Relationships Read online

SHIPS

  by Graveyard Greg

  Relationships

  Copyright 2013 by Graveyard Greg

  Special thanks to Mitternacht for the cover art!

  Scowl was covered in bug guts, and he never looked sexier than he did now. “You okay there, Tank?”

  Tank was still doubled over, propped up against the wall trying to catch his breath, wiping off the gore plastered on his tank top with his free hand. “I just bought this,” he said.

  “Don't be such a girl,” Scowl said as he peeled off his sleeveless shirt, turning it inside-out to wipe the muck off his face. “You can always buy another one. Matter of fact, I'll buy you a new one.”

  Tank slowly straightened up, and was mildly surprised to find he could almost breathe regularly now. “You would?”

  Scowl's lips parted in a fangy grin. “Sure, I like buyin' stuff for my new girlfriend.”

  “Oh, I am so going to kick your ass now.”

  “Bring it, hot stuff. Then after I thump you good, maybe I'll teach you some new moves outside of the bedroom.”

  “We just finished destroying a nest of hellroaches,” Tank said, picking at the hem of his tank top. The thought of the glop sinking into his fur made his stomach churn. “How can you think of sex at a time like this?”

  Scowl closed the gap between the two. “Nothing turns me on more than staring Death right in the eyes and telling him to fuck off.” Scowl grabbed a handful of Tank's top, and pulled the rabbit down to the mountain lion's eye level. “And speaking of fucking...”

  “Tank?”

  Tank blinked, tearing his eyes away from the waves made by the cruise ship to glance down at his cousin Corey, a white rabbit like him, though unlike Tank the smaller buck’s ears trailed down his back. “Huh?”

  Corey elbowed Tank's ribs lightly. “I asked what you were thinking about. It must've been good.” He folded his arms against the railing. “Were you thinking about that new boyfriend of yours? What's his name again, Ivan?”

  “That's right, but I wasn't thinking about him.”

  “You were thinking about Scowl again, weren't you?”

  Tank winced, which was all the answer Corey needed.

  “Tank, you know I love you, you being my cousin and all.”

  Tank nodded his head. “It's in the Rabbit Handbook. We have to love all our family members.”

  “And I'm fully aware you're two feet taller than me.”

  “Two feet and two inches, oh five-ten cousin of mine. But what's my height have to do with--”

  Corey elbowed Tank in the ribs again, cutting him off. “Not finished yet. You're also almost four times my weight.”

  Tank shot him a mock glare. “Are you saying I'm fat?”

  “Let me finish. What I'm trying to say, when you’re not interrupting with your clever comebacks, is you could toss me around like a tennis ball.”

  “Okay, so I can toss you around. What does that have to do with anything?”

  “So why the hell are you thinking about that douchenozzle Scowl when you have a new boyfriend? One who's not a complete prick.”

  Tank rolled his eyes up to the blue sky above him. “It's complicated.”

  “So uncomplicate it.”

  “That's what I love about you, Corey.” Tank said after a heavy sigh. “You don't let me get away with much.” He then turned to face his smaller cousin and slid his hands under Corey's arms, lifting the lop-eared buck up until they were eye to eye. “But you can't just tell me to uncomplicate this and not expect some resistance.”

  Corey folded his arms. “What are you planning, Tank?”

  Tank walked away from the railing. “I hear this ship has a nice pool. So I'm going to throw you in it.”

  Corey huffed. “I hate these family vacations. I'm so going to tell Uncle B to toss you in with me.”

  Tank saw his father, the aforementioned “Uncle B”, lounging on a comparatively tiny beach towel by the pool. There was no trace of a smile, but Tank knew the massive bull may have been enjoying himself. He could just…tell. “My dad won't do that. He doesn't believe in having fun.”

  That was something he and a former boyfriend had in common.

  “Nah, I don't want to go,” Scowl said without breaking his warm up stretches.

  “But I thought you liked Robey and Jolly,” Tank said, feeling the frown form on his muzzle. Those two had been supportive of Tank's decision to join them in hunting down the things that go bump in the night. Or worse.

  Scowl finished his stretches and proceeded to go through his various katas. Tank had taken kung-fu as a child then judo as a teenager and still never recognized a single move the feline performed. “I just don't feel like being sociable.”

  “Come on, man, don't make me go by myself.”

  Scowl glared up at Tank, and the rabbit immediately knew he'd once again crossed a line. “I said I don't feel like going, damn it!”

  Tank held his hands out in front of him defensively, a gesture he'd learned months ago to use when Scowl was in one of his moods. He used it a lot lately. “Okay, okay. Just don't get angry at me.”

  Scowl squinted, and Tank flinched as if threatened. “I'm not getting angry.”

  The rabbit backed away, posture defensive, and grabbed his coat. Before he could leave, Scowl slid his arms around his partner’s waist. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

  “There's nothing to be sorry about,” Tank said, halfheartedly, convincing himself that everything would be fine. This was just how their relationship was.

  “I made you upset. I'm a jerk, but I'm not that big of a jerk that I can't tell when I upset you.”

  Then why can't you stop before you do upset me? Tank thought, but was smart enough not to ask.

  “I lost you again, didn't I,” Corey said, still held up in Tank's strong arms.

  Tank sighed. “Sorry,” he said quietly as he set his cousin down.

  “Come on, big guy. What's really bothering you?” Corey asked as he placed a hand on Tank's forearm. “Why are you thinking of ex-boyfriends and bad relationships all of a sudden?”

  Tank looked up into the clouds, at the smokestacks of the cruise ship they were on, anything to avoid looking down at his cousin. “I'm wondering if Ivan's making the same mistakes I made.” It took an effort of will to make eye contact with Corey, and when he did it pained him to see the concern in his cousin's eyes. “I got together with Scowl after he saved my life.”

  Corey blinked, his muzzle making an 'O' of surprise. “He saved your life? How? When?”

  Crap, thought Tank. Corey didn't know about the supernatural threats like the hellroaches. Sometimes Tank envied his ignorance. “That's not important.”

  Corey poked Tank on the belly. “Come on, cuz. You can't just leave it like that.”

  Tank frowned at his cousin. “Maybe you need a dip in the pool after all. Or maybe you can just stop being nosy and file 'How Scowl saved my life' under 'L' for 'Long story'.”

  “Okay. Sure.” Corey took a step back, hands raised in front of him, exactly like Tank would to Scowl when the cougar had lost control of his anger. It was a sudden and painful reminder that he could be just as intimidating as his former lover.

  “I'm sorry. I don't mean to act like that.” He turned to watch the waves and patiently thought out what to tell his cousin. “The bottom line is I got Ivan out of a very bad situation, but sometimes I wonder if he isn't making the same mistakes I did with Scowl.” Tank gave a brief shrug of his shoulders. “Or maybe I'm just over-analyzing everything.”

  Corey moved closer to Tank. “Do Uncle B and Aunt Nikki like Ivan?”

  “They adore him. As close to it as Dad gets, anyway.”

  “Then I don't see the problem.”

  Because they adored Sc
owl at first, he thought.

  “I can't believe I'm doing this,” Scowl said as he tugged at his shirt collar. “Do I look all right?”

  “You look fine,” Tank said, trying not to smile at Scowl's discomfort. He'd seen the mountain lion stare down beasts twice his size, but meeting the parents made the cat shake with nerves.

  “Don't you dare crack a grin at me, you overgrown carrot bandit,” Scowl said, glaring up at Tank for a second, then broke out a smile of his own, laughing. “We're getting serious now, huh? Meeting your parents and all...”

  “I wish I could meet yours,” Tank said.

  “I wish you could too, bunny. They would've liked you.”

  “You keep on getting lost in thought like that,” Corey said, thumping Tank on his midsection, “and I might get tempted to tie some pretty bows on your ears. Maybe put some ribbons around your tail...”

  Tank blinked, bringing himself back to reality again. “I guess I'm on a cruise down Memory Lane without a map.”

  “I don't understand why you're so stressed. This is a vacation, dude. You’re supposed to relax and enjoy it.”

  Tank nodded, taking in large lungfuls of air, exhaling with a heavy sigh. “I guess you're right.”

  “Of course I'm right. When have I ever been wrong?”

  “When you said Scowl and me made a cute couple,