"You seem uncomfortable." After what felt like three hours that were probably only thirty minutes or so, Elliot finally said something. Granted, they also greeted each other in the standard way, which the opossum found very mechanical. Everyone quickly said their text and then nothing came up. Except that it was the first time he got into the lawyer's car. At least that's what he assumed, even if he wasn't driving the vehicle himself. Maybe it was a taxi or something. The person behind the wheel didn't say a word, but gave him a sharp look as he sat down. But instead of worrying about it, rather overworked his mind on what topics of conversation to lay out and where the journey was going.

"It's just the headache." He replied simply, because after such a fall his head could still hurt for a while. When he got in, the raccoon held the door open for him like a gentleman. It was just a polite gesture, and yet he thought he didn't have to be like that. For whatever reason. He just felt weird about it.

"Why didn't you say you weren't fine? Then we could have canceled this meeting." When Elliot put it so openly, he felt even worse because it seemed to him as if he was forcing his friend to do something. He really wondered how Manny always did this friendship stuff.

"Great. You're just doing this out of courtesy. You could have texted that to .."

"No no! I .." Crash looked away from the window and at the other person who was sitting next to him in the car, because that was new. So his brother kept interrupting him when he didn't have the time or inclination to listen to him. His current companion, however, rarely did. No, actually it never happened before. That's why they both looked at each other a little puzzled.

"I am sorry. I just wanted to say that it's unfamiliar. You never wanted to go anywhere with me before. But we don't have to continue this if you don't feel like it. I don't want to urge you." It sounded sincere as always, of course, but also as serious and this excursion was not the right time for that.

"First of all, I'm fine. It's just an occasional headache. Maybe I didn't drink enough today." He came up with an excuse right away, because it wasn't a lie to keep little things to yourself. That's why he put on this cap. He hoped he didn't look too dumb with that thing. Eddie said it would be ok, but lately he couldn't believe him either.

"Second, I've always wanted to do something with you. But you're not the type to go for a beer or something." He and his stupid big mouth, because that didn't sound too wistful at all. Thinking and then babbling is also really difficult.

"Really?" Elliot was acting really weird today. First the talk and now he looked at him so strangely. But then they both cleared their throat quickly.

"Yes, I .." "It's that .." They didn't start talking at the same time either and somehow he had to laugh for a moment, which probably eased the mood a bit, because the man next to him somehow didn't seem like that tense anymore.

"You speak first." The opossum was offered and he rolled his eyes with a smile. His buddy has yet to learn that this chaperone didn't always work.

"So where are you kidnapping me? Because actually we wanted to meet in the park first or have I misunderstood something?"

"I thought we'd go there together. Next time I'll remember that .." Crash had to smile again.

"This is the first time that we do something together, outside of our booth and you are pretty sure that there will be a next time." The reaction to his words was great, because his conversation partner lost for a moment the polite attitude.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have just accepted .."

"Pff, you should see your face." He laughed and he had found something to tease Elliot with, if he wanted to continue.

"Don't be so stiff and relax a little. I'm the only one here." He added with a light pat on the shoulder and thought that he should behave better because the driver was giving him deadly looks again.

"That's exactly the problem." Suddenly it urged to the opossum's ears a little quieter, which then got a little warm, like the rest of the head. It was actually not on his agenda to be embarrassed.

"We're here." It was announced in the front of the car and he immediately took the chance to jump out into the fresh air. They weren't on the road that long and the raccoon was already irritating him that he didn't know what to think.

"Crash?" He heard his name with concern.

"It was really stuffy in the car." Nobody could find excuses as good as he, he thought and looked at the park entrance while he breathed in the fresh air to come down a little. Just don't think about Eddie and his stupid stuff, he said to himself, but unfortunately these annoying things were in his head and so were the pictures.

"It's good that we are here now and .." It was now clear to him what his companion was wearing. So he saw it before, but now the difference in clothes seemed to be clearer. While he looked like he was going to go trash diving again, Elliot looked like he wanted to have a coffee chat with the lady president. Which of course is no longer single afterwards, because with such a body .. Everything just fitted too perfectly, that seemed abnormal to him.

"No, that doesn't work." He babbled more to himself.

"I beg your pardon?" Of course, his companion was irritated.

"The tie and the top .. Just leave that in the car." He explained as best it seemed possible.

"I don't understand what you're getting at."

"You look like my bodyguard who will also represent me in court. Couldn't you have dressed a little more loosely?" Then the taller man glanced downward.

"I'm sorry ..." Crash interrupted this apology with an annoyed moan and covered his face, because he just couldn't understand his own stupidity. Just because things bothered him he couldn't force his will on the other.

"Damn, leave the excuses too!" So he put it out little louder and waved his paws around in annoyance because he couldn't deal with others like that. Elliot didn't offer him anything to defend against. Did he really always choose women who also opened their muzzles too wide? He should take that with him to reflect at home. For now there were more important things.

"No, I should be sorry." The opossum scratched its head, ignorant of how to proceed.

"You are way too nice. If something doesn't suit you, then I would prefer you to express it and leave the jacket, or whatever it is, on. You don't have to do what I tell you. Sorry if I don't make any sense, but this is not my thing." He heard how that sounded himself and so he kept babbling on.

"No, no! Don't get that down the wrong throat! I wanted ... I really want to do something with you. It's just .. I'm kind of .. nervous." The last word surprised him as much as the raccoon, who looked at him with wide eyes. But it was one hundred percent true. He didn't want to chop things up and do things he usually did with women. Crash actually wants to look good for someone once in a lifetime. This date hadn't even started properly, and he thought he needed a little alone time to process the last few minutes.

"It's no different for me. I mean, I'm not as interesting as you are. I can count myself lucky that you even want to do something with me." Hearing that made him simmer with mixed feelings.

"Please don't fall on your knees in front of me. Can we leave this behind and well, go to the park first?"

"Of course." With the answer, the tie was loosened, pulled off and carefully placed in the car. But that was the only piece of clothing that fell. Probably better that way, because he shouldn't push the other person to do anything. Then Elliot looked at him waiting.

"You see, looks friendlier. Let's go before the shops close." With that, the opossum stepped forward so that they finally get away from the parking lot. The situation seemed oppressive enough to him that the driver's eyes, which practically stabbed him in the back, didn't really help.

"But it's only .."

"You just say it like that and now come on, I don't want to step around in one place."

"All right." So his friend followed him until he decided to slow down so they were walking more side by side and not one behind the other. And the good old silence came back. Except for the voices of other animals here in the park that were a little further away. Here the bushes were a little thicker to the left and right and normally, this is where he would persuade his date for the first kissing round to test the water. So not literally. Their eyes crossed and Crash hurriedly pointed behind the taller one, whereupon the latter was also looking.

"What's going on?" The other one inquired, a little puzzled.

"A beautiful butterfly was just sitting there, uh, and I thought ... Anyway, it's gone." He stood in line, like on his very first date. Basically, that's kind of true, because it was the first date with a man and the first in a long time that he was really nervous. Annoying.

"Do you like insects? So not just for eating?"

"Hm, yes. Some of them are beautiful creatures."

"I agree."

"And?"

"And what?"

"You just wanted to say more about it or not?"

"Maybe another time."

"And here he again assumes that there are still several dates." Crash should really stop teasing him like that, but he kind of liked the reaction to it. That embarrassment that made the raccoon look fleetingly younger and reminded him of before. It strangely made him smile. In the past everything seemed more informal. They acted like old friends, at least he thought, and yet there was so much he didn't know about his new old buddy.

"I ..." A loud noise interrupted Elliot's sentence. Crash cursed his stomach and himself because in the excitement he had forgotten to eat some more.

"Can I get you something to eat? There should be six different food stalls here today. Of course there is more, but in such an emergency you shouldn't have a dessert .." The opossum rolled its eyes over it and held a paw on the arm of his friend, who stopped talking and stared at it.

"Emergency situation? Pah. I'm just a little hungry and I'm not starving. The next booth around the corner will probably sort it out." No sooner said than done, because he suddenly realized where he was moving one of his extremities.

"Sorry, but you know, I go to everything with my paws without thinking." Then he patted the area on the raccoon's arm gently, as if dirt had gotten to it through him. When he looked back into the face of the other from his arm, he was a little startled, because it was looked back illegibly. Or much more, Elliot stared him in the ground or it seemed to him this way.

"What's going on now? Want to do a staring contest or something?" The opossum inquired a little hesitantly, because somehow he didn't understand what was going on. Had he insulted the guy? Now that he was pondering about it, he was always given a strange look in the store when he was handing out his paws. So with back pats or high fives. He thought the first time that Elliot didn't even know what it was because he looked so stiff.

"I'm not averse to it."

"Huh? Really now? Okay, if you want to. So whoever looks away first has lost." Was it even possible for him to look into those beautiful eyes for a long time? Sparkled like something you could get hold of in a jewelry store. Wait, those thoughts sounded a little weird. A low laugh interrupted his inner monologue.

"No, so if you want to, we can do that later. But I mean, I'm not averse to you touching me." And bam, with that sentence, Crash's body decided again to feel hot and cold at the same time and he jerked his head in a different direction, so no one could see that.

"Yeah, okay. But now let's look for something to eat." With that he stomped off to go to the nearest snack bar, so that the mood between them changes quickly and so that his stomach finally leaves him alone.

So Elliot isn't averse to being pawed at? Damn it, the guy also knocks things out. Simply that way. And what's the matter with me?

At first he thought, he could never do anything with a man and no sooner did they leave the counter than he began to dream of kissing and fumbling. Wasn't exactly normal. Was he using their shop to stay away or to protect Elliot from his wandering paws? When the word 'touch' was being uttered, other things went through his head than just harmless pats on the back.

How could someone at that age appear so honest and so pure, the opossum wondered, and now dared to look back at the gentleman in the suit. This was no longer alone a few steps back. A very good looking and young lady was talking to his friend, who was in lawyer mode. In any case, he always believed that Elliot had to work that way, because the other's face switched back to something fully mechanical. Features are hard and stiff, that had nothing to do with their previous conversation. How long had Crash turned away, but he shook off further questions and immediately marched back over to his buddy.

"Well, hello." He rudely interfered in the conversation and he was aware of that. Normally he wouldn't do that with this animal, but something just didn't suit him. He just didn't know what it was.

"You have to excuse us, but we're talking here right now." The woman said that in a friendly manner, but he saw through that she didn't want him here at the moment. Besides, the lady didn't have the nicest eyes. As icy as it flew over him for a few seconds.

"Ok, then don't be bothered by me." The opossum also said it played nicely, but stayed where it was. So almost exactly between Elliot and her.

"I knew there were only crazy people around here. Who knows, why you waste your time in such a place. Anyway, I don't. You really should call her about some agreements and .." Crash was actually a little interested in what the chick was talking about. Was it a client or something like that?

"I'll do it and now go, please!" Startled by the tone of the otherwise gentle raccoon, he half turned his head when he heard this.

"As you like, but do it soon. You know, time is running. Always." And with that she stomped off in her expensive high heels. Click, click, click. He was already taking a breath to ask something, but he wanted to wait until the sound could no longer be heard. He wouldn't want to go dancing with someone like that, because that would annoy him.

"Better not try." It suddenly penetrated his ears. He moved his head around to his buddy fully, confused, because he didn't understand the statement.

"Um, what exactly?" He asked, because Elliot wasn't even really looking at him.

"Do you like her?" Only then did those dark eyes look at Crash and he wondered if he had done something wrong. Something was up in the air right now, he was sure of that. He glanced once more in the direction where this woman disappeared.

"I don't like Frosties." He said loosely, because he couldn't think of anything better to do.

"I beg your pardon?" The other one inquired with raised eyebrows. Why did the guy act so surprised, the opossum wondered inwardly. Strange situation.

"You already know, like Ice Queens. Ice cold ladies." He added more, waving his paws in the air to make it clearer.

"Ha .." Elliot started to comment, but then looked a little shocked and turned away from him, but his body was shaking a little uncontrollably. A little worried, he walked around his friend to look him in the face, only to find that he was trying to suppress his laughter again. Sometimes Crash really wanted to know what this was all about.

"Hey, we are alone, you can laugh at my jokes. I know that in front of Eddie you always pretend I'm not funny because he's a humorless bean sometimes." He grinned, but the raccoon quickly went the normal posture for him. It was probably not so easy to lure this one out, whatever with him was. Crash threw off these thoughts, but still pondered why the other person resisted laughing or just smiling. So the natural phenomenon, not this polite act.

"I am sorry. I only thought for a moment ..." Suddenly there was closer eye contact. He couldn't stand it and pretended to sneeze. There you should turn away.

"Was nothing. What did you want to say? "

"Nothing. How was your evening yesterday? "And then the opossum came back to the polite guy, like chatting with an advisor. Actually, he should sometimes be more friendly when customers were in the store. But he thought everyone should get to know every side of him, which he thought was only fair, because the other way around was the same.

"Oh the usual. I opened my big mouth and she dumped me because she didn't want to hear things. Bla, bla and so on. Maybe I'll be lucky with the next one." He bit his tongue, because that was too clear. He shouldn't overdo it.

"I'm sure. I've heard that finding a steady long-term partner isn't that easy. If you want, I can introduce you to someone."

"Really?" After the reflex he shook his head and cleared his throat, because apparently his companion did not know that they were going on a date. Like right now. Wait, it just meant doing something together that both of them like.

"I mean …"

"Corn on the cob! Roasted corn on the cob!"

"I'll grab one quickly, but we'll stick to the topic." He hurriedly tore a still with the warm goods out of the salesman's paws and then, embarrassingly, noticed that he had forgotten his wallet.

"Um .." Crash waited around and a rare feeling crept up inside him. He found this just uncomfortable and at the same time, it otherwise it passed by on his furry buttocks.

"It's okay. I'll pay for it." Elliot interfered without changing his face. You couldn't tell whether this was disappointed with the scrounger number or something else.

"My saving hero, in the suggestive armor." The opossum added, half jokingly, half gratefully.

"I beg your pardon?" But his companion did not understand the joke so completely.

"Forget what I said. I .. Ahhhhhh!" His tongue touched the warm corn, but that wasn't a problem here. It stings in his muzzle because by mistake he had snatched a chilli stick from the seller.

"You… don't happen to have… shhh too. Drinks?" He hissed the words out between his teeth, but the salesman just shrugged his shoulders and pointed to his offer sign. Corn with everything just nothing for slurping. Desperate, he looks around until he sees a well. For a moment he wondered inwardly if he really wanted to do this, but the burning sensation in his throat practically urged him to do so. So Crash ran over to the water, ignoring everything else and hurriedly dipped his head into it. Only when straightening up again, an inner voice yelled at him that he should now be damn embarrassed. Oops, where did that come from, because nothing else came up otherwise. He noticed that he was standing alone by the well. Somewhere the raccoon certainly drew the line and simply left him standing there during such an action.

"Are you all right?" A little startled, he turned around when the missing man suddenly showed up behind him. This also seemed a little out of breath.

"I'm sorry I just walked away like that. But it occurred to me that the dairy ice cream stand had to sell milk like that too. Unfortunately not really and that's why I thought a vanilla shake is also possible ok. Not exactly low in calories, but .." Before Elliot could babble any more, he took the mug from his hand and tipped the stuff back.

"That was really nice of you, but next time you don't have to look like that .. Ahhh! No! Brain freeze!" His throat, which was now only slightly warm, was nothing against his head, which felt as if it had been placed in the freezer.

"Oh, I didn't mean that. I'll get you ..." Before his buddy could run away again to bring him something, this time he just held his paw. While he blinked because the cold kind of got on his eyes, he tried to find good things in his head at the same time. Which he would then have to pronounce.

"Sorry, but that's normal if you do something with me. My brother doesn't just say this to annoy me. Ah, things are a little better now. Anyway .." He paused and looked down at his arm, which tingled a little at the end. Oh yes, he was still holding the other's paw.

"Bugger me, are those things warm with you!" And somehow nice and soft to touch, he thought more to himself.

"Nice." Elliot said a little more quietly and he wasn't sure if he was being spoken to. The raccoon stared a little strangely, down on both of their limbs. Their eyes met and the moment seemed to be gone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hold you." His paw was dropped again, into the fresh and cold air. Crash thought for a moment that he wanted to.

"Forget it, but let's find something to munch for you in the area." Plus, so many things were racing through his mind right now that he couldn't really do anything other than fleeing the situation. The guy didn't even laugh at him, until now and there were enough reasons. Instead, he worried about his welfare. Not that his family didn't care about him, but they saw him as a joker who often failed. Sooner or later, Elliot will think he's a joke too, because whether he wanted to show it or not, he couldn't jump out of his fur.