Family Matters. Chapter Three.
Family Matters Chapter Three. By Roofles
"And you just drop this bomb shell on us like this? Don't sit there honey, the cushion needs to be resown." Janet said pushing the much larger cat away from the old family chair that was falling apart; and would never actually get repaired. "And you didn't tell me you were bringing a guest... over." She said tactfully trying to dodge the bullet and Jessie wondered just how long she was going to drag this out for. "Tea?" She asked holding her paws out as if she had just down her nails.
"No thanks, ma'am." Vince said sitting on the couch. It was smaller than the one he had at their home and so he crossed his leg's awkwardly trying to get as comfortable as he could without being rude. Jessie sat next to him perfect height for the couch. The couch cushion's stretched out farther than most normal ones. It was designed and made by beavers for beavers, the one thing a beaver hated most was getting their tail twisted or sat on. A paw rubbed the cougar's thigh as the beaver watched his mother run around the room trying to make sure everything was spotless and neat. Which he already knew it was.
The cougar adjusted himself again trying to get comfortable on the too small couch. Even the ceilings in this place was made for those of smaller size than himself. He just rubbed a hand on top of Jessie's head messing up his fur. At least he was here with him after all, only reason why he was on this block anyways.
"I'll bring some tea." Janet, Jessie's mom, said nodding at her own question after readjusting a picture frame three times running out of the room before coming back in to adjust it once more. Then wipe a finger on the picture case below it to make sure it wasn't dusty. Smiled at the two on the couch and quickly retreated into the kitchen.
Vince looked at Jessie who didn't even seem to be surprised as she quickly headed into the next room calling for her husband loudly. "Howard! You won't believe who's here!" The two could hear them arguing in the kitchen before retreating to the den. The door shutting behind them with a loud slam.
The kitchen had an adjacent room to it that was connected to the garage. A place Jessie's father always stayed in whenever he wasn't at work. The den. Right next to the kitchen. It only seemed appropriate.
"Well...your folks seem nice." Vince said fiddling with his paws. His nails kept poking out the only sign he was actually uncomfortable or nervous about this whole thing. As well as the brown tip tail flickering nervously as he looked around the room. "You sure this was a good idea?" Vince asked more so as he eyed the ceiling afraid he was about to hit his head on the roof. He was genuinely surprised this place had a second floor. It felt like the whole house was sinking into the mud.
"You're the one who wanted to do this." Jessie said looking at him in disbelief. Stunned that he would even have the balls to say that to him after fighting with him over this for the past month and a half. Something small and jokingly at first that actually turned into something far more serious. Jessie would've been happy living the rest of his days with the cougar, adopting kittens or pups and never telling his parents about them at all.
He began biting his teeth as if shivering from the cold, adopting the bad trait his father had. As the seconds slowly rolled into minutes the beaver began eying the corner of the table, which had several teeth marks in it, and was fighting the urge to start gnawing.
"Well we did it. I better get going," Vince joked clapping his hands together and acted as if he were about to stand. But the paw gripping his thigh showed just how much Jessie found the joke to be amusing. "Hunny, leg! Leg! Can't feel my leg." The cougar said gripped the side of the couch and biting his lower lip as he pulled away from the smaller male trying to sound joking. A beavers claws weren't exactly funny either.
"You. Are not. Going. Anywhere!" Jessie hissed through his buck teeth trying to keep the sweet smile on his face as he spoke. His whiskers were straight and his ears wouldn't stop moving trying to catch any sound from the other room. It was like the predator wasn't in the central room but lurking around in the den just waiting to bounce. The beaver swallowed loudly feeling him more anxious over all this.
"And just what cha' going to do about it." Vince put up the tough guy act shaking his large shoulders and flexing his arms as he rose higher over the beaver. There was a noticeably difference between the two, a cougar had a tendency to be far larger than a beaver after all.
"Don't make me gnaw on wood." Jessie said the one thing he always used when the cat annoyed him.
Vince covered his groin with both paws and shook his head side to side quickly slowly deflating back into a slumping position back onto the couch. "I'll be good." And with that boredom set in once more. Vince rested with his hand on an elbow on the couch rest looking around the room.
Several wooden pillars had been hand carved like trimmed logs into the very walls. Wooden twigs, striped of their bark, lined the windows and walls. Leaves were mixed in. Some fake, some real, and of all different colors. There was bark mulch within the several plants around the room, even the lamp next to the couch had some mulch around it making it look like a metallic tree. The table in front of them was hand made wood like the old family chair, the tv set and bookcase. All showed a beavers craftsmanship as well as teeth marks on.
"Hun," Vince said looking back at his boyfriend who had moved over to gnaw on one of the wooden side table. "This is why we only have metal things." He said softly pulling the beaver back onto the smaller couch. The too small couch. He was so going to have to check the registry gift list for the wedding. This couch was like a futon.
"You better be good," Jessie said wiping a bit of drool off and swallowing. "Oh so help me otherwise-," Jessie warned wagging a paw in his face. Vince snuck a paw around him and pulled him close as he pounced on top of the startled beaver pushing him onto his back as Vince went about gnawing on his neck.
A purr filled the room as Vince brought his muzzle up about to kiss him when a loud shriek came from the dining room. A teapot smashed against the ground with several cups.
"Oh my god, oh my god! Howard! The cat's trying to eat our son! Get the gun." Janet said running back into the den to get the bullets her paws up in the air like a Muppet quickly retreating from stage.
"Well I wasn't going to devour him yet," Vince offered looking down at Jessie with a shrug. He got a slap in the chest.
"You're horribly encouragable." Jessie laughed pushing him back. "Mother it's fine. Vince was just playing around - DAD!" Jessie covered his face as the fat beaver waddled into the room. His belly swaying back and forth, legs not even bending as they hobbled the him into the room. "Put away the gun! Vince is going to be your son in law soon."
"Not if he doesn't have a head." His dad said aiming the gun at the cat who was now ducking behind Jessie, a feat in and of itself. The beaver just groaned shaking his head, although he had to admit things were going far better than he planned. The fact his dad didn't originally come out with the gun...no wait, he did come out originally with the gun.
The trigger was pulled and a loud click sounded in the now silent room. "Damnit. Janet!" He bellowed walking back into the den his legs acting like wooden pegs as neither bent as he left the two.
"You're dad seems nice." Vince muttered peeking over the beaver. While the fact the cat was far too large to hide behind the beaver he did try his best when had done his best as the other beaver ran into the room from the opposite door.
"Howard I have them!" Janet said holding up a box of shotgun shells. They rattled in her nervous paws as she shrieked again seeing the cougar and running back from the doorway she had entered from.
"Give me a second, hun." Jessie said patting the cougar's paw before standing up. The beaver brushed his shoulders and chest off, his pants legs and turning around Jessie brushed his flat tail before marching into the kitchen where the two beavers were frantically trying to load the prop gun Howard had won one year at the circus. Jessie was sure they knew it was fake...sure they knew...
Vince ears fell back as the yelling started. Jessie tore his parents a new one before the sobbing commenced.
"I finally bring a date over, no not just a date but my fiancee! And this. THIS! Is how you treat him?" Jessie started although it sounded like yelling it was actually far more casual, and the beaver had even begun cleaning up the mess from the broken tea pot. An old ugly thing he knew his mother had bought in bulk for this very occasion.
"You never told us it was a he!" Janet hissed back loudly even if it seemed like she was trying to whisper.
"Or a cat. That's something you should've told us of son." Howard said diplomatically.
"And should that seriously, could you grab me the dust pan...Thanks mom." Jessie said pushing the shards into the dust pin. "That shouldn't be a problem. I mean he's a cat. So what?"
"And its a he." Janet said which was followed by several approving nods from his father, who was now sweating bullets.
"Well I told you that, to be fair." Jessie said cleaning things up and throwing them away. He put the dust pan back in the side closet. "I did tell you I was gay. Like Fifty thousand times!" And then he was arguing again.
"You don't love us anymore?" Janet cried loudly grabbing the box of tissues from only god knows where. She was already wiping her tears away. "Oh sweety, why? I'll make another pot of tea." And then turned and began doing just that.
"You care more for the cat than you do for your own flesh in blood?" Howard cried a manly sound with no actual tears, mostly covering his face in shame and turning away. He looked up at the ceiling. "Oh what have I done to deserve this? If only he had become a dam builder like his old man and his old man and his old man..."
Jessie rolled his eyes shaking his head. "I never said I didn't love you. I do. Just Vince is important to me; really important. Can't you guys see that?"
"Oh why are you doing this to us?" Janet continued going over to the fridge and pulling out several different things. Maple syrup with mashed maple wood tree core, mixed with various berries. "Do you want pickles on your sandwich?" She asked pulling the bread down and starting to make him one. "Why do you hate us so? You suckled on me teet!" The beaver continued from where she left off.
"No, I hate pickles." Jessie poked his head out looking in on the cat who was now staring at him like he was insane. Or the family rather and wondering what he had gotten himself into. "Do you want pickles Vince?"
"I'll...pass." Vince muttered having heard the whole conversation. The tone shift and change in the conversation was so abrupt and sudden the cougar didn't even notice until it had passed by. Were they arguing or talking?
"Vince doesn't want one?" Jessie said going back to his parents. His father was starting a new pot of tea, where his mum had left off, as he grabbed the broom to clean up the mess of fallen tissues and such. Jessie ended up finishing the work as his old man could barely bend over these days.
"Who doesn't like sandwiches?" His mother asked.
"Probably likes pasta and soup!" Howard scoffed heading into the side room with the broom.
"I guess." Jessie shrugged helping his mother out after washing his paws.
"You don't call enough." Janet begun swatting his hand away from the maple syrup.
"I know mother."
"You could call more." She went on finishing one sandwich and beginning to make another.
"Yes mother." Jessie reached over her head to grab a few plates down.
"No, no sweetie not the good china." Janet said trying to stop him.
"I'm getting married and we can't use the good china!" Jessie was now the one to toss his hands into the air and cursing, somewhat, in his native tongue.
"Don't take that tone with me!"
"Right. Forgot. That was for when the Queen of England comes over." Jessie rolled his eyes setting the plates onto the counter before tossing his arm up again and turning away.
"Don't you take that tone with me mister."
"Yes mother." Jessie just grumbled.
"Have you been eating good? Your looking sickle." She added stabbing him in the stomach hard with a finger.
"Me and Vince go to the local gym."
"You could loose a little weight." She nodded placing the sandwiches on a platter and bringing them out. Jessie stared at her before rolling his eyes as his shoulders fell back. "Here you are Vince." She said handing him a sandwich.
"OH." Vince took it timidly half afraid it was either going to explode the second he touched it or it was filled with rat poison. "Thanks..." He grimaced his lip quivering upwards into a smile. Which looked more like a snarl than anything else. He hadn't wanted a sandwich let alone without pickles. His had pickles on it. With several other things he wasn't even able to eat.
She smiled before heading back into the other room. "You know Samantha is single right?"
"Mom. Vince. Me. Gay. Getting married." Jessie scratched his hair fiercely with both paws literally just growling afterwards in frustration.
"Oh I know but when that doesn't work out." She said sweetly patting him on the shoulder. It wasn't the first time she had said this, even when he wasn't (openly) seeing anyone. "I know there's...a decent man. Down by the... Market." She said forcing her memories back to the surface. "He's a beaver! A nice good beaver."
Vince in the othe room fur stood up a bit as a low growl took his throat staring down at the sandwich in his paws hearing every word.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner about Vince?" She asked steering the conversation in a whole new direction. "He's such a sweet man. And friendly. And handsome too!"
"Well... I didn't think you'd understand... and wait what?" Jessie said slowly looking at her as if she really had lost her mind. He knew people that were bipolar with less changes in their conversation. It was like trying to navigate an emotional minefield where the mines kept moving in on you.
"Wouldn't understand?" She asked her eyes growing large and watery. "Why would you think we wouldn't understand? Because he's a man? Or a carnivore? Or that he's a cougar! And I think he's Italian, who ever heard of an Italian cougar. Although that one actor that played in the one movie last year, I think it was an action movie. Maybe a comedy. Anyways he was a cougar and I think he was Italian." She rambled on making several sandwiches as she talked. She handed the three of them to Jessie. "Here you are. Go talk with your little friend now." It was like he was he was Nineteen again and had brought over Philip.
"Ok then..." Jessie said not moving. He waited but she just smiled and looked at him. "Ok." He nodded about to leave.
"You won't even talk to your own mother?" She sobbed heading into the den. "You really do hate me. Just go run away with your cat toy."
"Cat toy?" Vince muttered blinking a few times thinking it over. He wasn't sure if he should be insulted or flattered by that remark and just slumped back on the couch. It did serve well when you laid out on it. Even if he was a bit bigger than the couch.
"Mom!" Jessie said following her into the den leaving the plate of sandwiches behind.
"Now you don't want to eat my cooking? Is it not good enough for you? Why isn't anything I do good enough?" She asked fussing over his outfit now as she turned back around. "You should be wearing a sweater. I worry for your health. Your furs only good for protecting against cold water. Wind and chill will get you. Remember?"
"Yes, mum." Jessie said shoulders slouching as he stood in the den. Which really did resemble a beaver hole, wooden wall paper and similar columns. Actual wood was applied to the wall with mud and the whole thing was dome shaped with wood and mud. And there was dirt on the ground that slide between his bare toes and the sound of water could be heard, from no discernible source.
And the two began arguing about nothing in particular leaving the other two alone in the main room.
"So..." Vince asked looking over at the other beaver who had taken a seat at the dining room table. The table, like couch, was too small for the cougar who was figuring out if it would be easier to not use one of the chairs and just sit on his knees or not. Howard was holding his gut, breathing heavily and drinking tea at the same time. The older beaver grumbled at the dirt being tracked in from the den and was getting up reaching for the stashed broom.
"Here. Let me get that for you?" Vince offered standing up and reaching for the broom.
"You think a man can't clean up his own home, do ya'?" Howard barked getting up. Although nearly half his height Vince found himself stepping back as the beaver quickly went to work no sign of fatigue showing. "Back in my day young whipper snappers like you showed respect to their elders. Why my pappy used to paddle my hide with his tail if I so much as laid one whisker out of line! That was respect I tell you what!"
"Paddle you butt with your tail..." Vince noted away for feature foreplay. Beavers were into some kinky shit apparently.
"How many guys have you dated before our son?" Howard grunted as he stood back up waddling over to toss the dirt back into the den and shutting the door as the two in side were fussing over wedding plans.
"Well two." Vince held two fingers up.
"Prude." Howard grunted.
"Well they were the only other serious ones." Vince said pulling at his shirt collar feeling far too warm now. If he had been uncomfortable before it hadn't been like this. "I've been with other guys before though."
"Slut." Janet muttered from the open den door. Apparently the walls in this building were paper thin and everything could be heard.
"Mom!" Jessie said wondering how she had slipped past him and out the door before even realizing it.
"I used to date woman before that." Vince shrugged casually not at all bothered by the amount but at the same time uncomfortable about being confronted by the two.
"Harlot!" She gasp covering her mouth with a hand.
"Mom...shouldn't it be the other way- nevermind. Just nevermind." Jessie said in defeat covering his face as Vince rubbed his back keeping a good friendly smile as he talked with his mother.
"Well that was when I was far younger. I wasn't happy back then and then I found Jessie." He said filtering several things out as he offered a hand to the beaver who gladly took it. "And now-,"
"You used to date woman?" Janet jumped in. "Oh this is wonderful news Howard, Jessie can re date woman then."
Vince's jaw dropped though Jessie didn't seem to mind as he exchanged hugs with his parents and ushered the cat outside, whom of which had to duck under the doorway like he had with all the others. The cat stepped over the moat wondering where it went as it went directly into the garage.
Several moments passed. Vince could make out a few things. "Take the sandwiches with you. I'll wrap them up. Don't worry about that dear, we'll settle it when you visit next weekend. I'll invite Susan over. Or would you prefer Eddy dear?"
"I'm sure Vince will want to come instead." Vince winced at the very idea, about to argue over it when the door shut.
The cat jumped at the startled sound and rubbing his tail where it had almost closed on. He looked back wondering if he should maybe call Jessie and figure out if he was coming or not.
The beaver soon poked his head out from the moat and swam over before crawling out, shaking himself off. "Always wanted to do that." He shrugged at the cat. "This is why I wear water proof clothing." He noted as the cat rolled his eyes, shaking his head and heading for his car.
"You're not getting into my car soaking wet." Vince point out. Jessie just took his hand in his.
"So...your family next?" Jessie asked.