Chapter 25: Real Men Love Pink
Aeris and Alex walked through the streets. They talked to pass the time as the restaurant Alex planned to go to was a ways away from their home.
"I still can't believe you planned to fix Leo up like that at the carnival," Aeris said. It was the first time it had been brought up since the event itself.
"Well," Alex replied with a shrug, "I'm not much of a matchmaker, but I've had experience in trying to create a romantic spark between people. Since I started trying to hook Jake up with a steady girl when we lived together, I've only improved my technique."
"You tried setting Jake up?" Though Aeris hadn't know the wolf-hybrid for that long, it was easy to tell how much of a womanizer he was. The concept of him in a relationship seemed next to impossible.
"Heh, it was purely selfish on my part actually. I figured I'd be better off seeing only one naked girl around the house rather then the plethora I've already witnessed on nearly a daily basis." Aeris gave the hybrid an odd look at the statement. "Let's just say that Jake wasn't one for bedrooms back then. In fact, I think he intentionally... did it, so I'd be forced to walk in on him every time I came through the front door."
"Wow..."
"Yeah, he has a sick sense of humor sometimes. Makes me think of what kind of trouble he's already in down south."
A cold chill blew past them, the changing season making itself present once again. Aeris zipped up her jacket further to keep herself warm, being glad she grabbed it before they left. It caused her to notice that the hybrid walking next to her was without one.
"You're coat's missing," she said, looking at the stripes on his bare arms.
"Huh," Alex huffed, looking down at himself with slight surprise, "I must have forgotten it. Oh well."
"Aren't you cold?" Though she doubted the old thing was very warm, it would have offered some protection.
"Nah, the cold doesn't bother me... But your concern is noted." They continued walking for several minutes, remaining relatively silent. "Ah, there it is." Alex pointed off toward a building across the street.
"That's the restaurant?" Aeris asked. It didn't look like any kind of restaurant she had ever seen.
It looked more like a cafe then anything, though it was about twice the usual size.
"Well," Alex said with a chuckle, "it might not be five star, but their food is fantastic. I actually ate here the first day I came to this city."
They walked into the 'restaurant' and Aeris could see why he called it such. There were many booths that spread out across the walls of the building, each booth looked to be able to hold up to four people. A counter stood tall just before the kitchen, metal stools with round seats were bolted to the floor in front of it. Over the counter hung a large menu with everything they had.
Looking at the selection, Aeris was surprised to see all that they had to offer. From a simple BLT to a few dishes she couldn't even pronounce, they served just about every kind of food you could expect from an actual restaurant. The pink cat also noticed the irony of a crossbreed liking such a mismatched place.
As Alex and Aeris entered, they were greeted by a waitress.
"Well hello and welcome. Is it just the two of you?"
"Uh, yeah," Alex answered, looking behind him for a moment to see if anyone was close to them, finding her question strange.
"Alrighty then." The waitress eyed them both for a moment before grabbing two menus. "Now, we have several specials right now. Especially for a romantic meal, we have a special-"
"No no," Alex interrupted, "it's just a friendly outing."
"Oh," the waitress muttered, looking at Alex for a moment. "Well, actually, I'm a bit busy at the moment. But, I will get someone else to see to your order immediately, just have a seat and relax yourselves."
She handed a menu to each of them and Aeris and Alex looked for a spot they could sit. There weren't many people in the restaurant so they quickly found a table, sitting back farther then everyone else for seclusion.
Alex was already looking through his menu, while Aeris looked off toward the counter she faced. There, she could see the waitress who had greeted them talking to a young vixen, a fellow waitress. They whispered to one another about something, the former waitress pointing toward their table. The vixen looked toward them for a moment and looked back to her friend with a gleeful excitement. They whispered back and forth a few times more before the former waitress pushed the vixen in their direction before disappearing into the kitchen.
The vixen approached their table with a smile, eying Alex as she came closer.
"Hello there," she greeted with even more sweetness in her voice then the previous waitress had, "are you ready to order?"
"Well..." Alex muttered, still looking at his menu, "I had the steak last time I was here. Might as well stick with what I know, so one steak meal and coke please."
"Excellent choice," the waitress chirped, jotting down the order on a notepad. Her eyes then shifted to Aeris, looking at her as if she had just noticed the feline was there. "And you?" Aeris noticed a stale, almost sour, tone as she addressed her, but she ignored it.
"I'm not sure..." Aeris wasn't one for large amounts of beef and a simple sandwich seemed like a waste of a free meal. "The fish fillet I guess... and a coke to drink" The waitress nodded and took their menus before moving into the kitchen.
With so little people in the restaurant at the time, it didn't take very long for their food to arrive. Their vixen waitress sat down Alex's plate in front of him, a large slab of a steak with a side of potatoes and gravy. Aeris' fish was next, her fish fillet looking perfectly cooked with a miniature bowl filled with tarter sauce.
"Ah, delicious," Alex said, eying his meal hungrily while he made the first cut.
The hybrid had been right about the food, as Aeris quickly noticed after taking her first bite. It had to of been the best fish she had ever had.
"Mmm, you have got to try this," Alex said, savoring another bite.
"Yeah... I don't think so," she answered, having no interest in it.
"Aw come on, I know you'll like it."
Aeris shook her head, but Alex wasn't deterred by it. As a grin crept across his lips, Alex grabbed the pepper shaker that was with the other small items you'd typically have at your table. With simple tilts of the glass container, the pepper snowed on the steak in small incriminates. But as Aeris's attention shifted away from him, Alex dabbed a small pile onto his hand and blew a puff of air at it in her direction.
The pepper was blown toward her. Aeris wasn't ready to react as the flakes of pepper caught her in the face, more specifically her nose.
"Ah-cho," Aeris sneezed, turning her head away out of reflex. As she turned back to the table, she took a quick breathe to help her lungs after the sudden burst. Alex was ready for it. Just as her mouth was open, he put his fork and the cut of meat attached inside.
There was a moment of surprise that was quickly replaced by anger.
"Why you fu-" she began saying, stopping as the taste of the meat finally reached her. It was good, there was no doubting that. Aeris swallowed the steak and caught Alex laughing at her, finding amusement in her reaction. "Don't you daretry that again," she growled, still upset that he had just force fed her. "How would you like it if I shoved food down your throat?"
"Heh, it would take more then a few cheap tricks to get me."
"Oh really?" To Aeris, that sounded like a challenge.
With her own sly smirk, Aeris did nothing to hide herself cutting away a small piece of her fish, Alex eying her intently throughout. Keeping his eyes trained on her fork, Aeris was quick as she raised her foot up from under the table and stomped down hard on the hybrid's toes.
"Ahg-" Alex yelped, his pained noise being cut off as Aeris shoved her fork into his gaped mouth, nearly stabbing his tongue.
After several noises of pain and coughs, Alex struggled to finally swallow the piece of fish.
"That was just mean," he said, rubbing his aching foot. Aeris laughed at him.
It soon came to Aeris that this was really the first time they had sat down for a nice meal together by themselves. Though, technically, the day Leo ran off with Ternaldo was their first, it was filled with too much awkwardness to count. But now, it was just a peaceful outing they were having. As Aeris thought on it further, she couldn't help but enjoy every moment of it.
But of course, not everything was perfect. Two major details just had to blemish what would have otherwise been a wonderful day. Those two details taking the chaotic form of people.
Their waitress was the first.
All throughout their dinner, the vixen would constantly check up on them. While it was common practice for a waitress to do such a thing, seeing if their customers needed anything as to a refill on a drink or condiment, their own foxy helper did so in a much more constant sense.
Almost every couple of minutes she would be at their table, checking if they needed a refill on their drink or if anything was wrong with their food. Rather, if Alex needed anything. The pink feline might as well of not existed. She watched as the waitress stood so close to the hybrid as she asked him her usual questions, seeming to stand closer every visit. Completely ignoring Aeris in the process.
Normally, Aeris wouldn't care. She never needed anything herself, but the fox's constant appearance was grinding into her nerves almost as badly as Leo would on a daily basis. Just seeing her next to Alex, her obvious flirting attitude around him, her skimpy uniform, her eyes practically undressing him. Several moments occurred where Aeris found herself gripping her fork with such ferocity that her fingers ached.
Alex didn't seem to notice any of it though, her clear motives looking as though they blew right passed him. But Aeris became shocked as she saw the looks he gave the vixen every so often when she left. His gaze subtly moving to the side, his head turning little by little to catch a view of her backside as she walked away. Aeris was quick to keep her eyes on her food when he turned his head back to the table, acting as though she didn't see him starring at the waitress.
Despite her growing aggravation with the waitress, she was nothing when compared to her own visitor.
Their food was shrinking more and more as they ate, their stomachs filling just as quickly. With her hunger being satisfied, Aeris savored the last few bites of her fish and set her fork down. Alex still had a good sized chunk left, but the hybrid seemed to take bigger and bigger bites with each passing cut of his knife.
Watching him eat, Aeris didn't notice the shadow hanging over her, or its maker looming just at her side.
"Well hello beautiful," a masculine voice cooed, a thick sense of flirtation within every syllable.
Aeris barely had to turn her head to catch sight of the wolf standing next to her. With dark gray fur and a black biker jacket, he had a clear tough guy look going for him. Though something told her it was a cheap facade.
"I couldn't help but notice you all the way back here," the wolf continued, leaning against the back of her seat and inching himself closer and closer. "Why don't me and you go have some fun together, eh pussycat?" Saying the nickname with an inflection on it, as if finding it clever.
"Not interested, I don't date canines," Aeris said flatly, turning her cold gaze away from him.
"Who ever said anything about dating?" the wolf retorted with a small chuckle. "I was just thinking we could give each other a good time. I've never sampled a pussycat before... and pink is my favorite color." He leaned in closer, his muzzle just a hair away from her ear. "But your fur isn't the pink I'm interested in."
Aeris' fist clenched tightly underneath the table, ready to knock the impertinent wolf's teeth out. But her flexing muscles were softened as a new voice broke into her concentration.
"I think she's already given you her answer."
Both the wolf and Aeris looked to see Alex. The hybrid wiped his mouth clean as he set his fork aside, his plate empty.
"Oh?" the wolf said, leaving Aeris' side and stepping closer to the crossbreed. Alex kept a calm demeanor, lazily looking up at the wolf that now stood over him.
"Maybe it was the sudden downward shift in blood flow that effected your hearing, but she made herself quite clear. And frankly, I think you owe her an apology for your rude behavior."
"An apology?" The wolf laughed at that, his tough guy attitude showing even more at this point. "Oh, now I get it. You're playing some kind of white knight bullshit. Hoping she'll fuck you now. Is that it?" Alex shook his head.
"A rather quick conclusion, a false one too. I don't want any trouble, but you'd be wise to apologize to my friend here for your rude comments and accept her rejection of you." Again the wolf just laughed at the hybrid, his face gaining a large grin as he cracked his knuckles.
"Ha! Are you threatening me? You striped fox freak! Let's see you how tough you are."
Without warning, the wolf threw a punch at Alex. But he didn't make any contact. Alex moved from his seat to dodge the attack. Grabbing the wolf's arm, Alex side-stepped by him and pulled his arm behind his back. With his free hand, Alex gripped the wolf's head and forced him down onto the table.
The wolf's head smashed into the wooden surface with a loud thud. Their drinks jumped in the air for a moment and nearly spilled over as they clattered back down.
"This could have been avoided," Alex said with a sigh, standing behind the wolf as he twisted his arm back and held his head down onto the table.
The wolf grunted in pain as he felt the joints in his shoulder cracking. Every employee and customer in the restaurant had gone silent, watching the spectacle take place but not lifting a finger to do anything about it. Aeris herself could only stare at the scene in shock.
"You fucking son of a bi-" the wolf growled, pushing off of the table to force himself up. But he was cut off mid-insult as Alex slammed his face back down onto the table again, putting more force into it this time.
"Bitch?" Alex asked. "Sorry, mother was a tiger, not a dog. But I forgive you for that. What I can't forgive is your lack of courtesy to my friend. Now I've helped you part of the way for your apology, bringing you to a good angle to speak it, but I can't force you into the rest of it. What I can force though is the breaking of your arm from your torso."
"Fuck you!' the wolf spat. A bad decision.
The wolf was quickly howling in pain as Alex jerked his arm further back, bringing the limb near its breaking point.
"Just remember, I have very little patience," Alex said warningly. The wolf didn't say anything right away, his heavy breathing taking away from his ability to speak, but he eventually broke.
"Okay okay," the wolf whined, looking up at Aeris, quite difficult from his position. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I said. Please just let me go now." Alex merely shook his head.
"Oh no no no, simply saying 'I'm sorry' isn't really a good apology. Let's hear you explain your previous uncouth actions toward her, maybe tell her exactly why you did it."
A sound of protest started coming from the wolf, but it was quickly silenced as Alex tightened his grip on his arm.
"I... uh... You're just a really beautiful girl... I just... I just didn't know how to express that well... and I'm sorry for if I made you feel uncomfortable at all! Please just let me go!"
"That was very good," Alex said, speaking to him as though he were a child. "Aeris, do you feel satisfied with his apology?" Aeris could only give a simple nod, turned speechless at what was occurring in front of her. "Alright then. I guess you can go, but one more thing. What does a bad dog sound like?" Alex bent the arm back once more, bringing the bone to it's limit. The cracking sound of the joint was drowned out by the pitiful whine of pain the wolf gave off. "Good boy."
After Alex released his hold, the wolf quickly stood up and stared at him. For a moment, it looked like the canine might try an attack once again. But as he stood there, his heavy breathing being his only sound, the wolf caught sight of the people in the restaurant, every eye on him.
With a low growl, the wolf turned away from them and stormed out of the restaurant. He stopped just as he came to the door to look back at Alex, glaring daggers at him. The wolf then left, nearly shattering the door's window as he slammed it shut.
"Is everything alright?" the vixen waitress asked, finally showing her face after everything was over.
"Peachy," Alex said, sitting back down at the table. "By any chance, did the gentleman who just left order anything?"
"Uh... yes, he had a coffee and a slice of our pie of the day."
"Hm, probably walked out on it too didn't he... Okay then," he chimed with a smile, "add his order with our check and bring two of the same over here. Some caffeine and desert sounds wonderful right about now."
A/N: So this is chapter 25. I know what you're thinking. Doesn't show any light on 24. Well, lemme explain. Technically, this isn't all of 25. It was actually much longer. But as I was working on the final few paragraphs of this, I realized something. This chapter is fucking LONG. I wasn't even done yet and I was a few hundred words passed 7k...
I didn't want to break the chapter up as I always pictured this as one whole chunk, but I've figured it would be for the best, and I think the ending here seems like a good stopping point anyway... So expect 26 to be up sometime around tomorrow or the next day, after I've put the finishing touches on it.
So, (ahem) as for the chapter itself... Dohoho, a sexual joke that doesn't involve Jake, oh boy I do slay me. But technically... he is a wolf... so I guess that could count... iono.
And Alex is kind of a dick when he wants to be... huh...
Anyway, hope everyone has enjoyed the chapter so far, expect its continuation soon.