Burdens [Furry BxB]

Chapter 55 - Distractions

Their time in the park was limited, despite their desire to stay. Roger felt it would be rude to not show up for the movie when they had made the plans. He was only half looking forward to it, the other half of him wanted to stay far away.

Regardless of any desire that he had, the event would come. He enjoyed what he could, sitting in the darkness of the wooded area with the wolf.

-

An hour had passed and he opened his eyes. He had not realized it, but he had fallen asleep. He looked around and saw the wolf, still in the same place as before. He checked his watch, thinking that in his slumber they could have missed the designated time, but sighed relief when he saw that there was still a little bit before they would have to leave. Still, he felt bad about falling asleep while the wolf was there.

He turned to Hunter and said, "Hey, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to pass out."

Hunter turned back to him and smiled. "It's alright. You were tired."

The wolf stood up and offered a paw to the fox. Roger took it and found himself standing, as well, though he did not put much effort into getting up.

He stretched and walked around the tree. It gave him time to think of things to do, before the meeting, and after. He assured himself that it would be fine, though a likely case would be that they would just sit there awkwardly. He wondered how they would treat the wolf. If it were negatively, would he react to it?

He met the wolf again while circling the tree. He stopped and said, "We can go now if you want. Maybe we can find something to do when we're there."

The wolf agreed and both of them left the park. It felt to Roger that they were leaving comfort behind. Something in the back of his mind kept pushing him to return. There were dread and anxiety, and he could not quite pinpoint the source.

-

They moved slowly toward their destination. Very few words were spoken between them, as they both felt nervous about the meeting.

They arrived at the mall safely and without incident, but it still felt as if danger still loomed about them.

Roger lead the wolf to a cafe, one that was part of the mall. He looked around inside, checking to see if Mary was there, but to both his disappointment and relief, she was not. He went to the counter and ordered a cup of coffee. He asked if Hunter wanted anything, even without caffeine.

The wolf informed him that he did not usually come to such places and had no idea what to order. He gave him some information on things that he might like, and Roger ordered for him.

When the drinks were done, they sat at a small table. It was not a very crowded cafe, but it still felt lively. The fox noted that while they were to eat lunch after the movie, they could still at least have something to drink and be well off.

Finishing the drinks took some time, as one was cold, the other hot, more so than was safe to consume in a short amount of time. They had to allow the temperatures to regulate while they waited.

-

Roger had looked up what movies were playing and at what times they were. Judging by when they were supposed to meet, a few movies fell into the time frame. One of which was a horror movie, the same that they had previously seen, another was an action movie. Perhaps that one the wolf might like more. Another was just an animated children's movie, and the last was a romantic comedy. He was almost certain that they would watch the latter. Perhaps a deal could be made, that they could split off from the group and watch a different one.

They left the cafe and it was still too early to head toward the theatre. Instead, they went to a local pet shop.

While there were animals that walked upon two legs and spoke, much like Roger and Hunter, there were still regular, feral animals. It was taught that it is merely a branch in the evolutionary line, though how it had occurred and how they had changed so drastically and across so many different species was still left to the imagination. As such, many religious beliefs had formed to explain such things.

There were a few dogs and cats that they were allowed to play with. The dogs were of various breeds and most hopped up and down, excited to experience new sights and smells of individuals unknown. The cats were but kittens and mewed almost helplessly, which gained a reaction from many of the bystanders.

Roger went to pet one of the kittens, which arched its back and began to purr. His heart warmed at this and it almost felt as if the anxiety had completely faded. Hunter knelt next to him and joined him in petting the kittens.

The fox looked around the store. In the less interactive parts of it were hamsters, snakes, mice, birds, and various types of fish. Off in the corner were a couple of ferrets.

An employee asked him if he needed any help, and he declined. Merely browsing was what he responded with.

He returned to Hunter, who had moved over to the dogs and was petting them. Many of them, though, were wary, as he was much larger than they were. The fox felt as if he could relate to them.

He reached down and pet one of them behind the ears, and suddenly the rest of the dogs flocked over to him, as it was an atrocity that only one has the attention.

The rest of the time they could wait melted away in the pet shop. Roger felt as if they could have spent all day in there if they did not have prior arrangements. He decided that on another day, perhaps they could return and spend their time more freely.

They left the shop and headed to the theatre. Roger's footfalls felt heavy, and he glanced over at the wolf, determining that he must have felt the same way.

The group of which that waited was not the two of them.