Have some lesbian fluff. This is somewhere between a vent piece, an escape, and a view to my shark's lighter side. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Nuala had a tendency to crash at friends’ houses when she traveled. Her cat friend, Berry, was always welcoming, and Nuala had been entrusted with the key years prior. Often, the shark would find the Canadian apartment empty, or with suitors present. No mind was paid to her entry and residence during these visits, and often, the shark would be welcome to partake in any festivities she found.

Today, however, she entered to find the cat asleep on the couch, fully clothed and without company. The shark kneeled beside Berry, running a fin along her cheek. She noticed salt trails starting at Berry’s eyes, running in thick streams to her chin.

A firm grasp on her shoulder shook the cat awake. “Are you alright?”

The cat, once conscious enough to recognize the intruder, turned her face to the couch-backing. She let out an off-put mrowl, tucking her legs into her arms.

Nuala was unwilling to allow this evasion. A more forceful pull brought the cat along the couch, face now in view. “You’re going to tell me. I don’t have anywhere to be.”

Berry’s face contorted, tears forming in her eyes and following the salt trails. “I got stood up.”

Nuala chuckled, pushing the cat’s shoulder playfully. “Really? All this over some guy? Come on, what really happened?” The mocking laughter only caused further recession. Nuala brought sincerity to her tone. “What makes this guy so special, huh?”

The shark sat beside the broken feline, who swallowed hard before starting a sob-filled explanation. “We’ve been talking for a really long time online. And we were finally going to meet up.” The colorful cat pulled into herself, like she was trying to hide from the feelings that bombarded her. “I just thought I would finally get to see him.”

Nuala was undeterred by the explanation. “What was his excuse? Was it at least a good one?”

The teary head shook, a teardrop falling from her chin. “He said he was called into work. I know he had to go but-” A rising sob choked the words back.

Nuala wrapped both arms around the girl, pulling her close. “Do you want me to eat him?”

Though her tone was still unusual, Berry was able to raise her response. “No. Maybe-” There was a long sigh that could have been misconstrued as laughter. “Maybe hurt him a little bit.”

The furred girl was, with gentle force, pulled against the shark’s soft chest. A smooth thumb moved along the crying eyes, wiping all liquid from the fur. “I’ll RKO him for you. You know I’ve been practicing that.”

Berry pushed away with a giggle, but quickly returned to her resting place once she had found a comfortable pose. The disheartened girl spoke a soft apology to her keeper. “I’m sorry if I cried on you.”

“Oh, come off it.” Nuala rocked back and forth, pulling Berry along for the ride. “You know I love saltwater. And you know I love you. You can drench me as much as you want.” While the brightly colored shark felt the cat tense in her hold. Fins started to stroke along the thinly-veiled back, pushing firmly enough to be felt through her lazy-day t-shirt. “Have you eaten today? Had anything to drink?”

Berry pushed against the smooth-skinned girl, paws tucked in under her chest. After a moment of quiet contemplation, she shook her head. “No. No, I haven’t. I was supposed to go out and eat with that guy.”

At the admission, Nuala rose and sat Berry against the couch backing. A quick swivel put them snout to snout. Fins found firm mounts just beside the kitty’s neck on either side. “I’m going to make you something. It’ll even be cooked this time! That’s how much I care about you.”

A paw wrapped around the nape of Nuala’s neck, feline smile causing the more menacing display of teeth to grow. “You really make sushi sound brutal. I think I have some sausage in the fridge, if you want meat.”

Small squeezes were scattered throughout lackadaisical words. “I’m gonna try out a recipe I just learned. I may throw in a little surprise.” At the end of these words, and with a soft shark kiss on Berry’s forehead, Nuala made her way to the kitchen.

Soon, the smell of culinary concoction was heavy in the air. The cat, who had to this point been sitting quietly in a dangerous state of overthought, rose to explore this creation. As soon as the corner to the kitchen had been turned, she found Nuala standing over a heated pot, hips slowly shaking side to side to the beat of some inaudible song.

Once the cat’s paws had hit the kitchen’s tiles, the chef turned, revealing a hefty serving of rice and a few sizzling sausage links. “There you are! We’re just about ready, here. Try some!” A fork was fetched from a nearby table, scooping the rice and extending it towards the cat.

With slow and jerky movements, the feline’s chin reached out to capture the rice, pulling back with wide eyes and a delighted moan. “What’s in that!” The words were accompanied by a pointed paw.

“Uh-uh-uh! I get to keep that a secret! You just get to know it’s all things that you had in your kitchen!” The shark pulled a plate from the cupboard, filling it with rice and setting a sausage link along the white mound.

The stove was shut off and the cat led to the table. Until the plate was empty, not a word was spoken. There were a few giggles as they each partook of their shared meal, Nuala spurring the cat to finish when she started to slow. Once the food had been completely devoured, the table was cleared by the guest. Fins fell to the listless feline’s shoulders, encouraging motion with each caress of her thumb.

With a firm pat, the shark made a suggestion. “Why don’t we go lay down? We can put on some cartoons. Space out for today.” Berry only gave a trivial nod, but submitted to the following pull to her feet-paws. Supported by the more assertive girl, the cat made her way to her bedroom, which had clearly been cleaned.

Nuala let out a chuckle-driven huff, letting her partner down on the pristine bed. “Looks like you were expecting things to happen tonight?”

There was a shake of the feline head, fighting rising anxiety. All was quelled by a fin on her cheek, which pulled her towards the mildly-threatening smile of her partner.

Shark snout pressed to quivering feline lips, peace emanating from the point of contact. A slow yet forceful push brought the slender body to the head of the bed, resting on a set of mostly-decorative pillows.

Nuala stepped to the television, switching it on. A news anchor was reporting the day’s events in a dull, yet dulcet tone. This was abandoned for a children’s show, stressing friendship through a variety of low-brow jokes. The rough-skinned girl brought the covers to Berry’s neck, tucking them in beneath her side. After a kiss found its resting place on the cat’s forehead, Nuala found her own refuge under the covers.

Though the shark carried the force of the exchange, wrapping arms around her slender and shapely partner, Berry soon made a half-hearted draw towards the encompassing limbs. The feline eyes would run to the screen for a distraction, but Nuala’s attention was entirely spent on her furred companion.

“I’m sorry I’m not more fun today, Nuala.” There was a falling tone to her voice, head collapsing against the intruding snout.

Nuala chuckled, reaffirming her hold at the cat’s shoulder and pulling her tighter. “The fun is in knowing you, no matter how you’re feeling.” A soft kiss of their lips ended the discussion, a glow of peace almost palpable in the room.