Greetings, Gentle Reader. As you can see, I have returned. It's been quite some time and a very involved ride, but I never forgot about you. I hope you enjoy this installment of my little fantasy. Winds willing, we won't have as long a pause between this and my next postings. I hope to have more up soon, so I beg your patience. Fair warning: there is a section break below marked "Kink Warning". If you are disinclined to indulge in lurid debauchery, stop reading there. As far as the story goes, you won't lose anything. If kinky fun is your flavor, then I hope you enjoy what awaits after that break. Now, on to the story and the scene we've all anticipated. Happy reading!
Jack sat for a few moments after seeing Nick on his way to pick up his date. It was rare for the buck to get the house completely to himself. On the one paw, he enjoyed the quiet. His friend & housemate was by no means a noisy mammal, but there was a certain amount of ambient noise that came with the presence of another person. It was a pleasant change of pace to experience the near total silence of the residence with no other company. He could enjoy the serenity without interruption, or distraction. It was a delicious treat, especially for someone with hearing as acute as his own.
On the other paw, it meant there was nothing to distract him from the goings on in his own mind. On days like today it was liable to push the luxury in oppressive directions. Jack sighed and rolled his shoulders before hopping off his seat and padding towards his room. He had to stay busy if he was to avoid getting lost in his own head… again. That meant getting changed and into the workshop. Quickly.
With all the activity of late, Jack was feeling… Well, his feelings were mixed. Mostly, he felt that things were improving, but there was always the little drop of bitter that came with the sweet. As he slithered into his welding clothes, he couldn't stop himself from remembering his conversation with Judy from some days previous. For just a moment, he allowed himself to wallow in his negative feelings and give them the attention they so often demanded.
He gave himself a full minute of sour, melancholic reverie before he took a deep breath, strode into his metal shop, and quietly cursed at the knock on the door.
"Damn and blast it all." He slapped his welding gloves onto the workbench. "I was finally in the right headspace and now…"
He could just leave the visitor to conclude there was no one home, but he wouldn't. He'd answer the door, get caught up in entertaining his guest, and use it as an excuse to avoid his sculpture. Again.
Jack was pulled from his self-loathing by the soft thump and click of footfalls that indicated his visitor had let themselves in.
"You have a key and judging by the sound of claws on wood, you could only be four people. The pace narrows it down to two. The lack of loudly calling down the hall leaves…"
"Just one," Skye said, opening the door. "Hi, Jack."
"Miss Winters," Jack sighed. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
From the doorway, Skye grimaced. "Do we have to do the 'Miss Winters' thing, now? It's just us, Jackie. No one to keep up appearances for."
"It's not appearances. You know that."
"So, you've said, but it still hurts, sometimes." The vixen crossed the room to sit on a stool away from the work space.
"I presume you're here to watch me work?" Jack fumbled his gloves back onto his paws.
"I'd like to, but that depends."
"On if it actually happens?" he groused.
The quiet stretched uncomfortably long in the wake of his statement.
At length, Jack mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"You've been out of sorts for days." Skye began, gently. "I know Nicky's been in his own head a lot lately, so I came by to check in."
"Thank you." Dropping any pretense of working, Jack removed his gloves and took a seat opposite her.
Skye gave him only a moment to prepare before asking, "What's up, Jackie? What's got you like this?"
"I'm sad, Skye. It happens."
"It does, but why now? You're never sad for no reason. You always know what causes your moods." The vixen smirked. "And everyone else's. It's your superpower."
A tiny flinch crossed Jack's features. "Self-awareness is a curse, sometimes."
"A very wise smartass I know once told me that blessings and curses are a matter of perspective."
Jack snorted and fought his smile.
"What happened, Jackie? You know you'll feel better once you tell someone."
He pinched the bridge of his muzzle. "I will, but…"
"But…"
"But part of the reason I'm upset has to do with you."
Skye leaned back in her seat and took a deep breath.
"Not directly," he continued a moment later, "And now that I've said that, I need to explain before I make this whole mess worse."
Skye blinked and cocked her head. "You said that to force yourself into explaining."
The buck gave a rueful shake of his head. "You really do know me too damn well, you know that, vixen?"
"Entirely by choice," she said, laying her paw over his.
"It's this whole situation. "His eyes dropped to her paws as he gave himself over to what he needed to say. "Sorry. That's unhelpfully vague." Jack turned his paw to take hold of hers and blew out a long slow breath. "It's a lot of small parts that make an… unpleasant whole."
She didn't say a word, but gripped his paw and nodded encouragingly.
"Earlier this week, after Nick's scene with Celeste, Judy was dropping. She came to find me and I gave her some advice." Jack paused, gathering himself. "It ended up being a much deeper conversation than I'd anticipated. I… told her about my wife. And a little bit about our situation - yours and mine, I mean."
Skye tried not to react, but Jack smiled sadly. "You're getting better at that, but the little gasps still give you away."
"I'm sorry. I was surprised."
"So was I, after the fact." Jack admitted. "It happened so fluidly. I didn't realize until it was over. It was almost too easy, talking about her and what happened. Even if it was the barest bones of the events. It…"
"It was the first time it was that easy and it scared you."
Jack nodded. "That was the start of it. I was a little happy because I thought I was making progress at long bloody last, but…. I told her a few other things that were completely true and in the wake of our conversation it all came back to haunt me. I was feeling vulnerable and I managed to open fire on myself."
Skye couldn't stop the snickering that followed his statement. "Only you could manage that."
"I know. I know."
"What was the rest of it?"
When Jack's gaze lifted to meet her eyes and she was struck by what she saw. Skye had known Jack for several years. Nick had introduced them a couple years after his wife had passed. She'd known he was an emotional, but very disciplined buck. His control and self-awareness made him an extraordinary artist and insightful friend. Seeing him so lost in himself left her shaken.
"I told her that we don't all get what we want and that even if she does get Nicky, it will never be all to herself. She will have to share him with others. It's the nature of the lifestyle we've all chosen. It was a cruel truth and it hurt all the more as I was left to my own thoughts after she departed." Jack released her paw and pulled himself to sit upright and square his shoulders. "It made me think of you and your long patience with my grief. Of Nicky's regrets stymying my own desire to fly, again, with him. It made me think of Celeste's desire to make Nick her master and all the other little desires we're denied by things outside our control."
"Little desires?" Skye prodded, needing clarification.
"Little in words, not in significance."
Ah, well... "They do seem so small, said plainly like that."
"And yet, they are the pivots around which our own little worlds spin."
Skye smiled semi-mockingly. "Artist, professor, poet…"
Jack chuckled weakly. "Emily always said I had a way with words."
"She's not the only one, Jackie," Skye commented with gentle snark.
Hearing the truth of Jack's recent emotional turbulence and getting it out in the open left her feeling a little lighter and less afraid. With as emotionally invested as they all were in one another, one mammal's pain had the potential to affect them all. She was in the midst of shaking off the shadows of her apprehension when she looked at Jack and was given pause. The buck was staring patently into nothing, but he looked angry. His paw slowly curled into a fist and his eyebrows drew down into a scowl.
"Jack? What's wrong?"
"I was just thinking about Emily. What she'd think about this morass I've created for myself."
"Morass?"
Jack turned to face Skye and had to look down for a moment before meeting her eyes and saying, "I think she'd knock my buck teeth out the back of my head for how long I've made you wait on my self-indulgence."
"What?"
"I think she'd be furious with me." Jack slipped out of his seat and stood. "Nick is finally growing, again. And here I am wallowing and waiting and making excuses. I've been hurting myself and you. And I've known it. I have for… Years."
Skye was on her feet reaching for Jack's shoulders when his paws shot up to meet hers. He drew her hands together and kissed them, one at a time.
"I'm sorry, Skye. I need to work." He released her paws and marched to his work bench. "I made you a promise and I am long, long overdue in keeping it. I am disgusted with myself for asking this, but please, can you wait just a tiny bit longer?"
Skye didn't say a word, but settled back into her seat, making herself comfortable. Jack glanced over, taking her in for a long, aching moment. His eyes were wet and redder than they had been. She could see the anger and disappointment in his face, all of it directed at himself. She wanted to go to him, pull him into her arms, and never let go, but she didn't. Instead, she sat and watched.
Hours later, the metal shop reeked of ozone and electricity, hot metal and scorched fur. And Jack's sculpture was done. It needed polish and a little grinding on one edge, but it was done. Skye had sat quietly as Jack worked. Now, she moved to stand behind the buck as he regarded his creation.
"It helps to have the casting done." Jack said, startling Skye. "A little back-filling of false starts and that whole arm had to be adjusted, but…"
"Jack," Skye placed a paw on his back. "It's beautiful."
The trembling began and she just managed to pull him into her embrace before he started to sob.
The sculpture was small to her eye, but lovingly detailed. It was a single sheet of bronze that seemed to float over the ground, depicting a hospital bed with a lapin occupant. The bedsheet flowed from the occupant, down the small mattress, to pool on the ground at the foot of the bed. The figure was propped up on pillows and had an open book propped up on knees hidden under the sheet. The figure was looking up from their book and smiling.
Skye felt like she'd been punched. The detail in the metal was uncanny. The cloth looked fluid and natural, as though it had been repeatedly rucked about and resettled. The baggy hospital gown looked lived in and the squashed pillows seemed soft enough that she wanted to fluff them. It was all so close to real that her mind fought her, trying to convince her she was looking at a real moment in time. The illusion only grew as she took in the figure.
It was clear that the occupant of the bed was unwell. They'd lost weight, their fur was lank and unkempt, and there was an awkwardness in their posture that spoke to an unseen, inescapable pain. In stark contrast to all of this was their expression. Their eyes sparkled with life and joy. Their face wore a smile that was sad, but strong. It seemed to radiate knowledge that knew what was coming and was not going to let that stop them.
In that moment, Skye felt that she was meeting Emily Savage and she grieved along with the husband that had survived her. She understood that Jack had given her a glimpse into the mammal he had once loved with all his heart. If this was her in her final days, Skye understood why Jack had grieved for so long.
"I have to say, Nick, this isn't a very romantic turn in the evening," Judy chortled, hanging out the window of the car.
Nick grinned easily in response to her ribbing. "I made Jack a promise."
"Did you, now?"
He nodded once in affirmation. "To return his baby with a full tank, on pain of severe lapin displeasure."
"If this were a movie," Judy hypothesized, "you'd suffer his annoyance in favor of maintaining the magic."
"If this were a movie, the car wouldn't need gas at all. We'd be able to drive from here to the moon and back twice over and the gas gauge wouldn't move a hair." Nick stuck out his tongue before continuing. "Besides, you know as well as I do that movies only show the bits that matter to the story. Hence, being comprised of 'scenes.'"
"Yes, yes. I know. It'd be much less scary if you had to watch Jigsaw going to Home Despot for supplies and cursing their way through assembling their traps, or testing out the designs fifty times before getting it right."
Nick grimaced. "That would be preferable to the rest of the franchise. It would be a sublime social satire, rather than a laughable gore fest draped with a veneer of attempted edginess."
Judy's eyes narrowed. "Not a fan of horror, Mister Wilde?"
"I adore horror. I despise tripe."
"Horror such as?"
"Nosfuratu," Nick counted off on his fingers, "Silence of the Lambs, Misery, The Shining, Poultrygeist, and Alien, just to name six."
"All classics," Judy grumped. "Why not Saw?"
Nick shrugged as he watched the gauge tick over the last few cents. "Most modern horror has sacrificed plot and tension for cheap scares and gore. That isn't scary to me. If it manages to give you a fright, it's gone in seconds. It's like it never happened before leave your seat. If I want a minor adrenaline rush, I'll go for a rollercoaster," he quipped before slotting the gas pump into its waiting holder and closing the tank. "For my money, real horror builds, becomes almost tangible, and lingers. It haunts your imagination and pops to mind unbidden days, weeks, or even years later."
A smirk curved Judy's lips as she asked, "How do you feel about Final Destination?"
Door open, Nick went still for a breath and side-eyed her, not replying until he was seated behind the wheel, again. "I'll never drive behind a logging truck, if that's what you're getting at."
"So, some modern horror does work for you?"
"I said 'most modern horror' doesn't interest me, sweetheart." Nick turned the key in the ignition and pulled away from the gas station. "And Final Destination is not modern horror."
"What is it, then?" Judy queried, her smirk holding firm as they passed the roach coaches and their attendant hoard of hungry students.
"A generational trauma masquerading as entertainment," Nick replied with a shudder.
Judy burst into a round of giggles. "That logging truck scene really stuck with you, huh?"
"Oh, yes. Based on ClipClop memes, I'm not the only one either." Nick sniffed, as he turned onto Fleece Street. "Not my preferred sort of scene. In film or otherwise."
"Speaking of which, there's something we need to discuss." Judy's ears heated as she spoke, but that didn't stop her from shifting to face him.
"There's quite a lot we need to discuss," Nick agreed as he flicked on the turn signal. "Negotiations for a scene can be very involved, especially the first time."
"There is that," Judy commented, with a wry smile. "I'm ready for it, too, but that wasn't what I was trying to bring up."
Nick watched the opposing traffic, waiting to tun onto Safflower Lane. "Oh?"
Judy stared at the fox, trying to gauge his seriousness. He didn't seem to be playing dumb, but she also couldn't believe he wasn't aware of what she was talking about.
As they finally made the turn, he glanced over at her. "Go on."
Judy braced a paw against the force of the turn, but said nothing until they were parked in the driveway. "I'm not sure how to take this."
Nick blinked, shot her a sidelong glance, and killed the engine. "I'd take that as a setup for innuendo, but you don't seem to be in a joking mood, presently."
"I'm not," Judy stated cautiously. "I'm not upset, but I am a little concerned."
"May I ask why?"
Judy unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face the reynard, considering. She began slowly, "I know you've dealt with this kind of situation before."
Nick pressed himself back into his seat, "You'll have to be a touch more specific."
"Alright." Squaring herself on the car seat, Judy met his eyes, and dove in. "We started this… uhh…"
"Association?"
Unable to stop herself, Judy flinched. "That's kinda clinical, isn't it?"
Nick shrugged. "The word fits."
"It does, but I don't like it."
"Given what we're planning to do once we're inside, I'm not surprised." Nick's brows raised and his eyes gleamed as he observed her.
The rush of blood through her cheeks and ears forced her to bury her face in her paws and groan, "Niiiiick…"
"Sorry! Sorry." The fox placed a paw on Judy's shoulder. "Too far with the teasing."
"I'd normally be fine with it, but I'm desperately trying to be serious and it's really, really difficult, right now."
"Ok, blushing bunny." He pressed the buttons to lower the windows, letting in a warm breeze. "Take a deep breath and just let it rip."
That less than helpful command was met with a dagger-like stare over her paws for a long moment before Judy inhaled deeply, letting out her words on the exhale. "I need to know how this is supposed to work, given it started as a business relationship and it is very obviously, and happily, not anymore."
"Ah." Nick leaned back in his seat, again. "The ethical concern of mixing paid services and personal relationships."
"Yes." Judy blew out a breath. "That."
"I see." Nick chuckled. "I also have a solution."
"Any time you'd like to share it would be great."
"As I'm sure you know, Celeste, Skye, and one or two others have similar arrangements with me. They model for me and we have a very… personal… connection, shall we say?"
"And the 'Understatement of the Evening' award goes to the fox in the driver's seat!", Judy snarked.
"Well, yes." Nick suppressed his urge to laugh, but barely. "The solution I have with them is simple. They aren't paid models. They're partners."
"Play partners." The statement was also a question.
"And… well, not business partners so much as creative partners." Nick shifted in his seat to face her more squarely. "The solution we found to this quandary lies in the specifics of the relationship. Yes, we're partners in terms of pleasurable recreation, but we are also partners in terms of the artwork itself."
"Less talking in circles, please. I've had a wonderful evening and I'd like to get to the part where I…." Judy sputtered to a stop as her face warmed. Again.
"Apologies." Nick bit out, forcing down his amusement. "As far as the art world is concerned, each piece I create with them as models is my art, but as far as the sale of said art is concerned my models are co-creators. We each get a percentage. It changes the relationship from employment to partnership. It's not perfect, but so far, I've had good results with this as a solution."
"So, your models… Muses… get paid for their contributions, but without the…"
"Cringy feelings of being kinky with your boss? Yeah."
Judy grimaced, pulling a bark of laughter form the fox. "I could have gone the rest on my life without that thought ever entering my mind."
"You can thank Skye for that one. She inflicted it on Celeste, Jack, and I when she started working with us and it stuck."
"I'll be sure to." Judy grumbled. "And that's what you want to do with my modeling? A partnership?"
"Yes." Nick nodded sharply. "We draw up a contract, our legal advisors review and weigh in, and we proceed from there. As of our last modeling session, you are no longer and never again will be in my employ. You can think of it as a promotion to partnership, like in a law firm, if that makes it easier to fathom."
"I… Think I can work with that idea. It'll make it easier to explain, if I have to, as well."
"Say, to a family member, or friend?"
"My mother, specifically. She was the one who… let's just say, she was concerned and told me I needed to make a clean break of it." Judy blushed again and muttered, "Months ago…"
"Better late than never. In fairness, I also meant to broach this subject some time ago, but I… got distracted." Nick admitted sheepishly. "Still, I'm also glad we got that sorted out before going inside."
"Why?"
"Because once we walk through the door and into the house, I would prefer to focus on negotiations for our scene, this evening. Best we leave the monetary worries out here and make a clean break as we cross the threshold." With that, Nick exited the car, walked around the vehicle and opened Judy's door, offering her a paw. "Shall we?"
Judy was all nerves as she took his paw. Fear, excitement, arousal, and anticipation warred for primacy in her attention, leaving no room for much else. She padded along beside her date to a door that had become oh, so familiar. In the waning light, it amazed her how much could change in a day. On the heels of that small realization came the sharp clarity of how drastically her world had grown and shifted in the months since Doctor Mousekewitz had banned her from the studio. And how much it was about to change, again.
Standing at the door, Judy was flooded with eagerness, which paired oddly with amusement. "Feeling a bit, uh… Wound up, Nick?"
The reynard forcibly stilled his paw after his second failed attempt at getting his key into the lock. "Take it as a compliment, my dear. It's been a long time since I was in such a state."
A giggle at the double entendre forced its way past Judy's lips.
Finally, the key slid into place and Nick turned it a far shorter arc than he'd anticipated that ended with no click of a lock disengaging. With a quick, uncertain glance at Judy, he turned the knob and the door swung open. He cautiously pressed his way into the room.
"Jack? Are you home?"
Silence.
"Jack," he called, again, "If you're home, I need an answer. If you're not, I'm going to be very cross with you for leaving the house and not locking the door, again."
Silence.
Nick beckoned Judy in, whispering, "I'm going to check the house. If I'm not back in ninety seconds, call the authorities."
After a nod that Nick never saw, Judy was fumbling for her phone with eyes were the size of dinner plates.
"Nevermind, Judy," she heard a moment later from down the hall. "Would you kindly lock the door and join us in the studio?"
As she locked the door (then double checked to be sure the deadbolt was engaged) and shoved her phone back into her bag, Judy attempted to process what she was feeling. By this point she was a little confused and a little annoyed. She'd been bounced between a dozen emotions, of increasing intensity, over the course of the afternoon and evening. She was already feeling more than a little drained and was not enjoying the latest couple of heel-turns her day had taken. Going from near-holy levels of desire, to an insecurity-centric discussion of finances, to eager anxiety, to potential home invasion – she'd had enough. All she wanted was to negotiate for her scene and finally – finally – experience rope bondage with her maybe-going-to-be-boyfriend for the first time. The oddness of the thought process was not lost on Judy as she stalked down the hall only to stop dead in red-eared, beet-crimson cheeked astonishment at what she found in the studio.
"Come in, Judy," Nick drawled. "There's nothing to be modest about."
"Um, I would disagree?"
"Judy," Skye sounded very tired as she spoke, "Yes, we are naked. No, you are not interrupting, or stumbling across us post-coitus."
"Doesn't look that way!"
"Try using your other senses." Jack croaked as he slowly pulled himself up to sit. "There are no open windows. If rutting was involved in this tableau, the room would reek of it."
The sound of Jack's voice made Judy pause and use her senses as instructed. No, the room did not smell of musk or anything like rutting. It smelled… like sadness? And stress. Judy looked her friends over, really taking in the scene before her and blinked at the state of them. "Are you alright?"
While Skye looked careworn and tired, that was of small concern compared to the buck. Jack looked awful. His normally neat fur stood in all directions, tear tracks stained his cheeks and his eyes were red-rimmed. At Judy's question, he opened his muzzle to answer, but seemed to lose his will to speak.
Skye placed an arm around his shoulders and pulled him unresisting into her chest. "He will be."
A ragged breath rattled out of the buck and he sagged, leaning into her unashamedly. "I'll be fine in a few days. Nick, I… I think you should look in the shop."
Nick's eyes darted between the vixen and the buck, some meaningful emotion passing over his features. "This changes things, Jackie. This changes a lot."
The buck huffed a weak laugh and nodded. "For all of us, I suspect. No more running away, Nicky. If I can do this…"
"I remember my promise. Just…" Nick shifted his regard to Judy as he responded. "Can I take the step in front of me, first?"
With that, Nick padded quietly out of the room, leaving Judy with a very nude – and probably new-minted – couple. They looked rough. Now sitting on the settee and huddled into each other, they looked like they needed a rest and some real time together to sort out… everything. They didn't seem to be moving in that direction, though and Judy certainly wasn't going to ask. After a few moments, Jack muttered something only Skye could hear and pulled a throw blanket around his waist before slowly, stiffly rising to his feet. Once he was upright and moving with purpose, if slowly, Skye also stood. The vixen didn't bother covering herself at all, instead walking to the pegs by the door that held bath robes and slipping into her favorite. Once that was done, the vixen slipped out the studio door.
Less than a minute later, Jack was once again sitting on the settee, now with a pair of emergency safety-shears. Skye returned briefly with a cloth parcel that Judy recognized as Nick's rope bundle, depositing it near the settee before hastening off again. She returned with Nick shortly thereafter. Judy noted that he looked a little off when he walked in, but she couldn't immediately understand why. It wasn't until Nick and Jack's eyes met that it became obvious.
Nick was intimidated. He paused mid-step upon seeing the bundle and shears, then quickly loosened his tie. "I'm going to change, quickly," he said to the room. "Give me a moment, would you?"
Judy watched the fox leave before turning to the other two. "What on earth is going on?"
"Many small things coming to a head." Jack chuckled weakly. "Unfortunately, some of them are dependent upon each other. For a time, there was a lovely status quo that kept everything static, if tense." He shrugged. "That status quo is gone, now."
Not knowing what to do with her hands, Judy crossed them lightly over her chest. "That was very loquacious, but explains nothing."
Skye put her paw over Jack's, forestalling his response. "Judy, we'll explain everything, but it will have to wait until we can do it justice. Jack is… tender, right now and you," her eyes darted over Judy's shoulder, "Have a different conversation waiting for you."
Dropping her arms back to her sides, Judy turned to find Nick massaging his paws and smiling reassuringly at the anxious. "I'm ready if you are."
He looked much more himself, having traded his suit for slacks and an old t-shirt that looked comfortable to move in. Judy was slightly envious. She knew she looked good in her dress, but it wasn't the most comfortable of garments, long-term and she had long since reached the point where she would prefer it off her body.
As that thought passed through her mind, she felt her temperature start to rise. She was minutes from removing her dress. And for the purpose of being tied. By Nick Wilde. Who was her date for the evening – the very date for which she had purchased the lingerie she was wearing. Suddenly, Judy was feeling impatient.
Nick gestured to a chair at the low table by the settee. Judy took her seat, but only barely sat. She was perched on the edge, hopefully conveying her eagerness. A slow, knowing grin spread across the fox's face as he moved to the seat across from her. As he met her eyes, she knew he was just as keen.
"Ok. Basics, first." Nick settled into the comfy chair opposite Judy. "We're negotiating for a one-off scene."
Judy couldn't stop the distressed whimper-squeak that escaped her at the thought.
"For now, Judy," the reynard quickly added. "This is us testing the waters. You may find you thoroughly dislike the experience, or panic at the restriction. It would not be the first time."
"Nick, if this doesn't work, we will find something else, or so help me…"
"Shall we rule this out first, before we start with dire consequences?" Nick asked, lifting a paw, placatingly.
"She's eager, Nicky," Skye chided. "Can't blame a girl for that."
Nick eyed the vixen. "We'll discuss an impact scene later, then?" he asked her squarely. "It sounds to me like you could use a spanking."
The vixen grinned back, completely unrepentant, and pulled Jack into a deeper hug.
"Now, then," the reynard continued, returning his attention to the impatiently squirming doe. "Just to lay the foundations, we're going with opt-in for this negotiation, so the only things that will be happening in the scene are what we specifically discuss and agree to. Clear?"
"I get it. It's my first time dipping a toe in the kink pool, so we leave the surprises for after I don't run screaming into the night. Does that sound about right?" Judy watched as Nick's muzzle curved into a smirk at her smartassery, the expression sending her stomach into an anticipatory flip.
"I'll cut to the chase, then. A rope scene. Here and now, in the studio, tonight. You and I as the only participants, with Skye and Jack as spotters."
"Place and time. Check." Judy struggled not to roll her eyes. "Sounds kinda vanilla to me. You did a lot with Celeste that I absolutely want to be a part of."
Nick grinned wickedly and Judy felt her heartrate spike.
"A bit of manhandling, then? That's going to be part of the scene anyway. Rope requires a touch of mobility that you won't be able to provide, as you'll be a bit tied up. So would you like a little extra?"
"Oh gods, yes, please."
Nick glanced briefly at Jack before adding, "And a brief suspension? No rig, or anything. Just me. Rather, just myself as the rig for a few moments?"
Judy nodded until her ears flopped; words were far too difficult to manage.
"I'll let that slide, for now," Nick muttered, barely audible and cleared his throat. "Alright. Now, the important parts. The safeword for the scene is 'red'. You say that word and the scene stops, ends, and doesn't restart. I'll get you out of the tie immediately and if you're in any form of distress, we'll cut you free."
Judy grimaced impishly. "A sad fate for good rope."
"If the choice is your wellbeing or the rope, then it's the much lesser sacrifice. You will not suffer nerve damage or anything other injury for the sake of replaceable bits of string." Nick's tone broked no argument. "If anything feels wrong, or painful, or scary… or even if you just want out for whatever reason, you say 'red'. Clear?"
"I understand." Judy swallowed thickly. "I was going for a little humor."
"This is not the time for it. There will be plenty of time for all manner of things in just a few moments, if we can get through this."
"I understand the idea of using a safeword. I also am desperately eager to get out of this dress and see how far your jaw hangs open."
Judy watched as the fox's tongue slipped out to lick across his lips as something flickered behind his eyes and, whether he mean it to or not, he flashed a single fang at her. She was not prepared for how much it turned her on.
"Can you wait for three questions?"
"I must, so I must."
"Good. Now, for marks, you'll have some compression marks from the rope, but they will fade within a few hours."
"That's a relief," Judy grumbled. "I'd have a hard time going to class tomorrow, otherwise."
"You live on a college campus. Do you really think anyone would look twice?"
"I have no answer for that, but my sister would definitely notice."
Nick shrugged. "Now, the nitty gritty… Do you have any health issues like neuromuscular problems, hypertension, or…"
"None. No medications, either, and I'm confident in my flexibility, but if I end up having a real problem, call my sister, Amanda. Skye has her number."
One brow arched, Nick looked to Skye and the vixen nodded. "Understood. And lastly, aftercare."
"I want more of what I got last time, for a start."
"I think I can manage that." Everyone in the room chuckled. "Anything else come to mind that you'd like?"
"I want to say I'll see how our date ends, but I want…"
"We're discussing aftercare, Judy. Lurid fantasies are for another time."
Judy felt like she was going to immolate from embarrassment or frustration or desire – possibly all three – but wasn't about to stop. "…I want fur on fur contact. And I don't mean your palms on my ears."
Nick drew in a long, slow breath and let it out. "Go on."
Judy glanced at the buck and vixen snuggled up together. "It's obviously comforting," she said with a nod at the pair, "and want to try it as part of my aftercare. It doesn't have to be fully nude, but I want fur on fur contact."
"I'll agree to that, but waist up, only…."
"I said it doesn't have to be fully nude."
"…This time." Nick fixed her with an even gaze.
Judy couldn't help the frustrated groan that escaped, her thoughts already clinging the hope of a next time.
"Nick, please. I know you enjoy the suspense." The need in her voice surprised her. "But I want you to see what I have on under my dress and I want to see you face when you do. Now."
Nick couldn't help the almost growl as he said, "Patience. We're almost done," he assured her, rolling his shoulders. "Every so often I will ask how you are feeling. Verbal responses are required so I know that you're okay. That might be hard to do the further into the scene we get, but it's important for you to listen to your body as well. If you're uncomfortable we don't have to stop, but we will need to make adjustments."
"What response should I make? If I'm going to be… distracted… I want to know now, so I don't have to think as much." Judy's attention was pulled aside as she heard Jack hum his approval. Seeing Skye's smile and nod, she was proud of herself.
"In that case, say 'yellow'." Nick said through an appreciative smile. "Think of it like a stoplight. 'Red' is stop, 'yellow' is 'I need a minute'…"
"'Green' is 'go'?" Judy cut in.
"Just so." Nick's breathing was becoming deeper and the smell of violets tickled Judy's nose, as he all but purred, "Do not let me keep going if you feel pins-and-needles, numbness, or a pain you don't like. Do not stop yourself from safewording for any reason. Understand?"
Rather than immediately nodding her agreement, Judy took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. "I understand that I need to verbally communicate with you how I am feeling to ensure my safety and wellbeing."
"Good girl."
Judy blushed, preened, and suddenly realized how a praise kink worked. Something to examine at another time…
"As a final point, if you need a break to, say, have a drink of water or get an itch scratched, you say 'yellow' and we will pause to check in. Don't wait for me to prompt you, if you need something."
"I'll remember that." Judy was practically vibrating in excitement. "I know how Nicolas Wilde gets when he's working."
Naked emotions that Judy didn't fully recognize rolled across the fox's face as he stood, saying, "Are you ready?"
"Green."
~Kink Warning~
Butterflies flooded Judy's stomach as she walked to the middle of the floor. What she was about to do settled in her mind and it wasn't just an idea. It was reality. She took a deep breath and it caught in her throat as she heard the thump of Nick's rope bundle hit the floor behind her.
"You ok, Judy?" Nick's voice was close behind her and his warm breath rolled across her shoulder.
"A little nervous," she managed.
"I won't suggest backing out, even if it's always an option."
"If you do, I'll hurt you."
"Understood." His voice was now a purr in her ear, weakening her knees. "Would you like a helping paw?"
"Yes, please."
With one paw he gripped the cloth at the back of her dress and with the other, the tiny pull tab of the zipper. There was a low buzz as the zipper was pulled down and the cloth around her torso loosened.
"There you go. Now, just take a deep breath and let it fall away."
Judy closed her eyes. This was it. She'd been seen by her girlfriends in the same getup and stunned them silent. Now, it was time to see how Nick would react. The breath rolled out of her as the cloth pooled at her feet. She heard two breaths hitch, in turn.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Nick on one knee with a hank of rope in one paw. He was staring, stock still, raking his eyes over her. From behind her, she heard Jack's voice get as far as "holy" before Skye shushed him.
Nick continued to stare, leaving Judy feeling exposed and exhilarated. She'd never seen him so intent, even when he was in his work-fugue. It made her feel bold and saucy and she ran with it. She dropped one hip and slid into a smooth, slow model's turn. She could tell, despite facing away from him, that Nick's mouth had in fact fallen open and he was close to panting. Her eyes drifted up to the settee, where Jack and Skye were sitting. She met Skye's eyes for a moment and the vixen gave her a small nod. Jack seemed to be beyond words. On a whim, she lifted her arms, laced her fingers behind her head and shifted her hips in a half turn. Now, Skye wasn't looking so much as staring, herself. Judy had no idea where this was coming from, but she liked it and was not about to stop.
Glancing over her shoulder, Judy's voice was husky and thick in her throat as she purred, "Like what you see, little fox?"
Nick took a long moment to collect himself and clear his throat before answering. "I can tie over that exquisite ensemble, but that'll probably destroy it."
Judy would have been disappointed at his ability to respond so eloquently, if it hadn't been for the transparent lust in his expression. With a force of will, she made herself think about what he actually said.
"This was especially chosen, so I'd rather not see it all ruined." She let her arms fall and turned adopted a coquettish pose, biting her lower lip for a moment and swaying in place as she asked, "What do you suggest?"
Judy's excitement continued to climb as Nick was forced to close his eyes, swallow, visibly collect himself, and lick his lips before he could respond. "I suggest you remove anything you don't want potentially ruined. The panties will be fine with the ties I have planned, but the rest…"
"I see."
Something came over Judy in that moment and she knew what she wanted to do. It had been made clear that sex wasn't on the menu, tonight. That didn't mean that she couldn't tease him horribly for that decision. She took a few languid paces toward the fox, until his muzzle was almost touching her, and she smiled. She reached out, caressing his cheek and slid her hand gently under his chin. Lifting one leg slowly, so the silk stockings rustled against each other, she then placed her foot on his knee.
"Then, take them off."
For a handful of heartbeats Nick couldn't believe his ears. The rest of him had no such issue. His trousers felt too constricting for comfort and the part of him that hungered in all the least appropriate ways was awake and happily got the ball rolling.
His muzzle slowly pulled into a wolfish grin. "Shall we play, then?"
Their eyes locked. Judy's world shrank to the few pawspans they occupied. She felt the garter clips pop a moment before barely-there claws settled in a circle around her thigh and slowly, gently dragged down towards her knee, rolling the thigh-high stocking with them. It was an eternity of moments before his paw settled behind her knee, lifting the limb, and removing the whisp of silk.
"The other leg, if you please."
Judy had to steady herself with his shoulder as she changed legs and the process repeated. The mix of violets and her own musk was a heady perfume that surrounded her, leaving her lightheaded and leaning into his chest. His paws slid over her hips and she was suddenly dizzy, as she was spun on the spot and held upright by his paw pressed to her stomach.
"Steady," he growled in her ears.
There was a brief pressure just above her tail and around her waist before the garter belt she forgot was there, fell to the ground. The world spun, again, and her forehead was resting against his chest as her strapless bra joined the garter belt on the floor. At some point her eyes had closed. Everything in her world was sound and scent and sensation so intense it made her head swim.
Nick needed a moment after Judy's bra hit the ground. He had not expected her to do… anything she had done since they'd finished negotiations for the scene. She'd taken the rug out from under him the moment her dress had fallen. Then, she'd run with it – changing, playing different roles, teasing. It felt like she was four different mammals in as many moments. Now, she was panting and vulnerable, leaning against him for support… and he was supposed to tie her.
As carefully as he could, he fumbled the hank of rope into his grip from the spot on the floor where it'd fallen. The coarseness and familiarity was a lifeline. Suddenly, he was where he needed to be – no longer drowning in desire and want, but in a rope scene with someone he desperately wanted to tie. It was enough to center him. Rope slid between his fingers and Nick began to tie.
Judy was awash in sensation. She was vaguely aware that her wrists were behind her back and the roughness of the rope helped bring her back to the surface. She started to pull against the binding and was brought up short as a firm paw clamped over her wrists.
"Ah-ah." Nick purred into her ear, snapping her completely into the present. "That isn't part of this scene, sweetheart. Just relax into it and trust me. If you feel the need, say 'red'."
Judy nodded with her heart hammering in her ears. "Red. I remember."
"Good."
'It's happening,' Judy thought a split second before she felt hemp pressing into her upper arm and play across her chest. 'Oh gods, it's happening!'
She felt her muscles tense as the excitement built and a huge grin split her face.
"I'm glad you're excited, Judy, but you need to relax."
"Sorry," she squeaked, her voice was strange in her own ears. "I'm… um..."
"Can't help it?"
Judy felt her ears, face, and chest flush with heat and she nodded.
"You need to relax and let go." Nick's paw landed gently on her chest, a comforting weight. "Would you like some help?"
Judy nodded, again, and her whole world changed.
Nick knew this situation well. She was anxious and excited and was not going to calm down easily. He had to guide her into letting go into the loss of control. With his paw on her chest, he acted quickly. His other paw landed on her hip and he pushed, holding her shoulders in place as he did. She was instantly unable to stand, her back pressed against his chest – completely unable to act, or maintain control and completely supported & safe.
He leaned down, gently nuzzling her ear, and purred, "I've got you, Carrots. I've got you."
He felt her shiver as the tension bled out of her muscles. He slowly guided her down into a kneeling position and went to work.
Judy was a mess as she felt the floor slowly rise to meet her. Nick's heat on her back, the rumble of his voice – both were intoxicating on their own. She was in only her underwear, with her writs tied behind her back and he had just taken control away from her completely. She had never been so turned on, or felt so safe. It was bizarre and intoxicating, though not so much that she didn't notice the rope wrapping around her, constricting her further with every moment.
Judy felt less in control with every beat of her heart and didn't care. She couldn't move her arms at all and a harness of rope had caged her chest completely. By rights, she knew she should be panicking, but she wasn't. She felt safe and warm. And so much more.
Nick was focused and completely in control, again, as he finished the chest harness. His paws knew their way around the tie very well, courtesy of long practice. He was back in the zone – the perfect headspace. The peace of tying was settling in. It was wonderful, as it always was. Judy wasn't tense anymore and was apparently enjoying herself.
He allowed himself a self-satisfied grin as he grabbed another hank of rope. One of the most satisfying parts of tying was seeing his partner's enjoyment. Every one of them was different – Gazelle had been gleeful defiance, Skye was all serene release of control, Celeste was obvious delight & arousal.
'Now, I get to see Judy's.' Nick thought as he shifted her weight in his arms and guided her to lay on her side.
Thus far, she had been facing away from him. He hadn't seen her face since helping her out of her lingerie. Now, he finally got to see how she enjoyed the rope – what she got out of it. It hit him like a slap to the libido.
She rolled from her side onto her back, arching to allow for her bound wrists, and looked up at him. Her eyes were hooded and smoldering as they met his. As she shifted to adjust her position her hips rolled in ways that sparked all manner of ideas in his little foxy head. She smiled – it was a languid, hungry thing – and lifted her leg, offering it to him. That was when the scent hit him. Nick couldn't help it as his eyes were drawn to the one piece of cloth she still wore. The garment was dark with her arousal and he barely suppressed the urge to reach out to touch it – to confirm her desire.
He pulled himself together enough to ask, "Color, Carrots?" It did not escape him that his voice husky with the depth of his own enjoyment.
"Green."
Judy held her lower lip in her teeth as she smiled up at her fox. Seeing the fire in his eyes as he grabbed his rope and tied a manacle onto her ankle made her heart soar and stomach flutter. Her knee bent and pressure started to build on her leg. As she watched, the lower part of her limb was bound against her thigh in a constricting tie that had her breathing heavier by the moment. No sooner did her leg jerk as the final knot was completed, than she felt her other leg grabbed.
Her ankle was held in a firm grip and lifted, higher and higher, until only her shoulders and head remained on the floor. It was electrifying. To be so out of her own control, so vulnerable, so exposed –
and so safe.
Suddenly, she was laying on her stomach, feeling the same sort of pressure applied to her formerly free limb. It was abrupt and more aggressive than the other leg tie had been. It sparked just a touch of fear. She couldn't see Nick. There was so much happening. It was intense. It was restrictive. She was loving it. There was no resistance in her as she was flipped onto her back, again.
She just lay there. Her back was arched. Her legs were half-curled up, hovering over her stomach and hanging open. She was beautiful – completely at his mercy. Nick couldn't help but stare, but not for long. He planted his knee on the floor between her bound legs and leaned in, gently nuzzling her throat with his muzzle. Her breath quickly became ragged, gasping and whimpering in his ear as he slid his muzzle up her cheek and drew his lips along the edge of her ear.
Nick paused as he reached the tip of her ear and released a soft breath over the appendage. Judy began openly wriggling and panting in response. She had been wriggling a bit before, but now was completely without restraint. He heard her shift under him and felt her bound knees feebly trying to wrap around his thigh. She was trying desperately to pull him in, grinding on air, and writhing. It was too much.
The scent of her arousal was thick on the air and flooded his head as he drew his muzzle down her body. He hovered over her belly and inhaled her, bathing in her lust and want, grinning as the sadist got his turn.
Nick slipped two fingers of one paw under the bindings of one leg, eliciting a pained gasp from Judy, and two more into the bonds around her chest. With a hungry grin, he planted his feet, locked the rope in his grip, and lifted.
Judy was losing her mind. There was nothing she could do and everything she wanted. Desperation clawed at her as Nick came within a hair's breadth of giving her everything she desired, and then pulled away. She was awash in sensation and drunk on lust when the pain bit into her thigh. She gasped in surprise, but that was all she could manage. A moment later, she felt something similar around her ribs. Then, both ties tightened. Judy gasped again and the world fell away.
She was floating.
There was nothing tethering her to the world, but sensation, intoxication, desire, and pain. Somehow, the pain only made the rest of it more intense. Light swam before her eyes and the smell of violets drifted through her.
After an endless moment, she heard a low growl next to her ear and felt the heat of a body achingly close to her fur.
Her mouth was hanging open, breath rasping in & out of her as she whimpered, "Please."
The only response she got was a hum or a chuckle and the ground slowly rematerialized under her.
"Color?"
Judy didn't have the focus to be frustrated as she panted, "Green."
What little presence of mind she had deserted her moments later. She felt that tantalizing heat press close to her, again – close enough to feel but never touch, no matter how she writhed and strained – desperate to touch, or nuzzle, or anything. And then, it was gone.
Nick watched as the rabbit sobbed out a frustrated breath and tried to find him. When their eyes met, her desperation was inescapable. He cupped her cheek with his paw and she leaned into it with all the force she could muster. On a whim, he traced over her lips with his thumb. His breath caught as her mouth opened and her pink tongue darted out to catch him and chase for more.
He forced himself back into focus. He wasn't done and there were limits – no matter how much it tortured them both. With a slow breath, Nick grabbed her thighs and pulled her towards him. The look of elated anticipation on her face nearly broke his resolve, but his paws found the knots and his focus held. The rope began to come off. The leg bindings were first. The adage never left his mind when he tied: Last on, first off.
'Words to tie by,' he thought as he smirked to himself.
As the ties loosened, Judy gasped in pain. The compression was real and it hurt. She was grateful for his slow, deliberate pace. Once each limb was free, he slowly helped her straighten it out, rubbing and massaging as they went. It went a long way towards easing the muscles and a much longer way for her libido. His paws rubbing all over her thighs and calves was agonizingly teasing after everything else she'd endured. Last to come off was the chest harness. It was also slow and deliberate, but without the need to re-extend the limbs.
She was stiff and sore by the time the final bond was loosed. It wasn't until she was finally able to lay flat on the floor that she realized how stressing the tie had been. Her whole body hurt in one way or another. Not in a bad way, but one she was sure she'd feel in the morning. As she lay on the floor, letting her breath come back to normal, she felt a pitter patter of something landing on her.
Judy looked up and realized, somewhat incredulously, that it was the rope. A laugh bubbled out of her.
"It's tradition," Nick chortled in response to her bemused look, "Or so I'm told."
Judy luxuriated in the afterglow of her scene. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so relaxed. Or comfortable. Or aroused… Part of that had to do with the scene, of course. There was no denying it, now. She was hooked. The restraint and willing helplessness – putting herself so completely in the paws of someone she trusted. Skye had called it liberating and Judy wholeheartedly agreed. The restraint had eliminated her stress and the strain of the scene had given her a runner's high. She needed to stretch before future scenes, but the stiffness in her limbs was a small price to pay. Especially, considering the rewards.
The comfort, of course, was in the aftercare. Judy had experienced many things in her recent past – none so decadent as sitting in Nick's lap with a hot cup of tea in her paw, a warm blanket across her near-nude body, and reclining against the bare chest she'd admired since the day she'd met him. The massages she'd gotten as part of the untying were a lovely bonus, as well.
Jack and Skye were snugged up together on the settee, the pose almost a mirror of her and Nick. It was an interesting parallel. To anyone but the four of them, it would look like something well past risqué had transpired in the studio, that night.
The thought pulled a throaty chuckle from her.
"What's funny?" Nick drawled.
The fox was almost as languid as she was.
"I was just thinking about what we walked into earlier and how it looked so suggestive."
"Until you took a sniff."
Judy bit her lip for a beat before chortling, "A sniff wouldn't help anything, now."
"No… no, it wouldn't," Nick agreed after a moment.
She felt him shift under her and steadied her tea. "You, ok?"
"I'm fine, I assure you," Nick replied. "It's just been some time since I was furniture and I'm not used to it, anymore."
"Oh, really?"
His eye swiveled down to regard her. "Really. The last person I had in my lap was a friend of Jack's. They were about half your size and a third your age."
"What?"
"He's not lying," Jack chimed in. "Adria loved him."
"Adria?"
"My cousin. My family wasn't close, but Aunt Claire stayed in touch after she left my uncle. She'd bring Adria for visits a couple times a year when we were kits."
"She was a pawful and then some," Nick groaned. "When I said 'furniture' I should have said 'jungle gym'. She climbed all over me."
Jack snorted. "All over everything in reach. It's what kits her age do, Nick."
"I am aware."
"I didn't know you were good with kits, Nicky," Skye commented, playing with Jack's ears.
The reynard shrugged, "Sometimes."
Judy stared up at Nick for a moment. "This may be a strange question, but is there anything you aren't good at?"
Nick rubbed his chin for a moment, thinking. Judy rolled her eyes and sipped her tea, sharing a wry look with Skye.
"Ah." Nick snapped his fingers. "I can't knit without drawing blood."
Judy choked on her tea.
Judy made it to her dorm door, escorted by her evening's rigger. She bade him a teasing good night and closed the door behind her with a longing, promising look. Once up the stairs and in her apartment, her keys and wallet landed on the bedside table. Her bag dropped onto the floor by her bed. Her clothes followed. She pulled back her blankets and flopped, exhausted and grinning, onto the mattress. There was no preamble as her paws moved.
It had been a glorious night, filled with wonderful firsts. As wonderful as everything had been, though, there was one thing that hadn't happened, which she desperately needed. She was tired, but sleep would never come until she did.
She'd been wound up from the start of the scene. By the end, she'd been on the ragged edge. Sitting in his lap was torture during her aftercare and the whole walk home she'd been trying desperately not to ruin the evening by dragging him into the bushes. Now, she was home and it was time. Less than a minute from hitting her mattress, she screamed her pleasure into her pillow as her paws worked their magic. She drifted to sleep on a cloud of violets and red fur, eager for the morning.