Among Golden Rays (Gay Furry)

Chapter Thirty-Three: So the Boulder Tumbles

A flash of lightning illuminated the two at the door. Two canines.

Michael recognized them, they hardly changed whatsoever in the past years. They welcomed themselves with not a single word.

John Landry. A large and imposing wolf, Michael's height. Wearing a loose-fitting plastic jacket. His body was somewhat large, having a bit of a beer-belly, but beyond that the wolf was strong - he had muscles. A long beard stretched from his muzzle, and his suspicious eyes narrowed even without need.

Emilia Landry was a husky, imposing and strong-willed as well. She stood with proper posture, arms tightened around her own waist, her hands clasping tight to her arms. She wore a jacket over a long red dress. Both of them were slightly stained by rainfall.

"Michael." John spoke as soon as they entered, sprinkling droplets of water onto the hardwood floor. His tone was icy, gruff - there were undertones of dancing disappointment and indifference. Like he didn't want to be there. His eyes portrayed the same emotion as they drifted over Michael

"Dad. Mom." Their son replied dryly, glancing between the two of them. He stepped to the side, allowing them to enter into the living room. His dad gruffly walked past, shaking off the rain. His mother walked, just about as stiffly and robotically, though she did something he did not expect.

She gave a small, barely perceptible, smile.

John stood in the living room, taking in everything around him. The walls filled with paintings. The shelves of tacky trophies from years back. The decent TV stationed atop a dresser. The coffee table with the shiniest, most golden trophy. The symmetry, the organization. He didn't seem too impressed.

But nor was he unimpressed, and that was just about as important.

"You've made this place rather cozy." Emilia said, her tone somewhat impressed, even if there were undertones of scrutiny. Michael was happy that the house was fit for them.

"Thank you, I-"

"Cooking something, Michael? I didn't know you could. You have a wife yet?" John asked, eyes shifting to the walkway into the kitchen. He couldn't see Jake in the kitchen, though he could see a fox's tail. Michael gulped. Emilia looked charmed, eyes widening a little. She quickly made her way into the kitchen, expecting to see a female fox cooking away.

Instead she saw Jake.

"Not... exactly." Michael replied, though his tone was stone-cold. He was not going to be embarrassed by dating Jake. If there was one thing he was tired of, it was bending knee to people who would hate their relationships. He would stay strong for the both of them.

"Oh." Emilia noted, though she retained her very faint smile with a twitch. With a hasty glance through the kitchen, he saw Jake wave at her, barely holding onto a neary boiling bowl of soup in one hand. Emilia walked back out of the kitchen with her hands in her arms, a deep sigh escaping her lips.

"What do you mean by that?" John asked, glancing at his son with a side-eye, his body turned to the side in a defensive manner. Michael exhaled, feeling the beat in his chest thump like a parade of elephants stampeding. Michael eased his fingers against his flannel shirt, and called for Jake.

"Jake, hun, can you come here?" He asked, stressing the 'hun' part of his sentence. If his parents were going to come here and scrutinize every part of his life, then damn it, he'll give them something to scrutinize. He was done.

Jake was somewhat nervous about this whole thing. His hands clenched the bowl in his hands with his nerves, his eyes shifting constantly in slight fear and agitation. He let out a small sigh, walking to Michael's side to face his parents. Michael side-hugged him, rubbing his arm with his hand. He was nervous too, despite everything.