Family Matters. Chapter Four.
Family Matters
Chapter Four
By Roofles
"Well your family is...eccentric." Vince said as he opened the car door for the beaver. The smaller male hopped down out of the car and offered a shrug in reply.
"Family is family." Jessie just said before punching the cougar's muscular gut. It was Vince who first got Jessie into working out in the first place and the cougar was showing the sessionS far more than the beaver was. This was mainly due to the fact Jessie always ended up getting distracted by the shirtless, sweaty, muscular cat bench pressing Jessie's own body weight above his head. Jessie was sure when you spot someone your not suppose to be standing between their legs, staring at their bulge displayed clearly in their tight gym shorts... Very distracting.
"And what about yours? Huh? Huh?" Jessie asked playfully punching at the cougar some more who just raised an eyebrow as he looked down at his faincee.
"Well," Vince said tactfully offering up an explaniation at first before growling and picking the beaver up in a hug. Literally swinging him around in a circle before hoisting him up onto, up and over a shoulder as he made his way towards their house they were renting. "I don't think it'd be safe for my side dish to be walking through a cougar's den."
"What are they going to eat me alive?" Jessie rolled his eyes before staring down the cougar's back watching his tail sway back and forth and grinning, fixating on that fine sculpted gluteus maximus. It was so firm and...biteable.
"Yup." Vince said and the beaver laughed at the joke making Vince chuckle along, nervously not about to go further into the details. His family had been insisting on more...meat options for the wedding which Vince was sure to be an issue later on. That was for future Vince to deal with though.
Fussing with the lock the cougar nipped at that flat tail slapping the side of his face, grinning at the thought of being slapped by it. It really was just a paddle after all.
The walkway to their house was more of a wooden bridge that rose up over the watery moat that encircled their homestead. Something the beaver had asked and begged for them to have. So that it'd feel like home. Vince hadn't a clue why, after seeing it, he had wanted any kind of rememberence with that place. The frilly pillows ands tea coseys were far too grandma ish for the cat's taste.
The door itself was surrounded by stone with the actual door sunken inside. Once the door was open several steps led down into the interior of the mound shaped house. Stone lined the walls and the ceiling had the resemblence of dirt like the surface of a cave. Vince just enjoyed the fact he could walk without stooping for a change. The place had originally been built for a bear in mind after all. Jessie on the other hand felt as if he were living in a large mansion.
Setting the beaver down Vince stretched, enjoying the musky air of the dank dark building. How a home should be. Ill-lit with plenty of empty open space. The central room was a large opal shape space with a couch, some chairs, a tv and dining/kitchen room all resting out in the open. There was a small "gym" set up in the corner where the two, commonly, worked out. Most the time it was in the bed room however.
Which was where the cougar was hoping to go. Nothing sexual, at first. He needed someone to rub the knots out in his shoulders from meeting the folks. Everything just felt so tight. And it only grew tighter as the lights flicked on and there was a loud yell.
"Surprise!" A good two dozen people cried out blowing and popping party favors sending rainbow confetti everywhere.
In one part of the room were Philip, Aaron, Manny and Richard all huddled together behind the couch. Except the fat rat who had sat in the lazy boy with a drink (from Vince's stash) waiting for them comfortable as ever. A few others from Jessie's work were here as well, the tallest of the group, a kangaroo, waved at Jessie.
On the other side were the cougar's friends. A big grizzly bear, a lynx was behind him picking at his teeth for what Vince could only guess to unnerve Jessie's friends baring his large several inch fangs for display. A smaller cheetah was up front who was blowing on some noise maker. A large gray wolf was with them. The canine was disgruntled and kept looking over at Jessie still unable to believe his old college roomie was dating him, let alone getting married. And a few others were mixed in behind them, fading into the background for the most part.
A core set of friends and a coworker or two. What Vince liked. Prefered. His house was his space as seemed to be the case with many predatorial creatures. The cougar had already gotten a headache from the afternoon visit to his soon to be in-laws. The large mountain cat shivered at the very thought. Let alone for the rest of Jessie's family at the wedding. Right now he'd focus on the problem at hand however. Getting everyone the fuck out so he could sex his lover up.
Jessie had already run over to his friends talking with them and jumping up and down with the otter webbed paw in webbed paw. Vince could feel the growl in his chest building as he shot daggers at the two before heading over to "his" part of the room. He kept looking over at the otter figuring his pelt would make a good throw rug.
There was a clear invisble line that neither party crossed on the wooden, natural dirt covered floor. A chasm between them as if two seperate parties were going on in the same room.
"Congradulations man." Joshua, the cheetah, said tossing the noise maker aside. "Want a drink?" He offered holding up the six pack.
"Please!" Vince said with a heavy sigh as he took a can and the rest was shared amongst the group.
"Congrats," the tiger said offering him a paw. A handshake, bro hug with a few pats on the back. It lasted exactly three seconds total. How one guy should greet another guy, Vince chuckled. Not holding hands and jumping up and down like cheerleaders. Though the thought of Jessie in a cheerleader outfit did make him have an almost girly giggle.
Vince exchange a similar greeting with a hyena he knew from his old gym. They had been work out buddies until he had substituted Jessie in. "Congradulations." He said formally before cracking a grin and cackling like a hyena would. "Sorry about the ol' ball and chain."
"See the game?" Andy, the bear, grunted in a deep voice. A man of few words. And soon enough they were talking about the game as if forgetting the banner above, balloons around and the whole point of these festivities or the reason why they were there to begin with.
On the other side of the room everyone was giving pats on the beavers back, shaking his hand and exchanging hugs. Some even kissed the sides of his cheek but reframed from bumping noses a far too intimate sign for most.
"This is so amazing, I can't believe someone I know is getting married!" Jack said, a rather large kangaroo and easily the tallest out of the lot. He had to stoop down just to be able to get down to Jessie's level. "Let alone a guy. With a guy. That's a...cougar." The kangaroo stood back up, flicking and ear in the other groups general direction and looking over like a startle gazelle to make sure they were still over there. The watchman of the group.
"Thanks." Jessie beamed, smiling and shaking the 'roo's hand once more. "I'm just glad you could make it, all of you." He said trying to gesture to everyone. Before turning back to his dear close friends.
"We have drinks!" Aaron said sweetly already handing a martini glass to him with several pieces of fruit bobbing in the reddish orange liquid. "My special blend," he chuckled in that high girlie voice that didn't match the large rabbit at all.
Jessie took it already smelling a strong whiff of carrot. He sipped it, wincing at the bitter taste but thanked the jackrabbit anyways. Putting it aside it was soon picked up by the rabbit to finish and as if by magic another glass was slid into the beavers webbed paws.
"You guys didn't have to. Really." Jessie said the last part looking at the drink in his paw wondering who the hell had given it to him.
"I know, I know." Manny cut in as the group dispersed a bit as they each got their own drinks and began to feast on chips they had brought. Most of which were either cheese flavored or potatoe in nature. All organic and fresh, a huge thing for any herbavore. "This isn't your bridal shower or nothing." The otter said looking over at the other group and frowning. But soon brightened up. "We'll throw you something now that you told your parents."
"Finally!" Philip said loudly making the gray wolf look over at them before shaking his head. "Take your sweet ass time over it. They didn't kill you. Or him." He thumbed over with a furless pink finger in the cougars general direction. "I figured he would've killed them though!" He laughed resting back and munching on a few cheese-its.
"They tried." Jessie noted. Now that he thought about it he wasn't sure if that was the fake shotgun from the circus or not. He was sure his father owned some kind of fire arm. Unfortunetly most of his other family did as well...
"And he didn't break up with you." Jack jumped in, literally, bouncing over to them and sending the otter bouncing out of the way from the force. "I figured he'd take one look at your family and run for the hills."
"I almost did." Vince chimed in having snuck up on the lot on those large silent paws of his.
Everyone but Jessie jumped at the cougars sudden apperance.
"May I borrow my kitten maker for a bit?" Vince asked with a purr not even waiting as he placed a paw on the beaver and began guiding him over to his side of the party. Planning on doing the whole meet and greet everyone before kicking them out. Not exactly hospitable, the cougar wanted to get this all over with.
"Be right back." Jessie said with a wave and just walked over, jumping over the creak that ran throw the middle of the living room serving as a the line it seemed.
"Right." They frowned watching his friend go. "He's a dead man." Manny muttered.
"The only one devouring him is Vince." Philip grunted around a mouth full of cheese bites. Orange powder puff from his muzzle as he went back to munching on them, slurping his fingers clean.
Jessie waved naively, with an innocent smile at the group of predators that were already sizing him up. There wasn't much to size up. "Hey, great to see you again." The beaver said shaking the cheetahs hand who was the only one to return the greeting. Joshua, the smallest of the group, was still a good foot taller than the beaver. "Andy," he nodded at the bear who grunted in reply. "Marcus." The wolf ignored his friendly smile. "Dave." The lynx just frowned back in reply. If the cougar hadn't been standing behind him a normal man would've assumed they'd have pounced by now.
"Good." The lynx grunted. Jessie could only assume it was as if he asked how he was doing and letting it pass the next second missing the heavy underlying tone of the felines voice.
"You all met Jessie," Vince said casually keeping a hand on the beavers shoulder and standing a little in front of him as well. "This is the gang. Gang this is Jessie. He's off limits." The cat smiled friendlily baring his fangs and extending his claws as his tail flickered. Other than the bear, Vince was the largest of the group. And he had earned his Alpha male tightly after a rather brutal, drunken wrestling match with the bear. This was before meeting the beaver and was also one to make sure said story never came up in his company.
"Roger." The hyena said, the first to speak up. The rest just kind of shrugged along unlike the pack animal.
"Ok, go have fun hun." Vince said bending down to give the beaver a kiss, and a slap on the ass as Jessie headed back over to join his friends.
"When's the bachelor part-aye?" Joshua asked loudly shaking up a beer. He stopped however almost opening it up, aimed at the cougar. The look he got however told him that would be a very unwise decision. Vince however only stopped him knowing how much the beaver disliked messes in their home. His frat boy days were over sadly.
Jack was waiting at the border for his smaller friend, keeping an eye on the lot as he help guide him the rest of the way over to the planning committy.
"First thing first. The cake." Philip sat up clapping his paws together and licking his lips. "I suggest a cheese cake."
"Go fig." Manny rolled his eyes turning to look at the beaver. "We both know you want crab cake."
"That isn't even a..." Jack just shook his head as the rabbit began.
"Carrot cake." Aaron crossed his arms frowning as he tried his best to give the beaver a sassy look. "All the way."
"With goat cheese frosting." Philip jumped in.
"Can't." Jessie said with a roll of his eyes. "I can't eat cheese." He rubbed his gut afterwards.
The palate in the room was rather obvious to most. "We'll do an assortment of roots and vegetables." Jack bent back down being the reasonable member willing to settle. "We'll add a side dish of fish to whatever we have so that you," he noted to Manny who smiled happily, "and Vince have something to eat." Jack looked behind him just to make sure the cat wasn't there again. He could feel those golden eyes on him however saying the cougars name.
"Obviously." Philip said the only one, in the whole room, who could eat basically whatever he wanted. "We need some kind of other meat dish for Vince's lot." He tossed a paw in their general direction.
Most of the group shivered at the thought.
"What about lamb?" Manny offered weakly. He got sick even thinking of it.
"Can't." Jessie said. "My boss is a ram."
"Rams aren't sheep." Aaron said sweetly, his normal deep husky voice not fitting the high pitch he was going for. Or trying too rather.
"I rather not push it." Jessie said already uncomfortable having both his and Vince's family together. Whom of which he still had to, eventually, meet. He was also afraid (and at the same time hoping for) both his family and Vince's keeping an awkward, somewhat insulting, seperation from each other.
The group continued to talk it over as Jessie looked over at the cougar. It took Vince a few moments before he saw the beaver, always one to look over at him every now and then as if to make sure he was safe. The cougar excused himself interrupting the wolf mid sentence and jogging over to the beaver.
"Everything alright hun?" Vince said in that soft, almost timid voice he reserved souly for the beaver. It caught a few of the others around him off guard and most assumed that was how he seduced their poor innocent, stupidely naive friend.
In the next second Vince was at their side making most step back.
The group jumped at his swift yet subtle movements "Holy shit balls how do you do that?" Jack held his heart glaring at the cougar who ignored him. Manny had hid behind the larger kangaroo. Philip was the only one who hadn't noticably jumped but his whiskers were a bit straighter than normal.
"We were going over the wedding dinner. And well...." Jessie began gnawing on a piece of plank that was offered to him by the rat seeing the nervous twitch starting up. Something he inherited from his father. "We kind of ran across a problem."
"Only a problem?" Vince chuckled crouching down and scruffing up the beaver's hair with a hand.
"It's about the menu." Jessie said giggling a bit as their noses bumped and the whiskers brushed the side of his cheek.
"I'll leave it to you hun." He said knowing already he'd be unable to eat throughout the wedding anyways. And figured that was indeed the main issue. He left nearly everything to the beaver and prefered it that way. Still he liked how Jessie asked for his opinion on these things. Jessie could plan everything out and if anything came up Vince could step in to fix it. It was far from perfect but the two worked well together.
Vince wasn't one to do...these kinds of things. Like pick out flowers or make seating charts or pick out food. He was the type to procrastinate until the very end and just hope things worked out. Which was perfect as Jessie always seemed to enjoy these kind of things. Not that he'd ever say it but the two both knew that Jessie was the one who wore the pants in their little family. Hell it was Jessie who ended up proposing in the end... Something the cougar would never admit however. He liked pretending he was the 'man' in the relationship.
"You got your...friends." Vince said the word a bit strained making everyone but the beaver frown. "I'll trust your judgement. This is your wedding." Jessie had been shopping with everyone since the proposal. Planning this out for months. Vince didn't like how much time he was spending with Manny however. He shot him a vindictive glare towards the otter who hid once more.
"Our wedding." Jessie rolled his eyes and chuckled smiling at the cat as if they were the only two in the room making everyone else, even the cougar, feel rather awkward. Seeing as how the cougar began to purr deeply with his tail swaying staring back with folded ears and a blush on his face.
Jack had to admit he was adorable, when he wasn't the whole menacing predator that could tear your jugular out without a second thought. Or just glaring at you for no apparent reason and over all being rather unsocial. It came off rude, insulting to most but, like Vince, some people were like that. Vince just looked a bit threatening when he was doing...anything. Other than when he was with the beaver.
"Hey," the older gray wolf said having walked over a bit bet kept on the other side of the stream that ran through their home. He looked down at it and scowled wondering why anyone would want such a thing. "I was going to get..." He jabbed over his shoulder. "Wife called. Kids on a rampage. Something about house on fire."
"Sure." Vince just replied, standing up and looking over at him. "Still on?" He asked.
"Yup." And with a nod the wolf knew he meant next week for the game. Heading out a few of the others began to drain out within the first thirty minutes until only their close friends remained.
Vince frowned at the rest of the lot wishing he could just tell them to fuck off. Jessie was still being the good host walking around to talk to everyone, even Vince's friends and make sure everyone was having a good time. Or at least refills on their drinks. Vince marveled at that. A part of him wished he could be that outgoing. And then seeing the otter once more chatting up with him, realized he was glad he wasn't.
"Philip can't come but we're still on Thursday right? Just be the two of us." Manny said holding Jessie's paws once more. It might've been the fact they were both aquatic mammals but the two had been close ever since they were young.
"Duh." Jessie smiled, chuckling in reply.
Manny moved closer almost bumping noses before a low, deep voice cut in stopping him as if there was a brick wall between the two. "What's this about Thursday?" Vince asked placing a hand on the beavers shoulder and stooping down once more, eyes darting over towards the otter.
"Manny and I were going to see the Mamma Mia! It's coming to town for only a couple of days." Jessie clapped his hands together looking at the feline.
"Oh. Fun." Vince said swallowing his words and regretting the next that came out. "Is there any room for another?"
Manny round beady ears folded back and eyes went wide, jaw opening slightly but couldn't find his voice.
"I'll come too." Jack said bounding up to join. "I got Thursday night off so it shouldn't be a problem."
"I love Mamma Mia!" Aaron said gladly cutting in.
"It'll be a group trip!" Jessie cheered and Vince groaned already regretting it, wiping a paw over his face and realizing he needed another beer.