FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Flowers were blooming on every side of the walkway I went through to get to the house I had been invited to, and I could hear birds chirping in the nearby trees, the warmth of a late spring evening making everything mellow. I walked through the main door of the mansion, which I was seeing for the first time, with my childhood friend, Andrew, who led me through several corridors. “You're just in time for dinner!” he said with a big smile, prouder than I had ever seen him. His mother had recently inherited a lot of money, and they had managed to buy themselves quite a luxurious lifestyle, this mansion included. It was a little gaudy for my taste, and I wasn't sure if buying such a big mansion was a smart use of money, but well, it wasn't mine. In fact, I certainly wasn't complaining when I saw how happy he and his parents seemed to be, who had struggled with money for as long as I can remember.

I greeted everyone and we sat down for lunch, the conversation taking cheerful tones which were as relieving as they were contagious. I couldn't help being happy for them and their new situation.

“Oh, and you haven't seen the best thing,” said Andrew, suddenly remembering something. “We even hired a cook!”

“A cook? But you were all very capable of cooking before,” I replied, amused more than anything.

“I mean, maybe, but his cooking is out of this world. And he's a pokémon, too.”

“Wait, a pokémon?”

As if on cue, the door to the lunchroom opened and a tall, bright-eyed Lucario emerged, carrying several plates which filled the room with a rich aroma of expertly prepared meat and vegetables.

I felt my heart stop for a moment as my eyes met his. My face burnt up in a visible blush and I only caught myself after a second. I noticed that his ear flicked and his eyes darted to me for a split second, but he seemed to act normal after this. This was the most handsome Lucario I had ever seen. He was wearing a fancy grey and black suit and had rolled up his sleeves above his elbows, although his paws were spotless despite his having cooked. He was wearing long black pants, too, the fur of his thighs seemingly thinner than most of his species, allowing him to wear pants without them looking too bulky. He had tied his droplet-shaped hair into a thick ponytail, too, which looked unbelievably good on a Lucario. I practically had stars in my eyes looking at him and there was no doubt in my mind he had noticed it.

“Here's your meal”, he said with a normal, professional voice. “I hope you'll enjoy it.”

“Of course, Lucario. Your dishes are always delicious... Hey uh... Are you alright?” Andrew asked me, slightly worried.

I coughed and looked at him, trying to act as casual as the pokémon did, but struggling while I reassured my friend. Holy crap, I thought, putting my thoughts back in order. Why was my heart beating so fast? From the moment I laid my eyes on him... I was so focused on trying to understand what was happening to me that I failed to notice it was my turn to be served, and it seemed to me that all of a sudden, Lucario was right next to me, while he set the plate down on the table. His arm nearly brushed my cheek. Maybe it was my imagination, or that time felt slowed down, but it was like he had stayed there just a little bit longer than he had with the others.

“I hope this will be to your taste.”

His voice was soft, and warm. I nodded, completely incapable of saying anything more. He withdrew, and left the room, leaving me flustered and confused. As soon as his presence was gone, I managed to compose myself, and excluding a little snarky remark from Andrew, my shyness went largely unnoticed. Excluding, perhaps, the Lucario, whom I remembered have the ability to read feelings, if not thoughts. My face was still hot minutes after he had left... I hadn't seen any signs of him focusing on me, so perhaps I was in the clear for now. But man, did he look handsome.

After the meal was done, I volunteered to help with bringing the dishes back to the kitchen, and was first to grab the plates and cutlery, walking off with Andrew. I only realized halfway there that I would see Lucario again, and I mentally braced myself for it. No more being flustered, I told myself... I was ready for it this time, and I didn't want to make a fool of myself anymore than I already had. But all that melted away when my friend opened the door, and I saw the pokémon's back. He turned his head slightly to look at us and smiled... And for a split-second, I could've sworn I saw him blushing, even a little bit.

“Hey, thanks, Luu. This was delicious,” Andrew exclaimed.

“Yeah... It really was.”

“Thank you. I'm glad it satisfied you.”

He was busy cleaning pots and pans that wouldn't fit inside the dishwasher, while we filled said dishwasher with what we had brought. I managed to maintain a somewhat coherent conversation with Andrew, until he told me to wait here, as he had something to tell his parents “real quick”. Was he doing this on purpose...? I didn't get much time to protest before he left, and I was alone with the blue pokémon, whose paws were still scrubbing away in the hot water. I fiddled and fidgetted, coming up short with words. I could only partly see his face, but tried not to stare ; the longer this silence went, and the heavier it weighed, the more awkward it became.

“Um... That was uh... Well, I've said it already, but that was really good. Do you uh... Where did you learn to cook?” I asked with a shakey voice. I was met with a short silence, and I heard the water inside the sink stay still after a moment.

“I've cooked for as long as I can remember. Before Andrew and his family, I did it for various kinds of families over the years.”

“Ah, I see...”

My heart was beating so intensely that I thought he would hear it. But the only hint I got that, perhaps, he knew what was going through my head, was a little flick of his ear when I let out a small sigh. He turned his eyes to me at one point, but I couldn't decypher the emotion or the thoughts behind those glittering, red irises.

“I, uh, I've never seen a Lucario this tall...”

“Ah,” he began, his tone turning a little cold. “Yes. I've been told before it's quite frightening.”

“Frightening? No! I think you look wonderful! Uh, great! Like, it fits you... I mean... I like it...”

With every new, botched attempt at balancing a good compliment and my blurred, love-sticken thoughts, came more garbled out words that fizzled out onto a poor attempt and me rubbing my eyes in exasperation at myself. I stared at the ground hard. If shame were a fire, I would have burnt into a crisp that very moment, with nary a speck of ash left. However, Lucario's reaction was better than I thought. He straightened up a little, and turned his head as if to get a better look at me, his mouth slightly agape for a moment before he talked, his voice having taken softer tones.

“You... do?”

“Y-yeah?”

“That's... awfully kind of you.”

“No no, it's... Well I just... don't understand why your height would be scary... I think you look fantastic.”

This time, Lucario definitely paused. He stared hard at me and I could only hold eye contact for a brief moment before giving up and giving the good ol' ground my desperate gaze once more. I was already going full force with the compliments, apparently, and there was no going back now. Who knows where this was going to lead me?

“You know, usually, when people compliment me like this, it's because they're inevitably going to ask for favors. I don't sense any of that in you.”

“What? I... What could I be asking for? I mean, you're an amazing cook, and you sound so smart and uh... Wait, wait, what I mean is, I'm not like that!”

“...Yes, that's precisely what I said. Was it rude of me to read your aura?”

My expression switched to shock and abject horror at the thought that he might have seen what I felt. Not out of anger, but out of embarrassment and shame. He didn't sound particularly amused, and I could only assume that he had taken offense to what he had sensed in my aura : seeing my reaction, every thought plainly visible on my face, he winced, as it dawned upon him that he probably shouldn't have said that last line.

“You... You did what? I'm sorry, I...” I stammered.

“No, no! I... Wait, I have to apologize. I did not mean it like that. I only sensed a little, and...” he struggled to explain, finally removing his wet paws from the sink and moving them in a reassuring motion, his blush pretty apparent now. He was also struggling for words, now, grasping at straws to make me feel better. “What I did sense, it... it was warm and... and it didn't bother me, in fact, and... Oh...”

Who knows how Lucarios interpret the aura that they see? Who knows how clear the thoughts form in their mind when they observe how one feels? But what was certain for me in that moment, is that when he cut himself off, his expression was that of someone who suddenly figures out something incredibly obvious, something that was right under their nose, and that they had taken far too long to figure out. Despite how ashamed I was, I couldn't help but find his face far too adorable as shyness mixed into his emotions, and I raised my eyes to his. “Do you get it?” was what my eyes told him, and instead of the brick wall I was expecting to meet, he lowered his ears a little... His expression softened, and his blush grew, but we didn't have anymore time.

“Okay I'm back! Sorry for leaving like th... Uh, what's going on here?”

When Andrew showed up again, both Lucario and I were a blushy, flustered mess, and it took us a moment to recover. His look was nothing short of utterly puzzled, but neither the pokémon nor me chose to try to explain. We simply went back to what we were doing before, and my friend, sharp as ever, also decided not to pry, shrugging it off as another one of those weird things that happen when I'm around.

He helped me with the last of the dishes, and he then led me out. I muttered a weak good-bye to the pokémon and he nodded in my direction, our eyes meeting one last time... And that was it for the day.

Even after I had left the mansion and gone home, I questioned and doubted my emotions... How could I be attracted to a pokémon? Sure, he was tall, taller than me, and handsome, and his voice was soothing, he was smart, an amazing cook, kind... Okay, well, I was definitely attracted to him... Fuck, did I seriously have a crush over a pokémon? It's not like a relationship could really bloom between one and a human... And it's not like Andrew's family would be fine with me flirting with their cook.

But well... His blush, his tilt of the ear, did I imagine them? Was I thinking too deeply about them? What was that reaction when he... when he found out? I was expecting disgust, or anger, but instead...

Well... How about I just... tried to show a little more the next time?

**

Needless to say, I was excited to come back. I will spare you the boring details, but I was invited over once again a few days later, and a similar situation unfolded. Lucario was still here, which I was assured of after I had asked.

This time, I was decided to make the first move, and to be a little more bold, just to test him. I looked up at him when he came in, and threw him a little smile... Just a smile and a soft gaze, subtle enough that they wouldn't be noticed by anyone but him, and marked enough that he couldn't interpret them as just simple politeness unless he was unbelievably dense. This visibly took him aback, his cheeks turning a very slight pink – thank god he wasn't dense. Enboldened by the effect this seemed to have, I was able to act normal after that, while he stammered for the slightest moment. A small victory to me, which went unnoticed by the rest of the people at the table.

And of course, I volunteered to bring the dirty plates back, all by myself of course, which they profusely thanked me for. I made my way back to the kitchen, almost getting into the wrong door, and here he was again, although he was busy at the table, preparing more food, and lifted his head to see me. He was wearing the exact same outfit as the day before, which was probably the one he wore to work every day. There was a very slight shift in his expression, and my heart skipped a beat. It was like silent thunder crossed the air, striking the empty space in between us as our eyes met, which made my breath feel heavy and slow. Stillness reigned for a moment and I felt my body shaking suddenly. “It's... It's just me,” I explained with a small voice. “I volunteered to bring this all back.”

“I see”, he simply replied. I could see his hair floating ever so slightly behind him, as Lucarios do when they're using their aura, but I couldn't really tell from this angle ; and I was torn between thinking as hard as I could about sweet things, or trying to hide my feelings. But there was no hiding of course. Breaking eye contact to close the door behind me didn't stop the fluttering in my stomach, and I moved to the empty sink, putting the plates there to make it easier to load them into the dishwasher. I took a deep breath. I felt my limbs trembling as I tried to find what to say, how to be more direct with him, maybe... Ask about himself more? Compliment him?

“I'm sorry about yesterday,” was all I could think of.

“No, no, it's... it's alright.” His voice was impossible to decypher. I was shaking a little bit, trying to keep my hands steady by grasping at the edge of the sink. “There's no cause for an apology on your part. You've been good to me.”

A good start. Another pause, which signified it was my turn to talk. The ball was on my side of the net, which Lucario had thrown as softly as possible, landing right in front of my feet, easy to pick up. Yet I had to pick it up delicately. I couldn't rush it. But I knew how to send it back, how to make every motion count.

“I didn't do much... I just wanted to apologize for... what you sensed, in my aura.”

A strong and confident serve, precisely aimed to throw him off balance. Now he couldn't avoid the ball, he couldn't catch it ; he had to hit it back, and hit it back with intent. I meant the apology of course, but he had to be clear now, about his feelings, and about mine. The ball was coming straight at him, and either it was going to crash into him, if I had wholly misinterpreted the subtle signs he gave, or he was going to send it back.

“If only you were able to sense my aura as well.”

Holy...

That ball bounced right in front of me, pierced my heart and crashed onto the wall behind me. Utterly outplayed. I was cut short and had no good response, burning up in a flustered confusion, and my voice shaking as I replied with a weak and insufficient “i-is that so?”, which told him everything he needed to know. He had the advantage now. Match point. It was up to him to make the last move and win the set. And it came far faster than I had expected.

“Pardon my boldness, but I've noticed that... Well...”

Oh, oh god, I thought, and froze completely. Is he gonna be blunt about it? Are my hopes going to be shattered?

“...you seem to be trembling a lot. Are you cold?”

Oh thank god. A perfect excuse. A dumb one, since the room temperature was nice and I was wearing a T-shirt, but one nonetheless. You don't make fun of someone for being cold, afterall, or at the very least, not when you're as polite as him. I was so distraught from the last point that I didn't realize the feint he had set up.

“Uh, yes! Well, a little bit. It's not a big deal...”

“Mh, well, did you...” he began, but paused. Something heavy hung in the air. A tension I couldn't explain but felt vividly. “Did you.... know that the fur of a Lucario is very warm?”

My eyes opened wide and my face turned bright, bright red. Was he... No, there was no question here, he was definitely hitting on me. He had won that set handily. Now all he had to do was take his trophy.

I realized at that point that I hadn't moved, hadn't started moving the plates, but was just facing the sink, away from him, not looking at him. And thankfully so, since my face now expressed the purest form of shyness and confused bliss. I opened my mouth to reply but no words came out. I could tell from his tone that he sounded unsure, yet I heard him shift behind me, and saw his shadow coming closer. Oh my god. If I hadn't been so flustered, I would've realized how incredibly cheesy and sort of lame the line he used was, but I was frozen, every moment, every second, every half second, passing like an eternity. Time slowed and I was too afraid to move as I realized he was right behind me. Yet, when I felt his soft hands on my upper arms, I didn't flinch, or gasp. I shuddered again, and closed my eyes, barely able to believe what was happening. He slid his hands down to my forearms, then back up, and against my chest and belly, in a slow caressing motion. Seeing how I offered no resistance, and even brought my own hesitating hands to his, he moved even closer, his body pressing up against mine.

“Is... Is this any better?” he asked, his voice expressing a sort of restrained shyness.

“Y-yeah... Much better...”

It felt like I hadn't been able to talk for hours, and my voice sounded alien to me. Filled with a happiness I had forgotten, or had forbidden myself to experience. A happiness that was almost disbelief. Lucario rested his head on top of mine, and I felt him kissing my hair while his arms embraced me with the softest, most careful squeeze anyone had ever given me. I was veiled in a cloud of cotton, my heart bursting with so many emotions it made my breathing harder to control. The fur of his neck tickled my head, and I ran my fingers through the light coat of his arms. I didn't have time, nor did I want to think about what was happening. A warm embrace between a pokémon and a human... Whether this was right or wrong, it didn't matter. All of it melted and disappeared with every small kiss he gave the top of my head.

“You're so... soft. I didn't know... Never knew... Lucarios were so soft...”

“You too, and... Your hair smells wonderful.”

I giggled softly at that compliment. How was it that people always complimented the scent of my hair? But when it came from him, then it was the most beautiful words spoken to me. They felt magical. Lucario's hand travelled down and slid under my shirt, and I gasped this time, blushing hard from this unexpected touch : but I quickly realized that his intentions were purely innocent.

“You're... so soft, too. Even without any fur.”

“Lucario...”

I whispered his name as my only reply, my breathing turning into small pants. I clutched at his arm and lifted my head, rubbing myself against his fur : he moved his head to the side of mine, and by turning my neck a little, I was able to look at him. To look into his eyes. But it was so different now... We were just two beings, so unsure, yet so intensely confident, admitting to these strange feelings that had bloomed in such a short time.

“I'm not sure what... this is,” he began.

“I'm not sure either. But it feels nice, doesn't it?”

“Yes. Is it okay if I embrace you a little longer...?”

“Of course.”

We had given up on the barriers our minds had tried to put up, and were enjoying this forbidden moment, under the white light of the kitchen lamp, in front of the sink, sharing a romantic moment in such an unromantic place. The place didn't matter, in fact, nothing really mattered to us except the other. I was entranced by his gaze, and we both smiled at each other, a peaceful smile, while he wrapped me up in his warmth and I welcomed him, made him feel safe and accepted. The fact that I had met him so recently, the fact that these emotions were fresh and new, only made this all the more intense ; I had given up on trying to think, and was listening to my heart and wherever it led me. And it looked like he was doing the same. Even if all those emotions confused us more than anything, it was like I had needed physical affection for so long, forgotten how it felt, and was now completely abandoning myself to this tall and caring Lucario.

However, the hesitation, the shame, stung just enough through the wall of bliss to make me stagger. He didn't move for a second either, and almost as naturally as we embraced, we parted. We stood apart from each other, silent, trying to figure out exactly what had happened ; but there was no word for it, of course.

“Forgive me,” he said, almost in a whisper. “I don't know what came over me.” He was looking down and squeezing his arm.

“No no, wait! This is fine. It felt great, I... I'm not sure how I feel, hell, I'm not sure how you feel, but... Okay, let's start over.”

His ears had lowered a little and he had taken a look that slightly reminded me of a sad puppy. A powerful weapon if there ever was one ; how anyone could resist those eyes, I didn't know. I certainly couldn't, and I grabbed his right paw with both my hands, in a motion that was both affectionate, and like a very insistent handshake.

“Nice to meet you, Lucario. I'd love to spend more time to get to know you, since you seem like a pretty great person.”

“Nice to meet you as well,” he replied, finally “shaking” my hand in turn. “Although you do realize I'm a pokémon, correct?”

“If I didn't, do you think I would've accepted your hug earlier?”

“I suppose not...”

There was so much implicit in that question he had asked. “You do realize I'm a pokémon?”, it meant so much more than what the words expressed. Whether he was looking for reassurance in my façade of confidence, or actually making sure of my cognitive abilities, but it meant he was looking for more than the simple physical affection he had shown me today. A pokémon and a human getting together was always something that was frowned upon, and through that question, he was testing my faith, in him, in myself. But there was no doubt in my mind, and no hesitation in my reply.

And suddenly, before we were able to talk any more, we heard footsteps getting closer.

His ears twitched and he resumed his occupations while I started loading the dishwasher, and by the time Andrew had come in, we both looked like everything was normal. My stomach was filled with butterflies and my brain imploding with rage over this intrusion (how dare he walk freely in his own home!), which made it hard for me to talk normally, my voice shaking for a bit as I was still so focused on the pokémon, his words, his touch... In fact, Andrew was just coming to help, since he felt bad that as the guest, I was doing this all alone. Makes sense...

But it took us enough time for the magic to have partly gone before I was alone with Lucario again. And this time, I had no excuse to stay for any longer than a few seconds. And so, we both turned to each other. He began.

“Tomorrow, 2PM. I have to run some errands at the pokémart two blocks away.”

“I know the one.”

“Will you be there?”

“Of course.”

I stood on tip-toes, and gave a little kiss to his cheek. A tease, for him and for me, but it was what felt more appropriate at the moment. He gave me an adorably shy smile as I walked away, my head filled with happy thoughts and optimistic ideas of what the next day would be. But before I left, he had one last question :

“Wait! Can you tell me your name?”