Poker Night

I remember the front doors to the apartment complex seeming more like an iron portcullis than two smudged glass rectangles framed in cheap metal. I looked down at the texted instructions my friend had sent.

(Apartment 220. Button at entrance)

I looked at the row of buttons on the well worn panel next to the door. There were so many, and the labels were so faded that it took me a few minutes just to find 220's. When I pressed it, nothing happened. Part of me wanted to say "oh well, I tried," and leave, but more of me wanted to stay. I had never been to a party; a real party. Not a birthday party or Christmas get together, a real party with drinks and loud music and... strangers. I swallowed, unsure of what to do. But just as I reached for the button again, there was a buzz and a click. I didn't move until my brain unfroze, then I jumped at the door before it locked again. The walk through the building is a blur; nothing more than bland colors and faint smells. It wasn't until I reached the door to apartment 220 that I finally realized where I was. It was a simple, flat, unadorned door. At the same time, it was a threshold. Beyond it was a new experience, one that I wanted for so long. But should I? Am I ready for it? It was an impossible choice, and one I ultimately didn't make.

"Heyyyyy!" was the first thing my friend said to me when he opened the door. He wore his bright green tank top and black basketball shorts with our college's team mascot on it, the Fighting Trilobites. "Dude, I was waiting! Come on, let's get you a drink!"

Next thing I knew my friend was walking me to the kitchen with one arm around my shoulder.

Sometimes it's hard to believe we get confused for each other. I mean, who would guess that a lemur and a bat would look at all the same? Still, our red/orange collars are nearly identical, and paired with our horrible sense of style, it was easier to understand the confusion. That is where our similarities end. He is always bouncing from one thing to another without a care in the world, whereas I find myself wrapped in my wings more often than not.

"You gotta try this!" My friend said, "It's IPA and red wine, a total kick in the ass!"

"A kick in the head, more like," came a sharp feminine voice, "Drop it Flick, actually."

From behind us, a tall and slender painted dog wearing sleek leather pants and a sleeveless crop-top took the cup from my friend's hand.

"Com'on Becca, it won't kill him!" Flick said.

"No one else likes that stuff, Flick," the stranger's words were as icy as her cold gaze.

"Woah, you weren't kidding, Red!" came another woman's voice, "You could be twins. Well, fraternal maybe."

I turned to see a rabbit: a tall, floppy eared mini-lop with a full and curvy body under a tight shirt and jean shorts staring down at me. Instantly, I covered myself in my wings, shielding myself from her large, soft eyes.

"Damn," Becca said, "Only you could scare a blood sucker, Delila."

"That's cruel, Becca!" Delila teased, "He's a fruit bat! He only sucks on fruits... I think."

"You two are the worst," Flick shook his head, "Don't worry about them Cody, they're mean for the aesthetic. Oh, before I forget!" In a leap, Flick was in and out of the fridge. He held out a tall can with an orange and green logo. "It's 'Dropout's spiked fruit punch'! Made with real fruit! Mango flavor. 'Cause you like mangos."

I'll admit, he made a good choice. I love mangos, and a mango flavored drink was enough for me to drop my guard.

"Uh... Thanks. That was really thoughtful, Flick," I said as I took the can in both hands.

"Of course!" Flick beamed, "You're my bud! I gotta look out for you."

That drew out a smile, and with the most confidence I had that day, I opened the can.

It's weird when you get sprayed with something unexpectedly. Your eyes close before you even feel it hit you. Then you pause and wait for your body to confirm you're not dead. After all that, you instinctively hold out your arms and let the liquid drip down. And that's exactly what happened.

"Shit dude!" Flick exclaimed. He instantly scrambled for a towel to clean the mango punch off my fur as I stood like a hosed scarecrow. "Ah shit man. I'm really sorry I didn't know it was uh carbi- no conbar- dammit I can't remember."

"Carbonated, hun," said a third female. The voice was so soft and angelic I felt instantly at ease.

The deep brown and gray paw of the most gorgeous coyote I have ever seen, dressed in a grassy green sundress, hands me a wet washcloth with a smile. It took a few beats for me to shake off my stun expression and take it.

"Ah, babe, you're just too good. I swear you can see the future," Flick said while he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Haha! Honey, I know what a soda can sounds like," her eyes shimmered as she looked into his, and his shimmered back.

"Oh! Sorry Cody, I should introduce my girlfriend. This is Sal. Sal, this is Cody."

I gave a shaky "Nice to meet you," and a weak smile before dabbing my clothes.

"Oh wow, Flicky, you two do look similar," Sal said as she took in my black cargo pants and black shirt with a strawberry milk carton on the front. I felt bold wearing that shirt, but now I felt underdressed.

"Except he's much cuter," Becca said.

She and Delilah moved to Sal's side and looked at me, though their looks were more appraising. Sal made me feel handsome, they made me feel like meat.

"Stop it you two," Sal said before addressing me, "Don't mind them. They have a thing for shy guys."

That didn't make me feel better, but her voice was comforting in itself.

Flick took my hand and guided me along again, "Com'on bud. I'll introduce you to the others. Then we can start playing!"

In the living room there was a couple sitting on the couch. A long, muscular cougar in a burgandy tracksuit lounging in the lap of a barrel chested Long-Horn wearing a flannel shirt, jeans, and a cowboy hat. Both were furiously turning plastic steering wheels and shouting.

"This charming pair is Helen and Walker. Uh- should I clarify whose who?" Flick offered.

"I think he can guess," the cougar said.

Helen glanced over, smiled, and paused the game, drawing protest from Walker.

"Hi, short stuff," Helen said with a smile.

Walker seemed to finally notice me and stuck out his hand, "Nice ta' meet 'chya Cody." It felt like he was trying to dislocate my arm when we shook.

"Oooh! Nice wings!" Helen grabbed my skin while my arm was outstretched and admired it, "You can fly right?"

I gently tried to tug it back, but she didn't seem to notice. "Not really. It takes a lot of, uh, strength I guess? But not like big muscle strength, because then you'd weigh too much. There's a specific ratio that-" I stopped when I noticed the pair's bored looks, "I can glide a little..."

"That's dope. Maybe you can show us some time," Helen said before letting go.

Once again, I folded myself into my wings and looked at the floor.

"She's not wrong, though. They are pretty cool," Sal said as she and the other girls stepped into the living room.

"They look like my pants," Becca said with a devious grin.

"They do, don't they?" Delilah agreed before adding, "Actually, your pants are designer, right? So I guess that means his wings look designer?"

"That's a good point! Maybe we could find a logo if we looked hard enough," Becca smirked.

Flick changed the topic, "Hey, everyone's here now, so let's get started!"

"Not everyone," Helen corrected, "Tom's still in his room."

"Well, enough people are here. Ok, so first: everyone, go stand in the kitchen until I call you back in!"

"I thought we were playing poker?" Sal said, touching his shoulder.

"We are! But I got two surprises!"

"Oh, honey. You know not everything needs surprises, right?"

"Yeah, but surprises make things better!"

"Sometimes, honey, sometimes."

Flick pulled her in again, "It's ok. This is gonna be fun, I promise. Tom was ok with it so it's not, like, a crazy spur-of-the-moment thing."

"I'm looking forward to it," Becca shrugged as she left. Everyone followed her, but I lagged behind.

"Hey flick?" I said, "I'm not too good with surprise. You know that, right?"

"It's ok, I promise," my friend assured, "You wanted to get out of your comfort zone, and this will be perfect."

I gave a half-hearted nod and left. Becca was the first to greet me by offering me a shot and my can of mango punch.

"You've ever seen one of Flicks 'Surprises'?" she asked.

"Uh," I replied taking both drinks from her, "No, not more than, like, a birthday present."

"Well, I can guarantee that little glass right there will make this ten times more fun," she gestured to the shot.

I had to psych myself up for the shot, then immediately embarrassed myself by gagging on it before taking a long drink of punch.

Delilah cooed, "Awww, you are just adorable!"

A strong voice cut in, "Don't make fun of him for not being a brained fried party bitch like you two."

A new man stepped into the kitchen. A timber wolf with lean, defined muscles under a thick coat of gray and white fur. He looked like he just threw on clothes nearest to his bed, and he made it look amazing.

"Don't fall for it, they'll spit you out like chewed gum. You're Cody, right?"

I didn't answer. I was too distracted by the heat rising up my neck. All I could think to do was chug my drink. I only finished about half before giving up, but I received a "Hell yeah compadre!" and a slap on the back from Walker. My heart sank as Tom closed his eyes and shrugged before mingling with everyone else. I covered myself again and sipped what was left in the can.

When we re-entered the living room, a large semi-circular poker table with matching barstools was now taking up almost the entire space.

"Ta-Da!" Flick announced proudly.

"Oh Flick..." Sal frowned, "Don't tell me you bought this."

"I didn't," Flick said smugly, "I won it online!"

Sal's eyes drooped and she let out a heavy sigh.

"That's one surprise," Becca said unimpressed, "What's the other?"

"We're playing couples poker!"

"Uh," Tom asked, "What's couples poker?"

"It's easy. It's just like regular poker but with 2 extra rules: first, you play in pairs-"

"And without a dealer?" Helen asked, "There's 8 of us, that's an even number."

"Ah-ha! That's where this little beauty comes in!"

Flick pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and placed neatly into a small white rectangle in the middle of the table. He clicked a few buttons on the back and the cards were lowered into the table. Then the table spat cards across the table in a perfect 4 person deal.

Walker whistled and Sal cocked her head, "That's... actually very impressive Flick. And you just won that?"

"Well-yeah," Flick rubbed his neck, "But I lost a couple bets in the process..."

He quietly slid the cards into little slots under the fiery glare of his girlfriend.

"I hate to point this out, but" Delilah chimed in, "There's only 4 chairs."

"Well, that's where our next rule comes in." Flick pulled out a chair and sat down, "Sal, the love of my life, my beautiful angel who I will listen to when she tells me about why I shouldn't gamble, would you be so kind as to join me?"

Sal rolled her eyes, but walked over. With a gentle pull, Flick set her into his lap facing the table.

"This is rule number dos, ladies and gentlemen. Lap-sitting!" This was met with confused looks all around. Flick continued, "Not only do you have to cooperate on the cards, you also have to cooperate in not falling off."

Walker shrugged, "Was planning on it anyways." He took a seat joined by Helen. It didn't seem like much of a challenge for them.

"That works for couples," Becca crossed her arms, "But half of us aren't couples."

Flick rubbed his neck, "Actually, my original thought was to have you pair up guy and girl, but, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, I don't think that'll work for Cody."

All heads turned to me and frowned. Flick wasn't wrong, I was the smallest out of everyone. If someone sat on me, I'd probably be crushed.

"Na, that works outs," Tom said, "I don't really want either of those two sitting on me, and I don't think leaving the little guy at the mercy of those perv's is a good idea."

When he sat down and nodded me over, my legs turned to jelly. I had to fight them just to walk, praying all the while that no one figured out why. His lap was surprisingly comfortable, and I was very thankful that I wasn't on bottom. The girls took their seat, mocking the couples with exaggerated flirting, and soon the game began.

"$100 buy-in, right Red?" Walker said, pulling out his wallet and five $20s.

The others followed with $10s and $20s until it reached us. I had completely forgotten about the buy-in. I felt my heart race as I fumbled the singular $10 I had in my wallet, until Tom pushed my hand back down and stared at Flick.

"Don't. Flick owes me last month's utilities. We'll just take it out of that."

Flick slumped and pulled out more bills.

I'd never played poker before, and my knowledge was probably even less than most. I knew it had something to do with cards, but I thought it was two cards? And there were some cards on the table? Like, at least one. Apparently not, as we were given five cards which Tom picked up straight away. When he wrapped his arms around me I almost slid off his lap like water. The warmth of his fur was like a thick blanket in the middle of winter. I didn't even realize my eyes were closed until the third prompt.

"Hey, Cody!" Tom called, "Hey, you doing ok?"

Flustered, I fumbled, "Ye-yeah. I'm fine I'm just-uh, I'm just..."

"Such a lightweight," Tom said as he readjusted me, "Don't chug drinks when you weigh nothing, ok? Now focus and pass out later."

I really wanted to wrap myself again, but I couldn't without breaking his hold.

"Can we get a little more time? Someone got the bat drunk," Tom asked with a glare at Becca.

"That's fine. I needed to explain the rules to Sal anyways. Everyone fine with that?"

Nods were given all around, then followed by whispering.

"Ok. So the rules of five card poker-" Tom started, his voice deep, soft, and hot on my ear.

I'll admit, I didn't really understand any of it. From what I did get, though, it was a lot like yachtz. You wanted to have stuff like pairs and runs and a full house and stuff. I'm pretty good at yachtz, so I just imagined I was playing that.

Tom listened to me surprisingly well after the first hand. In the end, I mostly chose the cards while he placed the bets. He'd ask me, "How sure are you?" and, "You think they're bluffing?" and things like that. I felt like a little kid, but I didn't mind it too much. In fact, I got really into it. Tom and I trashed-talked and taunted and bluffed, and I felt the best I had in a long time. Walker and Helen argued over every decision, Becca and Delilah bluffed through every hand, and Flick's ideas would always be met with Sal's, "I don't know, honey." We laughed and drank and smiled, and it was everything I hoped this night would be.

That was, until I fell. One round was particularly high stakes with the pot rising to $200. We had two pairs; aces and 8s. It came down to us and the girls. I remember my heart thumping as we waited to show our cards. When it came, they showed two aces and.... two 7s. I whooped and shot my arms up, accidentally breaking Tom's hold. I started slipping and twisted to grab the chair, but it was too late.

The fall knocked my wind out and the next thing I saw was everyone standing around me. Flick helped me sit up as I caught my breath. That's when Becca started talking.

"He's ok, so that means we won the hand."

"Becca!" Sal snapped.

"What?"

Helen spoke up, "She's not wrong. He fell before they showed their hand."

"It's a little harsh," Delilah said, "But fairs' fair."

"Them's the rules," Walker shrugged.

"Com'on Flick, say something," Sal urged.

Flick stayed silent and fidgeted.

"It's-" I finally said, "I'm fine with it if you are Tom".

"Listen," Walker said, "Let's forget this hand and take a breather. Lil' guys' in no shape to play."

I felt so miserable sitting on that floor I wanted to cry. Hard. I curled up completely and cocooned myself in my wings to hide my watery eyes.

"Go on ahead," Tom said, "He can borrow my bed until he feels better."

I really didn't want to move, but I didn't have a choice. Without a word, I was scooped up and carried away. When I opened up again, I was on a bed looking up at Tom.

"You ok Cody?"

"I'm..." I tried to say, "It's fine. I'm fine"

." I looked away and curled up again.

"I gotta check your eyes first, then I'll leave if you want," Tom touched my shoulder.

I hesitated, but gave in. I laid flat and opened my eyes wide.

Tom looked them over with his piercing blues, "Dilated, but not too much." He gave me a smile, then it seemed like he was about to say something, but instead turned away to leave.

"Wait!" I called after. He stopped and looked back at me as I sat up. "I don't want you to leave yet, if that's ok."

He nodded and sat at the foot of the bed. "You want some water?"

"No. I just... just want you to sit with me for a bit."

He smiled, sighed, and flopped onto his back. I did the same, and for a while we just stared at the ceiling.

"You were pretty excited out there. It was nice to see you out of those wings," he said.

"Oh. Yeah. The wing thing is sorta uh... it's a bad habit."

"It's cute."

"Thanks."

Tom turned to me, and even on his side he was gorgeous. "You like cards?"

"I guess they're fun, yeah. But I only know, like, kid games. Go fish, mostly."

"Oh yeah?" Tom raised his eyebrow and his face took on an entirely different, more impish look, "In high school my friends and I made a game kinda like go fish."

"Kinda like?"

"It was a mix of go fish, truth or dare, and strip poker."

I gulped hard, "Str-strip poker?"

Tom sat fully on the bed then explained, "So it's basically go fish, but when you get a pair you take off a piece of clothing, and when you fish you get a dare."

I couldn't really process what that meant. At the time I was distracted by his smirk.

"That sounds... fun," I squeaked.

"You wanna try it?"

So much of me wanted to say no, but there was a little string that led to a yes. I'd been following that string all night, so I took the plunge.

"Let's... let's do it!"

Tom smiled. He dug around his closet until he found an old, worn deck of cards.

He shuffled the cards and dealt a generous hand. "I'll start. Got any 2s?"

I handed one over, and he proceeded to pull off his shirt.

The sight was unbelievable. His chest was perfect mix of muscle and fluff, like a fantasy come true.

"Your turn," Tom prompted.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Do you have any queens?"

"Go fish!" Tom rubbed his chin as I drew. "Ok, can you show me how big your wings are? Like, all the way stretched out?"

"Oh, um, I can't. My shirt is special cut and if I stretch too far it could tear."

"Ah, that makes sense. Ok, my turn."

My heartbeat rose the longer we played. We both lost our socks and went through a few simple dares. When I lost my shirt, I covered myself up with my wings. Then I had to draw again.

"Now that your shirt's off," Tom smirked, "Can you show me your wings?"

Hesitantly, I spread my arms out as far as I could. Most people are surprised just how long my arms are, and it seemed like Tom was no different.

"Mind if I feel?" He asked.

I nodded and he began squeezing my arms.

"They're so thin. Isn't that dangerous?"

"Yeah. Cuts and stuff can be pretty dangerous, even little ones. I have to be more careful than most people, but I've never really hurt myself too badly."

His hands didn't stop at my arms. He moved down to my sternum and touched the fur on my chest. Then he caught himself and pulled his hand away. On the next turn, he drew, and that little string was all I could feel. It was now or never.

"I- I dare you t-to kiss me."

When I saw his surprise, I immediately regretted saying anything.

Then he was on top of me.

I couldn't think. The sheer euphoria of his lips seemed to guide my own like a long hidden memory. I felt blissful sparks in my head and a weightless sensation all over my body.

When he pulled away the only thing I could think to say was, "Do- do you want to k-keep playing?"

"Sure," he grinned, "let's see." He dug around the scattered cards until he found a match. "That's a pair for me," he announced before sliding off the last of his clothes. He pulled two more cards at random, "And this is for you."

I started saying, "Wait! I-," but my pants were on the floor before I could finish.

"You're a little small, aren't ya?" Tom gently rubbed my tip between his soft paw pads.

My face grew red hot and I quickly looked away. I'm about the size of a marker cap, and it's pretty embarrassing, but Tom didn't seem disappointed at all. In fact, he looked pleased.

"Is it sensitive, Cody?" he smirked, "Nah, don't answer that. Let's make it surprise number 3 for tonight."

He pushed me down flat and slid up my chest to kiss me again. His tongue slipped past my lips and twisted with mine while his thick cock rubbed against my erection. It was enough on its own, and after a few thrusts I spurt cum between us. He pulled back and looked down at the sticky fluid, his grin only growing more intense.

"Didn't expect that, to be honest," He said, "I'll chop your first one up to over excitement. No worries, though, we've got a lot of loads to go before we're finished." Sitting back, he stretched one leg up to my face.

Wiggling his paw, he offered it to me. "I saw you stare at it when my socks came off," he said, "They're big. Lucky for you, if you're into that. I'll just assume you are."

His rough paw pads and musky fur covered my face. My brain sparked like fireworks as the scent filled my head. I took long licks, one after another, letting the saliva coat his pads.

I felt his other paw press against my cock and slowly rub. In seconds I was fully hard again. He pulled his paw away from my mouth and wrapped both around my dick.

"You're so submissive, fruity," Tom laughed, "You got hard just by my dirty feet."

I don't know why, but my first reaction was to cover my mouth as he moved faster and harder, until I came on both of us again.

Tom shook his head, "I should've put a towel down. Guess I didn't really see this coming, but still. And this," He gestured to his feet and stomach, "You'll have to clean later. But enough about that," his strong arms grabbed me. With one swift motion I was sprawled out on my stomach with my face in a pillow.

"You came twice," he said with one hand on my back and the other teasing my hole, "and not from much. I'm kinda jealous, honestly. Well, that won't matter in a second here. You ready for me to go 'All-In'?"

I shuddered and my hole twitched eagerly.

"Yes? Alright, let's get started."

He stuck his finger in his mouth and pulled it out dripping with spit. With a few more rubs, he slid the finger in without much resistance.

"Ahh... You're one of those types. You like your toys, right? Probably even did a little 'pre-gaming' incase something like this happened. Well, I'm glad your fantasy came true."

He could tell with just one finger what I was really like. My face reddened even harder now that he knew I was a perv, but however he felt about it, it didn't make him stop. I could feel a second finger slide in, spread, and press down on my prostate. I'm not sure he knew I came again while he was fingering me, but I was hard before he finished.

"Loose enough, I think," he proudly proclaimed, "Ready for it?"

This time I managed a nod and a moan through the pillow I was biting down on.

Without another word he pushed his cock inside me. The pointed tip was easy, but as it kept getting bigger and bigger, the pain forced me to white knuckle the sheets.

"You ok?" Tom asked gently. He rubbed my back with his soft paw while he talked, "Never took something this big? No worries I'll just leave it in. Let you get used to it". He laid himself on top of me and whispered in my ear, "You know, I'm glad we get to do this. You were so cute when I saw you standing there. Heh, maybe you noticed, but I spent half that poker game trying not to get a boner. Normally I'm not into virgins, just not a fan of inexperience, but you, well, I'm glad you came." He straightened again and asked, "In more ways than one. So, does it still hurt?"

Somehow, I hadn't noticed that the pain dissipated while he was whispering to me. Now I felt the tingling sensation of pressure on my prostate and the desperate need to cum again. I gave out a muffled "no" and he changed his grip to my waist.

He started slow. Madingley slow. I wiggled and moved my hips, trying to get as much sensation out of his teasing as possible.

"Heh," Tom chuckled, "You're craving my cock that bad? Can't even stay still? Alright, let's fill you up."

His next thrust was hard and deep, and I could feel the top of his knot touch my hole. He pulled out and rubbed his dick between my cheeks before shoving it back in again. I could feel my ass spread and shrink as he moved faster and faster. Then he wrapped his arms around me, pinning my wings to my side, and flipped us over.

His pushes were shallow and quick as he humped my trapped body. I felt like a toy; squeezed like a stuffed animal and fucked like a flesh-light.

"So... Tight," he moaned, "Your ass- it's so greedy. It's gripping my cock. Fuck... you feel... so good!"

His thrusts were getting desperate as his huge dick crushed my insides with blow after blow. The euphoria made me dizzy and my mind began to slip. All I could do was moan and beg for more.

"Fuck... I'm gonna... fill your guts!" he yelled. His jaws clamped down on one of my big bat ears at the same time as his knot popped inside me. I couldn't feel the pain as my mind only seemed to register adrenaline and oxytocin. I came harder than I ever had before as I cried out in a way only sex can make you. Then we both collapsed.

Our chests heaved as our heads spun. For a while, that's all we did. I could feel his heart thunder under me, and for the first time in my life I knew exactly where I wanted to be.

Through hot, heavy breaths, he said softly in my ear, "Well, we're gonna be cuddling for a while."

"Wha-" I said surprised, "What do you mean? Did something happen."

"Eh, well, it's a bit of a curse, but I'll be stuck inside you until my knot softens. I mean, I could try and force it out, but that's a bad idea. A very painful bad idea."

"It's-It's fine," I snuggled into his neck and smiled up at him, "I'm fine with it. We can cuddle as long as you wan-"

The door swung open as Flick tentatively called, "Tom? Bud? You two al-" He stopped, eyes growing wide at the sight of his roommate still inside of me.

There wasn't enough time to cover ourselves before Becca and Delila entered in with a "What's going on?"

My wings helped a little while Flick brushed the two out and shut the door. Still, their giggling made it through the walls. At least it was accompanied with, "I totally saw it coming. They're so cute together!"

There was a very long, very awkward silence before I spoke. "I'm sorry. I was too loud. I should've been more quiet. It's totally my-"

He kissed my head. "It's ok, Cody. Honestly, they totally knew what was happening. Flick just doesn't think things through."

"Hah, yeah, he really doesn't." I reached up and touched my ear, finally noticing the pain. When I pulled my hand down, a few drops of fresh blood pooled on my finger.

"Ah shit dude," Tom frantically reached for something to press to my ear, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I bit you. That was really dumb of me. Now you're bleeding and-"

"It's ok, Tom," I assured, "They're pretty thin. They'll stop in a few seconds."

He smiled again at me, and we shared another deep, passionate kiss before settling into each other.

That was the best night I ever had, and meeting Tom was the best thing that ever happened to me. That's not to say it went without consequences. First: ever since then, my boyfriend has been talking about adopting kids. Second: we're now the butt of every joke on poker night. Last: I can't play go-fish without getting a boner.