FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

They really needed to do something about the water pressure here. The wet-furred mouse pressed the knob inward, cutting off the rather pathetic flow of water from the shower head above. Hadn't been the kind of shower with high-pressure spray that gets in good beneath your fur, gives your back a warm massage when you turn the other way...no, this was really more like the shower quietly weeping to be put out of its misery. The plastic curtain was yanked to the side before one grey-furred leg stepped out slowly, careful not to slip. Didn't want to kill himself, after all.

Date night. This was a big one. The rodent snatched up a towel from the rack and rubbed down his petite body before scruffing up the fur on his head while he dried his face. Tossing the towel aside, Jamie stepped up to the counter now, pawing around for the little white case which held his contact lenses. Between the white color of the container against the white counter top, all obscured in the steamy haze of the post-shower bathroom...well...they were in this general location, somewhere...here they are.

He'd be meeting Tim in a couple of hours, first time going out like this since being discharged from the hospital. The house mouse stepped through the bathroom door, scurrying through the apartment toward the bedroom. He stopped at the vanity across from his single bed. Well, not so much a vanity as a mirror hung above the dresser loaded with all of his junk. It was here that he would fiddle with that little container, cracking it open and fishing out one of those rather helpful disks. Careful now...this part always sucked...these things weren't meant for mammals who can't sit still, let alone keep their paws from trembling, or their eyes from darting. Now the other...there. His dampened visage was clear in the mirror now, wet furs all clumped together in spiky-looking clusters.

So much stuff up here... candles... gum... keys... er, protection... for foxes... fur brush. Jamie's pink-skinned paw took a hold of the green-handled brush, the black bristles already topped with grey and white mouse fur as they ran gently over the side of his face. Had to keep one eye closed, he'd accidentally jabbed a bristle or two in there...a couple of times. First shot at being "normal" again, a scratched cornea wouldn't make for an auspicious start.

The brush ran down his arm now, wrangling those wet and wild furs into uniformity. Lots of conditioner, lathered it all over himself in the shower, now the brushing...he was going to be very soft once he was dry. Suitable for touching, rubbing, petting...perhaps it was a bad idea, a needlessly welcoming invite to be touched. But even so...had to brush.

"You look like crap," he had said. Not Tim. Tim would never...right? No, it was the other one, the one who came before. Decker. Had to look good for Decker, feel good for Decker. It was hard. Some days Jamie just wanted to hole up in a mouse's hovel, let his clothes grow stale, let his fur get matted, let himself starve...until Decker came around and said "You look like crap, what's wrong with you?" Had to look good for Decker.

He closed his eyes, took in hurried, rodent breaths, the brush still pressed motionless against his chest.No, Jamie...no. We're being normal, tonight. Normal people don't think, they brush themselves and put on their clothes, and get ready for dinner. And then a movie. Classic. Timeless. Normal.

The mouse continued to brush. So where would they be eating, anyway? They hadn't quite figured that one out. The movie was decided, that animated thing they'd been promoting...safe choice. Contrary to popular belief, there were mice out there interested in horror but Jamie fancied himself much more stereotypical than that, a typical wuss-mouse. Comedy...those hadn't gone in a good direction over the years. Romance? No...keep it simple, tonight. Tim liked cartoons. Jamie had nothing in particular against them. "They're not just for kids, they slip in all kinds of jokes for older audiences," insisted Tim. Good enough. Could be fun. Jamie looked it up, the run time was ninety-one minutes. He might be able to sit still for that long...well, maybe with a bathroom break...or two.

Brush down. Open up those drawers. What to wear...Tim always seemed pretty casual, what would he be wearing? He might be wearing just a T-shirt and jeans. Well, no. No, because the weather guy was a filthy liar and it was cold out there, sprinkling out there. Tim would be wearing something more than that. Probably. It'd be silly not to, right? He caught sight of the orange bottle on the dresser. Couldn't remember, he's so bad at remembering, had he taken one of those today...? Yes...yes he had. He'd taken one. Not fifty, this time. Just one.

A look into the mirror, his round, blue eyes blinking repeatedly. Jamie began to straighten out his whiskers, licking his fingers and running them down the length of the light-colored fibers. Thinking too much.

The steering wheel listed gently to the left, the wheels of Tim's car straightening out as he rounded the corner. The windshield wipers worked at a gentle pace to clear his view. Too bad the weather turned out to be so crap...nobody wants to ask a house mouse out and then treat them to a wet, grey, cold, slushy...well, whatever. They'd be inside, eating their hot food, then watching a good movie. Jamie's apartment would soon be coming up on the left. An aggressive hip-hop track blared through the speakers. He'd do best to change that to something quieter before Jamie got into the car. What kind of music did Jamie like...never really figured that out, actually. Every other mouse Tim had met before seemed to like quieter stuff, new-age stuff...acoustic stuff. No words, a lot of the time. Lutes.

A smile. Mice like weird music.

The car rolled up to the curb. He'd have to park on the street, on the other side of the road, lest they tow him away. Why doesn't this place have visitor parking? "Golden Hills Apartments" they were called...no offense to the place that Jamie called home, but...well, whatever. They can call themselves whatever they want. Turn the key, grab the umbrella, open the door. Stepping outside into the rain, Tim's dark-furred ears twitched a bit as they were struck by the drops. Despite having the umbrella handy, the orange-coated fox simply trotted across the street toward the front entrance of the apartment building. Just as he was approaching the door, his ears perked at the sound of someone making haste to his right. A sandy-furred rodent covered his head while he made his way for the building, taking those galloping hops across the puddling sidewalk for increased speed. Always nice to see a kangaroo rat out here, the cute little things usually found further west. The fox ran quickly up the stairs, pushing open that door and pressing his back to it. The tuft of fur on the end of the rodent's snaking tail was uncomfortably damp now as the critter made his way into the vestibule.

"Thanks," he chirped, shaking out the moisture from his damp, slender body.

"Just doing what I was taught," insisted Tim, with a smile.

The kangaroo rat offered a shy smile in return, his paws disappearing into his pockets to find the key for the inner door. He'd open it up a moment later, allowing the fox entry into the building.

"Thanks a bunch," smiled Tim as he walked in. His feet eagerly trotted up the stairs, thump-thump-thumping over the carpeted steps, heading for the third and top floor of the building. It was a rodent-heavy apartment complex, and the little creatures who saw him trotting up these steps were certainly giving him the eye. As always, Tim offered a friendly wave, trying to show them, hey, I may not look it, but I'm your number-one fan.

A fatigued breath blew out from his black nose when Tim reached the top floor. He maintained a brisk pace down that hallway. 301...302...303! Here he stood before Jamie's door. That warm feeling, that nervous feeling, it was that fluttery feeling in the chest as you knock on the door...then you wait. The fox's boisterous tail swayed with anticipation. Looked left, looked right, golden eyes scanning for nothing in particular, just...waiting. The warm feeling? It only intensifies when you hear the sound of the lock being undone from the other side, the knob turning, the door opening....

"Hey!" yipped the fox with a big smile.

"Hi," the mouse offered back with the shy smile of his own.

Tim gently outstretched his arms, taking the mouse's pink-skinned paws into his own, dark-furred ones, bending downward to go nose-to-nose with the small rodent. Simple gesture. Less confining than a hug. Less serious than a kiss. Sweeter than a pawshake. Perfect for the first few dates with a cautious little mouse.

As Tim pulled away from the affectionate gesture he caught sight of those round, blue eyes of his. Specifically in that they weren't so blue now, but red, as if recently pooled with tears.

"Are you okay?" the fox asked with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah, yeah," chirped the mouse, turning away to wipe his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "Don't worry about me, you know just allergies...probably."

"You still wanna go out?"

"Yeah, of course," insisted the rodent with vigorous nods.

Tim's eyes scanned the mouse from top to bottom, stopping at his covered feet on the floor.

"I like your shoes," remarked Tim, with a smile. "The straps are really neat."

Jamie followed Tim's eyes down, the mouse's whiskers twitching at the sight. "I um...I mean thanks but...I really don't like shoes. Just...the rain, you know?"

"I think they're cute. I don't think I've ever seen you in shoes before."

"I avoid them whenever possible," Jamie said with a flick of his pink tail.

"Yeah a lot of times shoes just look kind of...silly, but I dunno, they're cute on you."

A little shrug. "Thanks...yours are nice, too."

"If you say so, then I guess I'll believe you," Tim accepted.

Swaying, orange-furred tails, flicking pink-fleshed tails, perked ears, twitching whiskers...awkward silence. Jamie rubbed through the fur on his neck.

"So...did we...ever figure out where we're going to eat?"

Tim's paws disappeared into his pockets. "Heh, um...I don't think we ever nailed that down. I guess I just sort of hoped we'd figure it out when we met."

Jamie's incisors bit down onto his lip.

"Guess I was pretty stupid, huh?" continued Tim, looking toward the floor.

"No, no...I mean...neither of us figured it out. So...you...want to come in for a sec? We can sit down and work it out, I need to in and grab my bag, anyway."

A nod and a smile. "Okay, sure."

Jamie stepped aside to allow his date inside, allowing the door to close behind the fox before locking it again.

"Why are you locking it?" asked Tim, stepping into the small kitchen area.

"Oh, um...I don't know really, just a habit." Jamie scampered past Tim, heading for the living room. "A mouse thing, you know? We lock everything."

The fox shrugged and followed Jamie into the living area. You could tell a rodent lived here, everything was...just a bit small. Low to the ground. The installations that came with the place were relatively normal sized, the counters, the refrigerator, the cabinets...but his personal furniture, the sofa, the chairs, the computer desk, all of it designed with a smaller critter in mind.

"Your furniture's cute," remarked Tim, looking around the living room.

Jamie glanced around before offering a shrug. "You've seen it before...it's all the same."

"Yeah, but it's so...little, I guess. I'm not used to it. I don't know, you can just...you can just tell it's for you, you know?"

"Heh, I guess," responded Jamie, sitting onto the couch, unsure what to say to that.

Tim took the spot beside the mouse, easing himself down onto the low-sitting sofa. Their eyes met and the fox smiled, just trying to remain warm and non-threatening. Jamie returned the smile before clasping his paws and holding them between his knees, the energetic rodent's legs bobbing up and down.

"So," started the mouse, "do you have any preferences for places to eat?"

A tilt of the head. "Well...I guess we could always go over to your place. I guess it's not that...romantic, but you'd get a discount, right?"

"Yeah, um I thought about that, yeah...it's a thought, yeah."

"Anything wrong with it?"

"No, no," chirped Jamie with a shake of his head. "Just, Clarice might be there, it's her shift now and she'll see...I...nevermind."

"She's a coworker?" asked Tim, scratching his claws over his cheek.

"Um...yeah."

"And...you don't want her to see you? What, are you playing hooky today or something? Did you call in?"

"No, nothing like that, it's my day off...it's nothing, forget it."

The fox looked over the mouse for a moment, his rodent date's eyes darting every which way. A small smile came over Tim's face.

"You don't want her to see you on a date."

"No, no," insisted the mouse.

"Worried about her seeing you with a guy?"

"I...uh...." Jamie was unable to find the right words. He cradled his head in his paws, his pink ears flicking with uncertainty. "I...I'm sorry. I just wrecked everything, didn't I?"

"No," Tim said, shaking his head. "I mean I get it, if they don't know then...probably wouldn't want them asking you all about it, later. You don't have to tell them who I am, you can just say I'm a friend or something. Or actually, you know, we don't have to go at all."

"No, you're right," insisted Jamie, mostly to himself. "I get a discount there, it'd be cheaper, and who...who cares? It's actually, um...not a big deal at all. It's fine actually."

Tim blinked, tilting his head once more. "You sure?"

"Uh huh!" nodded Jamie, offering a buck-toothed grin.

The problem was, once they bring you the menus, they've already seen you, Jamie considered as his eyes darted this way and that. A menu would have been a useful thing to hide behind but he'd have to be given one first. The girl who seated them was relatively new, part time, and barely knew Jamie at all. Probably could have avoided being recognized if he wanted to but even as it stood, she didn't seem that interested. This was the wrong way to think, surely. This wasn't a particularly closed-minded region, many of the employees here were young females, much more understanding...it probably didn't matter yet he continued to fidget around, regardless. It wasn't likely they would chide him for it...if anything, he just didn't want to have those conversations. He could just imagine it, questions like "where did you meet" and "how long has it been" and is he nice" all of which meant "A guy, huh? A fox boy? Huh."

It wasn't lost on Tim, who sat on the other side of the table. He could feel the mouse's knees bobbing nervously and although the grey-furred rodent was mostly hidden behind his menu, it was easy to imagine his twitching whiskers, flicking ears, and his eyes darting back and forth.

"Are you alright," asked Tim, peeking over his menu. "You sure you don't wanna leave?"

"Huh?" The mouse's focused snapped back to Tim. "Oh, no...no, I'm fine."

"You just seem sort of nervous, is all."

"Well...I mean, I'm a rodent. We're all like this."

"I guess you are," agreed the fox with a small smile. Hard to argue, Tim had lived in a predominantly rodent neighborhood for most of his youth. He looked back at the menu. "I always feel sort of guilty getting a burger when I go to like...a real restaurant. Seems like I should get a more legit meal."

"What's, uh...what's legit," Jamie asked, still hidden behind the menu.

"Oh, y'know...pasta...chef's salad...maybe a steak."

"Oh. Yeah, maybe."

"I mean you can get a burger anywhere...but then, a good restaurant-quality burger is something else. And you guys are kind of known for your signature burgers." Tim set the menu down flat onto the table. "But I guess most mice don't eat a lot of heavy meats."

"Mostly just fish, sometimes," confirmed Jamie, still bouncing his knees up and down.

The two were joined by the waitress, and Jamie sighed to himself because of course it was Clarice. He tried to remain concealed beyond the menu.

"Can I start you off with some drinks?" asked the somewhat plump hedgehog, readying her order pad.

"You guys have apple juice, right," asked Tim, looking for it on the menu.

"We certainly do," confirmed the waitress with a friendly tone of voice.

"I'll do that then."

"Sounds good," smiled the hedgehog, scribbling it down. "And how about you...oh! Hey, Jamie!"

The mouse hiked up his shoulders having been found out. No use in holding the menu up like this, anymore. He cautiously looked up to face his coworker.

"Um...hi."

"Is this a friend of yours?" asked Clarice, with a smile toward Tim.

"Oh, uh...yeah. This is Tim."

"Hi," waved the female, with a small laugh.

"Hello," Tim smiled back.

The hedgehog looked the fox over. He was dressed pretty nicely. On the casual side of "dressy" perhaps. On her right, Jamie actually was wearing a pretty nice little jacket.

"Are you two just coming from somewhere?" asked Clarice, with all the innocence in the world.

Jamie searched for an answer. "Um...no, not...exactly, well...."

"We're going to a movie," answered Tim, trying to help the rodent out. Inside, he winced a bit, realizing he may have compromised Jamie's cover.

Clarice nodded. "Oh...oh!" She turned back to Jamie, who was already mortified. "You guys are seeing a movie together?"

"Actually, I um...I have to use the bathroom...excuse me...."

The little mouse slipped out from the booth and scurried away, his furless ears unmistakably red with embarrassment. Clarice watched him go, a concerned look on her face, before turning back toward Tim.

"He's um...he's a shy little guy."

Tim nodded, offering a gentle smile. "Yeah. He is."

"I hope I didn't...uh...."

"You're fine," insisted Tim, looking over the beverage menu. "Um...how about getting him a raspberry iced tea. I think he likes that."

"Oh, um...sure," stammered Clarice, scribbling down the order. "I'll just...get those right out."

"Thanks."

There she went, scampering off to collect the drinks. Tim continued to look over the menu. Should he have followed Jamie? He didn't want to crowd him...mice needed space, that much he knew. Hopefully he wouldn't be long. Tim enjoyed the view of his cute, mousey self from across the table. Maybe in five minutes or so he'd go check on him. For now...he'd eye up the burgers.

The sink was wet from those who had used it before the mouse and gotten in there. Still, he continued to rest his paws there while he stared into the mirror, watching himself fidget around as rodents did. Should he wipe that down...? No, he was off the clock...but he couldn't pretend he didn't see it this way. Before he'd finished working it out in his head, the rodent found himself tearing off a paper towel and going to work.

This isn't normal. You're in a bathroom but you don't need any of those stalls. You're cleaning a sink for free. Your date is out there, waiting. Wondering. So Clarice knows, now. It was bound to happen. Hard part's over."

The towel was tossed in the garbage. Just a small hiccup. He could still save this thing. He could still be normal.

The pies looked amazing. He'd yet to decide on an entree but the fox had fatefully turned the page over to the desserts and here he had remained, losing track of time and maybe a little bit of reality. Really, anything seemed possible when you could bake a chocolate chip cookie into a cheesecake. Despite this, his ears perked as the mouse neared, Tim catching sight of him just as he slid back into the booth.

"Hello again," greeted Tim with a smile.

"Hi..."

"Everything okay?"

"Uh-huh!" Another buck-toothed smile. So cute. Not entirely convincing.

He had caved in and got the burger. Tim had few regrets about it, it was an amazing sandwich. One of those ones that was too big for your mouth. Well, most mouths. Few things were too big for the fox's mouth. He was a few bites in before realizing that big, ridiculous chomps on a date probably wasn't considered proper etiquette. After all, Jamie was on the other side of the table, nibbling at his pasta. Of course, mice always nibbled.

"So, um...." Tim quickly finished chewing, swallowing that last bite before he continued. "You ever get busy with any hot babes here?"

Jamie dropped some noodles from his mouth, darting his eyes all over the place. "W-what?"

Tim snickered. "I'm sorry...your face, though. I couldn't help it."

The mouse cautiously went back to his food. Anything to avoid direct eye contact, really. "Well...we don't have any hot babes here. Not at Blue Shed."

Tim smirked. "No?"

A head shake. "That's...not really our crowd."

The fox grinned, looking toward the kitchen. It was always fun to hear a mouse be mean.

"So who is your crowd?"

"Clarice." Jamie dropped his fork, covering his face a bit. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said that."

"It's alright," snorted Tim. "I won't tell her."

"She's very nice."

"I can tell!"

Take a bite. That will kill some time. The mouse went to work on his meal, trying to think of something relevant to say. In the meantime, however, he'd stick to small talk.

"How is, um...your food?"

"It's great," insisted Tim, taking another bite. "You guys did really good."

A shrug. "I didn't cook it."

"Well, you're all a team...or something. I'm sure that's been said once or twice before, based on what I know about the working world."

"Yeah, um...I'm sure someone mentioned it."

"We're a family here at Blue Shed," Tim began, putting on an especially nasal voice. "If you already have a family, extermination squads have been sent out to your address. Please do not interfere with the upgrade process."

Jamie offered an uncertain smile while keeping his head down a bit. This was the kind of humor mice were trained to avoid, even if a darker thought or ten crossed their minds.

"You want a fry?" Tim asked, holding up one of the deep fried potato slivers.

"Oh, I'm...I'm okay," insisted Jamie, pointed toward his plate.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, go ahead," confirmed the mouse, shyly hiking up his shoulders.

Tim withdrew the fry. There was probably no socially sensitive way to say 'but it's crunchy and small and mice look super cute when they eat crunchy things.' He'd have to go without, for now. There'd be a movie later. If they got popcorn, perhaps he could steal a glance. Best to keep the conversation moving, though.

"Any plans for the rest of the weekend?"

A twitch of the whiskers. "Um...no, this is...pretty much it."

Tim nodded, nearing the end of his burger.

"I mean I don't mean like...I don't mean 'oh, this is it, I guess.' This is...this is really good. This is nice. I didn't mean it like that. I...." The mouse covered his face once more. Can't I go five minutes without ruining everything?

"I get you, it's fine," smiled Tim.

Jamie scratched his side, his claws moving in that ultra quick way that only rodents could manage. "I just, you know...I have to come back, tomorrow. I have work."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess maybe it's less fun to be here when you're normally here all day."

"No, it's fine. It's kinda...it's interesting to be here...on a date."

Another buck-toothed smile. He was trying so hard to be agreeable.

"That's good," nodded Tim, finishing the burger.

"I um...heh, I guess I should...pick up the pace," chirped the mouse, referring to all the food still on his plate."

"Don't worry about it," insisted Tim. "I still got fries. Besides, I eat too fast, I always do. You don't have to rush yourself."

"Yeah...mice don't...we nibble everything, you know? A lot of us just eat those biscuits...we take our time with actual meals."

"It's cool. I like to watch mice eat," admitted the fox.

Jamie responded with an unsure look, cautiously going back to his meal.

"Yeah, that uh...sounded more weird than reassuring," Tim realized, rubbing over the fur on his neck."

"It's alright," insisted Jamie. "Um...you could...order a dessert, maybe? We like to brag about our pies."

The fox clasped his paws together, his tail swaying beneath the table. "Dessert...I hadn't thought of that. This...intrigues me."

"Heh...you um...said you like chocolate, right? We've got this double fudge sundae pie thing."

"That does sound pretty much perfect...but you can't expect me to eat dessert alone. You'd get something too, right?"

"Well...I've still got food here."

"But like...I can't be sitting here eating a chocolate pie while you don't. That's just...not how I was raised."

"It's okay."

"No, you don't understand, it's not, I...." Tim searched for his words, giving Jamie time to notice just how serious he was. "Do you...wanna share a piece?"

The mouse's tail and whiskers flailed about. This shouldn't have been this hard. Make it easy. Take the pie.

"Um...heh, sure. Okay."

"Great," grinned Tim.

"So, you know it's fake," began Jamie, tentatively poking a fork into the shared piece of pie. "I mean, um...scripted."

"Yeah, totally," said the fox, his mouth already full of the sweet dessert. "Only the people who make fun of wrestling think that's big news."

The mouse nibbled a bit at the pie. Mice did like sweet things, although this was...quite decedent. Anything more than small bites would probably be too much.

"I guess, um...I guess I'm just wondering...er...I don't mean anything by it, but like...if you know it's scripted...."

"Why do I watch it?"

Jamie dipped his head. "I'm sorry...."

"Nah, it's fine," insisted the fox, eagerly taking more pie. "I watch it 'cause it's fun. If anyone tries to make fun of that, I just remind them that TV is fake, movies are fake, comics are fake. It's a TV show, like all the others. Some people are just apparently annoyed that part of its presentation style is to look like the real thing."

A nod. The mouse had never thought much about wrestling. Always seemed a bit low-brow but of course he'd never say that here and now. A bunch of big guys in small tights all over each other was, perhaps, not without its appeal but the aggression involved wasn't quite the rodent's thing.

"I also like cartoons, I mean, you saw the movie I chose, so...yeah, I'm not very adult."

Jamie smiled a little. "That's okay...nobody said you had to be."

"I like being a giant kid," confirmed Tim with a nod.

"Um...well, you know...adulthood doesn't have to be all...evening news, taxes, and...mortgages."

"Yeah...that WAS a pretty boring sentence, just now."

Another smile from Jamie, revealing his adorable buck teeth just a bit.

"By the way, your necklace is really nice," complimented the fox, nodding toward the charm around Jamie's neck.

"Thanks...my parents gave it to me."

"Yeah, I've had a couple of other mouse friends who said the same thing."

Jamie took another bite of the dessert. "Mhm...it's a mouse thing. Parents give their kids necklaces a lot. Sometimes other mice keep collecting them but...I just have the ones from my parents."

"Yeah, I heard that. It's a cute little tradition."

Jamie smiled.

"I'm sorry, I...hope that didn't sound condescending."

"It's okay," shrugged the mouse. "It's not really a big deal to me."

"If you had any kids, would you get them necklaces, too?"

Another shrug. "Yeah, I guess. Just kind of...the default thing to do, I suppose."

"Is a necklace a good gift to go with for you," interrogated Tim, tilting his head. "I mean, I don't want to get like...overconfident but...this might be good stuff to know."

"Heh...um, yeah it's okay. I mean, I've already got some, though...candy and stuff like that also is good for us."

"Me too," grinned Tim.

A small smile. "Good to know."

"I'll be sure to get you some at the theater later."

"At those prices? I don't know...might wanna make sure I'm worth it, first."

Tim smiled. "It seems worth the risk."

Jamie's tail snaked t the left and right, following behind as he scurried across the carpeted floor, alongside Tim.

As promised, he held a box of overpriced candy in his paws, courtesy of Tim's generous wallet. They split the cost of the meal at Jamie's insistence but Tim had decided back at dinner he'd be buying the mouse some candy. It had been ages since Jamie stepped into a movie theater. The posters and promotions seemed ever brighter, more gaudy...though it was strangely quiet in here.

"Hope you're not the type who gets cut like a knife from childrens' laughter," Tim said, already into his popcorn as if he hadn't had that burger about a half hour before. "There will probably be kids in there."

"Um, well...that's alright."

"You like kids?"

He's mentioned kids twice, now...Oh god, he's not thinking about adopting already, is he? "Uh...I guess I never really thought about it. They're okay...messy...loud...but, they're okay."

"Heh...I hope it's not too bad in there."

"Well I'm not at work, so...I don't have to clean up after them, this time."

"Maybe I should have picked a more mature movie. I can't remember the last 'adult' thing I did...probably getting my license."

"It's alright," insisted the rodent. "I haven't seen any cartoons in a while. It might be fun."

It was okay.

Tim's eyes remained glued to the big screen, his muzzle never too far away from an amused grin. This one was very cute, most charming thing the studio had put out in a while. Beside him, Jamie looked at...a little bit of everything. The screen, the floor, the seats, the exits, the soda, the people...the exits. It would have been rude to say that mice don't sit still for things like movies, would have seemed silly to say that he couldn't go ninety minutes without getting up to run around. So here they were, watching the cartoon, which was okay, even if his knees were bouncing up and down like crazy, his tail snaking this way and that.

It wasn't just the sitting. It was the little things. The way their paws had a way of meeting, the way Tim's lingered, the glances he stole...it was almost like they were on a date, or something.

"You okay?" whispered the fox, catching the mouse's wavering glances.

"Mmhm!" smiled Jamie, like he was so good at doing. He just hoped Tim wouldn't be asking about plot details, the mouse's focus fading in and out.

"Can I get you anything," offered Tim, nodding toward the lobby.

"No, no," insisted the mouse shaking his head.

He wasn't well versed in the art of socializing so Jamie wasn't sure how many times your date should ask "are you okay" or something similar before it seems abnormal. Most people could get through one cartoon without being asked for a status update, right? Probably. Most people were normal.

"I gotta use the bathroom," the mouse blurted before realizing it.

"Oh. Alright. I'll tell you what you missed."

Well, he said it. Now he had to go do it. In a moment he was scurrying down those steps, the loud noises of the film on the screen serving as an adequate soundtrack for his sense of haste. Back in the seats, Tim watched him go, starting to understand what "the bathroom" meant. Or at least he had narrowed it down. The primary question, did it mean "need to get away from here," or "need to get away from you?"

Tim turned back toward the screen. In either case, best just to give him some space.

Before long, the rodent was in the corridor, flanked by promotional posters, scurrying across a rather tacky carpeting pattern. The bathrooms were to the left yet he was heading toward the lobby, at least for a moment. Soon he'd turn, head the other way, watching the floor rushing beneath him, it really was quite ugly...then back again.

This is ridiculous.

It seemed silly to get so worked up over paws touching here and there or just the idea of sitting side by side, he'd already given so much more away after just a few hours of small talk and pleasantries...bad thought, forget it. Maybe it just wasn't the right movie. Jamie never did watch many cartoons. A better genre might have been...well...actually, he never watched movies, either. But surely he could sit through one, everyone else does it.

Breaths. Deep breaths. That's what they always said, doctors, counselors...mice don't breathe deep, shouldn't somebody tell them that? He'd have to head back in, eventually. Tim was being very sweet, the mouse admitted to himself. He didn't deserve to keep being deserted, and the worst part is that Jamie new the fox would just keep smiling and insisting it was okay. Perhaps he was too nice. Even before today, Jamie had watched him hold a door open for somebody who was almost a half a block away. And then there was that pie thing. Tim's efforts to be courteous seemed at times compulsive.

He rubbed his paws over his face. It was time to head back in. Just had to sit there, just had to watch. He'd been through worse. He could do this.

He scampered back inside.

Some sad scene was playing on the screen when Jamie walked back in. As he climbed the steps back toward his seat, he could see Tim reaction to the scene. It was kind of cute how legitimately concerned he was for the characters. Clearly he was very invested in his cartoons. Jamie took his seat beside the fox again, fiddling with his own fingers even before he was entirely settled in.

"Welcome back," Tim said with a smile.

Jamie smiled back. Their eyes didn't meet.

The car pulled up to the curb across from the Golden Hills apartments. The thing was...there weren't really even any hills nearby. It had been eating at Tim for longer than he would have liked to admit. In any case, he turned the key, disengaging the engine and at the same time, sending the rodent in the passenger's seat into a quiet panic.

Why's he shutting off the car...is he gonna try and come in?

"Well, here we are," Tim said with a look toward Jamie.

"Yeah."

"I'll walk you to the door."

"Yeah...yeah, okay," stammered Jamie, wriggling out of his seat belt before hastily exiting the vehicle.

Tim had to rush out of his seat to keep up with the mouse.

"Hey...are you okay?"

The question stopped the mouse before he could unlock the security door. He was a mouse, he knew the drill. Turn around, flash those buck teeth, brighten up those eyes.

"Uh-huh!"

Even after hitting all the marks, however, the red fox just stared. By now, he knew the drill as well. You could keep asking, and they'd just keep saying they're fine, keep smiling, keep looking as cute as ever. Better just to keep looking him over until, as it did now, it became awkward. The smile faded, the twitching returned, the eyes darted, the uncertainty returned, the nervousness, the evasive glances everywhere else.

Tim stepped forward, hoping not to crowd him too much, yet trying to close what felt like miles of distance between them.

"What's wrong, Jamie," he said, softly.

"Nothing...." The mouse turned away. "Nothing's wrong..."

The fox leaned down and over to try and meet the mouse's eyes. "Come on, you can tell me. I want you to."

"It's nothing," the rodent repeated in a quiet yet desperate tone. His eyes appeared to redden. "I just...want to be normal."

"What?"

Unlock that goddamn door and get inside. His shaky paws could barely get the key into the mechanism. When it finally happened he twisted it like he was trying to break it - not that he was trying not to - and yanked open the door. Before it could close and lock again, Tim shot out a paw, catching the door and running in behind the mouse.

"Wait, hold on...please."

The mouse had already gotten about three steps up before stopping again. He stared at the floor. He was blowing it. No, he blew it at the theatre. Hell, he probably blew it at the restaurant.

"Is it...did I do something," interrogated Tim, reaching out a paw for the mouse's shoulder, before thinking better of it.

"Um...no," answered the rodent in a shaky voice. "You were...perfect."

"Look, can...can we sit?" Tim gestured toward the steps, moving closer to Jamie. "Can we like...sit and talk?"

"Um...."

The fox lowered himself onto the steps, wrapping his tail around his knees. He motioned for Jamie to join him, which the mouse would eventually do, with reluctance.

"Now please, tell me what's wrong," insisted Tim, his yellow eyes laser-focused on his date.

"I just...I can't...it's...nothing."

"I can't be nothing, look how upset you are. I just want to help you. Please, let me help you."

He was always so helpful, Jamie thought. An impulse...a nice quality, but there had to be something to it. Jamie couldn't help but think that questioning Tim's behavior seemed hypocritical to say the least.

"Jamie?"

"Um...." He looked over, met the fox's eyes, rare contact, and he even lingered. Tim had never see him do this and it was over in just a few seconds but it felt so telling.

"I um...I just...want to be normal."

"Yeah...you said that. What do you mean?"

"Well...you saw me," recounted the rodent, clasping his paws between his bouncing knees, a creature of endless energy to be expelled anyway he could manage. "At Blue Shed...the movie...even just...right now. I...can't."

"You can't...what?"

"I just...can't. I can't do it. I tried." A tear ran down the grey fur of his cheek. "I tried to be normal. Don't...act like you don't know what I mean." He looked over again. "You know what I mean...you know what I did...or tried to do...."

Tim's claws squeeze into his bent knees a bit. Indeed, he felt it best to avoid the topic, but in this moment, it was clear that it couldn't be evaded.

"I know...but it's okay."

"We dated for two weeks...saw each other maybe three times and then already, you...had to come see me in the hospital. Found out you were dating a...a...crazy person."

"No, I don't think that," Tim insisted in a sympathetic tone. He reached out a paw but could see the mouse recoil a bit. Skittish little things, this one especially.

"Then we come out tonight...I tried to pretend like it never happened, tried to do what normal people do...it was just dinner and a movie, it wasn't supposed to be this hard...I make everything hard."

"I had a nice time with you, tonight."

"Of course you'd say that," Jamie said, emotional squeaks breaking up his words. "You're always so...nice. About everything."

The fox's eyes shifted around, searching for the words his mouth couldn't find.

"The truth is...I was rebounding. I know I already told you, but...after I broke up with Decker...no, after he dumped me...and I met you...I felt like, I don't know...it's stupid...like I could just replace a fox with another fox and make it all go away."

At this point, all Tim could do was listen, better situating himself on the stairs as the mouse struggled to continue.

"I...but...you...you know, you're so nice, you're nothing like him, but...it felt like I was just...making the same mistake." Jamie covered his face in his paws, wiping away some tears. He felt Tim's paw on his shoulder, the fox trying to comfort him as he continued.

"It's wrong, I know. It's...I...I assumed it was because he was a fox. I didn't want to, but I did. I was so conflicted, you were so nice, and it was like I could just replace him but...I...you...after our last date...before this one, we...it got physical. I don't know why, I wasn't that quick with Decker." Jamie wiped his paws over his face again, letting out a breath. "That's why. That's why I did it."

"Because...it was too soon?"

"Well...no, not just that, it was just...I felt like I was making the same mistake, I felt like...I was throwing myself at you, or...giving myself away, and it was all going to happen again. I felt stupid."

Tim looked toward the floor, wrapping his tail tighter around his body. It didn't go unnoticed by Jamie. It was cute when foxes did that. Foxes could be cute too, not just mice.

"I told you things were bad with Decker...I never told you how bad. I...guess I didn't want to complain. I thought it was my fault. That's what he always said.

"He...yelled at you a lot?"

"He did more than that. He, um...well...." Jamie's entire body fidgeted and twitched. A long breath. "He wasn't good to me. I realize that now, he wasn't good to me."

"And...you thought I was going to be the same."

"I'm sorry...."

"No, I understand."

"You were always so nice," Jamie clarified with a fleeting glance toward the fox. "I just...I wasn't ready. After everything he did and he said, I...I still believed him. I still believed everything. I...I think I still do. It went too fast, we slept together, you and me, I mean, and I wasn't ready, and if anything happened, if you turned out to be the same, I figured it had to be my fault."

The first date. Tim remembered. He reached out toward the mouse, just to wrap an around around his shoulder. Jamie recoiled. No, not just that, he cowered, his ears flattened. He protected himself with his paws. Now, it made sense. It broke Tim's heart.

"Jamie, I'm so sorry," stammered Tim, emotion overcoming him just a bit as well. "I didn't know. I wish I did. I never wanted to pressure you. You could have said no, we could have - "

"No, no," chittered Jamie, shaking his head. "You were...you were nice. You're...heh...you're always nice."

Tim bit his lower lip as Jamie continued.

"I wanted to. I wanted to make it work as fast as possible. I wanted...I wanted to be worth something to someone. I wanted to. I wasn't ready, but I wanted to. When we started kissing, I could have...done a lot of things, but I didn't. I let it happen."

The sound of quick feet came from above, until one of the cutest chipmunks Tim had ever seen rounded the corner, stopping a bit upon seeing the way blocked by the fox and mouse.

"Oh, excuse us," Tim said, quickly standing.

Jamie hopped up to his feet as well, the handsomely-marked chipmunk offering a polite smile as he scampered down the steps.

"We should move," murmured Jamie, fiddling nervously with his own paws. "Or maybe I should just go."

The mouse scurried up the steps before Tim could respond, desperate to get away from here, desperate to shut himself away. Normally the fox would just let him go, try not to crowd him, respect his space, but on this occasion he followed him up there, struggling to keep up with the quicker mammal, calling out before he could disappear into the hallway as he reached his floor.

"Jamie, wait!"

The mouse let him catch up. He didn't know why. He could just run into his apartment, lock the door, and whatever happened would happen.

Tim stopped in front of the mouse, gently taking his paws, just as he had when he first picked him up.

"I want to go out with you, again."

Jamie looked down and away, figuring he must have looked like a mess from Tim's perspective. The fox was perhaps they nicest guy he'd ever met but with that in mind, it wasn't hard to imagine him taking a little mouse on a pity date. Jamie continued looking away until Tim leaned down, his black nose hovering just in front of the mouse's.

"Will you let me go out with you again?"

His eyes shot left and right, a rodent's sights so hard to keep up with. Well what was he going to say, no?

"I um...I don't...." Jamie hiked up his shoulders. He was just so confused right now.

Tim stroked over the rodent's paws with his thumbs, taking the time to enjoy the feel of Jamie's thinning fur, where it turned to flesh near his knuckles, something exotic to a red fox.

"Well...yeah, I guess," relented the rodent, offering an uncertain smile.

"Only if you want to," insisted Tim, letting the mouse take his paws back. He noticed how immediately, Jamie's finger fidgeted. Mice never seemed to know what to do with their paws.

"I um...I don't know what I want," admitted the mouse. Perhaps the most honest thing he'd said all night.

"Well...I just want for you to be okay," assured Tim, briefly placing a paw on the rodent's boney shoulder.

"I mean...I might as well, right? You're, um...you're very nice. And if I'm not doing this I'm just...working and coming home. Then working again."

A smile. "Well...I guess as long as you're not doing anything better."

"Oh no, I didn't - "

"Don't worry about it," Tim said with a chuckle. "I know what you mean."

Jamie's fiddling fingers were about to tie themselves into a knot. "I, um...so...what now?"

"Well," thought the fox, crossing his arms, "I guess it's up to you. I could leave you alone, let you get ready for work and all that."

"Yeah...."

"Or...I guess, if you want, I could come in for a bit...you know, if you want to keep talking or something."

The mouse looked away. "Um...."

"And I mean that literally," clarified Tim. "Not in the TV-slash-movie, nudge-nudge wink-wink way."

A nervous smile. "Um...I don't...I don't know what to do."

A shrug. "What do you think you want more?"

He bit his lip. A turn. The mouse inserted the key, turning over the lock. He pushed the door open. With a flick of his ears, a flip of his tail, and a twitch of his whiskers, the rodent took a step and a half into the dark apartment. He stopped. He turned, his eyes meeting Tim's, resting there for what seemed like forever.

The fox's paws disappeared into his pockets as she stepped forward once. Jamie responded with another step into his apartment, keeping his eyes on Tim, opening the door a bit wider. The fox stepped forward again, and again, until he had passed the threshold along with the mouse.

Slowly, the doors closed behind them.