Chapter 6

I have always enjoyed coffee in the morning. I enjoy the smell and the heat as it warms my paws and it is just the best feeling I know in those cold winter months. Coffee helps me get my thoughts together. Heck, I even get up an hour earlier than usual just to be able to sit and enjoy my cup of Black Joe before we have to work. I would also be in the company of my best friend and partner. This morning; however, is a lot different than usual.

First of all, I don't usually have the feeling of a mega hangover after drinking eight Milkyways the night before and I don't usually enjoy my coffee only wearing my boxers. Also my best friend is not sitting next to me in the sofa and enjoying the morning with me. He's still in bed and I don't blame him. After last night, he was out like a blown engine.

"And who's to blame for that? Me, that's who."

I sigh heavily as I run my paw through my hair.

"Aaahh, mmmmhnn, mmmewrrr"

"Wow, big mistake!" "Talk about vivid memories!" The flash back of last night just sends ripples down my spine. The look on Jake's face when I went down on him, I never realized how hot Jake could look when he was in such a state. It makes me want to... "Damn it, I'm not supposed to think of that right now!" I look down and see the evident bulge in my boxers, thanks to the image.

"And you're no help, at all!" I say accusingly to my tom-hood. But since it cannot argue back, all I can do is sigh, again.

"What the heck came over me?" I ask myself, but I know just what came over me. It was that damn Vincent trying to move in on my Jake.

"...Maybe I'll make a move on him. The way I see it, Jake is fair game. No one has laid claim to him and his tail. So, not matter how I treated Jake back then, I can swoop him of his feet. Ah, if you'll excuse me, I will be making my move." Vincent says as he and I spot Jake coming in from the dance floor before he kidnaps him back out on it.

"Grrrh, that still makes my blood boil. How dared he talk about my Jake like that, thinking he is nothing more than a ball of yarn that loud-mouthed, cocky fag can just pick up and play with and then throw away when he gets bored?" I think in a way, which I know if my mom had heard me, she would tell me off for using such a dirty word.

Now that I think about it, I mean, I knew there were gay kats in Megakat City, but unlike my high school classmates, I never saw it as something bad or... you know, disgusting. I just had the idea that gay kats would not show up certain places. The Enforcer academy for one because I thought it just was not, well, I do not know, gay enough for them, or something. What did I know? Then Jake lets himself out of the bag and I was ... dumb-founded. But crud, that thing with Maincoon still ticks me off and now even more so... because of what I feel for Jake.

But that almost getting skinned alive would make Jake come clean with me was a shock. I mean, I thought, I would be able to tell who was gay and who was not and Jake... well he just does not fit the bill. Frankly, Vincent's outfit and way of acting at the bar was more of what I had in mind for how gay kats acted. I just couldn't believe Jake was gay. And when he was about to leave, I knew, I had to stop him. What kind of friend would I be if I could not accept him for who he was? He is the best gunner I have ever had the pleasure of fighting with and he is not such a sissy that he backs out of a challenge. Whether it is a Mundo-chilli-eating contest, which I still can't believe he cheated in but he has made up for that, or it is a new mega villain that needs a new weapon to take him down. It does not matter; Jake will take it and give it 110%. I knew, I needed to show that I had his back, no matter what.

And it worked. Jake got to stay and we got to complete our training and become Enforcer pilots. But I still cannot figure out when I started feeling more for Jake than just being his buddy. It is like the feelings just were there and just kept growing and growing until they exploded last night.

Heaving a big sigh, I look down at my cup of coffee. I know, what makes me love him right now. That mind of his for one, with all his weird and radical ideas for us and the Turbokat. Even before all of this, I always admired Jake's quick thinking but then I started noticing more things about him; his passion, his courage and the fact that he never gives up along with the more physical attraction. I remember after one of our mission, I started noticing details about Jake's body, I had never really paid much attention to before. The way his back curves in a very subtle way from his shoulders down to his tail when he gets out of his flight suit and it pulls his boxers down slightly, showing his rear just a little. The tone of his muscles all over his body, which makes him look sleek and agile and still pack a mean punch in our sparring matches. And after last night, I realise it also makes him very flexible. Crud! That image is hard to get out of my head and frankly, I don't want to. And there is his gentle smile, which has always made me smile, feeling all... I do not know warm and fluffy, like the clouds in the sky.

Also I am NOT jealous... just protective and not just because that low-down, under-pawed Vincent tried to steal Jake from me. No, I also noticed it when a she-kat came to the garage one day and took a fancy to Jake, which was weird because the ladies usually make a bee-line to me. Either way, she was really sizing him up with a look I know all too well. Even if Jake was a straight kat, I would not let her get near him with a 10-feet scratching post. But I am NOT jealous! She clearly had only one thing on her mind and when she would be done, she would have broken his heart. I can still remember that day.

"Come on, cutie. How about you and me get together tonight and go wild after you've fixed my car." I could hear her laying it on really thick so even the dumbest of tom-kats could tell what she wanted.

"That's kind of you to ask, Miss but I can't. Besides it is gonna take some time to fix it. It is pretty beat up" was Jake's first reply. I could only smile as I knew this would be a losing battle for her. I think though Jake is too polite at times. I mean, the car was completely trashed and was not its weight worth in scrap, but this she-kat was not taking "no" for an answer.

"Oh, come on, handsome. Can't you get your friend to watch the shop? I promise I'll be worth your while." All I could think of was"in your dreams, Toots."

"I'm sorry, Miss but no thank you." I really wanted to help Jake out with this irritating she-kat. If she tried anything on him, I would not be as well-behaved as my mom had taught me to be around ladies, even if they didn't act like one.

"What's wrong?! Don't like what you see?" I could hear she was getting really annoyed. She was probably use to tom-kats falling like flies around her with her looks. She was heavy on the chest and tail-area, short skirt and tight shirt, hair, make-up, heels, the lot. All qualities which made her... cheap. And despite not knowing my attraction to Jake yet, I felt no attraction to her what so ever.

"I'm sorry, Miss. You're very pretty ,but I can't." I felt really bad for Jake. He has always had a hard time saying anything which will make others angry or sad. I could tell he was trying really hard to let her down gently.

"Hmf, fine. Suit yourself... Rod-rider." She replies in a cold, degrading voice. I could see Jake flinched at her remark, but returns to the totalled car. "She is not going to get away with that! Not to my pal!"

"Hey! That's no way for a lady to talk, even if ya look like a cheap broad." I answered back as I stepped out of the office. Jake looked shocked and the she-kat looked like she would blow a fuse with her face turning redder than her lipstick. I did not care less. No one talked to my buddy like that and got away with it.

"Whatever, just order me a cab, losers." She snarled back.

"Chance, can I talk to you for a second?" I knew, Jake was going to tell me off for that, but I did not care.

"Chance, you can't talk to the customers like that... even if they bad-mouth."

"I don't care, Jake. I can always demand a proper language in the garage and she shouldn't get away with that."

"I know you mean well, Chance, but right now you need to call the Enforcers."

"Why?"

"She's high on Nip. I found some in her half-smashed car." Jake showed me the little ribbon bell in a plastic bag. I was ecstatic as a Cheshire-kat grin started to spread on my face. Jake gave me a look that said I should not laugh at something like this, but I could tell he found it funny, too.

"That broad's gonna get it now!" I thought. "Okay, I'll call them."

The lady was getting impatience as she was not getting anything other than a hefty garage bill. I was going to make sure of that. The rest the Enforcers could take the credit for, for once. I saw, she started to get nervous when the boys in blue rolled into the Salvage Yard, so I walked out to greet them with nip in paw. It was Felina and she was not in her usual combat uniform, like when the real bad-guys showed up. She was in a regular officer's uniform, but that didn't make her look less like she could kick some mean tail.

"Good day, Lieut. Feral. I didn't expect a lieutanat to visit us all the way out here." I said as I greeted her and her troops.

"Good day, sir. I don't usually do this sort of police work, but it is a way of keeping busy when there are no mayor threats to the city." she replied and all I could do was chuckle. Leave it to Felina to use her spare time with more police work. "Now, there had been made a call."

"Yes, ma'am. My partner found this in her totalled car." I answered, handing over the little plastic bag while, as discretely as I could, pointed at the broad, who was still standing near Jake, but was getting really nervous.

Felina nodded as they approached the she-kat while Jake and I took a step back. Jake looked nervous, but I couldn't help the smug on my face as I was going to enjoy this.

"Excuse me, Miss." Felina adressed the she-kat and I could see her shaking so bad I'd swear her heels would snap.

"Y-yes, officer?" She asked shivering even more.

"There has been a call about illegal substances and this was found in your car." Felina stated as she showed the little bag.

I would have expected her to deny everything or we had planted it, but instead she turned on her heels and stares at Jake, fuming like a volcano. "You, hole-drilling piece of crud!" She hissed as she then lunged out at him.

I was about to step in between so she would not hurt Jake, but before I or she could blink, Jake had ducked under her manicured claws, grabbed one arm and put her into a standard-training enforcer arm-lock.

"Let go of me, you damn peg-licker!" She screamed as she struggled in Jake's grip.

"Watch your mouth! No, one talks to my buddy like that!" I snapped at her as I went to face her. My eyes were fixed on her red-hot face. It quickly withered to white. I could tell from the corner of my eye that Jake was taken completely by surprise. "She's all yours, Lieutenant." I growled as Felina moved without a flinch. They left with the broad kicking and hissing and I could hear them muttering.

"Wow, what a mouth. I'm glad never get called something like that."

"Yeah, that's just disgusting."

I growled. "What the hell do they know?" I turned to face Jake, but he was not there. "Jake?" I called out as I went in to look for him. I found him sitting on the sofa, watching TV, or at least looking like it, but I could tell he was more thinking about what they all said than watching TV. I sat down next to him and..."Jake, you... ya know, you shouldn't..." I didn't know what to say to make him feel better. They had said it and I could not erase it, but... I still did not want him to hear it.

"I know, Chance. I know, it's just words and all, but... It still hurts. It makes you feel like something's wrong with you. Like I've grown an extra tail or something worse." He said as he looked down at his paws.

I could tell he was bummed out, so without thinking, I just reached out and pulled him in to my chest. He did seem a little shocked, when I wrapped both arms around him. But it just felt right and even if it was sending all the wrong signals, I did not care. He needed it and as I could feel he settled in, I could smell his cologne. It was that there Lavender Breeze he always bought. I never really noticed it before but it sure smelled good and I could feel my heart racing with Jake being so close to me.

"Even if you had an extra tail, buddy, you'd still be more of a kat then they will ever be. I know you better than any of them, Jake, and I know you're smart, courageous and you have the biggest heart ever. It's some of the things, I admire about you." I said, with so much sincerity. I just looked at Jake and I could see the red-tinted glow from his cheeks starting to show under his fur. All I did was smile.

"Chance! You can't say that. It sounds like your giving me a compliment." Jake said as he leapt from my arms and started pacing back and forth in front of me.

"I can't, because I'm a tom-kat? I mean it though, pal." I said as I looked at him. I wondered back then, why he was getting so fluster.

"No, no, don't get me wrong, Chance. I'm glad that you think so highly of me. You just make it sound like THAT." He said as he started blushing even more. Back then I just wanted to tell Jake that he was special. Not like he was different but that he should be proud of who he was.

"You're not use to being complimented?"

"Not really and I've only been complimented as a cheesy pick-up line."He said as he shook his head and scratched the back of it. It was kind of, I do not know... cute?Could you say that about a guy?

"And you thought it soundedchessy?" I retorted in an over-dramatic and hurt manner, showing to Jake, I was joking. He started laughing, which made my happy.

"No. It made me happy, Chance. Thanks."

"Hey, anything for you, pal. Come on, let's haul this junk aside and see what CAN be saved on it."

I could not put the words to it back then, but now as I look into my coffee thought he was cute. So much that every time, I thought about that day, I just felt that warm buzzing feeling. The feeling I seemed to have for Jake without knowing it.

But that doesn't make me a jealous kat! Okay, maybe a little...

...

But I still do not get where it all started. When did I start feeling like this? Sighing again, I feel the warmth in my paws. It's really nice, just like when Jake places his paws on my chest when he helps me tie my...

Crud! I know, when it started! At the Academy ball! When Jake took over buttoning my shirt and tie and placed his paws on my chest! I remember that short moment where he was resting his paws on my chest, we looked at each other and I suddenly felt hot under the collar. I was so rattled by those feelings that when Jake took his paws off me like a hot pan and started apologising, I just tried to reassure him that he had done nothing wrong. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wanted him to place his paws on me, again. So, maybe unconsciously, I let Jake help me, because I wanted him to. I wanted to feel his paws on me.

But what about Jake? I mean it is all fine that I've got feelings for my best friend and out of fear of losing him got frisky with him. But what about him? He said back in the Enforcer days that even if he was into tom-kats, I wasn't his type. So, what if he can't return my feelings, what will happen to us as the SWAT-Kats, thanks to me being such an idiot.

"How could I have been so stupid." I mutter to myself as plant my face in my paw.

"Creeeek" say the upstairs floor-boards.

Jake must be awake now. Better get some breakfast ready. He's probably hungry. No, don't stall it, Chance Furlong. Go up and say it as it is and deal with the consequences.


Author note:

Hello everyone and welcome back after what I hope has been a good, warm and busy summer holiday

I've been busy with work, both at home and at work, but in between that I have been working on and finished the last two chapters of my first fanfiction. I have also begun on a bonus chapter, for those of you who would like to read more of our favorite vigilantes.

Also, I apologies for the previous upload of this chapter with all the computer coding -_-

I hope you will enjoy this chapter with Chance in the lead.