FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"It's been two months, you know?" Skye sat on her bed one evening in pajamas with her phone held to her ear, chatting with Aaron.

"So, you're saying you want to try in person?"

"I meannn, we've talked almost every day since Sinnoh, know a lot about each other, and still feel the same way... I also miss you. What do you think?"

Those late-night quiet call and text sessions were amazing after they'd built past a bit of dry and shy, full of grins and giggles. She never got bored of talking to him and hearing him laugh, forcing smiles she couldn't control. Gosh.

They'd also shared and listened to each other's favorite songs, even watching movies. It had gotten flirty occasionally too, but both were too anxious to take it far. Skye had also seen him shirtless while he had been changing tops on one of their few video calls, which she'd been completely glued to. His toned definition still popped into the forefront of her mind now and again as something she'd enjoy tracing with her fingers, making her slightly flex them.

"I think we're ready. I miss you a lot too," she said while curling her index finger around the side of her phone. "We should stick to the regions we know best for now, and we've both been to Sinnoh…"

"Which leaves Kalos and Alola," Aaron completed.

"Mhmm." She started grinning.

"S-So, uh, like I told you back in Sinnoh, I've always liked the idea of visiting Alola. It's never left the top of my list, but I–"

"Yes." She smiled. "I'd love that. When would you wanna set something like this up, though? I don't want to stir your life over there."

"Name a time."

"Really? But you have school..."

"I can skip a semester if need be. It'll be waiting when I get back."

"How does… next week or two sound to stay a week?"

"Next week... Okay, perfect—and should I bring Sylmi?"

"Uh, hold on." Skye muted the call. "Ruki!"

After a few beats, he appeared at Skye's door and approached her bed while licking his maw.

"What's that red stuff around your mouth? Is Mom feeding you berries again?"

"Ni." He nodded once and sat in front of her.

"Anyway, Aaron is visiting next week. Would you like to see Sylmi again?"

Were they coming here? Ruki didn't know Sylmi well, but he'd somewhat warmed up to him in Sinnoh. He nodded.

"Alright, baby. You can go," Skye dismissed, unmuting the call and watching him trot out. "Hello?"

"I'm here," Aaron replied.

"Sorry. It's a yes for Sylmi. He and Ruki were getting along."

"Great. Where would the ferry drop us off, by the way?"

"The Marina, a mile from my place, so look for that when purchasing your ticket. I know a resort you can stay at too. It's expensive but unique. Look up Hano in Alola."

"I've read about it before. I guess the saving I've done'll come in handy. I'll keep in touch so you're updated before I leave." He paused. "So, we're set, right?"

"Yes, we're set." A giggle stammered in her throat. "Are you sure you want to come so quickly? It doesn't have to be next week."

He chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Sylmi and I have a Master's in travel. I'll see you soon, Skye."

"See you soon, Aaron. Bye…" She set her phone beside her after the call ended, her smile widening. Skye was giddy after two months of being glued to this boy. It had been as if she couldn't go anywhere without carrying her phone around and checking it whenever it vibrated. She genuinely did miss him.

She could recall their last hug while standing in front of his suite as if it had taken place yesterday, and her heart thumped in her chest while imagining how it would feel to relive that—to press her warmth against his while he held her closely. Tightly.

A huge part of her wanted to offer to cover his trip and stay, but Skye would have to ask her parents to do so. With Aaron being her first boyfriend, she wanted to take this easy under her Mom and Dad.

Skye stood and walked to the living room; sure enough, she saw her mother giving Ruki lansat berries that they occasionally bought from the berry fields. Skye's mother put the order in under a special delivery whenever they were available since the owners had to order them from overseas. They were rare to come by and considered legendary berries.

"Hey, Mom." Skye looked at Ru napping on the couch alone. "Is Dad in your room?"

"Hi, honey. He is," she said while feeding Ruki another small handful. "That's enough, Ruki. You can't have them all."

"That's what I always tell him." Skye watched his eyes shift to her. "I've gotta talk to you, Mom."

"What is it?" She looked up from Ruki and rinsed her hands over the sink, leaning against the counter.

Ruki knew what it was already but wanted to hear this. He sat amid them while licking his maw.

"Soo, you remember Aaron, right?" Skye asked, swallowing.

"Of course. You two have been in touch for a while now, right?"

She put her hand behind her back and held her wrist. "Yes... and, well, we spoke just now and agreed we were ready to try and take our relationship further. So, we... set up for next week, and he'll stay at Hano Grand Resort."

"That's—a surprise. Do we get to meet him, and should we let your father know now?" her mother asked.

"Soon, when I'm ready; I'll bring Aaron by the day he gets here."

"Alright. Let me know ahead of time so we're on the same page. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you, and I will. Don't worry... Come on, Ruki," said Skye while walking back to her room. She closed the door after entering and letting him squeeze through. "I'm super nervous about seeing him again. Oh my gosh." Skye sat on her bed's edge and patted her lap. "I know I'll be shy. Should I hug him?"

Ruki hopped up and rested his upper half on her lap, eyeing her attentively.

She grinned and ran her hand over his head. "I don't think this would be happening without you. My first attempt at what I think is love." Skye lay back and tugged Ruki up, helping him climb onto the bed and onto her chest. "But…" She eyed him. "You know I'll never love another soul as much as I do you, right?"

Ruki swished his tails hard enough that they moved his rear and hips side to side with them. He nuzzled Skye's cheek with a wide grin.

"Mhm, baby." She giggled with a small smile dancing across her lips; she booped his nose with her finger, then kissed his snout. "How did you and Ru's training go today? You're gonna be world-class soon, learning under his paw. Might have to put you up against a gym." She'd let them out in the backyard earlier today, where they had stayed for two hours.

"Nnh." Ru never ran out of strategies and tech to teach. Ruki soaked up all he could and always aced the reviews. Fighting and winning a gym would impress both Skye and his mentor, but could he really do that with Skye? Ru probably could.

Skye's smile slightly faltered. "Would you wanna fight, Ruki?"

His demeanor fell with hers. Ruki's eyes were on her, but he didn't respond.

"Tell me. Is that your passion?"

Ruki didn't know for certain, but that battle at Seven Stars still felt like it had taken place yesterday. It merely crossing his mind made his heart race and filled him with a sense of the rush that had coursed through him on that day.

"It is, huh? Your ambitions matter too." Skye pushed her lips from side to side, slacking her shoulders. "Ruki, If you want to battle, we can take classes for it together. I don't mind at all. It'd be fun."

His eyes drifted aside. "Nn..." Ruki also recalled how stressed and concerned she'd been the entire time they'd battled.

"No." Skye's grin was no longer present. Her lips were a neutral line bordering on frowning. "After Aaron and Sylmi leave, we're revisiting this."

Ruki flicked his eyes back to her serious tone. Oddly enough, it was the only time he felt close to intimidated.

She formed another grin afterward. "Now, I know you’ve eaten already, berry breath, but I'm gonna go make something for me. I'll bring it back, maybe see what's on TV. Stay put." Skye pushed Ruki aside and left the room, pushing the door on the way out and letting it close halfway.

He walked to the center and lay on his stomach, pondering the idea of battling and Sylmi being in his region. They were acquainted enough for Ruki to feel comfortable around him, and it’d feel nice to be in charge of sightseeing this time. Sylmi was among the most amiable pokémon he’d met, and Ruki hadn't had a friend in as long as he could remember.

As for battling, Ruki still had to consider it. It would bring him purpose outside of Skye, but it would also be a huge thing to commit to.

---

Ruki opened his eyes to a dark room other than the soft light her lava lamp gave off and pressed against the walls. The red hue calmed her and helped with sleep, and it tended to have the same effect on him. He was sprawled out in bed and didn't feel Skye's warmth beside him, so he lifted his head from the pillow and looked around, his eyes falling onto the cracked door.

He stood and took a couple of steps toward the bottom of the bed, but just as he reached it, he saw the door open and Skye in panties and a shirt shortly after.

"Hey, did I wake you?" she asked while walking and sitting beside him.

Ruki shook his head and yawned. It was more so the lack of her presence.

"I was gone for like a minute. I had to use the restroom." Skye kissed his ear. "Sleepy? I wasn't able to get much."

He was, considering he had just woken up, but Ruki didn't mind staying awake if she couldn't sleep. He shook his head again.

"I was thinking about repainting my nails for next week. I was gonna do it in the morning, but I could now."

"Ni." He swished his tails. It'd be nice to stay up with her, and he'd get to watch the activity.

"Okay." Skye got up, flipped the light on by her door, and closed it. She went to her dresser and pulled out its top drawer, sifting through it until finding her nail filer, a small bottle of light pink nail polish and remover, and pulled one napkin out of a plastic pack. Skye looked back and eyed Ruki, then grabbed a double-sided slicker and pin brush. She took everything to the bed and sat on her knees. "Scoot."

He moved to the center and saw Skye follow and sit beside him on her knees. "We'll pretty you up first." She set her items down and held the brush.

"Nine!" Ruki had loved getting brushed ever since he was a vulpix. It felt amazing enough that it used to nearly put him to sleep.

"Shh, baby," she said while giggling quietly. "Sit in front of me and turn around."

He moved and sat with his back facing her, turning his head to glance at her.

Skye scooted closer and raised the slicker brush to the back of his neck, pressing the bristles that flexed and pivoted to accurately follow his body's definition into his skin and stroking down in short strides. She ran into a couple of kinks and any deep-seated dirt, which she tugged at gently until they came undone, then ran her other hand over the affected areas afterward to smooth the creases over.

Ruki's eyes softened. He often shivered while the bristles massaged his skin and as she ran her palm over his fur. It warmed him inside and out; he leaned into every stroke as she gradually reached and traveled over his sides and lower back.

"You're gonna be all sleek and kinkless." She pulled at more matted spots, moving to his tails after spending a couple more minutes on his body and giving secondary strokes over his fur with the pin brush so his coat kept its smooth appearance. Skye held and separated a few of his tails while studying each. "Mh." Skye grimaced. "This part might hurt a little." They were tangled in several areas and desperately needed tending to. She hadn't cared for his coat and tails in over a week.

Ruki looked back briefly and flicked his tails. He wanted to look his best, and his tails were valuable to him. They'd been so tangled he’d been biting at them toward the end of the week.

Skye shifted since her leg started falling asleep and spread her legs under her. "Let's tackle this." She swapped the brush with the comb and started with his eighth and ninth tails on the right, which were tangled together. She held them and combed over the fur, starting from the top. It didn't take long for it to get caught in a tough knot, abruptly stopping the comb.

Ruki braced and glanced back again. He watched her lips firm and her tug with force, making him wince as his fur tore. "N-Nh," he whimpered, flinching upon a sharp and sore sensation flaring in both tails.

"Gosh, these knots are tough to get through." She straightened them out after enough combing and struggle. "Sorry, baby. They're coming apart."

Skye still had seven more tails and many knots to fight. She wouldn't wait more than a week between brushing sessions again. Once every few days was ideal; she hadn't brushed him in Sinnoh either. Luckily, they hadn't gotten this tangled, and she had brushed them the day after they got back. His coat and tails were high maintenance.

After a tedious fifteen minutes of pain and intertwined fur, Skye had undone the final knot. Loose fur was all over the blanket around him, which she'd clean afterward. "Whew, finally." She set the comb down and parted every tail, seamlessly running her fingers through, then stretched her arms and fingers. "Face me. I have to get your chest."

Ruki stood and stretched his legs, swishing his sore tails before turning around and sitting with a weak gaze.

Skye picked up the comb again and kissed his head before pressing it to the thick tuft on his chest, pushing it through his fur and matted areas while watching him wince. She held his cheek with her free hand and leaned in again to kiss his nose, tugging at small kinks she came across while he gave soft huffs.

Fortunately, it wasn't nearly as bad as his tails, so it only took a couple of minutes. "Alright, baby." She sighed and put the comb down. "Thank you for sitting through that. Lesson learned. We'll brush once per week."

She looked at her nail polish and yawned. "My turn, I guess." She stretched her arms and tensed her fingers, sighing.

"I'll just do my hands tonight; then we can sleep." Skye first filed her nails, spending almost a minute on each finger before setting it down and unscrewing the bottle of polish remover. She poured some onto the napkin she held and dabbed it on each nail to prep to apply the polish.

She finished with the prep and remover and closed it, tapping her thigh. "You wanna lie in my lap?"

He stood and took a step toward her.

Skye held his forelegs while avoiding contact with her nails and guided his upper body onto her lap, draping his paws over her thighs.

Ruki looked up at her, eyeing her charming grin while she patted his back.

"Don't move. I'm gonna start." Skye rested her arms on him and unscrewed the nail polish. The cap had a built-in brush, which she held in one hand and brought her other up to apply to her nails, starting with her pinky.

Ruki kept as still as he could, resisting the urge to look up and watch her face while resting his chin on her upper thigh, but his ears twitched against something he hadn't heard in a long time. It made his ears move subtly toward the melody and made him shiver against its soothing tenderness.

Skye was humming. Her voice washed over and soothed him plenty, and he couldn't help but tilt his head up to look at her.

It caused her to stop and raise her hands to avoid getting polish on Ruki's fur, but with her eyes on him this time, she continued her tune, keeping a high pitch. After several moments, she stopped to catch her breath. "You miss that, hm?" Skye continued brushing her nails.

Ruki recalled her humming to him and while busy in general when he was a vulpix, and she sometimes used to hum him to sleep with a lullaby. It all faded for the most part as she got older, and he now only heard it once in a blue moon.

Within the next twenty minutes, Skye had finished and let the polish dry. She'd cleaned the blanket of Ruki's fur with the lint roller as well. "How'd I do?" She looked at her nails before showing them to Ruki, who was sitting beside her.

"Nin." He swished his tails and yawned. They were bright and pretty. Plus, Skye had to have done an excellent job. She was Skye.

"I know. I'm sleepy too. Bedtime." She placed a hand on his head, letting it slip as she stood to turn the light off. Afterward, she returned to bed, resting her side on the blanket and cheek on the pillow.

Ruki walked and lay by her on his stomach, letting Skye pull him to her chest while shifting to help her. Her arm was over his back, her upper thigh and calf resting over its lower end. He shut his eyes and sighed.

"Night, baby," she whispered, slowly running the tips of her digits over his neck and stroking down to his back between his shoulders before repeating.

Ruki fell limp against her. How closely she held him granted him extra comfort, and her fingers drawing tenderly over his fur filled him with the most blissful tingles swelling particularly in his chest.

Skye continued her motions and closed her eyes. Her mind took her back to Sinnoh. Who knew she'd make a friend on a week-long vacation and pursue a long-distance relationship with him, and on her first time leaving home at that?

She was surprised they had yet to run into a single bump, but that was over the phone. In-person would be a true test, and a part of her feared it. Skye didn't want her first relationship to fall apart. Not only would it turn her off from the idea for a while, but she'd put a lot of time into Aaron.