Chapter 10: Getting to Know You

"Take me home." Tiege growled.

"No."

"Damnit, Tarren. Take me home!"

"No."

The annoying cat in the backseat sure liked to shout, but he was too hurt to really bother him much. In fact, Tiege had blacked out for the first few minutes of the drive. Tarren was taking him back to his place, though he wasn't too sure if that was a good or bad idea.

Guess I'll find out soon enough.

They pulled up outside of Tarren's apartment building near the back of the complex ten minutes later. It was a nice quiet place and he had a ground unit, which was also nice because he didn't think that he'd be able to man-handle Tiege upstairs. Glancing over his shoulder, Tarren grinned when he was met with bared teeth.

"You going to walk in, or am I going to have to hog tie you?" He asked calmly.

Tiege's eyes widened slightly, then he hissed. "You wouldn't tie me up."

"Why not? I think it's a great idea." Tarren replied nonchalantly.

Tiege looked extremely pissed, but he couldn't hurt him in his current state.

"So then. You gonna walk, or am I tying myself up a kitty?"

Tiege grunted but slowly got himself out of the car. Tarren had intended to help him get inside, but as long as he wanted to walk, he'd give him his space. His lion would normally try to dominate another injured predator, especially one giving him lip, but he also knew that Tiege was currently holding his cubs... which made the poor cat extremely confused.

When he got to the door, Tarren stepped in front, unlocking it before backing off. Tiege limped inside, then went straight for the light brown sofa pushed up against the left wall. Tarren let him get comfortable while he shut the door, locked it, and then went to the kitchen area. The two rooms were just separated by a counter-top, so he could easily see the guy from where he was.

"Want anything to eat?" He asked.

"No."

Hm?

Tarren glanced back over the counter at him, raising a brow.

"I know you're hungry. Your stomach was growling like crazy on the way here."

"So? Doesn't mean I wanna eat." Tiege replied.

They were silent for a minute before Tarren thought of something he often told pet owners when their animals needed surgery the next day. Maybe...

"Are you not eating because of the surgery tomorrow?" He asked.

Tiege's face paled, giving Tarren the answer he needed, even though he growled out another annoyed, "No."

With a roll of his eyes, Tarren quickly got busy putting together a small ham sandwich with tomatoes, onions, cheese, and a bit of mayo. He then brought it over on a plate and offered it to Tiege, but the guy just bared his teeth and turned his head.

Damn stubborn, cocky teenagers.

"Eat. You're not having surgery tomorrow." He stated firmly.

The hell is this guys problem?

He wasn't just going to ignore his parents. They saved him from a terrible orphanage when he was three, so he had no reason to ignore anything they asked of him. He didn't know why Tarren was so determined to make him go against the people who gave him everything he had, but he wasn't going to let him.

"I'm not eating a damned thing till after my surgery tomorrow!" He snarled.

He could tell that Tarren wanted to shove the stupid thing down his throat, but was actually surprised when he backed off, setting the plate down on a coffee table a foot away. He then walked off down the hall, returning a minute later with a light blue blanket and matching pillow.

"I'm not staying here." Tiege warned.

"Yeah, you are."

Before he could growl out a response, Tarren had dropped the stuff down onto him. If he hadn't been feeling so badly, he would have shredded the blanket. After getting the thing off his face, Tiege blinked, then sniffed the fabric.

"Tiege?"

His eyes blinked open, a bit confused as to what he had been doing. When he looked up at Tarren, his face was a faint pink and he was trying not to grin. Tiege was on his side, face pressed against the blanket, and he didn't need Tarren to tell him that he'd been rubbing against it... scent marking.

His tiger grumbled in his head, but he wasn't really sure why. It kept nudging at his mind to nuzzle the blanket more but he wasn't going to give Tarren any kind of sign that he might like him.

"Tiege, are you okay?"

Tiege stopped moving his head, then hurried up to a sitting position with a scowl.

Dammit! I just did it again.

"Your blanket reeks." He grumbled.

Tarren's smirk made him growl, but Tarren didn't seem threatened at all. Instead, he reached over, handing him a glass of water and a small pill. Tiege took them, but then just put them down on the coffee table next to the sandwich.

"It's not food, and one sip of water shouldn't matter. It's just a pain pill." Tarren said.

"I can deal with the pain. I'm not a damned kitten!" Tiege growled back.

Tarren's face fell slightly, the smirk disappearing before he gave a sad smile.

"I know that, Tiege. But you're hurt and it will help a lot."

He was about to tell him to mind his own damn business when Tarren reached over and gently pressed his hand to his cheek. Tiege's tiger immediately took over his human body, rubbing against it eagerly while a deep purr started up in his chest. He tried his hardest to fight it back, but the darn cat was adamant about showing affection to the bastard.

Seeing Tiege's tiger come out was quite surprising. It immediately got his lion's attention, making it rumble for permission to come out a little. Tarren figured that it couldn't hurt since Tiege's tiger seemed to want the attention.

With a slight smile, Tarren let his lion take over his human body, watching from its eyes as he leaned over to begin lapping at Tiege's face. At first the tiger growled through its human mouth, likely from Tiege's own upset, but after a moment he managed to push his other half far enough away so that he could accept the affection with a content purr.

Before he realized what Tiege's tiger was intending to do, it shifted, prompting Tarren's lion to immediately follow suit... and ruin his favorite pair of pants.

The other male had slid off the sofa and was now rolling around on his back, rubbing against the carpet with his big paws in the air. Tarren's lion recognized the behavior, but he reigned it in from trying to mount. Tiege was already pregnant and didn't need more stress on his body as it worked through taking him out of his heat. Hell, the human version seemed fine now. The tiger was probably just a bit late in figuring out that it already had kittens on the way.

Once his cat accepted that he wasn't going to let him breed again, he quickly laid down beside the other and began cleaning his belly, even draping a paw over the lower portion as he got more into the task.

After about twenty minutes his lion was content with his job and stood, stretching before shaking out his coat. His attention shifted to his own room as he began sauntering down the hall... only to stop and spin around with an annoyed growl when he felt a set of teeth gently nip his tail. Tiege's tiger backed off several steps but then flattened its ears to the side and growled quietly.

His lion wasn't quite sure what to make of the gesture so he just turned and continued on his way, only to be stopped again by a nip and a pathetic grumble. With a grunt, he turned around again and headbutted the tiger, making it sneeze and flop over onto its side.

Tarren's lion grumbled at the thought as it leaned down, licking along Tiege's muzzle. The action drew a rumbling purr from the other cat until his lion backed off again. He was just beginning to turn when he caught Tiege getting up and nudging at his tail again, mouth open and ready to nip. Ignoring the slight nibble, he paced down the corridor, slowly feeling his lion retreat enough to give him some control. When they got into his room, he hopped up on the bed, then flopped over. A good nap sounded great, and with Tiege's injuries and him being in his tiger form, Tarren doubted that he would be trying to go anywhere.

His eyes focused on the doorway and he only needed to wait one minute before Tiege's gorgeous tiger's head popped around the corner. He seemed hesitant to move farther into the room, but when his eyes landed on the dog crate Tarren had in the corner that he used for fostering patients for the vet, Tiege quickly grumbled and ran straight into it, curling up before laying down with his head between his paws.

What?

He barely fit in the thing, even though it was meant to be used for great dane sized dogs, but seriously, Tarren had no idea why the hell he was content being in a dog crate.

"Hey Gray!"

Grayson's head flicked up as he turned, hearing his name.

"Ah, hey Erin. What's up?"

The guy seemed a bit out of breath. Had he run to catch up with me then? Grayson smiled and waited until he stopped in front of him.

"H-Hey."

"Hey." He replied.

"Um, uh, do you want a ride home?" Erin asked.

Mom said she'd be getting home late...

"Sure. I'd appreciate that."

Erin sighed, though Grayson wasn't sure why, and then grabbed his hand to run outside.

Someone's hyper today.

"Alright, here!"

They stopped near a bush, and before he could ask what he meant Erin had tossed his bag at him and ducked behind it. A moment later he handed Grayson his clothing over the top, which he promptly stuffed into his bag. The next moment there was a huge elephant stepping out from behind the bushes.

Oh! I get to ride on his back again!

Erin's trunk curled around Grayson's waist as soon as he got his bag on his back. It easily lifted him up onto its back before beginning to saunter off.

"I don't think this would ever get old." He murmured in awe.

Erin blew out a snort through his trunk, making Grayson giggle a little as he looked around. A bunch of students were staring at them, some with awe, others with envy. Either way, he got the coolest ride home ever.

Did I ever mention that Grayson was the cutest thing that ever existed?

He had hugged him after lunch as a thanks for confronting Tiege, but then he said that he never wanted him to get hurt and not fight him again if possible. Of course, he agreed right away.

I hope I'm not getting whipped.

Grayson's quiet chuckle sounded from his back and his heart thumped a few extra beats.

Okay, I'll be as whipped as he wants!

Erin walked for about twenty five minutes before finally stopping outside of a bank on the edge of the shopping district. When he took Grayson down the guy stared in confusion, but the second Erin was dressed and back in front of him, as a human, he grabbed his hands and put on his best elephant-puppy face.

"Will you go to the movies with me?"

Grayson knew that he had totally trapped him into part of this since the theater was just down the street, but he couldn't help it. The thought of him declining at school and him not being able to put a smile on his face with the ride on his back made him do it. At least the way he did it, if he declined, he would have at least enjoyed a cool ride.

"Uhm... okay. That sounds nice." Grayson said shyly.

Yeah!

Before he could reverse his decision, Erin grabbed his hand and pulled him down the street, running straight up to the ticket office. When they got there, he turned to him, panting slightly to ask "What movie do you want see?"

Grayson looked up at the board, then his eyes lit up before he looked back at him.

"The Lion King!"

Of all the movies that are out, he wants to watch the rerelease of the lion king?

Grayson began to look uncomfortable when he didn't respond, making Erin quickly realize he'd been staring.

"We could watch something else though, too..." Grayson mumbled awkwardly.

"No no, it's fine." Erin reassured him, then leaned over slightly and slid a twenty under the panel.

"Two for The Lion King, please."

The young man behind the glass nodded and got them their tickets.

"Have a good time." He said.

"Thanks man." Erin replied with a smile as he quickly grabbed Gray's hand again and walked inside with him. The theater was huge, with twenty screens and an entire arcade. It was usually the place for teens to hang out. Since their movie started in a few minutes, he figured they had time to run over to the snack bar. When they got to the front of the line, Erin smiled down at him.

"What would you like?"

Grayson seemed a bit surprised that he had asked him and not just ordered, but after a moment of hesitation he pointed at a box of Mike & Ikes. Erin got him the candy and a soda to share, using up the rest of his money. After handing him the box, Erin took his free hand again and they headed off to the movie.

He had to admit, once it started he was pretty into it. The movie had always been a favorite of his and seeing it again on the big screen after so many years was cool. His attention drifted once in awhile to Grayson, and was directed his way once on purpose when Grayson pressed a Mike & Ike against Erin's lips. It made him smirk as he grasped it between his teeth, then made it disappear with a lick of his lips.

That had Gray chuckling quietly, and pretty soon he was nudging little candies against Erin's mouth repeatedly. Not that he minded. Anything that made Gray happy made him ecstatic. After a few minutes he glanced at the soda and quickly stole a sip. He had bought it for them to share, but Grayson hadn't taken a sip until just then...

Ah! I just kissed him!

Indirectly through the straw, but still. Grayson felt a bit bad that he had just stolen a kiss in such a weird way, though.

I kinda feel like a pervert? I don't wanna be a pervert! Do I apologize now? Should I apologize?

Grayson's glanced down at his hands in confusion before he felt a finger beneath his chin, slowly lifting it so that his eyes met Erin's. He leaned in extremely close, their noses almost touching, though he knew it was just so that what he was about to say wouldn't disturb anyone watching the movie.

"Is everything okay, hun?"

Warm breath. Smells like candy. I wanna taste.

Grayson leaned forward just a little more to close the tiny distance between their lips...

"Squeak."

No!

At the sound of a quiet squeak, Erin blinked open his eyes, then looked down. He thought that they were about to kiss, but he guessed his shift was just bothering him. Putting on a small smile, he helped fish Grayson out of his clothing and cuddled him to his chest. Noticing his box of candy, Erin also grabbed that and took out one, handing it to him after he got settled.

Hmm. He can't see the screen.

Carefully, Erin took the munching mouse and set him on his shoulder, getting a thank you squeak as he settled in to finish watching the movie. Right as it ended and the lights switched to dimmers, Erin felt Grayson fall forward off his shoulder. He was back in his human form... right as everyone was getting up to leave.

Without thinking, Erin yanked his jacket off and quickly pulled it around him, then hugged his body to his chest as if they had just been snuggling during the movie. They got a few odd looks and smiles, but thankfully his jacket was plenty big enough to cover Grayson when he tucked his legs in. He could sense his humiliation, but thankfully he calmed down once everyone had left. Before the cleaners came in, Erin quickly yanked his boxers on him, then pants.

Gray crawled off his lap once he was mostly dressed, his face a beautiful soft pink. Erin smiled at him and ruffled his hair, then handed him his shirt and grabbed his hand. Sure, he should have let him put it on, but he really, really liked him wearing his favorite dark brown leather jacket. And he might have also like looking at his bare chest.

They decided to walk home, which was highly enjoyable, even though it was a bit nippy out. Grayson had buttoned his borrowed jacket up and was perfectly content, while Erin's thick skin easily kept him warm. The silence was nice as they both walked side by side, hand in hand. Unfortunately, Gray's house came up way too soon. Erin didn't want the night to end, but seeing his happy smile as they stepped up onto his porch made it totally worth it. Instead of going inside though, Grayson turned to him.

"Thanks for taking me to the movies. I had a great time." He said quietly.

Grayson hesitated for a moment, then promptly jumped into his arms for an adorable hug. Erin, of course, had no issue at all returning the gesture and squeezing him playfully, making him chuckle. He then pressed a soft kiss to his hair before nudging him toward the door.

"Have a good night, Grayson."

The guy's parting smile was gorgeous as he nodded, then disappeared inside. When Erin heard the door lock, he turned and walked away. He knew that he should have asked for his jacket back, but was it bad that he felt that it looked so much better on Grayson than on himself?