Two Halves Make a Whole (Straight Furry Story)

2.3 - Big Shocks and Little Talks

I'd never liked bringing up my Australian accent to people I hadn't already known. Like with the waiter, I didn't want him to know that I was Australian because it'd just attract unwanted attention to me. People are always like 'oh my gosh that's awesome,' or 'what's it like in Australia?' I politely answer for the few times I accidentally speak with my native tongue, but I don't want more than to just get out of that conversation.

When the waiter—a darkly furred leopard—asked us what we were going to order, Skye and I had both looked at each other in realization that we were too busy messing around and blowing our straw wrappers at each other's faces to have even picked up the menu.

"Um, well you see, she was too busy flirting with me to have looked at the menu; could we have a few more minutes?" I asked as graciously as possible.

"Sure thing..." he hesitated, still hovering at our table. "So does that mean you two are a couple?" He uncomfortably shifted in his shoes.

I was about to speak before Skye interrupted me. "Yes, yes we are." She kissed my cheek, maybe to prove some kind of point.

"Oh," he paused, "how old are you two then?"

"We're both sixteen," she told him.

"Young and dumb," I heard him mutter under his breath, dumbfounded.

"And how old would you be, sir?" I asked.

"Thirty-nine, why?"

"Oh, no reason. Just wondering. Just thinking we could be friends." Skye looked between the two of us bickering with a 'what-the-hell' face, her eyes wider than I thought was possible.

"Oh, sure." He sneered, making his dickishness even more prominent.

He turned to walk away as I told Skye loud enough for only them two to hear, "Old and dumb, am I right?"

"You couldn't be more right, my love." I could feel his wince from the next table over. All he did after that was shake his head and walk away.

"Well played," she told me.

"I am pretty good aren't I?"

"Okay, I wouldn't go that far." I snickered and she continued, "By the way, that's the kind of micro aggressive stuff you're gonna see here. Despite New York being a blue state, all the cross-species stuff is kind of prejudiced by mammals across the board. More so the further right you lean, but it's still there with at least half the people you'll meet."

"Well at least I've got a smoking hot tiger for a girlfriend." I grinned at her.

"That you do. And you better keep her. You know how awesome she is, right?"

"Well of course I do. She's the most awesome girl ever."

"Well she's also the most awesome mammal ever, but as long as you're only interested in her." She said to me, smirking like a dummy.

"Of course I'd be," I smirked back, leaning forward and kissing her muzzle.

"You're so adorable, Jax."

"Yeah I know." She held my hand around our drinks and cutlery, smiling at me looking beautiful in the colored light produced by the ceiling.

We continued to banter and joke and (still) blow straw wrappers at each other. It was funny to see the looks on people's faces as we messed around the whole time, not seeing our waiter again after that. Whether mammals approved or disapproved, we couldn't be happier. She didn't seem to care how immature we were being, so neither did I. I let myself forget about everything else that was happening, because she was my main focus. I was glad I didn't have to think about or deal with anything other than her.