The moment she walked by I just about fell on my face. I never saw a more beautiful furry in my life. I wanted to reach out and touch just as her tail slightly brushed against my leg. Her black nose glistened against the snow fur. Her fangs hung out just like they do in anime or whatever that Japanese stuff is, all I know that it was HOT! She looked behind her just a little bit so I could just barely see the winter blue eyes that lay on her face. As the fox walked away her tail swished back and forth and her provocative walk called to me giving me…..feelings.

Now, I know humans aren’t supposed to like furries, they keep with their own and we do with ourselves, but this was different. I started following behind her keeping some distance and an eye on her. I started to ask myself the questions like, “How am I going to approach her?” Or “What am I going to say to her.” Basically, the normal questions you would say if you wanted to go talk to a girl and ask her out. She finally stopped in front of a supermarket and bent down to look at something in the window. I stood a half-a-block away just contemplating what to say. She stood up straight and then cocked her head to one side, still staring at the window. It took me a little bit but I built up the courage and approached her.

“Uhhh, hey.”

She just turned and stared at me, now that her attention was at me it was even better! “You talking to me?” I smiled. She moved her full body towards me now. “What would a human want with me?” Her smile was one that would not fit with the question. I, now standing in front of her, didn’t know exactly what to do. “I said what would I human want to do with me?”

The only thing left is to just get my courage up and ask. “Uhhh, would. Umm, you want to go grab some coffee or something?” All she did was look at me slyly, “are you asking me out? Like on a date. You know I’m a furry right?” I looked at her blankly, here I was asking a fox out. One humans, as a unwritten rule, aren’t supposed to ask furries out, but two I didn’t even know her name. I nervously answered the questions.

“Yeah.”

A short snicker left her muzzle as one of the fangs appeared again. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Myself, I took a step back at the sudden realization she wanted me to ask her out, she actually saw me first. For the life of me, as she stood there, I could not think of what to say next. But her voice filled the air, “Oh my name is Akira.” Again silence, Akira stood there like she was waiting for something.

“OH! My name, yeah, ok. Ethan.” She held up her paws out in front of her and padded the air, “Are you ok?” I only gave a nod of my head. “Good!” She said and then grasped her paw in my hand. The sudden sensation was different, I knew that it would be fuzzy and different from a human hand but it felt marvelous. The warmth that the fur offered was beyond anything that a human touch could give. “I know a place to go.”

Akira brought me to a small coffee shop that sat on the corner of a block, the smell of roasting coffee beans filled the air as we walked in. Inside, the small shop was well furnished and looked like a dream of someone’s to have this little shop. But no one was in the shop at the moment. A small bell rang telling the owner in the back of the customers. “Hi!” Came from the back, “Be with you in a moment!” Akira took the reins, “Ok.” After a couple of awkward seconds of waiting and examining the inside of the shop the proprietor emerged from the back.

“What can I get for you?” The owner was human, a human male. His face lit up immediately when he saw Akira. “Hey! Aki how’s it goin’? Haven’t been around here in a while!” The two looked like old friends and in that moment I felt extremely embarrassed and out of place.

“Oh not much. How about you Sam? Still in grad school?”

Sam nodded and shrugged, “Yeah, but I’m more interested in you, like who’s your friend?” I waited to hear what she would say.

“Oh, he’s my boyfriend. Ethan.” The owner did not act like I thought he would, he didn’t jump back and reject the idea of a human with a furry. Instead he leaned against the counter.

“So, Ethan huh? Where did you meet him Akira?” She laughed, “He asked me out about five minutes ago.” The openness of the whole subject made me sink down and blush. But Sam walked around the counter and rested his hand on my shoulder.

“Why are you so embarrassed? Akira is the most wonderful vixen I know!” That didn’t really help as much as it made it worse. My eyes just scanned the room just to find something to change the subject. “Ehhhh.” Nothing came to mind, but Sam continued. “Don’t be so nervous.” He leaned in and whispered in my ear. “And she has a nice ass too.”

“SAM!” Another voice entered the conversation, we both turned to find a she-wolf standing with an apron growling and her arms crossed. “You’d better not be talking about what I THINK you’re talking about.” He backed away from me with his arms up in a defensive position.

“Lora, come on I wasn’t!” The wolf rolled her eyes and grumbled, “Sometimes I just don’t know what to do with you, eying that young fox like your 20 again.” I watched the two move closer together.

“Oh come on you know you love me.” I took a step back as they embraced and kissed. “Wait. You and you?” I asked pointing at the both of them. The she-wolf nodded, “yeah, we are. Or I should say ‘domestic partners.’ Furries and humans can’t get married. As it stands it is illegal to marry anyone outside your species. But we’re married, not by law.” They seemed so happy and understanding, his hand cradled her paw. Not a normal sight but one that tugged at me, and my own hand started to reach for Akira’s paw. But before I could reach the distance I felt the warmth of her paw wrap in my hand. Then I felt the fuzziness of her fur rub up against my whole body.

“How about some of that coffee?” Sam broke from his loving trance, “Oh yeah. Absolutely.” He rushed around the counter, “What’ll it be?” My eyes skimmed over the menu hand written behind the counter but my attention was still focused on Akira, she ordered first.

“Hmmmm, it’s been a while. What do you have that just came out? You know seasonal?” Sam leaned on the counter. “As a matter of fact, we have what I like to call Snow Flurries. A warm vanilla drink with whipped cream on top.” He pointed to a picture of the drink that was to the right of the cash register. She smiled, “Sounds good, I’ll get that.” Sam’s attention moved to me, “and what would you like?” I stumbled over my words, even though the awkward moments had already passed. “Uhh….I…I’ll have. AH….ok, I’ll take a Tall Americano.” He wrote down both of the drinks and passed them to Lora.

“So, Ethan. How old are you?” Akira asked a couple of seconds later. The question threw me off balance, here I am, already breaking so many unspoken rules and I still don’t know anything about Akira. “Oh, I’m nineteen.” She cocked her head to one side.

“Really? Because you seemed older.” I got a sudden feeling in my gut, Oh no! She’s a lot older than me! She’s probably like twenty-five. “Oh, really?” I answered feebly. “Yeah! But being the same age is a bonus.” Relief rushed over me like a wave, she was the same age. The whirring from the drink maker filled the air. My hand relished in the warmth of her paw. I kept glancing at the two digits, her white fur contrasting against by boring tan skin.

“Here’s your Americano and Snow Flurry.” Sam interjected the drinks into my sight. “Oh thanks.” Akira let go of my hand to grab her coffee, I followed. In my hands the coffee sent warmth rushing through my body, almost like the feeling of fur. Akira let her eyes search for a place to sit and the rested on a two seat booth just under a window. She motioned with her head and as a couple we walked over and sat. She sipped her Snow Flurry through a straw as I took smaller drinks from the little hole in the cup top. Silence engulfed us for what felt like an hour during which rain began to fall from the December sky.

“So, Akira?” I asked without having anywhere to go with it. “Where, uhh, where did you meet Sam?” Her blue eyes moved up trying to think of a memory. “I’m not really quite sure. He’s been a family friend for as long as I can remember.” She took another sip and then set it on the table. Her eyes drilled into me, “just a quick question for you.” “Hmm?” Her paws started to move across the table, “Why a furry?” I smiled a bit, “well, if I recall you’re the one that seduced me. But I just saw the fur and the ears, along with the tail that swung slowly along with your walk. It called to me. To be completely honest, I don’t know why other humans have it for furries. You’re hot.” You couldn’t see it but I could tell she was blushing. This time, feeling more comfortable, I reached a hand out and lightly placed it in her paw. She quivered a little, realizing this all wasn’t just for fun anymore but she took it and wrapped her paw harder.

The small bell that was attached to the door rang as several people entered the shop to try and get out of the down poor that the rain had turned into. They came to find a furry and human staring intently at each other and none of them spoke, just raising the awkwardness of the whole thing. But both Akira and I didn’t pay attention to them we just continued staring. “You know.” Akira said, “my house isn’t that far from here. We can stay there until the storm passes.” I stood up and Akira followed. “Sounds like a great idea.” I put my hands on her hips and made my decision, hopefully she would agree.

My body leaned forward and arms starting wrapping around as my lips got closer and closer to her muzzle. I turned my head sidewise a little for the long snout. I did not expect her to reject the kiss but I also didn’t expect her to go through with it. I just closed my eyes and continued still half expecting not to feel the fuzziness. But my lips felt a tickle and the warmth of breath just away from them. My mouth slowly opened to accommodate the kiss. Shivers rocked through my core as we touched. A small peck followed and an immediate pull back along with a realization of the quietness and staring. Her paws and my and hands shook as they rolled back down our sides to meet in the middle. Our heads looked in different directions and the people that had come into the shop to get out of the rain had left, the bell still ringing. Sam came from the back, his face turned with confusion.

“Did anyone come in? I could have sworn I heard the bell.” We still stood there hand in paw, tingling. “Are you guys alright?” I nodded slowly. “Y….yeah. You know Sam.” He walked around the counter, “What?” Akira answered. “Sam, we…w…we’re going to leave.” I began to reach for my wallet to pay for the drinks but Sam raised his hand and shook his head. “No need, it’s on the house.”

“Oh.” Akira rubbed up against me and my heart fluttered. Sam nodded his head and smiled as if he knew exactly the feelings I was going through. Well, of course he did, he was already in a relationship with Lora. The quietness of the whole thing still felt uncomfortable. “Let’s go Akira.” We slowly moved to the door then Lora appeared from the back. “Leaving so soon?” I nodded, “Yeah.” I opened the door, and outside the rain still pored. “But we’ll be back.” Akira added. I Stepped into the downpour first extending a hand to Akira. She took it and descended the step to the street. “Which way?” I asked. A simple smile appeared on her muzzle and she nodded toward the right. “Let’s go.” We walked down the street, under the December sky, with the rain pounding our bodies but walking as if the sun were the brightest it’s ever been.