Friendly reminder that Lion-O/Kit was set to become canon in the second season. Just pointing that out.
This fic is a Lion-O/Kit modern AU-most characters have been aged up (notably Lion-O to 25 years and Kit to 18 years). The story is being written and shared in roughly 1,000-word installments, so expect a lot of tragically short chapters.
Author is anonymous. Cover art by Everybery.
Enjoy!
The tension in the boardroom was like a thin string pulled taut by stout fingers, right on the verge of snapping. It was a nerve-racking experience for Lion-O, blood-son of the company's head. He was sitting in on what was supposed to be a lucrative contract deal between his family's company and another one he hadn't heard of before today, a meeting of four where he was clearly the most out of place. And it showed in how rigid and tense he was compared to the other three there.
His father, Claudus, was the head of the company. That meant he made the final decision on how things would play out, something that he took very seriously. He sat upright with purpose, proud of his position and all that it entailed.
His adoptive older brother, Tygra, was in a high position within the company as well, considered the most trusted by their father among the upper echelons. It was a role heavy with responsibility, but it was one that he seemed to take in stride. That much was evident as he rested his back against the chair, eyes running over every inch of the document in front of him to ensure there was nothing that could blindside him.
Even the representative sent by the company that they were entering into a contract with, Miss Pumyra, sat with her fingers laced and body forward. She held her head high and eyes forward despite the tense silence, her confidence unshakable even in the face of a cat as powerful and imposing as Claudus.
"The terms seem reasonable, Father," Tygra said, handing the contracts back over to Claudus. "I can find nothing amiss."
"Is that so?" Despite his brother's assurance, Claudus seemed to have some hesitance as he took the contracts back. However, that hesitation vanished after a moment. "Then we will accept them."
"Then all that's left is to assign who will be the representatives overseeing the work," Miss Pumyra said. "I will be representing my company, of course. Shall I assume that you will be my opposite in this undertaking?"
"No." Claudus turned his gaze towards Lion-O. A cold pit formed in the bottom of his stomach before the decree that followed. "Lion-O will be the one to oversee everything with you."
Lion-O, having been caught by surprise at the development, looked to his father with a bewildered expression. "Me?"
Surprise briefly flickered on the female cat's face as well, but she resumed her neutral expression within a second. "Forgive me, but given the importance of this contract, I had assumed you would be the one overseeing it."
"My time is divided as is and I have other matters that need my utmost attention. Thus I have delegated the task to my son."
"Be that as it may, the role should be assigned to someone with a more… established history of success in overseeing tasks of this nature." It was a polite way of saying he wasn't ready for that sort of responsibility. "If you are not available, then your other son is a viable candidate, I believe?"
As much as it would sting on the inside to admit, Lion-O couldn't find any fault in her words. Tygra actually had done work with other companies as their representative. Even outside of it, one would be hard-pressed to find anything bad said about him.
However, before he could agree, his father stood up and rose to his full height. "Lion-O will be the representative for our company overseeing the contract." He turned his gaze towards Lion-O. "This is non-negotiable."
Lion-O's heart clawed its way up to his throat and stuck there at the burning in his father's eyes. He would not be allowed to refuse. Not this time. "As you wish, Father."
The female cat's lips pursed tight before she sighed and recomposed herself. "…Very well. Let us sign and seal the contracts then."
The legal documentation was signed by all those to be involved, cementing the deal in legal binding. With no further business, Miss Pumyra excused herself from the room and Tygra offered to escort her out of the building. That left father and son alone within the empty boardroom.
"Father, you can't expect me to oversee this project. I've only been shadowing you and Tygra until now. Something this important should be handled by Tygra or someone else more qualified."
"Lion-O," Claudus said in a low, firm tone. "How long have you been shadowing your older brother and I?"
"Around a year now?" Lion-O said cautiously.
"A single year out of the twenty-five you've been alive." Claudus rose from his seat. "That's how long you've spent without your head in the clouds. And now that I've given you a chance to prove that you've been paying attention by placing a little responsibility on your shoulders, you want to push it onto your brother. That speaks poorly of you."
"I'm not pushing the responsibility onto him because I'm being irresponsible," Lion-O said in his defense. "This isn't a little responsibility, it's a major deal and I don't want to risk making a mistake…" He trailed off as his father finished walking around the table and stopped in front of him.
"Son, I will not be around forever." Claudus placed his hands on Lion-O's shoulders and softened his expression. "And as much as I love your older brother, he cannot be the one to inherit the company. It is passed down through blood and he is adopted. That means you will be the one to inherit the company."
That was the sole reason Lion-O had to inherit the company, despite preferring to do almost anything else. He didn't want to be the one responsible for bringing everything his ancestors worked toward to ruin by screwing up. He'd already taken enough from his family as it was by being born.
His father continued in a softer tone. "I have great expectations for you. This is the first step in living up to them. See it through to the very end and I will know that our legacy will be in good hands. I have faith in you, Lion-O."
Lion-O looked away at that, unable to find the words to try and dissuade his father from his decision.