So, I know that this story isn't in the least my best work, but I really want this to be the story I'm imagining in my head. So let me clarify, I know I said that I wanted to stick to the original prompt of the backgrounds of the actual comic (no human transformation, only seen by Calvin), but I'll admit, it's kind of hard to work a romance story around two characters, one of them not being able to see the other. So, I had to tweak it a bit. Calvin's parents can see hobbes, and so can the two friends I mentioned in the last chapter. So far, they ae the only ones who can see Hobbes.
Thanks for reading this, I'm trying my best to entertain you guys. Hope it's working. :)
_
Two weeks later…
"I'M HOME!"
Calvin squeezed his eyes shut as the sudden jump of the tiger, knocking him to the pavement behind him, landing with a giant grunt. Hobbes pinned Calvin down, teeth bared affectionately as he grinned at the boy. Calvin nudged the tiger, a way of signaling him to get the hell off him. Hobbes reluctantly got off the boy, dusting himself as Calvin stood up to his full height, half glaring, half smirking at Hobbes.
"What?" questioned the tiger.
"I've got good news, and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
"…Bad."
"Well too damn bad, I'm telling you the good news first," said Calvin, "Well, good for you, at least."
"Lay it on me."
"Good news: I flunked last weeks test just so I could get Susie to tutor me."
Hobbes crossed his arms, silently raising an eyebrow at the blonde haired boy. Calvin rolled his eyes, groaning,
"Fine. I flunked it anyway, but the point is that Susie is now my tutor, which buys you time to find a way to get her to see you."
With a huge goofy grin, Hobbes tackled Calvin to the grass again affectionately, rolling around, bear hugging the poor boy in a death grip, laughing whole-heartedly, before Calvin choked out from his loss of breath from the winding hug, and rolling around on the lawn, "Bad news! There's still the bad news!"
"Which is?"
"You owe me," smirked Calvin, "Big time."
Hobbes cringed at the thought of what Calvin may do to make him repay for spending such long and insufferable hours with the enemy…just for him! He knew that if he didn't make Susie his, Calvin was going to much more than ticked off… 'Well', he thought, 'Here goes everything.'
"When does she first tutor you?"
"Today, in her backyard."
"How am I going to get her to see me?"
"You're on your own there, Buddy." Calvin chuckled, looking at the time. 3:09… he had six minutes until he was to go to Susie's house. The two walked into the house, where Calvin's mom was on the couch, watching Soap reruns. Calvin slugged upstairs to get a few materials as Hobbes sat on the couch beside the middle aged woman, head in paws, trying to think of how on Earth he could get Susie to see him.
"What's wrong, Hobbes?"
"Nothing…"
"…What's really wrong?"
Hobbes gave her a teasing glare before sighing heavily, "I'm trying to find a way to get Susie to notice me."
"I thought you and Calvin hated Susie."
"He does… I'll explain why I don't later, but I need to find a way to make her see me."
"Mm… I remember when I first saw you. Scared the living hell out of me."
Hobbes chuckled half-heartedly, before glancing up, his jade green eyes looking over to face the blue ones of the woman, "How did you get to see me, anyway?"
"Calvin's father and I took mental looseness classes, to broaden our imagination. Calvin has the imagination to really see you, and mark you as real. Who knows? I've seen Susie come up with some pretty neat things. How much could it take to get her to believe in you?"
"A long time. Obviously, it took you a long time."
"Yeah, but I'm old if you haven't noticed, Hobbes. Old people like me don't have the same imagination Calvin does."
"You do now, though."
"I know. Don't know how I never saw it before. If I touch your arm, I feel fur. Guess I'm not crazy."
He smiled lightly, looking down at his feet as Calvin's mother chuckled softly, patting Hobbes on the back, giving him a reassuring smile. The graying hair and starting wrinkles, and other signs of aging were apparent on her face. She was forty nine now/ Hobbes was barely 18, in his tiger years. Resting her hand on the plushy surface of Hobbes' fur, she petted it lightly.
"Don't worry, Hon. I'm sure a girl as smart as Susie will be able to see you in no time."
"Thanks. That sure does mean a lot."
"That's what I'm here for, Hobbes. Now, go check on that boy before he makes the bathroom explode on his own this time."
The tiger blushed slightly, remembering a time just last year when him and Calvin exploded the toilet in the upstairs bathroom, "That was a one time thing!"
"Whatever you say, Dear."
He smiled, rolling his eyes as Calvin came down the stairs, "Come on Buddy, it's time to go."
"You seem rather excited."
"Believe me, I'm trying my hardest" retorted the blonde flatly.
oooOoOoOoOooo
"Hi, Calvin!"
"Mmph…"
He walked passed her, into the gate that led to the backyard. Susie stood at the gate in questioning as Hobbes ran up to Calvin, glaring at him. The boy merely shrugged with a guilty smile, setting his things down at a wooden table. Susie followed suit, passing by Hobbes, before what appeared to him, she looked him dead on, taking him by the hand, and leading him to the picnic table. Calvin was astounded. Susie was able to see him this entire time?
"Calvin, you left your stuffed tiger by the gate."
Hobbes' grin fell when he realized that in her eyes, she was only carrying a stuffed animal to Calvin. The blonde nodded, playing along with Susie's viewpoint, as Hobbes sat down at the table next to Calvin (or, he was handed to him by Susie). Calvin began to stammer,
"Speaking of my, uh…stuffed tiger…I was wondering if you could keep him for a few days. My- uh…family is going out of state, for um…Thanksgiving."
"It's September."
"You're September!"
Susie gave him an odd look, before sighing, and rolling her eyes, "Sure Calvin, I'll look after that tiger of yours… Now, let's get started on your algebra. A D average in your class? You're very behind."
Throughout the hour their lesson took, Hobbes sat in silence, half bored. Listening to her angelic voice was great, as he didn't hear much of it, but as much as he loved to hear it, forty minutes was a bit much. He looked at the math, occasionally whispering answers into Calvin's ear…it's not like Susie would notice.
"Well, that's enough for today, I think… So, you want me to watch your toy?"
"Hobbes?," he hesistated, but continued as a confused Hobbes nodded, "Er- yeah, if you could. Just for a few days."
"Sure," she smiled smally, picking up the stuffed tiger, "You know, I've always liked this little guy."
"He's like my best friend" said Calvin, ready to leave. An hour with Susie was enough for just about his entire lifetime. He leaned towards Hobbes as Susie went inside to answer a yell from her mother. Hobbes tilted his head to the side, curious as to what Calvin had planned,
"This is out fall break. Come back to my house when she goes out. But try, and get her to see you before three days."
"Three days. Got it."
"I'll check up on you tomorrow afternoon, Buddy. You got this?"
"As much as I ever will."
Calvin nodded, hugging the tiger before picking up his stuff, and leaving for home. This would give him time to write some extra rules for the next game of Calvinball. Susie came back outside, seeing the stuffed Hobbes doll sitting on the bench, a bit slumped over. She picked him up, and wandered up to her room, placing him on the bed, before walking to the bathroom.
The real Hobbes looked around her room, getting up, looking at pictures. There was an open-faced diary, not of much interest. It wasn't going to say anything about himself in there, but then again, there could be tricks into getting inside Susie's primary vision. He lay back on the bed, thinking.
Three days.
He sighed, taking a deep inhale as he stared at the ceiling. He sniffed a few times, inhaling the apparent sweet scent of the pillows. Her room was a light purple, with posters on the wall. It wasn't really girly, something which Hobbes was relieved about. No frills, pink, or glitter. Phew! He looked at Susie as she entered the room again, sighing, "You know I love you, right?"
She couldn't hear him.
But as she went to bed that night, she could've sworn she saw the stuffed tiger move…
Yes, we know Calvin wouldn't give up Hobbes to Susie, even for a minute, but let it slip! I needed an excuse for them to spend extended time together! Prepare for the next chapter! Shit happens. O.O
-RJ