Chapter 37: Twilight Hours
Jasmine had never felt so wretched. She slowly crept to consciousness as her head pounded like a drum. She shifted and was uncomfortably aware of everything. Her eyes felt itchy behind her eyelids, her tongue felt dry and swollen, and her stomach felt like she had eaten a bottle of acid. The only good sensation she had was a pleasant warmth she was resting against. She adjusted herself and buried her face into the warm object to block out the stabbing light. It was firm, but covered in a layer of something wonderfully soft and fluffy. She'd never felt something of this texture, it was delightful.
As Jasmine lay limply wherever she was, she tried to piece together the last things she could remember. It had been the thirtieth, the day before New Year's. She had woken up at her usual time of six thirty to get ready for work. Breakfast had been a slice of toast with strawberry jam and a small cup of coffee with a lot of cream, as usual. She had gone to work at the accounting firm she worked for and had salad with boiled eggs and green tea for lunch. And then… her boyfriend Zak had texted her. He had wanted to talk after work to discuss their future.
Jasmine rubbed her head as it ached unpleasantly. Zak had met her at the park where they had gone on their first date. And then he had told her… that he didn't want to keep seeing each other. She was too rigid and dispassionate. The same routine every day, with no room for spontaneity or excitement. She had been devastated. This was the first real relationship she had ever had, and he was ending it after a year. She remembered crying… a lot. And then… she had gone to a bar for a drink to steady herself. She remembered getting a few more drinks than she usually did, and far stronger ones too. Her go to beverage was a single glass of red wine with dinner. However she recalled having much more than that.
Jasmine scrunched up her face as she tried to recall anything after that. But no, her memory was too hazy. She must have gotten very drunk. Shamefully drunk. Apparently she could break her routine after all. Jasmine flinched as the warm object shifted and something settled across her back and pulled her closer to the object. No… not object. Person. She was lying cuddled up with… someone. Jasmine cracked an eye open and immediately regretted it as tears filled her vision due to the bright light. She groaned and wiped at her eye before trying again. There was movement from the mysterious stranger, and she was able to get a good look at him.
Whatever it was, it was no creature she had ever seen before. Canid in shape, it had rusty red fur tinged with gray and pointed ears that were a darker shade of red, almost black. It looked fox-like because of that, but it was far too large and the head was distinctly lupine with the large muzzle and impressive teeth that were displayed as it yawned. One of the creature's eyes was covered by a black eyepatch and a bit of a scar peeked out from underneath. He, as Jasmine was confident the stranger was a male, was an unusual looking male, but not unattractive. Especially as he protectively pulled her deeper into his embrace.
Jasmine was actually… a little impressed with her drunk self. Usually she would be too shy to approach a stranger, and definitely wouldn't bed one either. However, she was also mortified by her behavior. She had gotten black out drunk and gone home with a stranger! What had she been thinking! Although hopefully drunk Jasmine had picked a somewhat decent guy to hook up with. The odds were good given he had stuck around afterwards. As if to accentuate this point, the stranger rubbed her back and murmured,
"How do you feel?"
Jasmine let out a weak moan.
"Awful…. My mouth is very dry and my head is killing me."
The male scratched his shoulder and grunted as he sat up, displacing Jasmine. Immediately, she missed his warmth. As he slid out of bed, he tucked the blankets back around her and Jasmine closed her eyes as she heard him move to the kitchen. Her ears pricked and swiveled as she heard him opening cabinets and rummaging around. She was curious what he was doing, but her head hurt too much to care. She must have dozed off, because she was suddenly awakened by her visitor gently jostling her shoulder.
"Jasmine, do you like cream or sugar in your coffee?"
Jasmine stretched and sighed,
"Cream, lots of it."
Footsteps moved back to the kitchen. Jasmine covered her head with the blanket and smiled giddily. Somehow, she had landed an amazing fling with a sweet guy who was currently making her coffee. Maybe there was such a thing as a New Year's miracle? At the very least, it was serendipity. After a bit, the stranger returned to her side holding a steaming mug of coffee. He spoke softly,
"I didn't know what to make you for breakfast. I saw jelly and bread and figured that toast was always a safe bet, but I can cook you some eggs and pancakes if you want."
Jasmine accepted the coffee gratefully and took a sip. It was perfect, better than she usually managed to make. Jasmine purred happily and relaxed back into bed.
"Pancakes would be amazing, but… can you come back to bed? I really liked it when you held me earlier."
"Uh… okay."
The male moved back next to her, and Jasmine smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. This was nice. If only she could remember what happened last night.
Like a rising tide of cold water, a bit of discontentment and shame welled up inside her as her mind slowly became more conscious. The embarrassment was beginning to grow as she realized that she had acted like an irresponsible frat girl last night. What if she caught something? Or got pregnant? Had this guy been drunk too or just happy to take advantage of her in her inebriated state? Suddenly, Jasmine felt sick. She pulled away and glanced at the male nervously. The stranger noticed and asked,
"Hey, are you okay? You look a little queasy. Do you need me to get you some medicine?"
Jasmine pulled her knees up and curled into a ball.
"What… happened last night?"
The stranger tilted his head.
"Do you not remember any of it?"
Jasmine shook her head. She was aware she didn't even know the name of her bedmate. The male shifted before explaining,
"Well, I was heading down the street to look for a place to stay last night when you ran into me. You were pretty drunk and had emptied your purse out on the ground. Honestly you weren't making much sense. So I offered to help you get home. Then you sort of… threw up all over me, and I had to wash my clothes. But you asked me to stay with you, so I did. Thanks for letting me sleep here, by the way. You have a very nice apartment."
Jasmine felt the knot in her chest unclench a little bit.
"So we… didn't do anything?"
The stranger shook his head.
"Other than you being sick and crying a bit, we just slept."
Jasmine let out a breath and rubbed her eyes.
"That's a relief! I was worried we had…."
She then looked awkwardly at the male and grimaced.
"I mean… not that there's anything wrong with you! It's just… uh…."
The stranger smiled.
"I get it. Now, should I go make some breakfast? You could probably take a shower while I do. Taking a shower tends to help me when I have a headache."
Jasmine groaned and slowly slid out of bed, wincing as standing upright made her head throb. She hung her head and massaged her temples with the palms of her hands.
"Yeah, I think I'll go do that. Maybe soaking my head will make it feel better."
And so, she staggered to the bathroom. She still felt very hazy and sluggish, but the relief she felt that she had not been a total slut while drunk was immense. After she turned the water on and stripped out of her underwear, she sighed in bliss as the warm water poured over her battered body. This definitely helped her feel a bit better. She carefully lowered herself down and sat on the floor of the shower. Idly she realized she had left her coffee sitting on the nightstand. She really wanted that coffee, even in the shower. There was enough room for her to set it on the edge of the shower where it wouldn't get water in it. But she'd have to leave to get it, and that sounded like a pain in the butt. Unless….
Jasmine winced at the volume of her voice as she loudly called out,
"Hey, uh…."
Jasmine huffed. She had forgotten to ask the stranger his name. However, she heard footsteps and the male's voice came from beyond the door.
"You okay?"
Jasmine nodded, not even caring that she was alone in the room and nobody could see her.
"I'm fine, but could you bring me my coffee?"
There was a pause before the stranger answered,
"Into the shower?"
"Yeah."
"You're going to drink your coffee… in the shower?"
"Yeah."
"Uh… okay."
There was the sound of footsteps moving before the door handle turned.
"I'm coming in."
Jasmine grunted and watched as the canid slowly walked in holding her mug in one hand as he covered his eye with the other. Jasmine raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Uh… what are you doing?"
"Bringing you your coffee."
"I meant with your eye."
The stranger looked a bit abashed.
"Well I didn't want to look at you naked."
Jasmine frowned.
"Oh…."
Immediately the male rambled out,
"Not that I don't think you're attractive! You're very pretty, I'm just respecting your boundaries and decency!"
Jasmine winced.
"Keep it down please. Still very hungover."
Immediately he assumed a hoarse stage whisper.
"Sorry, here's your coffee."
Jasmine watched as the male slowly shuffled towards her, still resolutely averting his gaze. She had to admit that she was… a little disappointed. She might normally be boring, but that didn't mean she wasn't without a romantic side. The sheer volume of romantic movies and books she'd enjoyed spoke to that. While she appreciated that this male was definitely considerate, she would have enjoyed feeling… desired for a change. Her usual clothes were unflattering and practical, so she never really got approached by guys. Maybe it was the hangover talking, giving her courage she didn't usually have, but she wanted to feel… sexy for once. Steeling her nerves, Jasmine asked,
"Actually, uh, c-could you… look at something for me?"
Immediately she began to panic. Idly fantasizing about steamy romance was one thing. Actually pulling it off was another. Hell, she had been too much of a coward to buy a red cardigan last week and had instead chosen a sensible beige one. She was the most boring, cautious, routine-loving creature she knew. And this was a male of unknown species who definitely was not a cheetah, so she definitely would not pursue any form of romance with him! Jasmine squeezed her eyes shut.
"S-Sorry! Nevermind!"
The male paused.
"You sure? If you're hurt I know a little bit about medicine. Not much, but a little."
Jasmine bit her lip. He was so… sweet. Why couldn't he be a handsome cheetah! But she had always wanted to shower with someone before. So hot, so intimate. Imagining a big, strong hunk gently lathering her with shampoo while they pressed against each other, teasing the opportunity for a kiss… or more… had been one of Jasmine's current fantasies for a while. Maybe she was a little pathetic, and very lonely, but still… she wouldn't get physical with a member of a different species. It was too taboo.
And then, another part of Jasmine's brain spoke up. Not the part that was so logical and rational, but a deeply buried rebellious side that she repressed. It posed a question to her. Maybe the reason Zak had broken up with her was because she had been too scared to put out? They had barely even kissed, and even then they had been short and boring kisses. They hadn't even gotten to second base, because she had chickened out each and every time! Now was the time to conquer her fears! Do it! Be brave! Be… spontaneous!
"A-actually!"
The stranger, who had been opening the door, paused. Jasmine was breathing heavily, her eyes wild with panic. Her rational mind screamed at her to stop, but her neglected irrational mind pushed her forward. If she didn't at least try, she'd regret it. Always thinking back on what could have been. Now was the time to be daring. Jasmine took a deep breath and asked,
"W-would…. Would you like… to shower with me?"
The stranger seemed taken aback by this as he shot her a surprised look before blushing and immediately looking away.
"Gee, uh, I don't know about that, Jasmine. I'm not really sure that's a good idea. We don't exactly know each other and—"
Jasmine squeezed her eyes shut.
"T-that's the point! I want to do something extreme! And I… I've always wanted to try this."
"To try… showering with someone?"
Jasmine folded her arms.
"I like reading and watching romance stories. And in lots of them, the characters shower together. It sounds so amazing and soothing, a-and I want to see what it's like!"
The stranger rubbed his arms nervously, looking unsure. Jasmine was surprised. For how intimidating this guy was, he definitely didn't act very tough. She also had noticed how… bizarre everything about him was. Fox-like fur on a wolf-like body, but he definitely didn't carry himself like a wolf. His movements were more… subtle than the powerful and aggressive movements of most wolves she had seen. He sighed.
"I just… don't know."
Jasmine was losing confidence fast, and feeling very silly. She dropped her gaze, crestfallen.
"Sorry! Stupid idea. I'm just… not quite myself still, I guess. It doesn't make sense for us to… do that. You probably don't exactly even like me very much. I did throw up on you and ruin your night. It's fine, you can go. Thanks for the coffee."
The stranger seemed pensive. Finally, he took a deep breath.
"You know what… who cares. Yeah, I'll do it. I'll shower with you… naked. Uh, so long as my eye doesn't get wet. Doctor said to keep it dry."
Jasmine's eyes widened in surprise.
"Y-you will?! You're not just doing this because I was being pathetic, are you? Because that wasn't my intention!"
The male shook his head.
"No. I don't know why, but I think this would be exciting!"
He then immediately looked a bit embarrassed. Jasmine noticed he still had been avoiding looking at her directly.
"Uh, could you… turn around while I… disrobe. I'm a little embarrassed."
Jasmine was a bit hesitant about that. He was only wearing underwear, what was he so embarrassed about? Did he… have really weird genitalia? Like, disfigured or something? Noting his insistence, Jasmine hesitantly nodded.
"Uh… okay."
She turned away from him, and listened as he carefully moved behind her. His voice, jittery and uncertain, rang out.
"O-okay! We're doing it!"
She turned to see he was standing behind her, about a hand's breadth away. He was also resolutely looking up at the ceiling and covered his crotch with both hands and his tail. Jasmine blinked. She had been nervous before, but had assumed that this confident looking guy could help take the lead. But he seemed more uncomfortable than she was.
"Uh… you seem… nervous."
The male grimaced.
"Nobody's ever seen me naked before, or vice versa."
Jasmine was genuinely shocked by that.
"Wait, you're… a virgin?"
The male nodded. Jasmine covered her head in her hands and groaned.
"Just my luck, I end up with the only virgin my age."
"Well actually—"
Jasmine groaned.
"Can you please stop looking away! It's humiliating! L-like you think my naked body is disgusting. Like, I know I'm not much to look at, but you could at least pretend like I'm acceptable!"
The male's ears drooped.
"I'm sorry! Just… let me take it slow. This is all new for me."
"You've at least kissed a girl before, right?"
"Not on the mouth."
Jasmine pulled at her fur.
"Seriously!? What is wrong with you!?"
"Girls don't find me attractive! I'm sort of freaky looking! B-but I've touched a boob before!"
Jasmine crossed her arms. Somehow, finding someone more nervous and inexperienced than herself had brought out a bit of confidence.
"Being breastfed by your mother doesn't count."
"No! It was this nurse at the hospital! She let me feel her boob! It was really nice too."
"Whatever, just shampoo my back. You're ruining this."
"Sorry."
Jasmine turned her back to the male and sulked as he gently applied some shampoo and lathered her up. She realized she still hadn't asked for this person's name.
"So, sorry about this, but what's your name? I can't remember it."
"That's okay, you didn't ask. It's Yasui."
"Yasui? Hm… it's nice, I like it."
There was a long pause, and Jasmine carefully took a drink of coffee while protecting it from the shower water. She tapped her finger on the mug.
"You know… this might actually be a great idea. I might do this again."
"Huh, you don't say."
Jasmine gave her showerhead a flat look as Yasui continued to scrub her back… and only her back.
"Yasui."
"Yeah?"
"Could you maybe move on to another section?"
Yasui began to rub shampoo on her shoulders.
"This better?"
Jasmine's was by no means a dominant personality. She rarely spoke up at work, never got involved in politics, and didn't even correct waiters at restaurants when they messed up her order. And yet, she somehow found someone who was even more of a pushover than her, which forced her to be the instigator. Jasmine turned face to face with Yasui.
"Yasui. Grow a pair and touch my breasts."
"Huh! B-but earlier you were concerned about if we had—"
Jasmine rubbed her face and groaned.
"I am trying to be adventurous and do something I've always wanted to try. I want to feel… normal for once. I want to feel like a pretty female who can flirt and do… sexy… stuff. It's the last day of the year, so what exactly do I have to lose? This year sucked so who cares?"
Yasui looked away. She had a point. Currently things had been going pretty terribly. His whole life seemed to be in pieces and everything he thought he knew was a lie. He also felt really weird and just didn't seem to care about anything currently. So… why not do something he wouldn't do normally. He wanted to do this, so he might as well be free from all his worries and inhibitions for at least a few minutes.
Yasui reached down and grabbed Jasmine by the waist, pulling her against him. He rested his chin on top of her shoulder as he nervously rubbed his hand across her thigh.
"I-is this better?"
"Ooooh yeah, that's better."
Yasui laughed.
"Well… I'll admit, this is nice. Except that only part of me is in the water. That's a bit of a downside."
Jasmine grabbed the green loofah she kept in the shower and set to work cleaning both herself and Yasui while he did the same. It was… much more awkward than she had been led to believe it would be. Maybe that was just because she had a small shower. Although, judging by the happy sighs and grunts coming from Yasui, he was enjoying it despite her accidentally elbowing him every once in a while. Jasmine froze as something… poked her. She looked down and felt her face getting hot. She'd… seen these sorts of things before, but they'd always been censored. This was her first time seeing the real deal. Jasmine gulped.
"Wow… uh… I guess you're enjoying this."
Yasui lazily opened his eyes as he adjusted his hold on the cheetah.
"Hm? What are you talking about?"
He looked down and immediately jumped backwards, smacking the back of his head against the wall.
"Ah! Sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Oh! I wasn't saying it was a problem! It's totally fine, Yasui! It just… surprised me."
Yasui turned his back to her and covered himself again.
"I don't know what's gotten into me! Just… give me a sec. It'll go away!"
Jasmine shifted and turned her back to Yasui. She did feel a little… awkward. How was she supposed to react to seeing his… male parts like that. She crossed her arms.
"If you need to… take care of that, I can give you some privacy. Or… uh… I could… help? If you want to! No pressure! I'm just trying to be considerate! Sorry, that's stupid. Maybe we should stop now, if you want."
Yasui laughed.
"We're both… pretty bad at this, huh."
"Yeah."
"I'm fine with just getting clean and making breakfast."
Jasmine hesitated. While she was reluctant to stop right as things were getting good, she had to admit that the mood was gone.
"Yeah. Let's just stop. It was a good try, but I don't think I have it in me."
Yasui nodded and exited the shower. He pointed to a small stack of towels in the corner.
"Do I use one of those, or something else?"
"One of those is fine."
Jasmine waited for him to dry off and leave before slumping against the wall of the shower and groaning. Not only was her head still hurting, but her pride was bruised too. She had come so close to actually overcoming her inhibitions, only to chicken out at the last second. How was she ever going to have sex if she couldn't even manage some foreplay? She sighed and drank some more coffee, even if it was getting cold by now.
Jasmine took her time getting dressed as she was in no rush to go face Yasui again. The whole situation had been her idea, and then she had lost her nerve. He had to have noticed how much of a weirdo she was by now. Everything was so awkward and uncomfortable, and she hated feeling that way. Why couldn't she just be normal!
Jasmine staggered into the kitchen and sat down with a groan. Her head felt better after the shower, but walking around had sent her brain throbbing with each step. She watched as Yasui mixed some batter and poured a bit into a small frying pan she had. He nodded at her.
"Head feel any better?"
"No…."
"Sorry. Hopefully some food will make you feel better."
Jasmine was quiet as Yasui cooked their breakfast. Soon he had set out two plates piled high with fluffy pancakes. As she watched Yasui begin to eat, Jasmine asked,
"Yasui? Don't take this the wrong way, but what exactly… are you?"
Yasui looked up and stared at her as he finished his bite of pancake. He sighed,
"That's a bit complicated. I'm not entirely sure myself. The doctor I saw assumes that I'm at least half fox, and then probably half wolf too."
Jasmine frowned.
"How do you not know what your species is?"
"Well, remember how I said these past few days have been pretty terrible?"
"Vaguely."
Yasui slumped and picked at his food, looking suddenly dejected.
"In the span of a week I went through an agonizing growth spurt, found out I was a hybrid, and then found out I was adopted. Apparently… my biological parents abandoned me."
Jasmine covered her mouth.
"Yasui, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to pry."
"It's okay. I'm slowly coming to terms with it. I just don't want to think about it right now."
Once they were finished, Yasui cleaned up the mess and looked around uncomfortably.
"So… thanks for letting me stay here last night. Have a happy new year." Yasui quipped before heading towards the door. Jasmine watched as he began to turn the handle and blurted out,
"Wait! Just… hold on for a second."
Yasui stood with his hand on the door, head tilted in confusion. Jasmine sighed.
"It's just… I don't really have any plans today, or any friends to celebrate with. So… I was thinking… maybe… we could spend the day together?"
Yasui grinned, suddenly excited.
"Oh… well, what would you want to do?"
Jasmine shrugged. So far this morning had been pretty amazing, all things considered. Waking up in the arms of a nice, strong guy who then made her coffee, breakfast, and showered with her (to an extent) was like something out of a romantic movie. And that gave her an idea.
"Well, actually…. There's something, well, several something's I've always wanted to do. I really like romantic movies, and if you're okay with it maybe we could… do some of the stuff in those movies."
"Like what?" Yasui asked.
"Well… we could go for a walk to the market, and get lunch at this cute little cafe they have there. My… previous boyfriend never wanted to go there. He said it was too effeminate. And then after that we could go on a small boat ride or something… see all the decorations."
Yasui frowned.
"But… we aren't a couple."
"I know, it's just… this year sucked, and I want to at least end it well. So I want to have the perfect day, and having the perfect day isn't a day spent alone. And you're really the only person I can think of that I can do this with, as sad as that is."
"Not even some friends of yours?"
Jasmine shrugged.
"I pretty much only work and then come home. I met my ex through a dating website."
Yasui crossed his arms. He didn't think that spending the whole day doing couples activities with someone who was practically a stranger still sounded all that fun, but then again he didn't really have anything else to do. And he felt really… weird. But Jasmine at least distracted him from that.
"Well… I guess I don't have anything better to do. What the heck, why not."
Jasmine stared at him in disbelief.
"You mean it? You'll spend the day with me?"
"So long as you don't mind hanging around with a halfbreed."
Jasmine grinned.
"I'll go get ready."
It was almost lunchtime when they finally made it to the market Jasmine had been referring to. It was a bustling street near the water where vendors had set up little booths to sell holiday decorations, jewelry, crafts, and snacks. Yasui eyed the crowd as he walked with Jasmine to a booth selling pottery. Everywhere they went, people gave him weird looks. Some were confused, some were surprised, and others looked borderline disgusted. Yasui sighed.
"So much for blending into the crowd."
"What was that?" Jasmine asked. Yasui shook his head.
"Nothing. What are you looking at?"
"Some mugs. They're pretty nice."
"I think you've already got a pretty nice mug."
Jasmine furrowed her brow and Yasui explained.
"You know, like, your face. Some people call your face your mug? It was a little joke. Sorry, it was pretty dumb."
(What's gotten into me? It's like anything that comes into my head I say all the sudden? And when have I been this impulsive to go on a sort of date with a random stranger?)
Jasmine put the cup she was holding back and continued to the next stall. She held up a pair of earrings and looked in the small display mirror at the stall.
"These are cute."
"Yeah, they're great. I like them." Yasui agreed.
"But I don't really need any more earrings. I have so many all ready."
Yasui followed along doggedly as they wound through the stalls of the market. Everywhere he went he felt eyes on him. Going from being small and easily overlooked to feeling like he was wearing a massive sandwich board with "Giant Hybrid" on it in flashing letters was definitely a large adjustment to make. There was also the added awkwardness of accompanying Jasmine. Yasui just didn't know what to do. Unlike when he spent time with Miss Diana, Jasmine asked for his opinion or input frequently.
Jasmine would ask him to weigh in on whether this color scarf looked good on her, if he liked this plate, or if he thought they should get some roasted chestnuts. It was beginning to show just how little he actually interacted with females. Finally, around two in the afternoon, they made their way to the cafe Jasmine requested. It was a quaint little building named "The Nautilus." Inside were several small tables where couples were sitting exchanging loving glances over plates of sandwiches and tea.
Yasui trailed behind as Jasmine spoke to the seagull working the hostess's desk.
"Table for two, please." Jasmine said. The bird looked at her and then back at Yasui. She made a slight face before picking up two menus.
"Right this way."
Yasui and Jasmine followed her as she led them to a secluded corner of the cafe. Yasui got the distinct impression she wanted the bizarre duo of cheetah and whatever he was far away from where anyone else would see them. They were seated and the seagull asked,
"Anything to drink?"
Jasmine raised a finger.
"Tea, please."
The seagull looked at Yasui.
"Uh… I'll do the same." Yasui answered. The seagull nodded and strode off, leaving Yasui and Jasmine to look over the menu. Yasui picked up the menu and glanced over it.
"So… what are you thinking of getting, Jasmine?"
Jasmine clicked her tongue.
"Maybe the cucumber sandwich. That's light and refreshing."
Yasui nodded slowly. He glanced over to a table a little bit away from them. A young guinea pig couple were looking at him and whispering. Upon seeing him looking at them, they hurriedly turned away. Yasui's eyes flicked around the room and saw that multiple other tables were doing something similar. Apparently he was the prime object of attention in the restaurant. Jasmine cocked her head.
"What's wrong, Yasui?"
"Everyone's staring at me."
Jasmine looked around and huffed.
"Geez, can't these guys find anything better to do?"
"Is it because I'm a hybrid?"
"Probably. Although some might think we're a couple and be staring because of that. You have to admit we make an odd duo."
"I guess." Yasui muttered. Jasmine shrugged.
"Just ignore them. It's not like you can control the fact that you're a hybrid. Smart people know that it's not what's on the outside that counts. Your heart is the only thing that matters."
"Wow, that's really great, Jasmine. I'll have to remember that."
She smiled wanly.
"I never understood judging people for their appearance. You really can't do much about that. But you can control if you're an asshole or not."
Jasmine giggled and pointed to a table across the room from them.
"And then there are things you can control about your appearance, like that. See how much makeup that dove is wearing? She looks like a clown!"
Yasui glanced over and suppressed a snicker. Jasmine jerked her head to a new table.
"Or the sweater that hippo over there is wearing. Horizontal yellow and black stripes are never a good choice. You always look like a massive bumblebee."
Yasui laughed.
"I don't know what you were talking about, Jasmine. You're not boring at all, you're funny."
The cheetah blushed.
"Honestly I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm acting all out of sorts today. But… I like it. I feel a bit braver with you around, more comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone."
The seagull returned with a pot of tea for the table and took their lunch orders, a cucumber and cream cheese sandwich for Jasmine and an egg salad croissant for Yasui. As the seagull walked away, Jasmine pulled out her phone.
"So, I see two good options for what we can do next. There's a port cruise that shows you around the bridge and docks, or a bus tour that takes you through the city. Personally I'd prefer the bus tour, since everything is decorated for the holidays. What about you?"
"Bus sounds good to me." Yasui replied. He sat and stared at Jasmine as she talked about this and that. Her job, her parents, and some things she wanted to do at some point. Over the course of their lunch, Yasui came to realize something. He liked Jasmine. She was funny, considerate, and easy to listen to. And, she was attractive. She had nice, long legs and spots. Yasui liked spots. As they walked out of the cafe, Jasmine shivered.
"The wind picked up, it's pretty chilly now. Guess I should have worn some gloves or mittens."
Yasui held his hand out to her.
"You can hold my hand if you want. I'm very warm."
"Yeah, I remember. Eh, why not." Jasmine said before slipping her hand into his. Yasui smiled as they strolled down to the train station and took the train to where the bus tours left from. They got tickets and idly wandered around the nearby stores as they waited for their appointed tour time. Yasui was glad he had agreed to this as they traveled around the streets. Everywhere was busy as animals hurried around, celebrating the New Year. Yasui smiled at Jasmine.
"This definitely beats spending New Year's Eve alone."
Jasmine returned the smile.
"You can say that again. This is nice."
"Ready for the bus tour? We might want to start heading to the station."
"Sure, but let's make one stop along the way."
The stop in question was a small cart selling hot chocolate. She purchased a cup for herself, and happily sipped it as they boarded the bus. They sat down in their seats, with Yasui letting her have the window seat. She gave him a quizzical look.
"Not a fan of hot chocolate?"
"Hm?"
"You didn't get one for yourself. A hot chocolate."
Yasui grimaced.
"Canids can't really eat chocolate. Too much of it makes us sick."
"Oh! I didn't know that!"
"Yeah, sort of like the whole onion thing. Just an unfortunate dietary restriction."
Jasmine shook her head.
"I couldn't stand it, not having chocolate. I'd just eat it anyway and die happy."
"I don't think it would kill me, at least a small amount of it. But it would definitely make me ill. I know a guy who drinks chocolate milk and just deals with the side effects."
The bus lurched as it began to roll down the street. The drived came over the speaker system and welcomed them aboard, explaining some of the history of their surroundings. Yasui half listened as he watched the brightly lit buildings slide past his window. Jasmine had been right, the city was beautiful this time of year.
Jasmine was looking intently out the window, a slight smile on her face. Yasui slowly reached over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. Jasmine looked at him and laughed.
"I should have seen that coming. Very romance movie-like. Thanks."
It was dark by the time the tour ended and he was walking back up to Jasmine's apartment. They were both laughing and having a great time as she turned on the television and put it on the channel that would display the ball dropping. The time seemed to fly by until they were counting down to midnight. Jasmine was sitting beside him as they counted in unison.
"Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one…. Happy New Year!"
Jasmine grinned at him as fireworks flared on the television screen. Yasui followed his gut, and leaned forward. He kissed her full on the mouth, catching her by surprise. Jasmine laughed into him and returned the kiss. When they broke it off, she looked at him happily.
"Wow… a proper New Year's kiss. I just… I can't thank you enough. Today has been… magical. Really, it has."
Yasui took her hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand.
"I couldn't agree more. And I think spending the night with you is the best start to my year I could ask for."
"Aw, that's sweet."
Yasui leaned in for another kiss, but Jasmine stopped him by putting her hand on his mouth.
"Uh… what? Why are you trying to kiss me again?"
Yasui frowned.
"Because… why not?"
Jasmine seemed suddenly uncomfortable.
"Oh… uh… listen, I hope you haven't taken any of this the wrong way."
"Jasmine, I like you a lot. And I think we're great together. Maybe… we could try dating. I'd definitely treat you better than your old boyfriend."
"Oh… oh no. Listen, Yasui, you're a really nice guy, but I just… I don't think I'm ready to start dating again so soon."
Yasui nodded.
"I understand. I'm definitely not entirely ready for a relationship right now either, but I think we should try it later! We had such an amazing day today, and I want to spend more time with you."
Jasmine pulled away.
"Yasui, I don't think that's a good idea."
Yasui moved a bit closer.
"But… didn't you feel it today? We have chemistry! I really think we could be happy together."
"Yasui, I'm sorry but it's just… I'm looking for something else in a relationship."
Yasui felt like the bottom of his stomach had dropped out.
"What do you mean? I thought we were having a great time?"
"We were, but… I don't think we are compatible as far as a romantic relationship is concerned."
Yasui narrowed his eyes.
"It's because I'm a hybrid, isn't it."
Jasmine crossed her arms.
"It's just… I'm not really interested in dating a canine. If you were a feline maybe, but… not a canine."
"What about what you said earlier! About the heart being all that matters!"
"I didn't mean romantically! You can't honestly expect me to be fine dating, or even marrying someone outside of my species?"
Yasui felt a lump well up in his throat.
"No… I guess not."
"You understand, right?"
Yasui nodded, fighting back tears.
"Yeah. It would be a mistake to get involved with someone outside of your species. Nothing good comes from that."
"Yasui…."
Yasui stood and grabbed his bag.
"No, it's fine. I understand. I hope you find someone who will treat you well. Somebody who's a cheetah."
"Yasui, I'm sorry. But I'm just not comfortable getting romantically involved outside of my species."
Yasui nodded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.
"Yeah…. I'm just… I'm going to go. Bye, Jasmine."
Jasmine watched miserably as Yasui left. She sighed and slumped back against the couch. She had liked Yasui, but she just didn't want a cross species relationship. She didn't think that made her shallow or mean, but it didn't make her feel any better.
Outside, Yasui punched himself as hard as he could in the thigh. What had he been thinking!? He had known this cheetah for less than a day and suddenly he's confessing his love to her?! Why had he gotten so… smitten with her so fast?! And then he had gone too fast and made everything awkward. Now Yasui just felt miserable. He looked wistfully at the throngs of animals galavanting through the streets cheering and laughing. It was now officially a new year, and he felt terrible. Where was he supposed to go?
Yasui had to admit, he was somehow both scared and angry. He didn't feel in control right now, he felt all mixed up and wrong. So what should he do? Where could he even go? And then he had an idea. Maybe there was someone who could help.
Gouhin snorted as sudden knocking on the clinic door woke him up. The panda doctor was momentarily disoriented as he tried to remember what day it was. He grunted as he came to awareness. With a sigh he pulled on a shirt and shambled to the door. Probably some drunk who had picked a fight and needed stitches. He threw the door open and growled.
"Whaddya want?"
Standing in his doorway was a very odd creature. It was a canine that had an eyepatch over one eye. It had fox-like fur, however it was far too tall to be a fox, and its features were more wolf-like than fox. Whatever it was, it looked miserable. Gouhin crossed his arms.
"Well? You hurt, or did you hurt someone?"
"Not really… I just don't know where else to go."
Gouhin raised an eyebrow.
"Who pointed you here?"
The creature sighed.
"That's right, you probably don't recognize me. I'm Yasui, last time you saw me I was about half this size."
Gouhin shook his head in disbelief.
"No way, I don't believe it. It's only been a few weeks."
Yasui looked down.
"A lot's happened."
Gouhin furrowed his brow and placed his hand on Yasui's head. He slowly pushed Yasui downward until he was almost on his knees. Gouhin grunted.
"Huh, it is you. Damn, what happened to you?"
Yasui sighed.
"Where should I start?"
Gouhin jerked his head into his clinic.
"C'mon in. I feel like this will be worth hearing."
Yasui followed Gouhin inside and watched as the muscular panda yawned widely and lit a cigarette.
"Sorry if I woke you up, Doctor Gouhin. I know it's late."
Gouhin rolled his shoulder and flicked ash into an ashtray.
"Meh, I was just napping. I figured I'd be getting some visitors tonight, so I decided to get some rest while I could."
"Why were you expecting visitors?"
Gouhin gave Yasui an impatient look.
"One, it's freaking New Year's Eve so drunk idiots are going to be rambling around until the sun comes up, and probably will be injuring themselves and others. Two, I'm supposed to be hearing about what your deal is, not the other way around."
Yasui looked down, abashed.
"Oh, sorry."
"Well that proves you're Yasui. Still a spineless jellyfish I see."
"I am not spineless!" Yasui protested. Gouhin leaned forward and pointed at Yasui.
"Don't you raise your voice at me!"
Immediately Yasui's ears flattened and he averted his gaze.
"Sorry, Doctor Gouhin."
Gouhin snickered.
"See. Spineless."
Yasui pouted as Gouhin took a long drag from his cigarette. The panda slowly exhaled, a plume of smoke curling up towards the ceiling.
"Alright, jellyfish. What happened?"
"Are you going to call me that from now on?" Yasui frowned as Gouhin nodded sagely, puffing on his cigarette. Yasui crossed his arms and hunched over in his seat, hugging himself.
"Well, I went home for Winter Break. The first day back I started to feel pretty bad. I was achy and my limbs hurt. I thought I might be coming down with the flu."
Gouhin nodded, not speaking. Yasui continued.
"I'm not entirely sure what happened next, because I spent a couple days barely coherent. Everything hurt and I was insanely hungry and tired. I sort of ate and slept for something like four days straight. I woke up yesterday like this. My… parents had called a doctor. He said I was a hybrid and apparently my parents weren't actually my parents. They found me in the back of their truck."
Gouhin ground out his cigarette in his ashtray and rested his head on his fist.
"What brought you back here?"
Yasui looked ashamed.
"Well, I sort of got really freaked out and… ran away from home. I came back here and met a girl—"
"Well that can't be good." Gouhin grumbled. Yasui gave the panda a sulky look.
"We didn't do anything… besides shower together. But I spent the day with her today and sort of… fell madly in love with her really fast. I confessed my feelings for her— don't give me that look!"
Gouhin was shaking his head and sneering at Yasui. The panda laughed.
"I'll give you whatever look I want, jellyfish. You're the one acting like an idiot."
Yasui clenched his fists and growled.
"Do you think I don't notice that! I'm acting like a crazy person! And you're laughing at me!"
Gouhin shook his head.
"You sure are acting like a crazy person. Imagine how your family must feel."
Yasui froze as a sensation like ice water filled his veins. His family must be devastated. He was such a moron, he had hurt them so bad by running away. Yasui sniffed as tears welled up in his uncovered eye.
"I-I'm a terrible person! What's wrong w-with me!"
Gouhin sighed.
"If I had to guess, your body isn't the only thing that changed over your… transformation. I bet your brain's being flooded with hormones while it tries to figure out what the heck is going on with your new body."
Yasui moaned in despair.
"Can you fix me?"
Gouhin stood and grabbed Yasui by the shoulders.
"Fortunately, I think I can. I specialize in psychology after all."
Yasui beamed and threw his arms around the ursine, nuzzling his neck happily.
"Oh thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Get off me, you weirdo! Geez, am I going to have to lock you up so you don't try to sleep with me?"
The "treatment" Gouhin had in mind was apparently just one of the rooms in his clinic. He ushered Yasui inside and shoved some linen clothes into his arms.
"Get changed, brush your teeth, and go to bed."
"But what about the treatment?" Yasui whined. Gouhin jerked his chin at the bed.
"This is it for now. You're going to stay here until your brain can function properly again. We'll talk more in the morning so I can diagnose you more specifically."
"But—"
"Bad dog! Bed!"
Yasui sagged and hurriedly complied. Gouhin shook his head.
"Geez you're a wreck. Try not to go doing anything else stupid tonight, okay? I'll probably be up around ten to check on you, depending on how late I have to be up tonight. Do not leave this room."
"But—"
"Stay!"
"What if—"
"Stay!"
Yasui deflated and sadly got into the bed. Gouhin nodded and grumbled "Good boy" before closing the door. Yasui smiled and his tail wagged happily.
(He said I was a good boy.)
….
(I really am going nuts, aren't I.)
Yasui had been afraid he'd have trouble sleeping with all the excitement of the day, but he must have been more worn out than he thought. Yasui groaned and rubbed his face as daylight shone through the blinds in his room. He checked the clock and saw that it was already nine. Yasui sagged back into bed and closed his eye. His head still felt like it was whirling. He was beginning to feel like a bomb waiting to explode. Desperate to distract himself from his confusing new feelings, Yasui got out of bed and crept out of his room.
The clinic was quiet in the morning light, with no evidence of anyone else being around. Yasui wandered the halls, familiarizing himself with the layout. Finally, he found the kitchen.
(I know, I'll make some coffee and breakfast for Doctor Gouhin as thanks for helping me.)
He was clattering away in the kitchen when Gouhin came staggering into the room and glowered at him.
"Hey, jellyfish. I thought I told you to stay in your room?"
Yasui turned and pointed at the pan he was holding.
"I'm making us breakfast. There's some coffee in the pot if you want some. This will be done soon."
Gouhin grumbled but poured himself a mug of steaming coffee. He sipped it and nodded appreciatively.
"Good coffee."
"Thanks, I work at a cafe."
"Whatcha cookin?"
"Bamboo hash."
Gouhin raised an eyebrow.
"Bamboo hash?"
"You're a panda, and you had a lot of bamboo around here. This is something my… my mom…."
Yasui choked up and turned away, hiding tears. Gouhin growled.
"Geez, forget I asked. Can you not have a total breakdown until after breakfast?"
Yasui nodded, breathing heavily. He put the pan of hash on the table and rubbed his uncovered eye with his palm. Gouhin pointed at Yasui's eyepatch as he scooped himself some hash.
"That eyepatch can probably come off now. I'll take care of it after breakfast."
"Really?"
"Mhm, you were told it was close to being healed, remember? This is really good, by the way."
Yasui beamed and his tail thumped loudly against his chair at Gouhin's words. Sure enough, once the dishes were cleared, Gouhin led him to a simple examination room and untied the eyepatch from Yasui's head. He poured some strong smelling liquid onto a cotton ball and gently wiped at Yasui's still glued shut eye.
"Let me know if you feel any discomfort."
Finally, the panda stepped back and waited as Yasui slowly opened his eye. Immediately Yasui squinted as his eye watered from the sudden light filling it. He was reaching up to rub it when Gouhin handed him a tissue.
"Gentle. Don't go hurting it again."
Slowly, Yasui was able to open his eye and look around. It was bizarrely disorienting to have two eyes again, and he shook his head to try to clear up the weirdness in his vision. Gouhin pointed to a poster on the far wall.
"Cover your left eye and read the first line."
Yasui did as asked.
"A."
"Next row."
"D, L, Z."
Gouhin nodded.
"Swap eyes."
Once again Yasui complied and watched as Gouhin swapped the chart.
"First row."
"N."
"Next."
"Y, T, G."
Gouhin turned his back on Yasui as he removed the gloves he'd put on.
"Well, everything seems to be working correctly. Congratulations on not being a cyclops anymore."
Yasui smiled and looked at his hands, flexing them and watching his fingers. He looked in the mirror and paused as he saw his now uncovered face. Without the eyepatch to cover it, the long ropey scar around his eye was extremely visible. Yasui touched it solemnly.
"Doctor Gouhin?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think this scar will ever go away?"
Gouhin shrugged.
"It'll probably fade with time, but you'll most likely have it forever."
Yasui hung his head as he heard that. Suddenly Gouhin was snapping his fingers.
"Hey, quit moping. We have things to do."
Yasui jerked his head back up to see the burly panda beckoning for him to follow. Yasui scrambled to his feet and padded along doggedly behind Gouhin. The doctor led him to a comfortable room with a couch and chair in it. Gouhin pointed at the couch.
"Sit there."
Yasui did as asked and watched as Gouhin dug a clipboard out of a nearby table and settled into the chair. He clicked his pen and fixed Yasui with a piercing stare.
"So…. Tell me what you're feeling right now."
Yasui shrugged.
"Well… I don't know."
"If you don't know then who will?"
Yasui tilted his head.
"I… don't understand."
Gouhin sighed.
"You do know how you feel, you just don't want to talk about it. Well I can't help if you don't talk, so talk."
Yasui leaned back and stared up at the ceiling.
"I guess… I feel nervous."
"…."
"And… a bit excited. But also sad. And maybe a bit… well I don't know how to explain it."
"Give it a shot." Gouhin grunted.
"On one hand I want to get married and have sex with a pretty female, preferably a feline with some nice spots and big breasts. But I also kind of want to beat someone to death with a hammer and scream as loud as possible. And that really scares me."
Gouhin stopped writing.
"You want to kill somebody?"
Yasui shifted uncomfortably.
"Sort of. I used to hate violence, but suddenly I can't stop thinking about it. I'll be looking at somebody and suddenly want to bite them. It happened a few times yesterday, and totally freaked me out."
Gouhin wrote something down and reached beside him and pulled out a few cards.
"How about we try some inkblot tests. Look at the card and tell me what the first thing that comes to mind is."
Gouhin held up the first card. Yasui looked at it and scrunched his face up.
"That one looks like… a butterfly."
"And this one?"
"Boobs."
"This one?"
"An explosion."
"And this one?"
"A… is that supposed to be a wrench?"
"Next one."
"A skull."
"Two more."
"A wide, spotted butt."
"Last one."
"Uh… two bears high-fiving."
Gouhin set down the cards and studied Yasui. Yasui cowered down on his couch a bit.
"Did I do okay?"
"Your answers were a bit… chaotic." Gouhin replied. "Coupled with what you said earlier makes me believe that you're currently experiencing a sort of… sudden manic-depressive episode. It's like you suddenly go from one emotion to another almost randomly. Coupled with your erratic and impulsive behavior, it's probably something to do with your massive growth spurt."
Yasui gulped.
"Is this going to last forever?"
"No idea. Hybrids are a bit… weird. I'll call up a guy I know who's a geneticist studying hybrids and see if he can meet with you. He'll know more about it than I will."
"And in the meantime?"
Gouhin sighed wearily.
"I guess you can stay here for a while. I'd rather not hear a news story about a half fox half whatever you are going berserk."
Yasui's ears perked up.
"You'd do that? For me?"
"At least until you feel like you can control yourself a bit better."
Yasui smiled happily, his tail wagging. Gouhin scoffed.
"Don't look too happy."
"Why not?"
Gouhin stood and grinned evilly down at Yasui.
"I'm putting your spineless ass to work!"
The next morning at Shinrai's house, Shinrai's mother walked past her son's room and found him lying listlessly on his bed.
"Shinrai? Are you okay?"
Shinrai just moaned dejectedly in response. His mother sat down at the foot of his bed.
"What's the matter?"
"Yasui and Hikaru both hate me now. I haven't heard from either of them since that terrible Rexmas party. I keep texting them and don't get a response."
Shinrai's mother sighed.
"I know, I feel terrible. I should have said something about… the incident. I didn't realize that they censored that part in the television version."
Shinrai buried his head in his pillow.
"What should I do! I want to tell them I'm sorry but they won't talk to me!"
"Have you tried talking to them in person?"
"Yasui's back home."
"And Hikaru?"
Yasui slowly raised his head.
"That's it! I'll go and make her listen to me! I can fix this! Thanks, Mom."
She nodded.
"Make sure you apologize for me too. I would never forgive myself if I ruined your friendship with either of them."
Shinrai scurried around his room, hurriedly grabbing his coat and shoes.
"I'll be back! See you later!"
Shinrai practically sprinted all the way to Hikaru's home and hurriedly rang the doorbell. Hikaru's mother answered the door and looked at him in confusion.
"Oh, I remember you. Happy New Year."
"Is Hikaru home?"
"Yes, she's in her room."
Shinrai brushed past the older fennec fox, who turned to watch him.
"I'll make some snacks!"
Shinrai threw the door open, making Hikaru growl.
"Mom! Can you knock first?! What if I was naked?!"
"Hikaru!"
Hikaru paused the game she was playing and pulled a sour face.
"Oh, it's you. Here to see the dark-whiskered tar paw? Well forget it because—"
Whatever she was planning to say next died in her throat as Shinrai threw himself at her feet, bowing double as he groveled.
"Hikaru, I'm so sorry! I never meant to offend you. Please forgive me!"
Hikaru looked at him uncomfortably.
"Stop it! You're embarrassing me!"
"I couldn't stand it if we stopped being friends. Please, let me know how I can make it up to you."
"By getting off your hands and knees first!" Hikaru yelped. Shinrai stood and looked pitifully at her. Hikaru huffed.
"You know why I'm upset, right?"
"Because of that awful movie."
"No, it's not because of that movie!"
Shinrai looked confused.
"Huh? It's not?"
"No, you idiot! It's because you pretended like nothing happened! You didn't care enough to say anything about it!"
Shinrai gulped.
"I'm sorry. I just didn't know what to say. I was afraid to draw attention to it."
Hikaru crossed her arms.
"It sucks enough that society treats foxes, especially female foxes, like trash. But having you not even seem upset about it felt worse. It was like you didn't care about how bad all those things made me and Yasui feel."
Shinrai nodded glumly.
"Hikaru, is there any way I can make it up to you?"
Hikaru sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Eventually she smiled.
"Well I have one idea."
Hikaru's mother knocked on the door to Hikaru's room before opening it, holding a tray of cookies.
"You two hungry? Uh… what exactly is going on here?"
Hikaru looked over and grinned mischievously.
"Oh, hi Mom. Quick question, do you still have that cherry red lipstick? I think that's the shade we need."
Hikaru's mother looked from her daughter to the male squirrel currently sitting unamused with freshly painted nails, sparkly blush, and deep purple eyeliner on. She pursed her lips.
"Is that my makeup?"
"I'm just borrowing it. But, the lipstick? Still have some?"
Hikaru's mother opened her mouth and then closed it. She didn't want to know.
"Sure, honey. I'll go grab it."
Once Hikaru had finished Shinrai's "makeover," he sat dejectedly as she held up her phone.
"Alright, Shinrai. Make a peace sign and pucker those lips!"
"Isn't this enough?"
"Nope."
Shinrai sighed and did as told. Hikaru laughed as she looked at the picture she had just taken. Shinrai shook his head.
"There. Can I go wash this off now?"
"Not yet. I have some cosplay you'd look amazing in."
"…I don't think being friends with you is worth this."