ID - Chapter 1: Misbegotten Bravery

Story by Kitani on SoFurry

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All characters in this story are figments of my imagination. Any resemblance to real persons or other fictional characters not owned by me is purely coincidence. Trust me... I'm really not all that well read.

The only exception, so far, is "Chris". He is a part of my multifaceted Fursona.

Also, all business names and brand names used in the story are there for purely immersion purposes! No sponsorship or product placement is going on here. PLEASE don't sue me for writing this...

This story is set in a fictional depiction of the real world. Real locations are used.

For a vague description of the past, and how the world evolved to it's current state, please read the Intro and Prelude chapter...

Chapter 1

For some reason unbeknownst to Chris, Karina was awkwardly silent for most of the morning, and the ride to work. He knew that he was feeling better than he had in a long time. No attempt at conversation lasted longer than a few giggles, maybe a little shrug, a single word answer, or the most recent marvel of social interaction...

"Sure you don't wanna' meet me for lunch?" he asked as he opened the car door.

"Yep." she answered.

"A'right... Later, Silent Bob..."

She rolled her eyes, scoffing quietly as she cranked the car stereo's volume to a conversation-killing level. With one hand she gave him a dismissive wave, then drove off.

With a little shrug of his own, he made his way inside. He managed to get there with nearly fifteen minutes to loiter before his shift. This meant one of two things. Either a quick stop at McDonald's to get an ice cream for either Candie or Ami, whoever was working today, or do a little shopping for stuff he's been out of since he went to the hospital.

Feeling a swell of bravery (and figuring they wouldn't mind him being a few minutes late, considering what happened to him), he decided to do both. It only took him about five minutes to pick up a few things (can of spray-on deodorant, jumbo bottle of shampoo, conditioner, and a gigantic bag of Jolly Rancher candy to keep him sugar high for his shift). Luckily McDonald's wasn't busy so he had plenty of time to get the ice cream cone, and get out back to put his bright blue vest on.

After getting it out of his locker and retreating to the break room to put it on, he saw the only other person back there was Ami, a fluffy-figured panda with an adorable smile (which she flashed him on the way in of course) and unpredictably dyed hair (which was currently pitch black, with bright purple bangs). She was gobbling down a six-piece of chicken nuggets when he set down the ice cream in front of her.

"Present. 'Cause I missed you." he said, a little grin on his lips.

"Oh shut up. You had your chance." she replied, letting out a laugh as she reached for the cone.

He snatched it back up quickly, giving her a mock-up wounded pout, half turning away in sarcasticly dramatic distress.

"Oh, thanks! A guy tries to be nice after getting assaulted in a filthy bathroom, and you shove it back in his face? What a great friend!" He scoffed, turning fully away from her so he wouldn't have to hide his wicked grin.

"Ahh! Soorrryyy! I didn't mean it! I missed you toooo!" she whimpered up at him, sounding almost genuinely shocked and sincere. It almost made him feel bad for tricking her like that. But not quite. He turned back around, plunking the cone back down in front of her.

"Better." he said with a false firmness. Something they knew all too well around here. It was his thing, in a way. The guy who could be so casual and friendly, yet not put off one of those 'creep' vibes. It didn't take much for him to make friends around here.

"When did you get out?" she asked, muffled a little through a tongue-full of delicious ice cream.

"Last night. I'd love to talk about my totally wacky hospital shenanigans, but if I get into it now I'll be late..."

"Awwh..."

"I know. I know. Lunch time later? My treat. Feeling great and generous and stuff for some reason." His offer sincere as he quickly tugged on his vest.

For some dumb reason, he felt like he missed the damn thing. Martha Stewart would be hard pressed to find something to match that color, but he actually started feeling safer now that he had it on. A bright blue that would make a smurf jealous, with the store's logo on the left breast of the vest. His had a little golden pin shaped like an asterisk (Wal-Mart's current special logo, which to him looked kinda' dumb), and a big tin button advertising the PlayStation Move that read "Yay! Buttons!" and showed off the buttons on the controller. To feel so strongly for his vest was a strange thing, but he payed it little mind.

"Sure! Oh, and Krista's here! Be warned! Randal's on lunch but he'll be in too." she replied, and he left it at that. Time to start working! Well... as much work as he usually did. Lazily, he wandered back down the hall to go out onto the sales floor near his department. About half way there he saw the double-doors bump wide open, revealing a tan and mocha furred husky push through. Jasmine, the day time full-time woman in electronics who usually passed off keys to him before she left.

Usually, she'd just flash a smile, toss him the keys, and be on her way home. Maybe once in a while she would tell him a few things that needed to be done, or new releases to put out, but not today. This time, she walked right up to him, and gave him a hug! Unexpected, but not unwelcome. She may have been more than a decade older than him, but she was still an attractive woman. He returned the hug politely, but gave her a strange look when she kept eying the door afterward.

"What's up, Jasmine? Forget something?" he asked, figuring something mundane was going to be her answer. Small talk while he swiped his name badge to clock in.

"No... Nevil's out there keeping an eye on the cabinets until you get out there..." she replied, looking a bit worried. This made him feel like something strange was going on.

"Oh, like anybody's smashed the glass before. I mean, Tyrel last year, but he worked here, and it was accide-..."

"No! Listen..." she barked, cutting him off with narrowed eyes. "Get out there, okay? Corsi's out there with her new boyfriend. He looks right pissed and keeps glaring at her. She looks like she's scared. I can't do much and security's already been told, but just get out there..."

"Oh... Okay. No problem..." Damn. That had him worried for sure. After snagging the keys from her, he made his way out, casually swinging the two sets of keys by their little rubber-coil wristbands kinda' like they were his own personal ninja-chucks.

* * *

Immediately after stepping out and around the corner to his department, he could tell she wasn't kidding. Only, it seemed to have escalated somewhat since she left. The guy - a bulldog easily just over six feet tall and built like a bouncer under his thuggish clothes - was looming over the cowering Corsi, her back pressed against the edge of the register's counter top.

He had to do a double-take. Corsi was dressed for work that day, but didn't have her vest on. She, a house-cat breed with silky black fur and bright green eyes, tiny but curvy figured and gorgeous long black hair (accented with an adorable bow clipping it away from her face on one side), was wearing a cute little white button-up blouse with short puffed sleeves, over a pair of black slacks. He could see her name badge sticking half out of her pocket, too, meaning she was probably on break at the moment.

"S'cuse me, sir. Lookin' for anything special?" he asked, defying his usual 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on other peoples' drama. He couldn't help it. She looked genuinely terrified of this guy. Boyfriend, eh'? He had a suspicion that this guy wouldn't be one for long.

"Piss off, speedy." was the only response from the muscled thug.

"Oh, clever. Cheetah. Speedy. I get it..." A sarcastic retort slipped from Chris' lips before he even had the time to think about what that might mean for his safety.

The bulldog grunted, shoved Corsi into the counter causing her to mrowl out in surprise, and turned to face Chris with a 'bad boy' posture. Eyes narrowed to glare.

"What was that, pussy?" he asked, head cocking to one side as he tried to stare down the cheetah.

"Ahhm... Nothing, sir. Just asking if you need any help."

"Naw... I can deal with this bitch all on my own..." A grunt, and the bulldog raised a hand, moving to backhand Corsi where she stood against the counter.

A feeling of... anger welled up inside of Chris. Quicker than he could process. Without even thinking, one hand snapped out, swinging a set of keys (which, if any of the readers have ever worked a big retail store know, was not just a few keys. We're talking almost a dozen here.) at the side of the angry bulldog's head.

_ ** Thunk.** _

That sound wasn't something Chris was sure he wanted to hear. It meant he hit, which technically was the intention of doing that, but he wasn't quite sure what his full intent was, or if he had a plan to follow up with.

"OW!" the bulldog yelped out, his aim no longer to hit the cowering feline. He turned quickly, pulling back a fist to swing toward Chris!

Again, acting before thinking, Chris swiftly lashed the other set of keys hard against the other side of the bulldog's head, causing him to pause for just a fraction of a second. The first set was swung in a quick momentum-building circle, before making a low under-handed arc, landing with a merry clink and a wild yowling from the bulldog... right between the legs. He fell back, growling in a little higher pitch than before.

"... Yeah, that's right." Chris was on a roll. Why start thinking when he could simply roll with it? He knew he'd be in trouble for assaulting a customer anyway, so playing the hero was the only way to make a social profit out of this mess. "C'mon, now! Man up... Raise your hand to her again, I dare you, dawg!"

With nothing but another growl in response, the bulldog pushed himself up and away, stomping off toward the front of the store.

Chris's posture visibly relaxed, eyes widening, a deep breath escaping him.

"... You hit him..." Corsi said in a low, disbelieving whisper. "You stopped him..."

"Yeah... Sorry about that. Hope I didn't make anything wor-..." He was starting to apologize when she nearly attacked him with a hug! Quickly, his arms fell around her shoulders, hands lightly patting her back. "Hey... you okay?"

"... Thank you..." she mumbled against his chest, drawing a little smile from him. Pride. He actually just did that. He pulled some (now self-labeled) ninja skills out of nowhere and generously donated a smack-down to that asshole. A victory already today, so early in his shift.

"No problem. Guys don't hit girls. Especially ones as cute and pretty as you. It's the rules. You don't break the rules." One hand gave a little rub along her back. An attempt at reassurance, which seemed to work as she gave him another hugging squeeze. Truth be told, she was lightly blushing beneath the fur on her cheeks. Hiding like this against his chest was just letting her compose herself before letting go. She had no idea he could be so sweet. So brave.

From behind Chris came the voice of control. The shrill, subtly growling whine of an irate middle aged brown bear. Krista. The Assistant Manager of Doom. Chris' nemesis, if he had one at all in the store. She was the bane of his existence here. From the menial tasks she'd send him on, to the vulture-like circling she does nearby to catch him doing things wrong, he would pretty much swear that she was out to get him. The tone she used when she spoke made him feel like he was a four year old who just pissed on the couch. A mindless child to be scolded. Irritating. Infuriating.

"What the hell is going on, Christopher!?"

He hated that name. Chris, or nothing, but she'd never listen.

"Nothing, now..." he said, letting go of Corsi, whom turned away and quickly composed herself.

"Oh really Mr. Qinan? I just saw you beat up a customer with keys! I've told you a thousand time not to swing your keys around like an idiot and now you're just hitting people with them?!"

Corsi started to turn and say something, but Chris quickly shoved a Jolly Rancher candy in her mouth, before holding up a finger to shush her. Smirking, he turned around and looked at his brown furred nemesis.

"Yeah... I hit him. Must be some sorta' post traumatic stress thing..." he started to say, feigning distress and sympathy for what he'd done.

"I can oooonly imagine what possessed you to do that..." she said abruptly, interrupting him with a roll of her eyes and the same sarcastic grin she always tended to have while talking to him in particular.

"I wasn't finished." he said firmly, giving her a (now) sincerely offended look as he interrupted her. "I heard from someone that Randal was here today. I'm gonna' call him now, and see if he's available to do an Open Door Policy talk with me about this. Okay? Do you follow me, Krista?"

"Don't use that tone with me Chri-.."

"That's not an appropriate answer to my question, Krista. You're being rude." Without another word, he turned away. Much to his surprise, Corsi was gone. Though, after thinking about it for a few seconds, he could understand why. Back-talking Krista was like arming a nuclear weapon. This couldn't go anywhere but badly. Picking up the phone near his register, he dialed the number for the manager's office. If Krista was out on the floor, then he must be in there. Luckily, he was right.

"Randal speaking." he heard on the other side of the phone.

"Heeyy. Randal. I need to invoke my right to the Open Door Policy. Considering my track record with Krista, I think it'd be better for me to ask to talk to you instead of her..."

"Ah... Come back to the Quiet Room. I'll be there in a few minutes."

That was music to Chris's ears. Though it was quickly interrupted by a brown bear's growl, and Krista reaching out to grab the phone from him. He didn't wait to hear what she had to say. After acknowledging a thankful and apologetic look from Corsi with a warm smile and a goofy thumbs up, he quickly made his way out back to the room they had named 'The Quiet Room'. It was a dumb name, considering you only really went there to be interviewed or be yelled at by a manager.

* * *

He had those few minutes to think. Why did he get that bold? He hasn't actually had a fight since the earliest years of grade school, and even then it was only once, in self defense. Sure, he's seen people do dumb things, mean things, even outright cruel things to good people. It's made him wanna' lay a beat-down really bad. But he's never done it. It's never been worth the violence. Why now?

... He was assaulted...

Something so terrible happened to him that it must have broken his mind, somehow. That was the logic he managed to piece together just before Randal walked into the room. A very professional older gentleman. A (formerly) gray and brown furred Raccoon, now mostly just graying in some places, showing his age.

"Krista already told me what you did." he said in a somber, rather serious tone. His face wasn't one of mirth nor amusement. He had his 'you're in a lot of trouble' face on.

"I figured." answered Chris as he slouched back into his chair. Thankfully they were a more comfy sort of chair. Cushioned, with arms, almost like something you'd have in a post-modern living room, or upper-class family den.

"I can't make excuses. I hit him. With the keys." he continued. One hand fished into his pocket, pulling out both sets to plunk down onto the table.

"You're aware that there are very strict policies against workplace violence here. Under normal circumstances you wouldn't have even been allowed this privilege." Randal was taking this calmly. Something was going on, here. The words were those of someone with sympathy, who still wanted to warn the accused of what they did wrong, and the consequences.

"I know... and that's what's suddenly starting to make me curious..." After a moment of thought, Chris realized something. Not startling. Not frightening. He just... didn't feel concerned. He knew he should. He knew the logic behind all of it, and how lucky he was right now to not have just been yelled at and fired. He did not know, however, why it didn't really bother him at all.

"Considering recent events, and what you've gone through, I don't think it's the right decision to let you go for this... incident." As Randal was explaining, Chris' mind tried to turn around faster and faster. Tried to look at all the angles. What other options were there?

"We are, instead, going to refer you to a Psychiatrist. I will arrange for you to have a limited amount of sick leave, until after that appointment. Today, you need to go home, and clear your head. I can only imagine what you were thinking that made you do what you did."

"Thank you..." There wasn't anything else to say. No explanation. No apologies for what he didn't feel sorry for. He stood up, flashed a little smile, and left the room.

On the way out, he took a more round-about route through the store that would hopefully let him avoid Krista. As he reached the front door, he found someone he didn't expect. Corsi. She was talking with another cashier near the self-serve checkouts. Immediately upon seeing Chris, she broke off the conversation and rushed over.

"You're leaving?!" she asked, looking rather worried.

"Just for today. Apparently beating up some asshole and helping a cute kitty gets me a few days of sick leave and an appointment with a shrink to see if my head's okay." He shrugged, and glanced out toward the parking lot. "I just need to find a ride home."

"I'll give you a ride!" she blurted out, not really thinking, or asking where he lived.

His first thought was something along the lines of -I wish!-, mind obviously running somewhere inappropriate with the offer... but as she grabbed at his hand and tugged him toward the door, he snapped back to reality.

"Thanks!"

* * *

The ride home was interesting. He found out that she was at least twice as observant behind the wheel as Karina, but also twice as vulgar when someone did something on the road that got in her way. Needless to say, the ride home was fun. Refreshing in a way.

Driving up to the front door of the apartment building, she pulled into a spot and looked over at him. A shy little smile on her face, eyes wandering everywhere except to meet eye contact. He didn't share the same shyness right now, and just popped off his seat belt.

"Wait!" she cried, and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. He paused, looking back over at her with a curious tilt of his head and a twist of his ears in her direction.

"... Thanks. For all that... I didn't think he was such an asshole. I mean... people said stuff, but... you know how people are, right? Sayin' all sorts of stuff about people to make them look bad..." She paused, took a breath, and let out a soft sigh. "... Maybe I should start to listen..."

"Nah'. Listening is for people who're afraid of taking risks. You never know what you'll find if you don't go grab at it for yourself, right?" He shrugged, giving some sage advice from the apparently mentally unstable.

"... Maybe..." she answered, before leaning up real quick to give him a kiss on the cheek. Quite near the corner of his lips. A miss-aim perhaps? He wondered...

"Heh'... You're welcome." he said, before he started to get out of the car.

"I didn't think anyone would help me... I hoped, when I saw you, but... I didn't think you were that brave..." Her tone was apologetic. That's not really a nice thing to say. To her surprise, he didn't seem offended. He simply gave a little shrug, paused outside the door before closing it, and gave a curious reply.

"... Neither did I..." Without another word, he closed the door, and made his way inside.

Maybe he was going through some sort of post-traumatic thing. Normally people would have been worrying about getting fired, or whether or not they were going crazy, but the only thing he could seem to think about was that beautiful kitten that just drove away. She wouldn't have given him the time of day before today, but now... It still didn't fit together.

* * *

The next day. A boring day. Chris had already received an email about the mandatory psyche appointment with the work-appointed psychiatrist, replied with a very simple "Sounds good to me!" and left it at that. The day was dreary, clouded over with high chance of mid-day rain, and he had nothing to do. Karina had an earlier shift than usual, so she would only be home after the store closed that night. The only company he had to keep his mind from wandering too far was his precious video games!

His Royal Highness PlayStation 3 and Her Majesty the Wii were his best friends for a few hours, before they got boring and he decided to troll around on the internet for a while. Lazing around in a pair of shorts and an old band tee (Foo Fighters, if you're wondering), wrapped in his favorite blanket, he wasted quite a few hours of the day. As much as he was having, he noticed a huge spike in connection lag before he heard an even more massive crash of thunder outside! He turned quickly toward the balcony, just in time to see the mid-day rain wash over the city in a torrential downpour at nearly seven o'clock. A flash of light rippled through the clouds above, just within line of sight, before a much closer rumble of sound shook him to the core.

Moving to the balcony door, he stood silently watching the rain and lightning dominate the sky. Flashy shows of light and deep rumbles of sound amidst the constant treble of heavy rain. Exactly what he needed to keep his mind off of more troubling things. That is, until his buzzer went off. Someone was at the main door to the building. Quickly moving to the intercom, he tapped the button.

"Who is it?"

"Corsi! Lemme' in!" came a quick reply from an adorably frantic feline.

Corsi? She sounded urgent. Maybe something bad happened...

"Corsi? Are you okay?"

"Just let me in! I'm cold, I'm wet, and I'm wearing a white shirt!" That final point she drove home with a firm tone. What her plan was by doing so, was beyond Chris's feeble mental state.

_ ** Click. BRZRZZZ!** _

Her plan worked. Mental images swam in his head, though he was quick to shake them out. It didn't take her long to get up the stairs or to his apartment. Just long enough for him to dump some garbage in the bin, push some clutter into a corner, and close Karina's bedroom door. Soon enough there was a rapid knocking against the door! Not even thinking that he was still in that just-out-of-bed outfit, draped in a blanket like it was some sort of super hero cape, he tugged the door open to let her in. Her poor trembling form slumped toward him, just far enough to let him close the door.

His brain went tumbling again. Vulnerable, beautiful feline in front of him, trembling, cold, wet, looking for help. He was at a bit of a loss!

"Woah... Wait. Why are you -here- of all places?" he asked suddenly.

"I w-w-was over at Mm-M-McDonald's about a minute away and thought y-you'd maybe wanna' join me, so I w-wandered about half way here when the _ rain _ started..." Still trembling, she took a slow glance around her surroundings. Not a bad place. At least a small effort was made to keep it tidy. She honestly expected much less from a guy, so a good first impression was made!

"... Did you bring the McDonalds?" he asked, not in any way serious about the question, but just to get a reaction.

"Why are you asking me this?! I'm cold!" she whined, pouting up at him adorably! "Can I borrow your blanke-.."

He cut her off. His brain didn't even pause to think that this was a bad idea. Instead of just offering her his blanket, he simply opened his arms and drew her in against his chest. The soft murrf of surprise she let out when she felt herself push up against his warm body was enough to draw an immediate smile out of him. Arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling the blanket tightly around her shivering form. Her cheeks grew bright red, even showing a little bit behind that soft black fur on her cheeks. She was silent for about two minutes, her shivering dying down a bit, before he even dared to ask...

"Feeling any better?"

"... A little..."

"... Your clothes are soaked."

"Yeah..."

"C'mon." He didn't wait for her to accept or deny his offer of assistance. Instead, he just shifted beneath the blanket and scooped her up into his arms. She made that cute little surprised sound again, making him chuckle, before he walked toward his room.

"Where are we going?"

"My room."

"... Uhm'..."

"You're gonna' borrow one of my t-shirts. I have a few that'll probably reach your knees."

"Oh..."

"And then I'm gonna' run your stuff down to the drying machine downstairs."

"... Oh!" This revelation and explanation seemed to ease her worries for the time being. Just in time, too, as he nudged his bedroom door open. He walked inside, immediately turned, and leaned over to deposit her on the bed. One problem with that, was that he was still wrapped in the blanket as well! To solve this, he just dipped downward and slid out from the other side.

"Huh...? Oh! Nice move, slick." she commented with a little grin.

"Thanks. I've got more." An off-handed flirty comment. One he himself didn't expect to actually say. They both felt a bit of heat in their cheeks now too as they both suddenly realized that his 'moves' had tugged his shirt over his head, off, and it was still lost somewhere inside the blanket. Damn big t-shirt felt like the blanket ruffling over his head, so he didn't even notice.

"Right! So, shirt..." he said awkwardly, before he turned around and shuffled through his closet. "Hm... Three choices. Psychobilly band shirt, dorky anime shirt, or Green Lantern shirt..."

"Green Lantern!" she called out, shifting in place so she was sitting on her knees. Beneath the blanket, her hands were already busy unbuttoning her shirt and such.

"Cool. Good choice." He nodded his approval before turning back around. By the time he did, he caught her tossing her bra out of the safety of the blanket, onto the bed behind her.

"Woah..."

"... Perv'! Get out. Let me change!" Eyes narrowed at him, and she stuck out her tongue, tugging the blanket closer around herself. He obediently saluted to her order, turned on a heel, and vacated his own room.

* * *

By the time she finished changing he had already moved to the couch and started flicking through channels on the TV. With no polite request or even much of a warning, she crossed in front of him and crumpled into his lap. Arms opened just before, and closed just after. He made two mental notes while he had a good view of her figure clothed in his shirt. The first, was that her clothes she picked for work hid most of the curves of her very nicely shaped body. The second, was that she picked the shortest shirt out of what he offered. She probably noticed this as well, but the time for taking mental snapshots was over when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck. Her head immediately fell against his chest to nuzzle against him, making him do a bit of a double-take.

"Uh'..."

"You're warm... I'm still cold..." she said with a soft purr in her voice.

"Oh! Cool..."

"Nooo.. warm, keep up Christopher."

His eyes narrowed. He didn't mind that she was joking around with him. Hell, he even gave her some bravery points for being so casual about only really wearing his t-shirt, in his living room, while in his lap. Though he probably should have thought more about why she was doing that before he did what he decided to do next. You see, one thing he just couldn't stand was people calling him by his full first name. It made him feel like he was being scolded by his grandparents, from years ago. His response to this? Retaliation. Hands adjust to be near her waist, before he jabbed his paw-fingers into her sides, starting a relentless tickling assault that she was surely not prepared for!

Popping her eyes open wide, she let out a panicked yowl that bled out into frantic laughter! Her shoulders jerked away from him, paws trying to shove down at his hands to get him to stop. Her entire body squirmed in his stronger grasp in a feeble attempt to resist! All this effort threw the blanket down around them on the couch, and by the time he stopped she was exhausted. Slumping against him again, she gasped for air, softly whining between each deep breath.

"Shouldn't call me that name..." he warned. A little late, though.

"... N-name..? Your full name?"

"Yep. Hate it."

"... Hah... ahaha... Fine, fine... I'm warned." She admitted defeat, words sputtered between breaths of air. Slowly but surely she caught her breath and relaxed against him.

He let his hands slip behind her back now, impulsively cuddling up to the recovering feline. She didn't seem to respond right away. Her arms only rose back up to his chest after a few more minutes of recovering her composure. She could feel his heart beating. Faster than she expected.

"Your heart..." She paused, realizing the blanket wasn't there anymore, but she didn't feel like she needed it. "You're so warm..."

"My heart beats faster than the average guy. It's a cheetah thing, I think. More adrenaline in the system ready to let us run real fast, or give us bursts of stamina for a little while when we need it. Side effect is an increased heart rate, increase in body heat, and a higher risk for cardiac arrest when I'm old and feeble."

"Oh..." was all she said in return. "... Do you really think I'm cute...?"

He scoffed at the question, peering down at the top of her chest-nuzzling head.

"You're kidding, right? People like me would murder people for a chance to be this close to someone as adorable and pretty as you are. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for me."

His answer tugged at her heart in ways she didn't quite understand. He was so honest. So sincere. He didn't hold back, and says what he means. No pretending, no lying, no manipulation...

"But that's probably not very comforting considering how close we are right now. I promise I have no intention to murder you, or anyone else." he clarified with a small chuckle.

"... I got the point." she said, almost interrupting him. "... Girls like me..." She repeated to herself what he said, most of it inside of her head. The end result? Well...

Without warning, or any indication it was going to happen, she lifted her head, slipped her arms further around his neck, and pressed her lips against his. The kiss started soft for the first few seconds, his lips pressing back as his body just instinctively went through the obvious motions. His brain hadn't caught up yet. Just as he started to fully understand what was happening, and accept that it was indeed happening, she pulled back. She stared at him, searching his eyes, while a half-cocked grin curled at her lips and the very tip of her little pink tongue poked out to one side teasingly.

"... Girls like me need a guy like you..." she said softly.

"Wow... Did you just say that?" he asked with a rather bedazzled expression on his face. "My brain is having some serious lag right now..."

"What's brain lag?"

"... Uh'... Sometimes, on a computer, when the internet is slow... It can't... Shit! It doesn't matter." With a sudden tightening of his hug, he pulled her much closer, enticing a soft giggle from the feline. Muzzles quickly met in another, much deeper kiss.

Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, keeping him pulled close. His were around her waist, hands beginning to drift. While one moved upward, his paw drifting up her back, the other slid downward, paw-fingers gripping her rear boldly. This brought a quick 'mew!' from the kitten, the deep kiss broken to give him a playful look.

"I guess we know where you want this to go..." she teased...

"Don't we both?" he replied, just as boldly as before. Without warning, he pushed up to stand, that paw gripping her rear to keep her up while the other pulled her closer. She drew in a sharp breath, eyes widened, looking at him to see what he was doing. With a sense of passionate urgency, he moved them off toward his room. Half-open door kicked wide and flicked shut by his tail.

Once inside, he turned to the bed and fell forward. His arm behind her back braced him so he didn't squish her with his full weight. With her rear at the edge of the bed, and him looming over her like that, she felt the growing stiffness in his shorts. Her 'final answer' to his question before he brought her in here, was to grind her hips upward against it, mewling as she teased herself and him both.

Taking the hint, he dipped his head downward, nuzzling the tip of his muzzle between her covered breasts. Paws moved to tug his Green Lantern shirt up her belly, until his muzzle could finish the job. Nosing it upward, he dragged it over her perky peaks, each one big enough for a paw-and-a-half. A deep growling purr rumbled through his chest as paws reached up to grip each one. Grinding his hips against hers again, he made sure she felt how hard he was, as paws kneaded into her breasts.

Mewling more needily, she grabbed at his waist and tried to pull him closer. A wicked need growing within her body. She wanted him, badly. His new bold demeanor called her to him, and his sincerity trapped her there. Her legs lifted, paw-feet hooking sharp little claws into the waist of his shorts, quickly jerking them down around his knees. He flinched, the quick pulling of the waistband catching his member a little uncomfortably, but he got over it pretty quick when he felt the head of her thinly covered sex against his throbbing shaft.

Slowly, yet firmly, he gave a long grind of his hips against her sex. Member teasing her so badly. She mewled out in need for him! Her paws slid along his back, claws out now, dragging through his fur. One of his paws moved down to her waist, between her thighs to tug on her panties, shifting them to one side. Her eyes opened again to stare up at him, mouth open just slightly as she drew in deep, excited breaths.

She was met with a gaze from him that she wasn't expecting. Like a child on Christmas, about to peel the last little strip of wrapping paper from the best present in the world. Her heart melted right there, just in time for her body to arch upward, and a sweet, high-pitched moan to slip from her lips as he slowly, firmly sheathed his member inside of her.

Pretty much all logic left all of them at that point. Their bodies gripping at each-other like the wild animals their hearts wanted them to be. His hips pounding himself into her at a gradually quickening pace, while her legs wrapped about his waist to keep him from pulling away. He pushed her up further onto the bed, eventually flipping her over with her head comfortably nuzzled into his pillows. From behind he was free to go wild, but as his arousal grew and grew, he found himself slowing a little. Paws reached around to grip and knead at her breasts, muzzle nuzzling her long beautiful black hair out of the way to let him nibble and bite around the base of her neck.

The added excitement of him playing with her body, and the -teeth- around her neck, was almost too much for her. Moments later, she buried her face into the pillows and let out a most wild mrowling moan! Her sex gripping his member much tighter, making it almost impossible for him to keep the pace. A few more pumps of his hips, and he growled deeply into her hair, hips jerking forward, balls tightening as he tipped over the edge. Jets of thick hot seed pumped deep into her body. Their mutual orgasms lasted what seemed like an eternity, but they eventually fell to one side, breathing heavily, tails playing with one-another.

* * *

The wild passion washed away into waves of blissful contentment. Her body nuzzled up against his, with his arms wrapped about her waist, holding her close beneath the safety of his blanket. Both of their heads spinning with thoughts and possibilities.

"Why me...?" he asked. Both genuinely curious and still in a state of confusion about the entire evening's wild ending.

"... You're nicer than any guy that's ever been interested in me... You actually -cared- about how I felt even before... this... I guess... you're my hero... It's like you said. One of a kind, or something..."

He considered her words. He did care. Enough to offer his own clothes when she was cold. Enough to hold himself back and try not to perv' on her when she was cuddling him for warmth (though he had new speculations about her motives after what they just did). More than enough to beat a guy with keys to stop him from hurting her. She was right. The fact that she saw him as a personal sort of hero made his chest swell a little with pride.

"... I knew the Green Lantern shirt was a good idea..." he mumbled.

"I like it... I think I'll keep it..."

"Wait.. What? N-nn... Damnit!" He tried to say no, but... cute girl, naked, in his arms, post-coitus... How could he? "Maybe... since you're taking my shirt... this doesn't have to be a once-in-a-lifetime event for us...?"

She just let out a soft giggle, nuzzling her entire body back into him, soaking in his warmth. Before long, they both fell asleep.

* * *

Meanwhile... out in the living room. Karina sat on the couch, in a decidedly bad mood, trying to figure out why Chris having... company... was bothering her so much...