FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Just before noon, Paula steps outside her apartment in a modest yellow dress and matching sun hat. Taking a breath of the fresh morning air, she wonders when the last time she put any effort into her looks was? Thankfully Debra was there to help, and while it put her at ease, it did little to cull her excitement for this date.

All week she's been giddy, counting the days until she would see Jonathan again. It wasn't hard for others to notice her obvious glee. All her friends were curious, and of course, she told them about Jonathan. His age, the fact he was a human but most of all, how nice he was. While they never said anything, Paula could tell how relieved they looked as she spoke, but there was also an underline worry should this not work out.

It's a fear that is on her mind as well. A part of her whispers about all the horrible things that could happen: even if those terrible thoughts become true, she wants to enjoy this while it lasts. If luck is on her side, maybe it doesn't have to end? Nodding to herself, Paula walks to the sidewalk and waits for Jonathan to arrive. Her heart is racing in her chest, but she has little time to calm herself as he pulls up and lowers the passenger window.

“I hope I didn't keep you long. Come in!" He says with a smile.

Her heart swells as all those negative thoughts from before melt away at his cheery attitude.

“It wasn't long," Paula answers as she gets into the car and buckles herself in. “What do you have planned for this morning?"

Jonathan's smile seems to grow as he takes off. “I know it might be cliche, but I wanted to keep things simple and go to the park. I hope you don't mind."

“I don't mind. The weather is perfect for some time outdoors."

“Great! So how have things been?"

“I can't complain. I've had a few friends stop by to ask about my date."

Paula can see Jonathan blushing some.

“Really? What did they think?"

“They didn't let me live down the fact you're so young."

“I guess that's to be expected." Jonathan keeps his eyes on the road but smiles some. “Still, I'm happy we're going on another date."

Paula can't help her heart from fluttering just at his smile. It's been so long since she's felt comfortable with anyone outside of her friend group, but she keeps herself focused here and now despite her mind wanting to drift to a few unsavory memories.

“I'm happy too."

The both of them fall into a comfortable silence as Jonathan makes his way to the park.

---

Laying a blanket down onto the grass, Jonathan sets down the basket he brought with everything he prepared as he waves for Paula to take her seat. With a smile at the cliche setup, she sits and takes a moment to breathe the crisp morning air as they sit under the shade of a tree. Taking his seat beside her, Jonathan takes some advice from his dad and sits closer to Paula than he'd usually feel comfortable with.

They're practically shoulder to shoulder, and this hasn't gone unnoticed by Paula as her face grows hot with embarrassment. However, she can't deny the smile that grew on her lips.

“How were things for you after our date?" Paula asks.

“M-My dad was happy. He, um, he's special."

That piqued Paula's interest. “Special, how?"

Jonathan's face grows redder by the second. “He prides himself on making me uncomfortable. After telling him about you, he went straight into all the “tricks" he knew about canine beastborn that most humans didn't know."

“Like?"

Jonathan looks around to make sure none are close by to hear him. “Um. Like, you know, playing with their ears."

What! His father told him about that?! It's taboo for canine beastborn to admit it, but due to their lineage, a few quirks have persisted from their ancestors. One such trait is this feeling when a human scritches them, especially around the head. Though it's not something a beastborn can elicit from another, strangely, it's just something humans can do.

“It was an unexpected talk because, oh god, this is embarrassing." Jonathan takes a few breaths to calm himself. “As a kid, when I was afraid of something or uncomfortable, my dad would hug me, but, at some point, I started petting him. He didn't say anything at the time, but petting became a comfort thing for me. So, even with friends, I would absentmindedly pet them."

Jonathan would crawl into a hole and die right now if he could. “They were awesome friends and never told me the truth because I only did it to calm myself or if I was content. So learning about that after so long... It's been a hard pill to swallow. My dad certainly didn't hesitate to make fun of me because of it either."

“W-Well, it's not too bad as long as it's with those you're close with." Paula tries to help Jonathan not feel as bad, even though she knows petting can be a very intimate gesture. “I think it's adorable they were so accepting of it."

Jon rubs his face. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Paula. Changing the subject. How have things been going for you? Parents, work, all that good stuff."

Paula gives a weary smile. “Um... I guess you could say my parents are “special" too. I know we talked about it, but it's been difficult adjusting since losing my arm. So, when I told them about you." Her face runs red. “They were shocked and curious, but the worst part was how interested my mother was. She's been on a human romance story kick lately. So she wasn't shy in referencing various scenes she read." Paula could never understand her mother's fascination with those books.

“I can't say I pity you, but that does sound embarrassing," Jonathan admits with a chuckle.

Paula joins him with a light titter as they smile at one another.

“How's the streaming thing going for you?" Paula asks.

“Same old same old."

“Really? Nothing worth noting?"

“That's the strange thing about streaming... I'm invested in what's happening at the moment, so I don't recall anything interested. Later on, I'll find a meme or something based on what I did."

“Meme?" Paula cocks her head.

“Yeah. Like..."

Jonathan pulls out his phone and shows an image of a Shiba beastborn lying on a couch, her arms crossed as she looks over at whoever is taking the picture with an expression Paula can't quite put her finger on. There are texts surrounding the image with “Much humie," “Very comfy," “Wow."

“Oh! I think I recall a friend showing me stuff like that before. So people make those about you?"

Jonathan looks a bit nervous. “Ah, what the hell? I already want to die from embarrassment." Jonathan pulls up a video and hands his phone to Paula. “The end part is a reaction people like to use from time to time, but here's the whole thing for context."

Paula, interested, presses play. She can see Jonathan is in a small corner of the top left and appears to be playing some kind of first-person game. She hears a ping noise as Jonathan looks off to his left.

“We got a dono coming in from HumieAddict. They ask, “Have you had a cookie yet?". Uh, no?" Jonathan then looks to another part of the screen. “Why is chat spamming fortune cookies? Canine cookie? Is that some type of new cookie? Google it?" He sighs. “Fine. I swear, if this is another trick. I'm opening this on my other monitor just in case." Paula is already red in the face as she watches Jonathan's eyes widen before going slack-jawed, his face bright red. “You fucking assholes! I knew not to do that shit after the red rocket incident. Stop!"

Paula can't help herself as she laughs, both from embarrassment and how strange this concept is.

“That's one of many things people like to post but one of the main ones that stuck around."

“I can't tell if you like your followers or hate them," Paula admits.

“A little of both. Sometimes they can do great things, like when I host a donation stream. My last stream earned fifty thousand for 'The Hand-holders against cancer.'"

Paula's eyes widen. “Really? I've volunteered for The Hand-holders before. The children there are so sweet; it's bittersweet how much good can be in one place and so much sadness."

“I get it. But while my contribution wasn't as great as a celebrity's, it feels good to do something. Though, on the other end of the coin, my audience can be like in the clip you saw." Jonathan steers the conversation back so something more light-hearted.

“I wish I enjoyed my job as much as you do. Tech support isn't really fun; people can be nasty. The only bright side is that all my coworkers know how tough it is too, so we can talk about our worst callers."

“Before my streaming thing took off, I used to work the nightshift at a fast-food place. There's nothing like drunk people vomiting after a twenty-piece of chicken nuggets, then having to clean it up."

Paula cringes. “Thankfully, I don't have to deal with anything like that."

“True."

Jonathan smiles. This is the most relaxed he's ever been with a woman. Everything about this date is smooth and perfect. He's not sure if it's because he's so naive, but he's already thinking about the next date with Paula and so much more. Paula seems to pick up on his bright mood and smile. She can't help the blush under her fur as she smiles back.

“Is there something on my face?"

Jonathan shakes his head. “No. I'm just having a great time." Paula picks up a downturn in the mood as Jonathan twiddles his thumbs. “Since you were so open on our last date, do you mind if I was the same?"

“Of course. Is something the matter?" Paula asks, concerned by Jonathan's cheerfulness that's underlined with a somber tone.

“No, nothing is the matter. I just never really had much luck with the ladies. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I got peer pressured into dating a human girl when I was in high school. I always knew deep down I wasn't like my friends, you know, attracted to my species, but I wanted to fit in."

Paula can see his smile slip away but can tell he wants to get this off his chest.

“All I did was hurt that girl by treating that relationship like a game. Even after high school, it took time to accept how I felt. It's weird, I knew my pops wouldn't be mad, but I still felt like I had to play a part or something. It didn't help that BeastBorn don't see humans as partners either. Even when I approached a girl I liked, they would usually laugh and assume it was a joke."

He looks over at Paula. “When we started to talk on that dating app, I couldn't believe it. I made that profile three years ago, and you were the only BeastBorn to message me. When we met for our first date, and you thought I was my father, I felt that punch in the gut, but... I'm happy you gave me a chance."

Paula is struck deep by this as her ears pin back. She's been so absorbed by her misfortunes that she never really gave much thought to what Jonathan could've been going through. In a way, it's true; even before this second date, Paula was second-guessing herself because he was a human and his age. If this went nowhere, how would that have made him feel?

Though, that didn't happen. They're here together now, and that's all that matters to Paula. It's been so long since Paula has felt good about anything in her life, and she doesn't want this to end! In a bold move that Paula never would've considered days ago, she leans towards Jonathan and presses her lips against his. They both freeze as their hearts begin to beat heavily before Paula pulls away with a weary smile.

“I-I'm happy you gave me a chance too."

That brightens Jonathan's mood and, in turn, lifts Paula's too.

“So," Jonathan is blushing. “Um, are we officially dating now?"

Paula laughs. “Yeah, I think we are."

“Cool." Jon cringes at his virgin tier response. “I-I'm hungry. Let's eat!"

Paula can only smile at Jonathan's embarrassment, but deep down in her heart, she knows she's in too deep and wants to see where this relationship goes. For the first time in a long time, Paula is optimistic about what lies ahead.