Moving Forward

Wasting Time (4)

Max was sprawled across the fluffy dark grey carpet in the living room the next day. Sure, he had a sofa, but the carpet was just so much nicer. Remembering the drive home with River made him cringe. Neither man had said anything, and when it was time for Max to get out, they...

They shook hands...

How awkward! Max moaned aloud just thinking about it. And what was worse was when he remembered how warm River's hand was. Just a stupid, awkward little hand shake and Max was already... what was he doing? Fawning over Kyle River? He couldn't be. They'd known each other for all of two weeks and neither man had even referred to each other by their first names. This couldn't be happening.

Another groan, and then Max jumped up for a change of scenery, meaning: back garden porch. The open space, yet to be filled by things like a pool or a washing line, made Max's problems a little less urgent - especially since it was just a little issue, and not an unsolvable paradigm.

"Aargh!" He groaned, dropping down on the cushion's he'd left outside, "how can I have a crush already?" The soft voice barely made a ripple in the air, but Max sat up in surprise.

A very familiar scent reached him. Was River here? He couldn't be. Max would've heard the truck coming up the gravel driveway if River was here. Then where that smell coming from?

Searching the forest for signs of movement, Max found a pair of eyes staring right at him. Before he could even think of standing, the creature disappeared into the darkness. The scent, however, lingered for a while before fading, meaning whatever it was had stayed for a few minutes. It was gone now, though - and the scent much less potent.

Max had to wonder, though, how long it - whatever it was - had been crouched in the bushes. The only reason Max had noticed at all was because the wind had changed direction, as light as it was, and put Max downwind.

For a while, Max considered following the scent trail, finding the eyes that were watching him. But doing that could cause trouble, especially if the creature turned out to be a runner. If it ran whilst Max was in jaguar form, he would chase without even a second thought. And if that chase led into town... well, what would a jaguar be doing in the USA outside of a zoo? It would cause a kind of trouble that Max was certain he didn't want.

Dismissing the idea, Max turned from the forest and returned to the carpet in the living room. And for a while, he was distracted from his thoughts. That didn't last long though. Not even ten minutes in, River was already back in Max's head and, with a groan, Max succumbed to the grossly awkward memory of the car ride home.

Until, that is, the doorbell rang.

A glance at his home told him immediately that it wasn't a good idea to let them inside, seeing as he had cushions and pillows and blankets strewn all over the floor in spaces uncovered by carpet. In fact, the only rooms that weren't drowning in soft stuff were the kitchen and the bathroom - the kitchen would be a fire hazard if that happened and who just sits in the bathroom for no reason?

Needless to say, Max was not expecting company and didn't move from the doorway as he answered the doorbell. Lara stood on the other side wearing a grin that looked like it would split her cheeks.

"Hey handsome!" She sang.

Max raised a brow. "Didn't I see you yesterday?"

Lara rolled her eyes and smoothly slid past Max's hulking figure into the house. And then whistled. "Somebody likes to get comfy."

With the front door shut, Max strolled away from the mess in the living room and turned on the kettle. "Tea?" He offered. "Please take off your shoes before you step on anything."