Jason left the showers in a bit of a hurry, his mind wandering as he tried to figure out how to keep his newfound love of men secret from his peers. He couldn’t let anyone he knew find out about his terrible secret. If he was careful, he could probably keep his sexuality secret from his parents and most of his friends. There was only one problem: Todd. The first man that he developed feelings for was also his best friend. Things were going to be incredibly awkward between them if he told Todd how he felt. Then again, things would also be awkward if he didn’t tell Todd.
Jason was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice the person in front of him. He bumped into them and fell backwards onto the ground. A few people walking by turned their heads towards Jason, but no one bothered to stop and help the young wolf off the ground.
“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” Jason apologized, feeling embarrassed for running into someone. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and…” His sentence trailed off as his nose picked up the scent of the person he ran into. Their scent was masculine and incredibly appealing to the wolf’s nose, but it was also a scent that he knew all too well. Jason slowly looked up, and his heart started to sink.
Towering over the wolf in his signature hoodie and backwards cap was none other than Todd; the one person that Jason wanted to avoid right now. The kangaroo was looking down at Jason with a concerned look on his face.
“Hey bro, you okay?” Todd asked, extending a paw for Jason to grab. Jason graciously took his friend’s paw as the large male hoisted the wolf off the ground and back onto his feet.
“Thanks Todd,” Jason responded. He was thankful that he had fur on his face, otherwise his friend would have seen his blushing face. “I’m sorry about running into you. I was lost in thought and wasn’t paying full attention to where I was going.”
“Hey man, don’t worry about it!” Todd laughed, wrapping his arm around Jason’s shoulder. The wolf couldn’t help but take a long whiff of his friend’s scent, trying not to grow hard from the smell of pure sex appeal.
“Hey, Jason? Are you feeling okay?” Todd asked. “You’ve been acting a bit off today.”
“Oh…yeah! Yeah, I’m fine!” Jason quickly responded. “This week has been…stressful…you know? Bunch of tests…and quizzes…”
“Don’t worry man, this week has been stressful for all of us,” the kangaroo responded. “Thankfully it’s Friday, the school day is over, and we’ve got all next week off! Thank God for Heat Week, am I right?”
“Heat…Week?” Jason asked.
“Damn bro, you really are out of it today,” Todd said. “Come on, let’s get outta here before the bell rings. I’ll explain as we walk.”
Keeping his arm around Jason’s shoulder, the kangaroo led the wolf down the main hallway of the school and out the front door into the cool autumn air.
“Brrr…it sure is cold out today, huh?” Todd asked, exaggerating a shiver. “Winter is almost here. You’re lucky you’ve got such a coat of fur to keep you warm.”
Jason chuckled, trying to keep his mind off of how close he was to Todd. “So, remind me what Heat Week is again?”
“Right, so Heat Week is when a lot of animals go into heat. Because of this, it’s hard for both female students and teachers to focus. While there are some prescriptions to help, they aren’t widely available. So, we get a week off school to let Heat Week pass.”
“Oh right, how could I forget!” Jason said, lying. “So what are you planning to do with your week off?”
“Actually, that’s something I wanted to ask you about,” Todd said. “You know how my parents always go out of town on a nice vacation during Heat Week? Well, they left town this morning, and they won’t be back until next Monday, meaning I’ll have the house to myself. So I was wondering: would you want to stay over at my place for the week?”
Jason’s heart was pounding as he realized what was happening. He knew that he shouldn’t accept. He couldn’t risk his best friend discovering that he was gay. And yet…
“Sure, I’d love to!” Jason said.
Todd grinned. “Awesome man! Why don’t you text your parents and let them know? We’ll head back to your place so you can pack a bag.”
Jason nodded, reaching into the pocket in his pants and pulling out his phone. He quickly texted his mom, letting her know that Todd had invited him to spend the week at his place. It wasn’t long until he got a response back from his mom giving him permission.
After a few minutes of walking, the two arrived at Jason’s house. The young wolf quickly went inside and put some clothes in a duffel bag. Once he had everything he’d need, Jason met Todd outside.
“Have everything you need?” Todd asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got enough clothes to last me for the week,” Jason responded.
Todd smiled and wrapped his arm back around Jason’s shoulder, making the young wolf blush again.
“We’re gonna have a great week bro,” Todd said, leading Jason in the direction of his house.