FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Flower store was never a difficult place to watch over. The owner of the place was off doing some family stuff so it left Kevin alone to keep the place in order. Not like plants were gonna get up and walk away. He gave one a few spritzes of water and fixed up the soil. The white furred wolf smiled at the green plants and went behind the counter to grab something as someone walked into the store. The brief sound of the rain from the outside was music to his ears as he looked up to see a nice girl walking in. She had a mostly white pelt with black accenting her arms and hair. Her eyes were two different colors, one brown and one blue.

She wore a long sleeved shirt that was gray in the middle but had long black sleeves, stopping just above her belly and blue jeans, her usual casual wear. She looked very tired, but Kevin knew she was always tired. He went over to the coffee pot and poured her a cup. When she looked at him, she gave a little smile.

"Hey Dex," she said softly, slowly moving his way. Her headphones were playing some music he didn't know but she turned them off as she walked in, leaning over the counter and taking a sip of the coffee. Her mood noticeably pepped up at the taste, laying down on the counter.

"Hey Lex. More tired looking than usual. Everything alright?" The Golden retriever asked as he gave some more water to a plant. The monochrome dog shook her head, pushing some of her hair out of her face.

"Only the usual. I swear Ms. Ettison has it out for me," the Dog said as she finished her cup of coffee. She was a fast drinker but she gagged a bit at the end, setting the cup down and asking for water. She was a college student at Evergreen University, studying music which was one of her main passions. She loved the class but the teacher was a bit of a sore spot. She was strict with attendance and grades and Alex was just far too mellow to care for some of that stuff. Amazingly she still pulled out A's so that was nice. Dex gave her a cup of water and she drank through that quickly as well.

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. I just get that vibe." She said, resting her head on the counter. Dex smiled, scratching behind her ear before going about the rest of his work. He had to repot some of the plants and check the soil of others. The whole time his friend was falling asleep again.

"Class was that rough, Lex?" he asked. She perked up a bit, stretching before laying down again.

"It was just... annoying. Presentations have never been my forte. You know that." Dex nodded. Lex was always a nervous person in groups or presentations. She always relied more on her partner, but regardless, she helped with the whole thing. Just performing was hard.

"What was the presentation even on? You have to perform a song or something? You're a good singer," Dex said as Lex smiled a bit at him.

"Nooooo I wish. That would have been easy. Nah we had to look up a specific genre and talk about it. My partner and I got Jazz. She seemed a little bummed about it but I knew it would be fun. And it was." She sighed, burying her face in her arms and trying to sleep. Dex let her relax.

"Well it's all over now. Nothing more to worry about." She simply groaned in response. She looked incredibly uncomfortable. She twisted and turned in her seat, squirming around to find the best position to sleep in but she just couldn't get there. He rubbed her back. "We got that couch in the back, Lex."

"Oh thank God!" She said as she instantly jumped up, bringing her bag with her to the back of the store and instantly collapsing onto it, already drifting off to dreamworld. Dex laughed. The couch was near the breakroom, allowing him and any other employee to rest there when needed. It had a nice window to allow you to look outside and get some fresh air, and with the rain pouring down outside, it enhanced the atmosphere a bit more and provided nice white noise for the sleepy pup.

"You want coffee when you wake up or water?"

"Water please."

*****

The shift was over and Dex's boss had finally come back from her errands, allowing him to leave early. He was happy about that. He went to the back of the store and nudged his sleeping friend, watching her groan as she stirred awake.

"Noooo don't wake me up just yeeeeet," she whined, rolling over and curling into a ball, stuffing her arms into her shirt and curling her tail between her legs. Dex smiled as his boss came into the break room, a nice bunny girl just a bit shorter than he was.

"Oh this must be the sleepy girl I've heard so much about," she joked. Dex nodded and nudged the girl again but she refused to move, growling a bit. He sighed and dipped his hands into the cup of water he had and splashed some on her. She yelped up at the feeling of the cold liquid touching the back of her neck.

"Agh! Asshole!" She barked, shivering slightly. Dex's boss pretended to cover her ears.

"Ooh! A lady shouldn't cuss!"

"You cuss all the time," Dex commented.

"I do not!" She pouted, already walking away.

"You did just yesterday when you dropped that box on your foot, remember? I do 'cause it scared the neighbors." She had no response to that, or maybe she just didn't want to entertain his completely ridiculous story. He knew the truth though and that was what mattered.

"Is it time to go already?" Alex asked, grabbing her back. She was still groggy, leaning back and forth on the couch while Dex helped her up, taking her hand gently.

"Yep. Come on missy. I'll drive ya home."

"You'd better. I'm not walking in the rain." The two of them left the store, Dex holding up his umbrella as they made their way to his car. The whole route Alex was quiet, not a word to be said between either of them. This was nothing new. Alex was often exhausted after class and she came to his job for a ride home which he would always give. Dex was always trustworthy. He opened the door for her and she stepped in, leaning her seat back and dozing off again as Dex started the car.

The ride was smooth, only thirty minutes to get to her place from work. She could have easily taken the bus or even walked but... no. She always got a ride. Alex and Dex had been friends since Freshman year when his sister introduced them. She was probably his closest friend, always making sure he didn't overwork himself which he often did and did her best to get him to take things slow. She may have been a Dog but everyone often joked she was a Sloth by nature.

"Everything alright at home Lex?" He asked calmly. She opened one of her eyes and looked over to him.

"Yeah. Why ya ask?"

"Just makin' sure. I always wanna make sure you're okay." She shifted in her seat, clutching her bag closer to her chest. She was silent for a bit before looking out the rainy window.

"I'm fine." That was all she said. He didn't want to push but...

"Ya know Lex, if you ever need a change of scenery, we could-"

"Dude just..." she started but stopped herself, sighing as she ran her fingers through her hair, resting her head against the window. "I'm tired. I can't right now. Please Dex. I just need some more time to sleep. Just a bit. I'm alright. I promise." He nodded. He got the message and let her rest. She would be awake the rest of the ride but wouldn't say anything or even look his way. She was so closed off this time, like inching slowly away from him. It had him worried but he couldn't make her talk. He tried to keep his sigh quiet to not upset her and continued the ride without conversation, turning on some music to ease the awkwardness.

When they finally got to her place, she was slow to leave. She took her time opening the door and getting up, begrudgingly getting herself together.

"Thanks for the ride, Dex. I'll see ya soon, alright?" She said as she hopped out. But just before she closed the door, Dex stopped her.

"Lex, I meant what I said before. About... going somewhere." She looked at him with somber eyes, scratching the back of her neck as she tried to brush him off.

"Yeah, I know. We'll... go see a movie or something soon."

"No! I meant... look I know you don't like to talk about what's going on at home but just..." He took a breath. "If you ever need a place to sleep, You can always come to my place. My door is always open. I promise." For just a moment, she seemed to brighten up, like she was going to say yes in an instant and jump back in the car, but then she seemed to think about it, deflating once more to her tired state.

"T-thank Dex. Really. But... I can't."

"Alex I-"

"No I- I can't. I'm sorry! Thanks for the ride." She closed the door and walked away, not caring that she was getting soaked wet in the rain. She made it to her door and just before entering she looked back to see Dex still there. She ushered him onward, waiting for him to leave, and he did so, slowly but surely. He was such a worrier. She was fine. She was... she was fine.

She just wasn't prepared for what was coming...

She started to open the door but it was locked. She didn't remember locking it this morning. She still had the key and tried to open it, unlocking it and trying to open the door but it fought her. She rammed against it and after a few crashes, it fell open, Lexi nearly falling to the floor. When she got inside, she was heartbroken.

All of her things had been piled into plastic bags and bins. Her possessions gathered together, the drawers emptied and the table cleared. The bins were marked with her name and on one of them rested a pink note.

Eviction notice

Fuck! Her last paycheck was supposed to be enough to pay for at least another month! Dammit! She was so close! She had sold so many things to stay afloat and now she had nowhere to sleep. Three bags and a bin of her clothes, no other possessions, nothing much to her name. She nearly had a fit, banging on the table in stifled anger. Her hand was bright red after that and she collapsed onto the floor, leaning against her bin of clothes. She would be damned if she went to another homeless shelter. Last time... was best forgotten. She wasn't going back to her mom's place. Dealing with that woman's abuse for 19 years was enough and she didn't wanna hear the whole "I knew you couldn't live on your own" bullshit... That just left...

Man. She hated handouts. She hated asking people for favors. She hated putting others in an uncomfortable situation. She'd stayed at a friend's place before. Two months. They kicked her out cause apparently she was putting a strain on their relationship. She was furious with them but couldn't say anything. She was less than pleased with the idea of asking to stay at another friend's place but... she had no choice. And after she had just spurned him too. That just added to the pain.

***********

Night came quickly. Winter was the time of hastened nightfall after all. Dex had already been in bed, fast asleep as the rain pittered softly against his bedroom window. He was having a strange dream. The Sun had fallen out of the sky and landed in his hand and he used it to play catch with his sister but she kept complaining it was too cold. It was weird but it got weirder when the phone began to sing, like a ringtone. It hovered in the air and sang a catchy little tune before Dex awoke from his dream, his phone ringing next to him on his nightstand.

He jumped up and in a slowed daze rushed to his phone, looking at the ID. It was Lex. He answered immediately.

"H-hey Lex. What's up?" He stayed laid down in his bed, eyes closed as he heard her sniffle slightly.

"Hey Dex... I need a favor," she said softly. Her voice was strained, almost stuttering, the rain almost silencing her. Dex sat up in his bed.

"Of course," he responded.

"I need a place to crash. You mind if I stay over?" He had already gotten out of bed, racing to get dressed and grabbed some shoes.

"No problem at all! Where are you? I'll come get you."

"I'm close already," she answered.

"Where at?" He asked as he already opened his apartment door and saw Lex standing there, soaking wet in an all black jacket, the hood covering her face. She had a pretty big shoulder bag with her, also black in color with a blue star on the side of it and carrying a clear bin of what looked like clothes. He was shocked to see her already there but wasted no time in inviting her in, turning on his heater and letting her get situated. Before he could even ask, she rushed to give him a hug.

He was a bit taken aback but returned the hug. Lexi was a bit shorter than him, around neck height for him, but she buried her face into his chest and didn't say anything for a long while. Dex didn't want to push so he stayed quiet, simply hugging his friend as she soon began to cry. She clutched him tightly, letting out silent screams as she held him tightly. Dex sat them down on the couch and she never let him go, unable to pull away as he just kept crying. The room was dark with almost no light coming in except for a brief flash when the lightning struck outside.

Some time passed and eventually her cries slowed, her tears going away. Dex lifted her face and he tried to look at her but she turned away, sitting up and wiping her tears away.

"I... Need a massive favor alright?"

"Of course! Anything."

"... I got evicted. I don't have anywhere to sleep and I can't... I can't go back to the homeless shelter, Dex," she said as she stood up.

"Go back?"

"I'll only be here for a bit! Just a few months, I swear! I just need a place to stay for a bit while I built up my funds and then I'll be out of your hair!"

"Lexi-" he wasn't able to get a word in before she raced out another response.

"I will be the best freaking roommate! I'll... I'll clean around the place while you and Rose are gone, I'll wash the dishes, I can make the beds! I don't take long in the shower-"

"Lex..." Dex interrupted. But she kept going.

"I will... I can do a lot! Like anything! Name it!"

"Can you shut up?" He joked and she finally took a breath, scoffing at him but smiling, showing she took no offense at his brazen response. "Lexi, you've been my best friend since Elementary. I'm not gonna toss you out onto the street and I'm not gonna force you to pay me back. I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart and I want to help you as best as I can. No strings attached, no ulterior motives, no favors necessary."

"You mean I won't be a burden?"

"You could never be a burden," he said warmly. She blushed a bit at that.

"Still, I'll try not to stay too long. I'll try and find a place within the month-"

"Nonsense. Stay as long as you need. Ya know Rose will love to have you around," Dex said as looked at Lex's still dripping wet clothes. "Why don't you go on and take a shower, get out of those wet clothes. I got some bed covers and pillows you can use to sleep."

"I'm taking the couch at least." She said, not even bothering to stay and hear a counter.

"Whatever makes you comfortable," Dex responded as she left to the bathroom. She was in there for a bit, giving him time to get all the things she would need to sleep comfortably. By the time she came out, she was wearing a white tank top shirt and some long sweats patterned with the image of Gir from Invader Zim. He laughed a little at that.

"Hey, I like these. These are my favorite pajamas so no laughing." She said with a faint smile. Dex agreed and showed her the bed he made for her on the couch which made her happy.

"I promise I'll help with rent. Every extra month I stay, I'll pay you guys back. I swear," she told him as she sat down.

"Lex, There's no need. Besides, Rose would have my ass if I just tossed you out."

"Oh, so you did this just to avoid a talking down from your sister? So much for wanting to help me." The two shared a little smile. It was good she was comfortable enough to start joking again. Dex stood there for a moment before getting his bearings and letting her get comfortable.

"Well, I'll leave ya to it. Don't hesitate to call me for anything Lex."

"I got it."

"Like seriously. Water, extra covers, a phone charger-"

"Dex... I'm good. I swear," she said in earnest. He smiled and agreed to leave her alone. The monochrome dog smiled as she got comfortable on the couch, cocooning herself into a nice position to sleep before lightning shot across the sky again. She jumped up from her spot and tried to hide under the covers. Stupid freaking lightning being so loud and scary. God, she hated it.

Another strike and it shook. Hiding wasn't helping. She tossed and turned in bed before getting comfortable but then another strike and she barked in fear. She groaned. She was already a terrible roommate. Dex was probably asleep by now... Was he? It hadn't been too long. But then again she disturbed his sleep earlier so no doubt he was catching up on that sleep. She didn't want to disturb him.

BOOM!!

Yes she did. Yes she definitely did.

Jumping up from her bed, Lexi rushed over to the door of Dex's bedroom, seeing him already bundled up in his covers and ready to go to sleep. She knocked on the open door and made her way in, not waiting for him to say anything. She had climbed into the bed, getting under the bedsheets and cuddling up to him. He stirred awake, trying to turn to face her but she held him in place.

"Wha- Lexi? What are you-"

"I sleep with a body pillow. I forgot to bring it. Now you're mine," she said, hugging him tightly. Dex laughed.

"Still afraid of thunder huh?"

"Shut up," she said as she pinched his side. He let her get comfortable as the thunder went off in the distance, the brief patter of the rain on the window lulling them both to sleep. Maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad.