FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“You sure this is the one?” said the Chow Chow in the driver seat.

Elliot fidgeted with their long ears one last time before putting the mirror in the visor away. “Nope. These McMansions all look the same to me.” They fetched their phone and compared a photo with reality. “Looks like it, I guess.”

The dog huffed at the house. “Gross. Kill me if I ever want to move into something like this.”

The hare let out a chuckle. “Sabin, honey, I don’t think we’ll ever make enough money for that.”

“Right, still…”

Elliot looked forward as their boyfriend’s words trailed off. They avoided thinking; deliberately. Heavy breathing and goosebumps told them it would only take a second of consideration for them to turn tail. To leave that place and never look back. To go back home, look in Mr. Bronson’s eyes and lie to him about where they went that afternoon. To tell themself, for the rest of their life, it wasn’t their conflict to resolve.

A heavy hand on their shoulder ended the relentless silence.

“Scared?” the canine said, rubbing cream-coloured fur.

Elliot shook their head and sniffled a sorrow they didn’t even know had begun to form. “Yeah, a bit,” they responded. “Pathetic, right?”

Another hand made its way to the back of the hare’s head. “No, baby, no,” the dog said bringing them into an embrace. “You’ve come so far already. You’re so brave, so kind!”

They hugged back and found their heart rate slowing back to normal. His fur, like his words, so warm and full of love. Elliot knew their anxieties had no chance when they embrace ended but its warmth continued.

They chuckled. “You’re my better half.”

Sabin shook his head. “You’re a whole person.” With a deft move he connected both muzzles into a brief kiss. “Twenty minutes,” the dog said.

Elliot’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what we agreed?”

The dog pulled back farther, nodding. “Yup. And we agreed to not let you change my mind.”

“Damn…”

Sabin chuckled. “Good luck, honey. And… remember why you’re doing this.”“You sure this is the one?” said the Chow Chow in the driver seat.

Elliot fidgeted with their long ears one last time before putting the mirror in the visor away. “Nope. These McMansions all look the same to me.” They fetched their phone and compared a photo with reality. “Looks like it, I guess.”

The dog huffed at the house. “Gross. Kill me if I ever want to move into something like this.”

The hare let out a chuckle. “Sabin, honey, I don’t think we’ll ever make enough money for that.”

“Right, still…”

Elliot looked forward as their boyfriend’s words trailed off. They avoided thinking; deliberately. Heavy breathing and goosebumps told them it would only take a second of consideration for them to turn tail. To leave that place and never look back. To go back home, look in Mr. Bronson’s eyes and lie to him about where they went that afternoon. To tell themself, for the rest of their life, it wasn’t their conflict to resolve.

A heavy hand on their shoulder ended the relentless silence.

“Scared?” the canine said, rubbing cream-coloured fur.

Elliot shook their head and sniffled a sorrow they didn’t even know had begun to form. “Yeah, a bit,” they responded. “Pathetic, right?”

Another hand made its way to the back of the hare’s head. “No, baby, no,” the dog said bringing them into an embrace. “You’ve come so far already. You’re so brave, so kind!”

They hugged back and found their heart rate slowing back to normal. His fur, like his words, so warm and full of love. Elliot knew their anxieties had no chance when they embrace ended but its warmth continued.

They chuckled. “You’re my better half.”

Sabin shook his head. “You’re a whole person.” With a deft move he connected both muzzles into a brief kiss. “Twenty minutes,” the dog said.

Elliot’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what we agreed?”

The dog pulled back farther, nodding. “Yup. And we agreed to not let you change my mind.”

“Damn…”

Sabin chuckled. “Good luck, honey. And… remember why you’re doing this.”

Not a moment after the hare left the vehicle, they lost it amid the sea of identical constructions.

They didn’t share Sabin’s revulsion for the building so the its shadow intimidated them. They looked around one last time, wondering if they could simply run back to the entrance of the gated community. Once they discarded the thought, their legs led them to the door.

One final, deep breath and their knuckle moved to the door, but it ended up missing it completely.

What at first seemed like magic or technological deed, quickly revealed itself to be the work of the owner of the house.

A tall, athletic deer in a light blue dress shirt and black pants glared at Elliot through thick-rimmed glasses. Aside from his branching antlers, they could gleam no other detail from the man before them. A single epiphany drowned all other thoughts: he looked just like Mr. Bronson.

“You’re late,” the buck said.

Those words echoed a couple of times in their head before they could respond. “I-I’m sorry.”

“It is fine,” he said after a sigh. “Come.”

Elliot followed the man’s terse command.

A short corridor let the mammals to a spacious living room. While the exterior bore a false masonry look, the inside had an insipid, minimalist style of monochromatic walls and furniture. The hare had to stifle a reaction coming in.

“Ah, right,” the deer said, next to the set of C-shaped sofas. “I suppose we haven’t properly made acquaintances yet.” His brown-furred hand extended towards the visitor. “Liam Matthews, pleased to meet you.”

Though obvious in hindsight, the hare took a moment to shrug off the revelation that he didn’t use his father’s surname.

They took the expectant hand and shook it. “Elliot…” The word caught their throat for a second. Neither what their documents said or what they called themself seemed right to tell Liam. “Just Elliot, hehe. No need for surnames.”

Not even such a gaffe managed to break the buck’s aloof visage. “Very well, Elliot. Have a seat.”

The hare obeyed unsure if their lack of reaction was more or less embarrassing.

They settled down on the couch, their host did not. The tall deer stood with his back away from the hare, making Elliot look in that direction too. A rumbling sound put an end to their wondering. What began as growls, eventually registered as a voice. Then, finally, as words.

“Is he dying?” Liam had said.

Even with the moments discerning noise from intent hadn’t prepared the hare to respond. “W-Wha…”

In a move that shook the room’s mood, the buck faced his guest once more. “Is. He. Dying,” he repeated through gritted teeth. “Did you reach out to tell me he’s dying?”

The intense emotions leading the act made Elliot’s heart rate spike. In a single move that happened feet away from the hare, the deer had managed to pin them to their seat.

“N-No!” they said. “H-He coughs a lot from time to time, I guess, but he’s fine as far as I know!”

Liam turned away the moment that first word hit the air. The guest didn’t know what to make it at first. Nothing in their brief online exchange suggested such intensity would be involved. However, as the question settled in Elliot’s mind, the more reasonable (though, never normal) the reaction seemed.

Twenty years. Twenty years had passed since Mr. Bronson saw his son; longer than Elliot’s entire life. The fact that Liam agreed to meet up had to mean he wanted to know of his father.

When the buck turned around once more, no strong emotions remained on his face. “I apologize for that,” he said after clearing his throat.

“N-No need,” Elliot replied.

Liam finally took his seat, across from the hare. “We don’t have much time,” Liam said and then looked at the silver watch on his wrist. “About fifteen minutes. Sounds good to you?”

Elliot’s own timer came to their mind. “That’s fine.”

“Good. You may start.”

The hare gulped. “Where to start…”

With a sigh, Liam’s gaze met expensive watch again. “From the start. How and when did you two meet.”

“R-Right, sorry,” Elliot said. They closed their eyes and took a deep breath. “We never… met, exactly. Mr. Bronson has been a family friend my whole life.”

The sound of his father’s name affected the whole room. Elliot found themself reaching for an ear to figet, but held back at the last second.

Another topic caught in their throat until the hare pushed it out. “My parents,” they said, “they were his drinking buddies.” That brought a crinkle to the buck’s snout. “Sorry.”

After a long huff, the deer rubbed his forehead with force. “It’s nothing,” he said. “Proceed.”

Elliot offered a huff of their own. “It was pretty bad. They spent nights out drinking, and days sleeping or at work. I don’t really remember any point when my life wasn’t like that.”

Liam’s gaze returned to them. “And was… Mr. Bronson with them?”

“Yeah, he,” the hare paused at the host’s curt lips and narrow eyes. “I mean, like I said, I don’t really remember. Miste– He’s always been there.”

The deer sighed. “Proceed.”

Just before they did, Elliot noticed their high heart rate. They only managed to push through by reminding themself why they were there.

“Whenever my parents were… out, Mr. Bronson would drive me to school. At some point, he started taking me every other day. On the way to school, he was mostly quiet, but sometimes he’d strike a conversation.” A light crease on the buck’s face stunned them for a second.

Cross-armed, Liam huffed. “When was this?” he said.

Elliot shook their head at the interjection. “I was, like, seven or something?”

“And you’re, what, 18 now?”

“Eighteen, yeah.”

Slender hands covered the buck’s mouth, but not his murmuring. The hare tried their best to not decipher the sounds hitting his long ears, but couldn’t help but imagine the worst.

“Proceed,” the man said again.

The hare’s first attempt died in a gulp; their second, came out as stammers.

Liam huffed loudly. “Elliot. Remember the time. Please, just proceed.”

It didn’t last long, but while the buck spoke, they caught a poorly hidden emotion in Liam’s face and tone. Sadness? Resignation? Pity? It had been too brief from them to discern.

“Right,” the hare said, “sorry.” Another deep breath and they continued. “We got closer, around that time. Sometimes, he’d pick me up too and we’d talk some more or get ice cream or go to the movies...”

“That’s nice,” the deer interjected.

Blood rose to Elliot’s cheeks and ears. “Y-Yeah. Sorry.”

Liam didn’t give a verbal response, narrow eyes and pursed lips spoke louder.

“T-Then, all that just stopped one day. Mr. Bronson stopped coming around altogether. It was just me and my parents for a while. Hah, it was awful. So lonely, and confusing.”

The room turned quiet after those words. A mix of bad memories of those months and what they needed to say next gave Elliot pause. Only the memory of what happened, the whole reason why they came, galvanised to carry on.

“I was nine,” the hare spoke. “I was home when an officer banged on the door and told me there was an accident.” After cradling their head on hands, they bit their lip and ground their teeth to stifle emotion. “Mum was gone. And my father would be interned for weeks at best. And Child Services would be ‘looking into my situation.’” Elliot paused, then returning their gaze to Liam. “And then, at the hospital… Mr. Bronson was there.”

The buck’s gaze moved to the wristwatch but hesitated to make the full movement. Elliot got the message but couldn’t help but doubt the deer’s detached attitude.

“CPS never did ‘look into my situation,’” they said. “I was back in my father’s custody right after he left the hospital. The following year, though, I was no longer living with him.”

Liam gulped. “My– Mr. Bronson adopted you?”

Elliot chuckled. “Legally, no. But he might as well have. I’ve been living with him since I was ten, I only check in on my father once a month—because Mr. Bronson asks, I might add.”

The deer pursed his lips before letting out a sigh. “And he’s been good to you ever since?”

A flush of red returned to their face, this time with a smile. “Y-Yeah! He’s stopped drinking, is holding down a job… and still takes me out for ice cream once in a while.”

“Great.” Liam’s response trailed behind him as he jumped to his feet. “Good for you. For both of you.”

“S-Sorry?”

The buck let out a loud sigh. “I mean it,” he said. “It’s good that you two are doing well.”

It didn’t take much to understand what he said or why. Even so, the backhanded, sarcastic tone in his words made emotion churn in Elliot’s stomach. And after the recollection they had gone through, they wouldn’t keep it down.

“Hold up,” they said, “Look, I get it–”

“Do you!” the graver voice cut their sentence short.

“I do!” Elliot responded, now to their feet too.

Liam turned and took five terse steps towards his guest. “You were dealt a shitty hand, that I’ll give. But now, you’re enjoying a second one at my expense.”

“I didn’t…” The deer’s clear anger, stature and the sting that maybe he was right made the hare hesitate. “I never…”

The man tilted his head away while taking a step back. “How about I tell you my story, then?” he said.

Under the buck’s imposing frame, the hare failed to respond.

“There once was a man and a woman, they were high school sweethearts and married right after graduation. Man, woman and child live happily for ten years, until man decides he’s tired of them and turns to drinking and women. Woman puts up with it for four fucking years, until HE divorces her! Woman, then, works her ass off to support child, ruining her health, while man is out there bettering himself!? Child grows up, has to pay his mum’s medical bills and never hears from man again. Not once! The. End.”

Only at the end of the spiel that Elliot noticed the tears on their cheeks. “H-He… He’s changed!”

A wry chuckle left Liam’s muzzle. “Oh, yeah? That’s only because he fucked up with me. You’re the son he acts like he never had. You’re welcome.”

That last sentence wore down whatever understanding Elliot had for the deer’s situation. While he extent of Mr. Bronson’s faults may have been new to them, their existence was not. Nothing shook their belief in their words: he had changed.

With the moment that sparked that first email they sent to Liam in mind, they chose to take the offensive; even with the sad glint in the deer’s eyes.

Just then, another noise hushed the room. It lingered for a couple of seconds before Elliot recognised it as the sound of a door opening.

The hare searched for its source but garish decor blocked their view. When they looked back, Liam’s frame, once stiff and assertive, was now shrunk, swaying left and right.

“She’s early,” the host said while shaking his head. “She shouldn’t be back until…” Words trailed off and gaze met the watch. “No. She’s right on time.”

Elliot blinked and shook their head. “Who is?”

A shrill tone invaded the room. “Honey,” a feminine voice blared, “I found the jalapenos!” The owner of the voice, a doe, came into view. “You think you can make your salsa before…”

Wearing a yellow day dress that reached her wedge sandals, the woman held a paper bag near its base in a way it almost covered her face. Curly, dark brown hair surrounded a heavily painted look of confusion.

“Liam,” she said, “who is this?”

Elliot’s gaze flowed to the man, who responded by looking away, cross armed.

The host cleared his throat before responding. “This is… He’s…”

Not half of a second passed in the ensuing silence for the hare to connect the dots. The fact she could enter on her own, the nickname and the ring on the deer’s pinkie and middle fingers.

The wife drew the room’s attention just as realisation hit Elliot. “Oh! This is!” She shook her head, struggling to keep the grocery bag in her grasp. “I thought we agreed to do this together.”

Liam, who had made his way to her as she spoke scratched the back of his head. “Jen, listen, I–”

She pushed the groceries to his chest. “To the kitchen,” she said. “We need to talk.”

Elliot blinked twice before they could believe the deer’s response: silent obedience. Not a second of hesitation, not a shred of reluctance.

“And you,” the doe said.

Elliot jumped. “Y-Yes!”

“I am so sorry,” she said from a pained but resilient smile. “Please, have a seat. We’ll be right back.”

Elliot found themself obeying before they had the time to process the sentence. “R-Right.”

With a short bow and a sigh, the wife followed Liam into the house.

And then the room was vacant; no more awkwardness, shame or anger. Just Elliot and their thoughts.

So, he had gotten married. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise, an affluent male in his thirties wouldn’t live in a house like that on his own. They wondered how long the two of them had been together. Plus, how to break the news to Mr. Bronson. And whether they should at all.

Wondering didn’t last long as a vibration in their pocket dominated their attention. They fetched their phone and answered without looking at the caller.

“H-Hello?” Elliot said.

“Hey…” Sabin’s cautious tone responded. “It’s been twenty. How are we doing?”

Once they heard their boyfriend, the hare let out a long breath they didn’t even know they were holding. “Hey, baby,” they answered. “It’s… I dunno.”

“Oh?” the other side said. “That’s good!”

Elliot shook their head and huffed. “It is?”

“Well, someone told me they were afraid of being kicked out or yelled at.”

They chuckled. “No. Nothing like that happened. I just… I don’t know if anything I say will change anything.”

“Hmm, yeah I guess that’d be frustrating. Do you… wanna call it here?”

The question lingered in their long ears. What they learned talking to Liam had already confirmed that Elliot was ill equipped to fix this relationship. However, the doe’s words and tone made her seem like an ally. They fidgeted with one of their ears for a while before they made the decision.

“Nah,” they said. “I think I’ll stay.

The couple didn’t chat after that. Elliot had concluded it would be best to focus on what and how to say next. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t have the opportunity. Soon after they hung up, the couple returned with locked arms.

“Heeey,” said the wife behind a broad, strained smile, “sorry for the wait. Our little tête-à-tête stretched on a bit.”

They took their seat across their guest in a coordinated move. Elliot searched for some sort of reaction from the silent deer and found that scowl from earlier avoiding them.

“So,” the lady said, finally letting her husband go, “I believe it is time for a proper introduction.” She brought a palm to her chest. “My name is Jennette Matthews, she/her! Call me Jen, everyone does. And you are…?”

The hare took a second to respond, surprised by the spike of energy her voice brought to the room.

“I’m Elliot,” they said before Liam caught their attention. “Elliot Bronson, they/them.”

They didn’t quite know if the answer came out so easily that time because of some vindictive feeling on thier part, but the deer’s ajar mouth satisfied them plenty.

Jennette jumped in her seat. “Oh, how lovely! Welcome to our home, Elliot.” Her hand landed on the deer’s shoulder and gave it small shakes. “Liam here got me up to speed on your conversation and… I want to apologise.” She turned to face her husband. “He’s actually a nice and caring guy, Elliot. We’re just,” she shrugged, “very emotional right now.”

That last part the hare had seen for themself. No one—no one sober, anyway—had exploded on them like Liam had.

“It’s fine,” Elliot said. “I’m a bit emotional myself, I think.”

Jennette chuckled before turning to the man beside her. A smiling pause and the buck nodded, prompting her to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Every quiet, tender move enthralled Elliot.

“He hasn’t told you yet, right?” the doe said. “Why he… Why we agreed to meet you?”

Elliot shook their head. “N-No. I’m curious, to be honest.”

Her grin grew in a flash before it returned to moderation. “We are pregnant, Elliot.”

The news hit them in waves. First, as unremarkable fact. Then, as incomplete answer to the question at hand. And lastly, as news they would have to deliver Mr. Bronson.

“O-Oh!” the hare said with a faulty smile. “Congratulations. For both of you.”

“Thank you,” the doe said in a chuckle as she glanced at her husband once more. “Well, I’m sure you’re wondering what that has to do with anything. You see, Liam has–”

“Enough, Jen.” The deer’s sudden interjection brought two surprised stares to him. “I-I mean, I want to tell them myself.”

The emphasis Liam put in Elliot’s correct pronoun did not escape the hare. If it had been some kind of apology for earlier, they found it lacking. However, depending of how the conversation went, he would have the chance to do it properly later.

After the buck removed his glasses, he rubbed his eyes and let out a loud sigh. “We found out two months ago. I was happy, of course, but there was something about it that bothered me. Something other than… ‘New Dad Anxiety.’” With a grunt, he put his glasses back on. “I haven’t slept a full night since then. There’s just… this fear.” He paused for a full second before he huffed and revealed a curt grin. “Only when I got your email I figured out that it was about my– about Mr. Bronson.”

At last, an explanation for both why he had agreed to this and his bad temper. Elliot’s parents had given them a practical lesson on the effects of sleep deprivation, so they could empathise.

“Pathetic, isn’t it?” the host continued. “It’s been sixteen goddamn years. I should’ve… I should be–”

“No, dear, no,” Jennette took his hand. “You’ve been so brave! Enduring all that pain, and now taking up this chance to be free! You’ve come so far!”

Those words rang in the hare’s ears for a second or two before they remembered where they had heard it before.

Liam brushed off his wife’s hair and—for the first time that day—smiled. “You’re my better half,” he said.

“And you are a whole person,” she replied on beat.

A light scoff and a stifled chuckle escaped Elliot’s muzzle.

Liam broke off the embrace. “I-I apologise,” he said. “What a shameful display.”

Elliot straightened themself on their seat. “No,” they said, “I am sorry. You two just remind me of someone.”

Jen grinned. “Someone nice?”

The hare mimicked her. “Someone very nice.”

Liam cleared his thoat. “Be as it may, now you know why we agreed to this.”

“Yeah, but…”

Jen picked up their pause. “Where do we go from here, right?”

They nodded. “Yeah…”

“Well,” the buck jumped in, “why did you reach out in the first place?”

The wife hummed in agreement. “I’ve been wondering as well, if you don’t mind.”

Elliot gulped. They knew this moment would come, and yet words stuck in their throat again. They pushed, and did so again and again.

Until they didn’t anymore. Rather than use brute force, they closed their eyes and took a deep breath. When they opened their eyes, words flowed normally again.

“It was father’s day two weeks ago,” they said.

“Ah, yes,” Jennette said. “That was a hard day for us too.”

Liam’s hand landed softly on his wife’s shoulder. “Jen.” He flicked his muzzle towards their guest.

“Oh. Yes, sorry, please continue.”

“R-Right,” they said. “So, yeah, Sunday, father’s day. Like I told you… Mr. Matthews?”

A solitary chuckle turned the deer’s frown into a brief grin.

“Please, Liam’s fine,” the husband said with a nod.

Elliot felt some heat rise to their cheeks and ears. “Yes, alright, Liam.” They paused once more and cleared their throat. “Father’s day, right. It’s one of the days Mr. Bronson insists I visit my father. The visit was…”

Recollection made them grind their teeth. All the awful things that man had said about his own “son.” The suggestions of what Mr. Bronson was doing with the hare. Threats. Begging for money. If that day had ended any other way, Elliot would’ve have forgotten about it.

“You don’t have to say anything, Elliot,” the doe said.

The hare realised their prolonged silence. “Ah. No, yeah, you’re right. The visit was difficult. I had to leave earlier than usual. I was ready to crash out when I got home, but I saw something.” Their eyes fled from the couple. “It was Mr. Bronson. Hunched over at the dinner table. Mumbling something.” Another pause, followed by a head shake. “I couldn’t make out what he was saying at first, but little by little I picked up stuff like ‘sorry’ and ‘please.’ There was another word in there, one I didn’t figure out until later…”

The flow of words stopped again. Part of them wanted the couple to take the hint, so the hare wouldn’t be forced to say it. Elliot thought of Sabin’s words; they had been so brave already, no need for them to say more.

At the end of countless seconds, a stronger force moved their mouth anyway.

“He was clutching something,” Elliot continued. “He tried to hide it when he noticed me, but later I found it in a drawer. I-It was a photo, so old he barely looked like himself. And with him… was a doe and a kid.” They finally had the strength to look at the hosts, but focused on the buck. “The word he was saying that day, it was Liam.”

The man slumped in his seat. A move devoid of wrath and too meek to change the mood around him, but just as sudden and full of meaning. Jen looked away too. She allowed her profile to show a frown and wrinkled brows, but remained silent.

The hare’s chin reached their chest. Liam seemed farther than ever and their supposed ally had no words of aid to spare. And still they rose their gaze, hoisted not by disappointment or anger, but by gratitude. For the man that had saved them from that household, the one who had given him love, guidance and patience, Elliot had to push through.

“Liam,” they said “he’s changed.”

The hunched buck let out a long sigh. “Because he’s sad? Because he’s sorry? Because he’s sober and has a job?”

Elliot hesitated once they heard some of their reasons tossed in there. Liam straightened out slowly; at some point, his lips had become weighted and wrinkled.

“Maybe he has, Elliot,” the buck said. “But after what he did to me and my mum, it will take more than pity for me to believe you.”

A flash of yellow came between the two. “Honey,” Jen said. gripping her husband’s arm, “let’s take a breath.” She turned to the hare. “All of us, let’s take a breath.”

They all followed her request, but it didn’t the hare’s mind. The situation never seemed more hopeless. If they were to prepare themself for resignation, they would have to do it with a grimace.

A voice broke the room’s silence. “But… I still want to try,” the buck said.

Elliot jumped in their seat.

“I want to give… Mr. Bronson a chance.” Liam shrugged with a curt smile. “If nothing else so I can sleep better.”

Jennette gripped her husband’s arm harder with a broad smile and a squeal. “I knew you could do it.”

As the couple got close and traded smiles, one question kept the hare’s muzzle unsteady.

“Why?” the hare let slip. “I-I mean, I’m glad, but if you don’t think I’m right, why try at all?”

He parted the embrace. “To be blunt,” the buck said, “you.”

“Me?”

“Yes,” Liam nodded. “Even if he wasn’t there for me, it seems he did raise someone right.”

Jen chuckled behind a strained smile. “We took the liberty of having a friend look into you. J-Just a little! We can’t just believe someone based on a single email, right?”

Elliot cocked their head with an open mouth and squinting eyes.

A palm tapped Liam’s face. “Jen…”

“It’s true and they ought to know!” She put a palm between her muzzle and the man and spoke in a fake whisper. “If you haven’t picked an university yet, let me know. I know someone inside Madison who can–”

“Anyway!” Liam said. “We know you’re a good kid, and if my– if Mr. Bronson raised someone like you, then he did right by someone.”

A rush of heat shot to their cheeks and ears. “I-I don’t know what to say… Thank you, Liam. Thank you so much!”

“Y’know, Elliot,” the doe said, “Liam here is a great cook. If he wasn’t one of the state’s top architects, he’d be a renowned chef!”

The hare tilted their head. “Oh?”

Her words paralysed the buck for a couple of seconds. His hand came alive slowly, and only to adjust his glasses. “I’m not that good,” he dotted his sentence with a smirk. “But I do make a mean pico de gallo.”

Elliot almost toppled coming into the apartment, exhausted by the day’s emotions. And yet, they smiled. Not only had the conversation gone well enough, the hare enjoyed some of the best tacos they had ever tasted. The couple even let Sabin come inside for a taste.

Their grin waned as they remembered the last words they shared. They had asked the hare to not tell Mr. Bronson what happened that day; a decision they endured with gritted teeth.

“Hello?” a voice called from beyond the corridor. “Elliot? Kid, is that you?”

“Yeah,” the hare huffed out.

In three large steps the hallway gave way to the apartment’s kitchen. A little shoddy and lacking, especially in comparison to the McMansion. The living room alone fit that kitchen three times over!

Soon their eyes fell on the man at the dining table. Now that they knew Liam, they couldn’t ignore their resemblance. Dark brown fur, sprawling antlers, they even shared their taste in glasses. Only a gut and wrinkles set the men apart, both worsened by years of drinking and a difference in wealth.

Mr. Bronson set a book down on the table. “You were out the whole day,” he said. “Where were you? Is everything okay?”

Elliot’s eyes darted around the room. “E-Everything’s fine. I was at Sabin’s, that’s all.”

The buck’s eyes grew wide as Elliot spoke. “Oh, okay. That’s fine…” He tapped the back of the closed book. “You two’ve gotten intimate yet?”

The hare hid burning cheeks with both palms. “Oh my god.”

“Look, look!” Mr. Bronson chuckled. “You’re both close, you’re 18 and high school’s done, it’s natural that things go that way. I just wanna make sure you’re doing things safely, okay?”

A muffled scream shook Elliot’s palms.

“Don’t be like that, kid. Y’know I’m 100% behind you, right? Condoms, lotions, anything you need I’ll–”

“Ugh, okay, okay! We’ll use protection. Just, please, stop talking, dad!”

That last word lingered in the still air.

“W-What d’you say?” the buck said.

The hare revealed their flushed face but didn’t dare repeat themself. “Is that bad?”

Mr. Bronson snapped to his feet, letting the chair drag behind him. “No, of course not,” he said. “It’s just… Is it something you really want?”

The hare approached in silence.

“Elliot, I… I did some bad things to my own family, you know that.” He let out heavy huffs before continuing. “I don’t think… Do I even deserve–”

Elliot stopped those unwanted words with an embrace. “Of course you do, dad,” they said, teary against Mr. Bronson’s fur. “You do.”

The hug wen unrequited long enough for them to begin to fear it never would be. But answer came; as a warm and tearful as the invitation.

“T-Thank you, Elliot,” he said, after wrapping his arms around his child. “Thank you…”

In a timid move, Mr. Bronson put to short peck on the hare’s forehead. A motion so awkward and sincere it brought a smile to their muzzle.

When they let each other go, they traded grins and chuckled at the other’s weepy eyes. Mr. Bronson took Elliot by the cheeks and kissed their forehead again.

“Ew, dad,” they said, the word finally sounding natural. “Stop that, it’s weird!”

Mr. Bronson held them by the shoulder and broke the hug. “Weird… bad?”

“Weird… alright.”

The buck huffed. “Alright.”

Not a second after their dad let go, a yawn escaped Elliot’s muzzle. “I’m going to my room, I think.”

Mr. Bronson’s eyebrow arched. “Were you really only at Sabin’s house?”

“Yup,” they responded with a curt nod.

“Well, I’ll leave some leftovers in the fridge if you wake up hungry.”

“Thank you.”

Two slow steps towards their bedroom and a sound shook them awake.

“Huh,” the buck said, phone in hand. “‘Unknown Number.’ Must be spam.”

Elliot almost nodded along, until it hit them. “Wait, wait!” Their plea stopped the buck in his tracks. “I think you should pick up this time.”

A questioning eyebrow manifested but was quickly replaced by a shrug. The hare stayed long enough to see their dad answer, but left before they heard who it was on the other side.