside him.

As they walked out of the small segment of businesses, they turned onto a street with residential apartments. They were fairly nice with brick fronts and only two stories high. Most of them were cookie-cutter developments, but the planters, small trees and the occasional color change added some diversification. Half-way down the block, Tony turned toward one of the apartments and walked on the sidewalk to a split that wrapped around the side of the building.

When they were around back, Tony walked down a small concrete staircase to a door into the basement. He unlocked his door and held it open for Guss, then followed him in. The finished basement had nice carpeting, a love seat along the wall with a flat panel TV on the opposite. There was a doorway to a small office and the bedroom beside the entertainment center. The kitchenette attached to the living room. If it weren't for the windows by the door being so high, it would have been hard to tell it was a basement.

"This is a nice place," Guss commented as he looked around.

"The couple upstairs owns it. I got a really good deal."

"What's a really good deal?"

"Eight-fifty."

Guss turned around and looked at the cheetah and blinked a few times. "Uh, yeah ... there's no way I could afford to live here."

Tony chuckled a bit then motioned his paw at the shelves under the TV. "Those are the movies. Pick one out."

The cheetah walked over to the love seat and kicked his loafers off before he settled down on the cushion. He watched Guss as the red panda bent over to scan through the spines of the movie disc cases. His long tail lifted a bit and gave Tony a view of his rear as the khaki shorts he was wearing tightened around the curves of his backside. When Guss turned back around with a movie case in his paw, Tony tried to look away quickly to hide his staring, but he was pretty sure he was caught.

"This one," Guss said, pulling the cheetah's attention back to him.

"That's a kid's movie," Tony said as he looked at the cartoon critters on the cover.
"Yeah, but I haven't seen it in years," Guss said. "And besides, if it's a kid's movie, why do you have it?"

Tony blushed and shook his head. "Yeah, okay. I like animated movies."

Guss giggled as he opened the case up and popped the disk out. He turned around and bent over to the disc player under the TV and opened the tray. When he did, he lifted his tail a little higher.

Tony was pretty sure that it was intentional that time. The red panda swayed his hips a bit as Tony felt his ears heat; that left no doubt. He squirmed as his slacks tightened and decided it would be best to cross his legs.

Guss turned around as the disc tray swallowed the movie and he smiled at the cheetah on the couch. He padded back toward Tony with a knowing smirk, but then stopped suddenly before he sat down. Guss looked around with a slightly concerned expression as the cheetah looked up at him curiously. "Bathroom?" he asked as he looked back at Tony.

"Oh, uh, the little room there by the kitchen."

Guss nodded and hurried away, closing the door to the small door to the bathroom behind him as Tony looked on with confusion. The cheetah sighed and rubbed his eyes with his paws. "What am I getting myself into?" he asked himself quietly. "He is cute," he countered to his vocal subconscious. He dropped his paws and picked the TV remote off the small table by the couch and turned it on.

By the time Guss came out of the bathroom, the animated title screen was looping and waiting for the cheetah to press play. The red panda settled in on the seat but kept some distance from Tony. His expression had once again shifted. He looked uncomfortable and even a little somber.

"You don't have to do anything your not comfortable doing," Tony said in the most understanding tone he could muster.

"I know," Guss replied and then looked up at Tony. "You going to start the movie?" His expression had changed back to the excited and slightly bubbly one, save for one thing: Tony knew it was a lie.

"Yeah," Tony said as he returned the smile and then picked up the remote.

The opening credits rolled with the song that made the children's movie iconic playing over the home theater speakers. As the story progressed and the animated talking feral animals went from an idyllic life to the sudden disruption by the stereotyped antagonist, Guss began to drift over to the cheetah. By the time of the heroic return, Tony's arm rested on Guss' shoulder and the red panda's head was laying against Tony's chest.

Just before the confrontation with the villain, Guss nuzzled Tony's chest and looked up at the cheetah. "I remember why I liked this movie ten years ago," he commented, "but I don't know if it aged very well."

"You can still appreciate it for the timeless quality. It's a modern classic," Tony offered with a smile as he looked down, nearly muzzle-to-muzzle with Guss.

"Timeless ..." Guss' eyes shifted away from the cheetah and he swallowed so hard that Tony felt it. "Nothing is timeless; everything fades."

"Guss, I'd be more than willing to talk if something--" the cheetah was suddenly silenced as the red panda's lips pressed against his. Tony let a surprised murmur escape as he looked at Guss with wide eyes. He lifted his right paw from the couch arm and moved it to Guss' shoulder, but stopped short. He wasn't entirely sure if the spur of the moment kiss was really an indication that the red panda wanted to take it to the next level.

However, Guss' increasing fervor didn't leave the cheetah wondering long. His tongue pushed into Tony's muzzle and he moved his body against the cheetah. He lifted his leg and eased atop the cheetah while his fingers balled in fists and gripped the fabric of Tony's shirt.

Tony let his arm continue around the red panda and his eyes fluttered closed. It had been a long time since he'd kissed anyone, and as he pulled Guss close to his body his arms wrapped around him. His tongue lashed up against Guss' and they shared soft moans as their arousal grew. Tony's paws slid down the soft fabric of the hoodie and over the thicker khaki material of his shorts. Guss' tail lashed back and forth against the back of his paws as he squeezed the red panda's rear.

The cheetah's slacks tightened as the red panda pushed down against him. Tony lifted him up and pulled Guss completely into his lap. Their thighs rubbed together as the smaller frame of Guss slid into a straddle. Tony ground his hips up against him as he pulled his head back and forced a separation from the kiss. Guss whimpered a bit but it shifted to a long moan when Tony put his muzzle in the nape of his neck and started kissing up the side.

After a few moments of kissing, grinding and panting, Tony moved his muzzle back to Guss' lips and planted a few small kisses before easing back again. "And you're saying you're not the type that sees what he wants and goes for it?"

Guss chuckled and rested his nose against Tony's. "I should probably let you know that I've never done this before."

"It doesn't show," Tony said before kissing him softly again. "We better go a little slower then."

Guss nodded and then sat up. He moved his paws to the zipper and his hoodie and started to pull it down. Before much of the dark fur on his chest was exposed, Tony's paw cupped his and stopped him.

"Not here," Tony said as he moved his paw pack around to the red panda's rear and lifted him slightly. He eased Guss back off the love seat and lowered him to the floor and stood up in front of him. "This will go a lot easier in the bedroom."

Guss' ears heated as he looked up at the cheetah and he gave Tony a soft nod. Tony took his paw and led him through the door by the TV. He turned left into the small bedroom and guided Guss to the edge of the standard sized bed. The room was still dark as Guss sat down on the comforter while Tony walked around him. He heard a click and a soft incandescent glow illuminated the nook.

The bed stretched almost from wall-to-wall with a path up the left side. At the head was a nightstand with the small lamp on it. Guss wasn't able to focus on the surroundings too long before Tony walked back over to him. He took Guss' zipper and slowly pulled it down until it came unclasped and it fell open.

Tony rubbed his paws on the soft fur of Guss' chest as he moved his arms back and slipped out of the sleeves. When his hoodie fell behind him, Tony knelt down and kissed Guss' stomach. He trailed down to his waist and then stopped to work the button on his shorts open. After the flaps of his fly were open, he pulled the zipper down and Guss lifted up slightly as he hooked the waistband of the shorts and boxers and pulled them down.

Tony got his first look at the bear-cat's exposed arousal. His length was modest but proportional to the smaller male. It had a small tapered tip that bulged up near the middle and was covered in small spines. The thing that caught his attention the most was that they all seemed to point backwards. He took his thumb and slid pad along the spines and he heard Guss gasp sharply.

"Sorry," Tony said as he looked up at the red panda. "I didn't know you had spines. I got a few myself, but ... wow."

Guss panted and cracked an eye open, looking down at Tony. "I never had anyone touch me before. It's intense."

"You better brace yourself, then," Tony said before he leaned forward and took the tip between his lips. He heard another gasp as his muzzle descended past the taper and over spinescent bulge. His tongue brushed the top of the rearward facing spines and then the lightly dragged against his tongue on the way back up.

Guss' tail flicked and thrashed against the bed as he moved his paws to the top of Tony's head. Tony began to suckle the length as he pulled up and he felt Guss grip his headfur tightly.

"No," Guss said aloud as he bucked his hips up. "No, it's ... Ugh!"

Tony's eyes went wide as a warm jet of the red panda's seed shot into his mouth. It was thick and coated his tongue almost entirely, but was rapidly followed by a second, then a third. He had no choice but to swallow, but it wasn't a chore. The thick and creamy jism was slightly sweet and slid down his gullet as he swallowed with Guss' member pulsing in his mouth.

The cheetah pulled his muzzle back and gave the tip a small lick to get the rest of Guss' cum. Tony looked up at Guss as the red panda's paws released the top of his head and fell to his sides. He saw Guss crack his eyes open as he struggled to regain control of his breathing. When his gaze caught Tony's, he flattened his ears and frowned.

"I'm sorry," Guss said with a pout. "I didn't want to ... finish so fast."

"Heh, I don't think I did any better my first time,"  Tony replied then smiled gently. "Besides, you taste really good." He saw Guss shy away at the comment, but there was a small smile across his muzzle. "You up for some more?"

"You want me to, do the same?"

"Only if you'd like to," Tony said as he slowly rose to his feet and started unfastening the row of buttons on his shirt. "I actually was thinking something else, if you're up for it."

"What do you mean?" Guss asked and cocked his head a bit as he watched Tony peel the half-unbuttoned shirt off over his head.

"I've never had anyone with spines, you know, inside me."

Guss blinked as he looked up at Tony then shook his head. "I've never done that. I don't know if I'd be any good." He paused as he looked down at the dressy slacks and the obvious bulge behind the cheetah's fly. "Besides, won't it hurt?"

Tony unbuckled his belt and unclipped the tab on his fly while Guss looked on. "Don't worry about me," he said as he took down the zipper with deliberate slowness. "I practice from time-to-time." He pointed at the nightstand and Guss looked over his shoulder at the small phallic shaped dildo beside the lamp.

"Oh," Guss said and turned back when he heard the clatter of Tony's belt on the floor. He saw the bulge in Tony's white briefs and swallowed hard. "I, uh, I would kind of like to try blowing you." He blushed as he looked up at Tony's face. "If--if that's okay, I mean."

"I sure won't turn it down," Tony said and chuckled. He stepped out of his crumpled slacks and closer to the naked red panda. He noticed Guss look down at his briefs and then back up at him as if he were waiting for a more definite sign of permission. "Just pull them down, then do what you would like."

Guss sighed then took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He extended his fingers to the waistband of Tony's briefs and started to tug them downward. It snagged on the top of Tony's erection, he had to pull the band out and it caused the tip to bounce as it was freed from the elastic. He was again wide eyed as he saw another males arousal in person for the first time.

Guss looked at it for a moment, taking in the features. The tip sort of looked like his own, but the spines were more pronounced and there were fewer of them. He eased his muzzle forward and opened his mouth to give the tip a tentative lick. 

Tony groaned as the texture of the bear-cat's tongue teased his opening. His hips subconsciously swayed forward and his member bumped against Guss' nose. He saw the red panda jerk back a bit but he shook off the surprise as he eased forward and took Tony's head in his mouth. He felt the warmth of his tongue brush the underside of his glans as he summoned all his willpower not to push into the virgin's mouth.

Guss took it slow, easing down on him until half of his length was inside of his mouth. It was about all that the short muzzle would accommodate. Then Guss closed his lips and moaned, causing tongue along his flesh to vibrate. Tony raised his paws to the red panda's cheeks and stroked his tufts with his fingers and then rubbed the inside of his ears with his thumbs. Guss giggled softly at the touch which was another interesting sensation for him. After the giggle subsided, Guss pulled his head back and then pushed it forward again.

"Oh yeah," Tony groaned. "That's good, keep doing--ow! Teeth, watch the teeth."

"Sorry," Guss mumbled around the cheetah cock.

"It's okay, you're doing fine. Try sucking a little," he instructed.

Guss' lips clamped around the spines of the feline malehood and a lewd slurp echoed in the small bedroom. Tony took Guss' cheek tufts between his fingers and gently guided him up and down his length. The cheetah's hips started to gyrate to meet the red panda as it descended toward his sheath, but he was careful not to force himself to the back of his throat.

After a few more moments, the rhythm built as the inexperienced Guss grew accustomed to the task. Tony looked down at him as his breathing increased in speed. It filled him with a bit of pride to see Guss' recently spent arousal standing at full attention with an occasional throb. He would have been content to keep going, but the prospect of those backward spines was just too appealing.

Tony pulled back and the tip slipped from between Guss' lips. The bear-cat whimpered a little as he pulled out and Tony chuckled softly. "You liked that, did you?"

Guss looked up at him as his ears folded back over Tony's thumbs that were still rubbing his ears. "I ... I did," Guss said with a note of embarrassment. "I didn't think it would feel good, just in my mouth like that."

"Just wait," Tony said as he moved his paws off Guss' cheeks. "I think you'll like this next part even better." He finished pushing his underwear down to his ankles and kicked them to the side. Then he crawled onto the bed toward the pillows on all fours and lifted his long tail. Looking back over his shoulder, he gave Guss a wink. "Come on. It won't bite."

Guss shifted around on the bed and eased up behind Tony. "I, uh, I'm not sure what to do."

"It's okay," Tony said as he reached over to his nightstand and opened the drawer. "Just use some of this on yourself and on me, line it up and push in." Tony pulled out a bottle with a flip cap that was half-full of a clear liquid. He handed it to Guss and the red panda looked at it for a moment. "It's lubricant. Water based. It's good stuff."

Guss shrugged then flipped the cap up. He poured some on his erection and gasped as the cool liquid trickled onto his length. He then upturned the bottle and poured some between Tony's cheeks.

"Now," Tony began, "spread it around on yourself then my tailhole, and you'll be able to slip right in."

"Okay," Guss said. He took his paw and smeared the lube along his length. After a few strokes with his paw, he moved his fingers to the pink textured pucker between Tony's cheeks. Rubbing the glob from the cleft of his rear over the outside of the opening. Guss capped the bottle and set it down on the bed, eased up behind Tony and took a deep breath.

Tony spread his legs as he felt Guss' paws rest on his cheeks. Then Guss pushed his hips against Tony's backside, and the cheetah lowered himself down a little to help. Guss' tip slid up the cleft of his rear and then back down as he rocked his hips.

"Guide it in with your fingers," Tony instructed. He could feel Guss move his paw off his rear and then felt his lithe fingers push against his cheeks as he worked his tip against his tailhole. Tony didn't suspect there would be a problem, but he put his face in the pillow just in case he had to grunt so as not to discourage Guss.

He felt the tip push against his tailring, then the resistance gave way suddenly and half of the red panda's length was inside of him. Instead of his feared grunt he moaned into the pillow and heard Guss share the moan. Pulling his head up from the pillow, he looked back at his lover. Guss' expression was a mix between perplexity and ecstasy. "Are you okay, Guss?"

"This ... this is amazing," Guss said and opened his eyes, locking them with Tony. "I had no idea it was like this."

"Mmm," Tony confirmed and wiggled his rear back against him. "Don't be afraid to go all the way."

Guss nodded then closed his eyes as he rocked forward. His whole body shuddered as his sheath nestled against Tony's opening. He stayed there for a moment then started to pull his hips back. When he did, his spines raked Tony's walls and the cheetah gasped suddenly. "Are you okay?" Guss asked. "Am I hurting you?"

"Ugh ..." Tony muttered with a quiver.

"Tony?"

"Wow," Tony managed between pants and looked back at Guss. "It doesn't hurt, I've just never felt anything like it."

"It's," Guss paused and rubbed Tony's rear in his paw, "It's good?"

"Yeah," Tony replied breathlessly. "It's good. Keep going."

Tony felt every small movement of Guss as he withdrew. Then, as the red panda pushed back inside of him and the spines folded down, the sensations of being penetrated felt amplified to levels he'd never experienced. Guss was moving slow, but after a few thrusts and the near sensual overload wore off, he started to push back. The red panda behind him took it the hint and picked up his pace.

As the sounds of Guss' thighs hitting his rear echoed in the small room, Tony sipped a paw between his legs and stroked his bobbing erection. Then the big cat began to purr, and he heard Guss grunt as the deep reverberations teased the exotic cock in his rear.

"Kitty," Guss said as he panted. "Keep purring. Wow."

Tony let a soft chuckle escape before a long and sultry moan, affirming that he would do just that. Guss' paws clawed at his rear as their bodies slapped together. Any virgin awkwardness there was initially had faded in the lust fueled frenzy. Tony could feel Guss' member throb inside him and that made the spines flare out a bit. The red panda's hips started to quake and it left no doubt about what was coming.

With a high pitched twittering yowl, Guss pushed as deep as he could and warmth radiated inside of Tony's backside. The big cat kept purring as he felt Guss filling him with his orgasm. Guss eased his body down against Tony's back, still keeping most of his length inside of him as his flood subsided. He slumped down a bit but kept his hips raised while he tweaked his own erection with his thumb and index finger.

The cheetah's purring ceased as his muscles tightened, eliciting a grunt from Guss as the waves of his own orgasm swept over him. His pent up seed from the incredible build up of pleasure splashed against the comforter underneath him. Tony held himself up as long as he could before he collapsed to the bed, the last little bit of his member draining out into the thick puddle he'd made below him.

They laid on the bed, Guss on top of Tony, each panting in the afterglow of Guss' first sexual encounter and their first shared experience as lovers. Tony let a smile creep onto his muzzle as he hoped that they could repeat the process at least a few more times before Guss moved away.

With the new angle and Guss' flagging erection, the spiny red panda cock slipped out of Tony's tailhole with more subtlety than it had entered. Tony shifted his body over and Guss slid off his back onto the bed. He rolled over to face him and wrapped his arms around him to pull him up to the pillows. He looked at the white, black and red fur on his face as he laid beside him. He pushed his muzzle forward and locked lips with him, sharing a deep kiss before softly pulling out of it.

"I'm glad I finally decided to talk to you," Tony whispered softly.

"I am, too," Guss replied as his long tail curled up and rested on Tony's side.

Tony held Guss close as the sticky couple drifted off to sleep.

-------------------------------------------------

Tony's eyes slowly fluttered open. The first thing he saw was the back of Guss' head. He wasn't sure how long they'd been asleep, but when he moved his leg he felt the dried remnants of their tryst tug and pull his fur. He sighed softly as he rolled over to toward the small pathway and swung his legs off the bed. The alarm clock on his nightstand read 5:37am. It would be going off to wake him up for work in less than an hour. He'd gone to bed a little earlier than usual, so he figured that getting up a little early wouldn't hurt much, and he could do with a shower.

Sitting up on the edge of the bed with a yawn and a stretch, he reached over to the small switch on the lamp and turned it off to let Guss sleep a little more soundly. Tony knew his apartment well enough to make his way around it with just the ambient light from the few windows he had.

As he got up and walked into the living room, he pressed the button on the side of the TV to shut off the looping movie title screen that had been running since the previous night. He continued on to the small bathroom and flipped on the lights. His eyes squinted a bit as the overhead lights lit up the nook that was little more than a small shower, toilet and vanity sink. He opened the glazed glass door of the shower and turned it on and stepped under the stream.

After he scrubbed the lube and semen from his fur, he got out of the shower, dried off and stepped over to the medicine cabinet and pulled out the cotton swabs to get the water out of his ears he couldn't with the corner of the towel. As he dropped the used swabs in the small waste bin, he noticed a perforated piece of plastic. Tony bent over and picked it up out of the trash. He turned it over in his paw and saw that it was a hospital ID band that had been ripped off.

"Fornwell, Augustus J," he read aloud. "Mount Sinai. Dr. W. Friendly." He looked at the yellow tab stuck through one of the perforations. "Fall precautions." Tony felt his heart sink. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he turned the wristband over in his paw, but it wouldn't go down. Tony looked at the door to the bathroom, back at the wristband and then back at the door. "God damn it."

-----------------------------------------

Tony faintly heard his alarm buzzing. He sat on the love seat and looked blankly at the doorway to the bedroom. He hadn't bothered to go back in after he got out of the bathroom. He'd just sat there for the last half hour staring into where Guss had been sleeping and turning things over in his head.

"Tony?" he heard weakly. "Tony?" he heard a little louder.

The cheetah didn't move. He couldn't bring himself to move. His legs had been numb ever since he plopped down on the cushion. Guss wandered through the door of the office rubbing the sleep from one of his eyes.

"Tony, your alarm is going off."

"Time to get ready for work," he said while he maintained his stoic expression.

"Ah, well ... do you want me to turn it off?"

"No, it'll shut off on its own in a few minutes."

"Okay," Guss replied and stepped toward the tiger. He stopped when he noticed the blank look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Tony replied.

"Okay," Guss said with a note of concern, not entirely convinced he was telling the truth. "When you go back into work, can I ride the train with you?"

"Yeah, I imagine you'll need to be getting back to the hospital."

Guss winced as Tony finished his sentence. He looked at the floor and folded his ears. "I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?" Tony asked.

"What I did was incredibly selfish. I told you that I'd be a let down."

"Guss, what exactly is wrong with you? Why do you say you won't be around much longer?"

"Malignant tumor," Guss said as he looked back up at the cheetah then pointed to the left side of his head. "Inoperable. My 'two weeks to live' was up almost three weeks ago."

"Three weeks? You've been on borrowed time for the last three weeks?"

"Yeah," Guss replied as he brought his paw down to his eye and wiped away a welling tear. "I feel like I roped you into something that I shouldn't have. It was very selfish, just because I thought it'd be my last chance to try ... anything."

"Three weeks?" Tony said as his expression shifted to confused. "Three weeks!" he yelled, causing Guss to step back.

"Tony, please--"

"No," Tony interrupted. "No, you don't understand. I saw you in the park two weeks ago, and I wasted that. You were on borrowed time then, and I wasted it."

"I, but, I--"

"I'm so angry right now," Tony said and hung his head. "I'm pissed off, but not at you."

"Tony?"

"I wasted two of those weeks. I could've had two more weeks."

"What ... are you trying to say?"

Tony looked up at Guss and started to sob. He shook his head and covered his face with his paws. "This is bullshit. It's not fair. I never thought I could feel this way about someone so fast, and now the only thing I can think about is how little time I have. I don't ..." Tony trailed off as his crying intensified. His emotions swirled like a torrent. "Nothing is timeless."

"Everything fades," he heard in his ear and felt the red panda's paws wrap around him. "Well, maybe not everything."

He lowered his paws and saw Guss looking into his eyes. His cheek tufts were as damp as Tony's.

"Where we go is up to you," Guss said. "I made a mistake when I didn't tell you up front, and I won't blame me if you want to stop this right n--"

Tony's muzzle locked tightly against Guss' and his tongue pushed into his mouth. His arms wrapped around Guss and pulled him into his lap. They stayed in the moment for awhile before Tony pulled away and nuzzled his tear soaked cheek against Guss'.

"I should probably shower," Guss said softly. "It'll give you some time to think things over." Guss eased out of the cheetah's arms and stood up out of his lap. "And, I'm sorry, again." He gave Tony's paws a small squeeze before turning away and walking into the bathroom.

Tony shook his head and wiped his eyes. The distant buzz of the alarm clock rang a little louder in the cheetah's ears. He sighed as he stood up and headed to the bedroom to remedy it.

He eased over to his nightstand and shut the alarm off. On his way out, his foot brushed against his crumpled slacks on the floor. He looked down at the pile of fabric for a moment then bent over and fished the phone out of his left pocket.

With a button press and a thumb swipe, he unlocked the homescreen. He tapped his contacts and scrolled down to his supervisor's desk phone. After a few rings, the voicemail echoed through the speaker, then the tone.

"Chris, it's Tony. I won't be into work today." He paused as he looked out of the bedroom door and into the living room where he could hear the water running in the shower. "Something came up, and if I don't fix it now, I won't get another chance." Tony looked at the screen, ended the call and then turned off his phone.

"Everything fades," he said to himself. His thoughts turned to the gentle paw squeeze Guss gave him before he went to go shower. He lifted his paws up and looked at the pads as his chest warmed at the memory of his touch. "Well, maybe not everything."

The End