FSE

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I'm exhausted. I grumble to myself as I make my way home, rubbing my shoulders in a feeble effort to alleviate my aching muscles. Another day of hard labor on the construction site. I'm grateful it wasn't a scorching day today, but the forecast for tomorrow doesn't leave me optimistic. Well, no reason to complain. It is what it is.

“Darn it!”

I glance across the street and see a woman gathering up some produce she dropped from her vehicle. Despite my fatigued state, I readily cross the street in the spirit of good samaritans everywhere.

"Let me help," I say as I retrieve a couple of the items that have gotten farther away from her.

“Thank you so much.” Relieved, she replies.

When I'm finished, I get up and face her. “No proble-”

My words escape me as I immediately recognize my blunder. It turned out to not be a woman at all, but rather a female feline Beastborn. In more ways than one, she's a cougar. She is quite mature, perhaps in her early fifties, but her beauty caused me to pause. Her sandy blond fur grays in spots, yet it adds a peculiar but enticing shimmer whenever she moves.

The black fur that outlines her eyes gives the impression that she has natural eyeliner. Then there are her lengthy whiskers, which rise when she smiles with gratitude.

“W-Would you like me to bring these in for you?” I offered after realizing that I was ogling her for a moment.

“If it isn't too much of a bother?”

“None at all!”

She is amused by my vigor. “I tend to forget how spry young ones can be these days.” She motions for me to follow as she turns away.

Looking around, I can't help but notice how nice this place is. Every day as I go to my apartment, I walk by this area and often daydream about one day having my own home. As she makes her way inside her house, I take a step back as the full gravity of the scenario sinks me. Although I did offer to carry her groceries inside, I’m still a stranger. Leaving them at the front door seems like the best option.

“Don’t be shy. Come in,” she invites.

Well, so much for my previous thoughts. My next stop is the kitchen I presume, so I close the door behind me and continue following. I'm not paying much attention to the interior of her abode, instead focusing on her as she guides me to the kitchen, where I place her goods on the counter. I don’t want to overstay my welcome as she begins to put things away.

“I hope you have a nice evening,” I say as I turn to walk away.

“Leaving so soon?”

I was struck by a distinct sense of loneliness when I heard her voice. When I turn to face her, I see that although she is smiling, it's not the same warm smile that it was before. It appears hollow, as if she's struggling to bury her emotions.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.” I likewise glance down at my sorry state. “I, um, I also got off work. I'm not very presentable for such a lovely lady like yourself.”

“Well, sending you away after you helped me wouldn't be fair.” She retrieves a couple of pots and pans from beneath one of the countertops. “I may not be able to offer much, but I’m a decent cook.”

That’s very sweet of her. I didn’t help her expecting to get anything out of it, but I also got the sense that spending a little more time with her could help a lot too. As my stomach grumbled, though, my other options were irrelevant.

“Heh... I can’t really turn down a home-cooked meal.” I rub the back of my head, embarrassed.

That gets a genuine smile and laugh out of her. “Please have a seat; it won’t take long.”

Taking a seat at the table in the corner, I watch her as she starts laying out various ingredients for the dinner.

“So, what do you do for a living?” She inquires while maintaining her concentration on chopping veggies.

“Construction,” I answered. “We’re currently working on the new building up in town.”

“Really? I can only imagine how taxing that must be.”

I chuckle. “I’ve been doing it for so long; it’s weirdly normal now.” I shake my head as I come to a crucial realization. “My name is David, by the way.”

She comes to a halt, her face flushed, and the fur around her muzzle darkens. “I suppose that would’ve been the more appropriate question. My name is Evelyn.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Evelyn. Have you lived here long?”

“A few years,” She answers. “How about you?”

The aroma of whatever she's making fills the kitchen as it sizzles. I can't stop myself from salivating but regain my focus.

“Less than a year. I move around a lot but decided to settle down here for a bit. I live in an apartment down the way.”

“Really? By yourself?”

“Yeah. I’ve mostly been focusing on my work. What about you?”

She quietly sighs. "My kids have been living on their own for a while now. Funny thing, I yearned for privacy, but I missed them as soon as they left.”

“At least you still have your husband.”

“He passed away long ago.” She briefly casts a glance my way and can see my shocked look. “It's okay. The reality is that I was so preoccupied with raising our children that I couldn't afford to mourn his death. He was soon little more than a faint pain and a faded memory.” She begins to prepare our plates. “I loved him, but I didn’t want our kids to worry.” She sets a plate in front of me and one across, where she takes her seat. “Now I'm simply an old cat hoping for some grandchildren from those brats.”

The beginning of that was awkward, but I was impressed by how well she was able to shift the conversation to something more lighthearted.

“Don’t let your food get cold.” She motions towards my plate.

I accept her offer without thinking twice and take a mouthful of what seems to be spaghetti... Whoa. Motherly is the only word that adequately describes this cuisine. Simple but comforting. It's so particular that it reminds me of when I was a child and my grandmother used to prepare meals whenever I visited her, but it's also unique enough that I can imagine her own children loved it as well.

“Is it good?”

I look up and am met with a hopeful smile.

“It’s delicious,” I answered honestly.

“Then help yourself.” She offers before eating her meal.

I wasn’t going to argue because I was starving. Putting aside the bizarre outcome of me helping a stranger, I take this moment to enjoy my meal and the company of Evelyn.

---

“Thanks again for the meal,” I say, stepping out of Evelyn’s home.

“No, thank you for helping me.”

Spending time with Evelyn was wonderful, and as time passed, I found myself dreading the moment I had to go. She's been an absolute pleasure, and I'm sure she felt the same way. It's strange, considering we only met hours ago, but I want to spend more time with her. Working up the guts, I take a leap of faith and see what happens.

“So, uh...” I rub the back of my neck nervously. “I don’t have much going on tomorrow... Are you free by any chance?”

The first thing I notice is her eyes widen, not expecting what I just asked. Then, a smile before she starts to laugh.

“I-I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you. I just wasn’t expecting to be asked out on a date this evening.” She calms herself some. “You could do much better than an old cat like me.”

“It doesn’t have to be a date.” I offer. “We could just spend some time together. I get this is strange. We just met, but I liked spending time with you.”

I can tell she’s blushing heavily from under her fur as she taps her bottom lip.

“Sure. Why not? I’m not getting any younger.” Her smile returns larger than before as her canines become visible. “I’m free anytime.”

“How about I stop by around ten in the morning, and we just see where the day takes us?”

“That sounds fine by me.”

I can’t help my smile now, but realize I’ve been sweating this entire time.

“S-See you tomorrow!” I quickly make my retreat as she waves and says goodbye.

I can't believe I just did that! I’d never felt so nervous, but I’m glad it worked out. I’m not too sure if she’s taking this seriously, but that’s fine. Even if we end up as friends, I’ll just be happy to see her again.

---

How long has it been since I’ve been this nervous?! I’m walking down the street toward Evelyn’s home, dressed casually but nicely. My heart is racing as I find my mind drifting back to high school when I asked a girl out to the prom for the first time. Even that pales in comparison to now. Is it because this is the first time I’ve ever asked out a feline Beastborn? Or is it because she’s so much more experienced than I am?

Dammit! I’m an adult! This is just me spending some time with a nice queen. No need to be nervous! Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself, I make it to Evelyn’s home, walk up to the door and knock a few times. Soon the door is answered, and I’m once again left in awe. Evelyn is wearing a simple gray two-piece dress and jacket but what catches my attention is how the dress appears to fade on the edges due to her gray fur.

“Good morning,” she says with a smile.

I have to shake myself from my stupor. “G-Good morning, Evelyn. Are you ready to go?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She steps out of her home and closes the door. “What do you have planned?”

I begin walking to the sidewalk as she lets me take the lead.

“I’d like to grab a coffee first; so we can chat a bit more. After that, we could walk around the park a bit.”

“That does sound lovely.” Evelyn doesn’t hesitate as she leans on me and wraps her arm with my own.

My heart is back to racing. I didn’t think she'd be this bold! All I can do is blush heavily as I continue leading us to the nearby Starbucks.

---

With coffee in hand, Evelyn and I take a seat at a secluded corner table. I’m certain many of the humans and beastborn gave us a glance for a moment but went about their own business. We talked a bit yesterday, but I want to know more about her.

“What do you do for a living?”

“I’m retired,” she answers, taking a sip of her coffee. “I’d worked most of my life, so when the opportunity came, I didn’t stay longer than needed. How old are you, David?”

“Twenty-five.”

Both of her brows raise in surprise. “Younger than I thought.”

“Yeah, people say that a lot,” I admit.

“I’m curious, but why ask me out specifically?”

I twiddle my thumbs under the table. “You’re incredibly beautiful,” I answer honestly. “Sure, I’ve seen lots of pretty humans and beastborn, but none were ever like you.” All the fur around her face darkens considerably. “You’re easy to talk to, but at the same time, I’m unbelievably nervous. Even if this goes nowhere, I’d like it if we were friends.”

“I wasn’t aware young ones these days were so honest,” Evelyn states as she tries to rub the redness from her face before returning with a smile. “I’ll admit, it’s been quite some time since I’ve been able to relax in the company of another.”

Just her smile is enough to cause my heart to flutter. “That makes me happy to hear. So what do you do with your free time?”

“Nothing too exciting.” She traces the rim of her cup a few times in thought. “I’ve taken to reading. I also enjoy cooking, but I have to limit myself without anyone there to eat. Waste not, want not, as the saying goes. What about you?”

“Not much, honestly. I’ll sometimes play video games,” I answer.

She giggles. “Ah, yes. My kids used to love playing games. It seemed too complex for me.”

“Some games can be, but others aren’t. They even have games based on cooking.”

Evelyn quirks a brow. “Really? That certainly does sound interesting.”

I notice the time and decide to get things rolling.

“Shall we start our walk?”

“Sounds lovely.”

I pause for a moment and decide to man up and hold her hand to lead the way. My face was burning hot as Evelyn just giggled.

---

Here we are. A lovely day as Evelyn and I took a stroll in the park. Kids and parents play on the field. Others walk their pets. Though all of this pales in comparison to us holding hands. Something so simple, and yet it’s causing my heart to race like a kid with his first crush. Evelyn moves closer and leans her head against my shoulder.

“I do love walks like this. The fresh air, all the people having fun.” Evelyn gives a content sigh before looking up at me. “Come now, David. You don’t have to be so nervous.”

“Sorry.” I take a deep breath to try and center myself. “It’s difficult to have such a beautiful queen this close.”

“Well, my old heart still can’t take the idea that such a fine young man would be interested in me.” Evelyn giggles. “So why don’t we just enjoy ourselves?”

“You’re right.” I chuckle a bit. “So, getting back to our previous conversation, what’s your favorite color?”

“Cyan. You?”

“I’ve always liked blue.”

Evelyn looks off toward a park bench that’s lightly shaded. “Mind if we sit?”

“I don’t mind.”

We both take our seats side by side. The view is of a nice little lake where a few ducks swim about.

“Have you always been into older ladies, or am I the first?” Evelyn asks with a coy smile.

“Definitely the first,” I answered honestly. “Though I didn’t put much thought into dating, as I was busy with my job.”

“So, no prior girlfriends?”

“Are we counting high school?” She shakes her head. “Then no.” I scratch the back of my head nervously. “Have you ever dated a human before?”

“No.” Her tone shifted so suddenly to be stern. She seems to pick up on this quickly. “Sorry, I just thought about my younger years. It wasn’t as wonderful as now, where anyone can find love wherever it may be. It was dangerous.”

...Oh... That makes a lot of sense. Given her age, she was most likely around the time where interspecies couples were outlawed. That’s one thing but it wasn’t uncommon for couples to be lynched if they were ever found out. It’s crazy to think that actually happened in our history but Evelyn is right, it’s much better now. Still not perfect but better.

“Sorry to bring it up.”

She rests her hand on top of mine.

“My reaction was uncalled for... I just loathe those times. I lost a few friends because of it, and I wish they could’ve seen the world as it is now. While I never dated a human, I was always fond of your kind. What about you? Have you ever dated a beastborn?”

I nod my head. “Yeah, in highschool.”

“That so?” She rubs up against me, and I swear I can hear her giving a soft purring sound. “Care to share some details?”

“Uh... Sure. She was a hyena. I think it was less that I dated her, and more she dated me.” I chuckle nervously. “It wasn’t forced or anything, but at the time, I wasn’t aware of how dominant hyena females are. She was very sweet to me but also highly possessive. It wasn’t uncommon for her to start fights if any other females tried to get near me or even attack guys who tried to bully me. In the end, I wasn’t ready for that, and we broke up.”

“Well, talk about falling into the deep end,” Evelyn remarks. “I’m surprised you were able to break up unscathed. I recall plenty of hyena in my day who would attack their partner if they wanted to leave.”

“Oh, I was no different.” I lift my pants leg where there are scars that look like teeth marks. “She bit me. Thankfully not with her full bite force because I doubt I’d have a leg left.”

“What happened to her?” Evelyn looks at my scars with some concern.

“I didn’t press charges. I knew she was just emotional about the breakup, and I didn’t want to ruin her life. We’ve remained friends. She still feels awful about what she did and has mellowed out a lot more with age.” I drop my pant leg. “So, yeah... How about you, Evelyn? What was your husband like?”

She playfully scoffs. “He was a delinquent. My family was always strict and proper. Cliche as it may sound, I was attracted to his cool cat persona. He was bold, always taking me out places against my family's will. Though when I became pregnant, he was quick to straighten up and settle down.” She sighs, looking off into the distance. “He was a good father, and as silly as it may sound, I’m sure he’d be upset knowing I stayed single for so long.”

I cock my head. “Really?”

“Yeah. Due to his lifestyle, he expected himself to die young, and that mindset never left even after we had children. So he would often talk about plans he had for me if he died.”

“Oh... He sounded like a free spirit.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m glad he isn’t around to hear that. He always loved to proclaim himself a free spirit. Having someone else confirm it would’ve made his ego that much higher.”

“It sounds like you loved him a lot.”

“I did. But let’s not focus on that; it’s you and me right now.” She looks over at me. “I’m feeling a bit famished. Would you like to head back to my place and I’ll cook us something?”

“Sure, if you want.”

Evelyn stands up before taking my hand and leading me to her place. I can’t help my heart that’s racing, but I’m enjoying my time.

---

Back where it all began. I’m sitting at the table while Evelyn thinks over what to make.

“How about something like fried chicken?” She muses aloud.

“I’m excited no matter what it is,” I admit.

She chuckles at that. “Well, I’ll be sure to do my best.”

It’s such a mundane thing, but I find myself mesmerized by Evelyn. She’s just moving around her kitchen, a skip in her step as she lightly hums a cheerful tune. The gray of her fur shimmers around her body like a type of strobe effect. It’s hard to really describe how beautiful she is. I’ve been gazing at her for so long that she takes notice and just smirks at me with a raised brow.

I shake from my stupor and blush heavily as I rub the back of my neck.

“Uh, sorry for staring.”

“I certainly don’t mind.” She giggles to herself. “To be honest, I feel younger knowing such a fine young man is so entranced by me.”

“I can’t deny that,” I admit getting up from my seat. “Do you need some help with the food?”

Evelyn taps her chin in thought for a moment before an idea comes to her.

“How familiar are you with cooking?”

“Not really. I mostly order out.”

“Well, I have a wonderful idea.” She walks over to the fridge and pulls out some chicken. She also collects a variety of other things and sets them on the counter. “How about a lesson?”

“R-Really?” I’m not good at cooking. “I don’t want to ruin it.”

“It’s easy, and I’ll be there the entire time,” she says with confidence.

“Alright.” I relent at her excited attitude. “Where do I begin?”

“First, wash the chicken while I get the breading seasoned.”

“Easy enough.”

I take the chicken she set out, some nice quarter legs, and get to washing them. By the time I finished, she had set some paper towels and an empty plate next to me.

“Pat them dry and place them there.” I just nod and do as I’m told. Making sure most of the water was gone and placing them neatly on the plate. She stands next to me and gives a few nods. “Looking good. Now the fun part. Bring the plate over here.”

“Ok.”

I pick up the plate and walk over to the other counter where she has two large bowls set. One is filled with whisked eggs, and the other with flour mixed with various seasonings. I set the plate down as she walks behind me and rested her hands on my own.

“Now, this is where things get dirty.” She can’t hold back her laugh at that. “First, take one of these.” She uses my hand to grab a piece of chicken. “Then dip here.” She puts it into the egg, mixing it around as it coats my hands, but I notice she’s wearing gloves. She seems to pick up on this. “I’m sure you’d rather not have cat fur in your food. Then we go over here.” She plops the chicken into flour and coats it nicely before placing the chicken onto another plate. “All done! Easy, right?”

“Yeah,” I admit as she walks to the opposite side of the counter.

“Now that I’ve shown you. Let’s get these birds coated.”

She repeats the process on her side, so feeling much more relaxed, I follow her lead and do as I was shown. It doesn’t take long for all the chicken to be done as she comes over and bumps me with her hips.

“Good job. Now go wash your hands; it won’t take long to fry these up.”

I walk over to the sink and wash my hands just as I begin to hear the sizzling of oil as she fries the chicken, the aroma instantly filling the house with that delicious fried goodness. Rather than sit around again, I note all the dirty plates and stuff we used. So I make myself useful and take them over to the sink.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll get it later.” Evelyn states.

“It’s no problem.” I start washing them while I enjoy the smells of her cooking. “I’d rather not stare at you and salivate at the same time.” I joke.

She laughs before relenting. “Very well. If you’re feeling so helpful, set some plates on the table for us.”

“Can do.”

Once everything is nice and clean, I take some plates over to the table before taking my seat. Just in time, too, as Evelyn walks over with a plate filled with fried chicken. She sets the plate in the middle before taking her seat.

“Well, dig in.” She offers.

I don’t hesitate, taking a piece and quickly biting into it. The crunch resonates as all the flavors explode into my mouth. I’ve never had chicken this good before!

“So, how is it?” She asks.

“The best fried chicken I’ve ever had,” I state matter-of-factly.

She blushes at that. “Oh stop it... I’m glad you like it. Don’t hold back on my account.”

I don’t, as I enjoy one piece, then another. Where Evelyn is taking her time, I’m more just wolfing it down. Though the entire time, she appears happy to see me enjoying her cooking so much. After I feel satisfied, do I come to my senses and try to make myself presentable again.

“T-Thank you for the food.” I blush, embarrassed by how I was acting.

“It was no trouble. As I said, I enjoy cooking.”

I glance over at my watch and find it’s already five. Wow, time flies when you’re having fun. Not wanting to take Evelyn’s entire day from her, I decided to get things moving again.

“It’s getting late,” I admit. “I hope this was as fun for you as it was for me.”

“Of course it was.” She gets up from her seat. “Let me show you out.”

At some point, I calmed down, but now my nerves are picking up again because while this entire date has been great, I want to confirm one important thing going forward. She opens the door, and I take a step out before pausing to face her.

“I’ve never been great at picking up signals. So I’m going to do something. If you’re not interested, dodge.”

I lean forward and press my lips against hers. I feel her briefly flinch in shock, but there’s no hesitation when she wraps her arms around me and pulls me closer. I can even feel her purring as we share a simple first kiss. When we pull away, I see her face is red, much like mine.

“Well, if it wasn’t obvious, I’m fine with seeing where this goes,” Evelyn admits.

“A-Alright.” I smile, rubbing the back of my neck. “Um, would you like to go out again tomorrow?”

“I would love that. Goodnight, David.”

“Goodnight, Evelyn.”

With that said, she closes the door, and I’m left there, taking it all in. I can’t help it as I leap for joy and sprint my way back to my apartment building. This is all so exciting, but all I know is that I can’t wait to see Evelyn again.