My name’s Ringo. I’m a Jaguar from Nippon, and I am training to be a samurai. I was on a journey to find my friend Animus, but then I met a mercenary that recently lost their best friend to an imperial assassin. I happened to have been in the area when it happened, and I couldn’t just ignore the situation. I joined the fight, and we scared the assassin off. After that, we buried his friend and decided to travel together.

The mercenary’s name is Castor, a water monitor lizard. He’s a tall, very muscular man that wears leather armor and wields a giant sword, shaped like a surfboard. Despite losing his best friend, he was strangely interested in helping me find Animus. He’s rowdy and likes to tease me, but he’s also empathetic and kind. During our journey, he did whatever he could to protect me from the dangerous creatures in the wild. Eventually, we found Animus, who’s also on a journey with his allies. Our reunion was full of tears and joy.

Now, I’m living with Castor at his loft in Kyoto. It’s very spacious, a large living room with a curved flat screen tv, a v-shaped couch, a bookshelf with trophies and photographs depicting his days as a wrestler, a dining room with a pole, and a kitchen. I was surprised to see how clean he keeps the place. While Castor is messaging someone on his phone, I go upstairs, checking out the other rooms. There’s a large master bedroom decorated in monochrome colors, with pictures of motorcycles, wrestlers, and oceans on the walls. The last room is set up to be a mini gym, with a rack lined with dumbbells, a pull up bar, and a bench with a barbell resting on a rack. I like what he’s done with the place.

For the past week, Castor has been going through a lot of emotions, trying to process the fact that Zach’s gone. Our days are filled with hunting work, and at night, we just talk while eating dinner together. Some nights he goes out drinking with his friends, but then he feels guilty for getting depressed while intoxicated. We try to tell him it’s no big deal, and he’s usually back to his jolly self in the morning.

Then one evening, I received a message that he’s out at the bar with friends tonight and asked me to cook dinner. I didn’t mind, so I got the kitchen set up for me to cook hamburger stew for dinner. I sauté celery, onion, garlic, and olive oil. I stir in beef, sprinkle flour, and then tomato paste. I add the broth and Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, carrots, and finally Italian seasoning. While I bring the stew to a broil, I set the table and pour an organic sports drink for Castor. Guess I’ll read a book until the stew is ready.

At seven o clock, I hear the front door unlock, and a brown jaguar with gray spots and wearing leather clothes named Kijani, walks in, the intoxicated lizard being dragged in. Castor’s shirt was worn around his neck. Just how drunk did he get this time?

“Woo! That was one hell of a party! Haaaa. Whazz up, little apple!?” He shouts, his voice sounding exaggerated.

“C-Castor?” I stand up, wandering to the couch. Kijani grumbles while tossing the lizard’s body onto the couch.

“Sorry, man, but he got his ass drunk at the bar.” The jaguar grunts in anger, rubbing his forehead while staring at the drunk lizard. “Am I gonna have to stay the night and keep you under control or somethin’?”

I shake my head. “It’s okay. I’ll take care of him.”

“You sure? He gets pretty uhh…” We both look at Castor, he laughs while twisting his body to lay on his stomach. “Pretty weird.”

“I’m sure. You can go home, Kijani. I’ll call you if I need help.”

I think he believed me. We have been living together for a week and nothing bad happened. Kijani shrugs, and makes his way to the door. “If you say so.” He walks out, closing the door behind him.

I talk to Castor in a soft tone, telling him that dinner is ready, and he smiles at me. I help him up, and walk him to the table. We sit across from each other, and I watch Castor take a swig of his sports drink, and then put a napkin around his neck while taking a whiff of the stew I made. “This smells delicious! Haha. Time to chow down.” He puts his hands together, as if to give thanks for the food. Then, he takes a scoop of stew with his spoon and takes a bite.

We spent our evening quietly eating our stew. He was eating pretty fast, compared to me taking my time. It put a smile on my face seeing Castor enjoy my stew so much. I wish I could have done something to prevent his friend dying, but I’m glad I can at least be a pillar of emotional support for him. Castor finishes his bowl of stew, chugs the last of his sports drink, and lets out a loud burp. “Haaaaa. That was deeelicious! Thanks, Ringo.”

“You’re welcome. Are you okay now?”

His jolly expression quickly changed. He frowns, and slightly tilts his head down. “No… I feel like shit. Zach is dead, and that imperial bastard is still out there prancing around and killing other innocent people. I let my best friend down.” He growls, hitting the table with his fist. “It’s so hard for me to forget the look on my old friend’s face when he died.”

His voice was breaking. My ears droop and my heart drops seeing him this way. I walk around the table, sit next to him, and give him a back rub. “I understand, Castor. I wish there was something I could do to help you feel better.

He sniffles, rubbing his eyes. Then he turns to me with a soft smile, putting his hand on my right arm. “Well, there is something you can do. Can you keep me company tonight?”

He wants me to sit with him until he falls asleep? That’s what I assumed, so I’ll do it. “Of course.” I replied. He smiles, standing up and holding my paw while we walk to the master bedroom.

Inside the clean bedroom, I walk to the window and look out at a view of Kyoto. It’s night time, and the city looked beautiful with all the light shimmering. My ears twitch, hearing Castor undressing. “Castor. When you asked me to keep you company, what did you mean exactly- Aah!?”

My body freezes over. Castor took off all his clothes, a jockstrap is the only thing he’s wearing. His huge, toned muscles are exposed, and his eyes are staring straight into my heart, cold and brimming with desire. I can hear his labored breathing as he flexes his entire body, causing them to bulge. He steps closer to me. My mind is racing with possible implications of his actions. I gulp and back away from him. “Castor? What are you doing?”

He sighs, his vocal tone went deeper than usual. “I have a confession to make. I know you like me, Little Apple.”

“Y-you do?” He backs me against the wall. Before I could run, he steps closer, putting his hand against the wall and blocking my way of escape. I felt a chill crawl up my spine as I stared into his eyes. My instincts are screaming at me to do something, but I was frozen in place. He’s towering over me, a soft smile forming in his face. As soon as I saw him smile, all the anxiety I felt melted away, like an ice block on a hot pan. My body got warm, and my eyes wandered all over the lizard’s body.

“You’re so cute when you are flustered.” He said softly.

“Uhh… Castor. We really need to talk about-” He puts his finger over my lips.

“Shhh. Not now. Not while I’m at rock bottom. I need… pleasure. I need… affection. You’ve given me so much kindness and love already, but I want more. I like you too, Little Apple. Please. Touch me. Do whatever you want with me.”

He’s letting me give him physical affection? Is that why he’s not making the first move? He’s definitely in serious need of affection. I’m a little lost, but I know one thing for sure; all the fear I felt is gone. I’m not in danger. Castor just needs… love. I lean forward, and he leans back, giving me some space. “I want to help you. Just, don’t push any boundaries. Please.”

The lizard let out a soft chuckle, and put his hands on his hips. “Of course.” He’s giving me consent. I strip to my underwear, my body gets warmer. Now the desire for intimacy is stirring inside of me. It’s… my first time. I slowly lift my paws, and put them on his large pecs. He closed his eyes and smiled. I slowly caress his chest, getting a feel of all the muscle mass. They’re firm, smooth. Then, I move my hands to his shoulders. They’re so broad and round. I slide them down, gently squeezing the lizard’s triceps, and then his huge biceps. They’re like steel beams of pure muscle. I stare at his forearms, lifting one of them slowly while putting both my paws on opposite sides of them.

“Heh. You like my arms a lot, huh? Well, you’ll love ‘em after I do this.” He lifts his arm, flexing his biceps. I felt my heart skip a beat watching them bulge. I put a paw on the peak of his bicep, they feel solid as stone. Amazing.

I wander around Castor, getting a good look at his wide back. He sets his arm down, putting his hands back on his hips and spreading his lat muscles wide. I gulp, and put my paws on his back. I caress them in gentle circles, getting a feel for all the muscles on his back. I’m getting a little too excited at this point, my breathing is picking up speed, and I’m starting to sweat. I take a deep breath, then lean forward to hug him. I place my paws under his pecs, and just take a moment to breathe in his exotic scent. It smelled like cedarwood. His soft laugh made his body vibrate against the side of my face. I feel his hand grab my left paw, and he gently lifts it up to his chest, encouraging me to squeeze it. “Don’t hold back.”

Gods, it’s like squeezing a thick layer of firm dough. I move around to stand in front of him, look up at his smiling face, then I press my face deep between his pecs. I take a deep breath, and exhale. His scent is so pleasant. I feel his large arms gently wrapping around my back and then his hand petting the back of my head. This kind of intimacy feels amazing. He’s letting me worship his muscles, and he returns the favor by giving me some loving pets and hugs.

“I bet you’d love to worship my thighs next, huh?” Now he’s teasing me. Without a word, I crouch down, getting a feel for his thick legs. Running my paw down them, they felt like tree trunks. I imagine him being able to crush a watermelon between these thighs easily. His calves are big, and they feel as solid as rocks. He’s giving me consent, so I… hug his left leg and rub it against my face. I can hear him laugh. “You’re the first to worship my legs this way.”

I stand up, feeling a little embarrassed of my impulsive action. He ruffles my hair, and sits on the bed. “I feel a little better now. Thank you, Ringo.”

“You’re welcome, and thanks for not coming on too strong.”

He pats the bed, does he want me to sleep with him now? “Wanna keep the fun going? You get to be on top.” He smirks.

He does want me to sleep with him. I want to keep him happy, so I crawl to bed with him. After he lays down, I lay on top of him, letting him put his arms around me. He feels warm, better than the bed I slept on in the guest room. I lay my head on his chest. Without warning, he plants a kiss on my forehead. My eyes widened.

“Goodnight, Little Apple.” He said softly while petting my head.

“Goodnight, Castor.”

I never expected tonight to take this turn. I was so worried that he was gonna do something inappropriate to me while drunk, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. He was still in control, but he gave into his desire for physical affection. He gave me the lead, and was very gentle and respected my personal boundaries. I don’t know if he’s feeling this way to fill the void in his heart, or if he genuinely likes me. I really do like him though, and I want to see where our partnership takes us. Tomorrow, I hope we can talk, and figure out where we are in our relationship. For now though, I’ll sleep with him tonight.

The next day, Castor was already up and ready for the day. He’s in a jovial mood, readying a high protein lunch for the both of us. I walk out, and he trouts towards me and ruffles my hair. “Good morning, Ringo! Are you ready for a full day of huntin’?”

“I guess so.”

“Hmm? What’s the matter?” He sets his lunch box down on the table.

“Castor. Do you remember what happened last night?”

He stays silent, putting a first aid kit and a box of tools in his travel bag. “I do. Sorry if I scared you.”

“I’m okay. Honest.”

“Good.” He grabs a water bottle from the fridge and takes a swig of it. Then he looks at me with a strong gaze. “Listen. I may come on strong when it comes to being intimate, but here’s the thing about me personally; I never make the first move if I want to be physical.”

I tilt my head with a puzzled expression. “Really? How come?”

He sighs. “I keep it to myself, but I’m comfortable telling you. I love when people worship my body. Giving my muscles a feel, a warm hug, it calms me the hell down. It’s also why I’m into wrestling, I love the physicality of that sport, and I get to put my paws on other anthro’s muscles too”

That got a chuckle out of me. Wrestling is pretty physical. “So that’s why you didn’t touch me first.”

He puts two water bottles in his travel bag. “Yeah. Last night, I was horny, and being drunk didn’t help, so I apologize. If it ever happens again, just give me a hug, and I’m satisfied.”

I smile, putting my paw over my chest while nodding. “I will. Thank you for opening up to me, Castor. I’ll happily give you the affection you want if you ever need it.”

He walks up and ruffles my hair. “I appreciate it, Little Apple. Now, shall we get going?”

“Yeah. Animus and Tianna need us for a hunt today.”

With that, we put on our hunting gear, grab our bags, and make our way out of our apartment and out into the city. I no longer feel obligated to help him. Now, I want to help him. I want to be by his side and help him move on from the loss of his old partner. And with our friends by our side, I truly believe that the both of us will be able to move on from the loss of our loved ones. Watch over me, Father. I’ll make you proud.

The end!