FSE

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So here is part 12 of new beginnings. as always i hope you enjoy it and provide feedback! haha

Chapter 12

"Tied game!" Griffin called out, only to be pulled under the water by Felix in a desperate holler.

"Yeah right tabby cat! Nine to four is NOT a tie no matter where you are." He released the cat and laughed when Griffin fumed and splashed water.

"I told you not to do that! Tied game on a call of poor sportsmanship!" he tried again, back stepping threw the water to get away from the now charging bull.

"Close but no cigar Griff."

Ricky watched from the sidelines, it was abundantly clear he could not keep up with the Taller Varius, Hell everyone aside from him, Desmond, and Calper, were lapping what he could do in fractions of the time. It was known that Varius were much stronger than humans, but just how much stronger was unknown to the rust haired boy. Klain in particular with his muscles and slim frame seemed to melt thru the water like a hot knife through butter. If that wasn't enough the tv loving otter Daxon had joined in mid game and blew even the hot knife simile out of the water with his speed and grace.

The three onlookers floated about in the deeper ends of the pool watching the surprisingly fierce 'friendly' match. At one point Miki whipped the ball over Shell whom, without a second thought, pounced on Pence wrenched the ball from his paws and held him under until she passed it on to Felix; the look in her eyes was ferocious for such a shy girl, there was no doubt in Ricky's mind that nothing short of a lack of bubbles from Pence would have gotten him above the surface before she intended to release him.

"Is Shell always so intense?" Ricky asked absently, treading water. "She doesn't seem the type at all really."

"Nah Shell is pretty...well she's like two people actually." Desmond said, moving along on his back, eyes closed, "shes shy and mellow but competition brings out that part of her, and don't even get me started on dancing." The bear looked up with a grin, "She helped me DJ, picked the songs and I got a fair share of free dances." He grinned, rolling his eyes and shutting them, "If only she knew at the time it was a wasted effort."

Ricky grinned, "So they haven't been together long." He stated more than asked. It sounded weird that he was trying to profile people he should consider friends. Was that one of those things nthat was off limits? it was in his nature and it made him a bit more comfortable. 'Old habits die hard' he supposed in his head." What about you and Namy if you don't mind me asking?"

The bear just continued floating about not even seeming to register the group approaching them, "We started dating..." he paused, eyes still closed when he asked "Calper, two or three months before the colonization launch?"

"Earth or Heart months?"

"Earth please." Ricky tossed in, Varius timelines and math were still foreign to him as far as specifics and comparisons, if Calper said five months he wouldn't have a clue as to what that meant in Earth time.

"About..." Calper stopped, "10 months in Earth time."

Desmond finally looked up with a shocked look that turned into a smile, "Damn, long time." He said happily.

"How did Shell not know about...the whole uhh...gay thing then?"

"The gay thing?" Desmond asked with a chuckle making Ricky blush "She was a transfer those few months ago on Earth. Her old ship was primarily planned to stay back on Earth, but familys were given the option to re-assign."

"Its only her, her dad and sister." Calper added. "Griffin couldn't take his eyes off her, she wasn't alone on this ship for very long." he grinned.

"Lazy! That's what you get!" The bull boomed in a friendly over the top manor, cutting through the floaters conversation and pushing the bear under. Desmond surfaced, fur over his eyes and spitting water off his chops, "Play next time yah big lug." Then he turned to Ricky with a devious grin that made Ricky wish he could swim faster. The bull charged with a smile but suddenly fell whilst Ricky was in retreat.

"Every time I play you complain if all im told to do is block you." Desmond responded, pulling back on Felix's right leg and dragging him out and away from the human.

"I could take you!" Felix retorted, the two beginning to wrestle around. The play fight was still a scary one with all their raw power; even if half the time was spent trying to breath with no floor under them to get a grip on in the tussle.

It was strange, but Ricky was starting to understand the flow of a healthy friendship. He had always told himself its just a matter of finding someone you have a lot in common with. It was a bit sad he had to admit to be thinking about the physics and technicalities of something any teen should just understand, but he was doing it.

He realized that what really fueled a friendship was memories. It was odd to think it but it was true, what really kept a friendship going was keeping things new and making everything memorable. At least five times during the match Calper and Desmond had reminisced about something old, then that somehow fueled conversation about something new. Metaphorically Ricky came up with 'you need a sturdy and obvious foundation' but he was working on that one...

"How are your sea legs?" Daxon asked, his tan, lithe figure slithering across the surface of the water, belly up towards the human. He had a dull look in his eyes. Daxon had struck Ricky as easily bored but energetic. At the same time that conflicted with him loving movies so the profile was incomplete.

"Fine I guess." Ricky said, not entirely trusting that look, "Why do you ask?"

Daxon shrugged, slinking off "No reason, just curious to see how you were in the water."

"Well why would-"

Ricky was interrupted by Miki jumping over him and splashing water into his face in a gigantic cannonball, and just when Ricky got the water from his eyes the mutt shook his fur dry with a laugh, "So yeah I don't think you could keep up in water polo."

Ricky spit water in the dogs face, "Yeah, that's why im over here in the safe zone, you guys are nuts."

"Competitive." He corrected, "Its just a thing we have, Humans hate to lose, but we REALLY hate to lose...well most of us, there are the exceptions." He offered Ricky a careful smile, deciding not to swim to close due to the locker room situation before.

Ricky recognized the intended distance and appreciated it, but it didn't completely stop every bit of uncomfortable in the moment.

Despite Rickys calm face and hell, he even threw In a smile and some conversation, he was still nervous. He kept imagining he was somehow going to screw this up and that he would be alone again. On numerous occasions during the water polo Ricky had averted his eyes away from Desmond's floating front; he continued to talk, he continued to stay in the water, but he didn't want to set himself up for failure either. It wasn't that he had never seen another persons private parts, but never so casually. Some part of him still wanted to call the habit 'European' as opposed to 'Alien' but he guessed in a way it was sort of both.

There was another splash, Pence dragged Miki beneath the surface and the pair struggling to grapple one another below Ricky. It was funny, as soon as it was apparent and they were fighting on the surface, laughing sure, but fighting. Ricky and Calper both got out of the pool as the deep end turned into an all out wrestling match. In the end, despite Shell and Namys lasting efforts, it was down to Felix and Desmond again, in shallower portions now making the motions more intense than before.

Out of the water was worse than in it for Ricky, towels were used to dry briefly then discarded for sun drying. Ricky reclined back in one of the chairs and tried not to make a big deal out of it.

"Are they always like this?" he asked Namy in disbelief.

"Pretty much," Namy responded, shaking off excess water like his earthly counterpart, "Depends on the day really, some days they just sit around."

Shell giggled, "Some days you just sit around too."

"Details details honey." he waved her off.

******

It had been another hour or so before the group left the pool, Ricky went back to Pence's for a proper lunch and then to his own room to change. The group had almost unanimously decided that it was going to be a TV and movie day at Rickys, his room acting like a totally private lounge, even if it was a bit cramped. It had all the perks and none of the little ones to watch or ruin the peace.

Shockingly enough to the gang of friends Daxon decided to tag along, Calper explained he was usually a wanderer. He fit into any group he so chose, but he never really stuck with just one for a whole day. "He'll probably leave by the end of the second show or whatever we do." The pig bet.

Lunch had been soup, the contents of which were unknown, but it tasted like a creamier vegetable soup to Ricky even if Mrs. Katorei insisted there was meat in it. Ricky had never been ashamed of his lean body, but he felt insignificant compared to the room of lions. Mr. Maze was big, Ricky could guess some of it was fat in the belly, but the gym was obviously at least a part time religion. Mrs. Katorei was like Miki's mother, lean and agile, but strong, Pence was Pence, he had that 'never needed to try to get it' kind of muscle, and Ricky was the string bean, that word seeming off because he was shorter than the rest.

As would be expected Ricky also ate much less than his hosts, making a mental note to eat slower so he wouldn't have to sit there awkwardly as they finished two or three times the food he did.

"Why don't you walk back to your room Ricky," Pence's mom instructed when he was on his third minute of waiting for the lions to finish their own food, "Pence has to wash up and help clean anyway, it'll be a while."

Her son gave her a surprised look that fell into one of disappointment, "Really mom? Im 18, im not a kid anymore."

"Young men help their mothers clean, your father helps me clean, and you are still my little cub." She stated, the last point being made with a voice like a mother speaks to a baby or a person speaks to a puppy.

Pence was repulsed, standing away from the table with a groan, "Oh my god!" he grabbed Rickys bowl for him and started washing the dishes, "Why are you guys so embarrassing!?"

"Its my job." She stated, still sipping at her soup, and unlike her husband frequently using a napkin to wipe the broth from her maw, the soup sitting in the fine furs. "I love you hunny."

Ricky smiled at the whole situation, "Love you too." Pence groaned, he did, whether he wanted too right now or not, "Yeah Ricky just go back to your cabin, she's gunna make sure I shower and wash behind my ears and everything."

"He should shower too after the pool." She insisted, "Chemicals sit on your skin and fur...err, hair, and dry them out."

"Christ" Pence jumped, "Don't badger him too!" The lion cried, cheeks red beneath the fur on his face.

"Im not badgering him." She stated in the most factual manor possible, like she was reading the weather aloud and not talking to a person, but she was smiling at Ricky so he knew she was playing with her son.

"I'll go home and shower." Ricky said standing, "Thank you again for lunch."

"Don't feel like you have too." Pence said,turning on the water for the dishes and not looking at the human.

Ricky shrugged, "Well now it just seems like the smart thing to do." He admitted quieter.

Pence dropped the plates, taking Rickys hand and taking him to the door, "Get out before she corrupts you anymore." He joked, "I'll be done soon and I'll be right over. You remember where your room is?"

Ricky nodded, "Yeah, see yah in a bit." The door shut and he walked back towards his cabin hoping he was telling the truth; these halls all looked alike to him.

******

Ricky got to the cabin in one piece and without directions from temperamental avians this time. The Varius language was still foreign to him so yet again he typed in his default password, clueless how to set a new one. The space still felt alien to him, it couldn't be called a home, it was so basic, it lacked any character what so ever and felt too cold to be his yet. It felt empty of more than just furniture and people.

He also hadn't been lying back at the lions cabin, he was going to shower so he collected a few things and was about to just discard his clothes until he remembered that anyone could enter at any time so he threw on some pajama bottoms and went to search the bathroom for towels and toiletries.

It was then that his thoughts shifted for once to his father and the two of them in their old life. Ricky didn't know how or why or if it was possible, but being on the ship, with Pence and Miki and the gang, the loss of control over his life made him open up. It was as if his mind automatically made the only choice it could anymore. Lone wolf or wolf pack. It was amazing, on earth Rickys dad had tried his hardest to make Ricky a man's man, big, tough, smart and confident. But that entire plan was crushed beyond recognition when his teacher of all things masculine cried and fell into his little depression. Ricky couldn't understand that kind of love, the kind where being apart was THAT painful, friends were a new concept, lovers was WAY off.

He really hated to admit it, but Ricky knew he had a problem with parental figures. He couldn't respect his dad after the depression, he remembered loving him so much, wanting to make him proud, his mom smiling, the family together...but he couldn't remember how it felt. Feeling that love he did as a child was lost to him. It was hard to try and find love again when your mother, your perfect in the eyes of a child mother, left you and her 'true love' for another guy, when your baby brother to be wasn't your dads, and when your dad tried to keep it all together.

At last he found the closet with toiletries, grabbing an oversized towel and shampoo, a bit disappointed at the lack of body wash but he knew why he didn't have any, the Varius shampoos WERE their body wash so he would have to try to remember to ask someone in charge about soap. He was just happy he found what he did so he could stop thinking and just shower; he always managed to clear his head under a shower.

That though was another odd thing. He realized he had never thought about or questioned the lack of official greeting he received on the ship. He chopped it off to him having run off from the lift off site but he pictured the Varius military as strict and official as the Avians made it seem. Not one to forget large details like an entire person.

He entered the bathroom which consisted of the oversized toilet with four seat sizes, a sink with a large mirror and the tinted glass wall that he would step behind to the shower itself. The room was tiled and although Ricky could not find a fan to remove the moisture bound to collect on the mirror walls and ceiling Ricky was fairly confident that the Varius solution was automatic and something from a sci fi novel. The water collected and somehow recycled and re-used again and again.

Quickly, so he could get it over with, Ricky undressed himself completely and wandered over behind the showers privacy partisan. The shower looked pretty basic, it had two faucets, presumably one for hot and cold water prospectively and a shower head, granted the shower head was wider to accompany a compendium of body sizes, Ricky was confident he knew what he was doing. But to be on the safe side Ricky stood directly under the shower head as to test the water temperature before entering recalling something about Varius being more resistant to high temperatures and not wanting to burn himself.

Ricky was very happy he did, it turned out that one faucet controlled heat while the other controlled water pressure, Ricky was a bit shocked at how much water burst forth from the shower, not in a sprinkling like on earth but in a solid uninterrupted flow, like a waterfall. Ricky quickly sorted out the double faucet problem, and finally had the heat and flow running perfectly. He stepped into the flow now wondering why earth did it any differently.

The water rushed over his entire body cocooning him in warmth without being so forceful it was hard to stand. It was rejuvenating, the rush was loud enough to be considered the necessary white noise to lose thought without being annoying, and the multitude of drains left his feet above 'sea level'.

Without realizing it Ricky let go, all his thoughts vanished, all his doubts gone, all the negativity from the chain of memories earlier vanished. But he didn't want to indulge too much if he was going to have company, he wasn't really sure how having company over worked, but he guessed walking through the room of guests in nothing but a towel wasn't the right way to go about it. Well...maybe to Varius it wasn't as bad, but it still wouldn't feel right to Ricky.

He grabbed the shampoo bottle and gave it a good wiff, smelling what reminded him of almonds and...well something sweet he couldn't quite place. It was rich, and the shampoo itself was nothing special looking but after a moment of scrubbing Ricky realized it foamed MUCH more than it earth counterpart to accompany its creator's level of fur.

Shrugging it off Ricky started scrubbing his hair and moved the foam over is body, if he didn't have a proper body wash he would at least smell good. He ran his head under the stream and then felt a pressure on his back, and the world tumbling.

His heart stopped when he looked up, starting at a large figure threw the stream of water. He couldn't move, the serenity attained from the shower ceased to exist. He felt so weak, so fragile and small compared to the large hulking mass; naked in all manners of speaking.

Time passed slowly, like the air was chilled molasses. The figure reached threw the water and grabbed his neck, pushing him to the wall, Ricky could do nothing, his muscles frozen. Ricky acknowledged there were words said, but he couldn't make them out. Every nightmare was happening. He felt his head being shook around and the varius shoved his head in the stream like he was going to drown him. Rickys lungs burned, previously unable to take more than a few rushed and short breaths. The rough hands eventually released him and left him behind the water stream. Ricky lay just behind the stream breathing but unmoving. He couldn't feel anything, and then he blacked out. They were the longest 30 seconds of his life, and they terrified him more than any other string of events he had thus far experienced.

*****

Pence walked into the cabin slowly, "Ricky?" he asked, he door shutting behind him. He hated to intrude, but the group was coming here anyway so there was no point in going anywhere else. He heard the shower running and took a seat on the couch, picking inside his ear for water from his own shower. He didn't like his mother's over protectiveness but it did pay off, the chemicals would have dried his fur half to hell, but his mane was soft to the touch.

His thoughts went to Ricky, the boy would be showering, and there is no way that he also showered in trunks...He shook his head to get that thought from it, he was a friend, you don't think of friends like that, Pence knew THAT much. He closed his eyes and reclined his head back on the couch, wondering when he would hear the shrill scream of a discolored Kochi, the prank would be funny and worth it for Calpers sake, but Kochi was a vengeful fox, she would strike back somehow. This wouldn't be left as such.

After a while he looked back at the bathroom door, the shower hadn't even been shut off yet, and it had been at least an hour since Ricky had left Pence's own cabin. He told himself to leave well enough alone and not storm into a bathroom in worry. He flicked on the holoscreen flicking through channels but not able to stick too one.

'What's taking so long?' he thought to himself, looking back at the door the water noise was coming from, 'not even a Varius takes this long...'

He couldn't help himself, he stood up and walked over to the door, putting an ear to it. After a minute he concluded that no one was under the stream of water, there was no difference in sound, it just flowed. Pence raised his paw, gently knocking so lightly not even he heard it. He swallowed, knocking harder, "Ricky?...you uhh, you ok in there?"

He waited and didn't get a reply, his feet got antsy and he couldn't sit still, he knocked again "Ricky?" he asked louder "If you uhh, if you don't answer im coming in. You ok in there?" He started counting in his head, 1......2.....

The seconds seemed to take forever, but he forced himself to count to ten so he could seem normal...appearance was everything in the social game according to Calper, he couldn't seem creepy and desperate.

3.....4.................5...............................6

Every moment was an eternity, he stopped at seven, sure that it had been at least twenty seconds. Hesitantly he opened the door slowly, covering his eyes with a paw, the steam and hot air rolled out past him, "Ricky?"

Pence opened his eyes, 'Why the hell wasn't he responding?'

There was no figure in the tinted glass of the shower wall. Pence took steps in, obviously Ricky had to be there, even if he couldn't see him. Pence's eyes widened, maybe he fell and cracked his head. He took a rushed step towards the shower.

Maybe he had drowned in some freak accident...

Another step another horrid possibility.

Passed out in a panic of sorts.

Step.

Maybe he wasn't there...that led to kidnapped in his brain.

Step. He bit his lower lip a bit.

He was allergic to something in the shampoo and cant breath.

Step, paw on the glass, turning head to see around the corner.

'Don't be dead don't be dead don't be dead.' He panicked.

It had taken a brief 2 seconds to cross the room and he felt aged by worry.

He stared, Ricky was behind the flow of water on the floor curled up in a near fetal position. His face half in the water. Pence rushed over, flicking off the water, dropping to his knees and scooping Ricky up faster than he thought he could. He instantly put an ear to Ricky mouth feeling the hot breath of a breathing life. Pence let out a breath he hadn't realized he held, he let his large lion head fall into Rickys shoulder in relief, he tried to catch his breath.

He was alive. He was alive he was alive he was alive. Pence couldn't recall ever feeling such relief. God damn it Ricky was alive. Pence couldn't help it, in the surge of emotion he cried into Rickys already wet figure.

"What are you doing?" Ricky mumbled.

Pence managed to grin and choke out a laugh "I was calling for you stupid. I thought you were hurt."

"Who was that?" Ricky asked then, his eyes not really focused on any one thing even though he was staring at the water draining away. "Why did..."

Rickys hair was the same icy blue Kochi would be now. Save for the back and part of the right side of his head, Rickys hair would be icy blue for a minimum of 3 earth months. "I dont know. Are you ok?" The lion asked again, standing with the human in arm. "I'll grab you a towel."

"Thanks but...i still need to shower." he said quietly. "I've been sitting there for a while and I think whoever it was spilled all the soap away and i'm not clean yet."

Pence's ears fell a bit. It sounded haunted. He was terrified but he was trying to brave it. Honestly it was the first time the lion had seen Ricky fight his own primal urges of fear and he wished more than anything It would stop and the human would just cry or something.

"Well...i guess. But are you ok to actually shower? I'll grab you more soap."

Ricky just shook his head. Not really an answer but it kept shaking and shaking until Pence saw tears and heard a sniffle. The human heaved and teared up but did not break down. "I'll be ok can you just give me a moment? To clean up." Ricky took notice of his own nakedness and turned away from the lion.

"If you say so dude." the lion tried his best to be casual and walk away. He knew thats what Ricky wanted even if it wasn't what he needed. He fought every urge to stick around the little weakened but still fighting human. His hair looked so wrong, his face was red, and his motions were unsure and shaky.

Pence walked to the living room and released another frustrated breath. It didn't make sense. This was clearly Kochi's counter attack. It wreaked of her unimaginative copied revenge tactics. IT still didn't make sense though. She had seemed to just want interaction, curiousity time with Ricky so why attack him and not one of the others. Ricky was clearly the easier target but Kochi seemed smarter than just going for the easiest and quickest available target. He called a number holding the reciever up to his ear, the ringing eventually stopped and Kochi picked up.

"Hello? A bit old to be calling and not messaging aren't we?" She asked in the cocky voice of someone who knew they won. "Don't you think you should be watching your human? Ralph says he pissed himself in fear, way to fall for-"

"Shut your god damn mouth."

The line went quiet.

"If you ever touch him again I swear to god I will destroy you." Pence stated colder than anything he had ever said, he hung up and placed the receiver on the table, going off to set Ricky's door lock. When he finished he stared at Rickys bathroom door. "I won't let them hurt you again." He remembered what Miki had said about packs and friends and sighed. As much as the moment felt personal, he knew he wasn't actually alone. "WE won't, I promise."