# Answers at the Bottom of the Bottle: Streetlight Author: Lonely_E Tags: Homosexual, Human, Male, Male/Male, No-Yiff, Relationships, Series, Tiger CW: Homophobia (Only in this chapter, no slurs.), Bad Parent. Happy day! Kevin proposed to his long-time boyfriend and best friend, Ky! Everyone is ecstatic, celebrating the young lovers as they take this monumental step forward. Everyone except Mike. He has some hangups about the whole ordeal... Interspecies? Gay?! What is this world coming to?! Sorry about the bad thumbnail, for some reason it won't save my changes... Sex starts in chapter 2. I think just 3 chapters for this one. I think I got carried away this time... I feel time slow down and the nearby voices get further and further away. This can't be happening, it's not possible. I stare into my beer, the warm orange light of the room enhancing the amber color of my drink. Try as I might, I can't find an answer at the bottom of the glass. Or the next one. Or the next one… Or the– A large paw squeezes my shoulder. “Hey, Mike. Can we talk for a second?" I just nod and follow the young albino tiger outside into the parking lot. I look up at the faded sign featuring a bluebird carrying a tray of burgers and sigh into the evening air. “What's up, Ky?"  “You just didn't seem all that excited about our big announcement, is all." The somewhat chubby tiger fails to keep eye contact. His white fur held a yellowish tint beneath the streetlights. “Announcement, what– Oh." I cough. “You and Kevin make a great couple. I'm happy for you guys." I fail to convince myself with that one. “Right." He frowns. “He makes me really happy. You raised a good son." He's either missing the point or avoiding it. "Mike. Please--" “Glad to hear it," I reply.  We stare at each other in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. When Ky turns away I feel guilty and try to muster the strength to say something, anything. He's a good kid! He and Kevin, Kevin, have been best friends since they could walk. Why can't I just… “Ky!" I say. He looks over his shoulder at me, hopeful, but I can't do it. I can't get the words out. It feels like I'd have to force them out, cut my throat open and reach inside. I shake my head and he walks back away. I give it a minute and follow. Returning to our table I notice a couple of empty seats, my son and Ky's dad, Peter, are missing. It doesn't take long to find them. Peter sticks out like an orange-striped sore thumb and Kevin doesn't have an inside voice. They're laughing together at the bar, collecting drinks for everyone at the table. “Hey, Kev." I sigh. “Congrats," I remember to tack that on, just in time. When they see me the grin on Peter's face vanishes, replaced by an annoyed scowl. Kevin pulls me into a hug and firmly slaps my back. Ever since college, he's been more muscular than me, it's almost an inverse of Ky and his dad, Peter. Ky has always been a bit on the chunky side while Peter is a monument made of feline muscle. “How'd the talk go with Ky?" Kevin's beaming, he had been the one to propose and the last few days his excitement had been almost annoying. That was before I knew what it was all about. “Okay." I look to Peter. “Hello, Peter." “Mike." He replies. Kevin groans. “Not tonight, please." Peter huffs. “We're just saying hello, Kev–" “No, you're not." He shoves a finger in my face before I can speak. “I'm not asking you guys to become friends, I'm not even asking you guys to like each other." He pinches his nose. “But me and Ky are getting married. Be civil. Dad, help Peter carry the drinks back. I'm gonna go talk to Ky about something." Peter and I stare at one another before awkwardly splitting the drinks between each other and returning to the much more lively table. We distribute the drinks and discover, to our shared dismay, that in our absence the seating arrangement had changed. “Fuck." Peter whispers, probably unaware I could hear him. I sit in one of the unoccupied chairs while the large tiger takes a moment to muster the nerve to sit next to me. We both move our chairs away from each other as much as possible, but the big oaf barely manages to create an inch of precious air between us. Peter and I seek refuge from our sons' angry glares in beer and cheap cocktails. That's one thing we have in common, at least. The evening becomes night and people begin to leave. All hugs and kisses and laughter. Except us. Once it's just us and the boys Kevin turns toward us and sighs. Ky places a paw on his back and rubs it, whispering some reassurances to his fiance. My son smiles and kisses Ky on the snout when they sit across from us. “Dad, Peter," Kevin says. “I need to ask, but before you answer just know this: I am marrying Ky." He squeezes the white tiger's paw. “I love him, I cherish him, he's the best part of my life." “Kevin...Lovey..." Ky blushes through his fur and leans on my son. “But I have to ask. Do you two support us getting married." His eyes are steel, focused on me, not Peter. I struggle to formulate a response. On the one hand, I'm proud my son is asserting himself this way, but on the other I just… dammit. “I–I want you two to be happy." Everyone is staring at me waiting for the inevitable, “But–" “Seriously?!" Kevin growls. “But what? Explain it to me, please. What's the issue?!" He places an exasperated hand in his short red hair and tugs, a nervous tick he got from his mother. “Kev, Kev it's okay." Ky grabs his arm and gently squeezes. “Deep breaths, Kev." Kevin inhales deeply. “Thanks, kitten." “KITTEN!?" Peter spits out his drink. I laugh, both at Peter spilling his drink and that Kevin calls his much taller and thicker boyfriend 'Kitten'. Poor Ky looks ready to run away. When I see Kevin's face I stop laughing. The veins on his forehead seem ready to burst and I'm worried he's going to break something with how hard his fists are clenched. “Explain." His voice is quiet and level. He got that from his mother, too, whenever she got quiet you just knew she was furious. “It–I just worry about, y-you know…" I gesture all around us. “No. I don't, Dad." Kevin asks, his voice sadder than before. “A human and a tiger I mean… People will talk!" I say. “It's bad enough you're–" I freeze. “Bad enough I'm what, dad." It's not a question. I look away, ashamed. All three of them react with disgust or disappointment. I sink into my chair as I'm bombarded with questions and comments, Peter taking every chance to sneak in a 'You're always welcome with me, boys' or 'Of course I want you to get married, I love you both.' probably just to make me look bad. Kevin has his face buried in Kys chest. Is he crying? Ky gently massages his back and kisses his forehead. Peter is yelling something at me but I can't hear him. Did I make my son cry? I want to reach over and hug him, I know I need to just tell him how much I love him but I just… can't.  Kevin looks at me, pleading. He's waiting for me to say something, to apologize, to be a good father, and love my son for who he is. I notice in the corner of my eye that Ky is crying, too. He's a nice kid. Smart, funny, and good to have around. He makes Kevin happy that should be the only thing that matters. But it's not. For some stupid reason, It's not. “Let's go, Kitten." Kevin looks back at me in the doorway. “Bye, Dad."  I sit in helpless silence. My mind is dashing every which way, my heart is racing. I should run out of this building and grab my son and tell him 'I'm doing this for you!' If I could just make him understand! “We need to talk. Now." Peter's voice shakes with anger. I sheepishly follow him outside the restaurant, staring at the floor the whole way. We come to his car and he gestures for me to get in. I'm too dazed, or maybe too drunk, to protest. This conversation is going to happen either way. “You fucked up what was supposed to be a good night for them, Mike," Peter says, breaking the silence. “What the fuck is wrong with you?" I roll my eyes, of course, Peter just wants to make me feel bad. “Oh like you're any better!" “Are you serious?" He starts the car. “You're fucking joking." “You know as well as I do this isn't normal, Peter!" I shout. “Wow. You honestly think everyone sucks as much as you do." He shakes his head. “When they told us–" I start. “When they told you, you mean. They told me they were planning on getting married last year. They told me they were dating in high school Mike. Kevin came out to me before he came out to you!" Peter sighs. "I set up the fucking guest bedroom for him in case you pulled some shit like you did tonight." That was impossible. Kevin and Ky didn't start seeing each other until last spring! He couldn't hide that from me, they spent so much time together in Highschool I would have known if something were up, I mean most weekends Kevin was…Spending the night at… Peters. With Ky. “Oh my God." I slap my forehead. “I get it, Mike. Your dad was a piece of work and forgive me, but so was your mom." Peter says.  “I…I mean they weren't that bad, right?" I ask. I know the answer, I try to ignore it but I know the answer. “Mike. Your dad was always calling Kevin a 'Fairy', always buying him guns. Fuck, Mike!" He slams the steering wheel. “You let your parents be your son's bully! They even bullied my son!" I wince when I think back to all the neighborhood gatherings, all the holidays, all the surprise visits. Kevin would hide in his room or run off to Kys if he could. Mom was always saying he was 'Too Sensitive', and Dad got drunk and pushed him around. He wouldn't spare Ky, either. I stare at the streetlights as we drive past. Each one highlights another terrible memory of how I let my parents treat my son and his now-fiance. How I treated them. Always uncomfortable, always trying to avoid the issue, always hoping they'd just 'grow out of it.' But they didn't have to, I did. “I'm sorry." “Me too. Come on, We're here." He opens the door. Source: https://sofurry.com/s/pnG2Mvgm Part of the series Answers at the Bottom of the Bottle Next: https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2022911-abotb-in-whiskey-truth.md