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Chapter Sixteen
Hopefully
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Kalevi groaned as his alarm went off. For several moments he felt discombobulated. Kal was warm and oddly calm. He had the strange impression that until recently, there had been someone lying beside him. He tried to roll over when a sharp twinge in his backside reminded him of exactly what activities he’d done the night before.
Still worth it.
He got up and limped to the bathroom. Kal was actually thankful for the relatively cool shower. It helped with his bruises and… various long scratches. Yeah. He would need to put a shirt on before Eli saw that. Kal took care of business, cleaned his teeth, and tried to revive himself enough to present as a functional member of society. Despite the shower, he was still limping by the time he made it to the kitchen. Eli wasn’t up yet, but it was early. Kalevi let the cub sleep in. Hopefully, he wasn’t too traumatized from the night before.
‘Good morning. Sorry to leave you, but I thought you would appreciate hot coffee,’ purred a familiar voice. Ben stood up from where he’d been rummaging through the cabinets. He put the pan he was holding down on the old stovetop and sidled over to Kal. Kal growled, all bluff and no teeth. Ben grinned and kissed him anyway, calling his bluff and winning. Ben smelt fantastic, familiar and all cat. Thumbs rubbed possessively over Kal’s hipbones, making him shiver. The puma pressed him back against the corner of the bench.
Kal sighed, leaning back against the counter, and just let Ben do as he liked. Once again, he silently marveled at his own submissiveness. Even a month ago he would have rather bitten off Ben’s nose than let himself get manhandled. Now though, he knew that neither Vano nor Ben would hurt him, regardless of their species. Kal’s stomach fluttered as fingertips dragged up it. Ben was being surprisingly possessive. The fabric of Kal’s shirt was shoved up as the man looked for more skin to taste. Kalevi wanted more of last night. His toes curled against the cool tiles.
Kal’s cock was starting to harden in his slacks, brain filling in the delicious details of what could happen if he just turned around, yanked down his pants and presented himself. His sore hole twinged. Jesus, when in the hell had he turned into such a slut?
‘Gods, you’re so gorgeous,’ Ben purred before sucking a deep mark into the side of his neck. Kal actually whined, head spinning. His nipples were twisted and tugged, sending little pulses of pain and pleasure through to his already confused brain.
‘Ben.’ Vano’s deep voice cut through the haze of possession and need. The two cats broke apart, but not before Kalevi leant forward, following Ben’s lips. Ben’s eyes practically glowed as Kal’s pupils contracted.
‘Good boy,’ Ben purred quietly, nuzzling him. Kal’s breath hitched.
‘Ben,’ Vano said again, carefully, peaceably, as though trying to defuse a potential fight. ‘Eli will be up soon,’ said the stag.
‘Right…’ The puma shook his head. ‘Sorry, I got a little carried away,’ Ben wheezed. He huffed, trying to clear the warm scent of Kal from his nose as he forced himself to step back.
Kal was awkwardly tugging his shirt back into a more presentable position. His face was flushed. The colour was lovely against his pale skin. Ben had never before minded Vano’s hovering but this morning, the larger man was not quite as welcome as usual. Vano carefully moved his bulk between the two on the pretense of unpacking the little bag of groceries he was carrying. Kal hadn’t even heard the shifter enter the apartment. How loud had they been?
As he stood there, watching Vano pull out eggs and bread, the memory of exactly why he’d ended up in the predicament he had last night came back. Shit. He’d completely gone to pieces and not only that, but he’d dragged Ben and Vano into it.
‘I’ll get the plates,’ Kal muttered. Any arousal he’d felt was completely gone now as a wave of self-loathing threatened to loom.
‘Kalevi, please don’t feel ashamed of last night,’ Ben said gently.
‘How the fuck am I supposed to feel? I completely lost it. I practically threw myself on you two.’
‘It was consensual,’ Ben began.
‘Yeah, sure. You probably just fucked me to make sure I didn’t go off and do something stupid.’ Kal said under his breath. He yelped in pain as a rather firm grip grabbed his arm and yanked him around. ‘Ow, fucker!’
‘Now you listen here, Kal, because I’m only going to say this once. We did not have sex with you out of pity, or a sense of duty and any other bullshit reason. We love you and you needed us. It’s that simple.’
Kal blinked, stunned. He looked from Vano to Ben, their expressions equally serious and a touch hurt. ‘You… love me?’
‘Of course we do, little cat,’ Vano rumbled. Kalevi stood stunned.
Ben sighed. He raised his hands and when Kal didn’t draw back, he gently tugged the lithe man until Kal was against him. ‘I’m sad that the concept is so foreign to you.’ Not to be outdone, Vano pressed a kiss to Kal’s forehead. The gesture was so tender that Kal felt his chest ache. The trio stood together, exchanging scent and body warmth. There was a low hum from the old refrigerator. The tap dripped quietly.
‘Alright, get off. We’ve got to start breakfast before Eli gets up,’ Kal muttered. Of course he was the first to pull away. He was slightly disappointed when both men obeyed.
‘You make the toast. We’ll do the eggs and bacon,’ Ben said with a smile. Kal couldn’t quite bring himself to return it. Not yet.
Eli trudged out about half an hour later, the smell of bacon and coffee drawing him from his stupor. He glared suspiciously at his brother but didn’t say anything as he grabbed his plate and started for the table.
‘Gee, don’t offer to grab the cutlery or anything,’ Kal teased. His brother flipped him off but did stumble up again to collect plates and cutlery for everyone. Soon the plates of bacon, toast, fresh shaved ham, fried eggs and jams were laid out. Kal couldn’t help but smile as Ben filled Kal’s plate with bacon, ham, and eggs. This must have been what it was like for real families, for real relationships. They did stuff for each other without demanding payment… Odd.
‘You didn’t have to buy the ham as well,’ Kalevi said as he accepted his plate. Vano had warmed them a little in the oven.
‘No, we didn’t have to. I wanted to. Cats need meat,’ Vano said.
‘I think that’s one of the longest sentences I’ve ever heard you say,’ Eli teased.
‘Eat your food,’ Kal growled, pointing a threatening fork at his younger brother. Eli snorted but obeyed. Kal tried not to let his own face flush as he glanced back at Vano and mumbled, ‘Thank you.’
Kalevi had never been overly hopeful for the future. He had high hopes for Eli, of course, but for himself? He hadn’t let himself think too far ahead. It was all about getting to the next day, getting to the end of the month. Paying the bills. Scraping together what was left. Keeping Eli safe. Keeping Eli fed.
Now Kalevi had a new future in mind. A future where he could sell this shit hole, maybe rent somewhere a little cleaner, a little safer. Or… move in with someone. Kalevi tried not to focus on that part as he pushed his eggs onto his fork. That was too far away. Even so, it was getting harder to ignore the little voice in his mind that said where he really wanted to be was where Ben and Vano would be waiting for him.
‘I’ve got an essay due tomorrow. I was going to head to the library and get it finished with Katie and Miles,’ Eli said, breaking Kal’s train of thought.
‘Yeah? How much is left?’ Kal asked.
‘It’s finished. I just need Katie to proofread it. That and the opening paragraph is kind of weak.’
‘Sure. Just keep your phone and don’t-‘
‘Go anywhere alone and be back before dark. I know,’ Eli said with a grin. Kalevi nodded approvingly.
After breakfast, Eli helped Ben put the dishes away as Kal opened his laptop. Vano had offered to drop Kal off at work instead of having Kalevi run to catch the bus, so he had an extra half hour to check his emails. Kal opened them and went through his usual process of deleting spam and filtering through the numerous rejecting emails when one caught his eye. His breath caught.
Dear Kalevi Nikola
I am pleased to attach an offer of employment with Scholar Edge Incorporated in the role of Registration Communications Officer.
Please find the attached employment contract. We wish to offer the opportunity for an in-person interview. We have openings on Monday the 9th and Friday the 6th. If you are still interested in the position, please fill in the contact form and your preferred terms as soon as you can.
Kind regards
Sarah Riggins
HR Employment Office
Scholar Edge Incorporated
‘Ben, Vano!’ Kalevi yelped. He yelped so loudly that Ben nearly dropped the plate he was holding.
‘What, what’s wrong?’ Ben and Vano were at his side. Eli was right behind them. There was silence for a moment as everyone read over Kal’s shoulder.
‘Holy shit, that’s awesome!’ Eli yowled.
‘Language,’ Vano rumbled.
‘It’s just an interview. It doesn’t mean I got the job,’ Kal said, trying to stay calm.
‘They do seem keen on you though. They sent you a copy of the contract. Click on it. We can have a read through together. We still have a bit of time,’ Ben encouraged. Kal opened the contract. He had to keep reminding himself that there was a very good chance that he wasn’t going to get this job. Why would he? He wasn’t qualified for something like this.
‘Kalevi,’ Vano murmured. ‘If you have been chosen for an interview, it means they read your application and saw something they liked. Do not think you can’t do this. You can.’ Kal swallowed, his throat clicking. It was touching to hear Vano say so, but Kal was still struggling.
‘Look at that base pay!’ Eli said excitedly. Kal had tried not to. Granted, it was still an entry level position, but it was more than minimum wage.
‘It’s an excellent start,’ said Ben. ‘The company has a good reputation too. I know one of the social media managers there. The company provides scholarships and grants for students who are traveling or come from low-income backgrounds. They also help graduating students find jobs in their fields of study and host career days a couple of times a year.’
‘That sounds awesome!’ A meaningful job. Something other than unpacking beans. Kal wasn’t trying to be dismissive of the retail industry. Without it most modern comforts would collapse. The problem was that no one else outside of the industry understood that. He’d been spat on, screamed at, been threatened multiple times and most of the time it was over things he had absolutely no control over; all for back breaking labor, long hours and minimum wage.
He’d once had a box of nails thrown at his head because the old man buying them didn’t like how the company had changed the colour of the packaging. Afterwards, Kal’s manager had asked the old man if there was anything they could do for him, as though Kal didn’t have a half inch cut across his nose.
Nobody gave a shit for the box packers, the register slaves, the trolley collectors. Kalevi wanted a job where he could feel like had some real positive impact on the community. Where people didn’t look at him like he was dirt. Did that make him a bad person? A warm hand grabbed his. It was only then that he realized his own hands were shaking.
‘I really want this job,’ Kal rasped.
‘And we will help you. I’ll reach out to Kristy and find out a bit more about the position. Tonight, fill in the details they need and send the forms back.’
‘I’ve never sat through a real interview before,’ Kal admitted, his stomach in knots.
‘And that’s completely fine. We will help you,’ Vano said. He gave a rare smile. Kal took a deep breath and gave a stout nod.
‘Yeah. We’ll work on it.’ He closed the laptop lid. ‘Right, now I need to get to work, and Eli needs to head to the library.’ It was very hard to walk away from that laptop. He almost wished he hadn’t opened the email. He wouldn’t be thinking about anything else all day. Hells, he probably wouldn’t be thinking about anything else all week. Even the dread he felt about the up and coming meeting with his father was temporarily smothered by the prospect of a steady job. He would be able to drop hours at the grocer. He wouldn’t have to do newsletter drops every other week for scrap coins.
Saving every single can, every single bottle, pulling them out of rubbish bins if he saw them on the way home. Counting every single cent and still not having enough. No. He couldn’t get carried away. Even so, as he met Ben at the front door, he couldn’t help but be hopeful. It was a strange new feeling for him, one he’d only experienced on the night he found out that both of his parents were finally gone.
It was Ben who noticed it first, stepping out onto the landing and stopping. He was sniffing at the air.
Kal frowned. ‘What?’ He sniffed himself but there wasn’t anything outside the usual scents. Ben looked down to study a small pile of cigarette butts and dirty ash that had been left on the ground. It looked as though someone had been standing outside their door for a long time, smoking cigarettes, one after the other.
Kalevi growled. ‘I don’t like it.’
‘I know. Neither do we. Remember the plans we’ve put in place. No one goes anywhere by themselves,’ Ben said.
‘You know that won’t stop them. Not for long.’
‘Hopefully we’ll have more answers and help soon.’
‘And if we don’t?’ Kal asked, his expression grim.
‘Would you consider moving?’
‘Eli needs to finish school,’ Kal said firmly.
‘And he will but we may have to consider putting you both under real protection.’
‘We can look after-’ Vano stepped in, catching Kal’s hand in his own much larger one. He squeezed it.
‘We know, little cat. But no creature thrives in complete isolation.’
‘Bet I could find one,’ Kal muttered stubbornly. Ben and Vano chuckled. Vano kissed his cheek, and some of the worry and anger dissipated.
‘Come. We don’t want you being late. Just think about it would you?’
—
‘Can you talk about a time in which you had a difficult client and how you handled it?’
‘Is that really going to be one of the questions?’ Kalevi asked nervously.
‘It is a common question. It can be phrased different ways. Client, stakeholder, coworker. The point of the question is to understand how you handle yourself in difficult or uncomfortable situations. For now, how about you just jot down a few dot points. Some times and places that come to mind.’
Kalevi winced. Feeling a bit ridiculous, Kal picked up the pen and did as he was told. He wasn’t short on examples. It felt like every other day some asshole demanded something impossible.
‘Remember, the idea isn’t to be negative. You’re showing your skills in problem solving,’ Ben said gently.
‘Right…’ Kal grumbled.
Ben continued. ‘Another common question is what motivates you?’
The cat paused in his writing. ‘Really? That’s so… cheesy.’
Ben shrugged. ‘Not really. Some people are driven by money, some have a genuine interest in the business.’
‘Yeah, but none of that matters. You’d have to be a complete fucking dumbass to say “yeah, I’m only here for the money. Money motivates me.” Even I’m not that dumb.’
Vano settled on the couch beside him, the springs creaking under the much larger man’s weight. ‘Maybe don’t phrase it that way. And no swearing,’ the stag rumbled.
‘Yes. Definitely no swearing,’ Ben said with a frown.
Kalevi snorted. He found himself leaning against Vano, soaking up the man’s body heat. Outside, an evil wind had crept up. Kal had been very grateful for the lift after his shift as the temperature dropped steeply once the city buildings swallowed up the remaining sunlight. The wind was shaking the windows and Kal kept looking toward them anxiously. He was paranoid that there was someone out there. Vano had put the frozen quiche in the oven for dinner as Ben and Kal had got started on the forms. They had been easy enough so they had moved on to potential interview questions.
Eli wasn’t back yet, which was slowly becoming a new point of stress for Kal. He wasn’t late yet and Katie had texted only half an hour ago. He had been trying not to think about the thugs that were after them. How long were Kal and Eli going to have to suffer because of the kind of dirt bag their father was? What kind of justice was that? When would they just have some peace, some stability?
‘Are you alright? We can take a break,’ Vano asked, rubbing the back of Kal’s neck.
‘What if this shi… stuff keeps happening? I swore I would keep him safe, but he keeps getting older,’ Kal muttered, still staring out at the dirty windows.
‘Tends to happen with kids,’ Ben joked.
‘And if I don’t get this job… what am I going to tell him?’
Vano gently turned Kal’s face towards them. ‘Then you tell him you didn’t get the position and we keep applying,’ he said.
‘Simple as that, aye?’ Kal said with a slight smile.
‘It is as simple as that,’ agreed the stag.
‘Either way, we’ll be with you,’ Ben purred. He had abandoned his notes in favour of leaning into Kal’s personal space. ‘How was work today? I hope you weren’t too sore.’ At the mentioned, Kal clenched and felt the warm ache that had been with him all day.
‘Fuckers,’ Kal muttered. Ben dragged him into a kiss that was all tongue. The grip on the back of his neck tightened as Vano openly stared with darkening eyes. Kal leant back, spreading his legs in invitation. Strong hands rubbed along his thighs. He shuddered. Suddenly he really wanted to feel them without the clothes in the way. He wanted Ben’s teeth, Vano’s grip.
‘God, it is disgusting out there!’ Eli howled as he banged his way through front door. The trio broke apart like a group of guilty school children caught by teacher.
‘See you, Kate! Thanks for the lift!’ Eli closed the door and looked over at the couch. He took in his brother’s flushed face and the faintly guilty expressions worn by Vano and Ben. ‘Umm, did I interrupt something?’
‘No!’ Kal spluttered.
‘I thought you were working on your interview questions,’ Eli said with narrowing eyes.
‘We were!’ Ben grinned as he watched the exchange. It was refreshing to see Eli telling off his big brother for a change instead of the other way around.
‘Really? Do you want to get up and help me set the table?’ Eli sneered playfully. He cackled in delight as Kal’s face got redder, likely very aware that he was still aroused enough to show.
‘Can’t you guys at least do it in the bedroom?’ Eli teased. Kal groaned and buried his face in his hands.
‘Alright, that’s enough. Leave your brother alone. Dinner will be ready soon.’
‘Oh good! Maybe we can fry an egg on his cheek,’ Eli continued.
Kal hurled the nearest pillow.
‘Out!’
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END
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