FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Part 16 - Home Truths

(Nathan)

After such an eventful, rollercoaster start to Nathan's Velikan vacation, the remainder of the first week appeared as if it would provide a welcome change. The most pleasing of these came in the form of his wakeup call the next morning; a gentle hug and a soft kiss from the wolf he'd slept with for the first time.

A beam of sunlight hit Nathan as he stirred, his waking eyes finding Alexei's big paw resting atop his back. "Good morning, Nate," the wolf whispered, licking at Nathan's nose. "You have slept well?"

"Wonderfully, Alex," he answered, returning the lick. "Thank you." He rolled onto his back, revelling in the comforting sensation of Alexei's paw pads against his fur. 'I just wish I'd done this sooner.'

They cuddled together for a good hour, eventually climbing out of bed to ready themselves to head down to the workshop. Once there, Alexei wasted little time in requesting that Erik look after the shop for the next few days. "I wish to enjoy some time with Nate without worrying about work."

Though originally apprehensive, the snow leopard became more open to the idea after being filled in on what happened after he'd left the apartment. Unsurprisingly, Alexei denied him some of the finer details.

"So, Alex finally told you how he feels," Erik jeered, addressing Nathan but smirking at the wolf. "Better late than never."

"This is funny, Erik," Alexei rumbled. "Almost as funny as not being paid for your extra work this month."

"Yes, almost," the spotted cat snorted. "I will man the shop, it's fine. After all, I cannot stand in the way of true love."

The wolf rolled his eyes at Erik's mocking tone while Nathan chuckled, masking his embarrassment at the openness with which they were discussing the previous evening's events.

"Come upstairs if you are needing me urgently, or call if we are out," Alexei stated, moving to exit the workshop.

"Of course, but I will try to avoid it. I wouldn't want to ruin the magic!"

With a grumbled, Velikan utterance, he opened the side-door and slinked through. On the other side, Nathan couldn't resist a short snicker.

"Do not make fun also," Alexei barked, firmly nudging the husky with his muzzle.

"I'm not," he grinned, rolling onto his back within the wolf's paw. That won a second, gentler bump as they began up the stairs to the apartment. "Like Erik, I wouldn't want to ruin the magic."

"Huskies," Alexei growled, a creeping smile betraying his contentment as he thumped up the stairs.

For the rest of their Thursday and the bulk of Friday, the pair did little else but kick back and indulge in each other's company; partaking in movies, computer games and lengthy chats together. Erik did occasionally call upon Alexei for assistance in store, but these instances remained few and far between.

Ordinarily, spending such a large amount of vacation time cooped up inside would have been a little boring for Nathan. In these circumstances however, where sharing even the most mundane of tasks with his Velikan wolf put a spring in his step and a grin on his face, he couldn't think of many ways he'd rather spend it. They also enjoyed more physical intimacy, though they refrained from getting as carried away as they had done first time round.

The only downer during their time together were the numerous, futile attempts Alexei made to contact his grandfather with the intention of making amends. It seemed as if this would continue without end, until he finally succeeded in getting through early Saturday afternoon.

While Nathan couldn't penetrate the language to understand the conversation, the fact the call lasted a mere ten seconds before Alexei glumly replaced the handset suggested things hadn't gone well.

"You okay?"

"He... did not wish to talk," Alexei muttered, staring down at his house phone atop the living room table. Nathan sighed from his seat upon the couch, trying but failing to find words of reassurance. "He will come round. In time."

"I'm sure," he replied, doing his best to maintain his wolf's staunch optimism.

Alexei wasted little time in proposing they should venture off outside that afternoon, suggesting a walk to the nearby supermarket would allow them to resupply, and get some air in the process. Nathan happily agreed, suspecting he also intended to use the trip to help take his mind off of his family problems.

Prior to departing however, Nathan managed to convince Alexei to take another shot at completing 'Against All Odds'; the game they'd toiled over for weeks on end. He hoped this too would help temporarily alleviate the wolf's stress and sorrow, and indeed, it took only a few minutes for the pair to become lost in their gaming session.

To their delight, their latest attempt to beat the game started shockingly well. In fact, the speed at which they reached new territory in the final boss left them dumbstruck.

They blitzed through the primary defenses of the hulking Union battleship; the first time they'd ever succeeded in doing so. Victory seemed to be in their grasp, until an unexpected second phase of gameplay kicked in.

Yet more single-seater enemy craft joined the fight, creating an unexpected, unwelcome nuisance as they fired upon the pair alongside the damaged, but still dangerous mothership.

Despite their best efforts to cope with and overcome these added obstacles, yet another battle would be chalked up as a defeat.

"If it wasn't for those damn fighters," Nathan grumbled from beside his host's keyboard, slamming his laptop cover shut. "If we could just deal with the main boss alone... without something else rearing its head to cause more trouble."

"I am thinking this is why some call it the 'hardest game ever'."

"They're not lying! Seems that whenever things start going well, something else pops up."

"We are doing well, getting closer." Alexei's face lit up as he stroked his finger along the husky's tail. "I am thinking it will take a little more time, but we will win."

Nathan returned a happy smile. "I think you're right, Alex. We'll get there in the end."

Gaming session concluded, they headed off to the supermarket late that afternoon. For the first time since Nathan's arrival, beautiful Velikan sunshine radiated down from the heavens, bathing everything it touched in springtime warmth.

"It is a wonderful day," Alexei stated, padding towards the corner of his street and the main road. "Would you like a walk through the park?"

"Sure," Nathan replied, sitting within the breast pocket of the wolf's short-sleeved blue shirt.

They diverted off from the residential streets a short walk later, heading into a sprawling patch of greenland two streets away from Alexei's home.

"It's... amazing." Nathan stated, taking in the tranquillity of an area packed full of trees, flowers, as well as a towering, regal-looking fountain located at its centre.

"It is a nice area, yes."

"We don't really have many places like this back in Arlone. Even in the suburbs."

"You do not have parks?"

"Sure, we've got parks; if you call the odd patch of green and gods know how many concrete plazas parks." Nathan scanned the area further, admiring the almost unending greenery surrounding him. "There's nothing like this though."

The glorious weather only served to accentuated these idyllic surroundings, as well as assist Nathan to reflect upon his own mood. Problems with Maxim aside, everything appeared far brighter now; the looming shadow of anxiety at last dispersed now he'd revealed his feelings for the wolf.

"I like it here," Alexei rumbled contently, slowly wandering along the park's concrete pathways. "I come often to relax, to think."

"I can see why."

"Hey Nate, do you see this seat?" He followed the line of Alexei's outstretched paw. A short distance from the central fountain, a wooden bench sat between the path and a large, shrub-like hedge. "This is my favourite seat. I sat here when taking first photo I sent you."

Nathan narrowed his eyes, processing the scene. He quickly placed the flowery shrub as the background to the picture that long held pride of place on his phone; the image of a cute, smiling wolf he often turned to cheer him up after a rough day. Almost instantly, Nathan felt a deep connection to this place, despite having never set foot here before.

"It is a very pretty area of the park," Alexei stated, continuing past the bench and onwards down the pathway.

"Suits you then," the husky blurted automatically, cringing inside for a split second. 'I'd never normally say something as corny as that.'

'Then again, you've never felt like this before, have you?'

The wolf never gave him the chance to answer his own question. "Nate, you know how to get to my heart too well." He raised both his paw and Nathan to his chest, squeezing gently.

At Velikan walking pace, the supermarket lied fifteen minutes from the park. Located in the centre of a huge retail complex, surrounded by a forest of smaller stores and fast food outlets, it appeared much like something Nathan would have expected to see back home.

"Is this a new place, Alex?"

"Almost three years ago it was built," Alexei replied, negotiating the walkways of the retail park crowded with people going about their business. "Before this, there were warehouses and factories here."

Nathan cast his gaze beyond the expansive car park that sat across the way from the supermarket. He couldn't help but notice how this gleaming white structure stuck out like a sore thumb among the small Velikan homes, businesses and occasional factory massed around the complex. It seemed a far cry from the subtle fusion of Polcian and Velikan he'd so admired during his trip into the heart of the city.

Approaching the huge, glass-fronted entrance, Nathan's eyes found a patch of red on the building's otherwise spotless front wall. Two members of a cleanup crew, a fox and skunk, stood either side of a large section of crudely-written graffiti, prepping their tools to remove it.

While the meaning behind the Velikan text remained a mystery to Nathan, the clawed red fist painted above it suggested it possessed one beyond that of usual, mindless vandalism. "Someone's not happy."

"Why do you say this?" Alexei replied, prompting the husky to gesture towards the wall. "Oh."

"What's it say?"

He hesitated, only slightly, but enough for Nathan to notice. "It is nonsense. Stupid statement made by anti-government group. Not everyone can be made happy."

"Right." Nathan wanted specifics about the tag; what it said precisely and whether it belonged to the same group whose protests had made the news back home. With so many people roaming around however, he chose not to push.

Only once they'd entered and begun to weave through the supermarket was Nathan truly taken aback. "There's so much here from back home."

"This is good?"

He scanned the shelves crammed full of familiarly packaged produce, albeit written and sized appropriately for Velikan eyes and paws. "I guess so, but where's all the... y'know, your stuff?"

"Traditional things are here too," Alexei gestured towards the wall of stock on his left, "but I am thinking many of these Polcian items are also made here now."

"That makes sense," Nathan muttered, stroking his chin. "A lot of our food comes from Velika, but I never realised just how much."

"It is sensible," the wolf stated, rounding the corner as they reached the end of the aisle. "What is a large amount to you is only small to us."

"Do you mind this though? The fact that so much of what you're eating and drinking is... Polcian?"

Alexei returned a look a bemusement. "Food is food. We have had many of these things for decades. Only in last few years has there been so much selection."

Nathan nodded, happy enough with that response, though he didn't feel comfortable asking the question that led on from this: would someone not so fond of Polcia see this in such a positive light?

They meandered onwards through the store, with Alexei picking out a few various items as he went; only one of which did Nathan fail to identify.

"What's that stuff?" the husky queried, leaning forward to point at the plastic box full of dough-like balls that had just entered the basket.

"Pelmeni," Alexei answered, grinning at the confused expression he'd won. "Meat dumplings. Very good with sour cream. You do not have these in Polcia?"

"If we do, I've never seen them."

"See, we still have Velikan things. I will cook them and you can try."

"You're on." He returned Alexei's wide, lupine smile and settled back down within his shirt pocket.

Nathan had found the shopping trip surprisingly interesting up to this point. What's more, even with the supermarket positively bustling with shoppers and workers alike, he'd yet to experience a single instance of anti-Polcianism. No snide glares, no scowls, nor any inaudible grunts so obviously aimed towards him. That would only last until the end of their shop however, when Nathan met eyes with a green-shirted, white wolf haphazardly restocking the bakery aisle close to the checkout area.

The shelf stacker stopped working, staring back at the husky as he and Alexei passed by. Nathan couldn't be certain at first if the glare came with curiosity or contempt, though the low growl that echoed from the wolf's snout soon gave the answer. With a shake of his head, the worker muffled something in his native tongue before turning back to restocking loaves of bread.

'Don't make a scene, not here.' Nathan could sense his tail tucking, forcing himself to calmly look away and remain silent. 'It's just one sizeist prick--'

Alexei stopped without warning, jolting the husky against the fabric of his shirt pocket. "What did you say? You have a problem?" He seemingly repeated his questions in Velikan, winning the white wolf's attention.

"Yes, I have problem," the worker gruffed in Polcian, much to Nathan's surprise. He again began to glare at the little canine, until Alexei stole back his focus.

"My eyes are here," he rumbled, jabbing a finger at his fellow lupine before pointing up to his eyeline.

"Alex, really, it's not a big deal. Just leave it--" Nathan tried to interject, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"If there is a problem, tell me."

The two wolves continued their low-key argument in their own tongue after that, leaving Nathan to quietly gaze up at their angry muzzles. He considered the fact that unlike previous confrontations, Alexei hadn't dramatically thrown his paw across his chest, nor had he rushed away from the scene in an overly protective fashion. While he'd never want for his wolf to put himself in harm's way by standing up for him, and certainly not for an innocuous incident like this, he appreciated the gesture.

After a short bout of back and forth, Alexei growled another Velikan statement, taking a casual step forward as he did. This in itself appeared to intimidate the shelf stacker into hurriedly slinking back with ears lowered. Nathan basked in a wave of reassurance meanwhile, feeling as safe in public as he had done throughout his first week in Velika.

The argument ended moments later, after which the pair paid for their groceries and hurried out of the supermarket. Later, Alexei would reveal his rush as being due to concern over a potential run in with security, much to Nathan's amusement.

"I don't think you'd have got in trouble for that, Alex."

"Better to be safe than sorry," the wolf replied with a snicker, exiting the retail park and returning to the residential streets. "Also, I am thinking there is not another supermarket close to my home. I wish not to be banned from this place."

"Fair enough, I guess," Nathan stated with a smile. "So... what was that guy mumbling about anyway?" Alexei's muzzle creased with the beginnings of a scowl. "He had a problem with working in his job."

"What? That doesn't make sense." He rubbed the wolf's chest through his shirt. "You don't have to hide it. It's pretty obvious he had a problem with me, and it must have been something bad for you to react like that."

"I hide nothing."

Nathan shook his head, paws held up in front of him. "Okay, okay... explain."

"Okay... Yes, he said some cruel things of you. Called you 'invading scum.' I could not just walk by."

His ears splayed out. "I see."

"He appeared unhappy because he has lost his job at old steel mill... for this, he seemed upset at you."

"What steel mill?"

"I do not know. There was no mill here before supermarket, but many factories have closed in Kremensk in the past years. It is possible this is one of them."

Nathan grumbled, scratching at his temple. "So according to him, that's my fault?"

"Yes, but I cannot see how." Alexei shrugged, reaching up to rub his paw over the little husky. "As I have said, we do not get many Polcians in this area. He is probably just a sizeist."

"Alright," Nathan replied, sighing happily at the wolf's touch. "Tell me though. What did you say to scare him like that?"

Alexei grinned, resisting a chuckle. "I said if he looked at you in a bad way again... I would shove the bread he was stacking up his backside as if he was toaster."

Nathan burst out laughing, shifting to hug tightly against the large lupine's chest. "_That_scared him? Really?"

"I am thinking it must sound more threatening in Velikan," Alexei retorted, now laughing himself. "It worked, did it not?"

"I guess it did." Nathan squeezed harder. "Thanks for sticking up for me."

"You do not need to thank." The wolf hugged back, leaning down to nose over the little husky's head. "Let us forget him now. He will not ruin our day."

Nathan did for the most part, relieved in many ways that this was the worst piece of Polcian hate he'd had to endure since that fateful trip into the city earlier in the week, argument with Maxim aside. Compared to the snarling maws and thinly-veiled threats directed at him that day, this encounter paled into insignificance.

Shortly after arriving back home, Alexei cooked up the pack of pelmeni they'd picked up for dinner and offered a parcel to Nathan.

"It's like meat ravioli," he confirmed to the wolf, dumping a dollop of sour cream upon his plate.

"Is it good?"

Nathan took a bite of the peppery, dough-covered meatball and smiled. "Very."

They spent the rest of the evening much like they had done the early afternoon: playing games and indulging in each other's company. Nathan did take a few minutes before bed to transfer the accounts work he'd completed earlier that week from his laptop and onto Alexei's bedroom computer. He also provided him with a backup copy. "You can't do this with paper."

"Unless you have photocopier," the wolf smirked with folded arms.

"Well... I suppose." "But this is much easier," he stated, playfully nose-bumping the husky standing upon his desk. "Thank you."

They turned in a little after midnight, with Nathan waiting on the wolf's heavily scented bed while he finished up in the bathroom. He spent the time alone thinking back to the evening he left his sleeping quarters in favour of Alexei's. Even though the nights that followed saw them restrict themselves to gentle cuddling, Nathan dwelled upon how carried away they'd gotten that first time bunked up together.

While he certainly didn't mind that they'd gone beyond embracing and kissing so soon after declaring their feelings, part of him did wonder if things were perhaps moving too fast. Of course, his overeager stroking of Alexei's crotch while they sat in the living area, something Nathan still harboured a twinge of embarrassment over, certainly helped to move things along.

What felt the strangest about the whole situation, and what compelled him to reflect on that evening was not the intimacy itself, but rather the sense of being so out of control, so overpowered and so completely at the mercy of another. It wasn't a position he'd become accustomed to in life, let alone in the bedroom. So, when Alexei's paw gripped him so firmly at the height of their encounter, he couldn't stop himself from crying out to bring it to a premature end.

'It wasn't that bad though, was it?' Nathan considered to himself as he lied back atop the sprawling mattress. 'It didn't hurt. In fact, it felt kinda good.'

He chuckled inwardly, scratching at his bare chest. Being in that position without doubt came with a little fear, but to have someone with so much more power holding him, watching over him felt reassuring, almost exciting at the same time. "It'll take some getting used to, but... I wouldn't want it to stop."

So wrapped up in his musing, Nathan hadn't noticed Alexei enter the room until he loomed high above, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers. "Did you say something, Nate?"

"Oh... no, nothing."

With a smile, Alexei turned to sit himself down upon the edge of the bed, squashing the mattress down beneath the curve of his rear. "Sorry to make you wait."

"No problem." Nathan smiled back, grasping at the sheets for support as the bed shifted heavily.

Alexei looked down over his shoulder, lazily wagging his tail so that it brushed over the little husky behind him. "I hope you have not been bored in these last days."

"Not at all," Nathan replied, grumbling with enjoyment at the slow, comforting strokes. "It's been nice to stay in and have fun together."

"I am happy to hear this," Alexei mumbled past a yawn. "It has been fun for me also." He twisted around, gently scooping the little husky up before rolling into bed. "We will be more active in the coming days."

"Anything planned in particular?" Nathan asked, grinning as if the tumbling wolf's paws were a theme park ride.

Alexei released him onto his chest once he'd settled. "I wanted to visit the bay; to show you this city's Polcian district."

"Really?"

"Is this good for you?"

"Yeah, absolutely!" Nathan confirmed excitedly. "I'd love to go see it."

"You will find it interesting, I am thinking." Alexei chuckled lightly, rubbing over the prone husky's back. "It is like a model town."

"To you, maybe," Nathan replied, sprawling out beneath the petting. "Overgrown wolf."

"Overgrown? I am normal size. It is you who is tiny."

"Keep dreaming. I--" Alexei cut him off, ears flicking as he delicately lifted Nathan to his muzzle and planted a long lick upon his frame. "That just proves I'm right."

"Silly husky," the wolf smirked, stroking over the husky's saliva-matted fur. Without another word, they moved closer and shared a long, tender kiss.

They settled down together shortly after, their tiredness evident in the speed with which they drifted off to sleep. If not for an unpleasant disturbance in the middle of the night, they likely would have slumbered all the way through until morning.

"What the hell?" Nathan mumbled to himself, forcing his eyes open at the persistent vibrating coming from the bedside tabletop. Beneath him, the soothing, rhythmic movement of Alexei's chest rocked him as the wolf continued to sleep.

He sat up groggily, gazing through the thick veil of darkness to find '02:13'_glaring back at him from the digital clock on the side-table. Bathed in the green light of the huge electric display, Nathan's phone glowed bright blue. "Who's calling me at _this hour?"

He scrambled over towards the table, working his way across the long fur of Alexei's chest before dropping down to the mattress proper. At the edge of the bed, he carefully reached over the six-inch wide chasm between himself and the table and grabbed his device.

"Home?" He knelt there, weighing the phone in his palm while processing what he'd read from its screen. "Why are they...?" Nathan answered the call with a resigned sigh, figuring that ignoring it would simply set his parents worrying and calling back as soon as their first attempt dropped. "Hello?"

"Evening, Nathan."

"Dad?"

"How are you?"

Something about his father's calm, casual manner, as well as the timing of the call baffled him. "Fine... I'm fine, thanks. Everyone there okay?"

"Everything's fine. Luke and Paula both called us from University during the week, so your mother's happy. We passed on your best wishes by the way and they send them back in return."

"That's all good to hear, thanks. You doing alright?"

"I'm just home from work... figured I'd give you a quick call to see how you were doing. Enjoying your holiday?"

Nathan's brow furrowed. As much as he felt his father's need to check in on him to be somewhat of an annoyance, he'd fully expected to be fielding a barrage of worried questions about whether he was okay, how he'd been coping and why he hadn't called. The relaxed, civilised reality however muddled his fatigued mind even further. Perhaps his assumptions did his parents a disservice? "Yeah... It's been fun. Seen the sights and everything." He paused for a moment, half-stifling a yawn. "Enjoying the time away from work."

"That's good." A hiss and a crack accompanied his father's reply, likely about to indulge in his traditional post-work beer during the call. "Your mother'll be happy to hear you're okay. You know how she gets when she doesn't hear from you."

"Yeah, I do." Nathan grumbled to himself. Maybe some of his assumptions weren't that inaccurate after all. "You guys shouldn't worry so much..." He drifted off as another yawn crept from his muzzle.

"You sound tired."

"Well yeah. It's the middle of the night here. I've been asleep the last couple of hours."

"Middle of the night?" The bemusement in his father's voice instantly perked the husky's ears and helped clear some of his sleepy haze. He instantly realised his mistake. "Estordor's an hour behind us here, right?"

"I... well..." Nathan grimaced, searching for an excuse. "It's... been a long day."

"But, it's only 9pm there." The older husky's voice had lost its calm; a faint, but unmistakable edge of suspicion to it now.

Nathan's mouth opened, seeking to expand on his explanation. Nothing would be forthcoming though, spurring his father to press on. "You should be out enjoying the warm, evening air down at the beach, or out partying in the city. If it's anything like when Luke and his friends went there a couple of years back, there's no shortage of things to do."

"That was his 'just turned eighteen and about to go away to University, so I'd better train my liver' trip. He went to the touristy region." Nathan glanced around the darkened room, searching his mind for a suitable story to reel off for his pressing father. "My friend... lives in a small city, plenty of bars but not so many party places. We've been busy walking around, seeing the historic, cultural sights. I'm... just catching up on some sleep after a long, busy week."

The other end of the line fell unsettlingly silent, his breathing and that of Alexei still sleeping behind him the only things audible. He cursed internally, annoyed at the verbal slip that had set him on the defensive.

"Sleeping for a couple of hours? Since seven o'clock?" His father asked, making Nathan wish to return to the former line of questioning. "What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, sleeping!? At that time? You're not a five year old."

"Yeah, well... all these questions... you're certainly like treating me like one," Nathan retorted offhandedly.

"And saying something like that certainly makes you sound like one," his father growled, forcing him to squeeze his eyes closed while holding the bridge of his muzzle.

"Listen, Dad. I--"

"Look." The clank of a beer can slamming down upon a solid surface rang in Nathan's ear. "You're clearly not in Estordor, so please tell me where you are."

He didn't reply. Instead, he merely rubbed at his forehead while sat silent upon the mattress.

A short, sharp click sounded down the line. Nathan cursed to himself again, knowing all too well what that meant.

"Why are you yelling? Think of the neighbours!" his mother scolded, joining the conversation.

"Anne?" his father asked.

"I'm in the bedroom, Colin. I can hear you from up here. What on earth is going on?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine," Nathan grumbled, trying to keep his voice low. For a moment he considered removing his voice enhancer, until his parents pulled his attention back squarely to their conversation.

"It's the middle of the bloody night where Nathan is. He's not in Estordor."

"What?" his mother gasped. "Then where are you, Nathan?"

"Gods above, why do you two panic so much!?"

"Because you do things like lie about where you're flying off to on holiday?" his father gruffed. "You've been doing silly things like this for years."

"I'm an adult, Dad. I shouldn't have to report in on my every move."

"I'm not saying you do, but you insist on keeping us in the dark so that we have to guess where you are and what you're doing. Idon't understand why you're surprised that we're worried when we eventually find out!

Nathan sighed, rubbing his forehead. What could he do? Clearly, the paper thin story about jetting off to see a friend on the Polcian south coast had been shredded to pieces, but could he really face telling them the truth?

"Nathan," his mother stated, trying to hide her worry. "Where. Are. You?"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I'm in Velika."

"You'd best be fucking joking."

Nathan rarely heard his father curse outright at him, only when he'd been in severe trouble as a youngster. "I'm starting to wish I was."

"Velika? You're in Velika!?"

"By the gods." His mother's reaction proved little better. "What in the world are you doing there?"

"Mum, don't panic. I--"

"I'd like to know that too!" The rage in his father's voice set Nathan's fur prickling.

"I'm staying with... a friend. At his apartment."

"Is he at least one of us?"

"No, he's a wolf."

"Don't get clever with me... You know what I meant."

"He's a Velikan, Dad."

"Oh, Nathan." His mother sounded as if she could burst into tears at any moment. "What possessed you to go there? Don't you remember history class--"

"I told you, Mum. I'm visiting a friend--"

"Haven't you heard about the anti-Polican protests? There was another one in their capital this week."

"No... I hadn't. I'm not in Zelengorod though. I'm in a place called Kremensk on the Velikan west coast."

"Still, it can't be safe there."

"Mum, there's danger everywhere and I'm in no more danger here than--"

Nathan's stomach leapt as the mattress shifted and sank, causing him to rock backwards. He planted his free hand for support and looked around over his shoulder.

Alexei created what resembled a massive, moving hillside as he slowly sat up in his bed. With a huge, loud yawn, he smacked his lips and glanced down in the little husky's direction. "Nate?" Through the darkness, Nathan could just about make out the wolf's sleepy, half-lidded eyes. "Why are you awake? Is all okay?"

"Who's that?" his father barked. "Is that your friend?"

"Yes." At last, a question he could answer with complete honesty.

"Put him on."

"What? You can't just ask to--"

"I can and just did. If you're going to be stupid enough to go and stay with this... macro... wolf... friend of yours, I at least want to speak with him for myself."

Nathan groaned in resignation. He glanced back up to Alexei, wrapping his paw around the phone's mouthpiece. "It's my father... he wants to speak with you."

"With_me_?"

"Yeah. Him and my mother are freaking out because... I didn't tell them I was in Velika until about thirty seconds ago."

Alexei's sleepy eyes widened. Despite his obvious surprise, he nodded back. "I understand." He reached past the husky, picking up his phone from the side table before switching on the lamp.

"Alex, you don't have to. I can just tell them no... just hang up or something."

"I am happy to do this. Also, I am thinking that for you to hang up would create more problems."

"Probably," Nathan answered with a begrudging huff.

"Can you add me to this call? I am thinking my paws are... a little big for your phone."

"Sure." He quickly cycled through his device's menu in order to bring Alexei into the conversation. "Just so you know. While they don't exactly hate Velikans... my parents don't exactly have the greatest of opinions about them, hence why they're only just finding out I'm here."

The wolf nodded and smiled, clearing his throat and lifting his phone to his ear. "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Frost," he stated politely. "My name is Alexei. How are you?"

What followed would be one of the most surreal experiences Nathan had ever experienced. Thanks to the four-way link, he could settle down next to Alexei and listen in while the giant wolf engaged in a lengthy long-distance phone conversation with his parents.

Before he'd arrived in Velika, the husky had never stopped to consider how and when the two parties would first interact, let alone what would be said between them. In any event, he never imagined it would be the most cordial of encounters.

Nathan's fears would soon be realised, his father wasting little time in laying into Alexei. He grilled him with questions ranging from how and how long ago the pair had met, all the way through to queries about the specifics of what they had gotten up to in Velika.

Nathan's mother also chimed in, though her manner remained notably more civilised. She asked about what measures he'd taken to keep her son safe. Alexei in turn responded by explaining about the bedroom he'd crafted in his side table, as well as the way her son travelled about the city secured within his breast pocket.

To Nathan's surprise, and relief, his wolf handled the questions with a remarkable degree of calm, given the circumstances. He also had the foresight to skip over the specifics of more unsavoury events they'd had to endure that would have likely raised concern.

"So, Alexei," Nathan's father rumbled. "Tell me about your family. What do they think about my son, a Polcian, staying with you?"

"Okay, Dad," the young husky snapped, noticing Alexei's ears folding back. "You're crossing the line a little now."

"What? I just want to know a little more about this... your company."

"It is okay, Nate. I am happy to answer--" the wolf stated, before Nathan's father cut him off.

"I think I'm allowed to be curious. It's not everyday you get to talk to one of their kind."

"_Their_kind?" Nathan's hackles promptly rose. "That's real classy, Dad. Be another sizeist."

"How's that sizeist? He's not Polcian, so he's--"

"Nathan, you must understand why we're just concerned," his mother interrupted, diffusing the situation, deliberately or not, before it could develop. Even with the mistrust still clear in their voices, Nathan's parents had calmed a great deal since first speaking with Alexei.

"I understand," he replied, taking a breath to compose himself. "You really don't need to be. Alex is taking real good care of me." He smiled up at the big wolf as he finished.

"Please, try to not worry. I care about your son very much." Alexei grinned back, his eyes sparkling. "He is safe here."

Nathan's ears flicked while his smile broadened. WIth phone still in paw, he shuffled closer to the giant wolf and rested his head against the soft, grey fur of his thigh. In response, Alexei slowly moved to gently stroke a finger down the little husky's brown-furred back.

"This isn't it, Nathan." His father's gruff voice pulled Nathan out of the moment. "I want to talk more about this at some point. I'm still not happy that you felt the need to lie to us like this."

"I figured we might, Dad... I am sorry for lying."

"Please be careful, Nathan," his mother stated desperately.

"I will, really. Like Alex said, try not to worry... both of you."

A brief pause followed, leaving Nathan wondering if the connection had dropped. "Mum?"

She sighed softly in reply. "Alexei?"

"Yes, Mrs. Frost?"

"It was... nice to speak to you." Even with the hesitation, she sounded earnest in her statement.

"You also," Alexei replied warmly. "And you, Mr. Frost."

"Thanks," Nathan's father grunted dismissively. "Nathan, make damn sure you take of yourself."

"Alright, Dad."

The family exchanged their goodbyes before the call finally ended; almost twenty minutes after Nathan had picked up. With the line dead, he tossed his phone aside with a long, irritated groan. "So... now they know I'm in Velika."

"Is this so bad?" Alexei replied, leaning over to place his own device on the side table.

"They're not all that crazy about you guys. Nowhere near as bad as some, but... still."

"You father mistrusts me perhaps, but your mother, she did not seem to hate me."

"She's always polite, even when speaking with a big, mean Velikan it seems," he answered with no short measure of sarcasm. "Either way, I wouldn't be surprised if my Dad drove them down to Arlone, ready to give me a dressing down once I get back to my place."

"A dressing down?" Alexei cocked his head. "They would do... what?"

"No," Nathan chuckled with more humour than he felt. "They won't actually... It means they'll let me know how annoyed they are that I lied to them."

"Oh... I understand... This is a shame, but I am thinking it is not a huge problem at this moment."

"Why?"

Alexei yawned as he reached out for the table lamp, drawing Nathan to his impressive, gaping maw above him until the room returned to darkness. "They cannot do anything until you are back."

"Still won't be pleasant!"

"I am thinking not, but they are parents." Alexei shifted carefully, lifting the little husky from beside his leg as he lied back down. "They will forgive your lie."

"Maybe," Nathan huffed, waiting until he'd be placed back on the soft fur of the giant wolf's chest before continuing. "Gods, it's so embarrassing how they treat me."

Alexei moved to gently push Nathan down onto his back, rubbing at his belly with a blunt claw. "If you will forgive me for saying... I am thinking in this example, they have some reason to worry."

"What?" Nathan responded curiously, half sitting. "Why do you say that?"

"I do not say this because you are in danger here." Alexei smiled, pushing him back down to continue his stroking. "That is a worry they have, but they also worried because they did not know where you were. I think I would act in the same way in this situation."

"Yeah, well... If I'd told them, they'd have freaked out and tried to talk me out of it."

"This I understand, but you would have still come to visit me, would you not?"

"Of course! No question. I just..." Nathan sighed, rubbing back at the wolf's finger with lowered ears. "I don't know. I don't like to lie, but it's hard to tell them things when they overreact like they do."

"Do you think that maybe they act in this way... because you are keeping things from them to begin with?"

"Look," he grumbled, pushing at Alexei's paw until it moved away. "I have to deal with them prying away at me about working too hard, my personal life; it all gets a bit much. I appreciate you trying to help, but I know my parents better than you do."

"Okay, we shall not talk of this," the wolf replied, sighing gently as he lowered his head to his pillow.

Nathan lied there for a moment, pulling his bed sheet up over himself. As warm as it was, it didn't have the same reassuring touch as the giant paw resting beside him. "Come on, Alex. Don't be so sensit--" He bit back the rest of his reply.

'Don't go making things worse for yourself.'

Swallowing hard, he pushing his pride aside. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." Alexei stirred a little but still didn't answer, prompting the husky to press on. "That wasn't nice of me, especially after you helped to calm my parents down." He rolled over onto his stomach and parted the grey fur beneath him, proceeding to run his claws along the giant's chest. "Thank you for that by the way."

Alexei wiggled against Nathan's touch before finally relenting on his silent treatment. "Okay, okay. This tickles." He lifted his paw and placed it over the little husky's back, gently hugging him. "I forgive you, and you are welcome."

Nathan groaned happily, shifting to get comfortable beneath the warmth of the giant wolf's embrace.

"I am still thinking you should try to be more honest with your parents. You know them better than me, yes, but honesty can help to make things easy for you."

He huffed, nosing into Alexei's fur. "I suppose... they're just so full-on sometimes. It feels easier to keep things from them."

"I understand. I have similar experiences with my grandfather." The wolf's chest lifted dramatically as he sighed deeply, his elder clearly still a sore topic following their argument earlier that week. "Let us look forward, yes? These things have happened. We shall visit the Polcian district tomorrow and have a good day."

"That sounds good, hon."

The pair moved to exchange one last kiss before settling down. Secure beneath Alexei's paw, a contented smile stretched across Nathan's muzzle. He drifted back off to sleep quickly, mere moments after light, comforting snoring began from his wolf. He would dream that evening, imagining Alexei sitting upon his favourite bench in his favourite park. In Nathan's mind however, he was resting there with him. They would hug each other tightly, never letting go, even as days turned weeks, weeks into months and months into years.