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Not Exactly a Pledge (Chapter 2)

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Caleb waited until Drakari had moved on before continuing the conversation. "Anyway, like I said, I'd feel a lot better if there was more I could do around here to help pay my way. I don't want any of your frat brothers thinking I was a free loader or anything."

Kelvin shrugged. "Well, like I said: we're all pretty self sufficient but, I mean, if you can whip up something for the whole house that takes everyone's meal plans into account who am I to say no? It'd be kinda cool to have dinner made for us now and again... just what'd you have in mind?"

The Human shrugged as the Lion stepped aside, giving him access to the kitchen. "I'd have to see what you have laying around. To be honest, you guys are a lot better stocked than I expected."

Caleb glanced around with him, pointing cabinets out. "We've got some decent basics here, some pasta, rice, vegetables... and, like I said Jesse's been experimenting with this crazy-good BBQ sauce. You could probably whip something up with that."

Nodding thoughtfully, Caleb took in all of that even as he explored the refrigerator. "I'm sure I could put something together now and again. I like cooking."

Kelvin gave him a firm slap on the back. "There ya go, dude. Feel free to raid the pantry, just make sure to leave some snacks for the rest of us, okay? We're not exactly used to eating fancy meals in here."

The Human smiled, taking Kelvin's suggestion to heart as he began seeking out the various items referenced, managing to piece together a reasonable menu with an Asian flare. "Yeah... I can work with that... just so long as I know what everyone eats. Any chance you can see if Jesse is available? I'd love to learn more about that sauce of his."

The Lion grinned wide. "Absolutely, man! I'll go grab Jess and you keep working on your menu. Don't hesitate to shout if you need anything else!"

Trotting away with energy that seemed unreasonable for so big a guy, Kelvin disappeared out the back door the Bear had passed through a short time prior. It took about three minutes before the Bear appeared. "Alright. I'm here."

The casual statement was a little awkward but Caleb couldn't really blame that on the Bear... presuming Kelvin explained why he was being summoned. The human erred on the side of caution. "Kel DID tell you why I wanted to speak with you... right?"

The response wasn't the desired one, but Caleb didn't find himself entirely surprised. "Nope. Just said you wanted me in the kitchen."

A shout from Drakari the living room made Caleb realize that the exceptional hearing by the frat members meant that his discussions weren't that private. "Hey new guy! Lemme know if you 'want' ME in the kitchen!"

Despite Jesse's original off-putting interactions, Caleb found him to be surprisingly amiable once the Bear was engaged in a conversation that interested him. Once he'd explained his interest in Jess' bbq sauce the Bear was quick to open up, talking about his different sauce theories, insisting that Caleb try different versions he was saving in the fridge, giving him combinations to taste-test in different capacities, and sharing some of his mix-master secrets. Before Caleb knew it, over an hour had passed in a deluge of helpful hints and welcome advice-- he felt so much better after the positive interaction, which had become both enjoyable and collaborative.

Jesse did finally offer a farewell, noting he had to go check on Kelvin to make sure the Lion wasn't breaking any of the patio furniture, and left Caleb to his work. By the time the sun started setting, casting golden hues through the kitchen window, the Human was quite pleased that his dinner was starting to fill the house with amazing scents. Per Jess' suggestion, the Human had prepared some chicken karage, which he'd promised would be enhanced by one of his sauces (so long as Caleb remembered to add some Hoisin).

Before serving up, the Human was sure to combine the identified sauce with the ingredient that would bring the Asian flavors into focus. Caleb was even more pleased when he saw that the dining table was already populated as he brought out the first dish. Carl was the first to comment. "Fuck, dude... it's awesome to have another cook here at the house. Better watch yourself, Jess... this Human might give you a run for your money!"

Caleb blushed immediately, but, just as quickly he interjected "Actually, Jess helped me with the sauce tonight."

The Hyena didn't relent. "No way, Dude-- it's not just the sauce. The sesame veggies are fuckin' FIRE."

The blush got worse. "Oh... well... thanks!"

Jesse took it all in stride. "I gave him a few pointers, but he only used the sauce with the chicken..." He then looked right at the Human. "You did a good job, Caleb-- nobody here would yank your chain by faking it."

Drakari leaned across the table, staring right at Caleb. "I never fake it."

Carl gave the Fossa's tail a yank. "Okay there, kitten... drooling over the food is ONE thing, but drooling ON the food is another." He gave Caleb a follow up wink, then turned and kissed Drakari once the Fossa was back in his seat.

Jess rolled his eyes. "You know, you two can take it up to the bedroom if you want. The dining room is NOT the place for that... you'll give us a bad reputation."

Drakari waggled his finger at the Bear. "This is the PERFECT place for it... in fact, last Friday Carl was railing me right on the--"

The Bear silenced the comment by slamming both paws on the table. While the action was incredibly violent and very loud, Jesse's pointed gaze lacked any threat... just obvious direction... and it worked. The Fossa stuffed another piece of chicken into his muzzle, but not before quickly mumbling out "Good-food-Caleb-thanks."

Tyson, the Tiger, seated across the table from Caleb continued picking at his meal, offering a simple shrug. "Yeah... it's aight."

Kelvin chimed in, shoving a bowl toward his striped frat brother. "Yeah, and don't forget about the rice dish he whipped up! It's bussin'."

The Tiger raised a paw in rejection, offering a quick, succinct "Keto."

The Lion scowled. "Fuck. Right. Sorry."

Caleb stored that knowledge away for later. He wasn't completely familiar with the rules surrounding a keto diet, but he did know that rice was a no-go. He resolved to commit that to memory and correct the issue in the case he was called upon to cook in the future. The Human continued considering the oversight while the rest of the household chatted, laughed, and BSed their way through dinner. After a short time he noticed Kelvin smiling at him from across the table, and even offered a surreptitious thumbs up. It felt good-- a reminder to the Human that he was welcome at the fraternity despite being neither a jock nor a beast folk.

Most of the beast folk around the table were focused on one another and, other than Kelvin, the only other housemate who exchanged any meaningful glances with him was Jesse, who offered an occasional nod when their eyes met. Something about Kelvin's encouragement and Jesse's welcoming demeanor helped calm him, making his own smile come easier as well. He was far quieter than anyone else in the frat but, by the time dinner came to an end, he was almost starting to feel like he belonged.

Although Caleb only half paid attention to the discussion, as everyone was lounging post-food, a topic came up that caught his attention: Drakari and Tyson were talking about the party that would be held at the house and it was revealed that Caleb wasn't the only one there under the drinking age. When there was a pause, the Human spoke up. "How does that work exactly then? Does that make parties harder or anything?"

Tyson shrugged. "Not sure why it would. Drakari and Carl know they can grab a cold one if they want... it's not a big deal."

Kelvin's eyes flickered toward Caleb's, a hint of annoyance creeping into his expression as he set his beer down. "Dude... You know better than that." He followed it up with a stern glance at the Tiger before looking back to the Human. "It's not like we enforce the drinking age or anything, but we also don't encourage it, you could say. We just... uh, make some exceptions. It's not really a big deal."

Feeling a little uncomfortable with that reveal, and noticing the several sets of eyes on him, Caleb chose to drop the issue, feeling incredibly self conscious for having brought it up. "Oh... okay. Uh... cool."

The Lion offered a wide, goofy grin. "Just, uh... don't go reporting us to your dad or anything... k?"

Tyson's ears rose. "Wait-- Do what now?"

Kelvin pointed to the Human. "Oh, nothing... just playing around. Caleb's dad used to be a deputy down south, and--"

Caleb's face flushed red. "KEL!"

Jesse stood up suddenly, putting an end to what was likely to be the beginning of 'a scene', and he said calmly "Parties have booze... it's a matter of fact. Fortunately we also have non-alcoholic drinks there too, and trust everyone to be mature and follow all the rules that they should. Self-censoring IS the best policy."

Drakari and Carl whispered to one another, something along the lines of "For those who know how to." It earned them a withering stare from the Bear.

Kelvin reached out and patted Caleb's hand. "Hey... if you don't want to drink you don't have to, Caleb. Just make sure you let Jess know what you want and he can pick something up on his store run tomorrow. Punch... soft-drinks... water... whatever!"

The Bear offered a succinct nod, starting to gather up the plates. "It's no trouble... really. I usually get a variety anyway."

Drakari snickered. "And we have a full fridge for two weeks afterward because everyone goes for the beer, booze, and --OW!"

The Fossa recoiled in his seat; although Caleb didn't see what happened he was under the impression that SOMEONE had stepped on his foot. The Human wasn't sure whether that made him feel better or not. Kelvin, who had transferred to the empty seat next to Caleb, gave him a pat on the shoulder. "You don't need to worry, alright? We'd want everyone to enjoy it like they do here now-- drink or no drink." He added the last comment with a wink.

Realizing that his childhood friend was putting forth the effort, Caleb put on a smile. "Uh... sure. Sounds like fun. I've always wondered how party planning works... maybe I could sit in or something?"

Caleb hadn't realized that Jesse was looming behind him until one of the Bear's huge paws came down to give his shoulder a pat. "Eh... don't fret it... they've been planing this for a week so it's mostly done already."

Kelvin laughed, pushing Jesse's paw off of the Human's shoulder and Caleb was surprised when his friend gave him a side hug. "This'll be Caleb's first official college party... nothing wrong with letting him sit in on the last-minute details... he might even have a few good ideas to add."

Jesse shrugged, flopping down onto the chair on the opposite side of the Human from the Lion. "He just moved in today... he's probably tired but, sure... whatever."

Tyson, after returning from placing his dishes in the kitchen sat down in his same seat as before. "Guys... come on... give the Human a little space. Make some room."

The main topic of discussion (likely to help make Caleb feel welcome) was what drinks should be obtained by Jesse the following day. The discussion started off simple, but it dissolved into an argument over whether carbonated soft-drinks were 'soda', 'pop', or 'soda-pop'. Drakari complicated things by throwing in the bit of trivia that lots of people in some parts of Georgia called all soft-drinks 'Coke'. Things got only more waylayed from there.

As the argument continued to rage, Caleb pointed out the kitchen needed cleaning and used that as an excuse to slip away. It wasn't long before Kelvin joined him. The Lion padded in and stopped on the opposite side of the kitchen island. "Hey."

The Human looked up from the sink. "Oh. Hi, Kel."

The Lion's tail flicked, eyes meeting and holding Caleb's. "So... I'm a little worried you might be feeling overwhelmed with all the chaos."

Trying to find the right way to agree without coming across as ungrateful, Caleb shrugged. "Well.. let's just say that I haven't ever had roommates quite as animated as everyone here... and I've never had more than one roommate at a time, so... yeah."

The Lion grabbed a serving dish off the island and passed it to the Human. "I remember back in high school when you were a junior and joined us at the senior prom that you spent all your time making sure the punch was full and that there were snacks." Kelvin chuckled softly. "You do best in social situations when you have something to keep you busy, huh?"

Despite their year in age difference, Kelvin had been a very good friend and, apparently, had noticed some of his idiosyncrasies. "Yeah... I don't do so well in unscripted situations."

Nodding, Kelvin handed him a pan that needed cleaning, and offered a hopeful grin. "Y'know... if you do decide to join us at the party... and no pressure-- but, if you DO, then you can NOT drink, and be the official scorekeeper for beer pong."

The invitation was exactly the kind of compromise he'd expect from the Lion; it took Caleb's concerns into account, but still encouraged him to step outside his comfort zone. Unable to keep himself from laughing, the young man replied simply with "You'd have to teach me the rules."

His laughter was joined by Kelvin's. "Deal."