(Hey all! Scribbles here! Got a new story for you all, and I am trying something new with this one! Read till the end to find out more! Enjoy the first part of “Chasing Spots!” I had a lot of fun with this story and really enjoyed writing and revising it!)
As far as birthdays went, Ari Arman was not having a great one. Between three “incorrect” coffee orders for one extremely bitchy column editor at work, a below-passing grade on his essay about the underwhelming release of the most recent Off-Road Outlaws film, and a drained social battery, the Asiatic cheetah wanted nothing more than to go home and pass out on the couch.
But there he was, standing in line outside of a flashy queer nightclub in the early evening air. The words “The Doghouse” were outlined in bright green lights on the side of the building, right beside where their line crawled.
Music softly poured from the club doors, some peppy beat Ari didn’t recognize. He had to admit, it wasn’t the worst place he could have ended up. If there weren’t so many people around him, he might have allowed himself to sway to the music a bit.
Despite his aversion to crowds and loud music, he’d always felt a sense of curiosity that drew him to The Doghouse. He’d always heard people talking about how fun and lively it was, or making plans to go there for a night out. He couldn’t help but want to check it out for himself. But he’d always felt weird about going alone.
However, he wasn’t alone tonight.
His eyes flicked next to him, to the white furred Arctic fox shaking her hips as she filed her claws, her lips moving as she mouthed the muffled words to the song as if she knew it by heart.
Melody Barker, or Mels as Ari called her, had been Ari’s best friend since middle school and a pretty consistent figure throughout his life despite him barely leaving the apartment for anything other than necessity.
He wouldn’t have even tried to come out to the club if she hadn’t agreed to tag along. He would’ve been too nervous.
He was still nervous, looking around at the other patrons waiting in line. Everywhere he looked he could see the flashy glowsticks, harnesses and bare chests, pup hoods, parachute pants, and twinks in glittery crop-tops and skinny waists.
Ari’s paw instinctively moved to touch his own tummy through his shirt. Not only did he feel overdressed, but he also felt a pang of jealousy. He didn’t have the confidence these other folks did. He wished he could show off his fur like that.
He bit his lip, looking down at himself. He pinched the fabric of his dark blue tank top. He had a crop top at home. Maybe he should have worn that instead? He looked around at everyone else in line again. No… That wasn’t a good idea. What if the others took notice of him. What if they thought he was too chunky for a crop top? God… Was he too chunky to wear a crop top?
“Ari.” A paw slipped over his shoulder, rubbing his arm.
He jumped a little, turning to Mels, who gently squeezed him in a tight sidehug. “You’re going to be okay, hun.”
Ari nodded, his chest rising and falling as he realized he was two insecurities away from having a panic attack. “S-Sorry, Mels. Just thinking.”
The fox flashed Ari a grin. “Careful, Ari. You’re going to hurt yourself thinking so hard.”
Ari’s tail flicked behind him, and he frowned. “I just feel overdressed and out of place here.”
Mels gently ruffles his headfur. “Well, I think you look great.”
“But what about everyone else?” Ari turned to look around again.
“Ari!” Mels gently turned his muzzle to face her. “Who the fuck cares what everyone else thinks?”
Ari didn’t meet her gaze and he bit his lip. “Well… I…”
“No! You’re a cute guy. If someone is really going to have an issue with what you’re wearing to a club — on your birthday, mind you — then they’re not worth being around.” She gestured to the other animals in line. “Plus, is anyone out here even looking at you right now?”
Ari took a second to look around again. No one was paying him any mind, chatting amongst themselves happily. It was kind of a relief.
“See? We’re all just looking to get into the club and have a good night.” Mels grinned, patting his back.
“Yeah… I guess you’re right.”
“Next.” The gruff voice of the bouncer called to them as they stepped closer to the doors.
Mels pulled her wallet out, flashing her ID at the bouncer, a rather large horse wearing a black shirt that read “SECURITY” on it, who responded with a gruff “Hm” before letting her through.
Ari pulled his own wallet out of his pocket, fishing out his I.D. He could feel the horse staring down at him impatiently as his paws struggled. “Sorry. It’s… Uh… It’s in there a bit tight.” He handed the horse his license.
The horse huffed, cracking a small smirk, studying the I.D. He looked between the card and Ari, raising a brow. “Hm.”
Ari’s tail flicked behind him as he gritted his teeth. “Is everything okay?”
The horse snorted, handing the card back to him. “Yeah. You’re good.” The horse gestured to the club.
“Ah. Cool.” Ari made his way past the bouncer, very aware that the horse was still watching him.
“Enjoy your birthday, cutie.” The horse winked as he passed by.
Ari’s face scrunched up as he winced in embarrassment, not addressing the comment, or the deep chuckle that followed.
Mels waited by the doorway of the club, smiling at him. “You good?”
“Y-Yeah. Just flustered.” Ari mumbled.
“What?” Mels yelled as she opened the door, the loud club music spilling out.
“Nothing! I’m good!” He called back, despite being right next to her.
She smiled, taking his arm and leading him inside. “You know the bouncer is checking you out right now.” She talked right into his ear so he could hear her over the music.
Ari groaned, his shoulders slumped. “God, I wish I had picked a better outfit. I feel so overdressed.” He called back, eyes scanning the club with hesitation. Coming here seemed more like a bad idea with every second. “I should have worn my damn crop top.”
“Don’t think about it too much.” Mels looked back at the door as it shut behind them. “Besides, if he’s checking you out, it means he enjoys the view.”
Ari wasn’t paying attention. He was wringing his paws in front of him. There were so many people at the club. Just milling around him. Were they looking his way? Did they notice how out of place he was? What were they all thinking?
Ari shuddered and took in a deep breath, shaking out his paws in front of him as he let it out. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, and his tail swishing wildly behind him.
He closed his eyes, trying to center himself as he took another breath in. The scent of sweaty animals and mixed drinks filled his nose as he took a few more deep cleansing breaths.
He opened his eyes, as he felt the nerves slowly melting away. He finally was able to take a good look around the club.
There were animals dancing and chatting all around him. Off to the right, pressed up a wall, was a raised platform where a cardinal DJ sat with her soundboard.
Off to the left, to Ari’s delight, was the bar. He was pleasantly surprised to see that there were free stools despite how crowded the club itself was.
Melody stood by his side as he took everything in, her paw on his shoulder a nice, grounding gesture. “You okay?”
Ari gave her a nod, still glancing at all the dancing animals and trying not to think about how out of place he must look.
She gave him a gentle squeeze on his shoulder and pointed toward the bar. “Let’s get some booze in you.”
He felt his shoulders relax at the mention of alcohol. “Booze sounds good.”.
As they squeezed their way through the crowd, he kept his gaze on the floor. He muttered apologies as the other dancers accidentally bumped into him.
He only lifted his eyes and completely let himself relax when they were at the bar. His ears perked up as he realized that the music wasn’t as loud. Maybe all of the speakers were over by the dance floor?
“God, that felt like the longest walk ever.” He slid onto a free bar stool, while Melody slid onto the one to his right.
“Oh, hun.” Melody chuckled. “We really need to get you out more.”
Ari chuckled, biting his lip. “We don’t have to do that.”
Melody grinned. “Agree to disagree.”
He grinned, turning in his seat to face her. “This place does seem… cool. Like, I wouldn’t want to come here all the time. But maybe every once in a while it could be nice to drop by and get drinks.”
“Hey there, folks!”
“Jeezus!” Ari jumped in his seat, causing the stool to spin and almost knock him off-balance. He flailed his arms, then grabbed the bar top to steady himself.
The borzoi behind the counter grinned down at him, paws up in front of her. “Sorry, hun!” She chuckled. “Hope I didn’t scare you too bad.”
Ari’s eyes flicked to her, letting out a sigh of relief. “N-no! Just caught off guard, that’s all.” He gave her an awkward smile as he gave her a once-over.
She was tall and slender, with well-groomed, curly black hair lining her neck, while the hair on her head was tied up in a ponytail. From what Ari could see, she wore an unbuttoned jean jacket, a spiked collar around her neck, and a t-shirt featuring a metal band that Ari’d never heard of before.
“Ari.” Mels gently shook his shoulder, causing him to jump.
“Huh? What?” He looked over at Melody, who nodded down at the counter in front of him.
Ari looked down, realizing his claws were digging into the countertop. He let go of the bar top, gritting his teeth. “Oh my god! I am so sorry!” He shook his paws off as his claws retracted.
The borzoi smiled. “You’re all right, hun.” She reached over the bar with a towel and wiped the shavings from the resin off. “Happens all the time.”
Ari looked down, sliding his pawpads on the smooth surface and feeling all the divets and dents. “Huh.”
“She’s been through worse. I promise you that.” The canine tossed the towel on her shoulder, her gaze flicking over Ari’s features. “I’m Daisy. I’m gonna be your barkeep tonight. Welcome to the Doghouse!”
Ari looked up from the counter, cracking a small smile. “Thanks.” He tapped his paws on the counter in a soft pitter-patter. “I don’t really go to these types of places often. I am a bit out of my element.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a lot to take in for a first-timer. But we’re a friendly bunch here.” She winked, then looked over to Melody.
“So, what can I get for you two tonight?”
Mels grinned, smiling over at Ari. “I think we’re just looking for some drinks right now. Right, Ari?”
“Y-Yeah.” Ari nodded, “Drinks would be awesome!”
“Great!” Daisy grinned, “What would you like?”
Ari’s ears slicked back. He hadn’t thought about what kind he’d like. Usually, at home he’d settle for one of his canned ciders. Did they have cider here?
“I’ll take a couple of mai-tais.” Mels grinned. “We’re waiting on my girlfriend.”
“Oh?” Daisy grinned. “You guys celebrating something?”
Ari’s eyes darted to Mels as she rested a paw on his shoulder. “Well…” Her eyes flicked to him, as if silently asking if it was okay to mention his birthday.
Ari took a deep breath, “Um… Well, it’s my birthday today.”
Daisy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, wow! Happy Birthday! I’m so happy we can be a part of your special day, hun.”
Ari kept tapping his paws on the counter. “Thanks. I have always wanted to come here. It’s just… now that I am here— Like you said, it’s a lot.” He turned to look at the dance floor, his eyes scanning the faces of all the happy critters. “Usually, on a normal night, I’d be curled up with a Decorum or two and watching some gory foreign horror flick.”
“Oh shit!” Daisy grinned. “You drink Decorum?”
“Yeah, it’s only my favorite cider brand.” Ari’s ears perked up and his paws stopped tapping. “Wait! You have it?”
Daisy nodded, leaning forward. “Even got the latest flavor on tap! Pink Lady.”
“Oh!” Ari looked to Mels, eyes wide. “Should I—”
“Ari, sweetie, it’s your birthday! Go wild!” Melody chuckled.
“Can I get a glass of that, please?” Ari turned back to Daisy, shoulders vibrating with excitement.
“But of course, hun!” Daisy giggled, turning partially and tossing her ponytail. “I’ll be back with those drinks for you in a jiffy, ‘kay?” She walked away, her tail wagging behind her.
“Thank you!” Ari called after her, watching her move down the bar. He let out a sigh of relief. He’d done it. He’d had a full, successful conversation with someone he didn’t already know. Granted, she was the bartender. But still, a win is a win.
“She seems nice.” He turned to look at Mels. “Don’t you think?”
“Oh for sure.” Mels leaned an elbow on the bar, looking at Ari. “Kinda cute too, right?”
Ari giggled, “Yeah. Do you know the band on her shirt?”
“Nah. Kayla might, though.” Melody opened her clutch and pulled out her cell. “Speaking of Kay…” She unlocked it and bit her lip as she typed. “Where the fuck are you, darling?” She said as she typed.
Ari leaned over, “Please tell me she’s at least on the way.”
Mels sighed, “Well, she’s picked an outfit, so at least she’s not still hunkered down in the closet.”
Ari chuckled. “That’s progress. But to be fair, she’s coming to party.”
“Yeah, she can really work with any outfit when it comes to dancing.” Mels sighed, “She’s so hot, dude.”
“Heh. Gay.” Ari grinned, nudging Melody gently with his elbow. “So, she’s on her way then?”
She grinned, gently pushing him back. “Leaving the apartment now.”
Ari nodded. “Cool.”
“Yeah. Cool.” Melody chuckled, leaning close to him. “And she’s bringing the presents!” she practically sang at him.
Ari chuckled. “I know! I’m excited.”
“You’re going to love your gift so so so much, Ari.” Melody grinned.
“Shouldn’t I be the judge of how much I love it?”
“Trust me. If I know you, which I do, you’re going to lose it.”
Ari chuckled. “Don’t get my expectations too high.” He chuckled, turning on his stool to look over at the dance floor again. He still hadn’t spotted anyone he knew from work, which was such a relief. The last thing he needed was to have to fake excitement in a conversation with one of his supervisors. He didn’t even like them at work. Why the hell would he want to talk to them outside of work?
“All right, babes.”
He turned his attention back to the bar in front of him as Daisy set a glass of amber liquid in front of him. “Oh!” he wiggled his fingers in excitement.
“Decorum for the birthday feline,” Daisy grinned, winking at Ari. “And a mai tai for the lovely lady. Now. You ordered that other one. Do you want it now? Or do you want me to bring it over when your girlfriend gets here.”
Mels picked up her glass, taking a small sip. “Oh, could you bring it later? With her, there’s no telling when she’ll actually get here.”
Ari gingerly picked up his own glass with two paws, bringing the cup to his muzzle for a small sip.
As he sipped, his chest rumbled with a soft purr. His whiskers twitched as the warm tart apple flavor washed over all of his senses. It tasted like a sweet, tart apple pie, warm from the windowsill. Scratch that. It tasted like someone baked a pie, but didn’t let it set, then poured all the un-set liquid into a mug with some whiskey. It was heaven.
“Damn, that got his engine running.” He heard Mels chuckle.
Ari gently set the glass back down on the counter and looked up at Daisy. “Whoa.”
Daisy grinned, leaning against the bartop. “Pretty good, right?”
Ari nodded, “Pretty good.” His words were laced with a soft purr that just didn’t seem to want to stop. He reached into his pocket to get his wallet out, but Mels stopped him.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Getting my wallet out to pay for my drink?” Ari blinked.
“Dude, it’s your birthday. You are not paying for drinks on your birthday.” Mels opened her clutch and took out her card, handing it over the counter to Daisy.
Daisy took the card, “Actually, you don’t have to worry about his drink. It’s been covered already.”
“What?” Ari froze, his ears perking up. “I’m sorry… It’s been covered already?” His eyes darted to the other patrons at the bar, looking for familiar faces. Had Kayla finally arrived?
No. He didn’t see her. Nor did he notice anyone he recognized.
“I don’t understand.” Ari swallowed nervously.
“You’ve got yourself some admirers.” Daisy giggled, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. “Right over on the other side of the bar.”
“Admirers?” Ari repeated, following her thumb. His breath caught in his throat.
Sitting there, by himself, was one of the most gorgeous cheetahs Ari had ever seen. By the looks of the markings around his muzzle, he could only assume that this man was a King Cheetah.
Their eyes met, and the other cheetah gave Ari a playful grin and raised his glass.
Ari gave the cheetah a shy wave in return,
“Holy shit.” Mels gasped beside him.
Ari turned to look at Mels. “I know, right?”
“They’re cute, right?” Daisy chuckled. “They’re regulars. I see em at least once or twice a week.”
“Regulars?” Ari’s eyes trailed back over to where this other handsome feline sat.
“Yeah!” Daisy looked over her shoulder with a smirk, following his gaze. “They both seemed very—” She stopped mid-sentence. “Wait… where did the other guy go?”
“Other guy? What do you mean other guy?” Ari chuckled nervously, feeling his heart start to thump against his ribcage.
“Excuse me?” A soft, deep voice came from right behind them.
Ari and Mels turned around in their stools.
Ari’s gaze was met with the mesh-covered chest of a tall Golden Retriever. His eyes trailed up slowly, unintentionally taking in any feature he could. Along with the mesh top — which really complimented the dog’s husky physique and made Ari’s head spin the longer he stared at it —the dog was also wearing gray parachute pants and several glowstick bracelets around his wrists. His fur was damp with sweat, and his tail wagged fast behind him.
Ari’s jaw hung slack as he struggled to find his voice.
The canine tilted his head, chuckling. “You good there?”
“Huh?” Ari gave his head a hard shake. “Oh! Um, yeah! I am good. Great! Um… I mean, I am okay. Hi. Hello.” He giggled nervously, “Hey.”
The dog’s tail wagged faster. “Hi!” He looked between Ari and Mels. “I hope I am not interrupting.”
Ari opened his mouth to answer, but Mels cut him off. “Oh, no. You’re not interrupting anything. Why don’t you sit down?”
Ari’s gaze snapped to the fox, eyes wide. “What?”
Mels was grinning like an idiot at Ari, nodding toward the dog. “You’re fine with this extremely handsome dog sitting with us, right?”
Ari’s eyes widened in realization. A handsome guy was talking to him. A handsome guy wanted to sit with him. “O-Oh! Yeah! Yeah, of course!” He turned in his stool to face the dog again. “Please!”
The dog chuckled and slid onto the empty barstool on Ari’s other side. “I hope the drink wasn’t too forward.”
“The drink?” He turned back to the bar, looking down at his cup. “You bought me the drink?”
“Yes. Yes we did. My husband and I saw you from across the bar, and we decided to send you a drink. He thought it’d be a fun conversation starter.”
“Husband?” Ari’s ears perked up as he looked to the cheetah across the bar again. He was watching them with a wide grin, his chin resting on one of his paws.
“Yeah. That’s my Don Don.” The dog sighed happily as he followed Ari’s gaze.
“Why?”
“Well… we think you’re cute.” The dog’s tail now wagged a bit slower, a more leisurely wag. “That’s okay, right? We didn’t make you uncomfortable, did we?”
“No!” Ari blurted out, then tensed up at how loud his voice was. He took a deep breath. “No. It’s fine. I am… I’m good. I am chill.” Yeah, that was real smooth, Ari.
“Cool.” The dog leaned on the counter, his body angled toward Ari.
Ari picked up his cup, taking another sip of his cider to calm his nerves and maybe find some courage.
“So what did you get?” He heard the dog’s voice faintly over the music, even though he was right next to him.
Ari blushed, putting his glass down as he turned to face him. “Sorry. What did you say?”
The canine leaned closer to Ari. “What did you get?” He lifted a paw to his muzzle, pantomiming like he was drinking something.
“Oh!” Ari chuckled, “I got a Decorum.”
The dog tilted his head, a confused smile touched his muzzle. “Valorum?”
“N-no!” Ari grinned, raising his voice a little. “It’s a Decorum!”
“Oh!” the dog gently smacked his own temple. “Duh!”
“It’s a favorite of mine.” Ari smiled, picking up the cup and taking a small sip. He sighed and looked up at the Retriever again. “You ever tried it?”
“Nah.” The dog put his paw up in front of him, waving it back and forth.
Ari shrugged and put the glass back down on the coaster. His paw stayed on the glass as he tried to think about what to say next. Was he interesting enough to keep this guy around for a bit? There was just something about him that… It just felt magnetic.
“So, what’s your name?” The dog said, voice raised to be heard over the music. “Mine is Damien!”
Ari’s ears perked up, and gritted his teeth. Fuck! He’d been chatting with this dog for — gosh, how long had it been? — and he didn’t even know his name.
“Ari!” The cheetah called back, offering his paw for a handshake.
“Gosh, that’s such a cute name!” The canine squealed, taking Ari’s paw and shaking it. His thumb gently stroked the back of Ari’s paw.
Ari’s nose twitched and his chest started rumbling from the gentle and intentional contact. “You’re sweet.”
Damien’s ears perked up at the sound, but he didn’t call attention to it. “So what brings you to The Doghouse tonight?”
Ari’s soft purring stopped. He looked over his shoulder at Mels, who was scrolling on her phone while very obviously listening to them talk. “I… um… am here to meet with my sister and her girlfriend.”
“It’s his birthday!” Mels piped up, lifting her head from her phone to smirk at Ari.
Ari’s eyes widened, and he softly hissed. How dare she bring attention to him like that! And in front of this handsome stranger? He turned his gaze back to Damien, chuckling nervously. “Which wasn’t a fact I really wanted advertised, but here we are…”
Damien gave the feline a wide grin. “Birthday? Oh! How fun!”
“Y-Yeah. It’s nice.” Ari took another sip of his drink.
“The Doghouse patrons love a good birthday!” Damien chuckled. “You ever heard a hundred queer, drunk folks try to sing a good rendition of Happy Birthday?”
Ari almost choked on his cider. “Christ… That would be my personal hell… I don’t really do clubbing all that often.”
“Yeah, I figured as much.” Damien smiled, leaning his head on one of his paws. “But honestly, hun, you seem to be doing fine.”
“You mean it?” Ari could feel his cheeks burn with the heat of his nerves as he looked away from the Retriever’s attentive gaze. “I am so out of my element though. With all the music, and the people…” Not to mention the very welcome attention he was getting.
“Hey, sorry to interrupt.” Daisy’s voice cut in as she placed a glass of lemonade on a coaster next to Ari’s. “Your husband wanted me to bring over your drink.” She flashed Ari a grin, putting her paws up. “Don’t mind me.”
“Thanks, Daisy.” Damien grinned, picking up his cup and taking a sip, before turning back to Ari. “You should be proud of yourself. Going to the bar for your birthday when you don’t do this kind of thing often seems like a big jump. A pretty brave move if you ask me.”
Ari shrugged, scratching the back of his head as he turned to face Damien again. “I mean, it was my sister’s idea. I don’t think I’d be here if not for her.”
“Your sister?” Damien’s eyes flicked to the side, and Ari tilted his head, turning to look at Mels.
“Oh! No no. She’s not my sister. She’s my sister’s girlfriend.”
“I mean,” Mels shrugged. “I’m practically your sister-in-law.” She grinned, extending her paw to Damien. “We technically have met already. Melody.”
Ari put a paw to his forehead and winced. “Mels… God dammit.”
“Ah, Melody.” Damien’s chest shuddered as he let out a deep chuckle. “I take it you and Ari are close as well?”
“Most definitely!” Mels grinned.
“Mels!” Ari pleaded. “Please.”
“Ooh.” Mels giggled. “Fine. I’ll stop embarrassing you.”
Ari grinned nervously, turning back to Damien, meeting the dog’s gaze again. Something about the dog’s presence made Ari feel… He couldn’t think of the word. It was a good feeling though. One that he’d never really felt before.
Or maybe he’d just never imagined that he could be this comfortable with someone he’d just met.
Damien tilted his head, his big blue eyes clouded with concern. “Ari?”
Ari blinked. “Huh?”
Damien reached out to put a paw on his shoulder. “I asked if you were okay. You looked a little lost for a bit there.”
“O-Oh! No…”
Damien lifted a brow. “No?”
“I mean yes! Yes. As in I am fine. I am so chill right now!”
“Are you sure? You seem a little on edge.” The corners of Damien’s muzzle quirked up. “Any particular reason for that?”
“Psh! No!”
Damien gently elbowed Ari on his arm, “Is it because of me?”
Ari bit his lip, stifling a giggle. “No way!” He straightened up, trying to play aloof.
Damien shrugged and sighed. “I mean, if you want me to go, I can go.”
Ari’s shoulders sank at the thought of Damien walking away. “No!” he blurted out, before immediately covering his muzzle. “Oh! Fuck!”
Damien settled back in his seat, “Oh fuck is right!”
Damn!
“That came out a bit fast, didn’t it?” Damien teased.
“Shut up!” Ari moved his paws away from his muzzle. His shoulders shook as he tried to contain his laughter.
“Fine!” Damien waved his paw. “Fine, I’ll stop teasing.” He chuckled, gently squeezing Ari’s shoulder. “You okay? You’re shaking.”
Ari took a deep breath, trying to stop his laughter. “God, I can’t remember the last time I laughed like that.” He looked up at Damien, meeting his gaze once again. “You’re really something else.”
“Am I?” Damien’s eyes were lidded as he tilted his head down, closer to Ari’s. “In a good way or a bad way?”
“A good way.” He smiled. “Like… I want to keep talking to you.”
Damien’s playful smirk softened into a smile. He removed his paw from Ari’s shoulder, moving to take one of Ari’s paws instead. “I’d like that.”
Ari’s chest started to rumble again. His fur stood up on end. He felt so warm and fuzzy inside. Damien was so close. He could smell the lemonade on Damien’s breath.
His gaze immediately snapped across the bar. Damien was married! Even if Damien was so confident in his flirtation, surely the husband wouldn’t stand for this.
The other cheetah was still sitting at the bar, passively watching them as he scrolled on his phone. Was he really okay with all of this?
He turned back to Damien, who’d pulled back just a little. When he met Damien’s eyes again, the dog let out a dry chuckle.
“Sorry!” Ari couldn’t help himself. He felt like he’d let him down by flaking out on… whatever Damien had wanted to do.
“Don’t apologize.” Damien’s fingers gently stroked Ari’s paw before letting go. “I’m assuming you have questions?”
Ari nodded, instinctively moving a paw to rub where Damien’s fingers had just sat.
Damien took another sip of his lemonade, and sat back. “Go on then. I’m an open book.”
Ari opened his mouth, then closed it. Multiple questions clouded his brain. There were so many things he could ask about. The husband. The lemonade. The obvious taste in felines. All of them were valid questions, but one kept butting its way to the forefront of his mind no matter how hard he thought.
“Have you been flirting with me?” He bit his lip as he heard Mels wheeze with laughter behind him. Sure, it should be obvious right? But honestly, it had been so long since Ari’d had a guy flirt with him like this. What if Damien was just being very, very friendly.
Damien, unlike the laughing fox behind Ari, seemed to take the question seriously. “Yeah. I am.” His eyes flicked down to Ari’s paws, as if he wanted to reach for them again. “Are you okay with that?”
“Y-yeah.” Ari nodded. “I-I think I am.”
Damien let out a sigh of relief. “That’s great to know. I would’ve felt so awful if I made you uncomfortable.”
“N-No. It feels nice. But… um, why?”
“Why?” Damien tilted his head.
“Why flirt with me?”
“Because I wanted to?” Damien leaned close again, to speak directly into Ari’s ear. “I did mention that I think you’re really cute, right?” He pulled back to look at Ari’s face, eyes lidded as he chuckled.
“But… You have a husband!” Ari’s voice cracked, as if he thought he was reminding Damien of the other cheetah.
“Whose idea do you think it was for me to come over here?”
Ari couldn’t help but stare in bewilderment as Damien nodded across the bar. “His?”
“Yep.” Damien winked, before sitting up straight again.
“Huh.” Ari turned back to the bar to pick up his cider. “So, what? Do you have a thing for cheetahs then?”
Damien put a paw to his chest, eyes wide as he returned the earlier bewildered stare. “Excuse me? I’ll have you know I find all spotty men incredibly hot!”
Ari took a small sip of his drink, raising his brow. “And it’s just a coincidence that you just happen to be flirting with someone who’s the same species as your husband?”
“Yeah!” Damien winked. “Lucky me, right?”
Ari rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help but giggle. “Okay! Okay!” He put his cup down and turned his stool to face the dog again. “That brings me to my biggest question here then.”
“Oho? The one for all the chips?” Damien leaned forward, adopting a very serious expression that scrunched up his muzzle a bit. “Must be serious.”
“Very serious.” Ari narrowed his eyes, but was unable to keep from grinning. “What exactly are you looking for here?”
“Right now?” Damien straightened up on his stool. “I’m—” He let out a sigh, moving a paw to scratch behind his head. “Not quite sure actually. I mean, I think there’s a connection between us here.”
Ari’s smile disappeared, and his ears twitched. “O-Oh?”
“Do you feel it too?” Damien’s paws moved down to Ari’s again. His big blue eyes gazed at Ari. “I… I don’t know what it is. Not yet at least. But I really think I’d love to get to know you better.”
It sounded so simple. So easy. Ari looked down at Damien’s paws on his. He couldn’t understand why, but Damien was right. There was something here, something magnetic that made Ari want to be around Damien.
Ari gently squeezed Damien’s paws. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. But I like it, and I don’t want it to stop.”
Damien’s tail started to wag, then he stood from his stool. “You know,” He called over the music as a peppy track started to play over the speakers. “I do have another game, if you’re interested.”
Ari shrunk back a little as Damien gently tugged on his paws. “Ooooh. I don’t know.”
Damien started rolling his hips a little, his tongue rolling out of his muzzle. “It’ll be fun!”
Ari couldn’t help but laugh, a strangled mix of fear and amusement. “Why me though?”
“C’moooon,” Damien whined, moving Ari’s arms a little. “Don Don is all danced out over there. And this dog needs a dance partner!”
Ari slowly slid off his stool. “But I don’t know how to dance.” His feet hit the floor, and he couldn’t help but stare up at Damien. He was so tall. So so very tall.
Damien grinned down at him, stopping his movements, to bring a paw to rest on Ari’s shoulder. “I could show you some easy moves. Guide you through the music a bit.” Damien’s eyes squinted as he smiled.
Ari’s chest started to rumble again, and a warm tingly sensation flushed over his back and shoulders. He didn’t look out at the crowd of dancers on the floor. He didn’t want to. All he could do was keep his eyes on Damien.
His mind drifted to Mels, and he turned to look at her. She wasn’t pretending not to watch anymore. Her teasing air from before had seemed to just melt away. She looked… a bit shocked. Worried? Proud? Ari couldn’t tell. But why was he worried about what she thought?
“You know what?” Ari turned back to Damien, “What the hell. It is my birthday after all!”
“Holy shit!” Ari heard Mels gasp behind him.
Damien’s grin widened, and he pulled Ari close. “That’s the spirit!” He led him off toward the dance floor.
To be continued~
(Hey everyone! Scribbles here! Again! Surprise! Thank you for reading the first part of my story “Chasing Spots!” As I mentioned earlier, I am doing something different for this story! As you’ve already seen, I posted the first half for all to see here on my blog!
However, for Part Two of this story, I will be posting the second part of this story behind a paywall for a one-time payment of $1.99! It’s not a permanent thing yet. I just wanted to try it out and see if it’s a feasible and effective way to share certain stories!
If you want to read Part Two, the link is right here!)
Scribbles of a Chee 
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