FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The sun slowly set on the peaceful Japanese sky. The birds flew above hurrying to their nests, the stars slowly illuminating in the distance to welcome the night sky and the street lights turning on as well. The cool night breeze wafted over the city of Shinzuku, tempting some to just stop and inhale the glorious night air. All was peaceful and serene that night... except in the young Luxray Raiki's head that buzzed with several troubling thoughts as he walked through the halls of the bureau.

Not too long ago he'd started having feelings for the annoying American transfer student, a Lucario, Jason. At first they started out as either mortal enemies or bitter rivals. They were usually always on each other's throats, they'd get angry when they saw the other and they'd often quarrel about even the littlest of things. However, after seeing Jason for what he can do, about how much Jason reminded him of his late lover... Raiki couldn't help but feel...

'No no no...' The Luxray shook his head to dispel the thoughts that surrounded it. He couldn't be in love with that oaf. Jason is annoying, stupid, noisy, impulsive and he'll only be there for one year... Raiki shook his head once more, irritated with himself. Why would he care if Jason was only there for a year? The sooner that idiot left, the better. The Luxray pocketed his hands and walked at a faster pace. What made his situation even more uncomfortable was that both Jason and Guren-chan are capable of sensing emotions. If either one of them found out about the Luxray's predicament, well, Raiki doesn't know what he'd do. He shook his head once more, the irritation building inside him as he further sped up his walking.

On his way to his destination, he came upon a cheerful face followed by those annoying blonde tails. "What do you want, Kiyoshi-san?" Raiki asked the Ninetails, barely able to hold back his irritation.

"Raiki-kun..." Kiyoshi cooed as he withdrew his tails from the clearly annoyed Luxray. "You seem tense, anything bothering you?"

Kiyoshi's smile just made Raiki all the more nervous, as if he knew everything that was going on, but Raiki tried to believe that Kiyoshi had no idea. "It's nothing." Raiki shrugged past Kiyoshi and continued towards his destination.

"It doesn't sound like nothing." Kiyoshi playfully replied as he followed the Luxray. "Where are you going anyway, Raiki-kun?"

Raiki didn't even stop or face the Ninetails when he answered the question. "Rakuen ."

The Ninetails' curiosity peaked at the mention of the shrine and pried some more. "Why are you going there? Do you have someone to meet?"

Raiki didn't see it but there was a sly grin on Kiyoshi's face. "It's quiet there, it's one of the places where I can think."

"Hmph." The Ninetails chuckled and stopped following the Luxray. "I can see that you have a lot to think about." He called out though the Luxray ignored him. "I'll leave you to your thoughts then, Raiki-kun."

Kiyoshi's statement sent shivers across Raiki's spine as the paranoia crept in. Did the Ninetails know anything about what Raiki had in his mind? No, Raiki can't afford to have those thoughts right now. He had to wait until he was alone in Rakuen before he can continue on with his contemplation.

Once he arrived at the sacred realm, he could feel his heart lighten as though his burdens were taken away. Rakuen is a beautiful place full of flourishing plants, majestic bodies of water and thick and lush forests. The world was the very definition of serenity and peace. Raiki just felt as though all his troubles were washed away just by stepping into the sacred ground. Raiki took in a deep breath, taking in the clean air of the land. He was sure that this place would be able to clear his mind, to really sit down and think.

He gazed upon a small hill with a lone tree atop it and felt as though that would be the perfect spot for him to think. He slowly made his way towards the hill, his mind now swimming in thoughts and questions. Why was he feeling like this, what happened that led to this, and why Jason of all people? He'd sooner fall for Kiyoshi rather than that idiot Lucario. As he approached his desired spot, just below the tree, he sees the person he never wanted to see...

"Oh, hey Raiki-kun." The Lucario greeted quite cheerfully as he saw the Luxray emerge from the foot of the hill. Jason was sitting just under the shade of the tree, his back leaning against its trunk and his fingers holding and fumbling with a blade of grass.

To the Luxray, the Lucario looked as stupid as ever. His childish appearance and attitude never fails to annoy Raiki... however, he's never really realized how cute Jason smiled. Maybe because they always frowned when they saw each other... No, why was he thinking that?! Rage just boiled within the Luxray. Why is that idiot here right when Raiki was trying to avoid him? Wait... "What did you just call me?" the Luxray asked.

Jason didn't understand the Luxray's question as he spoke as clearly as he could. "I called you 'Raiki-kun'."

Raiki-kun... Since when did Jason address the Luxray with such formality? "What are you doing here?" The Luxray asked, crossing his arms and looking as composed as he could.

Jason looked up and thought about the question. "Well... after we got back I thought that it'd be great if I took a walk in a forest once more. You know... homesickness and whatnot." Jason let out a soft chuckle, followed by a sigh. "And you? What brings you here?"

Raiki returned the question with a glare, one that didn't seem to faze the Lucario who just eyed him innocently. "If you must know, I came here to be alone... apparently, I'm not even granted that luxury."

Just as Raiki turned and was about to elave, Jason spoke up. "I know why you're here."

Raiki stopped, his eyes widened with fear and his heart started racing. Was Jason able to read his mind just like that? Had he let the Lucario in so easily and without even knowing it? No, he had to stay calm, there's still the possibility that Jason doesn't really know what he was truly worried of. "What do you mean?" Raiki asked, his back still facing the Lucario.

Jason looked quite confused at the Luxray's reaction. "I didn't think that you'd panic like that but... well..."

"What is it?" Raiki demanded, turning to confront the Lucario.

"Calm down, woman." Jason replied, raising his hand to gesture the Luxray to stop. "I was going to say, that whatever you're going through right now, I know how it feels... I've been through that as well."

Raiki still felt bothered about it all. What was the Lucario talking about? Has he fallen for someone he hated as well? Another male? _'No! you are not falling for that idiot'_Raiki scolded himself once more. "What are you saying?" The Luxray asked the Lucario once more, hoping Jason hadn't sensed his distress.

"Look, I've lost a friend before as well..." Jason answered, his gaze dropping low to the ground as he looked back to the past. "He was my best friend... my first actually... and he was killed during an attack back at Avalon."

The Luxray managed to relax a bit. Jason hasn't felt his conflicting emotions. "What of it then?" he answered smugly, securing his dominating statues.

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid, Raiki." Jason replied, standing up to properly face the Luxray. "I felt you panic when I said that I knew why you were here. You are here for a different reason and I'm only respecting your privacy. Don't make the mistake that I can't hear what you're saying to yourself." The Lucario spoke with anger, asserting his power against the Luxray as though their feud had started once more. "I'm just trying to be friendly, okay. When I found out about your friend, I felt that I could finally make amends with you, that we could finally be friends 'cause we've experienced the same pain. Now if you're allergic to kindness, just say the word and I'll be extra rude to you next time."

Raiki balled his hands into fists and sparks began to spark from them. He wanted to just hit the Lucario, he didn't care whether they were in sacred ground, they've fought in here before anyway. But he couldn't get himself to do it... there was already that side of him that wanted to get to know Jason... who knows what would happen if he just let this opportunity go away... he slowly lowered his hands and took in a deep breath.

Before the Luxray could even try to apologize, he noticed how that annoying, yet adorable, smile returned to the Lucario's face. "It's alright, I know it'd damage your oh so important pride to even think of apologizing to me. Come, sit with me here under the tree."

Raiki watched in surprise at how quickly Jason changed from angry to welcoming in a matter of seconds. He watched as the Lucario returned to his place under the tree, patting the spot by his side beckoning for the Luxray to sit with him. "Are you bipolar or something?" The Luxray asked as he approached and took his place next to the Lucario.

The Lucario chuckled at the Luxray's question as he's encountered those before. "Yeah, I get that quite a lot." Jason sighed and closed his eyes, visualizing how it was like in the past. "As you may know... I think... I have an unstable mind. I have been told that I was bipolar, psychotic, delusional, even schizophrenic. In truth, it's just not in my nature to remain angry at someone. I'm too childish for that."

"Does that include the man who killed your friend?" Raiki asked, looking at Jason in the eye.

Jason smile wavered into a blank expression, thinking hard about the question he was asked. "Sarah... my late girlfriend, destroyed him already..." Jason answered grimly. "...at the cost of her own life. She forced me to promise never to hold a grudge, to just keep moving forward with a smile and stuff... it wasn't supposed to be difficult considering my nature but still... it's hard for me to let go of the people I love."

Raiki's expression frowned as well. All this time he saw Jason as a nuisance, someone who has no idea what it felt like... now he's sitting here listening to Jason, seeing how Jason can somehow manage such an immature appearance even with that burden in his heart. "I'm sorry... Jason-kun... I didn't think someone like you went through what I've been through..."

Jason let out a smile after hearing what the Luxray had said. "I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't quite catch it." He teasingly placed his hand by his ear to hear the Luxray speak.

"I'm not going to repeat myself, idiot." Raiki responded with a smile, pushing the Lucario's face away playfully.

"Aw..." Jason laughed softly as he leaned against the tree. "Anyway, what I wanted to say was that it sometimes helps talking to someone about it."

"Thanks..." Raiki let out a sigh. Was this really what he was going for? Yeah... this is just fine. There's nothing wrong with being friends with the guy. "So, what's your story?"

The Lucario's ear twitched as Jason turned with a confused expression. "Hm?"

"You've seen mine, literally..." Raiki continued, rubbing his fingers together in discomfort as he recalled the events that had happened before. "But you haven't really told me what happened to you. All I know about your past is that both your best friend and your girlfriend was murdered... I'm curious about... the other details."

Jason gave Raiki a nod, thinking about how he would summarize his relationships to the Luxray. "Well, I wasn't the most social of all children. When my parents first enrolled me in the academy, I'd usually hide behind my dad and just look at people from a distance. That's when he dropped me off at the session hall, when I was greeted by Damion."

"Your bestfriend?" Raiki asked, visualizing the scene in his head. "The zigzagoon, was it?"

Jason nodded. "Uh-huh. So, through the years, Damion's stayed by my side, constantly encouraging me through several situations and whatnot." Jason stopped for a moment, chuckling at himself as he looked back to his days as a kid. "It's thanks to him that I'm friendly and outgoing... I gained several friends and just... I'm who I am right now because of him."

Raiki was listening intently to the Lucario's story until he noticed Jason pause. "That must be quite the friend to have fully shaped you."

"Hmph, you're one to talk." Jason replied, looking at the Luxray with a teasing grin on his face. "I can tell that your friend was similar. He showed you the kindness in things, helped you become the 'vigilante' that you are today, he really made an impression on you."

Raiki let out a chuckle, amused by how Jason described his friend. "Yeah, yeah..."

For the next few seconds, Jason hadn't resumed with his story though Raiki hadn't noticed the silence. All Jason did was stare at the Luxray with a warm compassionate smile. From the corner of the Luxray's eye, he noticed the Lucario just staring at him, with that annoyingly warm and compassionate expression. "What?"

"I remind you of him, don't I Raiki-kun?" Jason cooed with a sly expression.

For a moment, Raiki felt as though Kiyoshi was speaking through Jason. The smile, the stare, the accusation... "W-what?"

"You were so flustered when you saw me here." Jason said, leaning back as his sly expression shifted to a much more cheery and playful one, allowing Raiki a sigh of relief.

"What of it then?" Raiki asked, a bit defensive with worry.

"Hey, I don't know why but that's just what I felt." Jason replied, looking at the Luxray to get a good look at his face. "Anyway, seeing as how this is a 'sensitive' topic for you, I'll let it slide... for now."

The grin on the Lucario's face gave Raiki doubts, but he dismissed the feeling as it might worsen his situation. "Can I ask you something?"

Jason's expression shifted to a more neutral one, giving Raiki's asking some respect rather than with his 'annoying' smile. "What is it?"

The Luxray paused for a moment, his question suddenly bringing him some discomfort. "Why are you suddenly kind to me?"

"Is there anything wrong with that?" Jason couldn't help but smile at the Luxray's question. The Luxray looked genuinely curious as to why that Jason found it almost funny. "Alright, before you get upset again, when I learned of your past... the pain you've been through... I felt sorry for you."

Raiki felt a bit offended by what the Lucario had said. "You felt sorry for me?"

"When we first met, you friggin shocked my arm!" Jason pulled back his sleeve and flaunted his, obviously uninjured, arm in front of the Luxray. He stops his childish display, fixes his sleeve and takes in a deep breath. "At the time, I thought you were some stupid asshole who was incapable of love and was really lucky that Guren-chan even cares about you."

Jason said his last statement sounding quite upset that it surprised the Luxray. Was this yet another show of Jason's bipolarity? "Wow... that's hurtful."

"Thank you." Jason playfully replied causing the Luxray to knit his eyebrows in confusion. "Anyway, when I saw that you were in love... with a guy... I felt... well... 'maybe I was wrong about this asshole...' so I gave it some thought, whether I should just apologize for how rudely I acted towards you in the past. That's why you found me here... I was thinking about how it'd play out and how you'd react..." he looked away, a bit embarrassed by what he just said.

Raiki was surprised with what the Lucario said and relieved at the same time... though he was still unsure about how he should feel about Jason... "Then I guess you and I aren't too different after all..."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked, tilting his head slightly to glance at the Luxray.

"I was just thinking... about whether you and I could be friends..." Raiki's face blushed as he spoke forcing him to look down to the ground. "You weren't wrong when you said that... that you reminded me of him... and..."

Jason's eyes widened as he heard the whisper of Raiki's thoughts. "You... love me?"

Raiki bit his lip as he heard the words leave Jason's lip. He was hesitant, but he slowly nodded his head. There's no point in trying to hide it, the Lucario knows about it now. "Are you... alright with that?" Raiki was afraid of what Jason would say... if the Lucario would reject him. Although, he understands that Jason might say no. He's been an ass to the Lucario ever since they met, what reason would Jason have to--

Raiki was so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized that Jason made his move. Without warning, the Lucario pressed his lips against the Luxray's in a small, quick kiss. As the Lucario pulled back, he could see the Luxray's surprised expression: his eyes wide open and his mouth still agape. "I'm sorry... did I rush it?"

Raiki was still speechless but he managed to shake his head in response.

Jason couldn't help but chuckle at how stupid the Luxray looked. "Well, consider it as a gift from me to you." he said with a cheerful smile as he moved closer to the Luxray and gave him a hug. "Happy Birthday, Raiki-kun."