FSE

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Jack liked to think he was a good employee. He was punctual, professional, and polite to his customers. He never got annoyed with them when they asked stupid questions or whined about not being able to understand technology. He even put up with an annoying manager or two when he was at the office without making a fuss. It was generally pretty hard to find a bad thing to say about his performance on the job.

Right now, however, he was struggling. The rabbit kept looking over at the beautiful crocodile manning the store's register. She'd asked if he minded her smoking, and he had responded that it didn't bother him at all. That was true, but not the whole truth. Now that she'd lit up he was starting to sweat. The Ol' Pickaxe always smelled faintly of cigarettes beneath all the sawdust and oil, but now that scent came to the forefront.

Bea Santello wasn't paying much attention to him. She looked stressed, and was clearly trying to relax with a nice smoke. The story was empty, which was fortunate because the Point Of Sale system was on the fritz. It was a POS in more than one sense, but it wasn't Jack's place to recommend a replacement. He wasn't even sure if the old place could afford one. Besides, he was sure he could fix the problem with a minimal amount of trouble if only he could make himself pay attention.

The job was almost done. Jack's shaking hands plugged the power cable back into the hard drive, then began to put the RAM back in. These old machines had a terrible design, and working on one thing without removing everything else was practically impossible.

Bea took a long drag on her cigarette, her soft lips grazing against the filter as she shifted it to her hand. She held it in her lungs with only a faint plume of smoke wafting up from her mouth to caress her face. It was absolutely impossible not to stare, and Jack's sensitive ears picked up every sound from all the way across the room. He could hear the paper burning, Bea's lips sealing around the cigarette, and even the faint noise of her throat working around her breath. She let it out slowly, savoring the smoke as it slid between her lips again.

A stick of RAM broke in two with a loud snap. Jack gasped and quickly stuffed it into his bag, trying to ignore the sharp pain of the cuts on his hand.

"What was that?" Bea asked.

"Nothing!" Jack plucked a stray wire out of his hand and then closed the computer up. It didn't really need all that RAM just to run a POS device anyway. Nobody had to know. "You're all set. Let's boot it up and make sure it works.

"Thanks again for bumping me in the queue," Bea said. She had a slow, quiet way of speaking that most people found a bit depressing. Jack wasn't one of those people. It was a refreshing change of pace from the frantic, angry tone his customers usually took.

He shrugged. They were friends, but not exactly 'best' friends. Things had been awkward between them for a while, especially since he'd gone off to college. "Any time. I know it sucks when you can't get anything done around here. I'll see you online, okay?"

*************************

Hey. Thanks again for today.

Any time. Always nice to see a friend at work.

How's things?

Been a while.

Same old. Work, home, sleep. Repeat.

I know the feeling. The grind starts to get old but there's nothing to be done.

Yeah.

I noticed Mae was back from college a while back.

You two hanging out again?

Sort of. Yeah. Now and then.

That's good. I hardly ever see anyone from high school these days.

Most of the smart ones moved away.

You aren't wrong.

Also ouch :)

Hey, I didn't either.

Yeah. You had...stuff. Lots of bad stuff. Shame you couldn't go off to college with the rest of us..

I'm sorry. That sounded awful.

I didn't mean to put it that way.

You don't need to feel sorry for me.

I know. I shouldn't have said anything.

I know you don't like talking about that stuff. Sorry.

Not sorry for you, just...sorry.

Ignore me.

Never :)

What that a smile?

No :|

It was, and you included it on purpose.

You're hanging out with Mae too much. Pretty soon you'll be including winky faces and hearts.

Stop. I'm going to throw up.

Are you gonna Bearf?

...

Wow.

Hah. Remember that time at math camp when Casey stole the counselor's smokes?

Yeah. Sometimes when I'm having a bad day I think about him coughing and gagging.

Cheers me right up.

"I'm cool guys. Look how cool I am. HUURRRK!"

That was a good summer.

Yeah. It really was.

Hey. Can I ask you something sort of...personal?

That depends.

If we hadn't done what we did, do you think things would have turned out differently?

I don't know.

Actually, no.

We'd still have drifted apart.

Lots of shit happened that would have caused that.

Maybe.

I still think about it a lot.

In a "what was I thinking" sort of way.

We were really young.

It's nothing to be embarrassed about.

I suppose not.

I still wish it had been different.

We were in too much of a hurry, I suppose.

Yeah.

That wasn't your fault or mine. It just happens.

Teenagers amirite

I was pretty miserable for, like, that whole next year.

Could hardly talk to you at all, which I missed. A lot.

You know how I was. Only taur in school, anxiety and stuff.

I remember.

I missed you too for that year.

Mae was sort of ghosting me.

You did?

Of course I did. We were still friends. We still are.

But things are different. Neither of us has any time.

Or money.

Plus I smoke now. It's fucking gross.

I'm trying so hard to stop but sometimes the stress is too much.

I don't mind the smoking.

I know it's terrible for you. It's good that you're trying to quit.

Yeah, I guess.

Point is, we aren't what we used to be.

Maybe. You started smoking, I got fat :)

But at least the smoking is sort of hot.

Nobody wants a fatass with two left feet.

You aren't fat.

Wait

You think smoking is hot?

I don't know. Maybe? Some guys do.

...

What?

Are you...flirting with me?

I won't do it anymore. I just thought...I don't know what I thought.

Don't be mad at me. Please?

Bea?

Fuck...

Do you...mind if I come over?

We should talk.

...

I don't mind. Come on over if you want.

*****************

Jack was a frantic mess as soon as he hit Enter on the keyboard. He knew that he had twelve, maybe fifteen minutes to straighten up his tiny little duplex before Bea showed up. He needed to do the dishes, to vacuum, to clean every square inch of the place until it was spotless. The panic settled in on him like a sheet of clingy plastic wrap and refused to let him breathe.

He needn't have worried. Bea arrived shortly, and if she disapproved of his housekeeping she didn't mention it. He let her in, and they sat on his couch for a long time in an uncomfortable silence. Eventually she pulled out a pack of cigarettes. With little more than a questioning glance at him, she lit up and took a deep drag.

There weren't a lot of people around Possum Springs qualified to help with psychological problems. The closest thing to a licensed psychiatrist they had was Dr. Hank, who was far from an authority on the subject. Jack wasn't either, but he was a good listener. Sometimes that was enough.

Before long the two of them started to relax. They talked about their school days and all the frustrating things that had come right as high school ended. Bea did most of the talking, while Jack was content to listen and chime in when appropriate. She talked about her father, her job, and the awful certainty that her life would never amount to anything.

Jack mostly just listened. He watched her unwind, the tension she carried in her shoulders gradually dissipating as she leaned against him and vented. They had been great friends once, and still felt very comfortable around each other. Eventually there wasn't any more baggage for her to unload. Jack took his turn by talking about his frustrations with work. His problems felt tiny compared to hers.

They had abandoned all pretenses by then. Jack was lying on his back, with Bea resting atop his elongated body. "Sometimes I just get so sick of being interrupted," he sighed. The movement caused her to bob slightly on top of him. "It's like being told you don't matter over and over again. You aren't important enough to be listened to." He watched as she let out twin plumes of smoke from her nose. "I guess I shouldn't care. Compared to the things you've dealt with it's nothing."

Bea shrugged. "Not a contest," she said. "Being treated like shit sucks for everyone. We could always ask Mae to burn the place down. She'd do it."

Jack's mouth turned up into a lopsided grin. "I can't deny that I'd find some satisfaction in that. Things could be worse, I guess. At least my girlfriend's hot."

The crocodile made a sound halfway between a snort and a laugh. She moved her cigarette to her hand, the tip stained with her black lipstick. He'd never seen her wear lipstick before. She'd put it on right before driving over, so it was still fresh. "What makes you so sure we're together again?"

"This feels pretty girlfriendy," he said. "You came over to my place at like ten o'clock to talk and cuddle."

"Maybe." Bea took another drag. Jack could feel her chest expanding against him. "Your whole apartment is going to smell like cigarette smoke now. Still think smoking's sexy?"

Jack blinked and ripped his eyes away from the way her lips kissed her cigarette. "You have no idea."

She took a deep drag, then let it out right in his face. The smoke washed over him, and he struggled not to cough like Casey trying to impress the other kids at camp. "I can't believe it," Bae murmured. "You're shaking all over. What a pervert. You know this shit gives you cancer, right?"

"You're the one pulling the whole 'smoky temptress' thing. If a gorgeous guy came over to your house, pinned you to the couch, and blew smoke into your face you'd probably have some pretty conflicted feelings too."

The corners of Bea's mouth turned up ever so slightly. Such a tiny change in expression from someone that normally looked so dour spoke volumes about her feelings. "You calling me gorgeous?"

"I might be." Jack held up an ash tray for her to tap her cigarette into. "Gorgeous, sultry, maybe even seductive. What are you gonna do about it?" They were already so close that he could feel her breath on his fur with every word. The slightest bending of his neck, and his lips met hers. It was the first kiss they'd shared in the better part of a decade.

Bea was blushing up a storm. "You're such a sap," she muttered. "Are you sure this is what you want? You really think it's a good idea to shack up with a heavy smoker that probably won't ever get out of this shitty town?"

Jack smiled as she filled her lungs with smoke once more, then kissed her before she could exhale. He held it, letting her breathe out while he breathed in. He coughed a little, but managed to avoid making a fool of himself. "I don't think you understand how sure I am," he said. "Bea, I never wanted to grow apart. Letting that happen was the worst mistake I ever-"

She stopped him before he could keep talking. The crocodile's tongue slowly traced over his lips, reacquainting itself with his mouth. For all the years they'd been apart, Jack still remembered that she had to make things happen on her own terms. Bea had a very "my way or the highway" attitude when it came to physical intimacy, which was completely fine with him. Even when he took the initiative, it was never without a subtle invitation to do so. As had always been the case, he was allowed to intertwine his tongue with hers at the appropriate time.

In that moment they both came to a decision. "Don't make any promises," Bea said, and sat up on the taur's midsection. She took off her shirt and tossed it onto the floor, then let him unfasten her bra. He was considerably better at it than he'd been last time, which hopefully meant that they were putting a good foot forward. "We've just got tonight, okay? That's all I want to think about right now."

Jack sat up with his front half, no easy feat when he was lying on his back. "Nobody exists but us," he agreed. He held her cigarette while she undressed, watching with great appreciation as she slipped out of her pants. "Dang, those things are tight. You going to need a stick of butter to slip back into them?" He laughed as the pants in question smacked him in the face. "Fine, fine. No more dad jokes."

Bea climbed onto the rabbit again and pushed him down, then took up her old position lying atop him. "Maybe I should be grateful," she admitted. "At least it wasn't a pun."

"The night's still young." Jack let her kiss him again, and held onto her as tight as he could. He never wanted to let go. Bea's legs wrapped around his barrel, her long tail resting across his belly so that the very tip could tickle his erection. "I meant it when I said you were gorgeous. You've even filled out some since math camp."

"And you developed a weird smoking fetish," Bea said. Another deep puff, and she let the smoke coil across the short distance between them. Jack breathed it in gladly, never breaking eye contact with her. "I think we both know who came out on top."

The rabbit slid one hand down to palm his lover's backside, enjoying the way her smooth scales slid over his fingertips. She had gained some padding around the hips over the last few years that really flattered her figure. "Yeah," he agreed. "I still feel like a winner here." She rolled her eyes, and he giggled. "Don't pretend having a warm-blooded boyfriend who gets off on watching you smoke isn't a dream come true."

"Mmhmm." Bea stared wordlessly up at him for a long time. Jack was almost painfully hard, but understood the importance of savoring the moment. He let her lie there for as long as she wanted, just basking in the warmth of his body. Kisses were exchanged, hands became bolder, and the crocodile went through another four cigarettes before she finally decided she'd had enough foreplay.

Jack grunted as Bea's thick tail circled his cock. It wasn't flexible enough to really stroke him off, but it felt nice to be rubbed. "Just do what comes natural," she said, sliding backwards down his belly so that she hovered above his erection. "Take it easy. Nice and slow, like we always talked about." The rabbit's front paws rested on her hips, while his hands offered her something to hold.

Bea's slit spread wide around his tip. She groaned, gradually sinking her hips lower as inch after inch penetrated her. She was very warm on the inside, having spent the last hour or more soaking up Jack's body heat. "It's like having sex with a space heater," she murmured.

"Going to assume that's a compliment." Jack rubbed his thumb affectionately over the back of her hand. Soon she'd sunk all the way down to his base, the shaft inside of her leaving a small bulge in her belly. Bea rubbed her hand over it, genuinely smiling for the first time that night. Once she'd gotten used to it, the crocodile lifted herself up with her powerful thighs before dropping back down. Jack's forelegs helped a little, taking some of her weight.

This was way better than last time. The rabbit couldn't help but squirm as Bea bounced on his cock, grunting faintly every time she took him to the hilt. They fit together perfectly, like two pieces of an expertly made jigsaw puzzle. Mammal and reptile, taur and biped, computer nerd and goth. Who knew?

After a few minutes Bea motioned for another smoke. Jack reached up to offer her one, slipping the end between her lips before holding up the lighter for her. "Got you trained already," she grunted, and puffed a few times to make sure it was lit. "How are you holding up, stud?"

"Well I _was_doing fine," Jack said. He dropped the lighter onto the coffee table next to the ash tray. "Then someone decided to call me a stud. You feeling okay? Running a fever or something?"

"Har har." She leaned forward and tried to kiss him, but his body was just a little too long. She settled for running her hands over his stomach instead, fingers curling through the fur and gripping it tight. "So I tried to sweet talk you a little. Sue me."

Jack's front paw pressed down on her hips as he bucked, smacking his balls into her ass. "It worked," he admitted. "H-How about you? Liking it so far?" Bea nodded. Her eyes closed, and she went quiet for a while as her breathing sped up. Eventually she made a noise halfway between a moan and a scream, her pussy clamping down on Jack as it tried to milk him dry. For a few beautiful seconds her whole body trembled. "Holy shit. Did you just...?"

"Yeah." Bea held out her smoke and tapped it into the ash tray. "Yeah, I did. Mind if I catch my breath for a second? Soon enough they were back at it, and this time Jack took a much more active role. He bucked his hips, letting Bea relax a little more as he bounced her on his lap.

The second time was even better than the first. So was the third, and the fourth. Eventually they were exhausted, but not before Bea had burned burned through half her pack of smokes. After they finished, she rested atop him with her nose just shy of his chin, almost able to burn him with the ember of her last cigarette for the night. He was sweating, and knew that she'd smell like him for hours. Bea's legs were wrapped around him again, and he could feel his seed leaking out of her onto his stomach.

"You got better at that," the croc murmured. "Like...lots better. Way fucking better."

Jack snickered. "I could hardly have gotten worse." He ran his finger over the smooth scales on her shoulder. "I think I'm happier than I've ever been right now."

Bea snorted, sending another plume of smoke into the rabbit's face. "Sap," she said. "You still going to want to do this if I manage to quit? I'm not giving up on that, you know. I really do want to."

Jack carefully took the cigarette from her mouth so that he could kiss her, then smiled against her lips as her breath entered his lungs. "Always," he promised. "Every night, every day, and sometimes twice a day. I want to be with you. I don't care if we move away together or stay in this little down forever."

They smiled at one another, and Bea buried her face in his chest. "Me too," she murmured. "Me too, Jack. We are moving out of here someday, though. That's nonnegotiable."

The rabbit laughed and rubbed her back. "Anything you want, Bea-by. Anything at all." For a few minutes they went quiet, ready to drift off to sleep in each other's arms. "Hey," he said, staring at the black rings around the butts sticking up in the ash tray. "Did I ever mention that I've got a huge lipstick fetish, too?"