FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Gold-flecked azure eyes slowly opened, blinking in the late morning light and trying to banish the last remnants of sleep from them. Gabe stirred from his slumber, and turned onto his back, letting out a long yawn before stretching his arms above his head. Something was nagging at the back of the rabbit's mind, making him think that there was something wrong, something missing. Looking around his bedroom, everything seemed in its place, yet still his mind seemed to be screaming something at him. Suddenly, his eyes snapped wide and he sat up quickly, his back popping from the rapid movement and making the rabbit groan slightly while memories of the previous night flooded his mind. Yuni! She was what was missing, but as he looked around again, Gabe saw no sign of her. He spotted her neatly folded pile of her clothes, however, so he knew (or at least hoped) that she hadn't left without them, but that was when something tickled his nose, making the rabbit sniff. Was that....sausage? Sliding out of bed, he stretched once more before stooping down and snatching the shirt he had discarded the night before. Pulling the worn t-shirt over his head, Gabe adjusted it until is sat comfortably on him, padding his way out the door.

Standing over the stove in his kitchen was Yuni, the russet-red vixen still wearing the over large shirt he had loaned her the night before. Humming to herself, she was working two different frying pans on the stovetop, her ash-tipped tail swishing side to side behind her. Tapping a foot, head bobbing along to the little tune she was humming, she picked up a spatula and stirred whatever was in one of the pans. Smiling to himself, Gabe watched her work, arms crossing over his chest and leaning slightly against the wall. Oblivious to his presence, she continued to bustle about in the kitchen, the rabbit watching as she rummaged about through his cabinets and drawers, pulling out a couple of plates and two sets of cutlery. As she turned to open the pantry, Yuni jumped when she spotted him standing there, watching in silence, and let out a little cry of surprise.

"Gods, Gabe! How long have you been standing there?!" she said, one hand over her heart and glaring at him, but a small grin was pulling at the corners of her mouth while he chuckled, putting up his hands in defense.

"Whoa, just a minute or two," he replied, stepping further out and looking over the bar-style counter tops at the contents of the frying pans. One, indeed, contained a handful of sausage patties, cooking over a low flame; while the other was filled with partially cooked scrambled eggs. Looking back up at her, the rabbit lofted a brow. "Are you really cooking us breakfast?"

Two spots of pink appeared beneath the cream colored fur on the vixen's cheeks as she shrugged, looking back down as she stirred the scrambled eggs again. "I figured it's the least I could do after letting me stay.....and...other things," Yuni said, her voice trailing off before she glanced back up at him. "You don't mind, do you?" she asked, offering him a small smile.

"No, not at all," Gabe said, shaking his head with a grin before he stepped into the kitchen as well to open his pantry, pulling out a loaf of bread and glancing at her, holding it up. "Want some toast too?"

That had the vixen perking up immediately, her ears pricking and her smile spreading wider over her face. "Absolutely!" she replied before turning back to the frying pans and humming to herself again. Chuckling, Gabe loaded his toaster with bread when an idea hit him. Pressing down the lever to start the toast, he hurried across the apartment and out onto the balcony before disappearing into the utility closet located out there. Yuni, flipping the sausages over, kept glancing up to see what he was doing and laughed when he emerged after a minute, carrying a dusty bistro-style table and set it down on the patio. Shaking her head as she went back to stirring the eggs, Yuni smiled at him as he reentered the apartment. "Breakfast on the balcony, hmm?" she asked as he walked back into the kitchen, gathering up the plates and cutlery.

"Why not?" he answered with a shrug, returning her smile as he wandered back out and began to set the small table. The vixen divided her attention between Gabe and breakfast, watching as he bustled about the apartment: starting the coffee maker on the counter after asking if she'd like a cup, and mingling the scent of the brewing drink with the aroma of sizzling sausages; grabbing two chairs from his dining table and carrying them outside to set them opposite each other around the table; and, finally, buttering the toast as it popped up and fetching a large bowl and an extra plate for the eggs and sausage. The rabbit fascinated her, in ways that she had not anticipated since she met him only the day before last, and she was curious to see what more she could learn about him. Yuni had certainly been surprised the night before, and just thinking about it again had her fidgeting slightly while a blush crept into her cheeks once more. Gabe, on the other hand, was oblivious to her thoughts, still hustling to get the final things ready for breakfast. Standing with his back to her, he poured two steaming cups of coffee from the pot before carrying them back outside and setting them on the table, spade-shaped tail wiggling with a mind of its own, and the vixen had to giggle at that while her emerald eyes followed him.

Turning off the range, Yuni tipped the sausages onto the plate and scooped the scrambled eggs into the bowl, gathering both up and walking onto the balcony as well. A soft, cool breeze was blowing in off the bay, helping to ease the heat of the late morning. Tugging on the hem of her shirt, she settled down onto her chair, looking up as Gabe sat across from her and offering him a smile that he happily returned. Dividing up the breakfast, they both ate in silence, and each grew a little pink in the face as the minutes dragged on. It was broken, however, when Yuni took a bite of a sausage and immediately gagged. Covering her mouth with a hand, she lifted her eyes to meet the worried look on the rabbit's face.

"Are you alright?" Gabe asked, beginning to push himself up out of his chair, only to be stopped by the vixen as she shook her head, waving her free hand.

"I'm fine, but I think the sausages are bad..." Yuni replied, giving him an apologetic look.

Lifting a brow at her, he then speared one of the patties on his fork, lifting it to give it a sniff before taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully. She watched him carefully as he swallowed and shook his head. "Tastes fine to me. It.....ohhh, they're veggie sausages!" Gabe said, smiling over at her. "Sorry, they take a little while to get used to."

Yuni blinked, looking back and forth between the rabbit in front of her and the half-eaten patty on her plate before grinning sheepishly. "I didn't even pay attention to the package," she said softly, averting her eyes down and poking at her food with her fork. Looking up as Gabe made an odd noise, she found him trying his hardest not to laugh. "Oh, hush you," she said, giving him a glare, although a smile slowly spread over her face, and soon they had both dissolved into fits of laughter.

It took a moment for them to settle down, but the silence had been broken, the two chatting amicably as they ate their way through the delicious breakfast that Yuni had made. She noted that Gabe was right, the veggie patties took some time to get used to, but she found that they weren't too bad. Soon, both were sitting with content smiles on their face, sipping their coffees while she scrutinized the rabbit. He was gazing out at the bay, and as she followed his sight she noticed that he was watching a few boats in the water. Turning her attention back to him, she smiled, eyes roaming over his face and tracing out the patterns of gray fur as they mingled with the more dominant white. Letting out a little sigh, Gabe turned back around, blinking in surprise as she had fixed him with an intense stare. He tried to pass it off, distracting himself with his coffee, but the vixen simply watched him, a wry little smile on her face.

"What's wrong?" the rabbit finally asked, unable to keep his silence any longer, but Yuni just shook her head and smiled at him, taking a sip of her coffee before she answered him.

"You're...intriguing," Yuni said, her eyes lifting to meet his own and held his gaze. "The other night, when you were up on stage, you weren't playing to the crowd. You just....you were doing it for you, it seemed." The vixen took another sip of her coffee before she continued, "And when you were done, you just tried to meekly go offstage. You weren't showing off, you didn't try and get anything from it. It's like it was your job: you did your thing, and then you were done."

Gabe simply sat there, his face growing steadily redder while she continued to speak, but he couldn't help thinking that she had him right. He didn't dance at the clubs for anyone's benefit other than his own, and he normally would not have been on the stage, but he had his DJ friend Micah to thank for that. Picking up his mug off coffee, he took a sip.

"I think that's why I like you."

Eyes widening, Gabe choked on his beverage, feeling it go down wrong and started to cough heavily, making the vixen jump up from her seat and dash beside him, patting him firmly on the back. "Geez, you ok? Don't die on me!"

Coughing and sputtering, he eventually got it under control, his eyes lifting to her in surprise. "Wait you...really?"

Laughing, Yuni swatted him on the arm. "Of course I do! Geez, you think I do...um...what we did last night, with everyone?" Blushing a bit, she leaned against the table and smiled down at him while he still sat there in disbelief. "Like I said Gabe, you intrigue me. You're not like any other guy I've met. They all try and brag or showoff or downright lie, but you're honest. It's...refreshing." Reaching out a hand, she hand her fingers lightly through his hair, brushing it back off his forehead.

The rabbit just sat there stunned while she sang his praises, his mouth hanging slightly open as he pondered what to do in this situation. It was true that he never really went out to show-off or to attract anyone to him. He simply did what he did because he enjoyed it, and while he knew that he was good at certain things, he was never a braggart. Looking up at her, about to speak, she simply smiled and slid onto his lap, sitting sideways and stunning him again.

"Just look at last night," Yuni said softly, pushing his untidy hair back again so she could see his eyes better. "You opened your home up to a girl you'd only known for a day, just because you're a good guy. You let me sleep in your bed, saying you would take the couch, although that didn't last long." Nudging him slightly at her comment made him chuckle before she continued. "Gabe, you're a sweetheart. And...that's why I like you." The vixen's voice trailed off slightly at her final comment as she leaned up to press her soft lips against his in a tender kiss. It only lasted a moment, and when she pulled back, she quickly looked away, gazing out onto the sparkling waters of the bay.

Still surprised by her confession, Gabe took a moment to fully process everything that had happened. The rabbit's hand moved of its own accord it seemed, reaching out and lightly rubbing Yuni's back and making her murr happily. Shifting on his lap, the vixen pressed her back against Gabe's chest while he guided his hand up to the nape of her neck where he began massaging her shoulder lightly.

Letting out a little coo, Yuni wiggled slightly to get into a more comfortable position. "Mm, you're pretty good with your hands." Gabe stopped his actions, looking at the back of her head, brows lifted and a little smirk on his face, when she suddenly tensed on his lap. Turning her head quickly, she looked back at him over her shoulder, blushing furiously as her ears laid flat against her head. "Oh gods, that's not what I meant!"

The rabbit was laughing loudly as she tried to backpedal, but he simply continued the massage with both hands this time. "Ah, no worries," Gabe reassured her, still chuckling. Feeling emboldened by all she had said, he gently nipped at the ash colored tip of her ear. "Besides, I've been told that I am," he finished with a little wink.

Watching him with a small look of disbelief, Yuni only shook her head and looked back out over the bay. "I cannot believe you just said that," she said with a little giggle. Humming softly, she gradually relaxed as he drew out the massage, her eyelids growing heavy as she let them drift closed. She had to admit, he really was good with his hands. The two fell into a comfortable silence, the vixen keeping her eyes closed while a gentle murr rolled from her continuously as Gabe continued on with easing out the tension in her shoulders and neck while the sounds of the late-summer day flowed around them on the breeze.

Time slid by as the two stayed seated there, and both blinked in surprise when the sun shone down on them directly, cresting the apartment complex and flooding the balcony with bright light and the heat cooked away the soft breeze that had been keeping them moderately cool. Both were unwilling to leave the balcony, but soon the heat became a bit unbearable, and Yuni sighed softly, pivoting in Gabe's lap to lean up and plant a soft kiss on him before settling her feet on the floor, standing and stretching while offering him a wide smile while he stood as well. The vixen's arms wrapped the larger rabbit in a hug.

"Mmm, thanks for that, Gabe," she said, nuzzling slightly into his neck. "Gods, I've needed a massage for ages." Giving him a gentle squeeze, she then slipped out of his arms; gathering up their abandoned dishes and carrying them back inside. He followed behind, picking up what she couldn't carry, and bringing them inside and setting them in the sink even as she picked up a sponge to begin washing them. Taking the sponge from her, he waved her off, making her look up at him curiously.

"No, no. You cooked, I'll handle the dishes," Gabe said, offing a small smile before turning on the water and grabbing the bottle of dish soap. Yuni shrugged, settling herself onto a barstool that faced him, watching as he diligently scrubbed the dishes clean and set each one onto the drier beside the sink. They picked up their conversations again, the vixen asking him about his time at Sun Harbor University, the very school she had been attending, while he asked the same about her experiences at the campus.

Once finished with the dishes, the rabbit grabbed a towel to dry his hands when Yuni suddenly asked, "So, what're your plans for tonight?" Lifting his eyes to look at her, Gabe caught the wry smile on her face, accompanied by a slight blush, both of which made him chuckle.

"Nothing to my knowl- ohhhhhhh...crap," he replied, eyes clenching shut as he cut himself off, making the vixen cock an eyebrow at him. "I totally blanked, I've gotta pick up Zane tonight," Gabe continued with a sigh. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was nearly 2 in the afternoon. "Actually, I've only got a couple more hours until I need to head out."

Turning his attention back to her, he caught the smirk on her face. "Such a dutiful friend! But, if you want some company, I'll come with. So long as we can swing by the campus so I can change," Yuni offered, immediately making him perk back up which drew a laugh from her. "Also, I wouldn't mind taking a shower first, if that's ok?"

"Oh! Yeah, not a problem. That'd be great, actually, if you wanted to come. Maybe we could, uh...grab some dinner after?" Gabe replied, looking at her hopefully as she slipped off the barstool with a giggle.

"Well, that was the plan I was hoping for," Yuni responded, stretching again and shot a glance down the short hallway that led to both the bedroom and bathroom before returning her gaze to him. "So, shower? Towels and the whatnot?"

Nodding, he tossed the dish towel he had been drying his hands with onto the counter top and beckoned for her to follow him, stopping to grab a couple large and fluffy bath towels from the linen closet situated between his bedroom and the bathroom, he led her in and showed her the working of his shower. "The hot water will cut sometimes, so if you crank it to full blast and then back it'll get going again," he explained, gesturing to the single handle that controlled the water temperature. Looking back to her, the rabbit's eyes widened as she nonchalantly slipped out of the shirt he had loaned her the night before, now only clad in her pair of baby-blue panties and making him go bright red beneath his gray and white fur.

Yuni laughed when she noticed, leaning up to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Nothing you haven't already seen, bunny boy," she reminded him, which only made him blush further and avert his eyes. Laughing even more, she gently pushed Gabe out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him, the sound of water running starting a moment later while he simply stood there stunned. Shaking his head to snap himself out of his daze, he wandered back out into the living room. Still on the couch were the pillow and blanket he had used to create his makeshift bed, but a lop-sided grin came over him, remembering that it didn't last too long. Gathering them up, Gabe padded back into his room, tossing the pillow back onto his bed before folding the blanket again and stashing it in his closet. Flicking through his clothes, he pulled out a simple, black t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a fresh pair of boxers and carried them back out to the living room with him, planning on changing in the bathroom after he took a shower.

Flopping down on his couch, he picked up the remote and turned on the TV, surprised to find his favorite hockey team starting the second period of a pre-season game and carrying a 2 goal lead over one of their rivals. Keeping an eye on the game, he slipped into the kitchen, grabbing a drink from his fridge quickly before depositing himself back on the couch. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his thighs, the rabbit's concentration focused entirely on the game that he didn't hear the water shut off, nor the sounds of the blow drier start a few minutes later. In fact, Gabe remained oblivious to anything other than the chaotic action on the screen until Yuni was standing beside him, one towel wrapped about her body while she finished drying her hair with another. Her eyes flicked back and forth between Gabe and the television a few times, surprised that he hadn't even looked around at her and smirked as she decided to do something about it. Stepping silently towards the side of the couch, she leaned forward slowly, one hand keeping a firm grip on the towel wrapped about her as she leaned in, softly licking the rabbit's cheek and making his jump about a foot off the cushions.

Heart racing, Gabe's head whipped around to stare up at her while the vixen was doubled over in fits of laughter. His eyes narrowed at her as she barely managed to pant out the words, "Shower's....all.....yours!" between gasping breaths and bursts of laughter. Muttering slightly, he pushed himself off the couch and grabbed his bundle of clothes, but Yuni spotted a little grin on his face as he passed her, and then it was her turn to jump when she felt his open hand firmly swat her backside, making her cry out in shock and scramble to keep the towel secured around herself. Turning to glare at him, she spotted just his head poking around the doorway for the bathroom, a goofy grin on his face.

"Revenge!" was all the rabbit said before he disappeared into the bathroom, the door closing as Yuni huffed in feigned indignity. Once he was out of sight, she smiled, taking a moment to watch some of the hockey game until she turned on her heel and padded into his bedroom to get dressed.

Gabe enjoyed the solitude of the warm shower, allowing him time to process last night and this morning while he scrubbed the special shampoo into the short fur that covered his body. The rabbit had always been accused of overanalyzing every tiny detail (which was a primary reason that he had been hired as a programmer), but he couldn't help himself from running over every moment he had spent with the vixen since she had arrived at Crymson the night before. His thoughts even went back to what his friend Zane had said over breakfast the day before.

"Who knows, maybe coming to the rescue of a stranded drunk friend endeared you to her." And maybe it had, but then Micah's taunting voice cut through his mind. "Oooooh, this little vixy likes you!" Well, that much was obvious, seeing she had told him that herself. With a sigh he turned his back to the shower head, feeling the warmth of the spray on his neck, shoulders, and back, grabbing a different bottle of shampoo, squeezing some into his hands and lathering up his hair while his mind went through more replays, only it was breakfast this time, and that simple statement she had given him.

"I think that's why I like you." Yuni had said it so plainly, so nonchalantly that it had caught him completely off guard. Doubts plucked at his mind and he had to mentally stop himself from travelling down that dark road. A long sigh escaped him as, finally clean, he shut off the water and pulled open the shower curtain. Stepping out, he dried himself off, needing to use his hair direr for some of the more stubborn areas, and slipped into his clean clothes. Taking a moment to try and get his hair to cooperate, he quickly gave that up as a losing battle and opened the door just in time to hear Yuni yell from the living room, "Go! GO! GOOOO!"

Poking his head in, he caught her watching the hockey game, bouncing slightly on the couch with her arms in the air. Eyes flicking towards the TV, he caught the final moments of a breakaway for his team, the player deking the goalie to one side and burying the puck top shelf on the other. The vixen jumped up as the buzzer blared from the television. "Yes! Suck on that, bitches!" she yelled at the opposing team before turning around and spotting Gabe, her arms still in the air and a furious blush rapidly spread over her face as the rabbit caught her. Meekly, she sat back down on the couch, eyes straight ahead on the TV while her tail found its way onto her lap and Gabe chuckled.

"Enjoying the game, hmm?" he asked, stepping around the coffee table to take a seat beside her, but he halted mid-stride, eyes taking in her attire. "Is that...are you wearing my shirt?"

Looking up at him, she smiled, hands toying lightly with her tail a bit. "I didn't think you would mind?" Still rather pink in the face, Yuni fidgeted upon the couch. The shirt in question was an older one of his, but still a favorite; a green t-shirt emblazoned with the Tri-force in yellow. Catching Gabe's eye, she gave a sheepish grin, "My shirt from last night would be a bit conspicuous, right?"

The rabbit's eyes widened, remembering the very revealing short shirt and the long sleeved fishnet she wore beneath it, and he laughed. "Well, I suppose you've got me on that one," he said, continuing around the table to seat himself on the couch beside her. "Not that I'm complaining about your shirt. Not one bit."

Giggling, she pulled her feet up beneath her, shifting to lean against the rabbit and fixing him with a look. "Oh, I figured that out last night. Did you know you have a tendency to stare?" Gabe shot her a glare which she laughed off as they both lapsed into silence, watching the rest of the hockey game as Gabe's team skated off with a 4-1 win. Once the game was over, Yuni sighed and pushed up off the couch, looking back at him over her shoulder. "Ok, mind if we swing by the campus?" she asked, picking up the bundle that was her shirts from the night before. Standing as well, Gabe nodded, quickly ducking into his room to grab keys, wallet, and phone, he met her back in the living room before the two made their way to the subterranean parking garage and his car. He held the passenger door open for her, earning him a warm smile, before moving around and sliding into the driver's seat. Pulling out onto the street, he made the short drive to SHU, navigating through the campus until they pulled into the parking lot of her dorm building, the gate wide open this afternoon. She directed him to a visitor's spot and he pulled in and killed the engine. About to slip out of the car, he stopped when she place a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry bunny, but you can't come in," she said with an apologetic frown on her face. "It's an all-girl's dorm and our RA will literally kill you if you come in." Leaning over, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek, "Just give me about 20 minutes, ok?"

Letting out a little churr at the small show of affection, Gabe simply nodded. "Not a problem, I'll just wait here then?" Yuni responded with a smile and another quick kiss before she flew out of the car like a shot, fluffy tail swaying behind her as she disappeared into the building through its double front doors, leaving the rabbit sitting in his car and watching her until she vanished. A small, happy sigh escaped him as he watched the empty doorway leading into the dorms for another moment before he diverted his attention to his cell phone. A few emails that weren't important and a handful of messages from friends that he skimmed through led him to a text message from Micah that he had missed the night before.

'Hey dude, don't let tonight get you down. When Lina and I get back, we'll hang out again.'

Chuckling, he remembered how he was the last he saw Micah, and realized that he had some news to tell his panther friend once he and his girlfriend returned from their short vacation. Pulling up his mobile browser, he scanned through some of his favorite websites until a large shadow fell over his car. Turning to look at what caused the sudden darkness, he blanched at the sight that greeted him.

Standing tall over his car was a large, female grizzly bear, her eyes narrowed into slits as she glared down at Gabe. "What, pray tell, are you doing here?" she asked him through a thick, European accent. Hunkering down in his seat, Gabe tried to make himself as small as possible, a natural instinct when confronted with a larger predator like this. The grizzly growled lowly at him, her hands gripping his door as she bent over to get closer to him. "I said.....What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

"W-w-waiting for a f-friend," he finally managed to stammer out, but she only growled once more at him, her thick fingers gripping rougher at his door when a shout rang out.

"No! Miss Smalley, he's alright!" Panting slightly, Yuni came to a halt beside the car after dashing out from the dorm. The grizzly turned and fixed her with a piercing stare while the vixen caught her breath before finally looking up at her. "This is Gabe, Ms. Smalley. I didn't get back before the gate's closed last night, so I stayed at his place. He was waiting while I got changed."

"I see," she replied, looking at Gabe still frozen in fear for a moment before turning back to Yuni. "Be sure you are back in time tonight, for there is a dorm meeting at 7. And you," she said, turning back on Gabe. "You. Behave." Flashing her teeth in a menacing smile, the grizzly then marched away from the two of them. The silence was heavy as both of them watched the retreating form of the intimidating grizzly before Yuni let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Well, that was interesting," she said, moving to climb back into the car, closing the door and looking at the rabbit before she let out a snort of laughter, seeing him still cowering in the driver's seat with eyes staring off in the direction that Ms. Smalley had left. Reaching over, she lightly patted his head which made him turn his attention back to her, a look of shock and fear on his face and making her laugh again. "Aww, poor bunny. Did the mean RA scare you?"

"THAT'S your RA?! Gods, I've never wanted to run down a hole and hide more in my life!" Shooting another glance towards the dorm, he visibly shuddered and started the car again while Yuni sat laughing beside him. Pulling out of the parking lot, Gabe drove slowly out of the campus. "Seriously, that was.....yeesh," he said through another shudder while the vixen placed a hand on his arm, rubbing gently while she laughed.

"She's not that bad, but she IS very strict when it comes to campus rules," Yuni explained as they pulled out onto the streets of the city once more, Gabe steering them towards the train station. "More than a few boys have been scared away by her. She actually caught someone trying to sneak in one night...he mysteriously broke a leg and never tried again." Gabe shot her an incredulous look, and she tried to hold a straight face for as long as possibly, but eventually she broke down into laughter once again. "Ok, he didn't break a leg, but he did fracture his ankle jumping out of a second story window."

Joining in on the laughter, the rabbit shook his head. "That doesn't surprise me. One look from her and I already don't want to go back."

"Aww, not even to see me?" Yuni asked, giving him a fake pout and batting her eyelashes at him.

"Well, maybe I could swing that," he replied, glancing at her and winking which made her smile. "That is, if you really want me to."

"Of course I do! I wouldn't have said that if I didn't." Looking out the passenger window, she fell into silence for the remainder of the trip. It took a little over 30 minutes for them to reach the train station, but they still had a little bit of time before Zane's train was to arrive, so Gabe rolled the windows down and shut off the engine, letting a gentle breeze blow through the car while they waited. Turning in her seat and tucking a foot up beneath her, Yuni turned to face Gabe, making him look over at her. "So, hockey, huh? How come you like it so much?"

"I dunno, I guess I just enjoy that anything can happen," he replied, shifting in his seat as best he could to face her as well. "It's like....order made out of chaos, or vice versa. Hell, I even played for nine years."

"Really?! Wow, that must have been intense! What position did you play?" Yuni asked, her tail swaying by her side in her current position while she leaned forward slightly.

Her eagerness caught him by surprise, but he smiled and answered. "Well, I was a goalie for about 5 years until I moved to defense for about another 3, then finished up as a forward." She sat there, wide eyed while he told the story, her tail still swaying as best it could in the cramped space. "What about you, do you play any sports?"

"Oh! Umm, well, I played volleyball in high school, but I never really got into it that much," her hands found her tail while she glanced down, toying with the ash gray tip of it. "And now with all the school that I've had to plow through, I've not really had time for sports." Finishing, she looked back up at him a grin just as Gabe's phone went off, the noise muffled as the device was hidden in his pocket. Holding up a finger, he fished it out, only to sigh as he saw that it was Zane, letting him know that his train was arriving. Letting Yuni know, she shrugged. "It's ok, not like we won't have ample time to talk," she said, finishing with a wink before getting out of the car. Shaking his head, he exited as well, closing the door as he joined her at the front of the car and leaned back against the hood, only to have the vixen situate herself between his legs and lean back against him. Smiling, he leaned down and placed a kiss upon the top of her head and her raven locks, making her wiggle slightly against him while they waited.

They didn't have long as, just shy of five minutes later, Zane came wandering out of the station and looked around. Gabe waved at his friend and he waved back once he spotted the tall rabbit, meandering on over only to stop up short when he saw Yuni there as well. The lemur's mouth hung open, blatantly staring at the two of them before he finished walking over. Pointing at the vixen, he looked at Gabe and simply said, "Uhh..."

The two of them laughed and Gabe gestured slightly to the vixen leaning against him. "Yuni, this is Zane. Zane, this is Yuni-"

"His girlfriend," She finished for him, earning her a stunned look from both the males. Grinning at the shocked expression Zane wore, she tipped her head back and giggled at the identical look on Gabe's face. "Got a problem with that?" she asked him, lifting a brow.

Shaking his head as a grin spread slowly over his face, Gabe simply said, "Nope." Looking back up to Zane as he stood frozen with his mouth gaping wide, "You heard the lady."

It took a few moments for the lemur to get his bearings back. "Wha...buh...whu...how long have I been gone?!" Gabe and Yuni broke down into laughter at that, the vixen shaking her head before she pulled away from Gabe and slipped back into the car while Gabe moved to the driver's side, opening the door and pull the seat forward so that Zane could get into the back seat. His friend started walking, but stopped before climbing into the car. "Seriously, I didn't hit a time vortex, did I?"

Chuckling, the rabbit shook his head. "I'll tell you all about it. Just...later."

Zane fixed him with a look of disbelief before Yuni's voice sounded from inside. "You know I can still hear, right? Let's go boys, time is a wasting!" And with that, Zane clambered into the back seat, allowing Gabe to climb in behind the wheel and they set off riding mostly in silence, the two males still working out what had happened inside their own minds, while Yuni hummed along with the radio while they drove Zane to the apartment he shared with his friend. Pulling to a stop in front of the building, Gabe put the car into park before sliding out of the car so that Zane could exit.

"Nice, uh...nice to meet you?" Zane said to Yuni, poking his head back into the car before straightening up and looking at Gabe. "You owe me a story, man. I'll catch you later." Patting the rabbit on the shoulder he then made his way into the apartment complex while Gabe sat back in the car. Closing the door, he made to shift the car into gear but paused, thinking for a moment before turning to look at Yuni.

"Did you really mean what you said?" Voice wavering with uncertainty, he studied her carefully while she simply smiled back at him, leaning forward and giving him a soft kiss.

"I absolutely did," she said as her face tinted with a slight blush. "I told you that I like you, Gabe. And judging by last night, you certainly feel the same. If you want, then yes, I'd like to be your girlfriend." Her soft hand found his, lacing their fingers together and giving a gentle squeeze before she looked away and chewed on her lower lip. "If not, it's alright, and I hope we can be friends at least."

Gabe didn't waste a moment. With his free hand cupping her cheek, he pulled her back in for another kiss, drawing it out as long as he could before they parted. The vixen's emerald eyes were cast down, but she lifted them slowly to meet the gold-flecked azure hues that were fixed carefully on her. With a slight smile, he gently bumped his nose against hers, "Well, I'd have to be crazy to say no, wouldn't I?"

Letting out a small trill of laughter, she nodded, "Completely insane, I'd say." After giving a small nuzzle to his cheek, she settled back into the seat, momentarily disappointed as he pulled his hand away from hers to put the car into gear, but her smile returned along with his hand. Their fingers entwined again, they set off with Gabe navigating the car through town on their way back to the campus. With the sun dipping down towards the waters of the bay, Yuni finally broke the silence in the car. "Wait! Park at the entrance," she said, a grin spreading over her face as she sat up in her seat and Gabe could hear the sound of her tail thumping against the door.

Lifting a brow he glanced over at her as he pulled into one of the visitor parking spots just inside the main gates. Shifting into park, he finally turned to look at her, "Everything ok? Did you need to stop and get something?"

"Nope!" she exclaimed, letting her hand slip from his before climbing out of the car. Poking her head back in, she smiled at him, "This way, we can walk back to the dorm!" Closing the door, she hurried around to the other side to wait for him.

Gabe just shook his head while a grin of his own spread over his face, killing the engine and unbuckling his seatbelt before the impatient vixen opened his door, grabbed him by the arm, and tried to pull him out of the car. "Okay, okay, calm down!" Gabe said as she continued to yank on his arm until he finally joined her on the asphalt of the parking lot. Closing the door behind him, he turned on the alarm with the remote before her hand found his, lacing her fingers through his and leading the way further into the campus. The two walked on in a happy silence for a while, holding hands with one or the other giving an occasional squeeze. Gabe's mind wandered back to his own years at the University and the times that he had walked these very grounds with his girlfriend at the time, much like he and Yuni were, but he had to force his mind off that track and keep it in the present. 'It doesn't do you any good to dwell on that crap,' he told himself as he and the vixen strolled into the large grove of eucalyptus trees that dominated the center of the campus. Inhaling deeply, the rabbit let the comforting scent spread through him, once more reminiscing on times when he had wandered the grove when the class load had gotten to be too much, but he was snapped out of his reverie when Yuni came to a gradual stop, turning to look up at him in the dying daylight, a coy smile on her face as she raised herself up on tip-toes to give him a soft kiss. Gabe was a little surprised by the show of affection, but he returned it gladly before the lithe vixen spoke.

"I hope you don't think I'm a complete psycho. Putting you on the spot like that with your friend, and I know that it was kind of jumping the gun a bit saying I was your girlfriend," she said as the resumed walking once more, and the grip she had on his hand tightened slightly. "I'm usually not this...forward, but..." her voice trailed off and she sighed heavily, looking up at him with a sheepish smile on her face, and in the fading light he could easily spot the blush creeping over her cheeks. "I just didn't want to miss an opportunity."

Yuni had such a way of disarming him that he had no idea what to say. Preconceptions about himself went out the window when she spoke of him in such glowing ways that he found it hard to believe sometimes, always doubting whatever praise she gave him, but needing to stop himself from being so negative. She had given him no premise to distrust her, it was just his past creeping into his thoughts that filled him with such doubts. Forcing them aside, he stopped walking and turned to look at her, a bit of fear showing in those emerald pools of hers as she met his gaze.

"It was certainly surprising," Gabe began, making sure to choose his words carefully. "And I don't think you would have missed an opportunity, but maybe we should take it a step at a time?"

The vixen's ears drooped slightly as she nodded, her fingers loosening on his hand and he had to tighten his own to keep her from pulling it away from his and he gave her a gentle tug, making her look back up to him as he smiled.

"That's not to say that I'm not interested. I'm very, very interested," the rabbit said, making Yuni laugh lightly as her ears perked up once more. "I know tonight is kind of a bust, but how about dinner tomorrow? I get off work between 5 and 6, so if you don't have any classes tomorrow night, say dinner at 8?"

Yuni was stunned by his statement, stopping in her tracks as Gabe came to a halt a few steps ahead of her and glanced back to find her staring at him with a slack-jawed look on her face.

"A date? Really?" The vixen asked before a wry smile crossed her face, taking a couple steps to catch up with him as the two fell into pace together. "We're really doing this whole thing backwards, aren't we?"

Chuckling, Gabe gave a little shrug. "Sometimes you need to approach things differently. If standard thinking won't get you where you need to go, come at the situation from a different angle." That quote was from an old professor he had as a college freshman, but it had stuck with him through the years. Yuni simply laughed at the statement.

"Spoken like a true computer nerd," she said as they exited the grove of trees and closed in on her dormitory building. Stopping at the gate, Yuni turned to face him, lifting up once more to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Dinner sounds like a wonderful idea. I've got classes in the morning, but I'm free at night. Anywhere I should meet you?

"Right here, I'll come and pick you up," Gabe replied, earning him another look of surprise from Yuni while she smiled.

"Well, such a gentleman. Here at 8 then?" Butterflies filled her stomach in anticipation while the rabbit nodded in affirmation before leaning down to press his lips to hers, making her murr into the small embrace before he pulled away.

"It's a date then," he simply stated, a smile on his face as he gently pulled his hand from hers. Returning the smile, Yuni hesitated for a brief moment before turning and heading into the dormitory. As she reached the doors, she glanced back to see him still waiting by the gate, hands stuffed into his pockets and head canted to the side as he watched her. Blowing him a kiss, she then waved before disappearing into the building, leaving Gabe standing alone by the entrance.

Drawing in a deep breath, he let it out slowly before turning on his heels and retracing the path they had walked to get back to his car. Dusk had settled in fully by the time he returned to the car, and he wasted no time climbing inside and making his way back home. Once he was back inside his apartment, he took a moment to simply gaze around, the remnants of the weekend scattered about like detritus: some empty water and Powerade bottles, the now dry dishes in the drainer, and the table and chairs still out on his balcony. Crossing to the door, he slid it open and stepped outside, greeted at once by the scent of salt water blown in on the wind coming from the bay. Leaning against the railing, his eyes stared blankly out at the rippling waves as they distorted the lights reflected from the city as they moved.

Gabe stayed there for hours it seemed, mulling over the events of the past three days in his mind with a lazy smile spread over his face. Eventually he slowly made his way back inside, turning off the lights before retiring to his bedroom where he changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed. Making sure his alarm was set for the next morning, he then rolled onto his side, eyes closing as he tried to will himself to sleep only to have Yuni's soft, lingering scent tickle his nose. The rabbit began to drift off while the ghost of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth, and found himself looking forward to a Monday for the first time.