Leaving Home
#1 of Thatch and Carlen
A follow up to "Elevator Ride", detailing the events shortly after.
This was the first story I wrote after taking a long (at least two year) hiatus from writing, and was really a bridge to most of the stories that will be posted here. In case you don't know what the Thursday Prompts are, they are a word or phrase provided by Poetigress on FA meant to inspire you to write whatever comes to mind. It's a wonderful writing exercise and really helped me get back into the groove of things again.
Thursday Prompt: Leaving Home
By: Thaine T. Stephens
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" the wolf asked, placing his paw on the fox's forearm. "I mean...so they can at least meet the guy you're running away with..." He paused as Carlen leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. Thatch knew it wasn't a good situation: a young fox leaving home was never easy on the parents. But, when Carlen gave them the details, it would only serve to exacerbate things.
Taking the wolf's paw in his and stroking it affectionately, Carlen shook his head. "This is something I should have done some time ago. Besides," he said with a slight smile, "this is going to be hard for them without my lovely, handsome, physically imposing lover in the room." They kissed once more before Carlen opened his door and stepped out. "I'll call you when it's okay to pick me up," he said before closing the door. As he watched the wolf hesitantly pull away, Carlen began to feel insecure once again. He wanted Thatch there, but it wasn't the wolf's battle to fight...it was his. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the young vulpine made his way up the drive to the house. He hesitated for a long minute, his paw hovering over the doorknob before he opened it and stepped inside.
***
"That bastard!" Carlen fumed as he pulled the worn, brown suitcase from the closet and tossed it onto the bed. "I can't believe he actually took a swipe at me!" He ran his paw over his cheek, checking once more to see it he was bleeding. When he pulled it away, he was relived to find no blood. The scratches still hurt, though.
He was already busy rummaging through his sock drawer when a soft knock came at the door. Carlen ignored it, throwing his clothes into the suitcase. When the door creaked open, he looked up with a snarl, but stifled the growl when he saw his little sister poking her head through. "What is it,, Gwen?" he asked, his voice softer than it had been moments before.
Gweneth was only twelve years old, six years younger than her brother, but she was an extremely bright child with an astonishing degree of insight. She stood just inside her brother's room, shifting her weight from paw to paw, refusing to meet his gaze. "I, uh...with the noise...here. For your cheek..." she whispered, holding out a wet washcloth, but not coming forward to hand it to him.
Carlen felt tears swell up behind his eyes, but held them back as he took the offering. The damp cloth felt good on his face, the water soothing the stinging. "Thank you, Gwen," he said, trying to smile down at her, but had to turn away before he started crying. He got about two steps away before a thin set of arms wrapped around his waist from behind and clamped on.
"I don't care what you are...you're my brother... I don't want you to leave!" she cried out, squeezing him tightly. She pressed her face into his lower back, her tears leaving dark patches on his shirt. Carlen pried away from her grip and turned, dropped to one knee, and took the sobbing kit in his arms, tears running down his own face.
"Hey, it's okay, kiddo. Don't...don't cry," he choked out, trying hard to retain some composure. "No matter where I go, I'll still be your big brother, okay? But it's time for me to leave..." He opened his eyes and saw his mother watching with concern from the doorway, but Carlen ignored her until he got the sobbing kit to settle down. "It'll be okay...you can visit me when you're older..." He hesitated and then added "I promise," to the end, anticipating his sister's question.
The vixen standing in the doorway stepped inside the room and knelt down next to her children. "Gwen," she said softly, placing a paw on the kit's back, "honey, go to your room please. I need to talk to Carlen..." The male fox moved away from his mother as she came near them, leaving the kit standing there wiping her eyes. "Go on, sweetheart...I'll come get you in a few minutes," she said, and ushered the little one from the room. As soon as Gwen was gone, she turned to face her son. "How's your cheek?"
Marie was a tall, slender vixen in her late thirties, with shoulder length brown headfur and blue eyes that matched her son's. She'd been worried about him when he didn't come home the previous night, but couldn't reach him on his cell phone. She was relieved to see him return, but wasn't overly enthusiastic when he made his two surprise announcements.
"I'll live," Carlen snarled and began to pack his clothes once more. Dad had been the one that became irate when he told them he was leaving, and who he would be staying with. Mom hadn't said anything to him up until this point, and he was okay with it remaining that way. He wasn't interested in anything she had to say, since she waited so long to say it. She started to arrange the things in his suitcase while he grabbed more clothes from his closet, until he pulled the case towards him roughly. "Don't," he growled, shoving his wadded up clothes into the leather case.
"Carlen...we need to talk about this. I'm not going to try to talk you out of going...you seem to have your heart set on it...but we need to talk." She took it as a sign of approval when he stopped fussing and just stood over his half-packed suitcase. "I'll be honest...I'm not surprised you're gay. I had my suspicions, but you're father just kept denying it. But what worries me," she said, reaching out and putting a paw on his, "is how quickly you're jumping into things with this...fellow."
His instinct was to jerk away from her touch, but he fought that urge and waited before he slowly removed his paw from hers. "If I'm making a mistake..." he said, looking up at her sternly, "then it's mine to bare. I'm willing to take that chance for what I feel for him..." The concern on her face was obvious and sincere, making it hard to Carlen to retain his anger. "It's too late for things to go back...Dad knowing what he does now." He began to pack his suitcase once more when Marie came closer and took his chin in her paw and made him look at her.
"Little kit..." she said, her voice wavering with emotion, "I raised you the best I knew how...it might not have been perfect, but I did the best I could. I don't know if this...thing is because of nature, or something I did wrong, but all I can tell you is that you need to live your life the way you feel most comfortable. Just...please...you have the smarts, so use them, dear..." She leaned in and nuzzled her son, and was relieved when he returned the affection, letting her pull him in for a hug. "As long as you're family is here...you'll always have a home. No matter what your father says. He may not like you being gay...but he'll have to learn to accept it."
Carlen held his mother close for a moment, taking comfort in her words. He knew she was being sincere, but he was doubtful his father would ever change. "I'm not leaving because I'm unhappy..." he whispered in her ear. "I'm leaving because I have a chance at true happiness and true love..."
Sniffing loudly, Marie wiped a tear from her eye. "I know, baby...that's why I won't try to stop you..."
"Thanks, Mom..." he whispered, wiping away more tears of his own before breaking the embrace. He started to pack his things once again, this time letting her help. They worked in silence until the suitcase was full, and Carlen used his backpack for his laptop and a few other personal effects. "I think that's about it..." he said after a few minutes of contemplation. He was leaving a lot of stuff behind, but his mother assured him that she'd keep his room the way it was, in case he wanted to come back. "Thanks, but I doubt that will happen. Dad probably won't want me to visit..."
"Why don't you ask him and find out?" she said softly, motioning towards the doorway. Carlen's father, Walter, stood in the hall outside the room, leaning against the wall. His arms were folded across his midsection, with his paws tucked away. He was staring into the room, but not at either of the vulpines within. Marie nodded to her son and stepped away, leaving the two males with nothing but open space between them.
"Dad...I-"
"You're mother's right..." he said softly, cutting off the smaller fox. "You have to live the way you feel best. I don't like it...it's not what I had in mind for my only son," he said, finally looking up, letting Carlen see the dark tear stains around his eyes, "but you stood up for what you believe in. That's what a man does..." He moved towards the door and stepped into the room. He came close to Carlen, easily within paw's reach, before extending his arm and placing a paw on his son's shoulder. "You're always welcome home..." he said softly.
Carlen couldn't help himself when he lurched forward and wrapped his arms around his father, burying his face in his chest. There was a moment of hesitation before the older male's paws wrap around his shoulders. "Thanks Dad..." he whispered, holding on for a while longer.
When the two finally separated, Walter took one last look at his son before turning and walking out the door. "But I want to make one thing clear," he called from outside the doorway, "and that is, you are the only...gay...that is welcome in my house. Is that understood?" He didn't wait for a response before heading down the hall to his den.
Wiping his eyes once more, Carlen grabbed his bags and his cell phone and headed outside, his mother following him. As they passed her room, Gwen poked her head out to see what was going on, and then followed closely behind her mother. They stood on the porch together, the three of them, as Carlen set his luggage down and gave each of the vixens a hug. "I'll call when we get where we're going..." he told his mother, opening his phone and punching in Thatch's number.
"Remember," she said, giving him a kiss on his uninjured cheek before heading back inside, taking the kit with her, "that we'll always love you, no matter what..."
The phone rang several times before a familiar voice answered. "Hey, babe. You're ready?" The wolf sounded anxious, but also concerned when Carlen told him he was. Thatch said he would be there to pick him up in just a few minutes. There was a long stretch of silence over the phone before the lupine spoke again. "So...how did it go?" he asked expectantly.
Turning to look at his former home, Carlen smiled and wiped his eyes again. "Y'know...I think things are going to be okay..."