Monster Girls: Fox Without a Shrine

Ishiko reached out and took his hand. Her chest was tight and her emotions felt like a ragged mess right now. She shook softly as she said, "It's not selfish at all. That's why I let you walk home with me the first time. It surprised me when you told me what you saw. I've been hopelessly lost for so long that I've forgotten what it's like to have any hope. You've shown me that again."

"Thank you." Thomas smiled, squeezing her hand gently.

They sat in silence and Ishiko rubbed her thumb across his fingers. They were so large compared to her hand. She marveled at that for a moment before realizing she was still holding his hand. Then she pulled her hand back with a blush and coughed softly, "Um... maybe... can we go?"

"Sure. Where would you like to go?" Thomas said, putting his hand back on his coffee cup.

"I'm hungry. Maybe we could get some take out and go back to my place?" Ishiko suggested.

"That sounds good." He nodded and got to his feet.

An hour later, Ishiko unlocked the door to her apartment and let them in. Thomas carried a bag from the convenience store with a couple boxes of food in it. He'd insisted on paying this time since he didn't get to buy her coffee and Ishiko couldn't bring herself to argue. She was perpetually broke so a free meal sounded good.

Thomas walked in and stood to the side while she closed the door. He looked around and she cringed, "I know what it looked like before. Sorry about that. I haven't cleaned in... too long."

"Been there too. Hard to find the effort when you get off work. I was more wondering where we were going to eat." Thomas said.

"I-Oh..." Ishiko blushed deeply and looked down at her feet. She didn't have a table of any kind, or even anything resembling a chair. She was used to just sitting on the floor or laying on her futon. She scratched her ear and said, "Sorry. I didn't think. I usually just eat at the counter when I do eat."

"No problem. We'll just sit on the floor and eat. I don't mind." Thomas said, slipping off his shoes and leaving them by the door. He set the bag on the counter and began pulling out their dinner. A medley of food boxes both hot and cold. A small mixed salad. Some hot cutlets. An assortment of sushi. Two cans of juice.

They sat down against the wall and started to eat. Ishiko started in on the salad and Thomas opened one of the drinks. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Ishiko stopped and put down her chopsticks. Her lungs felt like they were being squeezed and her stomach couldn't take anymore food.

"I lost my shrine." Ishiko said without preamble.

"I'm sorry?" He said, half a cutlet slice still in his fingers. He swallowed and set it down.

"You asked me to tell you about it. I've never told anyone this." Ishiko said, nervously fiddling with the hem of her blouse.

"You lost your shrine. Was this some place you owned or...?" He sounded confused.

Ishiko scrunched her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly as she spoke. "I was born at the shrine and I was raised there by the priest. But when I was twelve, he died and... I just ran." She spoke with her voice going flat.

"And you've never gone back?" Thomas asked.

She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. The memories of her childhood flooded in. A sweet, weathered old face and musty black robes. But always tender hands and simple, but filling food. Her vision was blurry when she reopened her eyes and she said, "He was the only one still caring for that old shrine and he is the only one who ever cared... about it and me. Without him there, and knowing I abandoned it, I could never go back."

"What about your parents?" Thomas said, clasping his hands on his knees.

Ishiko shook her head, "No idea. The priest, his name was Hiroshi. He was an older man already when I was born and I remember it being all he could do to keep up with me. But he-" She choked up with a soft sob, "-He raised me like his own. Told me he woke up one day and I was just there in the shrine."

"Your parents abandoned you there." He said with a sad look.

"Yeah... so how can I go back?" She pressed her watering eyes to her knees, wiping her tears on her skirt again. Her voice was choked as she said, "He was so good to me and he loved that shrine so much and-and I... I abandoned it."

Thomas's hand was warm and broad on her shoulders and he rubbed her back gently as she cried. He didn't say anything more, didn't try to give false words of comfort or cheesy shit about her not doing anything wrong. He was just there while she broke down.

By the time she stopped crying, her eyes were puffy and red. The food had grown cold and the light through the window told her it had moved from lunch time to early afternoon. She tried pathetically to wipe at her eyes and she put her face to her knees again.

"Ishiko. Do you want-" Thomas started.

Her head jerked up and she cried out, "Don't leave! Please, don't... don't go. I'm sorry! I..."

He put a hand back on her shoulder and smiled softly, "I wasn't going anywhere. I was just going to ask if you want me to clean this up." He looked around at the half-eaten food that had been left forgotten around them.

"Oh." She mumbled, her cheeks going red. She nodded, "S-Sure... thanks."

He was quick and efficient in gathering up the boxes, and stowing away the leftovers in her fridge. He cleaned up the counter and came back to sit down next to her. This time he sat much closer with his shoulder almost touching her. In the minutes he had been on his feet, she had calmed down and cleaned her face with a sleeve.

Ishiko leaned against him and sighed, "I'm a fucking mess, Thomas. Me, my whole life, and everything I touch. You don't want me and I'm being so selfish asking you to stay."

"Didn't I tell you already, I was the one being selfish? You don't get to take that away from me." He said with a smile.

"Oh please..." She scoffed and reached down to take his hand, "Fine, we're both messes. How does that sound?"

To that he nodded somberly, "That seems about right."

As she leaned against him and held his warm hand, she grew more aware of him. His breathing was steady and deep, and there was a hint of bergamot and spices mixed with a soft natural musk. Maybe his deodorant or an aftershave? The warmth from his body was surprising too. He felt like a soft, comforting radiator next to her. She closed her eyes and just took him in for a moment.

*******

Her eyes snapped open sometime later. The light from the window was reddening and showing that most of the afternoon had passed by. Her head was laid on something firm but comfortable, and there was gentle fingers playing through her hair. She sighed and looked up. Thomas was above her. The comfortable thing under her head was...

She yelped and sat upright in a flash, "Sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't-I mean-I just-"

"Hey, hey now. Calm down." He said, touching her shoulder softly. He eased her back down so her head was on his leg again and he softly petted her head again, "You looked so peaceful, I haven't had the heart to disturb you. It looks like you've really needed this."

Her cheeks were red and she couldn't help but think back to all her lewd thoughts. Now here he was, cradling her head in his lap in the middle of her apartment floor. She'd slept like that for at least an hour and she felt so light. The sadness and pain still pressed down on her, but the sight of his face made the depression flee. How could life be all that bad with someone as sweet and caring as Thomas around?

"Thank you." She sighed and closed her eyes again. The feeling of his hand gently brushing over her hair and caressing her soft ears was extremely relaxing. She laced her fingers on her belly and bobbed one foot, "Thomas... are you working tomorrow?"

There was a quiet pause and then he said, "I don't have to. Sunday for me is usually just grading and planning."

"I have one more selfish thing to ask. I don't want to be alone tonight." She said, glancing up at him. Her cheeks burned and she said, "I'm not asking for-for... you know... anything. I just want you here tonight." She pursed her lips and finished, "It's not a big futon but I think we could both..."

He caressed one of her ears and nodded, "I think I could do that, but you have to do something for me."

"What?" She asked, a pang of fear twisting through her guts.

"Meet me somewhere for dinner. I'm going to go home and get a shower and grab a couple things. Then I want to take you out somewhere nice for a meal." A hint of pink touched his own cheeks and he said, "A proper date."

She gave a little squeak and sat up again, her tails twitching wildly. She wrapped them around her middle and hugged them as she said, "Um. R-Really? Yeah. Okay. Where did you want to go?"

He shrugged, "Nowhere too fancy or busy. I get the feeling you would prefer quiet and relaxing."

Ishiko nodded, "That does sound nice."

"Okay then. I'll go get cleaned up and I'll text you when I decide where." Thomas grinned and then he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

There were a few seconds in which her brain was completely shorted out. She just sat there as her body processed the sensation of his warm lips pressing to her cheek, and the scent around him. Her belly twisted and her face blazed hot.

"O-Okay..." She stammered sheepishly.

Thomas smiled at her and got to his feet. He slipped his shoes back on and headed out the door. As soon as it latched, Ishiko's body collapsed and she flopped flat on the floor. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the ceiling.

"He kissed me. Oh god, he kissed me!" She squealed, flailing her arms and wiggling her tails wildly.

Her heart still heart and she could feel the soreness around her eyes from the pain of her recollection. But the glowing happiness from that kiss was holding it all at bay. She couldn't understand what was going on at all. How could decades of pain and regret and depression just be brushed aside so easily by someone else? Some handsome and sympathetic man waltzed into her life, swept her off her feet, and kissed her. Hope was flourishing in her heart and the world truly seemed to be growing bright.

She shoved herself to her feet and walked over to her window. Out it, she could see the sun glowing deep orange as it dipped behind the skyline. The sky's was streaked the most gorgeous shades of red and gold. She sighed and leaned against the glass, a small smile tugging at her mouth.

Was this really her chance to be happy?

*******

Dinner with Thomas was a treat. They ended up in some cozy little place that served them a large beef hotpot to share. Everything had been delicious and they were constantly torn between talking more and eating until they were full to bursting.

Ishiko wished she'd had more to share with him but her life had largely just been one depressing struggle after another. Relationships had been regular failures for some years until she gave up entirely on them. Jobs were normally fleeting things for her because it was only a matter of time until her rough attitude got her fired. Her current job had been an easy one to get and a constant, painful reminder of what she'd run away from but somehow she'd managed to keep it. A fox girl like her wasn't that common so she was sure the owner was putting up with more than he should from her just to keep her around. She'd considered quitting on an almost daily basis anyway but the cost of living kept her from doing so. She had no real hobbies and any free time she had was spent trying to desperately keep her life together or spent drinking.

Thomas, on the other hand, seemed to have lived a rich and ecstatic life. At least that's what she thought at first. His wife had been a childhood sweetheart and they'd spent nearly a decade together before she died of some disease he didn't care to get into. The depression and loss was too much for him, so he sold everything he had and fled the city because everything there was a reminder of her. He ended up going traveling with the savings he'd gotten from selling their house and car and everything in them. He traveled through a lot of countries in Europe, seemingly running away and seeking something new at the same time. At the end of more than a year of this, he ended up in Tokyo and found Japan too beautiful to ever leave.

Now though, they were both a bit buzzed and full of delicious food. They walked with their hands clasped together and Ishiko led them back to her apartment. They slipped off their shoes and Ishiko gave a great wide yawn.

"I think I feel the same." Thomas laughed as he set down a bag he'd been carrying. It had a change of clothes and a few things in it.

Ishiko nodded and went over to pull out her futon. She spread the plush bedding and blankets in the middle of the floor. Then she quickly headed into the bathroom without saying anything.

Her heart was pounding as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She knew nothing was going to happen tonight, but she hadn't taken the time to prepare herself for this. She hadn't slept in a bed with someone else in a long time and she didn't think about what she should wear. Normally she slept naked but that... that was just too much for her right now. He might decide to do the same and feel pressured to do things. She shook her head at the lewd thoughts as they started to creep in again. She didn't want to do anything to drive him away or appear desperate, and so no matter how much she wanted him she didn't want to go crawling naked all over him. He had to open up first on that front so she knew it would be okay.

She stripped out of her blouse and dropped her skirt. Beneath was just a small pair of white panties. She hadn't bothered with an undershirt and she'd never even owned a bra with her almost flat chest. She looked at her bare breasts, small as they were, and looked around for anything.

There was a bit of laundry still hanging in there and she tugged down a worn old tee with a little cartoon fox on it. She pulled it on and looked down at herself again. The shirt left a stripe of her belly showing and her panties showed plenty of hip and thigh. Was it too much? She fretted and her tails flicked nervously about.

The truth was that they WERE going to fuck at some point. She knew that. There was no longer any denying the attraction between them, especially not after the dinner together. But the time had to be right and she was determined not to screw anything up.

She set her jaw and nodded, kicking her dirty laundry into the corner before opening the door. She walked out into the room and Thomas looked up at her from where he sat on the floor near the bed. He had his phone in his hands and he was typing on it, but it slipped from his fingers when he saw her.

"Oh." He said in a stunned voice and his cheeks went pink. Ishiko noticed his eyes dance down her front and take in her underwear and her bare legs. She unconsciously curled her tails around her middle and he broke off his gaze, "Sorry. Didn't mean to stare."

Ishiko shook her head and dropped her tails, "No. Don't be. We're not kids, Thomas." She stepped over to him and he looked up at her. She bent over and cupped his face, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. He was surprised for a moment and then returned the kiss. That made her smile and she said, "The only reason I'm not staring at you is because you've still got a shirt on."

He grinned at that and began unbuttoning the dress shirt he had worn for dinner. He pulled it open with a little flourish and let it fall from his shoulders. His smile was teasing as he asked, "Well?"

There was no hiding the sparkle in her eyes as she stared down at him. His chest was just as broad and strong as she thought it would look. He had a thick patch of dark black hair that started on his upper chest, spread wide over his pecs, and then trailed more thinly down his belly and to the waist of his pants where it vanished. Ishiko's mind churned with fantasies of what it looked like where the hair kept going further down. She gulped and said, "Very-Very nice."

Then, perhaps a little too quickly, she turned to the bed and crawled onto it. She scrunched up towards the edge to give Thomas plenty of room and laid her head on the pillow. She might've taken the flirting a bit further than intended and her body was now fighting off a mixture of exhaustion and intensely growing arousal.

There was the sound of a zipper behind her and then more clothing rustling. Then he crawled in behind her. He seemed to be worried about getting too close to her but she said, "You can hold me."

"Okay." Thomas said and his body pressed up against hers. He wrapped an arm around her small body and she felt like he completely engulfed her. Her tails lay fluffy between their hips. If he had seemed warm before, his body was like a heater laying against every inch of bare skin. She felt like she was going to melt in his arms and her heart throbbed with excitement.

"Thomas..." Ishiko said quietly as they got comfortable.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Thank you." Ishiko said. She bit her lip and then put her hand over his as he cradled her waist, "I'm really happy. It's been so long since I think I was happy last..."

He kissed the top of her head and traced a finger over her belly, "Me too, Ishiko."

Sleep stole over them quickly as the comfort of the shared bed completely relaxed them.

*******

It was in the dark, wee hours of the early morning. She had rolled over at some point and now had her face pressed into Thomas's fuzzy chest. His arm had stayed around her and his hand draped over her lower back. He was breathing quietly and his heartbeat was slow and heavy in his chest. She could smell his musky scent all around them and it made her body quiver. She shifted slightly and that was when she felt it. Her mind was stirred from the relaxing partial doze she was in.

There was a strong heat and stiffness pressing into her thighs lower down. Ishiko blushed and felt her insides twist in anticipation and excitement. She reached a hand down slowly and touched it with just a fingertip. He was only wearing a small pair of briefs and they were stretched to the limit over his erection. She slid a thumb over it and felt the sheer girth of him. He was so very thick and it felt like it was blazing hot.

It twitched when she touched it and she withdrew her fingers quickly. She raised her head to look if she'd woken him up. His eyes were still closed and he was still calm. Her heart thudded in her throat and she went back for more.

Her fingers slid down over his head and felt along his shaft. It was bent upward from his underwear and it didn't seem fully stiff yet. It must've been trapped by his briefs and she wondered if it was painful or uncomfortable at all. She could imagine it probably would be if he was naturally getting erect in his sleep and he was stuck.

"Just... just getting him comfortable. That's all." She breathed to herself as she gently pinched the waist of his underwear. She pulled on it and tugged it out and down, sliding the material far enough down his cock to let it finish growing erect. The scent of masculine arousal rolled over her and her insides clenched. Her mouth watered and she felt a lust growing inside her like she hadn't felt in years.

Her fingers gently brushed his bare, fully hard cock head. It was incredibly hot and as she felt around him, she realized that he must've been circumcized. He felt smooth and delicious as her fingers slid down his shaft. The sheer size of it was making her panties grow hot and sticky. She slowly slid his underwear further down until it was around his thighs and his cock was completely bare. In the dark she couldn't see anything, but the feeling of it was absolutely intoxicating.

Then her fingers found his balls. They were gigantic. Each felt like a hot plum in her palm, supple and sensitive to the touch. She couldn't help herself feeling around them.