The Woods ✔

Superstition

The stares Ajax got from every direction were driving Caden insane. He stayed plastered to the lion's side and constantly nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck - Ajax was rather confused by it but complied and kissed Caden every time - but the people wouldn't stop staring. He knew that most times it wasn't that kind of girl-stalking-crush staring however it made his skin crawl and his instincts run haywire.

He desperately wanted to do more than just a few pecks here and there and an arm around his waist. He wanted more than to lose himself in this state of absolute bliss when Ajax pleasured him until he came, trembling under his burning gaze. He wanted everything until their scents were mixed for eternity or at least until they found the next secluded place to apply a new layer. A dark corner or alleyway.

He wondered if it was socially acceptable to climb his lion like a tree and wrap himself around him to fend off the curious eyes.

Neither Kaliska nor Robin noticed anything, too engrossed in their lovey dovey behaviour. They seemed to be glued together at the hip and Robin even shrugged off his jacket to make sure that his beloved wouldn't be bothered by the cold. He probably would have a runny noise and a scratchy throat tomorrow but he didn't seem to care one bit. It was sweet.

However Ajax was not the only one who was stared at. Caden couldn't help the hopefully sneaky glances he threw in the boy's direction. He didn't know what he thought would happen. The guy publicly dumping his girlfriend whose hand he didn't let go even if it was a hassle to buy cotton candy single handed? Or him running after Pan, abandoning his girlfriend and said pink cotton candy in the process?

Caden hoped and prayed that Pan would find somebody with even more compatible genes who would let him forget about the blue-eyed boy. Though those blue eyes were quite striking and hard to forget.

While Pan was a grown lion who didn't need to be afraid of most things he picked the flight instead of the fight option. Caden saw him disappear down the foggy main street of Willow Creek, his hands shoved into his pockets and obviously walking home - maybe to sober up - instead of asking someone for a ride because he had gotten here with Jade and Nicolas earlier.

Caden licked his lips which felt dry and cracked from the cold.

"You hungry?" Ajax asked and bent his head down to nip at Caden's jawline. The cougar gave a low yowl and pressed closer to his partner who chuckled in satisfaction.

"I could eat," he admitted and Ajax looked around at the booths to find out what there was to eat.

"How about some pumpkin stew?" he inquired after a moment, questioningly looking down at Caden.

"Sounds good," the cougar answered and let himself get tugged along with the lion. They weaved their way through the crowd and waited in line to get their food that was served by an old lady with wrinkles all over her face while her equally as wrinkled husband collected the money.

"You boys need to eat to stay strong," she commented cheekily and handed the two steaming bowls over to Caden who took them cautiously to avoid burning his fingers. He smiled at her and followed Ajax to a free table a few steps away from the line.

The wooden surface was rough and had obviously seen a few festivals out in the cold. Caden dipped the spoon into the liquid and put a little bit of it in his mouth after blowing at it to cool it down. He tasted the pumpkin and carrots along with bacon and onions.

Ajax was blowing at his own food and looked up after his first bite to make sure that Caden was satisfied by it.

"That's really good," he mumbled around a piece of bacon and Ajax smiled warmly at him, linking their hands on the table top.

They ate mostly in silence while watching the people pass by. Kids were running around, chasing each other in their thick winter clothes that made them look a little bit like marshmallows with legs. Some people nodded at Ajax in greeting or stopped to say hello though it didn't bother Caden that much. He had delicious food and they had to be blind if they didn't see them holding hands. Although it wasn't as good as rubbing his scent all over the lion.

"What's Halloween?" Caden asked after he had heard it a million times. There was a faint memory at the back of his mind and he was sure that it had been mentioned in one of his novels but he had seriously no clue.

"You didn't dress up as a kid and ask for candy in the neighbourhood?"

"I don't think squirrels have candy and they wouldn't share anyways," Caden deadpanned and Ajax chuckled.

"Kids dress up as scary creatures like witches or ghosts and go around the neighbourhood. They ask you 'trick or treat' and if you don't give them sweets they probably will wrap your car up with toilet paper," he explained and Caden furrowed his brows. "In the past people believed that in this night the veil between earth and the realm of the dead was especially thin and to appease the creatures that roamed through the night they placed candy in front of their houses."

"That's kind of creepy," Caden said and suppressed a shiver. He would make sure that he didn't go out on Halloween.

"It's just superstition," Ajax calmed him and put his spoon into his empty bowl.

Caden huffed and finished his own food, savoring the last bites of pumpkin. The stew seemed to warm him from the inside although it got increasingly darker and the temperature dropped.

"I'll bring those back," Ajax informed him and took the bowls to carry them back to the old lady. Caden watched him and bit his lip; that leather jacket really suited him well.

He spotted Major Barings along with his wife and daughter in the crowd and hastily ducked his head to avoid being spotted himself. Ajax kissed the top of his head and plopped back down next to him.

"Do you think they are still looking for me?" Caden asked carefully and glanced over to the tall man who was laughing at something his daughter had said. From the distance they looked very normal.

Ajax nodded gloomily and ran a soothing hand through Caden's too long hair. "Don't worry, they won't get you."

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," he whispered and stared down at his fingers. They were a little bit red because of the cold.

"You acted on instincts, that's nothing you have to be sorry for. That critter was stupid," Ajax stated with a nonchalant shrug and Caden laughed quietly. No, the rabbit really hadn't been smart.

"If you hadn't hunted it I wouldn't have met you," the lion tacked on with a grin. "My little troublemaker."

"I'm not little," Caden complained and glared at the other man whose grin only broadened.

"Keep telling that yourself, kitten," he teased and tickled the cougar's side who flinched at the sensation but was quick to poke the lion, too.

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Merry Christmas to all of you! And thanks for 140K reads, that's an awesome gift for today :)