FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

It was the thirty-first day (or evening, more accurately) of December, closing in on midnight. Outside, the rural air was calm and clear but bitterly cold, a faint, otherworldly crescent moon hanging low to the southwest. Inside, resting warmly on the couch in the lamp-lit living room, Ketchy fiddled with the TV remote. The mahogany squirrel meant to turn the volume down but accidentally switched the channel.

"Gah," she grumbled.

Always confuse those buttons! I hate that. We've had this thing for nine months. Think I'd figure it out by now. She waved the remote at the forty-inch flat screen, as if wielding a wand, and changed it back. She pressed mute. There. _ _

The New Year's Eve special they--she and her mate, Kody, an off-white rabbit--were watching had segued to some musical act she had no interest in. She glanced at him, but he was paying more attention to his phone._Hmm. Maybe I should've just left it on that other station, see how long it took him to notice. _

The squirrel checked--and rechecked--the countdown clock on the upper corner of screen. It was now at nineteen minutes and descending. Tick, tick, tick. Watched pots, Ketchy.

Her impatient gaze traveled to the Christmas tree in front of the living room window. It was a real one. Just like we always had growing up. With colorful lights. Blue, green, red, and yellow. Or are they orange? So pretty. And soothing, mixed with that Scotch pine scent. She breathed in deeply. Her whiskers twitched. It looks so forlorn without presents beneath it.

We'll have to take it down soon. Tomorrow, most likely.New Year's Day. No work. They'd have the time. Just as well. It was beginning to dry out, needles dropping all over the floor. But that didn't stop the melancholy. _The holidays are officially over. Back to normal. Back to real life. _

The squirrel rubbed her face with her paws, not so much tired as frustrated. The last twelve months, never mind the last few weeks, had been such a blur. But what could she do? She was in her mid-30's, now. Thirty-four in the fall. That's practically forty! It's a known fact that the older one gets, the faster time moves. Each new year represents a smaller percentage of your life than it did before.

She yawned, buckteeth flashing. Dammit. Okay, maybe she was more tired than she wanted to admit.

Where did I learn that, though? The time perception thing? She sighed and slouched back into the couch cushions, stretching her semi-bare legs in front of her. She'd changed into shorts and a t-shirt after dinner. She shook her head. I don't know? It wasn't from a book.

She spread her earthen-hued arms as far as they would go, then flexed them, twisting her white torso left to right, right to left. "Mmf!" Rodents weren't inherently good at staying still for long stretches of time. All that nervous energy. Or something.

Finally, Ketchy allowed her muscles to relax. Momentarily, at least. Oh, I heard that thing in a movie! Right. And it won awards, so I can clearly trust it. She brought her fluffy, glorious tail around to her front and combed it with her fingers. I'm so cultured.

"What's wrong?" Kody asked.

"Mm?" She blinked at him, letting go of her tail. It floated away, or seemed to. "Why would something be wrong?"

"You tell me. You're the one making noises," he said.

"Noises?" She rolled her green eyes. "I exhaled."

"Sounded more like a sigh to me."

"And you can tell the difference?"

"Hello?" he said, pointing to his tall, keen ears.

"Yeah, well ... " She waved a paw at him. "It was a noise. Singular," she corrected. "And you didn't even notice that I muted the TV, so-"

"Yeah, I did. You didn't want to listen to that ... whatever that band was." He couldn't resist adding, "Cause you have picky tastes."

"I'm going to throw a pillow at you," the squirrel threatened, grabbing one to show she meant business.

Kody, pink nose sniffing in that incessant lapine way, smiled, his buckteeth jutting out, as if daring her to do it. "Also, you're-"

"Fidgeting. I know." I don't need to be reminded. She hugged the pillow to her body. "Anyway, you should be used to that."

"I am." He skipped a beat. "But I can practically hear your mind spinning."

"Guess I need to oil my wheel," she said dully, staring across the room again. She put the pillow down. "I really wish I wasn't so ... "

"So what?"

Her whiskers twitched. "I don't know." There was a fire going in the wood pellet stove, its fan humming electrically as it spread warm air throughout the house. Her ears cocked and swiveled, listening to it.

"So hungry?" The rabbit handed her a big, plastic snack bowl.

"No," she said, before quickly switching to, "Well. Maybe." Securing the bowl, she shoved a paw-ful of popcorn--one of those sweet-and-salty cheddar/caramel holiday mixes--into her muzzle. Why is this so good? "I just-" Chomp. "Hate winter." Chew. "Mmh." I really do. Hate winter. And love this popcorn. "You know?"

The country roads, many of them gravel, were tricky to traverse right now thanks to the freezing rain they'd gotten yesterday, which had been worsened by the snow they'd received this afternoon. The clouds had drifted away in time to allow for a radiant sunset--_stupid phone camera didn't do it justice--_but the damage was done. It was still crazy cold, and nothing was going to melt anytime soon. So, the county had issued a temporary travel warning.

_Otherwise, we'd be at that party with our friends, playing games, laughing, eating nicer foods than bagged specialty popcorn, and ... yeah. _

"Wish hibernation was still a thing," she muttered.

"No, you don't," Kody said without missing a beat. He peered at the TV and then began tapping at his phone with his furred, blunt-clawed thumbs.

"Uh, well, I just said I did, so-" Who is he texting? Or is he checking scores? She craned her neck and tried to get a glimpse of his screen.

"It'd be boring," Kody insisted, stretching his own legs, long and jean-clad.

She forgot about the phone. Rabbits are all legs, aren't they? Strong, sexy legs. Legs to use as leverage to push against-

"Don't you think?"

-and into me. "Hmm? What?" _ _

The rabbit tilted his head, sniffing at her. He put his phone aside, squinting playfully. "Enjoying that popcorn?"

"Yes, thank you," she said, with more than a hint of sarcasm.

He chuckled. _ _

"It's not funny."

"What's not?"

"Whatever you're snickering at."

He crossed his arms against his chest. He was wearing a black-and-gold Purdue basketball hoodie, complete with train logo. It contrasted handsomely with his light, creamy pelt. He looks so warm. Don't even need the stove, really. He could light my-

"We're unconscious a third of our lives already. If we hibernated for three or four months, think of how much more we'd miss!"

"Miss?" Ketchy made a face, tossing a few more pieces of popcorn into her mouth. I wish he'd take this bowl away before I eat the whole thing. "You mean like-" Crunch. "Work? And the political horror show we wake to every day?" Crunch-crunch. "And-"

"_Or," he stressed, drawing out the word, unfolding his arms to spread his paws, "more _positive things. Like, uh-" He stopped short.

"What?" The squirrel blinked and then gave him a look. "Oh." She rolled her eyes. "You were going to say sex, weren't you?"

"Me?" He bit back a smirk, pushing his sleeves up past his elbows.

"So, that's the only thing you'd miss?" _Never mind that I was just thinking about him humping me. He doesn't need to know that! Yet. _

"You're just looking for a fight."

"Am not."

"You are. It's some sort of-" He gestured with his paw. "Prelude to flirting with you. You do this all the time."

She squeaked and insisted, "There's no such thing as pre-flirting."

"You're probably-"

"You didn't say what else-"

"Horny right now."

"You'd miss," she finished, trying to retake control of the conversation. She took a few deep breaths. I'm not winning this, am I?"That's, uh, not relevant."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Mm." Kody bowed his head, indulging her. He knew when to surrender, or pretend do. "Alright, what else would I miss during seasonal torpor? Aside from you, who I love truly, madly, deeply?"

Ketchy blushed.

"Well, there's ... " He blew out a breath. "Sporting events?" He used his fingers to count. "Friends. Family. Going to the movies." He paused, scrunching his muzzle. "Yeah, guess those are the big ones." He tilted his head, ears moving staying perfectly straight. "Let's face it. We don't live in a cultural mecca, here. And there's no majestic patches of nature." No lakes, mountains, deserts. Just flat land. "There's just only so much to do or miss ... "

"Newsflash to me," she said dryly.

"So, when you remove sex from the equation?" He shook his head. "Deal breaker."

"You're missing the point," she stressed, even as she wondered what that point was. He's right. You're just trying to work him up. You don't seriously believe any of this. "I'm sure hibernation dreams are, like ... ten times more potent."

"Says who?"

"Science."

The rabbit laughed.

"You'll be able to have plenty of sex in your dreams."

"I prefer the real thing." He leaned forward, ever so slightly, "And so do you."

"Well ... " She swallowed, blushing beneath her fur. She absently brushed at her pelt. "I mean, ideally, yeah."

"Aren't you going to say it back to me?" he prodded.

"Say what?" _Oh. Right. He said he loved me. Truly, madly- "_I, uh ... love you, too."

He smiled, ears tilting slightly forward. "What was that?"

"But you can tell the difference between an exhale and a sigh?"

The rabbit shook with mirth.

"Okay," she admitted, "maybe I'd miss a few things, too, when-"

"If," he injected.

"Hibernation comes back," she said, "during the eventual global apocalypse." I wish that was as far-fetched a possibility as it sounded. I can't wait 'til the next elections. She put a paw over her heart. "But I'm willing to brave-"

"We could move."

She blinked. "To where?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Someplace warm year-round. Easier winters. Florida?"

The squirrel made a face.

"I have family down there," he reminded. "That we've _never_visited. We have an open-invite to-"

"Second or third cousins, though."

"Still counts."

"I know how big rabbit families are, and," she added, "how they get when they're together. I'm not braving that storm."

"You brave me," he said suavely. "Anyway, my family's not _that_bad." He gave a fake cough and added, "Not as bad as yours."

"Hey!"

He snatched the popcorn bowl away and nibbled on a few pieces before setting the bowl on the lamp-stand beside him. "So," he said, taking a deep breath, "what's the countdown say now?"

"Oh." Forgot all about that! The squirrel squinted at the screen and said, "Eleven ... no, ten-something? Yeah."

The rabbit nodded and, unable to resist it, picked up his phone again.

A silence settled between them.

"Kody," she eventually said, missing the banter. She pulled her legs up onto the couch and turned around, laying her head and shoulders across his lap. She allowed her bushy tail to sensually drape around his neck like a scarf. "Hey, big ears." A slight Indiana drawl crept into her voice, as it did when she felt lazy. "Down here."

"Mm?" he went, thumbs tap-a-tapping. _ _

"Are we ... are you having fun?" Her swished her tail across his face, giving him a whiff of her scent.

He put the phone down once more, clearing his throat. He'd always had a thing for her tail. "What, uh ... what do you mean?"

"I just feel wonder-" She trailed off, knowing full well that she was having an effect on him. "I don't know. Maybe, deep down, you'd rather be at that party than alone with me?"

"That's not true." His voice took on a soft, intimate tone. "You know that's not true."

"Well-"

"Ketchy, I like being with you. I love you. Didn't I just say that?"

"Yes ... " Say it again! Please. Over and over. Whisper it into my ears as you-

"We've been married for-"

"I know, I know, and-" She exhaled, feeling incredibly flushed. Why am I getting so aroused now? Of all times? It's so late! Why couldn't this have happened earlier? "But you're so-"

"Roguishly handsome?"

"Extroverted." Okay, handsome, too. I'll allow it. "I know how much you like being where the action is." She wouldn't describe herself as a full-blown introvert, but she wasn't exactly a social butterfly. Maybe I'm a situational introvert. Is that a thing? "This is the first New Year's Eve we haven't been at some party in, like, ages."_ _

"I am a skilled hobnobber," he confirmed.

"That sounds so kinky."

"Heh. It does." He smiled widely, tracing her lips with his fingers.

She opened her maw. He stuck his first two fingers in, and she sucked on the tips, eyes on his face.

He pulled his fingers slowly back, "I'm right where I want to be. Trust me."

"Me, too," she breathed. Hibernation seemed like a bad deal, suddenly. To sleep my life away? I can think of better things to do. And who to do them with.

The rabbit began to massage her neck and shoulders. "Besides, we went to a dozen Christmas parties this month. I've reached my quota."

"Mm. I know." So many cookies! I must've gained four or five pounds. Thankfully, rodents had fast metabolisms. Won't take much to burn it off. "Felt like there was a gathering every other night." And you can't go to one and then not show up to the others, not without a good excuse. Else you end up hurting someone's feelings. She sighed. Everyone knows each other in the countryside. You can't really disappear into a crowd when there isn't one. "I'm still disappointed it's over, though. Is that weird?"

"The holidays?"

"Yeah, always feel like ... sorta like I've missed something, you know? Something just out of reach."_ _

"People over-hype things," Kody decreed, nose sniffing. "The expectations become almost mythological, impossible to satisfy. When we're young, it's ... I mean, that's different. We don't have the knowledge-base to be as deeply disappointed, because we don't know what we're missing. Everything is magic. Everything is so much bigger than us. When we're older, we see things for what they are. Like this," he said, gesturing at the TV. "I mean, it's _all_arbitrary. But we keep building spectacles around it. When, in reality, the whole construct of time is-"

"Should I be taking notes, Mr. Professor?"

"Who's asking for a pillow, now?" he said lightly.

"Bring it on. You know I'd win."

"Because I'd let you." He ran a paw through her head-fur.

Ketchy, nuzzling right up against him, moved her paws beneath his shirt, sliding them slowly upward. I love his chest. Sometimes, he'd play basketball with his friends at the nearest open gym. Shirtless. She participated now and then--need to work on my shooting form--but usually sat and spectated or served as unofficial referee. She loved to watch him move.His muscles, legs on springs, propelling him every which way. Oh, he's got hops! If he ever manages to dunk the ball, I may swoon.

"What are you thinking about, now?" he wondered.

"Basketball."

"Oh?"

"Mm-hmm." She let him wonder about the specifics before changing the subject entirely. Make him chase me if he wants to know more."If I'd known we were gonna be at home," she said, "I'd have gotten some blow-ticklers. Or pointy hats. Or those glasses that make you see patterns in the lights? Something to liven things up just a bit. Someone could walk into this room and not even know we were about to celebrate New Year's." She curled her fingers in his short, soft fur before her arms got tired. She let them come back down. I'm so glad he's here. "I saw some at the store, but-" _ _

"Wait, blow-ticklers?" Kody echoed, shaking his head in confusion, a paw beginning to rub up and down her reddish-brown arm-fur. "What are those?"

"Those things ... you know? You blow into them, and they unfurl?" She bent both her knees and drew her legs closer to him. "They make a noise when you do it."

"Mm." One of his paws went to her thigh. He grinned. "Sure you're not talking about you and your-"

"Kodiak," she scolded lightly. Nonetheless, she flicked her impossibly-bushy tail.

He turned his head and sniffed at it, as before. "You smell nice."

"I tried that new candy cane conditioner I got for Christmas. The one my mom put in my stocking." Rabbits got off lucky with their tails. Simple, little patches of cotton fluff that don't require primping or grooming._They were fun to grab at, though. _New Year's resolution: grab his ass more.

"I like it," he said. "And those things you blow into are called_party horns._"

"Are they?" she asked, head securely in his lap.

"Mm-hmm. Don't even have to check my phone to remember that." He cupped her cheek, strumming her whiskers with his thumb.

"Well, the British sitcom I was watching the other day disagrees."

"That show is forty years old," Kody pointed out.

"Forty-five."

"Well. That makes all the difference, then." He kept his paws on her, his touches getting more and more intimate. "Mm, see, we don't need any company or ... " He trailed off, losing his thoughts before finishing, "Festive accessories. To properly mark the occasion or have a good time. We just need each other."

Ketchy closed her eyes. "Mmh ... " _ _

"What?"

"Nothing. You keep asking that."

"You're imagining something ... "

"Mm-hmm."

"I made a sincere statement, though," he insisted. "Don't I get an 'aw' or something?"

"I have an idea, Kody." She opened her eyes, staring straight up into his.

"Oh?" He raised a brow. That look. He knew that look.

She wiggled upright, facing him on paws and knees, swishing her tail for sexy show. "What better way to say 'fuck you' to the past year than to actually-" She then eased back, laying before him and playing with the hem of her shirt. She lifted it up her cream-colored belly, gyrating her hips from side to side.

I've got him. Look at his eyes! Drinking me in, ears hanging on my every word. "Fuck as it expires?" she finally finished.

"Hmm." The rabbit sat up up straighter, at full attention. He licked his lips, pretending to think. Or trying to. "Yes. On first blush, I, uh ... approve of this theory, or ... mm-hmm," he said, trying to sound sage.

"Yeah?" She grinned. He wants me so badly he can barely speak. Makes me feel powerful, somehow.

He nodded. "Definitely. Sounds-"

"Cathartic?" she murmured, taking her shirt off. I've waited long enough. Her breasts heaved, still covered by her bra.

"Sure, let's ... yeah, go with that." The rabbit positioned himself on all fours on the couch, moving directly above her. Their eyes met. "Was our year that bad, though?" he whispered, out of curiosity. "That you want to fuck it off?"

"It's just a figure of speech."

"I know. Just wondering if-"

"We did alright," the squirrel decided. "Kept our heads above water. Both of us are healthy and-" She blew out a breath. "It's just the world, you know? The state of things." We're prey in a world run by, let's face it, predators who will do anything to stay in power. "It's exhausting." I should stay off social media. New Year's resolution number ... whatever. That I will break by noon tomorrow.

"It definitely feels harder than it used to," he agreed.

"Insert joke about your cock," Ketchy quipped with a light smile.

"I hopped right into that one, didn't I?"

"Kody." She put her paws on her mate's sides.

"Yes?"

"I just ... wanted to say your name." Again. And again. And-

"And I want to make you happy." He nibbled on her chin.

"You do." She exhaled loudly, pawing, tugging at his hoodie. He lifted his arms and removed it. Just like that. "But, uh ... " Her paws were all over his bare, furry chest. "If you want to upgrade me to euphoric ... "

"My pleasure, babe." Half-dressed, he laid atop her, tilting his muzzle and meeting hers in a kiss. Soft, sweet, and sumptuous.

"Mmh." The squirrel closed her eyes. I wish I could preserve this and every moment like it in bottles, pull them out years later, relive them on the spot. And she wished the countdown on the TV would never reach zero. _Why does a new year have to be here already? Why is life so finite? It's not fair. _

The kiss broke. He panted. "Guess we should figure out how much time we have? TV reads ... hmm, eight minutes now? Or, well, seven and something."

"Turn the sound back on. Then we can hear when it's getting close."

He turned the volume up and tossed the remote to the carpeted floor. Turning his attention back to her, their noses touched. He kissed her again. Their lips smacked. "With my world-renowned stamina, I can't guarantee when we'll finish," he teased. "We might be up 'til dawn."

"Please," she said sarcastically, paws grabbing at his rump. It's one of my resolutions, remember? I'm getting a head start. She initiated a kiss this time, lips mashing, meshing wetly against each other. "Mm. You'll last," she breathed, "as long as I let you."

"That a fact?" he said, almost purring.

"Mm-hmm." She squeaked. Their whiskers tangled. "I bet-" She opened her maw, seeing him leaning in. Their muzzles pressed and parted. "I can make you lose it-" There was saliva on her chin. She didn't know if it was his or hers, but the rabbit was sensually licking it off. "At the-" Oh, god. "Exact_..._ stroke of midnight." It took a valiant act of restraint not to reach down between her legs and start rubbing at her clit. Not yet. Not ... oh, who cares?

"Heh. Stroke." He nibbled beneath her chin.

"Ah, I ... I knew you'd laugh at that." A paw in her pants, rubbing at her sensitive nub, she rolled her head aside, exposing her neck.

"That's probably why you said it," he accused, going for the opening. He sucked and nibbled at her throat, paws under her back, roving to her shoulders. He was trying to get her bra off. "How 'bout this one: we're going to ring in the New Year with a bang?"

Okay, that's pretty good. I admit. But- "No more dawdling. We're down to nearly six minutes. We gotta get you-"

"I'm plenty erect," the lapine promised with a husky whisper, looking up at her, blue eyes reflecting the room's low, incandescent light. Her loose bra was now in his paw. He casually tossed it.

She swallowed, ceasing her masturbation to rub at his loins. Sure enough, his jeans were bulged. More than they should've been. Not that I doubted it. "Bet that's getting ... uncomfortable."

"It's a bit restrictive," he agreed.

"How long have you-"

"Long enough." He let that hang before adding, "In more ways than-"

"I know how big you are." Rabbits! Incorrigible. Insatiable. Thank God I nabbed one! She arched beneath his body. _One with a six-and-a-half inch cock. _

"Maybe you need a reminder," Kody said.

"If you insist."

He fondled and squeezed her perky breasts, rubbing her nipples before sitting up again and hurriedly unbuckling and unbuttoning his pants. The zipper came next, and then a lot of thrashing about, gyrating his body until he successfully kicked his jeans away. "Aren't you going to take your shorts off?" he asked.

"I was getting to that ... " Her hips lifted off the cushions as she pushed everything down. Panties, too.

"Ketchikan," he mumbled, using her full name.

"Mm?" _ _

He cupped a breast again, fondling it. "You're so beautiful."

"Flatterer," she accused, trying to hide how emotional his words made her feel.

Knowing she was deflecting, he irreverently replied, "No, I'm just greedy."

"Must mean I'm rich in something."

"And I plan on mining your depths to find just ... whatever-" He peeled his boxer-briefs peeled away. "Whatever it is." Now as naked as her, the erect lapine leaned in and laid atop her, securing the squirrel in his arms.

Ketchy bent her knees and spread her legs.

"Five minutes," he mumbled.

"Mm." She reached between their furred figures, fishing for his penis. Stiff, standing as straight as nature would allow, it twitched with his heartbeat, his pulse. It was also dribbling from the tip. New Year's resolution three: suck him off more. I'll start on that first thing in the morning.

"What are you-"

"I just wanna-" Her fingers curled around his shaft. "Feel it." The heat. The virility. She squeezed it. "You're all mine, bunny." And, then, unable to help it, she began to pump her paw up and down, her thumb spreading pre around his smooth, rounded glans.

"Ah. Ah! Control yourself, squirrelly," Kody warned, sighing with heated satisfaction. "Ah ... you really should-" He closed his eyes, head tilting back. Fighting his instincts, he pushed his paws against the couch, separating their bodies and causing himself to slip out of her grasp. His cock bobbled, achingly hard. "We don't have time for foreplay," he reminded.

"What do you think-" Her arms reached up, hugging him, pulling him flush against her again. She sucked on his cheek. Then, once more, his mouth. He tastes good. Their noses flared and sniffed for breath. Oh, the popcorn. Right. Probably still have salt and sugar on our lips. Wait, I was in the middle of saying something, wasn't I? "What do you think we've been doing the past ten minutes?"

"Flirting."

"Right. Foreplay." The rhythmic pit-pat-patter of bantering words, infused with equal amounts feeling and innuendo, was just as potent as a barrage of touches and kisses. There was something musical about it. Something that segued so perfectly into the physical dance of two bodies. But he's right. Time. The clock. We only have one shot to get this right, else it's another three hundred and sixty-five days 'til our next. Don't blow it! Well, not until he puts it inside you. She snickered before she could stop herself.

"What?"

Her breaths were getting heavy. She shook her head, telling him to forget about it. "Just-" She hugged him tighter, locking her legs around his body. "Shut up and screw me."

"Yes, ma'am." Kody eagerly surged forward, letting his weight sink upon her, white chest smothering her equally white breasts. He began to grind against her, huffing hotly. Hips slotted between her thighs, he then pressed forward into-

Right there! Yes!

With a smooth, slick motion, fast and true, the rabbit slid to a hilt. He seemed to shiver as he pulled back and paused, leaving his tip inside her, rump raised and bobtail flickering excitedly. "I'm gonna get rough. Alright?"

"Y-yes ... thank you," she managed to reply.

"Hold on."

Chittering, she clung to him, ready as she would ever be.

The rabbit let loose. He thrust forward, firmly. His tight, swollen balls smacked at her pussy, and her body sunk down into the couch cushions. Completely covered, thickly filled, she lost her breath. Each thrust was followed split-second by another, another, and another, as if his hips were a jackhammer. Is that where jackrabbits get the name? That's my headcanon, now.

Thump, thump, hump!

She clawed at him as if climbing a tree, grabbing his bob-tailed butt again, kneading it, urging him onward.

Minutes evaporated in their wake.

She barely heard the peppy, professional voice on the TV say, "And we're now two--yes, only two--minutes away from that most magical of moments ... "

Kody's ears didn't miss it, though. "You close?" he checked.

"No, I ... oh, I ... a little more," the rodent begged.

"Give me a sign when ... ah, you're almost there." His breaths washed over her shoulder and neck. "Blow into my ears or something, m'kay?"

She replied with unintelligible noises. For all intentions, sexual notes. He's playing me like a violin. A bow to my strings. Oh, the music we're making! She longed to crescendo. It consumed her. The pleasure. The need for even more. Her bushy-tailed body, hotter than hot, fur matted, was practically vibrating. She was sure the couch had scooted across the floor, even if it was only a few centimeters.

The TV voice piped in, "Just over a minute, now, America! Can you feel the anticipation building?"

"Yes!" Ketchy screamed back, her mate's movements making her arch and writhe. Her tail flowed to the floor, fluttering wildly. She was beginning to lose herself. I don't know where I end and he begins. I don't want to know. The room spun, or seemed to, a blinding hot pleasure threatening her sanity. It was too much! Alright, I'm more than close! I'm there! I'm there! She tilted her head and desperately blew into Kody's long, slender ears. Does he feel that? Does he-

"I got you," he promised.

"Ten!" the hosts on the TV said in unison. "Nine, eight-"

"Oh, god!" Just a few more seconds! "Oh, oh, don't stop!" Ketchy cried. She furiously rubbed at her clitoris with one paw, the other grab-slapping the rabbit's gyrating, bob-tailed ass.

"Mmf ... mm," Kody mewed.

"Seven, six, five-" The crowd had joined the hosts in the chant. A drum roll had started. A big, bright red ball was dropping on a shiny, phallic pole, toward a sign that would surely light up and flash and eject confetti once it was reached. Subliminal messaging for the win!

Kody doubled down, humping them to the finish line, strands of their fur shedding, liberally swirling through the living room air. "Ketchy," he huffed, body beginning to tense. His motions were becoming sloppy, erratic. He whined and slumped atop her, burying himself in her pussy and not pulling back this time.

"Four, three, two-"

"Yes, yes, oh ... oh!" The squirrel screamed, paws all over her mate's back. Her thighs squeezed his hips, toes curling. Her whole world lit up in orgasm.

"Oh ... oh, fuck!" Kody cried, the words slightly slurred. His ears wilted, eyes squeezing shut and tongue peeking out as he ejaculated.

"One, zero!"

Ketchy could feel her mate cumming. The way his cock jumped and jerked inside her sex. The scrunched look on his face. The way he laid still, clutching at her, breaths sharp and desperate? She reveled in it. I did that. I made him do that.

"Happy New Year!" all the distant voices on the TV sang.

Her own climax outlasted his, as it always did, like an endless series of waves against the shore of her consciousness, battering her with no remorse. Her loins were wracked by muscular spasms. She squirted. Maybe. Pretty sure!

Eventually, though, everything crested and plateaued. Her breathing returned to normal, and the sizzling, feral heat that had consumed her body ebbed to a more cozy, contained afterglow. _ _

The crowd on the television cheered wildly. Still? How cold is it in Times Square? They're probably all drunk. Auld Lang Syne played.

"That was ... that was good," Kody said, fur matted with sweat.

"Uh-huh," she agreed dumbly. Emphasis on the G.

"Like, holy-"

"Racing against the clock spiced things up for you, huh? Is this a new fetish?"

"Heh. No! But ... it wasn't just me. You were into it. Such a squeaky squirrel," he teased.

She blushed. "You always say that." He's usually right, though. I'm noisier than him. That's one good thing about living in the countryside, I guess. No neighbors to eavesdrop or disturb. No matter how rough, loud, or crazy we get. "But it's always your fault."

"Yeah?" He nosed her chin, zeroing in on her lips again.

"That's a compliment, by the way," she swore, swishing her disheveled tail at him. There went all that careful grooming.

"I know, squirrelly." Their noses touched. He kissed her. "Mm, I know. You inspire every performance I give. You're my muse. I live to make you sing."

"I thought I was your goddess?"

"That, too."

She gave him the 'aw' he'd been asking for earlier.

"Heh. Thanks." Shrinking and losing sensitivity, Kody pulled out of her. The departure produced an incidental squelch. He didn't have to look down to know that, "Yikes, we made a mess! Or, well ... I guess most of it's mine."

"I know ... " Readjusting to the emptiness, she could feel his excess seed streaming out of her.

He gave her a squeeze and a wink. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it." He began to get up, his cock retreating into its fuzzy sheath. "I'll grab a towel and fabric spray and-"

"Wait." She impulsively pulled him back down.

"Mm?"

"Can we lay here? Just a few more minutes?" The couch is supposed to be stain-proof anyway. It's survived until now, at least. This wasn't their first coupling on the cushions. "Then we'll clean up." And shower. And go to bed. I think it's a safe bet I'll have sweet dreams tonight. She wasn't going to dare interrupt them by setting an alarm. "I just ... "

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I just-" She nodded, closing her eyes, pushing her nose against his neck. Her whiskers twitched. She couldn't hide the sudden vulnerability in her voice. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered back, giving her one more kiss. He nuzzled his nose against hers. "Happy New Year, squirrelly."

Ketchy, satisfied and spent, basked in her mate's blanket-warm presence. Despite how tired she was, despite the darkness outside every window, it was a brand new day. And, yes, more importantly, a new year. She couldn't predict what it would amount to, or what challenges and surprises it would bring. But as they finished cuddling and got up, she knew one thing for sure.

_It's off to a perfect start! _