FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Rane and Jakebe weren't able to get out of the door until the Christmas party was already underway. The jackalope insisted on being careful with removing the dragon's clothes, and Rane teased him in turn by being maddeningly, methodically slow with foreplay in return. By then, they were both pent up enough that sex was the quickest part -- or it would have been if they hadn't gone for another round. Cleaning up the bedroom and taking a shower together almost devolved into round three, but Jakebe put his foot down when he saw the time. Being magical was no excuse for being late to a party.

They argued about the best way to get to their friend's home from where they were. Rane was worried that Jakebe would drive recklessly to make up for lost time, and thought that flying would be the safest option. Jakebe thought this was completely insane. "Being dozens of feet in the air at night doesn't feel even remotely safe," he said.

"There's a lot less traffic, so we won't get stuck in any jams. You won't crash into anyone by weaving through the lanes, and I'll be holding you the entire time." Rane offered that last detail casually, though he watched his husband for his reaction.

Jakebe thought for a moment. "Will you let me play Marvel Puzzle Quest on the way?"

Rane rolled his eyes. "Yes. But if you drop your phone, I am not swooping down to look for it. We're late enough as it is."

"Tough, but fair." Jakebe took the dragon's arm and they exited the comfortable burrow together. The opening was a huge, rounded tunnel that had been sized for Rane to fit through several months ago, but now the dragon's wings were scraping loose dirt from the top and sides. The jackalope's antlers glowed as they approached the heavy wooden door leading to the outside world, and it rolled away immediately. He churred as he felt Rane's strong, powerful hands wrap around his waist; he nearly dropped his phone immediately when they became airborne.

The small clearing in front of his home dropped away from his feet at a frankly alarming speed. Jakebe tucked his knees closer to his torso as the wind whipped through his fur and tugged at the heavy wool sweater he wore instead of his tuxedo. He found himself clutching his phone a lot tighter than before, briefly forgetting about the game that was flashing up at him, begging to make a move. The tops of the trees fell away, and the forest spread out before him. Beyond the canopy, he could make out a ribbon of twinkling lights; cars dashing between pockets of civilization on the highway. In the deep blue winter sky, the stars twinkled back as if they were mimicking the little lights below.

Rane rushed towards the highway but didn't go too near; accidents tended to happen when he flew too close to the interstate. Jakebe squeaked again as the dragon banked right, a whoosh of air announcing the beat of his wings as he pumped the huge limbs again and again. They flew higher until the dragon caught a draft, and then he drifted. His fingers squeezed the torso of his small cargo, one talon rubbing the chest of the jackalope. Even through wool and scale, he could feel the heavy beating of his husband's heart.

Once the dragon reached a comfortable cruising altitude, Jakebe was able to focus on his game. He didn't take his eyes off his phone's small, cold screen for the minutes it took to drift towards the large den that was packed with animals drinking and making merry. As they began to descend, Jakebe's sensitive ears could pick up the sound of carolers a couple blocks away, and the muffled shouts of another party elsewhere. Once he spotted the sprawling, packed house approaching, he slipped his phone into his pocket and patted the other one to make sure he had the dragon's gift.

Rane landed with an earth-shaking thud heavy enough to announce their arrival. The big dragon folded his wings and hunkered down, holding Jakebe just high enough off the ground that he'd need to jump himself to land. The jackalope bicycled his paws obligingly before thumping down himself, immediately turning towards his husband.

The dragon was wearing what could best be described as a harness with pouches, a belt and pair of shorts that accentuated the thickness of his thighs more than covered them. If Rane was a true reptile and not a personal mobile furnace, the winter chill might have made him sluggish or cotton-headed; as it was he steamed in the night air, his own warmth creating an aura of rippling wind around him. Jakebe took a deep breath as he drank in the sight, quickly shoving aside the thought of heading somewhere relatively private for another quick session of love-making before they finally made their appearance.

"I wanted to give you your present before we went in to the party." Jakebe flicked his ears and glanced around to see if there was anyone else watching or listening in. "It would just make other people feel bad if I gave it to you in front of them."

For a moment, Rane looked mildly alarmed. His glowing yellow eyes widened in the dim light of the Christmas garland strewn all over their hosts' den. "I thought we agreed we wouldn't be giving each other big presents this year."

Jakebe grinned and crooked his finger, beckoning his husband to come closer. When he complied, the jackalope planted a kiss right beneath one of his barbels. "Hold still. This isn't a big gift. But it is a magic one. So it didn't cost anything."

Rane rumbled at the kiss, but glanced down at the smaller fae. "Magic always costs something."

"Oh hush, you know what I mean." Jakebe chucked Rane's chin with his knuckles, then reached into his pocket. "Now, I'm going to need to explain this to you so you can use it properly. We don't want any accidents." The scent of the jackalope and the small grin on his muzzle gave mixed signals about that, though.

"Mmm. OK. It sounds kind of dangerous."

Jakebe laughed as he pulled a very long string of leather out of his pants pocket. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little magic. A big brave dragon like you?"

Smoke rose lazily from Rane's nares. "I'm not afraid! But your magic doesn't have a reputation for being predictable."

"It wouldn't be wild magic if it did." Jakebe wrapped the yard or so of leather around one of his paws, and held what looked to be a small pendant in the other. "This is a talisman that I made from a bit of my antler. I've managed to grind one of your scales into a magical lacquer so that it's attuned to you." In his paw, he held what looked to be a little forked bit of antler-tine. Even in the dim light, it shone with obvious magic -- a purple haze surrounded it, with floating specks of deep red twinkling on its surface and in the small aura around it.

Rane blinked. "That's...I don't know what to say."

"Just hold still and let me put it on you." Jakebe moved close as Rane got down on all fours carefully, presenting his bullishly thick neck. "It's a magical tracker of sorts, but its main purpose is a battery. It should absorb any of the ambient magic you've been picking up and store it there. We can see just how much you're taking in and where it's coming from -- and once you're comfortable, you can actually use that magic to fuel effects at some point."

"Really?" Rane rumbled as the jackalope pressed close, throwing the leather strap around the back of his neck. "What kind of effects?"

"Oh, you know." Jakebe ducked under Rane's throat, brushing impenetrable scales with his antlers. "A much bigger bang for the buck when you breathe fire, or a shield that can resist magical effects."

"Or I could use it to make myself bigger." Rane tensed his neck and shoulders as he felt the leather being tied together around his throat, the antler talisman already warm where it rested at the very top of his chest.

Jakebe gave his husband a sideways glance. "Or that. But you know what you're like with wild magic. Grow bigger and we might have a hard time getting you back down again."

Rane rumbled, one thick arm wrapping around the jackalope to draw him close again. "There are worse problems to have."

Jakebe squeaked and braced his paws against Rane's shoulder. He churred and slowly nuzzled into the warm, rippling expanse of scales before him. "Like never being able to fit inside a building again?"

The dragon didn't seem frightened by this possibility. "You and I both know we're nearly there. We might as well speed up the process."

Jakebe purred against Rane's cheek and gave him one last kiss before he suddenly floated out of the dragon's embrace. "That is a conversation we'll need to have later. For now, it's time to get this party started."

Rane huffed, smoke rising from his nostrils as he stood up to his full height. His harness creaked around his back and chest. "It sounds like it's been going quite well without us."

The jackalope laughed as he made his way to the door, pressing the bell. "Oh please. I'm sure they've made do as best they could without us, but we both know things don't really get started until we show up."

A large white wolf answered the door a moment after, felt antlers flopping between his ears. "Hey, guys! Welcome to Christmas!"

Jakebe spread his arms wide and hugged the wolf before stepping into the den. "Arlo! So good to see you!"

"You too! Damon is out in the back." The wolf wagged as he stepped out to greet Rane. "Hey there, big guy. You're cleared for landing in the back. Just be mindful of the updraft -- we've got the fire pit going."

Rane nodded and leapt up, his bulk casting a shadow over a large portion of the house before disappearing behind it. Jakebe and Arlo felt the floor shake as the dragon landed in the back; a few of the wolf's portraits went slightly askew.

"Sorry," Jakebe said, his ears folding.

"Oh, don't worry about it. You should have been here when Baffin arrived; did you know someone's turned him into a giant tiger? I swear, these Christmas presents get stranger every year." Arlo brushed his nose against Jakebe's cheek as he walked further into the den, towards the rear entrance.

"A giant tiger...you don't say. That is odd." Jakebe tried his best to sound surprised, but casual. "Hopefully he didn't cause too much of a ruckus when he showed up?"

"He might have trampled a neighbor's car or two." Arlo's ears folded slightly. "But we've got good insurance, and I think we're covered there."

"If you want I can take a look at the damage and see what I can fix. It wouldn't be any trouble."

"You sure? Cars are pretty complicated technology; I know that wild magic tends not to mix well with that." Arlo wandered near one of the wine stations and picked up a glass, handing it back towards the jackalope.

Jakebe took it and sniffed immediately; there were notes of blackberry, currant and pepper on the nose, with a pleasant, sharp and puckering tang on the immediate palate. He churred at the warming sensation that slid from his tongue to his throat. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine. Your neighbors just might have to deal with a car that has strong opinions on radio stations is all."

Arlo chuckled. "As long as it has better taste in music than they do, it's all good."

The den was full of animals standing or sitting in small groups. Almost everyone had a glass of something in their paws, with various sharp and alcoholic tangs tickling the jackalope's nostrils as he walked past. Jakebe ran the gauntlet of greetings and jokes on his way to the back of the den, where folks who couldn't fit indoors hung out and chatted with folks who didn't mind braving the cold. With Rane there as his own heat source, chances were good that a few more would be wandering that way. He ducked under the opening to the back yard, taking another sip of wine as he looked around.

Rane was hunkered down around the fire pit, the flames making the membrane of his open wings translucent in the most interesting way. Jakebe couldn't suppress the smile spreading across his muzzle as he watched the big dragon chatting with their friends; Baffin was right next to him, taller even while sitting, playfully punching the dragon's shoulder. He tried not to think about what might happen if they started rough-housing. The night would almost certainly end early, and the property damage would be fairly significant.

He walked with Arlo over to the fire pit, catching up with the wolf about what they had been up to since they last spoke and their plans for the holiday. Arlo did his best to be mindful of the jackalope's preferences, referring to the winter solstice instead of Christmas and focusing on the...non-denominational aspects of the season. Jakebe let him off the hook by telling him how much he loved Christmas -- the caroling, the tree, the gifts; Arlo noticeably relaxed after that, which made the jackalope curious about why he was so concerned about getting the references right. Was he simply being a good host? Or was there something else going on here?

There wasn't much time to think about it. As soon as Jakebe got near enough, he was swept up into the crushing embrace of his husband. He squeaked and squirmed against the impenetrable bulk of the dragon, churring as he cuddled up as best he could. "I was only gone for a few minutes," he teased, nudging Rane's collarbone with his antlers.

"Really? Felt like longer." Rane's eyes glowed in the dim light by the fire, his attention focused entirely on the small fae in his arms.

"What have you caught there? A delicious little rabbit?" Baffin's voice thundered over Rane's shoulder before the tiger's face appeared, predator's eyes sharp and playful.

Rane's wing lifted to block Baffin's view. "I think this tiger has been hitting the eggnog a little too hard already."

Jakebe chuckled, his ears perking at the sound of Rane's scales shifting against his leather harness. "Some people just can't handle their alcohol. Or their magic." The jackalope winked as he lowered his voice.

"There's nothing wrong with excess, you know." Baffin planted massive paws on Rane's shoulders, which visibly swelled under those striped fingers. "If you can't be too much over the holidays, when can you?"

Jakebe grinned as he stared the tiger right in the eyes. "Year round, of course."

A look came over Baffin, eyes going glassy for a moment. "Yeah. See, this guy gets it."

Rane grunted as he took a deep breath, stretching his harness. When he exhaled, there was no more room between the trunk of his torso and the leather straps containing it. "My husband is pretty wise."

"You OK, dear?" Jakebe reached up to slide a soft paw over Rane's chest.

The dragon rumbled. "Mmm. Yeah, just my harness feels a little tight."

"Yeah, about that." Jakebe eyed the small piece of antler around the dragon's neck. The strap looked a little tighter around his neck, but it was holding. "We...might want to make an early exit tonight, if we can."

Rane raised an eyebrow. "But we already arrived late."

"I know, but...trust me, we're going to want to be somewhere private here in a little bit."

Rane looked confused for a moment, then gave him a severe stare. It was a pretty good one. "What did you do?"

Jakebe grinned, his nose twitching rapidly. "I only told you part of what the talisman does. There's another part to your Christmas present."

The jackalope clambered down into Rane's lap, then patted his thigh before hitting the ground. "I'm going to mingle a little bit, put in an appearance. Anyone you want me to send your way?"

Rane snorted. "As many people as you can before we have to leave." He stretched his shoulders and wings, narrowing his eyes. Already, he was looking thicker.

"You got it, my dear." Jakebe winked, then trotted back to the den. Arlo, Baffin and Rane stared wonderingly after him.