Donna stood in line at the coffee shop, her arms folded, the toes of one foot tapping the floor in frustration. It wasn't because the line was slow (though that certainly wasn't helping.) No, she was annoyed because of what she was watching occur on the other side of the shop.
The pair definitely stood out. The tiny rat girl had mostly white fur, with brown around her head and shoulders. The male feline she was speaking to dwarfed her in size, with his "taur" body and tawny fur. The fact that the two were talking at all, much less apparently in a relationship (he had kissed her when she came over to talk to him) was highly unusual.
But not everyone would have Donna's keen eye to notice the particular dynamic of that relationship. Everything the rat girl did was... subservient. Even her posture screamed submissiveness.
It made Donna's blood boil.
"Excuse me?"
Donna turned. The mouse working the register was calling at her. "Miss fox, your order?"
Donna looked back. The rat had stood up to walk towards the restrooms, leaving the feline lounging alone.
"You know what? Forget it," Donna said, leaving the confused cashier and her place in line.
The restrooms were situated at the end of a narrow hallway that turned at an angle, creating an amount of privacy from the rest of the coffee shop. Soft carpet and thick walls muted most of the conversation from the shop, turning the noise into a dull murmur.
The rat was only about halfway down the hall when Donna caught up with her. The fox placed a hand on the rat's shoulder, stopping her in place.
The rat spun around. "Y-yes?"
"Hey," Donna said. "That guy out there your boyfriend?"
"Um, y-yeah," the rat stammered. "Why do you ask?"
"How do you let him treat you like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like... a toy. Even from where I was standing it was pretty clear. He doesn't think very highly of you."
"Th-that's not true!" The mouse looked frightened, and rightly so.
Donna reached down with her other hand, grabbing the rat by the shoulders and lifting her into the air. She barely seemed to weigh anything. "I think it is. I bet you just do whatever he wants you to, don't you? Pretty soon he'll get bored of you, and you're going to end up in his belly. Which is why I figure I'll put you out of your misery." She licked her lips. "The world could use one less weak female, anyway."
"That's a pretty big assumption to make about someone you don't even know."
Donna's heart skipped a beat. That wasn't the rat that had answered, but rather a male voice coming from behind her. From behind and *above* her.
She set the rat down, then turned slowly to see the feline, his thick body blocking the narrow hallway. He was huge, his enormous body towering over her.
"You were right," he said. "This fox did have her eye on you. She went after you as soon as you left the table."
"Told you," the rat said, her voice suddenly far more confident.
A trap... this had been a trap!
Donna tried to make a run for it. She couldn't get out of the hallway, but maybe she could shove past the rat and take refuge in the restroom...
But before she even got a few feet, she felt strong hands come down on her shoulders and lift her into the air as easily as she had picked up the rat. She found herself being lifted over the feline's head. His maw gaped open, and the rat reached up to help guide her feet inside.
"N-no!" Donna shouted. "Stop! This isn't what was supposed to happen?"
The feline just swallowed, pulling her in up to her knees.
Donna turned her attention to the rat. "He's your boyfriend, right? Stop him!"
"I thought that I just 'do whatever he wants me to?'" The rat responded.
The strong feline hands pushed her into the predator's gullet up to her hips. He forced her hands inside his muzzle, trapping them.
"And I'll have you know," the rat continued, "that I *like* the way my boyfriend treats me."
*Gluk.* Donna's stomach slid inside. "But, he..."
"He watches out for me. He *protects* me."
Another swallow, and Donna's chest disappeared, leaving only her shoulders and head on the outside. "P-please..." Donna begged.
But the rat just watched as the feline swallowed again. Her view was momentarily framed by teeth and tongue, and then the muzzle closed, leaving her in darkness.
--------
Lise watched Marcus' torso expand slightly as the fox moved down towards his lower gut. The bulge she made beneath his thick fur was barely noticeable.
"Well, that was fun," Marcus said.
Lise smiled. "Maybe for you," she said. "Part of me is still kind of worried that she's right and that you really *are* going to just send me down there some day."
"That's not up to me, that's up to him," he said, indicating his lower half with one hand. Then his expression turned more serious, and perhaps just a little vulnerable. "You... meant what you said, right? I know I can be a bit... dominant in our relationship. You really are okay with how I treat you?"
Lise pursed her lips. She reached forward and ran her fingers through the fur on his lower half, at the feline "chest." "Is that question coming from you or him?"
"A little of both, I think."
She nodded. "Yes, I meant what I said. I do like the... the way you are with me." She laughed. "And maybe there's a bit of appeal to the danger? Knowing that this big guy might decide at any time that I would be a good snack," she ruffled his fur, eliciting a purr. "There's a certain peace in just... having my fate be completely up to someone else."
Lise then stood back up. "Come on, that's enough heavy talk for now. Why don't we head back to your place? You did just save me from a big, mean pred; I think you've earned a belly rub."
Marcus laughed as Lise clambered up onto his back. "Technically, you split off from me to draw the fox out on purpose, so I don't know if that really counts as saving you."
"Shush. It counts."
"Glad to hear it."
Marcus started to trot off towards the exit.
"You're not weak."
Lise's ear twitched. "Huh?"
"That fox. She called you weak. I wanted you to know that you're not."
"Oh." Lise leaned into his back, pressing her face against his fur and closing her eyes. "Thank you."
"Just calling it as I see it."
Lise smiled as Marcus carried her off. It felt right.
