Chapter 3: A Fleeting Moment

They soon arrived at the residential skyscraper where Jamie lived, entering into the lobby, which occupied almost the entire ground floor. It was all towering pillars of concrete, glittering glass, and steel support beams. The entire core of the building was an open shaft that rose all the way to the roof some five hundred floors above, walkways crisscrossing high above their heads, bridging the various levels. Every twenty floors or so, there was a commercial plaza with stores where the occupants could go shopping, each one like a small mall in its own right.

The ground floor served as a terminal as much as a lobby, there were dozens of glass elevator shafts that would ferry their occupants up through the center of the building. Jamie led Liz over to the nearest one, and they stepped inside, the doors closing behind them as he tapped in the code for floor three-six-three. There was a subtle sensation of motion as they began to rise, Liz pressing her pink nose against the window to get a look at the lobby below, her breath steaming the glass. It wasn’t the first time that she had visited his apartment, but she always seemed fascinated by the elevators.

“I always imagined that I’d live in an apartment one day,” she said, peering out at the city lights as they flashed by.

“Most people who live in apartments fantasize about owning a house like yours,” he chuckled.

“Who would want to live in a boring old house when you could live up here?” she added, leaning against the window as she watched one of the plazas fly past them. “What a view...”

The elevator came to a stop at their floor, and they stepped out, heading into one of the corridors that housed the apartments. They passed by door after door, until they eventually arrived at Jamie’s residence. He flashed his phone across a scanner in the frame, and the door opened for him, sliding into a recess in the wall. Jamie took off his coat, hanging it on a stand in the hallway, then helped Liz out of hers. The automatic heating had already kicked in, it was pretty toasty inside.

After briefly checking that his parents were indeed at work, Jamie led Liz into the living area, where she sat on a couch adjacent to the hearth. His apartment was far smaller than what she was accustomed to. It was open-plan, save for the bedrooms and the bathroom, the kitchen area separated from the rest of the room by a low wall. The living area had scarcely enough space for a pair of armchairs, a couch, and a coffee table. Jamie’s family was somewhat poorer than Liz’s. Their furnishings were more modest, and the carpets were on the floors, rather than the walls. Liz’s father wouldn’t have even been able to stand erect in this house, if he could even fit through the front door. The entire right wall was taken up by a large window that looked out over the city, the view helping to disguise the limited floor space somewhat.

Jamie picked up a remote and turned on the fire, the glow of holographic flames filling the room, the heating element kicking out more warmth. Liz was wearing her baby-blue turtleneck sweater and a pair of sweatpants, but she still leaned a little closer as the fire licked at the plastic logs. Her people liked it hot.

“You want a drink?” he asked, Liz nodding. “The usual?”

“Please.”

He made his way over to the kitchen as she settled into the couch, setting the kettle boiling, and rummaging inside one of the cupboards for a teabag for himself. The water quickly began to heat, Jamie preparing two mugs, dropping a beef-flavored bouillon cube into Liz’s drink. It would dissolve to create a kind of meat-flavored broth, which was pretty much the only hot beverage she liked, as coffee and cocoa were too sweet for her.

He returned to the couch, handing Liz one of the steaming mugs, then sinking into the plush cushions beside her. The fire was crackling now, casting dancing shadows on the walls, its wavering light bathing the room in an orange glow. The lights in the apartment had already dimmed automatically to save energy, the relative gloom making the glow of the city beyond the wall-length window pop. The windows of the surrounding towers glittered, the light from headlights and street lamps on the road far below creating what looked like glowing rivers that weaved between them, the light pollution far too obscuring for them to make out the stars clearly.

“You want to watch something?” Jamie asked, but Liz shook her head. She shuffled closer to him on the couch, leaning on his shoulder as she raised the hot beverage to her mouth to take a sip.

“You remembered that I like the beef one,” she murmured, blowing the steam from her mug. They sat in silence for a little while, watching the holographic flames crackle, Jamie content to simply enjoy her company.

“Jamie,” Liz began hesitantly, shifting her weight on the cushions beside him. “I’ve never said ... I thought I’d have a lot more time...”

She leaned forward to set her cup down on the coffee table, the tip of her furry tail flicking back and forth in the way that it often did when she was nervous or indecisive.

“You’re pretty much the only boy who’s ever been nice to me,” she continued, staring into the flames. “The only guy who looks at me like I’m a person and not some oddity to be gawked at. Do you...” She seemed to shake her head almost imperceptibly, pulling away from him a little and leaning down to pick up her drink again. “What am I saying? We’re so different...”

“If there’s something you want to tell me...”

Jamie trailed off, watching as she took another draw from her mug. The implication was ‘this might be your last chance’, but he didn’t want to further sour the mood by bringing attention to that fact. It was already hanging over them like a storm cloud, and Jamie felt like he was holding a lightning rod, just waiting for that bolt to strike him.

“Hell, I might never see you again after tonight,” she continued with a bitter chuckle. “What do I have to lose?”

Jamie waited for her to elaborate, watching as she took another sip from her steaming cup, his heart starting to beat faster. She averted her eyes as though afraid to look at him, staring out of the window at the glowing cityscape beyond.

“Do you think ... you could ever love someone like me?” she mumbled into the collar of her turtleneck. “I know that I look different from a human girl, I don’t even know if a Borealan and a human could even...”

Jamie blinked at her, dumbstruck, not knowing what to say. Was this a confession?

“Maybe I’m crazy, and you don’t even feel attraction the same way I do,” she added hurriedly. “Maybe I’m like an animal to you, and you couldn’t stand the thought of being with me, but I like you, Jamie. I’ve liked you for a long time. Damn it,” she sighed, her cheeks burning. “This wasn’t how I envisioned telling you all this, but if I don’t say this now ... then when?”

He didn’t know how to respond, his heart had started to race, and he couldn’t think straight. It was as if a fog had rolled in over his brain, clouding his mind. She still hadn’t looked in his direction yet, her eyes were glued to the window, Jamie watching her half-glimpsed reflection.

“I understand if you don’t feel the same way,” she continued. “I just wanted to tell you, is all. I wanted you to know how I felt about you. I don’t know anything about love and relationships, I don’t know how the human experience of sexuality and romance might differ from my own.” She laughed dryly again, her tone becoming almost self-deprecating. “Listen to me ramble. I guess at the end of the day, you either feel the same way, or you don’t. I just wish ... if I had known, I would have told you sooner. Maybe that would have been easier, maybe it would have made things hard-”

Jamie couldn’t take any more of this, reacting before he had even had a chance to think things through. He reached out to cup her burning cheek in his hand, turning her to face him, Liz blinking back at him as her green eyes reflected the wavering glow from the fire. She soon realized what he was doing as he guided her closer, one of her furry hands rising to grip his forearm, her lips meeting his own. Jamie had no real idea what he was doing, he had no more experience than Liz, but this felt ... right.

As her initial surprise melted away, she parted her soft lips, uttering a murmur of desperate desire as she returned his clumsy embrace. Her need was tangible as she pressed closer to him, Jamie feeling her sharp claws prick him through the fabric of his hoodie as her hand came to rest on his chest. These emotions had been bottled up for so long, neither one of them daring to admit what had been obvious to them both, but her feelings were finally being requited.

Her tongue glanced his own as they let go of their hesitation, the taste of her saliva making his head spin, a hint of beef broth still lingering on her breath. He could feel her barbs glancing him, the flat of her tongue was coated in them, like those of a cat. They weren’t so rough as to be unpleasant, it merely added another layer of sensation, another surprise. It was such a strange feeling, so slippery and warm, her flesh as soft as velvet. He kept her warm cheek in his hand as the two explored one another, their fumbling strokes slowly growing more confident, sparks buzzing in Jamie’s brain as though someone was setting off fireworks in his skull.

Their lips parted as Liz drew back, peering up at him, batting her long lashes. She was breathing heavily now, her grip on his arm almost painful, the points of her claws digging into his skin through his sleeve.

“Where the hell did ‘that’ come from?” she panted, her cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson.

“You dumbass,” he replied breathlessly, “I’ve been in love with you since I was old enough to know what the term meant.”

She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the nape of his neck. He felt a wetness on his skin, tears of happiness this time, rather than sorrow.

“I worried about it for so long,” she said, her voice muffled by his clothes. “All this time ... and neither of us ever took the first step.” She pulled away again, peering up at him as she knelt on the couch at his side. “What the hell are we supposed to do now?”

“Make the best of it while we can,” Jamie replied with a shrug.

Liz bit her lip with her sharp teeth, seeming conflicted, her tail flicking back and forth restlessly.

“There’s no time left to hesitate, and I’m tired of wondering, of worrying about what people think of me. If this one night is all we get, then so be it.”

Liz placed her hand on his chest, pushing him down to lie prone on the couch, Jamie’s eyes widening as she clambered atop him. She straddled him, her weight pressing him deeper into the cushions, her eyes now brimming with a confidence that he had never seen in her before.

“I don’t know how this is gonna work,” she whispered, “so let’s find out.”

She pulled her sweater over her head, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders as she tugged the garment free, discarding it on the carpet in front of the fire. She did the same with her undershirt, exposing her flat, lightly muscled belly. Jamie’s eyes wandered up her torso, finding a pair of pert breasts that were contained within a white bra, wobbling subtly as she shifted her weight.

Jamie had never seen Liz nude, and she had stopped visiting swimming pools with him when she had begun to develop into a young woman, becoming more self-conscious about her changing appearance. She really had lost all of the fur on her torso, leaving smooth, caramel-colored skin that was indistinguishable from that of a human. Her sandy coat ended at her elbows, giving the impression that she was wearing a pair of fuzzy gloves. Gone was the chubby little girl that he had once known. Liz was now lean, athletic, he could scarcely take his eyes off her.

She reached her arms behind her back and fumbled with the clasp on her bra, eventually succeeding at unhooking it, letting it fall away to expose her bare chest. Liz had really filled out, she had been hiding all of this under the heavy coats and sweaters that she liked to wear. Her breasts were just large enough to fill his hand, firm and perky, shaped like a pair of perfect teardrops. Pink nipples contrasted with her dusky skin, the way that her boobs gently rose and fell in time with her labored breathing igniting a fresh fire in him.

“You can touch,” Liz said, her voice low and breathy. “I ... I want you to touch me.”

Jamie reached up and cupped one of her breasts in a trembling hand, delving his fingers into flesh as soft as melting butter, Liz encouraging him as she let slip a quiet moan. He felt his growing erection press against the crotch of her sweatpants as her boob deformed in his grasp, spilling between his digits, her hard nipple pressing into his palm. Her skin was as smooth as satin, the firm tissue that gave her breasts their wonderful shape resisting him as he squeezed. Liz’s cheeks flushed pink again, and she began to roll her hips reflexively, grinding against the now conspicuous bulge in his jeans.

“Feels good,” Liz muttered, her eyelids drooping as he brought his other hand to her chest. He cupped her breasts, weighing them in his palms, kneading them like a baker shaping a fresh ball of dough. Her spine arched in response, the subtle contours of her abdominal muscles flexing beneath her dusky skin.

“Do you think we need to use protection?” Liz mumbled, placing her furry palms on the backs of his hands to encourage his gentle squeezing. “I don’t think a human and a Borealan can ... oh, what does it matter?”

She leaned down to press her pink lips against his, her claws pricking his skin as she cradled his face in her fluffy hand. She pushed her rough tongue into his mouth, her gentle explorations giving way to a newfound aggression, and it just kept coming. It was so impossibly long, her writhing coils bulging his cheeks. Even if they had both been experienced, their anatomical differences would have made things awkward, a pleasant shiver crawling down Jamie’s spine as he did his best to meet her kiss. Their tongues entwined in a slippery spiral, Liz mouthing softly, painting his inner cheeks with her greedy strokes. Jamie could feel its tapered tip glancing the roof of his mouth, so dexterous that she could probably have written her name there. She broke away with a smack, breathing heavily, her warm breath tickling his neck.

“Am I going too fast?” she asked, a flicker of doubt making her hesitate. “I know girls aren’t supposed to take the lead. At least, they don’t in books or movies.”

Jamie ran a hand up the indent of her spine, sampling her warm, glass-smooth skin with his fingertips as he pulled her closer.

“I don’t care what girls are supposed to do,” he whispered, Liz blinking down at him. “I don’t want other girls, I want you.”

She smirked, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red as she hovered over him, her pink nose an inch from his face.

“Well, if that’s the way you feel...”

Jamie inhaled sharply as he felt her slide a hand down between her legs, cupping the bulge in his jeans, and giving it a squeeze. She pushed her face into the nape of his neck, nuzzling, rubbing her feline nose against his skin.

“There’s just something about you that smells ... right,” she murmured, her lashes fluttering as she breathed in his scent.

Liz was usually so meek, so unsure of herself. Jamie had never seen this side of her before, and he was starting to like it. He had wanted her for as long as he had understood what that meant, but he had never expected to have her, especially not like this. She wasn’t a frightened little girl anymore, she was a woman, and she knew exactly what she wanted.

Jamie was spurred into action, struggling out of his hoodie as he lay on the couch beneath her, then pulling off his t-shirt to expose his torso. His love of sports meant that he spent the bulk of his free time at the track practicing for school competitions, giving him enough muscle tone to draw the attention of the girls in his classes, and their ire when he rejected them. He had a runner’s body, one that seemed to please Liz.

She eyed him covetously as she sat atop him, drinking in the contours of his svelte figure, admiring his youthful physique. She leaned in to plant a lingering kiss on his collarbone, sliding down the couch as she crawled her lips towards his belly, mouthing and licking as she went. It tickled, but he tried to keep still, his member straining against his pants as she slipped the tip of her warm tongue into his navel. She reached his belt, struggling to undo the clasp with her thick fingers, Jamie’s excitement mounting as she succeeded in pulling it loose. She dragged down his zipper, then hooked her curved claws into his jeans, pulling them down along with his shorts. Jamie winced as his erection caught on the elastic waistband of his underwear, soon bouncing free to stand erect before Liz’s burning face.

He was a tall guy, appropriately endowed, and he could almost hear Liz’s heart pounding in her chest as her feline eyes played up and down its pulsing length. She reached out and pressed the spongy pad of her index finger against the tip, feeling it throb, and watching Jamie twitch in response.

“W-what do I do?” she asked, swallowing conspicuously. “I’m supposed to put it in my mouth ... right?”

“If you want to,” Jamie replied, seeing stars as he imagined what that tongue might feel like winding its way around his member. “Just, uh ... be gentle,” he added as he was reminded of her sharp teeth.

Liz gripped the shaft in her silken palm, wrapping her fingers around it, careful to keep her sharp claws out of the way. Her fur was so soft against his skin, it felt like she was wearing a mink glove. She traced a pulsing vein with the pad on her thumb, his member throbbing in her gasp like a second heart. He could see the desire in her glittering, emerald eyes, the way that her breathing grew more shallow as she inspected his alien organ. What did Borealans have between their legs? Was his member anything like those of her kind? Without any point of reference, would it even matter?

She tightened her grip, stroking Jamie’s erection, sliding her silky fingers from his base to his tip. He balled his fists, an unbecoming whine escaping his lips. She was squeezing a little hard, but it was a pleasant pressure that sent jolts of electricity rolling up his spine, her slow massage captivating him. She glanced up at him, her smiling face bathed in the light from the fire.

“Is that right?” she asked. “Does it feel good?”

He nodded, his breath coming in ragged bursts. He didn’t know what else to do, so he just lay there, watching her. She grinned, returning her attention to his member. He saw her hesitate for a moment, as though she was mustering her courage, a waterfall of blonde hair falling about his hips as she drew closer. Her soft lips pressed against his glans, Liz planting a doting kiss, a surge of pleasure making him lurch. She must have taken his twitching as an invitation to continue, wrapping her lips around the tip of his member, dragging her tongue across it. He anticipated the roughness of her feline barbs, but it never came, Liz taking care to only stroke him with the velvety underside. The sensation was incomparable, flesh like silk soaked in warm saliva sliding across his most sensitive anatomy, his nerves alight with sensation.

Liz took him deeper into her mouth, the inner lining of her cheeks pressing around him, a gentle suction making them cling to his every contour. She curled her slippery tongue around his tender glans, sneaking it beneath his foreskin, painting his sensitive flesh. The stimulation was intense enough to make Jamie cover his face with his hands, his hips rising from the couch reflexively. It wasn’t just the raw, unfiltered pleasure that assailed him, it was the fact that Liz was its source. His head was swimming.

“Damn, Liz,” he groaned. “That feels ... don’t stop.”

She looked up at him, holding the tip of his member between her lips, Jamie’s heart skipping a beat as she made eye contact. She started to stroke again as she nursed softly at his head, careful not to catch his skin with her sharp teeth, her cheeks pressing around him like a pair of silk pillows. Her breasts had come to rest on his thighs, Jamie admiring the way that her supple fat spilled over them. He reached down to delve his fingers into her long, blonde hair, pushing aside the golden strands like a curtain so that he could better see her face. She had always been so close to him, yet just out of reach. Now, he could touch her in all the ways that he had longed to.

He felt a pressure welling inside him that he couldn’t stem, his heartbeat quickening, his muscles tensing as his hips rose from the cushions. His back arched involuntarily, Liz placing her hands on his hips to keep him from bucking into her mouth.

“Fuck, Liz,” he grunted through gritted teeth. “I’m gonna-”

The sweet ache of an orgasm took him by surprise, a wave of tingling pleasure washing over him, his member throbbing between Liz’s pursed lips. She did her best to hang on as he bucked, leaning more of her weight on his hips, pushing him down into the couch so that he couldn’t push into her throat. His abdominal muscles burned with the effort, Liz’s eyes widening as she was fed a mouthful of his warm, gelatinous emission. A thick rope of his seed hit the roof of her mouth, splashing against her tongue, but she didn’t pull away. She held him between her lips, watching him with drooping eyelids as he squirmed on the couch, her claws leaving pink indents in his skin. It felt like someone was pulling a knotted rope out of him. He was so wonderfully aware of every pulse, each fresh surge of unfiltered pleasure sending him reeling.

Through the haze of his euphoria, he felt her tongue circle his glans, sliding in the sordid blend of her saliva and his fluids. Every doting stroke sent fresh bolts of harsh pleasure flowing through his body, the intense sensations gradually fading, afterglow drowning him in its bliss. He felt Liz swallow around him, and he opened his eyes look down at her apologetically, his face beet red.

“S-sorry, I didn’t-”

“Hush,” she cooed, pulling back and wiping her mouth on her furry forearm. “It felt good, right?”

“That was ... that felt more than good, Liz,” he chuckled weakly. He lay back on the couch, loosing a satisfied sigh as he watched tiny points of light dance on the ceiling above.

“It tasted bad,” she giggled, cutting him off before he could apologize again. “But I liked it, because it came from you.”

She let him catch his breath, watching him covetously, chewing on her lower lip. It wasn’t long before she crawled up on top of him again, eager for more. Jamie reached up and placed his hands on her hips, sliding them up the hourglass curve of her waist, her tanned skin as smooth as satin. The wavering firelight accentuated the contours of her muscles, her midriff flexing at his touch, the beginnings of a six-pack rising to meet his questing fingers. For someone who seemed so averse to competitive sports, she was in better shape than any of the girls in his class.

He made his way up to her breasts again, taking generous handfuls, delighting in the way that her delicate fat bulged between his fingers when he squeezed. Liz rolled her head back, her long hair falling down her spine, reveling in the sensation.

She slipped off him suddenly, standing beside the couch, hooking her thumbs around the elastic waistband of her sweatpants as she pulled them down. She stepped out of them, almost tripping in her haste, steadying herself against the armrest as she struggled to kick the garment clear of her clawed feet. The sandy fur that covered her lower legs ended just below her knees, leaving her thighs as smooth as varnished wood, more springy muscle dimpling their surface. She hesitated for a moment as though unsure of herself, then leaned over to pull her cotton panties down around her ankles. She stood before Jamie as he sat upright on the couch, her curvy figure silhouetted against the fireplace, her fluffy tail waving back and forth behind her.

His eyes wandered down between her legs, seeing that her mound was just as smooth and as clear as her thighs. There was only a tuft of silky, golden fur, far finer than pubic hair. He felt a surge of desire as he admired her naked form, the orange glow from the hearth behind her bleeding through the gap between her thighs.

She shuffled back over to the couch, lying down beside him, her head propped up on the armrest. Her thighs remained tightly closed, her cheeks as red as he had ever seen them.

“Jamie,” she murmured, “I want you to...”

He got the picture, rising to kneel before her. He placed his hands on her knees, Liz covering her face with her fluffy hands as he exposed her, the blushing feline peeking down at him between her fingers. Jamie slid his hands down the silky-smooth surface of her inner thighs as he opened her legs, firm muscle tensing beneath tanned skin.

Liz wriggled as he leaned down to plant a kiss on her hip, his lips lingering on her soft skin. It was impossible to resist brushing his cheek against her thigh, Jamie feeling a fluttering in his belly as he contemplated returning the favor.

An inch beneath his nose was a pair of puffy labia, flushed pink with desire. She yelped as he gently splayed them with his fingers, exposing folds of rosy flesh like pleated satin. She was so moist, beads of her excitement clinging to her loins like droplets of dew to the petals of a flower, the firelight making her glisten. There was nothing out of place here, she looked about the same as a human woman was supposed to.

“D-don’t stare at it,” she mumbled from behind her furry hands.

Jamie didn’t really know what to do with her. Her loins were a maze of folds and creases, leaking clear fluid that made his fingers slippery. He brought his lips to hers, licking her tentatively, grazing her vulva with his tongue. She was fever-hot, her juices making her slick, her taste reminding him of their kiss. Liz rolled her hips, bucking against his mouth in response, and Jamie felt a trembling hand seek purchase in his hair. There wasn’t enough there for her to grip, so she just lay her hand on the top of his head, her claws pricking his scalp. Jamie continued his explorations, his heart pounding as he dragged his tongue between her lips, feeling her entire body shiver at his touch.

A powerful desire to please her welled up inside him as he heard a muffled moan from somewhere above, her silky thighs brushing his cheeks as he pressed on, teasing her with another doting lick. He wanted to kiss her, taste her, the urge was overpowering. Liz’s clawed toes began to curl, tearing at the fabric of the couch as he traced her every fold with the tip of his tongue.

He found a firm nub of flesh buried beneath a hood of pink skin, her clitoris, he surmised. He gave it a gentle lick, Liz jerking as though she had been electrocuted, her hips rising from the cushions as she sucked in a gasp of air.

“F-fuck! Not so fast!”

“S-sorry,” Jamie stammered, lifting his head to look up at her over her mound. “Did it hurt?”

“No ... it felt good,” she said sheepishly, her breasts shifting with the rapid rise and fall of her chest. “Just slow it down a little.”

He resumed his licking and mouthing, spreading her lips with his fingers, trying to gauge where she wanted him to focus his attention. There was an opening towards the bottom, twitching in invitation, and he pressed a fingertip against it. Liz tensed up as he gently pushed inside, Jamie glancing up at her face to make sure that her expression was one of pleasure.

He felt slick, hot muscles close around his digit as he pressed deeper, squeezing as though her body was trying to push him back out. The texture of her walls was like that of her inner cheeks, velvet-soft, soaked in her slippery fluids. She was unexpectedly strong, her passage massaging his finger with rippling contractions, drawing on him like a mouth.

She was so sensitive, he could feel her insides responding to every twitch of his finger, her muscles seizing around him. He was the first person to ever touch her like this...

Liz loosed a comely whine as he buried his finger up to the knuckle, beginning to stroke her walls as they fought against him, teasing her inner thighs with kisses and licks as he went. She had draped an arm over her face, covering her eyes as she gasped and squirmed, her hips jumping with each flick of his tongue. As he tried to withdraw his digit, her insides clung to it, what felt like rings of muscle bearing down on him through the barrier of her wet flesh. He broke the suction, then pushed back inside, finding a teasing rhythm that made her rock back against his hand in search of more stimulation. Her breathing became less regular, coming in ragged, short bursts as she arched her back in time with his thrusts.

He pursed his lips around her swollen clitoris, drawing on it gently, circling it with his tongue. She yelped and jumped, her tunnel contracting around his finger with a strength that almost hurt. Her juices were flowing now, leaking from her in a steady stream of viscous, slimy liquid that seeped around Jamie’s finger. He could feel the heat from her loins on his face, beads of sweat welling on her coffee-colored skin, making her writhing body gleam in the firelight.