FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Night. Leo stared up at the ceiling. An odd, tingling sensation writhed at the back of his head. Every time he shifted, it felt like the feeling would pulse. No position he found was comfortable. There must've been some reason, he figured. Ah. He sat up. He probably wasn't doing enough work around the house. Leo glanced around the room. What could he do at eleven P.M.? His body certainly wasn't up to the task. He fell back onto the bed and scooted over to the center. All he could do was shut his eyes.

After several minutes of nothing, Leo picked up on a quiet scratching sound. He latched onto it instantly, anything to take his mind away from this. Animals in the crawlspace? No, he made that mistake before. He pulled himself out of bed and peered around his bedroom door. The sound was definitely coming from Missy's room. He considered telling her off, yet, that seemed wrong. He was supposed to be asleep right now, not fretting about some scratching. Leo was better than that, or so he told himself. He crawled back into bed and closed his eyes.

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

Each one seemed to exacerbate that feeling worming through his head. Just go to sleep.

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

Leo pulled a pillow over his head.

The next day went by as if nothing happened. Missy made no mention of it. The day progressed on without Leo giving it much thought. Probably just getting bored in her little room. That was fine. Television soon, then he wouldn't be bothered at night ever again. At least not by her incessant issues. He might have to spring for some earmuffs, though. Or maybe he could get her room soundproofed. Or his? Might be awkward to explain if he ever had visitors over either way. Well, he could just tear it off whenever Missy was gone. No biggie, right?

Night came crawling back. Another round of abuse on Leo's mind. What in the world was that? Churning, bubbling in his brain. Like a living headache that slithered around him. Then, as if to egg on the issue, Missy was at it again. Scratch. Scratch. Scratch. Just ignore it, she's trying to get to you. Succeeding at it too, apparently. He shut the door and retreated to bed. Leo took both pillows and piled them on top of his head. That did little to help, as the deep scratch could be heard echoing through the walls as well. Just when you thought you were out of the fire, hm?

A few moments later the sweet sound of silence came, allowing Leo to relax. The unease in his mind continued with less intensity. He sighed. It was as if a heat lifted off of him as well. The air conditioner could possibly take his mind off things on full blast. Just as Leo considered it, a knock came at his door. He froze. God, what now? No chance he was dealing with this now. Yanking the sheets up, he buried himself further into his bed. I'm asleep, go away, he thought. Another knock. She wasn't going to leave this alone, was she? Another knock paired with a faint whisper. "Leo?" The man grumbled and pulled himself out of bed.

Leo opened the door. "Yes, Missy? What is it?"

Missy flinched. She was clad in one of her simpler shirts and only a pair of underwear. "Hey, uh, so," she scratched her head, "I'm having a little trouble sleeping." Leo refrained from snapping back by saying she wasn't the only one.

"And?" He rubbed an eye.

"Ya know, I was just thinking. Maybe if it was like old times..."

"So you want to sleep in here. Again."

Missy played with her fingers, focusing on them. "A little."

"Have you tried closing your eyes?"

"Oh, c'mon, Leo." Missy rolled her eyes. "Quit it."

"Look, whatever problem you have with sleeping, it won't help by sleeping in here. Then neither of us will be able to get some sleep." He placed his hand on the doorknob.

The monstress put a hand on the door. "Just this once. I won't bug you about it again. Ever."

"That was already supposed to be the case."

"Leo, please."

"Alright, fine, but you have to promise me one thing."

"What?"

"No more of that damned scratching, alright?"

Missy's eyes widened and she gave a nod shortly after. Leo's hand lingered on the handle for a moment longer, blocking her entrance. He sighed and let her scamper in. Missy crawled onto the bed and snuggled into her spot. It was nice while it lasted. It's just a night, he repeated to himself. As much as he said it, it didn't soothe his nerves. Hundreds of dollars into a room and she couldn't be bothered to use it. He lay back down and instantly turned away from her. At least that rattling in his head came to a stop. Just needed something annoying to get his brain pumping, he supposed. Sleep now and it'll all be over with sooner.

"Lion?"

Leo sighed. "Yes, Missy, anything else I could get you?"

"Can you just... look at me?"

"Not really in the mood at the moment, thanks. Anything else, or can I sleep now?"

The woman tugged at his shoulder. "Just look at me."

"What?" Leo relented, following her order.

"That's better." Missy sighed.

"What is it?"

"I just wanted you to look, that's all."

Leo frowned. "Alright, whatever." He closed his eyes. Missy's staring made it a little hard to sleep, but he was willing to power through it. He thought he might, actually, until something else came up.

"Hey."

The man didn't bother opening his eyes. "What?"

"You mind if we just hold hands? Just a little."

"Why?"

"It'll help me sleep."

"It won't help me."

"I'll fall asleep first."

"Fine, whatever. Only this one time. Never again."

"Yeah."

"Say it, please."

"OK, jeez, never again."

Leo placed his hand palm up between them. There was nothing at first, then Missy's slender fingers slid over his. He held back a shiver of unease. Her digits continued past his palm, past his wrist, and settled on his arm. Her thumb hooked into his own, completing the strange little ritual. The monstress let out a low, grumbling groan. Leo simply ignored it, not wanting to think of what implication that had. She seemed satisfied with that for a while, but soon began carressing him. Should've expected that, really. She'd fall asleep soon and this wouldn't be an issue.

Only, she didn't fall asleep. Leo had half a mind to start counting the minutes. Not that he lacked the patience to do so, rather he'd have to pause and wonder what he was doing with his life. In-between those weird, low growls, he could hear her breathing get deeper and slower. Hopefully that was a sign she was falling asleep. That hope was quickly dashed when she pulled his hand closer, brushing it up against her stomach. Her own fingers were now on his upper arm, bumping against his chest. Maybe she was moving around in her sleep? Leo carefully opened his eyes a smidge. The white of Missy's eyes glared back, and from the black of her pupils, he could tell she was looking directly down at their hands. Ah, what wishful thinking that he could escape this.

Just when Leo thought Missy had made her last move, her hand crept up onto his chest, splaying over it. Leo sighed, hoping that would dissuade her. It did. For a moment. Then Missy was right back to it, moving her hand over him. He opened his eyes. Missy instantly froze. "You said just hold hands," Leo said. Missy pulled her hand back to his and nodded sheepishly. He lingered on her for a while longer, then closed his eyes.

"Then uh, could I?"

"Could you what?"

"Oh you know what I mean, Leo." She shifted.

The man opened his eyes yet again. "Why?"

"It just makes me feel better, OK?"

"This isn't one of your moments, is it?" Leo asked. Missy glanced away. "Is it?"

"It just helps, alright? I don't want to fucking do it every time I get this way." Her grip on him tightened and her eyes looked to him. "You help me." She shifted closer to him. "But now I'm thinking like, what if I need more?"

"No."

"C'mon." She tugged on him. "Just like, put your hand on me while I do it?"

"I don't even want to be in the same room while you 'do it,' OK? You have a whole room to yourself."

"But I can't do it by myself anymore. It-- It doesn't work, OK? It's driving me crazy. Just let me try, just this once with you." her voice raised. "All you have to do is just hold me. Come on. You don't know how much it hurts. No more bugging you about it."

"Oh for fuck's sake." Is this really something you're going to do? Well, if she shuts up about it forever, it wouldn't be the worst trade. If she does. Who knew if she was actually going through this or just being a diva. Maybe he could finally have a lick of sleep if he did it. How late was it anyways? There was work in the morning after all. "Ugh, fine. Fine!"

"Thank you. Thank you!" Missy squealed.

"But you have to turn around."

"OK, OK. Alright. I got it." Missy flipped on her side and pushed the sheets off. Already he knew this was a mistake. God, this was going to haunt him for the rest of his life. Leo awkwardly lay his hand just under her arm, resting on the side of her torso. He scooted back. Didn't help much, but he needed all the distance he could get. Her underwear was bright white, so it was easy to see her slip them off. Good Lord.

"Get it over with."

"Mhmm!"

Her giddy eagerness only soured it further. She clamped her arm shut, trapping him in place. Her legs pushed and pulled, entertwining around one another and immediately pulling off again. The man could tell she was already at it. Not even a shred of hesitation was left in her. Well, what could he do now? He agreed and had little recourse. Try and think of something else, maybe? Yeah, should be easy with someone masturbating right next to you. Alright, well, tomorrow he had to get on the-- "Ah!" Missy yelped. What about lunch? Might go out for-- "Mmm!" This wasn't working. Missy came to a stop. Done? Please? "Lower."

"What?"

Missy grumbled. "Go lower."

"Fine." Leo shifted an inch down.

"Lower!"

"Easy, alright?" God, what was he doing? He shifted his hand onto her hip. He had to scoot closer to her to get a proper hand on her. This was definitely pushing it. She'd have to do so many damn chores after this. He paused, realizing the ludicrousness of what he just thought.

"Better."

"Just get it over with." With little to think of, his thoughts slowly turned to the contours of her hips. Missy might've seemed like a twig, but even she had the subtle curves of feminity to her when he moved close. He shouldn't have been so close, though. He shouldn't have had those thoughts too. The woman gasped as her arm moved again. Certainly not while she was doing this. Her breath hitched and she stopped for a moment before getting right back to it. If he called her noises cute, he'd have to shame himself for the rest of his life. At a distance he had only ever heard those loud, animalistic growls. Yet, up close, he could hear the small groans. The little squeaks. The stuttering breaths. The shivering gasps.

Leo placed his free hand over his eyes. There was no way he would never let himself live this down. Then came the next demand. "Lower. Please." Going on her leg was an improvement, in a weird way. Away from the action. Leo slid his hand down, only to be caught by Missy's arm. "No! I mean--" she gasped "--lower here." Her hand awkwardly pushed his hand onto her stomach. "There." She let out a cackling growl and promptly shut her maw. "Sorry."

"It's fine, just... finish already."

And Missy did just that. An audible squish was accompanied with every motion of her hand. From Leo's position he could feel the heat radiating off of her groin. The warm pull of arousal. A tiny voice in the back of his head asked, what if you went lower? No. Not a chance. Yeah, it had been a while since he was with a girl, but Missy? No. Not happening. This was already several hundred miles past the boundaries he had set for himself. Then what would be the issue? Broke that line a while ago, didn't you? "Leo," a whisper interrupted.

"Missy."

"Just this once. Never bother you again." She took a deep breath. "Just once. Please." Something told him that wasn't true. That she would bother him very much about it. But. She did sound like she was in pain. A whimper in the tone of her voice, smothered by a shuddering lust. Who else was she going to turn to? Why'd it have to be him, though?

"Never again," Leo said firmly. Never again, his thoughts repeated, making sure he understood it himself. He sighed, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. His hand eased lower, and lower, and lower. Until he eventually reached wetness. His fingers pulled back, causing Missy to flinch herself. Never again. Leo's fingers continued slower than before. That most likely drove Missy up a wall. He couldn't bring himself to move any faster.

Leo's fingers bumped into something. Missy's gasped, pushing her hips against his hand. "Easy," Leo replied. Missy managed a nod and pulled back gently. Leo wasn't sure what he was expecting down there, but as far as he could tell, she was as womanly as any other girl. One nub situated against a pair of wet lips. He still knew how this worked, regardless of how long it had been. There was a bit automatic behavior on his part. His fingers rubbed against her lips before retracting and focusing on her button. Missy grumbled but made no protest. Leo almost considered repeating 'never again,' though at this point she would likely tear his head off.

Gently, Leo rubbed a finger against her, then two, then the rest of his hand. The hesitation hadn't fully melted away. It was still a rock that remained sedentary in his thoughts. Never again. Missy's hand grabbed at his thigh, squeezing with every little motion he made. Missy was burning now, and Leo found himself much in the same way. It felt as though his whole body were beginning to simmer. His heart elevated, much to his displeasure. The man kept his breath steady in a vain attempt to keep his chest calm. Missy let out a low, drunken giggle as he pressed on, peppered in-between her grumbles and growls. "Leo," she mumbled. The grip on his thigh tightened. Those claws threatened to tear into him. "Leo," she muttered again.

Missy leaned back into him, resting her head just below his chin. The new angle gave him a better view on what he was doing. That didn't help his situation, but his eyes were drawn to it. Magnetized by the taboo he was committing. With the newfound proximity, all of Missy's noises, animal or human, pushed through him. Another painful edge to this terrible situation. Every aspect of her arousal was on display, and he was soaking up all of it. His hand sped up, trying to end all of this. That only brought up more of her bubbling excitement. Her legs began to kick. "Leo, Leo, please," she said. The man could only frown. What was he doing?

"Fuck. Leo, just a little more," she said, pushing back against him. "Just a little more. Fuck, fuck, fuck." Her hand pressed against his. "Right there, please. Fuck. Oh my God. Leo." She thrust forward with a guttural groan and crossed her legs. She shut her maw and let out a muffled scream, then fell limp. Leo carefully wriggled his hand away from her. He stared at the offending limb for a moment before getting up. That wasn't good. Not good at all. He walked to the bathroom and immediately began scrubbing away, trying not to think about what he had done. It was there, though, and it knocked on his thoughts every second. That was something he did, as much as he couldn't believe it.

Leo kept scrubbing until his hand started to burn ever so slightly. That was as clean as it would get. For a moment he didn't want to go back, feeling that pain of embarrassment. No, just go back. It's your room. And so he did, coming back to find her passed out, underwear still clinging to her knees. Leo shook his head and carefully hid her shame, then had a debate in his head over where he should sleep. Missy rolled onto her back, draping her long arm over his side. He grabbed his pillow. Couch it is.

All things considered, the couch wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought it would be. A sheet added that touch more comfort he needed. As much as he made light of it, the thought that Missy both got his bed and got off annoyed him. Never again though, right? Yeah, as if. Leo pulled his sheet up over himself and closed his eyes.

_

Leo awoke slowly, then snapped to attention when he realized he wasn't in his bed. Oh, right. He fell back onto the couch. That happened. He stretched and rubbed his forehead. That which shall not be named. Apparently he didn't have the foresight to bring his phone with him. Pulling himself up, he peeked over the couch and at the microwave in the kitchen. 6:55 A.M.? Good timing. He lay back down for a moment. It was going to be tough getting through the day without what happened last night hammering in his head. A shame I'm not an alcoholic, he thought. He pulled himself up, sitting upright. You can do this, just like any other day.

Breakfast was first on the agenda. Mostly because he didn't want to go into his room for any reason whatsoever. A basic bowl of cereal filled that void well enough. Just when he placed his bowl in the sink for cleaning, he heard the bathroom door open. Missy came around the corner soon enough, wearing that old robe and a towel draped over her shoulder. "Good morning!" she said, cheeriness oozing out of every part of her. Leo nodded to her and began cleaning the bowl. Don't you say a goddamn word about it. The woman strolled over to him and opened the fridge. "How're you today, Lion?"

Terrible. "Fine," he said.

"Today seems like a great day, huh?"

"Sure." Leo couldn't even manage a half-hearted smile.

"So, uh." Don't you dare. "About last night." Damnit.

"What about it?" He scrubbed the bowl vigorously.

"Just wanted to say thanks, you know?" She rummaged through the fridge for a bit before closing it. "It means a lot, really."

"Alright. You know that was only the one time, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Still, thanks." She patted his shoulder. God, that better not have been the hand she used. Washed or not.

"That TV is supposed to come today," Leo said.

"Oh. Cool."

"Yeah. Hope you enjoy."

"Sure, probably will."

"I'll install it when I get home." He set the bowl down.

"Yeah, work and stuff. Almost forgot you went," Missy said. He was beginning to think the same. With that, she walked off without a meal or even a snack, then parked herself on the couch for television. Now he could get dressed without feeling so weird about it. Shower first, and a quick shower it was. He got dressed not long after, then found himself staring at his bed. The crumpled sheets from last night still laid there. He took those and tossed them into the hamper. OK, new day, new slate. Back into the swing of work.

Leo walked to the front door and placed his hand on the door knob. A parting farewell felt awkward, but if he didn't, she might figure last night got to him more than he'd want to let on. "I'm going now," he said. Missy perked up and scurried over to his side, pulling him into a quick hug afterward.

"See you soon!" she said.

"Yeah, bye," Leo said, slipping through the door. Again, she promptly locked the door behind him. He took a moment to look out at the forest scenery and the whistle of the wind dancing through the land. He took a deep breath, washing away most of his worries. Overreacting a little about everything, aren't you? Yeah, a little, but that didn't mean he wanted to even think about it. Off to work.

_

"You know, it feels like an eternity since we've had a chat," Vernon said. He tore out a piece of chicken from a leg. Leo quietly munched away at his own chicken sandwich. He wasn't up to having lunch today, but he knew Vernon would try to draw out some sort of conversation about his vacation day and his time with the 'missus.' The last thing Leo needed was word getting around of him having a mysterious girlfriend. Coworkers were addicted to gossip like moths to a flame. Mostly because they were slacking on work. "I'm sure you like it, getting to have lunch with the head honcho." Vernon dropped a bone into his fast food bag. "But I gotta say, it livens up the place for me too."

"Happy to hear that, Vern," Leo replied. "Anything new with you?" Is that a thing people still said?

"Nope, just the usual, but no news is good news at my age, right?" Vernon said with a smile.

"Right." It was good news at Leo's age too. Or maybe that was only for Leo. Regardless, any new "things" were stuff he didn't want to think of at all.

"And how about you? I wanna hear about that vacation day." Vernon was already giddy over it. That was a while back but he was talking like it was yesterday. Naturally. Couldn't escape anything.

"Uh, nothing special. You know, like you said, a day with the 'missus.' "

"Special occasion? Hm?"

"Yeah, sure, it was her birthday." Or so she said. "Nothing interesting. She's a home body, so we sat at home."

"That's no good for kids at your age. Now how is she going to find a boyfriend like that?" Vernon raised his eyebrows, loudly hinting at the terrible innuendo. "So how old is she?" Leo paused mentally. Truth or lie?

"Didn't ask. It's rude, after all," Leo said with a small smile. Partial truth works too.

"Smart man." Vernon wagged a finger. "Smart man!" Another munch. "So what'd you do all day? Watch TV? Eat?"

"Yeah, that's basically how it went. Not my idea of a good time, but I wasn't going to complain." Not much, that is.

"Oh, and what'd you get her? You ever realize how hard it is to shop for a girl? They never tell you what they want. Then you get them whatever and they just go along with it."

Leo thought back to the sniveling, crying creature. "She's better about it. I got her a stuffed toy."

"And she was OK with that?" Vernon tilted her head. "Nothing else?"

"Yeah, that's it, she liked it. Why?"

Vernon shrugged. "Sounds like a keeper if she was good with that." Yeah, more than a keeper. In fact it was likely she would be kept for a very long time. "Well, I know you're still touchy about that, but I'd give it a real go if I were you. The whole nine yards. I'd say the only thing keepin' you back now is yourself." Of course it was himself. That was the whole point. Leo went back to eating before he said anything stupid. Even just cussing his superior in his mind felt like sacrilege. Not that it wasn't justified. Unfortunately he couldn't explain to Vernon in excruciating detail as to why Missy couldn't be his one true love, as much as he wanted to draw out every item on a long list.

"We'll see." That's all he could manage.

"Oh believe me. I will. I don't want a promising young man like you go to waste on a gold digger, you hear?"

"Don't think I'm quite rich enough for a gold digger."

"Well, you're rich of the heart." Vernon laughed. Yeah, something like that. In a way it felt like Missy had already dug out that part of him and wrung it dry. "And hey, if things don't work out, you can start putting yourself out there."

"Can't rightly say I care much for the dating routines everyone's going through."

"Still, gotta try something or else you can't blame anybody but yourself." Vernon was right about that, he supposed. "How'd you get with your other girlfriends?"

"Through school, college. Same class kind of stuff."

"Thought about any of the girls here?"

"Not really. A little older than my age bracket." Leo wanted to say it was unprofessional too, but considering the state of his boss, he knew that wouldn't fly.

"What about Leslie?"

Who? "Haven't really clicked, you know?"

"Ah, not a blonde guy. Rare, but you're entitled to your opinions. Still, should keep an eye out."

"Oh, believe me, I will."

Vernon nodded and took another bite of chicken. "Say, you got her a toy, right?"

"Yes. From one of the shops in the plaza."

"I think I heard my niece was working in one of those stores. I could introduce you!"

_

Leo opened his front door and was instantly greeted by a smiling Wolficus. "Welcome back! How was work?" she said. Missy took his case and closed the door behind him. "Good?" He half expected her to be in the robe. Instead she was back in her ALF shirt. He should've thrown that thing out.

"I wouldn't use that word to describe it." He stared at her as she placed his case away and obediently came back. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome. C'mon, have a seat. Tell me all about it." She tugged on his hand and lead him over to the couch, easing him down onto it.

Leo furrowed his brow. "Why?"

"Just thought it'd be interesting. You know?"

"If you must know I closed out a few dead domains."

"Anything else?" she asked.

"Spoke with my boss a bit." He shrugged and began moving forward. The woman quickly stepped in front of him again.

"Ooh, ooh, what'd he say?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"It'll make you feel better if you do!"

"I don't think so."

"C'mon, it will." She patted his leg, much to his discomfort. Reemember what you did? No, not thinking about it.

"If you must really, really know, we were talking about women, alright?" And her, but he wasn't saying that much.

"I knew that's what guys did all the time. So, what'd you say?" She leaned in, as if expecting some grand reveal.

"Just..." He eased away from her. "Talking about girlfriends. Had to turn down an offer on meeting his niece."

"Oh?" Missy blinked and dropped her expression. "Uh, why'd you do that?"

"How the hell am I supposed to date anyone with you around?" he said, a little too much emotion bleeding through.

"Well, you don't have to bring them home, right?" She turned her head to the TV but still looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"No. No way am I constructing elaborate reasons as to why they can't come over. They'll think I'm sort of slob."

"Hey, fair enough." Missy turned back with a smile. "Wanna watch TV for a bit?"

Leo shook his head. "I have to get undressed and get to my chores. Did you do yours?"

"Oh yeah, I did. The second you left." She turned back and waved her hand about. "Cleaaaaaaan."

"Good. Good." He sized her up. "I'm gonna get going now."

"See ya."

Leo stood up and headed for his room. He was no mystical man, but it felt like a bad aura had settled on the area. All in his mind, he knew. It was going to take a long time before he could accept what had happened. Maybe he could trade with Missy. Yeah, sure, that wouldn't be stupid. Missy herself seemed a little too pleased at what he told her. Not a word should have escaped his lips, but a sense of embarrassment caught him off guard when he was with her now. Anything that would make her ease off, he was happy to give. He tried to shake off those feelings and headed for his exercise room.

While Leo did say he would do his chores, it was more that his body was doing them. He, on the other hand, was only preoccupied with the days events and last night's boundary shattering. Couldn't blame himself. He didn't like it in the slightest, though. Curiously it felt more like he had done something bad. Not taboo. Not gross. Just wrong. A bad idea that went too far. Showing that touch of intimacy was too much, even if was solely for her sake. For her well-being. Only, he had no idea if that was actually for her well-being. She heaved, and burned, and her fur bristled-- Leo sighed. Even when reprimanding himself, he couldn't help but focus on those details.

Maybe he should've taken up Vernon's offer. Had a date with his neice. Would probably look terrible once word got around the office. And Missy? Could lock her in her room. If a girl asks, he could just say that it's a messy storage room. Then what? When you go steady? She moves in? Missy would find a new place to live by then, right? He glanced back at the doorway. The Swanson family lineage probably wouldn't take her, even if she could be considered a long lost cousin. Unlikely any of the living ones even knew the kindly old lady. Leo accidentally poked himself with one of his fishhooks, bringing him out of the pool of thoughts. Right, he was organizing these.

Just then, his phone rang. He shook the pained hand and answered the call quickly. "Hello?" he said.

"Hello, Lion? How are you!" the other side cheerily said. The greeting threw Leo off for a moment.

"Mom, hey!" He smiled and leaned against the cabinet. "I'm fine. What's up?"

"Nothing much, Leo, just got back home after some grocery shopping and wanted to check up on you. It's not like you to miss Mother's Day." Goddammit.

"Yeah, sorry Mom." He rubbed his forehead and stood up straight again. "I've just been busy with work as of late."

"I know how it is. Just hoping it wasn't the last I heard of you." She laughed. "Father's day is coming up soon and I was wondering if we could do something for it?"

"You know Dad doesn't ever want to do stuff for father's day."

"Yes, I know." She sighed. "God forbid he relax for once. Anyways, I was hoping you could drive over for a surprise visit?"

Leo's chest tightened. There was no way he could leave Missy here alone. "I might be busy that day, Mom."

"On a Sunday, Leo?" There was a chuckle. "Oh, I see. You should've told me sooner."

"Uh, what?"

"If you don't want to drive away from your girlfriend, that's fine."

"Mom, I don't have a girlfriend." Leo rubbed his eyes.

"Then what is it, sweetheart?" A pause. "Everything is fine here. You should know that. Me and your father are fine."

"No, Mom, I'm not scared of--" What happened there. Something churned inside Leo. What had happened there?

"Leo?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Yet something did tug on his mind. Should he even ask? "Mom?"

"Yes, Leo? Anything you need?"

The man cupped his hand over the phone. "Do you remember Missy?"

There was some shuffling. "I thought we were over that, Leo. What brought this up?"

"I was just looking through some stuff and I remembered her."

"Alright. Just remember monsters don't exist in the real world, alright?" There was a cautious laugh. Leo knew that one. "I don't need you having nightmares over that thing again, OK?"

"Of course, Mom. Look, I'll call Dad and make sure we have a nice long talk, alright?"

"OK, OK, but just make sure you come over for Thanksgiving. I found this great turkey recipe online and I want you to buy it," she said.

"What? Why me?"

"I love your father but I don't need him shooting some thing out in the woods to eat it. I don't know about you, but I don't need more iron in my diet."

"Bullets don't have iron in them, Mom."

"It was a joke. Don't take everything so seriously or you're not gonna be able to pass on any good jokes to my grandchildren. Still waiting on those by the way," she cooed. Of course she was.

"I'm working on it," he replied. A smile grew on his face.

"Work on those instead of some fish hooks." Was he so predictable?

Leo rolled his eyes. "Alright. I will."

"You know, I was talking to the mom of one of your old school friends--"

"Mom, I can date on my own. I'm an adult now."

"Now? Sometimes I think you've become an adult a little too early. Still, you know you can call me any time for help."

"Yes Mom, I know. Is that everything?"

"Uhmm, yep. I guess so. Nothing else motherly to bother you about. I'm counting on you to call your Dad. It's a surprise, remember!"

"Yes Mom. Love you."

"Love you too, Lion. Bye-bye."

"Bye."

Leo set his phone down on the table. Felt wrong hearing 'Lion' come from her, even if she said it all the time. Her little pet name had been corrupted by the monster next door, and he could only ever imagine Missy saying it now. Ugh. Leo picked back up one of his hooks and arranged it neatly. Thanksgiving. It was possible that would only take a day or two, but he didn't trust Missy that long. Even if she was somewhat responsible, her irrational fears could get the better of her again. Who knows what she'd do then. Run off? Burn down the house? Maul someone? Too over the top, perhaps, but that was the problem with Missy. He never knew what she might do.

Enough hook arranging for today, Leo figured. He went back into the living room. The TV was on but Missy wasn't in sight. Somewhat of a relief, yet her absence brought its own troubles. He glanced around the room for a moment before she stuck her head around her doorway. "Delivery," she said quietly, pointing to the door. Leo nodded and opened the door. There it was, the holy grail for all his problems. Another giant flatscreen television to entertain a woodland creature. With a heave he dragged the thing in and shut the door. "Is that one mine?"

"It's certainly not mine," Leo replied. Though with his recent indulgence in movies, a TV in his own little entertainment room didn't sound like a terrible idea.

"Then let me do the honors!" Missy stuck out her index finger and cleanly sliced the tape on the package. Leo had to wonder how she never cut herself on those. "This thing's huge. Is it gonna fit on the wall?"

"I spent an hour measuring it, so it must."

"Yeah, I shouldn't doubt ya," she replied.

With that, Leo dragged the thing into Missy's room. It took some awkward maneuvering at the door, but it was a clean success otherwise. As gently as possible, he picked up the thing and laid it screen down on her bed. Fortunately Missy hadn't touched the wall attachments that go on the TV, and he easily put them on. He then sized up the room, the television, and began imagining how to best go about putting it up on the wall. The main problem was touching the screen. Putting pressure on it could damage it, and he'd be back at square one because Missy noticed a broken bit. It was fairly heavy, so there was no doubt his arms would waver, even if just a little. He ran a finger along the border of the device.

"Can I help?" Missy said.

Leo opened his mouth to say no, but quickly rescinded the thought. "Sure," he said. She couldn't hold up one side, yet she could stabilize it. "Here." He pulled the rest of the protective wrapping off the TV. "I'm going to pull this up. When I tell you to, get between my arms, push against the top and bottom, OK?"

"Pull up, get between, push. Got it."

It was a stupid plan, though Leo had faith in himself and Missy. Plus, he really wanted to see the thing on the wall. Leo grabbed the screen by its corners carefully, and waddled over to the wall. He hefted the thing up. There was the arm wavering. "OK, push," Leo said. Missy quickly slipped between his arms and did as she was told. "Watch the nails!"

"I am!"

Slowly, Leo eased the thing down, coming into contact with the arm of the amount. He pulled slightly away to test if it hooked. It did! His other hand pulled away. "You can let go," Leo said. His eyes were completely glued. "Perfect!" He let out a triumphant chuckle and patted Missy's shoulders. Excitement got the better of him, and all too late did he realize the embarrassment that would come crawling back. His hands slid off her and he held them behind his back.

It took Missy a moment, but she eventually said, "Cool!"

"Could you get me my toolbox? We have to add the last screws in."

"Sure thing," she said. Leo carefully swung the thing out to look at the back. Everything seemed proper. "Here ya go." Missy placed his toolbox on the ground next to him. "It isn't good like that?"

"Nope. Not unless you want a slight bump to send it crashing to the floor." He dug through the box and went to work on the mount.

"I bet that would be super cool but I don't wanna see you cry."

"I might just after all this work."

Little by little all those technical screws went into place. Even if Leo no doubt had a million spares of them, he treated each one like a precious bit of gold. He almost lost himself in the process until Missy spoke up again, "Hey."

"Yes?" Leo replied automatically.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"I suppose," he said.

"Was that your mom on the phone?" Not the worst question he was expecting.

"Yes, it was. Why do you ask?" He sped up his work.

"Oh, uh, dunno, really. Just kinda surprised me. I thought you were like, totally over them."

Leo furrowed his brow. "And why would I be?"

Missy stared at him for a moment. "Just 'cause, you know, you left the whole state, so like, I just figured... Never mind. But I'm glad she's OK."

"Thank you." Leo screwed the last piece in and tested the stability. "There." He pushed it back into place. "Finished."

"Oh, neat!" Missy replied. She eased the thing in and out herself, watching with glee. "Right, not too much."

"Right. Enjoy."

"Hey, wait," Missy said. Her thumb and index finger pinched at the bottom of his shirt, uneasily holding him in place. "Can we maybe watch something on it? You know? A test run."

Leo pursed his lips. "I guess we could." He did want to indulge in the fruits of his labor, and another part of him agonized over sharing the same bed with her again. At least it wasn't sullied, like his own bed. Technically. Leo chastised himself for thinking like that and pulled out the remote from the box. "Go for it." Missy snatched it from his hand. Leo resigned himself to sitting on the side of her bed.

"You really gotta make accounts for TVs now too?" Missy asked. She flopped down onto the bed.

"You didn't know that?"

"I did, but none'a the people I bunked with ever got a new TV when I was there." Again, Leo won out. There was a morbid sense of fulfillment from being the best host. "I think that just proves you're the coolest guy."

"Something like that." Most likely the least lazy.

Leo watched whatever Missy put on. He was hardly paying attention to it at first, but he eventually got into it somewhat. Similarly, his body gave up the long distance treatment, and relaxed onto the bed. No matter what, it was just inevitable, huh? Missy made no silly remarks during the runtime. Leo wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Could've been both. Before he knew it, the thing was over and he was allowed his freedom. Instantly, he sat up and said, "I'm going to go for a walk."

"Oh, hey, I'll go with!" Missy replied.

"Don't you wanna watch more things on your TV?"

"I can do that all night."