FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

My eyes flutter open, the room lit by a pale gray light filtering through the curtains, but it still feels early, like I've only been asleep for a few hours. A glance at the clock confirms this; it's barely past dawn. I wonder what could have woken me, but the answer is right there in my arms. In my sleep, I must have rolled over and cuddled up to the rabbit. He's awake now, lying rigid against me, his heart beating so fast and hard that I can feel it beneath his chest.

All of a sudden, I realize that this might not be the best idea I've ever had. Considering that I mugged him just a few hours ago, bringing him back to my apartment might have been a mistake.

"Where am I?" he asks, his small voice trembling. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Just take it easy," I say. "You're safe here."

He stiffens at the sound of my voice, drawing a sharp breath. "You're that fox from the park. You robbed me!" He winces, raising a paw to touch his swollen face. "Did you do this to me?"

"No," I say. I don't like violence; I try to avoid it whenever possible. "You don't remember the rhino? He punched you in the face and knocked you out, then left you lying in the snow."

The rabbit covers the uninjured side of his face with one paw. "Oh, fuck."

"Who was he? Your boss? An ex-boyfriend?"

"My pimp," the rabbit says, his voice muffled by his paw. Then he pulls away from me and sits up, shivering in the chill air. The furnace for the building is older than I am and only works when it feels like it. Apparently, it doesn't feel like it today.

"This is all your fault," he says. "You stole all the money I'd earned yesterday." He glances over his shoulder at me. "If I don't take him that money, I'm as good as dead."

"If I hadn't picked you up out of the snow and carried you here, you would be dead right now. I'm sure he thinks you are. Just forget him."

"And do what? Go where?"

I shrug and glance away. This is such a bad idea. "You could stay with me for a while."

"With you?" He stands up and turns to look down at me, still lying in bed. "Who the fuck are you? Besides the asshole who mugged me. And then what, you followed me? Why? So you could find out where I lived and rob me again?"

"Pretty much," I say, sliding across the bed toward him. He steps back as I stand up, wearing just my boxers. Damn, it's cold. Trying not to shiver, I swagger toward him. "But aren't you glad I did? I stopped some homeless raccoon guy from helping himself to that moneymaker of yours."

He steps forward, drawing himself up, his eyes slitted as he glares up at me. "Given the choice between a homeless raccoon and you, I'd rather have been raped by the raccoon. At least I was unconscious."

"Like I want any part of your skinny, twink ass," I say.

"Well why else would you bring me here and strip me naked and get into bed with me?"

"It's my bed. Where was I supposed to sleep?" I say, turning away from him. It's too fucking early and cold to stand here arguing with him. I climb back under the covers. "If you want to go, I'm sure you can find the door." Turning my back to him, I wait for him to leave. After a minute, I feel the mattress dip beneath his weight. "Decided to stay, did you?"

"My clothes are wet and there's a blizzard outside," he says, his tone flat. He lies down, his back against mine, his cottontail brushing against the small of my back. My tail flicks against the backs of his legs. There's an uncomfortable silence for quite a while. Finally, he says, "Why did you really bring me here?"

I stare across the room, trying to think of a smart-ass answer, but I finally sigh. "I felt bad for causing you so much trouble. I'm sorry."

"Sorry enough to give me my money back?"

"No," I say. "If I don't have that money, I won't be able to pay my rent."

"You could get a job," the rabbit mutters.

I raise my head and speak over my shoulder. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find work in this economy? Probably not. I'm sure you're happy to sell your tailhole to any cock who hands over enough money." The room fills with a heavy, angry silence. "And just so you know," I say after a minute, "I used to have a job. I was a graphic designer in the computer gaming industry, but half of us got laid off at the start of the recession."

"You made computer games?" the rabbit asked, sounding faintly curious.

"No, I designed the graphics on the boxes that the games were sold in."

"Oh." After a moment, he said, "I was a busboy in a restaurant for a while, but then one of the customers grabbed my ass and I dumped a tray of dirty dishes on him. He was this rich badger banker and my boss didn't want to piss him off, so I got fired. Then I worked at a movie theater for a while, selling tickets, but nobody goes to the movies anymore and the theater closed. I was evicted from my apartment and living in a shelter when someone told me about Mr. Erickson, the rhino."

"Okay, maybe you do know how hard it is," I say. I turn over, lying on my side facing him. "I meant it, you know. You can stay here. I'll even make up a bed in the other room."

After a moment, he rolls over. "So, I live with you and you can be my pimp?"

"No, that's not what I--" I stop, suddenly struck by an idea. "Actually, yeah, I could." He gives me a dirty look and starts to roll back over. "Wait, just listen. I know about marketing and graphic design and web design -- I know how to sell things. I'll be your manager and you...you will be an escort."

"That's just a fancy word for whore," the rabbit says.

I grin at him. "That's an expensive word for whore. With the right marketing, you could be making five to ten thousand a night. You'd only have to work one night a week." His expression changes, like he's considering it. "I've got a laptop and a digital camera I've been trying to fence -- I can set up a website, put up some shots of you in provocative poses, and then wait for the high-rollers to call."

"I don't know," he says, biting his lower lip and wincing as his split lip pulls tight. "Who would pay five thousand to fuck me?"

"Are you kidding? Who wouldn't. You are, without a doubt, the sexiest guy I've ever seen."

The rabbit blushes, his white fur appearing pink. "Well...I suppose. It wouldn't be any worse than going back to Mr. Erickson."

"Thanks," I say dryly. "So, um...what's your name, anyway?"

"Jesse. What's yours?"

"Carson."

"Nice to meet you," Jesse says with a faint smile.

"You, too."