It's A Hoot (mxm)

Chapter 14

In his younger years, he vaguely remembered them being tired and always wearing this expression of guilt they masked with smiles.
At one point, he'd woken up sometime during the day to the murmur of their voices. He was twelve at the time.

He got out of bed and crept across the floor. Silent as an owl. He opened the door and leaned out, catching portions of their conversation.

"...we need to get out. I don't like it." Rachel muttered.

"I know, but we can't just pull out. You know this, it has to be gradual or there will be repercussions." Came Stephan's response.

A sigh. "It's just hard... To look at him after doing..." Her voice got muffled.

"Hold on a little longer, love. Just a little longer." Stephan murmured.

Their voices got quieter and Toren couldn't catch any more.
He yawned tiredly and leaned against the doorframe, drifting back to sleep where he sat.

He never thought much of the conversation. Some part of him convinced him to ignore it. That it was just a dream. Perhaps it was his desire to have a family, so much so, that he ignored all of the little hints that there was something amiss.

The backyard shed he was never allowed in to. The one that smelled overpoweringly of mint, masking of a scent he could never pinpoint, all he knew was that he didn't like it. Eventually the shed went away. When he was sixteen, he woke up one evening to find it completely gone. His parents said it was rickety and falling apart so they decided to get rid of it. They put a flower garden there instead, but still Toren never liked standing where that shed used to be. It made his skin crawl.

Then there was the file cabinet. The locked one shoved in the back of his dad's office. There was nothing odd about a file cabinet, but the way his parents behaved around it, was. They'd give it nervous glances when they were in the office with Toren. They never opened it when he was around. They hid the key for it and passed off the cabinet as full of boring tax stuff. He'd always wondered what was in it. It too eventually disappeared without a word.
A

few times when he was out in town with his parents, he'd catch them looking at shifters. It was odd for a human to be able to tell who was shifter and who wasn't. You had to be really good at spotting the signs. In fact it was near impossible without some training.
He'd always passed it off as a coincidence, but they never looked at humans with interest. It was as if it was an instinctual habit. One that eventually died out after the shed and file cabinet disappeared. They never really did seem to see shifters on an equal plane.

They loved him. That, he could never deny. And he loved them, just as much, if not, more. They were everything to him. He'd never felt more comfortable with anyone.

That is, until.... Michael and the people of Miller Town.

Present day...

Toren let out a heavy breath. So many pressing matters to deal with. But for now, he had to resolve the ones he knew he could.

"We need to talk. You, Alexander, and I."

Michael furrowed his brow and tipped his head down with a question hanging in the air between them.

"About mate stuff..." Toren murmured out, finding the word "mate" weird to say.

Then he patted the bear's arm to indicate he was ready to get up.

Chuffing, Michael bent his head down and buried his nose in the crook of his neck. He blew out hot air, pulling Toren closer.

"I don't want to move," Michael growled. His possessive nature must've been triggered by the mention of "mate."

Toren took a deep calming breath before relaxing to let the bear know that it was okay. Then he rubbed his arm gently and turned it over so he could trace the lines across his palm.
Such big hands, compared to his own.

"I just think we need to talk things out. I noticed how both of you instinctively see me now and I would really like that to not become a problem in the future. I don't want to lead anyone on. It's important to talk about these things." Although he had no experience with any of it, he'd studied such matters a great deal, along his journey to get his Doctorate.

This seemed to ease Michael's mind at least a little and he loosened his grip. Just enough for Toren to slip out of his hold and off the couch. He winced at the pull on his chest. The wound itched, but he knew better than to rub it.
Michael seemed a little disappointed, but when their eyes met, the bear let out an amused snort.
Toren cocked his head, blinking owlishly and looking for an explanation.

"Your hair." Michael made a gesture above his head, a slight curve to his lips.

Toren reached up to feel the poofy mess all gone astray. "Don't you have work?" He tried to comb it back, but to no avail.

"I did..." Michael murmured, averting his eyes.

"But...?"

"You weren't awake yet and I didn't want to disturb you." Michael shrugged.

"What time is it?" He bent down to pick his phone up off the coffee table.

"Nine thirty!!" He exclaimed.