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It dawns on you what a mess your place is.

There's something ironic about realizing it without actually being there. Lyons' office proper is practically clinical despite him being a public defender. The only trace of his physical files are a lone cabinet and the ones for your case scattered across his desk, making the only stain.

You imagine the workers here would be overwhelmed by the various stashes that make up the makeshift museum that is your apartment.

The lion anthro might even struggle with it. The subtle weariness on the lawyer's feline features is overshadowed by his professional trim and suit. The confidence disguises his size; perhaps it's the decor, but he seems small for an anthro. His paw still dwarfs your whole hand when you finally shake hands. You're glad the professional demeanor you've heard over the phone isn't just an act. Lyons walks you and Talia through the plan of action.

The firearms charges he's not worried about. Evidently, Talia's contacts are more than qualified to knock those down. It's the courtship that's the problem. It's only a problem because the two of you are both slated for mandatory assignment -- which at least presents the option to prove the two of you don't need assignment. But doing that or proving faithful courtship would require time and money that the three of you don't have. Definitive proof of faithful courtship can only come from a relationship expert of some kind, and changing the state's view on your assignment status is a daunting process without the right connections. Both things require certifications Lyons doesn't have, or pull within the state system.

...And Lyons seems pretty honest for a lawyer.

"So what's that leave? Mistrial?" you ask, exhausted after the hour or so of legalese lessons.

"Yes. At this point that would be our best main thrust," Lyons says. "We don't have anything solid to argue a change in your assignment statuses, but we do have some evidence of Agent Birch exhibiting bias."

"Everyone at the range fucking knows it," Talia grumbles.

"Exactly," the lawyer says. "If there are as many character witnesses to this as you and Anon say there are, we may be able to make a case for it. Combine that with testimony about your relationship for support, and we might sway the jury, if not the judge."

"...Can the jury call a mistrial?" Talia asks.

"No. But they can find you 'not guilty' if they've got enough reason to doubt the prosecution."

"Just like the judge can slap us with even higher charges, right?" you sigh.

Lyons addresses you with another professional look. "The judge can and may set the fines and reeducation time high," he says. "But they don't make that decision until you're found guilty."

The upward creep of his shoulders is the only crack in his confident facade.

"If there's anyone you should be concerned about doing something extralegal, it would be Agent Birch," he sighs. "It would almost certainly be grounds for mistrial, but we would need to actually catch her doing it."

"Don't suppose that kind of thing would be easy to trace," you mutter.

"Not unless either of you know a very good PI."

You look to Talia but just get a shrug. You figured there'd be at least one or two of those types on the range's registry. The three of you lean back in the disappointing silence for a moment, the soft shuffling of paper the only sound in the room.

"I'll arrange interviews with the witnesses you've both given me," Lyons says. "We'll be in touch."

That's the cue to leave. You and Talia shake hands with him over the desk, exchange a few more tentative but hopeful words, and step out into the stuffy hallways of the complex. The walk to the elevators is silent and blissfully uninterrupted. You glance at the wolfess as the two of you settle in for the ride; she's hard to read. Her canine RBF doesn't help. The droop in her ears is sign enough that the legalese lesson was tiring, as is her low-hanging bushy tail. You're not sure if she caught you staring or not when she speaks.

"They give you your job back yet?"

"Nah. 'Suspended until further notice,'" you reply. "Bullshit just like this whole mess."

Talia growls softly, her crossed arms and chest rising in a slight sigh. "Yeah. That's the State for you." She looks at you without turning her head. "Bitch hasn't bitched at you, has she?"

"No," you reply. "I'm surprised, since she has our info now."

Talia growls. "Hmmf. She hasn't been back to the range since Monday. Probably up to no good." After a moment, she snorts. "Maybe she's actually gotta do paperwork now."

The elevator doors open to your combined chuckling. Both of you head out into the connected parking structure -- you drove separately. Talia has a shift at F&F whenever this whole thing is over. You pause to say your goodbyes when she puts a firm paw on your shoulder.

"You have somethin' to do?" she asks, her expression a little soft.

"Well, I dunno... Being in there made me want to clean my place up, I guess."

"Not like that, dumbass. Are you keeping yourself occupied?"

"Yeah, why?" you say, looking a little harder into her amber eyes.

Talia sighs and squeezes your shoulder. "Because I know you, Anon. You're a tinkerer. You gotta have your little projects to keep you busy, or else you'll go nuts," she says, gesturing with her free hand. "And getting laid off with a court case over your head you can't do nothin' about 'cept wait... I can't help but worry."

Something inside you squirms. You disguise it with a chuckle, putting a hand on your hip. "You're worried about me?" you say. "You better be careful, Talia, people'll think we're involved!"

She shoves you away gently with an exasperated roll of the eyes. "Just doing it for the cameras," she mutters as she crosses her arms. "But really, Anon -- do you have something to do?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do," you say. "I'm going over to Aki's place to help her with some class stuff. She asked me for help on research yesterday."

Talia raises an eyebrow. "Yesterday?"

"We hung out. I went over and cleaned her guns," you admit. It's nothing you're trying to hide, but it still feels like you're admitting something. You endure the wolfess's gaze another moment before adding, "I know I need to keep busy. I didn't have anything to do, so I called and it... happened."

"...'cleaned her guns,' huh?"

You blow a raspberry. "We watched anime, too," you say, turning to head to your car. "I don't fuck on the first date."

"Don't I know it," Talia chuckles as she turns towards hers.

"That an invitation?" you call over your shoulder. "Get me some flowers and chocolates, and I might consider it!"

"You wish, dumbass!"

You laugh as you get into your car. It stops when you put in the keys and pull up Aki's address.

Shit -- was that a first date?

...

You arrive at the cheetah's house with a mostly clear head. Going over the resources and strategies you used while tutoring in college helps some. You park opposite her black sedan once again and head up the front steps. Aki is much more prompt to answer the doorbell's bright chime than yesterday; the sound has hardly started fading when she opens the door. She greets you with an even expression.

"Hey dude," she says. "Everything go well?"

"As well as it could," you sigh. "You're probably going to get a request for an interview or something soon."

Aki nods, shifting against the doorway. "I'll keep an ear out. Whatever you and Talia need -- guessing I'll have to show up in court?"

"I--I don't know," you sigh. "Probably. If you can. I'm supposed to just come up with names and let the lawyer handle the interviews, according to him."

"Hmf. Finding my nice clothes might take some digging," the cheetah muses; she pulls at the loose fabric of another graphic tee, her lounge outfit not much different from yesterday. She stands off the wall after a moment and lets out a sigh. "Well, no delaying it anymore. Come on in."

The cheetah leads the way with her spotted tail. The defeat in her tone isn't aimed at you, you know, but it sticks out as you follow her inside. The sight of her still-clean living room brightens your mood some. Aki pulls one of the chairs out from the former cleaning table and flips open the lid of a plain-looking laptop. She nods to the seat beside her as the computer starts turning on -- you note with some slight distress that the surface you were making slick with brake cleaner just a day ago now has plates from a few meals and an opened bag of gummy candy.

"So what are we working on?" you ask as you hop up.

"College course."

"I figured -- what's the subject?"

"Marketing," she spits, like the word makes her mouth dirty.

You hum, watching the BIOS screen flash by. "Finishing off a gen-ed?"

"I wish," she grumbles. A stylized drawing of some kind of secret agent is visible for a moment on the cheetah's lock screen before she's typed the password. You're just able to process her words as her desktop proper comes up.

"Not a fan?" you ask; it seems like the safest option.

"Not the biggest," she says. Her lips are a thin line as she opens up a browser window, cursing when she has to refresh the page for a login to work. You recognize the page and the process from your days at university.

"You're at NAS?"

"Yeah," she replies with a glance. "You go there?"

"Used to," you reply. "Not 40 years ago, either," you add before Aki can. The cheetah manages a small nose laugh as she navigates to some specific part of her course.

"Well, maybe this'll be easier then," she says, angling the computer towards you. "There's this project we have where we need to use some of the stuff we researched in a final product, and do a paper," she explains, tapering off as you read. "At least, that's what I think we're supposed to do."

It's been a while since you've read an assignment post. Much less one written in buisness-speak. There was a specific way their things were written when you tutored their students, every lesson a stew of different acronyms and number lists that changed every semester. Aki seems to have cut through the buzzwords and poor formatting well enough to get at what the professor wants; a paper and a project that both cite some listed readings along with outside sources.

"I think you're right," you say. "'Show your understanding of the five Ps and market strategy techniques by doing a 'corporate examination' of an extant company and produce an improvement plan'; it looks like they want a paper and a proposal or something that cites whatever you've been reading, plus a few extra."

Aki nods and leans back in her chair. She takes a breath of fresh air, looking off at the seam between the wall and ceiling. "Okay, good," she says, "cause that's what I was planning. I have a company picked out and I know what they're doing wrong."

"What's that?"

"SES Arms. All their advertising is about how much garbage you can attach to their weapons when the people that buy SES don't because they're cheap as shit. Their product is low-price, and that's who they should sell to, not the airsoft larper people." Her eyes dart to you when she's finished, her ears pricked at your chuckling. "What? It's true!"

"I don't disagree," you say. "It sounds like you know what to do... what do you need me for, I guess?"

Aki's pupils shrink, but her form slackens. "W-well, I need to put it on paper. That's the part I'm not good at."

"Okay... I guess the first place to start is whatever readings they're referencing," you say. You reach over and swipe on the trackpad, brushing against her fur. "She has links to them all here -- did you read them?"

"Yeah, they're bookmarked. Most of them are articles from some bullshit site or another."

You nod and mouse up to the bar. One look at the unorganized and oddly labeled mess tells you finding the specific articles will be just as easy as finding one of her guns. Aki chirrs when you open a new tab and click on the management folder, and hastily butts in on the trackpad.

"D-don't worry, I'll find them," she says. She leans against you as she scrolls through the page with a shaky paw. The voluminous number of bookmarks fly by as she tries to go quick -- but it's not quick enough.

"Are those rule 34--?"

"Yeah. Yeah, they are," she hisses. Her fur is a bit bristly as she finally finds the right bookmarks and opens them up. "I don't usually have anyone looking over my shoulder..."

"Well, I don't know if this is 'over the shoulder'..."

Aki's ears flatten even more when she looks down and sees how much she's leaned into you, her bicep pressing against your face. Her voice is a little light when she tells you to "f-fuck off" with a stiff elbow. Nearly falling off the chair settles her lashing tail a little. The cheetah looks down her snout at you when you regain your balance, little wrinkles among her spots telling you her composure's not quite back.

"Got anything else smart to say?" she asks

"Why not use a doujin site?"

A smile cracks her countenance. "Fuck off!" she laughs, slugging you properly this time, "I asked for help with college research -- not that kind!"

"Well, that's good," you say, "I'm not properly prepared for a jack n' jill session."

Aki smashes your hand as you rub your arm. Her lips are a tight line and you swear you see some blush beneath the light fur on her face. She switches over to the reading tabs and crosses her arms, fixing you with another attempt at a glare. "Here's the stupid readings. Now what?"

"Well, the prompt mentioned 'the five Ps' and whatever you learned about market strategy," you say, rubbing your arm some more as your smile fades. "She probably wants you to reference them. Point to them in the paper and in your project or whatever."

"How do I do that?"

You look at the cheetah's blank expression; the full scope of work here dawns on you.

This is going to be a lot like tutoring.

"Well," you start, looking back at the screen, "you said you read these, right? Did you take notes?"

"Hell no. All the quizzes she gives are open book, and we don't use them for anything else."

"...until now," you sigh. There's five or six tabs, and the tiny size of the scroll bar for each doesn't bode well. "Do you remember what each of them is about, at least?"

Aki huffs. "Yeah, mostly," she says, leaning in and taking over the trackpad. "These two are the five P's, this one's about social media and content strategies, that one's about value propositions, and these are about brand messaging."

"And you know what any of that means?"

"Yes," she sighs. "Most of the crap I've been reading is fluffy terms for something a lot more basic. 'Social media and content strategies' are just 'produce advertising content and post it,' and 'brand messaging' is just 'have a fucking identity and stick with it.'"

The disdain in her voice makes you take her word for it. "Okay, that at least puts us a little ahead. Less work to do for the outline. Do you have one of those, actually? An outline?"

"I have a plan, yeah," the cheetah says as she leans back. She looks away awkwardly as she says "...I just haven't written it all down."

"Well, it'll probably help." You click on her file explorer; the little incident with her bookmarks comes to mind when her recent files come up. "Take me to wherever your school folder is -- wouldn't want to stumble on anything saucy."

Aki glares at you, showing a hint of teeth when she shoulders into you for control. "...wouldn't wanna stumble on anything my ass..." she grumbles, opening up the school's cloud service. You let it lie and marvel at her thorough disorganization instead. Folder names are labeled with various expletives and phrases, apparently by class and assignment. Inside "How To Start An OnlyFurs" and "Just Shit On A Company" is a copy of the prompt and a text doc just named 'cock.'

"I did start one," Aki says, opening the cock doc, "I just... ughh."

She makes a forlorn gesture and slumps back a little. She did make an attempt, but it doesn't look like much of one; there's a few scattered bullet points that feel like stream of consciousness. It's more or less what she already told you about SES Arms. You note that her 'improvement plan' is creating a more appropriate advertisement, but there's not much structure for the 2-3 page paper the professor is asking for. Aki fidgets beside you as she stares at the mostly blank page.

"...Did you write all this here?" you ask; your words are evidently an excuse for her to get up and stretch.

"Yeah," the cheetah says, spots on display as she slowly stiff-legs it over to the coffee table. "It's an online course, and I'm comfortable here."

The TV comes on to emphasize her point. The feline's form softens beneath her t-shirt and shorts, but her tail still flicks side to side. You slowly close the laptop lid while she flips through menus with a practiced precision.

"...I think that's part of the problem," you say; Aki's tail goes still when she looks back at you with flat ears. "It's hard to do work somewhere you associate with leisure. I'm guessing this isn't the, uh... only assignment you've had issues with?"

Aki's chest fills for a moment before she sighs. "Yeah. I have problems with schoolwork." She puts a hand on her arm and looks down. The tension from before is gone, replaced with a dejection that's clear in her tone. You slowly get up and walk over; the height difference between you doesn't feel like much with her slumped this way.

"Aki..." you start; you hesitantly reach out a hand, then put it on her arm. "That's okay. Everyone struggles with class at some point or another." It's hard to read her face when she looks up. She mouths a few words, but she doesn't know where to start. She stops when you let go and step back. "If you want to keep at it, we can. I got nothing else going on today."

She looks off to the side and shifts on her feet. The TV's glow catches in her lemony fur, the black dots and stripes standing out even more starkly. She glances at you for a second and quietly asks "..y-you sure? E-even with the trial?"

You shake your head. "Been told there's nothing I can do. Library's not letting me back either, so no work. I've got nothing better to do."

Aki looks away as the words sink in, then crosses her arms with a chuckle. "N-nothing better to do, huh?" she says. "I'm just some way for you to kill time?"

You smile. "I mean, we could organize your porn collection if that'd be more meaningful."

Her fur going bristly is the only warning you get before Aki shoves you onto the couch. She stands over you with an angry smile, her tail lashing and puffy ears flicking against her hair.

"W-what are we doing?" she manages. "A-are we going somewhere, or am I beating your pervy little ass?"

"...you have your porn bookmarked, and I'm the--"

"Anon!"

"The library!" You say, barely containing your laughter. "We'll go to the library on campus. There's places there to study and they have resources you can use." She continues to glare at you as you smile. "I'll even drive."

Her blue eyes pin you for another moment before she huffs. "Fine," she says, walking around the couch. You watch her walk down the hall into some part of the house you haven't been -- and catch her discarded shirt fluttering behind her. "Let me get dressed."

You don't catch more than a glimpse of her tail, but it shuts you up. Probably her intention. You sink into the well-worn cushions of the couch and try to relax. More images of scantly-clad felines dance in your head as you go over your exchanges with the cheetah and with Talia, and the suggestion that this is a date. Another look at the bachelor pad around you soothes your concerns. If Aki's living in a way where bookmarked smut is normal, undressing places besides the bedroom or closet are probably normal for her.

That leaves you with the least difficult implications, at least.

You lean forward and shut the TV off before leaning back in the couch to convince yourself of it some more. You're interrupted by a dull set of claws in your hair, twisting just enough to make you jump.

"Alright slowpoke, let's go," Aki says. She leaves you to rub your head while she packs up her laptop in a bookbag; her confidence seems to be back. Her eyes are cool and solid beneath her cap when you stand and her stride is confident when she follows you to the front door.

"I've got a lawyer now, you know," you say as she locks up. "I could sue you for all that slugging you did."

The cheetah blows a raspberry and twirls her keys. "Yeah right," she says, following you down the steps. "A nerd like you suing a girl like me for touching you? I don't --"

Her snark falters when she sees which truck you're going to. You smile and unlock the passenger door. "What were you expecting, a Prius?"

Aki doesn't reply and watches you climb over the bench seat for a moment. "Where'd you find it?" she asks when she remembers herself.

"Friend of mine. Pays to have those," you say, watching her struggle to slip her bag behind the seat. "It's a bit tight for someone of your, uh, stature. It'll probably have to go on your lap."

"You flatter all the chicks with that line?"

"Yeah, actually. Helps keep the creepy ones from the library away."

Aki glances up from under her hat. "Shit man, that bad?"

"You have no idea... There's a reason I suggested the NAS library besides work probably not wanting to see me. Hop in, and I'll tell you some more."

...

Riding with Aki in the cab goes as well as riding with Talia in it.

Despite being a head or so shorter than the she-wolf, Aki's long limbs fill the cab just as much. You'd offer her the bed if you weren't going through the city. Her filling the bench seat next to you isn't surprising to you, but the knee in your hip is admittedly a little uncomfortable. The cheetah doesn't seem to mind, at least. She focuses more on your various stories about the horny women that've hit on you at work. The big ones are easy enough to keep away with your tiny cab and the prospect of a bumpy ride in the bed; the smaller, more human-sized ones you've had to get creative with.

"...and then I just hid in the rear stacks for the rest of the shift," you say, pulling into a parking spot. "I did some backlog work that needed to be done anyway, so the upper level admins were fine with it."

"Damn, dude. You get all that even with security?"

"They're basically mall cops. Nine times out of ten, they're the ones that'd get in trouble for doing anything physical."

Aki's groans and grumbles as she extracts herself from the truck mingle with the discontented noises about your job. "Such bullshit..."

You don't comment and let her stretch. The cheetah's spotted arms go high above the cab while you lock up; peering through the window gives you a profile shot of her bare midriff. You quickly look away from the curves that are cut off at the top and bottom, but they're soon back in view as Aki saunters around the car.

"Well, if you need any 'security' at this library, I gotcha," she says.

You take a quick breath to steel yourself. "Thanks, tiny," you say.

Aki scoffs as you walk towards the building. "How tall are you again, slowpoke?" she asks, pressing close to you. "Last I recall you're barely tit-height on me!"

You keep quiet and glance at an enormous bear student that passes the pair of you at the entrance, then give the cheetah a smug look. "Titty-height is relative."

"Still a lot higher than you, humie," she says, pushing through the doors. "Where to now?"

"Front desk. Lets get you a study carrel with a computer." You don't stop when she pauses, shrugging her bag on her shoulder to make sure the Hilux didn't eat it. "Me having a computer too will help. Figured you wouldn't want me snooping around yours more than I need to."

There's a slight change in her strides when she continues. You're not sure if it's from relaxation, or a lack of confidence. The cheetah's power returns when the two of you address the dog at the directory. She pulls his gaze from his book with a tactical scrape of her boots on the carpet.

"Hi, I need a study carol," Aki says. "One with a computer if you can."

The dog dude nods at her. "A study carrel? Sure. There should be plenty open -- there's probably one with a desktop." His keystrokes slow when he glances at you and realizes you're beside the feline rather than behind. "I'll need to see student IDs, of course."

Aki flicks hers from her compression shorts with ease and presents it with a flourish; your wallet comes out much more slowly. You slip out your ID and nearly hand it over before remembering it's your employee card. Aki shifts her hips when you pull it back hastily and dig around.

"Can you just put it under my name?" she asks the canine. "He's helping me out, he'll be with me the whole time."

"Sorry. University wants to track the students using the rooms, even if they're shared. That way they know who to charge for messes."

You pause your recombobulation; was that an innuendo?

"And if he's not a student?"

"Then he shouldn't be here," the guy says. He straightens up in his chair as his ears perk. "Is he not one?"

"I --"

"No, he's not," Aki says, draping an arm over your shoulder. Soft fabric presses against your face when she pulls you in. "He's my boyfriend."

Your cheeks go red. The dog looks between the two of you; Aki's shirt rubs against you when you try and sell a nod.

"Boyfriend and not partner?" he asks.

"We're not married, yeah," Aki says. "That a problem?"

"Well, your status in the database is 'single.' I'm gonna need proof of courtship."

You're unable to stifle a groan. The anxiety from this morning comes back in full, just another reminder about how royally fucked you are.

Aki coos and squeezes you back into her side, tail flicking against you as she whispers, "I know, babe."

Your eyes go a little wide when she addresses the front desk.

"Sorry, we've been dealing with this for weeks," she says. "There's no such thing as 'proof of courtship.' It's a self-identification thing -- the only time it comes up is in yearly evals, and we haven't had ours yet."

The cheetah's lie is easy to swallow. The smoothness of it is a little surprising, but what's more flustering to you is the fact it's not entirely bullshit. You'd look up at her in disbelief if there wasn't sideboob in the way.

"Then -- then why haven't you changed your status in the university system?" the dog asks, just as flustered as you. Aki gives an exasperated sigh and lets you go to put her hands on her hips.

"Because unless we get married we run into the same issue we're having here. They ask for proof, I tell them we don't have any, and they refuse to change it. Besides, half the relationships in university don't last longer than a semester." The cheetah's tail brushes against you as she leans into the desk and tenses her arms. "We just want to get some work done. Will you let us in or do we have to go through our favorite positions for you?"

The dog's ears flick, laid back in a combination of fear, annoyance, and embarrassment. "...f-fine," he says, pulling a set of keys from the drawer. "J-just get that fixed when you can. And you're responsible for any damage he causes.

"I'll be sure he behaves," Aki sighs as she grabs the keys. A finger hooks into your shirt collar and tugs you along; you're pulled beside the cheetah as she starts for the elevators. "Come along, honey, lets go bang in the library!"

The desk jockey doesn't seem amused by Aki's antics, but you feel a soft purr. She lets you go while you wait for the elevators and crosses her arms, her trilling growing discontented.

"Where'd that come from?" you ask quietly.

"You wanna get in, right?" she whispers. "Quiet, he might hear."

You glance around while waiting for the slow elevator; the canine is quite a ways away, but you often underestimate how well anthros can hear. That, and the library's more dead than usual with it being the summer semester. The two of you are alone in the elevator when it finally arrives. Aki hits the floor button and leans up against the wall opposite you. She tilts her head, hiding behind the brim of her hat.

"Why do you know that courtship stuff?" you ask.

"Wasn't lying. I tried changing my status in the school register and they got anal about it," Aki says. "I looked into what counted as 'proof,' and... you know."

She makes a light, fluttery gesture; you're not entirely sure you buy it. Even when she looks up to meet your eyes, it's hard to tell.

"You, uh, actually have someone?" you ask.

The cheetah's blue eyes go down to her feet. "Nah. Just thought I'd be off those annoying email lists if they thought I did."

The ones you got years ago come to mind. Half-advertisement, half-threatening reminders about needing to get matched up and what options you have. You imagine they haven't changed much. You look at Aki; her tail is curled around her arm, one boot tip awkwardly pivoting on the ground.

You nearly suggest she find someone to fake it with before catching yourself.

"...Well, we oughta get our story straight," you say as the elevator nears the final floor. You hold in a smirk when the cheetah looks up; "What's our favorite position?"

A laugh bursts from her lips as the doors open. Her ears flutter and flatten as she grabs you hard and yanks you out the door, trying to keep herself quiet.

"You're a fucking perv..."

"Says the girl with the bookmarked porn."

"I'm gonna say it's a headlock if you don't watch your mouth!"

"Try me, spots!"

Aki lets loose a tenory growl, but stops before whispering again. Her eyes are locked on yours. There's a tiny rose tint beneath her hat. The embarrassment hits you a second or two later, after she's looked away and tries to find the room number that was on the key.

You clear your throat and try to clear your head; the two of you are studying. You focus on that.

You're pleased to find the computer in the carrel is logged in to a guest account -- you'd hate to have to trying and find your login. The cheetah sets up her laptop while you click through all the forms the thing throws at you. Looking up things about a gun company through the college computer makes you glad it's a guest account. You take a breath when everything's all set to get into the zone. The library homepage with all its links helps prep your head.

"Alright, now lets check the databases..."

Time wears on as you try to find something meeting the professor's specific standards. The usual databases you've relied on don't have many pieces on business or marketing, and the ones that do are a bit lacking. Your search turns towards more general sources as you try to find something that'll fit. Aki grows more catatonic beside you throughout. She attempted to help look at the beginning, but you watch her will dissipate in real time.

You sigh when another article turns out to be a dead end; the cheetah's groan doesn't help. "Aki, I gotta ask; why marketing? It doesn't seem like you're very... passionate about it."

She doesn't move from her precarious position in the chair, her hat still over her face. "I'm not," she says.

"Then why?"

"Parents wanted me to go."

"For marketing specifically?"

She puts the chair back on all fours with a grunt, pulling her hat up and wiping her face. "More or less, yeah. I wasn't sure I wanted to go period, but they said I had to. Competition shooting isn't a major I could just do and the military was a no go, so it was this or nothing. I told them I'd do art then, and they said no." She does air quotes with a contorted expression as she says "'You won't survive on that, just work at a factory and read books!'"

Similar comments about your history degree come to mind unbidden. Aki sighs, resting her chin on crossed arms. "Marketing and advertising was our compromise."

"...I mean, it's your college experience, Aki. It's your degree."

She glances at you through stray hairs. "It's their money," she says quietly. "Wouldn't be happy if I changed it on them. Or if I dropped out."

You hum and nod softly. Her gaze goes to the screen when you lean back. The drudgery of the bad gen-eds and the bad specialization classes from your degree are the closest you can get to what the cheetah's feeling. Expanding that to your entire purpose of being there sounds terrible.

"Are there any parts you like?" you ask. "This stuff about SES seems like you care."

Aki sighs. "I mean, I do. But it's just -- I care because they're fucking up and I could do better. And I don't know how I'd turn that into a job." There's a slight shudder at her next breath that you see rippling through her hair.

"How far in are you? Junior year?"

"...Sophomore."

She's tense when you put an arm across her back.

"Then you have some time to figure it out," you say gently. "You don't have to know where you're going right away. You haven't even done the upper level classes yet, that's where they help you find what's actually out there. There's still time, Aki."

The cheetah stays still for a moment with nary a breath; she leans into you when you think about moving your hand. "...Thanks, Anon," she says quietly. "I... t-that's not what I'm worried about. Not as much."

You pull your hand away when she sits up. Her chest bulges with a deep breath. She lets it out and turns to you. There's hesitation on her face, a fang or two poking out from her lips as she forms her words; you give her the time she needs.

"If I make it, there's something for me out there. I just don't know if it's what I want -- if I'll be free."

It takes you a few moments to come up with something to say. Advice from someone who's a few years ahead, someone who's a friend -- someone that's not sure if they'll be free.

"I think that's up to you," you finally say. "Wherever you end up, whatever path you choose, there'll always be something wrong or something you think you missed. Worrying too much about it won't help. If you focus on the moment -- on the good parts of the now... it helps." Your eyes dart between hers before your gaze drops and you rub your arm. "...At least, that's what's helping me right now."

The study carrel is silent for a few seconds; Aki grabs you when you're about to speak. It's a sudden hug, her strong arms tight around yours. You get a faceful of her hair as her muzzle goes over your shoulder. She's holding her breath and her dull claws dig gently into your back. When you return the gesture, her relaxation makes it hard to tell who the whole thing was for.

"...T-thanks, Anon," she whispers, close to your ear. "I'll try to remember that. A-and -- I'll help you and Talia the best I can."

You forget that the wolf's name should make you tense up, push the cheetah away. You're too distracted -- no, perplexed -- by her hold. By her words. They're just as supportive as they are dependent, the hug as reassuring as it is desperate. Her muscles are clear for you to feel beneath her thin fur, bits of softness in all the right spots.

You don't manage any response by the time she pulls away; her expression changes after a short breath.

"Takin' your own advice there, nerd?" Aki teases. The familiar smugness breaks you out of your daze.

"No, just recovering from whatever's in your hair," you say, exaggerating a cough, "it's like snorting strawberries."

The cheetah hums and flicks some of her messy mane to the side. "Yeah, I'm sure," she says, turning back to the computers. "C'mon, lets get this done."

...

The rest of the study session goes by better.

Finding the types of sources the professor wants is still difficult, but you and Aki manage to find them eventually. The little heart-to-heart between the two of you helps her focus some. The cheetah's frustrations lead to curse words and furious typing rather than defeated sighs.

It goes on a little longer than you anticipate; the two of you return the room key to the front desk bathed in dusk sun. The dog from before isn't there, replaced by a rabbit-guy more focused on his studies than his duties. He makes no comment on your apparent relationship.

Neither does Aki.

The cheetah is quiet most of the way back, in fact. No teasing remarks or quips. She looks out the window instead of you. The small smile on her face makes the silence bearable and less dangerous. The tension in the cab is good -- you think.

Aki's thigh shifts against yours when the Hilux finally comes to a stop outside her house. Her new position was more comfortable for both of you, but it was a hassle to get in and out of.

"Hang on," you say when she attempts to get the door with a groan. The cheetah chuckles when you're halfway around the hood. She's smirking when you open the door for her and step to the side with a flourish.

"What a gentleman... You gonna pull flowers out your ass next?" she asks, stretching as she extracts herself from the truck.

"Nah. They tend to smell better when you pull 'em from a jacket."

"And all you've got is a Hawaiian shirt... how convenient."

"Better pattern than spots," you say. Aki scoffs and rounds on you; you only realize now that you've followed her up the front steps.

"It's called subtlety, slowpoke! Simple and elegant."

"Kinda like all those goofy race guns you have with 5 pounds of shit on 'em?"

"That's 'style,'" she says with a tap on your nose. "Something else that shirt doesn't have."

The jabs devolve into a series of mocking noises back and forth, eventually petering out into chuckles. You both realize you're standing together under the porch light at about the same time. Aki shrinks a little, her tail wrapping partway around her leg with a nervous twitch. You scratch at the back of your head and try to taper things off.

"So, uh, you feel better about the class now?" you ask; Aki nods a little hastily and runs a hand through her mane.

"Yeah! Yeah, I think so. Having the sources and an outline help a lot."

"Just gotta pick out the parts you want to quote, right?"

"Right," she says. The cheetah's tail stills; her whole body follows, and you prep yourself for a sudden hug, a slug, or a quip.

Aki wraps her arms around you slowly. It's just as firm as before; you react just as slow as before. You're face-deep in her shirt before you return the gesture and hug her waist. The surprising firmness of her breasts doesn't make you shiver, nor does the clumsy wrapping of her tail around your arm. It's the gentle touch of her paw in your hair.

"Thanks again, Anon," Aki whispers. "For, uh... for a lot."

Hesitantly, you nod into her chest; her grip tightens a tad.

"It'd be nice to hang out more when all this is over" she says. "N-not that you can't come by before, if you want," she adds.

You nod again; you firm up your hold this time. Her bust presses on your cheeks when she breathes in before letting out a sigh. She slips away with surprising ease, her tail trailing along your arm.

"You're pretty cool for a nerd, after all," she says.

You stare rather dumbly as the cheetah turns and heads inside, closing the door softly. You've got enough presence of mind to get back to the car before plopping down and letting your head spin. The Hilux's rumble centers you a little as you pull away.

That was a date. You don't know what kind, what exactly Aki thinks of you, but there's no doubt in your mind that the two of you are a hell of a lot closer than before. Closer than you thought you could get in two or three days after knowing each other for two or three years.

You sigh at a stoplight, and grip the wheel.

Tomorrow, you'll have to tell Talia she was right.