FSE

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Well, here it is! Chapter 2! Here's hoping that those of you who enjoyed Chapter 1 and gave me the confidence to keep at it enjoy this one as well!

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I groaned quietly as my eyes split open, noticing the sun just barely rising outside through unfamiliar curtains covering an unfamiliar window. I also realized that I was lying in an unfamiliar bed, inside an unfamiliar room, but anything else was completely lost on my still dormant mind.

I rubbed my eyes, then my neck and shoulders, wincing slightly at the tenderness and dull throbbing in both areas. Grumbling softly to myself, I crawled out of the mystery bed and headed for the door with barely opened eyes and a barely functioning consciousness.

The first thing I noticed was the number of clothes that were hanging up in the cramped hallway. A soccer jersey, two suits, a number of dress shirts and coats...

Wait...

Now, I'm not the most coherent in the early morning, but even I've never been bad enough to have walked into a closet before. Last night really did a number on me apparently.

I muttered curses at myself under my breath as I left the strange closet and walked shakily across the room to open the real door to the hallway. My throat needed water. Badly. It wasn't until I was down in the unknown kitchen searching through cupboards for glasses when I realised that I wasn't home, and as I found a cup and began filling it with ice cold water from the tap, the memories of last night came crashing back to me.

Chris.

An all-round gentleman of a wolf when it came to our online chats and even the first in-person meeting at his front door. The guy was fit, liked to play a little rough, had a great cock, and knew how to treat me just the way I enjoyed being treated.

Then he called me Chelsea.

That particular memory sent a worse shiver down my spine than the water I had just gulped down to soothe my throat, and with it came the realization that I was standing in the kitchen of someone's house wearing lingerie and a skimpy cheerleader uniform.

I suppose if it was just Chris living here I wouldn't have minded, but the number of shoes at the front door and other closed off rooms in the hallway where his bedroom was told me that he had at least one or two roommates. I didn't know their schedule, so I began panicking. What if they were early risers? What if one of them was about to walk in the front door?

I couldn't get to the stairs without passing by the front room where my coat was hung up, so I honestly started considering using the fire escape past the window in the living room.

Likely a worse choice considering what I was wearing, I thought as I gently set down the glass on the counter, not wanting to risk waking anyone up.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, scolding my mind for pushing things too far out of proportion as I always have. I started to walk back to the staircase, passing through the doorway separating it from the kitchen when I walked straight into a wall of fur and muscle.

I let out a surprised yelp when I bumped into the guy, and he let out an 'oof' before taking stock of what had just happened.

"The hell?" The stranger said. Look at me, calling him a stranger when I'm the newcomer to his apartment.

"S-sorry... I, uh, I didn't mean..." I was fumbling for words, my brain going into overload with all of the possible scenarios that could possibly play out in this horrifying situation. I subconsciously tried to pull the bottom of the skirt I was wearing down farther, to try and cover up as much of myself as possible.

It didn't do much good, but I suppose I should be thankful for that considering the look of shock on the puma's face. Running into a scantily clad fox in his kitchen probably was my only saving grace from getting slammed into a wall and questioned as to why I was here.

"You... Uh, did you..." Well that was a plus. He was just as thrown off about all of this as me, and if I didn't know any better, which I likely didn't, I could swear he was blushing almost as much as I was.

I'm not going to lie, I wanted to cry. I could even feel my eyes begin to water as I looked down at the ground at the puma's feet. The embarrassment wasn't the only reason for it though. The memories of last night played themselves out in my head, focusing only around the point where Chris called me Chelsea.

I felt wretched, I probably looked wretched given that a good deal of the fur on my inner thighs and around my muzzle was matted and messy, and I probably stank of cum. Typically I don't care what people think of me, but having anyone see me when I was at my lowest wasn't something I ever wanted to happen, which explains the façade I put up constantly unless I was alone at home.

"I assume you spent the night with Chris?" He asked, thankfully not sounding angry or disgusted at least. He sounded more surprised than judgemental, which actually surprised me more than anything.

"I-I did..." I stuttered out. The puma stopped looking surprised and gave me a critical look, focusing on the slightly darker fur where I felt the bruises on my shoulders.

"Christ man, did he hurt you?" The cat stepped forward, and I only then registered that he was just wearing boxers. Slightly tented boxers, which only made me blush harder. He placed surprisingly gentle hands on my arms, checking my shoulders to see if I really was hurt. I was tempted to tell him that I only hurt on the inside.

"T-things got a l-little r-rougher than I exp-expected." I looked away as he inspected my shoulders, my psyche taking what comfort it could in the warm touch of his hands. "I-it's not that bad."

There was that need again; the need to be held. I suppose I could make do with someone only touching me to see if I was hurt.

"No, it's not that bad, but here," The cat walked over to a cupboard above the fridge, reaching up to open it and fumble around inside. My eyes took the opportunity they had to gaze at his backside which, even covered by loose boxers, looked perfect.

"I've got some cream here, it numbs bruises and the like and helps them heal faster." He took down a bottle of thick white liquid, and I went immediately to naughty places in my head.

Leave it to my libido to make a bad situation just a little more bearable.

"Sit down at the table." He said as he unscrewed the cap and poured a little on his hands.

I didn't think I was in any position to refuse his help, so I sat down at the table without a word, keeping my ears flat against my head and my eyes looking straight down. The buff, black puma was suddenly standing behind me and starting to work the cream into a lather before taking hold of my shoulders.

The massage felt wonderful, even through the pain it elicited from my shoulders at first, and I couldn't help but moan quietly as he worked.

"You're the first guy I've seen come out of Chris's room looking miserable." He said as he worked, taking great care not to cause me any undue discomfort. Well, aside from the fact that he was talking to me at least, that discomfort was at least a little more bearable considering he was helping me.

I didn't really know what to say. I know they say that talking to someone really helps you when you're feeling down, but I didn't even know this guy. Sure he seemed nice and at least non-judgemental considering what I was wearing and what I had obviously been involved in the night before, but I didn't know him in the least.

"Quiet guy, eh?" The cat chuckled as he worked the lather into my sore shoulders. "First time he's brought a quiet one home too."

Well that wasn't at all comforting. I mean, I knew Chris must have had people share his bed before me, but having it confirmed just made me feel like my entire life was just a notch in someone's belt, an average nobody that only existed in the peripherals of the people around me.

My eyes began watering again, and I tried to fight it off before this guy noticed anything wrong.

The bastard proved more perceptive than I had expected.

"You seem like you need coffee and someone to talk to." He finished kneading my shoulders, which were already beginning to feel better, and moved over to the counter. He reached down into one of the lower cupboards and pulled out a small coffee maker.

I had kicked my addiction to coffee and replaced it with an addiction to tea, but I didn't feel like I had any right to stop him. Instead, I just kept my mouth shut while he activated the coffee maker, threw in a filter and some sweet smelling coffee grounds, and hit the 'brew' button.

I was still staring at the table top in shame when he sat down in the chair next to me.

"So, what brought you here?" He asked, not unkindly.

"I thought it would've been obvious." I said, perhaps a little more defensively than was proper given my situation.

"Well yeah, even if your fur wasn't a mess I could tell why you were here," He chuckled again, an oddly soothing sound. "I mean what made you come out? Forgive me for saying, but you don't seem like the type to have one-night stands."

This guy was good. I automatically assumed that he was going to the nearby university, perhaps for some kind of psychology program, because I could hide myself from anyone, but I'd never been read so easily before in my life.

"I... I just..." There were those damn tears again. At least I could maintain the decency to not let them fall. No one had broken through my barriers before, and no one knew my misery, but this guy was taking all of that apart like a hot knife through butter.

Maybe part of me finally realized that I needed this.

"I was lonely." I said simply, sniffling and continuing to fight the tears that threatened to fall at any moment. I couldn't see the table in front of me anymore because of it. I couldn't really think of anything else to say. Sure the puma had gotten through the first few layers of my defenses, but there were redundancies in place that could override even the embarrassment I was feeling.

"Fair enough." He said as he sat back in his chair. "Why are you feeling lonely?"

Well, there goes redundancy program number one.

"Don't expect me to share my issues with you just because you helped me." I said sharply. I'm not a rude person, but when someone starts digging too deep I feel an innate urge to defend myself. "I appreciate the help, but I'm fine."

If the puma was taken aback by my sudden curtness, I couldn't tell. I wouldn't move my gaze from a particularly interesting point on the table before me. The tears at least were drying up.

"But you've got issues, you just said so yourself." He pressed on, apparently willing to risk me snapping at him again. "I'm not an expert, but I don't like seeing people in pain, so I want to help if I can. Can I ask what issues you're talking about?"

His voice was level and gentle, but his words told me that he wouldn't be giving up. I honestly thought my barriers would be putting up more of a fight to keep him out of my tumultuous thoughts, but at this point, I was willing to accept the fact that maybe they were getting dismantled from within.

Traitors.

"I'm not like guys like you," I started, again a little more sharply than was proper. "I can't just go out and meet people. I hate groups, I can't bring myself to talk to someone unless I absolutely need to, so I obviously don't get to be with anyone. No one likes an introvert like me."

The black puma stood up without a word, and walked over to the coffee maker just before it dinged. He poured out two cups of coffee, the smell of it being enough to relax me, if only a little, then brought them over, setting one cup down in front of me.

French vanilla. The bastard was using French vanilla against me now.

"Chris happens to think that introverts like you are irresistible." He said before taking a sip.

"I bet he finds a lot of people irresistible." I muttered, unable to bring myself to reach up and pick up the cup before me. "You made it clear I haven't been the only one."

"That's because you weren't the only one." He chuckled. "But you're the first one in quite a long time for him. He hasn't brought someone home in well over a year now."

Well that was interesting. I recalled suddenly how pent up Chris had seemed and it started to make a little more sense.

"Why'd he call me Chelsea?" I asked, the last line of my defenses hoping to throw the cat off enough to initiate repairs.

It certainly seemed to have some kind of effect on him at least, because I saw through my peripherals that his cup paused midway to his lips.

"Chelsea is a long story." He said, his voice carrying a hint of sadness that I just barely picked up on thanks to having heard it in my own voice during some of my darker nights alone.

"Imagine a girl who is like yourself; introverted, shy, doesn't like the spotlight, but she's only like that on the outside." He continued, setting his cup down on the table next to him. "On the inside, she's manipulative. She knew Chris was attracted to her because of how she was acting, and she used it to worm her way into his life."

I suddenly started feeling bad about my own misery. I'm twenty-three years old and I've never even been in a relationship, so that kind of pain was completely foreign to me.

"She used him, made him dependant on her, then tore his heart out when she found someone she liked better." He finished with a sigh. "He still says her name on occasion when he's sleeping."

Despite the wrenching feeling in my gut, my ears perked up and I turned to face the cat quizzically, wordlessly asking what he meant with that last sentence.

"We've cuddled. We've used each other for release. I'm a really open person" He chuckled when he looked at my expression. "I don't see sex as something only two people can share. It's stress relief, it's fun, and it should be shared between consenting friends without any drama involved. He shares a lot with me."

"Why aren't you two dating then?" I asked, looking back to my coffee. At least at this point I had forgotten about what I was wearing.

Damnit. I've just reminded myself what I was wearing.

Before I could start feeling more embarrassed again, the cat spoke.

"He's not my type, I'm not his." He said simply with a shrug. "I mean, yeah, he's hot, but it's purely physical between us. I've got my eyes on a girl in one of my classes anyways that I really click with."

I suddenly felt flattered, one of the more alien emotions I've ever felt before. I wasn't a revenge lay, nor was I helping someone have an affair outside of a relationship, I was someone that Chris felt comfortable enough with to bring home and sleep with.

Now came the hard part.

With my nerves settled on that front for the time being, another warzone erupted in my overactive imagination.

What if Chris wanted a relationship? Was he considering having it with me? We only met and talked on a bloody phone app for a week, and our first in-person meeting was just for sex!

The confused part of my mind was suddenly pushed aside by my ever present pessimistic side, the one that was in charge of a lot of my personal issues, including my dismal sense of self-worth.

Look at the guy, he's gorgeous, he's kind, he's got a sad-sap story and a personality that could win anyone over. Why would he choose me? I'm not even started on a career path yet, I've got no idea where I'm going or what I'll be doing within the next year, and here he is going to university for god knows what.

He's way too far out of my league. He needs someone that will go places in life, someone that can be more than just a hole to breed. He's already been hurt pretty badly, so he doesn't need my problems heaped on top of that.

My internal monologue did wonders repairing the damage that the puma had caused, but it also added a few fresh wounds to my psyche. It was a habit of mine to berate myself, made all the more easy by some real life issues that I had no control over, and a habit like that that had been around for several years or more was a hard habit to break.

"I just want to go home now." I nearly whispered before standing up. My fluffy white tail was coiled protectively around my waist, hiding what I was wearing as I crossed my arms to hold myself.

I didn't need this. I didn't need the temptation that someone might be interested in me because I knew that I'd just screw it all up before long with my own sad little fears and insecurities, which would only lead to Chris having to deal with more pain than he already had.

I like to think that makes me a good person, not wanting to cause pain to someone else, but the back of my mind told me that it was just me protecting myself. If I didn't get into a relationship, I wouldn't be hurt, because at this point, even being single and lonely, a bad end to a relationship could end up sending me to a level of misery and self-loathing that I had only skirted once before, and I had promised myself to never let it get to that point again.

I didn't hear any argument from the cat in the kitchen as I ascended the stairs and crept quietly into Chris's room, but I wound up with the urge to crawl back into bed with him.

At present, he was sleeping on his back, one arm lying across the pillow I had used, the other resting on his stomach, just above his delicious looking flaccid shaft. It still looked big even now, which made the urge to join him even stronger, but I shook my head and began pulling off the outfit I was wearing.

I folded them neatly and placed them on his dresser before picking up my own clothes and getting dressed, and once that was done, an all too familiar sad sigh escaped me as I slipped quietly from his room.

Chris's roommate was standing by the door, not blocking the exit, but in the way enough that I'd have no choice but to stay in close proximity to hear whatever else he had to say to me.

With another sigh I walked up to him, leaning down to grab my boots and start sliding them on my feet. My libido again tried to deflate my overly-saddened mind by giving me a few scenarios involving the buff cat still standing in just his boxers before me. Maybe I'd use those fantasies later, but for now, my main goal was retreating to somewhere familiar and safe, if not lonely.

"All I ask is that you don't ignore him." The cat spoke softly as he moved to let me grab my coat from the hangar. "I think you both could use each other. Maybe it won't turn into a relationship, maybe it will, and maybe that relationship will work, and maybe it won't. Just be willing to take that risk."

He walked off towards the stairs as I zipped up my coat, disappearing within moments and leaving me once again, on my own.

Taking chances wasn't my thing. I wasn't confident enough for it. I also think it was why I've managed to get this far in life without having broken or sprained any bones or gotten in loads of trouble.

Unfortunately that also meant I didn't have any real life experience or many truly fun memories despite having amazing friends and family.

I sighed again as I pulled open the door and walked down the steps into the freezing cold of the morning, not really noticing it considering I've felt cold long before winter came.

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There's number 2! Feel like I'm almost on a roll.

Critiques are greatly appreciated!