Lighthouse
#56 of Shorts
It's going to be alright.
This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this story are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All characters are of legal and consenting age, likewise if you are reading this story you should be of legal age in your respective country.
All characters are my own creation, any resemblance to existing characters is purely coincidental and not intentional, please do not use them without permission. If you would like to use them in a story, please feel free to send me a PM either as Inja on SoFurry or TheRealInja on FA. As always I am open to new story ideas or situations with existing characters as well.
This was originally meant to be a sort of fan art piece for WolfLady on FA (https://www.furaffinity.net/user/wolflady/), but in respect to their wishes with regards to such things, I have changed the characters from their original incarnation to names of people special to me to try keep the original spirit of the piece alive.
This story was inspired by the following images which I absolutely adore.
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44509984/- It's gonna be alright
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46979680/- <3
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48024757/- Bonding
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"It's going to be alright," how often have we heard those words, as if they are some magical Band-Aid that will heal the hurts of the world. However, anyone that has experienced even a small part of real life knows that most wounds are not visible and they cannot be healed by simple platitudes.
Sitting alone at night when it feels like your whole world is crumbling around you; like you're sinking in quicksand and the harder you fight to free yourself only makes you sink that much faster, those are times when someone saying "It's going to be alright" are some of the worst. Some wounds cut too deep to ever be fully healed, we carry them with us unseen and hidden behind forced smiles and fake laughter.
It is possible to feel alone in a crowd of people, like you do not belong and you are an outcast. But with the right person, they feel like home and somewhere you've belonged all your life. Their arms about you a shield against all the darkness in the world, hearing their heart beating in their chest as you rest your head there a constant reminder that life goes on and we are never truly alone, we only need to take the risk and let others in.
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"Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino for Ly..Lizz...uh, Lizzard?" Sasha read the label with a look of confusion on her face.
"It's Lyzzie...like Lizzy, but more pretentious" a smiling blonde haired cute canine girl replied, leaning across the counter and waiting patiently for her drink.
"Lyzzie, that's an interesting name. You like your drinks sweet, I see" Sasha playfully teased, trying not to blush under the intense stare of the pretty canine.
"Thanks," Lyzzie replied with a wink as she took a sip of her drink, wrinkling her nose at the taste, Sasha pausing a moment as she waited for the inevitable complaint. "Not sweet enough..." Lyzzie stated as she stopped and turned back to face Sasha, suddenly popping the lid off of her drink and holding the cup out while smiling and saying "Care to stick your finger in here to add some sweetness?"
Sasha could feel her cheeks starting to burn bright pink, her mouth opening and closing a few times as she struggled to find the words. Thankfully, seeing she had flustered her server, Lyzzie took pity on her and closed the lid on her drink.
"Maybe next time, see you same time tomorrow, cutie!" she called behind her as she left the store.
Sasha stood in stunned silence; she'd never been flirted with so openly by another woman in public. Coming from a background where such things were taboo, it had been a part of herself she had hidden and even denied for the longest time. Now she was out from under the watchful gaze of her elders, experiencing freedom for the first time and all it had to offer, both good and bad.
Paranoia seeped in at the corners of her mind, making her feel like everyone was staring at her. A quick look around the store revealed no one had even noticed the interaction, most staring down at their mobile phones or busy chatting with friends. The only person whom had noticed was Lance, the other server behind the counter.
"Should've stuck your finger in there..." He teased with a friendly laugh, which only made her blush brighter.
A strange stirring began within her chest, a slowly growing storm of emotions and questions. Was Lyzzie really flirting with her, was it on purpose? Did anyone besides Lance notice, if so what would they think of her? Most importantly, could she take the risk and show interest back?
As the day wore on Sasha noticed no one seemed phased by the earlier flirtatious interaction, as if such things were common place or almost expected. Seeing same sex couples only further cemented the notion that it was not unusual and in fact quite the opposite here; a seed of hope began to bloom in her heart as thoughts of a brighter new future began to take root. For once it felt like something brighter and lighter was starting to win against the pain and darkness she'd carried around that told her she was an abomination and didn't deserve happiness.
Every interaction with Lyzzie strengthened the feeling, for the first time in years Sasha felt like the invisible weight on her chest was starting to lift and letting her heart beat and sing. Flirting words turned to playful touching, the brush of Lyzzie's fingers against her own electric whenever Sasha handed the pretty blonde girl her drink. The touch was accidental at first, but soon lingered longer as Sasha's confidence grew and she was even able to maintain eye contact.
"You're spending a lot on coffee..." Sasha said without thinking, wincing internally as she immediately wished she had never said that. What if Lyzzie took it as a rebuff or rejection on her advances, Sasha hesitated to meet her gaze for fear of what she might find there.
Lyzzie was grinning brighter than ever at her, staring for a long moment before she scribbled something on a slip of paper, slid it over to a speechless Sasha, and stating, "You could always make me a cheap coffee back at your place?"
Sasha stared wide-eyed, reaching out for the slip of paper and only looking down at it after she'd watched Lyzzie vanish around the corner. Opening the folded piece of paper, she saw it was Lyzzie's number! Her heart skipped a beat, the cute blonde girl wanted to see her outside of work.
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"Hey?" Sasha texted as soon as she got a gap, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited. At first there was no response, but soon the dreaded three dots appeared. Lyzzie was busy typing...
"Cute coffee girl?" Lyzzie responded.
"Coffee girl, yes. Cute? Not sure..." Sasha replied.
"Yep, that's exactly what cute coffee girl would say. So glad you texted!" Sasha read Lyzzie's response over and over, feeling her cheeks glowing brighter each time she did. Did Lyzzie really think she was cute? What should she say, she didn't want to seem too eager, but also didn't want to seem disinterested. Sasha sat and began to chew nervously at a nail as she tried to think of what to say when her phone pinged with another message.
"Just relax and breathe, I'm guessing you're new to this so we'll take it nice and slow, okay?" Lyzzie offered, even just those words helped Sasha's heartbeat drop below a hummingbirds.
All throughout the day, Sasha and Lyzzie messaged whenever they had time, the spaces between messages filled with eager anticipation. The more Sasha learned about Lyzzie, the more confident she became. There was a lot in common, but enough differences to keep things interesting. As flirting grew and blossomed into something more, texting turned into late night phone calls that lasted into the early morning hours, and soon to meetings out in public.
Sasha wanted nothing more than to hold Lyzzie's hand in public, but that same darkness would well up inside her every time she began to reach for her hand, the color draining from her world and leaving everything morbid shades of grey. It made her feel like everyone was staring at her in disgust, it told her that Lyzzie would pull away and was just playing her for a fool.
Just like a lighthouse in a storm, Lyzzie cut through the darkness with a brightness and warmth Sasha had never felt before. It started with just holding hands, fingers interlaced with a gentle squeeze of reassurance and in that moment, the darkness was silenced. Staring into Lyzzie's pale blue eyes, color began to return into her reality.
With Lyzzie by her side, the world didn't seem quite so bad. Colors seemed brighter; food tasted better, even the winter sun felt warmer. Holding hands turned into hugging, turned into tentative kisses, turned into lingering passion. Every passing moment made the previous pale in comparison and the next seem like a never-ending dream.
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It had started as a play fight, simple wrestling on Lyzzie's bed after a mock argument about which flavor ice cream was better. It was not the first time they had lain entwined with one another, lingering kisses that left them breathless, touches that left fire in their wake. Sasha both wanted more but also feared it, the final barrier to fully realizing who she really was. Lyzzie did not rush or pressure her ever; she simply laid out the offering for when Sasha was ready to accept it.
Tonight was the night, Sasha didn't flinch or pull away as Lyzzie touched her. The pretty blonde canine pausing for a moment, staring into Sasha's eyes and searching for any hint of hesitation or reluctance. A bright and loving smile spread across her lips as she saw no traces of either, giving a startled yelp as Sasha even leaned in to catch her with an impassioned kiss.
Clothing slid down slowly, gently tugged and pulled with trembling fingers, exposing fur and flesh alike. Gentle touches began exploring new lands, bringing new pleasures and stirring emotions higher. With every touch, kiss and even lick, Sasha felt herself being reborn. The darkness tried in vain to make its voice heard, but the growing light of Lyzzie's embrace all but banished it to the furthest corners of her being.
She was finally whom she was always meant to be, Sasha and she was in love with the most beautiful woman in the world.