Chris opened his eyes and the world came back into focus.
He became aware of several things.
One, breathing and warmth from the other side of the bed. There was someone beside him.
Two, he was naked with his clothes on the floor beside the bed.
As Chris sat up and saw his reflection in the mirror across from his bed, he saw the third thing.
An otter man was looking back at him! Chris gasped as he jumped out of bed, his tail almost knocking over the bedside lamp. He ran to the mirror and stared at it.
Chris had to feel around his face and chest to confirm their reality. He was happy to see what his hands were not webbed. Webbed hands would be difficult to use. His feet however were webbed.
A looked back at his bed led to the forth thing. Another otter man was sleeping beside Chris. Chris felt the same stir of excitement as he walked over to the otter man.
The sensations, images, sights, scents and sounds from the dream came back to Chris as he took in the otter man's scents and sights.
That otter man was Jake.
"Holy shit, it was real," Chris whispered.
A fear over this revelation had Chris running into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. His tail brushed against the towels as he turned around. His heart raced and he looked in the bathroom mirror, perhaps needing another mirror showing an otter reflection as confirmation that this was real.
"It wasn't just a dream," Chris said.
Chris needed to confirm the feelings he was already having. A part of him worried it would somehow feel the same as a female. A nervous gaze between his legs confirmed that Chris was still male.
A knock on the door startled Chris.
"You in there?"
It was Jake's voice.
Chris gulped and opened the door to see Jake standing there wearing nothing but his fur.
"Thank you for saving me. If you only knew how much this means to me," Jake said.
Jake smiled and hugged Chris. Jake's body was warm and soft. Chris didn't try to escape the embrace. Hugging someone without clothes was an interesting feeling.
"This is real, you're real, I'm real," Chris said.
Jake released the hug.
"I know it's not what you expected that necklace to be," Jake said. "And this is going to take time to get used to for both of us but I will make it worth it."
Chris looked Jake up and down. Jake was a little taller then Chris. The brown of Jake's fur was darker then Chris'. He was innocent looking and adorable. He was gorgeous.
That Chris perceived Jake in this way seemed neither wrong nor offensive. Chris also realized that he didn't mind that Jake was seeing Chris naked.
"I've never felt this way about a guy before. This doesn't mean that..."
Jake smiled and put a comforting hand on Chris' shoulder.
"Only with me," Jake said. "And it's all right. It's what inside that counts. Appreciating the outside is not a crime."
"I guess it would have been easier if I became a girl," Chris said.
"I would never force something you didn't want upon you," Jake said.
"So, what do we tell everyone?" Chris asked. "The world isn't going to think a couple of otter guys walking around is normal."
"There are ways we can take care of that problem," Jake said. "But before that, I do want to thank you for freeing me. There are plenty of ways for me to do that of course"
Chris gulped. "I've never been with a girl, let alone a guy."
"If you do not desire that, it's all right. I will not take offense," Jake said.
Chris blushed. "I think my body is betraying me."
Jake smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing to be embarrassed about."
Chris looked Jake up and down once more. Jake seemed to have much more self control. Chris doubted Jake would be offering what he seemed to be offering if there was no attraction.
"To be honest, I'd never had a girlfriend. I like girls, it's not that," Chris said. "I have girls that are my friends but we've always been just friends."
"What do you think kept them from becoming more?" Jake asked.
"Other guys seem to do things with girls like it's natural," Chris said. "I wanted to be able to do those things that easily, but it's like there's something missing in me. Like I said, I like girls, it's like something inside of me isn't working that would let me *really* like them."
"That doesn't mean there's something wrong with you," Jake said. "Everyone is different. Maybe you just didn't find the right one. Who knows, maybe something *was* wrong. Even if it was, it doesn't mean you're less of a person."
Chris nodded but hung his head.
"Chris look at me," Jake said.
His voice was stern but still gentle. Chris looked at Jake. His face showed understanding and friendship.
"How do you feel about me?" Jake asked. "It's okay to be honest. I will not judge you."
"Well, with you, it's different," Chris said. "I just met you overnight. Now, I've turned into a half animal person, I don't even know what that's going to mean for me. Even though we just met, it's like I've known you all my life. I feel like I can tell you these things. I even feel like I could try things that I know should be wrong. If it were any other guy, no way. But with you, it feels all right."
"I believe that fate wanted us to be together," Jake said.
"I know you probably wanted me to become a girl," Chris said.
Jake shook his head. "As I said, gender is but a physical thing. While it can affect one's thinking on some levels, its the person beyond those instincts that I want."
Jake pointed at Chris' belly.
"It's you I want, not the body per say. Though I admit, even if we're both male, if your case, I am willing to allow myself to try it."
Chris looked in the mirror.
"I admit that you made me a handsome otter. Almost as cute as you," Chris said.
Chris gasped and blushed.
"Sorry."
Jake grinned. "For what? Even if the body is just a physical thing, there is nothing wrong with appreciating mine. It's okay to accept these feelings as long as we're responsible and don't hurt anyone."
Chris smiled. "Thanks Jake."
"You're welcome my friend. So my friend, what is it you wanted to do?" Jake asked.
Chris looked back at the shower.
"Well, I you see, can we..." Chris shook his head. This was silly. "Can we take a shower together? I've never done that with another person."
Jake seemed to think about it for a few seconds.