🏆Featured on TeenFiction | Head Over Heels
To Leroy 'Lee' Hiew, home's never felt like home. He has a huge mansion, a big car, and more money than he could ever spend. And yet, the idea of home always seems to elude him.
Armed with his dog, Socks...
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"Honey, I'm home!" Lee yells, stepping past the intricately-carved oakwood doorframe, sneakers padding over the marble floor---one by one, step by step. As usual, the moment his feet close in on the opulence of his doorway, the crisp white walls seem to curve in on him, squeezing around his skinny limbs the same way a bottle hugs a champagne cork.
He's rewarded with a bouncing blur of brown fur, twisting and turning its way to the safety of his arms. And although Socks is probably less than one-sixth his size, she's got more than enough energy for the both of them. At least, enough to completely bowl him over.
"Hello to you too," Lee chuckles, wriggling around on the floor like a gleeful slug in a futile attempt to avoid his dog's eager tongue. He grabs her little white paws and gently presses his thumbs into them, eliciting a keening whine from Socks. "Sorry, honey. Can't crumple my shirt too much today. Jack's going to have my ass if I show up in home clothes tomorrow." He rolls his eyes, even though he knows Socks isn't going to agree---probably better, to be honest. "I don't understand why he's such a tight-ass about it. The principal doesn't care."
(Of course, there's a very specific reason why the principal doesn't care. One that Jack deems it morally correct to dismiss---rightfully so, to be perfectly fair to him.)
Socks cocks her head and continues wagging both her tongue and her tail.
An affectionate grin overtakes Lee's face, his fingers heading to the back of his dog's folded ears to give them a scratch. He wishes people were as simple as dogs---life would be so much easier if Jack Sang could be tamed with a belly rub, after all. And because he's not supposed to be thinking about Jack, not right now, he lifts Socks off him and gets up slowly.
"Come on. I'll get you something to eat. I don't expect Dad refilled your bowl." The following whimper from Socks at the mention of food is all Lee needs for an answer.
Lee loves his father. Really, he does. It's just that he wishes he could have more time for him sometimes---or if not him, at least Socks. After all, his father had been the one to bring Socks home in the first place, back when he'd actually been coming home, back when Lee had a mother around, back when everything was love and life and laughter and not a house too empty for one---two, if he counts Socks.
Because Lee's not sure what to do with his mouth, as usual, he starts talking to Socks as he's pouring out chicken Minichunks into her blue-striped bowl. (Yumeko says he's too emotionally dependant. Lee's inclined to agree.) "You know, I bought a muffin for Jack today. Fucker..." ---because apparently, dogs don't particularly mind it when he swears--- "...was so surprised, I thought he'd shit himself or something." Lee throws his back, unable to stop the giggles that bubble up his throat. "Well, not really, but it would be nice to have more blackmail material on him."
(He already has enough blackmail material on Jack to chase him to Antarctica, but it's not like he'll ever use it.)
Lee exhales loudly, hearing a few Minichunks skitter over the floor. As expected, Socks immediately darts for them, swallowing the kibble like a starving man. Guilt gnaws at Lee's stomach. He'd remembered to feed her in the morning. He'd left some extra kibble in her bowl for the afternoon. He feels guilty all the same. "You're lucky you don't have boy problems, Socks. Being gay's harder than it looks. Of course, I make it look easy as hell, but---"
