Look What the Cat Dragged In

Story by Gruffy on SoFurry

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#12 of Hockey Hunk Season 5


Hehhey, people!

Welcome to the Hockey Hunk - a regular Monday chapter for now, but, since the turnout for the Lurker Challenge was most encouraging, we'll be seeing on Wednesday as well - so yes, there will be a Wednesday chapter! Woot, anyone?

I've got something fun planned for Wednesday, so don't forget to tune in!

As always, I shall look forward to your feedback, and do remember that all votes, faves and watches will help others to find these stories to enjoy as well!

Have a fun read!

*

"Well I didn't bring you an X-Box, but I do have a...well...I don't know really, my brother bought this for you, Justin," I explained as I held out the messily wrapped packet out.

Weird...so strange...maybe this showed that my own siblings were close to my own age...I never really had to interact with anyone who was quite of this age...thirteen, wasn't he? Fourteen? Growing up fast and wanting to be all grown up and...well...what was the word...emo? I didn't see any eye liner or fur dye, but maybe he'd go all the way in some time, to the shock of his parents. The mom and dad lions were sitting nearby even now, of course, observing and spying my everyone move while I was sure Rory was shitting his pants and wondering just how his parents were going to embarrass their darling little lion.

They were doing a good job!

"From your brother, dude?" the even smaller lion said in a quiet voice while he did grab the floppy packet into his paw.

"Heh, yeah," I chuckled, "he really likes giving presents, and when he heard that I was going here to meet you all, I just couldn't stop him."

Rory and I did do the damage control of opening the gifts beforehand to make sure that there wasn't anything too embarrassing in them - thank God there wasn't, otherwise I'd had too much to explain to Cobb, and I'd never let him know that we'd distrusted him enough to spy on his gifts - and now I felt comfortable enough to give them out.

"Lol," the kid lion said, tail swiping behind him while he rolled the mystery gift around in his paws.

"Your brother sounds like quite the character, Victor," Rory's dad chuckled.

"You've no idea," I heard Rory rumble.

I chuckled a little and elbowed the lion, just because I could. I was sure he jumped a bit at the public physical contact, but I had no reason to cut him slack.

Justin used his claws to tear onto the paper I'd carefully taped back together, and then revealed a plastic-wrapped purple T-shirt. His ears flicked at the sight - I bet he wasn't expecting to see that, and he rolled it around in his paws, looking genuinely curious.

"Ohhh what's that?" Rory's mom questioned, leaning over to see a bit better, I suppose.

Justin opened the plastic wrap and pulled out the shirt, still managing to keep his gift card envelope in one of his paws, the plastic did fall to the floor, though, but in true kid fashion, he didn't care while he unfurled the obviously oversized shirt that seemed more fitting for Cobb rather than a thin lion boy. It was covered in curly white writing, and there was a printed cartoon picture of a cuddly kitten on the middle.

"Does it have some writing on it?" Rory's dad asked. "Turn it around, Justin, let us see!"

The boy twisted the max-sized shirt around so that everyone could get a good look. Rory's dad even adjusted his glasses.

Heheh.

"Soft...kitty...sleepy kitty..." he read out.

Rory's mom giggled.

"It's from a TV show called The Big Bang Theory," I explained, "Cobb loves it, and he thought that maybe Justin would like a fan shirt."

Thank heavens it wasn't a "I'VE GOT A GAY BROTHER BUT I'M OKAY WITH IT" shirt like he'd once worn as a prank...or even more scary a thought, seriously. We'd ended up wrestling that time.

"It's a meme," Justin said, "on the show. Sheldon always makes Penny sing it to him."

Well...sounds like he knew it! That made my flick my ears happily, even give my tail a small wag.

"Glad you like it!" I said, hoping that it really was the case, even if he could practically hide his entire body inside the shirt if he wanted to.

"Thanks, dude," the young lion rumbled again.

Well, that sounded hopeful!

"So very kind of your brother," Rory's dad said.

"There's gifts for you too," I said as I dug into my bag and turned a bit to better face them and let Justin off the hook.

I gave Rory a little look, too, to make sure that he knew that I was enjoying myself, as I pulled out a packet wrapped in flowered paper from the bag, this one labeled "RORY'S MOM". It rustled when I handed it over to Mrs. Gliese's eagerly reaching paws.

"This is for you..." I said before snatching the final wrapped item from the bag, "and this...hmm...rather heavy packet is for you, sir..."

"Just call me Mark," Rory's dad said while he accepted the suspiciously long and...sloshing cardboard package.

"Alright, Mark," I replied with a smile, as I quietly wondered just how long did it usually take with the Glieses to be on first name terms with someone. I should have to ask Rory for some inside info later on. "Hope it's to your liking!"

Rory's dad have his packet a little shake and he did grin toothily.

"I think all of us boys are gonna enjoy this!" he smirked.

"Well look at this!" Rory's mom held out her present now, wrapped in plastic for now, "a kitchen set...with an apron and two oven mittens..."

Hmm...

"Guess my brother's a bit traditional," I said quickly while she studied her gift, "hope it's alright."

"Well you always need these around in the kitchen, and we do cook a lot!" Rory's mom exclaimed. "Mark, look at these, these look nice, don't they?"

"Heheh, they do!" Rory's dad commented. "I might give those a go too!"

"Well you better," Rory's mom chuckled, "you're going to be cooking all week again."

"I am," Rory's dad said solemnly.

"Glad you guys can share," Rory snickered.

"As long as your dad's sharing some of what's in that box with me too," Rory's mom said, feigning ignorance.

Rory's dad couldn't handle the excitement anymore and opened the box, out of which he then pulled out a tall bottle of Jack Daniels.

"Hmmm...this might be too tempting for you indeed..." Rory's dad smacked his lips as he mused the prospect of a stiff snifter.

"What a perfect timing, we were almost out!" Rory's mom disclaimed.

"Hope you guys will join us for a sip when the night falls," Rory's dad was practically purring while he contemplated the bottle.

"I'm in," I said, turning to look at Rory, too.

"Sure," he said.

"As long as you won't start singing," Justin huffed, almost surprising me, since he was so quiet that I'd almost forgotten he was there, "again."

"A little bit of music always makes a party more fun, Justin," Rory's dad said, "you're welcome to join in...we've got all those treats waiting..."

My ears perked up a bit upon hearing that. Did he mention treats...and a party...hmm...it seemed that Rory's suspicions about his parents potentially going overboard with their Doberman visitor might have something to them indeed, if I interpreted this right. I could see from Rory's tail that he was contemplating the same, too...and stewing. Heh.

"Not if you gonna sing...or dance..." Justin mumbled, paws full of gifts and his muzzle full of lazily spoken teenaged attitude towards his parents, "like every time...besides, I'm just gonna pop by Len, Matt's there..."

"You haven't eaten lunch yet!" the mom lion said.

"Len's mom cooks too, you know," he replied while taking a slink towards the stairs.

"But it'd be really nice if you stayed to eat with Rory and Victor," Rory's mom said, "I'm sure they're looking forward to catching up with you."

"It's perfectly fine if he wants to go with his friends," I hurried to say, "I'm sure we'll have the opportunity at a later time, too."

"Of course," Rory said.

Rory's dad cleared his throat.

"As long as you'll be in for dinner, Justin," he said.

Rory's brother took that as his cue and scrambled up the stairs before anyone could speak a further thing. Rory's mom shook her head a little, with her new apron folded on her lap.

"Always going, the sweet thing," she mused, "but I suppose it's better that he'll sit playing around with the computer with his friends in the same room, rather than just over the internet."

"Len's parents are good furs," Rory's dad commented, "always making sure their son is doing well at school as well. They're responsible furs."

Rory's parents sure sounded like the kind of furs to appreciate responsibility...

"Oh right, you are a schoolteacher, aren't you, Mark?"

"High school biology!" he replied with a grin and a dismissive wave of his big dad paw. "Gene splicing fruit flies since 1984!"

"Rory was just tiny when we moved here and Mark started at the school," Rory's mom said with a decisively parental look in her eyes, "I went to work at the police station the next year, I think, after he was old enough to be left with my mother while I worked."

"No kindergarten for Rory then," I smirked at the lion by me.

"Oh, no, no, no, my mother insisted," Rory's mom said with a chuckle, "and it was really the perfect solution, let us both work, save money for this house..."

"We moved when I was three," Rory said, "I barely remember it, though."

"Awwww..." Rory's mom crooned´, "I've got the photos somewhere..."

Gotcha! Rory's tail practically flew to the ceiling at the mention of potentially embarrassing family photos. It was almost cute, seeing him react like that. I just smiled a bit and chuckled myself, and smiled some more.

"It's a great asset, family," I said, "I'm really happy that you're welcoming me here, too, I must say."

"Ohhh we've been telling to Rory to bring you around for weeks now!" Rory's dad said. "But he's so shy, you know..."

Shy? Jumpy, perhaps, but I'm not sure about shy...depending how you defined shy, I think...

"You know we've been recovering from the crash," Rory mumbled, paws tucked into his pockets in a remarkable mirror image of his brother's earlier behavior, "and Victor's been working, too, and it's a long drive...."

"Ohhh I know," that same paw wave again, "It's just really nice to see you both!"

"We've been looking forward to getting to know you!" Rory's mom chimed in.

"I'm very glad to meet you too," I affirmed again, wondering how many times we could exchange this politeness before it grew old on any of us.

A kind of a crashing sound interrupted the loop, for a moment at least, when Justin came down the stairs, landed with a thud, and went for a door with a hollered "SEEYOUALL!" before he smashed the front door shut and was gone, just like that.

"And there he goes..." Rory's mom shook her head, "precious baby..."

I glanced over at my own baby, and winked.

"He seems like he brings a lot of life into this house," I said.

"When he's not holed up in his room, sure," Rory's dad chuckled.

"Hope we'll get him to help you fix that door," Rory's mom said.

"Not today, though, sweetie," Rory's dad shrugged dramatically, "it's too hot to do anything, and it's going to rain soon, anyway...better to leave it for tomorrow..."

"Oh, of course, have to let the boys rest after the drive, and all," Rory's mom said, and made me smile as I thought of me and Rory as boys.

Rory huffed.

"And I didn't even remember to bring the bags yet," he said, looking at me.

"Well that's true," I said, "they're still in the car. Should we get them?"

"You should before it rains!" Rory's dad said.

"That's it then," I said, "come on, Rory, let's go get our bags!"

Hence we set forth on our second revisit to the car. It was still warm outside, but I could really see the clouds gathering in the horizon, dark and full of thunder and lightning, I wondered. I noticed that a bike had disappeared from the yard, so I presumed that Justin had left on two wheels.

"You got the keys?" I asked Rory as we walked over to the car.

"Sure," he said, flicking them out.

"Your parents are being nice still," I said, "your brother's funny."

Rory flicked his ears back and chuffed.

"They're a bit menacing, and he's acting funny," he complained.

"They're doing just fine," I said, "I'd give them eight out of ten on the score on how they're dealing with their son's boyfriend visiting."

The doors opened with a beep from the little button device and clicks from the locks, and I went over to get our bags from the trunk. It was only two small overnight bags, so it was really nothing much, I just grabbed them both and closed the trunk with a good thud.

"I didn't know there's a scoring system," Rory replied.

I blew him a kiss and paced over to him.

"There isn't," I said, "I'm just being funny, like your parents are."

He let out a small chuckle, which was quite promising, and followed me as I headed back over to the house.

"They're not that funny."

"I think they're hilarious," I said.

"I'm not sure they mean to be, you know," he complained.

"I bet they'll be extra embarrassing when drunk," I chuckled.

"Oh God..." he groaned.

"Don't worry," I said, "I won't get drunk...not much..."

"Victor..." he said in a voice that was not unlike my own 'Cobb...' kind of a tone.

The lions were still in their seats in the living room when we entered the house again, but both of them kind of jumped up when we appeared, with Rory's mom steaming towards us.

"Now, I changed the sheets on Rory's bed and I brought up an extra pillow and a duvet so that you'll be more comfortable, Victor..."

Well...I have to say that this coming out of her muzzle so casually did give me a bit of a surprise, and a stop. My ears flicked up, even the lazy one, too, and I gave her a look...and then looked at Rory...standing there looking as surprised as I was, I could tell by how he stood...his tail...his ears...eyes, too, of course...well, call me prejudiced, but I wasn't really expecting anything but a couch or a guest bed...we hadn't even talked about it with Rory, really...he'd been nervous enough to begin with. Now that his mom was telling that he'd made Rory's bed for two...two dudes...he looked so very surprised.

"I'm sure it'll be splendid!" I commented, as Rory started to climb the stairs.

Wow...

*

Thank you for reading my story! I hope you had a good time, and I am most grateful for all the feedback! Also remember that all votes, faves and watches will help others to find these stories to enjoy as well!

I'll see you on Wednesday with the bonus chapter...and what a chapter it will be...with a new narrator making a debut! :P

Cheerio!