Bottle Rockets.

Story by Protos on SoFurry

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This one popped into my head over the holiday. A short story about young love, life, and fireworks all in bloom at once. A story about how even a small moment can completely change the road life is taking you down, as long as you're willing to take control of the wheel.


1.

The intersection of Cliff Street and Route Seventeen was an eyesore. It always had been, even before the sleek black asphalt had been laid by the government years ago. It was an ugly road, and everyone _knew_it was an ugly road.

The turn onto Cliff Street was sudden, going from real road to ancient gravel instantly. It continued on, upwards and forwards, all the way to the top of the dead end street overlooking the lake, and the town along its coast. Almost all of the people who had ever made the drive decided, wisely, not to make it again.

The gravel path wasn't just older than the road its stone shards connected it with, but it was older than the town, too. Maybe even older than the trade caravans that used to travel from coast to coast. Maybe even older than that. Only the gnarled trees and scrubby plants shooting up from alongside it had an answer to that question.

Nobody in the area spoke tree, so they remained silent like they always did.

2.

"You can't be serious, Stacy, you'll fuck up my suspension."

"Oh you stop, it's a beater anyway, it'll be fine."

"It's not the car I'm worried about, it's it breaking down while we're out here that worries me. You know phone reception is spotty at best even in town."

"Are you making fun of my species? You monster."

A clawed, spotted and furry hand grabbed onto the shifter of the car and threw it into four-wheel drive. The engine revved loudly as she stomped her foot down, and the turnoff onto the ancient gravel road came into view, barely visible under a single dim streetlamp.

A bug smacked against the windshield, and the car bucked as it jumped off the pavement with a quick screech, onto the loose stones. Several sprayed onto the road as the half-rotten car chugged up the start of the path, clattering to a stop, only to be launched back to their origin by the next passing vehicle.

"Stacy please! I know cats are supposed to have nine lives, but I don't think cheetahs can run from things that easily. My poor car can't take this kind of punishment! I spent all my money on it!"

"You're the pussiest pigeon I've ever seen, Chuck. Why do you even need a car? You have wings, you can fly can't you?"

"MY NAME IS NOT CHUCK IT'S CHARLIE AND I'M NOT A PIGEON I'M A FALCON! And I definitely can't fly carrying your sorry ass if we break down!"

The forest around the struggling car grew thicker. Any scrub that had been growing along the side turned into conifers as the road seemed to narrow, and get even bumpier, as well as a whole lot darker. The angle of the setting sun couldn't pierce the thickness of the needle ridden trees.

Feathered wings gripped the back of the drivers seat as the car violently bounced along. The spotted yellow feline behind the wheel leaned forward and grit her teeth, studying the path ahead intently, pushing the gas as needed, letting up when it was not, but always moving forward.

The front left tire smacked against a rock jutting out of the ground, and a massive bang rattled the entire car as it cleared it.

"YOU'RE BREAKING MY AXLES! STACY STOP!"

"SHUSH! IF WE STOP NOW WE'LL SLIDE BACK DOWN, THE ROAD IS STILL WET FROM THE RAINSTORM YESTERDAY!"

Charlie's eyes began to water at the damage being done to his car, but he kept his beak shut. Stacy had sharp claws and sharp teeth. He had feathers and a beak and a set of talons that he didn't have a hope in hell of maneuvering into any good position in the cramped space.

And so the car rattled and banged onward.

3.

After several more bumps and bangs, the trees vanished on the right side of the road, revealing a clear view of the town and its lake, marred only by the guardrail on the side of the road. It was beautiful, but the road was still eating Charlie's car alive, so he couldn't bring himself to marvel at it much. Stacy on the other hand wanted to look, but was smart enough to know that when you were driving on the side of a cliff, you kept your eyes on the road in front of you, because the old rotten guardrail next to them couldn't stop a runaway bicycle at this point, let alone a car.

A short distance later the road turned back into the forest, and the incline again increased. More trees, more loose gravel, more dirt being kicked into the air behind them as they moved. But then, finally, the trees broke again, this time on both sides. The road evened out, and a small grassy field next to a smaller dirt parking area came into view.

The car rattled to a stop, the door locks popped up, and the back-left door popped open at almost the same time. Charlie spilled out onto the grass, a trembling ball of brown feathers. He was about ready to kiss the ground after that ride. He didn't even want to look under the car to see the damage he was _certain_had been inflicted to it. Then the drivers door popped open, and Stacy elegantly stepped out. She put her hands on her hips, and tilted her head to the side.

"There, we made it. Was it that bad, you big baby?" she scolded.

The exact moment she finished talking, the tire behind her exploded with a sound almost like a firing cannon. She screeched and dove for the ground, claws digging into the grass.

"What did you do to my poor car!? Now we're stuck up here!" Charlie cried, getting to his feet and throwing up his wings. Several feathers popped off, and fluttered to the ground noiselessly. One landed on Stacy's nose, and she let out an adorable and squeaky sneeze.

"That's not going to save you this time, honey."

"I thought we weren't using pet names anymore since we were going to break-up?" she purred back after Charlie offered her a wing up from the ground, brushing the dirt off her clothes. He was the worlds greatest feather-duster.

"Right, sorry, force of habit I guess. Are you happy now though? I don't have a spare tire... I couldn't afford it after buying the car."

"We'll be fine, I just really wanted to come up here again, when was the last time we were here?"

Charlie shrugged, feathers ruffling.

"I don't even remember."

He was lying though, he remembered exactly how long it had been. He couldn't forget anything to do with Stacy. A lifetime of infatuation did that to a person.

The last time they had been here at the top of the cliff, looking out over everything under the stars... It was...

Um...

"Sixteen years ago, birdbrain."

4.

Yes, it was sixteen years ago, _to the day_even. Founding Day, and that had meant an enormous firework show on the coast. Gosh, now he really remembered. He and his family had spent all day getting ready for it. They had just moved in to town, and his dad had kept going on and on about how he'd "found the perfect place" to watch the show that night.

Food was bought, things were packed, evening finally came. All three of them took flight against the vibrant sky and headed for the cliff towering over the far side of the lake. It was a long flight for a seven year old, but he'd been confident enough about it. Excited, even. This was what adult birds got to do.

Turned out, however, that he only barely had the stamina for it, and he crash landed into the small grassy field with all the grace of a flying elephant. Though that was still a successful flight in his mind, beak full of dirt or no.

He heard his parents swoop down next to him, but when he looked up he saw a wide-eyed, spotted cat about the same age as him. She giggled.

"You fell!"

His instincts said to run, but those big blue eyes looking at him made him stay.

"Say hello, Charlie." His mother urged, prodding him forward.

"HELLO!" He immediately screeched at the top of his lungs, far too loud for what was needed. He even startled himself.

He wasn't quite a social creature yet.

The little cheetah girl giggled more, but the screech caught the attention of her own parents, who began to wave them over to their picnic area. Mouthwatering smells came from the small grill set up near their car. The girls quite rotund father started talking once they had made their way over, jiggling with each jolly word.

"I didn't think we'd see anyone else up here!" I'm..."

The two pairs of parents began to talk, an odd fellowship forming between once natural enemies, but Charlie and his new friend were already running around chasing each other, laughing and playing away the time before the fireworks started.

Time passed, the sky darkened to near black, and the six of them all sat together and ate as the explosive show began, a happy pile of fur and feathers.

The show only lasted for a few minutes, but a bond was made that would last forever.

Years would come to pass, people would leave the area, new ones would replace them, but Charlie and Stacy had always been a couple throughout.

5.

"Hey. Hey! HEY, CHARLIE! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Charlie jumped back in surprise. He was still on the cliff, but back in his own time again. The past was a fun thing to get lost in, but not when your sweetheart was mewling next to you.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You spaced out. Started mumbling about the first time we met up here. I _knew_you hadn't forgotten."

Stacy leaned forward and, despite her lack of beak, pecked him on his cheek. You couldn't see blush underneath feathers, but it was definitely there.

"Come and help me finish, I put the blanket down, but all the food is still in the trunk. Can your big,strong bird muscles bring them over?"

"If my hollow bones don't snap under all the meat you always pack."

He started walking away, and Stacy kept talking to him as returned with a large, cliché wicker picnic basket.

"Are you implying something? Maybe I'll end up showing you what _else_I can do with meat later."

Charlie swallowed wrong and tripped at the same time, sputtering all the way to the ground and getting another beakful of the same dirt that had graced his mouth all those years ago.

It tasted absolutely the same.

Disgusting and gritty. Not nearly as delectable as the fruit nearby he had always dreamed of tasting

This time, it was Stacy helping him up, and after some sputtering and spitting, he was good to go again.

They held hands and walked to the blanket. The sky was just beginning to turn dark blue on the right side, and an awe inducing sunset carried on to the left. This show was almost as good as the fireworks, and much quieter.

6.

"That was delicious!" Stacy purred, using her claws to pick out bits of food from her sharp teeth.

"Glad you liked it, it's a bird delicacy."

"I think you're probably the only bird delicacy around for miles."

"Hun you're saucier than the food was."

"Uh-uh, no pet names." Stacy replied, wagging a finger at Charlie's face.

More giggling, this time from the both of them.

They talked a big game, but they were both completely void of sexual experience. Most other animals had coupled with another by the time they left school, but not them. Nerves? Maybe. Or maybe it was the knowing, that they would eventually have to leave each others lives, like all childhood friends had to do at some point.

They'd gone to a public university together for a few years, trying to figure out what they were supposed to be doing with their lives. They each did well enough, though not in the same fields, which was why it was no surprise when they each received scholarships to different schools.

She'd gotten one for math. Her brain was as fast as her shapely cheetah body was.

He'd gotten one for culinary work, of all things. His refusal to make any dishes with eggs didn't seem to hinder his cooking ability in the slightest, at least to the people he'd impressed. A kitchen bird was a funny concept to think about.

They each had a bright future ahead of them. Each school that had reached out to them was prestigious, but whatever future it could be would be without the other. The schools were across the country from each other, thousands of miles that were impossible to reach over with any sort of "puppy love" they had felt.

At least that's what all the adults had called it. Apparently they had all known they weren't meant for one another from day one.

They were supposed to be happy now, looking towards tomorrow. But... they only felt sad. You couldn't look to the future when the past was calling you back.

This was going to be their last night together before they had to leave to explore the world.

7.

They each sat, watching the sunset. They didn't say anything for a long time, and they didn't need too, either. They knew what they were each thinking already.

The constant lies, the constant well-wishing from each other, empty congratulations and support falling from their mouths. Sure, they were happy for each other, but they weren't happy about themselves.

They didn't talk about that though, they already knew. It was already hard enough holding tears back when they thought about it. Growing up sucked.

A big sigh came from Stacy, and she stood up from the blanket and stepped in front of her feathered friend, looking down at him, hands firmly placed on her cocked hips.

"Alright, take your pants off."

"What?"

Charlie wasn't sure if he'd heard what he _thought_he'd heard. His mind played tricks on him like this a lot. A lot more often then he'd want to admit, if he were asked. He wasn't sure why, it's not like it was an unusual occurrence for anything with a penis, because they _always_played tricks on their poor owners. Damn things.

"You heard me, take off your clothes."

Now it was _all_of his clothes, not just the pants. Either he choked to death on his meal or this was actually happening.

"B-but the fireworks..." he sputtered weakly. It felt like his poor tongue was swelling in his beak. He didn't want it to shatter... he'd cracked it once before and it took forever to heal and it hurt like a... something that hurt a lot.

"It's not even dark yet, we've got at least forty minutes before the show could even start, probably more."

"But... But... But..."

Now he had a stutter.

Stacy dropped to her knees and started to try and figure out how the belt around Charlie's waist worked, loudly clanking metal parts together. He was starting to panic.

"We're in the open! Someone will see us! I-I, but, but what if!"

Stacy didn't even blink. She continued to stare at the buckle holding everything together, mouth starting to water at the thoughts running at breakneck speed in her mind. It WOULD come off, willingly or not. She'd bolt-cutter the fucking thing off if need be. She knew Charlie kept a bunch of tools in his car.

"Nobody is going to see us. We're probably the first people up here in years. If someone does show up, we'll let them watch."

"BUT, BUT, BUT... BUT WHAT IF WE MISS THE SHOW!"

Charlie's volume had failed him again. Also, he was reaching for excuses. He did want Stacy... He wanted to ravage her, wanted to taste every single different part of her body, wanted to... wanted to... he'd think of other things as they came up. He'd had dreams of doing just that every since he figured out how sex worked. The sheets on his bed did not appreciate this, but what else could he do.

He just, he just wasn't ready at all for THIS.

"Charlie I know for a fact that you've never been laid before. Exactly how long do you think you're going to last? Because it's definitely not going to be forty minutes. But that's okay, because I love you, and we'll train you up from there."

"I DON'T HAVE PROTECTION!" he belted.

"I've been on the pill for three years, now quiet down."

Ooh, yeah she was smart. Had an answer for everything. No wonder she got that scholarship.

The buckle popped open with a clank. Two hands firmly grabbed each pocket on the sides of his pants and yanked hard. The fabric slid down his feathers to his knees, and his penis sprang up the moment it was uncovered, at full mast and dripping in excitement no less.

To be fair, he was always about half that whenever Stacy was around. The strangest sensation he was feeling was actually having someone else look at it.

"Oh wow, bird dicks look cool. All... curvy." she whimsically chimed. She'd also been having dream after dream about this for years. Her bed sheets fared better than Charlie's, but her undergarments hated her just as much.

They needed to invent waterproof cotton, whoever "they" were.

"BUT WE'RE GOING TO BREAK UP!"

"Charlie we've wanted this ever since we learned about the special things our crotches can do. I know we both have. I love you too much to let you go without doing this with you. I can't think of doing this with anyone else, especially my first time. You feel the same, right?"

"Y-yes... but..."

8.

"Do you like breasts? Do birds have an attraction to breasts?"

"Well I mean Boobies are a thing, but I..."

"Doesn't matter, here, grab these. I love playing with them, but it'll feel nicer if you do it."

In one motion Stacy flung off her top _and_her bra at the same time.

Such skill.

Her breasts bounced and jiggled as gravity pulled them back into place. Her spotted hair broke gently around her stiffened pink nipples, almost giving off their own light in the evening shadows. She grabbed Charlie's wings and placed them firmly onto them both. His muscles and feathers curled around her body, tickling her, sending electric sparks through her chest.

"Oh that feels so nice... I love your feathers so much."

Her hands unfastened her skirt and tossed it to the side as well. Charlie watched, heart pounding, starting to race.

Her clitoris just poked out of the rest of her immensely swollen vagina, an even brighter pink than her perky nipples. Just from looking, Charlie could see that it was already well lubricated, fresh wet stains all around her slit, small pieces of labia just poking out of the thinly furred, visibly reddened sides.

She walked on her knees into position, straddling Charlies hips with them. He looked like he was going to start crying, silly bird.

"Ready?"

" N-NO!"

"Great!"

Stacy slammed her rear down with a loud smack. Charlie instantly plunged deep inside of her, his tip flawlessly tickling her cervix. A perfect fit for the perfect pair. Truly incredible for them both.

They both let out a simultaneous gasp. A nearby firefly almost got sucked into the vacuum that had been created, but managed to break free of the pull just in time before angrily flashing away.

She was pretty well... "adjusted" with how her genitals worked already. She'd shoved all sorts of fun things inside of herself over the years, and she had started young, too. You fall onto a running washing machine and dryer combo because you were climbing a set of shelves while playing "The Floor Is Lava", and everything just kind of makes sense afterwards. This though, this was something else entirely.

Stacy's muscles shifted, contouring to match the shape of the foreign body inside her. She felt it as each strand of muscle moved, as each tiny piece of her pressed ravenously into her lover and tightened into place.

What Charlie felt was almost identical, save for the pressure forming around him instead of inside. His penis was being squeezed gently along every vein and curve that it had. There was some sort of wall he felt at the very end, but he wasn't concerned about it. He doubted it would be anything detrimental to what was going on.

After a moment of silence, and staring into each others eyes, Charlie decided to shatter it.

"S-so this is sex?" he sputtered, barely able to spit out the words.

Stacy leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and starting to hug tightly. There was a soft smacking noise as she kissed the end of his beak and laid her head next to his, feathers and fur mingling together. The movement brought out a groan from deep in Charlie's throat. Everything was tingling too much now to talk. It felt so intense that he almost couldn't feel anything at all.

"This isn't sex, birdbrain. This is love." Stacy whispered. She let go and threw her torso backward, sitting up again, beginning to grind forwards and backwards with her hips. This triggered another pair of gasps from the two of them.

9.

"Oh god Stacy I... It feels..."

Charlie was already close to exploding. As wonderful as everything felt for her, though, Stacy was pretty far from a climax.

Silly males, they just couldn't control themselves. It was fine though, as she'd said, she didn't expect him to be able to finish her off. All she wanted was to be with him, as close and as long and as tightly as possible. She wanted him to put so much of himself into her that the feeling would never leave.

"It's okay baby, It's okay, go ahead. I want as much of you as you can give me."

There was a sudden, sharp shift to her insides as Charlie began to buck and twitch inside her. If birds could yelp, then that was the noise he made as his waist thrust upwards, lifting Stacy off the ground as she sped up her gyrations.

The very tip of his penis caught onto the entrance of her cervix, as if by magic. All the pressure that had been building and building inside of him broke at once, and he felt his seed beginning to quickly from deep within himself and through his penis, through every curve, inside and outside of him.

Stacy could feel as he came, as his cum forced its way through her smallest opening and deep into her abdomen, spreading it's warmth around her very core.

Everything around Charlie's penis suddenly became a lot wetter, even more lubricated, and he watched as he began to drip out of Stacy and all over his own feathers and his girls fur. He'd orgasmed before, many,_many_times at that, but this was different than all of those times combined. It just wouldn't stop, his body wouldn't stop pulsing and spasming inside of Stacy, wouldn't stop spraying into her and dripping out.

He didn't have a clue how long it had taken to finally stop, and for Stacy to stop riding him. They both held their positions, almost stunned at what had happened, still coupled together as the mess they were making grew. Finally Stacy seemed to fall to the side, rolling onto her back with her knees in the air and feet on the ground.

If she said that she could feel everything pouring out of her, she would be lying. Charlie had cum an awful lot, but it was more of a light drizzle leaking out of her than a torrent.

"Oh... Oh Stacy I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I didn't last long enough for you..."

He sounded exhausted, like all the energy had been drained from him. Which it kind of had been.

"No, no Charlie it's okay, I knew you wouldn't. I'm just so happy to have done that with you.."

She was pretty wiped out as well, although there was a lot more wiping she was going to need to do later on. She didn't know if Charlie kept any tissues or towels or anything in his car, because she sure as hell hadn't packed any extra. This whole thing had been pretty spur of the moment.

Charlie reached over himself and winced as he plucked a large feather from his wing. The wince was only a reaction, if there had been any pain he didn't feel it. Next he reached over Stacy as she laid next to him, extending his arm to its full length and feeling around for what he was looking for. He started gently spinning the feather, with the tip only barely resting on top of Stacy's still protruding clit.

Stacy started to moan, loudly even. Charlie had somehow hit the exact, perfect spot, and she came almost instantly from it, legs weakly twitching as wave after wave of ecstasy pounded through her body. Through the moans, she was barely able to find the strength to speak.

"Ch-Charlie... Oh god, Charlie you need to... I can't handle any..."

She couldn't get all of the words out, but Charlie understood. He tapered the spinning off slowly, and the feather dropped into the puddle that had been steadily forming under Stacy with a "plop".

They each stared blankly at the sky, still slightly orange and red, but mostly darkened to deep blues. Bangs and booms began, and colorful explosions played out high in the sky above them.

The fireworks had come early as well.

10.

"What a mess, is sex this messy every time? I'm going to have to throw away this blanket now..." Charlie asked.

"Next time we'll have to do it in the shower. Well, I mean, next time we... do it with other people, I guess." Stacy dejectedly answered.

"Yeah..."

They packed everything back into the car silently. Charlie had smartly hidden the forsaken picnic blanket inside of the basket. He'd throw it into the firepit and burn it after they got back. There was no cleaning it after what it had been through. There was no cleaning either of their own souls either, after tonight.

"Do you think we can get back on three wheels, Charlie?"

"We don't have much of a choice, do we? We should be fine if we keep it balanced. I'm pretty light, so I'll have to drive. You and your enormous ass will sit in the back."

" HEY!"

Instead of giggling, this time they laughed. Their laughter echoed off the trees and out over the lake and the town. They didn't care, the world needed to know about their love. They weren't afraid of it any more. They loved each other, and they were always _going_to love each other. Nothing was ever going to change that, and both of them knew it.

The engine revved, and started up smoothly. Stacy moved from her place in the back seat to behind Charlie. The car groaned and shifted, bare wheel smacking the dirt.

"Stacy you can't-"

"No, wait, listen." she interrupted.

"Let's leave. Screw school and what everyone else wants. We can just leave, start life on our own and be together."

"But our futures, Stacy..."

"I don't want a future if It's not with you."

That was true, that wasn't just hormones. She meant every word, it just took her all these years to figure out how to say them. It was the corniest way she could have put them, but it was the only way she'd found that worked.

"Let's just run away and be with each other."

Charlie paused. He threw the car into reverse and slowly turned around, facing the vehicle to the road, stopping short of where gravity would begin to pull them down the path.

"I don't know about run, but I can fly pretty well."