Chapter 18

Rob's face stretched as his hands pulled down on it. Once again, he found himself at a station on the other side of the city. It wouldn't have been as bad if he wasn't also with Lily, which only added to his shame and embarrassment.

How in Rex's name did the autocorrect put in the wrong address after being off by a couple of characters? And why didn't he bother checking before following the directions!?

"Hey, it's okay…Really," the tigress soothed, gently patting the distraught hybrid's arm with one hand. "It can happen to the best of us."

Rob glanced sideways at the gently smiling striped female. She didn't seem very bothered by his blunder, but he still felt pretty bad wasting so much time—especially since he was the one who asked her out in the first place.

For two weeks, Baako had been asking and pestering the young carnivore about his progress with his and Lily's relationship. Rob wasn't sure why the boar was so impatient, especially when it's only been a short time since the two became friends.

Half of their time together was spent working on Organic Chem. and other science-related assignments, with the young lion tutoring her on the things she was struggling with. The other half, they mostly chatted, and the two large cats were able to get to know more about each other.

Rob learned that Lily's a member of their school's cooking club, which explained why she would often bring desserts and small dishes for him to try out. She also wants to enter culinary school, but needed extra help with her science classes, with them being her weakest subjects.

The young lion was genuinely impressed by her diligence and willingness to learn and in fulfilling her goals. The tigress definitely had a more positive attitude towards working through her harder classes than he did. It was also a welcomed relief that she was willing to be a good friend to him, even though it has now become obvious to Rob how smitten she was with him.

It was pretty flattering, but the young carnivore still wasn't sure about how he felt about Lily or if he should, or even want, to be in a relationship with her. He just didn't want to make the same mistake in entering one without considering what kind of person the girl was again.

In any event, he did manage to ask the tigress out after a while, though not in the way or for the reason he would've liked to do so…

"Oh, don't look upset," Lily exclaimed, tilting her head forward as she peered up at a slumped Rob. "Lucky for you, I actually know my way around this part of town."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah! My friends and I loved to hang out here on the weekends. So, it all worked out in the end!"

"Oh…okay. B-but…" The young lion had the day more-or-less planned out and had already bought tickets to a movie online which was going to begin in fifteen minutes—not that they could possibly make it now. He really should have been more careful, he thought to himself with a frown.

It was then that Lily grasped his wrist, her touch causing him to turn a little red.

"C'mon, we still have the whole day ahead of us and there's plenty to do here!" And with that bright declaration, Lily then pulled Rob with her out of the subway station and up the stairs.

Even though he was much bigger and stronger, the young lion didn't—or rather couldn't—stop himself from getting dragged by the tigress, being too dazed from her enthusiasm and go-getter disposition. Even with everything going wrong, she still looked so happy just being out and about with him.

Lily's orange fur seemed to glow as the sunlight hit her head when they finally reached aboveground. Whether or not it was due to her bright sun dress she donned or something else, he was not entirely sure.

…

The day turned out to be more enjoyable than Rob had anticipated. Throughout the morning and afternoon, Lily escorted him around the bustling shopping district. There were plenty of stores, restaurants, and even another movie theater.

The tigress first decided to take him to a few of her favorite shops to do some window shopping for a while.

At the clothing store, she tried on various outfits and asked for Rob's critique, even though he wasn't too "fashion-savvy." She also attempted to coax him to try a few clothes she picked out for him, but the young lion shamefully shook his head and pointed to the "Bear" section, implying that those were the only kind that were large enough for him. Lily immediately went over and gathered shirts, sweaters, and pants she found most appealing after asking about his specific sizes, unperturbed by the other customers' curious gazes.

Wait, just like that? Rob thought as he looked on, equally surprised with how casual and accepting Lily was.

Afterwards, the tigress suggested that they catch a movie that was about to begin—the very same movie Rob had previously planned for them to watch. This time, Lily offered to pay for their tickets and had the young lion agree to pay for both their lunches later when he began to protest.

He sighed inwardly as she went up to the booth. The striped carnivore may be really nice, but she was just as stubborn as Sis, albeit in an indirect way. Still, the young lion never saw it as a negative trait in a girl. He actually finds it pretty charming…

After it ended, the two left the movie theater, the two ate at a nearby buffet. During that time, Lily giggled as she watched Rob digging into his fourth helping, commenting how she's happy to see such a healthy appetite in him.

He almost choked a little mid-chew, a little embarrassed for only just realizing how much he was eating. The tigress simply laughed and said not to worry, while promising to bring bigger helping from her club activities for next time.

Rob's adoptive family would sometimes tell him to be mindful of how much he consumes when going out, even though he burns so many calories in the gym everyday. It was certainly a different experience hearing someone actually encouraging him to eat his fill—at least, when he isn't too stressed to do so. A welcomed change, he found.

The rest of the two carnivores' time was spent just traversing through the shopping district, perusing things inside other stores, and simply conversing with one another about various things.

This was probably the first time Rob felt so relaxed during a date. He was even able to ignore most of the other animals' stares which inevitably followed wherever he went. The young lion was almost glad he led them to the wrong address.

…

The two carnivores sat together on a bench at a nearby park mid-afternoon, quietly enjoying the sun's golden rays. They were finishing the ice-cream cones they bought.

As he crunched the last bit of the cone in his mouth, Rob felt the tigress leaning against his arm, causing him to flush.

"This really was a great day," Lily sighed.

"Er—Y-yeah...I had a…g-good time, too." The young lion gulped as he tensed up a bit, turning his head to the side. He had forgotten how nice it was to feel the warmth of a female's body next to his.

"So, tell me…what made you decide to ask me out?" she asked, giggling a little after looking up at him.

"Mm, w-w-well I…it's because…" Rob couldn't finish his sentence, embarrassed at the reason.

He was talking with Lily in the hallway after class earlier in the week. Thanks to Baako's incessant badgering, the young lion had become shyer and more nervous around the tigress. He was certainly feeling quite a bit of pressure, especially with how fondly she would often look at him.

While she spoke, Rob suddenly noticed Sara walking by while grasping the arm of a white lion, whom he presumed to be the new boyfriend she boasted about.

As soon as their eyes met the hybrid, the lioness' mouth curved into the tiniest sneer as the two moved past. As soon as the pair turned the corner, Rob heard something slam on a wall and then spied a cream-colored claw grasping and squeezing said corner.

Between the very soft moans his ears picked up and the flustered students coming from their direction, it was a simple matter inferring what exactly was going on, and Rob was infuriated!

He really shouldn't feel anything towards her or what she does anymore, but the fact Sara was basically spiteing him and showing off how much she "loves" her new boyfriend has been making him pretty upset lately.

Lily asked if everything was alright, noticing Rob's trembling fist. It was then that the young lion blurted out—almost angrily—"W-Will you go…o-out with me this w-weekend?"

That was not how he wanted it to go, especially when he simply reacted to the stunt Sara pulled—probably wanting to get back at her, he concluded later on.

The tigress was so excited and happy about their date and he didn't want to spoil it by telling her the true reason.

Rob desperately searched in his mind for a better answer, or at least something different to shift the subject to another topic.

Then, his phone buzzed.

"O-oh, um...h-hang on a sec." He quickly reached into pocket, grateful for whatever text or notification popped up.

Looking at his screen, the carnivore saw it was an update from Maria's Beastbook page. He then smiled as he viewed the new drawing she had just posted.

It was a simple depiction of a brown bighorn ewe looking outside a window from a school desk, with her head almost completely turned from view as her head was propped up by a hand and her legs crossed. It was not as detailed or extravagant as some of her other pieces, but there was a certain beauty and elegance to it that wouldn't be present in any other.

Even though the ewe's face was hidden, the young lion knew Maria used herself as a model for her latest work. It was really nice to see her willing to reveal herself, even just a little.

"You know, this is probably the time I've seen you smile like that." Lily said, peering into his face. "It's a very nice one."

Rob flinched and soon looked away in embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head. "O-oh, I—um, w-well…"

"Hehehe. So, what has gotten you so happy all of a sudden?"

The tigress leaned her head a little closer as Rob lowered his phone for her. "Oh, what a beautiful drawing."

"Yeah…S-Sis really is…t-talented," he said fondly.

"'Sis?'"

"Oh, r-right. Um, y-you remember when I t-told you that I w-wa—I was adopted?"

"Yes, I remember. Mmm, by that sheep couple, right?"

Rob nodded. "They have…t-two other kids I g-grew up with, one of them b-being the artist."

"How wonderful…" Lily gazed at the picture for a few moments more. "Is that her?"

"Y-yeah, I think…s-so. It d-definitely looks her f-from behind."

"Hmm…Sounds like you two are pretty close."

"W-well…I-I'd like to think so," he said, a little embarrassed. "Sh-she has…a-always been there f-for me, even on m-my wor—my worse days. Sis c-can get a l-little scary when…sh-she gets mad, b-but she's always been kind, and r-really good to me."

"I see…" Lily continued eyeing the drawing somewhat more intently. "Looks like I've got some stiff competition, then."

"H-Huh?"

"...Heh, I'm only kidding!" she exclaimed with a wink.

Rob blinked, not fully understanding the joke. What did she mean by "competition?"

"Alright. Why don't we walk around here some more before heading back?" Lily said as she stood up from the bench. "It's still a beautiful afternoon."

"Um, o-okay. Sure."

The young lion got up himself as he was about to return his smartphone to his pocket. Before that, he took one last glance at Maria's drawing, smiled a little, and then added his "Like" to the few dozen that had already accumulated.

…

The two large cats casually made their way towards the station. It was getting a little bit crowded as it was getting close to being evening, but there was still a comfortable amount of space to walk without much worry.

Their date turned out much better than Rob originally planned. The way Lily effortlessly turned a bad situation into better one still left the young lion awestruck. He was actually a little disappointed that it had to end.

"AACK!"

Lily suddenly got pushed by a spotted jaguar speeding past them. Rob just barely caught her before she fell on the ground.

"Ah—! A-A-Are you okay!?" he asked worriedly.

"Mmmf—! I'm…I'm fine…!" The tigress straightened herself back upright as she held onto Rob's arm. "Geez…talk about rude! He could've at least said 'excu—'...Huh?"

"W-What is it?"

Lily frantically patted over her dress, checking the pockets that were on the sides of her skirt.

"Wha—? My wallet! It's gone!"

"G-Gone? You mean—?"

"Mrrgh! That guy must've taken it!" she shouted before stomping her foot in frustration. "Where did he go!?"

The young lion frantically scanned over the crowd in the general direction the jaguar ran off.

Squinting his eyes, he managed to make a spotted animal with black-fringed ears quickly weaving in and out through oncoming pedestrians.

"I-I think I s-see him!" Rob pointed.

"Well, c'mon! My I.D. and subway pass are in there!"

Lily immediately bolted forward, astonishing the young lion even further since she was sprinting in ankle boots so effortlessly. He then shook his head and began following behind her.

The jaguar swerved his head around as he ran and yelped at the two larger cats that were making a beeline towards him.

"Hey! Give…it back!" The tigress huffed, doing her best to keep up with the spotted feline, who was now accelerating his flight and shoving animals out of his path.

Rob knew from Lily's heavy breathing that there was no way she could possibly reach the thief with her waning stamina.

The lion then steeled himself, snorted loudly, and dug his feet into the ground with each step while lowering his posture.

This time, he left his companion in awe with how quickly he bounded past her.

Thanks to his longer, powerful legs, it was a simple task for him to close in on his quarry.

The spotted feline looked behind him once more. "W-WAAAGHH! GET AWA—BOOGGH!"

Rob grabbed and tackled him hard as they both tumbled and bounced upon the sidewalk pavement, causing many onlookers to react in shock and even fear.

The young lion then got up on his knees, forcing the leopard to do the same while locking his neck in a firm choke hold from behind.

"G—Arrk! Let…me go, you b*stard!" the thief cried as he tried desperately in vain to pull his captor's arm off from his neck.

"Not…u-until you give b-back her w-wall—wallet!" Rob grunted, keeping the struggling leopard in one place.

"Y-you don't get it! I need the cash!"

"C-can't you just f-find a job or s-something…!?"

"Please, I'm begging ya! If I don't pay up, they'll kill me!"

"Wha… 'K-Kill?'"

Rob suddenly felt his arm getting wet as the leopard's body began shaking.

"I already racked up in a lotta debt with 'em…!" the thief started to sob. "You should already know how they work—you either pay them or you're dead! Please, man…! The Shishigumi won't let up unt—A-Aack!? GAAAACCCKKK—!"

Rob's body quivered and grew very hot at the sound of that name. The fur at the back of his neck began to bristle slightly while his snout scrunched up, revealing his tightly clenched fangs.

"Shi…Sh-Shiiiii…!" All the young lion could see in front of his eyes were flashes of images of his parents and that tragic day.

"H-hey, check out that guy's eyes!" cried one male gazelle.

"Ah s$...! He's getting choked to death!" exclaimed a male horse.

"N-No! Someone stop him!"

Rob snapped back into reality at the sound of the shrieking female pig.

Looking down, he saw the leopard's tear-filled eyes rolling to the back of his head, with his tongue beginning to hang out while drool started escaping from the corner of his mouth. He could feel the smaller feline's windpipe getting crushed by his grip as he wheezed and gasped.

"A-ah—! Aaaahh…!" The large carnivore immediately released his hold, pushing the leopard across from him and scooting backwards a few feet. The thief coughed and sputtered as he laid on his side, holding his neck and struggling to breathe normally.

"N-no…! Not a-agai—! I...I-I didn't w-want—!"

"Roooob!"

Lily staggered as she came to a stop in front of the two cats. She bent forward with her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

"Haah…Hoo…Wow, you're fast…! Are you sure you don't have a cheetah somewhere in your family tre—?"

The tigress paused when she found the leopard attempting to push himself from off the ground and Rob shaking incessantly as he stared down at his claws.

"What…what happened?"

"Hey! What's going on here!?"

A kangaroo and buffalo in blue police uniforms appeared and jogged up to the three carnivores. "We got a call about a big lion chasing down a smaller animal! Care to explain!?"

"No, officer, it's not like that! This lion was helping me get my stolen wallet back!"

Lily briefly explained the situation to the two men in blue and they were able to apprehend the leopard who was trying to crawl away.

They then asked Rob for his testimony after returning Lily her wallet.

"Alright…" said the marsupial, adjusting his cap. "Guess we can leave you off with a warning, this time. Just be careful of that strength of yours, okay? Being a lion the size of a brown bear, you can easily kill someone."

The young lion recoiled from the officer's statement, and turned his gaze to the leopard who was being restrained by the buffalo. As soon as their eyes met, the spotted carnivore flattened his ears and shot a look of anger and fearfulness towards him while the policemen dragged him away.

Rob's heart immediately sunk down to his stomach.

Twice.

Twice has he somehow lost control and almost murdered another animal. He squeezed both hands into tight fists as his body trembled once more.

He wanted to scream. To sob. To run far away.

For the very first time, he truly felt like he was trapped inside the body of…of a real mons—

"Robbie…"

The shaking ceased as the tigress softly grabbed his closed fists. It was his first time realizing how warm her touch was.

Rob then felt her finger rubbing under his eye, catching some moisture that had escaped from them.

"C'mon, it's been a long day. Ready to go back home?"

"*sniff* Y-yeah…"

The two carnivores slowly made their way back to the station, hand in hand.

Rob turned his gaze to Lily as they started going underground. She really did remind him of her in many ways…

Author's Note

Gaaaaaaaaaaagh…! Finally able to finish!

Geez Louise! Life and work just got crazy lately. I'm just glad I'm still continuing Robbie's story

For those following me this far, I couldn't have done it without your support! Thanks so much!