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hello, this is part one of a 2 part commission for Guythreepwood!

Edited by Arkarian

Continuation of his other commissions so do read them and tell me what you think for improving my writing!

Commission info here. this story was 9644 words

Enjoy!

Allen reclined haphazardly in his chair. He had known that he had learned this math class in high school, but skipping it wouldn't give him any credits. It was painfully easy, to the point that the teacher told him to just show up and sit in the back for the tests and the participation grades. He was often texting on his phone back here but no one seemed to be responding that morning.

Allen was good at math. It made sense. But re-learning algebra after acing the class had to be one of the patience tests of sainthood. Despite himself Allen had audibly groaned at another students question earlier that week. He spent most of his time with his head down now, only looking up when the badger sitting next to him would ask him questions.

It was almost the end of the semester and Allen wasn't sure if the Badgers name was Barry or Barney. That said wonders for his sociability at 10 am without coffee and a slightly vibrating headache. The Dobermans birthdays were the day before and apparently a twin's birthday meant double the drinking. Allen was not the first one to leave early due to classes, but he definitely didn't make it to the end. They had started with a dozen and some odd bottles of various vodkas, and when Allen woke up there was less than a quarter bottle full in three of them.

God, if his headache was bad now he could only imagine how bad the twins had it. Matt was a lightweight but portioned out his drinks liberally while Mitch could put down six drinks in an hour and not feel any of it until later. It was a popular theory that Mitch had simply absorbed most of his brother's liver in the womb.

"My graph doesn't look like hers." The badger said under his breath, showing Allen his calculator. Allen took the machine and lazily looked through the graphed functions. "Is it the parenthesis?" he asked, sliding his notes over "I'm pretty sure I did the work right. I dunno."

Barry, or Barney or whatever his name was had terrible handwriting. That was partially why Allen had never just glanced at a test to get his name right. He wrote large and angled, left handed too so every now and then the ink smudged in his notes. He really should just use a pencil.

"Yeah the work looks right." Allen noted, glancing back at his own notes. "Here." He pointed at the functions in the calculator, "You just need to plop a parenthesis around the x and four so they are both divided by the numerator." Otherwise you just get a line not the swoop." He made a swooping motion with his finger.

"Thanks man." The badger grinned, doing the work and grinning when his graph matched the board. "Finally."

Allen nodded and found himself looking over the badger as he did most days. He was an interesting one. His fur was a dark brown but had white streaks that Allen could not figure out if they were natural or not. He had thick rimmed glasses and a large tan messenger bag that was always tossed on the ground and overflowed with various odds and ends. Today, the notable item was a 3ds just visible under some balled up paper wads.

This badger most likely had a hoarding problem if he saved his useless papers. The odd thing about him though, despite the 'surprise inside' fashion of his bag, was how he dressed. Depending on the day he could be in a jersey, drug-rug, casual hoodie, tee shirt; even in the late fall, hats of unknown origin, watches, shoes and boots, jackets made of leather or denim,; and not a single outfit ever seemed to match.

Now Allen had the fashionable eye of a two year old blind child, but he knew something was amiss on most days. Still, he was nice enough, didn't ask for answers on the homework, and didn't make a ruckus in class unlike the lion in the other back corner who could groan louder than life whenever they started a new chapter. Every. Damn. Time.

The lions name was Zack, with a 'k' not an 'h' as he liked to clarify constantly; as if it mattered when people spoke it. He had a short cut mane and was some big shot on the soccer team. Allen was never into sports, but he had a healthy respect for players obviously. Only assholes would chop up years of work and practice to 'kicking a ball around', but Zack was just a genuinely obnoxious person. He would correct people who said 'soccer' by saying 'football' in the middle of them speaking because that is what it was called everywhere else in the world. He never seemed to talk about anything else but the game and he did the one thing Allen really couldn't stand in an athlete and that was the look he gave non-athletes.

It's ok to play a sport or not play a sport, but Zack seemed to look at all non-athletes with a loathing. Not even a misunderstanding of how they didn't like sports as much as him, but a real anger in it. In short, he was a bully. It wasn't classic 70's bullying with the near hazing levels of abuse, but a shove into a locker, or verbal abuse wanes on people in its own ways.

Unfortunately Allen had to deal with him multiple times a week and more than just outside math class. Zack was in the campus black market. He grew up in the area and had his nose in everything from booze and cigarettes, to bootleg movies and pot. The pretentious asshole had three cell phones, one for personal use, one for usual business and one for pot and Ritalin.

The only reason Allen was focusing so much on the lion at the moment was because he knew he was throwing some party later and the gang needed to see him before hand for other shit. It was not a pleasant notion. He was a blatant tool bag homophobe, but he was also the only regular merchant on campus.

"Mr. Stone, would you care to answer?" Allen snapped out of his day dreaming and looked back to the front of the room where the usually quiet ferret was looking to him expectantly. Thankfully it was a simple function.

"x is three or negative one thirds." He answered after a moment.

~~~

"How do you even do all of that in your head?" Barry or Barney asked as they were leaving the classroom. Allen had nowhere to be for a while so he always found himself patiently waiting for the badger to clean up his usual mess. Each paper ball found a home back in the bag. "Like, you didn't even miss a beat when she called on you."

"I've learned all this before." He said simply, "I just need the credits. I'm honestly more amazed you have room in your bag for the book. It's a mess." He chuckled watching the badger's hands skillfully maneuver the various items into more ideal positions. The bag closed on the first try.

He laughed a strange little, slightly nasally laugh. "Packing a bag is no big deal though. I can't get graded on natural proclivities to spatial management. Believe me I have tried to find a way." He clarified, starting their walk out of the class, "The best way to use these skills is Tetris and I highly doubt it will help me get my diploma."

"Se la vie." Allen mumbled, "All my smash bros skills are useless in the face of microeconomics." He rubbed his temples. "I'm fairly confident there is no actual structure to our economy and America thus far has been a happy accident."

The badger laughed his little laugh again, "Noted. Just in time for me to enter into it." He shook his head; the three metal hoops on the side of what looked like a golf cap rang together. "If you're ever free I live just off campus and have an extra wii-mote. I don't have many friends willing to play me anymore." He shot Allen a look, "Not to scare you off of course. If I win there will still be chips and refreshments."

"God don't mention food." Allen groaned, grabbing his belly in an over exaggerated keeling over, "I missed breakfast and my stomach is going to eat itself."

"Poor Allen," the grinning badger doted, also proving he knew Allen's name despite the fact that Allen could not return the favor. "Want to get some coffee?"

"The Café in the union tastes like dirt." Allen noted, "But they would have breakfast sandwiches." He audibly weighed his options. Mike was at practice by now, so he had an empty room to return too. It was winding down to the last few games of the season and they had a handful of skirmishes this week. So Mike was often called to extra practice on a moment's notice.

He might not even know the guys name, but company over food was better than no company; and he was getting too used to his usual group. The badger might actually have nerd talk for him and it had been ages since he had had any of that.

"Yeah, sounds good." Allen nodded, pulling out his phone so he could figure out the badger's name, "Wanna just put your contact shit in there?"

Allen's phone fell to the ground when a solid force slammed into his shoulder. The human stumbled uneasily forward but kept his balance enough to stay standing.

"Watch where you're going faggots."

"haha, walk much?"

The badger had apparently been hit the same way but had not been as lucky as Allen to remain standing. He was sitting up and collecting his hat, Allen's phone in paw.

It was two members of the soccer team Allen could not name, they both sat in front of Zack in the class they just left. Allen's hood was pulled down over his face next as then group was leaving, "Drink prices are doubled for queers."

That voice was definitely the lions. Thankfully the team left in loud woops of laughter.

Allen wasn't exactly sure how to feel about the situation. Anger welled up inside him, his face was flush with embarrassment. He wanted to call out after them but he also wanted to ignore the whole thing. Where did this lion get the gull to do shit like this? He took a step forward almost without meaning too but felt the badgers paw catch his arm.

He was standing up now with a little groan of exaggerated effort. "Not worth it." He said simply, "Let it be. He wouldn't have even done it if there were people around."

This fact did not comfort Allen. He didn't even know the lion was aware he was gay. But he supposed word spread fast when you were dating a star athlete, at least amongst other athletes. He scratched at the back of his head, "Doesn't mean shit." He said simply, "That's fucking ignorant."

"I don't think he cares." The badger replied honestly with a grin. "Or is even aware what 'ignorant' means. Isn't he like in his third year of being undecided? A pot dealer? A jock?" he almost listed.

The human couldn't help but smile, taking his phone back. His name was Barry. "Undecided pothead sure, but my boyfriend is a jock so take it easy there. He's a fucking genius."

Barry cast him a side warns glance as if confirming if he was joking. It seemed almost paradoxical to him. "Really?" Allen nodded. "A genius?"

Allen nodded again, "Second string quarter back, 1450 SAT." he almost bragged for Mike. Showing off his boyfriend, Allen didn't often get the chance to boast about him.

Barry made a face Allen couldn't quite place. "Well that's just not fair."

"That's what I say. He makes us singled skilled people look lazy. I just prefer two slices of cake instead of one and a long night in front of cartoons to parties."

"Speak for yourself." The badger grinned, patting his belly for affect. "Two slices might not calm this black hole."

~~~````

Allen sipped at his dirt coffee, picking at the last crumbles of croissant and bubbles of cheese. He was also listening to Barry talk excitedly about internet rumors of upcoming videogames. The badger was a very physical talker, his arms moving ever which way and his face incredibly expressive and excitable. It was Mary and Annie who walked in first, taking a seat with a less exuberant greeting than usual.

"Hey Allen." They both spoke, unsuccessfully trying to avoid cutting off Barry who seemed shocked by their presence and simply stopped talking. Allen offered each of them little hugs, "Annie and Mary, This is Barry; Barry, Annie and Mary."

"Nice to meetcha'" Mary held out a paw.

"Hiya." The tiger waved, turning fast to Allen "So what's this I hear about you starting shit with Zack Emmerson?" she got right into the gossip, "I didn't know your balls became steel recently."

Allen would have returned the snide comment if he wasn't annoyed. Honestly the whole ordeal was messing with him. It wasn't, by any means, implying he cared what the lion thought about him; but the fact that he was going to act on it so publically was infuriating. This wasn't high school, but it seemed he was still dealing with bullshit.

"I didn't do shit." Allen said simply in a grumble. "He's just a fucking prick."

"Oh geez, Allen is swearing." Mary rolled her eyes and scooted her chair into the human's personal space. "What happened?" she asked like a parent might.

"I was minding my own business and he comes by and pushes us down," he waved an arm over to the originally not included badger, "like we're in middle school or something."

"Called us queers." Barry nodded, taking another sip of whatever fancy espresso beverage he had ordered.

"Really?" Mary asked in a disappointed tone. "That's fucking retarded." She sat back and sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Were you doing anything particularly gay?" Annie asked, popping some gum into her mouth.

"Oh like that matters!" Mary sat up.

"I'm not saying it's important!" the tiger stated defensively, glaring at Mary. "I'm just asking, Jesus. It's just not something I'd expect Zack to do is all."

Allen shook his head, "I was doing math."

"Which is gay in its own right?" Barry tossed in, trying to join in the conversation wherever he could.

"I think he might charge us more for drinks now." Allen shrugged and scratched at his beard. "'Queers pay double.'" He mocked in a dumb jock vice. He shook his head again, "How does he even know? I haven't told him, and I thought the idea was we keep our shit private as too avoid this." The human asked. It was incredibly frustrating to have to deal with this kind of harassment.

"It's not like your boyfriend is a quiet drunk." Annie said simply, "He talks about you a lot. Sometimes it gets pretty personal. I guess the right people over heard." She sipped her drink and stopped, "The wrong people that is. You get it."

Allen rolled his eyes. THAT was fucking fantastic, Mike was bragging in detail about their sex life. He groaned and hid his face. "What exactly is he saying when he gets too drunk? And obviously this is happening when I'm not there so why didn't you guys stop him?"

The two girls looked at each other with knowing grins. "Well it depends on the night really. But he gets into a lot in a short period of time. I think the only time we successfully stopped him is when he started talking about the uhh..." the tiger glanced at Barry, "your anniversary trip." she said simply. What happens at the farm stays at the farm after all and no one was to know about it that didn't go.

"I'm going to kick his ass." Allen fumed, pulling out his phone. "When is practice over today?"

"It's Monday sooo...." Mary thought aloud. "Five I think. But they have a seven o'clock meeting about the upcoming games and scrimmages cause it's the first Monday of the month."

"Are we all getting together at Gino's for Pizza?" Annie asked, "My diet is killing me and I really want a cheat day."

The human rolled his eyes and texted Mike, trying not to sounds like he was over reacting but also trying not to underplay anything. He decided on the one line no one wanted to hear in the entirety of a relationship.

~~

"Shit." Mike breathed, looking down on his phone; a single drop of water fell on his screen from his still wet fur.

'We need to talk.'

That couldn't be good.

The panther sighed and tossed his phone back in his locker. No details or anything to even hint at what they had to talk about. Thankfully though it was from earlier in the day so Allen might have had time to calm down should he actually be angry at something. For the life of him though Mike couldn't think of what it could be.

That made him anxious, he hated not knowing something, especially something that concerned Allen, let alone actually upset him. It could be the partying, to be honestly Mike was kind of getting sick of it himself. He and Allen hadn't had any real quality alone time in a while either. They were often together, but usually with other people. The only time they were usually alone was when they went to bed. He made a mental note to get another Mario Kart night to happen; just the two of them.

As much as he didn't like to admit, Mike had become an increasingly heavy drinker and partier since attending school. He used to be the calm collected one, a few drinks here and there, but it had become more of a proving ground since getting into college sports.

The team was intense, not that he was complaining to having a motivated team. It seemed though that they were all compelled to competition in all forms. They bragged about sex, how much booze they could stomach, how much they lifted or how much they improved over all. It was a very mentally strenuous environment that only ever had parties as a sort of outlet for times of less stress. Allen had been unwillingly sucked up into the maelstrom as well. It seemed that most nights, most moments of free time, became gatherings of others having free time, which, in turn, made it less free.

Coming from a small town, Mike and Allen grew up with all levels of alone time. They used to be able to count on having a night or two a week where nothing happened even at the busy end of senior year. Maybe it was getting to Allen as the semester was coming to a close. Finals on top of papers on top of boisterous jocks and their mates. Mike knew he himself went to the library now and then to just sit in the quiet for a few minutes. Take it all in.

The panther dried off some more, ignoring the rest of the locker room calling out other team members shortcomings in that oddly supportive team member kind of way. Being a unit, and being together so often made "Dude, your squat form is a fucking joke." Sound more like helpful advice and a promise to help make the issue better.

A large paw clasped his shoulder "We're going to Gino's," Mark, shouted over the rest of the noise a little too close to Mikes ear, which instinctually flicked in annoyance. "Annie wants a slice."

Mike nodded and turned, "Is Tyler still getting the drinks from Emmerson? What's going on tonight?"

"I'm the one getting them," Taylor said, sitting on the bench and pulling a shirt over his still very damp head, the fur on top lifting into bed wrangled spikes. "It's the last real week to party, everyone has exams and projects and shit upcoming. Anything after today and tomorrowwill just be small groups of whoever is available in their clique."

That sounded perfect. Mike exhaled in relief. He was a bit tired of waking up with headaches and blinded by the sun. He started getting dressed for Gino's, practice always left him starving.

"Only problem is Zack might charge us extra," Taylor went on. Amber says he was picking on Allen earlier today."

The panther popped his head out of his shirt and looked at the frizzy wolf. "What?" he asked in genuine disbelief, unsure if his follow up was supposed to be "When?" "Why?" or "Where?"

The wolf shrugged, stretching his muzzle, "They have a class together and I guess the lion gave him shit about being gay is all I heard."

"Just today?" Mike clarified, angry that this happened and he wasn't there to help. "Why? Why does he care and how does he even know?"

"A homophobe is a homophobe dude," one of the twins said simply.

"And you aren't exactly quiet about your sex life after a few brews." Mark rolled his eyes, "I'm all for you guys, but I don't need to hear all those details dude."

The panther growled in his throat, a sort of response to embarrassment in his own way. "The fucker doesn't even hang out with us."

The rhino laughed a hardy laugh, "God forbid Mr. Soccer be caught dead with American Football players." he emphasized in mockery. They all thought the lion was a snob, so most of them laughed along with him.

Mike just finished getting dressed though, waiting with Taylor while the rest finished. This was definitely why Allen wanted to talk. The guy wasn't stupid, he had to have figured out by now it was Mike's fault that Zack knew he was gay and picked on him for it. The panther wouldn't deny a thing, and he had no further explaining to do, but this would definitely make for a few well placed jabs from his witty boyfriend throughout the evening.

~~

This was worse. Mike uneasily ate his pizza. The entire Zack situation had not been brought up once for the entirety of the meal thus far. The closest anyone had gotten to bringing it up was the reference to Taylor's absence getting drinks. It was almost painful how Allen was in a good mood; it was a show for the group but inside Mike knew he was upset, he just wasn't exactly sure in what way.

Allen was never this good at hiding his feelings, at least from Mike and in the long term. He was either scared, or annoyed or angry and the panther could not pick up on any of the negativity. He physically gulped when they all started leaving, they still had an hour until the football team's monthly formation meeting and that left the panther and human alone to do anything.

The gang split up, heading to their own dorms, and Mike was left walking besides Allen in the cool fall air. The lights had just come on to counter the night's darkness. "So..." Mike broke their awkward silence, gently knocking into the human with hands in pockets. He was never good at breaking the ice on awkward situations. In fact he avoided them as best he could.

"So..." Allen countered, giving the jaguar a sidelong glance. He couldn't keep his cool forever, but he was going to try and stretch it out as long as he could.

"I don't know what you want me to say." Mike shrugged with a sigh, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop Zack for messing with you babe." He tried, not removing his paws from his pockets or looking at Allen when he said it. Mike just didn't want to see something in Allen's eyes he wouldn't like, like disappointment or anger.

"Mike, it not that you weren't there to stop him," Allen finally spoke his mind, "It's all this partying really. I didn't think I would but I'm sick of it and now because you got mouthy, Zack knows we're a couple." He stopped for a moment, "I'm not sure someone like you appreciates the stress I feel for it."

Mike stopped walking for a moment and looked up with a confused face. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked stepping closer to his mate. It wasn't like Allen to draw lines like that. It was out of place for him to be so calm talking with conviction like this. Usually the human was either soft spoken, or sarcastically boisterous.

Allen cocked his head and stopped walking, leaning backwards into a pole. "You're a jock Mike." He said flatly, "freshman or not you are held to...well a higher social level than me. You won't be a target for bullies like Zack and the bullying isn't even the point really." He emphasized really with a more characteristically over dramatic face.

Mike found a moment of comfort in that face and managed a smile. He was so cute and he was all his. "What is the point baby?" he asked, getting closer to his man. Standing a head taller and leaning ever so slightly over him in the light of the street lamp.

Allen looked up, then away. Never a good sign, Mike leaned ever so slightly back. "It's the fact that you're the one who told them." He said after a moment. "I don't care that people know we are together when it's their business, but you had no right getting drunk at a party and telling my would be attackers you have a boyfriend who is ripe for the picking on."

Mike let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. So that was it. A sense of trust betrayed. Mike wasn't stupid, he wouldn't get mad at Allen for saying what he said, but he was a little offended. "It's not like I did it on purpose love." He said in a flat tone. "I'm sorry I let something slip and it cost you and not me."

Allen looked up with a sigh; he wasn't exactly looking for an apology. It was all more so to get it out on the table. He knew Mike wasn't all to blame, but at the moment he was too short fused to really act on it. "Its ok babe..." he said unconvincingly. "I'm just frustrated. I didn't think I'd have to tell YOU to play it smart with the drinking. You were usually the one to stop me." He shrugged.

Mike crinkled his nose briefly, "I know I'm drinking more, but you shouldn't have to feel the need to baby me."

They locked eyes for a moment. Allen was even more conflicted now. He had never had a role like this with Mike, usually it was the panther being condescending to him, but now that the tables were turned Mike seemed to be genuinely on the defensive. For some reason that made Allen more upset. "No need to get testy." He said in another flat tone. He was using that one a lot it seemed. "I'm just saying it's unexpected."

Mike huffed a moment, it sounded more like disappointment. General snootiness. "Well sorry I don't live up to your expectations." He said in a rather chill voice. He immediately regretted it.

Allen nodded. "Ok, well that's bullshit." He stood away from the light and started walking again. "Sorry I questioned you."

The panther rolled his eyes and caught Allen's arm, "Wait wait wait, we're not leaving it like this." He grimaced. "I'm sorry Allen." He pulled his boyfriend into a big hug. "I'm just under a lot of stress and I haven't been myself lately, especially out partying. I know that much." He admitted. "And I'll do my best to fix this."

But the human wasn't into it anymore. "Ok." He said simply, looking at his phone. "It's getting close to the meeting." He said simply "I'll be at the dorm." He gave Mike another hug but it was slack.

"Will you be there all night or are you coming out with us?" he asked gently into Allen.

"I think I'm going to call it a night actually." He admitted. "Not really in a partying mood."

"Which is exactly why you should come out the panther countered quickly, "Not to get drunk but to just socialize." He clarified. "Last chance before exams really." He added with a big grin, hoping it would cheer Allen up. He hated seeing this side of his mate.

He smiled a little at least and that made mike do the same, "I'll think about it." He offered. "But no promises." And Mike knew that was all he was going to get from the weird little human.

~~~```

Allen sat back in his desk chair, the infinite power of the internet at his disposal, an instantaneous access to most of the world's population and knowledge. The one thing that seemed to define his generation worldwide; and he was searching for funny cat videos.

This had to be a new low, even for him. Allen was not new to the idea of an actual case of depression, he had some rough times growing up without a father, predominantly chunky, and eternally awkward. He had his ups and downs like everyone, if, occasionally to extremes in either direction. This had caught him by surprise though. Not only did he never expect Mike, of all people to indulge too much into drinking in college, but he never expected such an internal betrayal of trust from his close friend and now mate. He felt neglected, overlooked and the crushing duplicity of it.

He was still reasonably rational. He understood on some level in the back of his mind that it wasn't Mike's intention or even his fault in the later case. He was allowed to drink and allowed to have fun and allowed to talk about his mate. Nothing he did was strictly wrong, but the affect and his lack of understanding Allen's own discomfort and feelings of betrayal were beyond frustrating.

The human had never resented Mike, not once in his long time with the fur, but he came close now. In truth the Panther would never know how it felt to only be cool by association, or bothered about his appearance. He was a jock, to be fair, it was mostly the jocks doing the bullying to the other groups, whether they meant to or not.

It was a puzzling predicament. Allen was left in a numbness do to his confusion about what to feel. He felt too much to feel any of it. And what to do next was yet another troubling aspect. In truth he wanted to go to the party, but also in truth he wanted nothing to do with it and what might happen. If he went, he risked Zack making a scene or he himself over-drinking. Allen had never been a smart drinker when he had something on his mind. And as much as he loved Math in the morning, the notion of adding a dizzying headache and a twisted stomach to the mix was too much.

He sighed, twirling in his chair as the schools limited and over-extended internet loaded some feral tabby cat that had a thing for lasers and over-dilating its pupils. He chewed aggressively on one of his hoodie strings and growled aloud to no one.

Mike just wasn't in the position to understand how he felt and that was made abundantly clear. Mike had never needed to defend himself from bullies, he had done the defending. Mike had never been called names or had his locker messed with, he just helped clean up or shouted back for Allen. Mike had never been a target for anyone other than an athletic spotter and sure as hell would never see being out as more than a minor inconvenience.

Still, despite that, Allen probably hated the idea of Zack keeping him away from a party more than he hated the idea of Zack confronting him or Mike being an ass hat. What was the leonine going to do in a party full of people who were not ignorant fucks like he was? With no small amount of pride Allen knew that he, the gay nerd, had the entire football team backing him up if it came down to it. Hell, maybe such a confrontation would nip the problem in the bud! Might not save him for those few minutes after Math Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, but it might prevent anything else from even transpiring.

The tabby cat on the screen was flipping in the air and up a wall trying to catch a green laser that danced just out of his reach. The video paused mid acrobatic performance.

As hard as he tried though Allen couldn't repress his anger and frustration towards Mike. It was too fresh to try and repress rationally and he huffed just thinking about it. He honestly wanted to have yelled at the feline on the walk over but he didn't want to make the situation worse than it was. Fucking A, it was all such a mess.

He groaned audibly and did one more turn before the video picked up again and lasted a solid six seconds before requiring more buffering.

"Fucking internet!" he spoke loudly, not actually shouting.

That tore it. It was the last party of the school year and he was not going to miss it because of Mike or Zack or anyone. He flipped the laptop closed and quickly got dressed. He was going to show Mike that the panther was not going to let this get to him, not matter how much it was. He would play it cool all night and that would bug the panther even more than if he just yelled and got it over with. Petty yes. Effective? also yes.

Grabbing his room key and a jacket Allen rushed out of the room. It was 11o'clock, the party would be in full swing by now. Everyone would be hitting the end of 'buzzed' and be falling into the first stages of actual drunkenness. Allen would have to play catch-up but he was sure he was capable. If Mike could make an ass of himself so could Allen. If Mike thought it was ok to blab person business then Allen saw no point in not lining up a few embarrassing stories himself.

He followed the lamp posts down the campus roads and made his way at a brisk pace to the other side of campus. He cursed the cold under his breath and tried to hurry along. The party was held in an unaffiliated apartment building within spitting distance from the campus. It was an old frat house from some forgotten organization apparently, but the exact details didn't matter. It was on a street of party houses so they could get pretty boisterous before the cops were called, and the owner of the apartment had a radio that allowed a solid five minute heads up to all minors to get out should the cops actually be called.

To be honest, Allen hated the larger parties that were held there. It was a decent sized, two floor double with a yard and everything, but it always felt claustrophobic for a while. Pressed up against persons you didn't know until at around...now ish, you were too gone to remember what claustrophobia was.

Allen made it to the actual road that cut up the center of the campus and connected to the street that the party house was on. He had his hands deep in his pockets and was seriously regretting not bringing a hat when he heard the first sign of other people.

"Allen?" a call came out from ahead of him. "Alleeeeeen!" the voice squeed. He saw a paw waving in the dark and then two forms entered the light of a streetlight. "Heeey! You made it out!"

Allen squinted and made out the forms of a rather drunk looking lynx, and a grinning Dobie who was propping her up. Mitch and Joan was always an odd couple. They both had very different personalities that always seemed to change. Mitch could be a total jock one second, a bookworm the next, and then all of a sudden be an expert in K-Pop whilst wearing a Nirvana tee-shirt. Joan was just as flippant ranging from party girl as was then; or a prude cheerleader, or a total slutty stoner. All in all a very unpredictable pair.

"You finally made it out huh?"Mitch asked with a grin. They were both stopped and talking now. "We were all hoping you'd show up, I'll have to text them your on the way over."

Allen was about to tell the Doberman not too when Joan giggled, "Already diiiid. Babe I'm so fucking psychic tonight I swear..." she lulled her head and kissed her boyfriend a little too intimately on the cheek.

"I know babe. Like that Chris Angel wolf." He just grinned, sharing a sober joke with Allen on the absolutely demolished feline.

"Oh god he's so hot. Psychics are so hot." She added, looking at Allen seriously. "And I don't get the rest of the magic either. I can't levitate why can he?!" she demanded.

"I dunno babe." Mitch rolled his eyes with a smile, starting to walk off again.

"Catch you later." Allen said to the two, walking on and catching tidbits of magic related conversation as the two walked off behind him.

Allen was a bit peeved he didn't have the element of surprise to the party anymore, but what's done was done. He would have only used that surprise time to catch up on drinks he had missed in the last two hours anyhow. He was contemplating now what embarrassing stories to bring up about Mike. As if somehow repeating the panthers methods of making him upset would balance out the universe or make the fur understand how he felt about being so vulnerable.

In the next few moments it all sort of happened at once.

He felt his phone go off in his pocket, his mind cycled from pissed that Mike was calling, too annoyed to trying to calm down.

Then he noticed it was Bucky.

Then he was almost struck by a car.

The car horn beeping at him caused him to fall over on his butt and stare like a deer at the headlights. Allen's heart was racing a mile a minute when he heard "Is that the faggot?" from a familiar feline voice.

It only took fifteen confusing and condensed seconds to have Allen go from a steady walk to a sprinting nightmare. "Oh shit it is!" he heard now, car doors were being opened behind him and he could make out multiple sets of feet pounding the pavement in his wake.

"Fucker thinks he can outrun us?"

"Looks that way don't it?"

The human's heart was in his throat; his pulse rang loud in his now uncomfortably warm ears. He was afraid. This was not an annoyed bully kind of fear. It was not something he wanted to simply avoid or ignore in class. This was real, genuine, fear for his well being. There was absolutely no one around and no building to quickly get into. His brain was in a flight mode as he desperately propelled himself forward on energy reserves he didn't know he had.

To be honest, it was impressive he eluded the jocks as long as he did. The feet behind him slowly, but steadily made their way closer to him and in a single motion he was tripping over a leg and falling through the air onto unforgiving pavement.

"What's the rush?" some voice Allen couldn't place asked, apparently the one who had tripped him. Allen turned over and tried to scurry back to his feet. He was promptly forced into the muscled arms of his tormentors.

The human was whining now amidst the quick and loud breaths he was taking. His heart wouldn't stop beating and his mind was all over the place. What were they going to do? Who were they? Why was this happening? Why did Mike do this? Where was his mate? Where was his MATE?

He felt a fist drive into his stomach and force all the air from his lungs. Allen fell limp in his captor's arms, he heaved and gasped and eventually in all of his panic and feeling felt nauseous to the point of actually vomiting.

"Whoa no way dude."

"Shit didn't know my arm was that good huh?"

"I don't think it's that hard to make a queer your bitch, you dumb fucks." That one was clearly Zack's. "God this was too easy, it wasn't even fun." Another punch to the same place, another dry heave and coughing. Tears were rolling down Allen's cheeks and he could hardly breathe let along form words or cry.

This was every worst case scenario he ever imagined. Every worst case scenario that anyone usually imagined. Allen was at his bullies' mercy in every sense of the phrase. Completely and entirely useless to defend himself. He had been so close to the party too, in the distance he could hear the music past the ringing in his ears and the throb that squeezed his entire head together.

Zack grabbed Allen's head roughly and looked into it, the human whimpered and coughed weakly. "What do you want?" he asked in a pathetic voice. Allen just wanted this to be over. His cheeks were flush with humiliation.

The lion shook his head in genuine disgust. "Fucking pussy. How are you even a guy huh? You know what a man is? Cause despite your cock-sucking nature you are a man." He took a moment and rolled his eyes. "Male anyway. Scientifically speaking."

The monologue was a tad more terrifying than if they had just left him in the street like he was. There was more to this now and Allen was left to desperately listen to every word his captor spoke.

"We," he motioned around, "Are men. Strong and masculine and not a fucking disgrace. You know what makes us men?" he asked rhetorically, "We do the heavy lifting, and the protecting and the fucking. We get serviced. We get all the perks I just don't understand why you tail raising, cock-sucking, queers would want to toss that aside huh? You, you fucking spit at God, and make US, more comparable, on some level, to YOU."

The lion glared at the human again and approached slowly. "I'm not like you." He said simply then, hands dropping to his pants where he fumbled with his belt, "Boys, care to test the fucker out?"

Allen froze, absolutely horrified. Unsure how to feel. Unsure what to do. He was...he was about to get raped on his first day of being bullied. He had tears in his eyes and fight back in his muscles. He struggled violently against whoever was holding him and made no progress. "HELP!" he shouted then, his voice scratchy and panicked. His heart somehow managed to beat fast "HELP ME!!" he cried, his mouth then being covered.

"Shut up! Keep it down." Whoever had him in a hold held hissed wetly in his ear. "Zack, dude what are you doing?"

"Shut the fuck up Toby. You know the faggot want this. He's probably watched this porn a hundred times right? He asked, his tone getting more aggressive, poking the little human in the chest.

Allen just whimpered. He could hardly keep his thoughts of terror and panic straight. He was totally helpless, his arms and stomach were sore and his throat and eyes burned with lack of oxygen and the sharp wash of stomach acids. He replayed the entire thing over in his head again and again trying desperately to almost un-make the moment in his mind. Like thinking about the past would allow him a retry.

Where was his mate? He asked again, not looking up at his captors. The one who said he'd be there and the one who was always there and the one who was at the party and....and...

He let out another cry, and started to audibly sob now. His nose was dripping snot and his vision was washed out with tears. He wasn't sure how long the small party just sat there, and with the throbbing in his ears still making everything unclear he couldn't even tell what they were saying. But, eventually, they just left.

It had to have been a couple minutes, but it felt like hours. The anticipation was absolutely crushing. His arms felt exhausted when he was released and fell into a crumpled mess on the ground. He managed to catch the word 'pathetic' in their departing grumbles.

~`~~````

Mike reclined intently on the porch of the apartment, beer in hand and staring out into the street like a hawk. HE had only had a single can of some cheap beer, and was on his second now. Allen had him worried, and not even in a negative way. Mike wasn't the type to get offended and shut down, he had been thinking about what his mate had said the entire positions meeting. Allen had been right; Mike was not someone who could first handedly understand Allen's predicament.

That messed him up. The fact that after all these years there was something about Allen he couldn't hope to understand or help and it was his fault was a lot to take in. But he did it with as much self control as he could muster. He took a painfully small sip of his drink.

Amber said Joan had texted her on her way back to her room about seeing Allen heading over. That had been only a few minutes ago but Mike had not left his post. Allen was the type to try and sneak into a party and make an appearance midway through. The human wouldn't have looked for Mike but the panther wanted to talk to him in person. Make him understand Mike understood that he couldn't hope to understand. That he would do whatever he could to help.

Sure mike was still a bit upset that Allen had talked down to him so intently, but it wasn't hanging over his head. Maybe that was one of the things that was bugging Allen, even after all that show Mike was not overly affected by Allen's rage. Despite the strange situation of the human shouting Mike had not initially taken him any more seriously than he usually did.

Another, more aggressive sip. Fucking self reflection. This was driving him crazy. So far though, No Allen to help him work through this and understand a little more. He sighed, swirling the can in paw and feeling the bass that rocked the house. Another car pulled up and out stepped the last set of people Mike expected to see, or wanted to see. The lion swaggered out of the driver seat, three of his teammates in tow. All of them laughed obnoxiously, obviously a bit drunk already and clearly just showing up because they wouldn't be asked to leave. This party wasn't their crowd and they didn't care if it meant free drinks.

Mike had to make a conscious effort not to confront them as they staggered by. He hardly made eye contact with any of them but the lion who sneered back. The first indication he was capable of making any face but the stupid drunk grin he had been sporting. "Look it's the other one." Zack shoved the buck walking next to him.

Mike growled under his breath and held the stare with Zack. Eye contact like this was held in regards to dominance. It was a traditional social custom that the lesser would look away first. The lion stopped at the doorway, holding the look, vehemently aware of what was going on. He staggered back over with a toothy grin. "Oh so you wanna play that game huh?"

Mike stood now. His blood was boiling and he flared his nose. With a snarl he replied with a "seems that way asshole." The atmosphere of the front porch shifted dramatically, a few furs retreated indoors to avoid whatever was about to go down.

The panther realized he was in a real fight now. There wasn't a snowflakes chance in hell that the lion would back down for any reason. They both had very different, but equally powerful motivators. Mike for Allen's sake and Zack for his own. Pride was a terrible thing in the wrong paw.

"You have something to say tail raiser?" Zack taunted, taking a step closer with both paws wide apart. An obvious sign of 'bring it on'. "I was sort of hoping to enjoy what could be salvaged of my evening. Your kind has a way of souring a night."

"My kind?" Mike said seriously, "You're probably the only spit-fuck here who has any sort of beef with 'my kind'. It's sort of pathetic that you think you're on some better side. A side that can 'win' whatever contest you think it is." He spoke loudly. His voice carried authority and magnitude. It resonated and carried strength and promise of backing up his proclamations.

"I wouldn't call it a contest exactly." The lion shrugged, his boys already gathering behind him. "More a fucking "More a desire not to have to see disgusting disgraceful fuck ups in public." He said as a matter of fact. He was bobbing and weaving his head with emphasis. "I consider my actions a public service. People like you, and your faggot ass boyfriend, and your faggot supporting friends, need to fucking get out of my sight, and the sight of every other decent, regular bloke in the world."

"You're such a fucking hypocrite! Defending decency with your fucking bullying bullshit!" Mike snarled now, taking a step forward himself and pointing aggressively into the lions personal space. "I'm going to say this once you hear me? Leave Allen alone or I will fucking hunt you down I swear to god. I will find you and I will make you pay for laying a hair on his fucking head." The panther was inches from the lion, the pointing had stopped. "If you bully him again I will fucking kill you, you fucking child."

"Get out of my face man." The lion snarled, his friends leaning in too now, prepared to back up Zack.

"Make me." Mike gave the lion a little shove and stepped into it, eyes still locked. He was in a rage now. There was no way his own pride would ever let him back down now. The odds were a million to one and the panther knew that this moment was worth it.

"I mean it." The lion huffed, refusing to step back in the next shove. "Don't fucking touch me."

They were stuck in their staring contest, neither willing to budge, neither willing to pushing it any further. Somehow when it all came down to it, it was the first to snap and throw a punch that lost.

"Break this the fuck up!" a roar came from the door. Everyone else turned except for the felines. They both knew it was Camron, the brown bear who owned the apartment. He always walked the parties breaking up shit fights and kicking the offenders out. Odds were he had his trusty baseball bat in paw. "All of you out of my house! I don't care about your pissing match! I will fuck you both up bloody if you don't take this off my porch and down the street!"

This was bad. Camron was not known to make idle threats and Mike also could not afford to lose this fight. It was hurting his mate too much that this guy posed a threat and it was hurting Mike that Allen was hurting. Unbenouced to Mike, a few of his own friends had gathered up behind him, Taylor put a paw on his shoulder.

"Come on man." He said quietly, "these guys are not worth it" But he was. Mike knew this was worth standing up for. Worth getting beaten for. He cursed the wolf for even offering to walk out with him. Allen was worth fighting for and he was going to do it. How would he live with himself knowing he had backed out of a fight that could have meant Allen not getting into one?

Still, he couldn't stay on the bear's porch much longer. The lion seemed to know the same thing, but he wasn't moving so neither was Mike. The lion's breath was bitter with drinks and hot as it rushed out his nose and into the panthers face just inches away.

The lion smirked in the cliché Bully way of getting out of a fight and still winning. Mike panicked. This was not about to end! He had to think of something! Anything to win this!

"Let's do this els-"

Mike cut the lion off by kissing him square on the mouth. He wasted no time getting one solid tongue sweep through the lion's sour maw before the feline pushed him away in a huff and roar.

"You fucking son of a bitch faggot!" the lion roared in unfiltered fury. His own teammates held him back from charging, Mike made a motion forward with a victorious grin on his muzzle when he realized he was being restrained as well, albeit more passively. Mike watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the soccer team pulled their storming leader down off the porch.

"I'll kill you, you queer bag! You faggot queen!" he went on, still being pulled along by struggling paws, "Get the fuck off me! You'll fucking get yours!" zack screamed. Then he stopped, which cut Mike's glow in victory a bit short.

Zack started laughing than, a strange sick laugh that sounded almost psychotic. "Fuck you panther." He said now, his friends no longer needing to hold him back it seemed. He just stood by the driver side door, only the buck and lynx anywhere near him just in case. "You're full of shit promises! He remarked, "I already beat your boyfriends fucking ass tonight." He gloated like he was showing off a trophy, "And you didn't do shit to me." He banged a fist on his chest, "Still in one fucking piece!"

Mike's heart felt like it skipped a beat. Like it had gotten physically beaten back into his chest. He started in a frozen horror at the fleeing soccer team. The car speeding off the curb and into the night.

It had to be a lie. Allen was safe and sound. On his way to the party even! Mike immediately pulled out his phone and had Allen's number on the line before he even had time to gulp. There was a physical blockage in his throat he could hardly breathe around. It had to be a lie. It had too.

"I'm sure he's fine." Taylor tried, "We'll go search the house."

"He never arrived; I would have seen him come up the front." Mike snapped. The dial tone seemed especially long and drawn out. 'Pick up your phone.' He thought aggressively. 'Pick up pick up pick up!' He tried to picture Allen safe. Joan had said he was on his way over but she didn't say where it was from. Still, it had been some time and it wasn't a far walk.

The pre-recorded 'leave a message' started up. "FUCK!" the panther roared, turning towards the house. "He's not answering!"

"Maybe Zack just meant about earlier." The wolf tried again. "We will find him bud I promise."

Mike didn't feel any better. Amber popped back out from behind Carson who still had his bat in paw at the front door. Mike was clearly not welcome back in. "He's not here I checked everywhere." She reported; drink in hand and leaning a little uneasily against the pale blue siding.

This had to be a joke. A sick, sick joke. Some sort of nightmare. The panther suddenly felt very dizzy and fell a little too hard into the railing he had been previously leaning on. He slipped without an ounce of grace onto his tail and sat there in a bit of a haze. He hit re-dial.

"I'll take my car down to your room." Matt patted the Panther on the shoulder whom hardly noticed at all.

Dial tone.

Dial tone.

Dial tone.

This was all his fault. Mike couldn't even think straight!

Recorded message.

Redial.

Mike sat there for too long and thought only about everything Allen had said. Everything that could have happened to him, all the bad was weighing down on him in one sudden motion.

Recorded message.

Redial.

"Pick up the phone..." he begged. "Please Allen just pick up..."