FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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The flavor of Earl Grey tea finally awoke him. The mind of the grizzly rabbit had not even registered the past five minutes; not that he would want to remember the many times he hit a wall on his way to the kitchen. That was to be expected, he and his wife, a golden-furred hare, had only lived in that house for just over a week, after all.

Being back to the suburbs of the small town of Talonfort brought a mixture of nostalgia and solitude, but it still was a pleasant experience. Enough had changed for the community to feel welcoming and fresh; but there were news that the retired rabbit did not quite enjoy.

Just as the slightly over sweetened tea (the perfect amount for his standards) left his mouth, he was compelled to glance out of the big window; beyond, he saw the close-by residence. He sighed before taking another sip.

He remembered the day they had arrived at their new home well; but it was not the usual stress that naturally comes with moving, nor the nostalgic sentiment of returning to his hometown that had stuck to his mind. In the struggle to move the furniture into the house, a friendly face had come from next-door. A massive figure, a male black bear; asked, in the friendliest of tones, if he could assist.

The old rabbit turned stiff at the sight of the large presence, so his wife had to respond. She rejected the offer at first, seeing as the friendly neighbor seemed to be in his fifties, just like the couple. Unfortunately, his stubbornness won in the end, which led to them spending that afternoon moving the objects into the new home. At first, he did not know why the bear had made him so unable to move, but slowly it became obvious.

The couple had arrived on a Saturday, a time of relaxation for many, including the bear. On such a day, it makes sense to not put too much thought into what you wear. Their neighbor wore a dirty white tank top that didn't quite fit anymore and red polyester shorts that left little to the imagination. To make things worse, moving furniture and boxes up and down stairs delivered many opportunities for the old man to--willingly or not--have a close look at the neighbor's masculine form.

By the end of the afternoon, as he, his wife and new neighbor lounged in the living room, what happened became obvious. Dark feelings; attraction to another man. He believed to have buried such ideas when he got married, but that had only delayed the problem.

His newest acquaintance had conquered his thoughts. Every so often, he would see the black bear out for a jog or tending to his front lawn, and he could not resist admiring his neighbor's body.

The sound of footsteps echoing down the hall finally snapped him out of his musings. As the beautifully grizzled blonde hare entered the room, he cleared his throat. Their gazes locked before she smiled, and he reciprocated.

"Good morning, Gil," she said.

"Morning," he mumbled back.

His gaze followed her as she approached the coffee maker, and when she pressed the button, his nose wrinkled. The wife responded with an annoyed smirk.

"Really?" She said, "Thirty years together and you still react like that when I make coffee?"

"Well, Tessa, hundreds of years can pass and your dirt water would still smell terrible!"

Her response was a chuckle and a stuck-out tongue; he smiled back. She went back to her "dirt water" and he to thinking.

Over a thin pink nightdress, Tessa wore a simple white dressing gown, which matched the black one he wore. The clothing fitted both snuggly, which meant it was possible to see all the curves of their different bodies.

While the gray rabbit had a round build due to laziness and the routine of living in a big city, Tessa was born with a naturally feminine, curvy figure. From behind, he observed his wife fumbling around the counter as she prepared her breakfast.

His eyes scanned the hare top to bottom. She might as well as not have gotten old at all since they married. Many people would kill to marry a partner as beautiful as her. Youthful, curvaceous, plump in just the right places, Tessa was attractive... but not to the rabbit.

Feelings had changed; he could not bring himself to get aroused. He didn't even say a compliment in the form of banter; his heart was racing and his mind was foggy.

His sense of self-criticism went into overdrive. Was he no longer straight? Had he ever been? And what about his recent attraction? Was he betraying the love of his life? Did all they had been through mean nothing to him? Flashes of memories they shared shifted in his mind as his breath grew heavier and more irregular.

"Gil?"

The call forced the man back to reality. "What!"

Tessa flinched at the reaction. It had not been a yell of rage, but it was surprising enough she looked appalled. When her scared face hit his eyes, he quickly responded.

"Sorry," he said in irregular tones before clearing his throat. "Sorry, you were saying?"

She answered, sinking back into a relaxed position, "Nothing. But you seemed... absent."

He gulped before taking a deep breath. "I just have a lot on my mind." His mind quickly grasped at a haphazard explanation. "With the move, of course!"

"Oh," she shot a surprised look behind her coffee mug. "It's quite the change, yes."

Silence lingered for a minute or two as both finished their beverages. He wanted to talk, but words simply did not form.

Tessa eventually broke the silence. "By the way, are you heading to the community center today?"

Finally, something to focus his attention. "Yup! The appointment is at nine."

"Nervous? You are quite the teacher, but I imagine teaching languages to be a very different ordeal from teaching music."

That was true. He had become a good teacher after over thirty years of lecturing. And, while teaching prepositions and pronunciations would be nothing like teaching guitar chords and scales, he had learned the instrument as a child and had no reservations about it.

"Nah," he replied. "I'm starting to think teaching is my life's mission. Can't wait to be in a classroom again."

"Godspeed," she jokingly replied.

"Honestly, I will never understand how you can work from your own house for so long. Is your work station ready, by the way?"

"Almost. I'll finish setting it up soon. The study is lovely."

The couple spent a few more minutes talking about the town, their home, and their tasks for the day. Though ordinary and boring, and maybe pointless, they enjoyed each other's company the whole time. The rabbit smiled, glad at least that had not changed.

The rest of the morning passed with little time for Gil to ponder over his guilt. At the community center, he met the center's two administrators, a couple of shrikes, in a small office. Younger than the old rabbit, both avians wore blue plaid shirts and jeans, their chubby, short bodies so alike one could mistake them for siblings.

Birds formed most of Talonfort's population (hence the name). Those two, however, came to the town while the old rabbit was away; which meant he could not simply rely on his acclaim by the townsfolk.

The old man's paperwork were carefully inspected by the couple. Despite the warmth with which they had welcomed the rabbit and their knowledge of his relationship with the town, the birds scanned each file coldly and without mercy. They seemed so serious that, even though Gil knew his application was flawless, his heart skipped a beat every time they shared murmurs.

"So," said the man, "Mr. Wegner?"

"Yes? Oh, please," the grizzled man said, "Gilbert or Gil is just fine."

"Uh-huh," continued the bird. "Mr. Gilbert, all your paper seems in order, so we are good to go, I feel."

"Yes," the woman said, "you clearly are an excellent educator who cares about this community. The Talonfort community center would be delighted to have you as a teacher."

Gil's eyes lit up, and a smile formed in his mouth. "Great! When do I start?"

The three spent a few more minutes sorting out schedules and payments before the old rabbit bid them goodbye. He released a satisfied sigh as he closed the office door, safe in the knowledge he would not be idle in the house for much longer.

As he walked through the corridors towards the exit, he noticed a variety of different activities going on in the facility's rooms. The majority of them held classes on many subjects. The community center had the infrastructure to handle any class, from pottery to programming basics.

Gilbert's nostalgia for classroom teaching was palpable. Memories of children talking before class, explaining the complexities of their language, and the rush of pupils leaving for home all appeared cheerful. The daydream almost made the grizzly rabbit regret retiring. Almost.

A youthful call echoed in the halls. "Yo, teach!"

Gil's head jerked to meet the source of the shrill voice. It had been years, but he immediately recognized the lanky maned wolf.

Since returning to town, he had encountered many of his former students, many of whom had grown to inherit their parents' businesses. Unfortunately, he did not recall them all, and no one asked him to. However, if a student remains in a teacher's mind, it is because they either engaged with the lesson or were challenging to teach. The approaching canine was the latter.

"Hello, Júlio," said Gilbert, smiling as best as he could. "Or, perhaps, Mr. Matos now?"

"Woah," replied the surprised maned wolf, "you really remember me?"

The younger man in front of him stood in a relaxed stance, wearing a straw hat, a one-size-too-big green sports top, ripped jeans and a pair of flip-flops. In his twenties, the wolf changed very little minus his height and goatee.

"I couldn't forget such a remarkable student," said Gil.

The word "remarkable" had been chosen with care. Because his family was from a tropical country, some of his behaviors seemed strange to the gray rabbit. Júlio often came off as brash and overly familiar, which meant he had been a difficult student to teach.

"Yeah, I'm pretty remarkable!" The youth laughed. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

"Well..." Gilbert considered not mentioning the classes, but decided that some self-promotion would be beneficial. "In a few weeks, I'll be teaching guitar lessons here."

"Aw, sick! I should bring my daughter then! Bet the missus will like the idea too!"

The old man shivered at the thought of one of his students, still a child in his eyes, having something so adult as an actual family. He needed to get out of this topic, fast.

"And, uh, what are you doing here, Mr. Matos?"

"I actually take classes here! Truth is, I've been trying to get into coding for a while."

"Really," said the old man in a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"Yup. Turns out I'm something of a," the youth made air quotes with his fingers, "natural."

Disbelief replaced surprise. "Really?"

"Dang, teach..."

The young wolf's words trailed off as his attention suddenly shifted to his vibrating phone. The youth fiddled with it a bit, ignoring Gil right in front of him. After a few seconds, his face soured.

"Son of a," Júlio's eyes returned to his old teacher, "gun."

The thought of not meddling flashed through the older man's head, but seeing his former student in such distress dispelled hesitation. "What's the matter?"

"Aw, nothing, teach. It's just I was supposed to see my brother and give him something, but he won't make it. I'd meet him myself, but I already got another thing coming up in a few."

"Oh? Sounds like quite the pickle."

"No kidding..." The youth tsked while shaking his head. Silence lasted just a couple of seconds, before he had an idea. "Hey, Mr. Wegner, you wouldn't happen to be free right now, would you?"

The aged rabbit did not fall for the maned wolf's façade. His tone had turned completely, for the first time, the old man saw Júlio actually ashamed to ask for something. Sympathy and the fact that he had indeed the rest of that day free, made Gilbert agree without resistance.

"What do you need delivered," said the old man after a sigh.

The dog's face brightened. "Thanks, teach! You're the best."

Slowly, the rabbit's foot pressed on the pedal as the traffic light turned red; he was close to the destination. He grunted and sighed as the object in his t-shirt's front pocket weighed tons.

After accepting the young man's proposal, he felt a twinge of regret. He knew the rowdy boy he once taught, yes, but the developments in his life after that, aside from having a family, were a mystery. So, a rush of relief and confusion came over Gil when his former student presented him with a flash drive.

The old rabbit immediately wondered if that small device contained anything that may cause a major problem. In humorous tones, the maned wolf assured his former educator there was nothing to worry about before telling him where to go. The older man did not need any instructions.

Perhaps the grizzly rabbit overestimated how much he forgot about his hometown, for when Júlio told him he needed to go to an auto shop, he quickly remembered where it was. The speed of the recollection even impressed the young canine.

Ol' Joe's Garage was a staple of Talonfort; locals jokingly called it a tourist attraction. So "ol" was Joe, no one really remembered who he was; everyone knew that the same family had run the establishment since its start.

Even if the grizzly rabbit had not traveled to that location many times to repair his own car, he had been there repeatedly as a child. Back then, he remembered, his father would bring the shoddy family car for repairs and he would always get a discount through his sweet talk.

A loud honk cut him off his thoughts. Gil resumed his journey, but not before apologizing to his fellow driver.

A couple of turns and a sloppy parking job later, he stood in front of the auto shop. The tall, blue structure bore large yellow letters decorated with stylish stars and swirls. They must have renovated the front as it looked exactly as the he remembered.

He took the first steps into the garage to find a crew of dirty men working on an expensive-looking car, none free enough to notice him. A male meerkat in a blue jumpsuit, much younger than the rest of the workers, was the first to acknowledge Gil standing there.

Before he said anything, the youth shouted towards the auto shop. "Yo! Client here!"

It didn't take long for another voice to bellow back. "Coming!"

The meerkat faced Gilbert once more. "Just a second, sir."

"It's alright," was all he could say before the young man returned to his duties.

A handful of seconds passed before he noticed someone coming in his direction. He was not sure at first, but in a few meters, it became evident he knew the man coming at him.

"What a nightmare," Gil thought.

The same large presence as that fateful Saturday; clad in a slightly open jumpsuit, the very same bear steadily approached him. Took the ursine a little less distance to realize who the rabbit was, but the moment he did, his mouth turned into a grin.

"Ha! Good morning, Gil," the bear said. "I'm surprised to see you here."

Gilbert took a deep breath and responded with hesitation. "Good day, Maxwell."

"Hey, now! None of that Maxwell business. Call me Max, okay?" The ursine flashed a large radiant smile.

The old rabbit trembled at the sight, scanning his neighbor top to bottom. He could not name what he felt right then, but the bear's appearance definitely pulled him. It did not help that the zipper on his jumpsuit was down to the middle of his lower abdomen revealing a tight white t-shirt underneath and, of course, a prominent belly. Working in that hot garage all day, he had developed sweat stains in said undershirt, and, as much as he did not want to admit, Gil was attracted to it.

Shame took over before his sight went much too "southward." He once again lusted after this man who had done nothing special to entice him but be friendly. Tingling crept up his spine once more and, as his heart beat fast, awful feelings overruled all other thoughts.

"Uhhh, hey Gil?" That deep, friendly voice shattered the spell, and the rabbit's gaze returned to the bear's face. "You good? You looked... distant just now. In fact, you were exactly like that the Saturday you arrived."

There, Gil had confirmation the bear was, at least, suspicious of something. So shame turned into a sense of responsibility. The bear was not to blame for his terrible emotions; he deserved better than a bumbling oaf who can barely form a sentence.

A technique he had learned as a teacher was to cover his feelings for the sake of his students. On a sad or stressful day, he could just put on a mask; act in autopilot mode. That skill was about to be used once again.

"I'm fine," said the rabbit in a monotone voice. "I'm actually here on behalf of someone else." He took the tiny device from his breast pocket and offered it on the palm of his hand. "Do you know Túlio Matos? Maned wolf, in his twenties..."

"Ah, of course!" The bear wiped his greasy-ridden hands on the jumpsuit before picking up the flash drive from his neighbor's hands. "I'll make sure, it gets to him."

That moment, that fraction of a second, their hands touched. The tender warmth they shared for that tiny instant, nearly broke the rabbit's veneer; but he held strong in the end.

Before they lingered wordlessly for too long again, the rabbit cleared his throat. "Well, that's what I came here to do. I'll let you go back to work now."

"Oh, uh, you don't have to worry about that. I'm on break right now, we could chat if you're free, neighbor."

Every neuron in Gil's brain screamed and begged for him to say no; but his heart needed only to whisper to override all that. "Yes, I'm free."

As the two men took to the seats next to the entrance, Gil's mind filled with regret and excitement. He realized just then that during that Saturday evening, because of the fogginess in his mind, nothing of the bear's past had stuck. And that was as good an opening topic as any.

"So," said the rabbit with a robotic smile, "what brings you here? Are you from the big city?"

"Ah, do I not sound like I'm from around here? Haha."

Each cheerful noise was a blow to the barrier the rabbit had erected. "Not at all! I was actually born and raised in Talonfort. If you were from here, I'd know."

"Oh, I see... Well, I am from a big city, but probably not the one you're imagining. I'm from Russall, to the east."

The revelation took Gilbert by surprise; so much so he said his first genuine words since the start of that conversation. "Really? You are quite a long way from home."

Maxwell sighed; the first time the old rabbit had seen any negative emotion etched into the bear's face. "Russall is my birthplace, but it sure as hell ain't home."

A somber silence took over, Gil too stoic and embarrassed to press further, Max lost in a sea of terrible memories.

Eventually, the bear spoke up again. "I didn't grow up in the best of households. Left after graduating high school and never looked back."

"Oh, Lord. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so nosy."

The bear's eyes went back to Gilbert, his head in tilted confusion. "You said nothing 'nosy,' Gil. And, actually, I'm over that!"

"Okay..."

Awkward silence began once more, but the ursine quickly broke it. "Anyway, after that I started working in auto shops, and just haven't stopped yet. Not the most profitable profession, I'll admit, but it sure is my passion. Then, met a girl, married, moved a handful of times, had a kid, and then..." A pitiable expression appeared briefly before the bear shrugged it off with a grunt. "Then she passed away a few years back, the kid moved on with his life, and I got bored with the big city. Which brings me here."

"That's, hmm, quite a life!" The rabbit cringed in his head at his response.

"I reckon it is! Let me tell ya, though: zero regrets." The bear giggled before shooting his neighbor a bright grin. "I'm glad I acted as I did!"

That gesture finally blew away the last of the old rabbit's resistance. That Maxwell could readily open up and smile so sincerely, even though he had a difficult life, was a lot for the rabbit to take in. And the phrase "zero regrets," echoed in the halls of his mind. In seconds, the rabbit was on the verge of tears.

Such a reaction did not go unnoticed. "Woah, mate," said the black ursine, "You alright?"

Gil could not compose a response, let alone turn back to stoicism. So he, naturally, fled. "I'm okay," he said, rising from his seat. "I just... remembered I have somewhere to be."

"Oh... Alright. See you later, then?"

The old rabbit sniffled, "Yes... Later." He clumsily walked towards the exit. "Sorry," he mumbled as the image of the large bear grew farther and farther.

He could only begin to unwind after he got inside his car. Shaking off what those words had made him feel, he also recoiled at his response to the whole situation. He mumbled self-deprecations as he banged his head on the rims of the wheel.

A glance in the rear-view mirror revealed the image of a pitiful old man, all worked up by something entirely in his head. What an inappropriate behavior for a man of his age. After a deep breath, he cleared his eyes and, as he twisted the keys to start the car, he promised himself to never react that way again.