FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Steve ran through the brush of the hot, humid jungle. He didn't care about the fronds and oversized leaves lashing at his frame. He was a tremendous terror, stampeding through the wilds, frightening off anything that dared to cross him. The mighty tyrannosaur roared with all his might as he leapt into the air, lunging at some poor creature foolish enough to not run.

It was a frequently recurring dream.

Steve woke to the sound of an unpleasant, blaring buzz. He reached over and tapped the alarm clock a little harder than would be called gentle, his two clawed fingers dragging down the front. He had gotten them filed recently so he didn't have to worry about scratching up the furniture. He grumbled unhappily, rolling over onto his side to face away from the clock, not wanting to see it flash the seven in the morning it happened to be. He wasn't looking forward to work today. He had to reorganize the sound bars and one of his team members was out sick all week. It was going to make getting the work done a little difficult. He didn't have the best grip, given his hands were those of a t-rex.

After a few moments of wanting to stay in bed, Steve rolled back over, then pushed himself up to begin the undesirable process of properly waking up. He yawned wide, his jaws stretching in a way that made him look almost predatory while his chocolate-hued plumage fluffed up as he stretched the rest of him. His clawed feet landed on the carpeted floor and soon he was out of bed. A shower came shortly after. The warm water began to steam up the bathroom as Steve slipped out of his boxers as another yawn took him.

Something didn't feel quite right today. He didn't feel sick, but he certainly felt kind of "off". He figured it was probably due to a poor night's sleep. He had been tossing and turning quite a bit. He had been too warm all night. Even after he turned on the fan, he just couldn't seem to get comfortable. Maybe that was why it was unusually warm and muggy in his dream. Sometimes he wished he had been more like the scaled version of his ancestors everyone thought of when they thought of his species. Though it did make winters far more tolerable. He still hated the cold in spite of it.

The hot water streamed down his svelte form, wetting his plumage and gradually washing away the fatigue of sleep as he soaked it in. His mind was mush at the moment, unwilling to do much more than bounce from abstract thought to abstract thought, slowly growing more practical. At one point, a passing idea of how he could build a prosthetic to give him the other two fingers most people had entered his head, then promptly left as it was replaced by the silly idea of someone hacking the prosthetic and making his artificial hands kill someone like in a bad horror film. His thoughts continued to bounce before something strong took hold of them and wouldn't let go. He always saw her in his dreams, the ravishing female his unconscious counterpart would invariably dominate and then claim as his. Those images swirled around in his mind, bringing a goofy grin to his muzzle.

His lips parted and his tongue dangled from his mouth as he let those thoughts drive him forward. Already he had firmed up fairly well, and so he simply spread his legs into a more stable stance and braced against the wall. One of his hands moved to his groin, wrapping his talon around the steadily stiffening rod below. He liked fantasizing about being a more primitive t-rex. It helped to take his mind off the fact that he had been the runt of the colony. He'd also been pretty much the only nerd.

As a nerd, he was not at all ashamed of what he was doing now. He just 'took care of business' and went on about his day. And today would be no different. He pumped over the stiff length as he hissed happily. Having not had the will to carry out such an act earlier in the week, Steve was getting in on it while the getting was good. His hiss turned into a growl as he drew close to orgasm. The runt of the king of the dinosaurs didn't tend to make just an enormous amount of noise in the sack, and this was no different. He gasped and permitted himself a tiny little moan as he erupted, splattering the tile wall as was the norm. He had been pretty pent up, and it felt good letting go.

But then something wasn't entirely normal. That splatter never happened. Instead, a warm, soothing rush flowed up through Steve's belly and he sighed in relief, not knowing just what caused it. He chalked it up to his body fighting against fatigue the only way it knew how. When he opened his eyes, he simply assumed that the spray from the shower had rinsed away the evidence. At least he didn't have to worry about stepping in it.

The rest of the shower followed; a thick, squishy loofa lathering him up thoroughly, careful to get on top of his feathers and underneath them. Unfortunately, he couldn't spend as much time under his plumage as he would have liked. It always felt so good when he had time to massage underneath properly. He would have to make time for a good scrub later. Once done, he toweled off as best as he could, then stepped into the little stall he had built, tapped the button on the floor with a clawed talon, and a rush of warm air blasted up from underneath. The slender t-rex fluffed up happily as he was dried so quickly. He gave himself a good shake to help lay his plumage back down, a little too puffy for his taste immediately out of the dryer stall. Teeth brushed, uniform donned, glasses polished carefully, lunch packed, and he was out the door.

The store was quiet, as was the usual so early in the morning. It promised to be a relatively light day since there was so much vacationing going on. Everyone was going out of town, so the usual browsers wouldn't be in. With more luck than he was used to, Steve managed to tackle the change in displays without much distraction. He even had a little help from Harriet. The smallish rabbit had recognized early that Steve didn't have the kind of dexterity he wanted when moving heavy pieces of equipment, so she helped him whenever the opportunity presented itself.

"Wow, I think that's the fastest we've ever redone a display." Steve said, rubbing the back of a wrist over his forehead.

"Hey, bunnies are quick!" Harriet said with a smirk.

"Yeah you are. But I figured it'd take forever, what with Jeremy being out sick and me, not feeling quite right today." Steve replied.

"No feeling right? Whatcha mean?" Harriet asked.

The diminutive t-rex shrugged a bit, not quite able to articulate the notion as well as he would like.

"I dunno. Just... kinda off. I don't feel sick or anything. I just don't really feel like I'm on my game I guess." Steve explained as best he could.

"Didja have a hard time sleeping last night? It was a warmer night than the past few weeks." the lady probed carefully.

"That may have been it. If I'd known it was gonna be that warm, I'd have adjusted the thermostat. I'm sure that's all it was. I'll turn it down when I get home and have a blanket nearby in case it gets too cold tonight." Steve said.

"Sounds good ta me. Hey, you still on for hangin' out this weekend? I managed ta swing Saturday off." the rabbit asked, bouncing a little on her paws in excitement.

It always made Steve grin goofily seeing Harriet doing something that cute. He knew that she did it specifically so he could see her more easily, or at least that was the joke; the whole eyesight keyed on motion myth. Really it was more just being far-sighted. Steve adjusted his glasses and tried not to look too silly in his grin.

"Yeah, sure. I could hang out. What did you wanna do?" he asked.

Harriet opened her mouth to speak, clearly excited, but then her expression melted away as her ears perked. They twisted and turned as she picked up on a sound too low for Steve to hear.

"We'll talk later. You got incoming. Better hunker down, she's a yapper." Harriet said with a softly wide-eyed expression. It was less a fear response and more a "I don't want anything to do with that" response as she turned and scurried off to her department in the automotive section.

Steve turned around and adjusted his glasses again. He squinted a little as his eyes focused to find a short, squat, chubby Pomeranian lady practically waddling her way towards his department. She was talking rather loudly on her phone and from what he could make out, she was rather sure of her opinions. This was going to be "fun". While Steve wasn't a model specimen of his species, his lithe build allowed for a fair bit of speed and agility. With a grace not becoming of his kind, he darted over to his station, nabbed his tablet, and slipped out onto the main floor. He stopped just on the edge of the walkway corporate had calculated was just wide enough to permit access, but not so wide that customers couldn't literally reach out and snatch an item off one of the nearest displays. Hooray for subliminal marketing!

As the canine lady approached, Steve put on his best, most practiced smile. It was a little toothy, but not so much that it would look off-putting or intimidating. Really it just made him look like he was apologizing for simply being in the way.

"Hello ma'am. Is there something I can help you find?" He asked with as polite and non-invasive a tone as he could, something else he had practiced. After all, t-rexes weren't known for their customer service skills. Steve's however were on point.

"Hold on!" the Pomeranian practically barked then turned back to her conversation on the phone, "Sorry, this guy's interrupting me."

She had been quiet for long enough prior that it looked like perhaps the call had ended. Especially since she had pulled the headset away to tap on the screen. Steve recoiled a little at the sharp bite of the words and remained quiet, staring down at her a little more fearful in expression than he would have liked.

After a solid five minutes of her standing immediately in front of him, not addressing him, not looking at him, and forcing the poor tech-loving dino to listen to her talk too loudly on the phone, she finally hung up and huffed as she looked up at him.

"I need a new phone." the lady said, clearly annoyed by something.

"Alright, I can help you with that. Is there a specific one you're looking for or are you unsure of what you'd like to upgrade to?" Steve asked, again, trying to be as cheerful and helpful as he could.

"I want the new one." the dog said, not even really waiting for him to finish his sentence properly.

Steve was taken aback for a brief moment, both by her sudden response and its vagueness.

"Okay, we've got several phones that just hit the market recently. I can show you around and let you take your pick." the t-rex said.

"No, no, no! I want -the- new phone! You know, the only one that matters!" She complained, figuring the dinosaur should have known exactly what she was talking about. To her, it should have been as obvious to him as it was to her.

Steve had dealt with this sort of thing before, though not turned up to this level. He would have his work cut out for him. He flicked on his powers of observation and quickly looked the dog over without making it obvious. It was one thing he'd picked up from his predatory heritage that had come in handy. He spied the phone she held in her hand, recognizing the brand and make. It was a PiPhone, designated by the symbol on the back of the case. And it had been the latest model until about three weeks ago.

"Okay, come right this way. We've got a few different versions to pick from. What size storage were you looking for?" Steve asked, stepping back and turning, extending an arm in a sweeping motion to usher the lady forward towards the display with all the new PiPhones.

"I don't care. I just want the newest one. Whichever one is the best." she said haughtily.

"Okay, well if you use a lot of storage, the largest one is a step up from what was offered in the previous model. It runs about seven hundred dollars plus tax." Steve said, realizing only too late what a foolish mistake that was.

"Seven hundred dollars!? That's highway robbery! I didn't pay near that much for this piece of junk!" the Pomeranian slapped her current phone down on the counter next to her.

Steve glanced over at it quickly, spying that it was one of the more expensive versions, a special edition that only offered a different case, that had cost more than what he had quoted. He said nothing but moved on down the line.

"Well, we have the smaller option which is only six hundred, but you have only about a quarter of the storage." the t-rex offered, "Do you take a lot of photos or download a lot of music?"

"Of course I do. I'm kind of a freelance photographer type person. I take photos everywhere I go. And I have to have my music. All of it. And none of that stupid cloud stuff. I don't wanna be unable to get my songs when it's a sunny day!" the lady said.

Steve remained quiet for a moment, unable to properly parse what she had just said. There was no way she was serious about that, was there? Did she really think 'cloud storage' was literal? That you could only access it when there were clouds in the sky? The dino simply moved on without addressing that fallacy.

"Well, it sounds like you use a lot of storage, so you're probably going to want the larger option. Let me just take a look at your mobile account and see if you're eligible for any discounts on your upgrade. Can I get your name please?" Steve asked.

"Jamie Curtis. Cell number's in the phone. I don't bother trying to remember it." the lady said, clearly put off by the inconvenience of having to go through all of this.

Steve nodded, worked her phone briefly--she didn't even use a lock screen passcode--and scribbled her information into his tablet. It was much easier using the stylus rather than trying to type. His tablet was practically the only saving grace that saved him from hunting and pecking. Two fingers and a thumb on each hand meant slow data entry.

"Jamie Curtis. Oh, like the actress?" the dino asked, trying to smile brightly.

"Who?" the lady asked, sounding annoyed with the question.

"N-nothing, don't worry about it. I'll just check your account." He presumed she was too young to know who that was.

After a short while, he had brought up the lady's information and began perusing it carefully. The news wasn't terrible, but it wasn't as good as he had hoped.

The t-rex looked up from his tablet, tried to keep his attitude as cheerful as he could, and delivered.

"It looks like you used your last upgrade about four months ago, so you're not eligible for another one until early summer. However, your carrier is running a special deal that's fifty dollars off if you're going to one phone in particular, the large PiPhone." he said.

Mrs. Curtis rolled her eyes and made a disgusted noise, and looked down at her phone as she began to text someone.

"Whatever, just... do whatever it is you do. Make it work, turn it on. I'll pay the stupid price. I just wanna get rid of this crusty, old dinosaur." she gestured to her phone, which Steve had confirmed was only four months old, a replacement for another just like it that she had broken according to the account history.

The 'dinosaur' comment had struck him just the wrong way. Were he more like the others of his kind back home, he would have probably done something rather rude and loud. Probably roar, snap his jaws at her, flex to show off his muscles, maybe even chase her out of the store. As it was, he did something pretty aggressive, at least it was for him.

"Um, it probably would be better if you said 'obsolete' instead of 'dinosaur' when you're talking about an old phone or something like that. It's not very kind to dinos." He said in a friendly manner.

Without even looking up from her phone, the Pomeranian sneered a little.

"Why? S'not like you're one. What are you, some kinda emu or something?" she said. If it wasn't for her vapid accent, she would have sounded like she was snarling.

"Um... you probably didn't know but... I'm actually a dinosaur, a tyrannosaur. I know it doesn't really look like it what with the feathers and all but, it's true. And we kind of take offense when people use the word 'dinosaur' to mean something is old and out-dated. We prefer the term 'obsolete'." He said it with as kind and non-combative a tone as was possible. He even offered a friendly smile, careful not to show too much tooth.

The Pomeranian froze in the middle of her text, then slowly brought her gaze back up to his, her jaw hanging slack in shock as she stared at him.

Ten minutes later, the whole store had heard what came of Steve's comment. His ears were still ringing in fact. He was never going to live this one down. A little dog lady barking up at him with such vicious insults and malice and he, supposedly king of the dinosaurs, was cowering away from her, eyes wide, tablet held to his chest as if it would somehow protect him. It also helped ease the mild nausea he was feeling.

His embarrassment was complete and total. Until Bill came over.

Bill was the assistant manager for the entire store. The squat, stocky cat--roughly the same height as the hateful, self-absorbed canine lady--sauntered over to him as he sat at his station, still clutching his tablet.

"Hey, Steve. What's happenin'?" the feline said with that same rehearsed tone and line. He didn't even give the rex a chance to reply, "So I managed to get Mrs. Curtis to ease down and let me finish activating her phone. But we need ta have a little talk 'bout your customer service."

Steve looked up incredulously from his downward stare.

"My customer service? I was perfectly polite to her." he said, hurt and in a quiet voice.

"That's not what she's saying. She says you interrupted her while she was on an important phone call, then you tried to get her to buy a phone that wasn't the brand she asked for, then you tried to sell her the most expensive phone you could find, and then you snapped and yelled at her because she used a word you didn't like." Bill said.

"No!" Steve said quickly,

He was trying not to get too worked up about it and be mistaken for turning violent. Not that he ever gave that impression. He was the smallest, meekest t-rex anyone had ever seen. But his racial history had him overcompensating when trying to be benign.

"That's not what happened at all," he said, "She looked like she was off the phone so I approached. She snapped at me for it because she wasn't done with her call. Then she didn't say what phone she wanted so I offered-"

"Steve, easy now." Bill said, lifting his hands and adjusting his posture to make himself look a little bigger.

The rex whimpered and shrank a little in his seat, having been cut off.

"But I didn't-"

"Mrs. Curtis has said she's not going to lodge a formal complaint so long as you got retrained on your job. Now, you and I both know the golden rule in this store, don't we?" Bill asked, as patronizing as ever.

Steve sighed and lowered his gaze, even more hurt than ever.

"Yeah... the customer is always right." he mumbled half-heartedly.

"Super," Bill elongated the 'u' as he said it, "I'll go ahead and get you scheduled for a re-training class. There's one this weekend at the downtown office. Don't worry, it's not gonna go on your permanent record or anything. But we gotta do what make the customer happy. And next time, it's best not to correct the customer."

"But she insulted me. She didn't even know what species I am. I just tried to let her know as kindly as I could." the rex said, struggling to keep his composure at this point

"Now, Steve. People don't come to our store to hear about our family history. They come to our store to buy quality products from quality people. And quality people don't get angry about being called the wrong thing. Do they?" Bill said, trying to elicit the exact response he wanted, rather than help an employee cope with a racial slur.

For a short while, Steve remained quiet, not wanting to capitulate. Eventually, the feline's insisting nature dragged it out of him.

"No, they don't." he mumbled, fighting back tears by now.

"Great," Bill said long and slow, "Now you go take a break while I finish up with Mrs. Curtis. Come see me after we're done and we'll get you scheduled for that class."

Steve got up and walked away from his station. He was quickly turning into a serious mess and made for the bathroom as quickly as he could. Harriet, who had watched the whole thing, tried to stop him briefly.

"Hey, you need anything?" she asked, truly wanting to offer whatever assistance she could.

"No, I just... I need to go calm down. Sorry." Steve said, trying his best to not let a choke through. He didn't want to let on that he felt like throwing up as well. He already had enough reason to want out of public view.

The rabbit frowned as she watched her friend quicken his pace and reach up to mop moisture from his eyes. Hopefully he wouldn't run into anyone or anything on the way so blinded. Then she turned to face Bill as he finished working with the horrible dog lady, glaring daggers at him. It took only a few minutes for the cat to finish the sale and the unpleasant woman was waddling her way out of the store. The rabbit saw her opportunity to help and marched her way over to Bill, ready to give him an earful. Given that she always gauged that on the size of her ears, which could hold a lot, the store might get a second show.

Steve pushed the door to the men's room open and let it shut behind him. He did a quick scan, looking under the stalls for feet. When he was satisfied that the bathroom was empty, he returned to the door and locked it. With his privacy assured, he slumped in front of one of the sinks, trying his best to not let what had just happened get to him. He sniffled a bit, leaning heavily on his hands on either side of the basin. How could Bill have been so callous? How could he take that awful lady's side? He had been a perfect gentleman to that terrible, self-interested little monster. It felt like no one had his back.

He knew that wasn't really the case. In fact, he thought he could hear Harriet giving Bill his due through the door. How she managed to do that and not lose her job, he couldn't fathom. It wasn't the first time she'd raised her voice like that. And every time she did it, she was fully justified. Steve had learned quickly that you just didn't get on the bad side of a rabbit from hard side of town. It often led to hearing loss and dirty looks so profound that it could make even the hardest of criminals shrink away in fear.

That notion made Steve chuckle through the few tears that managed to seep out. That alone gave him enough strength to start pulling himself back together. He was a tyrannosaur. He shouldn't be hiding in the bathroom crying because some little ugly dog lady barked at him. He wet a couple of paper towels--they were the super cheap kind most stores opted to use to save a few cents--and began mopping his face clean.

After he was satisfied that he didn't look like a mess, he adjusted his glasses and straightened his shirt. That was when it hit him. It was pulled tighter than usual around his midsection. Steve frowned a little, puzzled by this occurrence, and turned to look at himself in profile. Sure enough, he had a slight paunch. That wasn't there before. He was usually as skinny as a beanpole. Had he been putting on a few recently and he was just now discovering it?

He ran a clawed palm over his stomach, finding it curious that there was virtually no give to the swell. It was firm and taut, making him wonder what could have caused this. The sensation brought a subtle tingle with it, urging him to stroke over it again. This time, he lifted his shirt, getting a better look. The skin on skin contact amplified the tingle, sending it racing up his spine. Why did it feel so pleasant? It hadn't felt that way before. For a very brief moment, he let a notion play through his head. It had reminded him of something, a mental image he had held onto from one of those saucy dreams. For a second, he thought he looked pregnant, though only just. He dismissed the notion immediately, giving it no weight at all.

It had to be diet, stress, and lack of physical activity. That's all it was. Funny that he should notice it today of all days, and just after getting screamed at. Steve sighed and tucked his shirt tail back in, finding it had a slightly more difficult time staying that way. Once he looked presentable again, he unlocked the bathroom door and walked out. It had been at least ten minutes, so he was sure he was going to get a talking to about that from Bill. It would just complete the day; yelled at by a horrible customer, get reprimanded for it, get scheduled for re-training, told to go clean up, then reprimanded for taking too long doing exactly what he was told.

Oddly, nothing came of it.

Steve returned to his area, looking around to see if there was anything he needed to take care of that popped up while he was away. Nothing appeared to need his attention for the moment.

"Hey, you doin' alright?" Harriet asked, having snuck up on the tall, skinny rex.

Steve turned around with a bit of a jerk, relaxing almost immediately from the start.

"Oh... yeah, I'm alright. How bad was it while I was away?" he asked.

"Well, let's just say Bill won't be botherin' you for a while. I told him off real good. Probably cost me my yearly pay raise, but I don't care. Pencil pushing prick doesn't get ta pull that shit. He's in trouble with -his- boss now." the rabbit said with a grin.

"Harriet. You shouldn't have done that. He could get you fired." Steve said, genuine concern in his words.

"Yeah, probably. But if he does, I'm draggin' him down too. I told him endangered species is a government protected class, and he could have a lawsuit on his hands if he doesn't treat you better. Should'a seen the look on his face. He went white as a sheet... or at least I'm guessing he did. Hard to tell under all that black fur." Harriet said.

"Wait... that's a thing?" Steve asked.

"Oh yeah. Just 'cause ya got fur doesn't mean ya can't blush or go pale." she replied.

"No, I mean the protected class thing. Is that for real?" he asked.

"Oh, that. Of course it is. There's what... only about twenty thousand rexes left in the world? You guys aren't terribly good at multiplying. Should'a got a little rabbit in ya!" she smirked, giving Steve a nudge with her elbow.

That was something of a joke. There was an understood slight that had become common knowledge about all saurian species. A movie had come out a few decades ago about an alternate Earth where dinos had gone extinct, but then were brought back using 'super science' for lack of a better explanation, and how they had to use another animal's DNA to fill in some of the gaps. Since then, the standing joke was certain traits had to come from those other animals. The feathers were the biggest target, though that one had flared quickly and died out early. Now it was on to kangaroos, and it went both ways. The term 'veloci-rabbit' had been used, much to the good-natured crankiness of the roo population.

All of this left Steve quiet and thoughtful. He stared off into space as he pondered over the notion of being in a government protected class while one of his hands moved absentmindedly to his stomach, holding it. His silence and vacant expression drew another nudge from the rabbit.

"Hey, hello in there. You sure you're alright, Steve?" Harriet called out.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking." the rex said.

"Well, looks like we've got a little downtime. Penny for your thoughts?" she asked.

Steve tucked his lower lip under his teeth, looking pensive for a moment. He didn't want to say everything that was on his mind, but he did have one thought that bubbled up, troubling him--if only on a very simple level.

"Do I look like I've put on weight to you?" he responded, turning to stand in profile towards the rabbit.

At first, Harriet's reaction was to laugh. She had never known him to be self-conscious about his weight. She bit back the urge to chortle when she saw the earnestness he asked with. Humoring the poor guy, she gave him a quick looking over and shrugged.

"I guess you might have put on a little around the middle, but don't hold me to it. It just might be the way your shirt is falling," the rabbit answer, "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that... I dunno. I just feel kinda off. Clothes feel kinda tight. Still feel kinda sluggish, like I haven't been able to get up to speed all day." Steve said.

"Just chalk it up to a bad day with a less than stellar start. I'm sure you're fine," Harriet tried to comfort him, "At any rate, you still wanna hang out this weekend?"

"I can't," Steve moaned, "Bill's going to have me retrained Saturday. Customer Service 101, the most absolutely boring, mind-numbing shlock there is in the corporate world."

Harriet grinned as wide as she possibly could. Had it been Steve doing it, he would have looked menacing. Since she was a rabbit, it just lent credence to the 'adorable' assumption.

"No he's not. I bitched him out so hard he backed off of that too! You're free!" she said with unparalleled glee.

Steve's eyes widened.

"Seriously!?" he cried.

"Seriously!" Harriet replied.

Physical contact between a T-rex and anyone who isn't one is awkward in the best of times. Often many assume something dreadful is about to happen. Steve had come to accept this notion and tended to keep it to an absolute minimum for the comfort of others. Now though, he was too elated to care. The seven foot tall string-bean of a saurian reached out and took hold of the rabbit, dragged her in against his chest, lifting her off the ground in what was laughingly called a 'bear hug'. Harriet yelped in surprise, not having expected to trigger that kind of a reaction.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Steve said, perhaps a little too loudly.

"You're welcome, now, can you put me down before you suffocate me?" Harriet said, her voice muffled by the layer of fluff that covered Steve's chest. It was the only part of his front that had any plumage. It made for a comfortable place to nestle comfortably, but not to be mashed into by an overly enthusiastic T-rex.

"Oh! Sorry!" Steve yelped, setting his friend back down.

Harriet sputtered a little, having caught a few feathers in her mouth, what few were sticking out of the collar of Steve's shirt.

"No problem. Just, gimme a little warning next time. I'm quick, but I'm not quick enough to escape the dreaded tyrannosaur death hug!" she said jokingly.

"I owe you. Big. How about I buy us dinner Saturday night?" Steve asked.

Harriet fluttered her eyes a little at him as she grinned.

"Why Steve... is Mr. Big Scary Tyrannosaurus Rex asking a little bitty bunny out on a date?" she teased.

The dino's eyes grew huge.

"What!? No! I didn't mean it that way! I just wanted to thank you! I'm sorry!" he tripped over his words.

The rabbit laughed and turned to bound back off towards the automotive area.

"I'm picking at you! If you wanna buy me dinner for getting you out of a session of soul suck, that's fine by me!" she called back to him over her shoulder.

Steve watched her go, still trembling a little. He wasn't sure if it was from all the emotional stress in the last half hour, fear that Harriet might think he was interested in her in a romantic capacity, or that mild nausea he was feeling earlier. He tried his best to push it all away as he saw a new customer approach. Tablet at the ready, and more than just a little gun-shy at this point, the rex put on his best smile and went back to work.

The rest of the day was spent doing the usual; tending to customers, trying not to aggravate the more obstinate ones, restocking, reorganizing, and visiting the bathroom from time to time. The nausea just wouldn't go away, though it did die down a bit. No matter what he did, Steve just couldn't get on his game in his opinion. His stomach continued to distract him. The oddly pleasant tingle kept cropping up every time something or someone brushed against it. And he couldn't help but notice how firm it felt. He tried his best to ignore it, but it was virtually impossible.

Eventually, he reached the end of the workday and vanished from the store as if by magic. He didn't want to chance running into Bill again, risk catching the feline with a change of mind. For such a tall thing, he sure could be stealthy when he wanted to be. Hunter's instincts no doubt. And he put them to good use to evade dangerous creatures that threatened to rip and slash at his time off with their vicious claws made of work-related obligations.

The clever hunter knew when to attack head on and when to evade detection. Steve rarely attacked head on.

The bus ride home was long. Really it wasn't that long, only about twenty minutes, but it felt so much longer. Steve kept finding his attention wandering back to his stomach, trying to keep from letting his hands play over it too frequently lest he look strange to the others. No one really cared. They were all too busy with their own ritual of avoiding contact with anyone else. He couldn't help but rub his thighs together from time to time. Something was going on with him, he was certain of it. He just couldn't figure out what.

Mercifully, the trip from bus to door was short. He even managed to catch the elevator on the way up as he walked into his building. A twist of the key, knob, and deadbolt saw him in and sealed away from the world for the night. The very first thing he sought was food. He was unreasonably hungry for some reason. He hadn't done that much physical activity today, though it had been emotionally trying. The memory of the bathroom struck him again. He should probably watch what he ate for a while, try to get out on walks more often. Still, he wasn't going to starve himself.

Rather than fixing himself a normal portion of leftovers from a previous night's cooking, he opted for a smaller portion. It left him not entirely satisfied, but he told himself it was for his own good. Just as he finished eating, he felt the unpleasant strain of the waist of his pants cutting into him. The rex groaned a little and quickly moved to unfasten them. Immediate relief followed and he sighed blissfully, clawed hands resting over his middle. He gave his abdomen a cursory examination, then frowned. Something wasn't right.

Curious, Steve climbed to his feet, ducked under a couple of doorways, and stepped into the bathroom. He stared at himself in a full length mirror he'd hung on the back of the door. Face on, he seemed fairly normal, but when he turned in profile, he could see a distinct change. He stripped out of his clothing save for his underwear and gawked. His stomach was large enough to push out from the rest of his trim figure. It wasn't an obscene amount, but it was noticeable. And it was bigger than while he was at work.

As if it might bite him, Steve ever so carefully touched a palm to the dome. It sent a shiver up his spine and he pressed against it with the whole of his hand in response. What was going on? It never felt that good just touching his stomach. And it was firm. It wouldn't yield but ever so slightly. It looked as if he had gained a good ten to fifteen pounds, but only in that one area. And why did it feel so good to touch?

Unable to help himself, Steve began to rub the gentle swell with both hands, shivering as he reveled in it. Already he could feel a stirring in his loins. Was it because of the caresses to his middle? He didn't care. He needed to shower anyway. He smelled of cardboard dust and cheap big box bathroom soap.

The water came on and quickly steamed the bathroom nicely. Steve climbed in and sighed happily as the warmth washed down over his back and shoulders. As soon as a few trickles left his feathers and raced down his un-plumed front, he sucked in a hissing breath. His legs immediately became wobbly, threatening to send him to the floor for only a brief instant. He had not expected that. As he recovered, his curiosity burned. Slowly, the Rex turned around and faced into the spray, letting his stomach get thoroughly soaked. An audible moan rose up out of him and he sighed half out of lust. He couldn't hold himself back any longer.

One of his hands made its way to his groin, taking hold of his length as it quickly stiffened. He pumped smoothly and slowly, just getting a feel for the moment. His other palm traced circles around the gentle curve of his tummy. The sensation was electric. There was nothing Steve could do to brace or steel himself. He was diving headlong into the raw, unfettered experience of whatever this was. His jaws parted as he began to pant in a needy fashion. His legs spread into a comfortable stance, arching his back into the spray of the shower. His fingers moved carefully about his length, not wanting to injure himself. The pace quickened, as did his breath. It was all too short an experience. Soon, he felt the telltale throb between his fingers and he gave himself to climax.

The same warm rush flowed up through him from below, making his toes curl a bit. Thankfully his claws had been filed down there as well, otherwise he might have left marks on the floor of the shower. He huffed and panted, taking note for the first time that there wasn't the usual sticky result. He frowned a little, lifting the hand responsible for the trouble, rubbing his thumb and two fingers against one another, mystified by their apparent cleanliness. Something about that didn't seem right. He knew that. But he was too distracted.

The throbbing had died down, but his length was still quite stiff. His need was still present. Usually he wasn't ready to go again so soon after, but today had been a lesson in exception, so he indulged. He panted and growled, grunting as he lifted one leg slightly, up onto the ball of that foot, for reasons he could not fathom. Whatever it was, it worked. In but a precious few moments, he was hit by another climax. This time, he got the sticky mess he was used to. The white splatters were quickly directed down by the shower spray.

Steve panted, finally feeling sated, even as he continued to rub his stomach. He didn't know what was happening. He wasn't even sure how he felt about it. Whatever it was, it couldn't be all bad, he thought.

The rex cleaned himself up properly, dried off using his special booth drier, then wandered about the house for a bit in his bathrobe. He kept it tied loosely about his stomach, not wanting a repeat of what he went through with his pants at dinner. He spent the next few hours indulging his hobby: tech. He loved all things tech. He was unashamedly a nerd. That was probably why he wasn't back home with his family or any of the other tyrannosaurs he knew. They were all more athletic then he was. Jocks really. They made fun of him, both for his size and his love of things they thought were for 'eggheads'.

He hated that they still used that word. They were Saurians. They reproduced by eggs. It wasn't really that much of an insult. It just made the whole species look bad when they said such foolish things.

Thoroughly distracted from his stomach, Steve tinkered with his computer and a few new trinkets before finally feeling fatigue take hold of him. He yawned heartily and pulled himself away from the new gadget he'd recently gotten.

He had to get to bed. Work would come early in the morning, just like it always did. Hopefully Bill would leave him alone tomorrow too. Just one more day and he would have the weekend to relax.

Steve climbed under the sheets, making sure to leave the temperature set a bit cooler than last night. He didn't want a second night of bad sleep.

---

The alarm clock went off, much to Steve's displeasure. He lay there in bed, sprawled and stretched out, his plumage ruffled and messy. Careful not to tear it with a claw, he kicked the top sheet off of himself and groaned. He slapped weakly about trying to find the source of the impertinent noise until he located it and silenced the evil device. He didn't want to wake up today. He felt lazy. But he had to.

At least is was a Friday. Tomorrow, he could sleep in a bit, then he would get to spend the day with Harriet just palling around.

With concerted effort, the tyrannosaur managed to sit himself up. With a grunt, he stopped short of being completely upright. Something didn't feel correct. There was a pressure in his abdomen that felt more relieved, though not completely absent, the more reclined he was. A hand explored the region to find a curious swell, larger than he remembered it being last night.

Steve reached over and clumsily collected his glasses, needing to see what exactly what was going on. What he found was that he had indeed grown. It was a change that anyone would easily notice without needing to be attached to it. He was suddenly quite nervous. And now very awake.

The rex shot out of bed, feeling a little unsteady with the curious weight in his middle, and rushed into the bathroom. He turned to look side on in the mirror, finding his tummy protruding significantly from the rest of him. This wasn't just him putting on a little weight. Something serious was happening. As if to try and convince the bulge to shrink, Steve pressed a palm against it, shuddering as the odd, almost electric sensation from last night passing through him. His breath caught in his throat as he traced that single hand over the gentle curve. He couldn't stand it.

Whatever this was, no matter how serious, there was a strange quality to it that he could not resist.

Steve had showered the previous night, so he likely didn't need to again, but he did anyway. A quick one, just to help get his feathers back in order. At least that was the argument he used to convince himself. Once he was in the stall, water streaming down his slim figure, he gave into the urge. He had been firming up quickly the minute he started feeling along his rounded middle. It didn't take long at all for him to go the rest of the way. This time however, things went a bit differently. Rather than keeping his fingers wrapped around the twitching length, he pressed it and his palm against his swollen stomach. That triggered a new sensation that stole his breath away.

Oh he needed to do that again.

The flustered rex groaned and spread his legs. His tail rose purely out of instinct as he began to stroke his palm up and down across both the tender flesh of his loins and the firm curve of his middle. It took virtually no time at all to make him shudder and gasp as he was taken by climax. Again, the warm rush filled him, and he practically melted. It gave his legs reason to turn to jelly and he sank to the floor of the shower, leaning back against the wall. He couldn't stop. He continued to pump, realizing that the usual sticky mess, like the last few times, had not presented itself on the first go. And he couldn't help but feel the need to keep going.

A mild burn claimed Steve's arm as he pumped, raking the claws of his other hand harmlessly across the tile as he was dragged back into orgasm. It was frighteningly quick. He couldn't remember a time prior to this where he could produce that result so rapidly in succession. This time, much like the first, resulted in no release coating his hand, or his stomach for that matter. Instead, that same heated surge passed up through him, stronger this time than before. Possibly because he was already warmed through by the first.

Steve grit his teeth, still feeling unsatisfied, and pumped away again. This time, he switched hands to save his dominant arm. It was already feeling overused. Steadily, the Rex felt the act start to draw him towards the cliff once again, slower this time. It was all he could do to stay focused. The fact that he was running out of time was not lost on him. His mind cast back to the image from before, of him in primal form mounting a female in a steamy jungle. Now however, the image had changed. Now, he was the one being mounted. His spine turned ramrod straight and he moaned loud enough that he thought he would wake the neighbors as a heavy burst painted his brownish-grey tummy and palm. The sticky ooze finally making its escape seemed to do the job of slaking his lust.

After a moment's rest to catch his breath, Steve climbed back to his feet, rinsed himself off, stepped into his dryer stall, and fluffed himself up. He clothed as quickly as he could, concerned that his work-issued shirt no longer fit quite as well is it should. He didn't have time to do anything about it. He tucked the shirt-tail in, gathered his things, and raced out the door. His belly, something akin to an under inflated football in size, didn't hinder him, though it was a distraction. The fabric of his shirt hugged it so tight that he couldn't help but notice how his skin crawled with goose-bumps from time to time.

The trip to work passed without anyone really taking notice. That was fortunate given that Steve was having a difficult time keeping from squirming in his seat. Something about this growing belly of his was messing with his libido. The closer he got to his stop, the more he thought about simply letting it pass on by and going back home. He could call in sick. Given the strange circumstances, it seemed to qualify. But then the bus pulled to a stop in front of his store and there wasn't really any chance of turning back. Before he had realized it, purely out of habit, the rex had gotten to his feet and walked right off the bus. As soon as he decided he should probably go home, maybe even try to see a doctor, the bus had driven off.

Steve whimpered quietly as he realized his foolishness. It looked like he was going to be working through whatever this was.

As he stepped inside, the suddenly even more self-conscious dino scanned the room, adjusting his glasses. He spotted the feline who had sent him into a downward spiral yesterday and tried to duck away from him. He didn't want to risk getting told his Saturday was going to be taken up in spite of being assured it wouldn't. Nor did he want Bill noticing the additional size in his middle. He didn't want anyone to.

"Woah. Someone's been packin' on a few. You alright there, feather duster?" Harriet said, immediately noticing Steve's condition.

The rex winced, having hoped he could have gone longer than five seconds without someone drawing attention to it.

"I don't know what's going on. I wasn't this big last night. I'm kind of worried. And it's really distracting." he said.

"I'd be distracted too if my stomach had suddenly sprouted half a dozen inches in a single night." the rabbit said, trying to keep her voice low enough so as to not bring unwanted attention.

"No, I mean it's distracting me. My stomach. It's really sensitive. When I touch it or when my shirt rubs on it, it feels..."

"Like you're gonna be sick?" Harriet tried to complete.

"Really good." Steve corrected.

That took Harriet by surprise. She blinked a few times as she tried to parse this notion.

"Oh. It feels good?" she asked, clearly trying to understand.

"Yeah, really good. Unreasonably good. I have a hard time not rubbing it." he replied.

"Well, guess that's better than feeling like you're about to throw up. Still, that's damn odd. Is it soft and squishy? Like it's just fat ya gotta burn off?" the rabbit asked.

"No, it's kind of firm. A little like a water balloon, only tighter." he said.

Harriet nodded, lifting a paw to her chin, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, it's not so big that it looks out of place. Maybe you can work through it and whatever this is will go away. Might just be water weight, ya know... 'cause of stress?" the rabbit offered.

"You really think that stress can do this to a person that fast?" Steve asked.

"No, I don't think so. But it's all I've got. I gotta get back ta my area. Let me know if anything comes up." Harriet said before bounding off to the automotive department.

"Sure thing." Steve said, turning back to his area to get started on the day's work.

It was hard to stay focused all day. At least there weren't any customers like the one that had caused his meltdown yesterday. Everyone had been either downright pleasant or at least kept their ignorance under wraps enough to make work tolerable. Steve was thankful for that.

However, as the day wore on, he noticed something rather disconcerting. His stomach was growing, even now. With only an hour left before he could leave, the rex snuck off to the restroom, cautiously locked the door, then gave himself a quick examination. He could scarcely believe what he saw. His stomach had grown so much that his shirt couldn't cover it. A narrow strip of light brownish-grey hide could be seen just below the hem. When he lifted the shirt and looked in the mirror, turned in profile, it looked like he had swallowed a basketball. The weight had increased enough for him to notice too. His feet had gotten sore much earlier in the day than usual, and his legs were just as complaint-riddled.

Just what was going on?

Steve lowered the shirt back down, covering as much of himself as he could manage, then left the bathroom. He didn't return to his area. Instead, he made a bee line for automotive. Quietly and patiently, he stood off to one corner, behind a display, while Harriet finished up with a customer. After a few minutes, she was free and turned to notice a rather shaken Steve looking over her way as if he could use some sort of help. She did not hesitate.

"Hey, you okay? You look like you're about ta have a freak out." the rabbit commented.

"No, I don't think I'm okay. I think something's really wrong." Steve managed to say in a hushed tone.

"What? You feelin' okay? Your stomach botherin' you?" Harriet asked.

"That's just it. It doesn't hurt at all. But-" Steve cut himself off as a customer walked past a little too close for their quiet conversation. He beckoned hastily for her to walk around the display.

Harriet did exactly that, then froze as she saw just how large her saurian friend had gotten. She could scarcely believe what she was looking at. Only a few hours earlier that very morning, he was just looking a little like he'd gained weight. Now, he was decidedly rounder, and it only seemed to focus on his abdomen. Tentatively, she reached out and brushed a small paw across the taut surface. Steve shuddered and bit back a sound he dared not make in public. Immediately, she withdrew her hand, sensing that perhaps it had been inappropriate.

"Honey. I don't know what this is, but it can't be good. Has this ever happened to you before?" she asked.

Steve shook his head vehemently.

"Never. Never heard of anything like it happening before." he said.

"Okay, I'm gonna say screw the rest of your work day. You need to go to the doctor right now. Whatever's going on, you need to get it handled." Harriet said.

"Yeah, I think you're right. There's an ER just a few blocks away." Steve said, glancing around to see if anyone had seen or heard him.

"Then go. I'll handle Bill. He's kinda scared'a me right now anyway." the rabbit insisted, even working to turn the rex around and push him towards the door.

It didn't take much encouragement for him to start heading that way on his own. True to her word, the rabbit bounded off towards the chubby feline, ready to make sure he accepted Steve cutting out a little early. Even if Bill tried to stop him, he wouldn't be able to deny that something strange, possibly dangerous, was happening to him. At that point, he could accuse the cat of preventing him from seeking medical help in an emergency. That would get his attention for sure.

Harriet was starting to rub off on him. Steve decided that was a good thing.

The dino rushed out of the store and turned to hurry down the sidewalk as quickly as he dare. The weight in his growing stomach--it felt like it was still growing at least--was throwing off his balance. He didn't want to accidentally bump into someone just because he couldn't stop in time, or turn too quick and fall over. The rex was awash with emotions and sensations, conflicting and confusing. He was scared out of his mind, but at the same time, he held some strange fascination for what was happening to him. And of course, there was the electric blast brought forth from any tactile contact with his stomach. His jog even offered an as of yet unknown rush of delight. Each downward strike of one of his talons sent a jolt up through him. The weight in his middle, pushing down on his hips, and a new sensation that had joined the mix was leaving him on the verge of panting. He could feel movement inside him. It wasn't as if something was jostling about of its own independent will. It was more like a collection of loose objects bouncing around inside a container just ever so slightly too loose to hold them still. And they felt solid, to an extent.

Trying his absolute best to not get distracted by this odd discovery, Steve slowed his pace, though kept it somewhat brisk, as he aimed for the hospital. Depending on what the doctors might find, he considered stopping by his complex's gym that night for a quick stint on the treadmill. The jostling sensation in his belly added a whole new layer to all of this and he couldn't believe he was actually a little giddy about it.

That giddiness melted away quickly as soon as the doors to the emergency room welled up in front of him. Steve hurried in and approached the counter, unsure what he should say. He wasn't in any pain. He couldn't think of anything really wrong with him other than the fact that his abdomen was ridiculously swollen. Thankfully, he didn't really need to say much.

The nurse looked at the tyrannosaur, then to his stomach, and made an calculated assumption. In a few moments, he was shown to an examination room. Questions were asked regarding his pain level, medical history, if anything like this had happened before, how long it had been going on, and the like. Steve did his best to answer, feeling like he was something of an imposition. There were people coming in with open wounds, serious illnesses, major conditions that needed immediate attention. He just had a big belly.

Eventually, the nurse took some blood to run through the lab and assured Steve that the doctor would be along as soon as possible. By this point, he had been stripped out of his clothes and dressed in a hospital gown. It took everything he had to keep from moaning whenever the slinky cheetah nurse tried to examine his belly. There wasn't anything overtly sexual or sensual about the contact, but it still sent the same charges of electricity up his spine. The feline only just registered his reaction, enough to make a note of it in his chart. Quietly, the rex wondered what sort of note it had been.

The wait stretched out longer and longer. Steve didn't have his watch, and there wasn't a clock in the room, so he had no way of knowing how long he had been waiting. He did notice that it had been rather busy in the emergency room. No doubt he was a low priority.

"Alright, Mr... Steve Rex? Let's see if we can't get a handle on your situation." said a somewhat short horse in a set of teal medical scrubs. He was pure white save for his mane, which was a pale blond. He stared down at the chart in his hands, his body language, voice, and expression all told of how exhausted he was. It had clearly been a busy day.

Steve couldn't help but notice the rather pronounced spiral horn protruding from the doctor's forehead.

"I feel kind of silly. I've been about this big for a few hours now and nothing feels really... wrong. And I know you guys have your hands full here." the rex said, still somewhat embarrassed.

"It's the life of an ER doctor. You learn to live with it. Don't worry yourself about me. My shift is almost over so I'll be able to get some rest soon. Let's focus on you. I'm Dr. Quinn. Is there anything you can tell me about this condition that the nurses haven't already asked you about?" the unicorn asked.

"Not that I can think of. I woke up this morning feeling bloated. I thought I was just finally noticing that I had put on some weight, but then I kept getting bigger throughout the day." Steve explained.

The equine nodded, still looking over the chart. He didn't seem terribly enthused to be there. His energy level was no doubt nearing its end.

"Alright, let's have you lay back and check something. I'm going to need to get at your stomach so pull your gown up. You can use this to cover your lap." Dr. Quinn said, handing the rex a large, folded piece of paper that was laughingly called a blanket. Then again, it was less meant to keep you warm and more to cover your unmentionables. It was really more like a glorified napkin.

Steve did as he was asked, draping the 'blanket' over his lap once it was unfolded. His gown was bunched up against his chest, exposing his large, round belly. Now that he had a chance to get a look at it in proper light, he could see the striped coloration that ran down his sides stretching considerably to keep up with the added bulk.

"Do you know what's happening to me?" the rex asked.

"Well, your blood work came back and said something interesting. I just want to check something to confirm." the doctor said.

He wheeled a small cart over, sporting a computer display on top with a wand connected to it by a long, thick cable. The equine then collected a squeeze bottle from the side holster and pointed it at the dino's stomach. He squirted a thick, cold gel onto the round orb, making Steve shiver, both from the sudden chill and how tender his middle was. He grit his teeth and fought to keep from rubbing his thighs together as the wand joined the mix. The blunt end pressed against his tummy, right in the middle of the little mound of gel, then swirled about.

Dr. Quinn, without taking the wand away from Steve's middle, reached over and flipped on the display, gazing at it quietly. The machine made a series of strange noises over and over again, making the rex wonder just what was going on.

"Are you... giving me an ultrasound?" Steve asked.

"Yup. And it looks like there's no question. You're pregnant." the horse said.

Steve balked, unable to believe what had just been said.

"What!? No! That can't be right! I can't be pregnant! I'm a guy!" the dino protested.

"I'm lookin' at a screen full of eggs. Usually don't see that on a guy, but there it is. Quite a few of them too." Dr. Quinn said.

"How... how is this possible!?" Steve managed to spit out after a moment's confusion.

"Well," Dr. Quinn said, shutting off the ultrasound and wheeling it back away, "Lemme ask you this. Is your family pure blood t-rex?"

Steve blinked, not entirely sure how to answer that.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I understand your meaning." he said.

"I don't mean anything rude by the question, but it might shed some light on this. The lab also ran a quick genetic analysis. I'm guessing you're from one of the t-rex communities that opted for a little insurance when it came to genetic diversity. There's a little amphibian mixed in there." the unicorn explained.

"Amphibian!?" Steve cried.

"Yup. So either someone a good ways back in your community knew a lot about genetics, or just decided to date a frog," Quinn said, taking a paper towel and wiping off the jelly still smeared over the dino's stomach, "And how long has it been since you moved away from home?"

"About a year." the dino said, his voice quieter as he tried to process the revelation.

"Yeah, sounds about right. Certain species can undergo a sort of transformation under the right conditions. And this here is what comes of sex." Dr. Quinn pointed at the swollen belly.

"But... but I haven't had sex! With anyone!" Steve protested once more, feeling like he had somehow been cheated or as though a cruel trick had been played on him.

"As a trained physician, I can tell you without a doubt, that doesn't happen without some sort of sexual activity." the unicorn said, moving to the other side of the room to write on his clipboard.

"I swear, I have not had sex with anyone since I moved here! In fact, I've never had sex with anyone! I'm still a virgin! The only 'sexual activity' I've seen is... well..." Steve said, trailing off a bit.

"Yeah?" The doctor asked.

"You know... when you're on your own?" the rex said bashfully.

"Masturbation. Yeah, that'll do it. It doesn't necessarily fertilize them, but it does trigger the body to start producing them. And from what I can see, you're pretty productive. A lot more than most of the scaly ladies I see in here." Quinn said.

Steve was beside himself. None of this seemed right. It couldn't be. How on Earth could this actually happen? Then a thought struck him. This doctor had been pretty calm about all of this.

"Have you seen others like me? Like this?" he asked.

"A guy? Pregnant? Nope. You're the first one I've seen. I can give you the name of the hospital's obstetrician. She's the best in the city. She'll be able to help you work all this out. Unfortunately, she's probably already left for the day so you'll have to wait until Monday to see her. Her number's on the card. You can call her and she can give you some advice in the meantime." Dr. Quinn said, handing a business card towards the dinosaur.

Steve took it and stared at the little thing.

"For a guy who's never seen this before, you seem pretty unfazed by it." the rex said.

The equine sighed a little, raising an eyebrow in mild annoyance.

"Look, you work in an ER, you're gonna see some weird stuff. And I've seen some stuff. Hell, I still get people asking me if I actually fart rainbows and pixie dust. Weird and trying come with the territory. Now, I can't see anything medically wrong with you. For a pregnant guy, you're in really good health. Call the lady on that card and she'll be able to help you deal with the eggs and maybe put you on a birth control regime to keep you from making more. In the meantime, I recommend laying off masturbating for a while. At least until you can get all of this under control. You'll just end up producing more eggs and end up even bigger."

Steve's face turned pale at the thought, then looked down at the card again. Dr. Quinn said his farewells and left to give the dino a chance to get dressed again. The news rolled around in the tyrannosaur's head, slowly clicking into place as being accepted. Idly, he began rubbing his stomach again, finding he couldn't bring himself to ignore the swell. It felt too lovely. His clothing was just as ill fitting as when he got to the hospital.

The bus ride home was spent in silence. The whole time, Steve continued to rub his stomach, both palms making slow circles over the dome. He was in something of a trance, still absorbing all the information he had been given. He didn't even care if someone stared at him. It felt so good. Now that he knew what was going on inside, he didn't seem quite so afraid or nervous. If anything, oddly, he felt giddy. He didn't understand it, even going so far as to fight against the emotion. It wasn't right to feel that way about this situation, was it? Then another thought occurred to him, and the giddiness quickly gained renewed strength. He wasn't sure if he should be worried by that reaction or not.

It felt good rubbing his stomach. Very good. So good that earlier that morning it had driven him to an act that resulted in a surge in growth. And he was already feeling the temptation building in him again.

How the hell was he going to keep from masturbating again? And the bigger question to him was: did he really want to try to stop himself?

---

Steve found himself almost in a trance. The trip on the bus home, the walk up to his floor, and into his apartment all passed without entering into his memory. Before he knew it, he was standing in his bathroom in front of the full length mirror. He stood there gazing at his reflection, contemplating the sight before him. He hadn't grown any larger since he made it to the hospital, but he was still pretty large. He had a difficult time comprehending all the information he had been given by the doctor. He was carrying a clutch of eggs. Him. A guy. Apparently it was biologically feasible. There was the proof staring him in the face. And he couldn't keep his hands off it.

The rex continued to caress his oversized stomach, trying his best not to delight in the tingling rush radiating up from the gravid bulge. They weren't fertilized. The doctor hadn't said anything to the effect of how they could get that way, but Steve understood the subtext that he would need the 'assistance of an outside party' for that. He wasn't quite ready to make that kind of leap. He wasn't sure he really would ever be. There was only so far he was willing to go. So far, he was just beginning to wrap his head around what was right in front of him. And he couldn't stop rubbing it.

Eventually, he came out of his stupor and realized he probably should give Harriet a call. She was probably worried sick. Steve managed to tear himself away from staring in the mirror to find his cell phone. A few quick taps on the screen, finding himself thankful he paid the five dollars for the 'Tyrannosaur Friendly Interface' someone had built for it, and he was waiting for the rabbit to pick up.

"Hello?" Harriet answered.

"Hey, it's me." Steve said.

"Oh god! Steve! Are you okay!? I went by the hospital after work and you weren't there!" she practically shouted in a panic.

"I'm okay. I'm back home. The doctor released me after a quick exam." Steve said.

"Just an exam!? They didn't check you in for exploratory surgery or a CT scan or something!?" Harriet balked.

"No, they were able to figure out what was going on fairly quick. You're not going to believe it when you hear it." he replied.

For a moment, the conversation hung in the air, neither party speaking. It got to be too much for the rabbit so she spoke up.

"Well!? Are you gonna tell me or do I have to come over there and drag it out of you!?" she cried.

"I'm... pregnant." Steve said, quietly hesitant to even say that much.

Silence returned as it became Harriet's turn to struggle to process the information. When she finally spoke again, she was breathless.

"Wha-... How... I mean... You're pregnant!?" She stammered.

"That's what the doctor said. I've got a clutch of eggs, something like two dozen. He says I'm completely healthy." Steve said.

"I'm coming over." Harriet said.

"What? Why?" the dino asked.

"You just said you're pregnant! You're a guy and you're pregnant! You can't drop that kind of bomb on me and not expect me to want to come talk face to face! I'm in the middle of something right now but I'm going to finish it up as quick as I can and be over there as fast as the cops will let me! You've got a lot of explaining to do!" the rabbit practically shouted through the phone.

Steve had to hold the headset away from his cheek a short distance to spare his ear, then returned it when he took his turn to speak.

"That's not really necessary. It's no big deal," he lied, "I'm actually kinda tired so I might be going to bed in a little bit."

"You'd better not! I want details! I'll be there in an hour!" Harriet shouted.

The phone went dead after that. Steve pulled it away to look at it. The battery had hit critical and the phone had shut itself off to protect it. He sighed and waddled his way over to the nightstand where he plugged it in. It came back on almost immediately and he composed a short text to allay any fears his lapine friend might have.

"Phone died. Charging now. Going to shower then bed. Don't know if I'll be up for anything tomorrow. Sorry."

Steve hit send, put the phone down, then waddled his way back into the bathroom. A shower sounded wonderful. He was still feeling the funk of work on him, and then there was a mild aversion he had to going to the hospital. He wanted to wash that off him before he caught anything. It was a silly notion, he realized. Anything he might have caught would already have made its way in and a shower wouldn't wash it off.

Still, it made a fine excuse.

While Steve waited for the water to heat up, he stood in front of the mirror again, this time completely naked. He couldn't help but notice all the anxiety and stress the revelation had brought was melting away. He didn't feel anywhere near the level of tension that he had before. He ran both palms over his round stomach, shivering each time the sensation reached a critical point and shot a bolt up his spine. Soon, he found himself trying to figure out the easiest way to trigger those 'discharges'. It wasn't a full blown orgasm, but it certainly felt nice. How could anything this pleasant be bad? He hadn't done anything to himself to bring this about; no drugs, strange treatments, outlandish practices, or anything like that. He had just left home. Apparently that was all it took.

Steve growled a little and frowned.

"Screw it." he said, turning to march into the shower.

He knew what the doctor had said, the orders to refrain from any sort of 'self-congratulatory activity' as it were until he had spoken to the obstetrician he'd been directed to. He didn't care. He had found a button that did something he liked and he was going to press it. Over and over. Some part of him deep in the recesses of his mind justified it by telling him he deserved to feel good.

The warm spray cascaded over him and he turned to face into it. The wash over his tummy made him stand up on the balls of his feet as his breath caught in his throat. He left one hand to palm at his stomach. The other drifted down to his groin. He was already completely stiff. Clearly the attention he paid his middle triggered the erotic response. With no reason to stand on ceremony, the dino began pumping swiftly over his length, simply mashing it against the lower curve of his belly. It was a little too awkward to try and get his thumb around it while he was so swollen. In mere moments, far sooner than he anticipated, Steve's whole form went rigid and he gasped, eyes wide, taken completely by surprise.

A powerful warm rush surged up through him, just like on previous attempts. Now it made sense. Self-fertilization, only not entirely. That was why he wasn't making the usual mess each time. He'd just done the very thing that had gotten him this big in the first place. He was going to end up even bigger now. That notion didn't bother him anymore. He huffed and growled as soon as he settled down, resuming his efforts to reach climax again. The fact that it brought him to it so quickly encouraged him to keep going with this new tactic. He squeezed at his belly with both hands, trapping his length under the lower palm. It forced a moan from him he had not expected.

A second wave crashed into him far sooner than he anticipated, taking only a few short moments of effort. His arm wasn't even getting tired yet. A second warm surge passed through him, giving his belly reason to tingle from the inside out. Could he actually feel new eggs being formed? No, that couldn't be it. It had to be a reflex--like goose bumps--he was feeling. He wanted more. It was all he could think of.

The dino spent the rest of his shower making all manner of noises. Never before had he managed to bring himself to climax so many times. He lost count after the fourth, his mind too hazy to properly latch on to anything to store it in memory. He did recognize that at a certain point the warm rush from the first couple of times faded and the usual sticky mess he was used to resumed. He couldn't remember when. Eventually, fatigue began to take its toll and Steve rinsed himself off one last time, turned the shower off, and stepped into his blow-dry stall. His plumage didn't cover his chest or stomach, but it still felt quite lovely. He let his palms roam over the heavy swell, appreciating the curve he'd gained.

So far, he couldn't think of a reason to find this to be a negative turn of events. His concerns and anxiety seemed to be gone. With a tired smile, he stumbled his way from the stall back towards his mirror, turning and looking at his reflection again. His time there was brief. A powerful ache had filled his legs and he wanted to rest. Bed was sounding more and more lovely with every passing second. Steve didn't bother putting anything on as he sat down on the mattress, leaned back, then turned and rolled his way onto his side.

As if out of instinct, the tyrannosaur bent his legs at the knee and hugged his thighs up against the lower curve of his tummy. He draped a single arm over the gravid swell, finding it surprisingly comfortable. A quiet trill escaped Steve as he slowly began to drift off. He couldn't think of anything else he needed or wanted to do but just sleep, wrapped up around his new tummy. He didn't even remember that Harriet was on her way over.

The night was spent far more restful than the last couple. The same dreams continued to wash through his mind, though with the same edit he recalled from the previous night. He was no longer the one mounting, but being mounted. And something about that was rather lovely. He'd never had such inclinations before, but he was wondering now how feasible it might be to try to make that as much a reality as the modern world would allow. Maybe he might be able to find a place that could mimic a primordial jungle to recreate the event. More than likely he would just have to invite a willing rex into his bedroom.

How could he be having such thoughts? He'd never had them before. What changed in him?

That belly is what had changed; whatever inside him had allowed it to become real.

Slowly, Steve drifted away from his pleasant slumber towards wakefulness, passing through all those thoughts along the way. When he finally became lucid enough to open his eyes, he yawned and stretched. He was laying on his back instead of on his side like the night before. It brought with it a weight he was unfamiliar with. It was more than he remembered contending with the previous day, but not at all unpleasant. The rex yawned again and began trying to adjust himself, scooting up towards the headboard to prop his head against it. He reached over to the nightstand and collected his glasses, plopping them down on his muzzle before adjusting them to find that sweet spot that granted him proper vision.

What he saw made him blink a few times, then check his glasses to see if he had smudged them. Everything was in order. He wasn't seeing things. His stomach was considerably bigger. Slowly, he stroked across the taut surface, both palms roaming over it gently. The subtle electric pulse the touch brought was still there, and a bit stronger. A silly grin spread across his muzzle as he gave his belly a squeeze. It forced a shiver up his spine and he giggled, sticking his tongue out a little.

Steve managed to tear himself away from doting on his tummy long enough to sit up properly and get out of bed. It took a bit longer than usual. He wasn't quite used to the new weight yet. He found himself having to lean back to offset the new center of balance, and for some reason, that only delighted him more. Just as naked as when he went to bed, he waddled his way into the bathroom and looked himself over in the mirror, turning slowly this way and that to appreciate what had changed in the night. He no longer had a basketball attached to him. This was more akin to a beach ball, and a fairly good sized one at that.

Something about this whole thing left him feeling good--very good. He felt better this morning than he had in quite a while. Maybe whatever changes had gone on were finally done and that was what had left him feeling off his game. Whatever the case, he couldn't feel anything but giddy at what he saw and held. He cupped his hands under the heavy bulge, hefting it up a little to feel just how weighty it was. It wasn't enormously heavy, like a slightly over-filled backpack. But that was more than enough to be considered a burden. But he didn't see it that way.

The urge from last night returned, whispering naughty things in his ear. This time, Steve didn't hesitate. He simply turned and marched his way back into the shower, turned on the water, and proceeded to satisfy himself. The same tactic from last night was employed; a palm pressing his length against his large, pregnant belly. He couldn't help but revel in it. And this time, he didn't hear from the back of his mind the consequences of what he was doing. He actually said them aloud to himself.

"I'm gonna end up even bigger from this." he murmured.

As if that was some revelation, he redoubled his efforts. He wanted to be bigger. He wanted more. He couldn't explain why but it was an undeniable desire. His palm moved rapidly as he worked to achieve that which he sought, and almost as quickly as last night, he gasped, his form stiffening, his shaft twitching in hand, and the same warm spike in his belly flowed forth. A quiet, happy, little groan filled the shower as he hunched forward, a hand on the wall in front of him for stability. Steve spread his legs, then proceeded to go again. His tail slowly rose as he approached his second climax of the morning. Why, he couldn't say. It just felt right. A new shudder took him and the warmth from below poured in.

Much as he wanted to continue, that was probably enough. He didn't want to tire himself out like he had the night before. That and he hadn't actually showered properly before going to bed. He probably didn't smell terribly fresh. Soap--copious amounts of it--was poured on. He lathered himself up thoroughly, spending perhaps a little too long tending to his tender middle. Gracious it felt wonderful. Eventually, when he satisfied with his efforts to get clean--punctuated by one or two more distractions thanks to the naughty little voice in his ear--the dino stepped out and dried himself off again.

He was feeling pretty good at this point, a constant little trill in his throat. He sounded a little like a songbird as he thought about it. Once he was thoroughly dried, and extremely fluffy because of it, he stepped out of the bathroom, trying to straighten his plumage a bit. Clothing would be necessary, though just enough to remove himself from the realm of indecent. That meant underwear, specifically one of his favorite pairs. While he wasn't exactly thrilled about how the term 'dinosaur' got used by the general public, he was unreasonably delighted by dinosaur themed items, especially when they were very cartoonish, kid-friendly, and cute. This manifested in one way by the pair of briefs he slipped on, covered in cute little green and brown brachiosaurs, triceratops, pterosaurs, and his favorite, the tyrannosaurs. They all looked so happy with their simply designed smiling faces. He didn't care if it looked like something for children. It made him feel warm and fuzzy.

With his unmentionables covered, Steve then collected his bathrobe and slipped it on. His already goofy smile broadened as he realized it would only just barely cover his expansive stomach. With the drawstring tied off, only just managing to cloak him, he moved to stand in front of the mirror again, turning about this way and that. Something about the way he looked like this was very alluring to him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Hey!" came a shout from out in his bedroom. It startled the rex pretty badly.

"Harriet! How did you get in here!?" Steve cried in dismay.

"The key you gave me? I came over last night to check on you. You'd already passed out." the rabbit looked rather disheveled, like she had not gotten a very good night's sleep.

"Oh, right... sorry about that." Steve said, blushing profusely as he tried to move his arms to laughably conceal his swollen abdomen.

"You don't look too sorry. I come over to make sure you're okay, find you passed out, decide to help straighten things up since it looked like you just walked in and dropped everything, fell asleep on that awful, hard couch of yours, then I wake up to see you modeling in front of the mirror." Harriet said, sounding terribly un-amused.

"Well, I was... I mean... It's just..."Steven stammered, trying to find the words to explain.

"You sure don't look or sound nearly as worried as you were yesterday. Did you get me all worked up for nothing?" she growled in the tone of someone who didn't like to be bothered before her morning coffee.

"Hey, you chose to come racing over without me asking you to, and I told you I was tired," Steve managed to finally say, finding a little too much backbone a little too quickly, following up to take the edge off, "It's sweet that you were worried though."

If Harriet was offended by his sudden outburst, she didn't show it. Instead, she just blinked slowly, clearly still in need of something to pep her up. Rather than trying to beat around the bush, she just went straight for the heart of the matter.

"Alright, let's see it." she said.

"See it?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. You said you were pregnant. Show me. Stop acting like you can hide and just let me have a look." the rabbit grumbled.

The rex swallowed quietly and looked down at his stomach. She was his best friend. Surely she wouldn't take this badly. He didn't want to have to go through the trouble of finding someone else nearly as great as her to hang out with. But he also knew she wouldn't let him live it down if he didn't get to it. So, with great hesitation, trepidation, and only a little consideration, he untied his robe and opened it to show his swollen tummy.

Harriet watched as it was revealed, her eyes slowly widening at the sight before her. She had seen enough during his little 'dance' in front of the mirror to believe what he had said the night before. But this just made it all the more real. She stepped forward and pressed both palms to the curved dome. Immediately, Steve bit back a groan. It felt good when he rubbed it. But when another person made contact, it was like being struck by lightning. Before, Harriet had backed away from contact when given a reaction. Now, she just pressed in closer, spreading her arms around the great tummy and pressing a cheek against it.

"You look adorable like this." she said, still sounding groggy but coming around.

Steve gently rest his arms around the much shorter rabbit, hugging her to his gravid tummy. He couldn't help himself. This was marvelous. Maybe if he played his cards right, there would be more of this in the future. There wasn't anything overtly sexual about it, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Though he wasn't sure Harriet would be interested in that aspect.

"It feels pretty great, too." Steve managed to say.

"I kinda gathered that from how 'happy you are to see me' down here." the rabbit laughed.

Steve blushed furiously and stepped away, closing his robe back up.

"I'm sorry! I didn't-"

"Easy there, tiger. It's fine. I just didn't know this is what did it for you." Harriet said with a grin.

Steve looked down at his stomach, feeling a little more at ease as he resumed rubbing it.

"Honestly, I didn't know either." he said.

"Alright, so gimme the play by play while I clean myself up." she said.

The round-middled tyrannosaur plopped down on the edge of his bed, relaying what details he had gotten from the doctor while Harriet was within earshot. She lifted a paw to make him hold his train of thought before jumping quickly into the shower. She was lightning fast. In only a few moments, she had scrubbed up, rinsed, and hopped out to stand in front of Steve's custom built drying booth. She loved that thing. Once she was much more like herself, as well as dressed, she emerged from the bathroom. It wasn't the first time she had showered there, and every time, Steve was a perfect gentleman about it.

"There isn't much more to tell. I came home and pretty much went straight to bed." the dino said.

"Uh huh, sure," Harriet smirked, "And that's why you're almost twice as big as you were when you left work yesterday."

Steve blushed. He had explained the link between his sessions of self-pleasure and his body's reaction.

"Well yeah... I took a shower last night. Didn't do much to get clean. And I kinda got a little carried away. Kind of wore myself out." he said.

"I'll say. Then you woke up and took another shower. You didn't jack off again while you were in there, did you?" the rabbit asked, sounding rather matter-of-fact about it.

Steve couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye, his cheeks terribly flushed.

"I... well... yeah. I did." he said quietly.

"Right, so you're gonna get even bigger?" she asked, again, no sound of judgment in her voice.

"Probably. And honestly... I kind of want to. I kind of want to see just how big I'll get." he said in a confessional tone.

"And how good it feels rubbing that thing probably only makes it that much easier to get there, huh?" Harriet asked, pointing at the dino's belly.

Steve nodded, feeling a little embarrassed about it.

"Yeah." he muttered.

"Then it looks like there's only one thing to do. We need to get you to the mall and start shopping for maternity clothes. You're probably gonna be enormous by the time that baby doctor Mr. Unicorn guy referred you to is ready to see you." Harriet commented, turning to head out of the bedroom.

Steve blinked, then blushed harder. Go out? In public? Like this? It sounded scandalous. And yet, he suddenly found himself extremely enthused about the notion. He grinned broadly, that same big, goofy grin from before, and climbed to his taloned feet.

"I don't even know how to get them out at this point." he said.

"The doc probably has some details on that. Don't worry about it for now. I say ride that gravy train. If you've found a button that works, press it," Harriet said from down the hall, paused, then turned back around to continue, "Just... maybe don't push it in public?"

Steve frowned.

"What do you think I am? Some kind of savage? I may be a t-rex but that doesn't mean I'm an animal!" he said with mock hurt in his voice.

"Hey, you're the one getting horny over having a belly full of eggs. I don't know if you're gonna behave yourself. It might trigger some deep-rooted primal dino urge," Harriet teased, "After all, it took you guys a while to evolve arms long enough to jack off with."

The dino play-growled then waddled his way down the hall as quickly as he could.

"I'm gonna get you for that!" he shouted, pretending to play the part of the big, angry t-rex.

It wasn't terribly convincing with his huge gut. And it was only going to get bigger.