Fluorescent lights buzzed in their housings above the small group of students sitting in an awkward silence in the large lecture hall. For many of them gathered, their minds were already outside of the classroom as the weekend rapidly approached on the sunny Friday afternoon. Only two students seemed to have their focus on the history lecture. Caleb and Serah, the male tuxedo cat and the female house mouse glared at each other from across the room as the energy of another one of their spirited debates lingered in their air above them. The two were seemingly always at odds with one another, whether in this class or the numerous others they had shared in the past. Neither one was afraid to refute the other’s point or disagree with their position. Whenever the two went at it, the rest of the class was usually content to keep quiet and let the two duke it out and let the clock run down, as they looked forward to their freedom more than anything. 


“Alright, thank you Serah and Caleb, insightful dialogue as always.” Their professor, Dr. Ross, broke the silence with her voice and clap of her hands, the female raccoon stepping up in front of the auditorium style lecture hall. 


The fur on the back of Caleb’s neck slowly lowered itself as the fiery spirit of intellectual combat left him, he could see across the way the mouse’s tail ceasing its annoyed flicking as she too began to calm down. 


“So as many of you hopefully know, if you read your syllabus, we have our first big group project of the semester coming up! Now to save on time, I’ve gone ahead and paired you all up so you can get started right away. Just in case you haven’t read, it's forty pages and a fifteen minute presentation on a topic of your choice, don’t wait until the last minute because it is worth a quarter of your grade. You’re all seniors now so you should know the drill here.” 


A series of low groans emanated from the gathered students as many plans for the assignment had just been scrubbed. 


“Ok, let me see here…” The older woman said as she turned to her clipboard with the names. 


Each student listened out for their names to be called, each one taking it in silent resignation. Nobody in the class, apart from perhaps Serah and Caleb, especially disliked one another, but nevertheless they were still annoyed at being denied the chance to work with their friends. Caleb leaned his elbow against the hard gray surface of the long bench style desk in front of him. It was only him and a few other students left waiting to be called, Serah being one of them. A pit of dread began to steadily brew in the young feline’s stomach as he started to wonder if his professor had suddenly grown a sense of humor. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Serah sneak a peeved glance his way before letting out a sigh and shuffling in her seat, the brownish-gray mouse apparently having the same thoughts in her head as him. 


“Alright, yup Serah, you and Caleb are together, will that work for you?” 


Both students bit their bottom lip and nodded their silent agreement, each one grumbling internally. Caleb thought he could see a hint of a smile on the raccoon’s face as she read out the next set of names. A few of the other students silently chuckled to themselves and whispered comments as the irony of the situation was not lost on them either. 


‘There’s no way that was an accident…’ Caleb mused, his eyes finding their way back to Serah who was glaring at Dr. Ross, her thoughts evidently once again in a similar vein as Caleb’s. 


Despite their simmering reservations over the matter, neither one said anything as their professor finished reading out the names she had listed and dismissed the class. Caleb let out another sigh as he stood, slumped his bag over his shoulder and slipped his phone into his pocket. Serah stood as well, the mouse locking eyes with the cat for the first time since their argument. The moment was brief however and Caleb struggled to infer any emotion or intent in the girl. He watched as she put away her laptop and threw her empty energy drink can and cookie wrapper into the trash. The rest of the students quickly made their way out of the double doors on either side of the lecture hall, each of them eager to either get to their next class or start their weekend. 
Dr. Ross watched her students file out, the experienced professor proud of herself for going through with her husband’s advice on pairing the two feisty ones together. As she watched them leave she couldn’t help but reminisce on the past. She and her husband had once shared a very similar contentious relationship during their college years until they had been tapped to work together by their professor. Less than a year after graduating the two had gotten married and now shared a happy home with three children, though a positive test the week before had confirmed her suspicions about a fourth being on the way. 


‘I never thought I’d fall for Mark, much less marry him and start a family. Maybe it's foolish of me but…I have to try…’ An image of her dear husband in his college years flashed across her mind as she let the memories overtake her.


‘Well, let's hope they figure it out…’ She thought as she watched the mouse follow Caleb out of the room. 


“Hey.” A familiar voice sounded behind the tuxedo feline as he stood in the hallway just outside the lecture hall. The space was already starting to empty of students eager to be done with the week. 


“Oh, hey Serah.” Caleb replied, an obvious tone of awkwardness in his voice as he spun around to face her. 


“Let's exchange numbers so we can coordinate getting this done.” The mouse stated in a matter of fact voice, her phone already opened to its contacts page. 


“Uh, sure I guess.” 


‘’Get this done’ Yeah that about sums it up doesn’t it.’ Caleb thought to himself as he mentally quoted Serah’s words, her tone indicating that she had no interest in spending a second longer than necessary working with him. 


With her partner’s number secured in her phone, Serah gave the feline a quick “see you later” before darting off to her next class. Caleb watched as she walked off at a brisk pace, his mind resigning itself to the difficulty ahead. 


‘But before that, lunch.’ He mused as he stepped off, the call of the buffet of sesame chicken in the dining hall pulling him in. 


        Caleb flopped down on his bed, the heap of sauce-slathered chicken and rice he’d packed away at lunch sitting pleasantly in his belly. The knowledge of the weekend ahead of him and no more classes for the day coupled with the heavy calorie input was quickly lulling the feline to sleep. His dorm was wonderfully silent as most students were either in class, still at lunch or already engaging in the weekend revelry. His shoes clattered the floor and joined his bookbag, the cat unbuttoning and unzipping his pants to relieve the pressure from his full belly. It wasn’t long before the tiny world of his dorm room drifted away and he fell into a wondrous sleep. For some reason it always felt better for Caleb to sleep during the day, perhaps because he wasn’t allowed to for most of his life and now in college he didn’t have anyone to tell him no. Perhaps it was the fact that afternoon sun came in through the window and warmed his bed wonderfully. Whatever the cause, the young feline was content to snooze the afternoon away. 
As the sun began to dip and the sky turned a dark orange, hoards of students made their way out of their rooms to start the festivities. Caleb remained firmly on his bed, the cat’s brain deep in the throes of a vivid and lovely dream where he was surrounded by several naked and very attractive vixens. Just as one of the horny fox women leaned in for a kiss, Caleb was violently ripped from his perfect dreamscape. His foggy brain took a moment to register what had just happened, the room’s surroundings appearing as a blur as Caleb tried to figure out what had woke him. He could feel a buzzing sensation under his side, the repeated vibration finally keying him in that it was his phone ringing on vibrate.  


“What the hell…” He muttered to himself, his eyes still adjusting as he pulled the buzzing device out from under him. 


“What does she want?” His voice groaned louder as he saw that it was Serah on the caller I.D.


Pressing the green answer button, Caleb put the device up to his ear. 


“Hello.” He said, his voice still groggy. 


“Hey, me and two others are going to get some work done on this project in the library.” The mouse answered from the other end, her voice not betraying any emotions one way or another. 


“Yeah alright.” Caleb replied as he fought off the tiredness of his nap. 


“Yeah alright so get your butt over here!” Serah replied with a bit more spice in her voice as she heard the cat’s disinterested tone. 


“Fine! Fine! I’ll be there, just…give me a few.” 


“Sure, second floor, study room all the way on the right in the corner.” The mouse answered, her voice lowered but still authoritative. 


“Uh huh, be there in a bit.” Caleb spoke, his voice regaining some of its clarity. 


Letting out a long yawn and stretch, the black and white cat rose from his comfortable bed, stars dancing in his vision. His roommate was still away, as he often was on Friday evenings. As such Caleb took the time to strip out of his old clothes. He paused after he tossed his socks into his hamper, the tuxedo feline taking a moment to observe himself in the full length mirror that hung on their door. His fur was mildly ruffled from where he’d been sleeping, the large white patch on his chest appearing extra scruffy. Being tuxedo, most of his body was pure jet black, but a few patches of bright white stood out. The largest was the patch on his chest that extended up his neck to cover his bottom jaw while a smaller diamond shaped patch sat over his belly button. Both of his hands and paws were covered in a glove and sock pattern and, much to his embarrassment, a moderate heart shaped patch adorned his bottom. 
After a quick brushing he swapped on a clean red university t-shirt and pair of blue jeans over some fresh undies before heading out. The new clothes and a quick brushing through his shaggy black hair worked wonders to revive him as he headed out into the harsh lights of the dorm building’s hallways. The brown carpet and beige painted cinder block walls had become an all too familiar sight to him by now as he traipsed down the stairs and stepped out into the cooling night air. With his backpack slung over his shoulder Caleb padded his way over to the student center, the basement of which contained a small convenience store. It was a sort of watering hole for students as they also served light food and sandwiches and had refrigerators filled with cold drinks. As he expected, there were a number of fellow students there buying snacks and things for the night. Caleb knew exactly what he wanted already, a tall can of sweet tea and some gummy candy. These two were his go-to treats for long study sessions. 


‘Maybe I should bring her something, as a show of good faith, a peace offering.’ Caleb mused as he looked down at his items, his palm already icy from the cold sweet tea. 


‘She's always drinking these sugar free energy drinks…sure, I’ll grab her a couple.’ The two smaller blue and silver cans only added to the cat’s growing discomfort, luckily the line had thinned by the time he made it up there. 


“This all tonight sweetie?” The cashier said with a smile, she was a kindly old border collie and had always been there behind the counter as long as most anyone at the school could remember. 


Caleb was about to answer in the affirmative, his eyes taking one last scan of the store when to his left on the counter he spotted a display of the chocolate chip cookies that Serah was always munching on. 


“A pack of these too please.”


“Sure thing honey, anything else?” The kindly canine asked with her signature smile as she added the cookies to the pile. 


“Nope, I think that will do it this time.” Caleb replied as he handed some of his cash over. 


“Well, you have a wonderful night!” She said as she deposited the money in the register.


Caleb delivered his thanks and promptly made way for the students waiting behind him. The plastic bag weighed down in his hand as he stepped into the by now dark purple sunset light. The library wasn’t too far of a walk on the smaller campus, though he knew that with his detour Serah would be getting peeved at him. 


‘Maybe at the end of all of this she won’t hate me as much…’ He wondered to himself as he looked down at the little peace offering he carried. 


Unlike most of the other buildings on campus, the library’s lighting was soft and incandescent. The warm glow provided a comforting environment to work and study in. Two girls sat behind the front desk, they were students who worked here in their off time checking books in and out for a little extra money. To Caleb’s left lay a section devoted to DVDs and digital media while to his right sat rows of computers with a few scattered students sitting at them typing away on assignments. Two large entrances sat on either side of the front desk, both of which led back into the main library section where a seemingly endless collection of bookshelves rested. The soft beige carpet muffled Caleb’s footsteps as he padded past, the two girls at the front desk hardly looking up as he walked by them. 


‘Alright, second floor, study room all the way on the right in the corner.’ Caleb mentally repeated the earlier instructions from his mouse rival. 


This section of the library was totally empty as far as Caleb could see, though he couldn’t rule out the possibility that someone might be hidden away amongst the endless rows of books. The two story library building had a staircase in the middle on each side. Caleb had only once actually been to the second story on a tour freshman year. He, like almost all of his fellow students, did the majority of his research and work on his computer. Though occasionally hidden among the dusty volumes was extremely valuable information, so on big projects he always at least came in and had a look. The top floor was mainly for study however, with most of the floor plan taken up by desks with only the front and back walls having a few rows of books, most of which hadn’t been checked out since the 80s. The side walls were lined with doors that opened into small study rooms where students could discuss and converse without disturbing others. 
As Caleb emerged from the top of the stairs, he found himself mildly unnerved by the totally emptiness that surrounded him. Looking around, there really was nobody there, all of the benches were empty and the lights in the study rooms were off. Only the warm overhead bulbs provided any illumination. Shifting to his right, the black and white feline peaked in each study room just to confirm his suspicions. It was only as he approached the one that Serah had directed him to that he began to feel at ease as he could see light emerging from the narrow window. His tail twitched and fluttered from relief, the white tip dancing behind him as he saw the round tips of Serah’s mouse ears through the window. 
The wooden door gave a mild creak as Caleb opened it, the muted conversation on the other side coming to a halt as the three sets of eyes all turned to look at the intruder. Once they saw the figure of the black and white feline however, the two belonging to the other pair of students, a female tiger shark and a male donkey returned to the screens of their laptops. Only Serah’s remained, her bright emerald green eyes tracking Caleb as he entered. The room was simple with a wooden table in the middle and a sofa on either side. The far wall had a window that looked out, though the blinds were currently shut. A simple rectangular light fixture was situated atop the ceiling and the flat walls were unadorned and painted a basic gray. The other pair had taken the far ends of each sofa leaving one spot open for Caleb to sit himself down directly across from Serah. The mouse too had opted to change clothes he noticed. She now wore a pair of light gray leggings and a loose fitting pastel yellow top. It was a pretty standard look for the girl as she often paired tight bottoms with loose tops and avoided bright colors. 


“Hi Serah, oh what's up Markus, Jasmine.” Caleb greeted the trio of his classmates already seated in the study room


“Not much man, just getting started here.” Markus the Donkey greeted while Jasmine said a simple hello with a pleasant smile. Markus wore a hoodie version of the red university shirt that Caleb wore and paired it with black basketball shorts while Jasmine wore a purple v-neck with dark blue jeans.


“Hey…” Serah replied in a lower tone, her emerald eyes awkwardly looking away as she felt Caleb observe her.


“Here, I uh, I brought you something…” Caleb spoke in a reserved tone as he fished the energy drink out of the plastic bag, the light blue and silver can covered in a layer of condensation. 


“Oh! Umm, t-thank you.” Serah replied in an equally awkward tone, a slight hint of blush appearing from beneath her fur. 


“And these, you’re always snacking on these so I figured you might like some.” He continued, handing over the other drink and the pack of cookies. 


Serah looked genuinely surprised as she sat back against the sofa’s backrest, both hands clasped around the can. 


‘Huh, I never noticed that she has fur freckles.’ Caleb mused as he sat down and opened his laptop. 


Indeed the girl’s face was adorned with subtle small spots of darker brown on her cheeks and across the bridge of her short snout. The little spots blended in well with the surrounding fur color and as such hadn’t been visible to Caleb from his seat across from her in class. 


‘I wonder where else she has them…’ The thought snuck into the cat’s brain all on its own as he watched her crack open the beverage, though he quickly scolded himself and pushed the intruding thought away. 


The blush wasn’t fading from Serah’s face as she took a sip of her drink as the sound of the other pair’s keyboards typing away filled the small study room. Markus and Jasmine had given up working on the document and were now instead secretly typing in the side chat. 


“I wonder when these two are going to start going at it again.” He typed, his eyes meeting his partner’s for a split second before she replied. 


“Yeah I don’t know, but I hope it's not in here, I’ll slap them with my tail LOL.”


“Lol, nice.” 


As the two typed, Serah’s mind raced as she struggled to interpret the gesture. 


‘This doesn’t make any sense, he’s always hated me, why is being so nice all of a sudden?’ Her thoughts rattled away, the mouse totally forgetting about the assignment for a moment. 


‘He even got my favorites…’


“So Serah, did um, you have any ideas for what to base this project on or…” Caleb spoke, the cat’s voice bringing her thoughts back to the task at hand.  


“Well, I was thinking that maybe we could do something on the fall of the first Canid Empire, we both had that class with Dr. Hamilton last semester.” The mouse spoke, her voice just starting to regain its usual composure and confidence. 


“I thought you hated that class.” Caleb replied with a chuckle as he set out his laptop and flanked it with his tea and fruit gummies. 


“Well, yeah it…wasn’t my favorite, but your presentation at the end was really good and I figured since you were passionate about it then this could be a bit easier.” 


‘Did she just compliment me?’ Now it was Caleb’s turn to be surprised. 


“Serah, you tore that presentation to shreds in the peer review.” He replied with a sarcastic chuckle. 


“Well! I mean, okay, I just thought you could use a little polishing here and there…but it was good!” Serah brushed her wavy nut brown hair to the side and looked up at the ceiling as she spoke, the mouse obviously a bit embarrassed.


“Anyway, we could do that, or if you want I remember you being rather passionate about the northern mustelid golden age, that paper you did on it was really good.” Caleb posited, his additional compliment causing the blush to reappear on Serah’s cheeks as she was now taken aback by an unexpected compliment. 


Next to them, Jasmine and Markus exchanged knowing looks, their eyes darting back and forth between each other and the pair sitting next to them. Jasmine was the first to bring it up as she typed in the side chat of their shared work document. 


“Are these two actually fucking flirting right now?” She watched as her partner read before typing his response. 


“I know, they go at each other all semester and now they’re in a room for two minutes and suddenly she looks like she wants to suck his dick, I don’t get it.” 


“Lol, speaking of sucking dick, I don’t really feel like doing this right now, wanna grab dinner and head back to my room?” 


Jasmine looked up from her computer, the shark flashing some quick “do me” eyes at the donkey who’s own eyes shot up from his screen, his ears flicking upwards as his spine stiffened from the surprise. 


“Uh, I think Jas and I are about finished with this for the night, we’re gonna go get some food I think.”  He spoke in a full volume voice, the stout equine struggling to keep himself in check. 


“Oh, yeah ok man, that's cool see you later.” Caleb replied casually as he made room for the larger male to pass. 


“See you guys.” Jasmine whispered while giving the pair a quick wave. 


“See ya.” Serah whispered and waved in return, the look of surprise evident on her face. 


‘Well this is fuckin’ awkward….’ Caleb mused to himself as the door closed behind the female shark leaving just him and his main rival in the cramped room. 


Letting out a sigh, the black and white feline let his weight fall onto the seatback, his lighter green eyes naturally setting on the mouse girl sitting opposite him. He could see her thin naked tail twitching nervously, her back sat up off the rest and her eyes staring away to her left as she sipped away at her energy drink. 


‘What is up with her? I thought she just wanted to get this done.’ The cat thought to himself, his thoughts beginning to grow confused and a touch annoyed. 


His brain was silenced however as in a quick and decisive motion Serah stood up and set her drink on Caleb’s side of the table as she stepped around the wooden furniture and plonked herself down next to her feline adversary. 


“So, which topic were you thinking about?” She asked as she observed the blank document that Caleb had open. 


“W-Well, I uh, I guess we can do the fall of the first Canid Empire if that's what you want, but I’d rather do something we both like.” 


“Oh! The topic I like just fine, I just uh…didn’t like that professor very much.” Serah chuckled to herself as she brushed her hair out of her eyes. 


“Yeah Dr. Hamilton is an acquired taste I suppose.” Caleb replied flatly 


“Well here, let's get it written down then.” She continued, pointing at Caleb’s screen and scooting herself closer, pulling the laptop partially onto herself, their thighs finally making contact.


Caleb’s heart began to race as he felt the contact, so many times he’d seen this girl furious at him for daring to argue a topic, for trying and on numerous occasions succeeding at refuting her points. Now here she was with her leg pressed against his, their laps sharing a computer as they worked together, to say it felt strange to the feline would be an understatement. 


“You know Serah, this isn’t due until November right? We don’t have to cram it all in one night.” 


“Yeah I know, I just figured that you’d want to get it done as soon as possible.” The smaller mouse said in a soft tone, her eyes finally looking up to meet his for a moment.


“I don’t mind taking it a bit slower, I don’t want to rush it, it's fine.”


“Are you sure? I figured you wouldn’t want to work with me all that long considering… you know.” Serah’s blush began to return, the mouse’s fingers fidgeting with her hair out of sheer awkwardness. 


‘What is up with this girl?’ The feline silently asked himself. 


“Do you think I hate you or something?” Caleb asked with a tone of evident surprise in his voice.  


“You don’t?” Serah’s voice now wore a tone of genuine surprise as well. 


“Serah…what? No, I’ve never hated you! I mean yeah we argue a lot in class, but isn’t that kind of the point?” 


‘Wait, did I…did I have him figured all wrong this whole time?’ Serah thought to herself, a sudden wave of guilt rushing over her petite body. 


“Look, it's actually kind of refreshing having someone to spar with, I mean yeah you make the fur on the back of my neck raise up sometimes, but that's only because you’re like, the only one smart or passionate enough to engage with me, everyone else just wants to sit there until class is over.”


“Here, let's set this down for a moment.” Caleb continued in a soft tone, setting the laptop down on the table next to hers before turning to face her. 


“Look, for as much of a pain in the ass as you can be…I do admire you, you’re very smart and super passionate, and…I respect that.” The feline wore an honest smile on his face as he spoke, his words genuinely coming from the heart. It gave him no pleasure to think that for so long Serah had figured that he had hated her, though deep down he did understand why. 


“You really mean that? Like you’re not just saying that?” The mouse replied, her blushing and hair fidgeting continuing as her legs unwittingly shifted and rubbed against Caleb’s. 


“O-Of course I mean it…” Caleb’s voice stumbled, the sight of Serah so shy and vulnerable had caught him fully off guard, he’d never seen anything like this out of her before and now under the black fur that covered most of his face, he too was blushing. 


“I was always so standoff-ish with you because I figured that you didn’t like me, like today in the hallway I was curt and pretty rude…I’m sorry.”


“It's okay Serah, really.”


“No, it's not, I feel bad about it…I shouldn't have been mean to you.” 


“D-did you ever think that I hated you?” The smaller mouse asked sheepishly, her eyes turning up to look at Caleb. 


“I mean, I uh, always assumed that you weren’t my biggest fan. Um… I did think that you hated my works at least, you’ve always been hard on them.” He replied, with a nervous chuckle, the feline rubbing the back of his neck and looking away from Serah’s emerald eyes. He knew in his heart that he had believed such a thing, but for her sake he kept that to himself.


“Caleb, would you believe me if I told you that I really like reading your stuff? I asked Dr. Hamilton if I could specifically get your essay and presentation to peer review.” 


“W-wait, really?” The cat replied with genuine surprise, his gaze returning to the mouse sitting next to him. 


“Yeah…I’ve always admired you, e-even though we fight like you said…” The mouse’s voice trailed off as she spoke. 


‘Is…Is she trying to flirt with me right now?’ Caleb pondered silently, unsure of how to process this revelation. 


‘I mean, she’s cute…has a nice butt, I never really saw her as my type, but…maybe?’ He continued mentally.


“Oh, um…t-thank you, that means a lot coming from you, I uh…I feel the same way with you.” The words finally tumbled out, nervous and shaky as the girl’s thigh pressed against his, the contact fueling his unease. 


‘Oh my God, he's had a crush on me this whole time!? Now I really feel like a cunt…’ Serah’s mind raced as she read Caleb’s body language, her emotions a flurry as she contemplated her entire relationship with the feline boy, unaware that her own body language was causing him to be so flustered. 


‘I guess I just wasn’t ready for another classmate to actually challenge me like he does…all through high school people just let me say whatever, I guess it just caught me off guard so I pushed back harder and we ended up fighting…wait…no…is THAT what she’s trying to do?’ Serah’s train of thought was violently derailed by a sudden realization.


“You know Caleb, I just thought of something…you know how Dr. Ross put us together on this…what if…what if that wasn’t an accident, do you think she’s trying to set us up?” 


“Set us up as in like…you think she’s not just trying to make us get along with the assignment, but like…trying to get us to hook up or something?” Caleb replied with genuine curiosity. 


“Well…It makes sense doesn’t it? Like because we’re so evenly matched she thinks we’d make a good couple perhaps?” Serah brushed the hair away from her face before starting to fidget with it again, the blush on her cheeks plain to see. 


‘Oh my God, she is hitting on me…you know what…screw it.’ Caleb’s heart started to pound in his chest. 


“Ah, w-well, I guess it does, I suppose I could see her doing something like that…how uh, how do you feel about it?” 


Serah pondered for a moment, her mind unable to come up with an answer as she mentally both cursed and thanked her professor for shoving her into this situation.


“Well…how do YOU feel about it?” She finally replied, passing the buck off to Caleb. 


“Heh, it's certainly not something I ever would have imagined happening, I figured you didn’t like me at all so I never even considered the possibility of us together. But now…yeah, I can see it.” He replied after a moment, his voice finally finding his footing as he summoned the confidence to look Serah in the eye, the pair sharing a deep gaze that made it clear that the feline was shooting his shot. 


‘Damn you Dr. Ross…’ Serah thought with a nervous mental laugh. 


“You know…I was only like that because you put me on the spot, you challenged me and did it well…I wasn’t ready for it at the time. Would…Would me being a mouse be a problem for you, ya know, since you’re a cat?” The words of Serah’s question fell on Caleb like an anvil as they confirmed her acceptance of his proposition.  


“Absolutely not!” Caleb said with a hearty and light hearted laugh, the laugh bringing out a smile on Serah’s snout. 


“I’ve always thought you were cute, I’ve seen you out there on the track running, you’ve uh…got a really nice figure, especially…” His words trailed off as embarrassment overcame confidence. 


“No wait, where?” Serah piped up, the mouse genuinely eager to know where her hard work and effort was paying off. 


“Uh well…you’re butt, you’ve got like a really, really cute butt…” Caleb forced the words out despite his shyness, the black and white cat rubbing the back of his head as he admitted to checking out the mouse’s tush. 


The compliment caused Serah’s face to blush a bright red, if this boy had said such a thing even an hour before she would have slapped him. But now it made her shift in her seat and suddenly become acutely aware of the soft texture of her panties.


“T-Thanks…” She replied nervously, her body reflexively pressing harder against Caleb’s as her thighs rubbed and pressed together. 


“Wait…how long have you been looking?” She asked with a sarcastic grin.


“AH! W-Well, you see, I uh…a while…” Caleb nervously admitted, his tail flicking beneath him from embarrassment. 


Serah giggled to herself at Caleb’s discomfort, it brought her satisfaction that she could still get to him so easily. 


“This is uh, one hell of a place to start a relationship.” Caleb commented in an attempt to dispel some of the awkwardness, the comment eliciting a soft chuckle from Serah as she couldn’t help but agree. 


“I think it's probably happened in these rooms more than once…” She replied, her voice dropping the awkwardness for a moment, the implication evident in her tone. 


“Ha! You’re not wrong.” Caleb chuckled, the cat rubbing the back of his head as he noticed the change in Serah’s demeanor. 


There was a pause as Caleb searched for something to say, his tea and snacks still remained untouched on the table, his laptop screen having long since timed out. His attention was suddenly captured by Serah as she shifted in her seat, the mouse now nearly sitting on him as she placed a hand on his thigh. Her digits gripped onto him as she turned to look him in the eye, her face flushing red as butterflies danced in her stomach.


“Caleb, would you…would you let me give you a blowjob, like…right now?”


The fur on the back of the feline’s neck rose as a jolt of pure shock obliterated any rational thoughts left in his brain. All he could do for the next few seconds was stare in stunned surprise, his wide eyes gazing at Serah’s blushing face and welcoming smile. It still just didn’t compute within him that she had said what she had said. He was stunned that the pair’s contentious relationship that had been built up over their college careers could turn around so fast. But it had. With the revelation of their mutual misunderstanding the duo now saw each other in a whole new light, one of respect, admiration, and attraction. 


“R-right here?” He finally stumbled out, his voice shaky. 


“Mhm, why not? You saw how empty it is out there.” Serah gestured with a nod of her head to the door, Caleb had to admit that she was right. On a Friday night, hardly anybody would be up here. 


“I mean if you don’t want to, that's fine…” The mouse said, a tone of dejection creeping into her voice. 


“I didn’t say no…” Caleb’s voice was almost a whisper as he struggled to get the words out through his frayed nerves. 


“I just…don’t want to get caught is all.” He continued, his voice finding a hint of more volume. 


“Just relax Caleb, we’ll be fine.” 


Letting out a deep breath the tuxedo cat forced himself to relax against the sofa. He rested his arms atop the seat back and widened his legs as Serah rose from her seat only to deftly crouch into position between his knees. Both of their hearts were racing as they assumed their respective positions, their brains still struggling to fully accept that this was actually happening. Caleb suddenly became aware of his manhood as he felt it start to slide against the soft fabric of his underwear as it grew. The mouse and feline locked eyes once more before she leaned in and gingerly unzipped his pants. 


‘Oh fuck we’re really doing it…’ His mind replayed the phrase on a loop as he saw the blue of his underwear through the open zipper, the fabric mounded from his building erection. 


Caleb brough his hands down off the sofa back for a moment to undo his button while Serah watched, her mouth eager to receive its prize. He could see her tongue swirling around in her freckled cheeks as he shuffled his jeans down just enough to expose his lap. Serah wasted no time in pressing her snout against the bulge growing underneath the covering of dark blue fabric, her fingers tucking underneath the black waistband as she rubbed against the feline’s manhood. 


‘Wait…she knows what she’s doing…I’ve so underestimated this chick…’ He mused as he felt the tight cloth pulled down off his legs. 


The cat’s eyes instinctively switched to the narrow window in the door as he felt the air kiss his naked skin. The only thing he could see was the soft glow of the overhead lights and the beige sides of a bookshelf. Returning his gaze back to his lap his pale green eyes met with Serah’s deep emerald ones, her face held down next to his exposed manhood. The fur at the base was a bit shaggy as Caleb often neglected to trim it, a fact which he was now mildly self conscious about as Serah took in the sight. The skin of his penis was the same pale light pink as the rest of him hidden underneath his dark black and stark white fur. He could feel her soft breaths on it as she rested against his thigh. Her own mind raced as she contemplated how the years of fighting had led up to her face being mere centimeters away from his dick.


‘Teasing…’ It was clear to Caleb that Serah had no intentions of getting him off quick, the petite mouse was set on taking her time and putting him through the full experience. 


His eyes were locked on her as she inched her short snout forward, her gem-like eyes flicking up to meet his as her small tongue planted a slow lick along his length from the tip all the way down to the base and back up again. A shiver ran up Caleb’s spine as the feeling of her warmth registered within him. Now positioned at the business end, Serah gingerly picked up her prize in her right hand, her grip practiced and confident. Her facial expression had once again changed, gone was the shyness and embarrassment that it had earlier worn and in its place was a deadly, disarming gaze. Her eyes bore a soft, submissive look, her eyebrows turned up at their inner ends and a deep blush flooded her cheeks. Her pink nose wiggled adorably as she wrapped her lips around the soft head of Caleb’s penis, the heat of her mouth sending a wave of warm tingly pleasure rolling over the feline’s body. 


“Don’t stop…” He whispered, his right hand lowering from its perch to gently cup her face, his thumb softly rubbing the base of her large round ear. 


Serah worked the soft edges of the boy’s glans with her tongue, rolling around the gentle flare. The experienced mouse knew the effect this had on boys, and Caleb was no exception as a sharp sigh whistled out from between his teeth as he leaned his head back. 


‘Yeah…knew you’d like that…’ Serah thought to herself, satisfaction coursing through her body as she keyed into the pleasure she was giving him. 


A slightly salty taste graced her tongue as she began to work her mouth farther down the feline’s length. She could tell that he hadn’t showered yet from the mild flavor, but she didn’t mind. The soft texture of his penis skin against her tongue, its girth filling her mouth perfectly was having an effect of its own on her body as she reached down with her left hand to work her tight leggings off her waist. Her fingers struggled for a moment with the strap over her tail, though after a moment the button clicked open and she slid them off her bottom. Soft sighs and reserved moans emitted from Caleb’s mouth as he felt the mouse take him deeper as half of his modest length slowly vanished and reappeared from her mouth, the skin shiny with her spit. 


“I like this pace, you feel…s-so good…” Caleb’s voice trailed off as he finally let go of the last of his inhibitions and allowed himself to fully enjoy Serah’s oral skills. 


The mouse wasn’t shy about rewarding the compliment as she flashed the boy another set of those lethal bedroom eyes and sunk her mouth down all the way to the base of his cock, her tongue pressing it to the roof of her mouth as she drew back while her suction tried its best to keep her nose buried in Caleb’s fluff. The effect was immediate as she felt the feline’s dick twitch and a warm splash of precum land on her tongue. 


‘Don’t pop just yet boy, I’m not done with you…’ Serah mused as the fingers on her left hand pressed against the soft fabric of her panties covering her pussy. 


Gently working herself over while giving head was one of the mouse’s favorite moves and the delicate texture of her panties felt heavenly as she rubbed it against herself. Like her outerwear, Serah’s underwear was often simple and rather understated. This pair of bikini cut panties had a white base and were covered in small intricate floral rose embroidery patterns, the look almost reminding her of a vintage tablecloth. For some reason these sorts of patterns were what she found herself drawn to for covering her intimate bits. 


“Serah…” Caleb meekly uttered, the mouse instantly recognizing the desperation in his voice. 


“Wow, he really is pent up.’ She mused as she pulled her mouth off. 


“Caleb, when was the last time someone gave you a blowjob?” She asked, the cat’s penis laying against her face. 


“It's uh…it's been a while.” He answered with an embarrassed chuckle. 


“Oh, you poor thing…” Serah’s voice oozed with sympathetic sensuality as her nose tucked underneath the boy’s member, her warm breath now splashing against his fur covered balls. 


A soft hum was the cat’s only response as he felt Serah take one of his orbs in her mouth, her tongue gently and skillfully toying with it. The move kept his sense of pleasure high but also kept him from blowing too soon. 


‘Man she really knows what she’s doing.’ He mused, his fingers sliding through her wavy brown hair as he adjusted his grip. 


The mouse was sure to give each of her lover’s precious jewels their fair share of attention before lifting her face back onto his lap. 


“There, that better?” She asked in that same sympathetic voice, her eyes once again wearing that adorably feminine and submissive look. 


“Y-yeah…I’m good.” 


No sooner were the words out of him than the tip of his penis was back in Serah’s mouth. The petite mouse gently held it between her lips and suckled, her tongue once more sliding against the soft glan skin.  By now rubbing herself from the outside just wouldn’t do, and so once more reaching behind herself Serah untucked the waistband of her underwear from underneath her tail and slid them off her petite rear end. Now the cool air of the room caressing her butt she could continue, the mouse's womanhood quickly soaking the velvety fur on her fingers. This time her pace was more deliberate, her throat emitting a rhythmic gulping as she stuffed Caleb’s manhood down it. The tuxedo feline’s chuffs and pleasured sighs joining the sounds of a well-given blowjob in the tiny room. Serah added her own muffled vocalizations to the mix as the efforts of her own fingers began to have an effect. 


“S-Shit…n-not gonna last…” Caleb’s voice huffed out, his grip on Serah’s head tightening as his body prepared itself. 


‘Yeah…go ahead and do it this time boy…’ She thought to herself as her fingers and throat frantically worked to coordinate themselves. 


With one hand working Caleb’s dick in time with the steady motions of her mouth and the other tucked between her naked thighs the time was rapidly approaching. She could hear his breaths shallowing up, the inhales and exhales becoming sharp as his body tensed. The cat’s other hand now gripped the other side of her face as his back arched off the sofa. Serah felt him go rock hard against her tongue, the boy’s soft glans flaring out as a warm stream of thick semen flew against the back of her throat. The volume was enough to saturate her tongue with the flavor as another rope launched from him. 


‘Yes! Let me have it…’ Her emotions basked in the sensation as she accepted the full weight of the heavy cumshot in her mouth. 


Serah’s own climax was only a few moments behind as her dexterous fingers finally picked the mouse’s proverbial lock and sent her legs clamping together. A look of pure pleasure dominated her face as she held Caleb’s dick in her lips, the feline manhood still filling her cheeks with its silky gift. The look was seared into Caleb’s mind as he held her in place, his mouth hung open in a strained orgasm face, his spikey fangs showing. The mouse’s tail flicked across the floor until it found one of Caleb’s ankles and curled itself around as the flow of cum finally slowed and then ceased. With one last shiver, Serah’s body too began to return to normal as she slid her lips off the tip of his penis, her thorough mouth not leaving a drop behind. 


“Holy shit Serah…I didn’t know you could do THAT!” Caleb exclaimed with a chuckle, his breathing heavy as he tried to catch his breath. 


Serah remained silent as she held the heavy load in her mouth for a few moments to savor it. Removing her hand from between her legs she adjusted her hair before finally swallowing, her throat making a show of it for him. Caleb watched with wide eyes as it happened, his heart fluttering. 


“Fuck, and you swallow…you’re incredible…” 


“Oh, trust me, I much prefer you to cum on my face…but I don’t mind swallowing, for the right guy at least.” She replied with a coy grin. 


“That was SO good.” Caleb continued complimenting as he stuffed his wet manhood back in his pants. 


For the first time since they had started Caleb was able to get a good look at her. With her pants slid down he could just about see the round curve of her tush, his eyes picking up the two small back dimples situated on either side of her spine. And as if to place the cherry on top, Caleb was also able to satisfy his earlier curiosity as he observed that the girl’s hips and rear end also bore the same subtle speckling in her fur as her face did. 


‘What a girl…’


“Well, I’m glad you liked it.” Serah replied in a soft tone as she took note of the cat observing her, the mouse then rising from her crouched spot after letting him get a good look. 


Placing her hands on Caleb’s thighs, Serah stood and leaned in close to his face, her naked butt sticking out as she bent over to meet him. The feline could see what she was doing and turned his snout to the side to accept the kiss. Even though she had swallowed it, Caleb could still taste a hint of himself on Serah’s tongue as their two appendages danced with one another. It was apparent immediately that not only could the mouse deliver an incredible blowjob, but she could kiss too. Soon their bodies were pressed against one another as neither one was willing to break the deep kiss. 


‘I guess we’re making out now.’ Caleb mused as he wrapped his arms around her back, his right hand dropping to take a handful of mouse tush. 


Serah meanwhile was adoring the raspy texture of Caleb’s tongue as it slid against her’s. The feeling of him grabbing her butt only encouraged her to continue. The tension of the previous rivalry had now completely vanished from both of them as their bodies communed with one another. Caleb shifted and leaned back, laying down atop the seat cushion and bringing Serah with him. Now both of his white furred hands massaged and squeezed her bum as they made out, the mouse content to let him play with her to his heart’s content. The concept of time soon abandoned them as their faces slipped and played off each other. Their breaths mixed as the passionate kissing continued, all of the past animosity turning to love as they each basked in the unfiltered intimacy. 
Caleb’s hands shifted and allowed Serah’s ass to return to its original shape as he slid them up her back. She could feel the air once again caress her bare bottom, her pants and underwear still pulled down just low enough to expose her pert, freckled cheeks.


*tap* *tap* *tap* 


The sound immediately caught both lover’s attention, their ears perking up as their eyes turned to face the noise. 


“Sorry to interrupt sweeties, but the library is closing soon!” It was the sweet voice of Mrs. Calloway, the kindly old snow leopard who was the university's head librarian.


“Shit!” Serah exclaimed as she rapidly struggled to return her panties and leggings to their rightful place on her waist. 


Caleb just leaned his head back, his eyes gazing up at the ceiling as he shook his head. 


“Okay Mrs. Calloway, we were just about done anyway!” He called out in a flat tone, a sigh following his words. 


They could both hear the older woman’s giggling from the other side of the door. 


“Oh don’t be embarrassed honey, I’ve seen far, far worse!” She consoled as she watched Serah tug at her panties until they were finally up and over her ass. 


‘Oh don’t they make a cute couple…She’s got a nice bottom on her too, lucky boy…’ The snep mused as she left the couple to themselves. 


“God dammit…” Serah cursed as she finally succeeded in pulling up her leggings. 


Caleb merely chuckled to himself as he sat up and Serah stood. 


“I’m sure we’ll be fine, she doesn’t seem like the type to snitch on us.” The feline said in an effort to ease his lover’s distress. 


“Caleb, she saw my BUTT!” Serah exclaimed and pointed at the window. 


“Yeah, well…lucky her.” 


Serah groaned and delivered a playful punch against Caleb’s arm, the strike barely registering any pain in the feline’s body. Though the comment did confirm that the boy still had the ability to be annoying even though they were now now longer enemies. 


“Uggh, let's get out of here.” She said, chugging back the last of her by now room temp energy drink. 


“I’ll put this in the fridge back in my dorm I guess.” the mouse continued, picking up the unopened can. 


“You know, it just dawned on me that we missed dinner.” Caleb interjected as he checked the time on his phone. 


The statement coincided with a joint rumbling from two empty bellies as the lack of any supper now made itself known. 


“Yeah…” Serah conceded as she looked down at the unopened pack of cookies. 


“Hmm, why don’t we get a couple of pizzas and we find somewhere on campus to sit and eat.” Caleb piped up, the tempting offer buzzing in Serah’s brain as she contemplated the taste of fresh hot pizza.


“You know…my roommate is spending the weekend with her new boyfriend, you wanna just come back to my room?” The look on the mouse’s face made it clear that she wasn’t talking about just the pizzas.  


“Heh, sure.” Caleb replied, the cat flicking his eyebrows to show that he’d gotten the message. 


“Alright, well let's get going then…you’re buying though.” The mouse replied with a coy smile. 


Caleb just rolled his eyes playfully but didn’t protest, she had earned it with that performance after all. Together the pair collected their things and stepped out of the study room. The sudden chill of the relatively fresh air in the open second floor informed the couple of just how hot it had gotten in the cramped space. The old librarian was nowhere in sight as they made their way out arm in arm, their backpacks slung over their shoulders. Only when they got down to the ground floor did they see Mrs. Calloway as she stood behind the front desk to finish closing up. The two students had long since gone and the computer lab, the only section that remained open all night, was devoid of students. The kindley snep gave the new couple a friendly, albeit knowing wave as Serah and Caleb passed through the glass double doors that made up the entranceway. 


“Serah…” Caleb said as they stepped out into the night air, the streetlights of their campus illuminating the paved walkways that snaked out before them. 


“Yes Caleb?” She replied, turning her face up to look at him. 


The tuxedo feline said nothing, instead he delivered a warm and genuine smile. The night tried to obscure his features, but the white of his lower jaw displayed his expression well enough. Serah’s face once more turned a light pink as her emotions expressed themselves. Still she returned the loving look to her new boyfriend as they descended the handful of stone steps together and strode off into the nighttime ambiance.