FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Cole had no other place to go. He always knew he stuck it out in his starter apartment for too long, but when a medicine ball-sized hole in the wall caved in during a storm--he knew the time had come to upgrade his standards. As he didn't have any other place to stay, he needed to rely on the kindness of friends. Thankfully, he had no better friend than Bruce--proven when the tiger offered to help him move his furniture into storage unprompted. The white tiger showed up in an old loose button shirt and slacks with a cooler full of lemonade under one arm. Together, the tiger and tanuki moved every last item down three flights of stairs, into the moving van and made a quick stop at the storage unit to deposit them all within four, back-breaking hours. Cole thought he had held together pretty well and that his stamina had improved thanks to his persistence in his new workout regiment.

Then he sat down.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," groaned the tanuki as his muscles finally relaxed. He melted into the plush couch like butter in a frying pan. His head lolled back into the cushions as his limbs went limp.

A frosty glass of lemonade, held up from the top by five white-furred, black-striped fingers, appeared before him. With great effort, Cole cupped the glass, refreshing icy cold flowing through his palms. "Thank youuuuu, Bruuuuuuce..."

"No worries," said Bruce.

The tiger's apartment wasn't half bad. Plush carpet flooring, a full kitchen and living area, as well as a small one-bedroom that fit his queen-sized bed. The balcony had a nice view of the city skyline which was sparkling with specks of light underneath a cold winter night sky. Cole felt a flash of guilt as he looked around. The tiger had constructed a pseudo office in the corner of the living area next to the TV. Not three feet away sat an exercise bike that, in tandem with the free weights on the floor, bordered the sofa. The tiger was already hurting for space and Cole realized now how much he imposed on him today.

The couch cushions seesawed for a moment as Bruce sat next to the tanuki with a glass of his own. Cole jumped at the sensation of a paw on his knee. Bruce flashed his fangs at the nuki and winked. "So, what do you want to watch, hon? Or maybe we should play a game. Or both--just have the movie on in the background. What do you think?"

"Um," Cole took a big slurp of his lemonade to avoid answering as long as he could. "Y-You can choose. It's your place."

"Hate to burst your bubble, bud, but the main appeal of having guests over is you don't have to decide on the entertainment. Don't be shy now. Let's hear it. I'll kick your ass in Smash if you really want me to."

"Hmm, ah--maybe just a movie?"

"Wonderful! Friday the Thirteenth it is!"

"Not horror!"

"Then pick one, man!" He waggled his eyebrows cheekily. "C'mon!"

"Well...I--I'll just watch you play. I'm kinda tired...heheh..." Cole glanced out the window and downed his lemonade in one last gulp. A set of tiger claws wrenched the glass from his hand, placing it gently down on the coffee table. The hand on his knee, meanwhile, migrated to his shoulder.

"It's no trouble, you know." Bruce's pawpads--cold from holding the icy glass--cupped Cole's chin so he could look the tiger in the eye. His feline face softened. A cool thumb brushed Cole's cheek. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

Cole sighed. "You're persistent."

"And very hard to distract. Problem. Let's hear it."

"You're doing so much for me--I just don't want to add more dead weight. It...I feel like I'm taking up what little space you have left."

Looking the tiger in the eye, he saw his face hover closer and he felt no urge to fight that gravity the tiger seemed to emit. He shut his eyes. Bruce's forehead felt so warm pressed to his. Two fuzzy yet firm arms drew him into the warmest, yet most refreshing embrace the tanuki had ever felt. He clung tight to the tiger, his striped arms running up and down the canine's back. His head nestled into the tiger's soft, warm chest, the striper's bearded chin resting atop the tanuki's head. He could hear his striper's steady heartbeat. Deep breaths came naturally.

"You stink," said Cole, a playfulness filling him.

"You're no rose garden yourself, hon," said Bruce with a chortle. He continued to run his hands up and down the tanuki's back. His muzzle leaned in, lips pressed against Cole's ear, and he whispered. "And you're no burden either. Let's take it easy. You've been through a lot. Just relax. I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. You can stay as long as you need. Just relax...relax and listen to my heartbeat."

Cole nodded, rubbing his face against the smelly tiger. His ear pressed to those impossibly soft yet comfortingly firm pectorals, the tanuki found that steady rhythm. "I--"

"Shhh, I've got you. I've got you now..." Bruce's arms gave a reassuring squeeze. "Just breathe. Deep breath in, hold it...and release. One more time. Deep breath in and we're going to hold it--" Cole felt the tiger's chest expand with his. "--aaand let it out. There we are. Feeling a little better?"

Cole nodded, remembering he had been instructed not to speak. Which, for him, felt like such a weight off his shoulders. Nothing brought more relief than the lack of expectation to hold up his side of the conversation.

"Attaboy. Wanna feel even better?"

He nodded.

"Good. We're just going to keep listening to my steady heartbeat. We're going to let my arms hold you tight. We're going to just drift here in this moment as we descend into that fluffy headspace I know you love. I want you to picture now--your ideal apartment. It's filled with all your favourite things. The shelves are lined with all your collectibles as well as all your favourite books from the authors you love. It's quiet. Just you--"

The tanuki's fingers tightened.

"Heheh--and me, holding you close just like right now."

Slack and relaxed.

"Just you and me. Breathing and relaxing just as deeply as right now. We're sitting on a cozy beanbag chair, swaddled underneath a broad blanket. The sounds of the outside world can't be heard in this new, wonderful space just for you. All that reaches you is the sound of my voice and the fur your cute face is nuzzling against."

Bruce's fur became even softer--if possible--as if he had just showered and slathered himself in conditioner. The tanuki had never felt such comfort, his body as loose and limp as a rag doll. He smiled softly before those muscles too relaxed. The tiger continued to lull him.

"Soft and warm. This space of yours is soft and warm. Every now and again--a package arrives. I go to retrieve it, leaving you surrounded in the same warm place. No need to get up. You can just relax and wait for me to return. And when I do, I bring with me the contents of the package--an old storybook that I begin to read to you. The story's contents don't matter. What matters is that you listen to my voice and let it give you the peace you need and deserve."

"The story has ten pages left. By now you might be noticing how heavy you are. I'm going to lift up your arm now. When I let it drop--you'll also drop even deeper into the story--knowing that when the story comes to an end, you'll fall deep for me."

The tiger raised up one of Cole's arms and released it. The arm flopped to his side, completely limp. He began to rotate the tanuki so he lay flat on his back, but still had his ear pressed to the tiger's muscle gut.

"Good boy. Nine pages left. Next is your leg. Again--you're just gonna let it drop. No need to move it--you're not going anywhere." The tiger grinned as he tugged the tanuki's bare foot upward and let it fall back into position. "Eight pages to go. That's it. Seven, six. My voice becoming as soft and comforting as my body. That's right. You don't want to fight either. Five. Content. Knowing your friend Bruce is here and that he loves you. Four. No concept but that. Nothing but a head filled with fuzz. Three, two, one."

"Drop!"

Bruce tapped his forehead. The tanuki's head slumped completely, a little drool escaping his lips as the trance overtook him. As his lids fluttered, Bruce saw glassy white eyes beneath the surface--the canine utterly entranced. The tiger smiled and kissed his friend's cheek. He rubbed his bulbous tummy and whispered one more thing into his ear. "Dream of your wonderful new home, friend. We'll make the reality even better."

Reaching his foot over a pile of laundry from his lounging position and keeping the tanuki dozing in his lap, he clenched his toes around the PS4 controller. With an unexpected flexibility, he brought his foot up and slipped the controller into his hands. Bruce chuckled as he flicked on the TV. In the end, Cole would watch him play alone after all--just with more of a mindless, happy zeal than he thought.

The apartment's buzzer rang. Bruce's fingers froze.

"Probably should've zonked him AFTER paying for pizza..."