FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Kevin sat at the edge of his seat, waiting for his physics professor to dismiss the class. It was friday afternoon, the last class of the week, and he was anxious to meet up with Derrik.

They had been dating now for over a month, and Derrik had said that he had a special weekend planned for just the two of them.

Finally, the professor released them from class. Kevin ran out of the room and didn't stop until he had reached their dorm. He opened the door and saw Derik sitting in his desk, writing something. He looked up from what he was working on and smiled at him.

"Ready to go?"

"Yep!" Kevin replied, setting his back pack on their bed.

"Okay then, let's go"

The pair of them took a small stroll through the neighbouring park. The light from the setting sun fell on all the leaves in the trees, creating pale shadows on the neatly-trimmed grass and brightly-colored flower-beds below. The scent of the flowers mixed with the smell of apple pie baking from someone's nearby home. This scenery at the park provided a very romantic atmosphere for the couple. They sat down on a park bench to watch the sunset.

After a few minutes of sitting together, Kevin in Derrik's arms, the couple heard a group of rowdy guys making their way through the park. They thought nothing of it, until the group had wandered near the couple.

"Hey, look, it's a couple of fags!"

Derrik turned around and glanced at them. "Just ignore them." he said.

Ignoring them wasn't an option.

"Hey, you're right! It's a couple of pansy fags! Let's get 'em!"

Kevin's eyes widened in terror, and as he stood up, three guys came from behind and shoved him to the ground. He tried to pick himself up and run away, but two of them grabbed him roughly and forced him up, holding him in place while the other punched him in the gut. The air whooshed out of his lungs and was replaced by searing pain. He buckled over, his breathing turned into a raspy wheezing.

A fourth guy simply decked Derrik in the face, and the final guy ran over and kicked him in the ribs, shouting, "Get up, faggot!"

Derrik spat out some blood and picked himself up, facing his assailant, the leader of the group.

He was standing face to face with a bull, who was jeering at him. The bear wo punched him was standing off to the side. Two coyotes held Kevin up, while the cougar stood there, grinning cruelly.

"Yeah, there we go. Take it like a man, fag."

"Oh, because me being a 'fag' makes me less of a man, does it? That makes a lot of sense."

"Shut up, fag!" The bull slapped Derrik with the back of his hand. "You don't speak 'till I say so!"

"And why do I need your permission?"

"B-because you're a fag!" The bull was starting to get frustrated.

"Oh, I see. You think because I love a dude that you're better than me?"

"Yeah, that's it! You're nothing but a fag!"

"Why would that make you better than me?"

The bull stopped for a minute, unsure of how to answer. "'Cause it ain't right to like a dude! Everyone but you's faggots knows that!"

"How is it wrong to love and accept another human being for everything they are? Why does gender matter? I've dated guys and girls, and there isn't a difference in who I am just because I date one or the other. How could you be so ignorant?"

The bull became furious. "I ain't stupid! I'm better than you! You don't know what's what, you pussy!"

He leaned over and punched Derrik in the face, who fell onto the ground.

"Get up, you faggot!"

Derrik picked himself up and just stood there, dignified.

"Come on! Fight back, you coward!"

"I'm not going to fight you because it's not worth my time, and I gain nothing from it."

The bull became even more infuriated. "You're just a big pussy!" He punched Derrik hard in thegut, who fell to his knees.

"You're nothing! You hear me?!?"

"I'm more than you'll ever be."

The bull lost it completely. He punched the otter in the face, and started kicking him on the ground repeatedly.

"Stop it! Stop it, please!" Kevin cried, tears streaming down his face.

Even the bull's friends stopped jeering and laughing, and their smiles began to turn into looks of horror.

The cougar stepped forward. "Hey, man, I think he's had enough."

The bull stopped kicking. He leaned over Derrik, spat into his face, and said, "You think you're so much better, huh faggot? Look at you! Who's the weaker one of us, huh? Tell me, fag!"

When he didn't respond for a moment, the bull started to laugh. He stopped when he saw the otter struggle to stand. Eventually, after a few painful winces and obvious displays of physical suffering, he successfully stood up.

"You are. You are the weak one, not me. I am stronger than you." he choked out with conviction, hs entire body painted crimson with his own blood. Red and black streaks of blood ran through his fur in messy clumps.

"Dude, stop!" The bear held the bull back as he swung his arm back.

"Hey, let go!"

"Dude, we gotta get outta here!" And he pointed.

By now, the spectacle had become public, and several people stood in the park, looks of sheer horror on their faces. A girl from the college came forward, a look of fury on her face.

"Stop picking on that guy! I've already called the cops, and they're on their way! You're going to jail, jerks!"

"Shit, we gotta go man!" The bear said, taking off. The two coyotes dropped Kevin and took off behind him, with the cougar standing there, mouth agape.

The bull lingered for a moment, glaring at Derrik. He glared right back.

"Tch, you're not worth it." The bull said before taking off, ignoring his cougar-friend.

For a moment, Derrik stood there, covered in blood, smiling triumphantly. Then, his legs gave way and he fell face-first onto the ground.

"Oh my god, someone call 911!" screamed the girl who called a police, a border collie.

Kevin ran forward and turned Derrik over, holding his head in his arms.

"Derrik, wake up! Derrik, answer me! Please, wake up!" Kevin sobbed.

He sat there, holding the physically demolished otter, sobbing and wailing and screaming, until the ambulance came and had to literally pull him away.

* * *

It was two days later when Derrik woke up in the hospital. Kevin was sitting right next to his bed when he saw the otter's eyes flash open.

"Hey, you." he said, his voice hoarse and dry from under-use.

"Derrik!" The wolf cried, and leaped up to hug him.

Derrik laughed and winced in pain.

"Ow, ow."

"Oh, sorry! I'm just glad that you're awake!" he said, his mood growing somber.

"Hey, what's eating you?" Derrik asked, growing serious.

"Well... no, it's nothing."

"Come on, you know you can talk to me about anything."

Kevin sighed. "Okay. I just need to know: why didn't you fight back? Why did you let him beat you up so bad and not do a thing to stop him? Why did you endure all of that pain while I was forced to watch it happen?"

Derrik sighed. "It's complicated."

"Please, tell me, I need to know."

The otter looked up at Kevin with those bright blue eyes.

"Okay. The reason I didn't fight back is because the fighting was wrong, and it was for wrong reasons. It would have gotten me nowhere to fight with him physically; it might even have gotten me expelled.

"However, I also didn't fight back because I would rather try to make peole understand than spread violence. All those people who were watching and listening as I fought for what I believe in."

"But that guy didn't understand! He just kept hurting you!"

"No, he didn't understand, and he may never understand. You see, understanding takes time. My words may not affect those guys for years to come; but they will affect them. I guarantee you that at least one of them will come out of that experience a changed man."

"I'm not sure I understand entirely."

"Don't worry; some day you will."

Kevin sighed. "If you say so." He paused. "Hey, Derrik? Back there you said... you said you dated guys... and girls... is that true?"

"Yes, it is true. I'm bi. That doesn't bother you, does it?"

"No." The wolf smiled. "Hey, did you mean what you said back there? About love?"

Derrik smiled. "Yes. I meant every word of it. I know we haven't been together for very long, but I love you, Kevin. You mean everything to me, and I'm sorry that you were hurt."

Kevin smiled, teary-eyed. "It's okay. I love you too." Thewolf climbed onto the medical bed to snuggle with his injured boyfriend.

"Ouch!" He shifted. "You know, you should probably head back to the college tonight?"

"Just let me lie here, just for one night..." he replied, sleepily.

Derrik laughed softly. "Okay, just one night."

And the two of them fell asleep, side-by-side, in he comfort of knowing that they loved each other. None of the hospital staff moved the sleeping wolf. They all agreed that the couple had already been through enough.

~bhscorch