The two of us spent a while in Southern Germany. September turned to October and we went to some English speaking movies, some live theatre that I didn't understand but Jake did; all-in-all, we just had fun and were so much closer and happier than we were before. It felt like it was going back to normal.

Jake talked me into a hike that, supposedly, was two hours. It went up the side of a mountain which was awful and closer to 6 hours. I was barely moving and Jake kept on trucking. When we finally got up to the top, we enjoyed a couple of beers and the view before taking a cable car back down.

It a week into October when I suggested we get a massage.

It was a good call.

We were laid on our stomachs as these humans rubbed all the knots from our muscles and even cut a few that had developed in our fur during all the hiking. It was absolutely luxurious and Jake really enjoyed it, tail wagging and hitting the masseuse.

The masseuse Jake got was a giggly girl that could not have been German. No German would be that giggly and perky. Mine was German. All business, he was ridiculously ripped and to him, gentleness was merely an option.

Jake and I were hanging out with a picnic after the massage, just by this beautiful lake when Jake had an idea.

"We should go swimming," he said.

"It's October!" I cried.

"So? They have indoor pools, and hot springs."

"I didn't remember to grab my swimming suit when we were running for our lives, did you?"

"No," he smiled the coy smile he would give when he knew something you didn't, "But there are nude versions."

 I laughed. "You can't be serious."

 "I am."

"That's just... Ew."

"Oh, c'mon, it's not that bad! Besides, they're co-ed," he teased.

"I don't care! I'm not gonna bare all just because you want to have a nude European experience."

"I promise you won't regret it."

I sighed. "Alright, fine, you win."

He laughed. "This is a great idea."

* * *

"This is a stupid idea," I groaned, walking into the building.

"C'mon, it'll be fun! Besides, you can check out people and not feel guilty."

"Uh, Jake, I'm not so sur-"

"You in a skirt," he said, reminding me of the picture he had against me.

"Damn you," I muttered, ears dropping.

We got into the changing rooms downstairs and I went into my own stall. I took off my shirt and shimmied out of my pants. Then there was one last piece of clothing. But did it really matter? He'd seen me nude dozens of times, why would this be any different? My boxers dropped to the floor.

I walked out, and there he was. Jake was wearing absolutely nothing and I loved it. I saw the curve of his leg, his muscular thighs that held his perfect ass. He turned around, and I let my eyes go up his abs to his perfect chest. He smiled when he saw me.

"Ready?" Jake asked.

I nodded and hoped my tip wasn't poking out my sheath.

We walked into the pool area. I don't know if what I saw made it better or worse, but the place was empty. There was no one there. It was a big, open area, dimly lit, with the large pool in the center and a hot tub to the side.

"Alright, place to ourselves," Jake said.

We walked over to the hot tub where we climbed in and laid back, enjoying the jets that focused on the sore spots of our neck. Jake dived under and came back up, dyed black hair covering his face until he swept it back and grinned at me. My eyes watched water drip onto his perfectly sculpted body.

"Brent..." Jake said.

"Yeah?" I shook myself out of the fog.

"What's with the erection?" he asked.

I looked away. He knew. I couldn't deny it anymore, I had to come clean. I scooted closer to him.

"I haven't been entirely honest with you..."

"You could say that." His scowl tore through me. "You go back and forth between being straight and checking me out. And you deny checking me out! Do you like me or not? Because your comment last week gave me hope. You can't toy with my heart, Brent Phillips."

I practically leaped over to him and pressed my lips to his. I held his face and rubbed his cheeks with a thumb. I moaned softly and broke the kiss. Jake looked stunned. He opened his mouth as if he was gonna say something but I pressed a wet finger to his lips.

"Don't. We can talk about this later. Right now..." I kissed him again, rubbing his shoulders and his arms wrapped around my lower back as he pressed me closer to him. He nipped at my neck and I shivered.

"Jake..."

He silenced me with another kiss, rubbing my back and we broke again, smiling broadly at one another.

"I love you, Jake. I... I always have. I am so sorry for everything. I'm sorry that I did this to you. I'm s-"

"Brent," Jake said, pushing me off of him. "Shut up, okay? You don't need to apologize. We're not perfect creatures."

"I know, Jake, but I shouldn't have..." I was starting to lose it as the guilt finally started to release and I felt free from its chains. "I hurt you and lied to you over and over and I just-"

Jake stood and walked to my side of the hot tub. He straddled me and draped his arms around my neck.

"You're so cute, Brent. Don't ruin it by thinking. Just... do."

So I did. I grabbed his shoulders and kissed him with a growl. I slipped my tongue into his mouth and rubbed his sides then pulled him to my lap so he could feel just how much I needed and loved him. He whined when my paws found their way to his ass and squeezed.

I squeezed again and he pushed me back into the wall of the hot tub. He leaned over me and hungrily kissed me, holding my face as his hips gyrated into my member.

"Brent," Jake whispered, biting my ear. "I need you. I need you so much."

I nodded.

"We can find a better place for it though."

"Let's get back to the hotel then–fast."