Jake's heartbeat was racing, Nicole's hands and claws were so delicate and soft to the touch...her eyes, everything seemed to slow down in his surroundings once more...Nicole wasn't just the focal point...she WAS the entire room to him.
"I uhh...I can't say I've ever danced with a girl before..."
Jake's ears lowered, as Nicole raised her eyebrows, but retained a compassionate look in her eyes that were full of understanding and sympathy for the male fox.
"Did any girl ask you to a dance? Did you...you know, ask a girl besides me?"
Jake shook his head to indicate that he did not.
"I wasn't really a popular kid in school, everyone was either not interested to become friends with me, or ask me to any social events because of...the known connection I had with my..."Dad" being Nate Drexler...so to be safe than sorry, I was inadvertently ostracized. That...also included being left out of school dances and instead having my spot reserved next to the snacks and fruit punch table..."
Jake finished speaking, taking a moment to pause to recollect those memories he had of school, with Jennifer looking on with sadness as well in the comfort of Eddie's arms. She too sympathized with Jake, and if it wasn't for Eddie taking a chance on her, and disregarding the dangers of being one of "The Daughters of Nate Drexler", she would have been in the same predicament as well. Despite them escaping at a young age from the clutches of the notorious wolf, those who were affiliated or associated with Drexler were closely watched and monitored, something Jake only discovered from his friend Luke when they were teens. Anyone who had any ties to the crime underworld that Nate controlled and maintained, were surveilled under stealthy circumstances...Nate truly did have eyes and ears everywhere in New Haven...especially for the assets for his morally dubious empire and private army of apex predators lying just beneath the sewers...
Nicole's ears also drooped hearing these words coming from her date...was there ANY light to the fox's past? Whatever the case may have been to deciphering him, she was going to bide her time...but not now, not in this moment.
This was his first ever dance with a girl, she was his first ever, and she was going to attempt to make it memorable for him.
"I see...I'm so sorry to hear that Jake..."
Whether by instinct or pity, the blue female feline carefully placed her paw against his cheek. His fur was sensationally tactful...soft, warm, gentle. Jake was taken aback by this sudden gesture, but suddenly eased his shoulders and slowly closed his eyes...he felt complete serenity for the first time in his existence, right here, in this very moment with a girl who had just stumbled into his life not even 3 days ago.
"Hopefully though, I can alleviate some of those bad memories...with a dance."
The blue feline slowly removed her hand and claws, a small imprint was left behind on the fox's face indicating where she had caressed him. Slowly she placed her paw over his, gently guiding him with her movements.
The male fox was completely entranced, his body temperature had risen tremendously, and he felt as though his heart was teetering precariously between joy and complete despair...he was emotionally incontinent.
"The key to a dance is to maintain rhythm and sync with your partner's movements. You cannot overwhelm or be too forceful, it's a continuous exercise of trust between you both..."
Nicole carefully guided Jake's hand to her upper back, the male fox noting how sturdy and toned she was, no doubt due to her engaging in various physical activities throughout her life. Nicole clamped her opposite paw within Jake's, as her smaller claws and fingers meshed perfectly with the young man adjacent to her.
"Now, all I have to do is-"
Nicole then placed her paw behind Jake's back, before pausing momentarily, noting the tactile sensation she herself was feeling over her taller male counterpart. He was broad, something she immediately picked up on as she touched him, the article of clothing he was wearing, a plain white t-shirt, hid his physique well; but it was clear to her that her newly acquainted friend was in beyond good shape. The training he had mentioned in his rough childhood clearly left an imprint on him to at least maintain a healthy lifestyle into early adulthood.
Nicole regained her composure and focus, as her head adjusted at a slanted forty five degree angle to look upward to the male fox, who had traces of perspiration forming on his forehead and fur.
"There...perhaps a change of track will set the mood better? This song is great, but the beat is rather...well, too upbeat, huh?"
Jake nodded nervously to Nicole's question, at least, it was a question in how he perceived it. He was just too flustered to mentally function, and was basically running on fumes to maintain his physical composure...he was in sensory overload.
"Uh...yeah...y-yeah, that sounds...l-like a great idea!"
Jake nervously sputtered out his words, as his tail began erratically wagging again, something he desperately attempted to stop. The only prevalent signs of bodily protest, was the blush spreading across his cheeks and face, desperately, no...PRAYING that Nicole wouldn't find his body language awkward or weird...
Nicole smiled warmly, trying to convey a sense of understanding and ease to the male fox. She had noticed how tense he was, clearly this was his first dance, and she had to reassure him.
"Hey...it's alright, no need to be tense...if you're afraid of messing up, don't be. It's just a slow dance, we'll guide each other with the rhythm...you'll be fine."
Nicole smiled warmly, slightly relaxing the male fox's demeanor, as he returned a nervous smile back to her.
Nicole then turned to Jennifer and Eddie at the opposite end of the room, where they were still dancing to the upbeat pop song together.
"Hey, Jen! Is it okay if we put something on a little more slow?"
Jennifer noticed her brother and Nicole holding each other in their arms, which immediately brought a smile to her face. Jake's very first dance...and he was doing it right beside her with Eddie...coincidental, or fatefully romantic? Regardless, she was immensely happy to see just how this was all turning out for her brother...it was about time he got to experience some happiness in his life...
"You got it Nicky!"
Jennifer disengaged her paws with Eddie, as she sprung her way over to the room's sound system.
She slowly browsed through the tracks that were saved, trying to pinpoint something that might catch her fancy.
"Nope...nah...maybe?...Nah...Oh!"
She pressed play on the trackpad, as she turned around with a smile.
"This one might just be "The One"!"
The vixen walked back softly to her cheetah partner, as he took her hand and both assumed a slow dance position with each other.
(If "Forever and for Always" By Shania Twain is compatible with your device, please press play now)
Nicole and Jake then faced each other, and began their slow paced movements across the studio apartment floor.
Nicole smiled, followed by Jake returning the warm smile, as he could physically feel himself relieving the tension in his shoulders and body as the song progressed. It was much more calming then he had initially thought, Nicole had a very warm and welcoming aura about her that put all of his inhibitions to rest and allowed him to be himself.
Unannounced to him, Nicole was reciprocating similar feelings in her own subconsciousness. Jake's friendliness in their short time together was a breath of fresh air...despite the hardship, trauma, and heartbreak she had endured...Jake took it upon himself to be something she could cling to in this new place...New Haven...this date was going spectacularly.
"His eyes really do shine in this lighting...I never knew he had such an imposing stature either...it's kinda the opposite to his nature, or at least what I have witnessed of it so far..."
Nicole was snapped out of her thoughts, as Jake interjected into the silence.
"This is a very nice song...it's got a nice trance and ambiance to it..."
Nicole smiled, as she and the male fox continued to gently rotate in circles as they waltzed.
"It really is...I actually had one of her CD's back on Earth, she has some great tracks...started out more as a country artist, but expanded more into pop..."
"Oh really? I didn't know that...I remember hearing Jennifer play her songs as a teen...I guess I should have done some research into her origins I guess...hehe..."
Jake let out a slight nervous chuckle, but it was less pronounced than when he and Nicole had first met each other.
Nicole chuckled as well, as the two continued their dance, before a question had been conjured within the female feline that was begging to be answered.
"So...how are you guys able to access our media up here? It seems like besides being more advanced than us, you also have a pretty good knowledge of what is happening on Earth."
"Oh! Well, we usually get updates through our personal holographic phones or the holographic projections we have displayed in our minds. If we see an item of interest from Earth, we can browse the New Haven marketplace and order it! It's instantaneous, and as long as you have the required magical currency, which most of us up here do, it's very accessible! We also have a pretty good knowledge from personal experiences and memories of residents in New Haven who were once on Earth, much like yourself!"
Nicole's eyes widened as Jake discussed this information with her. She was always learning a plethora of new information with each question she asked, and it was almost becoming adorably cute how Jake was quickly becoming her personal "information kiosk"; like she was in a museum or national park.
"Wow...it seems like I'm going to be like a tourist for these next three months..."
Jake smiled warmly, as he used his thumb to gently rub Nicole's hand.
"Hey, it's alright...I'll be more than happy to walk you through it all if you need me to, I don't mind. Plus, it gives me the opportunity to get out the apartment besides my rather uneventful archivist position."
When Jake finally realized what his thumb was doing, he quickly halted the action. Nicole secretly loved the gesture, and was engulfed in a newfound sense of peace...he truly seemed to be taking an interest in her thoughts and feelings, from what she had perceived at least.
Seeing as though Nicole didn't have a reaction to what he had just done, Jake quickly dismissed his initial anxiety in the aftermath. He felt butterflies well up in his stomach, but these were not negative in their sensation...they were something he had never experienced in his life. Initially scared of the prospect of this date with Nicole, he now felt...surprisingly comfortable around Nicole...
Nicole had a brief blush flush across her face, as her eyes trailed and fluttered to the floor, before looking back up at Jake. If this was flirting, Nicole certainly was falling for it hook, line, and sinker...to Jake though, he was simply being thoughtful and courteous.
"That's really sweet of you Jake, truly. Seeing as though this pretty much is a little vacation...with me technically being in a coma and all...I think I would truly enjoy the sights and sounds of what your home has to offer."
Jake smiled.
"Then consider me your guide, Nicole Senicourt."
Nicole smiled, before doing something unconsciously that surprised even her for a brief moment.
She brought herself closer to the male fox, resting her head against his chest as they danced. He felt warm...secure...a soothing aura as she laid against the fox's white T-shirt.
She quickly snapped from her bliss, as she quickly reassumed her dancing position. She noticed Jake's surprised expression, as an audible giggle from Jennifer could be heard across the room, along with a smile from Eddie. They witnessed the whole thing and they were LOVING what they were seeing of the feline and fox.
Nicole and Jake both gushed with rouge on their face...neither of them realized it, but their feelings for each other were growing stronger with each passing moment they were in each other's company.
"Uh...sorry Jake I don't...I-I...don't know what came over me there..."
Jake quickly placed his paw over hers, quickly reassuring the emotionally flustered feline that everything was okay.
"I-it's okay Nicole...it's okay, I'm not offended...that was actually quite comforting and humbling...even for a brief moment."
Jake swallowed to regain some composure in his voice, as Nicole continued to blush, but this time with a smile that displayed comfort.
The song that had been playing, slowly faded, as a ring of the apartment doorbell could be heard.
"More guests? Eddie, you and Jen must be pretty popular in these parts!"
Jake turned to face the male cheetah, who quickly smirked.
"Jake, I may be charming, and Jen may be absolutely gorgeous, but we are not that popular I assure you!"
Jake chuckled, along with Jennifer and Nicole, as Eddie finally made it to the door.
Checking the peep hole first, he was surprised at who he saw.
"Guys, I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised at who just showed up to our apartment! Especially you, Nicky!"
Nicole had a confused expression, but it quickly changed when Eddie turned the knob to the apartment door, and she saw a female snow leopard smile with jubilation as she saw the four young adults in the room before her.
"There you guys are! My angel senses were telling me that you four lovebirds were all together in one spot, and I had to drop by to see for myself!"
Alyssa was always a more energetic angel, voraciously optimistic, and always ready to liven up the room. Something Nicole was more than likely going to find out soon enough with her feline friend being her roommate for the next three months.
"Alyssa! I thought you were staying at the apartment for the rest of the evening?"
Nicole asked with a considerate curiosity in her tone of voice, as the female snow leopard smiled.
"Yeaaaaaah, I was thinking about it, but then it got kinda boring and quiet to be completely honest...there's only so much a girl can do with an abundance of coffee and romantic rom coms! Hehe!"
Standing amongst all of her friends, the snow leopard held her paws behind her back, and slowly began teetering back and forth in palpable inquisition.
"Sooooooo...whatcha guys doin'? Anything fun?"
The rest of the young adult anthros in the room gave each other a smirk, before Jake stepped forward to speak.
"Well uh...we had just finished up a little dance-"
"OOOOOOOOO! A dance?! That sounds nice!"
Alyssa gasped.
"Are you saying-"
Jake and Nicole stood beside each other, as Alyssa's view was honed on them.
"Oh my goodness! You two danced together?!"
Jake's tail stood on end, as well as Nicole's, as both blushed and rubbed their arm.
"Y-yeah...ummmm...we did..."
Nicole smiled slightly, and adjusted the strand of fur behind her ear, continuing to display a vibrant blush.
Jake adorned a blush as well, as he interjected.
"Would you like to stay for dinner, Alyssa?
Alyssa then gasped, as she realized she hadn't formally introduced herself to the male fox in person.
"Oh my goodness! Forgive me but-"
Alyssa, to Jake's surprise, abruptly hugged him.
She released her hug, before her eyes quickly dotted around.
"Why all the surprised fac- Ohhhhhhh, right...you're not angels...you greet by handshake with new acquaintances...sorry...hehe..."
Alyssa had a nervous smile, as Jake simply smiled.
"It's quite alright Alyssa, I've...been surprisingly huggable for some reason today it seems hehe."
Nicole smiled and blushed a brighter shade of red from hearing Jake say this, as the fox extended his paw.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alyssa."
Jake displayed his signature warm and inviting smile once more, as the snow leopard accepted the handshake as well.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too as well, Jake."
The brief handshake soon ended, as Alyssa soon sprung her ears upward, and thumped her tail against the studio apartment floor; yielding a soft audible impact.
"So...ummmm...what was that about dinner?"
Alyssa's question soon caused the eruption of laughter in the room from those around her, as the angel leopard joined in with her new friends.
"So, I thought the firsh cup of coffee washn't really hitting the spowt; so I cannot recawl how many cupsh of coffee I drank between watcshing some rom-coms, and then getting bored and making my way here! Hehe!"
Nicole gave a smug grin.
"So THAT'S why you were so hyper when you entered the apartment!"
Alyssa nodded, as she continued to take large bites of the homemade pizza Eddie and Jennifer made the previous night.
"Mmmmhmmm! Itsh amazing wot caffeine can do!"
The snow leopard's sentences were muffled and slightly incoherent, no doubt due to being stuffed with food. It was ironic to see an angel have such bad table manners, but seeing as how Alyssa was an already vibrant and overzealous angel, and now being under the influence of caffeine...Nicole and company were more inclined to the feeling of adoration of the angel being so happy, rather than offended because of her speaking with her mouth full of food.
Thankfully though, the angel quickly swallowed her food in a rather large gulp, and cleansed her pallet with a glass of fresh milk.
"Wow! This pizza is absolutely fantastic Jen and Eddie! You really outdid yourselves with this one? What's the secret recipe?"
Jen and Eddie chuckled, as they sat beside each other. The couple felt humbled to know that their pizza turned out well, even if it wasn't initially meant to be served to guests.
"Well...we found this homemade recipe online...it seemed kinda janky at first but we decided it was worth a shot! We got scrounged some ingredients that we had on hand, and Jen and I went to the local super-mart here in the feline district to pick up anything missing from the recipe."
Eddie was confident in his answer, after feeling rather unsure of himself internally of how the dish would turn out...but he hid his true feelings rather well to his friends and family.
"To be honest, I only had baked rather smaller recipes and desserts, never really anything major...a pizza was something that I was DEFINITELY not expecting to turn out the way it did...but it was admittedly rather fun!"
Jen smiled, as Eddie crossed his arms in a playful gesture of disappointment.
"Not confident in my cooking skills, huh?"
With a raised eyebrow, and a faint smile that was ever slightly beginning to give way, the cheetah soon had his vixen girlfriend's paws on his arm.
"Oh no, no, no! Not at all! I knew in my gut that things would turn out well, I guess I just..."
Jennifer readjusted a displaced whisker on her mouth, and sheepishly began twirling said whisker to amend an answer.
"I guess I just felt like my cooking skills wouldn't be up to the task...that's all..."
Eddie had shifted his face to a clear indication of emotional concern, as he swiftly brought the vixen into his arms beside him, giving her a hug.
"Awwww babe! You were a TREMENDOUS help to me! If it wasn't for you there beside me, the pizza wouldn't have been half as good as it turned out!"
Jake, Nicole, and Alyssa were all onlooking with warm smiles spreading across their faces; especially Jake. He longed to see Jennifer happy in a life of her own, away from violence and turmoil that had gripped them in the onset of their lives...but looking at the sight he was witnessing now...he knew in his heart that he had made the correct decision in helping her and him escape Drexler's compound over a decade ago as kids.
"He really does care about her...behind all that goofy bravado...he truly does care..."
Jake was deep in his thoughts, before they were abruptly interrupted by a voice.
"Goodness! 11:00PM already?! We...it only felt like we just arrived!"
Nicole stated, as she checked her watch on her wrist.
Jake had a confused expression, with a slightly surprised smirk.
"You...did you always have a watch on your wrist?"
Nicole winked, as she proudly displayed the watch to her date.
"It seems I was a quicker learner than even I had anticipated! I really concentrated on what I wanted as you guys were talking earlier this evening, and conjured a watch in the washroom when I had to wash my hands just before dinner!"
Jake was flabbergasted...she really did catch on quickly!
"Nicole that's...that's the fastest I had ever seen anyone harness magic in New Haven...that's...spectacular!"
Nicole giggled, as she smiled broadly.
"Well...I had a great mentor to teach me..."
Jake felt a warm feeling starting to build in his stomach, and work his way up.
Suddenly, almost unexpectedly, Nicole began to lean in towards Jake.
Jake was genuinely surprised, as the blue feline continued to inch closer and closer to his face.
"Goodness...is she really that grateful to me already?! I mean...it was nice to do for her and help her but...is she really going to kiss me right here and no-"
Before Jake could finish his internal monologue, Nicole reached behind Jake's back to grab her jean jacket that had been lying within arms reach behind the dinner table; on the sofa.
"Sorry about that Jake, I just needed to grab my jacket so we could leave. Thank you so much Jennifer and Eddie, this was very generous and thoughtful of you!"
Jennifer swiped her paw and claws in a playful manner, as everyone arose from the dinner table one by one in quick succession.
"Oh don't mention it! Anytime!"
Jake still had a bit of internal embarrassment from his thoughts, seeing as though he was rather quick to assume it was a kiss she was leaning into...but...he could have sworn he saw a glimmer in her eyes when...
Jake shook his head with subtlety, as he reached to the sofa and grabbed his beige jacket, as Alyssa and Nicole were waiting for him by the apartment door.
"Care to escort us back to the apartment, Jake? It will give us time to talk further before you depart back to the universal district!"
Nicole stated, as Jake smiled back at her...she had such beautiful fangs when she smiled, and he just found her to be totally irresistible.
"I'd be glad to."
Alyssa and Nicole continued down the hallway for a bit, before Jake felt a paw touch his shoulder to stop him.
The young male fox turned around, to see his sister smiling at him.
"I think she really likes you Jake..."
"Y-you...you think so?"
Jennifer smiled, as she leaned against Eddie with crossed arms.
"I know that look she gave you...she hides her feelings better, but there's no doubt about it...there's something there that she has for you...call it a "gal sense".
Jake glanced down the hallway once more, before turning back to face his sister.
"I pray you're right sis..."
The young male fox flicked his tail, as his sister did also.
"Come on, when have I ever been wrong?...Don't answer that!"
Both fox siblings chuckled, as they embraced for a farewell hug.
"Take care, okay? You're always welcome back..."
Jake smiled.
"Thanks...and Jen?"
Jennifer perked her ears upwards, as she saw the notification pop up inside her internal holographic projections.
[1500 magical points transferred]
"A little something for you and Eddie for your dream place in Eternity...I know it's not much but-"
Jennifer jumped into her brother's arms with tears of happiness beginning to well up.
"Thank you...Jake...you're the best brother I could ever ask for..."
Jake smiled, as Eddie looked towards the siblings with a smile of happiness as well.
As they disengaged, Jake made haste to catch up with the two female felines waiting at the door to the apartment staircase.
Jennifer and Eddie watched, as the three young adult anthros disappeared out of sight, and descended down the staircase back to street level in the feline district.
The night air was cool, and the stars above were illuminated well, since light pollution did not have the same effect in purgatory as on Earth.
The moon was vibrant, and the vast metropolis itself was nearing its more quiet hours of operation, with many of its residents heading home after a late night out, or simply returning from a part time job to acquire some magical currency. Whatever the answer may have been, the sidewalks were noticeably less cramped at this hour, and Nicole, Jake, and Alyssa were some of the only groups together at this hour.
Sidewalks and streets, soon transitioned into smaller apartment complexes and neighborhoods, with the trio just mere blocks away from Nicole's apartment.
"Oh my goodness! What. a. Day! I had so much fun Jake! Thank you for that...and certainly not a bad first date!"
Nicole stated, as she walked confidently in the middle of the group, her black flat tops creating an audible click as they hit the pavement.
Jake smiled, as he scratched the back of his neck.
"I-it was nothing...I was just glad to see you enjoying yourself, especially after all you had endured and been through in these recent days of your arrival...it was the least I could do..."
Alyssa was overjoyed to hear the kindness shown by not just her client, but by Jake as well...whether or not it was fate, or the work of her employers "higher powered" ways...she was glad to see love being shown by two recent friends.
As Nicole and Jake conversed, Alyssa noticed two figures up ahead that immediately caught her eyes. She could make out from her enhanced feline vision that they were reptiles...snakes specifically, who were up ahead at the sidewalk end.
The low hissing from what appeared to be a jet black female king cobra...or in this case "queen" cobra, could be seen by the streetlight. Her venomous fangs hissing with spite in her tone, as her forked tongue would periodically come out...as Jake and Nicole stopped in their tracks too, with the former immediately recognizing one of the two snakes...Jackie...one of Drexler's top enforcers.
The rattlesnake grinned, as he took a few steps forward. The vacant street surrounding them whistled and echoed with the wind, as the rattlesnake added a low chorus of his tail.
"We're not here to cause any trouble Jake, just checking up on you with the bosses' orders. You must know that we have eyes and ears everywhere, especially in districts and persons that are of interest to us..."
Jake took a step forward in front of the two felines, assuming a protective stance in case things in this random meeting got out of hand.
"I'm relieved to hear that Jackie...but I would advise that you tell your "boss" to stop following me and those around me, or else I'll never be back."
The rattlesnake hissed once more, as his tattered jeans and hoodie blew in the wind, his female accomplice opening her hood in a threatening manner, showing off her "two-eyed" pattern that cobras had.
Jackie then smiled, and snickered.
"Fair enough...have a fine rest of your evening...Jake..."
The two predator reptiles disappeared into an adjacent alley beside where they were standing, retreating to the shadows, as Nicole and Alyssa looked to each other with concern.
Nicole touched Jake's shoulder, as Jake turned to look Nicole dead into the eyes.
"Jake...were those..."
Jake took a silent, calm sigh, as he nodded to affirm Nicole's answer.
"Let's...let's just get you and Anissa safely back to the apartment...this is not the place for me to explain..."
*END OF CHAPTER*