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Chapter 54: Escape

Roger quickly pulled the wolf away, toward the top portion of the bed. He attempted to kick away his sullied article of clothing, got it caught on his paw for a moment, but managed to brush it off to the side. His breathing was quick, and he looked directly at the wolf, trying to determine if he had noticed.

"What's wrong?" the wolf asked. If there was something he noticed, it was that the fox had immediately become stressed out. He did not struggle when the fox lied him down.

"N-nothing's wrong, just, uh... just lie down for a second. Are you thirsty? I can go get us some water. Yeah, that sounds good," the fox replied. He rolled over the wolf, turned quickly look around to see if the article had been hidden well enough, and after determining it was, he left the room.

His face was flush and his breathing was erratic. He managed to find himself down in the kitchen, grabbing a couple of glasses, and filling them with water. He felt as if he had dodged a bullet, but the danger was still there.

He returned to the room and it seemed the only movement that the wolf had made was sitting up. He gave the fox a worried look, and Roger knew it had merit. His reaction was not as smooth as he had liked it to be, but to him it was an emergency situation.

The wolf accepted the water and continued to give him the same look.

Roger patted him on the shoulder, "I'm fine now, it's okay. I just felt we needed to... hurry and get ready, that's all." He had quickly come up with the excuse, and it seemed valid for the most part, but he knew it was weak. It was still better than nothing, though.

The wolf seemed to accept it. He drank his water and began to put on his shoes.

It was still too early to head off to the theater, although they originally had planned to arrive early anyhow. It was too late to have breakfast, as they would not be hungry again when lunch came around, or at least the fox would not be. It seemed as if the wolf had a bit of an appetite, though was rarely able to exercise it.

In spite of that, no further questions were asked, no explanations were given. The wolf left the room to use the bathroom and quickly Roger took the opportunity to grab the dirty piece of clothing and hide it in his hamper. The very moment it was gone was a moment of relief for him. Still, when he sniffed around the air, its scent remained slightly. He had not anticipated that it be there, though it did not really come as a shock to him. He merely hoped that the wolf would not notice it, or if he had, he would ignore it and cause the fox no more shameful suffering.

They stopped by the park and sat down. They had decided that they could wander around a little prior to the movie and be extra early instead of leaving and giving themselves the chance of being late. They had time, though, to sit and rest.

Roger found his way back to the wooded area and the wolf followed. He sat against a tree, in the shade, and closed his eyes. At least here, he figured, he would not have to worry about the wolf finding out about anything at home. He could hide here, in a sense.

Hunter sat next to him and said, "Tired?"

The fox nodded. "Yeah. Didn't get much sleep, I need to get a fan or something. You?"

The wolf shrugged. "I slept a bit. I don't really have any trouble doing that."

"Lucky you," the fox remarked. "We'll have to figure something out for tonight, maybe open a window or something." He checked his watch. Another couple hours before they would have to show up to meet the others, at least he assumed. "We have some time. You don't mind that we're just sitting here, do you?"

Hunter shook his head. "No, I'm okay."

"You sure? I don't want you to be bored," he said.

"I'm fine," the wolf replied. "We get to hang out, so I'm okay."

Roger smiled at that. Hunter returned the smile.

The fox stared into the wooded park. It was dark, as it was before. It did not seem much changed, nor should it, but it certainly felt as if something was different.

There were no signs of anyone else having been there, yet it was a public park. Perhaps everyone merely ignored it. If that was the case, the fox was fine with it. It would be a place for the wolf and himself to rest and enjoy each other's company, without intrusion.

He wondered how large it was. From memory and outward view, it was not very large. However, when he thought back about when they had first ventured into it, it felt much larger. The darkness played tricks on them, it seemed. Maybe it was a new place and made it feel as such. Maybe they had gotten turned around, though he did not believe so.

To make sure they did not get lost, they stayed near the edge and dared not venture off further than being able to see the rest of the park. One day, he thought, they would explore the rest of the forest region. He wondered just how deep it went, and what was in the heart of it.

As far as he could tell, the park was empty save for a child or two that ran about, but only briefly before leaving. It was a shame that it was not utilized more, he thought. At the same time, he felt it a boon that he could have a moment alone with his friend, away from the eyes that reminded him that his feelings were not quite right.

He yawned and slid downward. The wolf joined him on his side.

Hunter said, "This is nice. Almost wish we didn't have to go."

Roger laughed. "It'll be fine."

He rested his head against the wolf's shoulder and let the calm wash over him. He took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out.

"But yeah," the fox said. "This is nice."