FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Happy Anniversary

Chapter 6

The indoor pool was situated in an underground floor beneath the Pantheon; the area was huge, enough to accommodate a pool larger than, or equal to, the size of what an Olympic pool would be. Hard tiled floors, similar in texture to the floor in the lobby, adorned the entire length of the room. The area itself was not entirely lit up; from beneath the swimming area, it seemed, came a calming blue backlight the illuminated most of the room around the pool. The rest of the corners had small lights to discourage hiding patrons. There was a bar towards the far the side of the room, serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages alike.

Since it was coming close to the evening, there were few people still mingling around the pool; Jordan spotted a giraffe, a zebra, and a minx, just to spot a few. Yet again, they seemed almost out of focus, like they were ethereal beings, ones that may seem solid at first glance, but would melt and disappear at the lightest breeze. Every blink made their forms waver and shift, ever so slightly, but still noticeably. Maybe it was simply the ambience of the dimly lit room, but as before, the thoughts of how "abnormal" this place seemed refused to leave his mind.

The two looked around, and spotted Alastair standing near the edge of the water, sipping on appeared to be a martini. Suave, Jordan mused. Alastair turned and noticed the couple enter the room and waved them over; he finished the last of his drink, downing it in a single gulp, olive and all, before returning the glass to the bar.

"Ay, you two! You're here earlier than I thought, eh? Ah, well, all the merrier, Oi say." He seemed to be in a more chipper attitude since the last they saw him an hour ago. He was dressed, almost unabashedly, in tight one-piece swimwear that left little to the imagination. Hell, it was so accentuated on his groin that his penis threatened to burst from it at any time. Jordan tried not to stare at it for too long; Abigail had gone red beneath her fur.

Suddenly, they heard a quiet voice from behind the near-naked lion say "I'm back". The sound of the whisper was so unexpected; it made Jordan and Abigail jump, searching for the source of the noise. They soon spotted a petite form standing behind the male lion, belonging to another lion, a female this time. She was such a small thing compared to Alastair that she seemed to be a teenager, maybe nineteen or eighteen. Upon second observation, however, Jordan realised it was merely her height and timid voice that attributed to her seemingly youthful appearance; the shape of her hips, thighs, and the maturity in her face made her out to be much older than first it seemed.

She was clad in a large striped bikini, adorned with red-and-blue colours, matching both the top and the bottom. Her hair was a startling shade of red that could have been mistaken for blood, and it covered her right side of her face. She seemed about a foot shorter than her male counterpart, but she seemed to be alright with her stature in relation to Alastair. Her most striking feature, however, was the one that was situated around her exposed midriff:

Her belly was huge, swollen and curved like a watermelon! It was so large and heavy-looking; Jordan was surprised the poor woman wasn't hunched over from the weight of it. Her legs must have been powerful to support such a mass; how she managed to put up with such a burden each day, the fox couldn't have guessed. Judging from the size of her belly, she seemed to be about seven months pregnant, possibly eight; however, he knew that lionesses could carry multiple cubs at once, so her progression may have been less than he suspected, and instead attributed to the many unborn inside her. Her bosom, Jordan was embarrassed to admit, was very full and large; he could have sworn he saw a small drop of fluid on her bikini.

The lioness noticed the fox and ferret duo, surprised at the company, giving a small gasp. "I'm sorry," she began. "I didn't notice Ali had guest...I can leave, if you're busy..." The woman was so shy and nervous, she was shaking around them. It made Abigail feel the need to reach and cuddle the poor lioness, tell her she doesn't need to be scared.

Alastair gave a small chuckle, placing his hand on the lioness' back, bringing her forward. "Now, love, there's no need to be nervous. Jordy, Abigail, this is my sweetie, the lovely Vivian." The lioness gave a shy wave at her introduction, along with a bashful smile; she then placed a hand on her belly, breathing deeply. Jordan could see....squirming underneath her fur; it was a very unnerving sight for him.

Abigail, however, was almost squealing with how cute the pregnant lioness was. He knew she liked pregnancy in any form, and that she would ask the usual questions later on: "How far along?" "How many are you having?" "Boys or girls?" "Can I feel it?" She usually repeated the routine whenever she was close to someone expecting a child; maybe the sight of the curved tummy was a welcoming one for her? Jordan, however....Well, he never really had the nerve to try, nor the inclination.

Sure enough, Abigail quickly moved closer to Vivian, a sparkle in her eyes that Jordan soon linked to a sort of "belly envy", as he called it. Abby shook the lioness' hand firmly, stating how nice it was to meet her. Jordan decided to not appear rude and repeated the gesture. Vivian had a surprisingly firm grip for someone so small in size.

Once again, her hand shot to her belly, which was showing small bumps here and there; she seemed to be quelling the impatient unborn within her. She looked very bashful about the way her children were kicking, but she still remained composed in spite of it. "Ummm..." She uttered a low purr as she began to speak again. "S-sorry about my......They get restless in there....and I can't exactly stop them when they're awake..."

Abigail seemed to be holding herself back from the gravid woman. "Oh, no, it's fine. I think it's adorable, actually. Don't you think so, darling?" She turned to her husband.

"Uh....yeah, it's...pretty good." He was unsure how to respond. Thankfully, Abby was too wrapped in how pregnant Vivian was to notice.

"Hey, um...This may be sudden..." Here we go, she's gonna ask, Jordan thought. "But...Do you mind if I....have a feel, and maybe listen?" Abigail gestured to the large rounded belly in front of her.

The request seemed to catch Vivian off-guard; surely strangers asking to feel her belly wasn't a rare thing for her? Most people would gladly congratulate a woman on falling pregnant, and a great deal of them would love the chance to feel the life growing inside her. Then again, given how shy she had seemed when they first met her, perhaps she was still a little unused to people randomly asking to rub her round tummy.

She looked to Alastair for help, to which he gave a short laugh, and an approving nod. "It's alright, love. This lot won't bite ya." Vivian seemed relieved at this, and nodded in turn to Abby, placing her hands on both sides of her tummy, presenting it to the ferret. Abigail tentatively reached out, her fingers brushing over the lioness' golden brown fur, before placing her full palm over her exposed, popped-out navel.

Vivian's fur was incredibly soft under Abigail's touch, luscious and short, especially over her large belly. The feeling of the rounded womb under her fingertips was almost invigorating; knowing that underneath that curve lay the beginnings of life, already alert, kicking and moving, was such a marvellous experience that Abby wished she could be a part of.

Suddenly, Abby felt something push against her palm, almost knocking it off. It was a kick, and a powerful one, too! Lion cubs, it seemed to her, were strong-legged, even before birth. Even Vivian, despite lugging around such an enormous load, had no trouble standing up as straight as possible; Abby noticed her legs were incredibly thick, not with fat, but muscle, possibly to accommodate the pregnancy.

Abigail replaced her hand to feel several smaller, less intense kicks around Vivian's stomach, as well as some small movements here and there. She turned to Jordan, begging him to put his hand on her belly, too. Her husband seemed hesitant, but she insisted, grabbing his hand and pulling it Vivian's tummy.

Jordan was surprised at his wife's insistence at touching the lioness' belly; he didn't want to annoy her, nor did her want to feel anything moving inside her. However, he couldn't stop himself as his hand was placed on the rounded stomach, and as he did, he immediately felt small vibrations and movements under his palm. The experience was an ambivalent one for him: on the one hand, he was entranced by how...alive her womb was with life, and how beautiful her form was.

But on the other hand...

He quickly extricated his hand from her womb, acting like he had just dipped his hand in liquid nitrogen. His sudden action surprised his wife, who looked on him with a gaze of concern and worry; she said nothing, however, not wanting to cause a stir in front of the two lions. Jordan himself was filled with guilt and unease; he knew Abigail would want to talk about this later, and he was dreading trying to explain away his reasons for pulling away.

Alastair broke the awkward tension. "Aye, now. Let's get on with the fun, shall we? Viv, love, maybe you should rest. Wouldn't want those gorgeous legs to fail you, now, would we? I'll catch up in a moment."

Vivian quickly nodded, thanking the married couple for meeting her, before turning and walking off to the pool to cool off and get off her feet, leaving her lover with the fox and ferret. Alastair turned to Jordan and Abigail, a prideful smile on his face. "Isn't she just the sweetest? Can't imagine me life without her, not one second."

"I know what you mean," Jordan responded, attempting to clear the air about him and Abigail. "I can't remember a time where Abigail wasn't in my life." His wife smiled widely at the compliment.

"Oi still remember the day Oi met the lass. Oi met her at a nice little pond, and she was...Ah, the poor girl was all alone on a bench, crying her eyes out...Nobody was so much as looking her way, so I figured, 'Hey, let's see if we can fix up the sobbing'. So Oi sat meself down next to the teary-eyed girl, and I say, 'Miss, is there something Oi can help you with?'

"Now, the poor girl, she was so shy and sad, she didn't answer. Just kept on letting those tears fall. She was a fine and beautiful girl, too; a shame her face was tarnished by such unneeded sadness. So, Oi sat with her for a while, just letting her work out her sorrow; then, after five minutes, she turns, chokes through her sobs, saying, 'Why are you still here? N-nobody wants to listen to my problems, not a stranger like you'.

"So I say to her, 'If you keep on beating yourself up like that, then Oi'm just gonna have to stay until you calm down'. Oi was raised proper, see, and Oi know NEVER to let a woman's crying go unattended. So Oi sat there with this weeping stranger for a good thirty minutes. Then, finally, she opens up to me, still wet with tears, but she manages to get sentences clear."

He turned to look at his lover then, admiring the way she swung her legs back and forth in the cool water, splashing it around. "As it happens...Her boyfriend had left her high and dry. Knocked up after a far-too-good night, and just up and dumped her by the water's edge. Nearly broke the girl's heart.......Told me she'd walk into the water and never let herself be sad again..."

Jordan heard Abigail gasp, covering her mouth as her eyes started to glisten, threatening tears. The fox reached out and pulled her close, placing his hand on her shoulder to calm her down; he shared in her sympathy, it was a heartbreaking story. They said not a word, allowing Alastair to continue.

"But Oi stopped her there. Looked her in the eyes, deep as Oi could, and told her...'Letting yourself die is not an option, and it never is. If you do that, Oi'll just drop in and bring you back, no matter how many times...because your life is not worthless.'

"She seemed to perk up at that, like a small hope took hold of her again. Before Oi knew it, she was crying into me shoulder, holding on for dear life, shaking like she'd escaped her worst nightmare. The poor girl......Oi guess Oi took pity on her then...Asked her where she lived....Said she was kicked out from living with her good-for-nothing ex...

"So Oi gave her lodgings at my place, said she could take however long she needed. Again and again, she told me not to, 'it's not worth the trouble', she said. Oi told her it would be me pleasure, helping out a woman in distress such as herself.

"That was 7 months ago, now...The rest, as they say...is history."

He turned away as he finished his story, walking towards his girlfriend, leaving the fox and ferret couple to contemplate his story. Jordan could tell Abigail was trying to keep herself composed in wake of the tragic events Alastair had recounted; she was shaking quite terribly. He understood her current pain: she was a sensitive soul some times, usually breaking into tears at the hearing of sad or overwhelmingly emotional stories. He wouldn't stop her now from crying, it would be an unfair move on his part; besides, he was feeling almost the same kind of emotions.

"Th-they're..." She was sobbing as she tried to speak. "They're lucky to have each other...Pregnant and alone..." She looked up into her lover's eyes, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm glad I have you...and I know you'd never leave me if I...If we were expecting."

The phrase took Jordan off guard. He could not deny that his love and devotion were unwavering for his wife, but...The idea that he would be evil enough to leave her if she became pregnant was enough to make his stomach churn with unease. In response, and to confirm her beliefs, he gave her a gentle and long kiss to calm her down.

True, he would never leave her if she became a mother-to-be...but he kept it a secret that he was unsure if he wanted her to reach that point. Alastair had decided to stay with Vivian because of pity, which soon turned to genuine affection; staying to help raise children that weren't his was a bold move, especially for a lion like him, but he seemed to be doing admirably.

"Come on," he said, wiping his wife's eyes. "Let's not ruin the moment; we came here to relax and enjoy our holiday, okay?" She nodded her head at this, returned the kiss and proceeded to the poolside. Jordan watched her go, still pondering Alastair's story, and began to question himself:

Would he have the same conviction when it became his turn? How would he react? These and a thousand other confusing queries flitted through his mind, before he banished them. There would be time to wonder later. For now, his wife awaited. Let it be for another time.