Claws (mxm)

In This Game

(Racquetball knows that I don't get her fetch ball while writing, so she brings me her tug blankets and looks all cute.) 

It had taken all of his effort to restrain his beast when that kid had dug his claws into his arms. He wasn't sure why he always had such trouble controlling himself when his younger brother, who was also half bear and half dog, had no issues. He just felt like he was wired wrong sometimes and the simplest things caused his shift to run rampant. 

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Magnus headed back upstairs to help keep order in the rowdy bar that the owner was somehow trying to change into a nightclub. He wasn't really the bouncer, either, but the guy who was supposed to take the current shift decided to get completely smashed before coming into work. They might serve alcohol, but that didn't mean that it was okay to indulge before, or during, your shift. 

Taking his spot just outside the door, he put forth his best, not quite smile, and continued checking I.D.'s and keeping an eye on the patrons. By the time he was finished his shirt was covered in two different kinds of alcohol and he had a cut on the left side of his face. 

"You can head out, Magnus. Thank you for taking Jim's spot tonight, again. I'm going to start looking for a new bouncer." Tony, the owner, said. 

About damn time. 

He had been hired to buss, wait tables, and work on his bar-tending. Not check I.D.'s and throw people out because he tended to look dark and scary. 

He was just clocking out to head home when he remembered the little kid he'd found outside earlier. Wonder if he's shifted yet. He thought as he headed downstairs and unlocked the door to Tony's office. The guy never minded if he used it to decompress. Tonight, though, he'd found a different use for it. Holding the kid so that it didn't get hurt or lost. 

When he swung the door open, he was relieved to see that the little lion mix was still there. It had clearly wandered around a bit, and knocked over a few small stacks of paper, but there didn't seem to be any harm done. 

"Hey there, kid. Sorry it took me so long to come back. Work was hell, as usual." He said as he knelt down on one knee to pick up the cub as it ran over. 

It tried to actually go past him, but Magnus wasn't interested in playing chase after a long night shift. He noticed the little brat flex its claws when he caught it and gave a quiet warning growl as he stood and flicked the lights off in the room. 

"Don't, kid. I don't want to hurt you." He said as he shifted his grip on the cub so that, hopefully, it didn't feel as threatened. It put the kid's claws closer to his neck, but it seemed to relax a little bit being held with just one hand for support. 

After grabbing his coat and swinging it over his opposite shoulder, Mangus gave the kitten a slight grin and started heading back up the stairs. He could feel its claws poke little holes in his damp shirt after a few moments as it adjusted, but he didn't mind. He planned to burn the beer-drenched thing anyway. 

"I still can't believe you don't have a tag on your collar." He mused as he headed out the front door into a light drizzle, then walked around to the back of the building where he had parked. 

Setting the kid on the passenger's seat, he slid into the driver's side and got them headed down the street to the emergency vet. 

"Glad they're close. Let's get you checked for a chip and headed home." He said as he picked him back up and headed inside. 

He had to ring the bell at the front desk a few times before a very sleepy older woman came out of the back area. 

"Good morning, sir. How can I help you?" She asked.