Warm Hearts, Warm Hugs (Short)
#13 of Warm Hearts
A short story made for International Non-Binary People's Day, dedicated to my partner and love. I started writing the Warm Hearts series before they came out as nonbinary, and as Finn has come to represent them more and more over time, it only felt right in my mind for Finn to come out as well. Here's a lovely short of a wonderful moment of gender euphoria they experience with their supportive boyfriend Vulcan.
Enjoy, and happy Non-Binary People's Day! You're valid and loved, no matter your gender or presentation.
Finn turned around to have their back facing the standing mirror, paws trembling just a bit as they took a steadying breath, their heart pounding in their chest. The buizel screwed their eyes shut as they did, worry overtaking them just a bit, their twin tails drooping behind them, before they felt a gentle, warm paw land on their shoulder and slowly run down an arm, gripping their own paw tightly.
The buizel opened their eyes and looked up at their boyfriend, the supportive typhlosion giving them a big, caring smile, and all their fear started to melt away. Vulcan's other paw wrapped around the other side of the buizel's paw, holding it in both as he bent over and gave them a kiss on the orange fur covering the back of it. Finn smiled as they felt the warmth of their fire type partner's breath on their paw, and they started to gently blush as they felt their face being cupped between the typhlosion's big, comfy paws.
"You'll love it, dear. I know you will," the typhlosion said, his words soothing the buizel's anxiety. His paws gently rubbed the fur on the back of their head and behind their ears, and Finn closed their eyes and let the tension in their neck fade away as they were filled with their boyfriend's love and warmth. Their tails started to slowly pick up off the ground and gently twirl as their breathing steadied, and their paws unclenched.
"Are you ready for the reveal, sweetie?" Vulcan said to his partner as he took his paws off of their face, returning one to hold onto one of the buizel's paws for support. Finn took a moment to breathe before silently nodding, not having the confidence to speak, but wanting nothing more than to do this right now. Without a moment more of hesitation, they turned their head back to look at themselves in the mirror.
As they looked behind themselves, they saw their own back in the mirror. Their tail had stopped twirling and had fallen back onto the ground in anticipation, and their arms were once more stiff at their sides. However, what caught their eye was in the center of their back, and they stared at it with apprehension that turned into a feeling of rising glee.
In the center of their back, where there were once two patches of cream colored fur, a third had been dyed in the center of the other two. It shared the same coloration and the same size and shape, as if it fit in perfectly naturally. They reached back tentatively with a paw and ran it over the fur gently, feeling it run against their palm. It felt perfectly natural.
Finn started to tear up a bit, before turning back to Vulcan, a smile on their face and tears forming in their eyes. Without a moment of hesitation, the typhlosion reached down and scooped up the smaller buizel in his arms, holding them against his chest. They listened to the sound of their boyfriend's gentle breathing and steady heartbeat as they gently cried into the warm fur, bigger arms wrapped around their small frame.
"It... it's perfect... exactly what I wanted to feel like..." they said, their speech muffled as they spoke into the typhlosion's chest, interrupted just a bit by deep breaths as they cried. Vulcan gave a gentle shh as he patted his partner's back, feeling their tails twirling once more.
"I'll always love and accept you, no matter what, my love," he said, only getting more happy sobbing from their significant other. He held them just like that for a few more moments before gently reaching up and tilting the buizel's head upward to look at him, seeing the tear marks around their eyes and the shaky but happy smile on their face. The typhlosion bent their neck down so that his nose was touching theirs, and gently nuzzled them, giving them a kind smooch on the forehead.
"My amazing little en-bui," they said with a smile, getting a laugh out of the bui they held. He gave them another smooch and held them tight, happy that their partner was now much happier in their own body.