The Cadet and The General (Final Space)

Chapter Nineteen: Parent Found

Pawblo and Cataloupe stood in front of an apartment door. The cornflower blue ventrexian nervously knocked on the door once.

The big ventrexian looked over at his lover. He grew a bit more worried, as Pawblo kept fidgeting. "Blueberry, are....you okay?" The lover in question nodded. "Yeah! I'm good. We're here, aren't we?" He smiled nervously, clearly showing that he was not good.

Cataloupe wrapped his arm around him, placing his huge hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, baby. I'm here." Pawblo nodded and took a few deep breaths. He knocked on the door once more.

The sound of cans falling were heard from the other side of the apartment door. It was soon followed by sounds of someone grumbling and stepping towards the door. The door slightly opened, with the man stepping out of it.

The man seemed very old, and bared fur that seemed to age. Despite his appearance, he had the same fur color as Pawblo. He had more tufts on his fur, almost as if he didn't brush it at all. A cigarette was in his mouth. When he spoke, his voice sounded gruff. "What do you two want? I'm in the middle of a nap."

Pawblo was silent for a bit. He couldn't believe it. It was sort of like looking into a mirror, if the mirror reflected how old you look. They both had the same fur, face, eyes, and everything. Except the man looked very old.

"Uh.....Hey.....Butch.....Butch O'Connor, r-right?" Pawblo felt a little sweaty. He breathed in the air around him. The man, who was surprised to hear that these strangers knew his name, gave a look of concern. "Yyyyeah. That's me. What do you want? Are you two cops?" Butch growled. "I told you, stop bothering me. I haven't done anything wrong—!"

"I'm your son."

Those three words silenced everyone. Especially Butch. After some silence, Butch let out a chuckle. It soon turned into a laugh. Pawblo and Cataloupe stood there, very confused. When the laughter stopped, Butch reverted back to his other attitude. "Real funny. I don't have a son."

Cataloupe huffed a little and handed Butch an envelope with Pawblo's DNA results. "Actually....you do." Butch eyed the envelope and opened it. As he read the results, he looked back at Pawblo; eying him very closely. He was looking up and down. "Well....I can....sorta see it." He huffed and opened the door behind him. "Come in. I'm sure you want to talk."

Pawblo and Cataloupe stepped into the apartment, with Butch following them in. The place was a mess, and a one-bedroom apartment at that. Some beer cans can be seen on the floor surrounding the couch. Clothes were tossed all over the place. Butch picked some up or tossed them aside. "Sorry about the mess. I, uh, had a rough night at work." The two younger men nodded and sat down on the couch. Butch pulled up a chair and sat right across from them and the coffee table.

"So, uh.....you really are my son, aren't you?" Butch picked up an already open beer can and took a sip. Pawblo shrugged. "I....I guess. The documents don't lie." He sat up straight for a little bit. "Do....do you have any idea who my mom is?" The much older ventrexian shook his head. "Nope. I've had too many lovers in my life to even know which one is your mother." He slumped a little. "Sad, really. I wonder which one of them ended up with you."

Pawblo felt weirded out hearing that, but ignored it. "Dad—I mean Butch—it's.....well, nice to meet you." The cornflower blue ventrexian fidgeted in his spot. Butch chuckled. "Well, I guess it's nice to meet you too, kid." He took a sip of the beer in his hand. "To be honest, I never really saw myself becoming a father. But hey, I guess fate had other plans." He smiled lightly. "So! Tell me: what have you been doing in your life?"

The cornflower blue ventrexian fidgeted on the couch. He was nervous to talk with his dad about the past. Cataloupe noticed this and placed a hand on Pawblo's shoulder. The two of them made eye contact. "It's okay, Blueberry. I'm here. Talk to him". Pawblo smiled, now feeling a bit more confident after hearing that.

They spent about an hour or two, with Pawblo explaining everything that had happened to him, except for the "dating my General" part. Butch listened attentively, and occasionally asked a question. Cataloupe was listening as well, and was surprised to hear that there was more to his lover than just his file at the base.

"So....let me get this straight. You're a soldier now?" Butch was surprised to hear everything that had happened to Pawblo. He was feeling proud. "Y-yeah. I am. Cataloupe here is my General. He's trained me hard, and I'm glad to be his Soldier." Cataloupe looked down at Pawblo, and smiled.

Butch chuckled. "Glad to see that my son is set for life. You have everything! I bet all the ladies are dying to be with you, heheh." He smirked playfully as he took another sip of beer. Pawblo's anxiety soon began to grow a little. He was nervous about what would happen next.

Cataloupe placed a hand on Pawblo's knee. "Actually, sir, your son is....not only my soldier, but my....my boyfriend as well." He let out a nervous smile, looking at both Pawblo and Butch. He knew that the band-aid had to be ripped out in this situation.

Butch was surprised to hear this. He clenched his beer can, but soon let out a sigh. "......You seem older, but....I'm glad that you're there for my kid. Just don't hurt him, or I'll end you." Cataloupe nodded. "Yes, sir. Your son is an amazing man." Pawblo smiled, a tear streaming down his eye.

After a while of talking, the two ventrexians left the apartment and headed out for a night to themselves. Butch still sat there, staring at his beer can. He smiled, and threw it from his position into the trash can.

"I'm proud to be his Dad", he said.