The Sensible One (boyxboy) ✓

Chapter Four

[Max's POV]

I never really knew what my friends thought might have happened that night I left them without a word with the young gentleman who approached me at the bar. I thought that one of them has all too likely seen me leave and made assumptions but the idea of me taking a stranger to bed was so absurd I knew even a man who had only ever met me once would never think it the case.

When they left a subject alone, however, I knew that at least for a few hours it was not to be discussed again. Jeffrey did pass me some lingering glances but I doubt he believed it either. He'd have had something to say about that.

Jeffrey was very fond of telling me off for all manner of things and I appreciated him for it until I lost my patience with him.

"Where is your coat Max, it's cold out."

I smiled but didn't reply. "Is that cat of yours still ill?" I asked him as we headed towards the door.

When we exited the restaurant it was getting dark and chilly. I looked up and saw an early moon in the sky watching us as we headed towards the road.

"Much better, I think, takes his food well now. I've never quite taken care of a cat so much like a brooding old man."

"I thought they were all that way." I hummed, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"Silber especially. What a lazy cat, no matter what all he wants is to sit on my chair, or me preferably, and sleep."

"Rest is good though, one assumes, for an ill cat."

"Not once they've recovered. The vet suggested catnip to get him some exercise."

"And?"

"No, he doesn't care about it."

"He doesn't like catnip?" I was surprised.

"He is impartial, I sprinkle it on his food and he goes to sleep by his bowl instead."

I frowned. "That is a weird cat."

We turned the corner, spotting Elias's car waiting neatly parked on it's own under a streetlight.

"Would you like a ride home, Max?" Elias asked me, his car beeping as he unlocked it.

Normally I would have said yes, it was getting dark after all and I wasn't keen on the thought of getting mugged down a dark alley on my way home.

But I was burning again, different from a fever, as though the heat was purely psychological, and yet I was sweating and nervous, my skin felt sensitive and tingly. The cool air seemed to help, I almost wanted to take my shirt off to fully freeze myself.

"It's fine, thank you. 'A brisk walk or a long rest after a meal' as my grandmother always said." I smiled at him.

Elias nodded, "And Norman you're always welcome to go home with someone who's jacket doesn't perpetually smell of cigar smoke."

"Hey!" Jeffrey complained.

He shook his head. "I'll bear it." He grinned, waving goodbye along with the rest of us as Elias stepped inside the vehicle and started the engine.

We continued walking down the road heading towards the next street where Jeffrey promised he parked his car, though he was prone to forget when it suited him, that being when he had something to talk about or simply rather enjoyed the walk.

It was a rather nice walk, we seemed to have reached a time in the day when the streets were relatively sparsely populated and as we ambled down the road and conversed with each other the moon shone brighter in the sky.