Fear and Desire

Part 5: In Good Times and Bad

The head of the hooded pursuer jolted back violently, Sam's swift fist taking them completely by surprise as it crashed hard up into their snout. Off-balance, the fox followed up by throwing his body into the larger figure's frame, hoping to use his momentum to tackle them to the ground and avoid putting pressure on his bad footpaw.
His lunging thrust of a charge didn't have the desired effect however, the tall stranger merely staggering back two paces before wrapping their arms around Sam's lithe body.
“Get the fuck off me!” the red canid screamed, struggling to fight free of the large paws grasping him within a strong hold.
With his arms trapped fast, Sam resorted to one of the few things he could do to try and hurt his opponent. Before the mystery fur had a chance to act any further, the fox lifted his knee up solidly towards their groin, hoping to do enough damage to force his way free.
“Stop!” the hooded stranger grunted, thrusting his hips back in anticipation of the strike and avoiding it with ease.
Sam ignored the barely intelligible pleas, continuing to struggle relentlessly with flailing arms and legs. Suddenly, without warning, he felt the ground below taken away from him, a low growl emanating from the dark figure's muzzle as they lifted him with ease within a tight, debilitating bear-hug. “Get... off... me--”
The vulpine’s world appeared to shift on its axis. With a pivot, the stranger let himself drop, body slammed the little fox into to the grass below.

Sam choked and heaved, pain rushing through his tender body as he smashed down to the ground, leaving him trapped below the weight of his significantly larger opponent.
“Come on!” Even in this precarious position, the canid's determination not to give in, not to surrender was still running strong. Using all of his strength, all of his will, Sam started to violently thrash about beneath his attacker, doing everything he could to battle on.
“Fuck... stop it... Sammy!” The 'stranger' muffled once more, their words strained to an incoherent mumble by the sheer effort it required to keep the enraged vulpine down.
Sam's tenacity eventually paid off, working his left arm free. “Fucker!” With a vicious, almost primal baring of his teeth, he threw the beginnings of a punch up at the shadowy face glaring back down at him.
Before he could even get his elbow half-extended, a powerful handpaw came crashing down, planting itself firmly on his arm and stopping fox's strike dead. The other paw of his opponent followed soon after, driving down onto his chest, albeit in a noticeably gentler fashion.
Sam still wouldn't be beaten though, even in this position of complete powerlessness. He continued to writhe around manically, doing whatever he could to try and hurt his attacker. A knee to the ribs, a rake to the eyes, anything the little vulpine managed to craft up, he unleashed.
Much to Sam's despair however, the grumbling figure pinning him down was able to counter everything launched his way with relative ease.
“Come on then, tough-guy,” the fox moaned exhaustedly, finally resigned to defeat. He slowly brought his fight to a halt, the force being exerted down upon him making it impossible continue on. “Go on! d-do me in, bastard.”
The hooded fur took a moment, panting slightly from the scuffle as well as the brief pursuit that preceded it. To Sam's surprise, there would be no taunts, no insults, nor any attack to follow.

“Mate, calm down! ...You're okay,” a familiar voice uttered softly. The stranger threw their neck back, shaking the hood from off their head and exposing their face to what little light there was within the park.
The little red fox lied flat on his back, dumbstruck, his hazel eyes staring up in disbelief to the golden-yellow orbs looking back at him fondly. “Nick!?”
“Oh shit, Sammy,” the black wolf whined, Sam's beaten, bloody face an upsetting sight to take in. “Are you okay? Here.” He let up the pressure of his paws, allowing his friend to breathe easier.
The vulpine didn't respond at first, his breathing erratic as a combination of shock and relief flowed through him. His gob-smacked expression remained, that is until he recalled the last few moments before his confrontation with Jim back at the party. The anger and distress in Nick's reaction to his outing, along with his apparent unwillingness to accept his sexuality, all came flooding back thick and fast.

“Yeah, I'm absolutely fuckin' brilliant mate,” Sam snapped, shaking the lupine paw from off his arm, “no thanks to you!”
“M-mate I'm so sorry, I just didn't know what to do! I-I--”
“You could have stopped them, Christ!” the fox cut Nick off, snarling, his voice breaking with fury as he ranted and raved from the turf, “but no, you just watched on while your bastard footy mates beat the living shit outta me! Wouldn't wanna help a dirty little queer out though, would we!?”
The big wolf cringed at his friend's words while straddled over him, clearly distraught.
“Because of you, I've been beat up, I've damn well near been killed in Fulton, I've--”
“The Gardens? Alone!?”
“Yes, the very same! So desperate to get home, I ran through the worst fuckin' part of town to do it!”
“Holy hell Sammy, I--”
“Oh leave it! Just do one, okay!?” Sam batted at the other black paw that still rested softly upon his chest, knocking it away to allow him to roll over onto his front. “Go on, piss off back to those gay-bashing pricks you love so dearly!”
Nick remained kneeling; weary of offering assistance to the irate vulpine struggling to pick himself up from the muddy ground.

It took a moment, but Sam eventually managed to scramble his way up to his feet, consideration of his sprained ankle lost amidst a sea of seething anger. “And I'll tell you wha—argh!” An ear-splitting yelp left his bruised muzzle, the pain of planting his damaged paw sending him stumbling back down to earth.
The lupine's reactions were lightning, springing up off of his knees to catch the falling fox from behind. “You're okay,” Nick wrapped an arm around his injured friend's midriff, stopping him short of hitting the ground, “I've got you--”
“I'm far from okay, look at the bloody state of me!” Sam scolded, loosely swinging an arm back at Nick's head, “and I said do one, I don't want your help!”
The wolf bobbed back from the flailing limb, growling with annoyance while maintaining his hold. “You can't stand up, you daft prat! Jus' lemme help ya!”
“Oh yeah, you can help me now. Your thug mates ain't here to laugh at ya for it!”
“It ain't like that!”
“Tell me how it is then!” the little vulpine screamed, spinning around to grab a big handful of the lupine's jacket, “'cos as far as I can tell, you just sat on your fuckin' arse and left 'em to it!”
“That's not...” Nick let out a pained sigh, turning his head away, “that's not how it went down.”
Sam went quiet, his mood quickly mellowing as he looked up to the wolf's face, aghast at the sight presented to him.

Silence filled the air within the dim park-grounds, a cool breeze ruffling the pair's clothes and fur as they stood motionless, each dwelling on their respective thoughts.
“How you think you got free?” Nick piped up, his voice barely a whisper. He lifted a paw to cautiously stroke the side of his face. “How you reckon I got this?”
“W-w... how?” the vermilion vulpine stuttered, clearly distressed at the gory, three-inch gash running across the wolf's cheek. It looked deep, still oozing slightly in the moonlight.
“I didn't expect you'd be happy to see me, Sammy, after all that,” Nick turned back to face the fox, “but you really don't know the whole picture mate.”
“Nick? Jesus, how did...what...?” Sam muttered, his friend's arm still supporting him as he fought to find words worthy of his feelings. “What the hell happened back there!?”

– Forty-five minutes earlier –

Jim's crushing knee strike sent the small fox hurtling backwards like a rag-doll, tumbling down hard to the unforgiving turf of the garden below.
'This can't be happening.' Nick watched on from the base of the raised deck, massaging his scalp nervously with a handpaw, face filled with concern.
The wolf's captain stood a mere matter of feet away, roaring and crying out, seemingly fully intent on smashing Sam into a battered, bloodied pulp.
While Nick had witnessed the Doberman have numerous disagreements in the past, both on and off of the pitch, he'd never seen him direct so much hate and vitriol towards someone before.
“You dirty fuckin' queer!” On top of this, the level of homophobia being put on display was nothing short of incredible. The disgustingly offensive remarks being barked towards Sam, fuelled with malice and hatred, were nothing like the throwaway slurs and comments made by Jim about 'gays' in the past. It had become glaringly obvious to the lupine that those seemingly innocent 'jokes' were in reality just the tip of a deeply homophobic iceberg.

‘This is crazy; the whole world’s gone fucking insane!’ The sheer contempt that Jim held towards Sam as he beat him senseless, coupled with the shock of having his oldest friend out himself, left Nick reeling.
'Gotta help him.' The wolf wanted so badly to stop the onslaught, to bring an end to the heartbreaking sight of his little friend's vulpine body lying helpless and alone, bleeding out in the middle of the yard. 'Fuck, I can't... just can't do it.'
Even with this desire urging him on, Nick just couldn't get past the overwhelming fear he had of his captain, and what he might do should he try and step in. Every time he got anywhere close to the courage to act, he’d stop himself, remembering the near-murderous glare Jim had cast upon him the last time he tried to interject, earlier in the fight.
The inevitable result of this was that instead of coming to Sam’s aid like he so desperately wanted, the big lupine stood petrified, watching on with ears down and tail tucked. 'Oh god, this can't be happening.'
Nick's reluctance to act didn't just stem from the maniacal display Jim had put on this evening. The countless conflicts that the Doberman had been involved in in the past, the vast majority of which he’d come out on top of, meant that the wolf knew full well what he was capable of. Jim's fighting prowess, along with his less-than-short temper, made for an extremely dangerous person to get on the wrong side of.
Even with his considerable size advantage, three inches in height and about two stone in weight, the well-built lupine refused to believe he could do anything to help, leaving the dog with free reign to continue to have his way with his helpless victim.

The yard stood almost silent as the gathered crowd observed the fight, muted murmuring the only thing audible now that previously excitable atmosphere had long since dissipated. Nick's ears pricked up to the muffled discussions taking place behind him.
“Damn, I think he's gonna kill that poor guy. Shit, this is so wrong.”
“He's well outta line here, this ain't even funny no more.”
No-one, not even the rest of the football team, seemed to be in support of the dog's actions. Despite this new-found pity for Sam however, none of the crowd appeared outraged or brave enough to want to get involved.
“You're all sick!” That was until a female voice called out from amongst the gathering. “I've had enough; I'm callin' the bloody police!”
That seemed to be enough to set the rest of the crowd off, their loud cries of disapproval now raining down from the decking.
“Hey! Enough's enough, come on!”
“Jim, look at him! This ain't right.”

The voices of dissent did little to assuage the dog's burning aggression, even when Ryan, his partner in crime, made his feelings known. “Jim, for Christ's sake, look at him! He's 'ad enough!”
“I'll fucking tell you when he's had enough!” the canine thundered, turning his considerable anger towards the German Shepherd.
“Damn bruv, you've lost it!”
Nick remained stood at the foot of the porch stairway, watching the two dogs argue amongst themselves. All the while, the crowd's repeated demands for the fight to stop grew progressively louder.
That moment saw a tiny flame of courage spark up within the wolf. Maybe it was these cries that buoyed him on, showing him that he wasn't standing alone against the Doberman. Maybe he’d finally got a grasp of just how severe the situation had become. Either way, the black lupine finally felt his fear start to melt away and his own rage slowly build.
He turned his focus back to Sam, a crimson pool forming beneath his muzzle as he lied near motionless atop the lawn. This sight only served to push Nick's fury even higher.

A high-pitched yelp escaped the fox's muzzle as Jim yanked violently on his white-tipped brush, the dog proceeding to use both paws to lift him up into the air.
‘What the hell am I doing!?’ The lupine could feel the sharp, stabbing sensation of shame in the pit of his stomach, accompanying his anger. Was he that much of a coward? Did Sam’s sexuality really bother him enough to keep him standing there while the Doberman knocked the little fox unconscious, or worse?
Blood continued to pour down from the vulpine's face and muzzle as he dangled helplessly, each droplet of red causing the black wolf's paws to clench even tighter until they became rock-hard fists.
“Say goodnight,” Jim rumbled, pulling an arm back, preparing to strike down at the back of Sam's head as he struggled desperately for freedom.
“Please God, somebody. Help me!”
Nick's arms began to tremble upon hearing the canid's desperate cries for salvation, his face turning to thunder as something within his head finally clicked. The little body that dangled helplessly from the black and tan dog's paws belonged to the fox he’d befriended as a shy pup on the first day of school. Every distant, seemingly forgotten memory began to overwhelm the wolf as they played out in his mind. That very first day of class, all the way through to the final days of high school; Sam was there with him. Every birthday celebration, every hot summer vacation spent in the city, every defining moment in his life so far, Sam was there with him. The pair had truly grown up together, become practically inseparable to the point that they were more like brothers than friends. Nick's fear had all but faded by now, he couldn’t take any more, he had to act.

“Hey, leave it out!” the lupine growled, pacing away from the raised deck and towards his team-mate.
The canine didn't respond, his focus squarely on the helpless vulpine swinging from his paw.
“Jim, leave 'im alone,” Nick sped up, closing in from behind, “I said leave 'im the fuck alone!” In a flash, he started to charge.
“Nicky, what you doing!?” Ryan called out in disbelief, watching the lupine race past at full tilt before throwing himself hard at his captain.
The sudden impact knocked the short-furred dog off-balance, causing him to release his grip and send Sam to plummeting down to the turf below.

The force of the collision sent the two footballers to the ground with a thunderous crash, their momentum causing them tumbling across the grass, before coming to rest together in a tangled heap.
“What... what was that!?” Jim rumbled, annoyance clear in his voice as he lied partially pinned by Nick's large frame. It took a couple of tries, but the dog eventually managed to heave the wolf's weight from off his shoulders, allowing him to sit up. “Nick, you fucking mental, or what!?”
Without reply, the black lupine picked himself up, all the while staring back at his captain with a look of sheer contempt.
“You really wanna lose your place in the team?” Jim sneered, spitting on the grass before continuing, “all for a little fuckin' poof like that!?”
“I couldn't give a damn!” Nick roared for everyone in the yard to hear, “Gay, straight; he’s still my mate and I ain’t lettin’ you hurt him no more!”
“You'll give a damn when--”
“I'll give a damn, what? Get fucked Jim!” the wolf snapped before turning to walk away, back towards the battered fox lying face down on the lawn. “I couldn't give a toss.”

“You what?” The Doberman looked shell-shocked. He just couldn't fathom how a member of his own team had just shown him such flagrant disrespect.
“Boss, you alright?” Ryan mumbled, jogging over to the floored dog with a furrowed brow, confusion in his voice.
“Yeah... I'm fine.”
“Come on.” The German Shepherd stopped beside Jim, offering out a paw of assistance.
“I said I'm fine!” the Doberman snapped, batting it away with an angry swipe, “but that bastard sure as hell ain't gonna be!”
Jim picked himself up off the ground slowly, remaining quiet whilst glaring vengefully at Nick.
“Think you gonna just stop me like that, eh?” the dog mumbled to himself, slinking stealthily behind the lupine, matching his pace as he moved across the garden.
“Sam, come on! Get up!” Nick cried, bending over his friend's lithe body in the hope of offering him some kind of aid.
“I'll fuckin' show you what's what!”

The wolf turned his head quickly, just in time to see a tan-coloured fist slam hard into his face. In the blink of an eye he found himself lurching sideways, yet, somehow managing to keep his footing.
“Think you can take me on!?” Jim’s expression was one of vehement disgust, “shoulda known you was a bender-loving piece of shit!”
The dog threw himself at Nick soon after finishing his verbal tirade, wrapping his arms around the stunned lupine and using his own weight to drag him down to the floor.
Nick landed square on his back, the impact so strong that it snatched the air from his lungs. In a matter of seconds, he’d gone from looking down at his injured friend, to being bathed in the hot, stale breath of his captain's vicious, snarling maw as it loomed over him.
“No-one lays hands on me, yeah!?” The Doberman positioned himself on the wolf’s chest, a smattering of dried blood still visible around his nose, a reminder of Sam's earlier strike. “You hear me!? No-one! Imma fuck you up like I did that soppy little twat over there!”
Jim's muzzle creased up into a sickening picture of both glee and furiosity. With a cruel laugh, he unleashed the full force of his wrath, raining punch after brutal punch down to his opponent.

By some minor miracle, Nick was able to block a good number of the blows by shielding himself with his arms. Those strikes that did get through however were vicious, painful, pushing the lupine's already simmering rage up to near boiling point.
Even under this amount of duress, Nick managed to catch a glimpse of Sam as he began to slowly twitch and shuffle about. The fox lifted his head up from turf the grass gradually, groggily, a constant stream of red pouring out from his muzzle to mix with the green grass below.
A deep rumble started in earnest within the wolf’s throat, his ears twitching and pointing forwards. It didn't take long for Nick's rumbling to grow into a terrible growl, his muzzle crumpling into a fierce scowl that exposed his teeth.
All the while, Jim continued to hammer away with his fists, seemingly oblivious to the lupine's growing anger.
“Come on then!” Nick’s eruption was almost volcanic, his vexation far too great to keep held inside any longer. “I'll fuckin' have you!” He thrust his paws upwards, grabbing up a huge chunk of the Doberman’s shirt collar. With his grip on his attacker firm, the lupine channelled every ounce of his considerable strength into his arms, heaving the dog from off of his chest and tossing him down to the ground as if he were nothing.
“Let's see how 'ard you are, yeah? When you ain't takin' on someone 'alf ya size!” Nick made sure to press home his new found advantage, rolling over to switch positions and force his weight down upon the Doberman.

“N-Nick? Get off 'im!” Ryan called out with uncertainty, still trying to process the sight of his team-mates, his friends furiously fighting each other.
With Jim stuck fast beneath him, the wolf pulled a fist back, aiming it square towards the dog's muzzle. “Not s'much fun now, is it!?”
The German Shepherd started to pad nervously towards his team-mates, “Lads, Nicky...”
“D'you want some too!?” Nick stormed, noticing Ryan's approach, an almost insane glare in his eyes as he looked up at him.
The brown dog stopped dead in his tracks, those angry, yellow orbs sending a cold chill creeping down his spine.
“Back the fuck off!”
This momentary lapse of concentration gave Jim the opportunity he needed. Without hesitation, he drove a handpaw up into the wolf's left eye, digging his claws in as deep and as hard as he could.
Nick grabbed at his face, yelping, fighting with both hands to tear the offending digits away before they could do any more damage. The attack left him defenceless as he rubbed away at the raw, grazed skin left behind.
Jim needed no invitation to take advantage, launching a quick double of punishing, debilitating kidney shots to his opponent.

“You think you gonna put me down!? You ain't got the bollocks!” the dog barked, pushing the big lupine off of his chest before lifting himself up to stand.
The taunts rang in Nick's ears as he lay curled up on the ground, holding his side as searing pain raced through his midriff.
Without warning, Jim sprinted at the wolf, swinging his leg back and nailing him hard in the gut with a kick that wouldn't have looked out of place on the football pitch.
The blow was so strong that even Nick, as big as he was, was sent flailing across the lawn. He rolled twice before coming to a halt, gagging and wheezing, clutching at his midriff.
“You mug, look at you now!” the Doberman cried, “all because of that little, red prick!”
'How bloody stupid am I?' The lupine's ears folded back. He felt about three inches tall, trying to catch his breath whilst thinking about all the times he'd defended Jim, the team, whenever anyone had a bad word to say about them. 'So fuckin' blind!'
It had become painfully clear to Nick that everyone had been right all along. The ones that really cared for him were those who had tried to open his eyes to the fact that his friends on the team, weren't actually friends at all. “Cal, Robbie you were all right,” he whispered into his chest, “and you Sam...Sam?”
Despite his own predicament, the lupine's mind shot back to his friend as he moved his head about gingerly, attempting to search the yard for him. 'Christ, I hope he's okay.'

Jim turned his attentions away from the wolf, satisfied with himself. He was sure that he'd done enough to assert his dominance. There was one person he wasn't done with yet however. “Now for you, you little--”
He looked back to where Sam had been laying previously, only to find the little fox missing. “Where the fuck is he!?” he bellowed, realising his lapse had cost him, “I wasn't done!” Livid, he turned his gaze back to Nick. “I guess you'll be taking his place then!”
Before he could follow this announcement up, the canine felt a paw grab at his shoulder, spinning him around.
“Jim, stop!” It was Tony, the host of the party, stepping in to try to defuse the situation, “you're on the same team for Christ's sake!”
“That queer-loving prick ain't no team-mate of mine!”
“Mate, the boss is gonna bin ya from the team if he finds out you been layin' paws on a squad-mate again!”

With the badger keeping Jim occupied, the winded wolf was able to recuperate somewhat, at least enough for him to heave himself up to a kneeling position.
Ryan, still looking on from across the garden, had his gaze firmly fixed on Nick. Conflicted as ever, he watched him slowly gather himself behind the back of the distracted Doberman.
The Shep took a hesitant step, mind heavy with doubt. He had to stop the angry lupine from scoring a cheap shot on his friend and team captain, but was he really willing to try and take him on if necessary? After all, Nick was still a friend too, wasn't he? 'ah, hell... I don't? I--'
“Don't!” the wolf spat in a low, grumbling voice, spotting Ryan's advances once again. He brought himself up onto his big footpaws, scowling furiously as he wagged a finger toward the dog. “You know he's done wrong! Stay outta this, or you're gonna get done in!” Nick's efforts at intimidation proved successful, freezing the brown canine to the spot.
Ryan's focus began to dart back and forth between his two squad-mates, struggling to deduce his next move.
'You know he's done wrong!' The lupine's words echoed around the Shep's head, only adding to his massing confusion. He knew this had gone too far, but what should he do? Did he have it in him to do anything at all!? It didn't take much longer for Ryan's nerve to buckle altogether.
“Bollocks to this. Look,” the brown-furred canine huffed, bursting into a run, “tell Sam... tell 'im I'm sorry, yeah? I didn't mean it!” He raced his way past Nick without so much as a glance his way, heading straight for the front gate before disappearing off into the night.
The wolf could have followed Ryan in leaving the scene, and if he were in his usual, docile mindset, he most likely would have done just that. Jim however, had succeeded in coaxing Nick's fury along to such an extent, that there was no way things were going to end here. After all that had happened, he couldn't let things slide that easily.

“Jim, cool it yeah?” Tony screamed, still doing all he could to try and calm the dog down, conscious that the police were most likely well on their way, “the old bill are gonna be on us soon! You need to disappear before--”
“Fuck off!” With both paws, Jim set about hurling the would-be peacemaker clear across the garden, his rage leaving him unable to tell friend from foe.
The chatter of objection coming from the crowded porch had grown too intense to be ignored, blanketing the garden with a hum as large swathes of the party-goers gathered had their say on the events unfolding before them.
“What's your game, eh?”
“Leave it out, Tony ain't done shit to you!"
The Doberman turned to the crowd, directing an icy stare towards the few spectators who were standing at the base of the decking. “You pricks want some too then!? C'mon, i'll have--!”
A faint thumping of the ground drew Jim's attention away from his words as it closed in fast from behind. He turned swiftly, only to be greeted by an on-rushing lupine frame just moments away from driving straight into him.

“Ya want some more!?” the dog growled, doing his best to ready himself to counter Nick's attack.
Despite Jim's best efforts, the big wolf's shoulder charge sent him flying back towards the house, his attempts at staying upright proving futile.
An ironic cheer rang out from some quarters of the crowd as the canine stumbled and felt awkwardly into steps of the porch, barely missing those who were standing nearby.
“Come on get up, big man!” Nick's words were almost a roar as he stomped towards the flattened Doberman.
Jim pushed himself awkwardly off of the stairway and onto his handpaws and knees, holding his ribs from where he'd crashed heavily down onto the rough, stony structure. He prepared to shove himself up to his feet, before spotting something nearby as it glinted beneath the garden lighting. Upon further inspection, the sparkling object appeared to be the top end of a broken beer bottle; no doubt the same bottle the dog had smashed in anger upon overhearing Sam's outing.
“Gonna do you over for what you did to Sammy,” The wolf closed in, fists thirsty for payback, “you hear? You ain't no captain of mine no more!”
The short-furred canine moved a paw towards the smashed container, grabbing it by the neck while doing his best to keep his actions concealed from Nick's attention. “Do me over?”
In an impressive display of agility, Jim sprung up onto his footpaws. In one fluid motion, he spun around, swiping his new-found weapon up at the unsuspecting lupine's face.

Nick squealed as the razor-sharp edges of the bottle slashed through his cheek, a splash of blood flying out as the cold glass lacerated deep into fur and skin. This coldness would soon replaced by an unmistakable warmth as the wound became exposed to the night air, a torrent of blood carrying this heat down the side of his face.
The wolf recoiled, pressing a paw to the gash instinctively. Blood oozed its way through his fingers, the sight and smell of it only magnifying Nick's determination to punish the Doberman for all the pain and suffering he'd caused in these few, long minutes.
“Do me over!?” Jim held the bottle, now spattered with a coating of lupine blood, tight in his hand, aiming it threateningly in front of him. “Imma fuckin' kill you before that happens!” He charged again, aiming his weapon straight for Nick's throat.
The severity of the attack, and indeed, the situation as a whole, brought the wolf's instincts to the fore. He felt as if he were running on auto-pilot, weaving his upper body away from what could have proved a devastating, possibly even fatal attack. His quick reactions sent the jagged rim of the container whistling past his neck by a matter of mere inches. He rocked back instantly, using his momentum to launch a strong clothesline towards Jim as he lunged forward.
The Doberman did somehow manage to stay on his feet, despite the Nick's arm and shoulder clattering hard into his chest. The force of the counter-attack did however cause him to lose his grip on the broken lager bottle, sending it spinning through the air to land across the garden, way out of sight.

The two former friends locking themselves in a tight, constricting grapple as they thudded into one another, each trying to assert themselves on the other.
Jim started to become desperate, well aware that in this position, his larger opponent would surely have the upper hand. His gaze started to flicker, mind assessing what he could do to stay on top. It only took a second him to settle a cruel glare towards the wolf's arm as it shoved forcefully against his chest. With a snorting growl, the Doberman opened his jaws wide, before clamping down a merciless, flesh-rending bite into Nick's left forearm.
The lupine let out a wail so loud let out that passers-by in the next street over would have surely heard it. He could feel Jim's sharp teeth digging, grinding as they punctured his jacket, his skin. The pain was unreal, like a dozen knives slicing into him in unison. Nick kept on screaming, trying with all the might he could muster to force the Doberman to release him. He punched, scratched and kicked franticly, but all to no avail.
Jim's focus met his victim's bloody face, his bite intensifying upon seeing the extreme pain and anger etched upon it. He could feel his teeth slowly carve ever deeper into flesh, the coppery taste of blood seeping through the wolf's clothing. The canine so drunk with rage, little hope remained for him to willingly release his hold. He'd surely keep the pressure going, intensifying until he snapped the limb like a twig within his powerful maw.

Nick's began to feel light-headed, causing his focus began to wander as the incredible pain started to take its toll. His pained howls eased to little more than that of a whimper, while his futile attempts to fight off his attacker slowly stopped. By this point, it took a great deal of effort just to stop his legs from buckling beneath him. Eventually, the wolf's gaze found its way down to Jim's wicked, snarling face.
A deep growl resonated within the dog's throat as the fighters locked eyes. Not a single word left his iron-like muzzle, but his intense, wrathful stare said more than any utterance could have. It was a look of dominance, a look that said 'I own you, and don't forget it.'
'Not any more.' Without warning, Nick threw his free arm around the Doberman and pulled him into as tight a hold as he could manage. He tensed up, every muscle in his body readying itself for what was to follow. The desperate lupine willed himself on, willed himself to heave Jim up into the air before he even had a chance to react.
To his horror, the Doberman watched himself go from being complete control of his opponent, to finding himself held firm, being dangling six inches from the ground.
The entirety of the Nick's pain and anguish left his body through a huge, savage roar that rumbled through the night. With a twist, he allowed his legs to move out from under him, bringing both he and the trapped canine bombing down to earth yet again.

A echoing thud followed the big wolf's war-cry as the pair crashed into the ground, landing forceful upon the concrete path of the garden. The angle of the slam resulted in the dog bearing the brunt of the huge impact with the back of his head, knocking him out cold.
Nick quickly picked himself up onto his knees, his arm finally free from the vice-like grip of the Doberman's maw.
The sensation of blood pouring from the gash on his cheek, combined with the sight of his shredded, reddened jacket sleeve caused by Jim's bite, kicked the wolf's thirst for vengeance into overdrive. Without a second thought, he clenched his fist tight, before smashing his good forearm down viciously into the prone canine's head.
Nick pulled his arm back up, readying himself to launch a second, equally hard strike. He wanted to punish Jim, to hurt him, make him suffer just like he and Sam had.
'Stop,' A nagging voice at the back of the wolf's mind made him hesitate. He looked down to his unconscious opponent, his fist still looming above, 'this isn't you.'
The sight of his former friend lying totally defenseless on the ground beneath him, wasn't one Nick took pleasure in.
“Can't” The lupine's angry, scowling face began to calm as his burning rage slowly started to subside. As much as Jim may have deserved it, he couldn't bring himself to carry out what felt so much like righteous retribution. “I'm not like you.” Nick forced his words through gritted teeth, unwrapping his paw before forcefully pushing himself up off of the Doberman.

As suddenly as the fight had started, it had ended. A few spectators slowly made their way from the porch to Jim's side, while the rest dispersed towards the front gate. The party was certainly over now. Nick meanwhile stood alone in the yard, breathing heavy, his temper continuing to normalise.
“Jim, you alright?” Tony, seemingly undeterred by Jim's treatment of him moments earlier, was one of those tending to the dog's limp body, prodding away in an attempt to revive him. “Jesus Nick, you've really done a number on him!”
The wolf didn't have a chance to respond to the stocky badger before the Doberman entered into a brief coughing fit, mumbling away incoherently before rolling over onto his side.
“You guys are team-mates!” Tony squealed, looking up to the wolf with an expression of shock and disbelief.
“Not any more, not after that. I'm done.”
“All 'cause of that fuckin' fox.”
“Hey!” Nick snapped, “he didn't start this! Jim's the one who kicked this whole shit-storm off!
His words appeared to fall upon deaf ears, the badger's focus solely on his attempts to revive the fallen canine.

“Fuck the lotta ya! Sam was right about you all along,” the wolf muttered under his breath, turning his back on his now former team-mates as he prepared to leave. “Sam!”
Nick started his way hurriedly down the garden path, pulling his phone from out of his pocket. It dawned on him that he hadn't seen the fox since mid-way through the fight, the image of his bloodied face not one the lupine would forget in a hurry.
Thumbing his way down his contact list, Nick couldn't help but notice the good number of friends he'd lost touch with since joining his now former team, sighing each time he read their names to himself.
'Sam Walker.' The wolf found the name he was looking for towards the bottom of the list, urgently slamming a digit onto the call button as soon as he got there. He'd practically reached the gate at the foot of the yard by the time his large ears picked up on a familiar noise, humming repeatedly from somewhere close-by. It took a moment of searching, but a bright, white glow emanating from the lawn soon caught Nick's eye.
Closer investigation of the light-source soon confirmed his suspicions. Sam's phone sat singing from atop the turf, vibrating incessantly in response to the worried lupine's call.
“Damn.” He hung up, scooping the discarded device into his paw and placed it in his pocket.
'I hope he's okay!' Distressing thoughts started to niggle away, the prospect of his friend trying to make his way home alone at night, after taking such a massive hiding, caused him grave concern.
Nick dashed towards the front gate, the sound of sirens catching his attention as they came within earshot. He considered the possibility that the police had indeed been called during the fight, and that the wailing belonged to a responding patrol car. While he'd have loved to have stuck around to find out, to make sure Jim got what was coming to him if his suspicions were confirmed, the wolf's desire to catch up with the little fox and help get him back home safely overrode everything else.
Nick bolted out of the garden and down the street at high speed, the party, the approaching sirens, his former team-mates, all left far behind him.

– The present –

“Here.” Nick offered out an apprehensive paw, Sam's mobile phone resting in its palm.
“Thanks,” the vulpine mumbled, his focus drawn to the dark, wet patch on the wolf's jacket where Jim had bitten him. He slowly plucked up his device, failing to make eye contact, before dropping it down into his trouser pocket.
By the time Nick had finished his recap of events just past, the cool breeze present in the park had strengthened into a brisk wind, ruffling the surrounding foliage and sending a chill through the pair as they stood together. A tense silence filled the air, both friends looking away from the other. It was as if they didn't know how to feel, how to react, or even whether their friendship remained intact.

“Sam, I...” Nick eventually broke the impasse, ears drooping as his nerve faltered. “Damn, I've never been good at this kind of thing.” With a quivering sigh, he cast his vision down to the top of the little fox's head, a blood-matted mess of spiky, brown head fur. “Mate... I'm so, so sorry.”
Sam sniffed, wiping away at his face before looking up to the taller wolf with sore, tearful eyes. He opened his mouth as if to reply, but no words were forthcoming.
“I'm so sorry for not havin' the bottle to do something sooner, for letting that fucker give you a kicking!” Nick grimaced, covering his face, fighting back tears of his own. “I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me most. I don't give a fuck that you're gay, I'm cut up about how I acted. I really...I just didn't...I--”
“Nick--”
“I'm a fuckin' idiot, okay!?” the tall lupine blurted, a single teardrop rolling down his face. He uncovered his face to look back at Sam, the heavily beaten vulpine features before him a stark reminder of the damage he'd allowed Jim to inflict. “You tried to tell me over and over about those guys and because of me, you... they... hell, you're my best mate Sammy! You're my best mate and I've let you down in every single way imaginable!”
“Bloody hell! Nick, thank you so much!” the little red fox squeaked with joy, throwing his arms around his friend, holding on to him as if his life depended on it. He began to weep heavily, burying his bloodied muzzle deep into the wolf's chest. It was painful for Sam, the bruising on his face reacting to the pressure forced upon it. He didn't care though, not for a second; his immense delight overpowering any feelings of discomfort.
Nick bit his lip, his face fur moist as tears streamed down his face in greater numbers. “I...I've not seen you happy for months.”
The emotional vulpine responded, but his words were muffled in the lupine's body to the point of being unintelligible.
“Oh come here, you soppy little sod!” Nick wrapped his arms tight around Sam, pulling him into a warm, reassuring hug. “I'm glad I've got the real you back.”

Nothing else in the world existed to the two friends as they embraced each other, bathed in the dim glow of the row houses and apartment blocks stretching up high into the night around them. Even the cold, cutting wind that blustered through the open grassland couldn't draw their attention as it continued to blow noisily through the surrounding trees and shrubbery.
“Christ Nick,” the vulpine muttered, pulling his face out of the big wolf's torso, “I just can't tell you how relieved I am, I really can't!”
“Why, what've I done!?” Nick cocked his head, genuinely puzzled, “I...I let those guys kick seven shades outta you and--”
“I thought I'd lost you!” Sam cried, cracking a wavering smile, “I thought... I thought that you... hated me. I thought that--”
“Because you're gay?”
“Y-yeah. I mean--”
“Look, Sam,” the wolf sighed, revealing his teeth with a wide smile. “I honestly don't care. I dunno why the hell I acted like that, really. I was just... shocked, I guess.”
“Oh thank God!” The fox widened his grin in return, burying his muzzle back into Nick's chest. “You've no idea how happy I am to hear you say that!”

“Hey, come on,” the lupine let out a deep, roaring chuckle, ruffling Sam's headfur playfully as he attempted to add some humour to proceedings, “you keep squeezing me like this and people are gonna talk, y'know.”
The pair released each other from their tight grasp, though the injured vulpine kept a hold of Nick's arm for support against his severely sprained ankle.
“That's just stupid Nicky,” Sam tutted with a look of mock disapproval.
“Huh, s-sorry,” the wolf stuttered, throwing his paw to his head worriedly, “Hey, no, I was just kid--”
“You think I'd ever fancy a big, ugly mug like you!?”
“You cheeky little...”
“Blimey,” the fox smirked, the tip of his tongue sticking out from between his teeth, “you're far too easy mate!”
The two friends burst out laughing, huge grins stretching across each of their muzzles; their new-found contentment as much through relief than anything else. Relief in that after all was said and done, after all the ups and downs that the evening had thrown at them, they still had each other. They were still friends.

“Listen, shall we get outta here?” Sam asked, looking over to the collection of tower blocks they each called home, “after an evening like this, I think I just wanna curl up in bed.”
“Yeah sure, b-but one thing I'd like to know, before we head back,” Nick replied, a hint of hesitance returning to his voice, “how long have you known? That you're... gay?”
The fox snickered, the faint glow of the nearby buildings exposing the dark, purple colouration to his swollen eye. “it's not a bad word ya know.”
“I know, I know! It's just, a bit weird to say it... uh, about you I mean!”
“Suppose it is,” Sam smiled, turning to the wolf', “but yeah uhm, I've known for... well, coming up for a year now.”
“That long? You've kept it hidden since last summer!?”
“Yep.”
“Does anyone else know?”
“Just my parents.”
“Wow,” Nick's eyes widened, “well, thanks for confiding in me. I just wish... I really coulda reacted better.”
“Possibly,” the fox chuckled, “but, you're doing a stand up job of making up for it now.”
“Just doin' what I can, s'the least I can do.”
“Thank you too, by the way.”
“Hmm?”
“For having my back, at the party. If you hadn't... if...”
“Let's not think 'bout 'if', yeah?”
“Sounds good Nicky.” Sam smiled, grasping his makeshift lupine support firmly. “Shall we go?”
“Sure thing, my bed is calling out too I reckon.”

Hesitantly, the injured vulpine took a small step, clinging onto Nick tight while doing his utmost to protect his footpaw.
“Careful.”
“I'm alright,” the pained fox answered with a slight smile, “just...walk slow.”
“No worries,” the wolf nodded, steadying his pace to match.
It only took a few steps further for pain to flow through Sam once again, yelping as he pressed his damaged paw down on the ground a little firmer than he'd have liked.
“You okay!?”
“I'm fine!” the little fox grumbled, his agony thinly disguised. “Fuck sake, how'm I gonna get home in this state, eh!?”
“Hey, come on, we'll get back in no time.” Nick's words were soothing, but did little to calm his friend's distress. He scratched at his chin thoughtfully, searching for a solution.
“Oh, don't think,” Sam sneered jokingly, “we'll be stuck here forever!”
The lupine shot an unimpressed glance down towards the little vulpine, smirking with eyes half-lidded. “Keep on with remarks like that, and I'll throw you in the bushes.”
“That a promise? About the only place I'd be goin' tonight!”
“Look, how 'bout this?” Nick crouched, bringing himself down to the fox's level, “get on.”
“Eh?”
“Get on my back, Christ, if you can't walk, I'll carry ya.”
“You're serious?”
“Look, it's either this or the bush, ain't it?”
“Well, okay.” Sam followed the big wolf's suggestion, snickering as he tried to climb up onto his back.

“Easy, hey easy, easy!” Nick cried out, jolting slightly in pain.
“What!?” the red fox replied, his paws scrabbling all over his friend in an attempt to support himself.
“Watch me arm, wa-- ow! Fuck! Sam, your footpaw!
“Sorry!”
“Get your bloody paw outta ma cut!”
“I'm sorry, sorry!” Sam cried with an apologetic yelp, moving his foot away from the bloody patch on the forearm of his friend's jacket. “Listen though, you might want to get that seen to. I mean Jim did just kinda try to eat your arm.”
“Yeah, I will.” the wolf snapped, his pain subsiding.
“Seriously,” Sam stated firmly, wrapping his arms around his Nick's neck to secure himself.” I know we all got our rabies shots as pups, but that can't be good.”
“I said I wi--”
“That gash on ya face looks like it might need stitches too, don't want an infec--”
“Yes, mother dear!” the wolf retorted sarcastically, putting on an over-the-top, refined accent, “I shall depart to the doctor's office come morning!”
“I'm just saying is all! Don't gotta take the piss.” Sam responded dryly, positioning himself so that his legs wrapped around Nick's sides.
“I know, I know,” the big lupine replied, a slightly apologetic tone to his voice, “thanks for the concern. I'll head down to the hospital in the morning, as long as you promise to to get checked out too! You took... you took quite a beating.”
“Deal.”
“Well, you ready Sammy?”
“Yeah, think so.”
With that, the pair began to slowly make their way across the rutted turf and onto the winding, asphalt path that cut through the park.

“What are you gonna do about the team?” Sam muffled cautiously, rocking gently upon the wolf's back as he strolled along the main pathway.
“Don't want to see them again, any of 'em,” Nick barked, hackles rising to match his voice, “not after that!”
“Really?”
“Well, why would I!?”
“Tell your coach what happened, Jim and the rest'll get kicked off the team, surely?”
“Oh behave yourself Sammy, just how much aggro will that cause. Even if the gaffer believes me, you really think I can play for them again with all this hanging over?”
“I dunno,” the fox answered, his voice barely a whisper, “What about you, your football? You've had a great season, scouts have been coming to games, no doubt looking at you. I just don't want to have screwed things up for ya!”
“How the hell can I play for a squad who were responsible for that!?” Nick bellowed, gesturing towards his passenger's swollen face. “Besides, there's plenty other teams I can try out for before the new season. Brentbrook's a pretty big city after all, plus scouts'll soon know where I've gone to.”
“I suppose.”
“And don't go blaming yourself either, okay? Jim caused this, not you!”
Sam didn't answer back, grasping his friend ever so slightly tighter while smiling contently.

It wouldn't be long however, before Sam had something else playing on his over-active mind. “Hey but...”
“Sup?”
“What about the police?”
“What about them?” the lupine shrugged, looking to the fox peering over his shoulder
“Well, I'm just thinkin' 'bout what you said, it sounds like they were on their way when you left, they might want to talk to you.”
“Then they can come find me!”
“Fuck sake,” Nick's dismissive attitude to his questioning began to aggravate the vulpine, “what if they nick you?”
“For what!? Knocking him out while defending myself? Stopping him from hammering you? Christ, we're the ones bleedin' all over ourselves, and he's the one known to the police for assault. You're a smart guy, do the maths mate!”
“Yeah, but...”
“You worry too much!”
“Sorry,” Sam flopped down despondently, bringing his head to rest on the top of the wolf's back “that's all I've done these last few months. Force of habit.”
“Oh for...” Nick huffed, the brightening light of the the residences ahead making the blonde highlights in his hair almost glow as the pair neared them, “look Sammy, on top of all that, there were plenty people who'll confirm he went off on one at you as well. Hell, even a few of the team turned against him! He's fucked, and we're golden mate. Don't. Freak. Out!”
“I guess.”
“Don't guess,” the lupine reached up a big, black paw, flicking at Sam's ear playfully, “I'm telling you, we'll be fine!”

Even with Sam's persistent, niggling worry, walking on through the park ignited an odd sense of nostalgia within the two friends. To their left sat the heavily worn football pitch that they'd grown up playing on with other friends from the estate. It was the same as it had ever been, right down to goalposts that had long since lost their nets.
To the right, sat the small playground that the pair spent countless hours playing on as pups. Although it was now heavily neglected; the climbing frame coated with graffiti, the swing-set broken and rusted, it still invoked fond, vivid memories in their minds.
“Hey Sam?” Nick inquired, looking over to the football field.
“Yeah?”
“Remember that time us and the lads played a game against those guys from the Hendricks estate?”
“I think so,” the fox answered, trying to recall the memory, “the mouthy leopard and his twattish mates?”
“Yeah, that's them.”
“Christ, we were what, fourteen, fifteen?”
“About that, yeah,” the wolf replied, a huge smirk on his face as his mind relived that moment in time, “they thought they were world-beaters.”
“You took 'em to pieces.”
“Wasn't just me though,” Nick stated, “I seem to remember you getting' us the winning goal.”
“Oh, I do too. I also remember you beating three of their players with ease, and then, instead of scoring, knocking the ball to me to tap in from three yards.”
“Still your goal, and I remember you celebrating it like you'd won the world cup!”
“Yeah, well,” Sam muttered, his cheeks starting to redden with embarrassment, “I never scored many, did I?”
“Doesn't matter, you were there doing what you needed to. Our little fox in the box.”
“That's cringe-worthy Nicky, absolutely, bloody cringe-worthy!”

The two friends laughed heartily, enjoying their foray into times gone by as they moved slowly along the pathway, closing in on the gate that would take them out of the park.
“Hey,” Nick wasn't finished with his trip down memory lane however, extending a finger towards the playground, “what about when I fell off that damn climbing frame?”
“Oh hell, yeah! Jeez, we were cubs, still in primary school.”
The big lupine nodded, turning his head towards Sam's. “Broke my damn arm when I landed.”
“I remember too well! You hit your head and knocked yaself out too, was blood everywhere.” The fox frowned, a twinkle of sadness in his hazel brown eyes. “Never been so scared in all my life, I ran all the way back home, up to the eighth floor to get my parents from the flat.”
“Still got the scar here somewhere.” Nick brushed away at his headfur, feeling his way across his scalp in search of the old injury.
“Mate, I think you're gonna end up with one to match.” Sam grunted uneasily, goading little more than a snort from the wolf. “Hey it's okay, girls like a scar y'know.”
“Sod off,” Nick mumbled with a throaty growl, covering the now-drying gash on his cheek with a paw.
“Oh I'm kidding you big lump!” There was a pause, before the fox added, “they bloody hate 'em.”
The visible annoyed lupine stopped dead, turning his head quickly and casting a steely glare towards his passenger. “Yeah, keep on going, it's not too late to end up back in those bushes!”
Sam didn't flinch, the foxiest of grins on his muzzle as he stared back at the wolf.
“Fuck it,” Nick gruffed, starting his walk again while the little red vulpine snickered quietly from his shoulder.

Sam eventually stopped chuckling, a serious tone returning to his voice. “Uhm, Nick?”
“What!?”
“What's your point? I mean, why the trip back in time?”
“My point... my point is.” The big lupine stopped his stroll once more. “Watching you get... hurt, and now walking through here. It's just... brought it all home to me.”
“Brought what home?”
“We grew up together. We've been there for each other in good times and bad.”
“I guess this evening is going into the 'bad time' section?” Sam moaned, cutting off his friend's trail of thought.
“Christ sake, lemme finish!” Nick grumbled, his lashing tail giving away his displeasure.
“Sorry, go on mate.”
“My point is that, y'know, the other guys... Robbie, Cal, I love 'em to death but,” the wolf took a deep breath, running a paw through his bleach-blonde tipped headfur, “you're more than a mate to me. You're like... you're like the brother I never had.”
Sam dangled silently from the black lupine's broad shoulders, completely shocked by the tone of sensitivity in his words. In all the years he'd known him, he'd never once heard Nick open up like this before.
“We've been through too much shit together to throw it away now. After everything what's happened tonight, I just want you to know that... I'll always be there for you Sammy.”
“That means a lot to me Nick, really.” the fox replied, his voice gentle to match his friend's, “I...I feel the same about you too.”
The pair looked into each other's eyes, smiling warmly. All the trials and tribulations of this evening, all of the pain, the suffering, had served not to pull the two friends apart, but to bring them closer. Its events would surely go down alongside the cherished memories that they each held of their shared childhood together, but it would be for the better. Once their physical pain had subsided, this evening would, against all odds, be an evening that made their friendship stronger, greater than it had ever been before.

“It's getting bloody cold Nicky.”
“Just a touch,” the wolf replied, a smile still present on his battle-scarred face as he started to walk off out of the park, “lets get home.”
Ahead of the pair lied a small side road, across which sat a row of small, darkened shops, all closed for the evening. Nestled between a laundromat and a convenience store, sat the entrance to the concrete court that rested at the foot of the cream-coloured brick tower blocks they each called home.
“We made it back, foxy.”
“Hey, you! Stop!” Before Sam could answer, a loud call sounded out from along the road, drawing a loud, terrified gasp from the little red vulpine. He quickly turned his head to look down the street, but spied little more than a slender, leather jacket-clad otter, hailing a passing a taxi.
“Sammy!? What's the matter mate?”
“Oh nothing, just,” Sam sighed, a warm wave of relief pushing the fear out of his mind, “I think you're right about what you said earlier.”
“About?”
“Just that... I think we're going to be okay now.”
“Oh right, well, glad I managed to convince you!” Nick chuckled, stepping into the street to cross it, “It's not often I can say that.”
“Nick?”
“Sup mate?”
“After tonight, what you say we try and get a few entries in the 'good time' section?” Sam snickered.
“Well,” the wolf barked, playfully nudging his friend while moving into the glow of the bright street lights located in the tower block's plaza. “That sounds like a bloody good idea to me, Sammy!”