*This time it's Guy and Tobias who get into a little rough action together.
No, not like that! Get your mind out of the gutter!
*Literotica rules apply
*
Guy woke up from his last bit of sleep when he felt a soft warmth stirring against him. He blinked his eyes and saw Cani smiling at him. 'Morning, cutie.' he whispered.
'Morning, lover.' she said and gave him a long kiss. 'I'm going down to help mom and dad set up breakfast for us.'
'I'll be down soon too.' said Guy and watched the heap of arms and heads covering his body. 'As soon as I can untangle myself.'
Cani chuckled. 'Good luck.' she said and got up, dressed quickly and went out of the apartment they used while they were at her parents.
Guy tried to slowly pull himself from under the collection of limbs but soon enough Ara woke up and pushed him down with one of her legs on his chest. 'You're not getting away that easily.' she said and yawned.
Mami stretched and yawned. 'She's right.' she said and cupped Guy's cheek. 'You have a responsibility to make our mornings a good thing.'
Guy chuckled and put his hand on Mami's. 'So, how can I do that?'
She and Ara smiled sleepily devious at him.
'Good morning.' said Guy when he met Natalie and Tobias downstairs at the garden later.
'Morning.' said Natalie while Tobias was counting his squats.
'Training?' Guy asked.
'There's a short marathon coming up soon and Tobias is running to support the good cause.' Natalie said. 'It's to create centres for the elderly and younger kids to get together while the parents work.'
'Ohh, is it that time again?' said Cani who entered the garden behind Guy. 'This is the third time he's running then.'
'Really?' asked Guy.
Cani nodded. 'He won the other two times.'
'Nice.' Guy said. 'I only did a marathon during my last year in school. Ended up in third place, even if I hadn't really trained for it.'
Cani's ears pricked up. 'Why not participate in this one?' she said and looked at Natalie who liked that idea and smiled.
'Yes!' said Natalie. 'Having a human run in it for the first time will make for great publicity! The organisation will love it!'
'Ah, wai-' started Guy when Tobias snorted.
'A weakling human run a marathon with our kind?' he said. 'He'll never make it.'
'And why not?' said Cani before Guy could say anything again. 'Guy's definitely no weakling and he'll give you a run for the money.'
'Hah!' said Tobias again. 'That, I'd have to see.'
Guy held up his hand but Cani stepped in front of him. 'Okay, you will!' she said. 'He'll participate and when he's beaten you, you will eat your words.'
'Okay then, bring it on!' Tobias said and started his morning run. 'Make sure you have a doctor ready for him!' he shouted over his shoulder.
'You just get ready to lose big time!' Cani shouted after him as he jogged out of the gate.
'Oh, this will be exciting!' Natalie said.
'Let's go sign Guy up.' Cani said and walked inside with Natalie, discussing what they'd need to get ready.
Guy sighed. 'I'm going to have more of these mornings, right?'
***
The organisation loved the idea and the news that a human would participate in a canine event for the first time brought in a lot of attention and sponsor money for the cause.
'You certainly know how to stir things up.' said Mami as she handed him his water bottle at the runners tent near the start of the marathon course.
'But I didn't!' said Guy. 'Cani started it.'
'You sure have been training a lot during these five days though.' she said, checking the sports bag with supplies. 'Not something an unwilling person would do.'
'I can't very well slack off now, can I?' he said and took a sip of water. 'It's become a major publicity event, and I can't set a bad example for humans.'
Mami nodded. 'You're already a bad example because you got yourself intimately involved with five other species already.'
He looked at her with wide eyes. 'But..'
She gave him a sly smile. 'So you'd better make up for that and prove your man's worth by winning.' she said and gave him a kiss. 'For good luck.' she added and walked away with the bag to bring it to the car.
Guy chuckled and took another sip while watching the rest of the runners. Every generation was present from older children to older folk. Just about everyone did it for fun. Only Tobias seemed extra eager to win this.
He was at the van with Natalie doing some active stretching. A few people from the local press were talking to Cani and Feli. They kept them away from him for now so he could prepare for the run in relative peace. Ara and Avia were close to them. Ara gave him a wink and Avia a quick wave when they saw he was looking at them. He gave them a smile and wave back, then noticed a couple of the older female runners watching him and sniggering.
With an embarrassed soft groan he drank the rest of his water.
'Ready to lose?' said Tobias at the starting line next to Guy.
The organisation had put him at the front to give the press some good pictures.
'Don't trip over your own tail.' said Guy sideways while trying to keep a cheerful look on his face.
'And with this I pronounce the sixth marathon as started!' the head of the organisation said after a short word of thanks and fired the gun.
Tobias sped off at once but Guy didn't give him the chance to gain a lot of distance on him.
'Don't run out of breath now!' Tobias said when Guy caught up to him and increased the pace.
'If you keep talking instead of running you'll be out of breath yourself!' said Guy and overtook him.
Tobias ran harder again. 'Like a human could outrun us!'
'You'd be surprised!' Guy said, overtaking him again and within a few moments the runners in front of the group shook their heads at the two who were sprinting away from them.
'Just.., give up.., already..' panted Tobias, his tongue hanging out while running on his last legs a short while later when they entered the forest.
'You.., first..' panted Guy, forcing himself to keep running.
'You.., humans.., are so.., stubborn..' panted Tobias, his feet getting so heavy he slowed down.
'Only.., when.., needed..' Guy panted, nearly stumbling.
'You.., are.., not.., going to.., make.., it..,' wheezed Tobias, slowing down even more. 'finish.., line..'
'I'll..,' wheezed Guy at Tobias's side. 'before.., you..'
The two slowed down to walking speed, then trudged for a short distance before slowing down to a crawl and crash another moment later against a thick tree on the side of the path. They tried to catch their breath and ignore the numbness in their legs for a while before Guy had the energy to see where they were.
'Did we.., go the right.., way?' he panted, leaning back against the tree.
Tobias turned around. 'The route.., is marked..' he panted and looked at the sides of the path. 'There..' He gestured with a tired swing from his arm. 'Arrow..'
Guy saw the red arrow on a short pole a little further and nodded. 'Kay..' he said. 'Let's go.. Before others catch up.., and see us..'
Tobias nodded in agreement and leaning against each other they staggered forward, overlooking the sign they had just passed that warned about the dangers in the forest in the direction of the red arrows, and the green arrow from the marathon route just in front of it that pointed to the path to the right.
It took a while but eventually both Tobias and Guy regained their normal running speed and called a truce. At least until they saw the finish line.
'There.' said Tobias and nodded towards a red arrow.
'We have to go there?' asked Guy when he saw it was a small path leading into a darker part of the forest.
Tobias shrugged. 'Maybe they decided to make it more interesting and add in a little cross country?'
'Okay then.' Guy said and ran up the path after Tobias.
The path went right and left through the trees, was flanked with thorny bushes at one point and they had to duck a few times to avoid low hanging branches.
'You sure we're going the right way?' Guy asked.
'Of course!' Tobias said, jumping over a large tree root. 'It's always simply follow the arrows.' He grinned. 'If this is too much for you you can always give up and wait for the rest.'
'You wish!' Guy said.
The path ended up at a clearing next to a low hill and they slowed down for a moment.
'Whereto now?' Guy said. 'Do you see any arrows?'
Tobias looked around and couldn't see any, but he spotted a sign a few metres from the entrance of a cave. 'Maybe there.' he said and pointed at it. 'We probably need to go in there.'
'Right.' Guy said, still looking around. 'You know, I had expected to see at least some people along the route.'
'Afraid to run the track alone?' grinned Tobias.
'No.' Guy said. 'It's just, not what I'm used to with our marathons.'
'You're in Canine territory now.' said Tobias. 'Forget your silly human ways!'
'I still say something's-' Guy said when they heard a growl.
They stopped at the sign which said "WARNING! GROUCHY BEAR! DO NOT GO NEAR!".
'Tobias?' Guy said, staring at the sign.
'Yes, Guy?' Tobias said, staring at the same sign.
Another roar sounded and the head of a big brown bear appeared from the cave entrance.
'I suggest we run.' Guy said.
'I agree.' said Tobias and they scrambled towards the edge of the clearing.
'There!' said Guy and pointed at an opening in the trees. 'Path!'
'Yes!' Tobias said and sprinted with the bear close behind him.
They rushed along the path but despite it being narrow the bear didn't give up, running and growling right on their heels.
'Guy!' Tobias shouted. 'It's gaining on us!' The bear growled again. 'And by we, I mean it's gaining on me!'