FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Every afternoon, Tobias entered the same coffee shop, sat in the same chair in the corner, and looked out the same window, knowing that the best part of his day was soon to begin.

The shop itself was nothing special. A small, quaint coffee shop that was formerly a diner, it never quite made enough money to do away with the old decor, so no matter how many avant-garde paintings they put on the wall, or how much alternative music they played, it still felt like you were sitting in the kind of old fashioned diner that ruled small towns in the 50's.

Old, dirty seats that were once a cream-white blend were now little more than yellow, and thanks to the shape, it appeared that everyone was sitting on giant Twinkies. Tables with old, linoleum tops stood the test of time, but their light, off-blue shade only paired well with the seating thanks to coincidence, and even then, there was a certain age to them that wasn't appealing to the eyes. The blue was starting to fade, as the white linoleum underneath came to the surface, and the only benefit it held was being a bit more sightly than the cheap, tan flooring that was put in the year before.

Money was evidently a little short at the coffee shop, but the coffee was amazing, and the price was hard to beat, so, Tobias made himself a home in the corner, where no one else ever seemed to sit, and thus, no one would ever question what was on his laptop. No one would ever bother him and break his train of thought. The tabby cat could just sit back, put in his ear buds, and wait for the best part of the coffee shop to arrive.

She was an employee, or at least, he thought she was. The shop was never that busy, and unless someone worked behind the counter, the employees weren't required to wear uniforms. She came in wearing a variety of different clothes, and before she was even across the street, Tobias could pick out just how soft the yarn of her sweater appeared to be. Her arms, slim and toned, looked adorable sticking out of the thick, overbearing top, and with the sleeves rolled up, it looked that much bigger on her than it actually was, and it did a great job of hiding breasts that were a little more than modest, but certainly, perfect for her body.

It was a casual day for her, as dark-washed blue jeans completed the look, sitting comfortably under the sweater of white. It seemed a silly choice when her job was delivering coffee and other staining products to customers, but she had a certain grace about her, and didn't ever seem to spill a thing. Perhaps, Tobias was just smitten with her to the point that he overlooked all over her mistakes, but he couldn't see around her flaws, and that was was made her feel so real, to him.

He felt creepy, having seen her for so long without saying a word. He always tried to look intellectual, wearing a scarf around his neck and a tight, form-fitting sweater of black upon his body, so that the light tint of orange in his fur would stand out. His jeans were pressed and clean, and his gaze was always on his laptop, except for the occasional glance over to her, when she wandered near enough to be seen. She was always smiling, and her eyes were such a deep, engaging shade of chocolate brown, Tobias swore he could nearly taste how sweet of a person she was when he had the rare chance to gaze into them.

Between short, pointed ears of a rich, caramel brown, a short, but stylized tuft of white headfur showed that she did take proper care in her appearance, and her fangs were always a glistening, gleaming shade of white, and they were always on display; it was hard to find her without a smile, no matter what the day threw at her.

To Tobias, she was the idea of his perfect woman given form, and without ever saying a word to her, he was sure that he would never find someone better.

That same belief kept him from ever finding the words to start a conversation: His small talk had to be absolutely perfect, just like she was.

This is it, though. This is the day...there's almost no one else here, it's kinda chilly outside, and I don't anticipate they'll be too busy. I can wait for the chance and talk to her, without interrupting a rush or getting her into trouble!

An optimistic thought if Tobias ever had one, his eyes carried a certain sparkle of forest green to them as he allowed a rare, tiny smile to cross his short, stout muzzle. Ears perked and flickered toward the door as finally, his vision of perfect arrived, and behind her, the old, rickety door of steel and glass slammed against the frame with the same harsh CLANG that it always did.

"You guys have to tighten up the spring on that door," she groaned, as she flattened her ears and wrinkled her muzzle in a rare expression other than a smile. "It's hell on my ears when it slams behind me every day."

The cook, a tall, powerful, and slightly tubby pit bull by the name of Frank, was also the owner of the coffee shop, and the jack-of-all-trades that had to be bothered to fix anything, whenever it broke. "If you wanna come back here and put on an apron for a while, I'll happily sneak out there and fix the door. In the meantime, how's about you just remember ta close it slowly?"

Speaking with just enough of an accent for the occasional word to slip, Frank was a gruff canine, but his face was a kindly one, and in a world where the dollar mattered more than the person making it, he was a rare example of an employer who truly cared for his employees and wanted the best for them. Before she could even make a fuss, Frank smiled at her, and she knew that he was giving her a hard time.

"Maybe the food wouldn't be so bad if I did!" she shot back at him, but she offered a quick wink, making sure that the beastly powerful canine was still on the same page with her. "...Has it been this slow all day, Frank?"

"Yeah. Looks like that little warm spell is over," he pointed out, as January was riding the dead of winter, and other than a brief respite from the cold, it seemed that a cold snap was due to hit again, any minute. "It's just been Marle and I for the afternoon. We don't really need the help, if you wanted to get outta here."

Not the kind to lose his cool so easily, Tobias nearly spit his coffee onto his laptop screen as his ear gleaned a few words of the conversation. Mother Nature was throwing a wrench in the plans, and he tried not to be too obvious about looking toward the front door as the corgi of his dreams contemplated her decision.

"I'd hate for you to pay me to stand around and do nothing," she admitted. "But I guess there are a few things I could run out and do, instead, if you're sure?"

"Everybody loves having a big ol' cuppa joe when it's cold, but no one likes going out into the cold to get it," Frank suggested. "We've only had about ten customers since the morning rush. If you want to run along, I won't take it personally...just remember that you don't get paid for an unplanned day off!"

"Hurting that badly for money, Frank?"

"Heh, yeah...I'm hurting for money, but you're the one trying to walk out on your shift!"

Narrowing her eyes and allowing a smirk of annoyance to cross her muzzle, the corgi crossed her arms and took a step back toward the door. "You're the one who brought up the idea in the first place!"

Tobias could see that she was getting more and more serious about leaving, but he didn't want to make any kind of a fuss. Acting like he needed service would force her to stay for all of the wrong reasons, and at the end of the day, he didn't fathom himself as anything more than a regular customer, even if regular customers typically got impressive service at the shop.

He was running out of options, however, and didn't have the excuse of needing any more coffee; his cup was nearly full.

"You know I'm just hasslin' ya, kid. If you wanna run along, you're more than welcome to. I'll still give you a couple bucks for showing up and being early. The world needs more employees like you."

"Sweet of you to say," she replied casually, "But flattery doesn't get you anywhere with me, Frank!"

"If you got anywhere with me, you'd have my wife to answer to, and if you think I'm scary, you ain't seen nothin' yet!" Frank joked back with her, and the pair shared a quick chuckle as Frank stepped out from behind the grill counter and made his way over to the register. He pulled a fresh twenty out of the machine and handed it over the counter, and the tiny, excited nub that snuck right out of the teasing gap between her sweater and jeans skipped back and forth as she stuffed the bill in her pocket. "Try not to spend it all in one place, kid. I'll see you tomorrow, same time."

With a bright smile and a friendly wave, the corgi turned to take a step toward the loud, rickety door that she so desperately hated. Tobias was frozen, his footpaws glued to the pergo flooring with an adhesive of nothing more than his own fear. Inaction was getting on his nerves, as he tried to recount the number of days that he'd come into the coffee shop, and what started as a place to have an afternoon drink and get a little work done was turning into the bane of his existence, as the corgi turned back, able to see that he was sitting there in the corner.

She was an attentive employee, and though she didn't know his name, she knew Tobias was sitting there almost every single day. For some reason, she'd never bothered to ask Frank about him, and it was incredibly rare that they had an interaction beyond 'thanks for the drink,' and 'you're welcome.'

With a quizzical gaze over at Tobias, the corgi shrugged and turned her gaze back to the door. Within seconds, she was back out in the cold, and through the tall, wide windows that wrapped around the corner building, Tobias could see her walking away, without another thought about him, or so he assumed.

You're blowing it...you're blowing it! She's leaving! Tobias couldn't stop the thoughts from running through his mind, and he couldn't corral enough courage to pry his own ass from the seat.

Thankfully, Frank was a perceptive canine, and without much to do aside from wipe down the front counter of his coffee shop, he couldn't help turning his attention to one of the only customers in the shop.

"...Just go talk to her, ya friggin' moron!"

Not the nicest person when it came to technical strangers, Frank was rough with his words, but Tobias knew who he was talking to. "I...I...w-what, sir?"

"You've been comin' in here for months, getting one cup of coffee, and spending the rest of the time watching her like a damned hawk. She knows you're looking at her, kid. She ain't stupid...now, you gonna get out there and talk to her, or am I gonna have to throw you through a window?"

Gulping nervously and worried that the man might actually do it, Tobias slammed his laptop closed with a clack and left a few dollars on the table at his booth. "Yessir!" he rapidly yelled out, as he stuffed the laptop into his plain, black backpack and ran out the door, forgetting to close it gently as he did.

SLAM! The door closed harshly again, and the corgi was still so close that she flattened her ears and sighed, unable to help turning around to see the source of the noise.

Standing there, looking as timid and coy as a cat possibly could, was Tobias, the regular customer with a name that she'd never heard.

Just a few slabs of sidewalk down was a nameless corgi, one who Tobias couldn't stop, and ironically, couldn't_start_ pursuing.

Frank must have said something, she realized, as she held still on the sidewalk and saw Tobias doing the same. His ears were going flat as he tried to step a little closer, and with a quiet sigh, she smiled and took the initiative, stepping toward him.

"I'm Mia," she said politely, as she extended a paw to Tobias before she ever reached him. "It's...it's okay. I know you from the coffee shop. You're in there all the time, right?"

Her nature was so kind that she wouldn't allow the moment to be awkward, as a form of reward for Tobias and his mock courage. "I-I'm Tobias," he replied, unable to keep from tripping over his own words. Her paw was smaller than his, and felt so soft and delicate that he worried he might break it, but her grip was firm, and she shook even harder than he did, despite standing a little shorter than he was. "It's really nice to finally meet you, Mia."

"Likewise, Tobias. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Tobias felt like she was patronizing him, but he didn't mind it in the least, and her smile was so friendly that he knew she was only trying to help him relax. It was a struggle, but with a quiet sigh, he slowly released her paw and tried to wear a smile that wasn't creepy.

"N...no. It really wasn't," he admitted, as they stood together in the middle of a cold, empty sidewalk. "I'm sorry to have bothered you, though. I should probably let you get going."

"You've been waiting a few months for this chance, by my count," Mia suggested, "And shopping alone kinda sucks, so...how about it? Fancy a quick date with me?"

Tobias couldn't believe his ears, and his jaw hung agape for so long that Mia actually had to reach forward and press his muzzle closed for him. Behind a quiet giggle, she reached out to him again and took his limp paw.

"Come on. With a cute boy like you around, maybe the regulars will stop asking about my love life for a change."

It wasn't easy for Tobias to make small talk, but even as warmth rushed through his cheeks, he managed to step forward when Mia did, trying to keep a pace at her side. "That's...that's gotta be awful," he replied, finding it hard to articulate his words when he was still in shock that she was holding his paw. "I'd be happy to help."

Mia smiled as well, and her nub started to wag once more as she silently thanked Frank for kicking some courage into the timid tabby. "I had a feeling Frank was right about you...you really are a nice guy, aren't you, Tobias?"

"I mean, I try to be, but-

"Good enough for me. That already makes you better than any other guy I've dated," Mia admitted, as she tugged the tabby along. "But my auditions are pretty tough...think you're up for it?"

Tobias could barely speak still, and his antics were already adorable to Mia, who could only hope he'd answer in the affirmative.

"I'll give it my best, Mia. What do I have to lose?"

"A booth in your favorite coffee shop?"

Tobias gulped nervously at the thought, and seeing it, Mia couldn't help but giggle. "I'm kidding! It's nice to have a familiar face in the shop every time I walk in...it'd just be nice to talk to you once in a while too, y'know?"

He pondered the question longer than he actually had to, but a tiny smile crossed Tobias' muzzle as he nodded in agreement. "It really would be," he replied, and with a bit more of a pep in his step, he went down the sidewalk with Mia, curious just where their first date might actually take them.