Leather and Lace: Nothing Worth Doing Is Easy
By VerbMyNoun
Sunday January 19, 2014
Marblecliff, NH

Llyulf Kalayo wearily trudged his way over to his desk and dropped into his favorite chair. It had been an exhausting day spent at the hospital surrounded by people he did not know, all of whom were there to show their support for Megan. Opening up the page for one of Marblecliff’s most popular social message boards, The Memo, he created a new post:
Subject: Justice for Megan
Body: Early Saturday morning, a very close friend of mine was brutally beaten and hospitalized, simply for being third-gender. While police are asking for anyone with information concerning the attack to come forward, I'm asking you all as a community to actively seek out and share anything you can learn.
Megan is one of the kindest, gentlest souls I have ever met, and even before this atrocity occurred, she had endured more than her fair share of oppression because of her gender. Her father abandoned her and her mother when she was born. A jilted ex-lover spread an intimate video around the entire school out of spite in an attempt to humiliate her. And yet, Megan never allowed these events to change the way she treats others: with respect and dignity.
I love this city, and it shames me to think that something this awful could happen here. Let's come together to send a message to these bigots and to the nation that Marblecliff is better than this and we will not tolerate this behavior.
Thank you.
As he continued to look online, Leo saw a similar post made on the main page of Omen Breaker’s official site, offering a cash reward for information leading to an arrest. It gave him a little reassurance to know that some of his other classmates were taking action. After another ten to fifteen minutes of checking some of his more frequented sites, the Wolf got up from his desk and collapsed onto his bed, falling rapidly into a deep slumber.
~~~~~
January 20, 2014

Llyulf gave a slight grunt in protest as the sun managed to penetrate through his eyelids. It took a few minutes of struggling to go back to sleep for him to remember that his bedroom window faced west…
He bolted upright and checked the time. It was almost two o’clock, he realized with a panic, and he’d slept through almost the entire school day. Perhaps, if he was quick enough, he could make it to school in time to collect his homework assignments from his teachers before the final bell rang. Looking down at the wrinkled mess he’d made of yesterday’s outfit by wearing it to bed, he quickly changed into his most comfortable pair of jeans and one of his favorite t-shirts that said, “There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.” Since he was showing up so late, he didn't see the point of putting on his uniform.
He opened the door to his room and stepped out into the hallway to use the bathroom and brush his teeth before heading out when he heard his father call out from the living room. “Well, look who’s finally awake.”
His dad was never home from work before five-fifteen, so the teen Wolf bypassed the lavatory to make sure everything was alright. “Hey,” Leo remarked as he entered the living space. “Why’d you let me sleep in so late? And what are you doing home so early?”
“Today's a holiday, remember?” the elder Wolf chuckled. “I didn’t have work today, and you didn't have school. I just figured you stayed up all night coding or something.”
“Damn,” Leo chuckled too as he scratched his chin. “I completely forgot.”
“Hey, are you doing okay? You seem a little… off.”
Leo and his father weren't particularly close, not anymore, like they used to be before the divorce. His mother, Darlena, was arrogant and self-centered, and had drained Niall of basically all his self-esteem. The final blow had been when she served him with the papers. After that, he’d thrown himself into his work - the only thing that helped his confidence - as a distraction. Leo understood, but their father-son dynamic had suffered for it. His parents were still on speaking terms, but they were far from being friends. Personally, while Leo still loved her - she was his mother after all - he blamed her for the divorce and damaging his relationship with his father. He tended to avoid spending time with her whenever possible.
“Yeah,” he shrugged as he dropped down next to the older male on the couch. “I’m just tired, and worried.”
His father didn't ask about what had him so worried. He’d made it a point of letting Leo have his own space, but he’d also made sure that his son knew that he would be there to help out if he was ever in a bind. He also made sure that Leo knew that he was free to make his own mistakes, but he’d also intervene if his son overstepped his boundaries. The older Wolf just sat there watching Netflix.
“Did you hear on the news about the herm that got beaten almost to death in the warehouse district on Saturday morning?” Llyulf asked quietly.
“Mmhmm,” his father nodded.
“She’s a friend of mine from school,” he continued. “I spent most of yesterday at the hospital with our friends, trying to support her.”
Niall Kalayo paused the period drama he was currently watching and walked into their open-concept kitchen. “Go on. I'm listening,” he stated as he took down a skillet from above the island.
“I don’t know,” Llyulf sighed as his father went to the refrigerator, then the cabinets, gathering ingredients. “I mean, I had just seen her Friday night at the dance, performing up on stage, and a few hours later she's battling for her life in the E.R.. It’s just been a shock to the system, you know?”
“Didn’t think you’d see the same kind of violence here as you did back in Florida?” Niall asked.
“It’s not that,” the younger Wolf shrugged. “I mean, no city is totally free of crime. It's just never hit so close to home before. I guess I just disassociated myself from it all down there.” A familiar, comforting scent reached his nostrils from the kitchen and he took a deep breath, savoring it. “Is that…?”
“Yep,” Niall answered. “Your favorite.”
When he was still just a pup, Leo had come down with pneumonia. Unable to take the time off from work, his parents had left him in the care of his grandmother, Polly, who introduced him to her signature grilled cheese, filled to overflowing with roast beef and smoked gouda cheese. He’d fallen in love with the treat to the point that Niall was forced to ask his mother for the recipe.
“Man, it’s been what, five, maybe six years?” Leo asked. “The last time you made that was when I -”
“-Burned yourself for the first time with your soldering iron,” his father finished for him. “I remember. Nana’s grilled cheese always made things better, though.”
“Yeah, it did. Thanks, Dad.”
“So, how’d the dance go?” Niall asked. “Have a good time?”
“For the most part, yeah,” Leo answered. “Turns out that Midori, my date, was pretty much exactly like my friends had warned me. She ended up ditching me halfway through so she could hook up with her ex.”
“Ouch,” his father replied. “That sucks, but if that's how she wants to be then she isn't worth your time.”
“Yeah, I know,” Leo smiled. “Anyway, that happened while I was off getting us both some fruit punch. And while I was on the way back, a girl bumped into me while she was dancing and made me spill the drinks all over myself.”
“Adding insult to injury.”
“Exactly,” Leo replied. “I mean, I would have hung around the dance to listen to Megan and her band perform, even after what Midori did, but after getting covered in fruit punch I just felt gross and decided to call it a night. Since I rode to the dance in the same limo as Midori, though, I called a cab.”
“I’m still waiting to hear about the part where you actually enjoyed yourself,” his father replied with a grin as he walked back to the sofa and handed Leo his sandwich and a cup of cream soda.
The teen took a bite of his lunch and continued telling his story, talking with his mouth full. “So I get outside to wait for the taxi, and there’s this girl sitting out there in the cold. She’s gorgeous, and all alone, so I figure something bad must have happened to her. She wasn’t wearing a coat or anything, so I approached her and offered her my leather jacket.”
Niall returned a moment later with a plate of his own and took his seat. “I knew I raised you right.”
“So get this,” Llyulf continued, “she was outside waiting for her dad to pick her up. Apparently, her date was Midori’s ex, and he just abandoned her in the middle of the dance, too.”
“Talk about a small world.”
“Right?” Leo remarked. He could feel his cheeks becoming warm with excitement as he continued to recount his encounter with Holly. “So we spent about ten minutes talking with each other while waiting for our rides to get there, and I dunno, everything just felt perfect.”
“Nice. So, did you guys exchange numbers?” his dad asked.
“No,” Leo’s voice trailed a bit with the slight shake of his head. “After the way she got spurned by her date, she wanted to make sure I wasn't just another creep trying to get her into bed. She told me that if I had really been paying enough attention, she had given me enough clues to find her.”
“And?” Niall asked. “Were you?”
“I think so,” the teen answered with a huge smile.
“Then what are you doing sitting here wasting time with your old man? You’ve got the day off from school! You should be using this opportunity to start looking for this Cinderella of yours.”
After finishing his lunch and taking care of the dishes, Leo headed back to his room and took his seat at his desk. A simple Google search helped him to find the thirty-seven Italian restaurants within a twenty-five mile radius. Since Holly’s date was a Chimera Prep student, he figured he wouldn't have to look too much further out than ten miles, but it didn't hurt to expand his search further than that. Of the thirty-seven results, sixteen of them were chains, which he was able to eliminate since she said she worked at a family-owned restaurant. Two of them were within reasonable walking distance, and since the weather was decent for mid-January, he decided to step out for some fresh air and sunshine rather than make simple phone calls. Besides, it would probably help him to collect his thoughts.
A subtle trace of Holly’s perfume lingered on the collar of his leather jacket, causing him to smile to himself as he slipped it on. Typically, he wasn't one to care for artificial fragrances, but hers was light and airy and didn’t offend his sensitive canine nose. Once he found her he would have to ask what the name of the perfume is so that she’d never run out so long as they stayed together. With a playful spring in his step, Leo stepped out into the crisp January air to begin his quest.
~~~~~
January 23, 2014
Cavallo Italian Restaurant

“Thanks for driving me out here tonight,” Leo said to his father as he parked their Volvo C30. “If this is the place and they’re busy, I don't want to look awkward dining by myself until the end of her shift.”
“No problem,” Niall replied as he unfastened his seatbelt and exited the car. “It’s been too long since you and I last went out for dinner together.”
“When we were house-hunting for our move up here,” Llyulf recalled.
“Right. We went to that one Chinese place,” the older Wolf grinned. “What was it called again?”
“Long Wok on Beech,” Leo chuckled.
“Right,” Niall nodded as he pulled open the door. “Besides, I figure I could be your wingman.”
“This is the place,” the younger Wolf said, halting in place as soon as he stepped inside.
“What, do you see her?” his father asked, his eyes scanning the dining area.
“No, but I smell her perfume,” Leo replied, sniffing closer to the hostess stand. “And it’s strongest right around here. Do you smell it? Kind of like apples with a citrus undertone?”
“Yeah,” Niall answered with a playful grin. “You have her perfume memorized and everything. My boy’s got it bad.”
A Pig girl came up to the hostess stand and greeted them. “Hello, welcome to Cavallo. How many in your party this evening?”
“Actually, I was wondering if Holly was working tonight,” Leo answered.
“You just missed her,” the girl replied. “She got off at seven.”
“Okay, thank you,” he said. “Give us just a minute, please.”
“That was twenty minutes ago,” Niall observed. “Did she work a short shift or something? Today's a school day.”
Leo tilted his head back and let out a groan. “That’s right… She takes her classes online at home. She can work whenever.”
“Excuse me, Becca,” Niall called to the hostess.
The teen Pig turned around and asked, “Yes, Sir. Can I get you a table?”
“Actually, I realize that you can't just give out your co-worker's personal information,” he explained, “so I was hoping you could give her a call for my son, Leo, here and ask her if she’d mind coming back to join us for dinner?” He took a twenty out of his wallet and discreetly slid it across the stand.
“Give me just a moment,” Becca replied with a smile as she slipped the bribe into her vest pocket. “I’ll see what she says.”
When his father rejoined him, Leo remarked, “Not too bad. This was only the ninth place I checked.”
“How many were there?” Niall asked.
“Twenty-one.”
“And except for the place we checked earlier tonight, how many more would we have gone to if this one didn't pan out?” the older Wolf asked.
“Two more,” Leo answered.
“So you’re the infamous Leo, huh?” Becca teased as she came back from making her call. “You know, she hasn't shut up about you all week.” Niall held up his fist and held it there. Llyulf rolled his eyes at his father's cheesiness, but gave him the expected fist-bump anyway. “She says to wait out front and she’ll pick you up in a few.”
Father and son stepped back out into the parking lot, leaning against the rear hatch of their shared vehicle while they waited. What felt like a moment later, the Chipmunk girl pulled up in a Subaru Impreza, her windows rolled up as she carried on a conversation via Bluetooth. Finally, she ended her call and rolled down her window.
“Hi! You must be Leo’s dad,” she waved. “I’m Holly.”
“Hello, Holly,” the older Wolf replied as he and Llyulf stood upright. “It’s a pleasure to meet the young lady that has my son all worked up.”
“Oh god,” she giggled, looking past the older wolf as Leo walked around to the passenger side of her car. “Does your license plate seriously say, ‘I LUV PI?’”
“What can I say? I'm a bit of a geek,” Niall replied as he opened the door to his car. “You two have a good time tonight.”
When Leo opened the passenger door, he saw a little pink bag from Victorious Egret sitting in his seat. Holly blushed and quickly stashed her purchase in the back, out of sight. “Sorry,” she chuckled nervously. “I was in the middle of checking out when Becca called. You weren't supposed to see that.”
“It’s no problem,” he reassured her as he settled in beside her. “This was kind of last-minute.”
~~~~~
“So, your dad seems pretty nice,” Holly said as they sat down in the food court of Sequoia Square Mall.
“Yeah.” Leo nodded, before taking a bite of his cheeseburger. “He can be a bit corny sometimes, but he’s great.”
“So I take it you two are close, then?” the Chipmunk asked.
“We used to be,” the Wolf boy answered, “before the divorce, before he started putting up walls to protect himself. Now, we’re more like friends or roommates, but every once in a while we have our moments.”
“That’s awful,” Holly replied as she stabbed some of her salad onto her fork. “Do you mind me asking what happened?”
“No, it’s fine,” he said after swallowing another bite of his meal. “Mom was just… I don’t know… controlling and condescending towards him. Nothing he said seemed to matter to her if it wasn't what she wanted to hear.”
“Ufff. That sounds rough,” She gently placed a paw on top of his. “What’s your relationship with her like?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it’s as good as she wants it to be at any given time.” He took a sip of his iced tea, and when Holly didn't speak he went on. “I give her a call towards the end of every month and she talks for about an hour, letting me know what’s going on in her life.”
“I notice the way you explained it that it sounds like she doesn’t ask how you’re doing,” the Chipmunk girl observed.
“Not really, no,” he said. “Whenever we talk about me, it’s really all about her. The last time we talked, she asked me what my plans were for Mother’s Day before launching into an eighty minute rant about her new boyfriend.”
Holly shook her head. “I can’t imagine what that’s like. My whole family is extremely close. My brother and sisters, aunts, uncles, and first-and-second cousins all come into town for the holidays to visit my parents and Gran. Sometimes we have more than thirty people in the house.”
“That sounds awesome,” Leo cracked a smile, somewhat thankful for the change of topic. “I'm an only child.”
“Well, who knows? Depending on how things go, maybe we can get you and your dad over for some future gatherings.” She gave his paw a comforting squeeze.
“If your dad lets us,” Leo smirked. “You saw the glare he gave me when he pulled up to get you.”
“He knew that my date upset me and I wanted to go home,” she giggled. “He just assumed that was you. I straightened things out in the car. He knows I'm here at the mall with you now.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” he replied, the news causing him to visibly relax.
“Yeah, he trusts my judgment. He knows how many times Ryan asked me out before I said yes. He also knows that after hanging out with you for ten minutes I wanted more,” Holly locked eyes with the wolf. “Just don’t break my trust and you and he will be fine, no matter how he acts.”
~~~~~
Once they finished their meals, the pair took a walk around the mall, holding paws and sipping iced coffees from Javagama. Holly was wearing Leo’s leather jacket draped over her shoulders, just like the night they met almost a week prior, when she caught her reflection in a mirror at one of the kiosks.
“You know,” she said as she paused to look at herself, “I’ve never owned a leather jacket before. I think it looks good on me.”
“It really does,” Leo smiled as he looked on appreciatively. “You should definitely get one sometime.”
“You know what?” the Chipmunk replied. “You’re absolutely right.” She shrugged his jacket off and passed it back to him. “Come on.”
She pulled him along into JCPenney, back towards the women’s outerwear section. The leather and suede jackets were secured to the racks by a cable and lock. “It looks like we’re going to need help. Would you mind finding a salesperson while I pick out a few to try on? Please?”
“No problem,” the Wolf said as he glanced around and spotted a familiar face folding shirts not too far away. “I’ll be right back.”
He approached the teenaged Cow girl and greeted her. “Hey, Anna. I didn't know you work here.”
“Leo,” she said with a big smile. “What are you doing here?”
“My friend over there needs some help with the leather jackets,” He pointed over to where Holly was waving at them.
“She’s a cutie,” Anna said with a playful grin. “Are you two an item?”
“Just getting to know each other for now,” the Wolf explained. “But I really like her so far.”
“In that case, I’ll put in a good word for you, and let her use my discount,” she said as she slid her keys down off her arm and over her wrist.
“Thanks, Anna, I appreciate it,” he replied. “I’m going to stop at the fragrance counter real quick, okay? Just tell Holly I went to use the bathroom, and I’ll rejoin you two in a few minutes.”
“Sounds good, just let me go tell Gina to give you my discount. You go tell Holly that I’ll be right over, and you can go use the men’s room then.”
“Well that took awhile,” Holly teased as he rejoined her. “Someone you know?”
“Yeah,” Leo grinned, “Anna and I go to school together. She’s going to grab the keys and she’ll be right over. Find any you like?”
“I’ve found four so far that I’d like to try on, at least,” the Chipmunk explained.
“You know, you two are really cute together,” Anna commented as she walked up behind them. “I'm Anna. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hello, Anna,” she countered. “I'm Holly.”
“Hey, I'm going to go use the bathroom real quick,” he said, excusing himself. “Back in a couple of minutes.”
“Take your time,” the Cow said with a playful wink behind Holly’s back. “We’ll be here.”
Llyulf walked off towards the restroom, and once he was out of sight, changed direction and headed for the perfume counter. An Alpaca woman noticed his approach and smiled at him. “Are you Leo?”
“That’d be me,” he answered as he shrugged his leather jacket off. “I need your help with something, Gina.” Holding the garment out, he asked, “Do you know what fragrance this is on my collar? My date seems to like it and I’d like to get her some more.”
The woman took the jacket and breathed it in deeply. “Mmmm,” she said. “Your date has very nice, very expensive, taste. That’s Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue.” She led him down the counter to a display of various Dolce & Gabbana perfumes.
“I'm going to guess by the name that it’s the bottle with the light blue cap,” he said, picking up the sample and spritzing a small amount into the air. “Yep, that’s the one.”
“Just so you know, Anna’s discount is twenty-five percent,” Gina explained.
Leo picked out the smallest bottle they had available - one-point-six ounces - and checked the price tag. Despite Gina’s comment about Holly having expensive tastes, he was still surprised by the sixty-eight dollar price tag. He could afford it, using money he had earned on the side doing various small coding projects. However, considering he had only known Holly for six days and they weren’t even a couple, he figured that something more so early would be inappropriate. Plus, the larger bottles would be difficult to hide in his jacket pocket. 
He rejoined Anna and Holly just as the Chipmunk girl had narrowed her choices down to two jackets.
“Help me decide,” Holly said, still wearing a black trenchcoat. She re-did the belt and did a few turns, starting out slowly for him to form his opinion, but gradually speeding up and making the end of the coat flare out like a dress. When she came to a stop, she asked, “What do you think?”
“It’s cute,” he answered truthfully, “I can see why you like it.”
As she took the jacket off, she said, “There’s one more.” Anna passed her a black leather motorcycle jacket and she slid her arms down into the sleeves. She did another little spin. “What do you think of this one?”
“Why don’t you zip it up?” he asked. Holly did, and his eyes lit up with appreciation. The leather hugged the soft curves of her body, accentuating them without suffocating her. The style also better matched his own, which she seemed to like so much. “That one,” he said hoarsely. He cleared his throat before affirming, “Definitely that one.”
The trio walked back over to the fragrance counter so that Gina could process the sale. “That’s two hundred two dollars and forty-nine cents,” the Alpaca woman said. When Holly presented her credit card, she took a quick glance at it and asked, “Your name’s ‘Hallelujah?’ I bet that’s an interesting story.”
~~~~~
“So,” Leo said as he and Holly walked through the mall heading towards her car, her paw in his, wearing their matching jackets. “Hallelujah, huh?”
Her cheeks turned a deep pink. “I was hoping you wouldn't find out about that for awhile longer.”
“What?” he asked as he leaned over and gave her a playful bump with his shoulder. “I think it’s cute.”
“I hate it,” she huffed. “I can’t wait to get it changed.”
“How did your parents come up with it?” Leo said as he wrapped a comforting arm over her shoulder and hugged her against his side.
“My grandmother,” the Chipmunk grumbled. “She was in the delivery room with my mom while I was being born, but there were some complications. I almost didn't make it.”
“Let me guess,” he grinned playfully. “She was so relieved that you pulled through that she said, ‘Hallelujah!’ and your parents loved it.”
“That’s pretty much it,” she said as he pushed open the door to the outside and held it open for her.
“I take it your family is religious?” Leo noted.
“For the most part, yes,” Holly replied. “We were raised Catholic, but some of us are more devout than others. There are also a few that changed beliefs once they were out on their own.”
“How do your more conservative relatives feel about that?” he asked.
“They accept it. Family is extremely important to us, obviously,” she explained. “If we can get along with strangers who observe other practices, then there's no excuse not to get along with family.”
“That’s a lot wiser than how a lot of others would see it,” Leo mused. “So the fact that I'm a Deist won’t be an issue?”
“As long as you worship me,” she chuckled, “everything should be fine.”
As they approached the back of her Subaru, Leo pulled up short as he noticed something. “Hold on a second,” he stated. “You replaced the Impreza name badges with ‘IMPREZARIO?’”
“Yeah,” she said, bumping him playfully with her hip, kickstarting his stride once more. “A play on words, combining ‘Impreza’ with ‘impresario.’”
“I get it,” Leo remarked as he lifted the trunk lid for her to put her bag inside. “I just don't want to hear any teasing about ‘I LUV PI.’”
“I think it’s adorable,” she giggled. “So no deal.” She raised up onto her tiptoes, holding onto his shoulder for balance, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
~~~~~
The pair sat parked out in front of the condo Llyulf shared with his father, talking excitedly until nearly eleven o’clock. Letting out a deep sigh, Holly reluctantly said, “It’s getting late. I have classwork to do in the morning and I’m working a closing shift tomorrow night. And I'm sure you need to be up early for school.”
“Yeah,” he grumbled, “but do I really have to?”
“Tell you what,” the Chipmunk girl replied as she took his paw in hers, “I’m off on Saturday. What do you say you plan the perfect date and pick me up at noon?”
“I was going to go and visit a friend of mine in the hospital,” Leo answered thoughtfully, “but I can do that after school tomorrow, instead.”
“I'm sorry to hear,” Holly commented. “Is she okay?”
“Not really, but hopefully she will be after she gets time to heal. Did you hear about the herm that got beaten almost to death in the warehouse district Saturday morning?”
Her eyes grew wide with surprise. “She’s a friend of yours?”
“Yeah,” he sighed with a nod. “We go to school together.”
“What's her name?”
“Megan,” Leo answered. “Megan Conroy. She’s actually the Bat that sang at the dance.”
“Oh, no,” she gasped. “She seems like such a sweetheart.”
“One of the nicest people I’ve ever known,” he stated. “You’d like her.”
“Thinking of introducing me to your friends?” she teased, leaning her curvy body in close enough that he could feel the soft breeze of her breath across his fur.
“I want to introduce you to everybody,” he replied softly before leaning the rest of the way over to give her a gentle kiss. “They’ll all like you just as much as I do.”
“Mmmm,” Holly said as he pulled back. “I can’t wait, especially to meet your dad properly. He sounds awesome.”
“Yeah, he’s probably asleep now,” Leo sighed when he pulled out his cell and saw the time. “Maybe Saturday night?”
“Sounds great.” The Chipmunk girl casually snuck Leo’s phone from his paws and gave the screen several quick taps. A second later, her phone began to play some familiar music.
“Hey, I’ve heard that opera song before,” he remarked as she passed his phone back to him. “What’s it called?”
Holly was typing on her phone as she answered, “‘O Fortuna,’ from Carmina Burana.  And it’s more of a choral piece than an opera. It was the first live performance my parents ever took me to see.” A second later Leo’s phone buzzed. “There’s my address, so you can pick me up for our date.”
“Sounds great,” the Wolf said as he tucked it away in his jacket pocket. “Anything else I should know ahead of time?”
“Just that I plan on wearing my new jacket, so it would be kind of cute if we matched,” she said as she playfully reached out to play with the collar of his leather jacket. “And my parents will be home.”
“Right, so no pressure, then,” he said nervously.
“Relax, you’ll be fine. My dad might test you just to see if you think I’m worth the trouble, but as long as I’m happy, he’ll accept you.” Suddenly, she pulled on his jacket collar to bring his muzzle down to hers, giving him a deeper, more sensual kiss than the last. When she broke it, she didn’t pull away immediately, speaking softly as her half-lidded gaze met his own. “And so far, I am very happy. Goodnight, Leo.”
“Goo-hem” The wolf reminded his body of its need for the breath she’d just stolen away as she drew back with a soft smile playing at the corner of her lips. “Goodnight, Holly.”
~~~~~
January 24, 2014
Marblecliff General Hospital

“Way to go, Stud,” Ross greeted Leo as he entered Megan’s hospital room. He cocked an eyebrow at the Tundra Lioness, then looked at Megan lying in her bed. The Bat had a playful, knowing grin plastered all over her muzzle.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked as he sat down beside Ross at Megan’s bedside.
“We had a visitor stop by a little earlier,” she explained as the teen Bat listened in. “She brought by those beautiful flowers and a card for Megan, then sat around with us for a couple of hours. She actually left for work about an hour and a half ago.”
“Holly?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yeah,” Ross answered. “It seems you made quite the impression on her. She wanted to know more about you and what you like so she could plan a little surprise for you.”
“Oh yeah?” he smirked. “And what did you tell her?”
“Me? Nothing. I barely know you, so I went to school and picked up our missed assignments while Megan talked with your girl.” Ross stood up and stretched. “I’m going to go grab a snack. Can I get you anything?”
“I’m good, thanks,” Leo replied. “So, what did you and Holly talk about without me?”
[Music, mostly. She is impressed with my range and thinks I should give opera a try.] Megan typed out on the tablet she was using to communicate with until her jaw healed. [She’s going to bring me some to listen to the next time she stops by to visit.]
“I wouldn’t have pegged you as the opera type,” he remarked.
[And a year ago, I never would have imagined I’d be performing a Nikki Minaj song at a school dance. That type of music isn’t something I’ve had much exposure to. But I had fun! And from what I’ve heard so far, opera is so beautiful and theatrical. I think I could enjoy it if I give it a try.]
“That’s what I like most about you,” Leo replied. “You push yourself to do better. To BE better. Need to learn how to play bass guitar? No problem, take lessons during lunch periods at school. Need to put on a show at a high school dance? Make it one they’ll never forget. And now you’re talking about opera.”
[Holly also told me that her family has connections with the Berklee College of Music, up in Boston.] Megan typed out. [She said that if I applied, she would see what she could do to help get me accepted.]
“That would be pretty amazing. You’d be able to go to school reasonably close by and come back to visit pretty much whenever you want,” the Wolf responded. “Where is Ross planning on attending?”
[She isn’t making any decisions without me, so that we can live together, but I know that Boston University is on her list. Our schools would just be a mile apart if she went to BU and I went to Berklee.]
“You can’t get much closer than that,” he said with a nod. “You know, you should talk to Rod and see if he can put together an audition video for you once your jaw is healed up and you can sing again.”
[That’s not a bad idea. I’ll have to ask him once I go back to school.]
Several moments passed by in silence before Leo spoke up again. “Megan,” he said as he leaned forward and placed his paw over hers, “I just want you to know that you have so many people behind you, pulling for you to make a full recovery and to find the sons-of-bitches that did this to you. Omen Breaker’s offering a reward for information, and social media is blowing up. These guys are going to pay.”
“You’re damn right they are,” Ross agreed as she returned from the cafeteria. “Uncle Xavier and some friends of his are working on bringing in a private investigator, and the Dark Riders have gone full A-Team. I pity the fools.”