Beastly Roommates

Ker-chunk!

The clay pigeon left its launcher and drifted toward me nice and easy. I lined up my shot and pulled on the trigger... but it wouldn't move! The target lazily finished its arc and shattered upon hitting the ground.

"Dude, did you forget to take the safety off?" After a quick inspection, it turned out that the safety was indeed still on.

"Yep..." I replied with embarrassment.

"Eh, it happens," Tom said nonchalantly. "Go ahead and try again." I pushed the safety button off and got back into my shooting stance.

"Pull!"

Ker-chunk

Once again, I sighted in the target and pulled the trigger.

Blam!

And I missed!

Ker-chunk

As expected, the second pigeon was moving much faster!

Blam!

And I missed that one too!

"Huh," grunted Tom. "I can understand you missing the second one, but the first one should have been easy..." I took a deep breath to quell my frustration while I ejected my shells and loaded two fresh ones.

"Alright, let's try this again..." I muttered. "Pull!"

I managed to hit the first target, but the second one evaded me again. Sighing, I reloaded for the third and final time for this stall.

"Pull!"

I hit the first target squarely and it exploded, and I barely grazed the second one, but it still counted and at that point I was going to take whatever I could get!

"Three out of six... not a good start..." teased Tom.

"Just get up there and take your turn!"

Once his turn shooting was over he'd ended up hitting the first target and missing the second for his first two attempts, and hitting both on his second, putting him one point ahead of me.

"Not looking good my friend," taunted Tom.

"It's still early!" I retorted.

Unfortunately, the trend continued all day. Normally I would hit about fifty targets out of sixty, and Tom was normally around forty. However, by the time we finished with the last stall Tom had racked up forty four hits, which was a good round for him, but I'd stunk with an terrible score of thirty seven!

"Geez, what's up with you today? You've never shot that bad!"

"I dunno," I lied, knowing that it was probably because I was preoccupied with the situation with Ruth.

"Dude, something's on your mind, because you keep spacing out on me too," he insisted. I groaned, but didn't give any more answer than that. Instead we walked in awkward silence for a couple minutes until I couldn't bear the quiet anymore.

"Alright, fine! I'll tell you, but you're gonna think I'm crazy."

"Dude, you're already crazy," he joked.

"Not helping..." I deadpanned.

"Ok, shutting up!"

"Anyway, it's about Ruth."

"What about her?" I took a deep breath and let it out slowly with a pop of my lips.

"I think I'm starting to like her." Tom didn't say anything for a few seconds, then he snorted out a chuckle.

"That's a good one. You almost had me there for a minute!" I glared at him and he stopped laughing. "You're not kidding..."

"No, I'm not."

"So... you're into hooves and horns now?"

"No!" I scoffed, but then I stopped walking and thought about the gum incident for a second. "Well... maybe if they're Ruth's..." I added, and started walking again.

"You're insane."

"Not helping," I snapped.

"When did it happen?" He asked, completely bewildered.

"Pfft, I dunno. It just kinda snuck up on me."

"Alright, fair enough."

"It also might be because she's the sweetest, gentlest, most polite person I've ever met... and that includes my mother!"

"Dude, your mom's a peach!"

"I know. That's the point I'm trying to make!" Tom stopped walking and rubbed his forehead for a moment.

"Do you know if she likes you back?" Once again the hazy memory of us cuddling came to my mind, but since I didn't even know if it really even happened I didn't bring it up.

"I'm not sure..." I replied and my stomach knotted with the admission. "But I think so," I added, though it was almost for my own benefit more than his information.

It was then that we reached the clubhouse.

"We'll talk more when we get outside. It'll give me a few minutes to wrap my head around all this!" Exclaimed Tom.

We retrieved our cases and packed up our guns, and before long we were out the door.

"So, come up with anything groundbreaking?" I asked, once we'd made it to his car.

"Maybe." I listened intently. "I think you need to go home and really look at her."

"Ok..."

"And ask yourself if that's the face you want to wake up next to."

"Tom..." I growled.

"I'm serious, and I'm not even talking about sex. You like her personality, and if she's as sweet as you say, then fine. But being attracted to her is important too."

"I guess that's true. Then what?"

"If you answer 'no,' then give it up." I rolled my eyes at his stubbornness in believing that this was really happening.

"And of its a 'yes'?"

"Umm... ask her to dinner or something I guess..." he mumbled while putting his case in his trunk.

"You 'guess?'"

"What? I'm not exactly Casanova myself, either! So yeah, I'm just guessing!" He exclaimed.

"Alright, fair enough," I admitted with a sigh.

"In any case, good luck."

"Thanks." He got in his car and after he drove off, I left for home too.

When I got back to the apartment Ruth was sitting on the couch. I almost choked when I saw that she was playing the video game I first played after moving in!

"Hi!" I greeted with a laugh. "Having a good time?" She opened her mouth briefly then shut it again before looking away sheepishly.

"Yes... I hope you don't mind." She gestured to the TV.

"Of course I don't, just make sure to use a new save file."

"I will." She looked back up at me, but her gaze never quite met mine. I glanced at the TV, and it looked like she'd just started a new game.

"Felt like trying it yourself?" I asked, gesturing to the TV.

"Actually, I was captivated by the story, but you played much if it when I was out, so I missed a lot." I grinned.

"Sounds like a good enough reason to me!" I turned back to her and Tom's words about 'really looking' echoed in my head, so I did just that.

I took a second admiring her fur's rich shade of auburn. Her adorable fuzzy ears looked soft as velvet, as did the lighter, nearly-white fur that trailed down her chin and neck. I thought her fleshy nose looked cute and was the same light color. Her lips were thin and very different from a human's, but lately I'd started wondering what they would feel like pressed up against mine! Since she was sitting down I couldn't really see the shape of her body very well, but since she'd started wearing clothes that fit better, her curves had been driving me wild too!

"Is everything ok?" She asked, having noticed me starting. I looked up and met the gaze of the strangely pupiled, but very pretty chocolate-brown eyes behind her glasses.

There was no doubt, I thought she was beautiful, and I wouldn't change a thing about her. That admission to myself felt like a weight lifting off of my shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm good," I answered with a smile. "I'll be back in a minute."

I went to my room and put my shotgun in the safe, then I got out my phone to message Tom.

'I really looked and I think she's gorgeous.'

His reply came quickly.

'And I think you're insane.'

'Shut up,' I retorted. 'I'm gonna ask her to dinner in a few minutes.'

'Good luck!'

'Thanks!'

'Weirdo...'

I sent a tongue-sticking-out emoji as my last message and then started looking up restaurants. Ruth really liked my grilled burritos, so I was very happy when I found a somewhat nicer looking Mexican restaurant in the next town over that had some good vegetarian options. I was even more excited when I saw that they had seating for larger species! Putting my phone away I took a deep breath before heading back out to the front room.

My heart began to race and I decided to sit down before starting any conversation so I plopped down next to Ruth. She glanced at me and sort of pulled into herself almost shyly. I looked forward and watched her play the game for a bit to give both of us a chance to relax a little. Eventually though I felt it was time to take the plunge.

"Hey, do you mind pausing the game for a minute?" I asked.

"Sure, what is it?" She out the controller down.

"Umm..." a pit formed in my stomach, but I pressed on. "Would you maybe want to go out to dinner sometime?" Ruth gasped. Her eyes were wide in what looked like excitement... but maybe with a touch of fear. She gulped and her breathing got shallow. As the seconds ticked by my own nerves were started to fray, but eventually she answered.

"I would like that," then much quieter she added, "very much." I was flooded with both relief and a renewed sense of nervousness.

"Great!" I replied, sounding much calmer than I felt. "How about next Friday?"

"T-that would work."

"Awesome, I'm looking forward to it!" I got up and went to my room. When I got there I shut the door and flopped on my bed and took numerous deep breaths to calm down. Once my heart didn't feel like it was going to beat right out of my chest I felt very tired, so decided to take a nice mid-Saturday afternoon nap. Like many nights since I was sick I thought about the memory of laying back in Ruth's arms.

Chapter 16

I anxiously examined myself in the mirror, wearing what was probably the fifth outfit I'd tried on. It was also the first one that I didn't irrationally hate at first glance, so I decided to go with it! It consisted of a silky, red button-up blouse that complimented my fur, and a black skirt. I turned around in the mirror and admired the fit. I wasn't at all oblivious to David's increasingly lingering stares, and the thought of his eyes fixed on me made me smile. I ran a brush through my hair a few times, having decided to leave it down, and finally felt ready to go as I was ever going to be!

When I turned toward the door my smile fell. The sensible part of me hoped the evening would go so poorly that this madness would come to an end and we could just continue being friends. On the other hand, my heart hated that thought and was overjoyed that David seemed to return my ever-increasing affection for him. With my feelings flip-flopping every few minutes I felt conflicted and confused as much as everything else. The fact that I was so nervous that my stomachs hurt wasn't helping either!

Nothing would be gained either way from just staying in my room though, so I took a deep breath and walked out.

David was sitting on the couch wearing a nice button-down shirt and a pair of khaki pants that didn't make me feel over or under-dressed by comparison. He turned his head and as his gaze swept over me I felt a thrill of excitement.

"You look great." Despite my nervousness, I couldn't help smiling at the compliment.

"Thank you. You look very nice yourself."

"Thanks! Shall we go?" He asked as he got off the couch.

"Yes," I replied with a nod. He walked to the door and after opening it he stood aside, letting me go first like a gentleman. When we got to his truck he did the same thing. For the time being my feelings of dread faded and I started to just feel nervous excitement.

"Where are we going?" I asked, once we'd headed out.

"To a Mexican place in the next town over. It's about a fifteen minute drive," he answered stiffly. He looked about as nervous as I felt and we were both quiet for the next couple minutes.

"How are you liking the game?" Blurted David when it seemed like he'd had enough of the silence.

"I am enjoying it very much, thank you," I answered. "I just got to the outer continent."

"Cool, it really starts taking off from there." He grinned and turned his attention back to the road. "It's coming up in a minute," he added. I assumed he was referring to the restaurant, and a minute later he pulled into a parking lot.

When we got to the door we stopped and stared at it for a moment before we both took a deep breath at the same time. Exchanging glances, we chuckled nervously.

"Well, shall we?" Asked David, gesturing to the door. I took another deep breath.

"Yes." As before, he opened the door and let me go first.

"Welcome to Abuela's," greeted the hostess once we were inside. She glanced between us with a grin that almost looked amused.

"Yes, I've got a reservation for Durran," informed David.

"Very good, right this way!"

She led us to a booth that was thankfully big enough for me, and David was a large enough man that it wasn't too big for him by much either. By the time we got settled the waitress had already arrived.

"Hello, my name is Julie, and I'll be taking care of you two today," she said as a gleam of excitement came to her eyes. "So, is this a special occasion? Or are you here 'just because?'"

"Well, umm..." stammered David. My heart started to race as he glanced between me and Julie. "We're roommates... so kinda just because," he managed to mutter, but it didn't look like that was the answer he wanted to give at all.

"Oh, ok." Some of Julie's excitement seemed to have died down too.

"It's also our first date," I blurted out suddenly. For a moment I was both surprised and horrified at myself, but when both David and Julie's faces lit up I felt a little better.

"That's wonderful! I hope you have a good time tonight. Is there anything I can get you to drink?"

"Go ahead," said David, encouraging me to go first. I quickly glanced over the drink menu.

"I'll have a strawberry daiquiri."

"Got any amber beers?" Asked David.

"Yes, we've got a house brew on tap."

"Ooh, I'll have one of those!"

"You got it!" Replied Julie with a wink.

"She was friendly," I commented when she'd left.

"Yeah." David rubbed the back of his neck. "About tonight..." I felt my heart start to pound again.

"I... think we both know that it's a date," I said hesitantly. He smiled a little, but then looked anxious again, not that I wasn't.

"That's ok, right?" I couldn't help smiling at him, despite my own nervousness.

"Yes, yes it is," I replied slowly. David looked relieved and took a deep breath.

"That's good. I guess since we've got that established, can I just tell you that you look absolutely beautiful," he said with a smile and I felt an increasingly familiar warmth.

"Thank you."

We took a minute to look over the menu, and right as I figured out what I wanted, Julie was back with our drinks. I ordered wet bean burritos with a molé sauce, and David ordered chicken enchiladas.

"So," started David when she had left again. "I feel like I know you pretty well, but when I think about it I don't really know that much about you. Do you mind if I ask you more about yourself?"

"That would be fine. What would you like to know?"

"When did you move to the city?"

"Around six years ago."

"And you're how old?" David's face suddenly looked shocked. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that!" He said quickly and I laughed.

"I don't mind. I'm twenty five. How about you?"

"I've got a few years on you; I'm thirty four. How did you and Sara meet?" Bringing the story to mind, I sighed.

"Just before I moved here, she was living with her ex-boyfriend."

"Uh-oh," David muttered.

"He was abusive and eventually she'd had enough and left."

"Good for her!"

"I was shopping for some clothes at the store Sara and I work at for something that I could wear to a job interview. Sara happened to be working that day and he came into the store and started harassing her. I came up behind him and told him he needed to leave. When he turned around and saw me he wet himself and ran away." David laughed.

"Way to go!"

"She hasn't left me alone since," I said with a quiet giggle. "I didn't get the job that I bought the clothes for, but she got me an interview at the store and I've been working there ever since."

"Good! I'm glad to hear it worked out."

"Yes, it did." I took a sip of my daiquiri and wondered what Sara would say if she knew where I was, with whom, and under what circumstances. "How about you?"

"I came to the city because I took a job out here. There's not much else to tell as far as that goes."

"How about Tom, or your family?" He took a swig of his beer before answering.

"My parents are nice and live a couple hour's drive upstate. Jill lives in the next towns and she's my only sibling. I've known Tom since middle school. He was my friend since before the accident." He gestured to his face and sighed. "Unfortunately, kids are mean and after my face had 'healed,'" he made air quotes, "I started getting bullied.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said quietly.

"Thanks. It got a little rough sometimes, but I'm alright. Jill was always there for me, and Tom stood up to the bullies for me countless times. But in early high school I grew a ton and they decided it was a bad idea to pick on a guy that was twice their size."

"That's good. If you don't mind me asking, how tall are you?"

"Six-foot-nine, and around three-ten last I checked," he replied with a chuckle. Though I might have put on a couple pounds since then!" He patted his belly.

"I see. For a human that's quite large." He laughed out loud.

"For a human that's enormous!"

"Yes, I suppose it is." I giggled too. "At eight-foot I'm actually quite small for my kind."

"Seriously!?"

"Yes. My father is ten-foot-three and weighs nearly a thousand pounds." At his mention, I felt a twinge of pain that I hadn't felt in a while. David whistled, but didn't seem to notice my discomfort. I took the opportunity to move the conversation along.

"I'm glad everything seemed to have worked out for you." His face fell.

"Meh, sorta. Because of my face I was pretty antisocial all the way through school. By the time I'd gotten a bit more comfortable with myself I was already working in the sausage-fest that is the construction industry."

"I see."

"After that I kinda figured that romance just wasn't in the cards for me." He blushed a little before continuing softly. "I guess you could say I've been lonely for a long time, and this is... actually my first date."

"Oh! Then I'm glad to be a part of it."

"I'm glad you're a part of it too," he said gently. "You mentioned your father. Is he still around?" He asked a moment later. There was a twinge of pain in my chest that I hadn't felt in quite some time.

"I think so. We haven't spoken since I came to the city six years ago," I replied sadly. "I never knew my mother. She died birthing me.

"I'm sorry to hear that. How come you haven't seen your dad in all these years?" I looked away and considered not telling him. When I looked back and into his pretty blue eyes, I had the overwhelming desire for him to know my past. He shared his painful memories with me, and I wanted to share mine with him.

"I left because he insisted that I carry on with my plans to mate with a bull that I no longer trusted." David's face scrunched up.

"That's terrible."

"More than you realize," I said quietly and he leaned forward.

"When a female minotaur first mates, it's for life. She will never desire another the same way, ever." David's eyes shot open.

"Oh!" He exclaimed. "I didn't know that."

"Such a thing does not happen for bulls."

"That doesn't sound fair..."

"It's not, but our culture has evolved to accommodate it reasonably well. A mated pair will stay together under any circumstances except for two."

"And what are those?"

"Obviously if one dies."

"Makes sense," he said with a nod.

"Or if the bull is unfaithful." He nodded again, slowly this time. "If such a thing happens his horns are snapped off, normally by his mate's relatives. Then he is shunned for life from all of minotaur society. There's one bull in the city, and he's here because of that shunning."