FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Look, I don't care that you scheduled your day off the day before Christmas Eve, Lloyd," the overweight manager grunted, slipping on his longcoat. "I need hands around here to close this place up and I can't be here to watch over every employee; I've got a plane to catch in an hour. You've been here longer than anyone, you know what to do."

Lloyd's blue eyes widened, his brow creased in worry as an icy feeling of doom seemed to settle in his guts. "Wait, you're leaving? I thought you said you would be here until Christmas Day, to hand out the bonuses you'd been talking about."

"Plan changed," he growled. "Family wants me to be there early to play Santa for the kids."

Deciding it would be better not to point out his boss lacked Santa's usual cheery demeanor, Lloyd struggled to find an out, running his hand through his black hair. "Why call me, though? Why not Susan?" he suggested.

"She can't- she's coming with," the boss said off-handedly.

Lloyd blinked. "Coming with? With you?"

The boss froze, clearing his throat. "Ah, no. She's driving me to the airport so I can catch my plane."

"Okay...? But then she can come back afte--"

"Look, this is not up for discussion!" the boss snapped, leveling a hot glare at Lloyd. "You'll do your job if you want your bonus this year, I don't want any more crap! It's not like you have anything to look forward at home anyway, everyone knows you're spending Christmas alone- again."

The frozen spot in his stomach deepened, a pang in his chest following it. It was a low blow, uncalled for- and completely expected. Lloyd nodded wearily. "Yes, sir. I'll... make sure everything is closed down completely." He hesitated, daring himself to hope- to find a silver lining in the middle of a gloomy forecast. "Do I get overtime for this?"

"The hell you do!" the boss said with a single mirthless laugh, grabbing a suitcase leaning against his desk and putting on his hat. "Just take the bonus and be thankful for the fact that you've only got one mouth to feed. Now move out of my way, Susan is waiting in the car and I can't be late. Get to work, and don't even think about clocking out even a minute later than I've scheduled you!"

Lloyd swallowed but moved, restraining a sigh as his boss shouldered past the door. "Alright. Have a safe trip and a--"

The boss slammed the door behind him.

"… merry Christmas," he finished, shaking his head.

Ten hours later, Lloyd Finch found himself walking out of the now-locked warehouse, his body sore from moving merchandise and keeping on his feet. Though none of his fellow employees were nearly as awful as his boss, neither were they talkative or cheerful even on a good day. Working the building seemed to have a way of sapping the life out of everyone, himself included- some days, he wondered what it was that even got him out of bed in the first place. It helped his job was near enough that he could walk from it to his apartment, and combined with the lifting and constant movement it at least kept him in good shape; but these boons did nothing against a cold winter with a setting sun.

Thus, by the time he was a block from the warehouse, he had taken refuge at a covered bus stop bench, sighing as he took a seat. He'd managed the walk to his apartment in the winter many times before, yet something about today seemed to have sapped his motivation more than any other moment. Perhaps it was boss' words to him, knowing there was nothing waiting for him at home. At best, there might be a letter from his parents sending a check to help pay off this month's rent, followed by a Christmas evening with hot chocolate and cookies- something he wasn't in the mood for. He slumped in his seat, his snow capped head resting against the cold glass as he took a break.

He'd nearly dozed off when he felt a gentle caress against his leg. Startled by the abrupt and unexpected sensation he nearly jumped out of his seat, looking around with panicked eyes- only for them to fall on a young, lean, ragdoll cat.

He stared at her for a few moments, before his face broke into a calm smile and his exhaustion seemed to diminish a little. "Hey, Reggie," he spoke softly, leaning in and running his hand along her back. The feline purred and shivered, bunting her head into his hand. With a plaintive look at him she lifted her forearm and pawed at his shin, shifting a little before hopping up onto the bench.

Lloyd marveled at the cat as she climbed into his lap. It was hard to believe the cat was a stray, his limited knowledge on felines enough to know that ragdolls were expensive breeds; yet despite being declawed and as well-groomed as a ragdoll on the streets could be, he was certain she had no owner, or at least not a responsible one, as she bore no tag. He'd met the cat half a year ago near his apartment, hiding beneath the steps leading into his building and mewling for food, and despite asking everyone in the complex none would accept responsibility- likely because the complex did not allow pets to begin with. Part of the reason Lloyd even bothered walking to work when he owned a decent car (apart from saving money by not having to pay for as much gas) was because she always seemed to be waiting for him on the way home.

He sighed, rubbing her back as she nuzzled against his stomach. As carefully as he could, he reached into his jacket pocket and drew out a small plastic bag. "Y'know Reg... if I worked anywhere else I'd have probably gone to an office Christmas party and gotten you some really good snacks. But the best I can offer is some stolen fridge-meat, a little turkey from Susan's sandwich. I don't think she'll mind- probably won't be coming back till after new year anyway," he added with a scoff. The feline cocked her head at him quizzically, until she caught the scent of the sandwich meat and nuzzled into his palm, nipping at the meat and purring loudly.

He waited patiently, watching her gobble down the snack. It didn't take long for the meager offering to be completely gone, but his contribution wasn't dismissed so easily- with a pleasant meow and a purr, the ragdoll bunted her head against his chest and stared up at him. For a moment, he could almost swear there was a smile on her muzzle, matched with an expression of pure adoration. The moment passed and she hopped off his lap, trotting through the snowy sidewalk and into a nearby alley out of sight.

A moment followed where he considered following her, to make sure she was alright; a strong part of him wanted to disregard the rules and wrap her up in his scarf so he could smuggle her into the apartment. The urge disappeared just as the loud rumble of the city's public transportation finally arrived, pulling up to the curb and stopping with a hiss.

"Merry Christmas, Reg," he muttered despondently, climbing into the bus.

Ten minutes and a buck-fifty was all it took to get home by bus, but it was better than a half-hour in freezing temperatures. He was almost reluctant to leave the warm vehicle, stepping out into the biting cold with a moment of hesitation. The snow beneath his shoes crunched loudly, making the footing uncertain as he approached his apartment, fishing his coat pocket for keys. He'd nearly had them in hand when a quiet meow broke the silence some distance behind him.

The sound was enough for him to drop his keys, looking around to see where it had come from- he knew Reggie's voice, what she sounded like. With a worried look out into the snowy parking lot he scanned around for the cat, though he knew the dirt and oil-stained snow would let her blend in perfectly; the last thing he wanted was for the poor feline to be curled up under a warm car on such a cold evening.

Knowing there wasn't much a choice, he stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind him. His spirits lifted slightly as he pulled off his longcoat and hung it up; the heater was working fine, having kept the small but cozy apartment warm the entire day. In minutes he had pulled off everything except his boxers and shirt, flopping onto the couch with a tired groan. Exhaustion set in quickly, as it always did after a long day at work; before long, he was dozing comfortably- the hot chocolate could wait until later.

The last thing he remembered before passing out was the feeling of a warm weight snuggled next to his chest.

He wasn't sure what woke him up. It certainly hadn't been a dream, or at least not one he remembered as his eyes flicked open. Moments before he thought he felt a burst of heat, or had seen a flash of light from behind his closed eyelids. A rolling rumble seemed to shake against his chest for a few moments- or what initially felt like it, as it continued for several seconds after he opened his eyes in full. He could feel fur against his hand and under his chin, and for a moment he wondered when he'd gotten up to get a blanket (or when he'd bought one that felt so nice and soft.)

Then the blanket shifted and let out a mewling yawn.

"FUCK!" Lloyd shouted, jumping up and pushing the blanket off. A surprised chirp and squeak rang out as the body of fur and fluffed flopped onto the floor and rolled upright. Lloyd's eyes widened as they fell on the form of a person-sized being, covered in creamy white fur with subtle patches of brown, a long fluffy tail jutting out from his back as their paw-like hands rubbed their face.

"Owww... what was that for, Lloyd?" a very female voice whimpered. She looked up at him with an unmistakably felinoid face, a brownish-gray framing her forehead and painting her ears. She blinked, then looked down at her paws and body- which included a very prominent pair of breasts. "Whoa... wait, what did you do to me?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Lloyd didn't answer, getting up to his feet. "Who... what... wait, who the hell are you?!" he shouted, heart still hammering in his chest.

The feline cringed, looking up with a fearful look. "But... you don't... Lloyd, it's me! I see you every day?"

He stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. "… Reggie?"

She perked up, her tail swishing anxiously. "You remembered!"

"N-no," Lloyd shook his head, swallowing. "No, this isn't possible. You--"

"You gave me turkey a couple of hours ago!" she mewled insistently. "You said you stole it from that bitch you work with, Susan; you told me about how she made work miserable and how she's probably fucking your boss to jump ahead in her job!" she said, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "L-Lloyd... you gotta believe me... I-I dunno why I'm like this, I dunno what did it if it wasn't you. B-but... please don't throw me out... it's cold and dark and lonely out there, and I'm always hungry and scared. I know it's lonely in here too, but at least it's warm- and you're here."

Lloyd stared at her, the fear of this intruder giving way to pity and sympathy to the feline as she bowed her head and shook silently. It was enough to get him off the couch, approaching the cat-morph carefully and getting to his knees. Even if it was a trick, she was much smaller than he was. With a hesitant hand he raised her chin up, looking into her baby-blue eyes- the irises had widened in full, cheeks stained with tears. With a smile, he brought his hand up to her ear and stroked behind it. The cat-morph flinched and stiffened, then let out a purring sigh and leaned her head into his affectionate touch.

"… It is you," he murmured.

"I told you," she whispered. "I followed you in because I... didn't want to be alone for Christmas. And I didn't want you to be alone, either."

Impossible though it was, everything she'd said was true- both his mind and heart held it to be truth. Whether it was a dream or a fantasy made real, he had no intention of throwing out the closest to a best friend- not on Christmas. He pulled her into a hug, sliding a hand down her back; she returned it quickly, her purring doubling in intensity.

"Thank you for believing in me," she whispered, snuggling in close.

For the next few hours the two held each other, sharing the couch and calming down from the excitement of such an abrupt turn of events. In that time they spoke quietly, content to ask each other questions. Reggie explained cats being smarter than most people took them for, understanding much of what they said; though most of the time they didn't care, doing as they pleased in their presence. She merely attempted to repeat words she'd heard uttered before, her voice coming as naturally as breathing, though it was supplemented by the steady rumble of her gentle purring.

"You've never had anyone in this place?" she asked.

"Nobody," Lloyd acknowledged. "I keep in touch with friends, but they have families to spend the holidays with. I don't have enough money or time off that I can visit my folks on the west coast, so I saw spending the holidays by myself coming months away."

"Now you don't need to," she insisted, bouncing a little next to him. "I can keep you company, long as you want!"

"Heh, I'd like that," Lloyd replied. "Not how I expected spending Christmas, and it was kind of a shock, but I could do a hell of a lot worse. I'm sorry for pushing you, by the way."

"It's okay," she told him. "I don't blame you. So I guess we can chalk this up as one of those Christmas miracles people talk about all the time, I guess?"

"I don't know if I ever wished it for myself," Lloyd told her. "What about you?"

"Every day, actually," she admitted with a blush and a smile. "But only for you."

Lloyd blinked, then let out an awkward chuckle before getting up to his feet. "C'mon, I'm sure you're starving right now," he suggested. "I don't have much, but I can whip you up something you'll like, I'm su--"

He'd glanced back and stopped short, watching her get to her feet and exposing her full nudity. He couldn't help but stare, blushing hot at the sight. Fluffy though she was, she had a perfect body, curved nicely around the hips and ass, and possessed of moderate, perky breasts; her fur did nothing to hide her swollen netherlips or the pink teats. She stood without a hint of shame, smiling warmly at him as she padded towards him. "It's alright," she purred. "I'm not all that hungry, I ate earlier, remember?"

"O-oh, right," he said, his chest hammering as he averted his eyes. "Maybe I should get you a shirt, then, so you can... y'know..."

Before he could stop her she stepped up to him and hugged him again- though she drew back upon him stiffening up in several ways. "Are you okay? Still nervous? It's alright, I'm not carrying fleas."

"It's not that," he said uneasily, giving her a nervous smile and flicking his eyes downwards. "It's just... you're... I mean, you look fantastic like this, but..."

She blinked, following his gaze, then adopted a sly smile and approached him with a sashay to her walk. "Ah, I get it. Cats don't have shame, we're always au naturel, as you say." She pressed her nose against his. "Do you find it... attractive?" she purred.

"I dunno how to answer that without sounding weird," Lloyd said reluctantly.

"Then be honest," she pressed, her soft paws cupping his cheeks, licking his nose affectionately. "I'd like to know that I'm at least pretty, or at least your type."

He hesitated, then chuckled. "You're gorgeous. Your hips, your butt, your tits- everything about your body just looks so right, only it's... fluffier. Softer than human women. And your face is just the perfect mix of cat and human, it's... adorable."

The words brought a bright, happy smile to her muzzle. "I'm glad- then you can look all you want," she told him, a patch of faint red appearing on her cheeks. "And you're... free to touch, if you'd like," she added shyly. "I like when you touch me."

The offer hit Lloyd like a punch to the gut, rendered out of breath by her bold offer. "You... want me to--"

"Anywhere you want," she insisted, taking his hand in hers and purring as she brought it to her chest, bringing his palm between her tits. "I trust you to be gentle- you always are."

Everything seemed to be happening so fast that for a moment Lloyd almost felt himself swaying, dizzied by the rapid succession of events. It had only been a couple of hours since this new guest had come into his life, had shared a warm period of comfort with. Now he was being told he could explore her body physically, that hew as being trusted not to harm her. When he finally moved it felt almost automatic, his hands sliding around her sides and coaxing a pleasant sigh from the feline. They stroked up along her soft belly, feeling the firm abs beneath her fur, along the form of her ribcage, until his palms caught her ample breasts. She mewled slightly, jumping from the contact as her nipples stiffened against the crease of his palm; a shiver passed through her and he could feel the heat radiating off her.

"I'm sorry, was that too much?" he asked, beginning to pull away.

"That was perfect," she told him, catching his wrists. "Please, keep going- wherever you want. I want to know more about this body, and how good it feels. It'll make what I want to do easier."

Lloyd swallowed, pulling his hands back and guiding her to the couch again, taking a seat. "Here, then- on my lap." She obeyed immediately, sliding into his embrace with her back to his chest. She was small enough that even in her raised position, she came to eye level with him. He slid his hands back up her body and cupped her tits again, fingers teasing the pink-capped teats and palms squeezing the plush, pliable mounds. Every so often he'd slide a hand along her slim belly, making her giggle. "So... you were planning this?"

"All of this? No- but I always, mmm... wished for it," she told him with a soft moan. A gentle squeeze of her breasts and she mewled, leaning back and nuzzling his cheek."Truth me told... after how nice you've always been to me, I've always wished I could be with you like this; always wondering what-- nnf!" She gasped, arching her back a bit. "Always wondering what mating with you would be like. You're so kind to me, but always so alone, and not because it's your fault. You showed me your heart so many times... I want to show you mine for a change."

"Reggie... thanks for saying that," Lloyd said, his smile broad and genuine. "This place doesn't allow pets, but I don't think of you like that- certainly not now. I'm sure as hell not going to throw you, if you're willing to be here with me. For as long as you need it, even if it's permanent... consider this place home."

The feline froze a moment, then turned in his lap; and for a moment Lloyd was worried he'd said something wrong. Those concerns evaporated when she saw her pleased look, drawing in closer. The next moment her lips were pressed firmly against his, a deep and steady purr rolling through her body. Lloyd did nothing to resist, letting it play out as it did, his guest's breasts pushed against his chest and lap, settling nicely against the tent in his pants. He had expected a foul taste in her muzzle, only to be surprised by how pleasant her muzzle was, how well it fit. In moments he had drawn his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, pleasant arousal blooming in his loins- the thin fabric of his boxers did nothing to prevent him from feeling her heated cleft.

When she finally drew back, it was with a nervous smile. "S-sorry," she mewled quietly. "You have no idea long I've wanted to... express myself to you. I dunno why I'm like this right now, but I wanna take advantage of it. The how's and why can come later- if you want them to. For now, just relax and let me handle it."

In so many ways, her eyes and face were alien and unfamiliar; yet there was enough in them, an exotic beauty and sincerity in her expression and voice, that Lloyd was more than willing to trust this new addition to his life. He released his hold on her, letting her slip out of his lap and onto the floor with smooth grace, her paws grazing against his hips and digging into the waistband of his boxers. With a shift of his lower torso and a tug of her paws, his boxers came sliding down his legs, revealing a full nine inches of smooth cock flopping out onto his lap, a pair of large, smooth balls settling beneath it. Reggie gasped, ears pinned back in surprise and slight hesitance as she leaned in and nosed his maleness. He let out a groan, shivering from the gentle touch, watching the feline reach out and slide her paw around the base of his girth. Seconds passed as she held her paw in place, and Lloyd realized she was feeling for his heartbeat, the rush of blood and arousal causing his cock to throb within her grip.

"Wow... I didn't expect you to be so large," she breathed. "It's so smooth, too... not like a cat's cock."

"Do you know what to do?" he groaned. "It's... different."

"I've seen enough discarded porn mags and back-alley prostitution on the streets to have an idea," she said uncertainly, though she did smile. Her paw slid up his flesh, fingers pressing into the sensitive shaft in a firm grip, then descended down the throbbing mast. Another groan escape Lloyd through grit teeth, his hands grabbing the cushion beneath him and clawing into the fabric; a bead of precum formed at the tip, a pearl-shaped dollop of arousal that trickled down the shaft and against the smooth pawpads of his lover.

In minutes, Reggie had worked out a steady but gentle pace on Lloyd's length, purring happily as her ministrations caused him to shudder and gasp every few moments. Every slight squeeze around his shaft sent a wave of hot, delicious tingles around his length, channeling up his spine; bliss coursed through his body with each caress of her paw, heart racing as he stared at her beautiful form through lust-glazed eyes. There was a shy, curious smile on her muzzle, her paw and thumbpad spreading the natural grease of his precum along his length; without warning she ducked forward, her tongue flicking against the underside of his cock-head.

Lloyd had to steel himself not to gasp with bliss from the act. Her tongue was not rough like sandpaper as he expected, but slightly coarse and textured; the heavenly tingle of friction sent a sharp jolt up Lloy'd spine, causing him to gap. Her free paw slid underneath and cupped his sack, hefting it up slightly and giving them a gentle squeeze; the act caused Lloyd to writhe in his seat, going rigid as he bit back a groan. "Oh f-fuck," he breathed raggedly through grit teeth, steeling against the lash of her tongue.

Seemingly spurred on by his words Reggie poured enthusiasm into her efforts, letting out little purring moans as she kissed and licked at this cock. If she were averse to the taste of his cock and its precum she certainly said nothing of it, slathering his shaft with slickness and pumping it all the while. It was not until a thick veneer of saliva and precum covered every inch that she took things further, bowing her head low and swallowing over half his cock in her muzzle. Lloyd's abs tightened as another groan tore through his throat, his feline lover deep-throating him easily; but it was the incredible sensation of her purring that caused the most stimulation, her throat vibrating around his throbbing length as she bobbed slowly along it. His hands went to her head and held her in place, ensuring she didn't pull away completely from his lap as she gladly sucked his cock with what felt like professional expertise. He only released when she lifted up a paw and put it on his stomach- he quickly took it as a sign that she needed to pull away. She came back up breathless, swallowing without a second thought and gazing up at him with adoration.

"That... was so fucking great," he panted, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"Been a while?" Reggie purred, returning her paw to his length and stroking only enough to keep him up.

"Since before I moved here, yeah," he acknowledged, reaching down and cupping her cheek. "You're amazing, Reggie. "

"I'm glad you think so," she giggled, nuzzling his cock. "But you gotta do me now."

"Up on the couch, then," Lloyd commanded, eager to return the favor. "Let me see what I'm working with, kitten."

With a beaming smile she did as asked without complaint and with an equal enthusiasm, trading spots with Lloyd and letting out a chirp and a giggle as he connected a strong, playful swat on her backside. She shivered and knelt on the couch, bending over for her lover; her tail flagged up and her legs spread apart, giving Lloyd a clear view of her cleft. It was not, as he expected, feline in structure; rather it looked almost completely human, a pair of swollen, tight-looking netherlips with a cute tuft of pubic fluff above her clit, and a sweet-smelling trickle of nectar dribbling from her slit. It wasn't until he got in close that the aroma of her pussy buffeted against his senses, a wave of lust slamming into his body.

Moments later he had buried his face in her ass, connecting his mouth against her netherlips in the dirtiest possible kiss he could give her. A mewling yowl rang out in the apartment as Reggie's back arched, pushing her rump back into his face as he ate her out; any moment his tongue wasn't sheathed in her searing-hot cleft and swirling along her inner walls, it was lashing violently against her clit. His hands were not idle either, kneading and massaging her ass as it flexed and trembled in his grip. The sounds of his lover's wordless begging, the smell and taste of her tight fuckhole, and the feel of warm, soft fur against his skin, was more than enough to keep his unattended cock hard and dripping as he prepared his kitten.

He'd had enough experience with the opposite sex to know when to stop short, and once he was sure Reggie was on the threshold of orgasm he stopped; not without a massive amount of reluctance, the heady aroma of a kitten in heat nearly pulling him back in. "Nooo," she whined, pushing her hips back, "please more!"

"I'll give you more," he growled lustfully, getting to his feet and picking up the feline, causing her to mewl in surprise and giggle as he carried her bridal-style to his bedroom. He didn't care that the space was untidy, placing the feline in bed and pinning her down; their lips met again in an erotic kiss, sex-soiled tongues lashing against each other as they shared their combined tastes. Their bodies tangled together, chest to breasts and arms wrapped around each other's forms, breathing raggedly as their loins burned and sparked with each hard grind. Even without having entered the feline, simply making out with such a beautiful, exotic woman was bringing him inches towards the edge.

It would not suffice, not for him- he got back up to his knees, keeping Reggie pined down with a hand between her breasts, his other hand wrapped around his cock, the swollen head pressed against her sopping wet slit. With a grunt and a gasp he rolled his hips forward, burying his cock deep into where it was most welcome; Reggie chirped and writhed beneath him, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks as she gave him a look of complete adoration. The tight, blazing, velvet confines of his feline lover gripped around his throbbing length, undulating around it as if it was suckling the entire rod itself, milking it for all it had. Through his lust-addled senses he could clearly feel the heavy gnawing of her tight cleft, his balls aching from the sensation, and in no time at all he started to breed her.

He pulled her hips up into her lap, kneeling in bed before pulling her upright- or at least as upright as she could be, her upper body limp as she rolled her hips into his cock. More than enough to get started, he reciprocated gladly, impaling her depths with swift, hard strokes that caused his hips to crack against her inner thighs and round ass. Her strained breathing had given way to chirps and gasps, desperately trying to keep up with Lloyd and hanging on to his arms; subjected to the unrelenting rhythm of his thrusts, pounding away at her heated pussy, leaving her with nothing to do but wrap her legs around his waist and accept him. He leaned back, glancing where they were most intimately connected, her soaked netherlips splayed around his girth and pushed inward each time he hammered himself in; drawing back out was harder, as she bore down around his length to keep it in, forcing him to grind himself in and out, his aching cock plowing through her in powerful sawing motions. He had held out for so long, and now he was so close...

Not once in his limited experiences of intimacy could he remember holding out so long or making love so passionately, but it only took looking down at her and seeing the joyful look of love on her face to understand what was different. She'd regained enough mental clarity to form words; and though she spoke in barely a whisper, he heard them as clearly as if she'd screamed them to the heavens.

"I love you, Lloyd..."

His heart swelled from the admission, just as she let out a loud, mewling moan and clenched around his cock, arching her back and thrusting her breasts out; a sharp jet of hot honey splattered into his lap and into the sheets, her tunnel gripping and chewing desperately around his throbbing length as she suffered and rejoiced in a powerful orgasm. It was enough to sap what little endurance he had left, letting out a strangled cry and arching his back; his balls seemed to clench and draw up tight, the core of his loins exploding as he channeled gouts of cum through his cock, feeling its subtle expansion as he poured load after load of hot seed into Reggie's heated womb.

Several eternal seconds in heaven passed as the flood of spunk subsided and he fell forward onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Reggie and holding her close. She relinquished her grip around his hips, hugging him tight and letting her warm purring envelope both of them as she licked his face.

"I... love you too," he told her, kissing into her neck.

"You know... you didn't need to go to all this trouble," Reggie told him, blushing as he settled into the couch. She was wearing a large red shirt and socks, clothing she had quickly become accustomed to (not least because they were Lloyd's) in the few days she'd been with him. Their delight in knowing neither of them had dreamed their intimate beginnings was sharpened only by Lloyd fully getting into the holiday season, spending more than he usually did to make things more comfortable for her. Nearly every gift he got her was some manner of clothing to help her adjust; though he had one left to give her.

"I wanted to, Reg," he smiled back, reaching over and petting her ears.

"But I didn't get you anything."

"You didn't need to- being a part of my life is a gift nobody could ever top. I'm not even going to question how or why, I'm past that now. These last three days have been a blast, teaching you how to use the things here at home, talking about each other's lives, the great sex, and just having someone to come home to." He pulled her into a hug and she purred. "Maybe you don't think much of yourself, but believe me- I think the world about you."

"Dammit, Lloyd," she giggled, wiping her eyes. "How is it no girl has fallen for you? I'm lucky the rest of the world was too blind to see how great you are- now I get to have you all to myself."

"And on that note, I want to give you my final gift," he said, tapping her nose with a finger. "Close your eyes- and no peeking."

She did so, and Lloyd gave the small, long black box a look before opening it. Within was a red leather collar with a gold oval plate on the end, etched in fine script with the name "Reggie," with the apartment's address and his home phone number. He drew it out, undoing the buckle and sliding it around her neck, swiftly buckling it.

Reggie stiffened. "… Lloyd... is that...?"

He grinned and lifted up a small mirror he'd kept off to the side. "Open them."

She did, peering into her reflection; her eyes widened as she spotted her name. "Wh... Lloyd, you..."

"I don't know how long you'll be human-like, Reggie," he said quickly. "And even though I hope it'll be forever, it won't matter to me if you're not. Even if you become your kitty self someday, this will always be your home, and I will always want you to be a part of my life. If we're ever separated for any reason, this will bring you home."

Reggie looked up at him, tears in her eyes and a trembling smile on her face. "I knew in my heart it was right to fall in love with you. Even as a cat, I knew it."

He pulled her into a tight hug, as she sniffled and nuzzled into his neck.

"Merry Christmas, Reggie."