Emerson and the Lion Ch. 10

He took me to a Dodgers game for our third visit. He had the hardest time explaining the game to me, but I just loved being next to him. I loved the way he leaned over me with his arm across the back of my chair and tried to show me what was going on as we shared a plastic hat full of chili fries. I didn't understand a word and his sign language wasn't that great, but I didn't ever want it to end.

After the game he took me to the fan shop to get me a hat, but there were too many people looking at them. He waved his hand around the store and signed that I could pick anything.

People didn't get me gifts unless they were donated in a toy drive or from some church group trying to make themselves feel better. It wasn't something I was used to. I picked the small keychain bear by the register.

"That?" He signed with surprise. He tried to point me to the bigger bears or a baseball bat, but I shook my head and held on to it with a smile. He shrugged, ruffled my hair and took it to pay for it.

When we got to his car, he took a marker out of his backpack and wrote my initials on it. From then on I kept it in my pocket, clipped to a belt loop. I'd take it out whenever he wasn't around and I needed to feel his presence.

I'd remember that I had a friend. Someone cared about me.

He took me to his family's house for holidays and they were all so nice and welcoming. None of them knew sign language, but they tried to make me feel normal. I got to see how regular people were, like a TV family.

And then one day he said he was graduating and moving to San Francisco for a job. It was just before my 14th birthday. He had promised to take me to Magic Mountain. He said he had to leave that weekend and he shoved a little wrapped birthday gift at me.

I didn't open it. I just started crying. We were sitting in his car outside my group home. He had waited until he dropped me off after our day of hiking a trail near the Hollywood sign.

"No please," he was getting good at signing. "Don't cry please. I'm sorry. We can email and I'll be here for holidays. I promise I will make it up to you." He grabbed the napkins from the bag of In-n-Out we'd eaten for lunch. They always give you half a tree's worth.

He dabbed at my cheeks and tried to make me feel better in that awkward way golden straight men seem to do; not entirely sure how to deal with disappointment.

I shook my head and felt like throwing up. I put the gift he had got me back into his lap. I pushed open his car door and got out without unbuckling the seatbelt. It yanked me back down. I stabbed at the button with my fingers until he grabbed my arm and deftly unclicked it. I pulled away from him and pushed through the doorway. I closed his car door and ran inside the group home.

When I got inside I realized the bear keychain had been broken in my tussle with the seatbelt. It must have fallen out in his car. He emailed me a few times after that, but I didn't respond. I lost that email account when I changed schools. I didn't know what I'd say and I was too embarrassed to keep in contact anyways. As painful as it was at the time, I'd nearly forgotten all of this.

******

He must have found the bear. He must have saved it all these years. He must have really cared about me. I hugged it to me and wanted to hug Izem for finding it.

"You talked to Mark?" I typed to Izem.

"I talked to everybody. He lives in San Francisco now and is married to a nice girl with a baby on the way. He saved the bear for you. He said he tried to find you when he came down for the holidays but you had moved to a different group home and the lady said she couldn't give out that information. He was so happy to hear that you were going to university. I have his email for you, but I know Ali won't like you talking to someone he doesn't know and trust. Everyone was excited to see you were going to be ok," Izem said.

"Thank you," I typed and hugged the little bear to my chest.

"I am finished. I will make peace with Ali. We have been friends too long to let this come between us," Izem said, "If you ever need me, please reach out. I'll still be there. I promise."

**********

With that, he signaled and Ali charged the room. Sitting alone in the oversized business chair, I had again pulled my knees up into my chest as he entered. I folded my arms across my legs, hugging myself with the little bear clutched in my hand. I couldn't look at him. I knew I would cry.

Ali was behind me and then he was kneeling in front of me looking confused and angry. He wiped a finger near my eyes and felt the tears. He turned angrily to Izem and was yelling something. The translator picked it up, but it was arabic so it just looked like garbled symbols since it only recognized English.

"English, boys. The cub should be included in anything about him," Dr. Hamad said and I watched it dance across the screen.

"Talk to me baby? What's wrong? What did he do? He wasn't supposed to hurt you," Ali was back on his knees in front of me staring up into my face.

I just shook my head, looking away from him. I felt him tear the little bear from my hand.

"What is this? You gave him an old dirty toy?" Ali didn't get it.

"No, it's...," Izem started, but I put a hand up.

"No," I signed to Izem. "Between you and me."

I reached for the bear, but Ali held it out of my grasp. I lunged towards him ready to unleash my anger. Ali pulled back and tossed it across the room towards the trash can thinking it was a gift from his enemy. It landed just inside.

I pushed past Ali with an angry growl and ran over towards it. Luckily the trash had been changed for the night and there was a clean bag in the little silver can with the bear resting near the center.

I took it out of the can and looked at him with anger. I don't think I'd ever seen him be so mean like that. He returned my eyes with stunned confusion. I'd never fought back against his whims.

I walked over to the tablet and typed, "You're an awful man. A mean, rude Jerk!"

He wasn't used to that look on my face or those words. His eyes softened and he suddenly looked ashamed.

"I need to talk to him privately," Ali said to the room as the translator scripted. He reached for the tablet translator on the table. With the other arm extended, he came towards me. It was the position he had when he was about to scoop me up into his chest and carry me off. Instead, I stood and went towards Izem.

"Please baby, I'm sorry, let me explain things," He begged. I nodded and offered him my hand.

He squeezed my hand and led me out of the room, saying something to the other men at the table. We went down to an open office and sat down. Ali scrolled through our conversation to read what we had talked about. He was looking for explanation of my tears, anger, the bear.

"Who is this Mark? Someone from your past? He sent this bear to you?," Ali started.

I shook my head yes, but didn't feel like telling a whole story right now. I just typed, "Someone who was nice to me when I was a kid and had no one. Izem found him and he sent the bear."

"Oh," Ali said and lowered his eyes to my chest in shame. "I'm sorry... I didn't know."

"You didn't ask... jerk," I typed.

"Hey, don't! I... I said I was sorry, ok? Let's just... can we sort out this other stuff you talked about? Don't call me a jerk, ok? You are upset about the hearing doctor?" Ali said to the translator.

I nodded and typed, "Why didn't you tell me? That was a jerk thing to do."

"I was not trying to be a jerk! I didn't want to get your hopes up. It's a new surgery and extremely risky. My father can explain to you. We talked about it and consulted with specialists. It is NOT right for you. It could leave you very scarred and not fix anything. Telling you would only have gotten your hopes up. Why would I dangle hope in front of you if it wasn't right for you? That's an awful thing to do," Ali defended.

"But it's my body. Shouldn't I be allowed to know things you find out about my own body? I could have read about it, participated in my own health. Only a jerk would take that away from someone," I insisted.

"Did Izem also tell you that one patient was left with brain damage from it? He has the mental capacity of a 5 year old. I was worried that the thought of hearing would lead you to look past the EXTREME risks. You know that if my father thought it was a good idea he would have told you himself about it. He is the one who looked more carefully at what that doctor had done and consulted others. I thought we could revisit it in a few years once they've worked everything out on other people, not on my baby," Ali really did always have an answer for everything.

"Honestly I'm not that mad about that. Being deaf is who I am. It's a part of me culturally. I don't know if I would choose to change that... but I want to make that decision myself. ok?" I typed.

"Absolutely baby. I promise if they do get it right for you I will talk to you and my father about it. We will make that choice together and I'll spare no expense at getting you the best help the world can offer. I promise," Ali said with repentant eyes.

"Ok... Also, Izem said you lied to him. You stole me from him. He says you lied to me too in saying he had bad intentions and many cubs," I typed.

"I did. I would do anything to keep you. I fell for you the first time I saw you. You were so awkward and adorable. You approached the world so differently than any boy I'd seen. I haven't always been honest, but if there is ever any risk of losing you, my mind does things I never thought I could do. I can't help it. You come first, you always come first." Ali was rationalizing. It didn't exactly make sense.

"And what about my school? You said you want me to take less classes. And there's a deaf student group? I need friends. I need to start making friends. Izem is right about that," I typed insistently.

Ali scooted his chair right in front of mine so his legs were on either side of my own. He took my hands into his. Ali sighed, "I'm sorry, ok? I've been selfish with you... As you would say, I've been 'a jerk.' If that's what you want, we can work it out together. Ok? Just don't give up on me, Emi. I can't lose you. I go crazy at even the thought of losing you. You are my everything."

I nodded and leaned forward and he met my lips with his own.

"Can we go finish this?," Ali stood and offered me his hand. "I can't promise I won't do crazy things. I'd do anything to keep you safe and with me."

I nodded and leaned in to him.

"If you choose me. You choose me for life, ok? I will spend the rest of my life making you happy. I can't promise to give you the things Izem claimed he would give you. I can't be that free with you. I care for you too deeply to let you out so freely. But I will make sure you finish college. I will make sure you are more than a house boy. I will train you in my business and you can help me. I will make sure that your life has meaning and purpose and a crazy amount of love and passion. If you choose me like I have chosen you, you will always come first," Ali finished and then stood up.

I nodded and he leaned in to kiss me.

"And don't forget, whichever house you choose, be humble, graceful. You are still considered property here under the law. The partnership cannot think there is a cub wagging the pride. Ok?" Ali left me with one final warning.

I nodded again.

He offered me his hand and led me back to the waiting men. He set the tablet down on the table and pulled out a chair for me to sit.

I still had questions, but those could wait. I knew ultimately to whom I belonged. I knew deep down that everything he had done, whether ethical or not, had been meant to protect me, keep my bubble wrap secure.

Izem looked at me with sad eyes, a condemned man who knew what was coming next.

"It is getting late, little one, what is your decision? You decide this once and it will be done. Cubs do not normally get this opportunity. Do not confuse this with equating yourself to the lions," Dr. Hamad said. He was looking towards Izem and his father, speaking in authoritarian tone so they knew I was still very much an owned boy allowed a rare and brief voice.

I gave Ali one final look. He smiled weakly, almost as though he were unsure what my decision would be. He looked so fragile there, heart exposed. It wasn't something he'd ever likely done in his life. Putting himself on full display before his enemy and his father. Humiliation didn't look good on him. He looked young, uncertain, like the usual air of pride had been stolen from him.

I nodded to him and typed on the tablet, "I choose Ali, to be his, to take him as my lion. I promise to be a good cub and obey. I am thankful that your family chose me to be protected. I will not bring shame to your house. I will be his cub and no one else's"

I pressed the speak button and watched everyone's faces. They admired my words, respected my tone. I was making the Hamads proud.

"That is your final choice, my son?" Dr. Hamad said.

"Yes sir, but I wish to give a goodbye hug to Izem if it is within your will, sir. And I would like the two of them to make up and be friends again," I typed and pressed the speak button.

I turned to look at both of them and they nodded towards me assuringly.

Dr. Hamad nodded and I stood. Izem looked strangely relieved. I went to him and he stood, towering over me. He leaned down and put his arms around me. I whispered into his ear, "Thank you." He kissed my cheek and let me go, nodding thoughtfully. He didn't look at Ali.

When I turned, Ali was beaming a little too smugly from his victory. I narrowed my eyes at him and signed, "Please no." He straightened up and looked neutral, controlled. It looked sincere and Izem returned it. He went to Izem and offered him a hug. I hoped they could put their friendship together again.

I hugged Izem's father and Dr. Hamad and the two of them left. I turned to see the other two lions sitting down, talking with relaxed poses. They were talking in Arabic again, though judging from their faces not as tensely. I hoped they were working things out. It seemed like they had been friends for a very long time. I didn't want to be what came between them.

I waited by the door for a few minutes and saw them exchanging conversation, laughing, touching each other on the shoulder or giving a fake jab to the arm playfully. I stopped and watched, leaning against the glass wall.

As I walked towards them, they stood. Izem opened his arms, pointing a hand towards an open door like someone does when they want you to go first. Ali took my hand and led me out, but we didn't go towards the elevator. He went the other way and I turned to see Izem close behind us.

*********

"Where we go," I signed to Ali. He had a weird smile on his face and he raised an eyebrow like he did when he wanted inside me. He didn't answer though, just squeezed my hand and led me down a hallway.

We went to a door that had Izem's name on it in letters engraved on black marble. It opened to a large space lined on two sides by floor to ceiling glass overlooking the sparkling city and the black of the night sea. Izem turned on some small, soft lamps on different tables. There was a huge desk, three comfortable chairs, a large couch, a small meeting table. This was the office of a man in charge.

Ali led me over to the long, deep, black leather couch that could have held five grown men. Izem went to a side bar against the wall and took out three small glasses. Ali set sideways near the end of the couch, leaning back against the armrest. He pulled me down into his lap.

Izem came over as Ali was rubbing my back lazily. Izem returned with a small tray with three glasses, two with a dark brown liquid and one with a red liquid. I could guess which was mine. Ali took one of the darker glasses and Izem lifted the red glass to my lips. I sipped at it as he tilted it towards me.

Izem set the glass down and then sat beside us, very close to where I was in Ali's lap. He sipped at the dark liquid. It had a very strong alcohol smell. The two of them talked, ignoring me except for Ali's hand on my back. The translator tablet had been left in the other room.

Izem leaned forward so he could see Ali and I felt his hand on my back too. I worried that Ali would feel it. It was below his hand, sliding down to cup my bottom. I gave a yelp as he squeezed, but Ali didn't seem alarmed. They kept on talking like nothing was out of ordinary.

I dug for Ali's phone from his pocket. "What are we doing?" I typed and showed him his phone.

He rolled his eyes and smiled at me, "Relax baby, daddy is here. I just knew you needed me inside you and I thought Izem would like to see how I take my cub so he knows you are in good hands."

"Really? That sounds... exciting... Is he ok watching us?" I typed.

"If it's ok with you, little cub. Is it not? He knows he cannot have you. I forgot what good friends we were before all of this. He can sit elsewhere if you wish," Ali typed.

"Everything is ok then between you both?" I don't know why, but I was very relieved by that.

They both nodded to me and Ali leaned up to kiss me as Izem's strong arm rested across my back as he squeezed my ass.

"And this is ok with you, little cub?" Ali said nodding between himself and Izem.

"Yeah," I typed. "My two lions focusing on me? Hot," I laughed and got a kiss from Ali.

Ali pulled me over and onto his chest. My ass raised to the air and my knees rested on either side of his legs on the couch as I bent over him on all fours. My ass was facing Izem and I felt both of his hands on my cheeks, squeezing them. Ali rubbed my back with both of his hands, pushing me down into his chest.

His lips were planted on mine so neither of us could see what Izem was doing behind me, but I certainly felt it. He reached around and unbuttoned my shorts and lowered the zipper. It felt intensely dirty being touched that way by another, but with Ali's approval lingering in the air, I didn't protest. In fact, I raised up off my knees so he could slide my shorts down.

Something inside me felt incredibly honored to have these two warriors brought together, mending their battle over my small frame. Izem slid my shorts off and I wiggled my ass, covered in small red briefs, towards him. His hands went back to kneading my cheeks, but I felt a strong thumb rub up and down over my hole.

Ali seemed oblivious to it as his tongue wrestled my own. His arms wrapped around my back, pressing me down into his chest. I felt his cock poking up in his shorts. His shorts were made of that silky black pant suit material. They did nothing to contain his bulge. I reached under me and fumbled with his belt. I needed that cock out where I could get to it.

Izem tugged at my briefs and pulled them down to my knees. My ass was exposed and his hands roughly parted my cheeks and a finger touched at my hole.

"Ahhh," I gasped as my full, hard cock sprang from my briefs. Izem rubbed his finger in small, rhythmic circles over my hole. His technique felt strangely familiar and I instantly knew the two lions had truly grown up together in every sense of the term.

Ali pushed me off his chest and put his hands on my shoulders to press me down. He sat up and peeled off his tank top and then slipped me out of my hoodie and tank top as well. He seemed completely comfortable seeing Izem behind me, playing with my hole. He said something to him with soft eyes and a smile. He was encouraging him.

I was so confused by all of this, but I desperately needed him inside me. That part of me that needed to please my lion took firm control of the wheel in my head. He pushed me farther down and I crawled backwards on my knees until I felt a wet, warm tongue meet my hole.