# Hanging Out Until The End Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Hangout
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Reeda lets out a hearty guffaw as she points at me. “Oh Anon, you are such a retard!” she says, just barely able to keep her giggles from overpowering her words.
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‘Yeah, okay. Maybe I can’t chug a beer while doing a handstand. So what? Shit’s super hard to do. I bet like… NOBODY can do it…’ I think to myself with some annoyance.
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“Whaattt are you mumbling about, dude?” Reeda asks as she chugs down more of her beer.
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Huh? Me, mumbling?
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Oh, yeah… I do that shit from time to time, don’t I?
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Fuck. Why do I do it? Did I get dropped on my head when I was a baby or some shit like that? Would that explain why I also don’t have any hair on my head? Nah, I think that’s a completely separate thing. Something about... fuck, what was it that my old man told me when was ten... ‘hypotrichosis.’ Yeah, that shit.
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“Ididntsayanything,” I slur out, all the while fighting back the urge to let out a definitely not belch. ‘I mean, I really said nothing out loud, did I?’ I think to myself again.
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Reeda takes a puff from her toke and rolls her eyes. “You’re mumbling again…” she tells me as she takes another drag before slowly exhaling the smoke. “Like, there’s not a single day when you don’t mumble something…”
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Yeah, that’s the story of my fucking life. If I’m not actively trying to keep my mouth shut, I’m liable to say some stupid shit out-loud like some kind of dumbass obsessed with narrating their life. I’m probably narrating my words right now and don’t even realize it…
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I let myself fall on my back before sitting back up. As I do, I carefully prop myself up against the side of my bed next to Reeda and let my head fall back on the mattress. “Yeah, you’re not the only one who’s told me that. I really need to stop doing that shit,” I say before closing my eyes and letting out a sigh.
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“Told by who, Fang?”
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“Yeah, her. I mean they. Them. Fang…”
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The name puts a bitter taste in my mouth. I reach for my bottle of beer, which is miraculously only half-spilled despite having tipped it over when I did my headstand, and down the rest of the alcohol in a single gulp. When I’m all done with the last drop of booze, I toss the empty bottle away, not even caring that it’s only making my apartment all the messier.
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“What was that?” Reeda asks me in a concerned tone that somehow doesn’t quite befit her. “Something happen’ between you two?”
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I crack open an eye and pick up my head off the mattress, looking Reeda in the eyes as she offers me the joint she’s been happily smoking until that point.
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I gladly accept the cigarette and take a long drag, savoring the feeling of numbness that slowly begins washing over my body and mind. I’m not sure what Reeda put in it, but the substance works its magic fast as lighting. Certainly faster than even the strongest weed on the market.
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“We uh…” I again shut my eyes, only this time I also grimace. “Me ‘n Fang… we broke up…” I pass the blunt back to Reeda the instant I finish my words and brace myself for the post confession interrogation that is sure to follow.
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But it doesn’t.
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“Fuck. I’m sorry…” Reeda says as she gently takes the roll off my hands and takes a drag herself. “Like, when though?”
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“I dunno, like, a week ago?” I reply in a far more nonchalant tone than I would normally have, given the amount of emotional hurt the whole situation had caused me up to this point.
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Reeda looks me right in the eye with a hurt expression. “Seriously? Nobody said shit to me about it.” She grimaces as she grabs my arm. “Bro, like, why wouldn’t you tell me!?”
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Reeda’s getting uncomfortably serious about my failed relationship with Fang. I steal the smoke from her hand and fix her with a scolding stare. I even point a finger at her for added emphasis.
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Reeda blinks a few times before she puffs her cheeks “whatdafackman!?” she exclaims as she crosses her arms. “It couldn’t have been that bad a break up!”
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What is there to say? I look up at the ceiling, letting the heavenly numbness spread through my body. As I do, I let my arms go limp and just allow myself to get lost in the bliss of the narcotics flowing through my system.
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Much better than letting myself wallow in the misery like I have been for the last few days...
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Guess Reeda took my body language as a good enough answer because the next thing I feel is her slender arm wrapping around my shoulders. “It’s like, whatever man,” she says in as delicate a tone as her currently stoned voice can manage. “You gonna be okay tho?”
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I nod in reply but don’t answer. I mean, what can I possibly tell Reeda? That I’ll power through it? That I’ll come out the other side of the wringer stronger and wiser? No. That kind of shit’s only for people who have everything together, something I definitely can’t claim...
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Reeda goes quiet after my silent reply. She doesn’t let go of my shoulder, however. It feels like she’s leaning more into it. Her arm feels so nice and so warm, too. It almost makes me forget my dating woes for just a second as I consider letting myself drift off to sleep in Reeda’s caress.
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“So you’re, uh... totally splitsville?” Reeda suddenly asks me. There is a weird edge to her voice, like she’s trying to feign indifference or something along those lines. As she waits for my reply, I can feel her arm tensing up a bit.
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“I... guess?” I answer, unsure what to say regarding her question. Was Fang really the only thing tying me to Volcaldera? It’s not like I have any desire to go back to Rock Bottom, what with it being a shitty town in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere. It’s also not like I have much of a future here either. I already know the lease on my apartment will end four months after I graduate. I still remember my old man’s words clearly even in my drunk state: “After graduation, either the service or college. I don’t care which.”
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Can’t go back home and can’t stay forever in my new home… Just where the fuck do I belong, then?
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Reeda’s laughter thankfully snaps me out of my growing existential crisis.
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“So like, now we can totally be bachelors in Europoo and shit!”
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I turn to look at Reeda and raise an eyebrow. “Bachelors in Euro—what? N-no!” I say, not sure what Reeda is trying to say. “Besides, what about Trish?”
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Reeda gives me an easy and nonchalant shrug. “...I guess we can invite her too?”
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“That’s not what I meant.” I let out a sigh and fix the pink raptor with as serious a look as I can give her. “Isn’t Trish like, your girlfriend or something?”
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Reeda gives me a weird look at first, her eyes narrowing as she takes a drag from a new joint I didn’t even notice her lighting. Fucking ninja.
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After roughly ten seconds of staring, she laughs in my face. “Oh, my gawd! You legit thought me ‘n Trish were like, dating?”
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Uh...
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Uhhhhhhh...
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I mean, yes…?
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Reeda and Trish hang together most of the time, and they sure as hell share a lot of laughs and crazy ideas. Then again, maybe I’m reading far too much into it. It’s possible to be really friendly with someone without it automatically counting as being an item. I mean, that’s the whole point of the label ‘best friend,’ isn’t it?
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“No?” I wind up settling on answering, all the while desperately trying to keep my brain from imploding on itself. Stupid fucking drunken stupor ruining my normally flawless thinking process. Okay, maybe not ‘flawless,’ but certainly a hell of a lot more coherent than whatever it was I slurring about right now! ‘Probably still mumbling this shit out loud,’ I think to myself.
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“Yeah, you are!” Reeda replies as she points a finger at me and bursts into laughter. She almost doubles over as she holds to her stomach with one hand, desperately trying to maintain control as her giggles get more and more haphazard. “Oh fuck me, Anon, you’re seriously a super funny weirdo-re-tardo!” Her giggles turn dino snorting-ish, tears rolling down her face. She gives me the joint and wipes the tears from her reddened cheeks. As she does, she gradually eases on the laughter and gets a bit more serious as she straightens up. “Nah, my dude, Trish and I ain’t dating. We just real good amigas. Peas in a pod. Sisters from another mother. All that good shit.”
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Oh…
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Oh.
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Oh!
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Fuuuuck!
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THERE IS A SINGLE FEMALE IN MY ROOM!
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DEFCON MAXIMUM LEVEL!
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SKYKING SKYKING SKYKING!
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HOW MANY SKYKINGS IS TOP LEVEL!?
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I let out a forced laugh and try to put on my widest grin. “Y-yeah… b-but can you eat all the eggs?”
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“...What...?” Reeda asks as she tilts her head to the side soon as I finish my words.
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I try to retreat the flood of spaghetti back into my pocket before I go all up bucatini. DO. NOT. SAY. ‘I can eat you out.’
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In the end, I wrangle my brain into place and keep my trap shut. It’s not perfect as I’m pretty sure my body language is currently saying every single thing my mouth wishes it could utter out loud. I instead navigate the smoke in my shaking hand to my mouth and let the miracle of drug abuse wash my awkwardness away.
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Meanwhile, Reeda positions herself closer to me. I can feel her warm scales push up against my arm. As she does, I also get a way too good a look all over the insides of her loose tank top…
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“Well, Anon, since we’re both single ‘n ready to mingle… I was thinking…” She leans her face close to mine. So close that I can smell the shampoo on her mane, which smells of apples. “Maybe I can be your girlfriend tonight…”
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I almost choke on the fumes, causing me to let out a few coughs as I clear my lungs. ‘Did Reeda just say what I think she said…’ I ask myself. When I finally bring myself to speak words again, I opt to ask her what she meant. Though I only manage an absolutely retarded droll that even a grade schooler would tell me is an absolute fuck-up of a reply. ‘Outstanding performance, Anon. Ten out of fucking Ten. The greatest orators in history are in awe of your mastery of the English language!’ I mentally bash myself.
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Reeda lets out another giggle as she puts her head on my chest. She says nothing, but it’s obvious by her reaction that I was mumbling shit again...
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I shut my fucking face and look down at Reeda. She is pressing her back against my arm and chest, and with her head still on my chest, she’s playing with one lock of her long mane. Or is it hair? Feathers? I mean, it has to be hair since every other dino I’ve met up to this point has hair. Maybe if I paid more attention in class, I’d have some kind of idea. Not that it would do me any good right now…
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Reeda’s at all times seductive eyes are giving a very distinct fuck me look. Oh boy. I do not know what to say or do.
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Luckily, Reeda isn’t taking a retard for an answer. She wraps one of my hands into hers and places it on her bra under her baggy tank top.
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“What do you say, big boy?” she asks in a voice full of lustful desire.
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With the powers of dino tiddy on my side, I drown the urge to say ‘for you.’ Instead, I gently and awkwardly cup her breast, feeling it up through her bra.
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Reeda bites her lip, humming softly in response. ‘Wow, this is like... hot as fuck!’ I think as I shift so I can use both hands, earning another giggle from my pink companion.
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“Mhm, you likey?” Reeda asks as she shifts and brings her snoot within at least an inch of my ear. “Did Fang ever let you do this?”
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My arms stiffen, and Reeda herself quickly recognizes that she fucked up by mentioning h—them again.
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Fuck... is this how it’s always gonna be now whenever Fang gets brought up? It’s been a week. Get over it already...
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I clear my throat and resume pumping Reeda’s breasts. She’s surprised by my sudden interest in her body, but visibly relieved.
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“No, we, um, we figured out kissing only. Kinda…” I answer meekly. Now that I really think about it, me and Fang never really got to do any of the fun things that a normal couple would get to. We took things slow. Maybe too slow. Never got past first base, dammit...
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With a giggle, Reeda turns to face me. She gets up on all fours and slowly inches closer. As she does, I cannot not notice that her bra is almost falling off of her, revealing her bare breasts.
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“So you’ve never actually been with a girl before?” She asks, winking teasingly as she takes one last puff from—wait, when the fuck did she take the joint from me? Anyway, she flicks the butt of the now spent toke away and crawls into my lap, sitting up into a cowgirl position.
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My hands instinctively move to Reeda’s waist, hoisting her up on my lap properly. I’m sure that about now my face would just be pink as her scales. If only my blood wasn’t busy building a tent in my pants. Like a five fucking dimensional tent desperately begging to be released from its denim prison.
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Fuck me, Reeda, you’re killing me...
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“S-So, have, uhm, have yoouuubeenwithanyonebefore?” I practically shoot my question at a hundred miles an hour.
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Reeda giggles again, running a hand through her mane, the other slowly but surely making its way down my chest and towards my stomach. “Maybe I have…” she coos as she leans closer. “Or, maybe I haven’t. Are you going to take my virginity, Anon?” she seductively whispers right into my ear, her dulcet honeyed tone sending pleasurable ripples through my body. By the end, she’s pressed her snoot right against my cheek. At the same time, her hand finally reaches my belt buckle. She slowly slips her hand under the shirt and she runs a few of her fingers along my skin, the feeling of her scaled hand an alien yet extremely welcome feeling.
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The only response I can muster to Reeda’s welcome intrusion into my body is to grab her meaty parts harder and pull her body closer to mine. I run my hands over her ass, and...
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‘Wait. Wait, what the—Oh? Oh, my god is that her tail?’
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I move my hands higher up Reeda’s ass and begin caressing the fluff surrounding the saurian’s extremity. As I do, I can’t help but crack a wide grin. ‘Reeda! Your tail is awesome!’ I think as I laugh like a complete retard, playing with her ass and tail like I’m some kind of toddler.
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“Dude, are you like…” Reeda pushes herself off my body a bit as she looks back at my hands still toying around with her tail. She smiles and rolls her eyes at the sight. “Hey, you can play with it later!” She straightens up and grabs both my hands, pulling them away from the root of her tail and planting them firmly on her lower ass. She then turns back to face me, smiles, and clicks her tongue a few times like a mom scolding her child. “Here. Why don’t I give you something to actually ogle at?” she says as he unties the knots of her shirt and lets it fall to the side. She then reaches for the clip of her bra and, in a single deft move, causes it to fall down, at last revealing her gloriously pink breasts.
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“Fucking weirdo man…” Reeda murmurs, though there’s more amusement than annoyance in her tone. Closing in the gap between us again, she makes a point of reaching for one of my hands and placing it over her exposed breast. Meanwhile, she returns her attention to my belt, undoing it with clear expertise.
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Virginity, my ass. Or maybe Reeda’s given a lot of handjobs in the past…?
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“Reeda, have you given a lot of handjobs?”
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Reeda goes quiet at hearing my question and stops moving altogether. Her previous smile all but vanishes, and I can practically feel her inner struggle as she shifts her eyes down to my chest, almost as if she can’t bring herself to look me in the eye anymore. “Are you... are you asking me to give you a handjob?”
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“Y-yes...?”
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My bluntness takes aback Reeda. She tries to get back into the flow, experimenting with my boxer and having her long fingers slightly brush up against my dick. It doesn’t seem to work, though. She gets up with a frustrated grunt, obviously upset at my words.
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“W-what’s wrong?” I ask, reaching out for my Reeda like a thirsty man would reach out for a drink of cool water.
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“Sorry Anon, I just... Ugh!” Reeda lets out an exasperated murmur as she crosses her arms and taps her foot in contemplation of something.
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I open my mouth to speak, but Reeda quickly intercepts me before I can ruin the mood further. “Just give me a minute, you dork, aight?” Reeda announces as she reaches down to grab her bra, putting it back on before fishing for yet another joint from her wallet, lighting it up in mere seconds.
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I follow suit and get myself a beer, opening it on the metal frame of the bed. Reeda blows a few smoke rings, following my movement from the corner of her eye. Looks like she wants to say something too, but she takes one last deep drag and returns to my lap. She offers the roll to me, but this time I refuse. She shrugs and takes my face in one of her hands. “C’mere, you ass...” she whispers as she slowly inches her snoot forward. I’m confused at first about what she intends, but when I see her pucker her lips, I instantly know exactly what she wants.
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I wrap one arm around her back and gently put the other behind her head as I ease myself forward to meet her lips. In a matter of seconds, we both settle into a gentle kiss that is only a little awkward. I definitely have that butterflies-in-the-stomach feel, yet I can’t shake the weirdness of it. Fang was the only one that I had ever kissed before in my life.
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Kissing Reeda doesn’t feel wrong. Just… weird. I am kissing my best bro after all. Or, at least she was my best bro until today.
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Now though… I don’t even know anymore...
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Once again, Reeda’s hand tracks its way down to my growing erection. Meanwhile, I gently start moving my hands down from their spots and back down to her ass, where I again start groping and massaging. No tail play this time, though. Definitely saving that for later.
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The room quickly regains its frisky atmosphere as Reeda and I get more and more into it. Soon, Reeda is riding me in rhythm with her strokes, and I’m trying to get her bra undone again. I want to interject and pull my boxers down too, but I don’t want to risk another disaster. Then she grabs my cock through the cloth and firmly yet gingerly begins grasping at it, all the while still riding me like I’m a mechanical bull.
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It feels great. Too great, actually.
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Oh...
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OH!
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I break away from our passionate kiss. “Reeda, I... I’m gonna—”
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I see a devilish grin make its way onto Reeda’s lips before I’m caught up in another kiss, the pink raptor practically doubling her efforts to get me to soil my pants. I try to hold on, but it’s a losing battle. Soon, my mind goes completely blank as the pleasure of release washes over my entire being. She rides out the climax with me to its very end, gradually slowing down as we both pant in satisfied glee.
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We stay like that for about a minute before Reeda gets off me and once more sits next to me, all the while giving me a sly look.
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“So... how was that?”
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I’m too caught up in the moment to respond, so I just watch Reeda lick the mess off of her fingers with her long and slender tongue… one that I can’t help but imagine doing… other things to me...
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“Wa’ I uh goo’ gi’lf’en’?” she asks before swallowing and moving in to give me one last peck on the lips.
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“Y-yes,” I answer, still not sure if I heard her question correctly, but far too mentally addled to bother trying to decipher it at the moment.
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She laughs at my response and gives me a playful punch on the shoulder. “You goober! Go clean yourself up, dude!”
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‘Yeah... naaaah…’ I think to myself, still practically drooling on the spot.
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“Yeah, I uh... I’m just. Imma sleep... kay?” I whisper as my brain slowly shuts down.
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Reeda lets out a snicker as she helps me get to bed proper. I spot my friend’s tail and once again move to grab the tip of it this time. Reeda lets out a sigh and allows me to caress the fluff like I’m some kinda kitten playing with one of those toys on a string. Playing with her tail fluff relaxes me like nothing else, and before I know it, the last of my consciousness fades away from me, but not before Reeda bends down and plants a gentle kiss on my cheek.
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‘Reeda… I… I think you’re an amazing girlfriend,’ I think to myself as the last of my consciousness fades.
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The last thing I see is Reeda’s face turning a dazzling shade of red. Probably because I mumbled my thoughts like the idiot that I am...
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* * *
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Oh godddddd... my head’s killing me. Also, someone switched my tongue for sandpaper. Or at least it feels that way as I try to swallow.
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‘Fuck… forgot about the hangover…’ I think as I try to force myself into a better state of mind. It isn’t quite working as I experience a few blank spots in my memory. Like, I know some of the shit I did last night. I just can’t remember how I did it. Still, since it brings me a pleasurable sensation, it probably wasn’t too embarrassing. Hell, maybe it was even sublime.
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Something besides me snaps me out of my thoughts and right into the waking world. Something shifting right next to me. “Whuh?” I groan out, my voice barely working from the dryness in my mouth.
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“Mornin, sleepyhead,” Reeda’s dulcet voice answers my poor excuse for communication. “Sorry if I woke you up. Just gotta go to work’s all,” she answers a bit sourly.
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“Work? But it’s Saturday,” I wheeze out, not even sure if I actually said that with my voice or mumbled it out like some idiot.
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“Yeah, I know,” Reeda replies matter-of-factly.
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I open one eye with caution, taking in my surroundings. Reeda’s already changed into another top—a rather bland shirt—and is now buttoning up a new set of jeans, ones that look far too pristine for the pink raptor to be wearing. I half wonder where she got her clothes from, but then remember she had brought her backpack with her for our Friday evening hangout. Even in my fucked-up hung-over mind, I could put two and two together on that one.
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A quick scan of the clock tells me it’s not even ten in the morning. I grudgingly turn in bed so that I’m at least facing Reeda’s general direction. In the next few seconds, she grabs her wallet and phone from my nightstand, then returns to the side of the bed, crouching right next to my face. “Hey so, I work till six today. I have some shit to do after that, but can I come back and crash the rest of the weekend with you?”
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I take a few moments to process what Reeda had just asked me. As the little hamster in my head spins that wheel around, I realize that she’s blushing.
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‘Why are you blushing? Am I blushing?’ I ask myself, this time attempting to keep my mouth shut. It works, because Reeda doesn’t seem to react. That, or she’s gotten wise to my mumbling act and is attempting to ignore anything that comes out of my mouth.
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“Y-yeah… I’d like that…” I finally reply to Reeda, this time more than sure of what exactly I want to voice to the pink raptor staring deep into my eyes with those beautiful lilac-toned eyes of hers.
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God. I want nothing more than to keep staring into those pools of radiance until my hangover goes away...
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Reeda gives me a big, wide grin and kisses me on the cheek. “Aight then, see you soon, babe!” she cheers out before hastily making her way to the door and right out of my apartment.
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I’m too overwhelmed to respond. What the fuck just happened? Not only did Reeda just kiss me, but she called me babe. Why am I not more alarmed by that? Just what the fuck happened last night? Even attempting to remember puts my hungover brain into overdrive. Midst my suffering, I reach for my balls that are itching up a storm, only to be greeted by a crusty-sticky layer of…
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Then it all comes back to me.
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“Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck,” I hiss out as the memories all flood back as one massive wave of recollection that nearly threatens to knock me unconscious again.
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Oh god, we totally did it, right?
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No wait, it was like... We had clothes on and stuff….
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But she grabbed my dick and rode me like a cowgirl!
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Then again, she grabbed my dick through my boxers…
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But she still jerked me off until I blew my load all over myself and her hand!
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Raptor Jesus on his cross of stone. What was I thinking? What will the others think? What will Fang think?
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“Wait, why the fuck do I even care what Fang thinks anymore?” I ask myself as some anger bubbles in me. “We’re done. We’ve been done for a week now. I need to fucking get over myself.”
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I stay in bed for a long time. Both to pull myself together and to assess the situation I now find myself in. Am I dating Reeda now? She called me babe… but the thing we did last night, that wasn’t really sex. It was like a quicky or something. Maybe it was out of pity because I told her about me and Fang? Are we fuck buddies? Friends with benefits?
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Fuck… she wants to stay the weekend too.
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“What fucking time is it now?” I groan out as I look at my alarm clock, way too fast for my sluggish eyes to properly focus. “Just past noon,” I whisper as I narrow my eyes and really focus on the LED display until actual numbers form in my vision.
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Well, this is a good enough excuse to get my day started.
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It only takes me ten minutes to crawl out of bed and make my way to the kitchen, wading through a labyrinth of empty bottles and opened bags of munchies. As I look around at the mess me and Reeda made last night, I can’t help but feel like leaving it out like that was an invitation for rats and roaches to also crash in my house.
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With a weary sigh, I grab the nearest broom and pail and start cleaning.
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Before I realize it, I spend the next four and a half hours painfully tidying up my apartment, all the while stressing over the whole Reeda situation. I think about messaging her multiple times throughout those four and a half hours, but I don’t want to bother her during work. Not that I have any idea what I’d even say to her aside from more useless bullshit, like asking her about eggs. “Seriously, I can’t believe I asked her about eggs of all fucking things,” I bemoan as I toss the last of the loose trash into the nearby trashcan.
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By the time I put away my cleaning implements, the apartment is back to looking semi-decently, the only sign of my hangout with Reeda being the two bags full of trash and glass bottles to recycle. As I inspect my work, I feel my stomach growl. “Oh right. Should probably eat something,” I tell myself as I turn to my kitchen and start going over whatever ingredients I had for cooking. As misfortune would have it though, both my pantries and fridge are empty. I look back at the bag full of trash I had just spent an afternoon gathering and realize that Reeda and I probably ate most of the food that I had in my apartment to stave off the munchies.
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I let out a sigh and move back towards my living room, sitting on the bed to ponder what to do next.
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Obviously, the responsible thing was to go out and buy groceries. This time, I’d need to buy enough for two, since Reeda was going to spend the rest of the weekend with me. While I’m at it, I should be a proper adult and also buy some condoms. “Can’t hurt to have ‘em, especially now that Reeda and I are a thing, right?” I ask no one in particular.
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As I inspect the general emptiness of my apartment, I can’t help but wonder if maybe getting a pet would be a good idea. Then again, it would have to be something so idiot-proof even I couldn’t possibly fuck it up. That really didn’t leave me with many options aside from maybe a pet rock, a roomba, or some dumb shit like that.
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I let out a chuckle and make my way to my bathroom. I spent the next fifteen minutes tidying myself up, the lukewarm water doing wonders to clear away the last of my drunken-induced grogginess. I pop some mild painkillers to help ease the last of my headache before leaving my flat a little before five. That should give me enough time to do a round trip before Reeda finishes with whatever else she had to take care of after work. There should be a convenience store to the north, just outside Skin Row. One of the cheap ones.
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I grab the two trash bags and take them out with me as I leave the apartment, but not before taking one last look at my handiwork and smiling with some pride.
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Who would’ve thought that cleaning up your home could feel so good?
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* * *
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The journey to the store is uneventful. That was quite the achievement, considering I had to trek through at least a mile of Skin Row. About the same level of uneventfulness at the store, too. I pick out my items with little fuzz: a couple of meals for two and an XL pack of condoms. Really, I spend most of my time at the store examining my shoes and avoiding eye contact with anyone. As I make my way towards the pay line, I dread having to interact with the cashier, especially since I was a young guy about to buy an extra-large box of rubbers. ‘Please god, let my cashier not be the talkative type,’ I think as I slowly approach the checkout line. ‘This shit’s embarrassing enough as it is…’
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“What’s so embarrassing?” A familiar voice chimes in with a hint of amusement in her tone. “Also, you’re mumbling again, Anon.”
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Wait, what?
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I look up to the source of the familiar voice to find Reeda staring me right in the face.
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A student working weekends? Like, a typical cashier job at a cheap local chain? Close enough so she can sleep in?
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Why didn’t I connect the dots earlier?
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She scans my items nonchalantly, till she gets to the... till she gets to the box of rubbers...
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I seriously contemplate running as she holds the pack up in the air in a very accusatory manner.
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“Dude,” she starts, the right corner of her lip rising.
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Be still, my beating heart...
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“You can’t get me prego. Dummy,” she says with a shake of her head as she scans the box and stuffs it with the rest of my good.
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“Uh... I knew that…”
​
Reeda rolls her eyes. “Sure you did,” she says as she crosses her arms. “So that box is for all your other human gee effs, then?” She asks in a slightly accusatory tone.
​
“Human gee effs… what does that even mean?”
​
Reeda lets out a few chuckles as she turns her attention back to the rest of my purchases. As she does though, I catch a quickly blink-and-you’ll-miss it instance of her cheeks growing a shade darker before she grabs some of the frozen lasagna I had picked out for us to eat later.
​
“Oooh, me likey!” she says as she rings up the items and stuffs them with the rest of my purchases. “Aight stud, that’ll be twenty-three dollans and fiddy cents.”
​
I know that Reeda’s being sarcastic by calling me a stud, but I can’t help but blush. Before my mind goes any dumber, I hand her the money and grab my stuff. There’s no line behind me, so I try to be social and stay for a quick chat.
​
So much for me wishing not to become engaged in a chit-chat with the cashier.
​
“So… um… what’s up?”
​
Reeda replies with a shrug. “Eh, regular slow-ass day.” Her expression brightens as she points to the time displayed on the cashier's computer. “But hey, imma be off in like, twenty minutes tops!”
​
“Neat-o,” I reply, perhaps a bit too absentmindedly.
​
“I know I said that I have some stuff to do, but… well…” She brings a hand up to her hair and plays with one of her braids again. “...Seeing as you’re already here… could you tag along with me?”
​
“Sure!” I answer, almost without thinking. “Where are we goi—”
​
A loud cough cuts my words off entirely. I glance back and realize there’s this long-necked dino standing behind me, looking all pissed off at my audacity to have a conversation with the cashier.
​
I turn back to face my pink raptor gee eff, and she only gives me an apologetic smile. Not at all what I was expecting from someone who’s normally so feisty, but I guess she needs to behave differently while at work.
​
I let out a sigh and gave Reeda a nod of acknowledgment. The last thing I wanted was for her to get in trouble for holding up the line.
​
I grab my stuff and start making my way to the exit. As I do, she reaches out to grab my hand. She gives me a tender gaze before letting go and returning to her work.
​
I make my way outside the store, all the while replaying the warm memory of Reeda’s loving gaze over and over in my head.
​
Still in a state of bliss, I make my way to a shitty worn-out bench outside the store. Only when I sit down does my mind shift away from the warmth of Reeda’s gaze to more embarrassing thoughts, such as her acknowledging the condoms.
​
The memory makes my face feel so warm that I swear I must emit steam. Yeah, Reeda seemed cool with the whole fucking-like-rabbits-throughout-the-weekend idea. She also looked kinda expectant about the food being for both. Oh, and she said ‘your OTHER gee effs’ to me. Her reaction and subtle blush implies she’s already one. Otherwise, why would she have brought it up and gotten flustered by it?
​
Damn. I think I’m overthinking it. Am I overthinking it?
​
With little to no experience in relationships, I do not know if we’re considered a couple now. We spent the night together, and we did share a night of passion, albeit one fully clothed and with no actual penetration. We’re also about to head out somewhere together. Is it technically a date? Shouldn’t that have been established beforehand so we could, like, prepare for it? Get ourselves some fancy clothes and whatnot? That would be awkward with a huge ass bag of groceries, though.
​
In the end, I pull out my phone and try to soothe my nerves with good old-fashioned shitposting.
​
>liking r63 Humanaomi shiggy diggy do
​
>bet u kiss girls faget
​
>inb4 traps aren’t gay
​
>inb4 can’t inb4
​
Just as the (you)s start flooding in, a loud commotion hits my ears and causes me to stuff my phone back into my pocket.
​
I turn in time to see a pair of people coming out from a back entrance to the store. In the front is none other than Reeda. She’s no longer wearing her uniform, however, and has instead donned her usual attire of ripped jeans and an open shirt tied to the sides, revealing her bra and soft luscious skin underneath. Unlike earlier, she’s now wearing a white logo-less shirt, almost looking like something she fashioned last minute with a knife.
​
Behind Reeda follows an iguanodon, maybe only five years older than me. Unlike Reeda, he still sports his work uniform, albeit far more business than casual. He even has a tie and a vest, which lets me know right away that he has to be some kind of big-shot in corporate. Hell, maybe even the store manager.
​
“Fine then. Fucking go!” the iguanodon shouts at Reeda’s face. Even from this distance, I can tell he’s fuming in barely restrained rage.
​
“Oh, I will!” she yells back at the man who has to be her manager, or A manager. She doesn’t even wait to see his reaction as she turns around in a huff and begins making her way out of the alley.
​
The manager silently seethes as he grabs the door and slams it shut—or as much as you can slam shut an automated door—behind him with enough force that I even feel the vibration from where I’m sitting.
​
Reeda stops for a second and shuts her eyes close before turning around and flipping the bird at the door, all the while her face grows redder by the second. Only when she turns around and notices me sitting at the end of the alleyway do her shoulders loosen up and she lets out a tremendous sigh.
​
I stand up from the bench and rush up to my girlfriend—the word still feels weird to acknowledge—as fast as my legs can carry me. “What happened?”
​
Reeda takes a deep breath and puts on a beam for me. “Oh that? It’s fine, don’t worry about it!” she says, all the while waving dismissively in the store's direction.
​
“For real? It sounded... kinda not fine…”
​
“My boss’s a cunt. That’s all,” she says as she grabs my arm and leads me out of the alley.
​
“Uh… you didn’t, like, just get fired, right?”
​
“Nah, nothing that serious! Can we please drop it?”
​
Despite the anger from earlier, she seems far cooler now. Maybe it really was nothing, and I was being a worry-worth over something relatively minor. Then again, if I’m to be Reeda’s boyfriend, shouldn’t I be the person to push these things? Like, get her top open up about all troubles going on in her life?
​
...
​
‘Well, she said please, so I’m totally not a pussy for not asking...’
​
Reeda lets out another snort and shakes her head. She says nothing, but it’s obvious from her grin that she heard me mumbling yet again.
​
I’m so very tempted to punch myself right about now...
​
“Fine. Consider it dropped then,” I finally answer as I put the matter out of my mind. If it was important, it would come up again.
​
“Thanks, babe,” Reeda says as she leans in to kiss me on the cheek. Her smile almost convinces me that this was the right decision.
​
We hug it up for a bit, then get the fuck out of dodge. I let Reeda lead the way. She’s the only one who knows where we’re going, anyway.
​
As we make our way back into Skin Row, my mind wanders a bit too much. Eventually, it settles on a question that’s been in the back of my mind for a while now.
​
“So... not to bring up what happened earlier again, but like… why do you even work at all? I never would have thought that you’re poor.”
​
“Nah, we ain’t poor dawg. I just gotta…” Reeda seems to hesitate for just a moment before resuming her words. “Just gotta make up for the money I spend on kush and booze.”
​
“Wait, your parents know about that stuff?”
​
Reeda lets out a howling laugh as she slaps me on the shoulder. “Oh god no! I mean, they MIGHT suspect it but they don’t, like, KNOW know about it.” She lets out a forlorn sigh and looks up at the sky. “Plus, I want to save up for a car. Not like that’s gonna happen here though…” Suddenly, she looks flustered, like she said more than she should have. “I-I, m-mean… cause like… It’s expensive, ya know!?” she stammers out, all the while giving me a wide toothy grin.
​
I raise an eyebrow. What was that all about?
​
Before I can ask Reeda why she can’t buy a car in Volcaldera, she points to one of the run-down dilapidated commie block-type buildings in Skin Row.
​
“Hey, would you look at that! We’re here!”
​
I look at the building before me. Somehow, it looks even WORSE than my apartment, and that’s saying a lot considering my building was already among the oldest in the whole of Skin Row.
​
“Uh, Reeda? What the fuck are we doing here?”
​
“This is where I get my carfe from,” Reeda answers in a far too relaxed disposition for me not to take notice. Or worry. “There’s this stego dude on the top floor. Used to be a hunter, so he’s got a shitload of connections or something. He’s been my supplier for, I dunno, a year maybe?”
​
I really don’t know how to respond to the information bomb that Reeda dropped on my lap. I’ve known she drinks carfe like it’s fucking water, but I always assumed that she somehow made it herself in a chemistry lab she had in her basement or some shit. ‘I mean, she’s pretty fucking smart. Probably the smartest chick I’ve ever met in my life,’ I think as I keep following Reeda into the building. As I do, I again notice her cheeks growing a shade darker, at which point I again realize that I must have mumbled my thoughts out-loud.
​
I swear to fucking god. This mumbling’s going to get me killed one day...
​
Reeda and I scale the stairs in silence after my last bout of mumbling. Neither of us is overly enthusiastic about trying our luck with the elevator, so we decide to play it safe and climb all twenty stories. By the time we make it up to the top floor, my lungs feel like they’re about ready to burst. Reeda is visibly out of breath too, though unlike me, it only takes her about a minute to recover her breath again.
​
Not gonna lie, it makes me self-conscious of how out of shape I really am.
​
Reeda stops me before we go any further down the hall. “Aight. This guy can be a real dick, so… Be prepared.”
​
“Prepared for what?” I dare ask.
​
“To jump. Bounce. Skedaddle. That sort of shit.”
​
What the fuck? Am I about to be collected as a trophy?
​
I nod and put on a mean face. Clench my jaw, furrow my brows. That’s how that chad thing goes, right?
​
Reeda puts a hand over her lips and stifles a snicker, but otherwise doesn’t comment on my attempts at looking fierce. Probably for the better.
​
We make our way to one of the more secure-looking doors, and she does a combination of knocks and rings. How paranoid can this guy really be? Is being a weirdo a stego thing? Is that where Stella gets her quirks from too?
​
A few locks open on the inside and said stego steps through the doorframe.
​
He’s tall—taller than me by at least a full head—but also on the scrawny side. His rugged scales hide some serious muscle, though. Like if you crossed a world-class boxer and the shittiest meth addict you could find. He’s also got that junkie scratch going on as well.
​
Reeda shifts her eyes to her surroundings as if checking for any sort of law enforcement before holding out a rolled-up wad of money. The guy then puts out a paper bag. The two exchange their items and all without a word.
​
That is until Reeda checks the contents of the bag.
​
“Dude, this is only half,” she complains, holding the bag open to reveal that there were only two thermoses inside.
​
The stego lets out a snort through his nose. “Pay half, get half, little girl,” he says in a gruff yet tired voice.
​
“Bullshit half!” Reeda shouts as she closes the bag and grimaces. “I even put in a tip, you asshole!”
​
“Pay half, get half. If you’re short on money—”
​
“I’m not giving you a tuggie, man…” Reeda says in a soft, shameful tone.
​
Excuse me... WHAT!?
​
Reeda tries to give the bag back to the carfe dealer, but the stego doesn’t budge. I also hope I’m imagining the growing bulge in his pants.
​
Yeah… It’s just a trick of shadows, right?
​
...Right…?
​
...
​
OH GOD
​
“Give me the rest of the shit I paid for!” Reeda again shouts, but she takes a half step backwards and closer to me.
​
“Nah. Don’t think I will. Have a nice day, little girl.”
​
Reeda’s face turns a bright shade of red as she opens her mouth to say something, but she quickly shuts her own snoot and instead grips the bag in her hand as hard as she can, all the while her whole body trembles. I don’t know if it’s with rage, shame, or a combination of those two things.
​
Just as the dealer’s about to close the door on Reeda’s face, some force compels me to interject.
​
I step up to the guy, sliding Reeda to the side so that she’s not in the direct line of fire should the bastard pull a gun on us or anything.
​
Wait, a fucking second… a gun?
​
WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING!?
​
“You heard her. Give us the rest of the shit.” Miraculously, my voice doesn’t crack one bit despite my innermost self basically pissing himself in fear. I even push out my chest to appear like a legitimate threat.
​
The dealer eyes me from head to toe. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, but I don’t like the glare he’s giving me one bit.
​
“You think some hired muscle gonna do you anything here, little girl?” The stego asks as he glares daggers at Reeda, completely ignoring me as if I wasn’t even worth the oxygen I was currently breathing.
​
Despite the dealer’s insult to my being, I don’t let up and keep facing forward. No, you know what? Fuck you, you dickhead junkie wastoid. Reeda’s my girlfriend, and I’ll be damned if I let some strung-out addict insult her. Years of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat surely can’t let me down now in my greatest time of need.
​
It all happens in slow motion.
​
I raise my left arm and shove the stego back. He’s surprised, but almost immediately finds his footing. I can faintly hear Reeda screaming behind me the words ‘no’ and ‘don’t do it, you’ll get yourself killed,’ but it’s too late to stop now.
​
The stego lets out a roar and swings with his left arm, cutting through the air with an expertise that surprises me. In his big meaty hand he still holds the wad of money, and he’s going straight for my head with it as if it’s somehow going to add more heft to the blow.
​
The dealer is too fucking slow as I shift to the right, avoiding his fist entirely. I seize upon the opening the junkie left for himself and punish him for overextending, grabbing the guys’s extended arm and locking my shoulder under his.
​
‘SPEARS GIVE ME YOUR STRENGTH!’ I inwardly shout as I use the muscles on my legs to lift him up a little despite our height difference. No way I can suplex the bastard, but this should be good enough for a second or two.
​
“REEDA! GET THE MONEY!” I shout at my pink companion, who, up to that point, has remained stationary, hands on her mouth, almost as if expecting the bullets to fly at any second. “DO IT, FAGET!” I shout, not even caring that I’m not even technically using the correct insult in this situation.
​
“OH NO YOU DON’T!” the dealer shouts as he shifts sideways, almost as if making room for someone or something to pass by. About two seconds later, some heavy-looking object flashes on the edge of my vision as it connects with my lower back, shooting pain all over my body.
​
Aw fuck. Completely forgot about his fucking tail.
​
My legs turn to jelly, but before my hands can let go of him, I bring him down with me to the floor. Once we’re both down, I use my remaining strength and kick him square in the groin, prompting him to coil up into a fetal position to nurse his family jewels, as well as possibly a broken dick.
​
Reeda rushes forward and shuts the door close before helping me up to my feet. She doesn’t waste neither breath nor energy as she helps me down the hall and into the stairs. During the first few steps, my legs almost give out, and Reeda has to keep me upright just for the two of us to keep going. We hear nothing from the floors above, but we don’t stop flying down the stairs as far as our legs can carry us. By the time we hit the fifteenth floor, I feel some strength return to my legs, and I’m able to run again under my power and balance. That then becomes our cue to fly like our lives depend on it. That might actually be the case. I honestly can’t tell. For all I know, the dealer could’ve had dogs with him he set loose on us, and were just minutes away from getting mauled to death.
​
Doesn’t matter. We just fucking run.
​
When we at last reach the bottom floor, our run turns into a full dash as we bolt it down the street and start weaving in and out of alleyways and other seedy corners around town. Neither of us knows just how long we end up running, but judging by the growing shittiness of our surroundings, we actually end up making it pretty far into Skin Row proper. Only a few blocks away from my house, as a matter of fact. Guess I subconsciously tried to make it to the one safe place I knew in all of Skin Row, which honestly wasn’t saying much.
​
Finally, we stop ourselves to catch our breaths behind a big ass rusty trash container. I don’t hear any sirens or dogs or angry stego chasing us with a gun in hand. The only thing I hear is my heart one upping the drummer from Through the Fire and the Flames. Eventually, the cacophony of Skin Row comes back. Hobos shouting at each other, tasteless ghetto music playing in the distance, a baby crying somewhere, and dirty near radioactive drain water running through it all. And Reeda’s heavy breathing. That last sound brings such joy and relief to me I end up thanking Raptor Jesus for seeing it in his heart to keep us both from cosplaying as swiss cheese.
​
I look at Reeda, and she looks back at me. Neither one of us can speak yet. We only huff and puff. Then a huge grin spreads across my girlfriend’s lips as she holds up her hand. Unmistakably, there are a dozen crumpled-up bills in there. She holds the paper bag containing the two thermoses of carfe in her other hand.
​
Before I can contemplate the significance of ripping off a dealer, I find myself in Reeda’s embrace as our mouths and bodies connect in a lustful kiss. We let out all our spent adrenalin as she pushes me up against the wall. She then hops up into my arms as her legs cross behind my back and her tails coils around my body in what I can only assume is some kind of protective or possessive gesture.
​
I hold on to her for dear life as Reeda does her absolute best to french me in such a way that from a distance, anyone else would confuse her kissing for an attempt at devouring my face.
​
Heated minutes pass like this, us making out. Alas, all good things must end, and Reeda eventually backs off, gasping for air.
​
“Wanna take this… back to your place… big guy?” She asks as she curls her tail around me tighter than before.
​
Heh. For y—WAIT
​
My place.
​
My...
​
Oh, shit...
​
It suddenly dawns on me I’ve lost my fucking groceries.
​
I put Reeda down and quickly check my pockets. Thankfully, my wallet and keys are still there. I let out a sigh of relief for that much, at least.
​
Meanwhile, Reeda’s looking at me with a ‘what-the-fuck-yo?’ look in her eyes. It really makes me feel like shit for having to ruin a perfectly good mood for us both.
​
“The fucking food,” I wind up saying in response to my girlfriend’s unspoken question.
​
It only takes her a second to put two and two together. “Oh fuck. Where did you...?”
​
“I don’t know. Before the fight, probably.”
​
Reeda sighs at first, but her smile returns swiftly. “Well, you rescued the money,” she says as she again shows me all the crumpled bills in her hand. “Thank you… for that… babe,” she stammers a bit as she gives me a quick peck on the cheek.
​
I’m realising that her kissing me on the cheek seems to be her trademark gesture when she drops her ‘bad bitch’ persona and instead lets herself be Reeda. The REAL Reeda.
​
After she safely puts the money away in her pocket, she takes my hand and runs her fingers between mine.
​
I nearly freeze on the spot, my already blushing face turning quite a few shades brighter. ‘Damn. Sure is getting hot in here,’ I think as I stretch the collar of my shirt a bit to allow some soothing air to enter my chest.
​
Reeda once again giggles and sighs. “Come on, you dork. Let’s get us some fine-ass grub!”
​
Her pulling on my arm gets me to move eventually, and we make our way towards this one pizzeria that isn’t too far from where I live by the name of Pizza Time...
​
​
* * *
​
It’s close to ten at night when we get back to my apartment. Our bellies may be full of delicious Hawaiian-style pizza, but we’re otherwise spent after all the crazy shit we did earlier. We even stopped by a liquor store close to Pizza Time and picked up some chips, another cheaper brand of frozen lasagna for Reeda, some instant noodles for myself, and some miscellaneous sloppa to mix up and make the food last longer.
​
Reeda’s been holding my hand the entire time. Not even when we ate at Pizza Time or when we paid for our stuff did she dare to let go, almost as if I was some kind of lifeline for her.
​
Feels good man.
​
After putting all the stuff away in my kitchen cabinets, we crawl into bed like a couple of geezers. We make out for a bit, but neither of us has the energy to go farther than that.
​
“Imma go take a shower. Wanna do something after?” Reeda asks as she cuddles up to me.
​
Fuck me, let’s go for it. I think we’ve both earned.
​
“M-maybe we could… um… do it together?”
​
Reeda bites her lip. She again blushes as she obviously thinks about the offer. After almost a minute of thinking, she lets out an exhale and brings me closer for a hug.
​
“Anon… believe me when I say that... if I was to have sex with anyone in the world, it’d be you. But...” she hesitates for a second before once again sighing. “...It’s… it’s just too early for us to take that step…”
​
“But we, like, almost did it earlier…”
​
“Yeah. With clothes on.”
​
“Were we... gonna…?”
​
Reeda is silent for almost a half minute before she answers again.
​
“I’ll… I’ll make it up for you, promise. I just don’t want to... rush it, ya know?”
​
I guess I understand what Reeda means by this. ‘Still, if anyone looked at it based on what we did last night, it sure as hell didn’t look like that was the case,’ I muse.
​
Reeda’s sudden change of expression tells me that once again, I should stop with the fucking mumbling. She lets go of me and makes her way to the bathroom. She stops there for a second and grabs the door, glaring at me like she’s about to slam the bathroom door as hard as she can.
​
But she doesn’t. Instead, she lets out a loud grumble and returns to the side of the bed, sitting on the edge, all the while crossing her arms.
​
“Yeah, about that...” she starts, all the while avoiding eye contact.
​
Oh no. It was a pity handjob after all.
​
I GOT TUGGIE’D MAN
​
I DON’T WANT TO TURN INTO A METH ADDICT STEGO
​
I DON’T WANT TO GO TO BRAZIL
​
“I... thought you were gonna figure this out but, but damn if you’re dim. Charmingly and lovably dim, but still fucking dim.”
​
I know I should feel insulted by Reeda’s comment, but more than anything, that she finds my ass ‘charming’ gives me a bit more of an ego boost than should be normal for a well-adjusted young man.
​
Reeda puts a hand on her forehead and lets out another groan. “I… I wanted to seal the deal, okay!?”
​
I don’t get it. My helpless expression probably says as much, because Reeda just groans and continues to explain.
​
“Look. I’ve kinda had a crush on you for... some time now. When you told me you and Fang broke up... I just didn’t want to waste my opportunity. Please don’t think I’m a slut or anything...”
​
Reeda goes silent for almost a full minute. I try to fill that silence with something, but she shuts me up when I try to speak.
​
“I was being, you know... I wanted to, like... SELL the total package so you wouldn’t back out.” She closes her eyes and lets her head hang. “Please, Anon. I... I don’t want to guilt you into a relationship. I realize just how shitty this really was of me. To lead you on this entire time…” she curls her hand into a fist and slams my bed with quite a lot more force than I thought she still had in her. “I don’t even know what Fang will think… or Trish…”
​
I absorb Reeda’s words shockingly well, despite how tired my brain feels. A part of me is sad to hear that everything that’s happened over the last two days was just an act put on by Reeda to keep me from running elsewhere. Yet, the fact she likes me enough to put on such a front flatters and fills me with a warm feeling that almost perks me right up.
​
Still, I’m in full agreement about her fears over what others would think about our relationship. I mean, if we do date for real, what kind of message would that send? Sure, some would probably congratulate me for getting over my broken heart after only a week, but I’m not exactly the principal part of the equation here. That would be Reeda. She was absolutely right about fearing what Trish and Fang would think about her snatching me up on the rebound. Even my socially retarded mind could comprehend how terrible that would look and what it would do to their friendship...
​
Still, my gut instinct tells me to say ‘fuck Fang and fuck Trish’, but... would they ostracize Reeda for dating me? I’m not exactly endeared to either Fang or Trish. Would it cause my adorably pink raptor girlfriend to turn into a frigid cunt so she can cope with the emotional turmoil that was sure to follow?
​
I really should say something right about now.
​
“I... I don’t care?”
​
Oh god, that sounded horrible. Judging by Reeda’s sudden wide eyes, I think she also agrees with me. But I can’t stop now. Gotta keep the ball rolling.
​
“W-what I meant to say is… I don’t care what anyone has to say. I’m happy that you like me... because I like you too...”
​
Reeda’s eyes soften at my words. She doesn’t quite blush, but I can tell by her tail flicking that my words put her on less of an edge. Seizing that momentum, I push on to the task’s end.
​
“I can’t and won’t lie to you. Maybe I feel a little, I dunno, like I expected you to keep being frisky. But I don’t want to rush anything either. Last night, I wasn’t even sure if you gave me a pity jerk off because of… Fang… or because you just wanted to be fuck buddies or friends with benefits… And uh, if that was the case... I mean it would be cool! But…” I let out a murmur and look deep into Reeda’s beautiful purple eyes. “That’s not all I want from you. Far, far from it.” I grimace and flip myself on the bed to face upwards. ‘Raptor Jesus, I can’t phrase what I’m really feeling for shit.”
​
“I… I think I know what you’re trying to tell me,” Reeda meekly replies. “I’m just… afraid of what it would mean for you. For me. For Trish and for Fang…”
​
“Look. If Trish or Fang or whoever has an issue with us dating, then that’s on them.” Even with my most sincere efforts, my voice still pinches up both times as I say Fang’s name out loud. Once again, there’s that bitter aftertaste. I’m sure Reeda noticed it, too. I desperately hope that won’t be the only thing she takes away from all my words.
​
I reach for Reeda’s hand. I half expect her to pull away, get up, and walk out of my apartment and my life… but she doesn’t. She says nothing either. She only sits at the edge of my bed in deep contemplation, almost as if the decision she was trying to make was the hardest one of her entire life...
​
Quite a few seconds pass before Reeda speaks up again.
​
“You... want to take that shower together?” she asks me in a distant, almost indifferent tone.
​
Even my socially inept ass catches onto the fact that she’s really asking if I want a slutty girlfriend, or if I want the real Reeda girlfriend.
​
Oh, this is a nightmare scenario. If I say or imply yes, then we’re done for or she’d turn herself into advertisement-Reeda just to please me. If I say no, she might think that I want to impress her by giving the 'right' answer. Or that I’m a pushover, which would lead to its own bullshit and a half…
​
I slowly sit up from my bed and inch forward, locking eyes with the beautiful pink raptor before me. “You know I would say ‘yes’ to your request, but what we both want matters more. And that’s not fucking this up.” I grab Reeda’s other hand and give her as warm a smile as I can manage. “So ask again if you mean it.”
​
That sounded pretty dope, at least in my mind. For all I knew, I had made myself look like the biggest, dorkiest, most hopeless romantic in the entire fucking world.
​
Reeda’s cheeks turn a vibrant shade of red as she takes her time weighing my answer. In the end, she sighs and lays down on the bed. She doesn’t make eye contact, but it’s progress. At least I hope.
​
I lay back down on the bed and go for a hug. Reeda lets it happen, but she makes no move or sound to tell me whether she’s enjoying it. It feels nice at least, but it’s like a so-close-yet-so-far scenario.
​
Okay Anon, time to cheer up your beautiful dino gee eff.
​
“So... did you even give that dealer guy a tuggie?” I ask, trying to put on a teasing tone as I poke Reeda’s shoulder.
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“...Yes…” Reeda replies, her voice so soft that I almost don’t make out what she says.
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Wait, what?
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I sit up, suddenly fucking serious.
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“J-Jesus! I just wanted to joke around. S-seriously?”
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“It was just one time, okay? I was really stressed out, and it was midterms, and Trish was—” Reeda cuts herself off as she pulls her legs up under her, clutching onto my hand harder. “...It wasn’t just one time…” she whispers. I can’t see her face, but her tone tells me she’s very close to shedding tears.
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I’m so stunned that I don’t even know what to do with the information. It explains both why she was so easy-going about jerking me off, and why she would want to take things slow. Still doesn’t stop it from being some fucked up shit.
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My impression of Reeda up to this point was that she’s this lighthearted jokester, but serious when she needs to be. After all, she’s mostly top of her classes, apparently has a job, and is well-liked by almost everyone in school...
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I’m so deep in thought that I almost miss the next part.
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“But it hasn’t happened lately, okay? And I wouldn’t have done it today even if you weren’t there…” Reeda takes a deep breath of air before speaking her final words, her tone short of a shout, less directed at me, and more like she’s shouting it to herself. “And I won’t do it ever again!”
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I fight the urge to say anything and instead let Reeda work this on her own. Everyone has their own fucked up shit, right? They did not transfer me from Rock Bottom for nothing. Plus, that didn’t even cover whatever Fang stuff I still have to deal with.
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In the end, the only thing I do is wrap Reeda in a tight and warm embrace to show her that none of the shit she’s done matters to me in the least. ‘She’s still and will always be Reeda to me… and I don’t want it any other way,’ I think to myself as I close my eyes and let myself doze off to slumber.
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But right before I do, I swear I can hear Reeda sniffling as I feel her wrapping her tail around my body, bringing me even closer to her...