Connection
An IT engineer at a small community college has an unexpected encounter with a new professor, one that he as a past with.
"An IT engineer at a small community college has an unexpected encounter with a new professor, one that he as a past with."
This story originated as a 5k word challenge piece, and was intended to be pure smut. Then it got away from me and ballooned to almost 11k words.. Thoughts for more with these two are already in my head, but I hope you all like this one!
The phone sitting at the corner of my desk rang, the light flashing as I fought the urge to drive my head through the desktop. It had been nonstop all week, the campus buzzing as the teachers flowed back from their summer break to find out that their equipment was no longer working the way it was supposed to. Of course, it was. They had merely just forgotten how to use it. Sighing, I glared at the screen and the extension that showed there had been burned onto the deepest hate receptors in my brain. Steeling myself, I lifted the receiver to my ear.
"IT department, this is Caleb. How can I help you?" I said wearily as the old otter on the other end began to rattle off all the problems she was inundated with. I tapped the mute button so Estelle wouldn't hear the heavy sigh I heaved. Nearly every day she called and went on and on about every small thing that didn't work with the equipment in her classroom. The only issue was that it all did work, she just never took the time to attend the training classes on how to use them properly. A pause in her ranting had me tapping the button again, eager to cut her off before she could continue.
"I understand, Estelle. I'll be there in just a little bit to take care of that," I said, quickly hanging up before she could gather steam again, and leaned back in my desk chair. We were only a week away from semester starting, and some of my more frequent headaches had been bombarding me over the short two hours I had been at work: the computer in this room wouldn't play sound, this professor was locked out of his computer, this one couldn't print. All things said, I had about two dozen "incidents" that needed attention, and since our school was just a small community college, most of that work fell on my shoulders.
Our little school had been around for almost forty years, and it certainly looked it in some places. The main building was a four-story monstrosity of concrete, steel, and glass, while the newer, outlying buildings had a more aesthetic appeal. A baseball field in disrepair, a football stadium that lacked proper seating and lighting, and a drained swimming pool that hadn't been used in a decade completed the school grounds, all spread out over a few acres of property. Rumors had it that a new campus was going to be built in a neighboring town, but that was at least five years away from being completed, should they ever actually break ground on it.
Of all the support departments on campus, ours was certainly the smallest. There was only one other technician beside me; an older lab named Carrie that had been here for over a decade and deemed most of the work to be below her. She chose to spend most of her days in either our server room or one of the network closets spread out around the campus. Beside her, there was the manager of our department, a timid mouse in his late fifties named Matt. Most of the issues I handled day to day came directly from his inept fingers.
There were a few others who shared our tiny area as well. There was Ramon, the stocky bear who handled all of the media equipment such as projectors and audio systems; Dinah, the kindly old rabbit who served as both receptionist and purchaser for our department; and Maro, the red panda that handled all of our database work. Still, if there was someone out and about handling the issues that the faculty and staff had, it was me. And that was what I needed to get to now.
Reaching over, I turned off my monitor and caught a glimpse of my disheveled, masked face reflected in the darkened screen. I had only been working for the school for three years, but to see the way I looked at that moment I would've sworn it had been thirty. It seemed crazy that I had been a young programmer at a promising tech start up only five years prior. Sadly, it turned out to be not so promising as the company shuttered its doors after only fifteen months, kicking us all onto the streets. Being that a twenty-eight-year-old with a bachelor's degree in computer science was not a rare thing, it took months and months of job searching and interviews to finally be offered my position at Lone Pine Community College.
It had seemed like a great transition job; good pay and benefits that would let me pay the bills and stay afloat while I sent out feelers and resumes to various companies. Still, after a year of applying and enough rejection letters to wallpaper my small apartment, I was forced to stop thinking of it as a temporary position and try to find some pride in my work. It was difficult at times, especially when all the Estelles tried to bring me down, but I managed to get through. Well, I tried to at least. Pushing myself up from my chair, I grabbed my tool bag and radio and trudged out of my office, steeling myself for the issues I had to tackle.
Luckily for me, Estelle's issue was only an unplugged keyboard. Unluckily for me, the irate otter decided to prattle on and on about how technology was ruining the young students' minds. I slowly backed myself towards the door until she finally turned to rummage for some article that she had read that justified her stances, and I all but fled from her office. With my ringed tail dragging, I plodded off to my next task, and the one after that. And then the one after that. On and on I went until midday finally rolled around, the late summer sun beating down on me as I made my way back to the decrepit portable that served as the IT office. My stomach gave a rumble as I climbed the short flight of steps, and my mind wandered off to the tasty sandwich place across the street from the campus only to be snapped back to reality as the door sprang open and I had to jump back to prevent being hit.
"Nothing to worry about, Miss Rudolph, I'm sure he just forgot to turn his radio on. Once he gets back, I'll send him your way," Matt was saying as he backed his way out of the portable. The mouse finally turned to see me standing on the first step and gave the awkward smile that only he could manage. "Ah, speak of the devil. Caleb, we've got a new teacher that we need you to set up."
I had opened my mouth to deliver some sort of snide retort, but the words died before I could voice them as a tall feline stepped out from behind Matt, blinking in the sun's bright light. Ginger fur was interspersed with darker, almost cherry colored stripes and was covered by a sensible white blouse and a burgundy pencil skirt. Her black hair was drawn up in a bun while crystal blue eyes peered out from behind a pair of wire rimmed glasses. Lips curled into a smile as she reached out a hand to me.
"Pleased to meet you, Caleb. Matt was telling me all about you," she said with a lilt in her voice. "I'm Gabby Rudolph, the new math adjunct."
"Oh, um, it's nice to meet you, Miss Rudolph," I replied, hastily wiping my hand on my shorts before lightly shaking hers. "I was about to grab some lunch, but I can head over afterward and get you all taken care of, if that works?"
"That sounds great, Caleb. But please, Gabby is fine," she said, flashing another smile before she stepped passed me on her way back to the main building. I watched as she walked away, long striped tail swaying behind her with each step, but Matt's words snapped me away from that vision.
"Boy, if I was only twenty years younger," the mouse said. "And single."
I shot him an incredulous look, but he missed it as he leered after the retreating feline. Shaking my head, I stepped around him into the portable to drop off my equipment. Relieved of my burdens, I then made my way across the street to the sandwich shop, happy that it was far less crowded now then it would be in a week. The students loved the place, and there was usually a line out the door when school was in session. Now, however, there were only a few other patrons there as I ordered, waited, and sat to devour my delicious lunch.
While I chewed away at my meal, my mind flitted back to the new teacher, and this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I had met her somewhere before, but I just couldn't place it. Something about that ginger feline just seemed....familiar somehow, and I ruminated on that as I finished my sandwich. My phone buzzed in my pocket as I tossed my trash away, and I fished it out as I exited the shop. A text from Matt, and I couldn't stop the involuntary groan that escaped as I opened it and read:
'New teacher's comp hasn't arrived yet. Set her up w/re-imaged one instead.'
I shook my head as I made my way to the crosswalk, stashing my phone back in my pocket as I did. "Hasn't arrived yet" is Matt-speak for "I forgot to order it". Usually, I would end up taking flak from staff members over that as I would email them before a new installation, letting them know when and what would be going on and how they should prepare for it. This time, even though I was frustrated, it shouldn't be a big issue. New faculty rarely got brand new equipment right off the bat, so preparing an older machine for her shouldn't cause too much strife.
Once back in the office, I rummaged through the collection of old machines that we had stashed in a storage closet before finding one that was relatively new. Taking it back to my workstation, I connected it to the network, opened my imaging software, and began deploying the image while I searched for everything else she would need. Luckily, we had a surplus of new monitors, keyboards, and mice thanks to teachers and staff that decided they liked the ones they had. Two monitors, a few power cables, a surge protector, keyboard, mouse, and an ethernet cable were piled on one of the carts we had for just such an occasion.
Wheeling the cart back to my desk, I looked at the screen to see that the process still had roughly twenty minutes remaining, so I left the equipment there and made my way to Matt's office. I paused to chat with Dinah for a moment before rapping my knuckles on Matt's door frame, making the mouse look up from his computer.
"What's up, dude?" he asked me, making one of his ill-fated attempts to sound 'cool'.
"Working on the machine for the new teacher," I replied. "Just need to know where it's going."
"Oh, she's in Curtis' old office since he retired at the end of the semester," Matt said, adjusting his horn-rimmed glasses. "Do you need any help with the set-up?"
I lofted a brow at that, wondering why he offered to help when he never did that, but then I remembered the comment he made earlier and I shook my head. "Nah, just a quick set-up and run through, it's no big deal."
I almost laughed when his shoulders slumped at that, but then he shrugged and turned back to his screen. "Well, give her my extension and tell her to call if she needs help with anything."
"You got it, boss," I said, turning away and rolling my eyes as I hustled back to my desk. The image had jumped ahead as it was wont to do, showing a mere five minutes remaining in the process. I double checked everything on the cart, added my tool bag to the top of the pile, grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge stashed beneath my desk, and waited for the process to finish. Once done, I disconnected the computer, set it on the cart with everything else, and took off.
The sun was still bearing down as I made my way out, pushing the cart in front of me. I passed a few of the professors and other employees that I actually like, as well as a handful of those that I could tolerate as I trudged to the math building on the far side of campus. It was one of the newer buildings, maybe a decade old at the most, but it gleamed beside the concrete monster of the main building. I swiped my badge across the scanner beside the door and pulled it open, propping it with a foot as I steered the cart through in front of me.
The building was blissfully cool, the air conditioner pumping at full blast and I breathed a sigh of relief as I let the door close behind me. I turned left, pushing the loaded cart in front of me as I headed towards another door off the main hall that lead towards the teachers' offices. Turning the handle, I pulled the door open and again steered the cart through before following behind, letting to door close with a resounding click. I knew where her office was, Curtis had been a frequent "client" of mine during his time at the school. In all honesty, she was lucky to have gotten the office, down at the end of the corridor at the corner, almost half again as large as any other offices. I wheeled to a halt in front of the office, pushing the cart up against the wall, and poked my head in through the open door...
...and was greeted by the image of a burgundy clad backside.
The feline was hunched over a stack of boxes, rummaging through the top-most box and humming to herself as her tail flicked back and forth. I could not help but stare, not when presented with such a tantalizing sight, but when she straightened up, I pulled my head back and stood as still as possible. I could hear moving about in her office as I fought to calm my racing heart, mentally kicking myself for almost getting caught ogling the new teacher, yet something in the back of my mind wondered if anyone could blame me. I took a few deep, calming breaths before I turned, rapped my knuckles on the door frame, and poked my head back in.
She was placing a few items on the shelves of her bookcase, head turning to look over her shoulder and she offered me a smile. "Oh, Caleb, hello," she said, leaving the picture frame to sit on the shelf as she turned. "What can I help you with?"
"Hi again, Miss Rudolph," I replied, taking a step inside and gesturing out the door. "Just have your computer here to setup, if you're ready for it."
"Oh, please," she said and motioned to her desk as I gave a nod, stepping out to bring the cart in. "But I told you, Gabby's fine. No need to be formal."
I nodded and offered a little grin. "Yeah, sorry, just a force of habit with new faculty." I shifted the computer to her desk and began to unload the rest of the cart as well, setting the items in an order that would be easy to reach. I picked up the power cables and shot a glance in her direction to see that the feline had seated herself at her small, round table and was watching me intently. Shifting a bit under her gaze, I fed the cables through the slot on her desk and tossed the power strip to the floor before I stepped around the desk ducked beneath it.
"So," she began, and I shifted my gaze towards her again, only able to see those long legs, crossed at the knee with one foot bouncing. "How long have you been working here, Caleb?"
"Ah, about three years now," I replied, plugging power strip into an outlet, and then the cables into the strip before flicking it on. Climbing back out from underneath, I pulled the desk chair close and settled into it, glancing back over to her, her head canted to the side and a bemused smile on her face as she watched me. It was almost unnerving, and a little chill actually did run down my spine as I looked away, connecting a cable to the computer before grabbing one of the monitor boxes and began to open it. "Umm, how about you? This your first teaching job?" She looked a bit young, probably fairly close to my age.
"Mmhm. Finished my doctorate last year, spent some time as a sub, but here I am now." A brow lofted as she continued to watch me before she finally laughed and shook her head. "You really don't remember me, do you?"
I paused, the monitor half out of the box, and looked up at her with a confused expression on my face. I set it down on the floor and sat back, looking at her as she scoffed and shook her head.
"Holy shit, you really don't remember me," she said, laughing softly as she raised a hand and pushed her glasses back up her nose. With a Cheshire grin on her face, she then crossed her arms over her chest. "Sun Harbor University, linear algebra and discrete math."
It all suddenly hit me like a slap in the face; why she had looked so familiar and my mouth hung open. We had shared those classes, she usually sat next to me or behind me, in fact. But seeing her now was like seeing her for the first time. Back at school, she had dressed VERY differently, opting for jeans and shirts or hoodies as most students were wont to do. And she always wore her hair down, I remembered. And she never really spoke. It was difficult trying to reconcile the girl that I had shared classes with almost 6 years ago with the stunning teacher that was watching me carefully with a grin on her face.
"Holy shit," I muttered, shaking my head as a smile slowly spread over my face. "Wow, you...you look amazing! Jeez, you said doctorate? Ugh, I couldn't wait to get out of there."
Gabby laughed and gave a shrug. "It's what I wanted to do, and I remember. You and your friends were always trying to come up with some new ideas to market."
I flushed a bit, surprised that she had paid such close attention to me and felt a little ashamed that I hadn't returned it. It was true, my friends Donovan and Andrew could usually be found with our heads together, bouncing ideas off one another. Both had gone on to other companies and were now well established while I was...here. It was enough to make my smile flicker and fade a bit, but I just shook my head while I stared at her incredulously.
"Wow, I can't believe you remember that, let alone me. I mean, we weren't exactly the popular guys there."
She scoffed again. "It was advanced math classes, who exactly was popular?"
She had a point and I had to laugh at that. I leaned back in the chair, watching her as more memories flooded back. She went by Gabriella back then, or, at least, that's how the teacher referred to her. And she usually wore her hair down or in a tail, nothing like the bun she did now. I was still struggling to connect the memories with her as she stood, pulled her chair closer, and sat back down. "So, how did you wind up here?" she asked, flashing me a smile.
I let out a sigh at that, snapped backed to reality and shook my head. "Ah, you don't want to know that," I said, pulling the monitor out of the box finally and setting it on the desk before grabbing the other one and starting to pull it out to.
"Oh no, what happened?" she said, and I looked over to see genuine concern on her face. I gave another sigh and then launched into an explanation of the past five years of my life, from graduating, to my job at the start-up, to our shuttering, and finally to my position here. I worked as I spoke, hooking up monitors and keyboard and mouse, plugging everything in, and then powering it on and letting it load up. I finally lapsed into silence with a shake of my head, turning my attention back to Gabby and pushed a smile onto my face.
"Well, enough of my sob stories. What about you? Doctorate and now adjunct, huh?"
She looked a bit taken aback when I addressed her, as if I had snapped her out of thoughts, and it was a little odd to see her like that. However, before she could respond, her phone chimed, and she hastily picked it up off the desk. She tapped at the screen, brows furrowing together before she sighed and looked back up to me with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry, Caleb," she said, and looked like she meant it. "That's the department head. Apparently, there's something off with my paperwork and they need me to redo a few things." She stood, smoothing out her skirt as she did. "Maybe we can get together later? I've got some planning to do, but how about a drink tonight?"
I gave a grin and a nod. "Sounds good to me. I'll leave my extension on this when I'm done getting you set up," I said, gesturing to the computer. Gabby returned the nod and stepped out of the office, striped tail flicking around the corner and leaving me alone with my thoughts and the computer. I shook my head, grin remaining there as I set about completing everything I needed to finish on her computer, taking only a few minutes to make sure the internet connection was working, that she was properly connected to printers, and that all devices were functional. Lastly, I pulled a pad of post-it notes and a pen from my work bag, scribbled my name and number on the top piece, then stuck it to the bottom of a monitor screen.
Packing up the debris and my tools on the cart, I wheeled everything back out into the hot summer afternoon. I made my way slowly back towards our portable. It was cool inside, if not as nice as the math building, but it brought with it a flashing red light on my phone. I let out a heavy sigh, wheeled the cart back into the closet, and sat down at my desk to see what new headaches awaited me. Of course, Estelle was the first one up.
Tickets filled up the rest of my day. I spent a bit of time filtering through them and resolved all the easy ones, but it was still nearly five o'clock by the time I was finally returning to the portable to call an end to my day. I rounded the corner, my mind fully immersed in trying to figure out where I would get dinner that night when a voice rang out.
"It's about time you showed up. Do you know how hot it is out here?"
I looked up to see Gabby standing there near the ramp that lead to the door, hands on her hips and a little grin on her face. I let out a little laugh, shaking my head as I stepped up to her. "What're you doing here? I thought you said you'd call."
The feline huffed, crossing her arms and glared at me. "Well, if you were around to answer your phone, you'd know that I tried."
That didn't sound right, I had left them right where she could see them. I checked my watch, no notifications. I had opened my mouth to respond when it suddenly dawned on me and I cringed. "I left my extension, didn't I?"
"You sure did," Gabby responded, and I opened my eyes to see her shaking her head at me.
"Shit, my bad," I replied. "It's been a long week."
"It's fine, I understand. Still, you feel like getting that drink?"
My ears perked up at that and I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. I mean, I'm done for the day, I don't know about you?"
"I'm all set and ready if you are," the feline replied with a smile, that long tail flicking behind her.
"Absolutely," I said holding up my tool bag. "Let me drop this off and we'll head out." I hustled up the ramp and pulled open the door. I made it to my desk, stashed my bag in the bottom drawer, and glanced at the blinking light on my phone that told me tomorrow would be a long day again. A little sigh and a shake of my head before I turned my back on it and made my way out. Then Matt moved into my path, blocking my way to the door, wearing that shit-eating grin he always had.
"Hey buddy," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels. "How'd the day go?"
I knew what he was trying to do, he was trying to rope me in to staying late. It was a game he had played numerous times, but I wasn't falling for it today. "It went fine, but I've got plans tonight, so I've gotta get going," I replied, walking brusquely past him and pushing open the door.
"Oh, wha-...but," the mouse started to say, but he fell silent as I opened the door, his eyes widening as he looked past me outside. I turned and followed his gaze, seeing Gabby standing there wearing her grin. Her eyes looked from Matt up to me, a little bit of understanding there.
"All set?" she asked.
I returned the grin, looking back to Matt who stood there dumbfounded, looking back and forth between the two of us. "Sorry, boss," I said with a shrug. "Like I said, I've got plans." With that, I left the bemused mouse behind and made my way down the ramp to where Gabby stood waiting, offered her a smile, and the two of us walked off towards the parking lot.
We had made it about a hundred feet when Gabby glanced behind her before looking at me with a smirk. "That guy is creeeeepy," he said before laughing, and I couldn't help but laugh along.
"Nah, he's not that bad," I replied, shaking my head yet I couldn't help but remember the comment he had made earlier. "He's a bit of an idiot though. And unreliable."
"How can you work for him then?"
I sighed and shook my head again. "Oh no, we're not getting into the deep questions before I've got a beer or three in me," I said, making the feline laugh.
"Fair enough," Gabby said, holding her hands up. "Where are we off to then?"
"There's a beer garden up the way, good stuff on tap," I explained as we came to my car and unlocked it. I offered Gabby a look, raising an eyebrow. "Want a lift?"
The feline shrugged and then clapped her hands. "Let's roll!"
"Oh, come on!" Gabby shouted, swaying a little bit on her stool. "Come on, one more!"
Her hair had fallen out of her bun hours ago, and she looked a lot more like the feline I had known back in college, but I couldn't help but dissolve into a fit of laughter. We had been at it for hours, and with how drunk I was feeling, I could only imagine how she must have been. I managed to control my laughter enough to drain the last of my sixth beer and shook my head. "No, no, I've got-...I've got work tomorrow," I pointed at her accusingly. "And so do you, Miss New Professor."
The feline giggled, eyes watching me before letting out an overly dramatic sigh. "Fine, fine, you've got me, Mister IT Person," she said before she finished off what must have been her fifth. Setting the glass down heavily he let out another sigh, this one of happiness as she grinned across the table at me. "Oh, I haven't had a night like this in years! Thanks for coming out with me, Caleb, I needed this."
I waved a hand at her. "Pfft, no prob. After today, I needed a good drink."
"Or six?" she said, giggling again and I laughed along with her. The night had been something that I had truly needed: a chance to relax, have a good drink, and catch up with an old acquaintance. The hours had seemed to fly by as the conversations flowed along with the drinks. I had never really gotten to know her when we were in school together. Indeed, we had barely spoken at all, and getting a chance to know the feline had been a treat. It turned out we had a few shared hobbies and favorite shows, movies, and bands. It had been a great way to get to know someone that I, regrettably, had neglected to know before. Together, the two of us closed out our tabs, and then staggered our way out into the warm night air with an arm around each other.
I sighed heavily as we both slumped down onto the low wall near the street, looking around to see if any taxis were available and finding none. "Ah, I better order an Uber to get my drunk ass home," I said, struggling way too much to extract my phone from my pocket and nearly dropping it when I finally did. I took me a few tries to unlock it, and then finally opened the app. "How about you? Where do you-....uh, you okay?"
I had looked at Gabby to find her staring intently at me, a little smile on her face and striped tail flicking back and forth behind her. She nodded to my question, and shifted closer to me and I felt a rush of heat that had nothing to do with the alcohol. Hastily looking back at my phone, I finished the question.
"So....so where, uh, where do you live?"
"Caleb..."
"Because, y'know, if you're close to me-"
"Caleb."
"-then we could always split the ride-"
"Caleb!"
"-or take it to a mid-point, or-"
She cut me off by yanking the phone from my hand, and when I looked up, about to voice a protest, I was silenced by a soft pair of feline lips kissing me fiercely. My eyes were wide as I looked down at Gabby, her slim arms locking around my neck and keeping me in place. Her eyes were closed, and her body shifted to press up against me, and after a moment she pulled away from the kiss with a deep blush staining the ginger fur on her face. Her eyes opened, but she pointedly avoided my own, instead seeming overly interested in the collar of my shirt. My mouth hung open, staring down at her in shock and amazement.
"I'm sorry," Gabby whispered at my chest. "I probably shouldn't have done that."
"It's....uh, it's fine," I said, completely aware that her arms were still tightly wrapped around my neck. "It's just the alcohol, happens to the best of us."
"It wasn't!" she said with force, her arms tightening momentarily before she let me go and sat back, hands in her lap and eyes downcast. "Gods, Caleb, I've wanted to do that for years. I'm sorry, you're probably dating someone, or married...or just not interested..." Her tail sagged and I watched as her body shook, while all I could do was sit there dumbfounded. Here was a gorgeous feline, who I barely recalled and couldn't remember having much interaction with, telling me that she'd wanted to kiss me for years? Even if I hadn't been drunk, it would've been a hard situation to deal with.
Being that I WAS drunk, I probably could have handled it better. It was my turn to surprise her as I hugged her tightly from the side, making Gabby tense and look up at me in surprise. The beginnings of tears had formed at the corners of her crystal blue eyes, eyes that were wide behind her glasses and she gave a small sniff. "C-Caleb?" she asked me softly, almost as if she wasn't willing to believe the moment.
"I'm sorry," I replied, just as softly, feeling her body tense momentarily before relaxing. "I'm sorry, I...I never knew."
Gabby let out a watery laugh. "How could you? I never said anything, never did anything. We never really talked or knew each other." The feline let out a sigh and shook her head. "This was stupid, just a lingering schoolgirl crush, I guess."
My brows furrowed, and I tipped my head to see her better. She still wore that blush on her cheeks and looked away when she felt me watching her. We sat there for a few minutes like that, my arms around her while Gabby sniffled, occasionally lifting a hand to wipe her eyes. After a while, she let out another sigh and gently pulled herself away from me, and I let my arms fall away as I watched her carefully.
"I'm sorry, Caleb," she said again. "I wish I could just undo that."
Silence hung between us for a minute before I shrugged. "I don't."
Gabby slowly turned her head to look at me, eyes still a little damp and an incredulous look on her face. She studied me for a moment before frowning. "Don't give me platitudes, Caleb."
I shook my head. "I'm not, I swear."
She scoffed. "Then why?"
It was my turn to be uncomfortable, and I scratched the back of my head while my ears laid flat. I couldn't meet her gaze anymore and looked away. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I wanted to undo having a beautiful woman kiss me, but it's more than that. I got to know you tonight, and I wish I had gotten to know you back when we were in school, because...you're a good person, you're fun to be around."
We lapsed back into silence, and it hung between us before she asked in a small voice. "You think I'm beautiful?"
I looked back at her, eyes watching me over the rim of her glasses, and that blush had returned to cover her entire face. I laughed a bit and nodded. "Well, yeah. I mean, have you seen you? You're...you're gorgeous."
She smiled at that and looked away again. "I think you're very handsome, Caleb."
It was my turn to scoff. "Oh, please. I'm a dime-a-dozen raccoon, there's nothing special ab-" Her lips were on mine again, once more cutting me off. Even though I was as surprised this time as the last, I finally found enough control to kiss her back. Gabby pressed against me again, her arms once more around my neck while my own looped around her waist. My ears stood up at a soft sound she made, and my eyes opened a bit. Was she...purring?
The feline pulled back slowly, small tongue darting out to like over her lips as she looked up at me with that smile. "That one I won't regret," she whispered, making me smile as well as I leaned in.
"You shouldn't regret any of them," I said back before taking my turn to kiss her. I could feel her lips turn up against mine, felt her tail brush against my arms as they tightened about her waist, and her nails against my scalp as her fingers toyed through my hair.
"Hey, lovebirds! Get a damn room!"
We snapped apart like someone had shocked us, Gabby looking embarrassed while I glared over my shoulder at the portly canine that had left the beer garden. He laughed to himself as he staggered off, and all I could do was glower after him before turning back to look at Gabby.
"He's right," she said. "It's getting late and we should probably get going."
The moment was lost, it seemed, and I gave a half-hearted nod as Gabby stood up and dusted off her skirt. I stood as well, taking my phone back as she offered it to me and ready to call a ride again.
"So, my place or yours?"
My ears flicked up so quickly that I thought they might shoot right off my head. Did she just ask what I thought she did? I looked at her incredulously, and she just gave me that Cheshire grin.
"I might be closer, my apartment is just a couple streets away, if you'd like?"
I was aware my mouth was hanging open, and all I could do was nod. Gabby's smile grew wider, and she turned and started to walk away, my eyes fixated on the hypnotic swaying of her tail. She had made it to the sidewalk before she looked back at me, tail tip giving a flick as if to snap me back to my sense. "Coming?"
I nodded again, hurrying after her and falling in step as we walked. Neither of us said anything, but I tensed slightly when I felt her striped tail coil around my own ringed appendage. I glanced at her, but she just kept that little smile on her face as we walked. We had to stop a couple of times at crosswalks, and she would lean gently against me in those moments, purring again when my hand would find her hip. As we finally turned onto her street, we were hand in hand with each other, the feline leading me into her apartment complex, up a flight of stairs, and coming to a halt before her door. Gabby turned and looked at me, eyes gleaming slightly in the dim light, and I could not stop myself from claiming another kiss from her.
We stood there for what seemed like hours, locked in our embrace, before I felt her hands on my chest gently pushing me back. I pulled away and looked down at her while she just grinned. "Save it for inside," she said before unlocking her door and stepping in, leaving the door wide open and inviting as she disappeared into the darkness within.
I followed close behind as the light turned on, illuminating the sparsely populated living room; just a large sectional couch, a TV stand, and an end table that held the lamp she had just turned on. I closed the door behind me, eyes never leaving her as she seated herself and patted the cushions beside her. No sooner had I taken the offered seat than Gabby launched self at me, lips pressed hungrily to mine and the force knocking me onto my back. She climbed on top of me, hands holding my cheeks as that purring rumbled forth from her again. I could feel her thighs on either side of my own, squeezing gently as she settled on top of me. Our tongues dueled, my own hands falling to her hips and gripping there through her skirt. She pulled back slowly, her breathing already heavy as she looked down at me with that blush crawling back over her.
"I've wanted this for so long," Gabby whispered, fingers lightly stroking along my cheeks.
I lifted a brow at that, surprised at her comments while my own fingers kneaded at her hips. "Why though? I'm nothing special..."
She shrugged, hands leaving my cheeks and roaming down my chest, fingers pulling at the buttons of my shirt. "I dunno. I've always had a crush on you. I used to see you around campus before we had classes together." She had managed to bare my chest and her fingers sank into the fur there. "You were very, very cute, and then I saw you in class and you were always nice when you spoke, and always seemed excited." Nails bit through my fur to scratch lightly at the skin beneath and pulling a little gasp from me and making Gabby's smile grow wider still.
"I just always felt so...awkward, I guess, so I never did anything," she explained, laying her body down on top of me and nosing against my chest. Fingers still worked at the buttons to free them before she tugged on the fabric, pulling my shirt from my pants and easing it open fully. The feline sat up again, tail dancing sinuously behind her as she looked down at me, fingers and nails dragging through my chest fur as she giggled. "And then I walk out of that portable...and there you were. Felt like the gods giving me a second chance."
"I'm glad they did," I replied, my own fingers working along the waistband of her skirt. Gabby rolled her hips above me, and I drew in a sharp breath as she pressed down against my erection. I hadn't even noticed, and I wondered how long it had been there as I felt a rush of heat flood my face. She seemed to enjoy it, I heard her purrs roll forth as she rocked gently above me, her tail flicking side to side as her fingers curled to press nails against my chest.
We stayed there for a minute, Gabby slowly rocking above me, her breath catching occasionally, before her purring would begin again. I lifted against her, grinding back into her and drawing a soft gasp and moan from the feline. I let my hands roam, trailing up along her sides as she moved with more intensity, hips grinding down against me as my hands teased along the side of her breasts, still hidden beneath her blouse. Her hands abandoned my chest, pulling at the fabric of her blouse before it slipped free of her skirt. Smiling down at me, she began to undo her own buttons, starting at the top as my fingers joined the battle at the bottom, working up until they met. She let her arms fall as I eased open her blouse, the feline shimmying her shoulders to let the garment fall away and revealing the simple white bra she wore underneath. Glancing down at it, she giggled.
"If I had known how this day would go, I would've chosen something better," she said, her purr lingering at the edge of her words as she laid back over me. Lips met again and again and again, kisses soft and tender and lacking the fervor of even just a few moments ago. We savored each other, and I let my fingers roam through the fur on her back, marveling at the feel of it. She was soft and warm above me, fur and body responsive under my touch as I explored her back, feeling Gabby arch and press against me until fingers met her bra. I explored it by touch, seeking out the clasp while she dipped her face, nosing against the fur of my neck. I fumbled a few times, trying to unlock the catch and she giggled again.
"Having trouble back there?" Gabby asked before teeth raked my neck and made me shiver. "Need some help?"
"I can rebuild a computer from the case up, yet these things have always vexed me," I muttered, making the feline laugh. She pushed herself up again and my hands fell away, eyes eagerly watching as she reached behind her, her bra loosening a moment later, the straps slipping from her shoulders before she caught it, slid it off, and tossed it aside to give me a good look at her.
Gabby carried a few extra pounds on her, the same as me, but she carried it well. Her curves were exquisite, and I let my hands brush through the soft, sand-colored fur on her stomach, making her purr again. Full breasts were tipped with hardened nipples already, a ruddy color against her fur. Ginger and sand split them on either side, with cherry colored striped interspersed here and there, and the swells filled my palms, fingers kneading at the malleable flesh beneath, making her arch and moan softly, her hips resuming their gentle rocking.
I continued to tease and toy and explore her, enjoying the reactions I elicited from her. Gabby's hands had been exploring my chest again as well, but she trailed them lower, fingers drawing furrows through my gray and chocolate fur before they fiddled with the button on my pants. I looked up to her, watching that grin and the eyebrow she lifted towards me. The question unasked as she just pressed her hips harder against mine, grinding into me and drawing out a moan. I nodded, making her smile widen, but then she climbed off me, feet on the floor while looking down at me for a moment and allowing my eyes to wander over her again. The feline's lips curled, and she turned and walked away, beckoning with a finger as she disappeared down the hallway, striped tail flicking behind her.
I scrambled to get off the sofa, grunting a bit at the tent in my pants making it difficult to move. I stood carefully, trying not to injure myself, and then followed her in haste. I stumbled in the hallway, looking down at the bundle of burgundy fabric on the floor, realizing that she had shed her skirt already. Fingers fumbled with the button and zipper of my pants, legs kicking them off to leave them in the hallway with her skirt as I stumbled again, catching myself on the door frame to the bedroom.
"My my, someone's excited," I heard Gabby say with a laugh, And I turned my head to see her. She was leaning against the bed, backside on the edge and legs stretched out and crossed in front of her. Long tail swished behind her, and she had lost her glasses somewhere along the way. Hand were planted on the mattress behind her and a smile was on her face as she reclined there, clad only in her fur, panties laying discarded on the floor a few feet from the bed. I took a step and she held up a hand, making me pause. "Someone needs to catch up," she said, nodding towards my boxers, my own last shred of clothing. Barely believing that this entire situation was happening, I hooked my fingers under the elastic and pushed them down, kicking them off my feet to join her own abandoned underwear. Ears flicked up as I heard her purring grow louder, eyes lifting to watcher her once again as I stepped up to her.
Gabby was mostly covered in that ginger fur, cherry stripes cutting across at random spots. Softer fur, a sandy color, began at her chin and ran down the front of her body, blending seamlessly with the richer ginger. My eyes roamed freely, taking in the sight of each curve and nuance to her body, and when they met her face it was to see her own crystal blue hues focused straight ahead on my erection, blatantly broadcasting my arousal for the feline.
Smiling, Gabby drew her feet in before she slipped to her knees in front of me, those heavy purrs rolling from her as hands met my thighs. Fingers gripped through the coarse fur there and eyes lifting to meet mine. The blush had returned, and I would have found it gorgeous in any circumstance, let alone the current one. Her tail flicked as she smiled up to me and then closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.
"I've wanted to do this for so long," she whispered. Hot breath puffing out against my length and making it twitch in front of her before that pink tongue slipped out and drew along its underside in a slow, lingering lick. My knees shook at the sensations, her fingers gripping tighter as she repeated the lick, tasting me as I let out a long moan. Her tongue was slightly rough, and it stirred me in ways that I hadn't felt before. I had never been with a feline, and I was cursing myself for that when, after placing a light kiss to the tip, she wrapped her lips around me and took as much into her hot mouth as she could. It was bliss. And then she purred.
"Hooooly fuck," I managed to say as my knees threatened to buckle, placing one hand on her head to keep me steady and her on my length. Gabby faltered slightly, fingers tensing on my thigh, but it lasted only a moment before her head began to bob along me, tongue swirling and gradually driving my mind into a fog to a point where I couldn't even sense the passage of time. Nothing mattered to me except for the pleasure the sweet feline was giving me.
Fingers gripped at her hair, feeling a movement in my palm and I shifted it to see her ear flickering there. I trailed a tip along the soft fur there, making it flicker more, and then scratched gently near the base. Her purring grew louder, making me tense and throb in her hot mouth as she took me deep. Her throat relaxed and then tightened again, making my eyes squeeze shut and pant out a wordless grunt of warning. Gabby snaked her tongue along my length, pulling back until only the tip remained within her and sucked. Both hands found the back of her head and pushed her back onto me , my limit reached as I exploded in her mouth. A small whimper from her, and I could feel her throat working to drink down what I gave her, only to be replaced as another spurt filled her mouth again and again.
I slowly came back to my senses, and eyes drifting open to look down on her lightly lapping at me with that skilled tongue again, but it was too much. I took a shaky step back, felt her tongue leave me, and then I fell back to sit down hard on the ground.
"Oh! Caleb!" Gabby cried out, shuffling forward to kneel at my side. "Oh gods, are you alright?"
I leaned back on my elbows, canting my head up to look at her. Worry shone in those blue eyes as she leaned over me, a hand lightly placed on my chest and brows drawn together as she hovered there. A lazy smile came over my face and I chuckled lightly. "Ask me again when my brain starts working once more."
The worry on her face evaporated quickly, her lips curling into a smile again. "Liked that, did you?" she asked, leaning over me to rub her nose lightly against mine and making my laugh.
"Show me someone who says no to that and I'll show you a liar," I replied, making her laugh in return. Lips kissed the tip of my nose before pressing against my own lips. I closed my eyes as she started to purr, bringing her body closer to mine and then sighing softly.
"Caleb..." she whispered, and I opened my eyes to meet hers. "I hope you're not done, because I'm not and I want more..." I shook my head and she smiled, rocking back to stand again and giving me a sight up her body that would make any man envious. The feline's legs were spread slightly, and I could see the puffy lips of her sex between her thighs, the soft fur there matted slightly from her own arousal. She had offered a hand, but I ignored it, shifting myself onto my knees and moving to her to nuzzle against her stomach. She let out a little noise of surprise, and then a little giggle as I nosed against her, drawing in a long breath to inhale her scent. Floral and fruity from whatever soap she used, and the spiciness of her own excitement lingering at the edges. It was a heady perfume, and it dragged my mind further into lust.
I dipped my nose, catching her scent stronger in another breath, and shifted it between her thighs. A little gasp from her tickled my ears, and her stance shifted, opening herself up to me as my tongue slipped out to taste her as she had me not long ago. A soft whine escaped her as my tongue drew over her damp sex, gathering her nectar as I felt a hand place at the back of my head. I took another taste, and her fingers gripped my hair. A third lap and she was pressing me hard against her. My hands stroked along her thighs, feeling muscles tense and tighten as my tongue claimed more of her honey.
My entire world had shrunk to the trembling, squirming feline who I was feasting on. Ears perked towards her to catch every gasp, every whine, every tiny mew that escaped her as my tongue tormented her. I could feel Gabby's legs shake, and I held her tightly as she jammed my face against her sodden lips. The feline moaned, holding me tightly to her and I moaned in response, feeling muscles beneath my fingers tighten while my tongue continued to explore. I dragged that broad appendage up and down along her, gathering her leaking nectar and groaning at the taste, drinking it down like a man dying of a thirst that Gabby was only too willing to quench. I inched my nose in to rub over the hardened pearl of her clit, making her cry out while circling her entrance with the tip of my tongue. I heard her gasp out, fingers clutching at my hair and pulling a small grunt of pain from me, and then she pulled me away from her.
"No," the feline managed to pant out, fingers relenting in my hair as she stepped back on shaky legs to collapse onto the die of the bed. Her tail was lashing side to side, and she shook her head as I watched her with concern. She took deep breaths, gulping down air as she hunched over, hands gripping the edge of the bed as her whole body trembled. Fear gripped me, and concern, as I moved to kneel in front of her again. Slowly, gently, I placed a hand on her knee and watched as she slowly calmed down, the trembling stopping, and her breathing returned to normal.
"Gabby?" I asked softly, looking up at her as her head hung forward, long black hair blocking her face before she sat back and smiled at me. Her face was flush beneath her fur, and she lifted a hand to fan herself.
"I'm sorry, Caleb," she said, another little tremor going through her. "I was....getting dangerously close there."
I offered up a sideways grin. "No offense, but that was kinda the point."
Gabby, laughed, giving her head another shake. "No no, not just that. I felt like I was going to black out. Gods, Caleb, no one's made me feel like that in years."
Chuckling and feeling a swelling sense of pride, I leaned forward, resting my chin on her knee as my hands lightly caressed her thighs, fluffing the fur in the wrong direction as senseless murmurs of excitement came from her. "After what you gave me, it only seemed right."
She smiled again, a hand stroking my cheek down to my chin, soaked and matted from her leaking juices, and she coaxed me up. I stood slowly, hovering over her as her other hand paced at the back of my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. Lips met tenderly once again, but the hand at my neck grew needy, pulling me closer and I could feel her legs part as I moved between them, the gentle pressure of her thighs at my hips as she feel back onto the bed and pulled me with her. The kiss broke as she scooted towards the center of the mattress and I followed, on my hands and knees above her, eager to recapture those lips. Her hand caressed my cheek again, as the other slipped between my own legs to find me hard again, a soft purr accompanying the gentle touch.
"I want more of that delicious tongue," Gabby whispered, crystal blue eyes glinting in the dim light. "But that will have to wait for another time."
That caught me by surprise, and she must have sensed it as both hands had stopped. "Another time?" I asked her.
A slight nod and a bashful smile preceded her reply. "I don't want this to be a onetime thing, Caleb. I told you, I've wanted this for years." Hands urged me closer, bringing my body to her own, and then a kiss of heated moisture as my length grazed over her sex. Her breath hitched, legs spread to accommodate me between them, and her hand on me gripped tighter to guide me against her. That sweet heat returned, and my head tipped forward, looking down between our bodies to where her hand gripped again. I couldn't stop the moan that escaped me, and her own replied as she rubbed my head slowly against her, coating my tip in her juices.
"Caleb," Gabby whispered, and I looked up to meet her eyes as she nestled the head between soaked lips. A small whine for her as my hips bucked instinctively, gaining purchase inside her as the tip slid in. I felt her nails at the back of my neck, felt her legs wrap around me as our eyes remained locked for half a heartbeat until she whispered words that I had heard before, but never with the need and longing and desire that the feline beneath me did.
"Fuck me..."
I didn't need any more incentive, and I thrust my hips forward to fully take her, sinking in to her heated, velvety channel as Gabby screamed out in pleasure. The feline's legs tightened around my hips, and with that her walls as well. I grunted, feeling her grip and keep me buried within her, unable to find room to move. Our eyes met again, our breathing already heated as we stayed like that for a long beat, and then she tipped her head forward, pink tongue slipped past her lips to like lightly at my cheek. Her hips moved as her legs loosened slightly, allowing me the room to move, and I pulled back against her tension, snug sex trying to draw me back in, and I followed that silent pleading. Pushing forward again, she gasped once more, her nails biting through the fur at the nape of my neck to mark the skin beneath. Her tail trashed at her side as I fell into a steady rhythm, each plunge back into her a little sharper, a little rougher, a soft mewls of pleasure slipped from the hot little kitten beneath me.
"Yes..." she whimpered out, her nails drawing down my back , arching me against her and angling to thrust deeper within her. Words were lost to us after that. Feral instincts took over our minds and bodies, drugged by the lust and aided by the lingering remnants of alcohol. I drove myself into her, and her cries of passion only set me into another gear. Hips crashed against hers, each plunge accompanied by a wet smack when our bodies met again and again. Gabby began to buck against me, hips grinding and rolling every time I sank home into her. Her breath hitched, whines and moans growing higher in pitch and I could feel her begin to tremble. I wanted her release, craved it, desired nothing more than to feel that hot and snug channel grip me and milk me for everything I had to give her.
I slowed my pace, just slightly, and I watched her eyes flicker open, glossy and confused. I straightened up, hands finding her thighs as I stroked them softly. The grip of her legs loosened, and I rocked against her then, grinding against her as she whimpered and writhed. One of her hands dipped to where we were joined, fingers seeking out and furiously rubbing her hardened pearl, and a gasp escaped her when I gripped her legs behind her knees and lifted them. Higher and higher until her calves rested on my shoulders. Her mouth hung open, incoherent noises spilling from her, and then I leaned over again, and she screamed. Her hands fell to the sheets, nails clawing at them as I pounded into her roughly, hips thundering as her eyes screwed tightly shut. And then she clamped around me like a vice, back arching as far as possible as I leaned over her and drove myself hard and fast into her. A rush of hot cream flooded over my buried length, and she cried out as her peak came, driving me towards my own. I kept my pace, keeping her on that high as I sought my own release into her, and it came suddenly, a final thrust into her and I erupted again.
Hey eyes snapped open at that, and the sound of shredding fabric mingled with her cries as the feline joined me and came again, walls clenching hard and wildly as I filled her with my release. We stayed like that for a long moment, my buried length twitching and dribbling into her as she grasped and coaxed everything I had to offer her. Eventually, I sat back, and her legs slipped from my shoulders to come to a rest on the mattress. Gabby lay there, breasts heaving as she fought to catch her breath. Fingers relented on her mattress, a shaky hand lifting to brush back the hair from her face. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a smug and satisfied grin on my face, but I said nothing and just laid myself down gently over her. A small gasp at the movement, and I felt her walls grip at my softening length, fluttering against me as I leaned in to nose lightly at her cheek.
Gabby's eyes flickered open, lost and unfocused for a moment until she finally found mine. The fur on her face was stained with red from the heat flooding her as she smiled up at me, a deep and satisfied purr rumbling from her. Lifting her head, her lips brushed lightly over mine as her breathing slowly returned to normal. A hand found my cheek, soft fingers caressing there.
"I can't believe that actually happened," she whispered, fingers now tracing along my mask as her smile widened. "I just...I can't believe it."
I couldn't help but laugh softly at that. It seemed unreal to me as well, the entire day seemed a blur and a dream, but it was as real as anything. Eyes blinked closed as she pressed her nose to mine, one hand meeting her side and stroking lightly there, feeling her muscles tense and release beneath my touch. A slight giggle broke her purr, and then her hand drew me back in for another kiss, deeper, tender, and filled with emotions.
It could have been hours that we stayed like that, sharing soft kisses and gentle touches as we basked in the afterglow. Fatigue was beginning to wash over me, and when I finally pulled my flaccid length from her, Gabby whined. I slumped onto the bed beside her and couldn't fight the yawn that escaped me as the feline shifted as well, the two of us laying on our sides and facing each other. That shy smile had returned to her, and her fingers lightly caressed my chest.
"I'm so happy that you're here, Caleb," Gabby said. "Beyond everything that happened, knowing that it's you, that you're actually here, it means so much to me."
I returned the smile, an arm draping over her waist and pulling her closer to me, fur against fur as I felt the warmth of her body there as a comforting heat. "I wish we had done this before. We could've had years, but I'm glad fate brought us together now at the very least.
She laughed softly, and then our lips met again, her gentle purrs returning in force as she pressed snugly against me. In that moment, things felt right, like I had been working on a complex puzzle for so long and finally slotted the last piece into its place. We broke slowly, and I rested my forehead to hers. Gabby's eyes opened again, lifting to meet my own, and her Cheshire grin returned.
"So, you gonna spend the night?" she asked me softly, just a hint of mischief creeping in at the edge of her words. I chuckled and nipped lightly at her nose.
"Just try and stop me."