FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Lyle paced in front of Noah's apartment door. The humidity tempered the winter chill enough that the osprey only wore a loose hoodie and jeans, which, from a pocket he fished his phone out. Noah had left him on read.

He wondered if this was some sick prank, if this wasn't actually his "friend's" address. He glanced over the apartment balcony to the parking lot outside. He recognized Noah's red sedan. He had to be--

The knob turned, which got a little gasp from the osprey. Despite being a tall bird of prey, Lyle had been skittish as a possum his entire life. Standing in the doorway, dressed in sweatpants and flannel was Noah. The hawk had a tall crest of black feathers on his head, with a hooked yellow beak and rust-colored plumage going down the sides of his face, neck, and chest to white feathers quickly being hidden by the flannel. His sweats hung a little loose, and he only had half his flannel buttoned.

"Sorry dude, I like to be in the buff when I'm alone. Let the feathers breathe a little, you know?"

"Uhh, yeah," Lyle said. "Can I come in?"

"Sure thing. Want a beer?"

"I'm fine--don't really like beer."

"Seriously?" Noah said, stepping back and waving inside.

Lyle stepped out of the cold, saying, "I just don't want to drink if I'm not going to be staying long. It's the end of the month, cops are looking to give tickets, and I don't want to get stopped with beer on my breath."

"Sure, sure." Noah shut the door. His apartment was well-furnished if small. A large smart TV hung on the wall by the door, with a couch in the middle of the living room, coffee table between it and a TV stand, and a desk along the far wall with a laptop opened up that Lyle glanced at before quickly looking away. The wings on his back clenched close in a grimace. Pornhub was open on it--he'd caught Noah in the middle of masturbating. Did that explain the smell? It was a bit musky.

A faux-granite countertop separated the kitchen from the living room. It had espresso and coffee maker, a big jug of whey protein for shakes, sleek appliances, and the fridge which Noah opened. He grabbed two beers, set one on the counter and the other with its lid at the counter lip. He smacked the cap off with practiced ease before opening the other bottle in the same manner. His talons clicked on the hardwood as he came around and offered one to Lyle.

It was some craft IPA. Lyle could stomach sours or pale ales, but he hated IPAs. When he frowned, Noah said, "Come on, dude."

Lyle took the beer and cradled it in two hands.

Noah tipped the dark amber liquid into his beak and swallowed with a pleased sigh. Lyle tried to mirror the gesture and cringed as that bitter flavor overwhelmed his tastebuds. Noah said, "Didn't know if you'd come over, if I'm honest."

"I... look, what you said at school is true," Lyle said. He glanced at the couch. "Okay if I have a seat?"

Noah sat on the couch and patted the cushion beside him. "See that's your problem. You gotta ask for even the little things."

Lyle sat down beside him, still hunched over and hugging his beer while his friend relaxed. "I know, I know. You said you had something to help with it, yeah?"

"I do, but you don't want to talk to catch up first, dude?"

"I just want to be better," Lyle said. "I'm tired of being anxious all the time. I want to be able to talk to girls without my feathers sticking up. I'm twenty-three for fuck's sake! I can't even go to a public bathroom without using one of the stalls."

"Easy my dude. Take a sip of your beer." Lyle did, holding back his grimace this time. "That's it. No need to get upset. Your boy Noah has your back."

"Thanks man," Lyle said. He set his beer on the coffee table and let himself sink back into the couch, sighing. "I'm just tired, and I can't afford a therapist or meds for this stuff, and I don't have anyone to talk to cause--"

"You need friends to help you through your shit, but your shit keeps you from making any friends."

"Exactly! Er, I mean, I'm just..."

"It's all good, I get it. Don't want to die a virgin, yeah?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Noah took another drink then got up. "I'm going to take a leak then get the thing to help you with your shit."

"The-the 'thing?'" Lyle said.

But Noah was already down the hall. "Just chill here. I'll be back soon."

Lyle tried to "chill" best he could. That involved him getting his phone and browsing twitter while Noah peed with the door open. A flush, then more talons clicking over hardwood--no handwashing. Did Noah just have no decency? Or maybe he didn't care what Lyle thought of him. Maybe that might be worth trying to imitate.

Thumbing through twitter, Lyle started when Noah threw something into his lap. "Here. Got this for you."

It was a pair of goggles with a slight, bluish tint to the lenses.

"But I don't need goggles," Lyle said. Avians did not have the faces for traditional glasses, so they wore goggles instead when they needed corrective lenses.

"You don't, but you do need these," Noah said. "They're called Soothers, big tech stuff that's only in prototype right now."

Lyle held them up like they might carry an infectious disease, examining them closely. They looked like normal black leather goggles, but the strap clearly had small speakers built into it where they would go over the ears. Lyle asked, "How did you get these?"

"Uncle has a big title in a software company. Whole family's rich dude, why do you think I'm fucking around getting a film degree?"

"Ah," he looked around. "They pay for this place, too?"

"Yep!" Noah said. "Don't get me wrong, I know rich families are fucked up, that rich people can't be trusted and stuff. That's why I try to be lowkey about it: modest place, cheap car, the works. Try not to let myself get as out of touch as my folks."

"I see," Lyle said while Noah crashed back onto the couch. He unlocked his phone and said, "Want to see how it works?"

"Sure thing." Lyle handed the goggles over.

"I have this app paired with it, see?" Lyle had to lean over to get a good look. On Noah's screen an app booted up with a big, sans-serif S tinted blue with a coral background. The app popped into a menu, and Noah explained, "See, it connects to your goggles and you wear them throughout the day. They use a cellphone signal to communicate with the app and keep to the settings you put them on. Then it uses a bit of shifting color and white noise to influence your mood."

"Seriously?"

"For real! This is scientific shit, like color theory. In Tokyo there was this train stop where people kept killing themselves, and guess how they brought the number down to zero?"

"They, uh, painted the trains to be really bright?"

"Haha, nice guess, but these weren't accidents, dude. Suicides, remember? Anyways, they made all the lights at the station blue and boom, everyone chilled out. These work the same, and use a little bit of ASMR in the headphones to help, too."

Lyle leaned back and took another sip of his beer, regretting it almost instantly. He coughed and placed his bottle on the table. "Okay, so I use it and it's like an antidepressant or something?"

"Better, it won't just chill you out, dude, it'll make you easy-going, confident," Noah said.

"Okay, so what's the catch?"

Noah's wings shrugged. "There isn't one."

Lyle could be made to do a lot of things when pressured, but accept a gift at face value wasn't one of them. "I have to owe you something."

"Just wear them and let me know if anything weird goes on."

"Okay, where do I get the app?"

"Uh, yeah, about that, I'll have to run things on my phone."

"Ugh," Lyle fumed. "That's the catch."

"Hey, hey, if I could I'd give it to you, but I mean it when I say these things are still prototypes. No official app on the market. My uncle could lose his job if it got out that one of the early versions got leaked."

Lyle checked his phone again. At the top of the screen was a notification from Anna, his lab partner, about meeting on Monday. He'd been too nervous to open it up despite having gotten the message an hour ago. He shook his head and told Noah, "Alright, but let me see what the settings are first, yeah?"

"You got it, dude. Here, just open this screen here and..."

***

Lyle did not notice anything right away. Noah told him to keep the goggles on as much as possible, so after getting them set up at Noah's place he headed home. He worked up the courage to schedule a meeting on campus with Anna and spent the rest of Sunday playing games on his computer. Per Noah's request, he didn't mention the goggles to anyone. The Soothers were, far as anyone might know, back up goggles while he waited for a new pair of contacts to come in. He also could not find anything online about the product, so Lyle could only trust Noah's word.

But they worked. He wore them to bed and found the white noise they played made it immensely easy to sleep. The next day he picked up on the difference while waiting at the bus stop to campus. Usually waiting around made him nervous, but this time he just enjoyed watching the trees across the road sway. He admired the way Spanish moss clung to the branches of a cluster of oaks in the early morning light. He didn't need his phone to create distractions, didn't eye other pedestrians as potential dangers, just focused on the sway of the trees. By the time he got to the campus library he felt less distractible, soothed. Despite his impending meeting with Anna he did not frantically review conversation topics or need to deal with the usual bunch of caltrops churning and tumbling in his stomach.

He found Anna at a broad table with booths in the back of the library's café. She had her backpack open on the table, books spilling out the mouth while she worked on a macbook next to it. Anna was a slender secretary bird, with a modest chest, curvy hips leading to plump thighs he longed to touch. She might not be eye-catching to most other anthros, but Lyle had a crush on her since the start of the semester.

She offered him a smile as he set his bag and butt down in the seat opposite of hers. "Hey Lyle, like the goggles."

"Uh, thanks, contacts got sent to the wrong address."

"Ah, an osprey with bad eye-sight--what are the odds, huh?" she asked conversationally.

"You're telling me," Lyle said, holding up a scaly hand, "It is not easy getting contacts in with these. Usually I have to keep one of my claws trimmed for it." The lie came easily--without any kind of concern that Anna might point out his claws had always been the same length.

"Yeah, kinda like having a lesbian finger."

"Lesbian finger?"

"You know, cause girls with long nails or claws need a few trimmed to--" the feathers on the top of her head stood up and she shook it. "Nevermind, not worth getting into."

Lyle felt a pang of disappointment--was Anna not interested in males? He said, "Never heard of a lesbian finger before."

Anna shrugged, "I'd not till I started dating girls. Big difference from guys."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm."

"Do you still date guys?" Lyle asked, some of his nerves returning. Even with the Soothers this felt like such a pushy question to ask.

"Yeah, rarely, though! Good men are hard to find."

"I know what you mean."

"Oh, are you queer, too?" Anna asked.

Lyle's stomach leapt into his throat. "Uh," he swallowed it and lied, "Yeah, bisexual actually, but you know how it is..." he tapped his claws on the table, saw she was waiting for him to finish speaking, so he added, "Gay guys can think you're just screwing around, not serious, you know?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah, I've had some lesbians treat me like that." She reached across the table, offering her hand. Did she? Lyle took it, reciprocating her soft smile before she said, "It's cool for you to share that with me. Feels like we have, I don't know, this connection, yeah?"

Lyle, strangely, did not feel terrible when he played along and said, "It does, glad we're getting the chance to know each other."

She giggled, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting it go and saying, "Anyways, before we get to work I'm gonna get something to drink. You want anything? My treat."

"Oh no, I can get--"

"Two coffees then," Anna said as she stood.

"Uh, fine, one cream one sugar for me, please."

Anna winked. "Sounds like we take our coffee the same, too."

She trotted off and Lyle released a sigh he'd been holding in. Well, if Anna ever found out the truth he would be in serious trouble, but a little lie couldn't hurt, right?

"Look at you!" He started as Noah appeared, sliding into the booth beside him. "Lyle with the style already charming the ladies."

"How did you--"

"GPS on the lenses." Lyle gawked, which turned into a scowl when Noah squawked with laughter. "Kidding! I have classes on Mondays. Saw you stepping into the library and thought I'd check in on you."

"Uh, thanks," Lyle said, scooting back to create some space between them. Noah wore the same flannel as yesterday with a pair of black skinny jeans.

"So, how are they working? Any problems, headaches or dizziness?"

"Uh, not yet?"

"Alright, cool. Remember we're product testing these things so if there is an issue let me know."

"Okay, anything else?"

Noah smirked. "What's the matter, don't want me meeting your girl?"

"Not yet," Lyle said. "You're a bit much."

Noah laughed again and clapped Lyle's shoulder. "Damn, these things are working. Never heard you be so up front with me, dude. Alright, I'm out of your feathers--text me if you need anything, and be sure to switch out the batteries tonight like I showed you."

"I got it, I got it," Lyle said, noting Anna was already coming back with their coffee.

Noah passed her with a friendly wave before she sat back down. She slid Lyle his coffee and asked, "Cute guy, you two an item?"

Lyle's feathers puffed out. "Uh! No, sorry, I'm pretty sure he's straight? I mean--" he cleared his throat, scrambling, "I mean, he is cute, but I don't go for guys unless I know they're like, 'available,' yeah?"

"Mmm, yeah. Well if you don't I will. Did you see the bulge in his jeans?"

"Haha, yeah," Lyle lied. He never really noticed that type of thing. "I'd worry about taking something like that."

"You and me both, girl."

Girl. He shuddered when she said it, tingling from his spine to his crotch. Why did it feel good to be called that?

"Oh, sorry," Anna said, "I know some queer guys don't like--"

"It's fine, really," Lyle said with a little smile. "I mean, look at me. I'm not exactly an Adonis, so I don't mind being one of the girls."

"Hehe, you really are not what I expected, Lyle," Anna said fondly.

Lyle wasn't what he expected, either.

***

"I just don't know what to do," Lyle said to Noah. The pair sat at a table for two in a dimly lit pub, a bowl of corn chips between them, and two drinks. A pint of beer for Noah and a cider for Lyle that Noah teased him about. Lyle at this point couldn't care less for drinking a "girly" drink. He just could not stand most beers.

Noah, who had been scratching the underside of his beak, asked, "I mean, what is the problem?"

"The pro--ugh--" Lyle's wings flared a little before he tucked them back. "I can't be dating a girl if she just treats me like her gay best friend." He was more embarrassed than upset. The Soothers seemed to take care of any anxiety at this point, but they didn't muddle or dim his other emotions. He'd been flustered more times than he cared to admit in the last week.

"Listen, dude, just be forward with her," Noah said. "She knows you're not gay. For all you know she's into you! Certainly sounds like she is."

Anna did flirt with him pretty openly. This morning she sent him a picture from a changing room with her soft, slender midriff showing in a low-cut tank top and short-shorts. It came with the message: Doing some clothes shopping for spring, what do you think? Lyle wouldn't have imagined getting the picture a week ago, but he had hung out with her a lot in the last week. They had become fast friends, but the fact that's where it ended...

"I just can't?" Lyle said. "I don't know--something feels off. Every time I work up my courage something feels off."

Noah's brow quirked. "How do you mean?"

"I don't know? Like you ever get the sense that, 'Oh, this isn't the right person for me?'"

Noah shook his head with a sigh. He took a long drink from his pint, wiped his beak, and asked, "Didn't you just want to get fucked? Like wasn't that the goal? Who said anything about marrying her?"

"I know, I know, it's just--"

"You're acting like a girl about this," Noah said. He clasped his hands together next to his beak and said in a mockish voice, "Oh Anna! Are we really meant for each other? Does she love me, does she not, does she love me--"

"I get it, fuck!" Lyle snapped. He hid behind a drink of his cider while Noah laughed at him.

The hawk offered Lyle a winning smile and said, "Oh come on, are you really mad at me?"

"Yes," Lyle pouted.

"Come on, you know I'm only teasing," Noah said. "You love hanging out with me."

"For some crazy reason," Lyle grumbled. He had spent a lot of time with Noah lately, playing video games together, getting lunch between classes, hanging out at pubs like this one. Regardless of all his teasing, there was something roguishly charming about the oaf. That "handsome-and-I-know-it" attitude even worked on Lyle, and he wasn't even into dudes!

"Hey, seriously, though," Noah said to get Lyle to look at him. His reddish brown and black feathers had flattened a little, wings slack, elbow on the table, hand tilted to Lyle, the top three buttons of another flannel shirt undone showing the thicker plumage at his chest, to those sharp golden eyes, and that smile--Lyle gasped like he was just seeing Noah for the first time. "It's okay if she isn't the one. I'm not really going to think less of you for taking your time," Noah said.

"Uh, um, thanks," Lyle said and took another drink of his cider. He didn't feel drunk or buzzed, so why did he feel flushed? A heat rose to his face and surged through his chest. Noah held up a hand, making eye contact with their server and said, "Hey waiter..." he started ordering them food, but Lyle's brain tuned it out for this opportunity to take him in. He was a bit of a stud with his broad shoulders, athletic build, the way he bantered with their waiter, both males laughing, but the server was an ambiguous cloud compared to how radiant Noah looked, till he turned back to Lyle and frowned.

"Everything okay, dude?"

Lyle started out of his reverie. "Yeah, sure. I just--I don't have any money for..."

"Don't worry, it's my treat. I know how broke you are, let's just hope folks don't think we're a couple after they see me buying you dinner," Noah said before grabbing a chip and tossing it up into his beak.

"Right, right," Lyle said. He took a deep breath, feeling weird but grateful Noah didn't seem to notice.

"Any updates on the goggles by the way?" Noah asked.

Lyle adjusted the Soothers on his face a little. "Working fine. Though, I'm worried I'm getting a little too attached to them. I took them off to shower yesterday and nearly flipped out halfway through my shower."

"Why not just wear them in the shower?"

"Uhh, are they waterproof?"

"Of course! Wouldn't do if the things broke in the rain, right?" Noah asked.

"Oh, obviously," Lyle said. "Duh, don't know why I didn't think of that."

"It's cause you know to leave the thinking to me," Noah said with a little wink.

Lyle scoffed. "I'd trust you to think for me about as much as I trust you to go to the bathroom with the door closed."

"What?" Noah gasped. "I am wounded, Lyle, wounded!"

A bubbly giggle escaped Lyle before he could catch it.

"Oh that was cute," Noah said.

Lyle grimaced. "Shut up, no it wasn't." He'd been laughing like that a lot since wearing the Soothers. It both embarrassed him how unmasculine his laugh could be, but also because everyone pointed it out when they first heard it. "And cute, really?"

"What? Guys can't be cute?" Noah asked.

Feeling baited, Lyle quickly said, "That's not what I meant--there's nothing wrong with guys being cute but that's not... what's with that look?"

Noah took a long, smug drink of his beer before saying, "Nothing, you're just cute when flustered."

Lyle stared, wide-eyed and confused. "Ar-aren't you straight?"

Noah shrugged. "Don't remember mentioning it."

"But you... you talk all the time about..."

"What? There's nothing wrong with liking more than girls."

Inside Lyle's head, storms that were once locked in their boxes raged and blasted any cohesive thought from his skull. He got up and said, "I need to go to the bathroom." It wasn't until Lyle sat in a stall that he noticed the erection he sported. All from Noah simply flirting with him. He didn't go back out till the erection went away, and, by some great mercy, Noah dropped the subject when he returned.

They ate, Noah paid for their meal, and they left together. Lyle expected them to part ways at their cars, but Noah said, "Hold up a moment." Lyle faced him on the sidewalk and almost flinched when Noah reached for his face. The brush of Noah's hand made him shudder, as his friend adjusted his goggles. "Strap was a little crooked." Noah winked and stepped back. He made a playful salute and said, "Call me when you're ready to hang out again."

He spun on his heel, and Lyle wordlessly watched him strut back to his car, admiring his back. His shoulders were broader than Lyle's, with a triangular torso compared to the osprey's much flatter shape. Longing swelled up in Lyle the second Noah ducked into his car.

Did Lyle have feelings for Noah? How? And why did the prospect make Lyle feel good instead of terrified?

***

Noah haunted Lyle for the rest of the evening. A sluice had been dragged open in his chest, and now all this feeling rushed through him when he pictured his friend's face. It scared Lyle. At first he tried to play videogames and shove it from his mind, but with every lull in the game he thought about Noah's hand brushing his face. Maybe he had been in denial about guys this whole time. Maybe he'd been so anxious about trying to fit in he'd missed some truth about himself.

He eventually collapsed in his bed, hugging his body pillow to his chest. He hoped to smother the longing between his ribs, but his heart still stubbornly beat. Each pulse this throb for a boy of all things. He'd had crushes, but nothing had ever felt like this.

Lyle dug his phone from his pocket. Was he gay and just never noticed? He pulled up his chat log with Anna and looked at the picture she sent again. She did look good. Lyle's bit down on the pillow. Maybe if he was pretty as her Noah would... would what? What did he want? He shivered thinking of Noah calling him cute again. Anna did look hot in the picture, but it felt strange to think that. He wanted Anna, but Noah was a better prize by far. If he had to choose which one was in his mattress right now, he would pick Noah. His sighed through his nares at that thought, wondering what Noah's touch would be like, what he'd smell like that close, how warm he'd be...

Maybe he was horny, but that consideration felt silly. He didn't want to cum, not without Noah... his cock did stir a little, arousal making the osprey whine into his pillow. He felt like he was going crazy. He didn't know what to do. What to say to Noah. Lyle knew he couldn't hide this in front of him. He might be an oaf, but Noah was a smart oaf.

Because he was still there, he texted Anna: You up?

A few seconds passed. Read. Typing... Yeah what's up?

I think I have a crush on Noah and I don't know what to do about it. Lyle's fingers hovered over the message, hesitating to send it. Once he did, he knew he'd squander his chances with Anna. He needed to talk with someone, though. He sent the message.

Aww, hun

*hugs*

I kinda figured you did

Lyle nearly squawked reading that final message. He typed back, You did?

I mean, not at first. But the last couple days you just kept talking about him, and when he met us at the museum you just lit right up.

Lyle didn't know how to respond to that.

Anna saved him the trouble: Does he not know?

I don't know. I think he flirted with me today. Told me he might not be straight.

Omg, Anna responded before adding, Go get him, girl

His hands shook a little as he answered, You think I should?

I don't know him that well, but that sounds to me like he wanted you to know he's available.

Shit shit shit

What are you still texting me for???

Lyle took the well-meaning reprimand to heart. He switched to his chat with Noah and simply sent, Hey, is it too late to come over?

Uhh, sure dude. Everything okay?

Lyle didn't bother responding right away. He threw on a coat, grabbed his keys and wallet from a bowl by the door and was out his apartment. He fell into his car, slamming the door shut and starting the ignition. He barely remembered to put on a seatbelt, and didn't remember to respond to the text until stopped at a light. He merely sent, Everything's great. I'll be over in a bit.

***

Noah smiled as he locked his screen and tucked it in his back pocket. It took a little longer than he expected, but the Soothers had worked wonders on Lyle. He went to his bedroom closet and got out a set of items: condoms and lube he placed on the nightstand.

He retrieved his phone and opened the app. On its main menu were the options: Mood, Tracking, Health. From "Mood" he went to an advanced menu and tinkered with the settings just slightly. An array of sliders moved to make Lyle that more receptive to Noah, to obeying him, lusting for him.

Of course Lyle had fallen for him. Noah made sure the Soothers did just that. Most of the suggestions were implanted in his friend's psyche while he slept: little things that nudged Lyle to enjoy certain ideas, certain bodies. They did help with Lyle's anxiety, but with the right settings and long enough exposure to the Soothers, they could chip and chisel someone's identity into something new.

Noah did not really need a pet. He had no trouble getting sex, had a housecleaner take care of his apartment once a week. Still, the idea of owning someone, having all that adoration, why not take it? Meanwhile, if Lyle was happier under Noah's control and completely cared for, did it matter that his osprey friend wouldn't have accepted this lifestyle even a week ago? He'd not been joking when he'd told Lyle you couldn't trust rich people.

Any guilt Noah might feel for his actions had been washed away after spending the week with the new and improved Lyle. His friend was so much happier, how could Noah's little intervention not be right? Although, Lyle... they would need a new name for him and his new life. One slider he'd been nudging all week was Masculine/Feminine. At this point, it was only a few degrees off from being completely on the feminine side. Soon, Lyle would want a new body almost as badly as he wanted Noah.

A knock on the door called Noah's attention away from his preparations. Only wearing jeans, he went to answer the door.

***

Noah left Lyle breathless when he opened the door. He had his typical smug smirk. He was hot. Trim waist, flat stomach, the gentle slope of his pecs, all covered in a soft layer of feathers thickest in center of his collarbone. He had a thumb cocked in his belt loop and leaned against the door frame, striking a pose.

"Hey," he said, like Lyle's beak wasn't hanging open a little.

Lyle shoved him. "You jerk!"

Noah laughed and threw up his hands, backing away. "I've done nothing wrong!"

"You knew!" Lyle accused, following him inside and shutting the door. "And now you're gloating."

Noah cocked his head, still grinning. "Knew what, huh?"

"That... that..." even now it scared Lyle to say. What if Noah was just teasing him--No, he wasn't that person anymore. He embraced Noah, claws digging furrows into the black feathers running down his back. Lyle shuddered. Noah was so warm. Strong and healthy, fit and fine. Lyle nuzzled into the taller hawk's neck, taking a deep breath of his scent. Noah had a dry musk touched with the floral notes of some cologne he applied in the mornings. Lyle had smelled it plenty of times, but now felt like the first time he really let himself savor that scent.

Noah returned the affection, running a hand up and down Lyle's nape, nipping the osprey's black crown.

Lyle felt relieved and overwhelmed at once. He fought down a sudden sting of tears in his throat and asked, "Why didn't you... you never said a thing to me?"

"Just one of those things, Lyle," Noah whispered. "You can't just tell someone what they are, what they want, you got to let them figure it out."

Lyle leaned back, but only so far for Noah's strong arms were wrapped around the small of his back. Lyle ran a finger down Noah's eggshell-white front and whispered, "I still don't know what I am. I... I just..." bashfully he met Noah's gaze, "I know I want you, Noah. Even if I have no idea where we go from here."

Noah stroked Lyle's cheek. "We'll take it slow, okay?"

"Maybe not too slow?"

Noah chuckled. "Oh yeah?"

"I was... um, is it alright if I sleep here tonight?" Lyle's wings puffed up a little, cheeks growing flush at the base of his beak.

"Hehehe, do you want to stay here tonight?"

Lyle buried his face in Noah's chest before he managed a muffled, "Yes."

"What was that?"

Lyle did not look up. "You heard me, jerk."

Noah laughed and gently led them both over to the couch. The top of his calves nudged the armrest and he fell back over it, onto the couch with a startled Lyle falling with him. The osprey propped himself up on his elbows. "A little warning next time?"

Noah smirked. "Never," he said, and nudged Lyle's beak tip with his.

"D-did you just--"

Noah cupped the back of Lyle's head. "You want to, don't you?"

"I-I just... I've never kissed anyone and--"

"Sh-sh-sh," Noah cooed. "I'll teach you, just follow my lead."

Heart thumping hard enough he was sure Noah felt it, Lyle tried to relax. He sucked air through his nares as Noah's head tilted, beak opening, sliding into place with Lyle's. He opened his beak with Noah's, those hooked tips nudging at the corner of their mouths while Noah's tongue explored his. Lyle shuddered against the bigger male, his pulse rocketing, cock stiffening. Noah tasted good. His tongue rubbed up and down Lyle's, tastebud on tastebud, swapping saliva while the tender lip on the inner part of his beak pressed against his partner's. It short-circuited Lyle. So much so his lungs burned when Noah broke the kiss.

"Remember to breathe, silly," Noah said with a chuckle. "You got to breathe when you're kissing."

"Ho-how?" Lyle said in a gasp. He was panting, overwhelmed by a simple kiss already.

"Hahaha, through your nose, nerd."

Lyle managed a scowl. "I know that, jerk!"

Noah let his head rest on the couch. "Then prove it."

Goaded, Lyle kissed Noah, quickly locking their beaks like before. This time he controlled his breathing, and the tango of their tongues left Lyle trembling on top his partner. He gasped when Noah grabbed a fistful of his pert rear. Strong fingers kneaded his cheeks through his jeans, and he ground back into it. Until just now it never occurred to have his butt played with, but of course they would. What else would Lyle be doing but thrusting his tailfeathers in the air and getting mounted? He moaned into Noah's maw as heat flushed through his chest and crotch in ways it never had before, and he began dry humping against his partner. Lyle never knew need like this. Each broken seal made him more desperate, more hungry. He wondered just how far he'd fall in a single night, and why the thought of falling excited him so much.

Noah had to force Lyle off him to bring the osprey back to reality. He sat up, panting, and asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Heh, nothing at all, hun."

"Hun" caused another little shiver. Lyle liked the pet name a lot.

Noah sat up, Lyle straddling his lap, and said, "How about we get this shirt off you?" He fingered the hem, but Lyle grabbed his wrist.

"I'm--are you sure?" he asked. "I'm not built like you."

"Who said you had to be?"

Lyle's beak opened and closed. No one had, but he hugged his arms around himself and said, "I don't know, I just don't get it, you know? Why me? I'm not that pretty or--"

"Stop with that," Noah said. "That's the old Lyle talking, and that's not you, alright?"

Blinking back tears, Lyle nodded.

"Let's get this shirt off," Noah said. He reached behind Lyle and undid the buttons between his wings before pulling it off. "See? That wasn't so hard."

Lyle had been rail thin as a teenager, but in the last year had put some weight on his gut. With a sweater or hoodie it was easy to hide, but Noah didn't even mention it. His hands teased down Lyle's bare sides, and they felt good, really good; like Lyle waited his whole life for that touch. His erection had not gone down, and now the only thing standing between the two men and nudity were their pants. Noah rubbed his thigh, claws clicking gently over the denim.

"Alright if we take these off next?" Noah whispered.

"Only if I get to take yours off after."

Noah grinned. "It's a deal. Stand up for me?"

Lyle did, and Noah scooted in front of him, for the first time touching Lyle's erection. He had an average cut cock that was nothing to write home about. He never expected to impress anyone with his size, just hoped someone might like him enough to not worry about it.

As Noah rubbed it through the denim, Lyle, trembling, said, "Tease."

"You're adorable all worked up," Noah said. He popped open Lyle's jeans. "Might have to leave you this way all the time."

"Y-you wouldn't dare."

"Hehe, you'd love it," Noah growled. "Bet deep down you're a complete slut."

Lyle's tail hiked as if in confirmation. Why did getting called a slut have to feel so good? So right.

Noah undid the zippers that ran down the back of Lyle's calves, opening up the legs of his jeans so the talons wouldn't catch on the fabric. Noah moved like Lyle's feathers weren't standing on end, as if they had all the time in the world. Finally, he tugged the jeans down two Lyle's knees, boxers carried with. His cock bobbed in the air, stopping as it pointed a little to the left. The smooth shaft rose from a feathery pubic mound. His balls, covered in spotted white feathers, were drawn tight. Lyle watched Noah's nares flare a little.

"All that need," he said, his hands now touching, squeezing, teasing his inner thighs. His claws roved his flesh with the easy control of ice skaters, circling, spinning, working him up but never touching his shaft or balls. "I bet you'd cum in a few pumps."

"F-fuck, Noah..."

"You want it bad, huh?"

"Yes..."

"Mmm, I bet you can wait." With ease, Noah grabbed Lyle's hip and shoved him back on the couch. He landed with a whimper as Noah stood.

"Get the rest of your pants off then you can help me with mine."

"O-okay," Lyle breathed, quickly shimmying out of his garments. Thinking it only natural to be completely nude, he reached for the Soothers to remove them, too, but Noah grabbed his hands.

"Leave those on, hun."

"But--"

"You mentioned getting close to a panic attack when you took them off to shower, yeah?"

Lyle nodded as Noah smiled down at him. It was a loving look. Not a command to wear them but concern for Lyle.

Noah said, "This is your first time doing any of this. I don't want you to get overwhelmed soon as you take those off."

Lyle didn't want that, either. He was sure once this felt normal he could go without the goggles, but for the time being it only made sense to keep wearing them. He said, "Yeah, duh, I'd hate to get this far only to run away."

"You'd be seriously blue-balling us both," Noah said.

"I'm sure that's all you care about."

Noah winked. "What, you think you're here cause I like you or something?"

Lyle had a mind to shove his smug butt away and leave right now, but Noah hooked his thumb in his pocket, cocked his hip and just... Lyle would be crazy to leave a stud like this, especially with the noticeable bulge traveling down the leg of his pants. "Jerk," he grumbled. "Why do I like you again?"

"Mmm, cause I pay for lunch every time we go out?"

"I guess that counts for something..."

"Oh come on, Lyle!" Noah laughed and said, "I'm sorry, jeez. You know I adore you."

That got a happy little shudder from him. Satisfied, he reached for the button of Noah's jeans. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Lyle asked.

Noah still somehow managed to come out on top with, "Not as hard as you're going to be."

"Oh hush... oh..." Lyle had unbuttoned and undone Noah's zipper, and the hawk's musky scent rewarded him with a head-spinning aroma. He'd been smelling Noah all this time, but this new scent struck differently. Lyle nuzzled into his crotch. Noah hadn't worn underwear. His white feathers ended at the cut of his Adonis belt, turning reddish brown back to black right at his pubic mound. The base of his cock was just exposed and looked almost thick as a can of beer. Lyle was barely aware of Noah's hand on the back of his head, scritching his nape affectionately while some primal instinct made Lyle need the other male's scent on his face: a strong and rich scent with salt and freshly rained dirt, a bit musky from staying inside his jeans all day. It was perfect. Noah's pubes muffled Lyle's lost little moan.

"Mmm, that's it." Noah gyrated his hips. "Get a good whiff. You're gonna smell like this by the time I'm done with you."

That promise made Lyle's dick jump and squirt pre onto the floor.

Without thought, he tugged Noah's pants down. His nuzzling renewed now on the heavy cock before him. His lover's scent stronger with the black feathered balls and firm shaft free. Noah's tool weighed enough it drooped to the ground. An alpha in every way for Lyle to worship. His hands wrapped around the shaft, its flesh soft and warm, a little strange at first touch. Noah's pulse raced through it, beating against Lyle's palm, foreskin drawn tight around the glans of the mushroom head. The flesh was a charcoal grey, with a dark red cock head. Dangling, a bead of pre on Noah's urethra caught his eye. Lyle lapped it up. The salty taste so inviting his beak stayed open, tongue darting across its meaty head.

"Easy there, hun," Noah gasped.

Lyle relented and asked, "Am I doing a bad job?"

"No no, but if all you do is tease me there it'll be too much. Like you don't just rub your tip when masturbating, yeah?"

"Oh, yeah," Lyle said. "Sorry."

"No apologies, okay? Especially not for sucking my dick."

Lyle giggled, nuzzling the cock in front of him. "I think I can manage that. What should I do then?"

"Open that beak wide," Noah growled. Lyle did, careful to let that shaft rest on his tongue. Noah placed a firm hand on his head. "Relax your throat. If it's too much, touch my thigh, okay?" Fingers clenched on the edge of the couch, Lyle tried his best as that fat tip wedged itself inside his throat. Eyes watering, he managed not to lose his cool. It felt strange but not bad. Unlike some other anthros, avians had sensitive throats and very precise gag reflexes. Suppressing it went against his body's normal impulses, but Lyle kept calm as cock sank farther down his body. Noah's fingers clenched through Lyle's black crown into a fist. That pubic mound came to nestle against his beak, and suddenly all of Noah was inside him. Lyle's whine came out practically strangled by cock. His throat felt strained but not in pain.

"So good," Noah whispered. "Such a good girl." Lyle's claws left furrows in the couch. A good girl. That felt as nice as getting called a slut earlier.

Noah began to work his hips, his motions steady and careful--not too much at once for Lyle, whose throat soon felt scrubbed raw. The pressure was a stimulating buzz that tasted and smelled of Noah. The hawk's virile scent smeared inside Lyle--the thought his breath might stink of his lover's cock making it difficult not to jerk himself to completion. Something stopped Lyle from doing that, however. More than getting off he wanted to please Noah; whose pace picked up while drool began to leak out the corners of Lyle's mouth.

Lyle's cheeks flushed red as Noah used his throat. Dick soon began to plunge in and out that tight hole and the bludgeoning Lyle took soon felt good. It was so much sensation and all of it transferred to pleasure. Each stab in his throat a reminder of how much he pleased his master. How much of a good girl Lyle was. His half-lidded eyes rolled upwards and he quivered. His meager prick dripped on the floor, balls drawn tight. It would take nothing for him to finish.

In and out, his whole world at a stand still. The taste of master's cock and precum as it slicked and sprayed across his gullet. Lyle swallowed and whined and begged, cut off each time by more meat slammed inside his soft, tight, willing body. His throat visibly bulged on the apex of each thrust. The sloppy scent of Noah had him intoxicated. One moment, Noah was slowly humping in and out his face, then a haze of bliss, then Noah cursing, both hands holding Lyle's face as he came.

Those heavy, black-feathered balls jumped then dumped a hot gout of seed into Lyle's throat. He swallowed, and Noah growled, hips jerking forward and back before the next spray of sperm. It was slimy and thick, virile seeming just in its weight and warmth. Noah pulled out, furiously jerking his cock in Lyle's face, who happily kept his maw hanging open. Cum spilled across his beak and tongue, that thick taste finally snapping whatever held his body back. He groaned, still clenching the edge of the couch as he came hands free simply from the taste of his master's seed. Noah aimed his cock lower, and several more ropes of cum splattered his chest, thick webs of jizz matting his feathers, lower still to his crotch where Noah spent the last of his load. His prodigious amount drenched Lyle, making even his cock smell now of his master's musky finish. That stench of semen so overwhelmingly strong it made Lyle drunk on it, too dizzy to even move.

A gentle pat on the cheek brought him back to reality. Noah, squatted in front of the couch, dick still dripping between his legs. He said, "Hey, we're just getting started, okay?"

"St... started?"

"Baby girl, by the end of the night you'll beg me to own you."

Baby girl. Ownership. The smaller Noah made Lyle feel the better he felt.

"Only if you want it, though. Is that what you want, Lyle?"

"I..." was it even a question that needed answered? Lyle shook his head, trying to regain some amount of consciousness before looking Noah in the eyes. "I want you, Noah."

"Even if I want to be your master?"

"Anything."

"Heh, good girl. Now let's go back to my bedroom and start your training."

Training. Noah made something so kinky sound so simple, so matter-of-fact. But if it was Noah, Lyle knew he'd be taken care of, even--he dare not say it aloud because it felt too sudden--even loved. He wanted Noah's love, everything else came second to that simple fact.

Hand in hand, Lyle let Noah lead him down the hall and into his new life.