Chapter 10

This was the first time Harlow had seen Lennard fully nude without feeling awkward and embarrassed. He took a moment to take in the details of the large man’s body. Earlier he noticed the white patches of fur at the top of Lennard’s thighs, but now he could see that the white fur merged and created a blend of lighter gray that encompassed and highlighted his genitals.

Harlow’s eyes moved from the obviously interesting parts to take in the man’s thick legs. He followed the muscular yet stubby legs down to Lennard’s paws. There he found an unusual contrast. Lennard’s paws were enormous; especially when compared to his own. His mentor’s paws had to be almost twice the size. Harlow had heard a saying about large paws equaling a large… Well, Harlow could confirm the saying was accurate now.

Lennard probably didn’t have the length of Harlow’s little guy, which was standing at full attention now, but the girth and weight were actually intimidating. Lennard smiled as Harlow took in the view and even sidled to his right and raised his arm in a flexing pose for the boy, which garnered a giggle.

Lennard didn’t want to make this tub time into a sexual encounter, only because Harlow needed to rest and heal, but he definitely yearned for it. So to get things moving in the right direction he moved up to his partner and swept him up into his arms again.

“I’ll scrub you clean, you just relax.” Lennard told Harlow who he held gently in his arms. “And you're in no shape for any nonsense today.” He continued and pointed with his eyes and muzzle to Harlow's engorged manhood. “Not that I don't want to.” He said to let Harlow know he wasn’t something undesirable. On the contrary, Lennard had never felt more attracted to another person, male or female.

Harlow was somewhat disappointed, but knew Lennard was correct. His body may be healed much more than either of them thought possible, but he couldn’t even muster the energy to stand on his own. Although the one part of him which had no problem standing on its own refused to be dissuaded.

Lennard climbed the steps up to the tub, then lowered himself and Harlow down into it without issue. He took the steps with a grace that belied his bulk, and the balance of someone half his age.

The hot water surrounded them both. The newly formed skin on Harlow's wounds stung slightly, and he inhaled sharply.

"What is it?" Lennard asked.

Through gritted teeth, Harlow replied, "The water is a little hot on the new skin, is all. I'll get used to it though." By the end of the sentence, his raw nerves were acclimating to the new sensation, and the stinging eased to a comfortable warmth.

Lennard wondered how the water would feel on Harlow's newly formed skin, but he knew the temperature was just right. It was hot enough to open up the skin's pores and allow the healing herbs he had added to the water to do their work, but not so hot that it would scald.

He carefully lowered Harlow into the water and set him down so that he could sit with his back against the side of the tub. "Comfy?" he asked.

"Very," Harlow replied, melting into the water. He closed his eyes and let the aroma of the plant-filled room fill his lungs. He had bathed in this room often at Lennard's request, but only twice had he bathed with Lennard in attendance.

On each occasion, he was astonished at how the hot water and the plant life combined to create the perfect environment for relaxation. Even his stubbornly stiff lower parts relaxed for the time being.

After a few moments, while he watched his lover relax in the hot water, Lennard took up the soap and started washing Harlow’s feet. He drew one from the water at a time and lathered them each in turn.

He worked his way up the legs then skipped over the middle to wash Harlow's chest and back. With a little assistance from Harlow, he poured water over his lover’s head and cleaned his cute little face, stealing a kiss while doing so.

Once finished there, Lennard asked, "Is it ok if I wash your more private areas?” He knew he really didn’t need to ask, but wanted Harlow to know that he respected his privacy.

Thus far Lennard had avoided even touching the boy’s groin area, wanting to make absolutely certain this action was what Harlow truly wanted. He knew neither could deny the bond which had developed between them, but it was always better to make certain, especially since Harlow was so young compared to him.

Harlow opened his eyes and smiled up at his lover saying, “Of course it is. Just don’t poke your eye out.” His sweet smile turned into a smirk and he winked scandalously.

Lennard chuckled and kissed the smirk off of his face before moving down and cleaning between Harlow’s legs. Lennard had obviously seen and touched this area while removing the thorns, but hadn’t taken notice of the details on purpose.

At that time, Lennard was treating Harlow like a patient rather than a lover. He knew he had to keep the patient Harlow separate from the lover Harlow while he was working. Seeing someone at their worst was never the image you wanted to have of a person anyway. Now he could finally explore the lover part and enjoy the details.

Harlow was still a young man, barely eighteen years old. His shaft and sack were pristine. He had not yet suffered the abuse of adulthood. There was no sag, no excess, just skin pulled tight around his equipment.

Harlow smiled as Lennard continued to wash his body. It turned out that his much older partner washed in the same general way as he did. Harlow had always told himself it was the logical way to do it, but he doubted many people would do things in the same order as he did. But watching Lennard work his way around his body made Harlow think that maybe he and Lennard were really destined to be this way after all.

He knew it was a strange thought, but he figured that if he and Lennard both came up with the same conclusions to things, even if it were just how to wash one's body, then maybe there was more to their becoming bonded than just a coincidence or accident.

As Lennard washed and then rinsed Harlow’s crotch, making sure he got the soap up in the more hard to reach areas, he thought of when he was this age and how he had frequently dreamed of being with someone in a similar situation.

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Most Carursids mated with a member of the opposite gender, but before taking a mate, sexual encounters were varied and frequent. Young adults were encouraged to explore their sexuality and experience a wide variety of partners.

It was through this exploration that people learned what was most important to them in a mate. In this fashion, when a couple found each other, the bond created was stronger because each felt more fulfilled.

Lennard’s youth had been spent on a small farm along the Pidli river in a small community of Canursids. He had never had the opportunity to have any sexual experiences while there. He was considered odd due to his short and wide stature.

It wasn’t until he went to University in Nayen Harbor that he was able to begin his youthful explorations. Up until then, he had to satisfy his urges himself. That made finding other Canursids to enjoy sexual dalliances with much more enjoyable when it happened.

He felt somewhat sorry for Harlow in that regard. Their bond wouldn't necessarily prohibit Harlow from seeking other partners and experiences, but unless he felt incomplete or sexually unfulfilled, he would be unlikely to have any desire to pursue anyone else.

This left a part of his normal growing up process absent. He would miss the period of his life meant for exploring and learning what he liked and didn’t. Harlow would most likely want to explore different things in the bedroom with Lennard, but the variety of partners would be sorely lacking.

Lennard was an older man now as well. Someone who, in his adult life, most often took care of business on his own. He wasn’t averse to having a regular partner, but feared for his possible lack of sexual drive and functionality.

With a mind full of speculation and worry, Lennard finished rinsing Harlow off and said to him, “Now the backside.” He did his best to not show the internal debate occupying his thoughts.

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Harlow leaned forward and motioned for Lennard to slide in behind him. The position would give Lennard ample access to Harlow's back, although it wasn't what Lennard had pictured. He knew the position would feed into his desires, and he almost told Harlow to scoot over. But in the end, he decided to tease Harlow a little bit. He smiled and gave him a scandalous yet rebuffing look before moving in behind his young lover. It wouldn't hurt to give Harlow a little thrill.

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This was also where the majority of Harlow's wounds were located. They both knew it would be a more tedious process of cleaning. Each wound would need to be looked at, thoroughly cleaned, and gently massaged to properly ascertain its condition.

With Harlow leaning forward, Lennard lathered up the boy’s fur and began working out the dried blood and dirt. He tried his best to keep from rubbing too hard on the hairless spots, but more than once felt a wince coming from the boy sitting in between his legs.

Lennard had to focus on his job: applying the right amount of pressure, using only the tip of his claw to break apart the scabs, and then massaging the area around the wound to stimulate blood flow. His mindset turned back to physician, and he saw Harlow as a patient again as he worked.

He knew he had to shift his perception and be meticulous in order to keep from getting aroused by Harlow in such an alluring position. More than once he felt movement from below the water as he worked.

Harlow would shift and rub against him, apparently trying to find a comfortable spot to place his tail. It frequently bumped and rubbed against Lennard's sensitive areas. Whether Harlow did this on purpose, Lennard wasn't sure, but he had his suspicions.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Lennard finished removing the grime from Harlow's back and could relax and clean himself. First, though, he wanted clean water.

Lennard extricated himself from the amazing position they were in and drained the tub, pushing the debris down the drain before refilling it. He apologized to Harlow for the cold air, but the boy just shrugged and thanked him for caring.

Once the tub was refilled and the water clean, Lennard proceeded to wash himself. Harlow offered to help. Lennard told the boy, "You can get my back if you want." Harlow quickly agreed and eagerly scrubbed his lover's wide back and shoulders.

A certain part of Harlow seemed overly eager to assist with the chore and Lennard more than once felt himself being prodded near or even under his tail. When this happened Lennard would twitch and Harlow would back off for a moment. The moment was never long enough for Harlow to be actively avoiding the intimate touching.

Once Harlow finished with Lennard’s back he moved around in front again and backed himself up to press against Lennard's belly. This position was extremely alluring to Lennard and he hesitated before letting himself relax. He knew without the distraction of cleaning Harlow's fur and seeing him as the patient, he would be unable to control his desire.

He looked at Harlow, suspicious of his intentions, but the boy simply smiled and looked up at him with his large innocent eyes. Lennard wasn’t a mind reader and their tails weren't connected, but he could still feel there was more to Harlow’s position and actions than met the eye.

Harlow reached down and grabbed Leonard's hands. He brought them up and wrapped them around himself like a stole. “It’s so nice to be here with you.” he said and leaned further back into the large man’s chest. His tail flicked and moved around. “Is there a good place to put this thing?” He asked.

Lennard, having some experience with awkward tail positions, knew exactly what Harlow meant and also where he wanted Harlow’s tail to go. But wrestled with his desire to keep this strictly a relaxing and healing bath.

Lennard looked at the person laying on his stomach, his arms wrapped around the younger body. Harlow looked up at him sideways, his large, dewy eyes speaking of curiosity and desire. They didn't say "let's do it," but they didn't need to.

Harlow was recovering much faster than Lennard had thought possible. If he had a patient this healed over, he would send them home. There they could do what they felt up to. But this was Harlow. This was the man he had watched over for years and had only just become more to him. He still felt responsible for him and his actions, not only as a father figure, but now as a mate.

Lennard knew that Harlow wanted him. He could feel the desire radiating off of him. But he also knew that Harlow was still recovering, both physically and emotionally. He didn't want to take advantage of him, or do anything that could harm him.

A memory surfaced of something he had tried earlier in his life. It was an interesting way two males could self pleasure each other without a lot of effort. “It could be a good way of being intimate without getting too physical.” Lennard thought to himself.

Harlow’s tail twitched again, it rubbed along Lennard’s inner thigh and tickled his sack. The stimulation was just too great and he felt the familiar tingles begin as the blood began moving from his big head to his little one. He finally gave in to the pressure and decided a little fun might not be a bad idea for the two of them after all.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Lennard spoke quietly into Harlow’s ear then reached down and took hold of Harlow’s tail near the base. A quick reflexive flinch overtook Harlow at the touch.

Lennard proceeded to bend Harlow's tail back and forth gently, causing the tail to become more flexible. At the same time Lennard lifted a leg and allowed his tail to slink up in between his and then Harlow's legs. “Take my tail and flex it like I am doing to yours.” He whispered into Harlow’s ear then nibbled the droopy folded skin gently.

Harlow did as was asked and gently flexed Lennard’s tail back and forth, up and down. This was the first time he had manipulated another tail. He had touched Lennards the one time, but that was more like shaking hands, whereas this felt like a much more intimate touch.

“Now follow my lead.” Lennard whispered again. He gently took hold of Harlow’s tail and began to wrap it around his shaft. The sensory hairs on Harlow’s tail overloaded and he froze, the experience was completely overstimulating him.

He felt his tail being wrapped multiple times around Lennard's rigid manhood. At the same time he felt Lennard’s member pressing onto his backside, just below his tail.

Harlow could feel the waves of emotions coming from Lennard through his tail and the intimate connection they were beginning to share. The burning desire and anticipation Lennard was feeling combined with a deep and passionate love for him.

This love, the feeling of being needed and desired, touched something very deep inside Harlow. It was a hidden desire he had always had, but never allowed himself to feel before. He had grown accustomed to the sense of feeling unwanted and unneeded. Loneliness had been his only companion throughout his life.

Harlow's early life was spent trying to gain affection from his father, who only grew farther away. As the years passed and he was introduced to the people of Greenby, they showed him pity and sheltered him, but he saw them do the same to stray cats. He took their pity and made the best of it, but accepted that he was nothing more than a type of pet to them.

Even the Poldare family, who had nurtured him and never treated him badly, were somewhat distant. They either didn't know, or didn't care about Harlow's desire to feel wanted. Mika, whom Harlow had thought he desired, was really just a dream. He had told people he liked her, but he had never actually believed he would be worthy of someone in such a way.

Up until this moment, he had never felt as though he truly belonged. He would never be good enough to be considered an equal. He felt as if he would never measure up to the man his father had been in the past. The man to whom he was frequently judged.

He dreamed but never truly believed that he would be worthy of love, worthy of admiration, worthy to be with another person in such an intimate and caring way. He was the one who worked and cared for people. He had never before felt like he could be the one cared for.

As the waves of emotions ran through him, filling him with hope and joy, his cares about the world outside melted away. He was with the only person he would ever truly need. He finally felt needed, felt desired, and felt loved. His heart swelled and beat hard in his chest. A thought came to his mind: “I would gladly give my life for this man.” He couldn't wait to fulfill him in any way possible.

Lennard finished wrapping Harlow’s tail around his erection and gripped it as tight as possible, his hand unable to wrap fully around the now sheathed organ. Harlow had frozen, and Lennard watched as his face contorted through multiple emotions, a tear finally rolling down his cheek. “Are you ok, love?” He asked gently and placed his free hand around the boy's body.

“Yeah. Better than ever.” He replied and once again began to flex Lennard’s tail back and forth. Once it became pliable, he slowly began wrapping it around his own shaft as Lennard had done with his tail.

Obviously, there was less tail length to work with since Lennard’s tail was extended underneath them both, but he was able to get three twists around him.

As he finished Lennard pulled him close with the hand wrapped around his stomach. The pressure of his manhood against him was all but penetrating. He leaned his head close to Harlow’s ear. “Now stroke.” He whispered and felt Lennard start moving his hand along his shaft,

Harlow’s tail slid along the shaft with each stroke of Lennards strong hand. His tail was in between the firm hand and the firmer shaft. Lennard gently thrust forward with his hips, holding Harlow close. Harlow gripped and stroked himself as best he could. After a short period, they created a steady rhythm between their bodies.

Once again the feelings and sensations were overwhelming, but this time Harlow wouldn’t allow himself to freeze up and disappoint his lover. He turned his head and met Lennard's muzzle.

He slowly moved his hand holding Lennard’s tail around his erection. Up and down it slid. At first it was slow and sensual. Then they slowly picked up speed.

The entire session only took moments. The intensity of Harlow’s hormones and desire along with the more experienced way Lennard worked himself and the boy’s tail caused them both to erupt almost simultaneously with intense pleasure.

Harlow released slightly first, his youthful hormones unable to handle the stimulation. Lennard ejaculated directly after, spurred on by the waves of ecstasy released by his lover. A low growl released from Lennard as he climaxed. It sent shivers through Harlow. He would never have guessed such a frighteningly primal sound could be so sensual.

Once the spasms and shivers subsided, they panted and heaved in each other's embrace. Harlow turned around to meet Lennard's kiss once again. They held each other tightly, savoring the feeling of being close to each other. This was their first intentional intimate physical contact, and neither of them wanted it to end.

For long moments, they basked in each other's presence. It took awhile for Lennard’s pulse to slow down and his breathing to come back to normal. Once it had he looked down and was overjoyed to find that Harlow had fallen asleep in his arms. A large smile crossed his face, and he spoke softly to the plants in the room.

"Yeah, I think I could get used to this. Who knew at my age I'd find someone like this? It definitely wasn't in my plans."

He continued to rest and enjoy the presence of Harlow's rhythmic breathing until the water cooled. He then gently picked up his lover's sleeping body and carried him to the bed. He was going to have to change the sheets again, but he didn't care. He laid Harlow down gently.

Lennard toweled Harlow off as best he could, then lay naked on the sheets next to his lover. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was pulling the quilt up over them both and wrapping his arms around his still sleeping mate.

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The next day dawned and Lennard awoke to find Harlow staring down at him, a goofy smile on his face. “Good morning.” He said to the still half-asleep man.

Lennard smacked his gummy morning mouth a few times, getting some saliva moving and running his tongue over his teeth before responding. “You’re up early.”

The goofy smile widened on Harlow’s face as he pressed himself closer to Lennard, letting him feel just how “up” he was.

Lennard looked down at Harlow and rolled his eyes. He pulled him in tight and closed his eyes again. “Oh, the exuberance of youth. Nearly dead two days ago, now looking to breed new life into this old man.”

“Well, at least breed him.” Harlow retorted. His free arm reached around Lenards back and slid under his tail.

“Oh…” Lennard spasmed forward with a yip. “That’s a bit forward young man.” Lennard's tone informed Harlow he had gone a little too far.

“I, I’m sorry Lennard. I didn’t mean to.”

Lennard closed his eyes and breathed, “It’s fine, just startled me a little. I’m not the best at mornings, and really not used to having someone to wake up next to. But really, you should be on bed rest. You suffered a severe trauma.”

Harlow raised his hand to show Lennard the state of his wounds. "Look, you can barely tell where I was injured anymore."

Lennard took the boy's hand and held it close to his face, blinking his eyes to clear away the sleep. "Is that your fur growing back already?" he said after a moment of inspection.

This brought Lennard to wakefulness. He sat up and started looking at Harlow's wounds, going over them individually to verify that the healing was happening to all of them.

"Astonishing," he whispered to himself after inspecting them all.

"I feel great, Lennard," Harlow chimed in. "I don't know what that little guy did to me, but it's still working." He smiled. "You think I would dare grab your butt if I wasn't feeling great?" he winked.

Lennard laughed. "I guess not," he said. "And I'm glad you're feeling better."

The statement brought a smile to Lennard's face and he tackled Harlow onto the bed. “Feeling great huh? I’ll be the judge of that.” He said before pressing his muzzle on top of Harlow’s and extending his tongue into his lover’s mouth.

The two of them wrestled on the bed for a few minutes. Harlow still tried to initiate intercourse, but Lennnard; knowing how that would go without the proper accouterments, satiated the boy's desires by showing him just how enjoyable the upper hole could be. He introduced him to his soft, warm, saliva filled mouth.

Harlow’s hormone-filled morning wood quickly erupted and he found that he too had a version of the low primal growl which had so turned him on last night.