It just happened by accident, but luck was on your side that day as instead of being murdered to uphold the masquerade or inducted into a cult, you instead got a job tending your new friend's grove. 

Compared to your other jobs, this one was dead simple. All you had to do was drive to the forest, pass the barrier, and watch the place for about an hour. Sometimes you stayed a while longer and hung out with your friend, which she clearly enjoyed. 

You got free food, a warm place to stay overnight, and occasionally were taught something involving spells.

But there was just one tiny little problem... 

"Kikiki... how're you doing?"

Your friend was a fox. She was halfway somewhere between a normal vulpine and a full-blown anthro and was pretty short.

It was also clear to anyone with half a brain that she was utterly infatuated with you.

"Fine. Anything happen in the grove yet?" You ignored her swishing tail and beet red face and tried to continue as normal. 

Instead her tail sped up as she excitedly raised and lowered her legs alternately. "Nope! But let me tell you about this morning...!" 

As he rambled on, you thought about what you were going to do about her. Yeah, she was cute, but then again, fox. 

You had absolutely no clue why she found you attractive either. Were there reverse-furries in this realm? 

"... and that's why I didn't get my coffee today!" she finished, oblivious to the fact that you hadn't been listening at all. 

You quickly decided to get started with tending to the grove before she noticed. The last time she got angry, she easily knocked you over, and sat on your chest until you apologized. For a shortstack, she was surprisingly strong.

The process for guarding the place was pretty basic. The two of you were going to sit on opposite sides and chat for a bit.

You chose to awkwardly start the talk. "Got any plans?" you asked, innocently.

She made an impish smile. "You bet I do, and it involves you!" Oh no. 

"I'm taking you out for dinner!" Double oh no. 

You really should turn her down... but she's making such a cute face! 

Crap, are you actually falling for her? 

"Hey, you're spacing out again!" the vixen said. "I know this is a peaceful place, but meditate on your own time!"

"Uh, can I refuse the offer?" 

"NO!" You flinched at the spike in volume. "Er, I mean, no. You need to meet some of the other animals here, it's important!" 

Guess you really have no say then.

Afterwards, she was pulling you through the woods far too fast for your liking. You then saw the restaurant. It was an outdoor sort, with the chefs working inside of a large hollowed out stump and all the patrons dining at various tables. 

"I already reserved us a spot." She said, not bothering to look back. You took your place at a smoothed out rock table with wooden chairs.

Somehow your waiter, who was a large bear, soundlessly came up to the two of you and asked for what drinks you wanted. 

You both went with a berry drink you couldn't pronounce.

As you awkwardly waited, she continued giving you a dreamy stare.You rolled your eyes. 

In an attempt to get her to stop, you tried making small talk. "So how'd you find this place?"

She didn't stop staring. "Oh, you know, a little birdie told me about it." Knowing this place, that wasn't a figure of speech.

You glanced at some of the other tables, seating a multitude of couples. "And you thought it would be perfect for us?" 

"Yeah!" She beamed, before she realized how that could be interpreted and her face shifted in panic. "I mean no! Wait, I mean that in a way of expressing a complex emotion!"

"Your drinks." You both gasped in shock as the waiter was suddenly beside the table without either of you noticing. She loudly and nervously laughed as she accepted the glass, sipping away to save herself from further embarrassment. 

There was another period of waiting. You could feel her gaze on you. 

Think! What were you going to say to her? Did you even want to make her stop? 

"Ugh, you're doing it again!" 

You realize how rude it is to space out in front of your... not-quite date.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about what to order." you half-lie. She smiles again. 

"Well, I can guarantee you that anything you pick will become your new favorite." 

Conversation successful! Now you just need to link it to one of your questions. Think! 

"So... how's human-furry marriage viewed here?"

STUPID! 

Immediately her entire face flushed red. "Wh-whuh...?"

Alright then, dumbass, make it look like you meant to say it. "You do a terrible job of hiding your interest in me and I'm tired of tiptoeing around it." 

Better. 

Any confidence she once had evaporated as she stammered incomprehensibly. 

"Answer the question, please."

"Thuh-thuh-there's no law against it!" Even though you knew the drinks were non-alcoholic, she did a pretty bang-up job swaying like she was drunk.

You watched as the practically lovedrunk vixen sobers up enough to start... crying, oh.

"No fair! I had everything planned out and you had to skip to the end!" Oh, ok, that's not as bad as what you though she was going to say. 

"Wait, you planned to get us married tonight?"

She stops crying for just a second to glare at you, "That's not what I mean, dummy! I wanted to get you to admit you liked me first!"

You suddenly become aware the rest of the customers are staring at you. "Can we talk about this later?"

"Not a chance, fancy dance!" She got the phrase wrong again. "I'm gonna get you to confess by the end of tonight!" She said, pointing fingerguns at you, the anger and tears in her eyes had been replaced by a fierce determination. 

"Your food." It was the waiter again, placing your meals in front of you two. Not that either of you were focused on that. 

As she picked through her food, you heard her mutter, "I'm not going to force it, though." 

After an awkward period of the two of you eating while she started staring at you, she broke the silence again. "I know I haven't been subtle..." You could have made a snarky remark, but your mind rejected it. 

"... But I need to tell you why I like you so much. I'm nobody special, never stood out in the academy, no one could remember my name, the middle child of a litter of five..."

"But when you stepped through the veil, I'll admit, I was selfish."

Hmm? 

"I wanted to be be the girl who was best friends with a human, to finally have something to make me more than just painfully average." Huh.

"And then you talked about how you were the average one back home. You, the human, the one who's the most exciting thing around here since... ever!"

"Then it hit me, I didn't need to strive for any of that, and my shallow desire faded away, and I just wanted to spend time with you. To love you." 

You wordlessly got up from your seat and kneeled next to her. 

"I'm not a furry." 

She stared blankly.

"... BUT." you say, kissing her forehead.

The vixen starts giggling happily, then she kisses you back, on the lips.

An applause from the seated animals accompanies the moment. 

After dinner, you decided to carry her back to her place.

You decided to make a small joke to your new girlfriend. 

"So now that we've started kissing, when do we get to the petting stage of the relationship?"

A crude smile formed. "Oh, you kinky bastard."