Backwards
Eric Carmen; Hungry Eyes (Hate it- whole chapter)
Nine months later…
Nicholas swallowed as he walked into the dark section of the hall he was traveling, wishing he had an old friend at his side and hoping he remembered everything he was supposed to as he finally came out in a bright light that had him squinting. Cassie snatched him and pulled him to the side, away from the small gathering. The young silver tod cringed as she pulled him into another room and yanked his jacket off as he blinked a few times. "Wh- what are you doing Cassie!"
The older vixen handed him a suit Jacket as he stayed frozen, unsure of what was happening as she rolled out a long measuring tape. The tod jumped as she stuck it close to his groin and snickered as his ears flushed. "It's the vixens who give the tods away. Since you're without a mother, I'll be doing that while Tranquility's father is doing the same for her."
Nicholas shrank as she took a few inches from the seam in the pants she'd made, but couldn't help but watch curiously as she seemed to do it in a flash, not thinking twice about it as he lifted a brow. "The t-tods are given away?" he choked as she stood again.
"Not really, it's more like they're presented, by the mother who raised them to show they're ready to take on a family and have been taught all the things they need to know." The vixen looked back at him with a tipped brow as his ears folded back. "You said you knew how this worked, John."
"I…do, but I assumed that wouldn't be something that would …ughh...It's an old- fashioned thing?"
"Well it is, old fashioned is how it's done here. Take off your shirt." He backed away almost sneering at her as he curled his lip. "I'll take off the pants before I lose my shirt."
"You have a problem taking off your shirt, but not your pants?" he narrowed his eyes as she shook her head. "Fine. Lift your arms so I can measure you." The tod did as he was told and kept a flat face as she shook her head looking over the tape. "I hate these new measuring tapes. I can never see the-"
He took it from her asking what she was trying to figure out, and read it back to her. The vixen curiously watching as he shook his head at what she was doing and grabbed a piece of paper drawing out rather quickly where she was having problems with the Jacket she'd taken back. She sat at her machine and ticked her head, grinning after she stood and held the jacket she'd adjusted over his shoulders. "You aren't built like most foxes. Your chest and shoulders are a bit broader than most are. Quite the artist, aren't you, John?" she asked as she looked him over.
Nicholas shrugged as she adjusted the sleeves. "Not that difficult to put on paper if I know what someone wants. I know how to design things and can see it in my head if someone explains it well enough."
"Do you know about the dance and the council members being here?"
The tod scrunched his face into a cringe as she smiled. "I didn't know you were on the council until yesterday, Cassie."
The vixen raised a brow as he narrowed his eyes on her. "You saw me sitting with them the first time Tranquility brought you to meet them."
"Yes, well I just thought that was because you'd come to introduce me. It's not like I know how it works. I haven't seen you all together since then."
Cassie nodded as she sighed. "We don't meet unless it's needed for something and our meetings are usually private, but a few of them are here to make this official. Do you know about the dance?"
"It … was explained, but I didn't think it was really a dance."
"But you've never seen it?" He shook his head as she altered the last piece, and handed him the shirt. He looked it over, frowning as she shook her head. "I'll step out, you can change and let me know when you're finished so I can show you the moves."
Nicholas slipped out of the shirt after she had stepped out, she came back in after he'd opened the door. "I hate these things."
The older vixen was giggling as he tried to figure out how to get the tie fastened and shook her head. "They aren't that difficult to tie." He let his paws hang as he watched her explaining how to fold it over before she slid the knot close to his collar as he rolled his neck slightly. "You're not used to wearing things like this are you?" He shook his head as she helped him into the jacket and he looked himself over in a long mirror, blinking when he couldn't believe his own eyes. The older vixen smiled and nodded as he turned to her. "Don't let it fool you. The fox makes the suit, not the other way around."
"That's not what I've heard."
She giggled as she shook her head. "You've heard wrong. Now, give me your paws."
The silver tod swallowed as he shook his head. "I was under the impression that this was pretty simple and the-" He dipped his ears back as she deadpanned him.
"Simple does not mean easy. This is the only time a fox will do this, John, and if you can't keep your mind focused you may lose a step. It's a very old tradition and it's the only time a fox will dance. It isn't something you want to make a mistake with." He nodded slowly as she held out her paws. "You'll get lost if you don't anchor your heart to your feet."
"Anchor my heart to my feet?" He scrunched his nose and lifted his brows as she laughed at him.
"The only thing you're going to be able to see, to think about, is her. If you aren't careful you'll cause her to miss a step too. You have to remember, you are hers, John. When she's lost, you must be the lighthouse she can always see. You'll be the thing she searches for, the safety and security she seeks, the one who can always bring her home, because you'll be her safe harbor. This has been told to each of us when we marry, since the time of Robin Hood. We're all just sailing ships and can be lost in the ocean if we aren't careful. A family is the lighthouse that will always bring the ships back together. It will guide them home safely, no matter how far apart they are."
Nicholas soaked in everything she said, tried to remember every move she showed him as she moved around him, uncertain of how it could be so difficult when it appeared so simple. The moment he stepped out with her and caught sight of his Rose he understood it when his heart started racing and he couldn't pull his eyes away from her. She stood with her father and brothers , along with a few members from the council who'd come. He'd been told weddings were small affairs by several of Rose's family and Adam, as family was considered sacred and to be kept hidden. Something he wanted to shout to the world and had to fight telling everyone constantly. He watched as Rose's father marked her, a last testament to the father who'd raised her as she stood at his side waiting for Nicholas. Cassie stepped up, bowing slightly before moving from in front of the silver fox. His chest puffed out seeing the older vixen motion to him as if he were the center of attention, which he couldn't fathom with his Rose wearing the white gown that made every step she took look as if she were floating on a cloud, even more than the ones the vixens wore from the Den she'd introduced him to.
The two stood side by side as he tried to hold his chest steady. "Do you, Tranquility Marion Wild, Take this fox …." He hardly caught what was said before they were in each other's arms, swaying lightly. They both held tightly to each other and he felt like a ship being tossed around in a storm in her arms. The only thing he thought might keep him from sinking was holding onto her as he watched her twirl away from him, cupping his paw as she circled him like a ship around a….. You are her harbor, the safety she'll seek when she is lost…
Grown up stuff-
Tranquility rushed through the door, pulling a dark furred fox along with her. Nicholas swallowed as she sat on the bed and bit her lip after closing the door.
He sat nervously in a chair across from her as he pulled at the collar of the suit he was wearing. "Rose, I'm…. why are we here?"
"It's our Den now. This is how it works for the oldest vixen who has a seat on the council. All you had to do was prove yourself and ...here you are." She signed as he cringed and shook his head.
"I'm …ugh…."
She lowered her head bashfully as he pulled at the tie he was wearing again. He felt like someone had thrown him to the sharks as she slipped from the bed and slid between his legs.
He watched her paws fly up and gulped as he tried to hide the sweat he could feel pooling at his ears. "Does it make you that nervous? Just because this is where my family lives?" he nodded as she bit her lip. "It isn't official until you claim me, Nicholas." She let her paws rest on his chest as he cringed and looked at the door.
"Here? I had a little place for us, Rose. This is so awkwa…."
"Here Nicholas, unless you…. changed your mind?"
The silver fox clamped his jaw as her paw ran along the inner rim of his thigh and he opened his eyes on her as she stopped and sat still in front of him. She shied her eyes and he looked at her curling his brow as she held her paws in front of him. The fox cringed as she nearly wilted in front of him, thinking about how they were meant to act and behave within a culture he wasn't as familiar with as a tod who'd grown up in it like she had. He called on all he had learned from the one who had taught him as he steeled his nerve.
You can't let her push you boy. She won't make a move without asking first. That doesn't mean she won't try to take over after you say yes. Things are like this for a reason. Vixens are naturally aggressive and run things in the family. You cannot let her run things in the bedroom, or you might get hurt because she can hurt you.
Nicholas swallowed as he took hold of both her wrists and moved her paws above his eyes, laying them on his head as her breathing caught. The vixen rolled her paws over his head and pinned his ears back as he shot forward, wrapping his jaw around her throat. All thought of anything outside the room fled as he wrapped around her, his paws curling under the dress she was wearing before it was left to the floor as she pulled the suit jacket off and tugged his shirt from his pants. They stayed locked in a kiss, struggling with clothes that were nothing but in the way as she whined. He turned her sharply as he pressed her against the wall, and rumbled against her back before he had the scruff of her neck in his mouth.
Its instinct for our kind to want to do things backwards- don't. You have to keep your eyes with her. It may sound funny but it's the only way she's going to see you're the one in control.
Nicholas rolled his head along her shoulder before turning her to face him again. Both foxes were rolling their heads over each other and leaving a thick scent through the other's fur as he kicked the pants from his feet and stopped, blinking as she pulled away and laid on the bed in front of him. The silver fox blew out a heavy breath as she stretched her arms above her head, bending one knee as she lowered her head and bit her lip.
He stuck one knee on the bed as Rose whimpered and was looking her over watching as she twisted around every rush of his fingers while he explored her body. His eyes shot to her face as she whined with half lidded eyes locked on him.
You'll know when the times right. She'll look almost like she's going to fall asleep, but don't mistake that look for what just comes natural for a vixen.
He slid between her legs as she pulled one knee up, before they were locked in a heated kiss as they struggled through the air they kept stealing from each other. The vixen was pulling at his fur and he pulled away growling at her as her ears tipped back.
Don't let her try to rush you. I'm telling you Piberius the last thing you want is for something to get broken the first time you knot your mate, it can happen if you lose control. It may sound fun being stuck in bed for a few weeks but that kind of thing can leave some nasty problems in a relationship for foxes.
What if I upset her?
Just make sure she knows that's not the case. Its not supposed to be a power struggle. She'll be running everything when it comes to the family. This is the only time a tod will flat out put his foot down and make it clear the vixen isn't running things. Its just like courting. Talk with your eyes. You'll know she got the message when she pins your ears back.
Nicholas looked at her growling in a low warning, before she pinned her ears back and shied her eyes, letting her grip of his fur loosen.
He pulled her eyes back to him, smiling softly as she kept ticking her eyes between his and let his ears flick in aggravation until she'd dipped her head and shied her eyes from him again. The silver fox smirked as he leaned back into her neck and was licking along her shoulder, rumbling until she joined him with a much more feminine purr as he pulled her eyes back to him again. The tod leaned up kissing her as he reached between them positioning himself, growling again as she tried to push her hips forward. The vixen cringed and whined as she settled, letting him press forward at his own pace. He kept his eyes with hers as he pressed, grunting or rumbling until he finally settled over her as their hips met. His jaw clenched several times and he fought not to move any faster when she finally relented everything, pinning his ears to his head as she huffed through his slow motions and soft kisses. The pace stayed steady until he felt the tingles building in his gut and Rose pulled at him as he began to swell.
She'll warn you before you break the barrier because she'll try to pull away. When she pulls your fur after she pins your ears back it's a signal that you need to keep a good hold on her so neither of you get hurt. Neither of you are going to be able to keep from claiming each other once you get past a certain point.
He grabbed the outside of her thigh and cradled her neck in his other paw and he pushed forward, and was rocking back and forth at a steady pace as she rolled her head under his chin. The silver fox growled as he swelled to the point his stomach was on fire and Rose was gasping as his movements became quick jerks while she clung to him. They kept their eyes locked as he moved, until he was fighting just to keep them open. Several heated thrusts and his head dipped as he shot forward in the final moment of union. He'd been attempting to keep his muzzle closed and his eyes focused on her, but his mouth shot open in a large growl that was smothered as his jaw clamped around her shoulder. The vixen had latched on to his shoulder when he swelled and locked them together.
It won't last long the first time. You can start having fun after your officially mated. You're going to be locked together for a while after you claim each other. Make sure you spend that time doing nothing but comforting her and getting the blood out of her fur from claiming each other. You're both going to be sore. Don't be trying to move around while your locked together. She might be able to hurt you before then, but it's the other way around once it's a done deal and you might hurt her if either of you try to move.
They both kept their teeth buried into the other's skin as they caught their breath. Rose whimpered and rolled her head against his as she felt his heartbeat pulsing through her core. Nicholas let go, rolling his head into her neck before they both licked the blood away from each other, rumbling lightly as they stayed locked together. He tilted them on their sides so they were looking at each other and they were both sharing affectionate kisses as they pet and preened the others fur, until he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her under his chin as they both settled their racing hearts. She pulled away and licked his nose, sending him laughing after seeing her sign the word 'mine' as she wrinkled her nose. "Is that what that means?" he asked, still chuckling as she scrunched her nose again nodding. The silver fox licked her nose in a quick motion and watched as she leaned into his arm sighing before he folded his arms around her, pulling her close again. "Mine. My Wild Rose."
He brushed her cheek and when she tried to wiggle in his arms his paw went to her hip as he thrust his forward, trying to get her to stay still so she wasn't pulling anymore. His eyes flew open as she jerked back, clamping both paws over her muzzle and she clenched her eyes together when her whole body stiffened. She opened them to find him with sparkling eyes and an elated open-mouthed grin on his face and chuckled as she blushed furiously, trying to catch her breath. He pulled her paws away and brushed his fingers along her cheek, rumbling as he leaned closer for another kiss. "Definitely mine. I love you Rose…."
Notes; I hate this chapter but it was necessary to show how relationships work for foxes that will be vital and come up later in the story.