Mike smiled when he saw his son and his boyfriends sleeping soundly in the bed. He turned to Todd and Dave and put a finger to his lips. They nodded, grinning quietly at the quad. Mike took a picture with his phone.
“I guess we have to wake Finn up now, but I really don’t want to break them up.” Todd the slightly tubby panda said, smiling.
“Nah, you two can sleep in the guest room for tonight. Besides, after all that drinking you guys are not going to drive home.” Mike whispered.
Dave and Todd nodded and walked to the guest room. Wouldn’t be the first time the sexy couple had stayed over and likely wasn’t the last. Mike escorted them…but paused for a moment, inspecting his house in an attempt to see if anything looked different. On the walls hung photos of himself in his youth, from his first football game to his acceptance onto the Cincinnati Bengals and the five years he spent working with the team. His eyes fell on the best moment of his life, a photo taken in the hospital when Jeff was born, the small tiger cub in both Mike's and Jeff's surrogate mother's arms.
After Jeff was born, the next five years were amazing. He enjoyed all the fame and fortune that came with being a pro football star. He was in several cereal commercials, one car commercial-still had the car parked out back. Dave was his rival, though the occupied different positions on their teams. Of course, with so much on his plate, he never really had time to spend with the new baby. He’d missed many important moments in his own cub’s life and he’d always regret that.
Then everything came to an end. Jeff’s surrogate mother died when he was just five years old. It had affected Mike deeply, forcing him to step up and become a father. After leaving the Bengals and football behind, he spent most of his fortune making sure Jeff would be set up for the rest of his life. They settled into a lovely suburb with Dave and his son and…well, he was rather happy their sons got along as well as their fathers did. When Jeff announced his intent to join the NFL, Mike had cried happily when no one was looking.
He went back to his son’s room and quietly re-entered it and sat down at the computer. The muscular tiger chuffed the air, whiskers twitching as he scented sex and musk. He glanced at the twins, idly wondering if they had ever been human or if they were Jeff’s doing. Ultimately, he decided it didn’t matter, as long as his son was happy.
Mike pulled up the Chronivac app. The twin pitbull’s profiles were open. They were identical in just about every way. He checked the most recent profile that had been scanned and found that everyone in the house had been scanned. So it was likely that the dogs had been humans…possibly not even twins. It was hard to parse the new reality with the old.
For the briefest of moments, he considered transforming one of the twins into his new husband, but even he was taken aback by the surge of revulsion he felt at the thought. It appalled him that he’d even think about doing something so cruel, age a young man up…
Mike paused. Or, maybe, age everyone down to 21 and turn the place into an all-animal fraternity. Experience college again. That would be way more acceptable. But it was a drastic move and then he’d also no longer be Jeff’s father, just his bro. He couldn’t do that to him. Unless Jeff asked, of course.
Instead, he typed: ‘Mike has a copy of the Chronivac App on his phone’ and pressed enter.
A few seconds later, his cellphone dinged. One of the boys coughed and stirred in his sleep. Mike picked up his phone and spotted the App amidst the rest of his mobile games. He grinned. Now he could use it whenever he wanted without having to disturb his son. He carefully rolled himself away from the computer and placed a blanket over his son and his friends. Then he crept out of the room, closing the door behind him.
He stopped by the bathroom on the way to his room and took a good look at himself in the mirror. The bathroom was so much bigger than he remembered it, a huge walk-in shower and a full-body dryer right next to it. In the mirror he saw the hot, studly tiger he’d always secretly fantasized being. A very small gut covered in white fur marred his features but it wasn’t that visible from the front. He couldn’t help but flex, watching his biceps bugle hugely and his tail twitch behind him.
Mike clapped his paws together to focus himself.
Right! Tomorrow he was going to find Mr. Right. He left the bathroom with a smile and went to the kitchen, making sure to open the windows to let the cool night air in and blow the musky raunch out. He started on the dishes and had gotten done with all the plates when something heavy bounced off the kitchen window.
“Close your fucking windows, your house fucking stinks, filthy goddamn animals!”
Mike growled. He knew that voice. Chris, his old football rival back in high school. They were next door neighbors and he always pulled this shit whenever Mike had guests over. He’d even done it when he wasn’t actually fucking anyone, just hosting a quiet birthday party for hi son. It was highly embarrassing.
This wasn’t new behaviour for Chris. He’d always nitpicked everything Mike did, even when they were kids. Mike had a feeling the guy was envious that the big tiger had been way more successful than he ever had. It was really disappointing because he was handsome.
Mike walked outside, ready to confront his neighbor yet again. As he stepped out of his house, something tinkled underfoot. He glanced down and found the glittering, sparkling remains of dozens of glass beer bottles around his house and yard. Mike thanked god he’d reinforced his windows.
As Mike made his way to Chris’s house, he noted that all the houses in their neighborhood appeared bigger, fancier-although his house was the biggest, obviously. He knocked on the door and waited. The smell of beer and trash emanated from underneath the door. Chris had started acting like this ever since they moved into the neighborhood. He had the emotional maturity of a small child.
Chris still hadn’t responded, so Mike banged on the door.
“Goddammit Chris, open the fucking door!” Mike bellowed.
The music stopped. Heavy footsteps pounded towards the door. It flew open, revealing Chris. Handsome, middle aged and well built, Chris was better looking than most for his age. He stank of beer and glowered at the tiger.
“Oh look, it’s the big bad tiger. Here to apologize for stinkin’ up the neighborhood?” Chris drained his beer and tossed it at Mike’s head.
Mike caught the can and tossed it behind him.
“You’re complaining about the smells from my house? Yours smells like a nonstop frat party.” Mike growled.
“Close your windows and shut the fuck up.” Chris said, squaring up on Mike. “You might like smelling your own musk but me and more than a few other neighbors don’t.”
“Tch, you’re drunk. Nobody thinks that about us.” Mike scoffed.
“What? People won’t tell the giant, rich, muscular predator that he stinks? Fucking shocker.” Chris rolled his eyes. “They’re probably afraid you’ll kill them, moron.”
Mike paused. “Look man, I don’t know why you have beef with me. I haven’t done anything to you.”
“I don’t like you because you’re a fucking furry.” Chris spat. “You get away with fucking everything. You’re a big old anthro and you can do what you want. You didn’t make star quarterback because you were more skilled than I was. You became the quarterback because you were born better than any human.”
“I see. High school was over 20 years ago, pal. Get over it.”
“And I’m tired of having to hear you fucking all the goddamn time.”
“We don’t fuck that much.” Mike looked away, scratching the back of his head.
“Like fuck you don’t! You don’t think I hear all the roars, howls and moans you and your faggot son make on the daily?” Chris prodded Mike’s chest. “And we have to smell your filthy freak musk every goddamn night.”
“If you don’t like it, then move.” Mike growled.
“I’m not moving. You are.” Chris smirked.
“What are you saying?”
Chris reached for the side table and tossed photos at Mike’s chest. It was of Todd, the flabby panda, getting reamed. Clearly taken from the window. Finn, Greg, and Chuck were seen in the background, staring in horror.
“What’s the school going to think when they find out that students are in the same room as their assistant coach as he gets plowed?”
“I…”
“Or the fact that you’re an incestuous pedophile?”
“It’s not true. Everyone I’ve had sex with is of age.” Mike replied heatedly. “You fucking know that!”
“That’s the beauty of it, my friend. I just need to make an accusation that sounds plausible. The lie goes round the world twice before the truth does. By the time you get exonerated, your reputation will be in ruins. Your career in the NFL? Torched. Your son’s? Not gonna happen.”
“What do you want from me?” Mike growled, claws extending involuntarily.
“For now, I want you to stop fucking with the windows open, for a start.” Chris smiled. “And 1 million dollars.”
“What?” Mike snarled
“Oh, come on Mike. I know you’re good for it. Small sacrifice to save your son’s future career prospects.”
Mike’s hand brushed his phone and he remembered he had the Chronivac with him. There was a solution to this problem. He grinned at Chris devilishly.
“Fine, I agree. Come on over and I’ll cut you a check.” Mike’s grin deepened as he saw Chris’s eyes light up in greed.
“Glad you got my drift. Hate to see anything happen to you or your own.” Chris grabbed his jacket. “Lead the way.”
Mike continued grinning all the way to his house, fists clenched in rage. Threaten his family, would he? Chris had fucked around and was about to find out.