FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Now Robert has a real problem. Darbert? So, yes, he can see them as a couple, but is now the right time? Maybe. All he has to go on is "maybe." Is there another way out of it? There shouldn't be. If there is a way to avoid a relationship, the real question is, 'Do I WANT to get out of it?' It COULD be a little bit of a problem, don't you think? Robert asks himself.

There are so many thoughts going through his head that even though he wakes up at 0900, he does not get out of the pull-out sofa bed until 1130. Noticing that he over-slept, he quickly springs out of the bed, and hops into the shower after undressing. He finds a small complimentary bottle of shampoo and equally small bar of soap sitting on a little shelf protruding from the green tiled wall. He uses the soap and shampoo to their full extent, completely cleansing the fox's body, giving him the smell of Vanilla Bliss (apparently the name of the scent in the soap and shampoo).

It is about 20 minutes before Robert is finally out of the shower, and he starts to dry himself. He looks at his reflection in the mirror as he uses two small towels to dry his body fur and tail. He leaves the bathroom and reaches into his backpack to pull out his work clothes which he didn't wear all day the day before. He gives the set of clothing a sniff, and his extra-sensitive nose tells him that the body odor on it isn't that offensive. Since Robert has no other clothing besides what he slept in, he decides that he has no other choice but to put them on, which he does with reluctance after sliding on a bit of deodorant.

Robert glances at the end table next to the sofa, and notices that he has stayed too long, as it is now past 1200. Not only that, he has missed out on the continental breakfast. Noticing outside through the dirty window the numerous cars zipping through the intersection he crossed the night before, he sees a taxi parked on the side of the road right in front of the entrance to the hotel. Its engine is ejecting plumes of smoke into the air, and there is a short brown otter in tattered overalls sticking his upper body under the hood with a tool box behind him.

The fox boy remembers what he is doing suddenly, and quickly rushes to clean and put away the coffee mugs and spoons he and Daron used the night before, as well as putting his dirty clothing back in his bag. As soon as all of his things are together and in his bag and he is dressed, he quickly throws his bag on his back and rushes out the door into the lobby.

Robert notices that Daron is again sitting behind the marble and mahogany desk, creating a database on his computer screen, now wearing a pair of prescription glasses. He was not wearing them the night before, but Robert doesn't seem to notice. He decides to play a joke on Daron, so he gets down on all fours and quietly makes his way over to the desk. Once he is directly in front of the "Welcome" sign, he slowly stands upright, and inhales as if to say "Boo."

To Roberts dissatisfaction, Daron, without removing his gaze from his screen, says, "Did you sleep well?" before Robert can do anything to surprise him. Robert sighs in disappointment, pouting. "You were trying to scare me, weren't you, kid?"

"Yeah, but you ruined it for me." Robert replies with a cute feminine voice.

"Robert, one thing you should know about me is that I don't get surprised very easily." Daron adds with a careless but well-intended voice. "If you want to surprise me, it's going to take a lot more than crawling on the ground without making noise, sneaking up behind me, or pretty much anything, really. I'm un-shock-able."

"What's your secret then? How did you know exactly what I was doing without even looking?" Robert inquires with curiosity. As a response, Daron wiggles his ears and twists them into contorted positions that Robert had never imagined possible, intriguing him greatly. "How did you... Your ears, they..." Robert stutters in disbelief and confusion. "What?"

"Magic-Wolf-Ears. Another thing you should know about me is that I have a lot of hidden talents." Daron looks up from his computer after saving his work, and smiles at Robert from behind the desk. He returns his ears to their original shapes and positions, and taps them a few times as he elaborates, "One of them being that I have extremely sensitive hearing."

"Is that genetic?"

"I have no clue whatsoever," He giggles.

"Well, I have a heightened sense of smell, so I guess that makes us alike." Robert interjects gleefully. "Great minds think alike, eh?" The fox says without thinking. His body language changes suddenly from flirtation to embarrassment as he realizes the pointlessness and irrelevance of what he just said. Going red in the face, he stammers with a laugh of humiliation that he had just made a fool of himself, "Wow. I really need to work on doing that better. Now you think a lot less of me, and I probably should just check out and pay, right?"

"Well, I'm not sure what you mean by 'doing that better,' but first of all, I don't think any less of you," The metallic gray wolf replies.

"Really?" Robert questions with hopeful eyes.

"I would have never said it if I didn't mean it, kid," Daron answers with a playful smirk. "Second of all, you already paid up front, remember?"

Blushing even more, Robert looks to the floor, grinning out of embarrassment from making a fool of himself in front of Daron twice. "Well, NOW I do... Is there anything ELSE I can screw up this morning?"

"What? What are you talking about? You didn't screw anything up, if I recall correctly," Daron says with a warm yet concerned voice as he tilts his head slightly to his left, folding his ears back as if begging.

"Daron, what was last night about?" Robert almost doubles back in fear out of what Daron could say in response, but he catches himself and continues. "Was it out of lust, or do you genuinely care about me? I think this is all going too quickly for me."

"I get the idea, but if you really want to know, I'll tell you. But first, you need to calm down, and stop pacing like that." Robert does not notice that he has been pacing absent-mindedly for the past minute until Daron points it out. "Look, kid, last night wasn't out of any desire to simply have you to make a hit-and-run out of you, or anything like that. Truthfully, I did feel alone and helpless.

"Last night, I felt pathetic, and I hated myself. I was no longer confident with my sexuality, and I was insecure and didn't want to face my problems. I hid from them instead, and finally when I was near the point of thoughts of suicide, you walked into the lobby. I thought you were just a regular average kid lost in the slums of New Olive who could do nothing to help, but I was WAY wrong. When you invited me into your room, I was a bit skeptical at first, but when you offered and insisted on preparing some hot chocolate, I saw that I could really open up to you. I knew then that you'd be able to do more than help. On top of all that, as I said 'good night' to you, I saw in the tear that welled up in your eye, something really odd..."

Daron pauses a bit, and Robert seizes the opportunity to ask. "Yes? What was it? What did you see?"

Fascinated at Robert's interest, Daron continues, "It's crazy, but it was like I saw the future for a moment. I saw you and me in front of a priest or another, under a blanket-tarp-thing. The priest guy was reading from, like, the bible, but it was in Hebrew or something..."

Daron begins to trail off, and Robert interrupts and mutters to himself, but loud enough so that Daron can hear. "And said things like it was a wedding...?"

"Yes, actually." Daron's eyes grow wide as he continues, "How did you know?"

"I saw the same thing in your tears..." Robert's eyes grow wide as well, reciprocating the facial expression Daron gave him. They exchange speechless and bewildered looks, staring blankly into each other's eyes.

They stay motionless for a minute or two until Daron breaks the silence. "Your eyes are green," He says bluntly without thinking.

"And yours are blue. They're cute," Robert replies with a smirk.

Daron smirks as well, proclaiming excitedly, "So you DO have the hots for me. I KNEW IT!" Robert giggles effeminately in response. "I just finished checking you out. You're free to go, if you want. I won't penalize you for staying past your rental expiration, so you don't have to worry about that, kid."

"And I just finished checking YOU out," Robert giggles, indicating he is still trying to flirt with the large wolf. "Now, I'm gonna scram, and you're gonna call me if something else happens and you have nobody to talk to. Do I make myself clear?"

"Kid, I'm gonna go right to you even if I DO have someone else to talk to. You're more helpful to me than anyone else I've ever met." Daron replies, his voice shaking a little as he nearly starts drooling over the fox boy before him.

"Oh! You never told me why you did it! Tell me!" Robert squeals as he says these last two words.

"Well... I did it... because I want to see if our relationship might ever get to a point like that, or if we'll just find other people. Boy, you're amazing. You're cute, smart, you have a good sense of humor, and you're really skilled at making quick friends, What with you helping them out when they need it, and all. Overall, you're just my type. I like you... And I want to thank you for letting me cry into your shoulder last night," He whispers sincerely to the fox boy.

"Well, I just need some time to think... I wasn't prepared to hear you say that."

"I understand. Now, you go run on home to that little sister of yours. Natalie, was it?"

"Oh, right! Bye, Daron!" The bell above the door is knocked about violently as Robert hurries outside the old hotel.

"See you 'round, Rob!" Daron shouts as he waves his paw above his head to the cute fox boy on his way out into the morning sunlight.