>There was that dreaded sound again, the one you’d come to hate over the last few years.
>Admittedly, you were never much of a morning person, preferring to get a good night’s rest whenever you could.
>To make matters even worse, you had a knack for waking up during the best parts of your dreams.
>The blaring next to your ear was auditory torture to your groggy self, blindly thrusting your hand at your nightstand to stop it at its source.
>After smashing your fist down on the snooze button you take a deep breath, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes before stealing a quick glance at the time.
>About an hour or so to burn before heading to work, that place that sapped your will to live.
>Before doing anything else you were going to take a hot shower, unable to pass as anything resembling human without one.
>The nearly scalding water running down your skin was akin to a wave of energy washing over you, instantly leaving you far more refreshed and alert.
>You couldn’t help but let out a drawn-out sigh as you ran your fingers through your hair.
>After thoroughly toweling yourself off, you toss on the bright, cheery uniform you’d come to associate with misery over the years.
>Working at the local frozen yogurt place wasn’t so bad but after a couple of years, you were less than overjoyed about still working there.
>This was only made worse by the fact that you still couldn’t find meaningful employment in your field of study.
>That’s right, despite having a degree you were stuck working a dead end job for teenagers.
>Not for lack of trying either, the job market in your town was very much lacking, unemployment rates at an all-time high.
>So you sucked it up, anything to avoid having to beg mom and dad to move back in again, having some shred of dignity still left in you.
>It was humiliating but you made the most of your time there, getting to know some great people, and a few assholes along the way.
>Those great people made every day working there a touch more bearable and that’s all you could really ask for.
>Your growling stomach served to remind you to grab something to eat before you left.
>Your dinky kitchen was nothing special but it served you well over the years, everything organized in a way that worked best for you.
>Having determined you had some time before having to set off you grabbed some eggs, bacon bits, butter, and some bread.
>Quickly, you whisked the eggs in a bowl, slowly pouring the mixture into a hot pan, making sure to scramble the egg mixture as it cooked, adding the bacon bits as you did.
>You slathered the toast in butter and set it on a plate with the eggs, wolfing everything down while occasionally sneaking glances at your watch, not wanting to be late.
>Making sure you had your watch, phone, keys, and wallet, you rush out the door, almost forgetting to lock the door behind you.
>Sitting in traffic was arguably one of the better parts of your day, allowing you to gather your thoughts in relative peace.
>Reminiscing about college brought you momentary happiness, smiling as you thought about all the crazy shit you got up to throughout the years.
>Crazy was maybe putting it too lightly considering you damn near killed yourself on several occasions.
>A lot of things came to mind, like the time you took a plunge off a roof into a pool, narrowly avoiding breaking every bone in your body.
>The time you fell off a second story balcony at a party also came to mind, earning yourself a broken leg for your troubles.
>Or the many times you nearly drowned, passed out in a pool of your own sick, the only thing saving you from a sure death had been compassionate party-goers.
>As soon as you graduated though, you weaned yourself off the alcohol, not wanting to continue down that path.
>You’d had a lot of fun in college but it never satisfied you on an emotional level, empty hookups and meaningless sex serving as temporary distractions from your life.
>Not that you were against casual sex, but you never had anything resembling a stable relationship during those four years, only flings that lasted about as long as you did.
>To top things off, all the friends you’d made there kind of grew apart after college, only keeping in contact on occasion, but that was to be expected.
>You felt pathetic thinking about it but you couldn’t name a single person that you were truly close with, a fact that saddened you to no end.
>College you had been a heavy drinker and party-goer but you couldn’t help but think about what could’ve been if you’d done some things differently.
>Despite the sad state of your life since graduating from college, you were proud to have never resorted to forgetting yourself in a bottle.
>You’d seen too many close family members ruin their lives and health with alcoholism, not wanting to be the latest in an already long list.
>Over the years you’d found more productive ways to forget about how miserable you were, some more effective than others.
>Fortunately, the asshole honking his horn behind you interrupted your depressing train of thought.
>“Get a fucking move on already!” he screamed, leaning out of the window of his truck.
>“God I hate this town,” you muttered to yourself, moving up in the traffic jam.
>The traffic jam eventually cleared up, arriving at work with just minutes to spare.
>You took a deep breath, giving yourself a motivational speech before getting out of your car, earning you some strange looks from passerby.
>You heard that familiar entry bell chime as the doors swung open, rushing to clock in for the day.
>“Hey Anon, how was your weekend?” Kevin asked as you punched in.
>You fist bumped him, “Just more of the usual, you?”
>A sly grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, “Can’t complain, met someone new at the bar on Saturday.”
>“Oh yeah?” you cocked an eyebrow at him, “You gonna tell me how that went?”
>“I will later, Kelly’s been looking for a reason to write me up, but what else is new, right?”
>You nodded in agreement, ”Preaching to the choir here buddy.”
>Kevin was one of the few people you could call a true friend, having worked on the same shift as you for two years now.
>Kelly was your shift manager, a fact that you’d begrudgingly come to accept over time.
>It bothered you that someone two years your junior was in charge, especially someone who’d been with the store for far less time.
>You sucked it up, swallowing your pride a little more each day as you took orders from her.
>She walked over to you and Kevin, clipboard in hand, “Care to explain why you were two minutes late today?”
>What little hope of having a good day at work you still held on to had gone out the window with those few words.
>You turned to face her, meeting her gaze, “You never been stuck in traffic, Kelly?”
>Kevin excused himself and ducked into the backroom, wanting to avoid getting dragged into things.
>“Everyone has to deal with traffic Anon, you’re not special and certainly not the first with that poor excuse.”
>Normally it wouldn’t be such a big deal but you were sick of Kelly hounding you over every little mistake.
>“Why is it such a big deal when I’m late but not when the next shift rotates in fifteen minutes late without a real excuse?”
>“Look, it’s not my problem because I manage your shift, not theirs.”
>As the conversation went on you only got more upset at her unsatisfactory answers.
>“You’d think if their shift manager doesn’t care if they’re here fifteen minutes late, you wouldn’t care so goddamn much when I’m two minutes late!” you exclaimed, slamming your open palm onto the counter.
>She crossed her arms, staring daggers at you, “Don’t raise your voice with me Anon, you might not like it but I’m your manager and it’s my responsibility to make sure this store is staffed up when it needs to be.”
>“It’s nine in the morning Kelly, Jesus Christ, how many people are coming here at 9 am that you can’t handle things for two minutes without me?”
>“Better yet, why is it so hard for you to cut me some slack for once?”
>“Just make an effort to get up earlier Anon, I’m not going to accept any more excuses or ask you nicely next time,” she said, writing something down on her clipboard.
>“That was asking nicely? Fuck me...” you muttered under your breath as she walked away.
>You and Kelly had dated at one point, something you kick yourself for even having thought of doing.
>Since you were a touchy-feely idiot who couldn’t hold your tongue when it came to relationships, she knew more about you than most people.
>You’d shared some fairly personal stuff, namely your experiences regarding the alcoholism and drug abuse that you’d seen as a kid.
>You weren’t raised in an abusive home but you’d seen firsthand what substance abuse could do to once happy families.
>Even family members that didn’t have families of their own to speak of ruined their livers and became financial burdens for those closest to them.
>You’d told her everything, especially how you wanted to avoid the same fate by following in your father’s footsteps.
>You looked up to him, he’d worked hard to put a roof over your head as a kid and give you all the tools you needed to be successful.
>It was something you’d always been grateful for, even if you weren’t the best at showing it.
>That’s why it stung so much to be working this dead-end job, you desperately wanted to do the same for a family of your own, to make your father proud while you still had him.
>He’d left some massive shoes to fill and even though you were confident you would measure up one day, doubt occasionally lingered in the back of your mind.
>Some days you’d have trouble even keeping your composure around Kelly, letting your tears flow free.
>She’d provided you with comfort and love that you’d seldom felt before, reassuring you when you felt life was hellbent on breaking you down.
>Despite how strained the relationship between you two became, she’d always given you the confidence to push forward and strive to better yourself.
>It was something that to this day you’d never thanked her properly for, the best gift anyone had ever given you.
>You blamed yourself for the breakup, your crippling fear of commitment and doubt getting the best of you.
>Out of the blue you’d decided there was little in common between the two of you, choosing to break off the relationship instead of leading her on.
>She didn’t take things too well, not that you’d expected her to, thinking back to the events of that day.
>You’d at least had the balls to tell her straight to her face, remembering the sting of every slap and her heart-wrenching sobbing.
>She didn’t want whatever meager apologies you had to offer her, instead wanting you out of her life.
>You didn’t know it at the time but she’d had trouble with rejection before, something that only served to amplify the guilt you felt.
>But you couldn’t blame her for anything, you knew just how much she cared for you and you fucked everything up out of what? Fear?
>Regardless of who was to blame, you’d decided you didn’t want to hurt anyone like that ever again.
>Moving forward, you vowed to only commit to relationships if you were 200% sure things were going to work out.
>You couldn’t stand the way you felt after getting out of that relationship, feeling like the biggest asshole to ever walk the earth.
>You wallowed in self-loathing for weeks, deluding yourself into thinking you didn’t deserve that kind of love and comfort ever again.
>After the fact, you tried getting your shift moved around to avoid her, but most other shifts were filled and nobody wanted to swap with you.
>So, you tried to make the best of things, doing your best to be a model employee, something that you could never again be in her mind.
>Luckily your job wasn’t very demanding, just scooping and weighing ice cream, a job so simple even a monkey could do it.
>You tried to not let it get to you too much.
>Sure, cleaning the bathrooms after the midday rush wasn’t the highlight of your day but it came with the territory.
>The first few hours of your work day were always slow, habitually striking up a conversation with Kevin to help pass the time.
>You put a hand on his shoulder, making him jump a bit, “So, you gonna tell me about that girl you met?”
>”What, the bar girl?”
>“Who else do you think I’m talking about, numbnuts?” you laughed.
>He put an arm around you, bringing you in close, “Alright, don’t judge me too much but she’s uh, one of those anthro girls.”
>“Wait, seriously?” you cocked an eyebrow at him, “Didn’t peg you for the type.”
>“That’s how I felt at first but then we went back to my place and oh my god, the things she could do with her ton-” he cut short, noticing Kelly’s eavesdropping.
>“You know what, nevermind,” he said loud enough for Kelly to hear, then cupping a hand over his mouth.
>“But listen, dude, dog girls are fucking awesome, they can’t get enough of you,” he whispered, Kelly shooting him an odd look, “I felt like a goddamn king with the way she treated me.”
>“It was a little weird that she would constantly sniff me, I gotta say.” 
>“But if you can look past that, you should give them a shot, my man.”
>“Yeah, I don’t know if I’d be into all that but I'll keep it in mind,” you said, “Listen though, I’m gonna go get some burgers for lunch today, you in?”
>“Fuck yeah, I’m in.”
>After a few hours, you both went on break, leaving Kelly to hold down the fort for a while.
>As you both made your way to the local burger joint, you had some time to collect your thoughts.
>Thinking back on what Kevin had said, despite your reckless college years you’d never even talked much with anthro women beyond required stuff like class projects and presentations.
>Although you had seen a few with bodies nice enough to make a man want to reconsider.
>That’s also not to say you weren’t curious enough to do a little research on seedier parts of the internet, something you weren’t particularly proud of.
>Dating outside your species was a weird concept to you still, and you weren’t the only one who thought the same way.
>Dating an anthro as a human was still seen as taboo, despite anthros being around for the entirety of your life.
>It was one of those things you wouldn’t mind trying at least once, the opportunity just having never presented itself to you.
>As you sized up the many options the menu had to offer, you settled for a double cheeseburger and fries, something this place was well known for.
>As much as you hated to admit it, there was nothing quite like a nice greasy burger for lunch, tearing through your meal in record time.
>Kevin groaned and rubbed his full belly, “Goddamn that hit the spot.” 
>“Right? I haven’t had a burger that good in a while,” you groaned in agreement.
>A quick glance at your watch told you it was about time to head back to work, not wanting to incur Kelly’s wrath for the second time today.
>There weren’t many customers to speak of in the mornings, most of your clientele being kids and teenagers, usually in school until later in the day.
>When that afternoon rush came through, that’s when you really started hating your job.
>The noise, smells and constant spills you had to clean up came together to form an environment that could give even the most patient man a headache.
>It was hellish but after the afternoon rush cleared up, the job became tolerable again, usually having few customers until it was time to change shifts.
>Just thirty minutes before you were free from this hell, you heard that familiar ring while you were busy cleaning up for the next shift.
>You went to see if a customer had come in, but the store was bare besides you, Kevin and Kelly, who were both in the back.
>Not seeing anyone, you turn to head back to your duties, until you heard someone yell, scaring the everloving shit out of you.
>“Oi dickhead, down here!”
>Looking for the source of the noise, you peered over the tall counter and saw what you thought was a Kangaroo girl, a fairly small one at that.
>Eyeballing it, the girl was on the shorter end of the four foot range, considering how you towered over her by comparison.
>You couldn’t lie, it was hard to resist making a short joke since you easily had two feet on the girl.
>And that wasn’t to say her height was a bad thing either considering the excellent view you were getting from above.
>You felt like a pervert for noticing, but with your view, you could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra.
>Those “research” websites had done some things to your sexuality you weren’t proud to admit.
>You put on your best smile, “My bad, didn’t see you there.”
>“Can I still order something or am I buggered, mate?”
>“We’re open late today, just getting things ready for the next shift, what can I get you?”
>“Two scoops of vanilla with some of the granola there on top,” she said, pointing at the topping.
>You had to admit, the way she had to stand on her tiptoes to even see over the counter was pretty damn adorable.
>You scoop up the ice cream and sprinkle a generous amount of granola on top, weighing it after, “Anything else, or will that be all?”
>“Just that, mate.”
>“That’ll be 3.25$, will that be cash or credit?”
>She quickly paid for her ice cream, thanking you.
>She turned to leave, but stopped herself midway to turn back to you, “Listen, mate, sorry for calling ya a dickhead, the guys on the other shift usually can’t tell up from down.”
>“Don’t worry about it, just part of the job.”
>She left the store, the encounter putting a small smile on your face as you went back to cleaning up.
>You couldn’t shake that feeling in the back of your mind, nagging at you as if you’d seen her somewhere else before.
>You chalked it up to coincidence, not thinking much of it and getting back to what you were doing.
>You finished cleaning up with Kevin and chatted with him on the way to your car, “So, movies this weekend?”
>He thought about it for a second before shooting back a reply, “I’m down, just let me know when, heard Ocean’s 14 got some killer reviews.”
>“Cool, I’ll shoot you a text this weekend, take it easy.”
>“Later dude.”
>You got in your car and drove off, happy to be heading away from that place and to your little slice of heaven.
>As you pulled up to the local gym you felt at home, the highlight of your day being a nice, hard workout.
>Grabbing your gym bag, you head inside, straight to the locker rooms to change out of your work clothes.
>Usually you did a bit of cardio on the treadmills but not today, today you had a date with a punching bag.
>It was no surprise the punching bag was so appealing to you, allowing you to let out all your frustrations without worry.
>After getting into a comfortable stance and taking a few deep breaths, you let loose a barrage of blows into the bag.
>Every blow was accompanied by a loud thud, the bag jostling around as it absorbed each hit.
>You realized it wasn’t particularly healthy behavior but each time you forcefully struck the bag, you felt better.
>You worked up a serious sweat, throwing punches with enough force behind them to knock someone out.
>Make no mistake, the gym was your sanctuary, you loved every single aspect of it.
>Everything from the huge variety of equipment, the yoga pants clad women and even the horrible music that had somehow grown on you over the years.
>Taking a break from your assault on the punching bag, you got a drink and did some lunges while you decided what to do next.
>You settled on doing some deadlifts, bench pressing and then finishing things off with some squats.
>Out of the three lifts deadlifting was by far your favorite, the thunk of weights hitting the ground that accompanied each rep was like music to your ears.
>Bench pressing was close behind on said list, the pump it gave to your chest and arms making you look far stronger than you actually are.
>And finally, you couldn’t forget the glutes for the sloots, squatting being your least favorite out of the essential lifts.
>As much as you hated them, the results were apparent to anyone who looked at the lower half of your body, an ass some women might even be jealous of.
>Every squat caused you to grunt, working through the penultimate set of reps in your workout, your aching muscles doing their best to power through.
>After finishing the set, you took some time to rest and catch your breath before heading out.
>You weren’t exactly a newbie but you had to admit your lifts were stalling a bit lately, not making as much progress as you’d like.
>You partly blamed your diet for it, being too demotivated to eat clean all the time.
>In reality being lazy was to blame for most of it, but you wanted to give the clean eating thing another shot, just to see if it would improve your lifts and gains.
>Vowing to stop eating junk food for the foreseeable future, you finished up the last set with newfound motivation.
>After finishing up, you made your way to the locker room, dripping with sweat.
>It was a little unorthodox but you typically used the gym showers, saved you a little bit on the utilities and the showers weren’t half bad.
>Kept your car smelling like new too, which was another nice little benefit.
>Feeling refreshed after a thorough workout and shower, you got in your car and headed home.
>Once home, you realized your clean eating challenge was going to be far harder than you first thought it to be.
>You got to work, moving all the junk food to somewhere where it’d be out of sight and out of mind.
>You made yourself a couple of sandwiches for dinner, not in a mood to actually cook something that you’d consider a proper meal.
>You watched some television as you ate, flipping through channels until settling on the news, a segment about human and anthro marriage legislation in the pipes catching your eye.
>It was strange seeing anthro and human couples in public but you figured so long as two people love each other, they deserve to be able to get married.
>You quickly thought back to the kangaroo girl you’d helped earlier today, shaking off some less than pure thoughts.
>You blamed the internet for your indecent thoughts, trying to turn you into some kind of deviant.
>After working through the rest of your bachelor meal, you turned off the TV and went to get some rest, not wanting to be both groggy and miserable at work tomorrow.

>You sat in the parking lot, fifteen minutes early for work and not looking forward to another day of menial labor.
>At least you had Kevin to help pass the time.
>A smug grin was plastered on Kelly’s face as you went to clock in, “See, I knew you could make it on time if you put your mind to it, Anon.”
>“I’m glad I’ve set such low standards that coming in early is cause for celebration,” you muttered.
>“I just want what’s best for you Anon, just like how you wanted what was best for you, and only you.”
>That one stung a little bit since it was mostly true, she’d had strong feelings for you and you just… didn’t feel the same way.
>It wasn’t like it was your intention to break her heart, you just didn’t want to lead someone on for no good reason, it went against your principles.
>“How many times am I going to have to apologize for what I did?” you sighed before looking her in the eyes, “Look, I get it, I’m a shitty person. You don’t have to rub it in, alright?”
>It took her a second to reply to your statement, the words putting her on the spot, “Apologize for what Anon? I just want you to be a great employee.”
>She was tougher than you’d given her credit for but even you knew that denial and repression wasn’t the way to deal with things.
>You dropped the subject, deciding that it wasn’t the time or the place to get into an argument about your relationship, “You know what, forget I even said anything.”
>Kevin looked like he’d seen a ghost, a flushed face that was only accentuated by him rubbing his temples.
>You walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, “You alright man? You’re not looking too hot.”
>“I wish I was alright man, I had the craziest night ever.”
>“Hit the bottle too much last night, or what?” you grinned, making a mock drinking gesture.
>“Hell I wish, I’d probably be feeling better if I’d gotten drunk instead.”
>You shot him a confused look, “So what the hell did you do then?”
>A shit-eating grin appeared on his face, “It’s not what I did, it’s who I did.”
>“Who? Wait.. the girl from the bar? Again?”
>“Yup.”
>You gave him a pat on the back for his accomplishment, “Seriously? Nice going man.”
>He groaned, head in his hands, “Don’t say it like I’m some kind of god, I feel like a human dildo after last night.”
>“That bad, huh?”
>“Did you know anthro girls go into heat too? Because I sure as hell didn’t.”
>You were painfully aware that they did from your hours of “research” but that wasn’t something you were prepared to admit to Kevin just yet.
>“So, how was it? I’m a little curious.”
>Kevin gave you a very thorough and enthusiastic explanation of his escapade, using his hands to help make his points.
>“From the second I walked in the door she was on me like white on rice, wouldn’t stop burying her nose in my crotch,” he said, “She literally ripped my pants to get at my dick, it was insane.”
>“We did it everywhere man, the couch, the counter, the bed, the shower,” he said, “It was absolutely insane, she wouldn’t stop for anything.”
>”Don’t even get me started on the claws dude, if you could see my back right now you’d swear someone ran a rake down it.”
>“I got two hours of sleep last night man, my balls are drier than the goddamn Mojave desert.”
>“It fucking feels like someone took a flamethrower to my crotch last night with how hard she was going at me,” he continued, “I have rug burns man, I can’t even sit down right now.”
>“Jesus Christ man, that bad? Was it good at least?”
>He gave you that shit-eating grin again, “My everything hurts right now, but to tell you the truth, I fucking loved it.”
>You had heard about and uh, seen some of the more unique qualities that anthro women had to offer, but you’d never talked to a “victim” firsthand.
>You figured he could use a break after the kind of night he’d had.
>You put a hand on his back, causing him to wince slightly, “Let me take over register duty for you, just pretend to be busy in the back so Kelly doesn’t catch on, alright?”
>“You’d really do that for me? Thanks, man, I owe you one,” he said, limping towards the back.
>“No problem, stud!” you say with a laugh, making sure he heard you.
>“Very funny!”
>The rest of the morning went off without a hitch, Kelly seemingly in a better mood than usual.
>For a moment, life was good.
>It was hard to describe how you normally felt, but if you had to put it into one word it would be, unfulfilled.
>You were just going through the motions everyday, short of spending time with a few friends and your gym visits.
>It felt like you were stuck in a hole with no way to dig yourself out, an almost suffocating feeling.
>Looking at your watch you sighed, seeing you only had a few minutes before the afternoon rush.
>By the end of things, you felt as if you had scooped your own body weight in ice cream, an impressive feat.
>You decided to get things cleaned up early, maybe Kelly would have some compassion and let you and Kevin go early, god knows he needed it.
>“You almost done back there Kevin? I’m trying to leave early today!”
>“I’m sure as hell not, you know how long she’s going to be like this? I’m a dead man walking!”
>“Alright you can hide out in the back for the rest of your life if you want, just help me clean up, will you?” you asked him.
>He poked his head out and gave you a mock salute, “Fair enough chief.”
>You heard that familiar ring again, turning around to find nobody was there, for the second time this week.
>You took a quick peek over the counter and found exactly what you thought you would, the very same kangaroo staring up at you.
>You gave her a closer inspection this time, the kangaroo having her hair in a neat raised ponytail along with some far too small for her body workout clothes.
>She had a grin plastered on her face, staring up at you, “Hey, dickhead.”
>“You again? What can I get you this time miss?”
>“Mate, call me Ruby please, miss just sounds weird.”
>“Fair enough Ruby, what can I get you?”
>“Same thing as last time mate, go easy on the granola this time though, will ya?”
>You quickly scooped out the ice cream, making sure to add less toppings this time.
>“What, too healthy for you?” you laughed, “This might be a weird question but how come I’ve never seen you around before?”
>“Usually finish my workouts later than this, usually see the late shift boys when I come through.”
>You handed her the ice cream, “Oh yeah? You go to the local gym?”
>“Yeah, that’s the one, bloody good place to workout at. You go there too?”
>“Usually after I’m out of this hellhole but yeah, maybe we’ll see each other around sometime.”
>She smiled, turning to leave, “See you later then, dickhead.”
>Your eyes were glued to her swaying tail and ass on her way out, her workout shorts struggling to contain that plump, firm ass.
>Now there was an anthro girl you wouldn’t mind being seen with, popping a half chub at the spectacle.
>Kevin stood behind you, jaw hanging wide open, “Dude.”
>“I know, right?”
>You were on your way to the gym when you thought about what she’d said before. 
>Did she plan to see you at the gym tonight or were you just overthinking things?
>Either way, you were happy to be at the gym again, taking in a lungful of that stale gym air as you walked in.
>You greet the receptionist and make your way to the locker room to get changed.
>For a Tuesday night, the gym was pretty packed, yoga and Zumba classes to blame, probably.
>You were feeling good today, giving the punching bag a skip and getting right into your workout.
>You decided to start on the rowing machine, giving your neglected arms some much needed attention.
>There was nothing quite like the feeling of doing some rows while listening to your favorite music.
>After that you made a quick stop and did a few sets of cable flies, not wanting to neglect your chest either.
>Following those two exercises you did the exact same routine from the day before but in a different order, leaving the bench for last as you gave your chest some time to rest.
>Maybe it was just placebo but the lifts you were struggling with yesterday felt far easier, your mood being as good as it was.
>You’d changed your mind when you got to bench pressing, beads of sweat forming on your forehead as you re-racked the weight.
>As you sat there panting, a small shadow began to loom over you.
>“You going to be alright mate or should I get you an ambulance?” Ruby asked, giving you a playful jab on the shoulder.
>“Very… funny,” you pant, a familiar face and second rack suddenly appearing overhead.
>She had the smuggest grin on her face, looking down at your tired, sweaty form, “If you say you don’t need one then I believe you mate, just looking out for you.”
>“What you doing here this late? I thought you only came into the store after workouts?”
>“I like doing some yoga now and then, keeps me limber mate,” she said, “Plus, it’s ace watching all the fat girls trying to get into the positions, isn’t it?”
>You laughed, whale watching also being a guilty gym pleasure of yours.
>“I’m no expert but you seem pretty limber as it is,” you said, finally having caught your breath again.
>“You know, if you’re getting this worked up from just this, might want to consider a little cardio.”
>“I’ll keep it in mind, but you could really benefit from doing some stretches and calf raises,” you grin.
>“Oh fuck right off then, arsehole,” she says, storming off.
>“Wait what?” you said, turning to see her running out of the gym.
>By the time you get off the bench, she’s already long gone, “What the hell just happened?”
>You slapped your forehead when you made the connection, realizing just how much of an idiot you were.
>You ran outside to see if you could spot her, but she must’ve taken off like a rocket.

>“What a fucking arse, what kind of twit makes jokes out of nowhere like that?”
>You were sick of hearing jokes about your height from everyone you’d met since you were a kid.
>Sure, you knew you were a short girl but you didn’t need to be reminded everywhere you went, it got old real bloody fast.
>You thought you’d finally met someone who didn’t give a shit about it, but you’d been dead wrong.
>Your mom was a wallaby and your dad a kangaroo, so short kids were to be expected but you’d really gotten the shortest end of the stick.
>All your brothers and sisters were taller than you by at least half a foot, it just wasn’t fair.
>You felt like crying but losing your temper was a far better use of your energy right now.
>You were gonna biff that fairy when you saw him tomorrow, right after giving him a piece of your mind, you swore to god.
>The whole time you were jogging home, you grit your teeth, only getting more and more upset by the second.

>The whole way home you kept thinking about it, feeling guiltier by the minute.
>You didn’t mean it that way when you’d given her the advice, she just didn’t give you any time to explain yourself.
>Some part of you hoped you’d see her again tomorrow to apologize for the misunderstanding, she seemed like a nice enough girl.
>Even when you meant well, things usually ended up taking a turn for the worst.
>When you got home you made something actually resembling a meal, treating yourself to some carbonara to forget about what had happened.
>You watched the news for a bit and shitposted on your favorite websites for a while before deciding to turn in for the night.
>It was difficult to sleep that night, constantly stirring and shifting, guilt gnawing at you like a rat.

Chapter 2:
>You yawned as you rubbed your temple, eyes threatening to close on you as you drove to work.
>You’d had a less than stellar night, getting almost no sleep between bouts of tossing and turning.
>There was nothing you wanted to do more than go home and crawl back into your warm bed, especially thinking back to what happened last night.
>It wasn’t entirely your fault but you still couldn’t help but feel like a massive jackass.
>Hiding from your problems wouldn’t do you much good though, you’d learned that much from dealing with Kelly.
>Try as you might, you couldn’t figure out why you cared so much about what someone you barely knew thought of you.
>For how often you’d try to convince yourself you were a terrible person, you cared an awful lot about making things right again with a complete stranger.
>There was something special about Ruby that you couldn’t quite put your finger on, which bothered you to no end.
>Sure, she was attractive, which didn’t help matters any but that wasn’t the reason you wanted to make things right again.
>Her reaction might have been a bit much but even you couldn’t deny that she deserved an explanation and apology.
>Your growling stomach reminded you of what else you’d missed out on that morning.
>At least you’d found a granola bar in your glove compartment, serving to stave off your hunger for a little while.
>By some miracle of God, traffic was almost nonexistent this morning, allowing you to get to work much earlier than usual. 
>As you pulled into the parking lot you notice Kelly’s car missing from her usual spot.
>It was a strange sight considering she was practically the poster child for perfect work attendance.
>You went to go check if the store was open anyway, noticing Kevin wasn’t in his car either.
>You could see your every breath linger in the air as you made your way to the front doors.
>At least business would be slow today, you thought as you put your hands in your pockets.
>A quick glance inside told you the store was still closed, pulling at the door handles proving futile.
>You went to go take another look at Kevin’s car, wondering where the hell he was if he wasn’t inside.
>Looking into the backseat you found your answer, Kevin splayed out on the backseat of his car, fast asleep.
>You shook your head knowingly, giving the window a firm set of taps, “Wake up, sleeping beauty.”
>Kevin quickly shot up in his seat, head swiveling as he searched for the source of the noise.
>”Let me in, it’s cold as shit today,” you said, teeth chattering as he reached to open the door.
>Once inside, he took one look at you and frowned, “What the hell did you do that for man? I’m trying to sleep here.”
>”I thought it was Kelly knocking, you about gave me a heart attack, you fucker.”
>”Sorry, just wanted to know if you had any idea where the hell she is.”
>”Don’t you have her phone number bro?”
>You slapped your forehead in frustration, “Shit, I forgot about that, sorry for waking you up man, can’t think straight today.”
>”Hardly got any sleep last night, and my entire body is sore.”
>A grin slowly replaced the frown on Kevin’s face, “You took my advice, I see. Was it an anthro girl?”
>”I guess you could say that yeah.
>”No way, what kind of girl was she?” he asked, eager for your response.
>”You remember that kangaroo girl that came in yesterday?”
>”No. Fucking. Way.”
>He shook you so hard you felt your eyes rattle around in your skull, ”You’re a fucking legend man, teach me.”
>You lean back in the seat, placing both hands behind your head, ”It wasn’t anything like that man, I ran into her at the gym but she got offended by something I said and fucked off.”
>“Hoping I see her again today so I can apologize,” you yawned, ”Couldn’t get a wink of sleep thinking about it.”
>He patted you on the back, ”That sucks man, you’ll probably see her again though.”
>”I hope so. Enough about my problems though, how was your night with what’s her name?”
>”Oh, with Melanie? I’m still fucking exhausted but my new game plan worked out great.”
>You cock an eyebrow at him, “New game plan?”
>”Well, I figured if I tire out her out first, she won’t be able to pound my pelvis into dust.”
>”And? Did it work?”
>”We still went at it three times, but that’s two times less than I had to do it the day before, that's a win-win in my book,” he said, a dopey smile on his face.
>You decided to use your extensive “research” knowledge to break the news to the poor guy.
>”Call it intuition but you’re either going to be a father or wheelchair bound by the end of the month.”
>”And why’s that?”
>”Because dog girls can be in heat for weeks, unless you, you know.”
>”Oh god,” he said, putting his head into his hands.
>You pat him on the back, reassuringly, “There, there buddy, we’ll say some last words for your pelvis later.”
>Checking your watch, you realize you’ve been waiting for Kelly to show up for half an hour now.
>You decide giving her a quick call is probably for the best.
>”Hello, Anon?”
>”Kelly, where the hell are you? We’ve been freezing our asses off out here for an hour now.”
>”I’m at a dentist appointment, didn’t I tell you guys to open without me today?
>”No Kelly, you didn’t say shit to me, I left early, remember?”
>”Is Kevin there? Put him on the phone real quick.”
>You passed the phone to Kevin, seeing his expression sour as his conversation with Kelly went on, ”What keys Kelly? You didn’t give me anything!”
>”So what, we’re supposed to sit in this cold for another two hours?”
>”Damn it, fine Kelly, we’ll be here at noon,” he said, hanging up the phone.
>Kelly was a hard worker, but damn if her forgetfulness didn’t get the best of her sometimes.
>”So, what’d she say?”
>”So we’ve got two options, we can sit here and freeze to death, or go do literally anything else until noon.”
>”That first option’s pretty tempting but you want to go grab a bite to eat? I’m starving.”
>”Same here, let’s go,” he said, jumping into the driver’s seat.
>You headed to a nearby buffet, hungry for some greasy, filling breakfast food.
>It probably wasn’t the best choice considering you’d vowed to swear off junk food, but a cheat meal here and there couldn’t hurt your progress too much.
>Stacking your plate high with eggs, pancakes, sausage, and bacon, you returned to your table, eager to dive into the veritable mountain of food.
>As you devoured your meal, Kevin stared in admiration, impressed at how much food you could scarf down.
>”How do you eat that much and still stay in shape?” he asked, “Seriously, you look great.”
>“Working out helps, I guess,” you said, shrugging your shoulders, “Although my heart probably hates me for this.”
>”One of these days I’ll get a membership,” he said, between forkfuls of eggs.
>”I’m more than happy to show you the ropes if you do,” you said, getting up to get some dessert.
>After finishing and paying for your meal, you both head back to work, only a few minutes to spare before noon.
>You saw Kelly unlocking the doors, running inside to escape the bitter cold.
>”About time you showed up,” you said, “I can see the headline now, manager charged with negligent manslaughter of employees."
>Kelly rolled her eyes at your statement, ”It’s not that cold you big baby, wear some more layers for once.”
>”And boil in my own sweat in the afternoon?" you scoffed, “I’d rather not if it’s all the same to you.”
>”Just start unpacking the ice cream and yogurt tubs Anon, you don’t get paid to be witty.”
>”I hardly get paid at all!” you shouted as you walked towards the freezer.
>You were in that limbo between being tired and being wide awake, a warm feeling emanating from the nape of your neck.
>It felt good, but you’d give just about anything to be in your own bed right now, struggling to stay focused on the task at hand.
>You finished unpacking all the tubs of ice cream and yogurt, sitting at the counter waiting for anyone dumb enough to buy ice cream on a day like this.
>The hours passed by, the afternoon rush being pretty bearable on a chilly day like this one, a few teenagers making noise was nothing you couldn’t handle.
>In the back of your mind you were hoping Ruby would come by again, not wanting to wait to run into her at the gym.
>Considering her gym schedule, you wouldn't see her until Tuesday at the earliest.
>Once it was time to get everything cleaned up for the next shift, you couldn't help but feel a little envious of how little work they would have to do today.
>”You going home or you are you sleeping in the freezer tonight?” you asked, loud enough for Kevin to hear you.
>”I know you're joking, but I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and that’s not a half bad idea.”
>”I’ll get you a nice urn for your pelvis dust, what’s your favorite color?”
>”Green!” he shouted back.
>You finished up in record time, anything to leave early and rush home to get some much needed rest.
>You went over to Kelly’s office, giving her door a quick knock, “Can I come in?”
>”Sure, come in Anon.”
>You peeked your head through the ajar door, “Hey listen, just wanted to ask if I could leave early, have something urgent to take care of.”
>She shot you a puzzled glance, “Uh, sure I guess? Is everything cleaned up?”
>”Yep.”
>”Sure, go ahead.”
>You gave her a thumbs up, ”Thanks, Kel, you’re the best.”
>Skipping your gym visit wasn’t ideal but there was no way in hell you were going to get a workout done with an hour of sleep.
>That was a good way to put yourself on a one way trip to snap city.
>As you walked to your car you saw a blur out of the corner of your eye, looking around before chalking it up to sleep deprivation.
>”Oi, cunt!”
>Those were the last words you heard before you were doubled over in pain, the breath knocked out of you in an instant.
>You felt slaps and light punches glance your head as you bent over, some of them connecting with full force.
>You put your arms up to block the blows, ”Ow, What the fuck?!” 
>Looking up, you saw the person responsible, Ruby pulling back an open hand. 
>Expecting to be slapped, you reached out and grabbed her by the wrist instead.
>You reached out and took hold of her other wrist, “Calm down Ruby, what the hell are you doing?”
>You’d recovered from the initial blow by now, standing at your full height while holding her by the wrists.
>She tried to pull away from your grip, you standing your ground, “Let go.”
>“Not until you tell me why the hell you punched me in the gut.”
>She looked up at you, real anger visible in her eyes, “You know why, don’t play coy, wanker.”
>“Wait, is this about yesterday?”
>She continued attempting to break your grip, “Humans always think they can get away with chatting shit just because I’m shorter than them.”
>“Is that what this is about?” you asked, “Let me explain.”
>“Not until you let me go.”
>“Only if you promise me you’re not going to hit me in the gut again.”
>She flashed you an uneasy smile, crossing her fingers, “Fine, I promise.”
>“Somehow I don’t believe you.”
>“Let’s talk but not here, it’s too damn cold,” you said, “You like pizza? I know a great place not far from here.”
>“Why would I get food with a prick like you?”
>“Look, it’s my treat and because I’d rather not freeze to death while we talk, that alright with you?”
>She tried to avoid making eye contact with you as much as possible, instead choosing to stare at eye level, directly at your crotch, “Fine but if you haven’t explained by the time I’m done eating then I’m leaving, fair deal?”
>You realized it was kind of silly to hold her wrists steady seeing as she could've kicked you if she'd wanted to.
>You let her wrists go, bracing for another blow that never came, “Couldn’t ask for much more than that.”
>As you both made your way to your car you couldn’t help but take a glance at her, obviously thrown for a loop at your response.
>She wasn’t used to being asked to dinner, much less by someone she’d just tried to assault in public, and even less so by a human.
>“Something on your mind, Ruby?”
>“Why aren't you mad?” she asked, “I punched you in the gut and you act like nothing happened."
>You shot her a puzzled look, “Do you want me to be mad? It hurt, but I'm not mad, just confused is all.”
>As you reached your car you noticed she was having a hard time stifling her laughter.
>“What’s so funny?”
>“Where’d you get this thing, the junkyard?”
>"Very funny," you said, gently running your hand over the hood of your car.
>"Sure, she’s got a lot of miles on her but I take good care of her.”
>“If you say so,” she said, getting inside, “At least it’s clean.”
>Those cleaning habits your mother drilled into your head finally seemed to be paying off.
>“I’m a little offended right now, to be honest,” you laughed, “You might just have to buy me dinner now instead.”
>She turned to look at you, daring to finally make eye contact with you, “No offense mate but I’d sooner jump out of this car before I pay for your dinner.”
>You stared into those distracting amber pools, your brain turning into mush, unable to crank out a witty response.
>“The hell are you staring at?" she asked, turning away from you, “Something on my face or what?"
>You figured being honest might earn you some points with her, “Nah, just looking at your eyes, that’s a beautiful color.”
>She blushed at the compliment, looking out the window, “Oi… who said you could say something like that..”
>You shrugged, starting the car, “Hey, if you don’t want the truth then don’t ask.”
>You decided to make a little small talk as you drove to the pizza parlor, trying to diffuse the tension between you two a little bit, “So, you from around here or what?”
>“Born and raised here but my father had to move us around a lot for work,” she sighed, ”My mom’s a real battler for putting up with it all these years.”
>“Did you enjoy it at least?” you asked, taking a quick glance at her, “Traveling, I mean.”
>“I mean it was fun seeing so many new things but this place still feels like home to me.”
>“Yeah, I know how you feel,” you sighed, “Although I wish things were a little better around here sometimes.”
>“Like what?”
>“Been trying to find a better job for ages, no luck with that.”
>“Seems like a cushy job to me, scooping ice cream all day long.”
>“Well, that’s because you don’t have to deal with the kind of customers we get.”
>You eventually pulled up into the parking lot of Eddie & Sammy’s Pizzeria, one of the few places you could get quality NY style pizza in the south.
>“You ever been here before?”
>“Can’t say I have, think I’ve heard of it though.”
>“The pizza here is going to blow your mind then,” you said, “You’ll never want to order chain pizza ever again.”
>You start walking inside, eager to get out of the cold and into the nice, toasty store.
>It wasn't the most modern and well-decorated place, still having most of the original upholstery and decoration from when it opened twenty years ago.
>Even so, you'd been coming here since you were a kid and didn't plan to stop because of a few tears in the seats.
>“You know, for someone who works out so much you sure know a lot about Pizza.”
>You smirked, “I wasn’t always the Adonis I am now, you know.”
>She poked at your stomach, “Alright, don’t get ahead of yourself tubby.”
>“Am not,” you said, mock pouting.
>You found a booth the two of you could sit in by the front windows, taking seats across from each other.
>The seats were pretty low to the ground compared to the table, all you could see was Ruby's head above it.
>“So, no bullshit, I want you to be straight with me Ruby, why are you so pissed off at me?”
>You locked eyes with her again, “I’ve got an idea of why, but I want to hear it from you.”
>“I’ll be real with you mate, hate it when people call me short, absolutely hate it.”
>“And you think I called you short?” you laughed, “You couldn’t be further from the truth.”
>“How am I supposed to take someone telling me I need to do some stretches out of nowhere besides someone wanting to be a cunt about it?”
>“It was honest advice!” you said, “Besides, you were the one that said you wanted to be more limber in the first place.”
>The waitress cuts your conversation short, asking for your drink orders and setting a kids menu in front of Ruby.
>You saw a scowl form on her face, Ruby just about ready to let loose on the waitress, so you intervened instead.
>You frown, doing your best to look displeased, “Excuse me miss, can I get a regular menu for my date? She’s not a kid, you know.”
>Both the waitress and Ruby blushed crimson red at your question, the waitress tripping over her words.
>“God, I’m so sorry sir, let me uh- get that fixed right away, sorry,” she said as she left to get another menu.
>Ruby looked like she was burning up, staring at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
>“You didn’t have to do that, you know..” she muttered, “I can handle myself.”
>“Don’t worry about it, it’s the least I could do.”
>“Fair warning, if you call me your date again I’m going to deck you in the flute,” she mumbled, “Thank you though.”
>You smiled at the words, “You’re welcome, but point taken.”
>The waitress came back and took your full order, opting to order an extra large with pepperoni for the both of you, with two cokes to wash it down.
>After the waitress had scurried off again, you'd continued your explanation.
>”Look, I promise I was just trying to give good advice, you’d said you wanted to be more limber,” you said, “I honestly didn’t mean anything bad by it, I swear.”
>“It’s kind of my fault too mate, I blew things out of proportion.”
>She sighed deeply, looking at you with a weak smile on her face, “I’m just so used to everyone making it a point to tell me how short I am like I wasn’t already aware of it or something.”
>“Don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but I think your height suits you,” you smile, “It’s kind of cute, really.”
>“Don’t push it, cunt,” she said, avoiding your gaze, blushing again, “Sorry for hitting you though mate, I feel like a total arsehole.”
>“Honestly those were some pretty solid punches, you been practicing or something?” you ask, laughing, “But I accept your apology.”
>You extend your hand across the table, “Friends?”
>“Friends,” she said, accepting your handshake.
>”By the way, I feel like a fuckwit for asking, but I don’t think I ever caught your name.”
>”You can just call me Anon or ‘Non, I’m cool with either.”
>Your food arrived shortly after, the two of you making quick work of the massive pie, leaving nothing but crumbs, “So, best pizza you’ve ever had, or what?”
>“No contest.”
>A satisfied grin tugged at the corners of your mouth, “That’s what I like to hear.”
>You paid for the meal in its entirety and left without leaving a tip, a gesture not lost on Ruby.
>“Want me to take you home?”
>“I’d like that, thanks.”
>You opened the passenger side door for her and closed it once she was inside.
>“I gotta say, you really know how to treat a girl, for a human anyway.”
>“Just how I was raised, Mom used to get really upset with me if I didn’t do that with her or my sisters.”
>“Where do you live anyways?”
>“Hand me your phone and I’ll plug it in for you.”
>You unlocked your phone and tossed it to her, praying to the gods she wouldn’t take a peek in your gallery.
>Noticing it was taking her a while to plug the address in, you reached out to grab your phone again, ”Here, let me do it.”
>She swatted your hands away, “Nah fuck off, I’ve got it, just give me a second.”
>She tossed your phone back at you shortly and you were soon on your way to her home.
>“So if I take your stretching advice, does that mean you’re going to take mine?”
>“Remind me what your advice was again?”
>“I told you that you needed some more cardio so you wouldn’t end up a fucked cunt every workout, mate.”
>“But I already do cardio most days.”
>“Not enough apparently,” she scoffed, “How’s this, you come on my morning jogs a few times a week and we’ll see if I can’t whip you into shape, deal?”
>“I’ve got my shitty job to deal with, remember?”
>“What time do you get in?”
>“9 AM, why?”
>“You’ll be fine then, I’m usually out of the house by 6, maybe 6:30 at the latest.”
>You pulled up to the address she plugged into your phone, a fairly nice neighborhood by the looks of things.
>“Think you can handle it or is it too much for you, mate?” she smirked, “Tell you what, just give me a call tomorrow morning if you’re up for it.”
>She started to get out of your car, making sure she had all her belongings first.
>“Wait, I don’t have your phone number!”
>“Check your phone, dickhead,” she said, blowing a raspberry at you as she sauntered away to her apartment.
>You helped yourself to another nice long look at her ass until she was out of sight.
>If she didn't do squats that ass was God's gift to mankind.
>You quickly unlocked your phone, noticing she’d left her number in your contacts and her social media as well.
>“This fucking girl…” you shook your head as you began to drive home.
>After the kind of day you’d had you were exhausted, rushing to get out of your clothes as fast as possible as soon as you made it home and jumping right into bed.
>It was hard to accept it, but the little time you'd spent with Ruby today was the best quality time you've shared with anyone in a while.
>Her sailor's mouth was kind of endearing after you got used to hearing some of the stuff that'd come out of it.
>Hell, you still didn't even understand half of the obscenities she'd tell you on a regular basis.
>As you laid there and thought about everything that had happened today, you thought about the proposition that Ruby had made you.
>Sure, you’d have to wake up two hours earlier but you’d get to see her considerable assets bouncing around in all their glory for those two hours.
>Safe to say your dick was making the decisions for your sleep-deprived self.
>Plus, you'd be getting some solid exercise early in the morning, hard to say no to that.
>How bad could it be, anyway?
>That was your final thought before your sleep-deprived body finally gave into the overwhelming warmth of your sheets.

Chapter 3:
>As you jogged through the park you wondered what had possessed you to take Ruby up on her proposal.
>Jogging at some ungodly hour of the morning was not how you’d planned to spend your weekdays.
>The fact that you knew this trail like the back of your hand made you feel a bit better about things, reminiscing on all the times you sped through it on your bike as a kid.
>Worse still, you couldn’t even deny it was a beautiful morning to go for a jog, the faint sounds of leaves rustling in the wind barely audible over the sound of your labored breathing.
>The cool breeze permeating your sweat soaked skin was just the icing on the cake, keeping you from overheating.
>Even so, there wasn’t a breeze cool enough to stop your brain from screaming for rest, your legs threatening to buckle under the strain.
>Ruby looked back at you, quite a ways ahead of you on the trail, “Come on Anon, only a few miles to go!”
>”A few miles?!”
>There was no way in hell you could keep going for a few miles, you already felt like you were dying from the first three.
>A familiar chill ran down your spine, another sign that you were close to your limits, already feeling lightheaded from the exertion.
>Your vision grew blurrier as you pushed onward, having more and more trouble making out things in the distance.
>Despite all the warning signs your body provided, you pressed on, eager to make a good first impression.
>You searched all around you for a source of inspiration that would keep you moving forward.
>Try as you might, you could only find a single source of inspiration and it was directly ahead of you.
>An ass so perfectly taut you could swear it was chiseled from a block of marble.
>That slight bounce of it as she ran entranced you, her backside threatening to spill out of her tiny bike shorts with each hop, her thick tail bouncing along with it.
>It certainly got the blood flowing to more places than one, keeping up with her purely to keep the sight in your vision.
>>You expended every single ounce of energy within you in an attempt to catch up to her, picking up your pace.
>It took some time but you slowly gained on her, no small effort considering how quick she was, a combination of her extensive experience and technique.
>The way she ran was unlike anything else you’d ever seen before, lifting both of her legs off the ground, leaping forward every time she did.
>You imagined all kangaroos ran like this, but it was still incredible to watch her go.
>Her experience shined through as she turned on the bends in the path at full speed like it was nothing.
>Though in fairness, you were considerably bigger than her, something that didn’t help your cause.
>Your entire body was slick with sweat, looking more like a swimmer than a jogger. 
>Every inhale caused your lungs to burn, your body being pushed to its absolute limit in a display of what could only be called pure idiocy.
>Once you’d caught up to her you decided to gloat a bit, feeling proud at having caught up to someone with so much experience under their belt.
>“What.. was that… about needing… more cardio?” you panted, looking down at her as you jogged side by side.
>She looked up at you, shaking her head in disappointment, “It’s not a race, Anon.”
>Your breathing grew more and more labored with each passing second, “At the pace you’re going it might as well be.”
>“Mate, if you think this is fast, get ready to get your arse into gear these last two miles,” she said, a smug grin overtaking her features, “Or can you not handle it, Anon?”
>“Believe me, I can… handle it.”
>The challenge she presented was one you couldn’t refuse, controlling your breathing to help conserve your energy for the final stretch.
>You matched her pace as you continued down the trail, your breathing technique doing wonders to help preserve your stamina.
>For a second you thought you might even be able to make it to the end of the trail, “See, piece of cake.”
>Unfortunately your mouth was writing checks your body couldn’t cash, one of your legs locking up under you, sending you flying into the grass around the path.
>Your hands shot out in reflex, trying to absorb the impact of the tumble, earning you some scraped up hands for your troubles.
>As you laid in the grass, you were grateful you hadn’t sprained or broken anything, although you were in no state to move.
>You were a panting, sweating and covered in dirt and leaves mess that only somewhat resembled a person.
>Ruby quickly made her way over to you, “Anon! You alright?”
>You groaned, wiping away the leaves stuck to your face, “I’ve felt better.”
>“You sure? Let me take a look at you.” 
>She helped you sit upright against a tree, scooting over to give her some room to sit next to you.
>She gently ran her hands over your hands and arms, stopping only whenever she found a cut or a scrape, “Nothing hurts too bad, yeah?”
>“Just my ego, but I suppose there’s nothing you can do about that.”
>She burst into laughter, her whole face lighting up, “That was fucking ace though, you should’ve seen your face mate.”
>You crossed your arms, mock pouting, “Can’t have been that funny.”
>“It’s a lot funnier when a cocky cunt gets what’s coming to him,” she said, giving you a playful elbow jab to the side.
>“Cocky? Face it, you’re surprised I actually caught up to you.”
>She puffed out her chest, flexing her arms, “I can handle it.”
>You couldn’t help but scoff at her impression of you, “Oh come on, I do not sound like that.”
>She grinned, “Who said I was talking about you?”
>“Alright, you got me there.”
>You didn’t want to admit it but her impression of you was pretty dead on and funny to boot.
>You sat there for a few minutes, trying to catch your breath and regain your bearings before setting out again.
>She got up, stretching while you rested, “You about ready to go Anon or am I going to have to drag your arse to the finish line?”
>“I thought you said this wasn’t a race?”
>Her mouth curved into a smirk, “Did I say that?”
>“Either way, if you don’t give me a bit I’m liable to pass out.”
>“Fine ya gutless cunt, you’ve got five minutes or I’m taking off with you,” she said, taking a seat next to you again.
>She scooted in close, taking in the entirety of your spent form, “Christ, Anon, you look like you just came out of a bloody sauna.”
>“Yeah, well, it’s been a while,” you said, panting, “I honestly can’t remember the last time I went on a jog.”
>“Would you believe me if I told you my dad used to take me jogging on this trail all the time when I was a kid?”
>“I don’t believe you’ve ever jogged before,” she laughed, “Mate, we only went four miles and if you’re already this much of a fucked cunt, there’s no hope for you.”
>”Just because I don’t have your stamina doesn’t mean I’m out of shape,” you said, “Give me a month and I’ll be running circles around you.”
>”By the looks of things, I’m not sure you’ll even make it to the end of the month,” she smiled, playfully nudging your side, “But you’re welcome to try and prove me wrong.”
>”Almost makes me wish I never stopped jogging,” you said, “Kind of miss jogging with my dad, took some getting used to at first, but it was a healthy habit to have.”
>She glanced up at you, a curious look on her face, “Why’d you stop?”
>”A lot of reasons honestly, hard to pin the blame on a single one,” you shrugged, “Not enough time to keep doing it between work and college.”
>”All I’m hearing is excuses,” she said, “Your dad sounds like a good guy though, wish mine had done the same.”
>”Best father a guy could ask for honestly,” you sighed, “Sometimes I wonder if I’ve been ungrateful.”
>”What do you mean?”
>”He’s done a lot for me and I feel like I’ve never really paid back the favor,” you said, “Always made sure I was staying out of trouble, kept an eye on my studies and helped put me through college.”
>She looked up at you, shooting you a confused look, “No offense Anon, but you really don’t seem like the kind of guy to get into much trouble, not that it’s a bad thing.”
>You waved your hand dismissively, ”None taken, but it’s kind of complicated, best if I don’t get into it, take my word for it.”
>She leaned into you, nudging you with her whole body, “Come on, you can’t just say something like that and leave a girl wondering.”
>You can’t help but smile and laugh at her gesture, ”If I tell you will you stop trying to push me over?”
>She tapped a finger against her chin as she thought, “Maybe... only if you want to tell me though.”
>”I’ll tell you, but on one condition.”
>”What?”
>”If I put you to sleep with my lame story, I’m not carrying you the rest of the way, deal?”
>She tilted her head upwards to gaze at you, her deep-set eyes meeting yours, “Deal, but only if you stop being such a drama queen and spit it out already, mate. 
>”Better out than in, isn’t that how the saying goes?”
>You chuckled, “Somehow I don’t think they were talking about stories when they came up with that one.”
>Her gaze slowly turned to a glare, her eyes narrowing, “Either way, talk or we’re doing an extra mile today.”
>You threw your hands up in mock surrender, “Alright, alright, anything but that.” 
>“You sure you want to hear this?” you asked, “I’ll give you one last chance to change your mind.”
>“I’m all ears mate, no promises I won’t doze off on ya though.”
>“Well, I’ll spare you the unimportant details then, otherwise we’ll be here all morning.”
>”Growing up, my cousins spent a lot of time over at my house, we got along pretty damn well and spent most days just roughhousing in the backyard.”
>”Never had any problems with each other even as we got older,” you explained, “Although we did kind of grow apart once we started high school.”
>“That’s when I turned into a nerd and they started hanging out with a different group of people.”
>She rolled her eyes at your statement, “You, a nerd? Hard to imagine...”
>“Alright, that was just uncalled for,” you laughed, “Anyways, they got mixed in with a pretty bad crowd, picked up a few bad habits along the way.”
>“Started off pretty innocent, mostly shoplifting and stuff like that,” you explained, “They had a few close calls with loss prevention at a few stores, but nothing ever came from it.”
>“I wasn’t too worried about them until I started hearing rumors about them getting involved with some gang-related people.”
>“That’s when I got the bright idea to tell my dad about it,” you said, “He flipped his shit, telling my Mom he didn’t want them around the house anymore.”
>“They came to a compromise after a while, but it was far from ideal.”
>Ruby leaned back against the tree trunk in an effort to make herself more comfortable, “Why’s that?”
>”My mom refused to outright ban them from the house, but she promised to keep an eye on them when they were over.”
>“My dad wasn’t happy with the compromise, but he knew arguing wasn’t going to solve anything.”
>“They’d always invite me to come out and hang out with them,” you said, “I usually turned them down, but one time I was so bored that I agreed to it.”
>“We went down to the mall, which was a terrible idea in hindsight,” you said, “Not sure what got into me that night, but I wasn’t thinking straight.”
>“Turns out they got the bright idea to steal shit without letting me know and just left me to be the fall guy,” you said, “Spent the whole morning in an office with a security guard until my dad came to get me.”
>“He paid for everything so I wouldn’t end up with a misdemeanor, but he was pissed,” you said, “I’d never seen him raise his voice with my mom until that day, it scared the shit out of me.”
>“She still wouldn’t budge on banning them from the house even after that, since she didn’t want to be on bad terms with her side of the family.”
>“So, my dad came up with a workaround, and started taking me for jogs whenever my cousins were over.” 
>“It wasn’t the worst solution either, I think that’s the whole reason I got into working out in the first place.”
>“So what happened with your cousins?”
>You shrugged, ”They eventually stopped coming around the house, I’m not sure what they got up to after our friendship fell apart.”
>“The only thing I know is that one of them did some time for burglary and the other one was trying to stay out of trouble.”
>Thinking back to all the arguments and shouting matches between your parents made you feel like something was pressing down hard on your chest, fresh pangs of guilt hitting you all at once.
>“It sounds stupid but I always think about what would’ve happened if I had just sucked it up and never said anything to my dad?” you sighed deeply, “Maybe it would have changed something?” 
>“Sorry for dumping all this on you, I know it’s kind of a lot,” you said, offering a weak smile, “But sometimes it feels like it was all my fault, you know?”
>She looked up at you again, a puzzled expression on her face, “What was your fault?”
>You stared down at the ground, unable to maintain eye contact out of embarrassment, “Everything. The arguments between my parents, the problems with my cousins, almost getting a criminal record.”
>As you continued to stare at the ground you at rubbed the back of your neck, “But enough about my problems, I must sound like a total idiot ranting like this.”
>"Look, just forget I even said anything, alright?” you asked, “Sorry for making you listen to all that.”
>Before you even had a chance to blink, two furry arms were suddenly wrapped around your midsection, “It’s not your fault, Anon.”
>You were so taken aback by her words it felt like someone knocked the wind out of you.
>You couldn’t even begin to find the right words to say, instead opting to hug her back tightly.
>The sensation of her fur tickling at your exposed skin combined with the warmth coming off her body was enough to make shivers run down your spine.
>You couldn’t remember the last time you felt this relaxed, every breath you took making you feel more at ease than the last.
>What few worries you’d been harboring melted away as she held you tight to her.
>You didn’t want this feeling to end, making it all the more difficult when she finally broke away from you.
>She grabbed you by the shoulders, her determined gaze meeting yours, “Look mate, you can’t let shit like that chip away at you, if you ever need someone to give an earbashing to, I’m here, alright?”
>“I’ve been in your shoes before Anon, bottling things up like that isn’t good for you.” 
>It felt like a massive weight had been lifted off your shoulders when you heard her words, the kindest gesture imaginable in your eyes.
>You nodded, flashing her a warm smile, “Thank you.”
>She got up again, smiling as she extended a hand towards you, “Ready to get going again?”
>You took her outstretched hand and got back on your feet, dusting yourself off, “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
>“Don’t think that I’m going to go easy on you now because of that, cunt,” she said, taking off at full speed, “You’ll still have to work hard to beat me.”
>You followed close behind, “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
>Worries lifted off your shoulders, you finished jogging the last two miles with an explosive level of energy.
>You did your best to match her pace all the way to the end, the short rest you’d taken doing wonders for your aching body.
>Eventually you reached the end of the trail, hands on your knees as you gasped for breath again.
>“Not bad for a first-timer.”
>“I can’t.. tell if.. that’s sarcasm or not but thanks,” you said, panting.
>”I’m not fucking around mate, takes some serious stamina to make it through all that,” she said, “You better not quit on me though or I’m gonna come looking for you after your shift again.”
>“Is that right?” you chuckled, “I’d like to see you try.”
>”Don’t tempt me, Anon.”
>You checked your watch, “You need a ride? I’ve gotta get going, only thirty minutes before I’m late for work.
>She quickly checked the time on her phone, “Shit, I’m gonna be fucking late too, I’d love a ride mate.”
>You couldn’t help but crack a joke, ”I bet you say that to all the guys.”
>”Oh fuck you, you know what I meant, cunt,” she said, giving you another playful jab.
>”Okay, ow,” you said, flinching, “Just messing around, let’s get going though or my boss is going to crucify me.”
>”Sounds like a real charmer.”
>”You don’t know the half of it.”
>You headed to your car, both of you quickly getting inside and driving off, “So, where to?”
>”Just drop me off where you work at, I’ll walk the rest of the way.”
>”Come on, you’re not going to tell me where you work at?”
>”It’s a secret, plus I’ve only known you for what, a day?”
>”So you’ll go on a date with me but knowing where you work is off-limits?” you teased, “I see how it is.”
>She blushed at the statement, “Wasn’t a date you wanker..”
>You smirked, “That waitress sure seemed to think so.”
>”Keep babbling on like a smart cunt and see where that gets you mate.”
>”Lighten up, I’m just messing around,” you said, glancing over at her, “You sure can dish it out, but you can’t take it back, can you?”
>She didn’t respond to you, choosing to instead stare out the window in silence.
>It seemed running your fat mouth had landed you in hot water with her again.
>Better to nip things in the bud now than to let them simmer like last time, “Listen Ruby, I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have, but you can’t expect me to know much about you.”
>”Look, I’m not mad at you mate, just don’t feel like talking right now, alright?”
>You thought back to what she’d told you in the park, “I’m not going to bug you about it, but if you need someone to talk with I’m here for you too.”
>”Thanks Anon, sorry for being such a downer.”
>”If anything, it’s my fault, don’t sweat it.”
>You didn’t chat much for the rest of the short trip, pulling up into the parking lot of your workplace after a short while.
>”So, see you at the gym later?”
>”Of course mate, wouldn’t miss an opportunity to run you into the ground for the world.”
>”We’ll see who runs who into the ground, I might not have the stamina but I make up for it elsewhere.”
>”If you say so, see ya later dickhead,” she said, running off to her job.
>You checked your watch again, rushing out of your car with uniform in hand when you realized you only had three minutes before you were late.
>After clocking in, you headed straight to the bathroom to change into your uniform, not wanting to get chewed out by Kelly for being out of dress code.
>Changing into your uniform in record time, you headed back to greet Kevin, stashing your bag somewhere Kelly wouldn’t think to look.
>As you approached Kevin he looked at you, a mix of relief and anger apparent on his face, ”What the fuck, man?”
>”What?”
>”Don’t you what me dude, what the fuck happened to you yesterday?” he exclaimed, “I’ve been texting and calling you since you got off work yesterday, you had me thinking something happened to you.”
>You looked at him like he was crazy, ”I’m fine dude, what the fuck are you talking about?”
>”Talking about that one chick beating the hell out of you in the parking lot yesterday, or did you forget already?” he asked, “Wait... don’t tell me this is some kind of fetish thing or something..”
>You shook your head fervently, ”Jesus man, it’s not like that, not even close.”
>”You seemed awfully happy for someone who got punched in the gut and slapped over and over, I’m just saying,” he said, “Hell, you can be honest with me if you’re into that kind of stuff Anon, probably easier to explain that way.”
>”God, don’t tell me Kelly saw that go down, I’m never living that down if she did.”
>”Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything and she didn’t see it either but tell me what’s going on between you and that chick dude, I’m concerned,” he said, ”I’m not going to find out you own a gimp suit and collar, am I?”
>You laughed, “I don’t own anything quite that embarrassing man, sorry to disappoint.”
>”Look, you remember what I told you about running into her at the gym?”
>”Sort of, yeah,” he said.
>”Well, she kind of ran into me last night and she was absolutely pissed.”
>”Guess that kind of explains the beat-down she was giving you,” he mused, “But why’d you head off together?”
>”We went to Eddie’s and got something to eat while we talked, then I dropped her off at her house,” you explained.
>”Only you would invite someone to dinner after getting your ass kicked by them.”
>”It was not an ass-kicking, come on.”
>”What? Don’t try to tell me I’m crazy for not buying someone dinner after they uppercut me.”
>”Look, it’s not like that alright?” you said, exasperated, “It was a misunderstanding, but everything’s cleared up now.”
>”Just busting your balls man, I’m glad you’re alright but next time actually check your phone when you disappear like that, had me worried.”
>”I’m more upset you didn’t try to help me since I was “getting my ass kicked.”
>He shrugged, ”Hey, at first I was worried but it looks like you had things under control.”
>”What did you guys end up talking about anyway?”
>”I just told her the truth, that I didn’t mean to offend with the things I said.”
>”And did she believe you?” he asked, “I find it hard to believe she’d forgive you just like that.”
>”Look, Ruby’s not unreasonable, just misunderstood.”
>He gave a knowing smirk at the mention of her name, lightly punching you in the shoulder, ”So even after getting beat up you can still put on the charm, gotta give you credit where it’s due Anon.”
>”We’re just friends.”
>”For now, maybe,” he said, teasing you, “Also have you heard of this great new thing called deodorant?”
>”Sorry man, went jogging this morning and didn’t have time to head home for a shower.”
>”Since when do you jog?”
>”Funny you should ask that, Ruby was the one who pitched the idea to me.”
>”So let me get this straight, you went from getting beat up, to getting dinner, then to working out with some girl you barely know?”
>”Alright when you put it like that it does sound kind of crazy, but she’s got a good personality.”
>”You sure it’s not the two great “personalities” that got you into this mess in the first place?”
>Ruby was undeniably attractive but damn if you were going to let Kevin hold that over you forever, “Look she’s hot but anthro girls aren’t my thing.”
>”Keep telling yourself that until it’s actually on the table.”
>”Speaking of doing things on tables, how’s your battle with Melanie going?” you asked, “You’re looking better than you did yesterday, for sure.”
>”I went for a long drive yesterday after I got off work and I came up with a pretty good strategy to survive the month.”
>”Is it as good as your last strategy or are we just going down a notch from pelvis crushing?”
>”Very funny, I’m going to remember this when you’re dealing with it,” he said, “I’ve figured out a few of her weak points and it’s helping me not get fucked into the ground every day.”
>You were curious as to what he could’ve figured out that you weren’t aware of, “So? Spit it out already.”
>”It’s so simple I feel like an idiot for not having thought of it before, scratches.”
>You cocked an eyebrow at the statement, ”Scratches? What, like a massage or something?”
>”I’m no expert but I think to them scratches are more like foreplay than a massage, really.”
>”So, how’s it work?”
>”I just kind of sit on the couch with her for a while, scratching away at her fur until she can’t take it anymore and jumps me,” he said, “A lot less work for me, that’s for damn sure.”
>“If you say so, I can’t see you being in anything else than a full body cast by the end of the month though,” you laugh, “What’s your favorite kind of flower for when I have to visit you?”
>”Just full of jokes today aren’t you?”
>Hard to not be in a good mood after what happened earlier, you thought, “Jog put me in a good mood, plus I made an ass of myself earlier and could use a few laughs.”
>”I thought you’d save making an ass out of yourself for your first date,” he laughed, “What happened?”
>”Well.. I wasn’t jogging on my own today, Ruby was the one that invited me out in the first place.”
>”She can run like nobody’s goddamn business though and trying to catch up with her I ended up tripping into the bushes like a fuckin’ idiot.”
>”How one man can be such a smooth operator and such a klutz at the same time, I’ll never know.”
>”You give me too much credit, I’m terrible with women,” you said, “Exhibit A is in this store with us.”
>”Well, you got me there,” he said.
>”Speaking of, where’s Kelly anyways, she’s usually out here looking for a reason to fuck with me.”
>He thought for a moment before shooting back a response, ”Think corporate is up her ass over some paperwork, she’s been holed up in the back office since I got here.”
>”Might go see how she’s doing, you got things handled up here?”
>”Yeah, go for it.”
>Despite your relationship ending on a bad note, some part inside you still cared about her well-being.
>Maybe it was just residual guilt speaking but you wanted to make sure she was alright.
>After all, she’d done the same for you so many times you’d lost count, reminiscing on all those days spent together in your apartment.
>You gave her door a set of firm taps, “Can I come in?”
>”Sure, come in.”
>She looked exhausted, papers strewn all across her desk, “You need something Anon, I’m kind of busy here.”
>”You look like you could use some help.”
>She gave you an odd look but seemed grateful at your offer, “Actually.. would you mind helping me fill out some of these forms?”
>”What are you filling all these forms out for?” you asked, “And what’s the deadline for filling these out?”
>”Something about state and federal tax rates changing and bullshit I don’t really care about, but it’s gotta be done by Friday or they’re going to fire me.”
>”They’re not really going to fire you over this, are they?” you asked, cocking an eyebrow, “No fucking way they fire their best manager over something so stupid.”
>”I appreciate the kind words Anon, but it’s not going to earn you any favors from me.”
>”I’m not lying, you might be uptight as all hell sometimes, but you’re damn good at your job,” he said, “Just tell me what I need to do and I’ll try to help out, it’s the least I can do.”
>As she dropped the stack of forms in your lap, she visibly eased up a bit, “This is only half of the forms I have to fill out, mostly employee records that haven’t been updated in ages and payroll stuff I need to sort out.”
>You got to work, the both of you sitting in silence, the only sounds audible were the clacking of keys and scribble of pens, the occasional clack of a stapler ringing out.
>As the hours passed by the piles of forms slowly began to thin out, your wrists becoming sore from all the work you’d done.
>Kelly took a look over at the stack of completed forms, taking a quick glance at the clock, “You’re a real lifesaver, Anon.”
>”Not a big deal, you would’ve done the same for me, I hope.”
>You took a quick glance at your watch, “About time I get out of here though, you going to be alright with the rest?”
>”I’ll manage,” she smiled as you got up to leave, “And anon?”
>”Yeah?”
>”Sorry about the other day, what I said was out of line.”
>”It’s fine, if you ever want to talk about it, you know where to find me.”
>Grabbing the backpack you stashed earlier you head out, eager to get to the gym.
>”Looks like you’ve got someone waiting on you Anon.”
>”Huh?”
>Kevin pointed at one of the windows, “Either I’m seeing things or that same girl is waiting outside again.”
>You looked to where he was pointing and there she was, sat atop the trunk of your car.
>”You going to need backup or are you ready for the beat-down this time?”
>”You come up with that one yourself?” you chuckled, “See you tomorrow dude.”
>”Later.”
>As you walked through the parking lot you felt her gaze burning a hole into you, a grin on her face.
>”If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were following me around,” you smiled back.
>”Just making sure you don’t skip out on me today, mate.”
>”Sure you’re not here for the free ride?”
>”Maybe..”
>”At least you’re honest, hop in.”
>As you drove to the gym you made some small talk again, being careful to not have a repeat of earlier events.
>You glance over at her and notice she’s fidgeting in her seat, her leg seemingly moving on it’s own, “So, how was work?”
"Another long and boring day, practically got my ear talked off by my boss," she says, leaning further back into the seat. "Didn't get a lick of sleep last night either, so I was struggling to stay awake."
>”I know the feeling,” you said as you pulled into the parking lot, “Ready to be amazed?”
>”You set the bar pretty damn low earlier, Anon.”
>”You say that now, just you wait.”
>Heading inside, you both quickly go and get changed out of your work clothes.
>You did some lunges while you waited for Ruby to finish changing, noticing the gym was far emptier than usual.
>A few of the regulars here and there was the way you liked things, not having to wait on the racks or benches to free up.
>When you saw Ruby exit the locker rooms it was hard to do anything but stare at her getup.
>A sports bra that was struggling to hold back her sizable bust along with some yoga pants that only served to accentuate her wide hips and firm ass.
>If there was ever an example to prove that yoga pants were gods gift to mankind, this was one of them.
>You couldn’t help it, your manhood giving a small twitch as it awoke from it’s slumber, trying to think of other things to keep it at bay.
>She waved her hand in front of your face, ”Hello, earth to anon?”
>You shook your head, rubbing at the back of your head sheepishly, “Sorry, just thinking about something that happened at work today.”
>She gave a smug grin in response, ”Weird how my body reminds you so much of work.”
>You choked on your own saliva at her words, sputtering and coughing, “Sorry..”
>”Used to it by now mate, don’t sweat it,” she smiled, “How’s about we make this workout interesting, yeah?”
>You shot her a confused look before replying, ”What you got in mind?”
>”A challenge of sorts, maybe a healthy wager if you’re up for it.”
>”Lay it on me then.”
>”If I can lift more than you can at any of the major lifts, you owe me lunch, deal?”
>You thought about it for a second, struggling to think of any possible outcome in which you could lose to the girl, “Deal.”
>”So, which one first?” she asked.
>”Deadlifting, no doubt.
>”Starting with the hard one, wuss.”
>You shrugged, ”Hey, you didn’t specify.”
>You both make your way to the deadlift platform, chalking up your hands with the chalk from your gym bag, “How much weight we lifting?”
>”Load your one rep max.”
>You smiled, ”Now we’re talking.”
>Loading up a staggering 425 pounds on the bar was enough to make you start worrying whether you were going to be able to lift it or not.
>You’d done it before but that was without an audience and ample preparation beforehand.
>”Feeling confident aren’t we Anon?”
>”You took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and not allowing any worry to show through, “The chalk isn’t just for show, you know.”
>You bend over to grip the bar, making sure to have your back neutral to avoid injury.
>Next you bend your knees until your shins touch the bar, taking a deep breath to prepare for the lift.
>In one smooth motion you begin to pull the bar, straining as you begin to stand back up to your full height.
>After finishing the rep, you unceremoniously dropped the bar onto the platform, the loud thud making a few people turn to look at you, “Your turn.”
>”You know there’s no way I can lift that, Anon.”
>”Just load up what you can lift then.”
>She took two plates off each side, still a respectable weight to lift for someone of her size and weight class.
>Assuming the same stance you did, sans chalk, she did not one but five reps of the weight before setting the barbell down.
>”Color me impressed, I thought you wouldn’t even manage one rep.”
>”You’re not the only one full of surprises mate, what next?”
>You both walk over to the bench, taking the initiative to load your max on the bar, loading three plates on each side of the bar.
>She pouted as she saw you loading the weight, “Come on Anon, go easy on me.”
>You laid down on the bench, preparing yourself, “What, scared you’re going to lose?”
>You grip the bar, gritting your teeth as you lift it off the rack, bringing it all the way up before re-racking the weight, “All yours.”
>She took a plate off each side, taking your place on the bench, “You mind giving me a spot mate? Don’t really bench often.”
>You assumed a wide stance, getting as close as you could without having your crotch above her head, hovering your hands underneath the bar without making contact, “Go.”
>The look on her face told you she was determined to lift this weight even if it was near impossible, taking a deep breath before lifting it off the rack.
>Her arms wobbled under the strain as she extended them, but she completed the rep with great form, “Damn, I was sure I was gonna cock that one up.”
>”You did fine, ready for the last lift?”
>As you walk over to the squat rack a feeling of dread fills you, it being your weakest lift by a large margin.
>It wasn’t that you neglected your legs but it certainly wasn’t your main focus when you worked out, preferring to target your upper body instead.
>Ruby looked up at you with a smug grin as you stared at the rack, “What’s wrong, getting cold feet?”
>”Just thinking about how much I’m going to enjoy that lunch tomorrow.”
>You stepped up to the rack, loading three plates on each side, an amount you weren’t sure you could lift but damned if you were going to be beat.
>Getting under the bar and resting it on your upper shoulders, you tried to muster all the strength you possibly could, taking a few deep breaths.
>As you lifted the weight off the bar you could already feel how difficult is was going to be to come back up again.
>You brought the weight down until your hips were below your knees, making sure to keep your knees out and back neutral, as to avoid major injury.
>Lifting the weight back up took everything you had in you, sure you were turning red from the exertion, eventually managing to rack the weight again.
>If you had to do more than one rep you weren’t sure how you were going to manage to walk again.
>”Alright.. your turn,” you panted.
>”Uh, could you lower the bar for me Anon?”
>You lifted the bar off and lowered it a few positions in the rack, “Shit, my bad.”
>You grinned as she made her way over the rack, ”So, how many plates are you taking off this time?”
>”Taking off?” she laughed, as she added another plate to each side, totaling 405 pounds on the bar.
>She got under the bar, resting the bar on her upper shoulders, looking over her shoulder momentarily to shoot you a sly grin.
>You weren’t entirely sure she wasn’t just bluffing until you’d thought back to the events of that morning, where you witnessed firsthand how strong her leg muscles were.
>She lifted the weight off the rack with a level of ease you’d never seen before, squatting down with perfect form.
>The show she was giving you as she squatted down was too much for your little man, having to discreetly tuck it into the waistband of your underwear to avoid having anyone see it.
>That perfect ass pressed tight against her yoga pants, almost begging to be released from it’s confines.
>She came back up like it was nothing, racking the weight with ease, “You were saying?”
>You grinned, shaking your head slowly, “You had this all planned out, didn’t you?”
>She pointed at herself, an innocent look on her face, “Me? I would never.”
>”Guess I owe you lunch sometime,” you said, “We doing anything else or we getting out of here?”
>”Want to get a little time in on the punching bag, you mind waiting?”
>”Nah, go ahead.”
>You did some stretches as she made her way to the punching bag, eager to see her technique.
>”Mate, you got some gloves? Left mine at home.”
>You dug through your gym bag for your gloves, “Might be a little big on you but I’ll tighten them up.”
>Carefully slipping the gloves on her hands, you tighten the string until they’re firmly secured, “There we go.”
>You sit back to observe as she walks towards the bag, assuming the proper stance.
>Her focus was apparent to anyone happening to observe, controlled breathing and eyes focused on one thing only.
>After a short moment she lets loose like a suddenly uncoiled spring, each powerful strike that connected with the bag filling the air with loud thuds, shaking the bag ever so slightly.
>Each jab came at the speed of lightning, her hands and arms practically a blur as she continued her assault.
>You continued to observe her movements and expression, a quick glance telling you everything you needed to know.
>With each hit on the bag her expression softened, assuming her reason for enjoying the activity was similar to yours, a way to unburden yourself from the stresses of daily life.
>While you couldn’t be sure this was the case without asking, you’d seen your reflection while you spent time on the punching bag before, the very same expression plastered on your face.
>She continued unleashing blow after blow into the bag, more and more force poured into each consecutive blow.
>Suddenly, she began to mix kicks into her routine, peppering the bag with a combination of roundhouse and front kicks, much to the surprise of you and other observing gym patrons.
>Her kicks were even more powerful than you’d imagined, even after seeing how much she could squat with relative ease, the bag swinging wildly as she brought each kick home.
>It was almost like you were watching a professional, each hit precisely measured despite the staggering amount of force and speed behind it, her balance seemingly unaffected.
>After a while she slowly came to a stop, the rigorous activity testing her sizable stamina pool, “Fuck me.. that felt great!”
>”Where did you even learn to box like that?” you asked, “Seriously, I’ve never seen anyone so fast.”
>She began taking the gloves off, panting, “You.. don’t mean that.”
>”Why wouldn’t I? If you picked that up on your own then you’ve got some serious talent.”
>”If you want to know the truth then my dad taught me everything I know, he spent a lot of time at the boxing gym after work,” she said, “Taught me to defend myself.”
>”You ever had to use them on anyone but me?” you laughed, “Seriously, you’ll have to give me a crash course sometime.”
>You saw that anxious look you’d seen on her face earlier resurface at the mention of your question.
>She flashed you a weak smile, looking up at you, ”Nah, haven’t had to.. but I’d be glad to teach you sometime.”
>Something was off in her inflection, perhaps a sign of something bothering her.
>But you wouldn't pry, instead opting to wait until she was comfortable to share it with you of her own volition, “Ready to get going now?”
>”Yeah I’m bloody exhausted after all that.”
>You both head to your respective locker rooms to get changed, opting to take a quick shower to help clear your head.
>The events of today had just helped reinforce the feelings you felt yesterday, feeling truly at ease during every moment you spent with Ruby.
>It’d been a while since you’d smiled and laughed with as much gusto as you did these past two days.
>As you dug your fingers into your scalp, washing away all the sweat and grime that had collected throughout the day, you couldn’t help but think you were getting too attached.
>You were never the best at gauging how people felt about you, only compounded by the fact that it’d been a while since you’d been in what you could call a real relationship.
>It wasn’t a healthy line of thinking, but you were deathly afraid of making a wrong move and pushing someone who’d in a short time proven to be a great friend and even better person away.
>Were you being too forward? Too friendly? Maybe a touch too playful? That hint of doubt invaded your every thought.
>The hot water running down your skin did you great favors in keeping those thoughts at bay, making you sigh in relief.
>You toweled yourself off, getting back into your street clothes and promising yourself you’d take things slow, for the sake of keeping your friendship intact.
>You inhaled deeply, putting on your brightest smile as you exited the locker room.

>As you splashed your face with warm water, you berated yourself for being so apprehensive around him.
>It wasn’t his fault but you were damn sure Anon thought he was to blame for it with the way you’d acted today.
>He was the first guy you’d met in a while that you felt you could really be yourself around that also didn’t mind dealing with your quirks.
>You wanted to tell him it wasn’t his fault but you were terrified of freaking him out and driving him away.
>Hell, after the poor guy had opened up to you today you didn’t feel like pushing your problems on him too.
>But you’d wait for the right time to do it, the right opportunity to share them with him.
>As you changed back into your street clothes the only thought that crossed your mind was hoping you would get the chance to do so, clinging to the hope that you wouldn’t push him away.
>As you left the locker room, you smiled, doing your best to hide the unease and apprehensiveness.
>He was waiting for you outside the locker room, the smile plastered on his face serving to assuage your fears slightly.

>”Ready to go?”
>She smiled, “Yep, all set.”
>As you drove to her house it seemed neither of you wanted to be the first to break the silence, instead choosing to admire the beauty of a cool Autumn’s night.
>You didn’t want a night as enjoyable as this one to end on a bad note, breaking the silence, “So, about that lunch?
>”What about it?”
>”You’re paying for it right?” you said, “I forgot who won..”
>”Oh no mate, you’re not weaseling out of this one that easily,” she said, looking over at you, “I’ve already got a place in mind too.”
>”Hopefully not going to break the bank,” you said, nervously.
>”Hey, you agreed to it, not me,” she said, “But don’t worry about it, I think you’ll like it.”
>”Going to tell me what it’s called?”
>”Nah, it’ll be a surprise.”
>”Just full of surprises aren’t you,” you said, “What’s next, going to blindfold me when I drive you home?”
>”If ya keep prattling on like a sore loser I might just have to gag you too.”
>”Going to be sore in more ways than one tomorrow morning, so you might be right there.”
>You pulled up to where you’d dropped her off the day before, watching as she gathered her belongings.
>”Better not be too sore, we’re going for a jog again tomorrow morning Anon or did you forget?”
>”If I can get out of bed I’ll be there, no promises though,” you said, grinning, “See you tomorrow.”
>She gave you a quick hug, pulling away before you even had time to respond, “See you Anon.” 
>"Huh."
>You couldn't think straight on the drive home, had all that worrying been for nothing?
>Was she really okay with your friendship as is?
>All signs pointed to yes, but you still couldn't help but second guess yourself, your thoughts betraying you.
>You weren't even sure why you cared so much, doing your best to drive the offending thoughts out of your head and focusing on other things.
>Like how someone nearly two feet smaller than you had easily squatted a hundred more pounds than you did.
>As you unlocked the door to your apartment you vowed to never let that happen to you again, making a mental note to work out your lower body more often.
>All the exercise you’d gotten today had given you a massive appetite, looking for anything to eat as soon as you got inside your apartment.
>Rummaging through your fridge, you found a pot of beef stew you’d made the week before.
>After giving it a quick taste test you’d decided it was still good for consumption, heating it up and serving yourself a sizable portion.
>You watched some TV for some background noise as you ate, tearing through the meal in no time.
>After finishing your meal you opted to turn in early and get some sleep, you were going to need that rest if you planned to make it through another day like this one.
>For the first time in what felt like ages, you were actually looking forward to the next day, drifting off to sleep in record time.
>The only thing on your mind as you slept was Ruby, providing you a pleasurable rest in more ways than one.

Chapter 4:
>For an autumn morning it wasn’t terribly cold, the chilly draft unable to pierce your layers of clothing unlike most other days.
>As you swing the doors open and rush to clock in, you can’t help but let out a sigh when you remember what day it is.
>Week in and week out, Fridays manage to simultaneously be the most liberating and hellish part of your work week.
>On one hand, you got off work an hour earlier than usual, something you were grateful for despite the larger workload.
>On the other hand, it’s not like you used said hour for anything other than getting to the gym earlier in an attempt to avoid the Friday rush.
>Despite how early in the morning it was, you were already exhausted, your morning run draining what little energy you normally had.
>Grabbing a rag and spray bottle from the back, you quickly got to work on your morning duties.
>Every step you took while making your way around the store wiping down every chair, table and counter made you feel that crippling soreness in your legs.
>Maybe jogging and squatting on the same day wasn’t the greatest idea you’d ever had.
>You were definitely an idiot for jogging the morning after that though.
>Short of a single elderly woman who’d come in earlier, the store was empty.
>You were hard at work cleaning the drip trays of the frozen yogurt machines when Kevin put a hand on your shoulder, making you jump a bit.
>”Hey bud, you got a second?” he asked, ”Want to talk to you about something once you’re done here.”
>”Yeah sure, give me a minute to finish up here.”
>You quickly wrap up, washing your rag in the sink before joining Kevin behind the counter, “So, what’s up? You wanted to talk about something?”
>He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, ”Well.. it’s more of a favor I wanted you ask you, really.”
>”Sure I guess, what is it?”
>”Well, Melanie wants to have a date at some fancy place downtown and I’m freaking out about it.”
>”So what do you need from me?”
>”I was wondering if you know anyone you could bring, make it a double date, you know?”
>You thought long and hard, listing every person you still kept in touch with that might agree to come along as your date, even if just for the prospect of a free dinner.
>All that came to mind were a few girls from college you still kept in touch with through social media on occasion, and maybe that one flirty girl from the local coffee shop.
>As you continued to mentally list your options, things weren’t looking good, thinking you might even have to resort to Tinder to find someone on short notice, god forbid.
>”What about that one girl, Ruby?”
>Ruby hadn’t even registered when you were thinking of potential options, your mind blocking her out for the sake of avoiding an awkward conversation.
>You waved your hand, “Nah, out of the question.”
>”What, seriously?” he asked, “She’s not going to say no to you, come on.”
>”Look.. it’s more complicated than that, I don’t know how she’d take it if I asked her,” you said, “And even if she did agree, I don’t want to put her on the spot like that.”
>”What do you mean, complicated?”
>”I don’t want to get into it, just take my word for it, alright?” you said, “Look, I’ll find someone, but I don’t know her well enough to ask.”
>”How long do I have to find a date anyways?” you asked, “I swear if you tell me I’ve got until tomorrow I’m going to kill you.”
>”Melanie hasn’t given me an exact date yet, maybe this Sunday or sometime next week though?” he asked, “But take it easy dude, you make it sound like this girl is some kind of princess.”
>”Look, we’re just friends and I don’t typically go around dating all my friends, alright?”
>He puts an arm around your neck, ”I’m just busting your balls my guy, if you don’t want to invite her then don’t sweat it.”
>”Find someone though, or it’s my ass on the line,” he said, “I owe you big time on this one if you come through.”
>”I’ll try my best, no promises though.”
>The hours slowly passed by, customers quickly coming and going until you finally went on break.
>You’d actually bothered to pack something for yourself today, determined to stick to your diet plans.
>It was nothing special, just some chicken, rice and some assorted vegetables; at least the chicken wasn’t bland from the marinade you’d given it.
>As you ate, you considered asking Ruby when she got off work today, seeing as you got off much earlier than usual.
>You shot her a quick text asking her when she got off work, continuing to eat as you waited for a response.
>A few minutes later, your phone buzzed, “Same time as usual, why?”
>You text back, “It’s a surprise, just tell me when you’re off.”
>She quickly shot back a photo of herself, mock pouting.
>You couldn’t help but grin upon seeing it.
>As you got up to get back to work, you were quickly reminded by your aching muscles that you were in no shape to go to the gym today. 
>Your sore body begging for some recovery time, you decide to give the gym a skip for once.
>But what would you do with your Friday night instead? 
>Eventually, you settle on swinging by the mall, thinking of nothing better to do with your Friday night.
>What could be better than doing a little window shopping and indulging in some terrible food from the food court?
>Maybe you’d catch a movie or something if anything caught your eye.
>Regardless of what your plans for later were, you still had a few hours before you were free to do what you desired.
>You went to go get a mop and some cleaning supplies in preparation for the afternoon rush when you noticed Kelly’s office door was ajar.
>Taking a closer look, you notice the lights are off, slowly creeping towards the door to take a peek inside.
>You opened the door with the utmost care only to find Kelly fast asleep, face down on her desk, putting a satisfied smirk on your face.
>If the tall stack of completed forms was any indication, Kelly had stayed late to wrap things up.
>You had to admire her dedication sometimes, even if it was her job on the line this time.
>But you couldn’t resist the opportunity to snap a photo, figuring it might come in handy if you needed a day off in the future.
>After taking the photo you left the office, closing the door as gently as possible, not being cruel enough to wake the poor girl up.
>You went back to Kevin, unable to resist showing him the photo, “Dude, check it.”
>”Wait, when did you take this?”
>”Just now, she’s out cold back there,” you said, “Don’t go waking her up though, I could use the peace and quiet for once.”
>The afternoon rush came and went, having cleaned up enough spills to make you feel like you were working for BP instead.
>You and Kevin were working double time on getting everything cleaned up, neither of you wanting to stay a minute longer than was absolutely necessary.
>By the end of things, you had the place looking spotless; no table, chair, counter, nozzle or drip tray left dirtied.
>In some strange way you were proud of how clean the store looked, only ruined by the fact that you’d have to do it all over again on Monday.
>Before leaving for the evening you figured waking Kelly up might be a good idea, not wanting next shift’s manager to find her asleep.
>You gave the door a loud knock, waiting a bit before knocking again, louder this time.
>You heard the sounds of papers being shuffled around, “Come in!”
>Looking at her, it was hard to stifle a laugh, her hair a complete mess, “Still hard at work, I see.”
>”Something like that, had to take work home with me last night though,” she said, yawning, “Got it done though.”
>”Hopefully I helped you out a little bit.”
>”It was a huge help, I really appreciate it Anon.”
>You smiled at her praise, ”Glad I could help, just thought I’d come by and check on things before I left.”
>”I’m good here,” she said, ”See you Monday.”
>You grabbed your bag, taking a quick detour to the bathroom to change into a plain white tee and some dark jeans.
>The beautiful thing about your mall outing was that you worked within a stone’s throw of the place.
>Every time you went to the mall you were never anything short of impressed with the layout and decoration.
>The layout as a whole was pretty ingenious, an outdoor shopping section laid out to look like a main street of sorts, well lit and decorated with gorgeous plants.
>The outdoor portion ended where the indoor portion of the mall began, an entire upper floor of stores to shop at, with an amazing movie theater to boot.
>If that wasn’t enough, an escalator lead to the lower section of the indoor mall, where the food court and other entertainment was located.
>Construction of the entire thing took ages, but it put your relatively small town on the map, providing a ton of jobs and consistently bringing more people to the area.
>Once it was finished though, the place was constantly packed, arguably the best place in town to hang out and grab a bite to eat.
>Throwing your bag into the backseat of your car, you headed off to the mall.
>Once you’d gotten out of your car and started walking around, you realized coming to the mall had been a great decision.
>It was a beautiful afternoon, not too chilly or too humid; the perfect temperature to walk around without a jacket.
>You never got tired of walking around the outdoor portion of the shopping center, always bustling with activity.
>All around you, couples of all ages smiled and laughed as they went in and out of stores.
>In a weird way, you missed all the times you and Kelly had walked down this very street most weeks.
>You couldn’t appreciate it as much then as you do now, always being in a good mood when you spent time with her.
>It wasn’t enough to put a damper on your mood, but you couldn’t help but think back to the good times as you continued to walk down the street.
>The ice cream shop you two frequented was in your sight, remembering her favorite order by heart.
>Two scoops of black raspberry and a scoop of cherry, three scoops of mint chocolate cookie for you.
>It was a small family owned place but despite that, business was booming.
>Neither of you would ever dare admit it at work, but the ice cream and frozen yogurt there was pretty sub-par in comparison to this place.
>You walked in, the colorful and familiar decoration helping you recall even more good memories.
>The place was absolutely packed, not a single seat available inside.
>“Hey! Long time no see, Anon.”
>You’d been to this place so often you knew the staff by name, ”It’s been a while Sam, how’s the wife?”
>”Pain in my ass, like always,” he laughed, “What can I get you? The usual?”
>”Let me get a coke for now.”
>”You got it boss,” he said, popping the cap off a bottle.
>You take the bottle in hand before heading outside to find a seat, taking some time to gather your thoughts.
>By the looks of things, tonight was shaping up to be another Friday night spent alone.
>You were sick and tired of feeling sorry for yourself, but it was hard to feel any other way when you thought about the direction your life had taken over the last few years.
>You didn’t even know why you felt like life was so awful; you were young, in the best shape of your life, had a job that let you make ends meet and had few but dependable friends.
>So why did you feel so alone sometimes?
>As you sipped your drink, you decided it was a good idea to get a head-start on finding a date for that favor Kevin asked of you.
>Unlocking your phone, you quickly open Tinder and get to work swiping right on every conceivable image.
>After exhausting all your potential options, you looked and saw you had eight matches to work with.
>You immediately discarded two of them upon seeing their pictures, still having some semblance of standards left.
>That left you with four human girls and two anthro girls to try and woo with some “witty” pickup lines.
>You didn’t even have the energy in you to come up with anything on the spot, choosing to instead drop a few variations of “what’s up?” instead.
>Only three messaged you back within the hour, one human girl and the two anthro girls.
>They were all fairly cute so you tried for all three, not having much room to be picky considering the short notice Kevin had given you.
>Both anthro girls made it a point to tell you that you were the first human to swipe on them early into the conversation, something that made you feel a bit uneasy.
>Despite that, you hit things off with all of them pretty well, making some small talk before you thought to give them your phone number and spring the question on them.
>Pitching the double date to all three of them went better than expected, getting numbers from all three but no promises that they’d be available for it, all of them looking to do something that same night.
>Maybe you’d take one of them out to do something, not wanting to spend a beautiful Friday night sulking and feeling sorry for yourself.
>As you typed out a response to the cute ocelot girl, a text notification from Ruby came through.
>“Where are you?”
>”Outside Dairy Goddess, why?”
>”Thought we were hitting up the gym tonight?”
>”Felt like doing something else for a change.”
>”Stay put, wuss.”
>Well, at least it looked like you wouldn’t be spending tonight alone, by the looks of things.
>Another half hour passed by, more and more people steadily pouring into the streets.
>Was she even coming?
>You went to fish your headphones from your pocket when you felt a tap on your shoulder, quickly turning around.
>Looking behind you yielded no results, chalking it up to some passerby trying to scare you.
>As you turned back around you jumped again, a grinning Ruby staring back at you, “What’s the matter, did I scare ya?”
>You’d never really seen her in casual clothing before, a black blouse and some white chinos looking great on her frame.
>”Trying to give me a heart attack or something?” you asked, smiling, “Sit down.”
>She took at a seat next to you, “So I can hear your lame excuses? Going to have to.”
>”You ever heard of a rest day?” you asked, leaning back in your chair, “Sue me for wanting to have some fun for once.”
>”Your idea of fun is sitting outside an ice cream shop after working at one all day?”
>”See anywhere else that sells soda out here?” you asked, “Plus, have you ever tried the ice cream here? It’s that good.”
>”Nah, don’t eat ice cream too often, trying to stick to a diet.”
>”Cheat meal now and then won’t kill you, I’m living proof of that,” you laughed, “Come on, my treat.”
>You went back inside together, watching her eyes light up as she looked at all the various flavors.
>This placed looked like your average ice cream store but they really pulled out all the stops when it came to having unique flavors.
>”What’s up Anon, you want the usual?”
>”Yeah sure, give me a scoop of pistachio too, will you Sam?”
>You looked down at Ruby, “What flavors you want on yours?”
>She looked up at Sam, pointing out the flavors, ”One scoop of toffee and two scoops of rocky road.”
>You quickly paid for both cones and headed back outside, taking a slow stroll down the sidewalk, taking in all the sights and sounds as you went.
>As you walked around, stopping at various stores to do some window shopping, you noticed Ruby’s normally upbeat expression fade.
>You knew for a fact it wasn’t your fault this time, opting to make some small talk, ”I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of coming here.”
>She took a few licks of her ice cream before responding, ”I moved back here when they were first starting construction. Switching high schools was a right pain in the arse though, let me tell ya.”
>”Can’t say I envy you,” you said, “How was that?”
>”Even though I moved back here at the start of junior year, I’m kind of glad I did,” she sighed, “The other school I was at was... less than great.”
>”Why’s that?”
>She looked away from you, choosing instead to stare at the ground, “Don’t worry about it.”
>There it was again, that look that told you something was upsetting her.
>You remember what you’d promised yourself about prying, but she looked like she needed someone to talk to, “No really, tell me.”
>She looked anxious almost, her breathing speeding up, ”It’s fine Anon, really.”
>”Look, it’s only fair after you heard me out,” you said, walking over to a bench, “Come on.”
>You took a seat on the bench, scooting in close and looking down at her, “Seriously, what’s bugging you?”
>”Just work being a pain in the arse,” she said, flashing you a weak smile, “I’m fine Anon, really.”
>You put a hand on her shoulder, ”Look, I know I haven’t given you much reason to trust me, but you can. I know I said I wouldn’t bug you about it but after what you did for me I can’t help but try to repay the favor.”
>She looks up at you, locking eyes with yours, ”Mate, you don’t owe me anything. It’s what friends are for.”
>”Some real good friends you’ve had then,” you laugh, “I’ll ask again, what’s the matter?”
>”Look, I’ll tell you, but it’s going to sound real stupid,” she said, “Promise ya won’t laugh?”
>You put a hand over your heart and smile, “Swear to god I won’t.”
>She rolls her eyes, lightly jabbing you in the ribs, “You’re such a dork.”
>“Hey, I can’t help it,” you laugh, “Spit it out though, what is it?”
>”Do you think I’m too short?” she mutters, “I can’t remember the last time I saw a girl my age that was as short as me.”
>”What kind of question is that?” you asked, “I already told you before, your height is cute, it suits you.”
>She quickly broke eye contact, a blush covering her features, “I want a real answer mate, no beating around the bush.”
>You weren’t sure how much better of an answer you could give her, “Like what?”
>”If a girl my height asked you dinner or something, what would you say to her?”
>”I’d ask her where she wants to go,” you said, shrugging, “Look, height isn’t a big deal to me.”
>”You don’t really mean that,” she said, “What if two girls asked you on a date, one tall and the other as short as me?”
>”If they were both equally attractive?” you asked, “The one that’s more fun to hang out with, I could care less about height.”
>”Now let me ask you, why does it bother you so much?” 
>She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, ”Fuck if I know mate, all the jokes get to you eventually, I guess...”
>You laugh, ”Fuck em’, they’re missing out by not knowing you.”
>”S-stop it...” she says, choosing to stare at the ground instead of you.
>”I mean it, you’re fun to hang out with,” you said, putting a hand on her shoulder, “Better yet, you’re a good listener and an even better friend, seriously.”
>”You’re just saying that to cheer me up.”
>You could tell she desperately needed something to lift her spirits, but if your honeyed words and ice cream wasn’t enough to pull her from her slump you don’t know what would.
>Mentally going through every possible option for a little while yielded no useful thoughts, until you’d thought back to something you always did with Kelly.
>When Kelly was feeling down, the only that without fail could cheer her up was holding her hand and telling her that things were going to be alright.
>Maybe Ruby would respond similarly to that?
>Kelly and you had been dating then though, you didn’t know how Ruby would react to the advance.
>Fuck it, might as well go for broke, right? Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all.
>You reached your hand down while she was distracted, taking her furred hand into yours and interlocking your fingers.
>The warmth radiating from her hand was enough to make goosebumps erupt from your forearms, the sensation akin to wearing a fuzzy mitten.
>While you had your fingers interlocked, you left your grip loose enough to allow her to pull away if she wanted to.
>You mentally braced for a slap or scream once she realized what you’d done, but it never came.
>She quickly turned back to look at her hand, then looked up at you with a scowl on her face, “What. Are. You. Doing?”
>”Trying to get you to believe me.”
>”Let. Go.”
>”Look, you can pull away whenever you want,” you said, “If I don’t care about who sees us like this, then you shouldn’t care what other people think about your height.”
>Her scowl only intensified at your choice in words, ”Not. Helping.”
>”Okay, listen, that sounded a lot better in my head,” you said, “Look, I’ll show you what I mean.”
>You got up from the bench, hands and fingers still intertwined as you continued to window shop.
>She’d given up on trying to get her hand out of your grip after a while, paralyzed by the fear and embarrassment of being seen like this.
>The apathetic look on her face told you that you weren’t out of the woods yet, ”What’s the point of this, Anon?”
>”I want to show you that people don’t care about this stuff as much as you think they do.”
>”People think anthro and human couples are weird but do you see anyone staring or bothering us about it?”
>”They’re just afraid to say anything because you’re here,” she muttered, “You are pretty strong..”
>You smiled at the compliment, “I’m glad you finally acknowledge it.”
>”Don’t let it get to your head or anything, wanker...”
>You continued to walk down the sidewalk, getting closer and closer to the fountain at the entrance to the other portion of the mall.

>You didn’t know exactly how to feel about what was happening right now.
>It wasn’t like nobody had ever held your hand before, but this just felt so different to any other time someone had.
>Your heart was racing and your breathing was heavy, praying to the gods that he wouldn’t notice.
>Why were you just letting this happen? He was going to think you were some kind of ditz for going along with this without much resistance.
>You felt confused, embarrassed, upset, angry but most of all, safe.
>Why exactly you felt safe by his side, you had no idea.
>Sure, he was handsome and buff but.. it was something else. 
>How he always goes out of his way to make sure you’re happy, how he’s willing to put up with you when everyone else would’ve given up by now.
>A million questions flew through your head as you continued to walk by his side.
>Did he really not care about all the times you’ve lashed out at him? Like the time you’d hit him, called him names?
>The fact that he didn’t care about your height was a relief, but what did he think about you? Your friendship?
>It was going to be difficult, but you promised yourself to make an effort to be less aggressive and abrasive.
>Even if it was just around Anon, he didn’t deserve that kind of treatment from you.
>You had to admit that it was kind of a nice feeling to be held like this, even under these circumstances.
>It’d been a while since you’ve had any physical contact with a guy, having either scared most of them off with your personality or having them be total assholes from the get-go.
>You took a few deep breaths as the two of you approached the fountain, fingers tightly intertwined with his as you subconsciously tighten your grip on his hand.
>It was a little concerning, but was it really so strange that you didn’t want him to let go either?
>The way his smooth skin felt against your fur was unlike anything else you’d felt before, fighting the urge to shudder from the contrast.
>He held your hand tight but not uncomfortably so, his fingers occasionally shifting between yours as your fur tickled his skin.
>His large and rugged hand almost fully enveloped yours, warming it much like a pair of mittens would.
>As much as you hated to admit it, you could really get used to this feeling.
>He said something as you finally reached the fountain, pulling you out of your stupor.

>You fished a quarter from your pocket as you reached the fountain and handed it to her, “Make a wish.”
>She closed her eyes for a moment then tossed the coin into the water, “Done.”
>You smiled, “What did you wish for?”
>She smiled back, meeting your gaze again, “It’s a secret.”
>”You’re the worst, you know that?” you laughed, “Feeling better now?”
>”A little bit, yeah,” she said, “Could use something to eat though.”
>You continued to hold hands as you walked into the mall, “I’m glad.”
>As you made your way to the food court you could see her expression soften, Ruby returning to her upbeat self.
>You were happy that you could help in the end, and a little relieved that she hadn’t freaked out at your sudden advances.
>She seemed to be in way more of a rush than you were to get to the food court, practically dragging you by the hand.
>The beauty of a food court lied in the seemingly limitless amount of options, none of them healthy yet all extremely satisfying.
>”What should we get, Anon?”
>”I’m kind of feeling Chinese food right now,” you said, “How about you?”
>”Chinese is fine.”
>You eyed the three different options for Chinese food, “Yeah, but which one?”
>”Chinese Gourmet Express for sure, I know one of the girls who works there.”
>You walk up the counter, eyeing up the menu options, “Let me get some Lo Mein with the orange chicken, teriyaki and two egg rolls.”
>Grabbing your tray and paying for your order, you waited nearby for Ruby to do the same.
>You saw her greet the panda girl that took your order, chatting for a little while as you sat there waiting.
>The panda snuck glances at you as she spoke, Ruby occasionally turning back to look at you with the faintest hint of a blush on her face.
>What the hell were they talking about?
>Trying your hardest to eavesdrop without being obvious proved difficult, only being able to hear snippets of their conversation as you inched closer.
>”Are you and him... a thing?”
>Oh, so that’s what they were talking about.
>A devilish idea popped into your head, sauntering over to the pair with tray in hand, “Hey sweetie, I’m gonna go sit down, alright?”
>”Uh sure...” was all Ruby managed to say before you turned around and walked away to find a seat.
>You were most definitely going to live to regret that one later, but the opportunity had been too good to pass up, chuckling to yourself as you went.
>It seemed you were going to regret things sooner than you thought, watching her rapidly make her way towards you, slamming the tray down on the table, “You. Fucking. Dick.”
>You couldn’t help but grin at her words, ”What’s wrong, sweetie?”
>”Now she’s going to tell everyone we know I’m dating a human.”
>”But you aren’t,” you said, “What’s so bad about dating humans anyways?”
>She continued to glare at you, ”You know what people think of anthro and human couples Anon, don’t play dumb.”
>”Can you just go tell her it was a joke, please?”
>You couldn’t say no to that pouting face, ”Alright, look, if it bothers you that much I’ll tell her it was a joke after we eat, alright?”
>”Fine,” she says, sitting down, “Why do you have to go and make me look like a fuckwit?”
>“Come on, it was funny,” you say, shrugging, “Plus, you’re adorable when you’re angry, what more reason do I need?”
>”Arsehole,” she mutters.
>You sit in silence as you both tear through your meal, both of you not having eaten anything for several hours.
>Between mouthfuls of food you shoot her a question, “You want to catch a movie after this or something?”
>”Nah, think I might go home in a little bit.”
>”What, this early?” you asked, “There’s tons of other shit we can do if you don’t want to catch a movie.”
>”Like what?”
>You sat there for a bit, trying to think of something fun you could do together, when it finally came to you.
>If you remembered right there was a new laser tag place that opened up in the mall not too long ago, supposedly they’d snatched up a pretty large space too.
>“I’ve got it,” you said, ”Two words, guess.”
>”Air hockey?”
>”Nope.”
>She sat for a minute, trying to think of what it could be, “Alright, I give up.”
>You smiled, “Laser tag.”
>”Laser tag?” she asked, “What are you, twelve?”
>”You don’t like laser tag?” you asked, appalled, “How could anyone not like laser tag? It’s fun as hell.”
>”I don’t know, I’ve never played it before,” she said, shrugging, “And it didn’t sound that fun to me.”
>You cocked an eyebrow, ”You have to play, I can’t believe people like you even exist.”
>”I don’t want to play,” she said, “I’d probably be no good at it anyway.”
>”That’s crazy talk, someone as fast as you would kick ass at laser tag.”
>”You’re just saying that...”
>You look her square in the eyes, ”Seriously, you’re in better shape than I am.”
>She laughed, “Not exactly a challenge, Anon.”
>”Laugh it up,” you say, “We’re playing though, it’s on me.”
>”Can I at least think about it?” she said, “It’s not even that late yet, lets do something else first.”
>”Like what?”
>”I actually need to pick up a gift for a birthday at work,” she said, “No idea what to get em’ though.”
>”How about we play a few games of laser tag then I’ll help you pick something out?”
>”Just one game though,” she said, “Alright?”
>”Yeah, that’s what I tell myself every time I play too,” you chuckled, “Still want to me to talk to your friend?”
>”Can’t hurt, I guess,” she said, shrugging, “Though knowing her, she already spilled the beans.”
>You got up and began to walk back to the counter, the panda girl watching as you did.
>She smiled, “Can I get you anything else sir?”
>”Ruby just wanted me to let you know we’re not actually dating,” you said, “I was just messing around.”
>The panda girl just winked at you, “Got it.”
>You weren’t sure she understood what you were telling her, “No seriously, we’re just friends.”
>She frowned at your statement, “Really? You two would make a cute couple, no offense.”
>“None taken, but that’s what they keep telling us,” you laugh, “You two known each other long?”
>”Almost five years now, known her since high school,” she said, “I was honestly surprised to see her with a guy, she’s never been one to hang out with them much.”
>”Know why?”
>”No clue, but she hasn’t had a boyfriend, much less a guy friend since I’ve met her,” she said, “Be good to her, alright?”
>You gave a mock salute, “I’ll do my best.”
>”Hope so, she’s a good friend,” she said, “Name’s Lily, by the way.”
>You reached over the counter to shake her hand, “Anon, but you can call me ‘Non if you want.”
>”See you around, Anon.”
>”Nice meeting you.”
>You walked back to Ruby, “Crisis averted.”
>”What took you so long?”
>”She thought I was joking at first,” you said, “Ready to kick some ass?”
>”I guess...”
>The two of you made your way to the laser tag arena, eyes bombarded by bright, flashing lights as you stepped inside and made your way to the counter.
>You felt bad for the guy manning the register, working this late on a Friday night must be hell, “How much for a game?”
>He pointed at the sign behind him, “Five dollars per game, three for ten dollars or an unlimited day pass for twenty-five dollars.”
>”I’ll take three games.”
>You paid and he handed you three tokens, two vests and two taggers.
>Handing Ruby her equipment and pocketing the tokens, you quickly strap on the vest only to find out it’s a little small on you.
>She seemed to be having the opposite problem, vest looking more like a dress on her frame.
>”Think we’ve got the wrong vests.”
>She laughed when she got a good look at you, “Didn’t know they made bras for men.”
>”I didn’t think you wore dresses either.”
>You both take your vests off and swap, then head to the waiting area for the next game.
>While you wait, you figure it’d be good idea to give her a rundown on the basics, “Alright, so you’re going to want to aim for any of the sensors on the vest, but it helps if you shoot their gun too, disables it for a good bit.”
>”Anything else I should know mate?”
>You take your tagger and show her some of the features it has, ”When you need to reload this light here will turn red, just smack the button on the side and it’ll reload.”
>Shortly after that the current game ended, then the referee came out to the waiting area to give a quick rundown on the rules and collect tokens from everyone, “Alright so we’ve got 8 people, go ahead and split into two teams of four.”
>You and Ruby link up with another couple standing nearby, awaiting further instructions.
>”First team to twenty tags wins, if you get tagged walk back to the starting area then come back in if you still have lives,” the referee said, “Each player has five lives. Any other questions before we start?”
>Nobody had anything to say as the instructions were pretty clear, “Alright, follow me.”
>The arena was a lot larger than you’d anticipated, looking like one of those training areas swat teams used.
>It even had a catwalk overhead for the referee to stand on and oversee the whole match without interrupting.
>It was extremely dark though, the only illumination available coming from your taggers and flashing lights strewn about the arena.
>You looked down at Ruby, who looked a bit nervous about the whole thing, “You good?”
>She looked up at you, flashing you an uneasy smile, ”Yeah, just worried I’m going to be dead weight.”
>”Don’t sweat it, you’ll be fine,” you said, putting a hand on her shoulder, “Can’t be any worse than my first time, got two tags in four lives.”
>The referee started counting down from ten, both you and Ruby getting into a position to sprint out into the arena.
>”Go!”
>With an explosive dash, you quickly slide into cover behind some stacked tires, Ruby following closely behind.
>Each of you occasionally peeked out from behind your cover on different sides, waiting for someone you could tag.
>You looked over at her and saw she was pointing in that direction, telling you someone was coming.
>As quietly as possible, you sneak out of cover and make your way into the makeshift room nearby in an effort to get around.
>You sit still under the single windowsill in the room, watching the entrances as you listen for footsteps.
>It wasn’t long before you heard the sound of someone stepping around nearby, popping up from underneath the windowsill and tagging them when they got close.
>”Out!”
>Soon after that, Ruby joined you in the room, following close behind like a sick puppy.
>You both slowly made your way into enemy lines, Ruby watching your back as you cleared each individual room, each of you tagging people as you went.
>As you exited the next room your tagger began to vibrate, signaling you were out, “Fuck, out!”
>As you walked back to your spawn room you couldn’t help but smile when you saw Ruby tag the guy who’d gotten you.
>The moment you hit the spawn room you ran right back into the action, noticing Ruby making her way back to the spawn room.
>”Dickhead got me from behind,” she said, as she walked, “Give em’ hell.”
>You grinned, ”I plan on it.”
>Both teams traded blows as time went on, you being down to three lives after getting pinched by the opposing team without any backup.
>Looking at the score indicator on your tagger told you it was neck and neck, your teammates being down to one and two lives respectively.
>They’d been scoring a few tags here and there but they were bleeding lives like nobody’s business.
>From where you were huddled behind, you could see Ruby using her height to her advantage, leaning out from behind a metal barrel to tag anyone unaware enough to come into her line of sight.
>You saw someone making their way behind her, sprinting out from behind cover to tag them but getting tagged by another one of their teammates yourself.
>Both of you were down to two lives with the opposing team having five lives left spread out among three people.
>It was going to be hard to pull out a win, but if you stuck together it was still possible.
>You tried to find Ruby as you headed back into the arena, hoping she hadn’t gotten tagged out again.
>As you rounded a corner you tagged someone who had his back turned to you, making sure to slink off before his teammates noticed you.
>You sighed as you looked down at the score on your tagger, you were still outnumbered, each enemy still having a single life to their name.
>As you continued to walk the dark corridors you couldn’t see any sign of Ruby despite the indicator telling you she still had two lives left.
>Rounding another corner, you felt something suddenly tug at your sleeve, quickly turning to try and tag them before they got you.
>You were relieved to find out it was just Ruby trying to pull you into cover even if your finger had just almost pulled the trigger on her.
>”So what’s the game plan?” you asked in a low whisper.
>She put a finger to her lips then tapped one of her ears in response.
>This particular room she’d decided to hole up in was particularly open, two entryways and two windows that could be peeked through.
>Each of you watched one side of the room, crouched down low in corners in opposite sides of the room, using the darkness to your advantage.
>You sat in absolute silence and stillness, waiting for any sound that might indicate someone was coming.
>There it was, someone was coming close to your doorway and Ruby picked up on it too, both of you turning to face the doorway in anticipation.
>As soon as he came through the both of you blasted him, a satisfied grin on both of your faces.
>It was short lived though as both of your taggers began to vibrate, the rest of his teammates getting the drop on you from the other entry you’d neglected to cover.
>”Damn it!” you exclaimed, “Out!”
>”Fuckin’ agro cunts!” she spat, “Out!”
>You headed back to your spawn room together, trying to come up with a game plan you could use to win the match.
>It was neck and neck, both teams down to two participants and two lives, next encounter surely deciding the outcome of the game.
>You took a moment before heading back into the arena, discussing strategy with Ruby back in the spawn room, “So, what do you want to do?”
>”How about we give em’ a taste of their own medicine?” she asked, “You bait them like they did with their teammate and I pop out and tag them both.”
>”Why do I have to be the bait?”
>”You’re a bigger target than me, Anon,” she explained, “Besides, I think I’m a better shot than you anyways.”
>”Yeah okay,” you said, rolling your eyes, “Where do you want me to bait them to?”
>”Remember that barrel I was hiding behind?” she asked, “Bring them around there and I’ll take care of the rest.”
>A quick glance down at the scoreboard on your gun told you Ruby had actually been outscoring you this match, six tags to your four, “Alright, I’ll do it. Ready to go?”
>”Go.”
>The two of you took off towards the center of the Arena, Ruby crouching behind the metal barrel, trying to stay as low to the ground as possible.
>She gave you a quick nod and you ventured forward into enemy lines, doing your best to not get caught out.
>If you’re going to be bait, you figure making some noise might be a good idea, banging your fist against a wooden wall, then hiding behind a corner.
>You keep peeking out from your corner every so often until you see the faint light coming off a tagger, exposing yourself just enough that he knows you’re there but can’t tag you.
>As soon as you see him turn, you start sprinting over to where Ruby had told you she’d be waiting, hearing the pitter-patter of footsteps close behind you.
>God, you hoped she knew what she was doing.
>You quickly reached the spot where she’d wanted to meet up but she was nowhere to be seen, quickly ducking behind cover as the other team approached.
>Did she mean another barrel? Did you come to the wrong place? You had no time to think as the sounds of footsteps grew closer.
>You pop up from the left side of your cover and manage to tag the gun of one, sprinting to the next set of cover before his buddy had time to follow up.
>It wasn’t the best situation to be in but at least you had a moment before it became a two versus one situation again.
>Where the hell was she? You didn’t on plan on going down without a fight.
>”Come out, come out, wherever you are,” they taunted as they approached your cover.
>You sit still for a short time before popping out from behind cover again, managing to tag one before the vibration of your gun let you know you’d been tagged out.
>For a moment you were almost upset, before Ruby popped out from the inside of the metal drum, tagging the last enemy in the back.
>All the guy could do is look up at the referee, “Oh come on, how is that fair?”
>The referee just shrugged, “There’s no rule against it, you’re out.”
>”Bullshit,” he said, walking back to his spawn room.
>You went over to Ruby, helping her out of the drum and pulling her into a quick hug before hoisting her into a sitting position on your shoulder, “You had me worried for a second there.”
>”Put me down Anon, this is embarrassing.”
>”Why?” you asked, looking up, “You carried our team to victory, only fair I carry you.”
>You start to chant her name, shaking a fist as you make your way back to the spawn room, “Ruby! Ruby! Ruby!”
>She starts laughing at your cheering, “Have I ever told you how much of a dork you are?”
>”Not enough times to get me to stop being one, apparently.”
>Once you reach the spawn room you set her back down again, taking your equipment off and heading over to the counter to hand it back in.
>Looking at her white pants you notice a stain, presumably from climbing into the drum, “You’ve got something on your pants there.”
>”Shit, I just washed these the other day,” she cursed, “Whatever, at least we won.”
>You play around with the remaining token, “Guess we’ll save this one for another time?”
>”Who said I wanted to play again?”
>”Admit it, you had fun,” you said, pointing at the scoreboard, “Plus, you even managed to outgun me.”
>”Just dumb luck,” she shrugged, “It was kind of fun though, can’t lie.”
>“Still going to buy that birthday present?”
>”If there’s enough time,” she said, “I was thinking about getting her some jewelry, what do you think?”
>You take a quick glance at your watch, ”Not a bad idea, but if you’re going to buy something make it quick, place closes in twenty minutes.”
>Both of you quickly head over to a nearby jewelry store, walking around the store and weighing your options.
>”I can’t decide, Anon.”
>”Well, what kind of jewelry does she normally wear?”
>She thinks about it for a second, ”Earrings and a pendant sometimes.”
>”Get her a bracelet then, she’ll probably like it.”
>Ruby picks out a simple silver bracelet after a while but you can’t help notice her eyeing a gold necklace in a display case.
>She pays for the bracelet and you both start making your way to the exit.
>The first thing you noticed when you stepped outside was how cold it was compared to a few hours ago, shivering a bit.
>As you walked you couldn’t help but think about all you’d done today.
>For a night you expected to spend alone, things had turned out pretty well; you’d spent some quality time with Ruby, ate some good food, and overall had a good time.
>Not much more you could ask for than that; it was the best night out you’d had in ages.
>Despite that, a single question lingered in the back of your mind.
>What the hell was this friendship of yours? It was unlike any other you’d ever had before, closer to being a couple than friends, without all the stress that accompanied a relationship.
>You couldn’t help but think you were doing it again, getting too attached, too close and catching feelings.
>It felt wrong to want to push her away though, you felt something there but that ever-present fear prevented you from finding out what it was and acting on it.
>Ruby’s voice temporarily dispelled your worries, looking down to see what she wanted.
>“Anon, it’s f-freezing out here, can you...” she muttered, teeth chattering, “Can you warm up my h-hands, please?”
>“Of course,” you replied, taking both her hands into yours and kneading them.
>She was right, her hands felt icy to the touch despite the thin layer of fur covering them.
>Not that your hands were much warmer, but after a while you felt satisfied with your impromptu massage, “Better?”
>”A little, c-can you hold them so they don’t get c-cold again, please?”
>You couldn’t help but grin but you weren’t cruel enough to deny her request either, “Yeah, I can do that.”
>Tightly taking her furred hand into yours for the second time that night, you continue walking down the streets to your car.
>That thin layer of fur warmed your hands but also tickled at your palms, suppressing the urge to loosen your grip.
>Oddly enough, she seemed content? Even with this bitter cold there was a hint of a smile on her face as you walked hand in hand.
>Maybe you were being hasty with all your worrying, things were going to be fine, right?
>Although you were praying she wouldn’t take notice at the goosebumps slowly making their way to the surface of your arms, something you wouldn’t be able to easily explain away.
>You eventually make it to your car, opening the passenger side door for her, letting go of her hand as she gets in.
>Getting into the driver’s seat, you start the car and start heading towards her house.
>”So, you still think the gym was a better choice?”
>”No... but I do still think you’re a wimp for skipping a workout,” she said, “I had a good time though.”
>”Nothing wrong with skipping a workout now and then,” you said, “I’m glad you had fun though, I did too.”
>You pulled up to the spot you usually dropped her off at, “See you tomorrow morning?”
>”Bright and early, don’t forget.”
>”How could I?” you asked, “The alarm sure doesn’t.”
>Ruby took you by surprise as she leaned over to hug you tightly, awkwardly wrapping an arm around her back in an attempt to return the hug.
>You couldn’t help but freeze up, brain unsure of how to proceed.
>She looked up mid hug and looked you in the eyes, “Thanks for everything tonight Anon, I really needed this.”
>You stammered out a response, a warm smile on your face, “N-no problem, I’m glad I helped?”
>Nice going Casanova, really turning the charm up to eleven with that one.
>The embrace continued for another minute, possibly the longest minute of your life, but the sensation of her fur on your cold skin made it all worth it.
>When she finally broke away, all you could do was stare into those alluring amber pools until she finally left, sticking around until you’d seen her safely make it home.
>The drive home gave you a lot of time to think over a few things you’d been meaning to do.
>You still hadn’t found a date for Kevin’s double dinner date, something you’d have to rectify over the weekend.
>You also had to change the oil on your car and do a little bit of maintenance, since you were hearing some worrying noises when you were out and about.
>Most importantly, you had no idea what to think about what just happened not five minutes ago, all the mixed signals not giving you much to go on with Ruby.
>The most important tidbit of information you’d gleaned that night came from her friend.
>It was odd that someone as attractive as Ruby hadn’t had a boyfriend or many guy friends unless she... no... there’s no way.
>You weren’t the best at picking up hints you’d admit, but there was no way Ruby was batting for the other team, was there?
>Maybe you’d talk to Lily again next time you swung by there again, but nothing she’d said hinted at that which was a relief.
>The fact that you were relieved at that was a little worrisome.
>You tossed your clothes into a pile when you got home, practically rushing into your bathroom to take a warm shower.
>Afterwards, you weren’t feeling hungry, but also not in a mood to do much else considering how late it was, deciding to instead jump into your bed and throw the sheets over yourself.
>For the first time in ages, you managed to quickly doze off, happy memories of the day’s events dancing about in your head.

Chapter 5:

Why did you let Ruby convince you this was a good idea? It was, without a doubt, the most risque thing you’ve ever done in public. All you could do was cross your fingers and hope nobody was within earshot to hear you and Ruby behind these flimsy, cardboard thin walls.

“That jacket would look a whole lot better on the floor than on you, you know that?”

You almost choke on your own spit upon hearing her words. “D-do you even know what you’re saying?”

She stares up at you in confusion. “Yeah, it’s fuckin’ ugly, hurry up and take it off already.”

“...”

Despite trying to angle and reposition yourself so you can better fit in the tight hole, you've made little in the way of progress. “Fuck, why is this so hard?”

Any trace of Ruby’s initially excited expression was now gone, replaced by a bored and unamused look. “Look mate, you've been trying to shove it in there for ten minutes now. Just give it a rest already.”

“I’m not giving up that easy. It’s going to fit, just... gotta....”

As you continue trying to force your arm into the jacket’s sleeve, you feel the material give way and rip.

“Now look at what you’ve done, you fuckwit!”

You quickly look down at your side and curse once you see the massive gash you’d created in the material. “Goddamn it, now I have to pay for it.”

She shakes her head knowingly. “Told you it wasn’t going to fit.”

Clothes shopping had never been something you particularly enjoyed doing, and making a fool out of yourself only helped cement your feelings on it. It was something you avoided doing if you could help it, buying clothes maybe once or twice a year, or whenever the situation called for it. Unfortunately, the favor Kevin had asked of you was one of these situations, not wanting to show up under-dressed to a fancy dinner date. Whatever formal clothes you had at home were nowhere near appropriate attire for an occasion like that, either no longer fitting you properly or being so outdated they would be an embarrassment to wear.

So here you were, crammed into a tiny department store dressing room with Ruby. You’d had the bright idea to ask her along for a second opinion while you tried on some dress shirts and jackets, not trusting your own tastes. The attendant seemingly hadn’t minded that the two of you were in the same dressing room, though they did check in on you frequently to make sure you weren’t up to no good. “Sir, everything alright in there?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine, just some... technical difficulties,” you call out in response.

“If you need anything, just give me a shout,” the attendant replied.

Ruby quietly snickered at your response. “So, how are you going to explain you ripped a jacket that was clearly too small for you?”

You took off the now ripped jacket, folding it and placing it in a separate pile. “Look, if I wanted my mom along to help me out, I would’ve called her instead.”

“You’re the one who called me asking for help, cunt!” She poked at your chest as she spoke, your response seemingly striking a nerve. “I could be at home sleeping in or working out right now if you hadn’t called me begging for help.”

You couldn’t but roll your eyes at that last bit, though you still felt a bit bad for throwing a wrench into her plans. “Oh come on, it was not begging.” 

“Says you, I know what I heard, dork,” she says, taking the jacket in hand, doing a much better at folding it than you had before setting it down again. “Hurry up and try something else on so we can get out of here, it feels like I’m in a sauna right now.”

“Hey, if you didn’t want to come along all you had to do was say no, I wasn’t going to force you to tag along.”

You began undoing the buttons on your dress shirt, before quickly realizing you didn’t have anything on underneath. “You want to turn around for a second?”

A confused look flashes over her features, quickly disappearing once she finally understands what you meant. “For what? You think I haven’t seen a human shirtless before?”

“Yes.”

She glares at you in response. “Just hurry up and change your shirt already. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, mate.”

In an attempt to tease her, you lock eyes with her as you slip on the new dress shirt, tensing your arm and chest muscles as you slowly do up the buttons. You can’t help but smile as you watch her eyes dance over your torso. “What’s the matter? See something you like?”

“N-no, just finish putting on the shirt already, arsehole,” she says, averting her gaze as a rosy blush shines through her furred cheeks. “I don’t feel like being crammed in here with you all day.”

“Hey, I did say you could wait outside if you wanted,” you say, turning to admire yourself in the mirror. “How’s this one look?”

“It’s nice, but don’t you think it might be a bit too small?” she laughs, running her hands over the breast of the shirt to smooth out the wrinkles. “Seriously mate, if you bend down or flex in that thing, you’re liable to take someone’s eye out.”

You quickly throw on the black blazer she’d picked out for you. “Something tells me you just want to see me try more shirts on. What do you think of this though?”

“I think it suits you, but not with that shirt,” she says, rummaging through the pile of clothing for a moment before handing you another shirt. “Here, try this one on. I think it’ll look better with that blazer.”

Your lower lip tightens into a smirk, looking down at her before reaching to undo the buttons on your shirt again. “You going to turn around this time or are you going to keep enjoying the free show?”

“Oh, fuck you,” she says, covering her eyes. “Go on then.”

“No peeking,” you tease, quickly unbuttoning your shirt and throwing on another. “Alright, you can look now. Better?”

She uncovers her eyes and stops for a moment to look over the shirt. “It doesn’t look like you’re going to hulk out this time, so it’s a start.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” You grin. “Now I just need to try out all these pants, so you should probably wait outside.”

“I uh, yeah- sure, I’ll uh- wait outside for you then,” she says, tripping over her words as she awkwardly shuffles past you to leave.

You start to speak again, stopping her dead in her tracks for a moment, “Unless you’re looking to shell out for the private dance, that is.”

She flips you the bird over her shoulder as she leaves the dressing room. “Ass.”

You breathe a sigh of relief as she leaves you to your own devices, quickly removing your jeans. You were thankful that it was easy to convince her to leave, the particularly tight pair of boxer briefs you’d chosen to wear today would’ve meant giving her quite the eyeful otherwise. Even if she had chosen to stay, you had no doubt in your mind that she wouldn’t be able to resist peeking between her fingers.

You opt to throw on the black dress slacks first, figuring it’d match the blazer Ruby had chosen for you. Once you got a good look at yourself in the mirror, you had to admit she had some pretty good taste in clothing, looking incredibly sharp in the ensemble. After making some adjustments, you walk out of the dressing room and assume an elegant pose, stuffing your hands into your pant pockets. “So, what do you think?”

She slowly circles you, closely examining every aspect of your getup, adjusting your sleeves and smoothing out every wrinkle in the fabric. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think she was using the wrinkles as an excuse to cop a feel. This suspicion was only confirmed once you felt her hands start to linger around your arms and chest. You’d be lying if you said the attention didn’t bolster your confidence.

“Looks good, though you should probably try on the other pants just in case.”

You went back into the dressing room, coming back out sporting a gray pair of dress slacks. “Better or worse?”

“I honestly think those look better with the black blazer, mate.”

“Alright, guess I’ll go with these then,” you say. “Don’t want to keep you here too much longer if you have places to be.”

“I actually don’t mind being here that much...” she says, sheepishly scratching at the back of her head. “Look, I’m sorry if I came off like a bit of an arsehole earlier, I honestly didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Look, don’t worry about it,” you say with a smile. “Should probably go get changed though, I’m dying to get out of here.”

You walk back into the dressing room, quickly changing back into your street clothes before collecting all the strewn about clothing. As you walk past the attendant on your way to the register, you hand him the clothes you didn’t want. Paying for the torn jacket was going to be a heavy hit to your wallet, but it was the right thing to do. Once you a good look at the total, you just about had a stroke. Nearly two hundred dollars for clothes you were maybe going to wear once. If you were lucky, you’d get to use them at a future job interview. Well, if they ever called you back, anyways.

“So, what do you even need these clothes for anyways?” she asks, looking down at the bag in your hand. “Planning on going to a wedding or something?”

“Just something I got roped into doing for a friend, nothing major,” you say.

”Oh yeah, like what?”

You clear your throat before deepening your voice as best you can to respond. ”Sorry ma’am, but I’m afraid that’s classified information.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at your choice of words. “Anon, ice cream scooper by day, international man of mystery by night.”

”Why are you laughing?” you ask, looking down at her as you walk side by side. “How do you know it’s not true?”

“Let me put it this way, mate,” she says. “You’d be the first secret agent to get manhandled by a woman.”

”Oh come on, that’s not even fair,” you whine. “I got no sleep the night before and on top of that, you snuck up on me, remember?”

You quickly realize the importance of the words you’d just let slip, shutting up in the hopes that she wouldn’t pick up on it. It was unreasonable to think she’d know how terribly you slept that night, but that didn’t stop you from worrying about it.

“Excuses. Bet you slept like a baby with how much of a sweat you were working up that day,” she says, poking at your side. “So, what now, Anon?”

“Was planning on spending the rest of the day working on the old junker,” you say. “Though I did want to grab something to eat first.”

“Mind if I tag along? Been meaning to learn how to do that stuff on my own,” she asks, her stomach grumbling as she does. “Skipped breakfast too, so I wouldn’t mind taking you up on the food thing either.”

“Want to grab something from the food court or head somewhere else?” you ask. “I’m game for just about anything right now.”

“How about we grab pizza at Sammy’s again?” she asks. “Not too far from your house, I hope.”

“Nah, it’s actually pretty close, and pizza does sound pretty good right now,” you say. “I’m only on my... fourth cheat meal this week.”

She can’t help but roll her eyes as she shakes her head. “I’m glad our morning jogs are being put to such good use.”

The two of you make your way to the exit, walking through the mall at a brisk pace. You couldn’t help but be a bit surprised that she wanted to spend her Saturday morning tagging along on your errands, but you weren’t going to complain about having some company. With clothes for the dinner date sorted out, you were going to spend the rest of the day making sure your car wasn’t going to break down on the way there.

With that out of the way, there was only one more thing left on your mental checklist: Finding a date to bring along. It was proving to be a difficult task, proposing the idea to every woman you still kept in contact only yielding a “maybe?” or two at best. You’d be lying if you said Ruby wasn’t coming up more frequently as a potential option in your mind, the pressure to actually find someone mounting with each passing day. It wasn’t that she was a bad option either, but asking someone you’ve barely known for a few days if they wanted to go on a double date sounded like a recipe for disaster. Then again, considering you were asking strangers from Tinder the same thing, your excuse didn’t make much sense. Even though you were entertaining the idea, you’d promised yourself to only ask her to come along as a last resort.

“Goddamn it, why is it so c-cold today?”

You’d been giving the whole situation so much thought that before you knew it the two of you were outside and heading to your car. “You want me to hold your hand again or was that a one-time thing?”

“Bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She smirks, looking up at you. “Unfortunately for you, I came prepared this time.”

You couldn’t help but stare as she lifts the hem of her shirt, reaching into what you could only assume was a pocket or pouch of sorts, pulling out a pair of black gloves. It was such a strange sight to you that you abruptly come to a standstill, Ruby turning to face you once she realizes you’re no longer walking by her side. “Anon?”

“Did you just-”

“Did I what?” she asks. “Are you alright, Anon?”

You continue to stare at her, dumbfounded. “W-where did you get those gloves from?”

“From my p-” she says, a surprised expression on her face. “Wait, did you not know we have pouches?”

“What? It’s not like I’ve ever known a kangaroo before.” You shrug, still trying to process the information. “What else do you keep in there?”

She glares at you for a moment before responding. “I’m not telling you that!”

“Why not? You can’t just tell me about it and then not answer my questions, come on,” you say. “Is it like a pocket or something? How much room do you have in there?”

“There’s room enough,” she mutters. “Now stop asking dumb questions and let’s get out of this cold before I freeze to death.”

“Is it warm in there at least?” you ask. “Sorry, I’m just having trouble picturing what it’d be like to have a front pocket.”

She grabs you by your forearm and attempts to drag you towards the parking lot. “It’s warm enough, now come on.”

You can’t help but come up with more questions to ask her as the two of you continue to walk to your car. “So why don’t you just keep your hands in there instead? Then you wouldn’t need to carry around the gloves, right?”

She shakes her head at the question and sighs. “That’s like me asking you why you don’t just keep your hands down your drawers, mate.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have anything in there like we do, right?” you ask. “If you’re not going to use it, then can I keep my hands in there when it gets cold?”

She goes beet red at your question and starts speed-walking away to distance herself from you.

You quickly burst into a light sprint to catch up to her. “What? Was it something I said?”

She didn’t dare meet your gaze, a light blush still visible on her face. “Yes. So can you please drop it, Anon?”

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry,” you say, raising both of your hands in mock surrender. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“No mate, it’s just kind of a weird thing to ask, ya’ know?”

You weren’t sure what to think of her reaction, not knowing much about anthro kangaroos or even most anthros in general. It surprised you that you’d never noticed her having a pouch before. Although you could likely chalk that up to your intense focus on her other assets. “Sorry, guess I really don’t know as much about anthros as I thought I did. Hell, you’re probably the first anthro I can really call a friend.”

She almost looks surprised by your comment. “Really? No offense, but you’re exactly the kind of guy that would have a whole lot of anthro friends.”

“And why’s that?”

“You really don’t know?” she asks, shooting you a puzzled look. “You humans are really popular with anthros as of late.”

“Guess I’ve never really gone out of my way to talk to one before.” You shrug. “I only met a few anthros in college, but none I’d call a friend.”

“Why’s that?”

You look down at her and flash a knowing smile. “Now look who’s asking weird questions.”

“Okay smartass, ya made your point,” she says. “I’ve got an idea. What if we take turns asking our weird questions, fair deal?”

You finally reach your car, opening the passenger side door for her. “Fair enough, but I get to go first. Why do you think I should have a lot of anthro friends?”

You close the passenger side door and get into the drivers seat, starting your car and pulling out from the mall parking lot.

With ample time to come up with a response, she fires back a response the second you’re clear of the mall. “I don’t know how to explain it exactly, you guys are just exotic. You know how you reacted to me having a pouch back there? That’s how anthros feel about how different humans look.”

“Look different how?”

She quickly turns around and uses both hands to grip the base of her thick tail. “Well for one, you don’t have to deal with one of these hanging behind you all the time.”

“Is it really that big of a deal?” you ask, quickly taking a glance at her. “Sure, it’s probably heavy and kind of annoying when you sit down, but I can’t see having a tail being all that terrible.”

“Well, you know how it took us a few hours just to buy clothes for you?”

“God, don’t remind me, I’m just glad we’re finally out of there,” you groan.

“Well, clothes shopping is way worse for anthros, first you have to find something that fits your legs, then even if you manage to find that, you still have to make sure your tail fits in the stupid hole! It’s exhausting to have to go to ten different stores to find one thing that fits you.”

“So what, just because we don’t have tails anthros think we’re exotic? There has to be more to it than just that, right?”

She touches a finger to your nose, making you jerk back reflexively. “You guys also have these weird looking things while most anthros have to deal with snouts.”

“Okay, but don’t you guys have a really good sense of smell because of those snouts?” you ask. “If you ask me, it’s probably worth dealing with the hassle.”

“See, you’d think that at first, but being able to smell really well isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes I don’t feel like being able to smell someone’s bad breath from across the room, believe it or not. Kind of hard to get privacy when you’re among other anthros too, it comes with the heightened sense of smell and hearing thing.”

You briefly take a hand off the steering wheel to touch your nose. “Are the way our noses look really that weird to you guys? Never really thought of it that way.”

“Not just that, but a lot of anthros either really hate or love the fact that you guys have mouths as opposed to snouts.”

From the copious amounts of “research” material you’d consumed in your private time, you knew exactly why some of them liked the fact that you had lips as opposed to a snout. Still, you figured it’d be better to feign ignorance rather than admit your sins to her. “So why do they hate the fact that we don’t have snouts?”

“You ever seen an anthro with a really long snout? It’s kind of like that, but in reverse, it really freaks some anthros out that you guys have ‘flat’ faces.”

“So do I look weird to you then?”

“I don’t really mind it, but if I’m being honest, looking at you took some getting used to, with you guys not having any fur or anything.”

“What, you’d rather I look like some kind of werewolf instead?” You laugh, imagining how ridiculous you’d look with fur. “Not a bad idea for a Halloween costume, actually.”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” she said, her tail flicking about like it had a mind of it’s own. “It just takes some getting used to after hanging around anthros for so long, that’s all.”

You continue driving to the pizza parlor, sighing as the traffic light stops you dead in your tracks. “Alright, your turn to ask a question.”

She turns to look at you, her nervous gaze meeting yours. “Why am I your first anthro friend?”

It wasn’t the question you were waiting to hear and judging from the look on her face, it was one she expected a good answer to. “I told you already, you’re a good friend and you’re fun to hang out with.”

“T-thanks Anon, but I meant why am I the first one? You seem like the kind of person to have friends of all kinds, so why me?”

You think back to all the opportunities you’d had in college and high school to make friends with anthros, none of them feeling like the type of friendship you had with Ruby. “Honestly? I couldn’t really tell you. Don’t get me wrong or anything, I knew a lot of anthros back in college, but it takes a lot for me to consider someone an actual friend, you know?”

She doesn’t answer for a while, the silence making you increasingly nervous as it continued to drag on. You decide to say something to break the awkward silence. “Does that make sense? Ruby?”

She only continues to stare at you, fidgeting in her seat. “It makes sense, it’s just... surprising is all.”

It was now your turn to shoot back a puzzled look. “Why is it surprising? It’s the truth.”

“I don’t know,” she says, sighing deeply before continuing. “Nobody’s ever really told me I’m fun to hang out with.”

“Wh-” You start before you’re cut off by the loud honking of car horns.

You quickly put the car in drive again, taking off before you incur the ire of the drivers behind you. “So what were you saying?”

As you pull into the parking lot of the restaurant she responds. “Don’t worry about it Anon, it’s nothing.”

You would never get tired of coming here; a place you’d been to so many times that it almost felt like a second home to you. While it wasn’t the fanciest or most modern place, there were a lot of things that kept you coming back. The kind waitstaff was a big reason you chose to come here over other pizzerias, almost never leaving unhappy with the level of service they provided. Combined with the cheesy sports paraphernalia that decorated the walls, including old framed news clippings related to local sports teams, the place felt homely. It was somewhere you could genuinely relax while enjoying a great meal. You and Ruby made your way to the same booth as the last time you came here, it’s position by the window allowing you both to take in the sights that came with a chilly fall morning. “Seriously though, what were you going to say?”

“Do you really consider me your friend?” she asks, quickly spitting out the words. “After all the shitty things I’ve done to you? It’s like you forgot how we met in the first place.”

You remembered everything that happened on the day the two of you became friends, in this very restaurant no less. The events leading up to it were also still fresh in your mind, remembering the way she’d confronted you after work. She was currently wearing the very same surprised expression you’d seen on her face after she punched you in the gut that day, wondering why you weren’t livid that she’d done so. “If you’re talking about the day you punched me, I’m not upset. I’m not the kind of person to hold grudges.”

“B-but how can you just be okay with that? Why aren’t you mad at me because of it? I didn’t even apologize afterwards.”

You meet her gaze, watching as her expression goes from surprised to exasperated as you struggle to come up with the right words. “Can I just ask you one thing? Why’d you do it?”

“I don-” she starts, quickly cut off by the waitress approaching your table.

She drops a menu in front of each of you, smiling as she does so. “What can I get you two to drink?”

“A coke for me and uh....” you say.

“I’ll take a coke as well, thanks,” she says, finishing your sentence.

When the waitress finally leaves to get your drink orders, she starts to speak again, “I don’t know mate, I thought I’d finally met someone who saw past the whole ‘short girl’ thing and it made me really upset to think someone had fooled me again.”

“Do you still see me that way?” you ask. “As someone who sees past the superficial stuff, I mean.”

“I honestly still do Anon, and I’m really, really sorry for the misunderstanding in the first place,” she mutters, unable to meet your gaze. “I feel terrible for hitting you, can you forgive me for that? I let my feelings get the better of me that day, but that’s no excuse for what I did.” 

You honestly weren’t expecting the sudden apology, watching her grow anxious again as you tried to figure out what to say. “I forgive you, but on one condition.”

She looked relieved at your response. “Name it, mate.”

You crack a smile before replying. “Please teach me how to punch like you, seriously.”

She reaches across the table to playfully smack your arm, smiling as she does. “Ass.”

“I meant what I said though, you’re a good friend and fun to hang out with, don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise,” you say, hoping the words finally get through to her.

“Thank you, Anon, that... really means a lot to me,” she says, flashing you a warm smile.

Not long after that, the waitress returns with your drinks in hand and takes your order. The two of you settle on ordering the same thing as last time, an extra large with pepperoni. As you wait for your order to be prepared, you decide to shoot her another question. “Alright, my turn now. What exactly do you keep in that pouch of yours?”

She cocked an eyebrow at you, seemingly amused at your question. “Are you really going to waste your questions on stuff like that, Anon?”

“What? I’m honestly curious, I’ve never seen you carry a purse or anything before.”

She looks down, lifting the hem of her shirt as she roots around in her pouch. “I just keep my phone, keys and wallet in here usually.”

You return the gesture and cock an eyebrow at her answer. “Wait, usually? What else could you possibly keep in there?

She fidgets a bit in her seat, her ears twitching every so slightly as she does. “Promise you won’t laugh?”

“I wont laugh, I promise,” you say, putting a hand over your heart.

She giggles at your gesture, lowering her voice to a whisper. “You promise you won’t tell a soul?”

“Come on, it can’t be that embarrassing,” you say. “I promise though, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Snacks,” she mutters so quickly you almost don’t pick it up. “I keep snacks in there sometimes, okay?”

“Good one, no seriously, what do you actually keep in there?” you ask, her silence speaking volumes. “Wait, you’re serious? What kind of snacks?”

“Snack cakes, chips sometimes,” she mutters. “Don’t judge me, every day is a cheat day for you.”

“I don’t care about that, I’m just hurt you never shared any with me,” you tease. “I could’ve used a pick me up after that jog last week.”

“So you don’t think it’s weird?” she asks, no longer speaking in hushed tones.

“Weird? Sounds awesome having your own pouch to keep stuff in,” you say. “I’d carry around so much shit if we had something like that.”

She doesn’t look convinced by your answer. “Oh yeah, like what?”

“Well for starters: snacks, protein bars, protein shakes, gym gloves, hell, you could probably even keep a few beers in there.”

She laughs nervously in response to the things you’d listed, eyes glued to the floor. “Y-yeah who would carry something like that in their pouch....”

You shoot her an incredulous look, not believing what you were hearing. “No way. Alright, spit it out, which ones have you carried in your pouch before?”

Still unable to meet your gaze, she quickly spits out a response. “J-just the protein bars and shake.”

“What’s so embarrassing about that?” you ask. “It’s obnoxious having to carry a water bottle with you at the gym.”

“I don’t know... sometimes I just get the feeling people look at me strange when I pull something out of there, you know?”

“Well, you caught me off guard so I imagine they feel the same way, right?” you say, putting your hand on her shoulder for support. “I wouldn’t worry about it, honestly.”

She finally looks up from the floor, putting her furred hand over yours. “I guess I never really thought about it that way, thanks Anon.”

You offer a reassuring smile. “No problem.”

Once your pizza arrives the two of you quickly grab a slice and dig in while it’s still piping hot. The only thing that could be heard for a few minutes was the occasional sound of either of you taking sips from your drink. After the two of you ate your fill, you resumed your conversation again. “Alright, I think we’ve got enough time for one more question.”

“How do you guys even manage to stay warm in the winter?”

“I don’t know, the same way you guys do I guess, we just have to wear more layers when it’s cold.”

“Yeah, but you guys don’t have fur or anything to work with, so how do you not freeze to death?” she asks. “I have fur and I freeze the minute I step outside. How do humans not just turn into an icy pole when winter rolls around?”

“It can’t be that much worse for us, can it?” you ask. “Like you said, you have fur and you still get pretty cold, right?”

“I don’t think I own enough coats to stop myself from being cold right now, Anon,” she said. “It’s the only thing I don’t miss about living here. Australia and everywhere else I’ve been to has nice weather year-round, but then here we’re freezing for half the damn year.”

“Be thankful it’s not cold enough to snow yet,” you said, staring out the window again. “Were you around the last time it snowed here? It almost never happens, but when it does it’s incredible.”

“No, I didn’t even think it was possible. Were you?”

“Only once when I was like seven years old, it wasn’t enough to make snowmen with or anything, but I’ll honestly never forget it,” you said. “I remember my dad took me to the park that day, and we sat on the grass together watching the snow flakes fall around us, it was beautiful.

“Sounds amazing, hope I get to see it happen again sometime.”

“With the kind of weather we’re getting right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened again this year.”

You check your watch as Ruby continues to work through another slice. “I think it’s about time we get going, my landlord hates it when people are working on their cars at night.”

“Alright, let me just finish this slice and we can go,” she says. “What about the rest of it though?”

You partially raise your hand in an attempt to get the server’s attention, pulling out your wallet as you do. “I’ll just ask them to box it up, no big deal.”

The waitress approaches the table, the very same smile on her face. “What can I do for you?”

“If you could bring me the check please, and box this up as well, thanks,” you said, pointing at the remaining slices of pizza.

“Not a problem,” she says, taking the pizza with her.

“Oh come on mate, you don’t have to pay, let me pay for my half at least,” she says, reaching down to rummage through her pouch again. “How much do I owe ya?”

“Nothing, because I’m paying for it,” you say sternly, placing a twenty dollar bill on the table as you wait for the waitress to return with the bill. “Seriously, you were a huge help earlier, think of it as my thanks to you.”

“Alright fine, but next time I’m picking up the bill, okay?” she asks. “Don’t want you to think I’m some kind of mooch or anything.”

The waitress quickly returns with a small box and your change, which you decide to leave as a tip. As you get up to leave, you notice Ruby leaving an additional five dollars on the table. She could be pretty damn stubborn at times, but you’d be lying if you said the gesture didn’t put a smile on your face. It was refreshing to know a girl who didn’t expect every outing to be fully paid for.

As you get into your car, you toss the box of pizza into the backseat, eager to start making your way to your apartment while it was still early. It wasn’t too late in the afternoon, but you wanted to have ample time to work on your car in anticipation of the double date. The chance of your car breaking down on the way to your apartment wasn’t too high, but the fact that it was a possibility worried you immensely. You’d never live it down if your car broke down when you were with Ruby, especially since she already considered your car a junker.

Her voice is enough to drag you away from your worrying thoughts, taking your eyes off the road for a moment to steal a quick glance at her.

“Thanks for the pizza Anon, it was even better than I remember it being,” she says, a satisfied expression on her face. 

“No problem, I’m just glad you like it as much as I do,” you say. “You can take the rest of it home if you want.”

“Nah mate, you paid for it so you hold on to it,” she says. “Don’t forget about that lunch you still owe me though.”

“How could I forget with you reminding me all the time?” You chuckle. “Are you still not going to tell me where you want me to take you?” 

“I haven’t decided on a place yet, but I promise I’ll tell you once I figure it out,” she says. “For now you’ll just have to keep on guessing.”

The two of you continue to make small talk, distracting you so much that you nearly miss the turn into your apartment complex. You park your car next to a few empty spaces to give yourself adequate room to work. After pulling the trunk release, you step out of the car and go to grab your toolbox, only to realize you’d left it up in your apartment. You’d helped a friend move a few weeks back and had to stash them in your apartment to make room in your trunk.

You decide to let her know what your plans were. “Hey Ruby, I’m going to go grab my tools real quick, you mind waiting here and watching the car for a little bit?”






You quickly turn to look at him and nod. “Sure mate, I’ll keep an eye on it while you’re gone.”

He flashes you his trademark smile before responding. “Thanks, be back in a second.”

You watch him like a hawk as he walks away, slowly making his way to what seemed like the stairwell leading to his apartment. While he’s turned away from you, your eyes linger on his backside, the form fitting jeans he chose to wear today doing him no favors in preventing you from ogling his firm, toned butt. It made you feel like a total pervert for doing it, but you couldn’t look away until he was finally out of sight.

It was perfectly normal, right? The fact that you’d leaped at the chance to cop a feel earlier in that dressing room. You felt kind of ashamed for doing it afterwards, but there was something oddly thrilling about the possibility of him confronting you about your actions. Had he realized what you were doing and just been nice enough to not say anything about it? Either way, you were going to make an effort to control this side of yourself around him.

As much as you liked to tease him for the age of his car, you had to admit the interior was always spotless with a smell that resembled that of a new car. For a moment you almost wished he had invited you inside so you could see if he kept his apartment in a similar state of cleanliness. As you continued to examine the interior you realized he’d left the keys in the ignition. It felt nice to know he trusted you enough to do so despite how little time had passed since the two of you became friends.

After a few more minutes pass you see him making his way down the stairs, wearing a sleeveless camisole dotted with stains that looked suspiciously like oil or grease stains. You were almost sure he was doing it intentionally to tease you, nobody in their right mind would wear sleeveless clothing with this kind of weather. It wasn’t going to be easy, but you weren’t going to be defeated so easily by an article of clothing, determined to focus on other things instead.

He set the toolbox down on the sidewalk in front of the the car, undoing the latches and opening it up. “Alright, so you said you wanted to learn the basics, right? What exactly did you want me to show you?”

It takes you a moment to respond, trying to come up with a response that wouldn’t make you sound too clueless. “Mate, I’ve never even so much as changed the oil on a car before, so how about we keep things simple?”

“Simple, got it,” he says. “Alright, you mind popping the hood open for me then?”

You went around to the driver’s side of the car and hit the latch to pop open the hood, going back to his side and waiting for his instructions. The moment he bends over to get a closer look at something, your eyes betray you once again, gluing themselves to the taut backside currently pressing against the fabric of his jeans. It took all the willpower you had in you to resist the urge to reach out and give it a squeeze.

“Alright so first you’re going to w-” he starts, your mind tuning him out as you continue to ogle the rest of his body.

If you thought the lack of fur was a bad thing earlier, this spectacle was enough to change your mind entirely. It made any muscle definition far more visible, especially as he turned what seemed to be a particularly tight plastic cap, his arm muscles tensing as he grips it tighter. You hear a faint snapping noise, pulling you from your stupor.

“Hello, Earth to Ruby,” he says, still snapping his fingers in front of your face. “You still with me here?”

You blush and nod, maybe a little too enthusiastically in response. “I’m listening, you were turning the cap there, right?”

“Yeah... but did you hear what I said?”

“I did, I just didn’t understand it. You mind repeating it for me?” you ask, praying he doesn’t ask any more questions.

“Okay... so first you want to check the oil levels, you take the dip stick here, wipe it off, dip it inside then pull it out again and see how far the oil reaches on the stick,” he says. “Sound simple enough? Go ahead and give it a shot.”

You approach the vehicle and he hands you the dip stick, your hand trembling slightly as you go to measure the oil. He seems to notice your hesitation and takes hold of your wrist to guide you. It only makes you more worried that you’re coming across as clueless in his eyes for not knowing anything about cars. With his help you guide the dip stick into the hole and quickly pull it out, making a mental note of the amount of oil covering it.

“See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” he asks, letting go of your wrist. “Now comes the harder part, actually draining the used oil.”

He crouches down to examine the underside of the car and you quickly follow suit, crouching down alongside him. Fishing out a small flashlight from one of his pockets, he uses it to direct your attention to a small area on the bottom of the engine. “You see that there? That’s the drain plug, but it might not be in the same exact spot on your car, so you’ll have to look around a bit.”

You sheepishly scratch at the back of your head, averting your gaze. “This might be a little surprising to you, but I don’t own a car.”

The look of surprise on his face doesn’t exactly make you feel any better about having admitted that to him. 

“Seriously? How do you make it to work on time then?” he asks.

You shrug in response, doing your best to act like it’s not a big deal. “Some days I take the bus, and some days I just jog to work.”

“Well, if you ever need a ride to work just give me a call, I’d be happy to do so.”

You weren’t expecting him to offer you rides to work, and while you weren’t exactly eager to take him up on his generous offer for fear of looking needy, it still made you happy that he offered it to you out of the kindness of his heart.

“So, anyways, you’re going to need something to drain the oil into,” he says, reaching for a small yet deep plastic container by the toolbox. “Anything you have on hand that you can fit under the car works fine, even a paint roller tray if you have nothing else.”

“So, I’m guessing what you have to do next is just loosen the plug and that’s it?”

“Not quite, there’s one more thing you have to do after that. Let’s take it step by step though,” he says, reaching for a wrench and offering it to you. “Alright, you can do the honors here.”

You reach out and take the wrench in hand, having enough confidence in your strength to be completely sure you could do this simple task. Taking the wrench to the bolt, you begin to loosen it and watch as the oil begins to drain into the container.

“Excellent, now we just need to replace the filter as well,” he says, standing back up to examine the engine again. “You can undo the bolt here too.”

He points at the exact nut you need to loosen and you repeat the process. It was surprisingly easy to learn when you had such a patient teacher guiding you every step of the way. You step out of the way as he goes to pull out the old filter, not wanting to get any oil or grease in your fur. He sets it down on another container, watching as the oil trickles out of it.

“Alright, I want you to put in the new one and screw the bolt back on,” he says, handing you a brand new filter. “If it’s not going in easily, you can put some elbow grease into it and force it inside.”

You carefully drop the new filter into place, making sure not to drop it in the process. After it’s in place you follow his instructions and make sure to tighten the nut as much as possible.

“Good job, now that the oil should be all drained out, go ahead and tighten the drain plug too.”

You crouch down again to tighten the bolt and find it’s significantly more difficult to tighten than to loosen due to how little reach you had when going in the opposite direction. “Mate, can I get a little help down here?”

He takes the wrench from your hands and reaches in to tighten the bolt once again. “Sorry about that, thought you had it handled.”

You almost berate yourself again for not being able to do something so simple, but then you catch a glimpse of that reassuring smile and the worry melts away. “It’s alright, just couldn’t reach it is all....”

He crouches down again to rummage through his toolbox and grabs a funnel along with a small bottle of oil, handing them both to you. “Now comes the easy part, adding the new oil. Just make sure to pour it in slowly.”

You slot the funnel into the opening before unscrewing the cap on the bottle of oil. As you begin to slowly pour the oil, you take extra precautions to not spill any in the process. After there’s no more oil to pour inside you make sure the funnel is empty before handing it back to Anon. “So, what now? Or are we done?”

“We’re almost done.” He tightens the cap on the oil intake, making sure it’s as tight as possible before continuing. “Now we’ve just got to run the engine for a little bit then measure the levels again. You mind running the engine for me real quick?”

You nod and get in the drivers seat before calling out to him. “Ready, Anon?!”

“Yeah, I’ll tell you when to shut it off,” he replies.

You start the engine, keeping your fingers on the key for what seems like an eternity until he finally gives you the go-ahead to shut it off again. Walking back around to the front of the car, you see him hunched over the motor adjusting god knows what. It was kind of uncanny how similar it was to when you watched your dad work on his cars as a kid, even down to the same height. But wait... you were ogling his ass earlier and now you think he reminds you of dad. Gross. You involuntarily shudder as you try to avoid connecting the two in your brain, instead opting to watch intently as he finishes the oil change.

He grabs a rag from his toolbox to clean the oil and grease from his hands. “See, that didn’t take very long, now did it?”

You look up at him and smile. “That honestly wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but I can’t imagine that’s the only thing you’re going to teach me how to do.”

He quickly checks his watch. “We’ve got another hour or two to burn unless you’ve got somewhere to be.”

“I could do with learning a few more things if you’re willing to show me,” you say. “Something easy though, please. Even the oil change seemed kind of hard at first.”

He crouches down and starts rummaging through his toolbox again. “Well, if you want something easy how about... checking the tire pressure?”

“I think I can handle that.”

He grabs a small implement from his toolbox that looks a bit like a stopwatch with a stem protruding from the top. You could only assume it was used to measure the tire pressure judging from the numbers printed on the device.

“Alright, so the first thing you’re going to want to do before starting is make sure you know the recommended pressure for your tires,” he says, crouching down when he reaches the side of the vehicle. “Once you know that, then all you have to do is unscrew this cap here, press the tip of the gauge into it and then read the measurement.”

He hands you the gauge and shuffles out of the way to allow you to take the measurement yourself. You follow his exact instructions and get the measurement, comparing it to recommended pressure he mentioned earlier. Repeating the process for each tire on the vehicle, you determine that only one of the four tires on the car could use more air.

He takes the gauge from your hands and drops it back into the toolbox before speaking. “I’ll take care of filling it with more air tomorrow, nice work.”

You can’t help but feel a little proud at his compliment, never having done anything resembling maintenance to a car in your life before today. “Thanks, anything else you want to show me?”

“I think we’ve got time for one last easy thing, how to check the antifreeze levels, which is pretty important with the kind of weather we’ve having right now.”

You follow him as he walks around to the engine again, hood still held open.

“You see this transparent tank here?” he asks. “All you have to do is make sure the liquid reaches the full line and you’re good to go.”

You lean over the engine to take a look yourself. “Looks like it’s already topped up to me.”

“I think that about wraps things up for today then,” he says as he packs all his instruments and tools back into the nearby toolbox, making sure to place a lid on the two containers he used to drain the oil. You watched as he tossed the toolbox and containers into the trunk of the car, making sure to clean off his hands once again before tossing the rag inside and slamming it shut.

You felt bad for calling his car a junker on multiple occasions now, even if it was just a joke. It was clear how much he cared for the car judging by how much time he spent cleaning and maintaining it. You wanted to apologize for it, but he interrupted your thoughts before you could put your thoughts into words.

“So, guess I’ll see you on Monday then?”

“W-wait, what?” you ask, taken aback by his sudden goodbyes. “Aren’t you going to give me a ride home? You’re not going to make me walk home in the cold, are you?”

A grin quickly overtakes his neutral expression. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you a ride, I just wanted to see how you’d react.”

You playfully nudge him in the side, a smile forming on your face. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you it’s not right to play with a girl’s feelings like that?”

He chuckles as he opens the passenger side door for you. “Must’ve missed that lesson, I guess.”

“Well, don’t you forget it, Anon,” you say, wagging a finger at him as you get into the car.

Soon enough you’re on your way to your apartment, the ride home giving you some time to come up with an apology for your comments earlier this week. Your mouth seemed eager to apologize before your brain could catch up and form said apology, muttering out a meek, “S-sorry.”

He took his eyes off the road for a quick moment to glance at you and then back again. “For what?”

“You know... for uh- how I called your car a junker before?”

“Oh, you don’t have to apologize for that. Look, I know my car isn’t the fanciest one in the world, but my father passed it down to me and I’ve been taking care of her ever since. I accept your apology though.”

His explanation only makes you feel even worse for having called it a junker in the first place. “O-oh. Is this the only car you’ve ever had then?”

“Yep. She’s been with me since high school and I don’t think I’d trade her for anything else in the world,” he says, rubbing at the steering wheel affectionately. 

“Must be a lot of hard work to keep her running this well, and clean too,” you say.

He glances at you once again, this time with a big smile on his face. “Yeah, but it gets harder to keep her running every year, if I’m being honest with you. Worth the effort to me though.”

You decide to steer the conversation in a different direction, shooting him a question you’d asked earlier in hopes of getting a real answer from him. “So, are you ever going to tell me what you need those clothes for?”

“I told you already, I’m a secret agent by night,” he says. “As soon as I drop you off I have to go fight crime and dispense justice.”

You pout at his response, hoping one look at your face makes him reconsider his answer. “How about this, if I can guess what they’re for, you tell me if I’m right?”

“Alright. I’ll give you three guesses to figure it out,” he says. “Bet you ten bucks you won’t be able to though.”

“You’re on,” you say with confidence. “Uh... a wedding?”

He shakes his head in response. “You already guessed that one earlier, so I won’t count it against you.”

“Job interview?”

He shook his head again. “Shit, I wish they were for an interview. Two more guesses.”

You decided to give your next guess a bit more thought, looking out the window for a while. After a few minutes you saw a billboard that gave you another idea for a guess. “Court date?”

“Just what kind of guy do you take me for?” He laughs. “My memory might not be the best, but I don’t remember having a court date. And before you guess again, no, it’s not jury duty either.”

You had one guess left and with so many options to choose from you decided to just wing it instead of trying to make a good guess. “I don’t know... uh, a date?”

His sudden silence and delay in responding spoke volumes about the accuracy of your guess.

“How did you...? Still, you’re only half right and out of guesses so I’m only giving you five bucks.”

You didn’t even care about the money, you were just curious about where and who he was going on a date with. “So... who’s the lucky lady? Is she... an anthro girl?”

“Don’t know yet, just know that I’m going on a date.”

“Huh? Oh god, don’t tell me you’re going on a blind date or something,” you say. “I’ve heard so many horror stories about blind dates.”

He rubbed at the back of his neck with one hand, continuing to steer with the other. “It’s not exactly that, just something similar.”

It was strange, you felt almost... jealous that he was going on a date with another girl. You were just friends so you had no real reason to feel that way about the situation, scolding yourself for not being more supportive instead. “Well, either way I hope you have a good time with her.”

“Thank you.”

The entire rest of the way home you fidget in your seat, playing with your hair and fingers as you continue looking out the window of the car, hoping you didn’t make things awkward with your line of questioning. The last thing you wanted was for him to not share anything with you anymore because of your incessant prying for answers. After some time you see the familiar signs of your neighborhood, thankful to be so close to escaping the awkward environment you’d created. 

You were surprised he’d never asked any questions about how you could afford to live in such a nice community, seeming content with just dropping you off and making sure you were safe. He didn’t know it, but you knew that every time he dropped you off he stuck around until you were safely inside your apartment, something you greatly appreciated.

He brings the car to a full stop in the usual spot before saying his goodbyes. “Listen, thanks a ton for coming out to help me today, it means a lot to me. You’ve got a real eye for fashion. I owe you one.”

You can feel your cheeks burning from his praise, hoping it’s not visible through the thin layer of fur on your face, your heart pounding in your chest as you respond. “It’s nothing mate, I’m just happy I could help ya out so much. Plus, you taught me a thing or two about cars so I’d say we’re even.”

“Oh yeah, before I forget, take this home with you,” he says, quickly turning in his seat to reach for something in the backseat. “I don’t want to be tempted when I get home.”

Even with him practically pushing the box of leftover pizza into your hands you’re reluctant to take it, knowing full well he had paid for the entirety of the meal. “Nah mate, you hold on to it, you paid for it so it’s only fair.”

“I’m not going to fight you on this one Ruby, I want you take it, seriously,” he insists, thrusting the box forward again. “Consider it a thanks for helping me pick out these clothes.”

You decide that accepting is probably for the best, but in your stubbornness you blurt something else out. “Fine, I’ll take the pizza, but you don’t owe me those five bucks.”

“Alright, fine,” he sighs. “If you say so.”

You put the pizza box in your lap and go in for a goodbye hug, something that you were starting to look forward to each time he dropped you off at your house. The way he froze up when you hugged him was kind of endearing, but the feeling of his arm wrapped around you was worth making him a little uneasy on occasion. You looked up at him as you hugged him tight, locking eyes with him. “So, see you Monday morning?”

“For wh- Oh right, jogging. Yeah, I’ll see you first thing in the morning on Monday, you have a good night.”

“You too, Anon.”

You grabbed your belongings along with the box of pizza and headed to your apartment, taking a glance down at the street when you reach the top of the stone steps to make sure he's still around waiting for you. Sure enough, he was still parked in the exact same spot. You had no idea why, but it made you feel warm and safe that he took the extra time to stick around instead of leaving immediately. 

Rooting around in your pouch for a moment, you fish out the keys to your apartment and quickly step inside, locking the door behind you. You set down your belongings and the pizza box on the kitchen counter alongside the small mountain of empty takeout boxes you have yet to throw away. A few choice words fly from your mouth as you forcefully kick at the air, annoyed that your shoes refuse to come off. After many attempts, you decide to wait until later to take them off.

You step into the kitchen, flicking the light switch on as you walk by. After your eyes adjust to the bright light, you take a look at the dirty dishes piled high in your sink and let out a sigh. You really should’ve taken care of the dishes earlier in the week before they became this much of a problem. Reaching into a cabinet below the sink, you pull out a pair of latex gloves and start to put them on. You sit there for a moment, staring down at the mountain of dishes before you, looking for any excuse to leave the task for another day. Taking a quick glance at the wall clock lets you know just how late it really is. Already 9:38 p.m. and with how early you had to be up tomorrow, you opt to leave the dish washing for another day. A warm shower and a good night’s rest sounded fantastic after the long day you’d had. After tossing the pizza box in the fridge and putting the gloves back in their place, you turn the lights off and start making your way to the bathroom.

You begin taking your clothes off as you go down the hallway, leaving them in the growing pile of clothing cluttering the path to the bathroom that you promise yourself you’ll pick up first thing in the morning. Getting your tail unstuck from the hole in your pants was your first priority, though you nearly trip over a pair of jeans you'd left on the floor a few days ago as you focus on pulling on it out. By the time you waddled into the bathroom with your pants around your ankles, all you had left to take off were your bra, panties, and shoes. You reach down to yank off your shoes with your pants soon to follow, then reach back with both hands to undo the clasp of your bra to let it fall to the floor, and finally pull off your panties. 

All that was left to do after that was to take the scrunchie out of your ponytail, letting your brown hair flow freely. You stand in front of the bathroom mirror and take in your form, flicking at the strands of hair tickling your shoulders and upper back, briefly wondering if you should trim it or grow it out even further. After deciding you’d leave your hair alone for the foreseeable future, your attention is drawn to the rest of your body. The first thing your eyes were drawn to were your arms. Defined, but not overly muscular; your hard work at the gym was certainly paying off. While you never had much muscle definition around your breasts, the bench pressing you’d been doing with Anon had certainly had a visible effect on the area. As you continue working your way down your body, you notice something that distresses you. It was hard enough having visible abs with the layer of fur that typically covered them, but the definition you once had down there was fading rapidly. Maybe you should consider cutting back on the snacks, stop eating out so frequently, and add some crunches to your morning routine. You didn’t work so hard on your core just to lose all your progress to a poor diet, after all.

You step into your shower and turn it on, standing just outside the water’s flow as you wait for it to heat up. Once the water reaches the right temperature, you step inside and close your eyes as you let the warm water wash over your entire body. You were of the opinion that a warm shower could fix just about anything, letting out a long, pleasured sigh as the hot water washes over you and spreads a comforting warmth through your body. You reach for the bottle of shampoo and squirt a generous dollop of it onto your hand, then begin working it into your hair. It was one of the few things you were proud of, making sure to always wash and condition it to keep it soft and silky to the touch. After you finish washing your hair, you start on the rest of your body, making sure to cover every inch of your fur with a special mix of body wash and conditioner. It felt really good to run your hands over your sore muscles after a long day, making sure to get the soapy mixture deep into your coat. You couldn’t help but be proud of the way your thin, yet soft coat felt between your fingers, the sensation akin to running your fingers over velvet. Stopping to pour another glob of the mixture into your hand to wash your privates, you part your legs slightly to make the task easier for yourself.

As you reach down to spread the soap around, your finger inadvertently runs over your button ever so slightly, sending a tingle down your spine. It only serves to remind you how long it’s been since you last... took care of yourself. You try to ignore the feeling and continue washing yourself, but you can’t help but run a finger over it again, this time with slightly more pressure. Even if you tried, you couldn’t stop shivers from coursing through your body, the hot water soaking into your fur only helping amplify the already pleasurable sensations you were feeling. You ease yourself into a steady pace, your breath quickening as you continue to rub at your clit with increasing speed. While it felt amazing, you needed some kind of visual aid to enhance the experience, closing your eyes and trying to visualize anything that might help you get off quicker. You went through a long list of muscular, fictional characters in your head, until you finally settled on the rugged and handsome Big Boss for some odd reason you didn’t care to understand right now. Bringing your free hand up to your breast, you cup the soft, pliable flesh in your hand and begin kneading at it, fantasizing that they’re being groped by his muscular arms instead. You have to bite at your lower lip to suppress a moan when the thought of being pressed against the tiled wall by those very same arms crosses your mind. The thought is enough to make you eager to slip a finger inside, the rubbing not being nearly enough stimulation for your pleasure addled mind. As you sink your index finger deep into your cunt, you realize just how aroused you are, your finger slipping in with little resistance. Your legs threaten to buckle as you get used to the sensation that came with using your digit to stir up your needy insides.

Eyes still closed, you continue rubbing at your button as you continue to imagine him groping every part of your body. Your breathing becomes ragged, panting loudly the second you realize there’s no reason to hold yourself back in the comfort of your own home.

“O-ooohhh fuck, don’t haaah~ stop, please!” you moan out loudly, your legs threatening to buckle underneath you once again.

You pick up the pace once again, plunging your finger even deeper inside as you slowly begin to approach your limits. Even as the droplets of water continue to hit your fur and run down your legs, you can still feel your sticky, syrupy juices running out and clinging to the fur around your thighs. You take your hand off your breast, opting to press your open palm against the tiled surface for support instead. In this new, slightly bent over position you were now in, you imagined those large, rough hands gripping your hips from behind as he thrust into you. You picture his fingers digging deeply into your thighs and ass as he pushes in deep with reckless abandon. Combined with the fact that you were presently curling the digit that was knuckle deep inside you, you couldn’t help but let out a series of soft, breathy moans. You could feel yourself teetering on the edge of your limits, huffing as you careen towards your release.

“Oh god, just unff- keep nngh- going Anon, just like-”

Everything comes to a screeching halt the second you realize the significance of the words that just left your mouth, as any hope of having an orgasm is swept down the drain in an instant. Why did you say his name? And why was he even on your mind while you were... and more importantly, now that you think about it, Big Boss doesn’t even have black hair. You try to connect the dots when it finally hits you; Anon has black hair. Oh god, did y- were you imagining it was him the entire time? Even though there’s no one around to witness your mistake, your cheeks burn intensely with shame and embarrassment as you think about what you just did. You turn the knob in the shower and cool water starts to flow, helping you forget both your blunder and the burning feeling in your groin. It felt wrong to think about him that way considering you’d only known him for a few days. Sure, you ogled him on occasion, but what girl wouldn’t with a body like his? Despite desperately wanting to take care of your needs, you decided to leave things for another day, afraid you’d think of him again if you continued. You quickly finish up your shower, stepping out and thoroughly toweling yourself off before walking over to the sink and reaching for the hair dryer. As you run one hand through your hair while you dry it with the other, you think hard about the implication of those thoughts. It was totally normal, you just thought of him because of his body, right? You blushed again as you wondered if he’d ever had these kinds of thoughts about you, quickly shaking the offending idea from your mind. 

After your hair and fur are sufficiently dry, you make your way to your bedroom, eager to get some rest to forget about the entire ordeal. You step into the small walk in closet, rummaging through the piles of clothes as you try to find some sleepwear that isn’t too uncomfortable or dirty. A few more minutes of searching yielding nothing you feel comfortable wearing, you decide to sleep in the buff instead. You crawl into your freshly made bed, draping the navy blue sheets over your nude body, and lie face up as your head sinks into your pillow. In an attempt to drift off to sleep you shut your eyes tight, trying to think of anything but what happened earlier in the night. You instead choose to think of the quality time you spent with Anon today, smiling as you think back to the lunch you’d shared together. It was a relief to know he didn’t hold a grudge for the things you’d done to him, accepting your apology without much thought. You continue thinking about the rest of the day you’d enjoyed together, how he patiently taught you how to change the oil on his car, not getting upset at any mistakes or troubles you had with the process. It was a quality of his that you respected, knowing your temper could have a particularly short fuse at times. You’d made good on your promise to stop being so abrasive and apprehensive around him in your mind. The entire day felt just as enjoyable as the day you’d spent together at the mall the night before. One particular moment of the day stood out in your mind, particularly the way he’d hugged you tight to his chest when you said your goodbyes. Was it weird that you were still thinking about it? It wasn’t weird that it felt so nice to be held like that, even if it was just a friendly hug, right?

“Yeah... it just feels nice, and...” you say, reaching for another pillow to place between your legs as you continued to think up excuses. “Fuck...”

That tired feeling begins to creep into your mind. You hug your pillow and your eyelids flutter as they grow heavier by the second. You think about what it’d be like to have that same arm wrapped around you in this moment, thinking back to the sensation of his hug once more. The fact that you’re laying in bed alone suddenly sinks in, your ears drooping as a frown begins to form on your face. You hug the pillow even tighter to your chest as you continue to imagine having him by your side, fighting the urge to tear up from how pathetic you feel right now. Focusing on the comforting thoughts of the time you spent with Anon today, the urge to cry is slowly pushed away, finally giving you just enough peace of mind for the intoxicating warmth of the bed to lull you to sleep.

Chapter 6:

You can scarcely make out the end of the paved trail just up ahead, every muscle in your body screaming as you push yourself to your physical limits. Your lungs feel like they’re on fire. Countless beads of sweat pour down your face as your legs continue carrying you forward at a pace you never thought you could maintain.

With one final push, you force yourself to your absolute limits. You pick up the pace until you finally reach the end of the trail, sending a feeling of accomplishment over your exhausted body and mind. You couldn’t believe it, but you’d finally done it; beating Ruby to the end of the trail for the first time in the two weeks you’d been jogging together. Even if it had only been by a few seconds, you still felt proud about beating a seasoned runner at their own game.

“I... finally... beat... you....” you say, panting between words as you struggle to catch your breath, bending over and placing both hands on your knees for support.

“Not... fair... you cunt....” she pants as she takes a seat against a tree stump, equally as wiped out by the intense jog. “I had to... slow down at... the bend....”

Once you catch your breath you take a few shaky steps towards her, trying to regain feeling in your legs. You take a quick glance at your watch and realize you only have thirty minutes before you’re late for work. Leaving the house later than you'd intended really threw a wrench into your already tight schedule.

“I think someone’s just a sore loser,” you smirk, offering your hand to help her up. “Remember last week when you were telling me to try and prove you wrong?”

“I don’t remember saying anything like that, but if you say so, mate,” she pants, her breath visible in the chilly morning air. “Give me a second though, I feel a little... lightheaded.”

You didn't think it was possible for her to be equally as worn out as you from jogging, but judging from the damp, dark shade of fur on her face, you had really given her a run for her money today. Despite wanting to give her some time to rest, you knew Kelly wasn’t going to be quite as lenient if you were late again this week. "Hey, I gotta get to work, Ruby. My manager is going to kill me if I'm late again... You mind if I just... carry you to the car?"

“C-carry me?” she stutters out, shaking her head fervently at your offer. “N-no thanks, I’d rather walk; besides, you look as tired as I am.”

She tries to get up, putting a hand on the tree stump for support, only for her to let out a muffled cry of pain as her leg buckles beneath her.

“Shit, you alright?” you ask, leaning down to examine her leg for any injuries. “Where does it hurt?”

“I-it’s fine, really!” she groans, squirming away from your touch as you run your hands over her furred leg and ankle. “It’s probably nothing Anon, I’ll just have to walk a little more carefully.”

It becomes glaringly obvious to you that she’s in no condition to get up, let alone walk as you watch her attempt to get up again, only to fall back down. Her tail slaps the ground but fails to keep her from landing flat on her ass with a yelp. Since she refuses to admit to you where, or even if it hurts at all, your hands continue to explore her furred leg in an attempt to find the source of her pain. You try to avoid letting your hands linger in one place for too long, but that doesn’t stop you from feeling the firm musculature of her thigh and calf. When you apply some pressure near her ankle she fails miserably at stifling a yelp. “Jeez… Look, you shouldn’t put weight on that leg for a while, so at least let me carry you to the car, alright?”

“What, were you thinking of carrying me all the way to work?” she asks, pouting at the mere idea of being carried.

“Only if you want me to.” You smile as you carefully reposition her leg into a more comfortable position.

“Hnn… okay, but only because I can’t walk on my own,” she mutters, averting her gaze as she waits for you to pick her up.

You face away from her before crouching down. “Can you grab on?”

“You’re... going to give me a... piggyback ride?” she asks as you feel her furred arms wrap tightly around your neck.

“What, would you rather I princess carry you instead?” you ask, a smirk forming on your face.

“Sh-shut up,” she mutters, though with how close her muzzle is to your ear you can hear her perfectly.

“Hold on tight back there, don’t want you to fall,” you say as you stand back up to your full height, taking a careful step to test your balance. “Heavier than I thought.”

“A-am not,” she stutters into your ear as you slowly start walking towards where you parked your car. “You’re just a weakling, Anon.”

“Oh yeah?” you grin, turning your head slightly to look back at her. “I think you’re forgetting that this weakling beat you not ten minutes ago.”

“Dumb luck,” she grumbles, still unwilling to admit defeat.

You can’t help but smile at her response, knowing she’ll try even harder to beat you on future jogs together. While you’re fairly bundled up in a long-sleeved hoodie and sweatpants, the weather still feels just as nippy this morning as every other for the past two weeks. It only serves to remind you that autumn is just around the corner. Despite that, the chill in the air doesn't affect you too badly with the way Ruby is pressed against your back, her fur brushing against your exposed skin. It almost feels like you’re wearing a thick, fuzzy scarf around your neck with how tightly she wraps her arms around you. The fur on the underside of her thighs presses against your forearms, tickling at your skin while simultaneously warming you. As you continue to walk, you can occasionally feel her thick tail swat against your arms, the impact gently rocking them. You can even feel what you suspect is her chest pressing into your back, though it doesn’t feel like anything you’ve experienced with other girls you’ve carried this way. It feels odd, not quite like a breast, though you can probably chalk that up to the fur covering her skin.

“I think I can manage from here, Anon. Can you put me down so I can try walking?” she asks, loosening her grip on your neck.

You decide to mess with her a bit, suddenly bringing your forearms up in order to provide more support, which in turn makes her squeeze your neck tight as she squeaks in surprise. Almost too tightly, as you soon find yourself having difficulty swallowing with the death grip she has around your neck. “Ruby, you- you’re choking me.”

“Shit, sorry,” she says, and you feel her grip on your neck quickly loosen.

“It’s alright. So... skipping the gym today or are we still on for that?” you ask, slowing your walk a bit as you step through the grass.

“I’ll be fine, I’ll just put some ice on it during my lunch break or something, let my foot heal up a little,” she says, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Sounds to me like you’re the one that wants to weasel out of a workout, Anon.”

“I think I’ll be fine so long as- wait. Oh god, please don’t tell me it’s leg day today, Ruby,” you groan as you try to recall your gym schedule.

“No, it’s chest day today, you dork,” she says, alleviating your worry. “Did you even read the schedule I sent you Monday?”

“I may have... skimmed through it,” you lie, not having read the whole thing when she texted it to you.

“Uh huh,” she says as you suddenly feel a pressure on your shoulder. You shift your eyes and see she’s resting her chin on you.

You continue to trudge through the grass, taking in the many beautiful sights that accompany the shifting seasons. Everything from leaves slowly changing in color to seeing your breath lingering in the chilly air. Despite the rapidly dropping temperatures, autumn and winter are amongst your favorite parts of the year. You continue taking in the beauty in your surroundings, but you're distracted when you hear something very close to your ear. It sounded like... a faint sniffing sound? It was quiet enough that you could ignore it for a little while. Only the sound returns, becoming louder and more forceful as time passes. You eventually turn to face the source of the noise. “Ruby? What are you... doing?”

“N-nothing,” she stutters, desperately trying to avert her gaze as you watch the insides of her ears and cheeks turn a rosy pink the longer you continue staring at her.

“Then what was that... sniffing I heard?” you ask, hoping you hadn’t misinterpreted what she was doing.

“I-it was just... I was just clearing my nose, arsehole!” she says, bringing a hand away from your neck to push at your cheek, forcing you to look away from the blushing mess she currently is.

You aren’t going to fight her on this, but you can’t help but think back to what Kevin had told you about dealing with Melanie, the conversation about her sniffing him all over still fresh in your mind. Was Ruby... sniffing you? Had she done this before? And if she had, then why were you only starting to notice it now? The best you could hope for is that having confronted her about the sniffing will get her to stop doing it. And for a little while you think she's stopped, that is, until you hear another loud sniff.

“Ruby?” you ask, looking back at her again and catching her by surprise for the second time in the last few minutes. “Everything alright?”

“Y-yeah, it’s just allergies, ya’ know?” she mumbles, still not daring to meet your gaze, her cheeks still the same rosy pink they were before. “It smells like you poured a gallon of cologne on your neck though, Anon.”

“I’ll have you know I only use half a gallon of cologne every morning, thank you very much,” you tease as you finally reach your car, opening the passenger side door and crouching down to let her climb inside. “Sorry if the smell is too strong for you though, I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

“It’s fine, Anon,” she smiles as she settles into her seat. “Thanks for helping me to the car, my leg is feeling much better already.”

You can’t help but smile upon seeing her own. “No worries, though my back kind of hurts now....”

“Am I going to have to carry you later then?” she retorts as she goes to close the door.

“Only if you want to.”

On your way to work you think about what happened, wondering if the allergy excuse is legitimate or just her trying to save face after being asked about the sniffing. You figure asking her about it directly probably won’t go over too well, so you instead plan to ask Kevin what he thinks about it once you get to work. While you still think it’s a bit odd that anthros do that kind of thing, the thought of her liking your scent is kind of growing on you. Your thoughts are soon interrupted by the sound of her voice.

“Hey Anon, you mind dropping me off a bit closer to work today?” she asks, looking at you as she massages her sore leg with both hands. “Can’t exactly walk too far on this leg.”

“Why don’t you just tell me where you work at so I can just drop you off there directly?” you ask, taking your eyes off the road for a quick second to look at her. “That way you don’t have to walk there in the cold every morning.”

“Don’t worry about it, Anon. Just drop me off at the gas station on Prestdale Avenue, it’s only a block or two away.”

“If you say so. Don’t come complaining to me when you catch a cold though,” you say, changing course and going just under the speed limit in an attempt to make it there quicker. “With my luck, you’d get me sick too.”

“Takes more than a little cold to get me down, Anon. Even if I did catch one, it’s not like I’ll be sneezing on you,” she says, still massaging her ankle.

“I don’t know... with those allergies you’re having I wouldn’t be surprised if you did catch a cold,” you say, carefully structuring your sentence to probe for a response from her.

“What allerg- oh, allergies, right,” she says, sniffling in what you think is an attempt to throw you off and stop you from asking further questions. “Yeah, they usually start hitting me pretty hard during fall.”

“So what’s making your allergies act up? Pollen?” you ask, curious since you’ve never been one to suffer from seasonal allergies.

“What else would it be, Anon?” she asks, looking at you in confusion. “It’s not like I’m allergic to the leaves or anything...”

“Wh- Then how come you said they only hit you in the fall? Don’t you take any allergy medication?” you ask, doubting her allergy excuse even more now.

"B-because my usual brand goes out of stock! What is this, an interrogation or something? Why don’t you get off my back about it!” she exclaims, looking away from you before resting her chin on her palm, pouting as she stares out the car window.

“I was just wondering what it was like to have allergies is all,” you lie, hoping she’s not mad at you for prying about her alleged allergy. “How’s your leg feeling now?”

“Don’t think it’s sprained or anything,” she mutters, still holding that pout that you find adorable. “Think I’ll be good to walk on it for now, might not be able to jog with you on Monday though.”

“Might be able to sleep in for the first time in a while,” you chuckle, relieved to hear you’ll finally get a break from the usual routine.

“What, you’re not going to jog without me?” she asks, sounding surprised at your words. “It’s not like you don’t know the trail by heart, Anon.”

“Yeah, but it’s a lot more fun with you there. Besides, a little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right?”

“Well, maybe except this one time with my ankle....” she laughs as she continues massaging her leg.

“Alright, fair,” you chuckle, though you can’t help but feel responsible for her injury.

“Gonna hold you accountable since you’re the one that made me hurt myself,” she says, adopting a small smile as she playfully elbows you in the side.

“Oh please, it wasn’t my fault and you know it,” you say, rolling your eyes for effect. “Besides, I never hold you accountable whenever I hurt myself.”

“Like the time you charged headfirst into the bushes?” she asks, laughing even harder than before. “Besides, you’re too nice to make me owe anything like that.”

“So you’re saying you’re rude enough to get away with it?”

“Your words, not mine, Anon,” she says, a smirk on her face.

You slowly pull into the gas station, hopping out of your car to help her to her feet. “You sure you don’t want me to just drop you off at work directly? I can still make it to work on time and you won’t have to freeze out here.”

“I’ll be fine you big baby, I’ve got this coat of fur for a reason, you know?” she says, running a hand over the tuft of fur peeking out from the neck of her hoodie.

“Alright, alright, if you say so,” you concede, not wanting to impose. “Meet you at the usual spot after work then?”

“Wouldn’t dare miss it,” she smiles before walking off to her job, a slight limp apparent in the way she moves.

You watch intently as she begins to walk down the sidewalk, and you quickly notice her irregular gait. Even at this distance you can tell she's relying on her healthy leg to walk and you wince as her limp slowly becomes more pronounced. A pang of guilt courses through you, and you feel as if letting her walk to work in this weather would be irresponsible, despite her insistence on it being no big deal. You fight back the urge to yell out her name for fear of attracting unwanted attention, but an idea suddenly pops into your head. You quickly hop back into your car and try to catch up to her on the sidewalk, slowing down to a crawl as you pull up next to her. Seemingly, she doesn't notice that you're trailing alongside her. Upon closer inspection, you realize she has a pair of earbuds in. You decide to honk your horn twice in order to grab her attention. The second the sound rings out, she flinches and instinctively dodges to the right, practically jumping out of her skin… or rather, fur, in the process. You can’t help but grin at her reaction, though it quickly fades as you watch her frightened expression turn to one of irritation as she reaches up to pull her earbuds out. You roll down the passenger side window as she stomps towards your car, bracing for the worst.

“What, my ankle wasn’t enough for you, mate?” she asks as you finish rolling down the window. “You trying to see if you can stop my heart too?”

You want to grin, but you do your best to suppress it as you apologize. “Sorry, but you had earphones in and I didn’t want to stop traffic until you noticed me.”

“Well, out with it then,” she says, leaning against the open window. “What was so important that you couldn’t just text me about it instead?”

“I’m not going to let you limp to work in the cold, Ruby.”

“Ah, you worry too much, mate,” she smiles, waving a hand dismissively at your offer. “I told you I’d be fine, didn’t I?”

You’re dead set on not taking no for an answer, and you lean over to pop open the passenger side door. “Yeah, well, I’ve learned to ignore you when you insist you’re fine. Now, c’mon, hop in.”

“Fine, fine, but only because I know you’re hard headed enough to follow me all the way to work if I don’t,” she says as she climbs into your car, and you hear the click of a seatbelt shortly after she settles into the seat. “...Thanks though.”

“No problem,” you say with a grin, and you quickly take off before you earn the ire of the drivers forced to move around you.

Not even a minute later, you feel her elbow jab at your side. You quickly glance over at her to see what she wants. “What?”

"Don't think I didn't catch your little joke, you big dork," she says, failing horribly at masking a slight smile.

“Huh?” you ask, putting your eyes back on the road.

“Don’t play dumb, Anon, it doesn’t suit you,” she says with a laugh, lightly jabbing you in the side again. “Hop in… that was pretty bad, mate…”

You didn't even intend to crack a joke, though it felt nice to make her laugh. Despite her words, her smile betrays her thoughts on your unintentional wordplay. “Thanks. So, you want to plug in the address? Because I have no clue where we’re going.”

“Oh shit, right. Sorry about that, let me just…” she says, reaching for the cheap dash-mounted GPS you’d bought recently before plugging in the address. “Alright... there you are.”

For a moment you’re positive you misheard the GPS’ voice, so you take a quick glance to confirm the destination on the screen matched up. But there it was on the screen, clear as day, the destination set to Coral Coast Elementary.

"Huh... You, uh... You work there or are you just picking-" you start to ask, before quickly being interrupted by Ruby.

"Yeah," she responds, though with the way her tone suddenly shifts, you quickly realize you shouldn’t pry any further.

You want to ask her exactly what she does there, though you doubt you'd get even so much as a peep out of her considering it’s taken her two weeks to tell you where she works. You can't really imagine her being a schoolteacher, but you could definitely see her being a P.E. teacher with her dedication to fitness. The thought of her shouting words of encouragement at the kids brings a small smile to your face, even though it’s just as likely that she’s an office worker. Hell, it’s even possible that she has to fill in for absent teachers on occasion.

A thought crosses your mind, causing you to silently chuckle and crack a slight smile. In an attempt to lighten the mood, you ask, "So, you want me to carry you all the way inside too, or...?"

"N-No!" she responds, her reaction only causing your smile to widen. “I can still walk, you know…”

"I’m kidding, Ruby," you say, and you briefly wonder why the idea of being carried flusters her so much.

"Yeah, b-but... I know you'd try and do it anyways, you dumb dag," she grumbles, a quick glance revealing a light pink hue on her cheeks.

Within minutes you find yourself pulling into the school’s strangely empty parking lot, coming to a stop in front of the school’s main entrance. “Here we are. You sure you don’t want me to carry you inside?”

“Not as funny the second time around, Anon,” she chuckles as she slings a small gym bag over her shoulder, which you assume contains a change of clothes. “Thanks for… you know, dropping me off.”

“No problem,” you reply with a smile. “Is it uh, normal for there to be nobody here this late?”

“School’s still out, Anon,” she explains, chuckling again. “They make us come in two weeks before to get everything ready for the new school year. It’s kind of a pain in the arse, but at least we get paid for it.”

“Oh,” you say, embarrassed by your lack of knowledge regarding teacher schedules. “Well, I should probably get going before I’m late for work. You want me to swing by later and pick you up?”

“Yeah, that’d be... great, actually,” she says, tucking away an errant strand of hair behind one of her ears. “I’ll shoot you a text message when I get off work.”

"Cool, see you later then,” you say, wincing slightly as you watch her limp towards the building.

She’s almost halfway to the doors when a thought suddenly strikes you. "Hey, wait!" you shout, causing her to stop and look back at you. "Should I pick you up at the usual spot or here at the school?"

She blankly stares at you for a moment, your question seemingly catching her off guard. After almost a minute of silent contemplation she finally answers, the uncertainty in her voice palpable. "Uh, well... sure, here’s fine, I guess. I know you'd just bug me about it if I said the usual spot works for me."

"Oh come on, I’m not that bad. I’ll see you later then," you say, flashing her a smile before she turns back around. You continue watching and wait for her to step into the building before closing the car door.

As you pull out of the parking lot, your mind wanders to earlier events, still unsure if her sniffing was really caused by allergies. Maybe she has a good reason for it that she doesn't feel comfortable sharing with you? You shake your head slightly and briefly wonder if you're just overthinking things. Either way, you take solace in the fact that you have Kevin to help settle those thoughts. A quick glance at the dash shows you only have five minutes before you’re officially late for work. As you drive to work, you hope to god that Kelly had to call in sick this morning.

You aren’t exactly thrilled to be coming into work this early in the morning, but the thought of a three day weekend keeps you going. While coming in an hour earlier is a slight inconvenience, knowing you’d be able to spend more time at the gym with Ruby was a worthwhile tradeoff. It never made very much sense to you as you would rarely have customers coming in for ice cream this early in the morning, especially given the chilly weather. In fact, you considered the weather an upside as you didn’t have to rush to prepare the store for customers. You make your way inside and clock in for your shift, before taking a quick detour to the bathroom to change into your work clothes. After switching out your sweat soaked clothes for the dry outfit, you walk into the back to greet Kevin.

“What’s up man?” you ask, sauntering over to Kevin before putting a hand on his back. “Kelly wasn’t looking for me, was she?”

“Nah, she’s holed up in the freezer taking inventory,” he says, struggling to stifle a yawn. “I don’t think she even noticed you weren’t around yet.”

“Thanks for covering for me, man. Melanie still keeping you up, I see,” you grin and his expression quickly turns to a glare. “Speaking of, she ever tell you when this date thing is supposed to go down?”

The moment the words leave your mouth it’s as if a light bulb suddenly turns on in his head. You can only watch in intrigue as he starts snapping his fingers, as if trying to recall something.

“Fuck, I forgot to tell you, didn’t I? Please, please tell me you found a date to bring already,” he says and you can immediately see the worry in his eyes.

“Slow down, forgot to tell me what?” you ask, putting a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

“I forgot to tell you on Wednesday before I clocked out, but the date is tomorrow,” he says, his head now in his hands. “Fuck. Melanie is going to kill me.”

“Look, just calm down, alright? There’s still plenty of time to figure something out,” you say, tightening your grip on his shoulder to try and snap him out of his panicked state.

“She’s been looking forward to this for weeks, if she finds out it’s my fault you couldn’t find a date in time, she’s going to be pissed.”

You feel bad for him, but at the same time you realize the blame lies squarely on him for forgetting in the first place. It wasn’t like you hadn’t been trying to find a date since the very first time he mentioned the double date, you just weren’t having much luck in getting anyone to take you up on the offer. Some said they’d be busy that day and others just flat out turned you down. You’ve been praying it wouldn’t have to come to this, but Ruby was looking like a more attractive option with each passing day, in more ways than one. And what Kevin had said the week before had some truth to it, it wasn’t like she was going to turn you down if you asked. Or at least, you don’t think she will, right? If she turns you down though, Kevin's going to be in some hot water with his girlfriend, and you really doubt you'll find someone else in time.

You can’t help but feel guilty for only thinking of Ruby as a last resort option. Especially considering how much time you were spending with her as of late, jogging every morning and working out together on most afternoons. As much as you hate to admit it, she’s starting to grow on you, even if her brashness can be a bit much to handle at times. It was unfair to her, but one of the reasons you wanted to exhaust your options before even thinking of asking her was how she’d reacted to your harmless jokes before. Even when she gets upset at the things you say, you can’t help but find her exaggerated gestures of anger cute in an odd way. And for whatever reason, you can feel a knot forming in your stomach at the mere thought of asking her out, a feeling you haven’t felt since high school. With the date slated to happen tomorrow, you’ll have to ask her today at the latest in order to give her some time to prepare. You take a moment to think about when the best possible time to ask her will be. After giving it some thought, you ultimately settle on asking her on the way to the gym, ruling out the possibility of doing it over the phone.

“Look, don’t worry about it man. I’ll find a date even if it kills me, I promise,” you say, giving him a firm pat on the back.

“You’re a fucking lifesaver, Anon, really,” he says, breathing a sigh of relief at your words. “Are you going to ask that one girl? What was her name again? Could’ve sworn it started with an R...”

“Ruby,” you say, finishing his sentence. “Speaking of, I was going to ask you for some advice while we’re on the subject.”

“My man's looking to score, huh?” he asks, a shit-eating grin forming on his face. “Now you get to share in my pain too, fucker.”

“Nah, it’s nothing like that, man,” you say, sheepishly rubbing at the back of your neck. “It’s just... she did something today that has me kind of confused.”

“Well, what is it?” he asks, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Shoot.”

“Alright, this is probably going to sound dumb, but what exactly does it mean when an anthro girl sniffs you? I’ve been trying to figure it out all morning and it’s driving me crazy.”

He skeptically raises an eyebrow at you. “What... were you doing that had you close enough for you to notice her sniffing?”

“Look, it’s a long story, but I was giving her a piggyback ride when it happened,” you explain, hands gesturing as you talk. “She says it was just her allergies acting up but I don’t buy the excuse at all.”

“Come on, you can’t just say something like that and then not fully explain it, man,” he laughs, slapping your back. “You can trust me to not say anything to anyone else, I swear.”

“It’s not that interesting of a story, really. She just twisted her ankle this morning and couldn’t walk on her own so I gave her a piggyback ride through the park, that’s all. The sniffing part happened on the way back to my car; it started kind of quiet at first so I didn’t really pay it much mind but after a while it started getting louder and louder.”

He scratches at his chin for a moment before responding. “Honestly, it’s kind of hard to say, man. It could just mean she likes your cologne, or maybe you just smell nice to her. Either way if you’re going to ask her out it’s definitely a good sign.”

The knot in your stomach only tightens upon hearing his explanation for her behavior. For some reason, the thought of asking her out and her taking it the wrong way worries you more than just outright rejection. You don’t want to ruin the friendship you’ve developed over the last two weeks, but at the same time, leaving your best friend hanging isn't an option. The conundrum makes your head ache slightly, but you try your best to power through it as you plan a course of action for when you meet Ruby later today. Maybe it’s best if you’re direct instead of trying to weave the question in during conversation? A million thoughts fly through your head before you feel Kevin shake your shoulder to get your attention.

“You alright, Anon?”

“Y-yeah, yeah, just... thinking about some stuff. Don’t know what to make of the whole sniffing thing, really. Especially since she said my cologne was too str-”

And just like that everything clicks; it all makes sense now. She was complaining about your cologne being too strong earlier which meant she was actually trying to smell... your scent? Was your cologne getting in the way of her doing that? What if it really was just her allergies acting up and you were just over-analyzing things? You try your best to not think about it for the time being, figuring you’ll get a definitive answer if it ever happens again.

“You were saying, Anon?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just something silly I was thinking about,” you say with a dismissive wave of your hand.

“If you say so,” he says, shrugging before going back to wiping down the counters.

You check the time on your phone and groan when you realize only half an hour has passed since you clocked into work, your shift seemingly spanning an eternity with how slow time appears to be passing. You head towards the freezer to get a headstart on bringing the tubs of yogurt and ice cream to the serving areas. Oddly enough, you’re hoping you run into Kelly to help pass some more time. Sure enough, she’s exactly where Kevin said you could find her, clipboard in hand. She apparently hasn’t noticed your presence, seemingly too busy tiptoeing to count some things on the upper shelves of the massive walk-in freezer.

“Morning, Kelly.”

“Morning, Anon,” she says, not looking up from her clipboard as she greets you. “You mind helping me out for a second? Can you count how many tubs of sprinkles we have on the top shelf?”

You take a quick peek at the shelf she’s pointing at. “Sure. I count five, six, seven tubs.”

“Thanks, Anon; oh, and one more thing I was going to ask you,” she says, looking up to meet your gaze. “Would you be available to come in Sunday? Someone on the afternoon shift called in sick and they’re offering overtime to anyone willing to cover.”

You want to say no, but you remember just how much money you spent on formal clothing the week before. It’s a pretty tempting offer to get paid overtime for an entire shift. “I’ll probably be able to, what time do you need me to be here?”

“Just try to be here before 2pm if possible. You’ll be closing up the store too so you’ll get paid for the extra hour as well.”

“Alright, but no promises though, I’ll make sure to call if I can’t make it.”

“Sounds good to me,” she says, flashing you a quick smile before going back to doing inventory.

You grab as many tubs of the ice cream as you can carry and make your way back to the front, placing them down on the counter before going back for more. Kevin is hard at work wiping down tables and counters while you load up the serving area with toppings and enough varieties of frozen yogurt to make anyone’s head spin. You decide to strike up another conversation with him while you wait for customers to start trickling in.

“So, what restaurant did your girlfriend decide on for this thing? You forgot to mention that too.”

“Oh, right, sorry. Some fancy place downtown called la Morsure Marocaine, if I’m even pronouncing that right,” he says, shrugging. “Either way it’s supposed to be really good, and it took Melanie a week and a half to get reservations for four.”

“Really good, and really expensive too, if I had to guess,” you groan, trying not to think about how much money you’ve spent in the past two weeks. “I hope it really is as good as you say it is.”

“Trust me, you’re going to like it,” he says, playfully jabbing you with his elbow. “Plus it’ll be one hell of a first impression for that Ruby girl.”

“You say that like I’m good with dinner dates or something,” you say, struggling to recall the last time you went on one. “I’m rustier than a shipwreck when it comes to dating.”

“You’re exaggerating man, weren’t you and Kelly dating a few months ago?”

“Yeah, but my dates with her were way different than... whatever this is supposed to be,” you explain, rubbing at the back of your neck. “I had to buy new clothes for this because none of my old dress shirts would fit me anymore.”

“You could’ve just asked to borrow one of mine man, I would’ve helped you out. Though I’m not sure if my stuff would fit you.”

“The damage to my wallet is already done, but thanks.”

The rest of the day goes by with nothing of note happening, though you draw the short straw and end up having to clean the men’s restroom after the lunch rush. Which, coincidentally, almost made you lose your lunch after seeing the state it was left in. After that horrible task is over with, you’re left counting down the minutes until you can leave for the afternoon, though you’re still thinking about what you’re going to say to Ruby later, reciting potential lines in your head.

‘Hey Ruby, are you going to be busy tomorrow?’ you think before scrapping it in favor of something else.

‘You want to grab dinner with me tomorrow?’ It’s not bad, but it still sounds too forward and you aren’t sure how she’ll react to that.

No matter how many sentences you brainstorm, none of them seem suitable for her. Everything you can come up with seems either too direct or something she can easily misinterpret. You just hope to god your brain will come up with something satisfactory before it’s time to ask the question. Your stomach does flips at the thought of it all. It really does feel like you’re back in high school again, berating yourself and wondering why something as simple as asking someone on a platonic date is giving you so much trouble. You find yourself wondering if you can really consider this a platonic date at this point. Are you just telling yourself that so you can feel better about things if they end up going south? Not that you want them to go south, but after everything you went through with Kelly you aren’t exactly sure how or even if you could avoid having future friendships and relationships blow up in your face. You realize prematurely psyching yourself out is the wrong way to go about it. Trying your hardest to think positive thoughts as you stare at the wall-mounted clock, you groan a little when you realize there’s still nearly an hour left before you get off work.

You pull out your phone during the brief reprieve you have from serving customers to see if anybody else had responded to you about coming along as your date. Nothing of note besides an extremely shaky maybe from a girl you knew back in college. Admittedly, maybe you are coming across a bit desperate since you’re contacting people you haven’t really talked to for a few years, but letting down a stranger is infinitely easier than letting down someone you care about. That thought gives you momentary pause; is that really how you feel about Ruby? Someone you... care about? It’s not like friends aren’t allowed to care about each other, but you can’t shake the feeling that the two of you have something unique, not quite a relationship, but not a purely platonic friendship either. It’s something that’s been on your mind for almost a week now, ever since that night the two of you spent at the mall. In hindsight, the two of you acted more like a couple than what most would consider to be just friends; only emphasized further by her friend mistaking the two of you for a couple. You chalk it up to your bad habit of reading too much into things that aren’t there and try to get your mind off things by shooting Ruby a text.

‘Still on for the gym in an hour?’

‘You know it, a bum leg isn’t going to stop me, Anon,’ she replies, and you can’t help but smile at her determination. “I’ll shoot you another text when I’m off work.”

Ruby's insistence on making it to every gym session and jog through the park, no matter how tired she may seem, always manages to send a surge of motivation through you during your workouts. You greatly respect her can-do attitude in regards to exercise, especially with how much you’ve struggled to stay consistent in the past. You realize she hasn’t missed or skipped out on a single jog or workout session in the past two weeks, not even on days when she admitted to not sleeping very well. You tried not to show concern over how frequently she seemed to have trouble sleeping, but you always wondered if something serious was causing it. However, you always ultimately decide against asking her directly. You know that dancing around the issue isn’t exactly the greatest way to go about things, going off of prior experiences. You justify your actions by remembering the way she reacted before to your prying about her personal life, namely when the two of you first met. The experience left you afraid to talk about anything serious with her, a fear you’re going to have to get over real soon. You would be lying if you said you didn’t feel a little anxious at the thought of asking her on a date, though it might just be your lunch disagreeing with you.

You decide to approach Kevin again in order to ask him a few things about the date. “Hey, so what time am I supposed to show up at the restaurant?”

“The reservation is for 9pm, but try to be there by 8:30 if you can, Melanie won’t let me live it down if you’re late.”

“Got it, anything else I should know?”

“I know you said earlier you already went clothes shopping, so I don’t have to tell you to dress nice,” he says, pausing for a moment to think. “Oh yeah, make sure you tell your date that too.”

“Yeah, yeah, you worry too much, man. I think that girl is starting to rub off on you, in more ways than one,” you smirk before giving him a firm pat on the back.

“Ha, ha, real funny. Help me finish cleaning up so we can get out of here early, will you?”

“Sure,” you say, doing your best to stifle a laugh.

Through your combined efforts you have the store tidied up in no time. Before you know it every chair is neatly stacked on its respective table, both counters are absolutely spotless and all the tubs of yogurt are tucked safely inside the freezer to be used another day. As much as you hate to admit it, while you don’t exactly love coming into work, you’re starting to feel an odd sense of pride for keeping the store shipshape throughout your shift. You’re sure Kelly appreciates your efforts going off what she told you about the franchise owner being a neat freak. After putting away the cleaning supplies, you sling the gym bag you’d stashed earlier over your shoulder and make your way outside after saying your goodbyes. Once you pop the trunk of your car open and toss your bag inside, you unlock your phone to send Ruby a text asking if it’s okay to swing by the school this early. You hear some rustling in the bushes behind you, briefly turning around to look for the source of the noise before going back to what you were doing. You send the message and move to put your phone back into your pocket, but you briefly pause as you hear a ding past the rustling of the leaves behind you. You look down at your phone in confusion, only to find there’s no notification from the messaging app. You let out an audible "Huh," chalking it up to be a glitch.

Suddenly you feel two hands grip your waist tight and a loud ‘boo’ coming from behind you, the noise nearly enough to make you jump out of your skin. You feel your chest grow tight at the sudden contact and you quickly flip around only to find a laughing Ruby with the biggest grin you’d seen on her in a long time.

“Oh man, I got you good, didn’t I?” she asks, that same shit eating grin still plastered on her face. “Didn’t know you were so easy to scare, Anon...”

“Shit, you act like that wouldn’t scare just about anyone you tried it on,” you say, still clutching at your now pounding chest. “You trying to give me a heart attack or something? I won’t be able to give you rides to work everyday if you kill me, you know.”

“Was it really that bad?“ she chuckles, looking up at you with a hint of concern showing on her face. “Just wanted to surprise you is all. And maybe get a little payback for scaring me earlier.”

“It’s fine,” you say once you manage to catch your breath. “How’s your leg feeling now? Wait, you didn’t walk here did you? I just texted you about coming to pick you up and then-

"Relax, mate, I didn't walk here. I was going to wait for you to pick me up, but they let us go early so I bummed a ride off Lily. Was going to come in for a cone, but then I saw you leaving the store and decided to spook ya'," she smirks, playfully nudging your side. "If I didn't know any better though, I'd almost say you've been worrying about me."

“What, friends aren’t allowed to worry about each other anymore?” you ask, rubbing the back of your neck as you feel your cheeks burn. “Plus it kind of was my fault...”

She chuckles again before jumping up to sit on the trunk of your car, her tail swaying ever so slightly. 

“Don’t be such a dork, I was just kidding about it being your fault,” she says, gently poking you in the ribs. “Though I do want a rematch next week, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“I mean, if you want to lose again... who am I to say no?” you grin, and you throw the passenger side door open for her. “Really though, how’s your leg?”

“Still hurts a little, but the ice I put on it during my break helped,” she says, bending down a bit to poke at her ankle. “So long as I don’t do any leg exercises it should heal up quick. Let’s get going before it gets dark on us though.”

You help her down from the trunk and into her seat before taking off for the gym.

While your outer appearance could fool someone into thinking you’re relatively composed, internally you’re anything but. You occasionally take your eyes off the road to glance at Ruby, only to find her looking out the window or checking something on her phone. You’re sweating bullets and your stomach is doing flips, reminding you of the time you’d worked up the courage to ask an older girl out during your freshman year of high school. For the life of you, you can’t figure out why you feel this way. You instead focus your thoughts on coming up with something to say when the time comes; you hope the feelings go away when you finally do. For a brief moment you entertain the idea of asking her right now, on the way to the gym. You quickly shake the offending idea out of your head as you consider other options. Maybe it'd be better to ask her after your workout together? Or maybe on the way to her house, just before saying your goodbyes? Even with so many good opportunities available to you, you're left feeling frozen and terrified at the thought of approaching her. What the hell is wrong with you? Just the thought of it alone is enough to make your chest tighten and your breaths grow shallow.

“So, about that date you mentioned, Anon.”

“W-what,” you stammer out, almost choking on your own saliva at the mere mention of a date.

“The date you said you were going on last week, how’d that go?” she asks with an eager look in her eyes.

“O-oh, that,” you say, trying to compose yourself before she figures out something’s up with you. “Still haven't worked out a good day for it, been working pretty much every day this week.”

“You figure out who you’re going with yet or that strictly need to know?” she chuckles, playfully elbowing your rib.

You smile at the fact that she still remembers your secret agent shtick from last week. “Not yet, kind of makes it more fun that way, I think.”

“Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, if you ask me,” she says as you pull into the gym parking lot. “Then again, so long as you make sure she’s not crazy you should be fine.”

You take a deep breath before popping your seatbelt out and leaving the car. You open the trunk of your car and sling your bag over your shoulder before closing it. You start walking towards the gym only to stop when you realize Ruby isn’t by your side, turning around to see she’s still standing by your car, eyes glued to her phone.

“Ruby!” you call out, getting her attention as you watch her quickly look at you and put her phone away. She ducks back into the car to lock it before closing the car door behind her before slowly making her way over to you. You can tell she was being honest about her leg still hurting, her discomfort apparent in her expression with each step she takes. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, sorry, just got a text about some work stuff I’ve got to deal with this weekend.”

You quickly make your way inside, shuddering a bit at the drastic change in temperature. If you had to name one good reason to keep coming to the gym during the fall and winter, it would be the fact that they keep it nice and toasty. You quickly make your way towards the locker rooms to get changed before going back outside, doing your best to think positive thoughts the entire time. You do some stretches while you wait for Ruby to change, figuring your session today is going to be extra grueling to make up for her lost pride earlier; something you aren’t exactly looking forward to considering your arms already feel like noodles from your last workout. Still, you’re no quitter and the stretches will help you get through things, at least, you hope they will. After you finish your set of stretches you notice Ruby making her way out of the locker room, a light blush shining through the light brown patches of fur on her face. You berate yourself for it, but the first thing your eyes are drawn to when she comes up to you are her impossibly tight workout clothes. She’s wearing a sports bra and a very, very revealing pair of black bike shorts, something you’d never seen her wear since the two of you met. You were far more used to seeing her in hoodies, sweatpants, jeans or chinos if she was feeling particularly fancy. The muscle definition in her legs only serves to accentuate her wide hips and thighs, making it a feast to the eyes as she stretches and flexes the muscle in her legs. You’re thankful her skin is covered in fur, because otherwise the sights you’re taking in would’ve been enough to awaken Anon Jr. from his slumber. You don’t even want to imagine what her ass looks like in them, considering how much you struggle to avert your gaze when she wears tight fitting sweatpants. Today’s workout is shaping up to be an interesting one with the temptation facing you.

“My eyes are up here, Anon,” she says, her eyes darting around as she avoids your gaze, ears and tail twitching as if they have a mind of their own.

Your thoughts come to a loud crash as you try to come up with an excuse for gawking at her like a moron. “S-sorry, just not used to seeing you dressed like that.”

“I left my gym bag at work, had to make do with the stuff I left in my locker....” she stammers, seemingly trying her best to keep a stoic face despite the blush tinting her cheeks.

“So, what do you want to do today? Free weights, machines?” you ask, changing the subject while giving her options as to not force her into a hard workout with an injured leg.

“How about we just do some body-weight stuff, a couple of machines and then finish up on the punching bag, sound good, mate?”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

The two of you make your way towards the unoccupied bodyweight exercise area of the gym and start doing some stretches to warm up. You do your best to avert your gaze as she bends over to touch the tips of her toes, fighting the temptation to look down at her toned rear. After you’ve both stretched sufficiently, you grab a mat and set it down on the floor, getting into position to do some push ups. Your arms struggle to keep you up by the fortieth pushup, and you do your best to make it to fifty before calling it quits.

“Come on, Anon, don’t tell me you’re giving up already,” she says while repeating the same motions on an adjacent mat. 

“Easy... for you... to say,” you grunt, pushing off the mat once more. “You don’t weigh nearly as much as I do.”

You watch as she stands to her full height again, finishing her set without even breaking a sweat. She crouches down to stare you in the face as you continue to power through your last ten reps. Unfortunately, in doing so she’s unintentionally given you front row seats to stare directly between her thighs and you avert your gaze the second you feel Anon Jr. start to wake from his slumber. You already have enough on your mind as is, and explaining why you have a half chub to Ruby is the last thing you want to do right now. You instead opt to focus your gaze on the mat beneath you.

“Weren’t you saying I was heavy this morning, Anon?” she smirks, resting her elbows on her thighs. “I think you’re just being a soft cunt and making up excuses. If you want to tap out, cough cough, andbeabitch, nobody’s stopping you.”

“I’m- nghh -making up excuses?” you grunt as you push out your last rep, pushing off the mat with enough force to stand upright again. “I distinctly remember a certain kangaroo belting out excuse after excuse this morning.”

“Come on, that’s not fair….” she mutters, also getting up from her crouched position. “My leg starting hurting halfway through, and you know it.”

“There she goes again with the excuses,” you grin as you walk towards the free weight rack, pulling two fifty pound dumbbells off it. “It’s alright to be a sore loser so long as you own up to it, Ruby.”

“Wha- What do you mean by sore loser?” she sputters, glaring at you as you continue to hold your smug grin. “I did hurt my leg earlier, you smug little arsehole. You can’t even say I’m lying about it because you had to carry me to your car.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll make an exception this one time,” you smile as you start your first set of curls. “Jokes aside, how’s your leg feeling now? Still hurt to walk on it?”

“A little bit, but nothing I can’t ignore,” she says, walking over to the rack and pulling two thirty pound dumbbells off it. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re still feeling a little guilty about it, Anon.”

“What, I’m not allowed to ask how your leg is feeling?” you ask, reracking your dumbbells before retrieving a heavier set from the rack. “I really didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”

She performs her first set of curls with near-perfect form, something you rarely see from anyone with the exception of the odd bodybuilder. Your gym isn’t exactly exclusive to those who are serious about lifting, but the location’s nice and the price is very agreeable when compared to other gyms in the area. Plus, if you went to any of those other gyms, you might’ve never gotten to know Ruby in the first place.

“I’m just uff-” she grunts, struggling to complete her second second set of curls. “-messing around with you, Anon. I already told you earlier it wasn’t your fault.”

As you work through your second and third set of curls, your mind wanders to your earlier thoughts about when and where to propose the idea of a double date, while minimizing the risk of putting yourself in an awkward situation. At first you figure it’d probably be best to ask on the way to her house, but you quickly strike down the idea as you realize it would only put more pressure on her to give a definitive answer. After giving it some more thought, you decide it’s in the best interest of both of you to wait until you drop her off at her apartment to pop the question, where the odds of causing a scene anyone would witness are significantly lower. With that dilemma solved, you push through your final set before re-racking the weights.

You watch her re-rack the pair of dumbbells, following closely behind her as she makes her way towards the lateral pulldown machine. It's hard to resist the urge to smirk as you watch her unorthodox method of operating the machine. First, she sets a pin on the appropriate weight before hopping up to grab the bar, pulling it down with her before sitting down on the bench. You never admitted it to her for fear of getting the wind knocked out of you again, but something about the way she hops is really cute to you. As you make your way around to the other side of the machine, you're surprised when you notice exactly how much weight she's lifting. Despite her relatively compact frame, she still has a surprisingly amount of upper-body strength, pulling down a fairly impressive 140 pounds with each rep. You can tell she's pushing herself to her limits, though you're unsure if it's related to her defeat this morning or if she's motivated by something else entirely.

You do your best to hold back a chuckle when she finishes her sets, watching as the weight pulls her completely off the ground once she gets her legs out from under the knee anchors. She lets loose a surprised yelp before quickly letting go of the bar and dropping back down to the ground. She turns to face you as she stretches her arms, trying her hardest to pretend what you just saw hadn't happened. You can’t hold back a quiet snicker, though it quickly dies in your throat when you realize she probably heard the noise, judging from her quickly narrowing eyes.

“What’s so funny, arsehole?” she asks, the look on her face telling you she wasn’t buying your suddenly stoic expression.

“Nothing,” you say, trying to think of an excuse for your snickering. “Just saw someone almost eat shit on the treadmill over there.”

“Hmm….” she says, as if unsure whether or not she should buy your excuse. “Alright, hurry up and get your sets done, I need to get home early today.”

You take a seat on the bench and adjust the weight before pulling the bar down to neck level, starting your set. “Why’s that? Is it that work stuff you mentioned earlier?”

“Yeah, though it’s really not a big deal, just some paperwork I’ve got to fill out, really,” she says, cracking her knuckles as she continues to stretch. “Figure I might as well take care of it today so I don't have to fill it out last minute. Speaking of, you doing anything this Saturday? Maybe we could hit up that laser tag place again.”

“Oh, so you did have fun playing laser tag,” you smirk, pausing your set to take a short rest and a swig from your water bottle. “I’ll be busy tomorrow, but we can probably do something on Sunday if you want, I’m free then.”

“Sounds good, I’ll shoot you a message then.”

You pick back up where you left off, continuing to plow through your penultimate set when you notice Ruby doing something out of the corner of your eye. It isn’t immediately obvious but you can tell she’s staring you down as you continue your set, watching as she occasionally tears her gaze away before quickly training her eyes on you again. It's beyond flattering, but at the same time, being stared down like a piece of meat makes you feel a bit uneasy. Is this how she might've felt if she noticed your wandering eyes? You feel a bit guilty, though you cast the thoughts away as you continue your set. You reckon if she had noticed your near drooling state from earlier, you wouldn't just hear from her about it, you'd have another fresh bruise somewhere below the belt line for the trouble.

'Then again, you doubt she could hit very far above the belt line to begin with,' you muse, breaking a smirk at the thought as you near the latter half of your set.

Still, you can't help but silently appreciate her unspoken compliment. You do your best to not let her know you're aware of her actions. For a moment you wonder if this has anything to do with her sniffing from earlier, which she still claimed was just her allergies acting up. You finish up your set and the weight clangs down onto the rest of the stack when you let go of the bar.

“All set, is there anything else you wanted to do?” you ask as you wipe down the seat.

“Not really,” she says, not quite meeting your gaze despite shamelessly ogling you just moments before. “Don’t feel like changing back into my other clothes though, so I’ll just wait for you out front.”

“Be right back then,” you say, grabbing your water bottle and making your way towards the locker rooms to change back into your street clothes.

Gym bag in tow and feeling refreshed after a good workout, you make your way to the front of the gym at a brisk pace. However, you stop as the nerve wracking feelings of dread and anxiety return at the realization that you still have yet to pop the question. You try to reassure yourself that it's just an irrational worry since, best you could tell, she was into you, at least physically. The fact that asking something so simple has become a problem for you, especially when you never had any issue asking women on dates in college, is a little concerning. You'd think the reason you're struggling to come up with the right words to say is because you're afraid of how it'll affect your friendship with her. You wouldn’t call her an angry person, but the way she’d taken perfectly innocent questions from you in the past made you wary about the way you phrased things around her. Being sensitive didn’t make her a bad friend exactly, since you’d come to enjoy her company in the two weeks you’ve known each other, but you desperately wished she wasn’t just to make things easier on yourself. You push open the door, stepping back into the bitter cold.

“T-took you long enough,” she mutters, her teeth chattering as she rubs her furred arms for warmth. “I’m f-freezing out here.”

“Sorry, just got caught up thinking about some stuff,” you say, your own honesty surprising you.

“You still worried about that date stuff, mate?” she asks, looking up at you with a concerned expression. “A guy like you? I’m sure it’ll go fine no matter who ends up being your date. Hell, any girl would be lucky to have you as their date.”

“Thanks, Ruby,” you smile, her compliment lifting your spirits and chipping away at your anxiety.

“You’re welcome, now let’s get going before my f-fur f-freezes in place, ya’ cunt,” she shivers and you feel her icy touch on your bare skin as she takes hold of your forearm and begins to drag you towards your car.

You pause outside your car for a moment as you think about what she’d said to you just moments ago. You're not the greatest at picking up on social cues sometimes, but even you can recognize that she’d meant something else by her expression and tone. Was she hoping you’d ask her out instead of whatever girl she thought you were going to ask instead? Or was she just being respectful and trying to lift your spirits? There aren’t many other ways to interpret her saying that ‘any girl would be lucky to have you as their date’ though, which makes you even more confident she isn’t going to turn down your proposal when you ask.

You throw your gym bag into the back before getting in the driver’s seat and starting on the car. You figure she’d appreciate some warmth given her earlier shivering, so you fiddle with the knobs on the console to warm up the car a bit. The unit doesn’t work too great considering the car’s age, but anything is better than nothing. You quickly pull off the parking lot, not even needing your GPS to make your way to her apartment, knowing the route by heart now.

“Thanks,” she mutters, a quick glance over telling you she’s staring out the window.

“For what?”

“For turning on the heating,” she says, shifting in her seat to face you. “I owe you tons of gas money for all these rides home.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it, it’s not like your apartment is far from where I live.” You shrug, twisting the knob one more click for just a bit more toastiness. “Plus, what am I supposed to do? Just let you freeze to death walking home? I wouldn’t hear the end of it if my mom ever found out I did something like that.”

“Well, if you put it that way,” she laughs, putting a hand over her mouth to muffle herself. “Be sure to thank your mom for me then. I still feel like I owe you something though. Tell you what, next time we go for lunch together it’s on me, mate.”

“Alright, fair enough. I’m not going to say no to free food.”

The rest of the car ride is fairly uneventful, the two of you making a bit more small talk before finally reaching your destination. You take a deep breath as you park the car, mentally preparing yourself for what you’re about to do. Despite still not having figured out the exact words to say, you’re fairly confident that you can get your point across without messing things up. You start to speak, but the words die in your throat as her voice rings out and interrupts you.

“So, are you up for lunch and laser tag on Sunday, then?" she asks as she gathers her belongings before opening the passenger side door.

“It’s a date,” you say, the words leaving your mouth before you can stop yourself. “I-I mean, uh… yeah, a lunch date. Sorry, still thinking about that date tomorrow.”

“Okay....” she says, not sure what to make of your panicked outburst. “I’ll give you a call Sunday morning then, alright?”

“Yeah, that’d be uh, great, actually,” you say, cursing your tongue for betraying you. “Have a goodnight and good luck with taking care of that busywork.”

“Thanks, Anon,” she says, flashing you a smile before hopping out of the car. “You have a goodnight too and… have fun on your date tomorrow.”

“Ruby, wait-” you mutter, far too quietly to grab her attention, not wanting to shout and risk startling her.

You watch as she walks up the small stone steps to her apartment, waiting until she’s safely inside to turn the car back on.

“Fuck,” you curse under your breath. “What am I going to do now?”

You feel like a dipshit the entire way home and then some, letting out a long drawn out sigh as you unlock the door to your apartment. You toss your gym bag onto the floor near the couch and empty the contents of your pockets onto the living room coffee table. Once you plop yourself down onto your comfortable couch, your mind begins to race as you try to come up with a way to rectify your collosal fuckup. Kevin is still counting on you to have a date for tomorrow and with such little time left, Ruby is the only person you can think to ask. And you blew your one chance to do so spectacularly, your tongue tying itself into a knot the one time you need it to cooperate with you. You reach for the remote and turn on the TV as you try to come up with a solution, leaning back into the soft cushions. Apparently you’d left it on the news channel judging from the stern news anchor that suddenly appears on the screen.

‘Thank you for joining us tonight, I’m Lucas Ross and you’re tuned into the Channel Nine evening news, providing the latest breaking stories to the greater metropolitan area. Our top story tonight, in an unprecedented move from several governors and state lawmakers; the states of Alabama, Tennessee and Texas have joined Georgia, Florida and Arizona in legalizing human and anthro marriages at the state level. Whether this trend and movement will continue to gain traction in other states or possibly even at the national level remains to be seen. We’ll have more on this breaking story following the weather report on the hour, don’t go anywhere.’

The second the camera switches focus from the anchor to the weatherman, you start to lose interest in the channel, though you don’t want to switch channels for fear of missing the rest of the story. Despite its current legal status in your state, human and anthro relationships still aren’t seen as normal to most people, though thankfully it’d never escalated to any kind of violence as far as you were aware, just discrimination by some individuals. The more you listen to the weatherman’s grating voice, the more you want to just change the channel, though you instead opt to turn the volume down until the news anchor returns. You lay down onto your side, resting your head on the armrest of the sofa before letting out a long yawn, the combined effects of little sleep and post-workout fatigue hitting you full force. Resting your eyes for a short moment couldn’t hurt, right? Just for a little while…

Your eyes slowly flutter open, and you realize you’re still laying on your couch. You shiver slightly, now keenly aware of just how cold it is and that you’d neglected to turn on the heating the instant you got home. Getting off the couch, you make a beeline for the thermostat, the light emanating from the TV helping you guide yourself through your apartment. After you manage to get the heating on, you head to the kitchen to fix yourself a quick late night snack, flicking on the light before glancing at the stove to check the time. The sight practically sends you flying into a panic, realizing it's 11pm instead of 8pm. You swore it wasn't this late at night when you sat down to watch the news. You let loose a curse out of frustration when you put the pieces together and realize you’d fallen asleep for a few hours. This was going to throw your sleep schedule out of whack an- Wait. You didn’t call Ruby before you fell asleep.

‘Fuck, fuck, fuck,’ you think to yourself as you comb through your hair with both hands in panic.

Now not only did you have to ask her out on a double date that was scheduled for tomorrow, but you’d likely have to wake her up in the process. You just can’t catch a break with this date business, you think to yourself before making your way to the living room to grab your phone. Once back in the kitchen, you find yourself staring down at the phone on the countertop in hesitation. You’re unsure if you should think on things some more or just wing it. You pace around your kitchen, continuing to run your fingers through your hair as you try to get your breathing and heart rate under control. After a few more minutes of pacing a surge of confidence runs through you and you decide to pick up the phone, quickly navigating to the contacts page and dialing Ruby’s number. The instant you tap the screen to dial you know there’s no turning back, not wanting to wake her up and waste her time with a frivolous phone call.

You hold the phone up to your ear and patiently wait through the silence for her to pick up. All you could do is hope she isn’t a heavy sleeper or you would be truly screwed. Another thirty seconds pass and you begin to lose hope that she’d pick up.

“Mmnn... hello?” she asks, her drowsy and hushed voice coming in clearly through the phone. “Jesus, Anon... it’s almost midnight, what’s going on?”

“Listen, I uh….” you start, your plan of winging it already failing spectacularly as you continue trailing off. “I was wondering if you’d be alright with…”

“Alright with what, mate? Spit it out already, I promise I won’t bite.”

You decide to just come out with the truth and be as straight to the point as possible. “Would you want to… I don’t know, be my date for tomorrow? I know it’s kind of last minute and that I probably should have asked earlier, so it’s alright if you’re not up for it.”

The silence after you finally ask the question almost makes you wonder if she’d hung up the phone. You take it away from your ear to glance at the screen. To your surprise she’s still on the line and you hear her voice come through again after a few moments. You quickly bring the phone back up to your ear.

“Uhhh... I think that’d be… I m-mean uh, y-yeah I’d love to! I just don’t know if I have anything to wear and I don’t even know what kind of date this is going to be,” she stammers through her words, speaking at a hurried pace.

You realize far too late that you’d neglected to mention the venue and- Shit. You forgot to mention this was going to be a double date. “Yeah, it’s going to be a dinner date at a pretty fancy restaurant an-”

“So, I take it that means no jeans and a shirt then?” she asks, still speaking so fast you almost can’t keep up with what she’s saying. “Shit, I don’t know if I have a dress that fits me mate… b-but I could go buy one in the morning! What time is the reservation for?”

“Eight, but we should probably try to be there earlier because-” you say, cut off again by an overeager Ruby.

“I can swing by the mall in the morning and pick out something to wear then,” she says, the excitement in her voice only rising as your conversation goes on. “When should I be ready for you to pick me up?”

“Look, I don’t want to go and make you buy something just to wear it once,” you say, her eager tone giving you cold feet. “I’d feel terrible making you waste money on something for me. I can just ask someone else and save you the trouble, sorry for waking you up an-”

“Don’t be a downer, Anon,” she says, her tone quickly becoming one of concern. “If I’m offering to it’s because I want to, so don’t worry one bit about making me waste money, because it’s not a waste. Besides, it’s not like I’m only going to wear it this once if it’s a nice dress.”

“You’re sure it’s not too much to ask?”

“Not at all, I meant what I said to you earlier today,” she shoots back, her reassurances calming your nerves slightly. “Go on then, what time should I expect you?”

“I’ll probably swing by there around six-thirty or seven just to be safe since the restaurant is all the way downtown,” you say, mentally bracing for her reaction to finding out it’s a double date. “Oh yeah, I should mention that this is a double date with a good friend of mine, are you alright with that?”

“Oh.” You faintly hear a muffled curse come through the phone before she continues. “Yeah… that’s fine, I just thought... Nah, it's fine. No problem at all, mate. Though it might be a bit awkward since I don’t know your friend and all.”

The disappointment in her voice is almost palpable even over the phone. ‘Shit, shit, shit,’ you think to yourself, closing your eyes and bringing your hand up to your face, using your index finger and thumb to pull back at the skin around your eyes in a display of frustration.

You do your best to come up with something you can say to cushion the blow. “Ah, don’t worry about it, he’s a good guy. Plus, we’re still on for that lunch date Sunday, right?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she says, her normally upbeat tone returning and bringing you some relief. “I’ll see you tomorrow night then, Anon. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Ruby. And thanks for agreeing to be my date on such short notice, you’re a lifesaver.”

“It’s nothing, mate, after all, what are friends for?” she asks, the way her tone shifts when saying the word ‘friends’ alone being enough to make you wince. “You better be wearing those clothes I helped you pick out or I’m dragging you back to your apartment.”

“Alright, alright, I promise I’ll be wearing them,” you laugh, her attitude bringing a smile to your face. “I’ll give you a call when I’m heading out towards your place then. Goodnight.”

“It’s a date then,” she giggles, likely poking fun at your earlier screw up. “I’ll call you if anything comes up.”

“We’re really at bad at saying goodnight, aren’t we?” you chuckle as you realize how many times you’d said goodnight without hanging up the phone.

“You’re bad at saying it, not me,” she chuckles back. “Goodnight for real this time, Anon.”

She hangs up the phone immediately after saying that and instantly you feel as if someone has lifted a giant weight off your shoulders. You can't believe that she actually agreed to come along, especially after you clarified that it was a double date. But now you’re much more concerned about other things, namely how crushed she sounded after you told her it wasn’t just a date between the two of you. There’s a nagging feeling in the back of your mind that tells you this might’ve been a bad idea, but it’s too late to do anything about it now since taking things back would only hurt her feelings even more. You decide to make the most of things and vow to show her a good time tomorrow, hoping everything would go as planned. Hopefully things go well enough that Kevin wouldn’t regret asking you for a favor. Plus, you feel it’ll be interesting to meet the girlfriend he’s told you so much about. You decide to turn in instead of preparing that late night snack, instead pouring yourself a glass of water before making your way to the bedroom.

You decide to change into some comfier clothes, stripping down to your boxers before opening your closet. You grab a plain white t-shirt and a pair of baggy sweatpants to toss on before jumping under your covers, making sure to turn off the lamp on your nightstand. The thoughts running through your mind are making the prospect of getting to sleep a difficult one. You continue to toss and turn until you settle into a comfortable position. You know for a fact that if you were going on this date with anyone else, you would’ve slept like a baby, but you can’t help but feel like you have some obligation to Ruby. You want her to have a good time, especially after she’d asked you why she was your first anthro friend. It was the absolute least you could do to repay the favor she’d done by listening to you vent about your worries. After another hour of shifting about on your bed, you manage to close your eyes and finally drift off to sleep, aided by the faint howl of the wind outside.


You try to ignore it, but now you feel like you drank a full liter of soda after that call. For a moment you almost wonder if you’d imagined it, pinching yourself to make sure you aren’t dreaming. The last thing you’d been expecting was a phone call from Anon, much less one in which he asked you out on a date. Your chest is still pounding hard long after the call is over and you take deep breaths to calm your nerves. You groggily get up from bed and blindly stumble towards the kitchen. Your feet nudge and kick aside whatever clothes you’d left to pick up some other day as you shuffle through the dark hallway. You figure a glass of water would help calm the tingle of butterflies in your stomach. You stand on the tips of your toes as you rummage around in your cabinets looking for a glass. As you fill the glass from the sink, your mind wanders back to the phone call, wondering if your excitement had bled through despite your best efforts to suppress it. You turn off the light before carefully navigating through the hallway back to your room. You climb back into bed, laying back onto your soft pillows and closing your eyes in an attempt to lull yourself back to sleep. After a few minutes of adjusting and cocooning yourself in your sheets, you realize sleep isn’t going to come easy. You hate to admit it to yourself, but you can't help but feel excited at the thought of the date, even if it is just a double date. Your tail twitches and shifts to and fro beneath the covers, and your heart beats at a quickened tempo. Having to go last minute shopping sucks, but the thought does nothing to suppress the giddiness coursing through you.

'God, I haven't gone shopping for dresses ever since I was in-’ you think, cutting your mental recollection short as you remember why that was the last time you went dress shopping.

You pray your date with Anon won’t go the same way. You lay your head back into the pillow as the cold feeling of anxiety mixes in with your eager anticipation. You hope this date will go well.


If you thought you felt anxious yesterday, the way you feel as you get dressed for your date puts those feelings to shame. You curse in frustration as one of your shirt buttons continues to be a hassle, slipping from your fingers as you try to do it up. The shirt was a much tighter fit than when you’d tried it on with Ruby, though you blamed dryer shrinkage for that. You finish buttoning your sleeves and adjusting your collar before moving on to the difficult part, the tie. You aren’t exactly the best at tying one since you only really wear them on special occasions. Thankfully, your dad had taught you an easy way to do so without having to resort to using clip-ons instead. The memory of him teaching you how to do so for your first job interview is still vivid in your mind, and you mentally retrace the steps before looking up at the mirror to see if you’d done it correctly. You make a few adjustments until you’re satisfied with the way you look, then you grab a belt and a pair of dress socks from one of your drawers. She wasn’t lying when she said the stuff she’d picked out for you looked good, admiring yourself in the dresser mirror once you’re fully dressed. You walk over to your nightstand and grab a small jewelry box, making sure the contents are still inside before tucking it away in your pocket. It isn’t much, but you’d gone out that morning to buy a gift for Ruby, thankful the gold necklace she’d been eyeing a week ago was still in the very same display case. You figure it's the least you can do to thank her for coming along at the last minute, even willing to put herself through the trouble of buying clothes just for the occasion. Despite never having seen her wearing jewelry before, you hope she’ll like the present, your plan being to give it to her at the end of the night.

You make your way into the living room to pass some time before heading out to pick her up. A quick glance at your watch tells you it’s only five in the afternoon. Despite your relatively composed outer demeanor, your nerves are shot. You want to make this a night she’ll remember fondly, though you fear your anxiety will make itself present with a downpour of nervous sweat. You leave for the kitchen to get yourself a glass of water, hoping it’ll help calm your nerves. When you open the cabinets in search of a glass, something else catches your eye instead; a forgotten, half finished bottle of whiskey. You pull it from the shelf and examine the label, deeming it to be a decent quality bottle from the aging alone. For a moment you think about taking a few swigs from it. How much harm could one drink do, after all? You start to unscrew the cap before remembering the promise you’d made yourself keep way back in college. You hadn’t broken your promise once since the day you’d made it, vowing that you’d never drink alone if you could help it. Once you realize it’s a dumb idea, you put the bottle right back where you found it, tucking it away for a day when you have company over. Plus, you’re likely going to be the designated driver since Ruby doesn’t have a car of her own, so anything besides a glass of wine or two is immediately out of the question. 

You sit down on the couch and wonder if she feels similar anxieties about your upcoming date. How are you even supposed to feel about the fact that she sounded eager to be asked on a one-on-one date with you? It’s exceedingly clear to you now that she has some kind of feelings for you, but do you feel the exact same way she does? Sure, you’d be lying to yourself if you said she was just a regular friend to you, but... You aren’t sure if you’re ready to pursue someone romantically again. Especially with the risk of abruptly ending a friendship you’ve come to very much enjoy. Even in the hypothetical scenario that Kevin and Melanie don’t show up to the restaurant, would you even feel right being alone on a date with her? What would you even talk about together? You realize you hardly know anything about her, only yesterday learning where she works. Did she have other hobbies besides fitness? Had venting about your own problems turned her off from getting to know each other better? You realize flooding your mind with these questions just before your date is a terrible idea. Instead, you opt to head out early and clear your mind on the drive there. You quickly throw on the dress shoes you’d bought along with your black blazer, but before you head out, you remember to send her a text message.

‘Be there in thirty minutes.’


Heavy bags in hand, you slowly trudge up the steps of your apartment. You had told Anon last night that shopping for clothes wasn’t going to be a problem, but you could not have been more wrong. You unlock your apartment and quickly step inside, letting out a sigh of relief after you finally set down the numerous bags you were holding. You take your wallet, keys and phone out of your pouch and set them down on the counter before checking the time. Thankfully, you still have a good four hours to get ready for your date before he’d be here to pick you up. You’d rushed home in a hurry when you realized how little time you had left. You had intended to try on two of the three dresses you'd bought, but you quickly forgoed the idea in favor of having a little more time to prepare, both physically and mentally. It isn’t a huge problem if the dresses don’t fit you well since you can always just return them. After resting your arms for a little bit, you grab all the bags and take them into your bedroom, taking each individual dress out from its respective bag before carefully laying it out on your bed. If you thought buying them was an overwhelming experience, choosing between the three was going to be an even worse experience. At the suggestion of the helpful, albeit pushy store employee, you’d bought: a ruby red flared dress, a grey slit dress, and a black two piece dress. You thought the grey slit dress was far too revealing, though still worth trying on, and the black two piece you picked yourself that partially exposes your midriff is currently your favorite of the three. There had been another gorgeous knee length dress you would’ve preferred over the slit dress, but the absence of a tailhole made it difficult to justify the purchase. You really didn’t have enough time to get it tailored before your date, and using scissors to cut an impromptu hole would ruin it.

You strip down to your underwear and decide to try on the red dress first. After tussling with the dress for a few seconds, you manage to get it on your small frame. You walk in front of the mirror to see how it fits you. Surprisingly, it doesn’t look… awful? It’s a little big on you, as the bottom of the dress covers your knees rather than stopping just above them, but you still think you look cute in it. The more you look at it though, the less you’re sure about it being a good choice. It isn’t a problem with the design of the dress itself, but more an issue you took with the color. It feels almost... too bold for a dinner date. You worry the vibrant red will only call more attention to yourself, or worse yet, more attention to you and Anon as a couple, which makes you anxious just to think about. Plus, what if everyone else is wearing something with darker colors and you’re left looking like the odd one out? The thought alone is enough to make you reconsider your choice in attire entirely, causing you to wonder if you should give your older sister a call. She’d probably be able to help, seeing as she’d practically built your entire wardrobe for you. After mulling it over for a bit, you decide calling is probably for the best, though you’re still going to try the other dresses on first. You fish out your phone from your pouch and quickly take a picture of yourself to show your sister how you look. You take off the red dress and slip into the gray one and your fears about it being far too revealing are quickly confirmed. The problem isn't immediately apparent, but the second you take a single, small step forward, your hips and thighs are quickly exposed to the open air. While you’d already caught Anon staring you down a few times, it's far too embarrassing to be an intentional tease. You’re already mortified that Anon had to see you in those small bike shorts yesterday. You pray to whoever’s listening that the last dress is more presentable than the previous two as you close your eyes and put it on. You take a deep breath and open your eyes, the sight a pleasant surprise. It isn’t perfect, but the two piece dress suits you far better than the other two could ever hope to. The top piece feels a bit loose and the frill at the bottom is meant to call attention to the chest area, which worries you since your bust doesn’t really... meet the proper requirements. The skirt isn’t too long and the bottom ends around the middle of your thighs, but it’s a bit more snug than you would’ve liked it to be. You try to pull the bottom of the skirt down further to see if it would cover just a tiny bit more of your furred thighs, to no avail. Overall, you like this dress the most, though you'd prefer to take your sister’s advice into consideration before making a decision.

Luckily, you have a solution regarding the top piece of the dress. You slide the loose top off before walking over to your dresser to find your black push-up bra. You quickly throw it on before glancing at your reflection again, the bra doing an excellent job at making your breasts appear fuller. Though you briefly consider adding a bit more padding, you ultimately decide against it in favor of throwing the top back on and seeing how it fits you first. You carefully examine yourself in the mirror, adjusting the push-up bras position until the dress fits snugly around it. Satisfied, you take a picture of yourself before going back to debating whether calling your sister is a good idea or not.

You’re a tiny bit nervous about calling her, both because of the nature of the call and the fact that you haven’t talked to her in a few weeks. Hell, the only person you’d told about the nature of your relationship with Anon or the date you were going on had been Lily, but that’s only because she’s your best friend. You dial her number and wait for her to pick up.

“Come on, come on,” you mutter, silently hoping she’s not too busy to take your call.

After a few seconds of waiting, you suddenly hear a few assorted voices in the background and the faint sound of clacking keys every so often.

“Hello?” she asks, your mind going blank upon hearing your sister’s voice. “Hello? You there, Rube?”

“Y-yeah, sorry... I’m here, Jade,” you manage to stutter out. “I was just calling to ask you something if you’re not too busy.”

“I’m at work right now, but I think I can sneak in a quick phone call for my little sister; what’s up?”

“I, uh, bought a few dresses and I wanted to make sure they looked nice for my-” you mutter, cutting yourself short when you realize you said far more than you intended to.

“Look nice for what? Hang on, I think the damn call is cutting out, the reception in here is total arse.”

“I-I bought some dresses because... someone, uh… asked me out on a date,” you mutter, quietly enough to where you almost couldn’t hear yourself speak.

“Awwwww… my little Rude Rube got asked on out a date? That’s so sweet… So who’s the lucky bloke, eh? Someone you met at work or what?”

You can feel your cheeks burning just from hearing your old nickname.

“It doesn’t matter, I just wanted to ask you which dress you think looks best on me, alright?” you say, not wanting your sister to know more than what's needed.

“Come on, you can’t just tell your big sis you’re going on a date and not spill any of the juicy details,” she pleads, the clack of keys still sporadically coming through the phone. “I’m bored out of my skull in this damn office.”
 
“Alright, alright,” you say, forgoing your previous plan in the interest of saving what little time you had left to get ready for your date. “I’ll tell you if… you help me out with this first.”

“You’re no fun sometimes, Rube, but it’s a deal,” She sighs, pausing for a moment before continuing. “Send me some pictures so I can take a look at them since I can’t video call with you right now.”

You pull the phone away from your ear and send her the pictures you’d taken. “Alright, so be honest, which one do you think looks best on me?”

“Well for starters, if you wear that red one you’re never going to live down the ruby red jokes, that much I can guarantee ya’. That dress is a real beaut though; what kind of date you going on that ya’ need something fancy like that?”

“It’s a dinner date,” you begrudgingly admit to your sister. “Some nice place downtown I think, though he hasn’t told me the name of it yet.”

“I can already see it now, my little Rube all dressed up over a candlelit dinner, the two of you staring into each other’s eyes….”

“Jade….” you say, already feeling embarrassed over something that hasn’t even happened yet. “Can you quit the shit and just tell me if the dresses look good, please?”

"Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in a bunch, I'm looking right now," she says, chuckling to herself. You hear a snicker break the small laughs before she speaks again. "You really tryin' to impress him with bigger knockers, sis?"

You were hoping she wouldn’t notice that you’re wearing a push-up bra, but it seems like even that is too much to ask for. "The hell does that mean? It's so I can fit in this stupid top!"

"Relax, relax... It's just real obvious when looking at the other two pics. Though I’m dying to know what this bloke looks like if you’re going through all this trouble," she says, her snickering finally coming to an end. “Really though, the black one’s not bad, though knowing most blokes he’s going to crack a fat the second he sees your thighs and hips in that thing, Rube. Don’t know if you want to torture the poor guy like that, but if you do, then go with that one.”

The butterflies in your stomach begin to flutter wildly after hearing what your sister thinks. Why are you putting so much effort to impress on a purely platonic date? You feel deep shame and embarrassment at the thought that you really only put the bra on to try to appeal to Anon. Hell, you don’t even know if he cares for bigger breasts in the first place and for a moment you consider stripping off the dress to take the bra off. You ultimately decide against it when you realize the bra is one of the few things holding your top up, a wardrobe malfunction being the last thing you want to experience tonight.

“No, I don’t want him… cracking a fat, Jade,” you say, fairly sure your blush is now the same color as your namesake. “What do you think of the black one, then?”

“Ooh, this one’s pretty spiffy, shows off your abs too. I really should start hitting the gym sometime, I’m jealous.”

“You don’t think showing my midriff and pouch is… I dunno, too much?”

“Nah, I think it’s still pretty modest Rube, you should see some of the dresses people are wearing these days, sheilas running around half naked on the dance floor…”

“Alright, I’ll go with that one then, thanks,” you say, hoping your sister had forgotten your end of the bargain.

“Hold on just a minute Rube, you still owe me some juicy details about this date of yours. Tell me a little more about this bloke, is he scrawny? Built like a brick shithouse maybe? I remember seeing those magazines of yours way back when so I know how you like ‘em.”

You really don’t want to tell your sister much about him since the two of you are still just friends, but you owe her for helping you out on such short notice. Plus, it would be good to talk about things with someone other than your best friend and maybe shake off some of those pre-date jitters you’re having. What harm could a little bit of conversation do, right?

“First of all, it’s a double date, so don’t be getting any ideas in your head or anything,” you start, not wanting to let your sister know just how much you wish that wasn’t the case. “Second of all, he’s a good friend of mine who just… happened to need a date to come along, alright?”

“Rube, you’re either the worst liar I know or completely oblivious. If a bloke asks you out on a date to such a fancy place, it’s probably because he digs you, friend or not. Now go on, tell me a little more about him, what he looks like, how the two of you met each other.”

“I’ll tell you so long as you swear not to breathe a word of this to mom and dad, alright? I don’t want to worry them for no good reason.”

“You have my word, now out with the good stuff.”

“There’s really not that much to tell; I met him at an ice cream shop I go to a lot, made a little small talk with him and it turns out we go to the same gym. We’ve been going on jogs every morning for a while now, but I wasn’t expecting him to ask me on a date.”

“So he IS built like a brick shithouse then? Or are you building him into a hunk to keep all to yourself?”

You don’t know how to answer that question without dying of embarrassment, stumbling through your explanation. “I mean, I guess he’s plenty uh, muscular and… handsome as is, though I’ve been pushing him to do more cardio every morning.”

“I suppose the two of you aren’t doing another type of cardio together yet, right?”

“What do you mean?” It takes you a second to understand what she’d meant. “No! God, no, we’re not… doing whatever it is you think we’re doing, Jade!”

“Just making sure I’m understanding things right. He better show ya’ a good time or I’m going to march up to that ice cream shop and shove a cone into his face.”

“Don’t worry about that, he’s actually pretty nice, at least when he’s with me,” you admit, momentarily thinking back to all the good times you’ve shared over the last two weeks. “Plus, I think things will go alright, at least I hope they do.”

“Something tells me you want to be more than just friends with him then, Rube.”

“Maybe... I'll just have to see. You got any advice on anything I should do before the date?”

“You know what kind of stuff he likes? Maybe you could try wearing some makeup if you still have that kit I bought you for your eighteenth birthday.”

“God, I’ve barely touched it, I don’t even know how to do makeup properly. All I know how to do is apply eyeliner and mascara, but that’s only because you taught me how.”

“All you need is that, a little bit of blush and some lips-” she cuts off, interrupted by some muffled talking in the background. “Yeah, yeah, I know I took my break an hour ago Ed, I’m no drongo. Just gimme a minute and I’ll be off the phone, alright? Talking to my sister about something important.”

“Anyways Rube, what kind of guy is he? Might help you decide how much makeup you really need.”

“Well, he’s uh….” you say, squirming in your seat as you mentally brace for your sisters reaction. “Not an anthro, for one.”

“A human bloke? Can’t say I was expecting that, but that actually helps more than you might think. Human guys must absolutely love makeup, because the human girls at work are absolutely caked in it. Just don't go overboard and you should be alright.”

“You sure?” you ask, unsure if your sister’s advice is sound. 

“Trust me, they talk about it all the time on break. You’ll be fine, I promi- Yeah, yeah, I’m getting off the phone now Ed. Alright, I gotta shoot through now, Rube. Good luck with your date, be sure to call me tomorrow and tell me all about it, alright?”

“I will, I promise,” you smile even though she can’t see it. “Thanks for everything Jade, you’re a lifesaver.”

“Anything for my little Rude Rube,” she says, hanging up the phone.

Well, at least you won’t have to change out of your current dress. You’re thankful she picked up the phone because otherwise you might’ve spent the rest of the afternoon trying to decide between the three. With that squared away, you now have a much bigger challenge to tackle: putting on makeup. It’s been years since you’ve had to apply makeup, not finding much use for it outside of special occasions, family pictures and christmas cards; really, only where looking presentable is more of an expectation than an option. You rummage through your drawers looking for the makeup kit your sister had gifted you so long ago. You’re almost positive it’s gathering dust by now. After a little searching under piles of folded clothing, you finally find it. You take it to the bathroom and set it down on the counter next to the sink before opening it up and staring down at the assortment of makeup. 

The kit has everything you could possibly ever need, even stuff anthros have no use for, like foundation. You reach for the eyeliner , opting to get the easy stuff out of the way first. You pull back at the skin behind your eye, applying the eyeliner and being careful not to get any on the surrounding fur. You do the same for the mascara, being careful to not apply too much of the compound on your lashes. With those two things out of the way, you’re left treading into completely unknown territory. You gingerly pull the eyeshadow, blush and lipstick from the kit at your sisters suggestion. You’ve never used any of them in your life, but how hard could they be to put on, right? Lipstick is straightforward enough, but are you supposed to apply it to just the front of your lips or all the way around? With humans it’s a no-brainer since their lips are small compared to yours, but with most anthros like yourself, there’s practically five times the length to cover. You can’t even call Jade to ask her the proper way to apply it since you’d feel terrible if she got reprimanded because of your advice seeking. You decide to just play things on the safe side and apply it the same way human girls do, covering the entirety of your lips in the crimson lipstick. Something about it looks a bit off to you, but it’s hard to tell exactly what since it’s your first time applying it yourself. Instead of dwelling on it, you move on to applying eye shadow, looking at the variety of colors the kit has to offer. You try to pick something that’ll mesh nicely with your golden brown fur and amber colored eyes. After looking over all the colors a few times, you decide on a shade that’s only slightly lighter than your fur. You take the brush and dip it into the powder before carefully brushing it onto both your upper and lower eyelid, making sure to not get any on the surrounding fur. Finally you move on to the blush, which despite its name and marketing, is anything but when it comes to anthros. The only anthros that can use the same blush that humans do are furless animals like egyptian sphinxes. Instead, blush for anthros is really more of a fur highlighter, meant to make the natural colors of your fur pop out. You carefully take the brush and dip it into the neutral colored powder before applying it to the fur around your eyes and cheeks, being careful to not apply too much for fear of any adverse effects it might have. After applying what you feel is the proper amount, you take a look in the mirror to admire the results. What you see doesn’t alleviate your worries any. You were expecting a completely different appearance and what you see in your reflection is just… underwhelming. You aren’t even sure if you’d applied the makeup correctly, your eyes nervously darting back and forth between the mirror and kit as you contemplate wiping it all off and starting over. It doesn’t look terrible or anything, but you begin to wonder if applying it in the first place was a mistake. You calm yourself down knowing that if anything’s wrong with it, Anon would point it out for you. After all, he’d want his date to look just as presentable as him, wouldn’t he? You take a deep breath before moving on to the next item on your mental checklist.

With makeup out of the way, you start to think about how you want to style your hair for this date. Your typical ponytail feels too low effort for an upscale dinner date and you don’t want him to see your hair in a bun just yet, which doesn’t leave you with too many options. After some thought, you finally settle on just letting it all down, which would have the added effect of hiding any improperly applied makeup if needed. You take the scrunchie out of your ponytail before starting the arduous process of wrangling the long, tangled mop of brown hair now resting on your shoulders. You grab a brush and start tugging away at the kinks and knots in your hair, occasionally stopping to splash some water on a few strands. It takes some serious elbow grease on particularly tough knots that force you to grit your teeth, but you manage to get it looking silky after a few minutes of the painful process. The longest hairs stop just after the fabric of your blouse ends since you’d been growing out your hair for a good while. After parting a few errant strands of hair that cover parts of your eyes and face, you take another long look in the mirror. For the first time that night you feel relief, your choice in hairstyle complementing your attire nicely. You go through your mental checklist once more, stopping abruptly when you realize you’d forgotten something important. How could you have been so careless to not realize you didn’t shower before trying on the dresses? You look at your phone to see if there’s enough time to shower and go through the painstaking process of applying makeup and styling your hair again. Two hours until Anon is supposed to pick you up, and you don’t feel like risking not being ready in time. You try to come up with a solution, your eyes darting around your bathroom for anything that can help. When your eyes finally land on a bottle of perfume, your mind lights up with an idea. You don’t think you smell bad, but in the event that you do, the perfume would be able to mask the scent fairly convincingly. You grab the bottle and apply it everywhere you think is reasonable, hair, behind the ears, the base of your throat and finally, your midsection. The aroma is a bit strong but you chalk it up to your heightened sense of smell, confident Anon wouldn’t find it as overpowering.
 
With all of that out of the way, the only thing you have left to take care of is finding the pair of dress shoes you know are somewhere in your apartment. You first check the hallway closet, rummaging through the messy pile of bags and boxes inside, only to come up empty handed. The only other place you could’ve possibly stashed them is your tiny walk-in closet, so you make a beeline for the bedroom. Once you peer into the closet you realize you’re practically the opposite of a typical girl, with only 5% of your closet space being dedicated to shoes. For a moment you start to wonder if there are other things you’re sorely lacking in compared to typical girl. You can feel the butterflies in your stomach begin to flutter a bit more violently at the thought. You do your best to cast your anxiety away as you continue your search. You fish out the box and brush away the thin layer of dust covering it before retrieving the pair of shoes inside. You carefully slip the dress shoes on, silently wishing you had a pair of heels to give you a few extra inches instead. You exit the closet and stand in front of the full-body mirror, examining your ensemble to make sure there’s nothing out of place that needs fixing. After you adjust your hair and pull at the bottom hem of your dress once more, you head out to the living room and wait. You sit down carefully on the couch as to not wrinkle your dress, taking another quick glance at your phone to see how much longer you’ll be waiting. When you see you still have another hour until he arrives, you can’t help but let loose a curse. You feel a pang of regret when you come to the realization that you would’ve had more than enough time to shower, style your hair and reapply your makeup; and you silently berate yourself for rushing into the first available solution instead of thinking things over. You reach for the remote on the coffee table in front of you, figuring a little bit of mindless television could help you take your mind off all the blunders you’ve made tonight. Not long after you start watching an episode of your favorite show, you feel the vibration of the phone inside your pouch. The message from Anon only reads, ‘Be there in thirty minutes.’ which is uncharacteristic of him considering how he usually writes his messages. Is this date a bigger deal to him than he’d let on? Maybe you’re reading too much into his punctuation and capitalization, but you can’t help but worry about cocking things up and making him look bad. A thought crosses your mind as you relax back into the couch: You don't know anything about his friend or his date. You make a mental note to ask Anon if there’s anything you should know about them on the way to the restaurant.

Halfway through watching a second episode you hear a knock at your door.



While the drive over to her apartment had calmed your nerves a bit, you’re now contemplating something else entirely. Should you call and tell her to come down to your car or should you waltz up to her apartment and give the door a knock? The former almost feels too impersonal, but she’d never even so much as invited you into her apartment, so you aren’t sure if it’s proper to do so. Instead of wasting time you fish a coin from your pocket and let fate decide for you, heads and you’d call, tails and you’d walk up and knock on the door. You toss the coin into the air and catch it in your palm. Tails. You’re not entirely sure you’re just allowed to park on the sidewalk given how narrow the street is, but you ultimately decide to do it rather than risk being late. You step out of your car and lock it before quickly making your way up the small set of stone steps leading to her door. While you’re keenly aware that this is a fairly nice neighborhood, it never really sank in until now just how nice the outside of her apartment is. Well manicured shrubs surround the stone steps, and the bricks that make up the outside of the apartment are spotless. Once you reach the top of the steps and subsequently her door, you hesitate right before you knock, holding your closed fist in the air just inches away from the door. After taking a deep breath to quell your irrational worries, you give the door a firm set of knocks before standing back a bit to allow her to see you through the peephole. You wait for a couple of minutes, debating whether you should give the door another knock. Right as you go to knock again, you hear what sounds like someone rushing over to the door and a click as she unlocks the door. She doesn’t fully open the door, only peeking her head out through the small gap. The first thing you notice is that she’s wearing makeup.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be here so early, Anon,” she says, offering a slight smile.

“Sorry, is it a bad time?” you ask, briefly wondering if she’s in a state of undress behind the door before casting the inappropriate thought out of your mind. “Didn’t mean to interrupt you if you’re still getting ready, we still have another twenty minutes or so.”

“Nah, it’s fine, mate,” she says, her uneasy eyes darting around, not daring to meet yours. “I’m just about ready, just caught me a little off guard since you came early.”

“Sorry, just didn’t feel like waiting around the house an-” you say, your thought cutting off the moment she opens to the door to fully reveal herself.

Your brain ceases functioning for a moment, not having yet fully processed the sight in front of you. There’s no doubt in your mind that it’s Ruby, though you’d never seen her in a dress before, much less wearing any kind of makeup. While you’d never seen her with her hair in anything but a ponytail, the way she chose to let her hair flow freely fits her extremely well. You hate to admit it or even think of her that way, but she looks stunning and undeniably attractive in your eyes. Though you try not to ogle or stare, your eyes immediately focus on her dress and the way it fits on her, from the way her pouch partially obscures her visible abs, to the way her skirt hugs her hips and thighs. Your ogling is interrupted by her speaking up once again.

"Look... Just- Can you tell me how I look?” she asks, seemingly trying her hardest to meet your gaze as her blush turns the color of her namesake. “No bullshittin' or beating around the bush or nothin’, just... lay into me if I don't look good."

While you don’t want to risk hurting her feelings too much, you decide honesty is the best way to go here, especially since she’d asked for the truth. You examine her from top to bottom, starting by leaning down a bit to get a good look at the makeup on her face. The eyeshadow and mascara look good despite her already having long, full lashes to begin with. You bring your gaze down a bit and stop when you notice something you’re surprised you never noticed about her before. They’re faint, but you notice some thin, brown hairs protruding from around her mouth area that look a lot like whiskers. You’d seen other anthros like cats with more pronounced whiskers, but you’re surprised to see she also has them. Upon closer inspection you notice she’d accidentally smeared some lipstick on a few of the hairs. You also notice the fur around her cheeks is darker, but you’re not sure if that’s just due to the poor lighting, so you decide it’s not worth mentioning. Looking at her lips, you realize there’s something off about the way she applied it, even though you aren’t exactly sure yourself about how anthros are supposed to wear lipstick in the first place. It looks like it was applied sloppily, as it was slightly smudged into the fur surrounding her lips.

Aside from those things, nothing seems too out of place, though her dress looks a bit small on her frame. Both the top and skirt cling tightly to her chest, hips and thighs, a detail you fight against the urge to observe in further examination. You decide to get straight to the point with your observations.

"Well, uh... you got a little bit of lipstick on your... uh... on a bit of the fur here," you say as you point a finger at your own mouth, mirroring the general spots you noticed the smudges on her.

“Shit, well uh, just give me a second then,” she says before quickly ducking back into her apartment and shutting the door behind her.

You wait for what seems like an eternity before she finally emerges from her apartment again. The smile she flashed you before is now gone, replaced by an uncertain expression as she now actively tries to avoid your gaze. It seems like your honesty had done the exact opposite of what you intended.

“Everything alright with the makeup now?” she asks, adjusting the hem of her dress as she does. “Think I got all the smudges, but I’m not 100% sure.”

You give her a quick examination only to see that she’d gotten rid of all the smudges, though you notice that some of her fur got wet in the process. “Looks good to me. You ready to get going?”

She reaches into her pouch for a moment before responding. “Yep, just making sure I’ve got everything with me. Wasn’t sure who’s going to be paying for what so I’m bringing my wallet along just in case.”

Come to think of it, you yourself don’t even know who’s paying for the date. You assume each couple would pay for their half of the meal, which is completely fine with you. Hell, you’d be okay with covering the bill for both Ruby and yourself, given that you’d been the one to invite her along at the last minute. You can’t help but feel like you should do it, given you’d practically forced her to buy new clothes for the occasion. You’d set aside a bit of money in anticipation for the date, though most of it had gone on your attire. You just hope the check won’t bankrupt you.

“Alright, let’s get going then,” you say hurriedly, partly because you’re worried your car might be getting towed.

You lead the way to where you’d parked the car and open the passenger side door for her. You close the door and walk around to the driver’s side, careful not to get your dress pants caught on anything as you climb inside. As you plug the address into the GPS, you steal a quick glance at Ruby and realize you haven’t said a word about the way her dress looks. As you pull back onto the main road, you try to come up with something to say. However, you're so rusty in regards to dating that you’ve completely forgotten how to give a good compliment.

"Your dress looks really nice," you start, stopping when you realize you're only complimenting her clothing rather than herself. You quickly recover by following your observation with, "You make it look really nice."

“Ah, you’re just saying that, mate,” she says, her ears flicking and twitching as she continues to speak. “That’s sweet of you to say though, thanks. You, uh, look really nice too. Even better than when you tried it on at the store.”

You smile at the complement as you come to a stop at an intersection, glancing over at her. “Thanks. But you’re not just saying that because you picked the stuff out, right?”

“Nah mate, you make the clothes look good,” she says, returning your smile. “Honest.”

"If I make the clothes look good, do you think I could've gotten away with wearing nothing but an undershirt tonight?”

"I wouldn't put it that far, Anon,” she laughs, masking her smile behind her hand. “Think you need something else if you don’t want to be kicked out."

“So you’re saying a shirt and yoga pants would’ve been fine with you then?”

“You might look out of place in a restaurant, but I wouldn’t be against it either,” she says, smile still plastered on her face.

The rest of your trip is fairly uneventful and soon the two of you are parked outside the restaurant with plenty of time to spare before your reservation. While you didn’t spot his car as you pulled into the lot, you figure Kevin’s already inside with his date, waiting for the two of you to arrive. You get out of the driver’s seat and straighten out your blazer before walking around to the passenger side and opening the door for Ruby. It’s undeniably cheesy of you, but you offer your hand to her and help her out of the car. She also straightens out any wrinkles in her dress as you continue scoping out the lot for your friend’s car. 

“Ready to head inside?” you ask, looking down at the dress-clad kangaroo.

“Ready if you are, mate,” she says, offering a weak smile. “Though, do you think maybe we should, uh… hold hands?”

You can’t help but smile at the way she phrased the question as you outstretch your hand so she can take hold of it. The way she has to reach up to put her hand in yours is oddly adorable to you, though you wonder if she finds the notion embarrassing. As you start to interlock your fingers with hers you feel something sharp poke into your palm, and you reflexively pull away.

“Shit, sorry,” she says, looking up at you to try to gauge whether she’d hurt you or not. “Did I hurt you? I usually file them down, but I forgot to an-” 

“It’s alright, just reflexes,” you smile before offering your open hand to her once more. “See? Not even so much as a scratch.”

You interlock your fingers with hers and feel her grip tighten ever so slightly as you both take the first step forward. The familiar warmth of her furred hand/fingers against your bare skin is enough to make it break out into gooseflesh. While it’s certainly a feeling you can see yourself getting used to, you’d never admit that to her. The two of you start to make your way towards the restaurant entrance, though you can feel your arm being pulled back shortly after you begin. You look back at her, her expression an odd mix of excitement and worry.

“Something wrong?” you ask, looking down and meeting her gaze.

“It’s just… my leg still kind of hurts a little, mate,” she says, offering a weak smile. “I didn’t want to say anything, but I think my ankle might be sprained or something.”

You can’t help but crack a small smile. “So, you want me to carry you inside then?”

“Nah, mate, just… walk a little slower and I’ll manage,” she says, her weak smile now a more confident grin. “If it hurts too much to walk, you’ll be the first to know.”

You slow your pace and resume walking towards the entrance, your hand still engulfing hers. Once you finally reach the door, you allow her to enter first. A sharply dressed man standing behind a podium smiles as the two of you approach him.

“Good evening, welcome to la Morsure Marocaine. Do you have a reservation?”

“Should be under Abernathy,” You quietly wait as the man takes his time looking through a small ledger. “Table for four if that helps you.”

“Ah yes, Ms. Abernathy," he says, looking to Ruby. "Your table should be ready for you.”

"Oh no, she's not Ms. Abernathy," you say in her stead. "We're just the other half of her party. Is she not here yet?”

“According to this nobody has arrived claiming to be her, though I can seat the two of you if you’d like, it’s not a problem,” he says, tapping a pen against the black ledger.

“I’m fine with waiting, thank you though,” you say, taking a seat on one of the nearby benches with Ruby.

You glance down at your watch and see it’s still ten to eight, which makes you feel a little better about the fact that he hasn’t arrived yet. Probably just stuck in traffic if he didn’t take the highway route. You look down at Ruby and find her taking in the extravagant decoration the restaurant has to offer. A small fountain and statue decorate the center of the room, which pairs nicely with the ornate wallpaper, rug and hanging lights. What really catches your attention is the way her tail twitches and shifts about, as if it’s a python attempting to evade capture. You’d only noticed the behavior once before, though you always wondered exactly what it meant. Was she worried about something? Maybe regretting the fact that she’d agreed to come along in the first place? Another thing that catches your eye is the fact that you're still holding hands, and you realize that it might be the root of her behavior. You immediately move to rectify the problem and let go of her hand.

"Sorry, didn't realize I was still doing that," you attempt to explain when she looks to you in confusion.

"It's fine," she says, immediately breaking her gaze and going back to observing the decoration.

You want to say something, but your train of thought is quickly interrupted when you hear the sound of someone coming through the door, directing your gaze towards the source of the noise. You feel relief when you see Kevin walking into the restaurant, dressed to the nines. While you’d never seen him in anything other than casual attire, you have to admit he cleans up nicely. There’s something a bit off with his clothing though, and you immediately notice his crooked tie, along with his wrinkled dress shirt and pants. You get up and begin walking towards him to greet him but pause the second you see his date walk in through the door. She ducks slightly to avoid hitting her head on the doorframe, a testament to just how tall the dog girl in front of you really is. You can tell that she's a dog anthro just by her snout shape and thin, fluffy tail, though you can't pin down her exact species. Her fur coat is mainly black and brown, with just the slightest hint of grey sprinkled in, but what really catches your attention is her staggering height. You consider yourself pretty tall, but this girl easily has a foot on you, probably closer to two.

“What took you two so long?” you ask, smiling as you shake your buddy’s hand. “Don’t tell me you got stuck in traffic.”

“Just lost track of time, I guess,” he laughs, returning your handshake. “Before I forget, Melanie, this is my good friend, Anon.”

The dog girl extends her hand out, which you’re grateful for because there’s no way you could greet her otherwise.

“Nice to meet ya’,” she says, and you quickly take notice of her pronounced southern drawl. “Kevin’s told me a whole lot about you.”

“Only good things I hope,” you laugh as you let go of her hand. You realize you should probably introduce Ruby to both of them, despite Kevin having seen her at work before. “Kevin, Melanie, this is Ruby.”

You watch as she shakes both their hands, though you can’t help but internally wince when you see Melanie has to bend down slightly to do so. Though Ruby seems to have either not noticed or is unphased by the fact, something you’re thankful you don’t have to deal with at the moment. You guys stand around by the door for a few moments until someone finally speaks up.

“Shall we go inside then?” Melanie asks, arms now interlocked with Kevin’s.

“You and Ruby can go ahead and take a seat,” Kevin replies. “I wanted to talk to Anon about something real quick, won’t be too long.”

The two of them walk towards the podium together and you can faintly hear the dog girl ask about the reservation before they’re ushered into the restaurant. After they’re both out of your sight, you turn to face Kevin again, wondering what exactly it is that he wants to talk to you about.

“Jesus christ dude, she’s like seven feet tall,” you say, putting your hand on his shoulder. “I'm so sorry I ever doubted you. What took you two so long though?”

He cracks a smile before putting his hand on your shoulder and bringing your head closer to his. “Well, you know all those stories I told you at work? Things haven’t exactly gotten better for me and I had to uh, take care of her before we came here. Trust me, she’s a completely different girl when there’s something she wants.”

Your eyes wander downwards and you notice his pants are unzipped. “You, uh… still have your fly open, actually. I’m surprised you’re not in a wheelchair if the two of you go at it that often.”

“Oh shit, thanks. She’s a sweetheart though, even in bed,” he says, patting you on the back once more before letting you go. “So, how’d she go from giving you a concussion to being your date?”

The question catches you off guard and you cock an eyebrow at him in confusion. “What?”

“You know, she didn’t force you to bring her along or anything, right? What with the way she ‘greeted’ you in the parking lot last week, remember?”

“What? No, no, nothing like that,” you say, eager to jump to her defense. “I’m honestly surprised she agreed to come along in the first place.”

“I’m just messing around with you, man,” he says, patting you on the shoulder. “The two of you look really cute together, seriously.”

You smile at his kind words, feeling as if a bit more weight was lifted off your shoulders. “Thanks man, you and Melanie look really nice together too.”

“Alright, let’s get inside before they start wondering if we stood them up, shall we?” he asks, leading the way to your table.

The second you step into the restaurant proper, you’re taken aback at just how nice it is. While you’d seen fine dining restaurants on TV and in movies, you’d never been to one in person. Everything about the place screams class, from the decoration to the ambient music; and the way the lights are dimmed ever so slightly to set a calm, yet inviting atmosphere. That isn’t to say you aren’t worried about the state your wallet would be in after a date like this one, reminiscing for a moment on college days where you lived frugally to make ends meet. The thoughts are cast out of your mind the second you see Ruby and Melanie at the table. You can’t help but smile when you see the two of them talking, completely unaware of your approach. Melanie had seemingly pulled out all the stops when getting this reservation, noticing that she’d managed to nab a corner booth for the date. You slide into the booth and settle in next to Ruby, who quickly flashes you a smile before turning back to face Melanie and Kevin. It’s a relief to see she and Melanie are hitting things off, at least as far as you can tell. Soon after you all take your seats, an enthusiastic waitress arrives to take your drink orders and hand each of you a menu.

“Sparkling water for her and I’ll start off with a whiskey on the rocks,” Kevin says, handing off one of the two menus to his date. “Do you have a wine list we can take a look at?”

She hands Kevin a small sheet with a list of wines they carry before turning her attention to your side of the table.

You’re thoroughly impressed by the way he’s handling things and taking charge, and you briefly wonder if he’d been someplace similar before. “I’ll just take a glass of ice water if you don’t mind.”

“And for you?” she asks, directing her gaze at Ruby, pen still pressed to her notepad.

“Ice water as well, thanks.”

“I’ll be right back with your drinks,” the waitress says before sauntering off towards the bar.

With that out of the way, you turn your attention back to the couple sitting across from you, trying to find something to say to spark some conversation. You still can’t get over her stature, Kevin looking relatively tiny next to her despite his above average height. When you're close to coming up with something to say, your train of thought is interrupted by Melanie's voice.

“So, how’d the two of ya’ meet?” she asks, leaning forward in her seat as she sits up straight. “You been dating long?”

You’re surprised by just how forward she is and a quick glance over at Ruby tells you she’s too paralyzed by the question to give a good answer, let alone an answer in general. You’ve noticed it a few times before, but with the way her ears are twitching erratically, you can tell she’s either nervous or apprehensive towards answering the question.

You decide to clear things up, hoping you wouldn’t make the night awkward in doing so. “We’re actually not uh, dating. Not sure if Ruby wants me to tell the story about how we met, but we’ve only known each other for about two weeks.”

The dog girl looks embarrassed after your almost deadpan response to her question. “Sorry, I just assumed the two of ya’ were dating, you look cute together.”

You can’t help but chuckle a bit at her response. “Don’t worry, we get that all the time from other people, no need to apologize.”

You hear a nervous chuckle coming from Ruby before she speaks. “Yeah, we’re just friends. Guess you can tell the story if you want, I don’t mind.”

You know telling the story as it happened isn’t the right move and you instead opt to omit certain details. 

“Don’t know if Kevin’s told you, but I work with him and one day... She comes in at the end of my shift as I'm up front, and I turn around and look and, well... don’t see anyone there," you grin. "So then I turn around and she scares the everloving shit out of me. We made a little bit of small talk and it turns out we frequent the same gym. We’ve hit it off pretty well since then, honestly.”

Ruby playfully nudges your shoulder before smiling. “He's conveniently leaving out the part where I have to drag his sorry arse through the park every morning.”

“I was just getting to that,” you say, smiling before the air fills with your combined laughter. “But yeah, that’s how we ended up meeting. What about you two?”

“Not quite as interesting as yer tale, but the two of us met a bar one night,” the dog girl not quite meeting your gaze as she tells her story. “I was a little bit tipsy and busy making an ass out of myself on the dance floor, and I ended up bumping into him, spilling his drink all over him. I was mortified, but he didn’t mind too much and we ended up talking for a good while at the bar and uh, here we are.”

“Been going strong for two weeks.” Kevin smiles before grasping her hand tightly. “Hopefully it stays that way.”

You try to steal another glance at Ruby to make sure she’s feeling alright, but the moment your eyes meet hers she breaks eye contact in an instant. She looks towards Melanie, her ears and tip of her tail twitching as she tries to feign ignorance. You decide to crack a joke in the hopes it’ll cheer her up a bit in the process. “I’m sure it will, so long as she keeps you in one piece.”

“I wouldn’t hurt a hair on his head, not that he has many to spare in the first place or anything,” she chuckles before putting her other hand over their already interlocked pair. “So, do y’all work out together, given ya’ go to the same gym and everythin’?”

“Usually after work if I’m not too tired, though she’s been bugging me to work a little bit more cardio in my routine,” you explain, nudging her under the table to get her to pay attention to the conversation. “Practically have to drag myself out of bed in the morning to go jogging with her, I don’t know how she does it.”

“Maybe if you didn’t stay up so late watching TV or whatever it is you do, I wouldn’t have to call you to wake you up in the morning, you goober,” Ruby chimes in, nudging you back from beneath the table. “Been trying to whip him into shape since the day we met.”

“You sure the two of ya’ aren’t dating?” she asks, focusing her gaze on Ruby as she speaks. “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but yer practically arm in arm together laughin’ and doin’ stuff together. It’s just real cute, y’know? It’s not often you see two friends getting along so well.”

You hope it’s not visible, but you can feel your cheeks burn in embarrassment at her words, doing your best to come up with a reasonable rebuttal. “I promise we’re not dating, though I guess this does count as a date, right?”

You can see Melanie start to speak again, though the entire conversation is put on hold by the waitress quickly approaching your table. She sets down your drinks before whipping her notepad and pen out.

“Are you ready to order or do you need a little more time to think about it?” 

“I think we’ve all made up our minds, though what would you recommend from the wine list, red wine in particular,” Kevin asks, handing the wine list back to the waitress.

“The Trouinon Clairet is very commonly requested, I can bring one of those out for you if you’d like.”

“That’d be great, thanks,” he says before rattling off his meal order to the waitress. 

The rest of you follow suit and soon the table is cleared of menus, the waitress having long left for the kitchen to submit the ticket. You’re thankful that the topic of conversation prior had seemingly been forgotten by Melanie, Kevin having shifted it to griping about work. Even though your full attention isn’t on the conversation, you can glean he’s currently complaining about having to be on register duty three shifts in a row. While it might be rude to Kevin, your attention is solely focused on Ruby at the moment. You keep trying to glance at her without making your concern obvious to any onlookers, though you doubt you're doing a good job of it. She looks almost anxious as she plays with and tugs at strands of her long hair. You look into those amber-tinted eyes of hers and feel your chest tighten when you see what you think is panic. There’s nothing you can do without bringing attention to the matter, but you’re almost positive something’s bothering her, especially since she hasn’t actively participated in any conversation without you egging her on.

"Ruby? You alri-" you whisper before you're interrupted by the sound of her voice.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” she says, in a wavering tone that isn’t typical of her.

Not wanting to confront her over something you’re not even sure is actually happening, you get up from your seat to allow her to leave. All you can do is watch as she speedwalks towards the bathroom, still toying with her hair before turning the corner and disappearing. You sit back down and shoot a look of concern to Kevin, who you aren't sure knows exactly what's going on with her.


As you round the corner towards the bathroom, it becomes increasingly difficult to breathe normally, feeling your heart pound as if it’s trying to leap out of your chest. You’d tried your hardest to keep your emotions under control but there was only so much you could take. Everything from that nagging feeling that everyone was staring at you to how little you’d participated in the conversation at the table. You felt like you didn’t belong. You know that wasn’t his intention, but it really felt like he’d invited you along as his date just to humor you, to have a laugh at your expense. Thoughts of how you shouldn't even be within a ten mile radius of this place continue to flood your mind, tormenting you with images of disgusted glares and whispers. One topic in particular is seared into your mind, your eyes burning as they struggle to hold back tears as you push through into the bathroom.

You enter the bathroom and quickly scan it to see if there’s anyone else inside, not wanting anyone to see you as you make a beeline for the nearest open stall. Once inside, you lock the door behind you and put the seat down. The moment you sit down, you can no longer hold back that first tear, the rest following in an unbroken stream. You place a hand over your eyes and mouth as you begin to sob, the tears wetting your fur and ruining what little makeup you felt confident was applied properly. You mentally berate yourself for being weak enough to let yourself cry, but that same conversation keeps replaying in your mind and it only makes you cry harder. Despite doing your best to muffle any noises, those thoughts only cause a pathetic sputter to burst forth from you, not helped by your now laboured breathing. It feels like you’re drowning, not being able to take in enough air between gasps. You involuntarily gag as a hoarse cough forces its way out of you, suddenly thankful you didn’t have anything to eat recently. Your stomach continues to do flips, and a queasy feeling washes over you as you continue sobbing forcefully. The terrible thought of him seeing your ugly crying flashes in your mind, forcing another sputter from your lips as you imagine his disappointment and shame.

'He's probably already sick of me; he shouldn't even be with me. I'm such a fucking mess, crying like a bitch over a simple fucking date.’ you think to yourself, fresh tears falling and further wetting your ruined makeup. 'He probably knows it, too. Last minute... He wouldn't even have asked if he found someone that was actually a decent choice. Even said himself he'd just find someone else if I wasn’t up for it.'

You shake your head, sending drops of tears down onto your dress and the bathroom floor. While you try your hardest to cast doubt and worry out of your mind, you wonder exactly how long you’ve been away from the table, not wanting to worry anyone with your extended absence. It feels like you’ve been sitting in the stall for an hour, and a quick glance at your phone helps you take your mind off things, even if just for a brief moment. You let out a sigh of relief when you notice barely ten minutes has passed since you fled the table.

Your ears perk up when you hear someone approaching the bathroom, pulling your legs off the ground as you do your best to remain silent and motionless. You wouldn’t be able to live it down if anyone you knew saw you like this, much less one of your coworkers. From the moment the door opens, you close your eyes in the hopes that they’ll leave quickly, unsure of how much longer you can keep yourself silent. When you don’t hear the creak of the stall doors next to you, your eyes flutter open as you try to peer under the stall for signs of someone still being in the bathroom. Even with a hand over your mouth, you can’t stop yourself from inhaling sharply and sputtering as you choke on your own saliva. You can see someone standing in front of the stall you’re camped out in, the white fur covering their legs seeming oddly familiar to you.

“Ruby?” the woman asks as she lightly knocks on the stall door. “You in there, ‘hun?”

The voice is unmistakably southern in accent, and you’re positive it belongs to Melanie. Your cheeks burn in embarrassment as a few tears continue to further dampen the fur around your now bloodshot eyes. You figure staying silent is your best option, the alternative of revealing yourself to her being far too shameful to consider. It seems like no matter what you do, you aren’t going to come out of this unscathed. If you do say something it’s likely going to make its way back to her date or worse, to Anon. And if you don’t say anything, all you’re going to accomplish is worrying him further anyways. You feel trapped, paralyzed by two choices that both have unfavorable outcomes. If it wasn’t for the massive dog girl standing in the bathroom with you, the waterworks would continue to flow. You feel ashamed, pathetic and panicked all at the same time, as if any hope of tonight being a good night was suddenly snatched out from under you.

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” she says, knocking on the stall door once more. “Look, I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have.”

You don’t want to make someone else have a shitty night because of your own shortcomings, so you decide to say something against your better judgement. “I’m fine.”

There’s a brief pause before anything else is said, and the only thing you can hear is the sound of a fan circulating air. “You sure don’t sound it.”

You sniff a little bit to avoid your nose running before you speak. “Don’t worry about me, alright? I’ll be out in a minute.”

There’s no use staying locked inside the stall all night, since at some point you’d have to come out and face your fears. It takes a little while to muster up the courage, but you eventually reach for the lock on the door and undo it, pulling on the stall door to open it. You can only imagine how pathetic you must look to her right now. A grown woman sitting in a restaurant’s bathroom crying her eyes out like a scared little girl. You stifle another sob as you look up at Melanie with blurry eyes. You don't know what to say. You feel even more trapped than before you opened the door.

The shocked look on Melanie's face sends another wave of burning shame through your body and you have to fight the urge to retreat back into the stall. "Oh god," she says quietly. "I'm so sorry about whatever it was I said."

You try to steel your nerves and take a deep breath, cutting the silence with a loud sniff. "It wasn't anything you said."

Melanie looks a little relieved at your response, though she still looks worried. You try to get off the seat to leave the stall, attempting to wipe off the tear streaks on your furred cheeks. As you attempt to stand upright, you find yourself feeling lightheaded, your legs wobbling as feeling slowly returns to them. You quickly extend an arm out, using the stall walls for support as you try to regain your balance. You feel weak, and the queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes you feel like you could puke at any second doesn't help matters any.

“You alright?” she asks, stepping forward and into the stall to hold you up by the other arm as your legs continue to betray you when you need them most. “You want me to get you some water or something?”

You feel a faint sting around your ankle due to the amount of weight you’re putting on it, a faint reminder of how you’d injured yourself yesterday. "I’m alright. It's just... fuck," you say as you work your way around her with uneasy and shaky steps, unable to find the right words to express your conflicted thoughts. You can feel your strength and the feeling in your legs return to you with each step you take, as if you’re forcing the fatigue out of your body through sheer willpower.

You look down at your hands only to notice streaks of black stained into your fur. You approach the sink and look at the mirror. You let out a sob you can't possibly hope to suppress and send several more dark mascara stains down your cheek when you see your reflection. You look exactly the way you did that one night everything went to shit so many years ago. Your makeup streaked and staining your brown fur, eyes red with more tears ready to fall, only made worse by the most pitiful expression you've ever seen of yourself in the mirror staring back at you. It’s a perfect match to that hellish night. The visual alone makes you sputter for breath and sends several more black stained tears down your face. Your breath hitches again and you sputter as you start to sob with even more intensity than before, covering your face in an attempt to hide yourself away from Melanie. You instinctively recoil when you feel her hand on your shoulder, though you’re grateful that she tries again after the fact, feeling comfort in having someone by your side despite how ashamed you feel.

“What’s wrong ‘hun?” she asks, a look in the mirror showing just how concerned she is about your well being. “Whatever it is, you can tell me, I promise to keep it just between us gals, alright?”

“I’m a fuckup, I can’t even do this right,” you manage to choke out between bouts of sobbing. “I already looked like a gaudy bitch in this makeup and now I just look like a... whore.”

You try to wipe away the stains as you continue to sob, but no matter how hard you rub at the damp patches of fur and dark splotches, they don’t seem to fade. You’re not sure what to do, but the idea of just running out the door and restaurant is becoming more appealing by the second. You don't want to burden Anon with taking you home and potentially ruin a night he’s enjoying. Maybe you should just pretend to be sick and leave?

'No, no... He'd just offer to drive you home then. That wouldn't make anything better,' you think to yourself.

“You don’t look like that at all ‘hun, you just think you do,” she says, rubbing at your shoulder as you continue to cry. “You want me to help fix your makeup? I always keep some in my purse just in case. We’ll have you right as rain in no time.”

“That might help a bit,” you mutter as you try to bring your breathing back to a normal rate, taking deep breaths and slowly exhaling. “Thanks.”

“Go ahead and wash off all that old mascara then,” she says, reaching for some paper towels from the dispenser.

"I just wanted to look nice for once," you say, feeling even more embarrassment as you splash water on the stained areas. “Kind of cocked things up on this date, huh?”

"Aw, c'mon, don't be so down on yourself. You look plenty nice. Just had a few hiccups here is all,” she says as she dabs paper towels onto your wet fur. "But, besides all that, you look real nice in that dress. I’m sure Anon thinks the same thing too."

“I hope so, I spent a lot of time trying on dresses and putting on makeup today,” you chuckle, feeling a bit better upon hearing her words. “I wanted him to see me a little differently than usual, you know?”

She rummages through her purse and retrieves some mascara, eyeliner and lipstick. You’re thankful she doesn’t opt to reapply the ‘blush’ as you can now see your fur looks far better in its natural colors. She bends down before holding you steady by the chin, bringing the applicator closer to your face.

"Much better to have too little makeup on ya’ than too much," she says as she makes light strokes across your now dry fur. “You want me to touch up your lipstick a little bit too? I usually only like to put a little bit on the front, looks nicer that way.”

You nod and she continues to apply the mascara and eyeliner before using some damp paper towels to wipe away the excess lipstick, applying a new coat in a slightly darker shade of red. You feel relief when you see your reflection in the mirror, now with reapplied makeup. Though there’s still butterflies fluttering in your stomach, you take a deep breath and smile.

“Better? I can put on a little bit more if you want,” she says as she stands upright again, still holding the applicator.

“It’s perfect, thank you so much,” you say, looking up at the tall woman next to you and smiling appreciatively. “I’m sorry for just disappearing like that, I didn’t mean for anyone to get worried about me.”

“Don’t worry about it one bit. Pretty much live and breathe the stuff back home; ma always did like her mascara and fur makeup. Course, she was so tall, there wasn't nobody who could even see it,” she says, flashing you a quick grin. “So what’s got you so wound up tonight, ‘hun? Maybe I can help you out a little bit.”

You take a deep inhale before contemplating telling her the whole truth. The fact that she’d come to the bathroom out of concern for you means the world right now, and you feel she deserves to hear the truth. As much as it hurts to talk about, venting some of your worries might help you compose yourself enough to face Anon again.

“It’s him….” you start, the knot forming in your throat making it hard to speak. “I don’t know if I’m just being stupid, but... I feel like this is all my fault.”

“He didn’t do anything to you, did he?” she asks, and you quickly pick up on her now elevated, almost angry tone. “I’ll go out there and do something about it myself if he did.”

“No! No, no, he didn’t do anything to me,” you sigh, another glance at the mirror showing your smile quickly fading into an uneasy expression. “I just can’t stop thinking about what he said out there, I don’t even know why it’s bugging me so much.”

“What’d he say exactly that bothers you so much, hun’?” she asks, squeezing down on your shoulder a bit as she steps towards you. “Promise I won’t tell anyone, cross my heart.”

“It just… seems like he’s not interested in being anything more than just friends,” you say, feeling your cheeks burn at your own brazen admission. “It sounded to me like he was ashamed that you thought the two of us were a couple. I know it sounds silly, but it sounds like he’s just trying to let me down easy.”

“It sounds like you like him an awful lot. He seems to enjoy your company and friendship, best I can tell. So why do you think he’s ashamed to be seen with you? If he invited you out tonight, it’s because he thinks you’re good company, no?”

You rub at the back of your own neck as you think of how to respond to her sound reasoning, doing your best to not sound like an anxiety-ridden mess. “He asked me out, but I don’t know if it was because he actually wanted me along, or if it’s because… he just couldn’t find anyone else.”

You feel like crying again, though you realize it’s selfish and inconsiderate of you to ruin your makeup for the second time tonight, especially with the level of care Melanie had taken to make sure you look presentable. That nagging feeling that told you to flee starts to slowly creep up on you again, and with the way Melanie continues to rub at your shoulder to provide comfort, you feel like she can also pick up on your unease.

”It might not be my place to say it since I don’t know you two too well, but I don’t think he thinks of you that way at all. I don’t mean to make you worry, but part of the reason I came to check up on ya’ was because I saw he wasn’t lookin' too good.”

"Oh god... I don't want him to feel worse. I just... wish there was some way I could know how he feels without having to ask him,” you lament, letting out another sigh. “Even if he doesn’t feel the same way I do, I don’t want to ruin our friendship over it, you know?”

"I... think he might feel the same way about that," she says, finally letting go of your shoulder. “Look, I’ll tell ya’ the same thing my pop says a whole lot, Ruby. Ya gotta make your move if it starts lookin’ like nobody else is gonna. And if yer friend ain't lookin' like he's gonna make a move, then maybe you should make yers."

“I don’t even know where to start with that,” you stammer, thinking back to what he’d said when he asked you out last night. What could you even hope to say to him? What if because of one bad decision, you ruin your one chance to ever be anything more than just friends with him?

Your stomach does another flip as you try to imagine his reaction. But... you feel that at the same time, it's the best option to take. Maybe Melanie is right. Maybe you should take the first step, even if it's a blind leap of faith. Maybe you can make things work. You feel a surge of confidence pierce through the murky cloud of uncertainty hanging over you as you look at yourself in the mirror again. You're a different woman now.

Maybe things will be different this time.

“He did say we were going on a lunch date tomorrow. Do... you think I should ask him then?”

“You want my honest advice? You know him way better than I do, so just go with your gut and take the opportunity when it feels like the right time to strike. Don’t be afraid to do something on instinct, if he’s as good of a friend as you paint him to be, then he’ll understand even if he’s not immediately open to it.”

Her advice is solid, but you don't even know where to begin with tackling the issue of talking to Anon about the way you feel. Would he be weirded out if you spoke from the heart? He’s a sweet guy despite his rougher upbringing, but as you think about it, you realize you hardly know anything about the things he likes. Is he the type of guy who prefers a romantic and heartfelt confession? Or something more… physical? All these questions dance about inside your head as you try to come up with a game plan that would get you closer to finding out if the attraction was mutual. Through no fault of her own, your train of thought is interrupted by Melanie’s voice.

“You ready to get back out there ‘hun? Wouldn’t want them both to worry and come looking for us, yeah?”

You nod and look up at the massive dog girl again while flashing her an appreciative smile, one you hope conveys exactly how grateful you are for her help and advice. “I’m ready, but I can’t thank you enough for… well, everything.”

“Us gals have to look out for each other, right? So don’t mention it, though can I say one thing real quick?”

“Anything,” you say, happy to help her with anything in exchange for what she’d just done for you.

“Might just be a hunch, but I don’t think Anon cares too much about whether you have makeup on or not, he probably thinks you look great without it,” she says, opening the door to the bathroom and stepping aside so you can walk out. “If you need anything, just give me a nudge under the table and I’ll excuse myself so you can follow after me, alright?”

“Thanks Melanie, I’m glad you came looking for me,” you say, putting on your best smile before stepping out of the bathroom.


You look down at your watch for what feels like the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes, wondering why Ruby and Melanie are taking so long in the bathroom. Initially you tried not to assume the worst, quelling your worries with the reasoning that girls typically spent more time in the bathroom. They’d probably just struck up a conversation and lost track of time, right? Though as time passes you continue to worry about her, no thanks in part to the panicked expression you swore you saw in her eyes before she got up. You chalk it up to date jitters, though you wonder if you'd said something you shouldn't have. Your leg continues to bounce as if it has a mind of its own as you continue searching for an explanation that just isn’t there. 

“So... you aren’t dating her?” Kevin asks, pulling you from your train of thought.

While you’re taken aback by the sudden question, you feel a burning need to answer it. “No, we aren’t dating. Sometimes I get the feeling she might be interested, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for it again.”

“I know man… you’ve told me a bunch of times. Aren’t you afraid that you might be leading her on though, by asking her out on this date? I’m not trying to worry you or anything, but what if she sees this as you wanting something more?”

“Not like you left me any other option," you say, a feeling of regret immediately washing over you as the words leave your mouth. It’s wrong of you to accuse your friend of putting you in this situation when it’s your own shortcomings and desire to keep your friendship intact that caused you to consider Ruby a last resort in the first place. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just… I’m not trying to lead her on. Believe me, it’s the last thing I want to do.”

He takes a sip of his whiskey before speaking. “I know you didn’t mean it like that man, relax. I really appreciate that you even did this favor for me. Have you tried talking to her about it? Maybe she'd understand you're not looking for a relationship right now if you tell her how your last one went.”

“You make it sound so easy,” you sigh before chuckling. “I don’t even know where I’d begin talking to her about something like that, much less find a way to bring it up in conversation. Then again, we’re going on a lunch date tomorrow so maybe it’s not impossible for it to come up somehow.”

“Back to back dates, huh?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow at you from across the table. “See, that’s why I’m saying she’s got to be into you.”

“It’s not because of that, I just... lost a stupid bet one night at the gym, so now I owe her lunch somewhere,” you explain, taking a sip of your ice water before running your other hand through your hair. “I doubt it has anything to do with that, although…”

“What?” he asks.

“Is it weird that she sounded almost disappointed when I told her tonight was meant to be a double date over the phone? It could’ve just been me hearing things, but I swear she didn’t sound thrilled about it. But then when I mentioned going on a date with just the two of us tomorrow she sounded… happy about it. I dunno, maybe I’m just overthinking this stuff too much.”

“Dude, you’re my best friend and all so don’t take this too harsh or anything, but you sure can be one dense motherfucker sometimes,” he says, chuckling at your retelling of the previous night. “Show her a good time tomorrow, but don’t let her overstep your boundaries and if she does, then you can bring up the stuff about your ex.”

“I’ll try to remember that tomorrow, thanks man,” you say, confident that she’ll understand your situation once you explain it to her.

“Anytime, dude,” he says, nodding his head towards your direction. “Heads up.”

You turn around to see Ruby finally emerge again, Melanie following closely behind her as they both make their way towards your table. Her confident stride along with the smile she flashes you as she continues to approach helps alleviate some of your worries. When she comes near, you get up to allow her to sit closer to the center of the curved booth. There’s something about her that looks… different to you. You can’t quite put your finger on it though you’re glad that panicked expression you saw when she left the table is nowhere to be seen.

“Everything good?” you ask as she adjusts her dress a bit, tugging on the hem of her blouse and skirt.

She looks up at you, the very same smile still on her face. “Yep. Sorry to have you kept you two waiting.”

“Don’t sweat it,” you say, a smile of your own forming as you stare into those amber colored pools you’d grown fond of. “Sorry if I’m being kind of a worrywart tonight, by the way.”

You get a closer look at her face as a result of meeting her gaze, and you finally spot what’s different about her. The fur on her face is now a far lighter, more natural brown shade of brown like you were accustomed to seeing from her. You immediately think it suits her far better than whatever makeup she’d applied to make it darker. It makes you wonder if that was the reason behind her sudden disappearance to the bathroom, to wash off bits of makeup she was unhappy with. You certainly don’t mind it either way, though you wonder what caused her sudden change of heart.

“I think you worry too much sometimes,” she chuckles, leaning against you slightly. “It is kind of sweet of you though, so thanks.”

You feel yourself going red at her kind words, her confident yet joking tone causing your brain to freeze up and fumble your response. “T-thanks, I guess?”

Thankfully your verbal blunder is quickly ignored and forgotten about as Kevin starts up a new round of small talk at the table. It’s fun and you quickly find yourself laughing alongside Ruby, Kevin and Melanie. The conversation flows like water until it’s interrupted by Melanie spotting the approaching waitress, tray in hand. She quickly sets down everyone’s respective meals, along with any special silverware you needed. You ordered something fairly simple, a medium rare steak drizzled with garlic butter resting on a bed of roasted potatoes and herbs. The sight of the flowing juices along with the wonderful smell of the herbs is enough to make your mouth water, though you want to wait for a toast before you dig in. However, just before the waitress walks away from the table, you hear Ruby pipe up.

“Could I get a drink?” she asks as she unwraps her silverware.

“Sure thing, anything specific?” the waitress asks as she turns back around to give her undivided attention to Ruby. “And do you want that on the rocks?”

“The strongest thing you’ve got will do just fine,” she replies, tugging on the hem of her blouse once again. “Neat, please.”

‘...The strongest they’ve got?’ you think to yourself as the waitress scribbles something down on her pad.

Although you’re surprised she’s ordering hard liquor considering what she’s eating, you’re not too worried about it considering you’ll be driving her home tonight. It makes you realize just how little you know about her though; you've never even so much as had as a beer with her. Hell, you would have never realized she liked drinking alcohol if not for tonight. The waitress quickly returns with her drink, the glass nearly filled to the brim with the amber, almost brown liquid. It seems like an excessive amount, but considering what everything else costs it’s probably justified somehow.

Kevin raises his glass of whiskey into the air and thrusts it forward towards the center of the table. “I propose a toast. Here’s to long lasting friendships and relationships both.”

You can’t help but smile at his cheesy words, lifting your glass of wine into the air and clinking it against his before taking a sip. Melanie and Ruby follow suit and the sound of clinking glasses and laughter quickly fills the air. After the toast, everyone is quick to start making short work of their meal in the most polite fashion they can. You didn’t pretend to be super fancy or formal when eating in the comfort of your own home, but you at least had the common sense to have good table manners and etiquette in social situations. A quick glance at Ruby halfway through your meal causes you to double take to make sure you aren’t seeing things, watching in awe as she downs the entire tumbler of alcohol in one go. She exhales as she pulls the glass away from her mouth, and you can feel a burning sensation in your nostrils as you’re hit with the strong odor of alcohol. You thought she was just drinking whiskey, but you’d never drank or smelled any whiskey that made your nose react that adversely. You’re even more taken aback when she raises her hand slightly to flag down the waitress, ordering another glass of the drink when she finally manages to do so. You’d had college friends who would’ve gotten completely shitfaced on that single glass and she just… threw it back like it was water. You have to respect it, but at the same time you’re worried she’s going to drink herself under the table. After putting down the glass, she goes back to working on her meal, twirling the pasta on her fork before downing the entire bundle in one go.

“Mmm… so fuckin’ good,” she mutters before going for another forkful. You quickly feel secondhand embarrassment at her foul mouth. She notices you staring down at her and is quick to meet your gaze before speaking again. “You want to try some? It’s really, really damn good, mate.”

“Nah, I’m good with uh, this,” you say, watching her shrug before returning your attention to the steak in front of you.

“Suit yourself then,” she says, diving back into her meal.

You take another bite of your tender, juicy steak before washing it down with some of the wine. But even the explosion of flavor in your mouth isn’t enough to distract you from the fact that Ruby is about to be on her third drink for the night, with no signs of her stopping anytime soon. Even someone with your tolerance would’ve passed out by now, so you’re not sure how the small kangaroo is still standing. As far as you can tell, the only thing that’s changed about her is a slight bob of her head and slightly slurred speech. You decide to divert your attention to her more and more as the night goes on, a feeling of anxiety welling up in you each time she flags down the waitress. Even Kevin watches her interactions with the waitress, concern apparent on his face, Melanie seemingly doing her best to pretend it’s not happening. You expect her to just order another drink, but this time she’s far more brazen with the waitress to get what she wants.

“Just… ah, bring me the whole bottle, mate,” she says, her slur not yet pronounced enough to alter her speech too much. “That way we don’t have to ke- keep doing this song and dance act.”

Even the waitress seems to be concerned with the rate she’s putting away drinks, even leaning down to whisper a question into your ear. “She’s not driving home right? I can’t legally serve her if she is.”

“I’m driving her home,” you respond with a whisper. “Could you bring some ice water with the bottle too? I think she’s going to need it.”

The waitress just nods before leaving to get the bottle as instructed. She quickly returns, bottle and glass of ice water in hand, asking if you needed anything else before leaving your table to its own devices for what must’ve been the tenth time that night. You make a mental note to leave a decent tip for the inconvenience even though your wallet is already clamoring for mercy. Ruby pours herself yet another neat drink and for a moment you wonder if your nose had betrayed you, reaching for the bottle after she sets it down. A quick scan tells you it’s bourbon, which clues you in that it’s some pretty strong stuff, but you’d never drank any that burned your nose before. You continue to scan the label until your eyes find the alcohol content, your jaw almost dropping to the floor once you do. Fifty. Percent. You’re almost sure your eyes are playing tricks on you, but there it is printed on the label, clear as day. There’s absolutely no way that it isn’t a misprint, considering she’d downed three small glasses of the stuff and is currently working on a fourth. For a moment you wonder if you should cut her off, though you’re quickly interrupted by her leaning into you and almost knocking the bottle out of your hand.

“Help yoursshelf to ssome if you want, Anon,” she says, the first of her drinks now seemingly kicking in. “There’sh... plenty to go aroound.”

You pour a small amount into your now empty wine glass just to see if it’s as strong as it appears to be. After setting the bottle down, you bring the wine glass up to your lips and take a sip before swallowing the bitter liquid. It burns like hell on the way down, causing you to cough and have some of it get into your nose. If you thought the burning felt bad before, drinking it was another experience entirely. You hear a chuckle coming from your side, Ruby attempting to hold back her laughter by muffling herself with a free hand.

“Come on, Anon… don’t tell me that… a big, schtrong man like youu can’t handle sssome booze?”

Your cheeks begin to burn as you feel secondhand embarrassment once more at her crude description of you. You look around, only to find Melanie and Kevin looking at Ruby with great concern and worry. You find some relief in the fact that none of the surrounding tables or parties have noticed your predicament and soon to be sloshed date. Though you can feel the butterflies in your stomach become agitated again when you hear her asking Kevin a question.

“Sso, how’d you and… Anon meet?” she asks, and you notice her ears twitching again. It isn’t often you notice it, but by now it’s a dead giveaway that something’s up with her.

Kevin almost looks surprised at the question. “He didn’t tell you? We work at the same ice cream place together, same shift. I think I’ve even served you a few times before.”

She takes another long sip of her drink before responding. “Really? Could’ve shwore that… I’ve never seen ya’ before tonight. Anon doesn’t… tell me too mucsh about himsself anyways.”

You want to interject and say that’s not true, though you stop yourself when you realize she probably isn’t thinking too much about what she’s saying considering how much she’s had to drink in such a short timespan. The last thing you want to do is get into an argument over something so meaningless.

“Besides that he’s… good with carss,” she says, giggling to herself for reasons unknown to you.

As much as you hate where things are going, you can’t quite bring yourself to stop her from taking yet another drink from her glass. You take some comfort in the fact that she's seemingly winding down, her head resting in the crook of your arm, her eyelids fluttering as they struggle to stay open. You contemplate just letting her fall asleep for a few moments, though your plan is quickly ruined by Melanie as she taps Ruby on the shoulder, bringing her into a huddle. You can’t exactly hear what she’s telling Ruby, though after leaning in closer you can make out a few words.

“...think” “...enough” “...worried” “you…” is all you can manage to make out, though Ruby’s response is much easier to understand, the alcohol seemingly making her unable to control her volume.

“He doesshn't… Look, I'm fine, Mellllanie. Jusht a bit of liquid coourage… never di- did any harm,” she says, and you notice her ears twitch once more. You’re not sure whether or not you should feel bad about the fact that you’ve picked up on that tic of hers.

The statement makes you frown a little even though you know she doesn’t mean anything by it. You watch carefully as Kevin wraps an arm around the side of the table while Ruby is distracted conversing with Melanie. He takes hold of the bottle and quickly tucks it away under the table, where Ruby would be unlikely to find it given her inebriated state. Your eyes briefly meet after the fact and you give him a knowing nod as thanks for hiding away the bottle. You feel a pang of shame that you didn’t put a stop to it yourself, especially with the spiel you’d given yourself about caring a great deal for her. It’s enough to make you sick to your stomach, and you decide enough is enough. At the first available opportunity you’re going to take her home and make sure she’s alright after all that drinking. You’re not even sure how she’s still standing; the quantity she drank easily being enough to put down two men of your stature. After she finishes talking to Melanie she quickly scooches close to you before downing the last of her glass. She seems confused as she scans the table in search of the bottle to top up her glass. You’re worried she’s going to call foul play and make a scene, which only makes you all the more relieved when you hear her speak softly.

“Guesssh I drank.. a lo- lot more than I thought,” she says, the realization seemingly sobering her up a little bit. “Let meee… leave ya’ sssomething to pay for the… drink.”

You watch as the tugs at the lip of her pouch just enough to root around and dig out her wallet. She pulls a crisp fifty dollar bill out and slaps it down on the center of the table before putting her wallet back into her pouch. You decide offering her some water is in her best interests, hoping it’ll help her sober up a bit quicker.

“Here, drink this,” you say, grabbing the glass of water and offering it to her. “Don’t want you having a hangover tomorrow morning.”

She smiles before downing the entire glass of ice water in front of you. Though you’re surprised by the fact that she chose to once again rest her head in the crook of your arm, using your forearm and bicep as a makeshift pillow. She takes a deep inhale before closing her eyes and you lean down to hear what she’s saying when you see her mouth start to move. “Hmm… thanks, mate. You’re a… good bloke.”

You can’t help but smile at her words, though you’re still a bit worried about her well being. While you’d been considering working overtime tomorrow, you think calling in to say you’re not coming is probably for the best; preferring to spend the night babysitting her to make sure she’s alright in the morning. Would she even be okay with that if you asked? You realize you’d never even so much as stepped foot into her apartment, the subject never having come up in your many conversations and outings together. You do your best not to disturb the girl resting against you as you reach for your wallet. Even if you’re calling it a night, you don’t want to leave your friend to foot the bill all on his lonesome.

“How much do I owe you?” you ask, bringing your voice down to a near whisper. “Wasn’t even paying attention to the prices on the menu.”

“Look, don’t worry about it, I’ll just put it on my card and we can figure things out on Monday, alright?” he replies in a low whisper, catching on to your intent.

You move to put your wallet back in your pocket, though you’re interrupted by Melanie leaning over and tapping you on the arm to grab your attention.

“Make sure she’s alright before you leave, okay?” she says, the look of concern in her eyes almost touching considering she’d only just met Ruby. 

You flash her a reassuring smile and nod before responding. “Wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.”

With your goodbyes out of the way, you decide to take hold of Ruby’s shoulder and gently shake her awake. After a few seconds you see her eyes slowly start to flutter open and you do your best to put on a friendly smile.

“Hmm… are we home yet?” she asks, yawning as she gets her bearings together.

“No, but we will be soon,” you say, nudging her into an upright position. “Come on, we’re going home.”

You stand up first before guiding her out of the booth. Even though you can feel the judgemental gazes of other diners boring a hole into you, you take your time in helping her to her feet. You can hear their whispers as you try your best to focus on your current task. Are they judging you because she’s an anthro? Because she got too drunk? A part of you hopes it's all just because of her drunkenness; just the thought of it being the former makes your blood begin to boil. Kevin seemingly takes notice of this, getting up from the table with Melanie to create the illusion that you’re all leaving as a group. You take her by the hand as she scooches along the booth’s surface, tugging on her hand once she’s got her feet on the ground once again. She stumbles a tiny bit, though you’re quick to catch her before she falls and causes a scene.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m sorry,” she says, looking up at you and offering a weak smile. For some reason, you feel your chest tighten upon seeing it. You want to say something, anything, but you feel angry at yourself for being unable to find the words within you to express exactly how you feel about the people around you. 

Suddenly you hear a low, grumbling growl coming from behind you, a quick glance telling you Melanie is the source of the noise. She looks like she’s about to say something, though you see Kevin shaking his head and saying something you can’t quite make out. You figure he’s busy trying to talk her down from making a scene. Even though nothing was said, you can’t help but be happy that you have such great friends. You mouth a thank you to Kevin as you interlock your arm with Ruby’s and guide her towards the exit. The maitre d’ gives you a sympathetic look as you pass his podium and you mouth a sorry to him on the way out, feeling oddly grateful that someone knows what it’s like to be in your shoes. Once outside and on the way to your car, you let out a sigh of relief that you hope she doesn’t notice. This isn’t at all how you thought the night would go, and you’re mad at yourself for letting things go this far. It wasn’t Ruby’s fault either, though you feel like an asshole for pushing her way out of her comfort zone by even asking her along on this date in the first place. When you finally reach your car, you walk around to the passenger side door and open it, making sure to carefully set her down on the seat. She gives you a dopey smile as you make sure her legs are safely inside before closing the door. She lays her head back into the headrest before closing her eyes and releasing a long, tired exhale. Being on the receiving end of the kind of hangover she’s cultivating isn’t going to be fun. You quickly walk around to the driver’s side before hopping in and taking off towards her house. You aren’t exactly sure how to ask if it’s alright for you to stay the night to make sure nothing happens to her, but you feel obligated to at least attempt to. A quick glance over at her while you’re at a stop sign tells you she’s still resting with her eyes still shut. You don’t want to be rude and interrupt her impromptu nap, so you opt to wait until she opens her eyes once more. 

Five minutes later you can hear her shuffling in the seat next to you, accompanied by a low groan as she suddenly lurches forward, now seemingly wide awake. 

“Mmnn, Anon can you-” she says before burping, quickly covering her mouth to mask the noise. “-slow down a little? I’m not… feeling so great…”

While you want to get her home safe and sound, you figure briefly pulling over somewhere is better than having to clean puke out of your car in the morning. You quickly scan your surroundings for somewhere good to park and settle on a nearby gas station.

“I’ll pull over,” you say, though a quick glance at Ruby tells you she’s holding on by a thread, taking deep breaths with her eyes closed. You don’t even have a right to be mad about it if she does puke, since you should’ve cut her off way before Kevin and Melanie did something about it. In less than a minute you’re pulling into the gas station, parking your car near the attached convenience store. Though you want to get her some water, you want to make sure she’s alright before you leave her alone in the car.

“You alright?” you ask, touching your hand to her shoulder. “Going to go get you some water, but if you need me to stay for a little bit I can.”

She rubs at her temples for a little while before opening her eyes. Her head sways and bobs slightly as she turns to face you, her expression one of discomfort. "A little d- Ugh... dizzy, but... I'm fffine... at least for now."

“You sure? I really don’t mind waiting.”

She leans back into the headrest once again, waving you off with her free hand. "I'm ffffine... promise."

You open the door of your car and step outside, quickly stretching before realizing you’d neglected to turn the heating on. You’d barely noticed it was cold outside thanks to the thick blazer you still had on, taking it off and draping it over your arm before leaning down into the car to crank the heating to max. You go to throw your blazer into the backseat before an idea pops into your head. Using both hands to hold up the blazer like a curtain, you’re careful to make little noise before draping it over Ruby like a blanket.

"Whuh?" Ruby looks at the blazer you set on her, then turns to look at you with mild confusion before giving a small chuckle. "Yyyy'know I have fur, right?"

"Well, now you have fur and a coat," you smile, her reaction making you chuckle a little bit.

"Jeez...." Ruby smiles as she relaxes back into the car seat, muttering. “Ssssuch a dork…”

"I'm gonna go inside real quick. I know something that might help with the monster of a hangover you’re going to have tomorrow," you say before shutting the door and locking the car.

You walk around the corner you’re parked in and quickly step into the relative safety of the convenience store. The cashier flashes you a puzzled look as you beeline towards the refrigerators the second you enter the store. You open the refrigerator once you find what you’re looking for, fishing out two one-liter bottles of spring water before taking a detour through the various snack aisles. You hold both bottles under one arm and reach down for two bags of salted pretzel sticks before making your way to the register and setting everything down. While the cashier rings your purchase up, you fish out your phone and wallet, slapping down a five dollar bill on the counter before sending a text to Kevin asking if he got home alright. You owe him that much at least, Kevin having helped you more times than you could count throughout the course of the night. You’re surprised to see it’s almost midnight, shocked that you spent that much time at the restaurant.

“You want this in a bag?” the cashier asks, interrupting your thoughts.

“Nah, I’m good. Thank you though,” you say, grabbing the two bottles and pretzel bags. “Keep the change.”

You walk out of the store and back to your car at the same brisk pace you entered, eager to get back to Ruby to see how she’s holding up. After unlocking the door you climb back inside only to smile when you find she’s thrown the blazer over her back and wrapped herself in it. 

“Ruby?” you whisper out, hoping she hasn’t fallen asleep.

You see her nose twitch as her eyes flutter open, turning to rest on her side so she can better face you. She fails to suppress a yawn so cute that you can’t help but grin like an idiot. It gives you a brief glimpse at her teeth and you spot two sharp fangs that you’d never noticed until now.

"Wha-What? What?” she asks, her sudden response startling you. “You’re… back already? And are thosse… pretzels?”

“Best hangover prevention food, hands down,” you say, handing her a bottle of water along with a bag of the salty pretzels. “And if you don’t believe me, just ask everyone I used to drink with back in college. Speaking of drinking, how have you not passed out? Seriously, I don’t think I could handle even half as much alcohol as you drank tonight.”

She opens the bag of pretzels before opening the bottle of water and taking a long drink from it. “Well, we… uh, kangarooss have pretty ssstrong liversh. Combine that with a naturrrally high tolerance to alcohol and… you end up with what happened in the ressstaurant tonight.”

“So do you sober up quicker because of that? Seems to me like you’re not nearly as… far gone as you were in the restaurant.”

“Basically, yeah. How did you... think I was able to drink ssso much of that shtuff back there?” she asks, averting her gaze as she rubs the back of her neck. "Aaaauggh... fuck, I looked like an arshe though… I'm really ssorry, Anon.”

“Look, things happen and I’m no stranger to making an ass of myself either so as far I’m concerned you have nothing to worry about,” you say, reclining back into your seat. “I forgive you, but can I ask you something?”

“Sssure,” she mutters, still not willing to meet your gaze despite your reassurances. “I owe you that much, at leasst.”

“Why did you feel the need to drink so much?”

“I don’t know mate, I guessss... I just wasn’t thinking shtraight and I got kind of nervous around your friendsss... So I thought a few drinks might help me loosen up a little,” she says, offering an apologetic smile. “I’m really, really shorry if I messed things up for you tonight, if there’sss... anything I can do to make it up to you, just let me know.”

"Nah, nah, you didn't mess up anything. On making up for it though, if you can find some way to get me some of that tolerance, then anything and everything you'll ever do or have done will be forgiven," you smile, trying to lighten up the mood with a joke. Based on her blank stare, you quickly assume it didn't land. "But really though, you don't owe me anything."

"If you sssay so... But nnnooo mate, you don't want my kinda tolerance," she says with a small smile. She takes another swig of her water before making a small, cute gasp for air. "With it bein' as strong as it is, beeeer is like water and vodka is like... Beer, I guess. Forrr you, anyway."

"I dunno, I think it’d be pretty nice to be able to throw beers back like they're soda.

"Noooot if you want to get drunk. Cause if you do, then you need to hit the HARRRD stuff to get any results," she chuckles, wrapping your blazer even tighter around herself. “It soundsss real cool until you make an assh out of yerself like... I did tonight. The only good thing about it is… you sober up pretty quick once you stop drinking. ”

“You weren’t that bad, trust me. I’ve seen drunk people do stuff that took them years to live down,” you say, trying to assuage her guilt. “To me you just sound like the best beer pong partner a guy could ask for.”

"Ammm... Am I just a good drinkin' buddy?" she mutters, her ears giving off a small twitch as she utters the sentence.

“What do you mean?” you ask, moving your head in an attempt to get a better look at her expression.

"Am... Am I only good when I'm drunk?" she asks, retreating further into your blazer after asking the question.

“Hey, look, no. I didn’t mean it like that,” you say, her eyes shifting from the floor to look up at yours before you continue. “You might not believe me when I say it, but you’re probably one of the most solid friends I’ve had in a long time. I really do mean that, honest.”

"Yer such a flllatterer, mate. I'm sor... Sorry I keep doubtin' you, it'sss... jusht that... It's been a while sssince I heard that from anyone," she says quietly, pausing to take a deep breath through her nose before continuing. "Had... two rreal good sheilllas for frriends back in college that... used to tell me the sssame thing. I... really miss them, honestly, but... wwwe fell out of touch and I haven't really talked to them since."

“I know the feeling, trust me. Had a bunch of friends back in college and even though we tried to keep in touch, most of us just sort of... stopped talking to each other after a while," you say, doing your best to dig her out of a rut you're entirely too familiar with. “They all either got too caught up with their careers, found new friends or started a family with their college sweethearts. Kind of a bummer, but it is what it is, I guess.”

"... Can I ashk you something? You... don't have to answer it or anythin', but... What do you sssee in me? Just about... any girl would be happy for the opp- opportunity to go on a date with ya, so why me?"

You’re not exactly sure how to respond to her question and you can't help but feel trapped. Any answer you could hope to give her would probably be met with doubt, though you still feel as if you should just speak the truth. “Honestly? I think you’re fun to talk to, fun to hang out with and it’s nice that I don’t have to act differently around you. Sure, I could’ve asked someone else to be my date, but would I have enjoyed myself as much? No, and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea.”

"Huh..." she says under her breath, almost too quiet to hear as she continues to stare out the windshield. "Thank you, that's... That's rrreally... Thank you."

“No worries,” you say before shoveling another handful of pretzels into your mouth. “You ready to get going now or do you want me to wait a little while longer?”

"Yeah, yeah... I'm good," she says as she rests back into the seat, folding her arms under your blazer.

You smile and start the car again, soon back on the road and on the way to her apartment. Things are a bit more quiet than you’re used to, but you chalk that up to Ruby wanting to take things easy after her brief bout with nausea. You take a glance over at her when you come to a full stop at a traffic light and notice her leg bouncing erratically. It doesn’t worry you too much since you also have the bad habit of idly bouncing your leg . The traffic light changes to green and you continue driving down the near empty downtown streets. There’s something oddly calming about driving late at night. It brings back memories of the times you used to do it in college when you couldn’t focus on studying or were nervous about an exam or assignment. Your reminiscing is interrupted when you feel something flick against your forearm, a quick glance down revealing the offender to be the tip of her twitching tail. What really surprises you is that she doesn’t even seem to notice what her tail is doing; she's still seemingly lost in thought as she looks out the window while tightly wrapped in your blazer. You decide not to call any attention to it, though it makes you wonder just how much control over her tail she has in the first place. While tonight hadn’t gone the way you planned or even imagined it going, you still found yourself enjoying her company just as much as you would’ve any other time. You feel a little guilty for not cutting her off earlier, but overall your fears about asking her on the date in the first place had seemingly been unfounded and that realization alone brings you great relief. You feel her tail flick against your forearm and hand a few times in the minutes that follow, and you can’t help but smile at the fact that she hasn’t caught on yet. When you’re just minutes away from arriving at her apartment, you hear the faint sound of her voice shatter the silence that had lasted for the majority of the trip home.

"Sssso... you’vvve never dated a, uh... anthrrro before?" she mutters, tripping over her words as she utters the question.
 
You try not to outwardly show how you feel about her question, but you feel paralyzed and put on the spot by it. It makes you wonder when you should explain to her why you aren’t romantically involved with anyone right now.
 
“Depends if tonight counts or not,” you chuckle, taking a quick glance at her before putting your eyes back on the road. You quickly notice her fidgeting, playing with an errant strand of her free flowing hair as she awaits your response. “I guess this was my first time going on a date with one, yeah. But uh, it was.... really nice. I had a good time tonight, hopefully I’m not alone in feeling that.”
 
Kevin told you that you should wait for her to overstep her boundaries before spilling the beans, but you feel like his advice isn't entirely correct. Still, confessing all this stuff so suddenly after a date seems like a recipe for disaster. So, you promised yourself you'd wait until you're both in a more comfortable environment to talk about it. If your date together tomorrow goes well, then you’d be able to talk to her about it over a meal.
 
“Thisss might seem weirrrd to hear but… I wassh surprised when you told me you even had to... find a date innn the first place,” she says, and you feel her tail flick against your forearm again. “Or that it’d even... take you ssso long to uh, find one.”
 
‘Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.’ you think to yourself as you scramble to find an adequate response to her words.
 
While things occasionally fly over your head, there’s no doubt in your mind that she’s saying this stuff to try and gauge your interest in her. Normally you’d be flattered by the fact that someone’s interested in you that way, but you’re already worried about leading her on and her words only makes those worries resurface. You aren’t against the idea of dating an anthro girl or even dating her for that matter, but you still feel like you weren’t ready to be in another relationship so soon after your last one had crumbled so spectacularly. You also fear that if you don't word your response correctly, you'll make things that much worse; but you also know that if you dwell on it too long she'll know something's up.
 
You opt to respond with something that’ll give you a bit more time to put your thoughts together. “Why is that so surprising?”
 
It seems your question also puts her on the spot as she doesn’t immediately respond. You hope that it delays her long enough to allow you to reach her apartment before you run out of ways to sidestep the topic at hand. You can feel your heart pounding in your chest when you come to a stop again.
 
"You'rrre just... you'rrre a real nishe guy, Anon. I can't... see anyone not liiiking you if they come to know yyou... I'm jusht... sssurprised you asked me," she starts, still facing the other direction and staring out the window. "Jusht figured someone as... nice and well buil- welllll mannerrred as you would... alrrready have a date."
 
You opt to keep your response simple, even though you really want to address that comment about being well built. “That’s really… uh, kind of you to say, thanks. I think that’s honestly the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about me."
 
She turns to face you, a wide smile plastered on her face. "You're welcome."
 
Not long after that, you pull onto the road that leads to her neighborhood. You feel a tinge of anxiety well up in you, your mind scrambling to come up with a way to ask if you can stick around to make sure she's alright. You look to park in the usual place, only to find any spot even remotely close to her apartment is occupied. You drive around for a little while, until you finally find an isolated spot under a faintly illuminated streetlight. You aren’t too concerned about where you park your car, especially since this seems like a fairly nice part of town. It isn’t like anyone would want to steal a shitbox like yours, no matter how well maintained it is under it’s rough exterior. The second the car comes to a complete stop, you hear Ruby start to shuffle about in her seat and you glance over just in time to see her open the car door.
 
“You sure you don’t need any help?” you ask as you look around to make sure you’re not leaving anything you’ll need later in the car.
 
“Nah mate, I’m… fine, jusht... need some fresh airrr is all,” she responds, handing your blazer back to you.
 
You go to tuck away the article of clothing in the backseat before being interrupted by a loud thud that immediately catches your undivided attention. Looking to your right, you see Ruby leaning against the car, rubbing at the small of her back. You practically fly out of your seat upon seeing her fall, worried she might’ve seriously hurt herself judging from how loud the noise was.
 
“Ruby? Shit, are you okay? You hurt at all?” you ask, gripping her by the arms and helping her into a more comfortable position.
 
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she says, though her wincing betrays her words as you sit her back down into the car. “Just... lllost my footing all of a sudden. Thhhink I'm exhausted ish all, just give me a... minute, and I think I can walk.”
 
“Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you didn’t hurt yourself. How about I just carry you back to your apartment?” you ask, in the interest of both her safety and saving you both having to slowly walk the streets in the middle of the night. “Maybe I can get the upper arm workout I missed out on today if I just carry you.”
 
"Carrrrry me?" she chuckles. "I think I can walk, jusht... Need to be a bit slow. Besidessh, what are you going do; jusht give me a piggyback ride like yesterrrd-" she says, letting out an eep as you suddenly sweep her up into a princess carry.
 
For a moment, you’re worried about getting tapped in the nuts for the second time since the two of you met, but you look down at her only to see her struggling to meet your gaze. Her face is as red as her namesake as she tries to speak.
 
“Swearrrr to god….” she says, turning redder by the second. “Would you die if you sshtopped being a dorrrky shap for a single day?”
 
You can’t help but smile at her words, jostling her about in your arms until you get her into a comfortable position to be carried. “I wouldn’t know, and we’re definitely not going to find out tonight.”
 
You start walking down the sidewalk towards her apartment, the pavement barely illuminated by the dim streetlamps. You stare straight ahead, being careful to not trip and drop the girl in your arms, though you can’t resist taking an occasional glance down at her. Each time you look down she glances away, but you can tell she’s staring up at you when you look away, her twitching ears at the edge of your vision giving her game away. You can feel her arm wrap around your neck and her hand holding tightly onto your right shoulder for support. But, despite her tight grasp for fear of falling, her head rests against your shoulder as you continue to walk.
 
“You know you’re not going to fall, right?” you ask, glancing down at the blushing girl in your arms. You can feel her grip on your shoulder loosen slightly.
 
You feel the sudden urge to play a practical joke on her, but you stop yourself upon realizing that she might get the wrong idea about why you’re carrying her if you do. Even you aren’t entirely sure why you’d opted to suddenly pick her up and carry her bridal style. You feel a twinge of anxiety well up within you upon the realization that she might see this as a romantic advance when in reality you just want to help her get to her apartment. Putting her down isn’t an option either, since she’d probably find it odd that you’d done something spontaneously only to reverse your decision moments later. Instead you choose to pick up your pace slightly in the hopes that you can get to her door before she gets the wrong idea. That hint of anxiety vanishes without a trace the moment you start walking the street her apartment is on, knowing you're only a few minutes away.
 
You can feel her head lift off your shoulder for a moment and you glance down at her. “Y'knoww you gotta let me down sooon so I can get my keyss, right?”
 
"Don't think I can't do it while carrying you?" you ask, confident you can support her entire body weight with just one arm.

Ruby chuckles again at your response. "Yeah, you'rrrre just gonna have to find them first. Won't just... get 'em for ya.”

You can't help but smirk at her cheeky nature despite the panic coursing through your system. Even though you want to make another jab back at her, you stop yourself when you see her apartment just up ahead. "C'mon now. Gonna need your keys to open the door, Ruby."

She chuckles dryly again as she dons a wide grin. "Itz iiinnn my pouch. Be geeentle looking for 'em," she slurs as she points a finger towards your face, bringing her claw dangerously close to your jaw.

You go to reach into her pouch, but you remember the way she’d reacted when you joked about warming your hands in there a week ago and you decide it’s best to make sure she knows what she’s saying. “Are you alright with me, you know, putting my hand in there?”

“Juust be careful, mate,” she says, a sloppy grin still on her face as she shifts herself to make things easier for you.

You can feel her hold her breath when you bring your hand down just above her pouch and slowly slip your hand into the slit on her midsection. Instantly your hand is enveloped by the warmth of her pouch, though the inside of it is furless from what you can tell. You drive your hand deeper and feel around for a few seconds, freezing up when you hear her talk again.

“Caaareful,” she hisses out, squeezing down on your shoulder.

You’re not entirely sure what you touched that elicited the reaction from her, but your best guess is that it was the bump you felt, likely a mole or some kind of bug bite. You try not to think about it too much and resume your search, being careful to not touch whatever sensitive parts are causing her discomfort. You’re not even sure why she’d have you do this in the first place if you have to be so careful about it. After thirty seconds of fumbling about in the dark, you feel your hand touch the hard metal of a key ring and you quickly take a hold of it as you pull your hand back out into the bitter cold. Keys in hand, you continue walking towards her apartment, turning the corner when you arrive at the correct apartment number. You’re careful to watch your step and tighten your grip on her when you approach the stone steps, making sure not to lose your footing as you make your way towards the door. Ruby seems to have gone back to resting her head against your shoulder, though she’s still very much awake and alert as you approach the door to her apartment. You can’t really blame her for wanting to rest after consuming so much alcohol. Once you finally reach the door, you lean down to get a better look at the lock due to the poor illumination. You go through a few keys before you finally find one that turns the lock. The second you hear the tumbler click, you feel a pair of lips press against yours.

Her lips are soft, but the fur tickling at the smooth skin of your face is softer. You immediately sense that unmistakable, bitter taste of alcohol on her tongue as it clumsily dances against your bottom lip. After a few seconds, reality returns to you, and the urge to pull away becomes overwhelming. This is exactly the kind of thing you wanted to avoid, and even if you were interested in kissing her, you would under no circumstances take advantage of a drunk girl. It takes you a couple of seconds to finally pull yourself away from her lips, practically tearing yourself away and nearly dropping her in the process. She falls back, nearly threatening to fall off of your arms thanks to a combination of your frantic movement and her own surprise. Her arms shoot out and wrap around your neck, thankfully catching herself just in time to avoid sending you both onto the ground.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop," you rapidly say as you lower her down to the ground. You desperately want to close your eyes and look away, the look of shock and confusion on Ruby’s face tearing you up inside. "I can't. I just... I can't do this, Ruby, I'm sorry."

"Wh-what? What's wrong?" she asks, her unsteady voice already threatening to give way to heartbreak.

"This... this is wrong, I can't just... I can't do this to you, Ruby," you say, feeling a sharp pain in your chest as you look down to see her shaking ever so slightly. You take a breath for air and try to continue, hoping to explain yourself quickly. "I should've said something sooner, but-"

"There's always a... fucking 'I can't', or... 'I shouldn't'... with fucking everyone! Every time when it comes to me!"

You can see the tears well up in her eyes before they slide down her furred cheeks in fat, wet drops. You want to ask her what she's talking about, or explain that you just don't want to kiss her because she's drunk; but your mouth refuses to cooperate with you as you stand there stunned. Her tone becomes unnervingly quiet, cutting through you like a knife. "I like you, but- I think... fucking every time..."

She turns and opens the door. You can hear a soft sob as she grips the door handle, forcing your train of thought to a screeching halt as you scramble for something to say. Anything at all. "Why did I think this shit would work...." she mutters before entering and closing the door behind her.

Your body shoots out and stops the door from closing, using your foot to keep it wedged open as you try to stop her. "Ruby! Stop, wait! That isn'- FUCK!" you try to say before cutting yourself off with a cry of pain as she tries forcing the door closed.

"Fuck off! I don't want to hear it you... fucking goddamn arshehole!" she yells back, her breathing briefly interrupted by a sob.

She finally stops with one last push, screaming out a furious "Fuck!" before stomping off into her apartment. You pull your foot out with a yelp of pain and shift it around, hoping to get some blood flowing back through it. 

While the door is still open, you know deep down that she doesn’t want to see you. For a brief moment you wonder if it'd just be best to go home and contact her first thing in the morning to set things right rather than intrude into her home. However, you can still recall her pained expression as you tried and failed miserably to explain yourself. You should've nipped this suspected problem in the bud way sooner. You consider leaving after her outburst to give her the space she so clearly needs, but you already feel like scum for rejecting her. If your college experiences with heavy drinking are anything to go by, it might not be safe to leave her to her own devices with how much she drank tonight. So against her word, you decide not to leave and instead opt to set things right.

You open the door and step inside, closing the door behind you before taking a second to assess the situation and figure out what you should do. You can feel a stinging pain shoot through you with each step you take, looking down at the now wrinkled leather of the thick dress shoes that had saved your foot from further damage. You can barely see inside the dark apartment and you search for the nearest light switch, illuminating the foyer and part of the living room. The first thing you notice is that it’s much, much nicer than the cubicle you call an apartment. You figured it would be just from what you’d seen of the surrounding houses and apartments in the neighborhood, but you didn’t expect anything quite this luxurious. As your gaze travels from the full sized kitchen to the small breakfast nook alongside the spacious living room, you begin to wonder how she can afford the rent on this place with whatever her job is at the school. As you take a few cautious steps further into her apartment, you begin to notice the state of disarray the place is in. Dishes piled high in the sink, snack wrappers and takeout boxes littered around the various coffee tables in the living room and piles of clothing that you find yourself almost tripping over. 

You want to find her and figure out exactly what’s going on with her, but you figure it might be for the best if you take a few moments to gather your thoughts and plan out what you should even say. You didn't want to her to do something she'd regret the next morning, but you didn't think she’d react that way to something as simple as cutting a kiss short. 

You try to gather your thoughts and think of how to explain yourself, but your train of thought is interrupted when a sound reaches you from past the hallway. A cold chill runs down your spine when you realize that it sounds like... sobbing. Each second spent listening to the sound only causes the guilt to pile up on your shoulders and a sense of urgency fills you as you continue trying to find Ruby. You quickly make your way down the only hallway in the apartment, being careful not to trip over piles of strewn about clothing as you move. A light shines dimly from an ajar door at the end of the hallway, coming from what you can only assume is her bedroom. The stinging pain in your foot prevents you from rushing and forces you to take careful steps down the dark hallway. Deep down you hope that when you finally peer past the door, you’ll find that the sobbing you’d heard was just a figment of your imagination. You pray that you've misheard it, and that maybe it had just been the heater or AC making an odd noise. Only a thin door separates you and Ruby, and you feel as if your legs are tied down by a ball and chain as you near the end of the hall. A whirlwind of thoughts fly through your head as you put your ear to the door and listen.

"Fucking knew it... fucking knew it, you dumb fucking bitch…." you hear that all too familiar voice mutter between choked sobs.

The words pierce straight through your conflicted thoughts and you suddenly feel as if someone had knocked the wind right out of you. That nagging sense of guilt you’ve felt throughout the night returns, amplified by what seems like a factor of ten. It makes you feel like you have to act before things are beyond salvaging. You take a few deep breaths as you muster the fortitude to peer through the cracked open door. What you see when you finally bring your face close to the gap is the polar opposite of what you hoped you'd find, causing your stomach to twist into knots. You see her curled up on the bed in the fetal position, her face buried deep in her pillow. Despite the pillow doing it's best to muffle the sound, you can still clearly hear her sobbing. Your chest tightens and it feels like someone had just dropped an anvil directly on your heart. You find your body acting before your mind as you push open the door, causing Ruby to look to you with red, tearful eyes.

"What do you want?!" she screams out as she fruitlessly tries to wipe away the tears, new ones quickly replacing them. "Get the fuck out!"

You’re not sure what to say, though you’re fully aware that staying silent is just as damning as saying something unconvincing. 

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” you say as you take a few careful steps towards her bed.

"Don't you come a step fucking closer!' she yells as she clenches her fist tight around the bedsheets, her aggression stopping you dead in your tracks.

"Calm down, Ruby. I just wanted to talk, okay," you say, putting your hands up to show you’re willing to listen.

"Calm down? Calm fffuckin' down, mate?! You're telling me to be fuckin' calm when you fffucking... shhit all over me?!"

"What are you even talking about, Ruby?" you ask, genuinely wondering if that's how she saw it when you pushed her away after the impromptu kiss. You desperately want to explain the reasons behind your actions but she continues to march forward with her verbal barrage.

"Don't fucking play dumb, you cunt! You keep fffuckin'... saying all this stuff! Making me feel... fucking good again! And jusht like before, I think it'sh all okay, and I just... get fucking thrown off like I'm nothing!" she shouts out as she practically leaps off the bed, quickly closing the distance between the two of you. She stops just before reaching you, a choked sob leaving her throat when she does. You see mascara laden tears start to run down her face, staining her normally brown fur with streaks of black.

"Ruby, I don't... What do you mean like before?" you ask, still unsure of what you’d done to her that warranted this kind of reaction. “Whatever I said or did to you, I’m sorry. This is the last thing I wanted to happen.”

"Last thing you wanted to happen...." she mutters, letting out a weak chuckle before resuming her crying. "Yeah right, you expect me to believe that? You even... fffuckin' told me that I was jussht a... fucking last resort."

“What? I never said anything like that,” you say, and you feel slight relief at the prospect that this was all likely a misunderstanding.

"You told me on the goddamn phone!" Her hand clenches into a tight fist, only to be released mere moments later as her composure of rage breaks. She lets out another sob as she abandons her approach to sit back down on the edge of her bed. She turns her head away from you to stare down at the floor, then takes a shuddering breath before muttering, "I shhould've known better... I'm such a stupid fucking cunt..."

“You’re not either of those things, Ruby,” you say, and you take a single experimental step forward.

"Oh yeah?! Then why do you only see me as jusht... a damn seatwarmer! Becaushe you think I'm a fucking disgusting, fat cunt, jusht like the others?!" she yells again, and you can see more teardrops forming in her eyes as her breathing quickens.

You’ve never seen her act this way before and hearing her verbally tear into herself leaves you speechless. Not in a million years would you have predicted you were going to end up in this situation tonight. The worst part is you feel woefully unprepared to deal with her in this delicate state. It feels like you’re navigating a minefield and you’re left paralyzed for fear of making the situation worse. The only thing you can think to say is something that’s sitting at the forefront of your thoughts, a simple question that you hope will help you figure out what’s going on with her. 

"Ruby, what are you talking about? I never said you were a seatwarmer, and I've never thought of you that way,” you quickly shoot back before she continues to put herself down. “And what others? Who’s saying this stuff to you?"

"Fucking everyone'sss saying it! Every goddamn one..." she yells, quickly petering into a sob as the words leave her mouth. "If they don't outright hate me... orr talk ssshit about me, or lie to me, or try to make me feel worshe than I already do... then they just... just... fucking look at me and think, 'Oh... there's that one girl that keeps fucking... getting shit on by everyone! Poor fucking her!'"

More and more tear drops begin to fall down her soaking wet, furred cheeks as she tries and fails to catch her breath. "What's the point of working out and taking care of myself! If…." she yells, her breath shuddering deeply once again as more tears form in her bloodshot eyes. "...if every single time I look in the mirror I see an ugly bitch?" she whimpers before trailing off into more sobbing.

“So tell me how I’m supposed to feel when-” she cuts off, sniffling and wiping away at more tears, staining her already dark hands with the black mascara. “-the only reason you asked me out was because you needed someone to fill a seat!”

You begin to say something to defend your position before you quickly cut yourself short. It dawns on you that she isn’t wrong in her assumption, even if you never explicitly stated it. You feel like you deserve to be yelled at for being so inconsiderate of her feelings. No amount of good intentions could excuse the fact that you used her as arm candy even if you came to enjoy her company throughout the night. Even still, you feel as if she’s being too harsh on herself, her assessment enough to make your heart feel as if it’s being pierced by a dagger. The only thing you can think to say is something that can’t be interpreted as anything else but burning sincerity.

“I’m sorry, Ruby,” you say, taking the opportunity to take another step forward.

"How shhhould I even believe that you're sorry? Ffucking... so many people told me, 'I'm sssorry', 'I didn't mean it', 'I'll never do it again'...." she says in an eerily calm tone, rapidly blinking a few times to clear the tears from her eyes. "Like it jusht... makes all of the shhit they put me through all okay."

"Every single name, poke, pussh, laugh, hit... fucking everything all okay. And that it makesh ME the bitch for shaying it's all wrong, even when they'rrrre lying through their teeth shaying they're sorry... just ssso they can do it all over again."

As Ruby catches her breath and continues wiping away at the tears collecting on her face with her black-stained hands, you're left in a stunned silence. You muster up the nerve to try and make things better for her, hoping that you can break through her shell of sorrowful self-deprecation. "Look, I'm not going to lie and say I know how you feel right now, but you can't honestly think I was putting on an act, right?" you say, doing your best to not let your temper get the better of you. "All that time we spent together these past two weeks doesn't mean anything to you? You think I’d go on these jogs and work out with you damn near everyday if I didn’t enjoy your company?"

"Someone put on an act for two whole years!" she yells without a slur, as if all the alcohol had left her body in one furious shout. "And what did he do?! He disappeared, left me to be mocked, and when I did see him again he just... fucking told me it was all just a joke!" She pauses to catch her breath. "You don't- no, you can't know what it's like to have your heart broken. Not like I do. Not like that."

“I'm sorry that happened to you, Ruby. I can't imagine what it's like to go through something like that," you say, feeling a pang of guilt as you tell the half-truth. "But you can't expect me to know that about you if you never told me.”

"And you can't just expect people to talk to others about old shit that hurt them, Anon."

Your brow furrows as your frustration finally gives way. You run a hand through your hair before letting out a long sigh, all the while throwing up your free hand up out of exasperation. "I tried, alright? I told you that you could come to me if you ever wanted to talk about something. Just like you did for me."

"You don't go around reopening old wounds just to talk about them with the first person that comes along!" she shouts. "Maybe... Maybe it's for the best if you just leave, Anon."

"Just leave? How can you expect me to leave and just... forget about everything that's happened tonight?"

"What is it that you want to hear from me?" she asks, finally daring to meet your gaze again. "That you're forgiven so you can rest easy tonight?"

"What, so you just want me to leave you here to-" you start, cutting yourself off before you say something you'll further regret. You wish you could’ve kept your stupid, fat mouth shut, as you've made things that much worse for her.

"Leave me here to what? Feel like shit? Or are you going to feed me some bullshit about how everything's okay? How I'm still a 'good person', but that you just don't want to be with someone like me?"

"Because I'm still gonna feel like shit either way," she mutters, new tears forming and threatening to wet her cheeks again. She shudders in breath before continuing, "So you might as well just go."

"If you really want me to go, I'll go,” you say, even though your brain is screaming at you to do the exact opposite. “I just want you to know everything I said tonight wasn't a lie."
 
She remains silent, once again making a futile attempt at wiping away tears with her fingers, only managing to spread around more of her already smeared makeup. She looks away from you once again as she continues to breathe in shuddering gasps.
 
“I meant what I said earlier, Ruby,” you say, the concern in your voice palpable. "I wouldn't lie about having a good time with you tonight or about all the reasons I asked you to be my date in the first place."

You watch her as you continue to speak and you notice her breathing slowly returning to a steady pace as she takes deep breaths. You feel relieved that the panicked expression you’d seen in her throughout the night is nowhere to be found for the time being.

You can't help but feel responsible for everything that's happened tonight and her silence only amplifies the guilt you're feeling right now. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even come into your apartment like this but I couldn't stop thinking abou-"

“It's fine....” she quietly responds, still refusing to look at you before continuing. "I should've realized... fucking stupid of me not to. I didn't stop to think about whether you wanted to even kiss me or not. Fucking stupid, selfish and-"

"Don't," you interrupt, and she briefly looks up as you continue to speak. "You're not awful like you make yourself out to be, Ruby. Not even in the slightest.”

You can see the barest hint of a smile flash across her face for a brief moment before she speaks, her tears now barely flowing. “...You sound like my mum, Anon.”

You take the opportunity to approach the bed and take a seat on the very edge, turning to look at her before flashing her what you hope is a comforting smile as you respond. “If it’s what it takes to get you to understand then I have no problems with sounding like your mum.”

The two of you just sit there looking at each other for what feels like an eternity, neither of you daring to break the silence. There's a conflict raging inside you, your brain screaming at you to just comfort her, hold her or to do anything but sit there staring like an idiot. But you're paralyzed by fear, unsure if merely touching her would be enough to instill another bout of panic induced sobbing in her. You opt to play it safe and let her make a move first, promising that you'd respect whatever decision she came to, whether she told you to stay or go.

“... I don’t want you to go, Anon,” she says, her brutal honesty enough to leave you lost for words. “...I just thought something was happening. I guess I was just seeing what I wanted to see.”

"... Can I tell you something?" you ask, lowering your tone to almost a whisper in an effort to keep her calm.

She sniffles in an attempt to clear her nose, but the noise instead turns into a snort. “Yeah, sure.”

“The only reason I didn’t kiss you back is because I didn’t want to take advantage of you,” you say, rubbing at the back of your neck in embarrassment at your brazen admission.

She breaks eye contact and looks down at the bed, her thumbs fidgeting with the hem of her dress. You can see her tail twitching ever so slightly out of the corner of your eye. 

"I'm sorry about what I did and everything that happened tonight, Ruby. I can just leave if you want," you say, moving to get up from the bed.

"No, I... I don't want you to leave."

You turn around, noticing her tail twitching at a more noticeable speed as she struggles to find something else to say.

You can see her mouth trying to form words, but they silently die in her throat before she could speak them. "Alright, Ruby," you respond, breaking her from her anxious loop to look back up into your eyes for a brief moment. "I'll stay a little longer."

“Y-you can-” she mutters, cutting herself off as her gaze strays from yours. “You can lay against the bed if you want, Anon.”

“You sure?” you ask, not wanting to make a move until you double check that it’s alright with her first.

The only response you get back from her is in the form of a nod and you slowly inch your way along the edge of the bed until the headboard is directly on your left. You think about taking off your shoes before raising your legs onto the bed, but decide against it for fear of her reading into it as you getting comfortable despite everything that’s happened tonight. The last thing you’d like to do right now is lead her on a second time. You lay against the hard wooden backboard, the pillow pressing against your lower back providing you with a small amount of comfort. After getting yourself situated, things are no different than before, the two of you looking to one another as you each wait for the other to make a move. After a couple of minutes you see her shift and start to inch her way towards you, only stopping when your bodies are about to touch.

You can see the apprehension in her eyes and movements, her hand almost reaching out to you before retracting and balling up into a fist. “Can I?”

You’re not sure what it is she wants to do, but you’re terrified that denying her is only going to make things worse, so you nod. “Yeah, it’s okay.”

You expect her to scoot even closer to you, but within seconds you feel the heft of her head resting against your shoulder, an errant strand of hair tickling the exposed skin of your neck. Looking down at her face only causes you to feel the sting of guilt, her makeup streaked fur leaving black stains on your white dress shirt as she buries her head into your chest. You can see trails of now dried tears running down her the length of her face, clearly visible even in the faintly illuminated room. You want to say you’re sorry, even though deep down you know it’s not nearly enough to make up for the damage you’d done tonight. Even still, you figure it’s a good start towards making things right and you open your mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by the sound of her voice ringing out first.

“I’m s-sorry, Anon,” she says, and it pains you to see fresh tears forming in the corner of her eyes. “I was supposed to be a good date and I couldn’t even do that right. All I did was make you look like an arse for bringing me along to cock things up.”

She buries the side of her head and snout even deeper into your shoulder. Her tears start to soak through your dress shirt, and you have to fight the urge to just wrap your arms around her to provide comfort. The only thing that keeps you from doing so is the ever present fear of making things worse for her. You decide to carefully bring your right hand up to her head and position it between her two pointed ears, resting it there to provide some semblance of comfort to the girl crying in your arms. “There’s nothing to be sorry about Ruby, if anything it’s my fault for not being straight with you beforehand. I accept your apology, but I shouldn’t have led you on like that. I’m sorry.”

"No... it's all my fault. I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I fucked up, I fucked up, I fucked up...." she sobs as she buries the side of her face deeper into your now wet shoulder, gripping your other shoulder and dress shirt tightly for support.

Her breathing is erratic and you can hear a muffled sputter between sobs as she tries and fails to get it back under control. You apply a tiny bit of pressure with the hand on her head, pressing her deeper into your shoulder in an attempt to show that you’re still here with her. The minutes that follow feel like hours and you’re not sure what to say to her, or if you should even say anything at all. The only saving grace is that you can feel the flow of her tears slowly coming to an end, though you’re almost positive it’s because she has no more left to cry. You flinch when you feel her free hand brush against your shoulder, though a quick glance down tells you she’s just using it to wipe away whatever tears hadn’t already soaked into your shirt. Another few minutes go by and you’re surprised that she’s the first to break the silence.

"You shouldn't have to be nice to me after I yelled at you, Anon," she mutters, sniffling as she continues to rub at one eye. “You’ve been nothing but nice to me all night even after I made you look so bad at the restaurant. I’m sorry.”

“I already told you I forgive you for that. It wasn’t nearly as bad as you think it is, really,” you say, idly brushing your fingers against her hair in the hopes it’ll help calm her down. “I’ve got plenty to apologize for too. I deserved to be yelled at for just walking in, even after you told me to leave, and it really hurts me to see you like this. I’m sorry, Ruby.”

“Thank you, Anon, but... I don't just feel terrible for yelling at you, it's because I yelled at you for something that isn't even remotely close to being your fault.” she says, and you can feel her ear twitch and bump into one of your fingers as she continues to speak. “I usually don’t even think about it, but for some reason it just all came back to me at once tonight, so... I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that, you didn't deserve it."

Your thoughts come to a standstill as you try to figure out what to say next, and only one question comes to mind: "What happened?"

"I... I shouldn't have talked about it to begin with. None of it was your fault,” she says with an almost eerie level of calm.

"Do... you want to talk about it now?" you ask, hoping she'll open up to you so that you can be of help.

There's a pause. Ruby breathes in, then replies with a brief, "No."

Her response makes you think it’s probably a bad idea to continue prodding into something that seems like a fairly personal matter to her. That isn’t to say you don’t want her to open up to you about it, especially after seeing all the tears she’d shed over it tonight. You aren’t sure how to respond to her denial though, instead opting to just say one word.

“Okay,” you say, and you continue to hold her in your arms in the hopes that she drifts off to sleep soon.

Before you can adjust to the silence in the room, Ruby quietly speaks up again, "I'm a fucking cunt for thinking you were doing this on purpose... you’re too good to me, being willing to put up with my shit… I’m sorry, Anon."

A small smile tugs at the corner of your mouth as you speak. “I accept your apology, but I’m not ‘putting up’ with anything, Ruby, I promise.”

“Ah, stop lying, mate. I know I can be a handful,” she mutters, struggling to meet your gaze as she continues to speak. “You’re too nice for your own good sometimes, you know that?”

Minutes pass and even though you’re glad she’s no longer crying, you can’t help but feel a pang of guilt for setting all of this in motion. No matter how many times she’d told you it wasn’t your fault, you still can’t help but feel responsible for almost everything that happened tonight. For a moment you wonder if there’s more you could be doing to comfort her. From the little she’d told you during her bouts of yelling you could glean that she’d been through a much rougher breakup than any you’d ever experienced before. It made your blood boil to think anyone could’ve been horrible enough to her in the past that it still hurts this much years later. And to make matters worse she wasn’t exactly wrong when she said you couldn’t know what it was like to have your heart broken like that. While your past relationship didn’t end as smoothly as you would’ve liked it to, being led on for two years was just… downright cruel. A few more minutes pass and you can feel her shifting into a more comfortable position against your body.

“Can I ask you something, Anon?” she nearly mutters, and you quickly look down at her, giving her your undivided attention.

You quickly nod in approval even though the nervous, unsure look in her eyes makes you wary of what she’s about to ask you. “Yeah, sure.”

"Did you mean what you said? About the whole... kissing me back thing?" she asks, and the instant you parse her sentence you’re left lost for words. “Y-you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

You feel as if you’ve been put in the center of a minefield, any possible answer you could ever hope to give her likely being one she doesn’t want to hear. It dawns on you that you can’t even answer the question in your own head. You run the night’s events through your head and try to picture if things would’ve gone differently had your morals not been a factor to consider. Worse still, you remembered that the thought of dating an anthro girl or even dating her earlier in the night hadn’t bothered you in the slightest. As much as you wanted to say that you still wouldn’t have done anything if she wasn’t drunk, you knew you’d be telling a lie in saying so. Even though you apparently have... feelings for the girl in your arms, that intense fear of of permanently damaging your friendship with her keeps you from acknowledging it. You decide honesty is the best policy given how much she’d opened up to you throughout the night whether she intended to or not.

“Look I-” you start, and you have to fight against the lump forming in your throat to give your explanation. “Look, I should’ve said something about this to you a long time ago and I feel like an idiot for not having mentioned it before. If you weren’t drunk and I hadn’t just gotten through a bad breakup a few weeks ago? Yeah I… definitely would’ve kissed you.”

You’re shocked at your own honesty, and despite that you still feel a tinge of anxiety as you await her response. Her gaze meets yours and you mentally brace for what you’re about to hear when you see her mouth begin to move.

“Shit, mate, I had no idea,” she says, and you can begin to see the barest hints of a blush start to form underneath thin layers of brown fur. “I’m sorry for being such an awful cunt to you tonight.”

“Nah, It’s mostly my fault, I should’ve said something about it before asking you to come on this date with me,” you say, bringing up your free hand to rest on her exposed, furred shoulder, pulling her tighter to you as you continue to speak. “If anything, I’m the one who should be apologizing for what I did back at the restaurant.”

“Huh?” she asks, looking up at you in confusion. “But... you didn’t do anything back at the restaurant, at least not that I can remember.” 

“Yeah, that’s exactly why I want to apologize,” you trail off, struggling to find the right words to explain why even now you still feel guilty. “I should’ve cut you off way before Kevin and Melanie stepped in to do it and I just… didn’t. Instead of saying something, or anything really, I stayed silent for stupid reasons. It was my responsibility as your date to look out for you and instead of doing that I was too busy worrying about what other people would think if I caused a scene. It was shitty of me to do and I’m sorry for that.”

“We’re both kind of fuckups, aren’t we?” she chuckles weakly as she continues rubbing at one eye. “I forgive you though.”

“I forgive you too,” you say and the two of you just continue to sit there, neither of you daring to break the silence despite staring intently into each other’s eyes. She eventually breaks eye contact first and rests her head against your chest. She takes in a quiet breath through her mouth and releases it in a long sigh. You can feel the tenseness of her body waning as she relaxes further into you, her previously labored gasps for air now steady, quiet breathing.

You can feel the wet patches on your clothes begin to cool, and you can no longer feel Ruby crying fresh tears on you. You gently shift your fingers through the hair on her head, thankful that things have finally calmed down a bit. Despite everything that's happened tonight, your heart slows in response to feeling Ruby's gentle heartbeat against your chest.

Your eyelids begin to flutter as the call for sleep tugs at them, forcing you to break the moment of silence with a question. "Is it okay if I sleep on the couch?" She doesn't respond, leaving you unsure if she still wants you here or is even awake to begin with.

You gently shift one of your legs out from under her own and hang it off the edge of the bed, but you stop as you hear her take a quick, sharp breath in. You feel her head gently shift against your chest; which only confirms that she probably did fall asleep resting against you. "Sorry, Ruby. Just going to go sleep on the couch," you repeat, seeing her ear twitch slightly in silent response.

"... Do you have a blanket I could borrow?" you ask as you shift your other leg out over the bed and gently move her off of your legs and onto the bed.

She doesn't respond, making you question again if she's awake or asleep. You decide against risking waking her up and slowly come to a rise, but you stop as you hear her voice and feel something holding your arm back by the sleeve.

"No... Please...." she whimpers out as she weakly tugs the sleeve of your shoulder back to her.

You stop and look at Ruby, noticing that her expression is different than it was just moments ago. The sinking feeling in your gut returns when you see her expression, a harsh reminder of the same panic you saw in her eyes earlier tonight. Her mouth opens as if she’s trying to say something, but you can tell she’s having trouble finding the words. You feel a pang of guilt when you see her breathing begin to quicken again, and you take the initiative to say something first.

"You... want me to sleep with you here? On the bed?" you ask just to make sure you’re understanding her correctly. “Are you sure? I don’t mind crashing on the couch.”

She nods, still holding onto your sleeve and giving it another slight yet firm tug that tells you everything you need to know. You take a deep breath and stretch your nearly asleep leg before putting them both back on the bed. You once again find yourself resting against the hard wooden backboard of her bed, wondering how you’re going to fall asleep sitting upright. Ruby shifts against you as she tries to find a comfortable spot to rest her head on, though you’re oddly surprised that she wants you to stay after everything that’s happened tonight. Somehow she senses your discomfort and reaches for a large pillow near the foot of the bed, handing it to you. “Sorry, thought you had a pillow behind you.”

You can’t help but smile at how considerate she is, even under these circumstances. You ease back into the pillow, giving some relief to your back and neck as Ruby rests back against you. You bring a hand back around her and rest it against her shoulder, leaving your other at your side. You can feel Ruby begin to slowly drift back into what you assume is slumber, making it a struggle for you to not follow suit. You can feel the tickle of fur against your neck as she shifts against you in her sleep, the warmth nearly enough to make you shiver. Her position looks to be a bit uncomfortable and you shift yourself to provide her head better support. Her quiet expression as she sleeps is cute, at least from what you can see in the dark. It’s certainly a far cry from how she looked earlier; but you’re thankful that you managed to talk things out enough to get her into this calm state.

You take a brief moment to think about what you’re going to do or say to her in the morning given you’ve basically promised to stay the night. You want to do something to make up for everything you’ve put her through throughout the entire night, knowing she’d likely do the same for you if the roles were reversed. You realize far too late that you’d forgotten to give her the necklace you’d bought earlier in the day, carefully reaching down with your free hand to retrieve the small box in your pocket. You look at the small, unassuming box as you question your options. You're unsure if it'd even be a good idea to give it to her now, especially after explaining your troubling situation in full honesty and seeing how hurt Ruby was by virtue of you never telling her. You set the box on the nightstand beside the bed, hoping that you'll have a clear and far less exhausted mind in the morning to make your decision on what to do with her gift.

You gently shift your fingers around the soft fur on her shoulder and rest your head further back. You close your eyes and let out a quiet yawn. You'll figure it all out in the morning. For now, you're just relieved you accomplished what you’d set out to do. You hope that things will continue to go smoothly tomorrow. You take several deep breaths in and out through your nose and relax your shoulders. You rest more of your arm around Ruby and pull her tighter to you before finally joining the tired roo.

To be continued.

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