Goodbye Coqui
AN: This is a release story, I am releasing the character known as Coqui to a friend that does not wish to be mentioned publicly.
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The red panda walked towards her slowly. The fox mistress sighed and sat in her favorite living room chair, stressed from her day. Her ears lay back flat against her skull and she tried her best to take deep breaths. She knew the look on his face, it said 'I have something on my mind'. She watched, his ears were back, tail twitching anxiously but his face set in a serious manner. That worried her, he rarely looked like that. Serious and walking towards her with a purpose, ignoring anyone else around him, and she wondered how long he had been waiting on her to come home.
"Hello Coqui, what's on your mind?" she smiled and tried to put him at ease, but saw an odd pain in his eyes. Oh this is going to be bad... her stomach churned as she watched him carefully take in their surroundings. Her face fell, wondering what could have upset him. Guess I'll find out shortly.
"Mistress.... A word? In private please." His paws were fists, black and red fur shiny and smooth as always. His voice was low, careful, collected. There was obviously something weighing on him.
"Of course. Let's go to my office." She stood, smoothing her button down shirt and starting down the hallway. She led the way to a small spacious office and sat behind her large dark oak desk. "Take a seat Coqui, tell me what's on your mind." She put her face in her hands, rubbing tiredly at her eyes.
"Mistress, I have some... something to tell you. It's painful to say, but I need to say it." He stayed standing; his left paw on the chair previously offered him. The fox looked up and tilted her head to the side slightly. A worried look in her eyes as she waited for him to continue. After a few minutes she realized he was waiting for a response.
She sighed and looked at him, all business. Both of them knew it was a charade. She was bracing for whatever he was going to say. "Continue please."
"Mistress, this isn't easy for me to say." He took a deep breath, his tail flicking from side to side and his short claws digging into the leather of the chair. Somewhere in the house someone was cooking dinner and the smell of ham and yams wafted through the air briefly. After a moment he continued, "When I first agreed to be your pet, we agreed on a safeword. The rule was, safewords are to use when you feel that a scene should end. I remember this well, I also know I have never safeworded. Pride I guess. But I want to change that."
"What are you saying?" The fox took a deep breath, her heart clenching, she knew what this meant, she knew what was happening, but her mind went blank. She didn't want to deny it, but didn't want to accept it either. Not until he said outright what he meant. Her ears moved erratically up and down; confused by the signals coming from her heart wanting to burst and her brain wanting to stay in business mode. Her tail tucked uncontrollably, and she was glad he couldn't see.
"I want this scene to end. I am ending our relationship. I can no longer be your pet." He kept his eyes focused on her, any emotions in them hidden. His whole body cold and unmoving and if she could have seen the skin under his fur she was sure his knuckles would have been white.
"You are ending our relationship?" She swallowed the small lump in her throat, staying strong was important. "Of course, I can't keep you with me, you've had the ability to walk away from the beginning. "I'm not going to lie, I'm shocked. I think you know that. But if that's what you want then so be it." She turned to her computer, wanting to get the rest of the day over with and just soak in a hot bath.
"I'm leaving the house." The words stopped her mid type, she looked up into his eyes and blinked a few times. He never moved, just careful measured breaths, a small swallow, of emotions or out of nerves she couldn't tell.
"You don't need to. I'm happy to give you a place to stay if you need it." She turned her body back to him and leaned her elbows on her desk.
"No, I need to go. I'm leaving after this talk. My things are already packed." He hung his head now. Not out of shame, she knew he would never be ashamed from something like this. She couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking and was slightly happy about it since they first met. Would I really want to know what is on his mind? Do I really want that?
The fox held her head up high as she pulled a file from her desk and showed it to the red panda. "I will keep a copy of this if you ever return. You are free to come back anytime you wish." She looked into his eyes, wishing it was a terrible joke, and handed him his file. His paws moved and placed a set of keys on the desk.
"I won't come back." He said coldly, his head also held high. "Thank you Mistress, for everything." He turned and walked to the door, stopping for just a second before opening it. The fox watched as the black and red panda slipped out of her office door.
She hung her head, paws wrapping around her muzzle and rubbing softy, single tear falling from one eye.
Goodbye Coqui......