Healing Love

Healing Love

Chapter 6: Inverse Welcomes

By: Mirron Tenshi

A good day goes downward as we once again continue the story during the faintly lit dusk. Our lion has recently found out his close friend knew about him and loves him no matter what, as it seems. This would've been a good night to conclude the day had it not been for another reunion, but not so much as warm and happy as the last one.

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Here he is.

I... I can't believe it... He's just standing there on my doorstep: Tom Johnson. The dingo that just up and left me 7 years ago. A married dog that broke my heart all that time ago. I feel... I don't feel so good right now...

"Hey, Allen! Good to see you. Just how have you been?" He said, padding my shoulder. He's touching me... Should he have a right to even look at me? I don't now anything anymore...

I just said nothing, I'm still trying to remember what I was feeling five minutes ago. I feel... Hollow... I feel hollow, as I did after I intimidated one of Tom's friends into telling me what became of him.

"I know its been a long, long time, but what um... What do you say we start all over? C'mon, gimme a chance." He asked with a smirk.

That face... HIS face... Occasionally, Tom would be all slick in personality... That carefree face that used to amuse me... His eyes half open, his toothy smile, that sly, monotonous, casual face. That was the last thing I remembered of him and I've done a slow job of suppressing this canine from my Mind's Eye. Seeing his face again... The scar of his crime has never faded away, for his face had haunted me for far long.

I felt myself snap back into reality. My heartbeat started to quicken. My breathing is becoming a bit of a challenge. I felt growls start to lurk from my throat. All of the pain and anger I felt at him back then and all these years I've wasted hurting from his action is shooting into me like a military bazooka. Right now, I'm feeling an overwhelming fury that I, myself have never understood how to feel.

My eyes watered as my fangs bared, my body tensed into stone, my chest sinking deep and back up as my heart raged in my body and my mind disintegrated all gentleness and understanding I had in me for this one moment.

I clinched my left paw into a fist, drew my arm back, and launched my fist right onto the right side of his snout. His eyes went blank and his smile went null as I heard a loud yelp of pain as he was sent spinning into the air. The dingo landed on my soft lawn, his paws clutching right onto his nose as he cringed and writhed on the grass, muffling his grunts and snarls of pain.

"Ahhh!" I winced badly as I let my left arm drop to the side. My whole left arm became numb in incredible pain. I held at my arm, baffled by the agonizing backfire, but its fucking worth it, seeing the blood seep between Tom's fingers.

I snarled and seethed as rage circulated in my eyes, brain, blood. Breathing is becoming an obstacle right now. Tom got up crouched and nursing his nose. His snout looked misshapen and was leaking drops of blood.

"You..." My voice feels hoarse, distorted from my own, glaring at him with a violent stare I have never felt before. "Get the hell out of my life before I kill you!" My eyes were watering, dripping as my fury elevated. There was only one other time in my whole life I felt even close to this angry!

Tom staggered as he grumbled "Wh-What the hell, man? I say `Hi' and you slug me?! I'm here to apologize and take you back!"

My mind exploded. "Take me back?... . . Take me back?... . . Take me fucking back?!" I roared, "You shredded my heart into ribbons and disappear from me for 7 BLOODY YEARS?! And now you want me back?! WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" I want to tear him with my claws, to make him feel what he did to me on the outside.

"You should be grateful anyone wants you at all..." When he straightened, he glared right into me.

"What the fuck did you just say??" The canine grumbled.

"You were so clingy, putting yourself above my own life. You expected me to drop everything I was doing just to give you your attention..." He seethed and bared his teeth, "Be grateful that your looks are enough to make you HALF decent as a mate!" His eyes flashed with bloodlust and rage, "I'm here out of pity for you..."

. . . Something's not right. This isn't like him at all. This is NOT the Tom I knew. When we were dating, Tom would NEVER openly say stuff like this. They way he's talking is so hateful, demanding, spiteful – all the things Tom wasn't. People CAN change, but the look in his eyes... This isn't the dingo I fell for. In the past, he had a very timid nature, unsure of himself, shy.

"Tom... Goddammit TOM, I LOVED YOU!!!" I shouted, tears streaming from my eyes "Why would you hurt me like that?!" He didn't answer. The blood dribbling from his snout, baring his fangs, glaring at me with hatred. He took a step towards me, growling fiercely at me.

I got my right arm ready, my left too painful to flex. I didn't want to get in this fight, but I wanted him to suffer if he thinks he can just come back and do this.

"ALLEN!" My ear rotated before I turned my head. It's Max. He's running over to me.

"Allen! What's going on? What's wrong?" When he came up to me, I looked at the tiger with anger-filled eyes. I looked into his deep, green eyes, framed with worry and concern, "Allen, baby, what's going on?" He put an arm onto me. Feeling his touch... My rage began to fade. I huffed as I tried to control and hold back from crying. "Allen... Talk to me..."

"It's him, Max. It's Tom." I wiped my tears with my arm. I looked at Max, and he was looking towards the canine. "He's the dingo that left me 7 years ago." Tom shifted his glare at Max, the blood from his nose making him look dangerous, deadly even.

"What, is he your bitch now, Al?" I flexed claws out from my fingers, holding back a sob as I looked at him.

"Why, Tom... WHY ARE YOU HURTING ME?!" I took one step, but Max held me back. My tiger gave me a kiss on the cheek, and then walked over to Tom and put his paw on his shoulder.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." I blinked and the next thing I knew, Tom had let out a harsh yowl – Max had punched that dingo hard on the gut. Tom fell to his knees, hugging his arms around his stomach, groaning loudly, coughing as he leaned forward. Max gripped his head fur, and yanked it up to look at him in the eyes.

"I'm only going to say this once, Johnson: Leave. My Allen. Alone. You have no idea what you put him through, the pain he's felt when you ditched him." The tiger than grabbed the canine's throat, pulling him up, and then digging his claws into Tom's shoulder, "If I ever see you anywhere near my lion again," Tom grunted as the tiger dig his claws deeper, "I will kick you in the balls so hard, you won't be able to talk right for months! And if that isn't enough, I'll slash you and cut you until you have as many stripes as I have.

"Now get out of here." Max took his claws out of his shoulder, and shoved the canine away from him, kicking him on the lower back. Tom staggered, coughing and weezing, sloppily walked away.

This isn't over... I know it...

Max turned and hurried back to me and looked at my wrist. I hissed at his touch, my arm stinging, "Easy, easy, baby." I looked at Max. He looked at me right back. The tiger moved his face in and rubbed his forehead on mine. "I'm so sorry, Allen..." I sniffed as he gave me a kiss. "C'mon, lets get your arm into some ice."

He tried to lead me into the house but I pulled back. "Wait, just get the ice pack. There's someone I know who might have a spandex cast." Max looked somewhat at me, but then nodded. I tossed my keys over to him and he caught them. "Lock my house on the way out, please. You're going to have to drive." Max chuckled a little as he rushed into the house and came out quickly with the ice. "Should we take your car?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I've got a GPS, you can put your friend's address in it." I got into his car while gently handling my bad arm. When he climbed into the driver's seat, he gently placed the ice pack on my arm. I gasped a little as the cold touched the throbbing pain. He put my seat belt on for me before putting his own on and drove off.

I entered the address with my right paw into the gizmo. In a minute, the GPS set the course. We're going to Shiniqua's.

As we drove, I told Max about Shiniqua; how she babysat me and my brother and sister, how much of a close friend she is to me. "She's a good person. Blunt, short tempered, but nice. She's like an aunt to me." Hm? Is Max even listening? He was starring at the road, biting his lip a little. "Max?"

"H-Hm? What?"

"You ok, Max?" He glanced at me and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine..."

". . . Max, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Allen." He's still hiding something. I want to give him his space, but I can't help but feel like he's just keeping me in the dark.

It's around eight pm, and we're just pulling up in Shiniqua's driveway. Max got out first, and helped me out of my seat before approaching the door.

-KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK- I rapped on the screen door with my good paw. The door opened by Shiniqua, "Allen? The heck brings you here at dis time a'night, hunny?"

"I'm sorry, Shiniqua, but my arm is sprained. Could you help me, please?"

"Sprained?! Oh cose I can, hunny, come on in." She took us in, with Max following behind. She looked at my tiger as we came into the kitchen. "An' whose's this, baby?"

"Oh yeah! Shiniqua, this is Max, the tiger I told you about." Max just gave a weak smile and said `Hi'.

"Well, its certainly nice to meet chu, Max." She stepped over and shook Max's paw. Again, Max seems so withdrawn at the moment.

The bear then sat me at the table in the kitchen – something smells good. She must be cooking dinner- keeping the cold pack on my wrist before going into the living room and into her closet, that's where she kept her first aid.

I go to Shiniqua when I get hurt like this because back in her day, she was a war nurse, so she knows what she's doing when it comes to medical treatment; heck, she's still a part-time nurse at the hospital.

"Hey, Shia, who wuz at the door?" I smiled as I head Jacob's gruff voice from the couch. He doesn't work anymore, but he has unemployment checks coming in – he was in WWII at a very young age, and since then he's had a bad back.

"Its Allen an' a frien' of his."

"Who?"

"Allen. C'mon Jac, you know." Jacob was snapping his fingers

"Uh... Uh... Wasn't she a shepard or som-in?"

Now you know DAMN well, who I'm talking bout."

"If we talking bout your dead goldfish then-"

"Eh, shuddup." He couldn't help but snicker. Shiniqua told him to shut up and he slapped his knee and laughed, humored by his sister's annoyance as she slapped the back of his head as she walked by him, "Worth ev'ry second!" He always gets a kick out of getting on Shiniqua's nerves. He always called her `Shia' for some reason.

Shiniqua came back in with a large white box with her. She opened up the plastic case and took the ice pack away to examine my wrist. She pressed it in several places before she pressed the throbbing point.

"Ahh!" I winced and hissed a little as her thumb hit the bad spot.

"Oh, its jus' a small sprain, you'll be fine in n' a week."

"Cool." Shiniqua served in the army too when Jacob was there too – as a military nurse, so she knows what she's doing. Heh, she used to tell me how while all the other soldiers were perving over the other flirty nurse's, she would get then in the head with the bedpan if they so much as TOUCHED her, let alone come on to her.

"So what th' heck were you doin' spraining yo arm like this, huh?"

"Well, my ex showed up and I slugged him in the nose." She gave me a disapproving look.

"Allen Garrett Sander! Didn't me an' Jacob teach you better en that?" My ears lowered for a moment, "I thought you knew how to punch somebody! What da hec's the matter wit chu?" I smiled and started to laugh before I realized she seem serious about it.

The next few minutes where spent trying to stretch open the elastic fabric cast and slip in my paw in the tight and stretchy cast. Shiniqua's a strong ol' bear though, she held it open nice and wide, and moved it on my arm. Arrggh... It feels tight and pressured. Shiniqua said it was to straighten up and protect the wrist and allow the sore muscles to reform. Certainly FEELS tight and sore.

"Hm?" I looked up, and turned my head. I turned to look the other way.

Max isn't here.

"Shiniqua, have you seen Max?"

"The tiga? He's on the porch. Better git him off dat chair b'fore Jac gits up all on him." She said as she went back to cooking. "Now I KNOW you ain't leavin till you had aumthin ta eat, boy." I chuckled as she worked the potatoes.

"Aw, Shiniqua, I don't wanna impose-"

"Yes ya are, hunny, gotta make sure you get some good food SOMETIME, heah heah heah!"

"Hhehe, alright, we'll stay for dinner."

I got up and went out to find Max. Just as Shiniqua said, he's sitting on Jacob's old rocking chair, leaning forward.

"Hi, babe, what are you doing out here?" I said. He jumped a little when I spoke. I kissed him on the cheek, but he just nuzzled me.

"It's nothing, Allen. I just..." Max sighed, "I got a lot on my mind."

"Max... Please tell me what's wrong.

"It's fine, baby," He moved up and kissed my lips. I just need some time to think." My ears lowered, but...

000

"You were so clingy, putting yourself above my own life. You expected me to drop everything I was doing just to give you your attention... YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL that your looks are enough to make you HALF decent as a mate!"

000

Tom's words rang in my head before I could answer. I nodded and kissed him again. "Ok, sweetie. But, we're staying for dinner, just so you know."

He nodded and kissed me affectionately. I kissed him back one more time before going back in to watch TV with Jacob.

"Yo, hey dere, All'n!"

"Hey, Jacob."

"C'mon ova heer and watch some Simpsons wid me, boy."

When dinner was ready, we all sat the table, except Jacob, he never bothers with the table. Shiniqua said she spent half her days trying to wake his lazy ass up, but regrettably she just quit, she hated it, but she didn't want to play a losing game. Max seemed to be in a much better mood since he came over today. I smiled as I dug into my roast chicken breast.

After dinner, it was time to head home. It was weird though - Shiniqua was the first to send us home; usually she insists that I stay till 11:00, and it's a quarter to 9.

She gave us some of the left over chicken and mashed potatoes to take home and walked us to the door. She especially hurried us out when Jacob walked in and demanded where were the rest of the potatoes. Me and Max giggled as we trotted to the car and drove off, waving goodbye to Shiniqua as we went.

I still want to make one final attempt to question him.

"Home sweet home." I remarked.

"Yeah." Max replied. I looked at him, and he seems... Hesitant? "Well... I guess..."

"Wait, Max. Why don't you stay the night?" His ears perked up and smiled at me.

"Can I?" I smiled and pulled him into a kiss. He giggled and purred lovingly as he lapped my lips a little before I walked him to my door.

As we entered, I got ready to ask him. He's hiding something, and I have to-

"Allen, I..." He started. He sighed and looked at me, "I really need to talk to you."

"Max?"

"I've... I've been stressed out lately... And... I didn't want to bother you with my crap, but... I can't..."

I hugged him and nuzzled his neck. "Please, talk to me Max." The tiger nodded.

"Kay... Can we... Go to the couch?"

Max then told me everything. He started with being fired from his job, his rent almost wiping him out financially – having to spend all of his emergency nest egg just this month alone. Heck, he's had to live on ramen for weeks. He also mentioned that his parents and older brother in Japan are currently fighting. He says he feels so helpless because they were all the way far East.

He rested his head on his left palm, "And now... There's this Tom guy... That crazy dingo is after us – and don't tell me I'm paranoid. I'm just..." He huffed as he dug his fingers into his headfur. "I'm sorry... I... I didn't want to burden you..."

My ears lowered. My poor tiger... He's just... "Oh, baby..." I leaned in, and hugged him, holding him tightly, "Sweetie... You can tell me anything... I love you..." I heard him sniffle.

"Well, mostly, having you around... You've been making me feel better." I kissed him on the cheek and rubbed his arm.

There has to be SOMETHING I can do for him... Something...

Ooh! I know!

"You know, Max. I used to be a professional masseuse." Max's ears perked and he tilted his head toward me. I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "C'mon, you could use a rub down." Max blushed, but nodded. "All right, so go change, and I'll get everything ready in a few minutes."

"Change? What do you mean?"

"Well, you have to be naked." Max smirked at me. "Oh, don't look so smug, its policy."

He snickered as he got up, "Yeah right." He giggled as I threw a pillow after him before he went to the bathroom.

I then got up from the couch, and started by dimming the lights by just a little. I grabbed the box of matches, and then lit the scented candles. I quickly went to the stair closet, and pulled out the old massaging table.

Seriously, I used to be a masseuse at this spa called Touch of Serenity. Although I quit when they wouldn't give me that raise - hell, they even mocked me. Too bad for them, because I was good. Incidentally, the spa closed about a month after I quit, and I was allow to take of these storable massage tables for myself. Take THAT, Serenity!

I went to the CD player on top of the living room TV and put on some soothing music – another souvenir from Serenity. I then ran upstairs to change into my old spa uniform.

I pulled my pants down – oh hey, I'm still wearing that blue thong Max got me. Hehe, maybe he'll notice the straps. I smiled as I pulled up a pair of white shorts. Hmmm, still KINDA fits, but it's so snug.

I had just down the stairs when I spotted Max sitting on the table. I felt my face tingle as I looked at his naked body. My sheath swelled up as I gazed at his luscious build. I hardly noticed the smirk he was giving me.

"Umm... Okay, now go ahead and lay down on your stomach." Max couldn't help but grin and giggle as he climbed onto the stand, and laid gently onto the leather table. I then placed a white towel on his nice butt and got into position, placing both paws on his shoulders. "Now I want you to relax, sweetie kiss" Max nodded and sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

My fingers pressed down as my palms pushed low. I began to slowly rub his shoulders firmly with my palms while dragging my fingers over the shoulder blades. After one minute, Max had already began to moan quietly "Just let it go... All of your pains... All of your hurt... Don't think about anything else." I continued to work downward rubbing the underside of his arms, all the while, hearing a low purr. His purring steadily became louder as I felt his muscles loosen up to my touch. My paws explored gradually along his back, working in to pressing my thumbs down the spine. Max moaned longingly again as he purred lazily

"Ohhhh myy ghhhhod... Allen, this feels sooo amazing. I feel like my body's melting." I smiled as I lowered my head to give the back of his neck a kiss before palming lower back, digging my paws into his sides slowly and evenly.

I then lifted the towel off his ass and put it on his lower back. I blushed as I placed my paws on his perfect butt, and smoothly and slowly kneaded around his sweet behind. Max moaned a little louder as I continue to massage his soft rump. Oh, his soft butt feels so good to pleasure. Just looking at his cute ass just makes me tingle. I then slowly rubbed my way down his upper thighs, firmly massaged his calves, and making him giggle when I rubbed his feet.

"Ok, flip over so that I can do the front." Max groaned as he was forced to move at all after the long rub down on his backside.

"Allen, are you sure you're ok doing this?" He asked as he laid down, "What about your wrist?" I just kissed his lips, and placed a clean, folded washcloth over his eyes.

"I'm fine, Max. I'm here for you." My wrist is fine actually. It twinges from time to time massaging him, but I don't give a damn.

I put the small towel over his crotch. He breathed slowly in and out as I softened his arms. My paws worked onto his pecs by tracing my paws around his chest slowly and put both flat paws on the middle of each pec and rubbed them in a circular motion. He smiled and purred deeply as I thumbed under his pecs and palmed and rotated down his abs.

I subtly rubbed underneath the cloth, sure to avoid his genitals firmly rubbed his hips and into his inner thighs. Max moaned as his sheath began to expand. Hmm... Eh, I'll leave him alone tonight.

Now it's time to put the finishing touch. I move to the upper part of the table, leaned forward, came close to his face, and pressed my lips onto his half opened mouth, locking him into a pool of deep passion. He moaned into my maw as I removed the moist cloth from his dazed eyes. Max simply move his tongue, whimpering weakly as I dominated him in the kiss.

When I finally parted the kiss, his gorgeous green eyes looked into mine. I gave his cheek a small lick before I pulled a chair to sit on, behind the crown of his head. He closed his eyes as I gently massaged his ears between my fingers.

Minutes pass by. I want nothing more than to be here... Spending this time with him. I love him. I... I don't want him to feel alone... I don't want to be alone...

"Max... I..." My heart raced as I gulped, nervous on what I'm about to say, "I... I want you to... I want you to move in with me."

Max opened his eyes, looking up at me. "H-Huh?" The tiger sat himself up, and turned around to look at me. "A-Allen, what did you say?"

"Max, I... I want you to live here. With me." He started to shake his head.

"No... Allen, I can't do that... I-I just"

"Max, please..." I took his paw into mine. I put my other paw on his cheek, and turned his head to look at me. A looked him straight in the eye. "I love you, Max. You are unquestionably the best thing to ever walk into my life. I have never let anyone near my heart as much as you have. I want you here, with me. If you're going to stress, I want to be there to stress WITH you. I've been alone for far too long. Every night I spend without you, I can't stop thinking about out next date. Every moment we have together I keep hoping it would never end. I want you here, Max..."

I can see tears rimming his eyelids, "Allen... I..." He huffed a little as he sniffled, ". . . I don't want to be alone anymore either..." We leaned into each other, pressing our foreheads together.

". . . Max... I want you to stay here while we make it official... And another thing," I parted from him, "I don't care what you say, I'm paying for whatever it costs to have you move in, and don't even think of paying me back." He opened his mouth to argue, but I just tapped his mouth with my finger.

". . . I love you, Allen."

I kissed him sweetly while wrapping my right arm around him and tucked my left arm under his knees, and lifted him up. I adjusted my arm to avoid my wrist from applying any pressure. The tiger purred as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed me again as I carried him up the stairs.

I brought him into my bedroom, approaching the large bed, and softly placed him onto the bed. I walked around the other side of the bed, and slowly stripped out of my tight clothes.

I first slowly pulled off my shirt and threw them on the floor. I then slowly pushed down my white shorts to show off my mostly bare ass with the blue thong. I turned to give Max a look of semi-curiosity to see Max half covered himself with the blanket while laying on his side, and I am loving the soft smile on his face. "You're so cute, Allen."

I gently slipped into bed with him and I came in close. As I laid my head down on a pillow next to him, he turned to face me and placed a paw on my cheek.

"I love you, so much Allen. You do so much for me; giving me a massage with a bad wrist, inviting me to live with you. I just, Imean, what could I ever do to make myself worth it to you?" I lovingly kissed him, and nuzzled his cheek.

"Nothing you're not already doing, sweetie." Max sniffled a little as he looked at me lovingly and smiled as he kissed me back and nuzzled into my mane. I purred as Max felt my smooth muscular chest as I placed my paw on his smooth and round butt. We held each other close and snuggled our smooth and furry bodies together. We kissed tenderly until we eventually fell into sleep with him on my chest, resting his head on my mane like a pillow.