Axel Graves was pretty much your average high school jock, He was taller than most, definitely more muscular, but still very lean. (Thanks to playing baseball since he was old enough to swing a bat.) He had grown into his near perfect facial features, with a jawline that was so well defined you could find it in the dictionary, and a piercingly dark set of hunter's eyes to rest above it. His father, who was of Creole descent, opened up the now second largest veterinary practice in his County. His mother, on the other hand, was one of the most successful Defense lawyers in the Southern United states, No small feat for a black woman born into the Bible Belt. Needless to say, Axel had always put a great deal of pressure on himself to be successful.
Perhaps that was why he hadn't told his parents, or anyone else for that matter, that he was gay. (Though he was pretty certain his mom and dad would be as supportive on that aspect as they had been with every other part of his life.) In truth, it just felt like a black speck on that shining image he tried to maintain. Besides, Axel wasn't stupid, the world may have been changing, but sharing a locker room with a gay teammate may be enough of a burden for some to keep his baseball career from moving forward, and he was counting on that scholarship to get the hell out of the piss-ant town he was born into. So he kept his sexuality to himself, and only himself, even as he fell in love with his best friend as time went on.
Axel had met Clay on the first day of first grade, and they had been mostly inseparable since. He had always liked him for some reason, and always tried to play on the same team as him when they paired up the kids to play sports at school. They played often with another small group of friends back then, but it all changed when Clay's mom died some time later... A change that killed Axel to watch.
He could remember that day clearly, both of the boys were around 12 then, they had just finished a little league game, and, after celebrating the win at the local pizza place, Axel and his mom were giving Clay a ride home. His mom didn't show at the game, (which wasn't like her,) and she wasn't answering the phone, (also unlike her,) but it wasn't uncommon for the boys to visit each others houses often back then, so Ms. Graves simply offered him the ride home. They talked most of the way, as usual, Clay said goodbye, as usual, He walked up the stairs to the smaller trailer, as usual, and Axel and his mom waited for Clay to get inside before leaving, as usual... But what didn't go as usual, was the scream they both heard right as Ms. Graves was shifting the car into reverse. She abruptly stopped and threw it back into park before telling Axel to stay put as she got out of the car and walked up the stairs. Axel remembered feeling scared in that moment, and he remembered worrying for Clay, but what he remembered most of all, was the look of panic on his mother's face as she saw inside the trailer, right before she scrambled inside.
Axel may have been terrified, but he wasn't going to leave Clay in there with whatever had managed to scare his mom that badly, so he unbuckled his seatbelt and went inside after them... And almost wished he hadn't.
Clay's mom was on the ground, and his own mother was kneeling down over her, it looked like she was pushing on her chest, but he couldn't comprehend what was really happening at first. CPR was something you just saw in the movies... But one look at Clay and he knew this was no movie. Clay was sitting beside the women, his mouth was slightly hanging open and tears fell continuously from wide eyes. He appeared so still and so quiet, Axel was certain he wasn't even breathing. Though Axel was too young to realize that Clay was likely going into a state of shock, he still knew he couldn't leave his best friend like that, if for no other reason, so he didn't have to see him in such a state. So Axel walked towards Clay, placed his hands in his own, and pulled his friend into a standing position. He looked towards his own mom again and saw she was on the phone with someone, he assumed the paramedics, so he left her alone, and walked his friend back outside and down the steps to the overgrown lawn. Clay still had the same look on his face, with the same flow of tears. Axel couldn't take the silence anymore, so he spoke in the most calm voice he could manage at the time. (Which wasn't very calm if we are being completely honest, but who could blame the kid?)
"Clay? Hey, buddy, you ok? What's up man? Please talk to me, Clay." Axel received no answer, so he tried again, this time grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him just a bit, his panic and his voice rising as he went on.
"HEY! CLAAAAaaaayy! SAY SOMETHING MAN! CLAY!!! FUCKING SAY SOMETH-"
"She's dead." He spoke so softly, that Axel almost didn't even hear it. But he knew he heard correctly when he watched his friend's eyes finally relax some, shifting from the wide open look that terrified Axel so, to a more droopy, saddened state. His body began shaking, and his head fell forward as the tears flowed faster than ever. Axel watched as his friend shattered into pieces before his very eyes, and he couldn't take it. So he did what anyone would do should they find someone they loved in that situation, He pulled him into a tight embrace, He laid Clay's head against his shoulder, He cradled him as best he could, He cried with him in the eerie silence of the night, and he told him he loved him.
When Axel said it, he had meant it. Clay needed to be reminded he was loved at that moment, but it was also the first time he had told him that. Nothing changed from it, Clay was far too preoccupied for that, but that was the exact moment Axel finally understood his feelings for Clay. He had loved him for a while, unfortunately, it took a terrible event to make him realize it, so he pushed it away, and kept comforting his friend until the paramedics arrived. Holding Clay like that? Well, it just seemed like the most important thing he could do for his friend at that moment. In truth, it was both the only thing, and everything he could've done.
As anyone could expect, Clay withdrew into himself after that. He didn't talk much at school, he didn't care to hangout much after, he dropped out of baseball, and his grades started slipping. One day, a few months after, Axel happened across Clay and two of the other boys they used to play with before everything happened, Though it didn't look friendly. As Axel listened in, he was horrified at what he heard. The boys were taunting Clay because he didn't want to hang out anymore, one even brought up his mom, right before reaching out and pushing Clay... Axel wasn't sure what possessed him to do so, but he was suspended from school for three days, and the playoffs game scheduled for that weekend after breaking that boy's nose. A price more than worth paying in his opinion. The group of friends he grew up with stopped talking to him, many even quit the team, but Clay started opening back up to him, and him alone, so again, it seemed well worth it. Clay and Axel had been best friends since. But that friendship wasn't all Axel had desired from Clay, and if he had to wait for Clay to come to him, he would... but it didn't mean he couldn't satisfy his cravings in the mean time.
It was the Spring Break of Senior year, and Axel told his parents he'd be staying with a friend for the last weekend of it. They didn't ask too many questions and assumed he was telling the truth, after all, they had no reason not to believe him. What Axel had really done, was packed up a few changes of clothes and a shower bag into the trunk of his car, filled the tank up with the extra cash he had been saving up for a few weeks, and made himself a two hour drive. He found a cheap enough hotel when he was near, dropped his stuff off, showered, and prepared for his first night out in a gay bar. Axel Graves was on a personal mission that night, he was going to find out exactly what it was that he had been longing after for so long. Even if he had to make that jump alone. Needless to say, he did, and a short while later, he unknowingly walked into the same bar Clay was dancing at.
When Alex walked in, and made his way throughout the front bar area, he was met with countless stares. They didn't really bother him, he was attractive, and confident enough, Alex was simply used to people staring. He nodded slightly to a few of the onlookers as he made his way through the crowd. His heart felt like it was about to explode, but he kept his cool well enough. He knew he wasn't going to be stupid enough to risk drinking and driving, and even knew if he was going to have any sort of conversation that he'd have to make it with a stranger, but what he really wanted to do, was hit the dance floor. The good thing about being so aware of his sexuality at such a young age was he had plenty of time to do his research. So he knew about leather, bdsm, drag, the history of LGBT rights, and had a pretty good idea about what went down in places like this. But the allure of dancing frantically while surrounded by total strangers just seemed to speak to him, he needed that sort of freedom, that chance to cut loose. So while Clay was dancing with the pack, only a few feet away, through the packed dance floor, Axel started dancing by himself. That is, until he felt a certain yellow puppy bump into his back a few minutes later.
Clay's heart had seized in place as he stared back at the oldest, and most true friend he had ever known. What the hell was Axel doing here? Was this some kind of trick? Was this another planned event by his Sir? No, that wasn't something he would do... Had Axel been following him? Was this some kind of blackmail? Clay realized he had stopped breathing, and took a deep breath as his rationality came back to him. Axel wouldn't try to blackmail him, and he was certain his Sir hadn't known about this, so that meant... Axel must have came for the same reason Clay had. Could Axel... be gay? He'd never even considered it, but now that he had his heart fluttered at the thought. More so when his friend began to speak.
"It's alright, no harm no foul, right man?" It took Clay a moment to remember he had just apologized for bumping into him. Axel just kept on speaking as if the entire world hadn't just been flipped upside-down. "Name's Axel, Axel Graves, and yes, my parents really named me that haha! It's nice to meet you. Sorry for stepping on your toes." He held a hand out as he introduced himself with a brilliant smile, and a wink as his apology. Clay hadn't really understood what was happening, of course he was Axel, why was he introducing himself like they weren't best frie-... The hood, Clay told himself, that is why Axel hasn't recognized you, because of your hood, Clay. He felt a bit stupid at that realization, but at the same time felt a wave of relief, his secret was safe for now. So Clay snapped back to reality, and took Axel's hand into his own.
"Uh... Phoenix, Pup Phoenix, nice to meet you, Axel." It was around that time that Blaze had noticed the pup talking to the young stud, but he also picked up on how tense Clay seemed, so he walked over, Andy saw what was happening, and joined his beta as they placed themselves on either side of Clay, right as Axel continued talking.
"Phoenix huh? Cute name for a cute puppy. I'm guessing this is your pack?" He motioned towards the two pups on "Guard duty," as he asked the last part. Andy wasted no time chiming in to answer that question.
"We are, I'm the Alpha of this pack, Alpha Hatchet, nice to meet you stud. I see you've met Phoenix already, and this fine muscle pup in red here is Blaze." He motioned to Clay's other side, where the big red pup was calmly assessing the situation with his arms crossed over his chest. Andy turned his head to talk into Clay's ear before he spoke as quietly as possible, "Are you ok? What's going on?" As much as Clay wanted to keep talking, he didn't want to risk Axel learning who was under that hood just yet, so he turned to the Alpha and whispered his own response.
"We are good, he's no trouble... but I know him, he knows me, the me under the hood. I need to see my Sir, Andy, but I can't let this guy see Coach yet." Andy slightly nodded, then turned back to face the stranger.
While this exchange was going on, Axel couldn't help but feeling something was a bit off, for one, that yellow pup seemed far too familiar, when he shook his hand, he felt like he had already met him... For another, the air seemed to have some tension to it, the reasoning why exactly, he couldn't place, but it was there. The last piece of the puzzle that didn't fit,, was the secretive whispering the orange and yellow ones had just done. Whatever it was that seemed off, it was pushed aside as the Alpha spoke once more.
"Me and this pup have to make a drink run real quick, gotta stay hydrated when you've been dancing as long as we have, so you'll have to excuse us, Axel. The rest of my pack would love to keep dancing though if you'd like a partner or two?"
Axel still felt a bit put off by whatever it was he was missing from this picture, but as he didn't see any reason those feelings were justified, he simply replied,
"Sure man, do what you've gotta do." He turned towards Blaze, who was still silently eyeing him, and extended his hand in a "Wanna dance?" gesture. Blaze loosened up just a bit, and nodded once in response before taking his hand. So as the pair started to dance, Clay and Andy slipped away to find his handler.
Daddy Duncan, who had been enjoying his night since Kevin had gotten rid of the asshole earlier that same evening, was instantly put on guard when he saw his pup coming towards him. The kid had a look of panic in his eyes, and it made him worry, so as Pup Phoenix got in range, he immediately asked what was wrong. Clay took a second to catch his breath before he quickly sputtered through what he needed to say.
"Coach... it's Axel, he's here. He saw me, even talked to me... I don't think he knows it's me yet, but I'm worried he's gonna find out about us!" Clay spoke so quickly, his Sir had a bit of trouble understanding what exactly he had meant. But then it all clicked into place. Clay had spoken a lot about his best friend Axel when they were alone and making small talk, so the coach knew that it had to be the same student he was speaking of. Regardless of what was going on, the handler knew the first thing he needed to do was calm his pup down.
"OK, Clay, it's ok, just calm down. Deep breathing, just like I taught you, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Regardless of what you want to do, panicking won't help the situation." The Sir placed his hand on his pup's head as he did his breathing, he gave him a moment to get his bearings before he continued to soothe the kid. "Thank you, now, I'm assuming you mean Axel Graves? I've got to admit, I didn't expect him here, that's for sure, but maybe it isn't a bad thing? I know you've said you wished you could tell him who you really are, and this could be that chance if you want it to be, pup. I know you're worried about us being discovered, but your feelings come before that... Now, what do you want to do about this situation pup? Where is Axel right now?" Andy, who had been listening intently so he understood more about the full situation, answered that part for him, pulling his hood off to let some air hit his messy, damp hair before doing so.
"He's on the dancefloor, my pack is keeping him occupied, but I'm not sure how long they can... So whatever y'all decide, you may want to do it quickly..." The coach just nodded his understanding towards the Alpha Pup before turning back to his boy.
"I'll say it again, Clay, what do YOU want to do?" Clay looked into his Sir's compassionate eyes, and really thought about it. He did want to tell Axel, but before, he was scared of how his friend may react. Now he knew it wouldn't be a big deal to Axel... But in the same breath, he felt strange about finding out his best friend was also gay, almost... Sad? No, that wasn't quite right. More like disappointed that he hadn't found out until after he had found his Sir. That thought troubled Clay a little, so he buried it for now. He'd have time to think about that later, for now though, He only wanted some space from this place to think about how to approach his friend the way he wanted to, not by an unexpected ambush.
"I think... I want to go, Sir. I'll face Axel, but on my own dime... I don't like feeling pressured to do it now... I'm sorry, I know this is the first time you've been out with your friends in years, but-" the pup was silenced by his handler before he finished that sentence, who placed one finger at his own lips, (The command for silence,) before he spoke to the frantic pup.
"Don't apologize to me for that, I've had a blast, yes, but you aren't pulling me away, I'm choosing to leave with you. Your comfort will always be the priority, my sweet puppy, and never a burden." The gentle giant smiled that calming smile to his pup before he stood up, and reached for the leash attached to his hip. He brought it up and fastened it back to the pup's collar before turning to his friends, who completely understood the situation at hand. Alan was the first to stand and meet the coach with a hug before he left.
"I'll see you boys back at the house, I think I'll stay just a bit longer, take my car, I've had too many and should Uber back anyways... It was good having you back, Rusty." Daddy Duncan smiled and hugged the man back as he accepted the keys. Kevin had a more sassy parting remark, but it was essentially the same sentiment. The handler tipped his hat to the rest of the table, and turned back to the Alpha pup.
"Thank you for taking care of him, Andy. I mean that. You're a good kid." Andy smiled in return, and also hugged the man.
"No problem, Daddy Dunc." He released the bigger man and turned back to Phoenix, who he gave an even tighter hug to, before he said his own goodbye. "Hey pup, you should know the Lunartics are always here should you need us, and you're always more than welcome in our pack. We all enjoyed having you... Be a good pup." He topped his statement off with a simple "Woof," before winking at the young pup. Clay smiled, "Woofed," back at him, and spoke a single worded farewell, nodding as he did so. "Alpha."
The pair set off, walked back towards the entrance, and left the bar behind as they made their way back to the car... But what they hadn't noticed, was Axel, who had just walked out of the restroom. Perhaps it was simply a turn of fate that he happened to look and see the man leading the same yellow puppy he had met earlier on the dance floor out the door by a leash. It was almost unbelievable, but Axel knew what he had just seen. That was Coach Duncan...
Rusty comforted his pup most of the way home, simply talking to him and clasping his hand in his own as he drove them back to Alan's place. Rusty used the spare key he was given to get the pair inside, and they made their way to the bedroom. The coach cleared the trunk and leather from the bed, lazily plopped down on his back, and closed his eyes for a moment while he processed everything that had happened throughout the night. Clay, however, had his own little scheme prepared, and even the unforeseen events at the bar weren't going to put a damper on that plan. He leaned down as quietly as possible, plucked something from the open trunk, and straddled his Sir.
The older man simply kept his eyes closed and smiled as his boy moved to kissing on his neck, he figured the pup needed the distraction, and he had no worries about letting him do what he needed to do to clear his head. He felt the pup push on his arms a bit, and assumed he wanted access to his armpits, so he raised his hands above his head and let them rest beside the headboard... Exactly as Clay had hoped he would. Coach Duncan barely had time to register the Click of the handcuffs around his wrists before he opened his eyes in surprise. What he saw when he did, was the very devilish looking pup straddling him, gazing down lustily at the older man. But what turned Rusty on more than anything in that moment, was the pure mischief he saw in his pup's eyes.
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