dear fellow traveler

orange eyes blink behind sunglasses and then … something changes. ears and cheeks turn pink and he fidgets where he’s standing, suddenly uncomfortable in the skin he’s wearing. it isn’t enough ——— the cool shades and the tie do shit for him; his words fail and he stutters over himself, over daniel. wade isn’t supposed to have these hiccups, isn’t supposed to mess up. it’s supposed to be smooth sailing, 24/7. there are gaps in their ages but wade is pushing fifty-three but his own words are a result from desperately clinging to new fads and lingo as they come. al wasn’t like that; he didn’t have a high score on candy crush and he didn’t have an instagram account that he obsessed over. al was a breath of fresh air, something less demanding compared to others. it’s easier to be around him ——— or at least it would be if wade didn’t insist on his barriers, his cool facade, his stupid rambling. “i talk a lot.” he’s mentally kicking himself; it’s obvious in his tone and how he looks away from al, how the conversation seems to deflate with his shoulders. “when i get nervous it’s like i just can’t stop, y’know?”

there’s a small pause as the immortal’s age makes itself known between them; brows raising above sunglasses ——— and for two seconds it seems like he really might get into it about the whole honest-to-balls thing ——— but thankfully? the werewolf says something much more troubling that takes over the shifter’s attention. “whoa, whoa, whoa. did you just tell me to go to the bk lounge when i’m jonesing for a ‘flurry? burger king does shit for ice cream. their sundaes are a joke, a shame to the industry and they don’t have the weird … spoon straw that i like to toot little tunes into.”

Did he mess something up? Al looked bummed suddenly. He had said ‘no offense’ but in his experience people often still got offended even if you said that. He hadn’t meant any harm. Just honesty. “I thought that was obvious.” Maybe it wasn’t. “I don’t like most people but I like hanging out with you, Al,” he explained with a small shrug and a subtle smile. “I like you too.” 

          perfect, they’re on the same page. al is easy to read because he’s not trying to hide anything–at least, nothing that matters, and it isn’t as if felix cares about anything beyond where this conversation is headed. he seems like a little bit of a dreamer, and he’s right, it’s gross, but the fox is more than willing to overlook certain things, especially with someone who looks like this.

          emerald gaze wanders shamelessly over the other man’s body, teeth catching his own lower lip briefly when he moves in closer. he exhales a smooth chuckle, resisting the urge to reach out and grab him right here in front of god and everyone, and instead stands up to almost completely close the distance between them. he smiles innocently, tips his head to the side, ignores the awkward glances from people around them who no longer matter. he’s found exactly what he’d been looking for.

          “you’re a good judge of character, then,” he responds, his tone just a bit lower than before, “my place isn’t too far from here. you wanna come over, get yourself a real workout?” oh, yeah, asking nicely. “pretty please?”

         al couldn’t say that he wasn’t surprised to hear that felix wanted to head to his place immediately. he had rather expected for the other to suggest the showers since both of them were soaking wet. looks like miguel has gotten himself a boy into raunchy and sweaty sex in the sheets. he wasn’t complaining however. in fact, al was far away from being someone who would decline the offer even if felix suggested to head to the restroom right away. a warm bed certainly was a nice touch.