``I'm sorry I didn't tell you.'' He knew she meant well, but an apology carried so far. Felix knew it was a family thing, that much she told him. But over 80,000 should have been something to talk about. Especially since it was eating at her for the trip.
The pink leopard crossed his arms and leaned into her, mad but still wanting to comfort her after that disaster of a dinner. ``Did you not trust me with it?'' He asked. Her frown hurt, no doubt both of them struggled with the accusations, but she shook her head. ``It's not that,'' Tiffany muttered, ``It's that...well it's a lot of money. And I didn't want you thinking about it.''
``Why not? Because I'd offer other ideas?'' He got up, pacing back and forth while she sat in her bed, ``I mean, you could ask my parents. I'm sure they could spot-''
``Honey, we're only dating. And even if we were...well...more than dating, it'd be too much to ask your parents.''
``They'd provide it.'' He wasn't sure how. Felix made an effort to not learn of his parent's finances.
``I don't doubt. I just couldn't accept it.''
``Why?''
``Because they're good people.'' Tiffany's hands clasped against themselves, shaking with anxiety, ``Like, they didn't freak out or even have silent judgment on me because I'm a herm or because I'm built like a brick shithouse. They support you and try their best to make you comfortable with your appearance. To even ask them for that much is just...well I couldn't accept it if they did. It wouldn't feel right.''
He could see she'd thought about it, how it ate her up inside. With a sigh, he flopped back down into the bed beside her. No point in pacing, it'd just make the humidity that much more unbearable. ``Christ, how can anyone live in this climate?''
``It's actually kind of refreshing,'' Tiffany said, though her mohawk had been straining as the hours passed, ``I got used to living without it, but it's nice...unlike my folks, or Isaac.''
``He's an ass.'' Felix had no time for subtlety, ``Didn't expect him to be jacked though.''
``You and me both,'' Tiffany said, curling up beside her boyfriend. Her strong hand grabbed his stomach and pulled him in, pushing the pink feline against her chiseled abs and soft breasts, ``Last I saw him, he was a twig. Guess he got into bodybuilding.''
``Maybe he got jealous of you?''
Her deep laugh bounced through his ears, ``Jealous? Isaac? He's had everything handed to him and no real restraints. What's he got to be jealous of?''
``So he's never been jealous of you?'' Felix asked, taking comfort in his girlfriend's soft heartbeat laying against his chest.
Tiffany paused, staying silent for a moment before answering, ``Well, no. I guess when we were kids he was jealous. Or envious, I don't know which is right. But before puberty really made my gender obvious, I was pretty outgoing.''
``Was?'' Felix raised his brow at her amber eyes, ``You mean you aren't now?''
``No, no,'' Tiffany chuckled, ``Sorry. I am now I guess. There was just this time after puberty when I became a bit of a wallflower. Before though, I was your basic tomboy. Hell, not even that as far as my childhood friends figured, and I had plenty growing up, all guys to my mother's worry. Isaac didn't have many, he was more into reading books than going hiking or jumping into lakes. Whenever we went camping or traveled, he'd pack his backpack with nothing but books.''
He tried to imagine a young Tiffany, running through the forest with an innocent glee on her face. It came easily, especially since he knew her smile. ``I never liked camping,'' Felix added, ``Mosquitoes were never fun and they always came after me.''
``Even through bug spray?'' She asked. He nodded back. ``Well, I can see why.'' Tiffany tightened her hold, pushing her crotch against his backside, ``You're a real catch after all.''
``Not tonight, Tiff.'' The wetsuit and humidity were bad enough, but after her mother walked in on his lips wrapped around her cock, Felix lost his desire to get pounded as it were. Tiffany understood, resting her head against his as the two closed their eyes. Nothing else to be said, and no idea what to do next morning.
He couldn't sleep. Not with the blender of humidity and mental uncertainty of what the morning brought. Felix tried, but his eyes kept waking to find not even ten minutes had passed. Tiffany fell asleep in the next hour, softly snoring into his ear. The extra addition gave him enough reason to slip out from her arms and head downstairs, hoping that he'd grow tired later in the evening.
Family pictures dotted the walls and countertops of her family home. He hadn't actually gotten a chance to examine them, what with the family drama. First to catch his eye showed two young shark boys with white hair. No, not boys, but Tiffany's lack of assets made it hard to notice at first. He assumed she was the smiling shark, locking her arm around what had to be Isaac's neck as the two threw up peace signs.
Even if every picture was worth a thousand words, Felix had little to go on. Next he found Tiffany with a wide smile and some sort of medal in her hands. Even squinting, he couldn't read what it said, but her chompers still carried that innocence. It shrunk as she got older. As if each inch of height stole it piece by piece. Her hair went from a scrappy shortcut to an awkward bob, her clothes becoming more feminine and uncomfortable if her eyes said anything. The grins looked forced, and her brother standing beside her seemed dourer, with his white hair covering half his face.
``I had an emo phase.'' Felix's tail shot up. He turned, seeing Isaac standing behind him with a beer in one hand, and the other raised in defense. ``Woah, dude, chill,'' He said, taking a step back to avoid any accidental claws, ``Didn't mean to startle you.''
``Sorry,'' Felix said, taking a deep breath and putting the picture down. It's not every day he got snuck up on. ``What are you doing up?''
Isaac lifted his bottled beer, ``Drinking. Duh. Is it the humidity?''
``What?''
``The humidity. You know, the water in the air. A lot of land mammals don't find it comfortable. That's at least why I assume you're not in bed and instead looking through my family's pictures.''
Felix nodded, earning a quick grin from the shark. ``Well if you want a beer, come with me.'' He sidestepped the shark's tail and followed him into the kitchen, taking a hold of the cold beer in the fridge and popping the cap off. After a single sip, foam bubbled up and poured through, forcing Felix to drink over the sink.
``Not much of a beer drinker?''
``No, I drink. Just not as often.''
Isaac shrugged, ``Sure. I don't drink much either anymore. Gotta keep my guns.'' Felix rolled his eyes, already expecting the self-indulgence of Tiffany's brother. Once the foam died down and he could taste the cool refreshing pilsner, the shark took a seat and asked, ``So what do you see in my sister?''
He didn't spit out his drink. Felix stood motionless, liquid still in the bottle while he stared at Isaac's face. No jesting smile, or cocky glare, but a serious gaze that reminded him he was in shark-infested waters. Swallowing, he spoke up, ``Someone to look up to if I had to say it.'' Sitting down he looked back to the stairs leading to where she slept. ``She's just...before her I was ashamed of my body. Everything about me screamed girl, from my natural fur color to-''
``Wait, that's your natural color?'' The shark asked. Felix nodded. ``Holy shit...I guess the curtains really do match the drapes with you, huh?''
``Guessing you're white down there too?''
``Nope,'' Isaac said with a shake of his head and a swig of his beer, ``Sharks are naturally smooth outside of their hair. Some can grow beards, but we're always swimsuit-ready. Heck, the only reason swimmers shave their heads is to remove friction, but when you're only swimming against other water-based furs you gotta do what you can.''
``Are you a professional swimmer?''
He laughed, ``Me? No, no. I just watch it sometimes. But we're getting off-topic, she makes you feel confident?''
``Confident, supportive, and her drive. She's one of the most determined people I know.''
``Should have seen her during puberty.'' Isaac chuckled, ``She was a wallflower, though if I had to be truthful, that might have been mom and dad's fault. Tiffany was always a wild one as a kid.'' Isaac's words carried a melancholy edge. ``Hey, Felix, you mind if I ask you a weird question? No judgment?'' He nodded back, expecting the worst. That always came about when people asked for no judgment. Well, their belief in what was the worst anyway.
``Would you like my sister as much if she were a guy?''
He blinked, staring blank into Isaac's blue eyes like he was still waiting. ``What?'' Felix asked, tilting his head in confusion. Isaac repeated it, but still Felix didn't understand. ``She's not.''
``Ok, but what if she was and-''
``She isn't. I don't get the question.''
Isaac's face grew dark, ``Don't fucking avoid the question, man. Would you like Tiffany if she was a dude?''
``What's it matter? She isn't.'' He gripped his drink tight.
Isaac's look soured but he said nothing and took another drink. ``It matters cause it'd be better for her,'' He muttered. Felix didn't have a violent bone in his body, despite his predatory ancestry. But deep in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to extend his claws and swipe across Isaac's face.
``Don't look at me like that,'' Isaac chuckled with a dark tone, ``You don't know her as well as I do. You never saw how happy she was as `one of the boys' when we were kids. How dirty she got on camping trips, how she would wrestle her friends and claim herself the undisputed king of the hill. Hell, or how often she scraped her knees when girls would rather stay inside and play with dolls.''
``There's such a thing as tomboys,'' Felix said, ``Besides, her parents named her Tiffany. She goes by Tiffany. Has she ever not?''
The shark leaned back into his chair, staring up into the ceiling as he let out a dissatisfied sigh, ``I've seen dudes and ladies with the name Taylor. Who honestly decides what name connects to what gender anymore? A dude named Tiffany would be surprising, but not crazy.'' With another drink, now emptying his bottle, Isaac got up and grabbed a new beer. ``Look, we're arguing semantics. My point is, Tiffany was happier when she was treated like a dude. My parents tried to force her to be a girl, and they can't see why that's making her miserable. I've talked about my idea with them and, big shock, they're not a fan of it. They want their daughter to be their daughter, rather than be happy.''
``She's never talked to me about wanting to be a guy. Has she you?'' Isaac didn't say yes, simply brushing off the accusation. Felix got up, ``Did she tell you she wants to be a guy? You say you know her more, but did she actually tell you or are you just imprinting it?''
``A brother knows what his sister wants.'' Isaac didn't sound as confident when he sat back down.
``And I'm pretty sure your parents would say the same thing,'' Felix said, his eyes driving daggers into Isaac, ``You all think you know what's best for her. But do you ever fucking ask?"
Isaac scoffed, ``But she doesn't see it yet. Look, just...talk with her about it. I know she needs money for her tour, and if she's willing to consider going through therapy first to maybe...I don't know, figure out her gender, then I'll happily chip in for her music career.''
``You have eighty grand?''
``I am very successful despite my age. It's not like it'd be an expensive surgery either. She'd just have a...a...'' He snapped his fingers, desperate to remember the word at the tip of his tongue, ``Whatever it's called ectomy and they'd probably stitch up her-'' Felix slammed his bottle down before Isaac could finish.
"Look, I get you're actually concerned for her." Felix bristled with anger. "That is the only reason I am being as calm as I am right now," He said, breathing deeply to keep focused. "I am not going to be your gofer, I am not having a conversation you should have with her. Being here is stressful enough for her, for both of us. I will not be used to pile on more." Scooting his chair back. Felix headed upstairs without another word. How could anyone be so...so...Felix's fists clenched tight enough that blood drew from his palms.
He exhaled at her door, letting the anger seep away before heading inside and crawling into her arms. Still fast asleep, but the snores had lessened. Felix closed his eyes and drifted, clutching her tight. Subconsciously, her arms coiled around him as if he were a companion to protect her from the night.
The leopard was fine with that.
