Nik relaxed on the lawn.
Leaving Lakhia for the States was a choice, but one not taken lightly. And though the harsh continental climate of Pueblo vaguely resembled the more inland parts of his country, there was always something wrong. The air was too dry, only monsoons brought rain to the desert. The rocks were too weird, red and grainy instead of granite (though granted, even he know both types of rocks were present across the Pond). Even the bird songs and crickets sounded wrong.
And there was always who he left behind. He smiled particularly bitterly at that, childhood friends before before the era of the phone and of the blue bird whom he had no means of contacting.
He sighed, taking a sip of a vodka/orange juice concoction.
A pair of white furred arms glided across from his back, embracing him, followed by a peck on the head.
"Homesick again?" Sam asked with his southern drawl.
"Yup."
He softly petted Sam's arm, before turning around to meet him. A quick glance into each other's eyes, and they kissed, briefly but longingly, like two albatrosses meeting after two years.
"Don't get me wrong, home is where you are, my love" Nik said, putting Sam's paw in his cheek, "But I can't help but miss, well my other home, you know?"
"You know, William is considering getting us Lakhia citizenships" Sam said, "He's just waiting for the current neo-nazi shitheads to die out."
"He'll have to wait a while then" Nik sighed.
"No, you'll see" Sam reassured, "Lakhia is getting better, and eventually we can have you truly feeling at home, with or without us."
"And then you'll miss Pueblo."
Sam laughed.
"Fuck no! Even outside of Echo is place is a dump! Besides, I was born in the Magnolia State, remember? That would be my home, if I didn't hate it either."
"New beginnings, uh?" Nik related, "Thought the same at the time, but hindsight is a cruel mistress."
"Not on my end" Sam assured, "I'm a nomad, I'll have your place if you'll have me."
He gave Nik a sexy look, and the badger laughed, grabbing the Puma and spanking him.
"Ow ow stop!" Sam laughed, "Okay, Jesus fuck you slut shamer."
"You play with my heart too much, Samuel Ayers."
"And with mine too" William said, walking in from the porch.
He was wearing a black and red bathroom with Mamaceqtaw symbols on it, and white briefs that left little to the imagination. His chest and thighs in particular were throughly bare; he had hoped to get his hubands horny but they seemed to not be in the mood.
"So you're looking into Lakhia citizenships?" Nik asked.
William nodded, sitting down besides him and leaning on the badger.
"I don't feel very homesick myself" William said, "Okay, maybe nostalgic for when I played baseball and the like, but I don't feel too attached to the Windy City. I'm like Sam, I've been a bit everywhere, settling down in Lakhia would be fine with me. Just have to make an extra effort to go to Pow wows and stuff."
"Both of you don't know what you say" Nik shook his head, "You always lived in America, not another country."
"But we could learn" Sam said, "For you."
Nik sighed, and leaned into the white cat, dragging the coyote into him. The three enjoyed each other's warmth, in this perfect-but-imeprfect simulacrum of "home".
