Roland walked off the stage wondering if it really was the best career choice for him. The girls closed in. "Listen to that audience!" chimed Kim, siding up close to Roland's right side as he approached the steps leading down towards the changing rooms. "They must have really enjoyed it!" Bess added, exiting stage herself. "I think we all enjoyed it..." murmured Liz quietly to herself as she wiped some of her juices off on her hip. "Haha... Yeah, I guess..." Roland replied, his half-hearted attempt at enthusiasm not doing much to mask his doubt. "What's wrong?" asked Bess, tilting her head slightly, Kim mimicking her. Roland sighed, "It's just that I don't know if this is right for me... I mean, I like acting, I do, but maybe I should be going for something a little more... Traditional..."

The Natural Theatres. After finding their footing in the world on two legs, the theriomorphic society weren't willing to give up some of the natural pleasures in life so quickly. In memory of how it felt to be wild came various plays (often symbolic), many of which were to be acted out naked. Some thought of it as an art, others as a bad attempt at it, whereas some thought of the Natural Theatre as a sort of upper class version of strip shows.

Looking as if Roland had made some upsetting personal comment rather than talking about his career choice, Kim whined, "What makes you say that...?" Roland shrugged a little, "Well, I always intended to stay out of the porn business, and I know this isn't the same, but it definitely tends to lack the depth of the more famous plays... I don't know if any of these roles are really cut out for me..." Liz was still walking close behind him, "Like what?" "Like the one I just got out of. Male lion servant of the cow empress ends up courting her for a bit, sings about it, and then lives happily ever after?" The girls giggled. Roland smiled slightly. "Look, Roland; this is a job, not your whole career..." comforted Bess, "And besides. We thought you were great." "Oh, yes," Kim growled, joining in, "You were the STAR!" The girls moved in closer, like a pack moving in for the kill, with Kim starting to touch Roland's legs. His large muscles tensing slightly as she did so. Roland laughed nervously, one paw going protectively to his groin, and his grip on his clothes bag tightening. It wouldn't be the first time the girls had tried to keep him naked for longer, and they seemed to be in the mood to build up to it. He sped up his pace. Not that he didn't like them... They just weren't really his type. Bess, the cow, was very friendly... She'd been a good friend to him ever since he arrived. She was one of the first he met, after passing the audition. He could remember that well...

He remembered being so low on cash he was desperate enough to use his inherited "talents" instead of the ones he'd worked on for so long. One glance from the three owners of the theatre (a ferret girl, an elderly rat male, and a dignified looking female deer) after he'd stripped and he'd been in. No question of his acting skills. He'd walked out to the changing rooms to be shown around and Bess had been in the first crowd of girls to fall crooning about him... His job... Got off to an okay start. His mother had been happy for him, of course... She'd gone on and on about how proud she was, and still insisted that, at some point, he'd have to let her know when he was performing so that she could come and see. He'd do that, some time. As soon as he'd found himself in a part he enjoyed playing; he'd tell her. A part like that hadn't come up since he'd left Drama school, though.

Back with the girls now, he got his leg free from Kim, a sweet little black and white papillon girl, and got going again. Kim stared dreamily after his ass for a bit before running after to catch up. Liz, the sleek black cat, following behind slowly, massaging the already erect nipples of her large breasts as she went through old fantasies in her head. Roland and Bess chatted lightly about the plot of the recently finished performance (starring them), until they reached men's changing room, at which point Roland gave hurried good-byes to the girls before rushing into the safety of the male changing rooms.

He walked to his locker, took the key out of his bag, and unlocked it. It was rather bare. Aside from his regular clothes, there was his mobile, his packed lunch (sandwiches today), a photo of him and his parents (him and his father towering over his mother as the happy family smiled towards the camera) and a copy of the new scripts he'd been given. He stared into it for a while, and then sighed, turning around and collapsing into a sitting position against the locker next to his. Not as if there was anyone else in the locker rooms today. He was used to it, too... The girls of the theatre company were very willing to vote him in as the best for any part... "This isn't what I wanted..." he mumbled to himself quietly. Bess was right, of course; it was only a job until he caught up with his career. He was a good actor, too, and the reviews he'd got in some of the parts here would probably help him achieve his goals later. He'd just probably feel better if his social life was going better. Or going anywhere. Son of two members of the famous Furry Inc., he wasn't the type to be bothered about being alone to the point where he'd date people he wasn't interested in. He could manage masturbation, he could buy sex toys if the urge really took him; all in all it wasn't the lack of sex that bothered him. It was the lack of feeling understood. Roland, heart heavy, shut his eyes. "Something would turn up" he always figured, but so far... There hadn't been much...

+++

"Oh, you look FINE," pestered Bess, "Now come on! Don't want to miss the start of the interesting bits, do you?" Wearing tight coats, Liz and Kim were already waiting. They tended to either aim to look classy or sexy. Especially around Roland. He didn't even need to wait for them to take the coats off to know what type of things they'd be wearing underneath. He was also aware he wouldn't have to ask more than once to find out what they were wearing underneath that, but he'd always told them that he'd keep the offer in mind without the intention of ever asking. The others were arriving now. It was a larger group than usual."Gem, is that a new necklace? It's lovely! Rache, hello! This is your Vince then, is it? He's gorgeous, you two look so sweet together! ROLAND, come on!"

Apparently their knowledge that he didn't want to be in porn hadn't ever hinted to them that he might not be keen on going to strip clubs every other week. They bundled into the three cars ready, and went to the local strip club "Pole Cats"; well known for its flare, high quality dancers, and good cocktails. There was a quieter section just outside the main club area, a place for a little quiet time now and then, largely relating, rumour had it, to either the owner of the club, or maybe some of his friends, being prone to headaches after spending too much time around loud noise... The room was lit with blue lights. There was a little "No Fucking!" patch of graffiti, with a little spray-paint image with what looked to be an elephant locked in a sixty-niner with a leaf, with a cross through it. Possibly the artist had one too many drinks before attempting it. Bess and her little herd of friends walked through, with her still in scattered conversations.

"Okay, Gem; this is Liz, have you met before? No? Well, we work together. Everyone, this is Mike, Mike is Rachael's new guy," she introduced the worried looking jackal next to Rachel, the jaguar, "isn't he nice? He's learning to be a cook. Oh; Kim, Roland; this is Ken;" Roland brought himself up from deep thoughts to glance up, but missed seeing whoever he was getting introduced to through the crowds, "he's my brother, he's been kicked out of yet another job and he might be moving here. And, before anyone forgets; we're officially here to celebrate Liz's leading part in the upcoming "Love In The Forest Of Midnight", also known as "Wild Pussy", right?" The girls giggled, Rachael pulling Mike into a quick kiss. The group made its way through the double doors, the noise level blocking out whatever else Bess was saying as loud music, cheers, and shouted attempts to hold conversations took over. Roland let them walk onwards a bit before doubling back to the quieter room.

The double doors closed, muffling the sounds from the main part of the club. Roland gave a sigh of relief and sat in the nearest chair. Not much of a partier at the best of times, he definitely wasn't in the mood for it today, with his thoughts full of pessimism. His mind started to wander down the old route again... The chair opposite him screeched against the floor as it was pulled back. A large figure sat down on it. Roland glanced up. In front of him was a creature with thin, black-brown, fur covering its body. The figure was topless, wearing only some very baggy black jeans, pulled tight around its waist with a thin studded black belt, with a bright pink studded collar around its neck. It was a bull. "Hey. I'm Bullocks." "Excuse me?" "You're Roland, aren't you?" "Oh, yeah... Guess you're better known as Ken, then?" Roland replied, looking at Ken and trying to seem interested in talking despite the worries still nagging him from the back of his mind. "I'm also known as that, yes" "Guessing that's non-human, though?" Bess had taken the name given to her grandmother by humans instead of keeping "Betty". Roland could never quite understand why, but at least Bess seemed happy about it. "Pretty much. Bullocks came through reputation, though." "Okay?" Roland eyed the collar, "And the-" "Fashion statement." "Alright..."

The noise level suddenly increased. "Oh, there you two are!" Bess exclaimed, bustling in, "Are you not going to come join us, Roland? Penny from last time, do you remember her? The badger? She was wondering if you wanted to dance with her again, are you going to?" "Kind... Of got... A headache... Sorry Bess..." mumbled Roland. Bess nodded and looked at her brother. "And you? You're just going to sit out here and be antisocial, too?" Ken leant back on his chair, idly, "Yup." "Oh, fine. Keep Roland company, then. Not TOO much good company though, got it, Kenny? The girls would NEVER forgive if you went and snatched Roland away from them. So, be good boys; have fun." Bess smiled, waved quickly, and went to rejoin the others cheering on a cute male mink who'd just made his way onto the stage.

Ken watched her go, and then looked at Roland, "So, pussy rat. Feel like going to do some fucking with me whilst the girls are busy?" Roland's eyes widened. He already knew he was bi, and he couldn't deny that the bull's well toned body was attractive, but he hadn't really been expecting the offer, at least not so blatantly, and he wasn't sure of how to refuse, especially considering that he wasn't sure, to his surprise, that he even wanted to. Under his grey fur, Roland blushed, the fur on his cheeks standing up slowly to join his expression in making it obvious. A half-smile crept up Ken's face as his brow rose, a look of mild surprise mingled with interest spreading over his face, "Really? Heh... My place isn't far from here. Shall we get going?" "Uh?!?" answered Roland, his throat muscles freezing as his brain raced. Ken stood up and walked over to him, taking Roland's hand as he leant close, his self-sure smile still in place, "I promise it'll be fun, how's that?" "Uh?!?" Roland came up with again. He could smell the bull's mint-scented breath as Ken slowly exhaled. The bull straightened his back, pulling Roland to his feet. How he could have missed seeing Ken when Bess first tried to introduce him, he now wondered. Though only just; Ken stood taller than him, which wasn't something he, having his father's lion frame, came across often.

Ken let go and started walking towards the exit, "Come on." Roland took a step forward, and then stopped, confusion welling up in his mind as he watched Ken push the door open. The bull looked over his shoulder, his tail doing a delicate swish through the air, "Coming?" Roland's parents had always told him to take things as slowly as he felt he needed to and to make sure he was never lead astray by people he couldn't trust... This was Bess' brother offering to take him away from all the noise of the club, as well as offering to take his mind off his problems. Roland gave a slight nod, and walked over to Ken, who held the door open for him as they together stepped into the chilly night air and started to make their way to Ken's new apartment.

+++

Ken shut the door, and slid the latch into place. Roland glanced around. The apartment was rather small... To his right, there was the bathroom, the sink area cluttered up with what looked like... Lubricants? The kitchen looked rather plain, as did the living room, although, even from where he was now, Roland could see two condom wrappers littered about the sofa. He concluded that it was actually odd that the apartment smelt fine... "Heh... Guess I should have cleaned up a bit beforehand, huh? Didn't know I was going to meet anyone worth bringing back, though. Bess didn't mention that you've got an interest in guys." "Oh, err... She doesn't know..." Roland admitted. "Really? Mm... Guess knowing about this would be a surprise to her, then..." Roland gave a panicked look at Ken, who walked over and put a hand on Roland's shoulder to calm him. "Hey, Kitty-mouse... Don't worry; I'm not so gifted with the gab as my sister is. Besides... It's just you and me now..."

Ken's other hand came up to Roland's other arm and pulled him into a kiss. Roland felt his muscles go wild. Here he was, with the sexiest beast he'd ever seen, about to have sex, and surrounded by rooms containing hints that it wasn't going to be a night to forget. Roland's adrenaline levels gave him a jump start, his hands going to the bull's waist and pulling him roughly closer. Ken smoothly responded by moving one arm to around Roland's back and pulling him close whilst his free hand stroked Roland's jawline. Roland pulled out of the kiss and stared at Ken hungrily, who smiled back, "Guess I ought to go get undressed, then?" Ken lead Roland through the living room, into the bedroom, and sat Roland down on the messed up sheets. Roland's mind was racing, but much as he was ready to do something, he hadn't yet decided what. Distracting him was Ken. The thin belt was unbuckled and Ken turned to face the other way as he pulled it out, leather rubbing against cloth softly until he was free to drop it to the ground. He slowly slid the black jeans down over his rump, thighs, calves and, finally, feet... Ken stretched, his well-toned muscles flexing. He turned around.

Roland gaped. Although Ken's claim to masculinity wasn't huge proportionally to the large bull, it was slightly over ten inches, and pleasantly thick. Ken smiled when he saw Roland's reaction, and then fell to his knees, and reached out a hand, "Ready?"

Legs shaking, with adrenaline and nervousness, Roland got to his feet and took Ken's hand. He was lead to in front of the kneeling bull, who kissed the crotch of his jeans, sitting up slightly to unbutton the first few buttons of Roland's shirt, before returning to licking and biting the cloth covering Roland's groin. Eventually the shirt was undone. Ken undid Roland's jeans and pulled them, along with his underwear, down.

Not quite as long as Ken's, but slightly thicker, Roland's throbbing cock was already erect. Ken noticed Roland's unusually large ballsac and smiled, giving the scrotum a long, rough, lick, hands taking a tight hold of Roland's buttocks to stop his sudden jerks moving him too far away. Roland moaned, his longing clear. Ken licked all the way up Roland's long shaft and focused on the head for a bit, licking and sucking it lightly, before taking a mouthful of Roland's cock in and sucking hard. Roland gave a short yell, moved his hands to behind Ken's head and pushed. Struggling to keep it at his own pace despite Roland's strong arm muscles pushing his head forwards, Ken relaxed his throat muscles and took Roland in inch by inch. Roland gave another low moan, and succeeding in rushing the last few inches, bringing Ken's soft muzzle into contact with the skin around the base of his cock.

Roland stood like that, gasping from the pleasure, until Ken starting moving his head. Roland gave another yell and started aiding his partner, moving the bull's head rhythmically up and down on his cock. Roland's cock was hard, his moans becoming more and more desperate; with as much of a smile as he could manage, Ken sped up, his wide bovine tongue working furiously at the underside of Roland's cock as he reached around one of Roland's legs to apply pressure to the sensitive spot just behind his balls. "Ohhh, K-Ken, I'm cu-uh-uh-UHHH!!!" The orgasm shot through Roland's body, his hands pulling Ken's head roughly towards his crotch and his hips pushing forwards as his cock let loose a load of hot cum into Ken's throat.

After letting Roland's body tense up once more whilst in that position, Ken pulled back from the panting Roland and grinned, licking a small droplet of cum off of the mouse-lion's softening cock. "Haven't had much of that for a while, hm?" "No..." panted Roland, allowing Ken to lead him over to the bed, "Not for a long while..." He lay down and shut his eyes, panting softly now.

Ken looked at Roland, running one hand up the shaft of his own member, now as stiff as Roland's had been before he started on it, "Do I take it you don't have any energy left for me, now?" "Heh..." Roland opened one eye and smirked, "Once I catch my breath you just try and stop me." "If that's how you want to play it, big boy..." "Nah..." Roland sighed, "Just... Bare with me, okay? Never gone guy-guy before..." "Hmm..." Ken reached under the bed, fished about with one arm, and soon was leaning over Roland holding a pot of Vaseline, "Want me to introduce you to your prostate gland?" Roland opened his eyes and gave Ken a look of surprise, "You've got more for me?" Ken smiled warmly, "Roland, darling; short term, our night has only just begun..."

+++

The next morning, sun just starting to rise; Roland and Ken were finally both lying in bed, drifting off to sleep in each others arms as, outside, the birds started to sing and many other people were starting their days. Roland used some of his leftover energy to stroke up the side of one of Ken's sensitive horns, putting pressure on it slightly. Ken moaned softly and licked Roland's neck softly before curling up a little and pulling Roland closer. Smiling, Roland let his hand fall back to where it was, and gave the well-toned body of the bull a light squeeze with his equally muscley arms. He relaxed, still smiling with giddy happiness, Ken's words echoing through his memory... "...And if you want, in the long term; I can see me having a lot more for you..."

+++

Three weeks later, the King of the Swampland returned to being Roland as he stepped off the stage. A tall figure was there to meet him. Ken stepped forward and smiled, "Hey." Roland rolled a soft growl in his throat and pulled Ken into a light kiss, "Hey... How was it?" "You were great, Kitmouse... Do I take it the black haired mouse and big lion in the front row were your folks from back home?" "Yep... They want to meet you, too... Ready?" "Oooh, I don't know, maybe I should go do my hair, first, and yours too; we could look absolutely lovely!" Roland laughed, "And cut the flamboyance, Bullocks. They've met gays before. Now come on." Hooking one finger in the bull's collar, Roland lead him off to meet his parents.

Behind him, the girls regrouped. "I still can't believe it!" whined Kim, "He was bi and never told us?" "And I told Ken not to take our guy..." Bess sighed, "Sorry girls." A few drips of transparent liquid were slowly making their way down one of Liz's legs as she mentally decided which toy to play with when she got home, "They're a cute couple, though..." Kim perked up, "Yeah, and since it's Bess' brother, she'll probably get chance to put spy cameras in their bedroom some time!" "Of my brother?" asked Bess, quirking a brow. Liz grinned, "Hot guy on guy action with bull and lion sizes?" "Oh, yeah..." "And we'll go through and edit out the obviously-bro bits for you if you like, Bess!" Kim offered. Liz purred, deep in fantasy, "And then we can make copies and have something new to add into play sessions." The three girls giggled, and exited stage right.

[Fin]