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Chapter 4

Fly Home

Tony and Christian started to clean themselves up for Tony's father's return.

Tony piled up his clothes on his bed. The lion did not have any clothes in Christian's size, but Christian could wear his own jeans with one of the lion's smaller fishing shirts. Save for his old police uniform, which was still in it's dry cleaning plastic, the lion only owned fishing shirts, plus a couple novelty shirts.

The pair did not know how long it would be before the older lion was home. The older lion's name was Joe Borland. Christian was going to address Joe as Mister Borland. The young man was feeling increasingly nervous as the minutes ticked by. Tony was preheating the oven and getting a table ready for three.

Christian was paying extra attention to the temperature rising on the display when he heard a car pulling up the driveway.

Mr. Borland entered with his own key. He did not call out hello, but simply found his son and Christian in the kitchen.

The older lion was wearing a shirt, slacks, belt, what one would expect an administrative employee of an airport to wear. In one had Joe had a fairly large bundle clad in butcher paper. The lions exchanged their simple greetings. For Christian, however, Joe gave the human man a big toothy smile and exaggerated handshake.

Tony took the steak meat out of Joe's hands.

It occurred to Christian then to ask,

“Oh, is that real cow meat?"

“Yes," Joe replied, “Have you had it before?"

“Yes," Christian said, “A long time ago. Thank you-"

“Of course!" The older lion jovially said. The trio were staying in the kitchen as Tony set to work cooking the steaks how the lions liked it, warmed over raw, basically. Christian did ask for it to be a little bit more done.

“Sorry to bother you," He told Tony, referring to his steak being cooked differently.

“No! You shouldn't eat a steak anyway you don't like it, just to be nice," Joe said, “Now, can you tell me a little about yourself? Anthony didn't give me too many details."

Christian did just that; he recapped his career as a RN for the last couple years, the recent event of the death of his father, and provided a scant summary on how he met Tony and what they had done with their time together. Christian didn't bring up Tony bought him a new fishing rod. Seemed like an odd topic to bring up.

Christian asked Joe about his job at the airport, to get the conversation topic off himself for a moment. Despite Tony not participating much in the dinner conversation, eventually Christian let go of his nervous feelings and had a pleasant evening. It was towards the end of the evening when the young human man finally decided to just ask-

“So, Mr. Borland, um….I'm gay. And I'm seeing your son now, I guess.."Christian groaned inside. He did not know why he tacked on the 'I guess" at the end there, but it was too late to take it back now.

“Yes, my son told me. Through text," Which Mr. Borland didn't seem too bothered by, “I supposed you're wondering if I disapprove of you?"

“Um," Christian said, meaning yes.

“No, I don't," Joe said.

“Is that all?" Christian replied, feeling the fluttering of anxiety back in his gut, “I mean, awesome, cool. Thank you."

“Not at all," The older lion said. Christian noted that Joe had not specified if Chrstian had the lion's approval either, but they'd only just met. Christian wasn't going to ask.

Inside of Tony's room, on Tony's bed, the younger lion and Christian sat side by side. On the floor in front of a dresser that would also be a television stand, sat a large flat screen TV. It was not set up yet so the only entertainment anyone in the house had at the moment was the internet or each other. Christian didn't feel like using his phone right then.

“I really, um, I really can't believe your dad's so….not bothered? But I can't really say what he feels I guess," Christian said.

“Don't worry," Tony replied, “He really doesn't mind this, us. Remember, we spent most of our lives in California so…"

Christian seemed to be worried about certain values that parts of his family expressed possibly being held by Joe, as the older lion was originally from that part of the country.

“Look," Tony said while he wrapped an arm around Christian's shoulders, “He's thrown out some of my friends before when he didn't like them. He didn't throw you out. And he's not going to treat you nice because your dad died….he doesn't dislike you."

“Does he like me though, even a little?" Christian asked.

“Yes, and he'll like you even more I'm sure. When we spend some more time together, anyway," Tony got up and unstacked some boxes, “I said I was gonna give you a rod and reel," The lion was holding a box probably full of fishing equipment in his arms.

“Thanks," Christian said.

Most of Tony's fishing rods were in the garage still wrapped up from transport so Christian and Tony only sorted through the baitcasting reels. After a while, the enthusiasm Christian felt throughout the day seemed to run out. Thoughts about leaving work, what to do about a new job, family members that he kept in contact with across the country, he yawned. Christian rubbed his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. Tony pulled Christian up and into bed.

In bed, still a stranger's bed more or less, Christian took in everything. The smell of a house that had not been occupied for some time. The smell on the lion's bedsheets, the lion's clothes, the sound of the other, older lion still moving about somewhere in the house. The wind was picking up outside. The central air was on and keep the house fairly cool. Christian figured that with their thick manes and fur, the two lions would get warm even if it was cool outside.

He must have fallen asleep. When Christian opened his eyes again the room was dark. The lights had been turned off and Tony was asleep next to him. It took some time before Christian could fall back asleep and he woke up early, only a couple hours later and it was still dark.

Christian stayed up and Tony woke up as well.

The lion asked,

“Anything wrong?"

“No," Christian replied, “But I am going to go back to California for a little while. I can't just leave my job with an email and I need to get a bunch of references for applying for another job. And I got to clear out my old place."

Christian did not know the specifics of Tony's situation, but he was sure that the lion had things to work out as well. After all, the lion did just move.

The human was right. Tony had pretty much taken the day off, but he had deadlines to meet for turning in school applications- perhaps even work applications too. Not to mention all the unpacked boxes in the house and garage.

“You know I'll come back right?" Christian asked.

“Yeah," Tony replied, “I didn't doubt that." The lion didn't doubt it. Probably because of his time as a police officer the lion could depend on his hunches about a person's honesty.

“Lets go on a fishing trip when I get back," Christian said.

---

Three weeks had passed. Tony and Christian spoke to each other everyday, although the time difference got in the way sometimes. Tony was sitting at his desk, in his room, idly browsing youtube in one tab, his student page for his new school in another. It was a Friday and Tony did not have classes scheduled.

The lion had his keys, phone, wallet, and a folding knife on his desk in front of him.

His room was somewhat messy, but not dirty. The fishing rod he had bought for Christian was up on a rod rack on the wall, horizontal, and still had the clear plastic wrap on the handle. It had not been used, yet. Christian had returned to California before he could use it.

Christian had left his old fishing rod and reel. Tony was glad- he felt something akin to pride in having the chance to take care of it. The lion had picked out, from his own fishing gear, a white baitcaster and a No. 8 Hellbent baitcasting rod for the human. Tony kept his decision a mystery- Christian was expected the gift for when the human returned to South Carolina. The lion wanted to pick them out.

Tony was trying to pass the time as Christian was due to arrive at the Greenville-Spartanburg airport in a couple hours. The lion would leave for the airport soon to get there in plenty of time and wait for Christian at baggage. On his bed, which he would share with Christian, were the new clothes the lion bought for Christian at Cabela's.

Tony and Christian would meet, drive home to drop off some things, pick up fishing gear, and go out. Tony would be picking Christian up at 7:30 A.M. and by the time they got their stuff together and headed south for their promised fishing trip they would reach the boat rental place just as it opened.

The lion shut off his computer and stuffed his pockets full of his belongings. Tony was on the road to pick up his boyfriend.