Over Time

by Kyell Gold

  As of the end of 2015, I have been a full time writer for five years, the longest I have held any job, or indeed continuously undertaken any activity, including college student. It has had challenges, but I have never had a single moment in which I wished I were doing something else. I am happier in this job than I have ever been at any other work, and I still find it difficult to believe how lucky I am to be able to do the thing I love every day.

  My husband Kit deserves all the love I can give him and ten times more besides, for his patience, his unswerving belief in me, his love for me (which all my stories are attempts to communicate to you), and all the support he has provided over the years. These books would not be in your paws right now without him.

  But both of us would also like to thank you, all of you reading this right now, for taking this journey with us, for opening your hearts to us at conventions and in e-mail and online notes, for sharing your stories, for becoming our friends, for telling your friends about Dev and Lee, for loving them as much as we do, for your support of this series and of my other books. Without you, these books would not have been possible; without you, all the books to come would never be (or at least, would appear much more slowly); without you, I would still be stealing time wherever I could to write more stories and dreaming of quitting my tech job. You have all given Kit and me a wonderful gift, and you continue to give that gift every year. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, thank you, thank you all so very much.

  Acknowledgments

  There have been many, many people who have contributed to these books along the way, and if over the course of the last ten years I have forgotten any of them, it is not intentional.

  My college roommate, who will here remain nameless because I fear embarrassing him, introduced me to football and sparked my interest in it. I cribbed a large part of Lee’s Guide to Football from conversations with him.

  My post-college roommate, who will here remain nameless for similar reasons, fanned the spark into an enduring flame.

  Ned, my best friend from college, has shared many phone conversations about football, religion, gay relationships, and a thousand other topics that at one time or another have influenced this book.

  Buck Hopper told me a valuable nugget of information about offensive linemen and has been a fellow sports enthusiast and good friend throughout.

  Rukis introduced herself to me as a fan of these books and stepped in when art was needed for the last one, doing a fantastic job working with myself and Kenket.

  Jack DeVries has been a sarcastic fan, a friend, a reviewer, a publicist of sorts, and a morale booster.

  Savrin has loaned his voice to the audiobooks of Dev and Lee, having read through about eight novels to get five recordings down. He’s brought humor and passion and life to the narration and done a wonderful job.

  foozzzball, at great personal cost, read through the last four manuscripts and offered his usual hacksaw-sharp suggestions, improving the book in each case. His discussions on writing philosophy and technique have made me a better writer.

  Ryan Campbell, David Cowan, and Watts Martin have been the best writing group a furry author could ask for. Their advice and observations have been invaluable to these books, and they also have vastly improved my writing.

  K.M. Hirosaki, also a sometime member of the writing group, has offered insight, enthusiasm, and friendship through the years, far beyond what I deserve. He has probably influenced the salacious portions of these books more than he realizes, and has been one of my favorite people to show each new book to.

  BlackTeagan and Kenket have breathed life into these characters with their brilliant imaginings and renderings, not only in the illustrations but in the presentation of the stories to the fandom and the world. Their artwork has enhanced the books very nearly as much as their camaraderie and friendship has enhanced my and Kit’s lives.

  Brer and Alopex have been greatly supportive friends over the years; they and the various staff of Sofawolf have taken the “small” out of “small press” (disclaimer: I have done some editing work with Sofawolf and have tried to live up to their standards; I am here talking about everyone else in the organization). With Sofawolf, they have created an organization that treats its creators and customers with equal professionalism, while never losing sight of the passion we all share for these furry critters, no matter who writes or draws them. I have been surprised and delighted by their ideas and support more times than I care to count, and any time you admire one of my books, you are admiring their work.

  Brer deserves special mention for all the work he’s done specifically on these books, layouts and cover designs most notably. He was the first to suggest a hardcover edition, which I love and I think many of you do too. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been friends for nearly twenty years now, not because it doesn’t feel like that long, but because I can’t remember a time when I was writing and didn’t have him to talk to.

  And of course, my husband Kit Silver has stood by my side, both figuratively and literally, for sixteen years and counting. All the good parts of Dev and Lee’s romance have their roots in ours, and his spirit is in these books nearly as much as mine is. I write them for him to read first, and even before he reads them I write them as though he is reading over my shoulder. I have read the books aloud to him on car trips, have engaged in hours of discussion over plot and character points, have gotten from him invaluable feedback on structure and character, and that is just the technical aspect of writing. As I mentioned above, he has supported me both financially and spiritually in this writing endeavor; he has been my partner in so many ways and so many adventures that I can no longer count them; he has been my First Reader and my lover and my husband and my best friend and is still all of those things and more. He is Best Wolf, and I am Luckiest Fox, and I could write another three quarters of a million words thanking him for being by my side all these years and they would not be enough. I love him dearly, and if you can see even a little of that in these books, then maybe he was right and I can make a go of this writing thing after all.

  About the Author and Artist

  Kyell Gold took up furry erotica writing after high school, making the team at his small liberal arts college as a walk-on. He was drafted late by Sofawolf and blossomed in the professional league, earning four Ursa Major Awards in his first three years as a pro for his novels and short stories. He has since won eight more Ursa Major awards, including one for “In Between,” the first Dev and Lee story, one for Out of Position, which also won two Rainbow Awards for gay fiction, and one for Isolation Play, the second Dev and Lee book.

  His various online presences are linked from http://www.kyellgold.com, and you can follow him on Twitter at @KyellGold. In the off-season, he lives in California with his husband.

  Rukis is a freelance illustrator and writer who grew up in the Appalachian region, working with animals and on farms from a young age. After earning a Bachelors in Traditional Animation, she started a career in freelance art, writing and illustrating a small collection of comics and novels in the Anthropomorphic fandom. You can see more of her work at http://www.furaffinity.net/rukis.

  * * *

  Kenket aka Tess Garman aka Kenket has a degree in illustration and paints animals for a living. She has collaborated on the award-winning Across Thin Ice and on the previous books in the Out of Position series. You can find her work at http://www.furaffinity.com/kenket.

  Also by Kyell Gold

  For more information about Kyell Gold’s books, please visit his website: http://www.kyellgold.com/books.html. If you would like to get monthly updates on upcoming publications, excerpts of works in progress, and writing tips, sign up for his mailing list (your e-mail address will not be sold or used for anything else).

  * * *

  Out of Position (Dev and Lee)

  Out of Position – Dev the football player and Lee the gay activist discover how to navigate their relationship.

  Isolation Play – The con
tinuing story of Dev and Lee, as they contend with family and friends in their search for acceptance.

  Divisions – As Dev’s team fights to make the playoffs, Lee fights to keep his sense of self.

  Uncovered – The playoffs are here, and Dev needs his focus more than ever. So when Lee becomes too distracting, something has to give.

  Over Time (2016) – Dev and Lee try to plan their future while dealing with crises all around them.

  * * *

  Dangerous Spirits

  Green Fairy – A gay high school senior struggling through his final year finds a strange old book that changes his dreams and his life.

  Red Devil – A gay fox who fled his abusive family in Siberia seeks help from a ghost who demands he give up his gay lifestyle.

  Black Angel (2016) – A young otter struggles to understand her sexuality as her friends prepare for post-high school life and dreams of women in other times plague her.

  * * *

  Argaea

  Volle – The story of how Volle came to Tephos, a spy masquerading as a noble, and the first adventure he had there.

  The Prisoner’s Release and Other Stories – The story of how Volle escaped from prison, and the story of what happened after, plus two other stories following characters from “Volle.”

  Pendant of Fortune – Volle returns to Tephos to defend his honor, but soon finds himself fighting for much more.

  Shadow of the Father – Volle’s son, Yilon, must travel to the far-off land he is meant to rule, but he will have to fight treachery to take the lordship.

  Weasel Presents – Five short stories from the land of Argaea, including “Helfer’s Busy Day” and “Yilon’s Journal.”

  * * *

  Forester Universe

  Waterways – The full story of Kory’s journey to understand himself and what it means to be gay.

  Bridges – Hayward seems content to set up pairs of his friends. But what does he really need for himself?

  Science Friction – Vaxy never took sex seriously, until he found out the professor he was sleeping with was married…

  Winter Games – Sierra Snowpaw was an unsure high school student when someone he thought was a friend changed his life. Now he's fifteen years older and still looking for answers.

  The Mysterious Affair of Giles – A servant in a British manor house tries to solve a murder.

  Dude, Where’s My Fox? – Lonnie chases down a fox he hooked up with at a party as a way to get over his breakup.

  Losing My Religion – On tour with his R.E.M. cover band, Jackson mentors the new guy in the band as his own life falls apart.

  * * *

  Other Books

  The Silver Circle – Valerie thought the old hunter was crazy when he warned her about werewolves—until she met one.

  In the Doghouse of Justice – Seven stories of superheroes and their not-so-super relationships.

  Preview: Ty Game

  Just to reassure you that your friends are not gone forever, here is a sneak preview of the first chapter of an upcoming novel about Dev’s friend Ty Nakamura. While writing Over Time, I realized that Ty had an interesting story that I wanted to write. I planned it as a novella, but as I got to know some of the other characters, I realized it was going to be a novel. Expect to see more of this in the near future.

  Ty Game: Chapter One

  It was weird at first, dancing without any girls around, and Vonni couldn’t dance for shit, but after a couple songs, Ty just lost himself in the music and didn’t let it worry him. That’s what everyone else was doing, and who cared if it was a gay club? While he was dancing, guys didn’t bother him, or they assumed he was with Vonni, a couple tall athletic foxes cutting it up on the floor. The stuffy air filled with hundreds of scents, the flashing lights, the pounding trance music: he loved it. Here he could forget about football (with a little assist from whatever those cocktails had been) and just move with the music.

  When he opened his eyes, Vonni had been replaced by a wolf half a foot shorter than him. Ty lost a step to surprise, then picked up the beat again and watched this new guy. He looked to have plain brown and ivory fur, though who could tell under these lights, and he wore a tank top that showed off what were probably considered pretty nice muscles outside a football locker room. Heck, they were pretty nice muscles, and the tank top hung straight down from his chest, so no gut. He wore jeans, like Ty, and he had a glittering bracelet around his left wrist.

  As his scent filtered through the haze, Ty looked around for Vonni. The fox danced a couple feet away, still awkward, his tail jerking behind him rather than flowing like Ty’s did. The wolf wasn’t hitting on him and he smelled nice, actually, no heavy perfume, no dominating scent of arousal, so Ty just smiled, and the wolf smiled back, and they danced on.

  When he took a break, Vonni was talking to some leopard chick and looked really into her, so Ty let him be. He pushed his way through to the bar, ordered a club soda, and turned to see the wolf standing right there.

  Then he did feel the need to raise a paw and say, “I’m straight.”

  The wolf grinned and shrugged. “I won’t hold it against you.”

  Ty blinked. What was that supposed to mean? He watched while the wolf ordered a cosmo, and then said, “I thought you’d care.”

  “Oh, I do, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna walk away. You can sure as hell dance, and you’re here with a bunch of big muscular guys, so I’m a little curious. Athletes?”

  “Football players.”

  “Oh!” The wolf turned, and there was Dev on the dance floor. “Firebirds, right? That’s Miski, the gay one.”

  “Right. He and his boyfriend just brought us here to dance.” He sipped his club soda. Definitely didn’t want to get any more buzzed than he already was.

  “Cool. How you liking it?”

  Ty surveyed the room, lifting his nose. “It’s loud.” He grinned and rubbed up the side of one of his big triangular ears. “But I’m used to that. Smells good and I love the music. Also I gotta say it’s nice just dancing, you know?”

  “Sure.” The wolf paid for his drink and lapped at it. “You got a name?”

  “Uh. Ty.”

  “I’m Archie. Arch for short.”

  “Hey, Arch.” Ty extended his paw and the wolf took it, with a warm, firm grip. “You can sure as hell dance, too.”

  “Two years ballet.” Arch grinned. “I don’t use the moves, but the coordination comes in handy. So you play football, huh? You any good?”

  “Yeah.” Ty couldn’t help grinning.

  “Cool. I never watched much football, because that’s what my dad made me watch with him. You know, to counteract the ballet lessons. So when I got kicked out, I swore off it. But I gotta say, between you and Miski, I might pick it up again.”

  “You should.” It felt like the club soda was spiked, like something in it was making him feel warm and happy. “We’re going to the championship this year.”

  “That a fact?” Arch raised an eyebrow and finished his drink. “Well, Ty, I’m gonna keep an eye on you, then. And if you’re ever back in Yerba and you wanna go dancing…” His paw was outstretched again, and a card reflected the club’s rainbow lights from between his fingers. “Look me up.”

  Ty reached out and took the card and clasped the wolf’s paw at the same time. “You taking off?”

  “Just heading back out to the dance floor. It is loud here and I’d rather dance than talk. Maybe I’ll see you there?”

  “Maybe.” Ty took the card as the wolf released his paw and then saw Dev coming up. He shoved the card hastily in his pocket and followed the wolf’s tail out to the dance floor as Dev took the empty seat.

  Dev was worried about Vonni, and after that Pike came up and said it was time to go, so Ty didn’t see Arch again that night. But he took the card out in his room, sitting in his bed. For a good time call Archie Collins, it read, and listed the phone number below it.

  It was tempting to say that the guy had
the wrong idea about him. But he hadn’t really hit on Ty at all. Couldn’t a guy just have a guy friend to go dancing with? Even if one was straight and the other gay? Some of Ty’s friends could dance, but there was something about Arch that was different. Maybe it was that the wolf had walked away from him. That hadn’t happened with anyone, male or female, since—jeez, high school maybe.

  Ty curled his tail up on the bed and looked at the card again, then put the number into his phone.

  After the game, he sat at his locker and looked around. Pretty much everyone was down after the loss: tails drooped and ears were flat everywhere he looked. The rest of the wideouts grumbled around him about the new guy coming in, Lightning Strike, and they hadn’t even had a chance to say good-bye to Ford. So nobody was really in the mood to go out.

  But Ty’d caught a touchdown, and even though he was pissed about Ford and Strike just as much, he was already envisioning being traded to a team where he could be the number one wideout, or else hanging around a couple years until Strike left this team just like he’d left all the others and taking over the top spot here. Whatever happened, he was sure he’d come out on top. And he’d caught a touchdown. He felt like going out.

  Dev had a date with his fox, which was cool that they could go out together here and people wouldn’t care as much. Ty’d never really thought about it much, apart from the college jokes about staying away from the hookers in Yerba (because they were usually males in drag). It was cool, though, having seen the stress on Dev, to see him more relaxed. Or at least to think of him more relaxed, because he’d still looked a bit stressed even on Korsat Street.