(3) Taking Risks

Rafael Díaz beamed with pride as he observed his son smoothing the collar of the cerulean polo they had picked out together earlier that afternoon. He and Angela had stopped earlier that Friday to pick the boy up early from school, the couple giggling like newlyweds as they whisked their son away to the mall for a last-minute wardrobe hunt. Marco had protested, saying he needed to make sure Star stayed caught up on her schoolwork as she stayed home with Glossaryck for a few days following the freezer incident, but he was waved down by his parents without hesitation.

As Marco finished adjusting his collar, he looked over to see his father pulling out a bottle of blue liquid.

"Here, son. A little something for luck," Rafael said, popping the cap off the cologne bottle and spritzing a pinch onto each of his shoulders. "I wore this same fragrance on the night I met your mother, all those years ago. She says it was what made her first notice me." Rafael's voice grew wistful as he spoke, Marco observing his father perplexedly.

"Dad," the boy began, "Why have you and Mom been so eager about this? Wouldn't you guys want me dating someone... human?" The word came choked, full of guilt as he forced himself to admit how bizarre all of it seemed.

Rafael rested his hulking frame upon the bathroom vanity as he looked into his son's worried eyes. "Marco, I will be honest with you. When I was your age, I thought that the best path in life was the one with the least risk. I thought that by keeping my head down, I could avoid all the horror stories I'd heard, of college dropouts, failed marriages and broken homes."

Rafael's grin came back across his face. "Then, I met your mother. I was not unlike you then: eyes full of fear, back rigid with caution at all times. She took me out of that, made me face the idea of risk, and it is because of that, because of her, that I have so many wonderful things in my life. She has given me so much: a home, a ring, so many wonderful years of marriage..."

He put his hand on Marco's shoulder. "She gave me you." Marco saw a single tear well up in his father's eye before he blinked it away. "When we found out about your date, we couldn't stop our excitement. A chance for you to take the same risk we took all those years ago. So no, Marco. I don't mind Star being different. I only want you to find someone to be happy with."

Marco swallowed the pit in his throat. "Thanks, Dad."

"I know you'll be fine, son. Just be confident, and be yourself. Now go, she's waiting."

Marco nodded and stepped out of his bedroom, only to stop short as he saw her.

Star stood in front of him, a small blush adorning her face as she rocked gently back and forth on her feet. The faint pink of her blouse splashed against the rich fabric of a crimson cardigan, hugging her slender frame as a knee-length denim skirt swished softly around her waist. Her usual black slip-ins adorned her feet, and Marco felt heat in his face as she smiled at him, idly playing with a ribbon of the luminescent silver of her hair.

"Shall we go?" she softy spoke, turning towards the front door.

Marco nodded, his heart hammering in his chest as he walked out with her, the girl gently wrapping her arms around one of his as they walked down the street. Rafael watched with a heart full of pride as they slowly traveled into the distance.

Pulling out his cell phone, he shot a quick text to his wife.

'Kids are finally gone. Meet me in the bedroom with the cheerleader outfit, and keep the stockings on. I'll get the cuffs.'

---

Marco casually slipped into his seat as a quiet Star followed suit, the pair high up in the theater stands. Their arrival at the theater had not gone unnoticed, as Star had turned several heads and caught the heat of some of her classmates, who openly pointed and insulted the two, with Marco narrowly dodging a rock that had been thrown at him. Marco gave her a smile, but knew that the night had already been dampened. Star kept quiet as the trailers before the film rolled, her tail idly resting against the cold floor.

Marco racked his brain, trying to come up with some way to break the stale silence, before noticing her tail lying on the floor, draped to prevent contact with a soda spill.

"Here," the boy said, lifting up the armrest between them as Star looked over quizzically. "It's gotta be nasty having your tail on the floor, right?"

Star let a smile dawn across her face as she scooted over to him, settling against his chest as her tail curled up behind her, narrowly fitting into the space she had left. Marco blushed at the sudden advance, but relented and put one arm around her shoulders. As the film began to roll, Star let herself sink further into Marco's heat, letting out a low moan in her throat as she heard his heartbeat quicken ever so slightly.

Her peace was rudely interrupted as a piece of popcorn went flying into her forehead. Turning her gaze, she saw a pale girl, no older than 14, with jet black hair snickering at her and Marco. She felt Marco tense under her, and looked up to see a smoldering glare on his face, the boy's teeth gritted fiercely in a barely suppressed snarl.

The girl was poorly concealing her mirth at harassing the duo until a swift rap to the side of her head broke her from her antics, as the girl sitting next to her shot a glare of her own. The black-haired girl huffed silently and picked up her popcorn, shuffling down a few seats away from both the other girl and Marco and Star. Star saw the other girl turn her eyes up to them, one sea-green iris winking at her before she turned back to the movie.

"Marco, do you know her?" Star whispered.

"That's Jackie Lynn Thomas. Known her since elementary, but she's never really talked to me," Marco replied. "I guess she was annoyed by her too."

Star felt Marco's heartbeat gradually relax as the film rolled on, her hand sliding into his slowly. Marco blushed and gently squeezed back, her cool, slender fingers pressing into his. Star puller her tail around her back and let it slither into his lap, embarrassed at her own greed for contact, as Marco's heat bled into her.

She pulled her hand back to stifle a yelp as Marco's hand found itself traveling her tail. His nails pressed in ever so slightly, her tail tip twitching in excitement as his palm and thumb caressed the top. She bit her lip as the sensation moved through her, foreign and esctatic all at once.

"Still sore?" Marco said, taking mild note of Star's expression.

"Y-Yeah!" Star spat out, trying to save face even as Marco's fingertips traced a circle in her skin. Her mind was heady, hormones weighing down her thoughts. Looking at him, Star couldn't help but resign herself as she timidly spoke up.

"Could you continue? You're working out some tight spots."

'I want more,' she shamefully echoed in her head.

Her true desire was fulfilled as Marco's hand came down and gently but firmly began kneading the muscles underneath. Electricity shot through her and she gripped his arm tighter,  a straggled, wispy huff breaking from her clenched throat. Marco took slight notice, but simply wrote it off as muscle stress and pressed further, adding his other hand to the mix as he worked the flesh like clay, rubbing all sides of her tail meticulously. Star forced herself to keep still as this unfamiliar sensation overtook her senses, her face a deep red and her breathing ragged. Marco's eyes drew over to the tip of her tail, the last few inches snapping back and forth vigorously.

Curiously, he reached out with two fingers, grasped the tip gently and massaged the skin.

Star felt a coiling sensation in her lower abdomen as the intensity of her nerves exploded, throwing her face into Marco's sleeve just in time before a heavy, rolling moan came forth from her lips. His fingers upon the top of her tail felt like numb fire, the pleasure crackling to and fro throughout her tail and pelvis. Marco dropped her tail and darted his gaze over to Star, whose flushed face and audible panting spoke of an intimacy and arousal he had never witnessed. Star reached up behind and grabbed his head, crashing her lips into his with a greedy forcefulness, her tongue poking against Marco's teeth. The boy relented, confused and excited, and felt his tongue be enveloped in a thin, prehensile muscle, warm and frantic as it traced his teeth and cheeks. Star moaned into her boyfriend's mouth even as she felt immense shame for her boldness, for putting her needs above their date, and let out a further gasp as Marco's arm wrapped back around her, pulling her almost flush to his chest.

The two let themselves separate for breath, Star's tongue hanging down past her chin as she gulped in the air around her, her face mere inches from Marco's as the boy released her, letting her fall back into her seat. The duo finally took notice of the dozen or so people who had decided that their moment of intimacy was more interesting than the movie, with a mixture of disgust, amusement, and a few thumbs-up being aimed towards them. Star shrunk into her seat and coiled her tail behind her, eyes shut in embarrassment for letting herself get carried away. Marco saw Jackie a few rows down, eyeing the two with a giggling smirk, and blushed even harder. He turned to Star, who was considering pulling he legs in too to make herself as small as possible, and took her hand gently. Star looked over the crowd, who had turned back to the movie, and slowly scooted her way back over to Marco, settling into him again silently. The two spoke not a word through the rest of the film, though Star did give his hand a few squeezes here and there.

As the credits rolled, Star and Marco hastily got up from their seats and shuffled towards the exit, trying to avoid curious gazes from the other moviegoers. Finally breaking free into the parking lot, Marco saw Jackie saying goodbye to a girl with dark brown hair before beginning to walk towards them, and his back went cold.

"Looked like you two were having fun in there," Jackie playfully said as she approached them, her seafoam eyes nonchalantly looking the two over.

Star turned her head downwards in shame. "Just leave us alone. I know everyone's freaked out by me."

"What?"

Star found her gaze drifting back to Jackie as the girl stood there confused. "I haven't met you before, but everyone's been talking about the new exchange girl nonstop." Jackie drew closer, and Star shot back up, her spine rigid with fear as she dreaded what this girl had in store for her.

Jackie sighed and reached out a single hand. "Name's Jackie. Nice to meet you."

Star was stunned as she timidly reached out and shook Jackie's hand, anticipating an insult or attack that never came. Jackie simply laid down her board and hopped on with a practiced ease, winking at the two as Star pulled herself back to Marco, the brisk breeze of nighttime disagreeing with her.

As the two walked home, Star mulled over her behavior in the theater, her shame creeping back into her mind. She'd surrendered herself to the feeling of contact, of touch so easily. She'd never felt that kind of need for something, that desperate greed. She bowed her head slightly as she became absorbed in her thoughts, matching Marco's pace halfmindedly. She was interrupted from her own brooding as Marco pulled an arm around her, bringing her close with a gasp as his heartbeat became audible. Marco felt a few errant drops of sweat break from his forehead before he spoke.

"I had a great time tonight," he began, grasping for words. "I had no idea your tail was so sensitive."

Star blushed again. "I've never felt that kind of feeling in my tail before. But, thank you. It was soothing." She winced at her own words, unwilling to say just how excited his hands had made her. Marco chuckled and waved to his mother as his house came into view, the older woman sitting out on the porch in a resin lawn chair as Rafael's frame barely fit into a matching one beside her.

The two reached the front door and ducked inside, heat coming from their faces as Angie giggled at their awkward, interlocked pace. As Marco and Star flopped onto his bed, Star cozied up to Marco quietly, tucking herself beside him. Marco threw an arm over her, the bushed pair pulling a comforter over them, their faces a few inches from each other. Marco smiled and pecked Star on the lips, the girl giggling and leaning her head in, softly meshing her lips into his. They pulled apart just long enough for Marco to turn out the lights, then joined back together in embrace as they both felt sleep tugging at their minds.

As Star fell asleep fully beside him, her head tucked flush against his chest, Marco smiled and let his mind wander through how fast he had made this decision, how he had let himself take such a risk with Star in the first place. He'd had his home invaded, his privacy taken, and his own self dragged into a relationship he would've never gone seeking for, all by a girl from another dimension with a soft tail and a shy grin.

He couldn't help but smile as he reflected on the best risk he'd ever taken as he drifted into slumber, holding Star close to his chest.