Brian and Susanne have been sleeping in the same bed together for about two or three weeks now. (See “Brian and Susanne platonically Sleeping together”.) Brian is more or less indifferent to it, but it’s nice to have someone warm there. Susanne feels comfortable with doing this since she’s wanted intimate physical contact like that for months.
Genah (the Furries) have both menstrual cycles and go through ostrus (estrus) once or twice a year depending on their species. It is a period of extremely heightened sexual arousal. Even a reclusively shy woman like Susanne almost becomes a complete slut. A decent Genah woman doesn’t sleep around, they find a man they know and trust and, more or less, fuck their brains out. Susanne is going to ask Brian about this. The begins somewhere early in the chapter, but quite a while in too. (There’s a bit of a set up depending on the state of the story at that point.)
Susanne sat down in the chair across from Brian looking miserable. He had a pretty good idea of what it was so he didn’t want to bother her. Every month around this time she had her period and she suffered the entire time. If he were home he’d buy her some Midol and chocolate bars, but he didn’t even want to raise the subject. She looked at him and smiled weakly. Brian grinned back and asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Don’t ask,” She adjusted herself in the seat, “I feel like crap.”
“I’m sorry,” he sighed, “Why don’t you lay down.”
“No,” she looked and him and took a deep breath, “Brian, um, I, uh, I want to ask you something.”
“Okay,” Brian pushed the stuff on his desk to the side.
She looked away for a second then back at him, “My, uh, ostrus is coming up and…” She acted like she wanted to say more, but expected Brian to fill in the blank.
“What’s ostrus?” He asking trying to connect their word to a word he knew.
“Do your women have their,” she lowered her voice as if someone else would be listening, “times?”
“Yeah every,” Brian said with a raspy voice then cleared his throat, “Yeah every month like you, but I … don’t … think that what you’re talking about.”
“Oh,” she looked away for a while and bit her claws, then turned back to him and said, “Every Feber I, um, I mean Vulpids have their ostrus. It’s like …” she sighed again, “we want to um…” She took a wavering breath, “Actually all Genah have it at different times of the year and sometimes twice a year, I’m lucky I guess, but…”
“Just tell me what it is,” Brian had just connected the sound of their word to something he didn’t want to think about.
“For a few days we really want to, um,” she said in barely a whisper, “do it.”
“Are you saying you…” he didn’t want to say it this way, but he couldn’t think of any other way, “go into heat.” Her ears turned red and and she nodded quickly. “Okay, I understand. I’ll be careful.”
“This is my last, time, until then,” she looked at the desk and sighed, “Could you…” She looked at him, “I’d like you to be my…” She breathed deeply and composed herself, “I want you to be with me then.”
“Are you asking me to…?” He couldn’t believe she was asking him this. “What are you asking?”
She didn’t even whisper as she said, “All I’m going to want to do it is,” she swallowed and cleared her throat and said out loud, “All I’m going to want to do is…” She obviously didn’t want to say it.
“All you’re going to want to do is have sex, right?” She nodded quickly. Brian breathed out, “Jesus,” he looked her in the eyes and could tell this was paining her as much as the cramps. “Uh, I don’t…” He looked at the desk directly in front of her then said, “I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to do it.”
“Brian, please.” She said on the verge of tears, “I’ve never had a man I could ask this to. I don’t want to do what I did last year.” She she tried to keep from crying, “I’m good girl Brian, you know I’m not like that. I wouldn’t ask you unless I really liked you and I really like you.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of Susanne,” Brian composed his thoughts, “Everyone assumes we’re doing it already. I don’t like that. I…I,” he tried to make the thought the least brutal he could, “I don’t see you like that. I don’t see any of you like that.”
“Oh.” Susanne looked at her clasped hands, “Brian, I’m not asking you for much. It’s something we do, that … that Genah do.”
“When I look at you I’m not thinking about you like that. Even us sleeping together like we do makes me feel weird. I don’t see,” he wanted to say a collective “you”, but knew it would hurt her feelings, “I don’t see Genah like that. I know you all do it. It was hammered in my head early on that you do that it. When I look at you I see a fox. I’m trying to offend you—”
“I know.”
“I know you know. But I see a fox. I know you’re a beautiful Vulpid woman, but I just see…” He didn’t want to say it again.
“I’m not beautiful,” she said ignobly, “Don’t humor me like that.”
“Don’t say that. Do you want to know who told me this?” Susanne was looking at the floor. “Klinosh. The king thinks you’re beautiful.”
“No he didn’t,” she said to the floor, “A Pantherius would never find a Temnere beautiful.”
“He did, and has.” Brian stood and walked over to Susanne, “Several times. Almost every time I mention you he alludes me and ‘that pretty Temnere girl’ are doing … it,” he tried to lighten the mood by adding, “and it doesn’t help that I smell like you.”
She grinned, “I can’t help it.”
“I know,” Brian said putting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing them, “I’m used to it. Why don’t you lay on the bed, I’ll rub your back.”
“Thanks,” she got up and walked to the bed and laid down slowly. He straddled her legs and started rubbing her lower back. “Brian will you at least think about it? Please?”
Brian stopped for a second and sighed, shaking his head, “I’ll think about it.”
“Good,” Susanne sighed, “I’d be really happy if you do.” She turned back and smiled at him.
“I know,” Brian rubbed around to her sides, “I’ll think about it.” He didn’t want to, but he knew if she were human he would have no problem with it. Hell, he’d jump on it. Maybe he should just get over all of his problems with how she looked. She’s not human, he though looking down at her seeing just her back, hair and the side of her face, but she’s obviously not an animal, she’s…special. He stopped for a moment when he though that. He shook his head and closed his eyes and massaged her from rote. He’s got to get over this…