FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Hello and welcome to the next installment of this series.

I'm sorry for taking as long for this piece, but it's probably going to move a little faster in the months coming. This time, we're diving a little deeper into what could be and what arises from it. If you're new to the series, this relies heavily on the prior parts, but I'm also aware that it's a rough read to go through the old stuff, so just bear with me and my past if you're interested. It'll improve. With that out of the way, give feedback in case you've got something on your heart and otherwise (and most importantly),

have fun and see you around.

Bordox

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Seth yawned widely, tapped his alarm into silence, then looked around his apartment. The mundanity was almost graspable to the point that he didn't know whether this was just a memory or indeed another day on earth. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, his mind finally decided to chime in as well and remind him of the upcoming appointment. Amanda. For the first time, she would see how he lived, look behind the facade and Seth didn't know whether he could be happy about it.

There was just so much of... him in here; it was as if he was staring in his own soul, a particularly messy one at that. The studio style multi-purpose room had his bed at the far side from the entrance, hidden behind the bend of the L-shaped layout and while he could conceal it behind a curtain or even lower the blinds if when necessary, he liked the view outside in the morning, how the light sometimes played in the leaves of a small park next to the building.

Said park and panorama windows still were a cheap replacement for his house in the mountains and sure, it was by far no excuse for neglecting his flat like this, but the best he could do at the moment, the most comfort he was willing to grant himself in this life.

He wouldn't even have this smallest of delights today however as the sky presented more of a murky grey at the moment. While on one hand it deprived the view of anything pleasant it also luckily left the semi-mess of his apartment in a strangely euphemistic twilight. With a groan, the leopard rolled out of his bed and finally made his way around the corner, only to slump against the kitchen counter when his leg cramped up from the movement.

“I don't have time for this," the tall feline snarled, reaching down his toned leg while digging his padded fingers into the tense muscle. At first, it hurt more than it helped, but eventually it eased the pain and allowed him to stand on two legs again.

Moving around the marble top, he opened the fridge to start the routine he had only begun in this forsaken place; barely taking the time for a proper breakfast anymore. A sandwich from yesterday, a glass of water, all he needed until lunch, or at least pretended to need for the sake of his sanity.

With both unceremoniously in his paws, Seth stepped over to the window and let his gaze roam the surrounding buildings. Oh, what would he give for an onlooker, anyone staring up at the barely tinted glass and even if they got het up over his state of clothing, or rather the lack thereof, they would at least care. He'd be more than just a window in the glass facade. He'd be the one sporting a big cat in just his underwear. A smile snuck up his cheeks as he looked towards the largest tower block, imagining someone actually returning his looks and gave a short wave just in case.

Soon, the last crumb was to enter the despair behind his teeth though, the last gulp of drink no longer an excuse to bathe in the grey monotony. He would still be early at work either way and nothing less was tolerable, even if by the company's standards, definitely not by his. The leopard yawned a final time, then proceeded to prepare for the day. Just about ten minutes later, he had the pesky suit on, his fur combed into shape, and ready for the daily act. If he were honest with himself, he even enjoyed that part of his life despite the issues it brought, particularly at the prospect of being rewarded with a delightful evening to follow.

When he arrived at the frantically modern office building and headed through the wide entrance hall, nodding politely to the receptionists on his way to the elevator, it indeed was the usual, eventless start to another eventless day. The doors opened in the usual speed, the chime was like on any other day, yet as there still were five minutes left until the start of his self-scheduled shift, he suddenly noticed something unusual.

There was a new scent in the elevator. Of course he wouldn't know the smell of each and every employee, with the two hundred it would have been a struggle to remember even a useful fraction, but this one was... interesting. It had a spicy and sweet top note like freshly applied perfume, the ethanol very present, still there was this... oily base to it?

He sniffed it again, only to reach the exact same conclusion. It couldn't be the same person, could it? In any case, he would be late if he investigated, he thought. Leaving on his level though, the smell lingered and almost kept him company all the way to his office until it trailed off just a bend before his destination. A quick glance into the respective hallway reduced the possibility to about twelve of his colleagues, yet the three minutes demanded him to keep moving...

A small detour couldn't hurt, could it? The leopard smiled as he quickened his pace a little, turning back into the corridor to his right and continued chasing the smell. It definitely got stronger around here. Not Terence, not Ms. Carlyle, nope, definitely not Michael Pareto, the male with the single worst deodorant imaginable... no, neither... whatever. Ms... 'Ms. Whitaker. Oh what have we been up to?' Seth thought and kindly returned her nervous wave when she noticed his looks, before he moved on and took the next turn left to get back on his way. He would just be on time now, but it hardly matter given his findings. She was the most fascinating newcomer so far for sure.

With the ring of his smart-watch, he reached his destination. The key made its last turn when the final bleep echoed off and he stepped into the room just a second too late feeling strangely fine with it. It didn't make the pile on his desk look any more exciting however, and it even became less appealing when he emptied the mail box on his door.

Ms. Tarson had apparently been busy judging by the short scribbles on some of the envelopes. The leopard chuckled slightly, then proceeded on to his desk, booting up the oversized calculator and checking the new set of paper waste. Internal mail, internal mail...

Oh, a billet-doux from some anonymous stranger with a particular talent for sultry poetry. He raised an eyebrow when he took his time and inspected the elegant writing. This was definitely a collective effort of three or more people - sadly having put little effort to align their style of both wording and writing - and none of them matched the 'signature' underneath.

Cheryl... a doe from accounting if he remembered correctly, distant and with a certain aversion for predatory species; a mediocre attempt at a hoax. Eventually he scoffed, placed it in the document shredder and produced the last piece of paper: a very peculiar note from Amanda. “Tonight is still on," he read out loud, then stuffed it into the whirring machine as well, “Of course it is. I'll be there. How could I forget?"

Seth thought about the words while he sorted the newly arrived decoy magazines, then brushed it aside and started his day. It was the usual mess of course - as if working with inherently chaotic numbers could be anything else - still he was paid to have at least a little more insight into the mystical flux of goods and trade than the average person, so he would do as he was told.

The coming hours swooshed past, nothing suspicious on the stock market apart from the current crisis, still there was something off. The panther was late for her daily visit. Thirty minutes, fifty... Lunch break came as usual, but no Amanda in sight, not even after he returned from the cafeteria and the a nice meal and even better conversation with Mr. Pareto. It was worrisome, had she never missed it throughout the months they were doing this already.

A few breaths were enough to shake the strange feeling off though as he realised what the note was about. He nodded a final time to bring the train of thought to a halt and with the most dishonest smile he could muster, the leopard put back on his headset and joined the customer's meeting. This bloody idiot had invested a good portion of his capital in the wrong venture, against Seth's advice at that, and now put the blame on him anyway, expecting him to magically fix all his wrongdoings and retrieve the lost fund. One's losses were another's earnings; that's just how it went.

When the clock finally marked the end of his time, he shut the PC down and absently stared at his reflection in the black screen. Those stern yet soft features had once been able to win over more people than he liked, now he was one among many with heavy eyes and the first signs of his age. He didn't complain, had he lived a life of comfort until now, it just occurred to him how much of the easy years had already passed. Starting to snarl and revealing his sharp fangs helped that a bit, but he was quick to stand up before it got too depressing.

As he moved out on the hallway, Ms. Whitaker incidentally happened to leave as well, meeting him in the elevator. “Hi," she grinned widely, the youthful attire further emphasizing how little time she had spent in this company so far, then gave him an expectant look while her paw hovered over the panel. “Good afternoon. Ground level please. I see you're getting acquainted?" he replied in kind, then chuckled as he picked up the faint smell again. This was definitely her. “You even decided for an oil change today."

Oh, the looks he now received were truly brilliant; a mix of shame, anger and a surprising level of uncertainty. The cabin started moving, but she stiffened up a little and staying quiet as if she expected a follow up. Only when they slowed to a halt did she find her voice again.

“You... you noticed?" “I sure did," the leopard smiled as the doors opened, but waved dismissively as he saw her gaze lower, “but it is fine. There's a person in every one of us and it can't hurt to show it from time to time." “I... It was an accident, believe me. I'm sorry, I should have worn something more appropriate, but-" “I need no explanation, Ms. Whitaker. It is me who has to apologise instead for the questioning." As they walked through the entrance hall, he just returned her concern with a smile, then paused though and signalled her to move a little closer.

Upon her questioning look, he bent down slightly, “... What would be good flowers for the first date nowadays? Lilies and roses are outdated I assume?" Now he had her completely confused, frightened even if he didn't know any better. After a moment he backed out again, “Pardon my bluntness. I didn't mean to put you on the spot, just need advice from someone more competent than me." “And what makes you think that I'm an expert for flowers? My unmistakable sense for perfume?"

Seth chuckled lightly at her, relieved to see her smile return, but she didn't seem finished just yet, “Lilies are fine although usually used for wedding, in rarer cases funerals, Roses are still a classic, only slightly corny depending on the person. It's Ms. Shepard I as-"

“Would you mind to keep your assumptions to yourself, Ms. Whitaker? Office talk is a hardly reliable source," the leopard just interrupted her harshly before putting up a softer gaze, motioning her to continue. “So if we took Ms. Shepard as the imaginary person, I think that Roses would work, maybe not only red ones," the wolf explained barely short of a sly grin, then nodded conclusively and started heading for the exit. Moving a little quicker, Seth went first and pushed the door to open it for her, “Your advice is highly appreciated."

“Always happy to help," the wolfess smirked as she stepped outside.

This canine really became more interesting by the day.

Cars, why did everyone have to own a car? Yellow eyes stared back from the mirror before she turned it to the traffic behind her again. She had left him the note, sure, but what if he didn't wait for her? Well, that's what she'd get for trying to be mysterious; and for forgetting to charge her phone. Hitting the honk, she knew that it wouldn't change anything, still it felt like a relief. She snarled at the truck in front of her and honked again. Damn it, that felt good. If only she made it in time.

Seth had meanwhile made it back home. The leopard had filed away his documents, put off his jacket and was already arms deep in sliced up vegetables. Freshly bought flowers stood in a vase on the sink and apparently he had forgotten to put water in, only noticing when he rinsed his paws from the orange carrot markings that now proved his slaughter. The stains were a pain to get out of his fur, yet it was worth the effort, if not for this occasion then for what?

He smirked at the memory when he had bought this particular knife with Judy. Despite being not that much of a chef herself, she had a certain compulsion with quality equipment and considering what she was doing now, it didn't stand to doubt that she had a certain expertise in dealing with organic material.

He would still have to set the vegetables on the stove, prepare the 'meat', and it'd leave him two hours to get the rest done as well, including both himself and primarily the flat. After all, his place would continue to be the usual mess if he didn't change something about it and while the layout of the apartment was particularly handy to clean with a vacuum, he'd most certainly have to do a lot more to fit any reasonable standards.

One good thing about living alone was that only the grime of a single person could accumulate, on the other hand it also meant that this one individual had the sole responsibility; and it was quite obvious how serious he actually took it. Seth sighed, still all discomfort wouldn't clean up for him, so he better got going.

It took him one and a half hours in the end just to get it all into an acceptable state, but at least the escalopes were slowly simmering on the stove by now. Rumours said that letting them sit at a low temperature for a while improved the taste and although he could hardly judge that, not believing them was a risk he was not willing to take. The last preparations were soon to be done and as he finally looked around the flat bathed in the evening's red light, it was... comfortable. The smell of his meal filled the air, the low hum of the fridge stirring up the silence every now and then and it just felt like it was supposed to be. A home. “Oh come on, don't get ahead of yourself," the leopard grinned as he noted where his train of thought was heading for, on the other hand, could dreams really hurt?

The sun was low as Amanda saw the sign she had been longing for during the last hours. With the highway almost slowed to a halt, it would take at least another ten minutes just to reach the slip road though. Staring at her black screen, half of her mind somewhat expected a message of Seth to show up, asking where she was. Of course, it wouldn't reach her through the exhausted battery and she would not be significantly late, food was a different type of story though, precisely planned, precisely executed.

For once in her life, public transport would have been an actual alternative, regardless of how unreliable they were. The panther smacked her head against the wheel in frustration when she imagined Seth sitting in his apartment. He was a reasonable tomcat, too much even at times, he would understand. Just the nagging feeling remained; a harsh yet necessary reminder that she had messed up. By the time she had reached a red traffic light, Amanda took a breath, then threw a glance at her watch, the hands smirking archly back at her. This was the time. Any additional minute would be one he was waiting.

The panther smirked at how strangely relieving it was, now that she absolutely couldn't make it in time even if she wanted to. It would take another five minutes while she was locked between the two steel boxes in front of and behind her until the traffic cleared out somewhat. At the first strip of empty road in front of her, she let out a sigh of relief and when she rolled up to Seth's apartment building, only ten more minutes had dragged her further into the impending doom. She hastily kicked the vehicle's door open the moment the car stood still, only to realise she had broken a sweat halfway and besides the obviously worn clothes, she really would have preferred a shower beforehand.

Her padded finger hovered over the doorbell, but before she could press it, the buzzer already chimed. There was no way around it now. When she entered though, a call echoed through the staircase, “Smelly kittens welcome! Step inside!" Whatever trauma this leopard had had in his childhood, he was a sweetheart for sure. Just sometimes... she didn't know. Taking the stairs probably a tad slower than would be normal, she made her way up the building, the clicking of claws on concrete already sounding down to her and when the pair of spotted ears perked over the edge of the pawrail, her heart jumped slightly.

The soft smile of his was soon to follow and before she knew it, the tall figure towered over her and she felt herself getting dragged into the warm, pleasant smelling grasp of the intrusive feline. “I'm sorry I'm late," she grunted once he let go for a second. Looking up at him, she read the little he let on, found nothing but relief though. Dark pools of blue fixed her eyes as he softly strolled closer again, paws reaching out to take off her jacket, all while his melodic voice quietly hummed, “Well, dinner is ready. I'm happy you're here in the end, Amanda."

Seth stepped away with the jacket, but couldn't hold up the face for much longer, a rattling snort soon breaking through the surface and the first tears glistening in his eyes, “You smell truly awful though. Despite the food getting cold, a shower might be a good choice." She couldn't help but snort as well when he theatrically held her jacket at the maximum possible distance and pinched his nose to keep the smell out.

“I know. And once again, I'm so sorry." “Ah, I will live. Besides, if Amanda is late, she is either dead or in a horrible state. The moment you checked yourself on the footpath, I could have left you to rot outside if I really didn't want you up here." The underlying rational in his voice gave the words a certain strange note as he guided her inside, on the other hand would she have been worried if he had been any different.

The delightful scent of the different ingredients welcomed her as she stepped through the doorway, her host already on his way to hang up his stolen goods. She looked around, down the elongated room, over the living room-like portion on the back, at the prepared table, then her eyes wandered towards the empty rest of the room, his desk for example.

Oh, he had been too thorough to leave any dust that would prove his disorderly notion, but the lighter spots on the parquet were evidence enough, where something square had once stood for a long time. The enticing edibles were perched in a medium sized kitchen corner with an expensive marble counter both serving as a table and partition. The leopard calmly stepped into the booth and gestured for her to explore the room while he took out two plates, “My offer with the shower still stands. I might still have a set of clothing in my wardrobe from my last affair; My goodness, she was a force of nature."

She threw him a fuzzy glance, but he just laughed genuinely, “oh calm your fragile heart, Amanda. I still have some of Judy's items she never wore, but still left in my stock in case she might visit one day. They were untouched for a decade at least, so don't worry about catching germs." The panther paused for a second, looked down at herself and waged her options between smelling like a foul carp and getting her stomach to quieten fifteen minutes later.

“Whether we wait twelve more minutes or not, it does not matter," Seth noted absently while he already worked on the oven, “the escalopes need to be reheated either way now." “And what makes you think that I finish this quickly?" “It would be unreasonable to take longer than that." Amanda sighed theatrically, then moved further into the room, depositing her bag on a chair.

Her eyes wandered outside the wide windows that took up an entire wall of the room, watched the grey landscape standing dark and lonely in the night, pulsing veins of street lights and traffic illuminating what little life was left outside. Finally her gaze went back to the leopard, how he smiled at her, how the warm kitchen's light reflected in his fangs and eyes; it was frightening to see him as relaxed now that he was home.

The swiftness in his movements was gone, the usual snapping motion when he picked something up; his entire posture was even more relaxed than when they had been out on dates in the public. “Left wardrobe next to the bed with the steel knobs, lowest drawer. The bathroom is the white door over there," he said and cocked his head towards the wall separating the kitchen from his bed space.

When she nodded, the leopard went back to his efforts to account for her delay and she somehow knew that he would ignore her for the time being. It was unnecessary to act differently with both of them having their clear goals, so he didn't. Amanda smiled, then moved around the corner and out of his field of view to get to the drawer. The clothes indeed were the right size as she picked a few and when she entered the bathroom, the cool light automatically lit up to illuminate the medium sized space: clean, white and with light blue accents on half the shoulder-high tiling.

He had been thorough here as well with the few shampoo bottles neatly placed in line and everything was sparkling cleanly and even the chemical smell was still in the air. Still she felt strangely vulnerable in the new environment, regardless how much effort the leopard had put in making her feel valued. To make her feel valued, not necessarily welcome. He didn't mean it of course, anything else he had done bespoke a different attitude, but there was a remaining fleck of doubt in him.

When she was done, fur still damp but feeling a lot less sticky, she left the room in a cloud of steam, only to find him spread across the couch and staring blankly at the black screen of his TV.

“Hey, I thought we were having dinner," she hummed while leaning over the backrest to pass him a short smirk, “Thank you for the shower." “Oh, I had nothing to do with it, but if you wanted me to be involved, we could most certainly have arranged something," he replied while she tried to ignore his look, a mix between jest and seriousness she was not quite certain what to make of. “I heard you're hungry?" he eventually continued and reached his paw up to gently stroke her cheek.

The panther chuckled while her head sank on the backrest, “your ears have not deceived you, my friend." “Good, me too," he said, then rolled out of the pillows and headed for the kitchen, slowly fiddling with the oven controls, “The things should be done by now." “I thought they were cooked, not baked?" she wondered as she sat down at the table, immediately spotting his grumpy frown. “They were. But if I cooked them up to temperature now, you'd rather have a soup." “I'm sorry."

She really was despite the chuckle that escaped her lips. The leopard just kept his face up though and eventually placed the plate down with a little more force than strictly necessary. “You hopefully know how I could kill you from time to time and not feel the slightest remorse," the leopard replied with this elusive semi-seriousness again.

After just another playful snarl though, he sat down and looked properly excited as she responded in kind. “So. Go ahead. Enjoy it," he finally said and waited patiently for her to inspect the risotto and now baked escalopes. It was cutely arranged, far more professional than she would have expected with even a little rosemary draped over the top.

He grinned at her reaction, then picked up the first forkful of his meal in sync to hers, going on and mimicing all her movements down to the detail, how she looked at the rice, took a sniff of it and finally tried it, giggling when he did the exact same. “Mmmhh. Perfect," she mused after a while as he returned to his own movements, “especially this note of 'reheated'." “Oh shut up and eat up already," he commanded in return, taking a first cut at his escalope.

“By the way," the leopard continued after a while of happy, hungry silence. For the last minutes, he had only briefly mentioned the flowers, but apart from that, they simply had sat in front of each other and had gone down on their food. “Where have you been? You left at six in the morning, merely a short trip to the firm, then you were gone for almost fourteen hours. So what is it that could keep the amazing Amanda from work?"

His blue eyes pierced into her soul the moment she raised her gaze and they fought for control for a few heartbeats, each one chewing on their own mawful, until he realised that there was no information to be gathered this way.

It wasn't necessary to pry either as she considered his question for a moment, then let the restrain go. She could trust him; for some reason she could. With his shell he put up for the outside, it was hard to tell at times what lay below, but she could hide herself there as well. The way his eyes betrayed his words as she spoke...

“My father had an accident. Oh no, he will be fine, don't worry. Dropped down the stairs, but not far enough to keep serious injuries from it." Seth moved his paws to take hers and was quicker than she thought as she tried to pull them away, “Did you have to leave early for me?"

It was the next logical question, not the emotional one. That was already thoroughly answered by her posture. Convenient. “No, there was nothing left to do for me. He's in the hospital with mother at the moment," she sighed, “demanded cake almost every minute after he had already gotten some. The doctors say that it's not permanent. Can we talk about something else please? I'd like this evening to distract me a little from it. No, Seth, he's just the kind of person I don't want to spend too much time thinking about."

The leopard passed her an innocent 'I said nothing' smile before he returned to his food, a short nod marking his curiosity as sated. “Nonetheless," Amanda then continued to his surprise and to her own displeasure, “I will have to leave early, somewhere before midnight. There is just so much to do tomorrow." As he smirked, she knew as well as he that he intended to comment on her bold assumption to be welcome for much longer in the first place, but left it unspoken.

So he diverted and cocked his head instead while looking at his plate, “Then we need to make good use of the time we have, don't we?" “Absolutely. What do you have in mind?" The leopard grinned widely while he slid another fork in his muzzle as a cheap excuse to delay his answer. “Finish your food first. We can decide later," came his response after a few more bites.

In a moment of absently chasing a grain of rice over her plate, she imagined the leopard deftly throwing her on his bed and confessing his endless love in the heated night that followed, but part of her thought that she had spotted something different in his smile as well. Then her mind shifted to the bunny, Miss Ellie Tarson. There was no issue with him having an office affair, it just stood to reason that she had taken the initiative and broken his pace. This frightened little thing had asked him, had taken the risk and he had pushed her aside. After one hell of a night for sure, neither of them had leaked any details so far, still it had been their last, as much was obvious. Too quick, too shallow maybe? It was a pitfall she would have to avoid at any cost nonetheless. On the other hand, getting thrown on the bed surely had its pleasures as well.

Seth spotted her distant smile when he finished his plate and waited for her to react to his wave with the knife. It was a futile endeavour, so he finally turned to more extreme measures, “Ms. Shepard; I would surely enjoy your presence on the sofa in case you're not to preoccupied with your imaginary palace." "It is a majestic building indeed," the panther responded with a sorry droop of her tail, then followed him to the other half of the room.

The droop soon fixed itself however as he sat down and gestured for her to take the spot next to her. “Amanda," he said when she flopped down, “We need to talk."

“We are talking, Seth."

The leopard shook his head while he softly reached for her paws and placed them into his lap, securely encased in his two spotted ones, “I'm referring to the kind of conversation where you relax and listen for a moment." “Well, I hate to inform you, but it isn't considered a conversation in this case."

Any attempt of further response was cut off when he put up a more intense stare. Then, after a second of her giggling childishly, he continued, “You are beautiful, Amanda Shepard. Still your beauty is only matched by the wit and extraordinary brain of yours. You are amazing in almost any way possible." “Just 'almost'?" “Yes, just almost. Because of this exact impudent tendency I both enjoy and detest."

He paused, pressed down at her paws and looked at her in stern silence, then continued, “But you can only be like this because you're kind and observant. You know both me and my reactions, therefore know how far you can go, you know how to manipulate, how to plan. You, Amanda, are so much more than you want the outside to believe. But when I look past the marvellous facade, I see a heart of gold. It's beating with a passion and youthfulness barely feasible in our line of work. And that's why I love you. I can trust you unconditionally; I can be myself around you. It might sound like a cliché, but I know how difficult I am at times, how patient you had to be for the past months. In short: If you wanted to stay for the night, I wouldn't mind. If you wanted to stay the next one, I'd be exited and if you wanted to stay forever - well, at least until we decide to move - then I would be the happiest leopard on this planet. You... may speak now."

Giving a soft bow, the panther extracted her paws, only to place them on the sides of his head. Seth flinched when she brushed along his whiskers with a little more pressure than they were intended for, but soon started humming when he felt her pads stoke along his temples. “Seth, I have to tell you something as well. And for once, you'll listen, won't you?"

He nodded, then purred as she moved higher to his ears, “You are one nasty kind of a cat. You are sappy, demanding, and so terribly sweet that you'll give me cavity. You struggle so hard to mimic the stoic type, but I know what you are. You are a kitten who had to grow up too quickly. So each time you ramble on about 'our age', I don't see the life you lived, but rather the decades still ahead; time I want to spend with you. You see them as well and that's why [i]I[/i] love you. You know the value of the years; and of the people you met. And I'm lucky that I had the chance to be one of them."

After a while of just continuing the ministrations of his ears, the panther exhaled and sunk against the backrest, pulling him with her. With just a little effort, she placed the leopard's head on her legs. Laying there, Seth smelled his own shampoo and the scent of Judy's old clothes, whatever still lingered of her. He wondered whether Amanda was aware of the irony. Minutes passed in which he just lay there, humming and grunting occasionally when she hit an especially pleasant spot.

“I need to leave in two hours nonetheless." She had said it half as a delayed response, half to herself, didn't expect an answer though. Eventually, he grunted, then reached upwards, only for her to slap his paw away. He tried again with a smirk, but she reacted in kind, catching both of them and pinning them to his chest. “You," she snarled playfully while he haphazardly struggled against her grasp, “you are a nasty thing. Now lie down and keep still."

“I've done so for the last twenty minutes. Now [i]you[/i] lie down instead." Reluctance, the last reaction he would have expected. A moment later through, Seth felt her shift under his head, pausing a moment later, “You need to get off me first, kitty," came her quiet protest, so he complied, watching her sprawl onto her back, slowly draping her arms over her head while her eyes absently fixed the buildings outside the windows as if she was waiting for him to start.

Watching her think for a moment, the leopard straightened his back, still got no reaction from her though. Only once he waved his paw in front of her did she throw a surprised glance back at him, her mind visibly snapping back to attention. “Turn around. On your belly." That elicited forth a short flicker of both excitement and concern before she blinked those beautiful yellow eyes and rolled over, seeming a little uncomfortable when she folded her arms on the armrest and added her head on top.

Her upper torso laid atop a pile of pillows, so she didn't arch her back too far when Seth took a seat next to her and carefully applied pressure to her shoulder blades with his digits. “Hey, if you keep going like this, my efforts will be in vain. Are you alright?" the leopard frowned upon her stiffening up. “No... I mean, yes. Please go on," she replied under her breath, “I am sorry." “There's nothing to be sorry about," he chuckled and continued with a little more determination, eliciting forth a groan from her for a change. Moving further up to her neck, Seth dug his fingertips deep into her muscles and felt her tremble in bliss. Of course, partly from pain probably, but if it just hurt, she would have told him.

Her black fur felt like silk under his pads and it was fascinating how her tail flicked behind her on every press and squeeze.

“Could you give my lower back a go?" the panther eventually mumbled and weakly pointed down her body, then pulled up the shirt up to give him access without going too rough on the material. “Naturally." He pushed it further up, admired the black surface, watched it shine in the light on each twist and turn, then went to work as requested. “Oh, I could fall asleep right here," she moaned into her arms and he so he continued. “Maybe you can stay for the night after all," Seth whispered as he leaned in closely and nudged her gently with his forehead before returning back to his job.

After a few more minutes, he noticed that he had continuously weakened his efforts, now more of a gentle stoking than the precise prodding he had done before. When he stopped though, the panther raised her sleepy gaze and the purr stopped. “Getting tired, huh?" she grumbled half-heartedly and closed her eyes while rolling on her side to face him more comfortably. “No, I just want to have more than a puddle left when we're done. But I'm glad you enjoyed it; Getting kneaded like a dough I mean."

Seth saw her claws peek out of their sheaths a little at his statement as he laid down as well, keeping his own paws on her lower back. When he finally smiled at her however, the big cat slid further down the couch and possessively reached her arms around him to pull him close. Or rather pulled until she realised that his body was too heavy to move and gave in instead.

“You are tiring," she noted after breathing into his shirt for a while, “I came here fit as a fiddle and look at me now. An absolute wreck." “A cuddly wreck at least," he replied, “It's been a while since you've had this, didn't you?" “And we didn't even get to the mating part," came her muffled yet amused answer - quite obviously not disagreement. Hearing her shallow breath rustle through his shirt, he deepened the hug, “Do you want to?" The breaths stopped, then were soon replaced by a giggle, “No, I don't want to. I'm tired, Seth. But you can kiss me; that's what I would really enjoy at the moment."

“You sure are exacting," the leopard whispered while he carefully pulled her upwards. He felt a short resistance when her shirt got caught on his belt, heard the cloth rip slightly, then pressed her muzzle onto hers though before she could add a comment to her reproachful look.

They collided with the passion of a frying pan as both moved in determinedly and the only things the big cat's noses picked up was the pain of the sensitive organs deftly meeting in the middle.

In their defence: Seth had slightly turned his head to the right, sadly while Amanda chose her left. At least it helped her tiredness.

However the pain was soon to be rubbed away, yellow met blue, gazes mingled and before they knew it, they were at each other again. Images of his first kiss flashed up, similarly messy and inexperienced at first, but they were quickly wiped away by the sensation of her velvety lips against his, the tickle from whiskers getting caught in each other.

It felt so novel yet known how she tasted, hummed, melted against him. This panther in his arms was most of what cared for in this forsaken place, all that kept him here for sure. Why had he postponed this decision for so bloody long? It had all been there; for a year now, possibly longer. He had - One moment, the panther was on top of him, elegance and perfection moulded into a lithe creature as she straddled his belly, the next moment, her stance slipped she was close to toppling over and with a surprised yelp as she hadn't noticed the gaping nothingness that opened to his left.

In the last moment, Seth managed to latch out and catch her. The air was pressed out of her lungs as she dropped onto him, but he was glad to take over for him, a yowl of a laugh almost shaking up the apartment. “You clumsy thing," Seth eventually managed to say before he ran his paws down to the small of her back, “haven't you learned not to play on the couch when there's a bed nearby." “Oh a bed you say. Whatever two grown cats could do there."

“You said you didn't want to go there and we won't. This doesn't mean that we can't enjoy an extended cuddle." The panther grinned mischievously as Seth sat up and moved his grip under her rump, then rose on his hind paws while she clenched onto him. “So I [i]do[/i] finally get thrown onto the bed," she whispered as his grasp possibly became a little tighter than strictly necessary, the leopard slowly moving to the nearby mattress, “Did I promise anything?"

“A handsome, rich sweetheart? Deprived of love for years? Yes, you did."

“And you want to be thrown onto the bed right now?" He looked out over the sheets and seemed to think something through. “Yes," Amanda chuckled, then realised her grave mistake, clenching onto him even harder when he tried to lift her off his chest, “No. No. Seth, please, don't. Please." “If you don't let go, I'll jump."

The panther stared up at his cold eyes with horror about the prospect of being buried alive under a spotted chunk of cat, then reluctantly followed his order. A last plea of mercy glinted over her eyes before the leopard smirked.

“Should we bet how far I'll make it?" he said while taking a step backwards, eyeing at the distance and taking another. By the second step, she clenched onto him again, “That's too much. Seth... Don't." The leopard smirked, weighed her playfully and eventually held onto her a tad tighter, “I would have made it, but since it's you..." “How generous. My generous. Strong. Adorable. Tomcat."

Each compliment was underlined with a loving lap on his cheek as he carried her back to their destination instead, each one eagerly taken and returned. “And where has the 'rich' gone all the sudden?" “Earn a zero more, then we might talk about it again," she huffed when he dropped her on the edge and crawled over her, guiding her further upwards towards the headboard. “Well, I could start working on this zero here first, don't - What is it?" he mumbled as he noticed her stare behind him. “Don't you feel watched with those windows?" “Oh let them get jealous, but I doubt that anyone is watching anyway."

Amanda placed a quick kiss on his forehead, inspected the leopard leaning over her for a moment, quickly drooped her ears though and shook her head, “I hope that you have blinds hidden in those boxes above your windows." “I have indeed." “Would you lower them?"

Seth chuckled about her request, but slowly lifted himself from her and moved over to the small panel on the wall next to him, “Sure. Just a second. Don't flee the scene." “The last thing I would think of right now," she replied. The quiet humming of the motors set in as he pushed one of the buttons in front of him, then he heard something else though, cloth rustling against fur, movement on the sheets.

The odour of his shampoo intensified while the minimal light from the city faded away behind the shutter, leaving the room with only the kitchen lamp shining. “Have you changed your mind, Amanda?" he noted and heard her hum in response, still keeping his gaze locked onto the lowering plain. “No, it was just getting uncomfortable."

When the blinds had finally reached the ground, he turned around, just in time to see the panther having gotten rid of everything except for her underwear and a coy smile, but there also was a certain concern in her gaze as well. It eluded him at first, but after watching her gaze observe his reaction for a little longer, he thought that he understood. The further they went, the more complicated it would be in case it collapsed. It was the most unromantic yet realistic perspective.

“Do you like what you see?" Amanda asked after a while. “And what do I see?" “I don't know. What do you see?" Seth started unbuttoning his shirt while compiling his answer, yet keeping eye contact the entire time. He didn't need to let his gaze roam with how obviously Amanda was far more than just the body she presented. “I see the only person I want to be with right now: kind, charming, and gorgeous beyond words." “And do you like her?"

The belt was next, the trousers soon to follow before he flopped back onto the bed next to her, “I happen to do so, yes. So where were we?" His question became redundant when he rolled over her and Amanda slung her arms and legs around him. The added weight brought him onto the sheets and her pinned under the weight. Meanwhile, Seth felt determined paws run over his back and he had to realise that it was not as muscular anymore as it used to be, his lifestyle lately showing.

However it hardly mattered as claws lightly raked through his fur as if trying to scratch off his spots while their muzzles met again. “You're warm," she huffed between desperate breaths, “and soft. Bit slender. But. I love you." With a deep purr, the leopard responded to her words, rose on his elbows and began lapping at her throat, fixed her head with his paws to have better access to her shuddering body. “You are all I could ask for and so much more," he eventually sighed as he dropped down again, rolling over and placing her on his chest, “You look even better like this."

“On top?"

“Happy."

His paws slipped lower, over her rear, as she giggled into his chest, but when he started pushing under the garments, she reluctantly placed her paws onto his, “No, Seth, not tonight. Kiss, cuddle and in one and a half hours, I will leave." “Amanda," Seth sighed as he retracted his paws and placed them higher on her hips, “I heard you. And I respect your decision. I am sorry to send the wrong message." “Oh Seth, under different circumstances, I'd love to spend the hours with whatever your heart desires, now-"

“No need to explain," he hummed and kissed her forehead, “You just tell me when you're ready. Until then, let's just enjoy ourselves, shall we?"

The panther fixed him with her eyes, then dropped onto her side, and finally sunk back against his chest, tracing the outline of every slowly fading muscle portion of his with her claws. “You actually could eat a little more, not much, but..." she noted when she had reached the smoother contours of his abdomen above his boxer's waistline.

Memories boiled up, echoes from the distant past where she had had someone to care for. She could only hope that he didn't spot her state of distraction, however he just smiled in earnest and wrapped his arms tightly around her, making her bare body press up against his, the black fur contrasting starkly with the white.

In a short flicker of amusement, it occurred to her that she would hardly visible on her own with the dim light around the corner and he'd have to feel her presence. It accentuated his eyes even further though, the reflective membrane at the back of his eyes shining in the twilight and creating a mesmerising pattern in his iris.

“Amanda?"

“Yes?"

“I love you."

“You've said so already."

“Why can't I tell you again?"

The leopard grinned far enough that his pointy teeth showed. She replied in kind, pale teeth in front of a black background grinning back from Seth's widened pupils. Their content purr vibrated in sync while his paws tickled her neck. “You can. Just shut up for a moment serve as my blanket."

“Demanding kitty."

“I sure am," she giggled when he rolled over and returned to weighing her down. “No sleeping here? I'd bwmthngh." Amanda reached up and squeezed his muzzle shut. With no alternative but to obey, he gave a disapproving grunt and finally closed his eyes, sighing happily without noticing it himself.

The heat of the moment seemed to finally catch up to her as she felt the food and their shared moment slowly take over and drag her ever so deeper down towards dozing off. His body softened as well and before she knew it, she felt his chest rising slower and slower. A short, electrical sound came from somewhere over her head, but she didn't care. Her mind wandered off and a spotted, kind darkness enveloped every of her senses.

The next thing she noticed was high-pitched bleep that pierced her skull. Frowning, Amanda absently buried her paws in the sheets. Her paws trailed along the soft surface, then she dug her claws into the cover above her to pull it up and block out the world that tried to wake her from this dream. It was warm though. It was a leopard. It was perfect. And it groaned. “Do that again and I'll cut you to pieces and have you as a meal instead," Seth grumbled as he rose onto his haunches, taking a seat on her thighs, “Will that happen each time we wake up together? Because in that case, I'd reconsider my statements from earlier."

Yawning widely, the panther just stared up at his bare chest, huge paws scratching the tiredness from his face, deep blue eyes fixing hers. “How long has it been?" she asked. “Just an hour, but I'm afraid it's five minutes past midnight already, precisely according to your last evaluation by the way. It went out of hand, didn't it?" The panther chuckled and rose up to cling to his chest, “it did indeed, but I'm happy it did." “But the time-"

“Time doesn't matter, Seth; you do. I still need to leave, but I'm grateful for tonight. Now get up."

She rocked her hips a few times, pushed against his chest, soon had to give up though as she barely stood a chance against his presence. “Seth, get up." “What reason would I have? You said that time doesn't matter and if I don't get up, you'll stay with me; forever."

Something... happened with her on the last word. A short twitch in her tail that ran up her spine and turned into a proper shudder he sure noticed. “Alright. You have no reason to panic. Come on," he eventually stated and stood up, reaching down to give her the discarded clothes on the foot of the bed, “You will need these."

Nodding, she took them and started dressing again while the leopard moved to the blind control and pulled them up again, earning a fuzzy glare from Amanda. Once they were retracted completely, the big cat moved over to the kitchen and started cleaning up the kitchen, still in his underwear. It was... astonishing.

For the coming minutes, he busied himself and so she could prepare herself to leave as well and despite it being a little rude, it was the most rational thing to do to get her out of the door as swiftly as possible. Once she was done, she made her way to the entrance, was met by the leopard and he even was quick enough to open the door for her.

“Amanda."

“Seth."

“Thank you for the evening, as short as it might have been," he hummed, then reached around her and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “Next time, I'll invite you and I promise, I will take time for you." “You already took time. Now... get home safe and see you on Monday." “No offer to drive me?"

“You have your own car and you like your independence. I see no need to do so." The simplistic train of thought, cold from anyone else, but it was him. The one she reached up to and pressed her muzzle against knowing that he would never push her away; not without explicitly saying so at least. “Good night, Seth." “Good night, Amanda. Don't forget your flowers." And from nowhere, Seth suddenly produced the lily he had 'given' her earlier this marvellous evening.

“Thank you. Enjoy the night." Amanda smiled as she felt his paw carefully latch onto her swishing tail when she turned around to leave, but he didn't hold on tightly. Just a reminder of what he wanted, asked for, but didn't demand.

She found herself not entirely reluctant to commit to it though, given the right circumstances.

Monday arrived and with it a certain flutter in her heart. Amanda perked her ears at every fragment of a conversation hastily stopped when she entered earshot. Crushes, Complaints, drama, but nothing about her and Seth so far. Oh, they would love to hear the spicy details. And invent another version on top of it. Probably only latter if she thought about it. “Mr. Sedana," she greeted the rabbit when he gave her a concerned look, then continued her way towards her office. Her colleagues and employees... something was different about them.

Their gazes latched onto her every now and then, more than they usually did. They had exchanged their concern for curiosity, lost a tad respect, but that was a problem for her to fix later. Right now, she had a different target.

After passing through another forest of stares, the finally reached her destination and stepped inside. The leopard sat behind his desk, a cougar from the post department standing patiently next to him, waiting for a parcel to be signed off. “Ah, Amanda. Good to see you," former called out without looking up when he finished his signature. Latter cat suddenly was a lot less relaxed, still he properly looked through the receipt, placed down his task and even nodded politely as he left the office.

“You are four hours early, honey," the leopard noted, then stood up to welcome her, “What would the colleagues think?" “If you continued to call me 'honey', they'd surely have another topic to talk about." Amanda returned the quick hug and kiss before gently placing a claw on his chest, “Nonetheless, [i]we[/i] do have a topic to discuss. And it's exactly that. The more kind we get around here, the more official it will get."

He cocked his head, still patted her shoulder more platonically and returned to his desk, waving her onto the other chair. “I wonder what you are worried about." The leopard sighed when she didn't reply at first, “First, we are going too slowly, then too fast... What are you afraid of? This is no critique, I rather want to know how to proceed."

Amanda felt her heart flutter upon that statement; felt his looks explore her; just like his colleagues, but he was smart enough to find something. “It was yesterday, wasn't it? It became real all the sudden and now you are afraid to lose this if you move too fast." “Is it that obvious?"

“For someone enjoying to be in charge, yes. I know the look. Judy had it when I offered to move in with me; after a month to be fair and I... Excuse me for making it all about her again." “No, Seth, it is already about her. You are reliving something you've had and it's wonderful that you've had this. But now [i]I[/i] am here. And when you hold me tight, I sometimes don't know... Most of the times, it's me, some of them it's her and occasionally you don't even hold anyone at all. And I've already told you what I can and can't expect, so I will not repeat myself. Just before we start this, I want you to tell me: Were you honest yesterday? Because I risk my career for you, my emotional stability, almost anything I hold dear; including yourself. Just make sure that you're ready for me getting a bit clingy."

Without ever breaking eye contact, the leopard reached out for her paws. Each digit got its own soft squeeze as he considered her words. It didn't show on the surface, the light wrinkles under his fur not even moving before the most heart-warming smile he could muster broke through the ice surface and Seth whispered, “I was honest. And the only thing I regret is that I might never be yours entirely. I try my very best, but-"

“I know. Seth, I know. But that's enough for me." Amanda felt his paws tremble around hers as he leaned in; tenderly placing his forehead against hers, “Still I'm sorry."

She enjoyed the short silence for as long as was reasonable, then continued, “And I expect a sufficient apology. Tomorrow, nine pm. I hope it's not too late for you? I'll sadly have a meeting that'll cut into dinner times. Curse you, time zones. No, Seth, we can't postpone it. This job is eating me up and I don't want to wait until next weekend."

“Then you better get back to work, don't you?"

His cold statement earned him a disgruntled growl, but sadly he was right. “Lunch." was all he responded before letting go and returning to his open tasks.

Briefly tearing his deep blue eyes from the screen when she left, he passed her a short wave, his wrist jerking when he picked up his pen again.