Chapter Text
"Hold on, now. We can talk about this, can't we?" Rufus pleaded as the Sheriff finished tying the last knot. Thick ropes bound him and his partner Reggie together on the back of the Aerocycle. Behind them, Badgerclops gathered up the last of their ill-gotten gains into their communal sack.
"Yeah, no. I don't negotiate with dirty thieves," Mao Mao sneered, pulling the knot tighter. Rufus wheezed in discomfort as the air was forced out of his lungs. Reggie squeaked as his eyes bulged out from the pressure.
"Agh, not so tight, please!" Reggie strained. It took several seconds of fierce wiggling to contort himself into a bearable posture. Mao Mao said nothing as he checked the tightness of the supports that secured the thieves to the back of the Aerocycle.
"Are you two almost finished?" Mao Mao called out to his compatriots. Badgerclops stumbled out the front door, dragging the sack behind him. Adorabat fluttered behind, looking content as she saw the sour expressions on the faces of her former 'friends'.
"We got it all, dude. You got room for the bag?" Badgerclops asked as he closed the door to the shack behind him.
"No, just leave it here for the guards to collect later." Mao Mao ordered, activating his helmet.
"'Aight, see 'ya back at base!" Badgerclops called out.
Mao Mao gave his crew a nod as he mounted the vehicle. The engines roared to life, and in a second they were airborne. The fierce evening wind whipped the thieves as Mao Mao rode high into the air, breaking the clouds. Their destination - the castle at the base of the mountain - loomed in the distance.
"Y'all know what an oubliette is?" Mao Mao called back to the pair.
Rufus didn't deign to respond to the Sheriff's taunting. Reggie, on the other hand, was more than willing to play into it.
"No...?" Reggie trailed.
"Well, it's basically a hole in the ground, but in a dungeon." Mao Mao said. "One way in, no way out. The perfect place for your kind." He laughed, low and dark.
"That hardly seems ethical," Rufus protested, his mind growing uneasy as he considered the prospect of their survival.
"One could say that," Mao Mao started, shrugging one of his hands. "On the other hand, I'm pretty sure any other kingdom that bothered to give you a formal trial for the acts you've committed would send you to a guillotine on the same day. At least this way you'll have some time to think about what you've done."
"A-are we gonna-" Reggie started, panic filling his voice. Rufus leaned his head back, pressing against his associate as he whispered, "Shh..."
"I dunno," Mao Mao responded. "Gonna have to discuss what to do with you two with the King. In the meantime, you're not going anywhere."
Rufus could feel his heart pounding in his chest. The prospects seemed as grim as could be, but he had to maintain his composure - if not for himself then for Reggie. They may have been the same age, but Reggie was always the "softer" one. No matter how many capers they had pulled off, and how many run-ins with the law they had, the poor Raccoon never seemed to develop any more resiliency. Rufus didn't want to admit it, but perhaps he was suited for a place like Pure Heart Valley.
The Aerocycle dipped below the clouds as it approached its destination. The lower levels of the castle were obscured in the shadow of the mountain above, only lit by the occasional street light and wall-mounted torch. Mao Mao steered the vehicle onto the road, lowering his speed as he approached an open portcullis. The guards stood as sentinels, regarding the Sheriff with a nod as he drove past. The interior was lined with cells, each floor covered in a progressively thicker coating of dust. The centuries of neglect were made evident by the lack of staff who would otherwise patrol such an area. For the first time in a while, Rufus felt alone.
"Well, this is our stop," Mao Mao announced, killing the power on his bike and dismounting. Unsheathing his sword, he sliced straight through the ropes that bound the duo, causing them to roll off the side of the bike onto the dirt floor. Rufus picked himself up, dusting off his padded jacket with a dainty paw as he adjusted his ascot. Had it been anyone else, he might've felt like he could make a break for it right here. Perhaps even take a bit of the rope that was now strewn on the floor and attempt to choke out his captor. Two on one was a good bet. But this wasn't an ordinary jailer. The Sheriff had proved himself more crafty, cunning, and quick than anyone else he had ever encountered. At this moment, the better play was obvious in his head - go along with it for now and figure out an escape plan later. Attempting to act now would be suicide, and he had plenty of life left to live.
His musings were cut short by the impatient throat-clearing of the Sheriff. He walked around them, pointing his sword like a spear.
"Get moving."
Rufus felt Reggie's paw grasping at his. He took the shaking paw, giving it a squeeze of affirmation. "Come along now, Reg. We'll do as we're told, alright?"
"R-right," Reggie whimpered.
The two of them padded down a long, dim corridor, taking them deeper into the facility. The ceiling was low and the air damp. Even with his autumn jacket on, the cold seeped into his body. He shivered in equal parts fear and discomfort as they arrived at their destination. The hallway ended, opening up into a room of modest size. An unattended desk with cobweb-strewn papers and candlesticks sat on top, accompanied by a rickety-looking chair that was missing most of its back. It faced a rusted iron grate in the middle of the room.
Mao Mao nudged them further in, scanning for a lever to the side of the entrance. Slicing it upwards with the blunt edge of his blade, ancient gears turned and puffs of dust kicked up from the wall. Whatever arcane machinery was activated, it caused the grate to retract. The pit in the middle of the room awaited its new occupants, who glanced at one another with uncertainty. Rufus gave his associate a sad smile as Reggie began to sniffle.
"Alright, in you go!" Mao Mao announced, batting the two of them forward. Rufus was the first to collapse into the pit, dragging Reggie behind him by the hand. He fell several feet before landing on his back. Reggie landed on his chest, causing him to grunt as he stared at the faint light from the hole above them.
"I'll be back to check up on you tomorrow. Don't go anywhere while I'm gone." Mao Mao said from out of sight. He finished his sentence with a maniacal laugh, the raucous laughter reverberating off of the walls. Another flicking of a lever was heard, and the grate slid back into place with a fresh deposit of falling rust and dust. The sound of paw pads faded into the distance, leaving the two thieves alone in their new temporary home. The featureless pit was lined with cobblestone, untended shackles lining the walls. They were well past jumping distance from the grate, and the smoothed walls offered no climbing footholds. The only warmth to be felt was from each other as Reggie wrapped himself around his boss's chest. Rufus let out a shuddering sigh, processing the day's events and making a mental plan for the future. He had to hand it to the Sheriff - this was by far the most disturbing and ominous imprisonment he'd had to date, but even now he knew he had been in worse situations. After all, what was a night or three in an uncomfortable cell?
Reggie was not of such a mindset - blubbering into his Boss's suit as he asked what they were going to do.
"Calm down, Reg, I've got everything under control," Rufus insisted, petting Reggie's head.
"W-what if he l-leaves us down here?" Reggie stuttered out, his breath hitching on every other word.
"He won't, I promise! They're just trying to 'scare us straight' is all. I've seen it all before, don't you worry." Rufus drew his associate into a hug, scrunching up his legs against Reggie's back in an attempt to assuage him.
"I-I'm scared, Rufus..." Reggie muttered, stifling his sobs as he gave in to his boss's charming warmth.
"I know you are, buddy, I know..." Rufus started, looking down into Reggie's face. They looked into each other's eyes, Rufus trying to keep a strong face as Reggie wiped at his tears.
"We were doin' real good, weren't we?" Reggie asked, trying to return his boss's smile.
"You were doing so well out there, Reg. If it weren't for the Sheriff and those deputies, we would've been able to retire today." Rufus praised, nudging Reggie's forehead with his nose. Reggie couldn't help but giggle a bit as he blushed.
"This is just a setback, you'll see. We'll get back at them, and come out stronger than we were before." Rufus muttered, his associate nestling his head into Rufus's chest.
"I trust you, Rufus," Reggie managed. "You always know how to make me feel better."
"Of course, you're worth more to me than all the gems in the world," Rufus cooed. "I'm a rich man as long as I have you."
"Ah, jeez boss..." Reggie said, laughing.
"You know what would make you feel even better..." Rufus started, giving his companion a sly smile.
Reggie broke eye contact, looking at the ground as the grey fur of his cheeks shot out bars of scarlet.
"You sure, boss?"
"It's been a long day, hasn't it? Why don't you let me help you unwind a bit?" Rufus suggested, sneaking a paw between the two of them. He was met with no resistance as he inched his way towards Reggie's crotch, teasing out the head of his cock as he groped him. Reggie let out a faint moan as he grabbed onto Rufus's shoulders.
"Ah, Boss..." Reggie whispered as his member enlarged itself to its full length. His cock closed the gap between them, inching its way along Rufus's coat as he continued to play with it between the digits of his paw. The soft flesh of his pads glided up and down, massaging his member from the base to the tip. The broad strokes elicited pleasured, pained huffs as Rufus rubbed his palm on the tip of Reggie's cock. The pre that dribbled out leaked onto his hand, and was repurposed into a lubricant as he smeared it around Reggie's erection. The wet, suctioned sounds were muffled between the two of them, barely audible above their panting breaths.
"You like this, don't you?" Rufus asked, drawing Reggie's attention back to him. Reggie nodded his head, staring into his boss's gaze with dilated, expectant eyes.
"You give r-really nice massages," Reggie grunted out, shuttering as Rufus concentrated his stroking on the underside of the tip. The increasing pace and harder jerking was driving him to a hasty climax.
"Only the best for you, Reg.' Rufus said, tilting his cock back and to the left. Reggie bit his lip, straining as he whined against the oncoming finish.
"Ah, boss!" Reggie whispered, his cock twitching as it prepared to spill his seed.
Rufus finished the job, holding up two digits as he brought his partner to completion. The shots of semen squirting past him and onto the wall behind them. Errant bits of cum that shot wide were caught by his digits, keeping it from getting on his suit. Reggie's body shuddered as the pleasure of release washed through him, leaning back against Rufus's knees.
Rufus brought his paw to his maw, licking away the strings of his partner's semen from between his paws as he pet him.
"There we are, all better..." Rufus whispered. "There's a little happy ending for you."
Rufus's eyes went wide, a slew of inspiration hitting him at once. He gazed down at his reclining companion, then to his soiled paw. Words reverberated through his head - 'Pure Heart Valley' - 'Massage' - 'Happy Ending'
"By god, that's it!" Rufus announced, snapping his digits.
"B-boss?" Reggie muttered, inching his eyes open.
"Oh Reg, you've done it again!" Rufus praised. "I know what our next plan will be now."
"Ah, that's great, boss," Reggie congratulated, "What are we gonna do next?"
"I'll tell you in due time, my dear friend. For now, let's try to get some rest. I've got big plans for the next few days." Rufus assured, undoing his coat and draping it around the back of his companion.
"Alright, boss. I'll keep trustin' you." Reggie whispered, hugging Rufus's now-naked frame. Rufus wrapped his arms around Reggie, bringing his head forward as the two of them curled into a ball.
'Oh, Mao Mao,' Rufus thought to himself as he shut his eyes, 'You will rue this day.'