FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

###

Part 1: Peanut

Two depressions were pressed permanently into the foam. He didn't need the old excuses of thunder, lightning, or cold. The bed held them well, his back cradled by the tall rim of fabric around the edge, his belly snug against her back. He had difficulty pulling away from her. Above their blankets, the air was freezing. Dad spent hours last night preparing the house and getting the generator running. A lot of pets were braving the weather to camp out at the clubhouse. Grape thoroughly convinced him not to bother.

Peanut tried pulling away again. Then again. He pushed his knot free. She grunted, taking a deep breath, then shifting onto her other side. With lazy lips, she kissed his chest. They tried to sleep a while longer, fighting for a comfortable position, dodging the wet spot on the blanket. Peanut grunted, sitting up, blinking with eyes barely open.

“Peanut," Grape murmured, only the top of her head sticking out from the blanket.

“Yeah?" he said, feeling as tired as she sounded. No light was making it past the blinds, but it didn't look like there was much to go around anyway. Wind still heaved against the glass.

“Can you clean me up?" she asked.

“There's no warm water."

She nuzzled up against him, holding his hips. Her breath rolled over his crotch. “You're warm."

“Well," he said, looking away for no good reason. “Can you do me first?"

Grape just turned the other way, sighing like she was asking for her dreams to return. After some time pretending to sleep, she turned back.

“Lift the blanket up," she said.

They created a room within a room. Their body heat and breaths brought life to the air under the blanket. She found the strength to sit up and kiss him. He squeezed her close. Her unseen paw traced over his sheath, dragging her fingers through his slick fur. She wiggled down, guiding herself by holding his thick bulge, letting her head fall in. Her tongue brushed over the top. He closed his eyes, huffing quietly.

She cleaned all angles before burying his freshly polished erection in her mouth. He scratched behind her ears. She slid off, not in any rush, watching him all the while.

“Horny enough to clean me up now, dear?" she taunted.

“Oh, like ten minutes ago," he said.

“We were tied ten minutes ago."

“Yeah?" he said, acting confused.

She nibbled his dick, pinching his ballsack. He let out a laugh, squirming away. Grape scooched after him. She tried to get her butt in his face. He just twisted with her. Grabbing her nape, he thumped up against her buttcheeks. She grunted, tail wrapping around him.

“Stop, you're undoing all the work I did."

He humped between her legs, dick sliding through their old mess. “You can just do it again!" he said.

Grape murred, holding his dick to her. Peanut mimicked her noise, thrusting hard against her butt. She shook herself free, the blanket falling away. He was distracted by an unobstructed view, his cum clinging to the fur on her outer labia, the pink wrinkles of her ass. She propped herself up on the bed's edge. She looked back, eyes narrowed, but still keeping her tail raised.

Peanut shivered. He got the blanket sweeping behind him like a cape. He let himself fall onto her back. He kissed her on the cheek.

“Warm enough?" he asked.

“Maybe once we're tied again."

Delighted, Peanut hummed, grinding on her slender butt. “Love you."

He felt her heart pick up. She bit her lip, looking at him from the corner of her vision. “Love you too. Give me those puppies already."

Peanut stalled out for a second. He wasn't sure why. Some vague discomforting concept. He nodded, his nose in Grape's fur. He held his dick, rubbing against her curves, finding where her lips were most hot on his tip. With his taper barely wedged in her slit, he found his usual spot on her back before easing his hips forward.

“Gooood boy," Grape murmured, wiggling her butt.

Peanut hummed, his shaft rocked side to side in her walls. He squeezed her breasts, indulging in a few run-of-the-mill thrusts. They never felt average. Grape was always special. This time, it was the way she was already ready. His cum slipped out of her and back down his swaying sack. The sound it made. He didn't waste any more time. He fully unsheathed by pushing his knot into her. Still small, but he made no effort to untie. The exception was to wait, play a risky game of seeing how much he could make her labia stretch. Or the times when tying was disadvantageous. Like when Grape and Tarot had to share him, swapping off with Max. Finishing in either partner when the moment felt right. He liked that game. Tarot. He needed to talk to her today. He'd have to remember why later. For now, he needed to focus on keeping his knot pushing through Grape.

Grape raised her head. “You can go a little faster."

“Sorry. Distracted," Peanut said.

“What's on your mind?"

“Nothing, just gotta talk to Tarot."

Grape was unfazed. “What about?"

“Um," Peanut said. He stalled his thrusts. “I'm not sure yet."

He pumped another load into Grape. She squeezed out a few more details while they waited, half asleep. He wasn't sure what he wanted from his relationship with Tarot. It all felt so much easier with Grape. Play games, nap, have sex, hang out with their friends. It was similar with Tarot, and he for sure didn't want it to end, but the big picture was opaque. With Grape, it felt decided, even when the details of every day weren't.

“Just talk to her, obviously. Uhhm," Grape paused, a tremble in her voice. Peanut licked another glob from her inner labia. She was hot, swollen. They hadn't waited long enough before untying, her walls still spread from the effort. “Yeah, don't spare any details. Even the sexual stuff. There's no reason to at this point."

“You have any details like that?" Peanut asked, catching his breath.

“Hmm?"

He rubbed his digits up and down, spreading fluids over her. “Sexy details!"

“Oh. Umm. Oh yeah. I really want you and Max to do me together more."

“Mm?" he said, nuzzling her backside. He lifted her tail, smooching her butt. He pushed his fingers in her pussy, curling them and dragging them out.

“Yeah! Really–gah!–go to town." Grape shuddered. He licked up all the cum leaking down her. Her vulva spread and wrinkled on his tongue. She was especially captivating after two rounds, never making it easy to find where the last scent was hiding. She dropped her chest and kept her butt high. “You can stay back there. Mating me, I mean. With your dick. Max can, oh, mount my—f-face! Oh my dog, keep licking, right there."

Peanut squeezed her hips, licking over the same spot on her clit, only thinking about what she said. Her claws punched through the fabric on her bed, her tail straight up. She moaned. He spread her labia, looking inside. His penis was dripping, untouched since their last round, unsheathed again. He was too turned on for this. Kneeling up, he pushed back in, stretching her lips around his dick. He relaxed, leaving her full. Her pussy fit him snug as always.

“Mmnnnhh!" Grape murred. “Hello again."

“Really like your idea," Peanut huffed. He focused on it, grabbing her hips, thrusting consistently. Her tail shook in his face. He decided to emulate Max, falling forward, pushing his slippery digits against her mouth. Grape sucked down, no embarrassment considered. She gasped, spasming around him. He relaxed, slowing his thrusts. He was grateful to meet her needs, suddenly exhausted. The push and pull through her pussy more than enough effort for a while. It was just nice to stay in her where it was warm.

She collapsed, half off the bed, her butt held up for him by the edge of fabric. Details drifted away. Peanut kept their hips thumping fur-to-fur, enjoying slip and thud. A late spasm overtook her, clenching, bringing him close. He pressed up to her slobbery labia, grinding his knot to her. He could add to the warmth. He thought better of it. Tying again would have been overkill. He wanted them to be able to spend time with their other partners. Pulling out, the mess dripped out on her back, the blanket.

“Happy Valentine's day," Peanut said, hugging her.

Relaxing down with his weight on top of her, Grape let out a long sigh.

---

It wasn't actually that cold, but mom made him wear a coat. He stashed it under the porch as soon as he made it outside. His fur itched in that thing. Over his collar, he kept his scarf on. He fiddled with its position as he walked, following his nose.

At some point his paws left his neck. He watched the flakes fall, listening for the impossible sound of them landing on tree limbs. He stared up, closing his eyes when a big flake melted on contact. He breathed out nice and hard. Not ready to go into Tarot's house, he started a loop around the block.

Peanut couldn't explain it to himself. He needed Tarot's help. But he wanted to at least have a question ready. Puppies had been in the back of his mind for a while. He was scared to look straight at it. There could be rejection, sad practicalities. Or one of the many things he hadn't thought of. He liked being here, now. The idea of waltzing into fathering pups appealed to him. Tarot wouldn't like that, or at least wouldn't think of it that way. He wasn't sure why. That'd be one question.

At the end of the curved street, the clubhouse was a chatterbox. He wanted to go in. He could say hi to Max. And Fox. Joey was cool. So many cool pets all in one place. His tail wouldn't stop wagging.

Peanut puffed out air, staring down. This felt important enough that he didn't want to lose all his focus.

A large tree towered over the sidewalk. Needles collected underneath, mixing with snow. The bark was hundreds of layers of old dead tree cells, hardened into stiff ribs that split and merged. As it rose up into the branches, it lost the deeper grooves, replaced by cuts then dapples, before disappearing into the spokes of limbs running higher and higher, like a forest turned on its side. He looked out at the neighborhood covered in feet of snow. He had to show Tarot this tree.

Knocking once, he let himself in. He forgot to wonder if she would comment on his smell. Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out a small, wrapped box. It was hard to find a gift for Tarot. She usually didn't want anything. Toys weren't really something she liked unless he was already playing with one. She had a dildo, but he filed that under things that didn't count.

“Tarooooh!" Peanut howled. He ran up the stairs and hugged her. When her hug back told him she was in an okay mood, he lifted her up, tilting her against his chest.

“Woah!" Tarot said.

“Happy Valentine's day!"

She patted his arm. He put her down, but she didn't let him get too far. Latching onto his collar, she brought him down to her level. Her kiss was simple and not-at-all breathless. Just warm lips on his cold ones. The feeling lingered. They sat down at the top of the steps. It was a heck of a lot easier to get close to eye-level when they sat. She repeated his greeting, a hint of worry in her voice.

“I thought we weren't doing gifts this year?" she said.

“I know. It's okay, I don't need anything. I just wanted to get you something."

“Okay, okay," Tarot sighed.

She carefully peeled off the bow, stuck it to his leg, then tore off the rest of the paper. Peanut watched her face, holding his breath. She tilted her head. She hummed, smiling. Passing her paw over three colorful shrink-wrapped spheres, she took out a bottle of pearly white liquid, ribbons of gray running throughout.

“Where'd you find this?" Tarot asked.

“Women's cosmetics department," he said.

She twisted off the end, lowering her nose. “Smells good. Humans like this?"

“Right?" Peanut said, easing his tail into a wag. He'd never seen Tarot take a bath, always a shower. She deserved to relax.

The edge of her face ran through stages of tension. “I still feel bad I didn't get you anything."

“You can make it up to me. With a walk, I mean. Do you want to go for a walk?"

Tarot turned toward him, squinting at him for a second. “You just got in. Isn't it freezing out there?"

“Yeah, but it's pretty. And it's easier to talk when there's nothing but snow."

She leaned closer. “What do you want to talk about?"

Peanut swallowed. “Oh, you know…"

“No, what?"

“Everything?" Peanut said, grinning awkwardly.

Tarot took her time reading him. She grinned, smug. “Now who's the one scheduling time to talk about our feelings?"

Tarot hummed while getting her scarf on. She turned to him. Silver strands in her scarf glimmered, her eyes similarly catching the sun's light. Peanut blinked a few times back at her. Since the sauna, it felt easier to enjoy each other's company. They lost some of their old hangups. He learned something new from her every time they talked. He trusted every word exchanged. She came back with questions of her own, lately about some aspect of their polyamory, or friendships, or emotions. He struggled to answer, but she was always more relaxed after. Maybe it'd help him too.

Out from the driveway, they turned the opposite direction from the clubhouse, toward the edge of the neighborhood. They walked fast, side-by-side. Tarot was trying not to step on the snow longer than necessary. Her scarf, flapping in the light breeze, had nothing on her windswept fur. It reminded him of feral wolves, their heavy coats. But Tarot was too well groomed for that.

Tarot slowed, accepting cold feet. She looked back, held her paw up. Peanut grabbed it, pressing warmth into her pawpads. The breeze fell away, making the air between them feel less opaque.

“So," Tarot said, “everything? How every are we talking here?"

“Well, not fate-of-the-world, probably," Peanut said.

“Darn."

Peanut glanced around. No one was outside but them. He let thoughts flow out. Tip-toeing around how he felt never made it feel any easier by the end.

“I was wondering if you wanted to have puppies," Peanut said.

He had more to say, but Tarot was ready to jump out of her fur.

“What?" Tarot said loud, lacking much of any dramatic inflection.

“Well yeah. We've been dating for so long, and it turns out we really like each other. I figure it's just one of those things you try to do."

Tarot had her mouth stuck open, so he continued.

“I know my mom and dad would help us figure out what to do. And I know I like doing daycare for the neighborhood pups. It's fun. But I'm pretty sure I'm missing something? King thinks it's super stressful. I'm sure it would be sometimes, but I think he's stressed because he loves them so much. But, yeah, I must be missing something, or you wouldn't be looking at me like that."

Tarot used a paw to close her jaw. She tugged him down. He knelt.

“You want to have… puppies," she said.

“Yeah?"

“You want to have puppies—with me," Tarot said, nodding at the end.

“Yeah," he said, nodding back.

“I thought that was a joke between you and Grape."

“That's what made me think of it!"

“Oh well in that case, yeah, let's do it!" Tarot said, raising her paws over her head. “What could go wrong!?"

Peanut laughed. “Well, lots of stuff, probably!"

“That doesn't bother you?"

“I'm sure it will at some point."

Tarot tilted back like a gust of wind knocked her sideways. “Peanuuut," she groaned.

Peanut rubbed the back of her hands, looking at her feet. “It's probably a lot to think about. You're always better at the strategy stuff."

Tarot went slack in his paws. “It's so much to think about that I would need to think about all that I need to think about."

“Well, we can do that."

Tarot looked like she was working out a lateral thinking puzzle that was written on his face. She didn't like those things.

Peanut turned his head towards a house. The front yard was full of trees, a winding path with hemispheres of snow hiding manicured bushes. “We don't need to hump it out right here. I don't know if that'd feel good in the cold anyway."

Tarot didn't laugh, still that tired look on her face. “You really caught me off guard with this. I don't know what to ask."

“Yeah, we can wait."

Tarot briefly grinned. “You're not going to run off and find someone else to have lots of puppies with?"

“Ooo! Do we want to have a surrogate mother?" Peanut asked.

“No. Let's keep walking."

Peanut hugged her, scratching the back of her head. It was more for his own comfort.

They took a trail out of the neighborhood. It was late enough after the snowfall that humans and pets had trodden it into a manageable mess. Darkness wasn't setting in yet. The days were getting longer again. The sun was low enough in the sky that Peanut saw the change in light. Tarot's pale yellow became golden.

Tarot caught him looking. He didn't look away. He liked looking at her. Tarot tilted her head.

“Why do you want to have puppies?" she asked. Without waiting for him to gather his thoughts, more words pushed out, unleashing the last five minutes of contemplation. “We don't need to have puppies to be happy with our lives, right? And we don't need them to give us meaning. And we don't need to worry about there being enough dogs in Babylon. So why?"

“That's a good question!" Peanut said.

Tarot spun in a slow, ambling circle, raising her arms as she came back around to him. “You don't know?"

“Well, no, I guess not."

“So why are we talking about it?! Peanut, I really like you. No, I love you, I'm bad at saying that. I just–"

Tarot let her head hang. Peanut put a paw on her shoulder, dragging her in. They kept walking. Peanut looked out. To the east of Babylon, forests held countless wooden critters. But this was to the west. The forests were stripped away for farmer's fields, narrow bands of trees creating boundaries between them. With the snow, it was smooth land. But it brought attention to where the smoothness was interrupted. Small paw prints cut through gaps in the tree cover. Snowmobiles cut tracks down the middle, bright flags lining their path. Tarot and him walked the ridgeline, the hibernating trunks of trees on Tarot's side. Far ahead, the snowy fields melted into the clouds.

“I really don't want to try to convince you either way," Peanut said. “But this walk made me think of something."

“Well okay. What's that?"

“I like this trail. And if we had kids, we could show it to them."

After a few paces, Tarot put her paw over her mouth, blinking fast.

“You okay?" Peanut asked.

“Yeah, I'm fine," Tarot said, her voice tight. She adjusted her grip on his paw. “I like this trail, too. We should turn around though. I'm getting cold."

Shivers were contagious. He nodded.

With the sun out of their eyes, it felt darker. The cold was starting to numb his arms. Tarot kept them moving along. He felt bad for Tarot. He was pretty sure he didn't need to; Tarot fought harder than anyone. But he did anyway.

Peanut distracted them both with tame conversation. The struggles yesterday during the storm. Speculating about when the power would come back on. Up in the trees, squirrels taunted them. Peanut growled back, keeping his hold on Tarot's paw. One ran up a branch, behind the trunk. He heard it clambering to stay out of view.

“Oh yeah," Peanut said. “I gotta show you this one tree by the clubhouse."

“What's different about it?"

Peanut struggled to put it into words. “I dunno. It's not that special. It just looks cool."

“Well, it's not far, right? We can head over to the clubhouse later and see it."

“Do you want to?" Peanut said, excitement poking through the gloom.

“Yeah. We can shower there. And you smell like you were stuck in Grape for too long anyway."

“Did you wanna have sex too?" Peanut asked.

“Yeah. Oh, we should probably do that first. But wait, you bought me that shampoo, so we should go back to my house, have sex, grab the shampoo, then go shower. But then I'll smell like my boyfriend and his girlfriend. So maybe we…"

Peanut hummed. “Do we need to plan it all out?"

“Shouldn't we?" Tarot said. She grinned. “Or maybe you'd like me to smell like that in front of everyone."

“No, well yes, but," Peanut said, swallowing.

Tarot looked up at him, swaying to the side, still holding his paw.

“I think we could figure it out as it happens. It might not go as well, but it might be more fun."

Tarot paused, tilting her head back. “Peanut, you asked if you wanted to have sex."

He exhaled. “Yeah, you're right, but maybe I shouldn't have! I really like it when we're both in the mood and just start doing stuff."

“Doing each other," Tarot said.

“Yeah!"

“But if we plan it, we can make sure it happens. Like, I like when you tie me, but if you don't—" Tarot paused, staring out past him, “—have a condom. Peanut, if we're not ready to have kids…"

Peanut nodded. “I think I'm ready."

Tarot grimaced. “I need better than 'I think'."

Peanut searched his memories for answers, but there was nothing. He didn't know what it'd be like to have Tarot go through pregnancy, give birth. It sounded impossible. He held both her paws. “How will we know we're ready? What if we're never ready?"

Tarot shook her head. “I don't know. Maybe you're right, and we should take risks sometimes. It is kind of exciting to consider. But there's so much to worry about with it."

Peanut tilted his head, grinning halfway. “If I planned more, maybe I wouldn't have thought King had four pups."

Tarot squeezed her eyes closed for a second, sniffling. “Maybe. But you shouldn't beat yourself up over that."

He and Tarot were sitting on a snowbank at the trailhead. The sun already dipped behind the fields and the rocks and the trees. Peanut hummed.

“Can I show you that tree before it gets too dark?"

---

It was still a nice tree. Only a few stray rays got through the clouds, giving the higher branches and snow a warm glow. The rest melded in with the night.

Peanut put his paw up to the craggy surface. When it was born, the neighborhood wasn't here. It was a sapling on a billionaire's land. Before that, it was just forest. Maybe humans disrupting things, sometimes. There was an old railway on the far side of town that was converted into a walking path. And before any of that, this might have been a desert, or a mountain, or an ocean, or all three at some point. This tree wasn't here for any of that. He read it took eight minutes for light to get from the sun to the tree, but billions of times longer for the light to bounce off other photons out of the core of the sun. It wasn't here for that either.

Peanut dug his paws into the granules of snow, scooping it off to the side, the cold gnawing back at him. It only took a few seconds to create a seat. He sat down, shoveling out a spot beside him. He looked up, nodded. Tarot sat. They stared up through the dim branches. Tarot placed her paw on his. He waited to feel her warmth before holding it. He couldn't describe what was captivating about this tree. But it felt like she felt it too. A shiver came over Tarot, vibrations dissipating into his paw.

“You're cold," he said.

“Yeah? Are you?" Tarot said, voice light and wavering.

“Come here."

Peanut had her sit on his lap. She sat back, lifting her nose up to his. Stray snow melted between them, making them more damp than he would have liked. He held her tight, paws wrapping her. He brushed his snout against her head.

Tarot brought his arm down lower to her belly. Peanut scratched gently until she pressed his paw flat. He felt her fat and her thick fur, her muscles tense.

“We'd have to spend so much time caring for them," Tarot said.

“At least for a while," Peanut said.

“There'd be less time for everything else. We'd be tired all the time. Or at least I would be. I've never seen you tired."

Peanut nodded against her. “I get tired."

Her voice was unusually soft. “There's really no reason for us to do it. Because it wouldn't be about us, it'd be about them. About them, but our choice. It hardly makes sense."

“We do get some things out of it. We'd get to watch them grow up."

“But it'd be about them, right?"

“Yeah, s'pose so."

“I just wish it made more sense."

“Most things don't really make sense," Peanut said.

“Don't remind me! The Game? The Game makes sense enough, but why was it even played to begin with? Gods felt like it. Okay, why did that happen?"

“Well, I'm glad it did, though. It brought you to me!"

Peanut grabbed her shoulders, kissed her head. Tarot shifted, slowly acquiescing.

“So whatever happened, happened. So now we're here, under this pine tree. It just feels so unsatisfying," she said.

“Maybe," Peanut said, blinking to unfreeze his eyelids. “It's both at the same time. It's unsatisfying, and it's nice that it happened."

“Well that's definitely true," Tarot said. “Is that as good as it gets?"

“We can keep looking if you want."

Tarot sputtered. She flipped around on top of him, facing him. “Sometimes I can't tell if you're making fun of me!"

Peanut held her neck. “I'm serious! We can keep looking."

Tarot squinted. Her eyes drooped. “Thanks Peanut."

He shook his head, getting her attention. “Tarot, you're the strongest dog ever. You go running to fight for the fate of the universe. You outsmarted gods at the end of the Game! We can figure out if we want to have kids or not."

A little noise got caught in Tarot's throat. He couldn't see her move. Then, her tail swished the air. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, kissing him.

By the time their chests were warm, the streetlights all flickered back on.

Tarot's house was just as cold inside, just without the wind. The cast-iron radiators panged as the metal heated. Tarot knelt in front of old coals in the fireplace, faintly glowing.

“You can go ahead," she said.

“You don't want help?" he said.

“No, it's fine. It'll only take a few minutes."

“Do we have enough wood?"

Tarot turned back to him. “I got this, Peanut. If you want to help, get the shower going."

Peanut shifted his eyes around. “Okay."

Water echoed down the pipes, louder until it rushed out the lower faucet. It was ice-cold. He wondered if Sabrina had been in to check on things. She was probably at the clubhouse, or with Fido. He didn't know either of them as well as he would have liked. The water went from freezing to cool under his paw. That was good enough. He was bored. He took off his collar and stepped under a drizzle. The water worked past his outer fur. He curled his arms and shoulders in, waiting for it to hurt less. Either the water warmed, or he just got used to it.

By the time Tarot walked in, it became obvious it was warming. He pushed the curtain out of the way, blasting her with full-frontal neck-nudity. “Hey, you coming in?" he asked.

“No, I just wanted to talk to you."

Peanut blinked. He took a careful step out of the tub, water raining down from him.

“Done already?" Tarot asked, eyes widening even as she said it. He closed the distance on her. “Peanut!" was all she could manage before he picked her up. He hugged her, trying to get her just as wet as him. She murmured agreement, half laughing, and Peanut brought them back under the shower. He took her step-stool out of the tub, making room for her.

He sat down, his brow heavy with water rolling off. She joined him sitting. He asked what she wanted to talk about. Tarot pointed her head towards the onslaught of water, her nose shrinking back like something besides him smelled bad.

“I thought I was rude to you a minute ago. Bossy."

“Maybe. I wasn't offended."

They went back and forth: Tarot trying to apologize, him not accepting it. Tarot was much quieter, muscles tense. Kind of like before they were kissing under that tree. He wished kissing actually fixed problems. It just made them seem less important for a while.

He reached up and grabbed soap from the ledge. Since her feet were right there, he rubbed her pads. She flinched when he worked soap between her toes, but gradually eased back. With the shampoo he gave her, he worked up her leg. He was definitely using more than he needed to. Tarot slid forward, taking the bottle from him. Her voice came out less strained. She made suds in her paws, then rubbed up his thighs.

“We really don't have a lot of answers," she said.

Peanut nodded. She sat on his lap, soaping her paws then rubbing soap into his sheath. She moved his balls to either side, cupping him, rubbing underneath. The cold had left him small. He focused on her voice. He brought up Grape. Grape was the closest he came to knowing what he was doing. But species mattered. They'd never have kids. It was fun, romantic, easy. Annoying her without actually annoying her, just keeping up the act for comfort's sake.

“Well, I hope she's not too annoyed, I guess."

Tarot stood. Peanut knelt, only a bit shorter than her, close to eye-level. They shared the water equally, but it was never quite warm enough for either of them. They stayed close. She brushed his worries away, letting loose bundles of fur drain down. She stopped for a second.

“Maybe you're right about the fire. It's good to have time alone to think."

Peanut tilted his head. He said he needed someone to talk things through with. She nodded. Her claws dragged through the fur on his neck. His back straightened, ears perked. She scratched a while longer, bringing up another aspect to pups he had never thought about, moving on to his chest. He held her hips, swaying, looking down at her feet.

When her thoughts ran out, he rambled back his own. He rubbed shampoo under her arms then down her sides, following the slow wave of suds. With the slipperiness left on his paw, he cleaned the underside of her breast, then got more shampoo to finish the task. Tarot looked back at him. She pressed his paws to her breasts, leaning closer. Peanut tilted his head up, matching her lips. He squeezed. She adjusted, pressing harder.

“Did you still want to take a bath?"

Peanut hesitated, panting. “No."

Water off. Peanut shook himself, shedding water in every direction. Tarot muttered before returning the favor. He shielded his eyes. She had a lot of fur.

They took off some more water with towels. Never enough. He always felt heavy after bathing, water in his undercoat sapping heat. He dried his genitals for comparatively longer than the rest of him. It was hard to abandon that tingly sensation Tarot gave.

He slung the towel on a hook, catching up with Tarot, forgetting his collar. She matched his nudity. Her tail swayed as she walked, fur still sticking together in spikes. She smelled exciting despite the shower. Peanut looked at her from the corner of her eye. She wasn't quite smiling, but she looked pleased, like she was done running through some options.

Peanut snapped his gaze forward. Flames grew from logs. He felt the heat as a light breeze, the air still cold. Tarot sat on the shag carpet. She waited for him. They watched embers fly up into the chimney. A log snapped in half. He shifted closer to her. The shower hadn't really warmed him up. The fire, her body, felt needed. He shivered.

She turned to him. Flames turned her into a sunset he couldn't look away from. She glanced down at his crotch. His dick was poking out. He didn't try to cover himself, or really do anything. Tarot stood. She unfurled a large fleece blanket from the couch. Dropping one end over Peanut's shoulders, she joined him under it. They sat close. Tarot petted his thigh. Peanut shimmied closer. He grabbed her buttcheek. She humphed. Her tail wagged, gaining its volume back. She lifted his ballsack and held under it, feeling his weight.

“Hey Tarot?" he said, leaning his head in close.

“Mmm?" she murmured, eyes half closed.

He nudged his head up against her shoulder. Then her belly. She let him knock her down. He stuck his tongue out. With a few words, he went down between her legs. Her thighs were damp in his paws. Strong. She only spreaded more, shooing away the blanket from her eyes.

Peanut let his warming sheath press to the carpet. He lowered his head and made use of how exposed she let herself be. Sometimes lapping, sometimes sucking down. Her taste was subtle. Not so much that he couldn't get enough, but that he liked doing it. Her labia was nice and warm. Her fluffy tail shifted under him. Tarot was a quiet lover. She didn't want big gestures. Her paws caressed his ears, rubbing the thin fur backwards. He giggled. He took her paw, putting it on her belly along with his. She was so soft: easy, even with his tongue, to spread apart. Tarot murmured, lifting her hips.

He watched for more signs. Her claws dragged through the carpet. He focused in on that spot, repeating the motion, pulling his tongue over her clit at an angle. She sighed, muscles relaxing. He bathed her crotch with wide licks, trying to narrow in again.

Sometimes he wasn't sure if he should stop. Foreplay could just be foreplay. But he didn't want to take her out of the moment. At a minimum, she enjoyed being eaten out, even if she didn't come. He tried anyway. The angle was awkward, but he could push a few fingers in, twist them and feel her walls try to twist them back. She huffed, eyes closed, back arching an inch. He sucked on her clit, pushing and pulling with his digits.

“Lower," Tarot murmured.

Peanut continued for a while. His face got warm, jaws sore, muzzle wet. He dragged his paw out completely, licking against her vagina, rubbing her slobbery clit. Tarot let out a hushed gasp. The fire competed with her murmurings. Settling in, he found a good motion for rubbing her, getting her nice and wet. He couldn't hold her thighs back. They came closing in, pushing his paw away. He ignored soreness, letting her reactions guide him.

She pressed his head down. She let out a few hard breaths, moaning with each. Tarot didn't squirt or anything. That didn't stop him from licking her more. Her tail wagged like his. He asked a question. She agreed. He lowered further down, licking her butt.

Tarot grunted low, getting her paw in the way. “Woah."

He pulled back. “Sorry."

“No, no it was fine," she said quickly.

“We should try it more sometime. Since we're not doing puppies, at least yet."

Tarot laughed, looking away. But she removed her paw, tilting her hips up, showing off her wet bits, orgasm drooling down to her butt. “It felt interesting."

“Did you like it?"

Another pause. “Yeah."

He gave her a few more passes, feeling her tail wag right under his tongue. She tasted like shampoo and soap and the arousal that had leaked down. The shower seemed like a good place to bring it up again, if he remembered next time.

A thumb on her butt, he lifted off. She gave him a smirk, playing with her clit. She flipped around. The fire had grown into a true blaze. He still felt sluggish, but more warm than cold. When he sat up and released the pressure from his junk, he unsheathed a few inches. The heat felt good. He held his sack, squeezing himself. Tarot moved closer on her knees. She replaced his paw. She lifted up each testicle individually. After a few prods, she seemed satisfied.

“What're you doing?" he asked.

“Making you symmetrical."

“I wasn't symmetrical?"

Tarot flicked her tongue out. “No."

He made noise that let his excitement show. Tarot was lowering down. “Are we just doing foreplay tonight?" he said.

“Sure, if you want to."

He nodded. “Yeah. Does that mean–?"

She smiled, eyeing his red flesh, a bead of pre catching the firelight. “Yeah. More practice."

He laughed once, clutching the blanket. Tarot pulled on the blanket by way of closing the distance between them. Her humid breath rolled over his penis. Her heat. He still tasted her, her crotch against his mouth, her fur tickling his lips. He couldn't stop grinning, right up until she fell in close and licked across his sheath. He focused on the feeling. She passed from fur to smooth sensitive flesh. Her tongue curled on his rod, wetting him with a single pass. Better than any kind of lick was the look she gave. Sure of herself, like she'd been planning to do it for hours. She might have been. She didn't wait long to make another pass. Lingering on his sheath, her tongue gave heat that seeped in with spit. His dick laid on her snout. She winked up at him. Her confidence made it much easier to let her go at her own pace. Cupping his balls, she kissed the base of his shaft, making sure to bring spit to her lips, slowly wetting him. Tarot didn't open her eyes. She wordlessly moved up his shaft and sucked down on his tip. Her lips covered her teeth, giving him pressure. Her tongue, unseen, rolled over. He grunted softly, a little jostle moving his dick along her lips. She pulled off and licked more, not pausing, endless caresses along the sides of his penis. Pulling his sack forward, she licked them too, pressing hard. A little moan bubbled out of him. He let his tail wag, lifting his hips to give better access.

Tarot smiled, looking at her handiwork, then up at him. He was coated in spit that played with the flickering light. She went between her legs, first rubbing herself, then squishing in. Peanut joined her. He rubbed her spit around his dick. They watched each other, unflinching. He urged pre to drool out of him in front of her, falling to the carpet. Tarot stopped, licked her lips. He tensed up without trying, rubbing faster, the rest of the room falling away. Just him and her.

Tarot opened her mouth and sucked down around him. Her teeth slid along, pressed out the way. The pressure didn't fade, all the parts of her mouth surrounding him. She was gentle, carefully giving him room. Some air passed from her lips. Peanut sighed with her. He wiggled his butt, doing his best not to push deeper. She pushed his balls back, tight in her paw, steadying him. She made sure they'd both enjoy it. It wouldn't take her long to push a paw under herself again, give another spark to everything. He really liked hearing her masturbate, her smell wafted by her tail. Their pleasure already seemed to have an echo. But that might have been noises she made.

Peanut rubbed behind her ears. She looked up, his dick stuffed in her mouth, amused as he was. It took a fun, awkward conversation for her to share she liked having his dick in her mouth making it hard to breathe. She watched him while pushing forward, sending the flexible end of his shaft bending down her tongue.

“Ahh," Peanut moaned, gripping back at her head, keeping her there. Slowly he released her. She eased back before pushing forward almost as far. He resisted impulses better this time, listening. Moisture crinkled in her mouth. A log cracked, barely in his perception. Tarot's lips were almost against his knot. He couldn't remember when his knot came out. Those vague thoughts faded into the slow pushes down Tarot's mouth. The bath left her fur silky. She had a soothing heat. She was slipping in and out of herself now. Holding herself up on one paw, she took more effort pulling off him than staying around, making out with the shaft in her mouth, squeezing down. She smelled better than he could remember her smelling. He huffed, catching himself about to cum like he'd catch himself about to fall asleep. Easing his hips back, she only had his tip still in her mouth.

She let him slip out, holding his shaft. Tilting her head, she asked if he was close. He nodded, stiff. She just took a deep breath and slipped back around him. After enough dips down, she'd attuned herself with how to hold his shape. She held his balls, lips close to his knot again. She paused. Sinking further, a breath escaped her. She kissed his knot. Peanut shuddered, tail wagging intermittently. She pushed again. Her throat was just as warm as the rest of her. Her teeth pressed harmlessly on his knot. She slid her paw up. Peanut grunted when she pressed on the back of his lobes. His dick felt tight, surrounded. Again, she pushed, moaning, mouth around his widest. He came all at once.

“Mmm!"

He pulsed down her throat. She eased back, eyes closed, holding him more comfortably but keeping pressure. She masturbated freely, not swallowing yet, letting cum fill her mouth. He didn't open his eyes much, letting soft grunts stay internal, taking in how good her mouth felt, his cum slipping along. Warmth spread down his shaft. He didn't hold her, but she stayed down, still more spurts getting pulled from him. Cum dribbled down her lips. He sighed, open mouthed, letting himself pant. She pressed to him, her lips coated, mouth wide, dealing with a drawn-out canine orgasm. When she was doing Max, it didn't last as long. But Max could also be much rougher with her. It was fun to watch. So was this.

Tarot pulled off, letting him finish leaking out across her muzzle. She panted, looking up at him from a long way off.

“You were really close that time."

She noticed he spoke, focusing her eyes. She still took her time answering, catching her breath. “We'll get there," she said.

He helped her finish masturbating, if he could call it that. They retreated to the comfort of the couch. They let the blanket fall. Too warm. She was a bit red in the muzzle, dealing with his mess. Offering to help, she sheepishly accepted a tongue bath.

She relaxed her legs, sitting back, putting her paw over Peanut's. He kept his fingers pumping in her lazily while he licked her snout. He eased her close to the edge, not letting her get there all at once. Then he got an idea that made his dick unsheathe again. He slipped out, pressing two fingers against her butt. She perked up, blinking at him. He almost took his paw away, but she moved to stop him. Almost smiling, straight-lipped, she nodded. He pushed in.

She grunted.

With some shifting, she found it best to keep her hips tilted back. She took the edge off the awkwardness by rubbing her clit. He pumped his penis, still slippery with globs of cum, rubbing his shoulder up against Tarot. She murmured, complimenting the show he was giving, still blushing. He pushed a couple knuckles-deep in her butt, staying there, giving pressure. Together, they brought themselves closer.

Tarot's edge approached suddenly. Huffing, she rubbed fast, her ass squeezing and relaxing on his fingers. Without thinking to ask, he brought his head down to her crotch, nestled between her legs and belly. He lapped up her orgasm, her pussy quivering. She dug her paws through the fur on the back of his head, moaning, squeezing him close. He lapped up her slippery butt. Her thighs strained so hard they shook. When the heat of the moment faded, he pulled back, open-mouthed, dazed. He needed a minute to adjust to the light. They needed that bath. But the walk in the woods, the difficulty of pups, the sex they shared. Falling to the couch cushions, the idea of a nap took away all motivation. He nestled up to Tarot's belly. She tried to fap him off for a while, but they gave up. Too much effort. It would have been a good time to try anal, too, but her belly was warm. He let his erection fade from urgency, then all thought.

A phone call jolted him awake. He had no idea how long they'd been sleeping, but the fire still crackled, casting its glow on the living room. He slipped free from Tarot's arms. She only shifted closer to a ball. He hustled over to the phone on the wall in the kitchen.

“Oh hey Grape!"

She sniffed in. “Hi Peanut. You left your phone here. Tarot there?"

“No, I can grab her. She's–"

“No, I wanted to talk to you."

“Ahh," he said. He didn't feel worried, but he was starting to think about feeling worried.

“Can you come home?" she said.

Her voice wasn't hitting the low notes like it usually did. “Are you okay?" he asked.

“I'm," she said, wavering. “I don't know. I don't know how big of a deal it is. He said it's not, but—It's me and Max. Our date tonight didn't go very well."

“Well, Tarot's sleeping. I don't wanna—" Peanut said. The way she spoke was getting to him. “Okay, I'll tell her I'm leaving."

Grape murmured her thanks. He ended the call.