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Dawn of Desire

Chapter 7: Knowing What You Want

Donner woke up the next morning, his eyes bloodshot and his head fogy. With a groan he had his foot paws hit the ground, the carpet greeting his pads as he stood up and cracked his back into alignment. He gave a big luxurious yawn and then shuffled his way to the bathroom, doing his morning rituals as always.

He looked at himself in the mirror and groaned.

“Fuck, I look like shit,” Donner sighed, his head splitting from the stress headache that was pounding the inside of his skull. He had a bit of cum crusting his hair from his wank session the night before, his eyes were sunken and tired, his fur was matted in odd angles from his tossing and turning. Donner decided he didn’t want to take a shower, so he just took in a deep breath, shook his head, and watched his power take hold.

As soon as he stopped shaking, his hair was perfectly styled, his fur silky and soft, though his eyes were still tired. He didn’t want to be tired, but it felt like no amount of magic or world altering energy could remove the weight from his lids. He simply huffed, giving himself a sympathetic half smirk like he was looking at some kid who scraped his knee.

“We’ll get through this, we always have, we always will,” Donner nodded at himself before straightening up. “We can work this out, we can make things better. I’ve just got to get a grip for now, and we can figure this out in time.”

Donner left the bathroom and started his new morning routine of looking in the mirror and getting himself dressed. The weather outside was getting colder so he decided on some heavier sweatpants and some high-tops, along with a tank and hoodie. He had his workout in the afternoon so he needed to be prepared for it. Not that he couldn’t change his clothes on a whim, but he liked knowing he didn’t rely on his power for everything. No, his workout clothes were on underneath the sweats and he was going to keep with that.

“Heeey, lookin’ sharp,” Cody came out of the bedroom only wearing his underwear and a baggy shirt, his dick flopping in his boxers as he went to the kitchen to get his breakfast going. “I’ll see you tonight for our workout, right?”

“Yeah,” Donner shouldered on his backpack, his books rattling inside. The way Donner said that gave Cody pause.

“You okay dude? You sure you don’t want me to walk you to classes or whatever?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Donner lied.

“Whatever you say,” Cody shrugged and went to pulling down clean dishes to make his breakfast. “It’ll save me money and time making my breakfast at home.”

“Glad you’re so caring,” Donner rolled his eyes, but he had a smile regardless.

“Man, I offered, you said no,” Cody yawned and rubbed his eye. “Man, how do you find anything in a kitchen this clean?”

“Beats me,” Donner chuckled and went to the door.

“Yo, text me if you need anything dude,” Cody said, sitting down with his Wheaties.

Donner had a bit of a spring in his step at that and made his way to class. Cody always had a way of making him feel normal and grounded, even if the buffalo was just being himself. It was nice for Donner to get out of his own head. He needed to take this one step at a time, and at least he knew he could always come home to his friend.

As Donner made his way to class, a golden haired lion was standing in the shadows, his hoodie obscuring his face as he looked on with a grin. Ceil knew Donner wanted him still, more than anyone else, but he wasn’t ready for him yet. But tonight might be the perfect time to really dig into things.

***

“So, what do you think of the catalogue?” Donner asked Rayner.

“I was very impressed,” the tiger smiled as the rest of the students filed out of his classroom. “Not a single thing out of place or mismarked. You saved me a major headache and you’ve proven your practical application skills. I’d be happy to bump your grade up for this.”

“Thank god,” Donner sighed, his heart relaxing as the looming threat of having to take the class over again melted away. “You have no idea what a relief that is.”

“I find it odd though,” Rayner cocked a brow as he stroked a few keys on his computer. “With how well you categorized things, and the way you detailed and fixed the ledgers, I find it odd that you were on the verge of failing my class to begin with.”

“Yeah,” Donner blushed, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking away. “I guess I’m just not that good a test taker?”

“Was that a question?” Rayner cocked his brow, the tiger a big and imposing man even though he was still sitting in his chair. “Please be honest with me, did you have any help?”

“No!” Donner’s ears perked up. “No, I would never. It was supposed to be a secret, so I didn’t want to betray your confidence Professor.”

Rayner lowered his glasses, his eyes burrowing into the coyote’s and looking for any lies he might be hiding behind. Even though he did get help, technically he did do it himself. So, there weren’t any lies per se, but maybe some half-truths.

“Alright,” Rayner rubbed the scruff on his chin, his five-o’clock shadow from yesterday growing in thick. “Don’t worry about your grade, but if you can somehow improve your academics, I might be interested in seeing how you work with your hands in a more practical setting.”

Donner’s tail hiked up as he blushed. “I…what do you mean…Sir?” Donner gulped back his feelings, waiting for the Professor to answer before he jumped to any horny conclusions.

“I have an internship that I’m looking into initiating over the next couple years,” Rayner set his glasses down and rolled back in his chair to reveal his screen. “A new dig sight was found and they need help identifying and categorizing objects. The collection is being sent to us over the next several years, and if you continue with your amazing work, I’d expect that the position would be yours.”

“Paid experience?” Donner’s eyes glittered as his dream was starting to take shape. “Really?”

“Hold up,” Rayner put his hands up and smirked. “We can’t afford to pay you, but you won’t go uncompensated. You’ll be given a reduced tuition, a meal plan, and access to the archives for study and individual work. A pretty great asset for a dissertation or thesis paper. Not only that, but if the internship goes well, the faculty is willing to write up a glowing letter of recommendation that’ll get you in any pile of dirt you want to start chipping away at.”

“So, better than being paid,” Donner’s tail wagged faster, his copper eyes aglow with the possibilities.

“Well, the next best thing,” Rayner shrugged. “So long as you continue with the good work, I’d be more than happy to put your name in the running.”

“Wait, so you don’t pick the intern?” Donner cocked a brow.

“I don’t have the authority to make that decision, no, but I am able to put in recommendations and the university will have the final say.” Rayner shrugged. “It’s only fair, to prevent nepotism and favoritism. That’s why your grades by the end of the year are so important. Like I said, keep up the great work, and you’ll be digging in the dirt with the best of us in no time.”

“Oh god! Thank you sir! I appreciate it so much!”

“Ah, you young pups,” Rayner took out a piece of silk and started cleaning his glasses. “Always so eager to please and prove yourselves.”

Donner blushed, why did he half to say it like that!

“Either way,” Rayner continued standing up and filling his satchel, his powerful arms scooping up the texts with ease. “You have your workout at this time, right? Go and get you sweat on. The secrets of tomorrow will still be in the dirt when you get back.”

“Yes sir!” Donner gave a little salute and made his way to the door, practically skipping.

Rayner was finished with getting his books together and was getting ready to leave before shaking his head and sighing.

“I know you’re not one of my students,” Rayner looked up into the lecture hall, the student sitting in the back and out of the way making him hard to peg. “I normally don’t mind students sneaking in for a lecture, but I get the distinct feeling you’re not part of the archeology program here, are you?”

The person in the hoodie stood up and came down the steps, his shoes hitting the steps with grace and urgency. It was a strange mixture, but Rayner was also a big guy. He wasn’t going to flinch just because some mystery brat was coming at him. Once the student got to the bottom of the steps, he pulled back his hood, the golden lion coming up to him.

“You looking to change majors, son?” Rayner asked with a cocked brow, looking down into the lion’s eyes, but only slightly. They were almost eye to eye.

“Why do you toy with him?” The lion asked. “You know he’s into you.”

“Excuse me?” Rayner cocked a brow.

“Donner,” the lion said back at him. “You know he’s into you.”

Rayner paused, furrowing his brow and really looking at the lion. “Who are you?”

“My name is Ceil,” the lion smiled. “And I’m here to make sure you don’t take advantage of Donner.”

“You think I would take advantage of a student like that?” Rayner cocked a brow. “Let alone a male student?” The tiger gripped the photo on his desk and flipped it around to show the lion his wife and kids. “You’re barking up the wrong tree. I suggest you either go back to your dorm, or hit the books. Maybe you should start with reading those before you train your ‘razor-sharp’ perception onto reading people.”

Rayner scooped his bag up before heading for the door.

“You know he’s corrected even your work,” Ceil spoke it like a spell, the professor stopping mid stride.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“Lot number six zero seven, subject J, item Q,” Ceil rattled off the information, pinpointing the exact piece that Rayner thought Donner messed up on, but upon closer inspection, he confirmed that Donner was right, and he stopped him from making a huge mistake. He was able to cover it up pretty easy with the new of systems.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Rayner turned around.

“Someone who knows things,” Ceil smiled. “So, what else is the big tiger hiding? If your pride is so stalwart that you’d hide something so small? Wouldn’t the posterchild for integrity of the archeology program have made a better impression by coming forward and giving Donner credit where you failed?”

“Are you the one who helped him?” Rayner’s lip curled up into a shallow snarl.

“No,” Ceil chuckled. “I didn’t do squat. That was all Donner. He’s special you know. You should be begging him to be your intern, not the other way around.”

“What do you know?”

“That you’ll have that faggot eating out of your ass before the year is over,” Ceil spoke the private thought of the professor out in the open. “That’s what your plan was, right? If he could prove the catalogue wasn’t just a fluke?”

Rayner was speechless. He hadn’t so much as uttered those words, let alone left them somewhere for some punk ass kid to use them against him. Rayner wasn’t going to take advantage of Donner, but it was a tasteless joke he came up with in his own head. He knew it was wrong, so he never said it, or even really thought of taking advantage of the coyote. He just—

“—wanted to keep an eye on the fag?” Ceil smirked.

“What…” Rayner’s mind was reeling as he looked at the lion before him. Was he actually able to read his mind? The slight curve of Ceil’s lips into a dark grin made the tiger question his sanity.

“I’m not here to hurt you, Rayner,” Ceil shrugged. “I could care less about your faculty politics or your pride. All sinners must face their maker for judgement, and I’m not the one to make that call, but you’re not going to take advantage of Donner. Whatever you do, it will be fair, and just. That’s the kind of world he wants, and that’s the kind of world I want for him.”

“What on earth are you talking about,” Rayner was confused, the words coming from the lion were English, but it made no sense to him.

“That’s okay,” Ceil smirked, stepping forward, the tiger taking a step back, but freezing as the lion approached. “So long as you’re going to give that internship to Donner, I’m sure we won’t have any problems.”

Ceil patted Rayner on the cheek like he were some child. The tiger snarled and slapped the lion’s hand away.

“Don’t come to my class anymore or I will have you removed,” the tiger snarled before stomping towards the door.

“Try to keep your thoughts about Donner in check next time,” Ceil smirked, the words like an icy blade between the tiger’s ribs. He froze.

He couldn’t read his mind, could he? It’s all some fucking trick?

“Are you really willing to take that risk?” Ceil spoke as he walked past the tiger, his shoes echoing off the tile floors and into the lecture hall. “Who knows what might come leaking out of that steel trap if I really look. Do you have any sin’s you’d rather keep buried?”

Rayner turned to look the lion in the eye, to chastise him, but as their eyes met, Rayner felt something deep and primal in his heart. Fear. Ceil’s green eyes pierced him like a wild animal’s would, but gleamed with the intelligence of man. It was terrifying and sent a shiver down the tiger’s spine.

That moment where their eyes met lasted for what felt like minutes, but was less than a second. Ceil continued walking, the tiger keeping an eye on the lion’s back as he walked out of his room.

“Stay on the right path Professor,” Ceil smirked. “Tempting as it may be to stray, don’t do anything you might regret.”

And the lion was gone, the tiger standing there, a single bead of sweat rolling down his brow.

“L-Ludicrous,” Rayner managed to stammer out before straightening himself up and leaving as well. Ceil was nowhere to be seen in the hall. The professor simply made his way to his car, not wanting to attract any more attention than needed.

For the first time in his life, the tiger didn’t feel safe in the halls of his university.

***

“Come on buddy, just push through a little more!” Cody encouraged Donner though his reps as he spotted him.

Donner grunted as he pushed the bar up, his chest pumped with the burn of his exertion. He continued to breathe through his reps, but it was getting harder and harder.

“Come on dude! One more! Just one more!” Cody was encouraging him as best he could, but the musk wafting from his groin was distracting. The dude had such a strong man stink to him, and it didn’t help that Donner liked it. It wasn’t like it was crazy thick, the guy showered, but hell if he didn’t musk up fast. He was such an active dude it didn’t take long for his natural smell to coat him again.

Donner grunted, pushing up on the bar with a snarl before he racked it back up. He gave a deep breath and sat up slowly.

“Way to go dude! You doing anything else today?”

“I might do a bit of cardio, but not much else.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m going to hit the showers. I got an early class tomorrow. You still fine walking back on your own?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Donner nodded. “I mean it.”

“Just call me if you need me to come back or whatever,” Cody slapped his towel over his shoulder and turned to shower off. “See you back home.”

“Will do!” Donner toweled off the bench press, cleaning away his well-earned sweat. Now that his shoulders, chest, and back were on fire form his workout, it was time to get some cardio in. Donner liked having a well-rounded routine. He didn’t want to be one of those bulging monsters that couldn’t run half a block. No, he wanted to be a big beast with the stamina of one too.

Donner smiled at his inner monologue as he put his towel around his shoulders before claiming a treadmill and firing it up. It took a moment to get into rhythm, but once he hit his stride it was fine. He wasn’t going fast, barely a brisk jog, just enough to get his heart rate going at a steady rate. He wasn’t trying to break any personal bests today. He learned a long time ago that he didn’t need to push himself so hard to get the results he wanted. He just needed gradual and consistent change.

One step at a time, one day at a time. Hell, even one hour at a time. He needed to look at the small picture while glancing at the big picture. He needed to focus on what he needed to do now, and that was get himself in a mindset to tackle his problems. They weren’t going anywhere, and he knew that, but at least he could get a good sweat on and put them on hold while he reclaimed a sense of normalcy.

Though, what was the big picture? What was the goal here? Was it try and fix Ceil? Was it to try and undo any damage he had done to him? If so, how? Donner was completely at a loss on how to do anything with his power. Simple things were doable, like cleaning a room, or making dinner, but changing someone’s personality? That was more nuanced. He could just wait out the clock and restart everything once the full moon came, but did he really want to give up this power too?

Donner cursed at himself under his breath at having slipped into his own head. He just continued his jog, keeping his stride and finishing up his cardio. The gym was quiet, most of the people having gone back to the dorms. He wiped down his machine before heading for the showers. Donner would normally just walk home in his sweats and shower there, but during the colder months he liked to rinse off with a hot shower before going home. It usually kept him warm until he got back to the apartment.

Donner peeled his clothes off and tossed them into a locker before padding his way into the showers. The showers were old school where it was just a wide open room with shower heads. There was a push to get stalls put in, but the school simply didn’t have the budget for it yet. Though, they had the budget to get a new football stadium.

Donner rolled his eyes and turned on the water. The old pipes rattled and moaned before water sprayed out. It was like icicles and donner sighed, waiting outside the stream for the water to get warm when suddenly it was the perfect temperature, the water pressure adjusted to be perfect, the pipes quieting their screech of protest.

The coyote blinked before stepping into the stream. He gave a light sigh as the water blamed his aching muscles. His muscle fatigue was soothed by the stream of that steamy water, despite having just worked out, the temp was still comforting. It was like everything inside him was adjusted to make the shower so appealing that it was impossible for him to step out of the stream. Donner closed his eyes and faced the stream of water, imagining it was Florida rain, warm and comforting. He wished he had some suds for this.

And just like that, he felt a bottle next to his foot paw. He glanced down to see an unmarked bottle had materialized next to him. He smiled and picked it up, pouring a generous amount into his palm and getting to work lathering himself up. The smell was divine. It was a mixture of burnt cedar, vanilla, black pepper, and sandalwood. It was sweet and musky, a little strong, but he knew the perfume would even out after being rinsed.

The coyote gave a contented sigh, his hands roaming over his body, sliding over his sharp angles and rounded, toned muscle. The water matted his fur to make it easy to see and the suds ran through the crevices like sugar water that covered his body in a slick, intoxicating miasma.

He had to admit that his hands were lingering in places they probably shouldn’t while in public, but he also knew the chances of someone else coming in was low. His hands moved over his pecs, his fingers slipping over his nips. One hand went down, feeling his abs that he had cultivated for so long, the shallow Adonis belt guided his fingers lower while his other hand slipped up his neck.

What he would give to be in this shower with Ceil in that moment.

“You rang?”

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