“Are you all right?” Aspen asked him, annoyance giving way to concern when the other cat didn’t say anything.
“I’m FINE!” Felix burst out. “I’m just FINE! I can WALK and TALK and MAKE MY OWN DAMN CHOICES and….and I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP!”
////
Another cat shifter, his nose informed him as the scent of the other man became overwhelming with their close proximity.
Agaycat shifter, his brain followed up, helpfully.Would you shut up?He told himself in annoyance.He JUST broke up with someone! He DOES NOT NEED my horny ass coming onto him! Even if he is INCREDIBLY attractive and smells edible…
///
His thumb stroked the back of…he glanced at the license…Felix’s hand, dancing along that edge of professional politeness and a shifter’s need for touch.
Self-composed and beautiful andgay, Aspen’s brain noted helpfully.
////
Having dinner together. Drunken discussion (on Felix’ part) about STUFF, including Aspen’s accent & what kind of cathe is etc. (“That’s a more serious discussion” or whatever.) Talking about being raised multi-culturally. Possible redneck encounter / wood chopping shirtless / snowball fight?
Aspen suggests the outdoor winter activities bc the power is already out & they’re already cold & what else are they going to do & also he needs to get the wood cart / stack the wood for them to have for the building.
“Teaching moment” with ‘proper axe form’.
Snowball fight.
‘Warming up’ after / shower scene? (If shower, it would need to be before the power goes out.)
“Generator is getting installed next week” convo after
Sledding & that’s where Aspen bumps his head, but it’s a lot less dire than my original ‘cracks his head on the icy walk’ plan? Aspen throws Felix over his shoulder during their hike to the hill (or maybe back from?) bc Felix is grumping about the deep snow.
‘Warming up’ after & getting clean, only this time it’s a sponge bath in front of the fireplace in Aspen’s room.
At what point do they end up switching to Aspen’s room for sleeping in front of the big fireplace? Aspen has the giant wood slab/tree bed, plus enormous custom cat ‘trees’ for scratching. (Mention the sisal wraps on them.) His room is basically a forest; ooohh, does he have a skylight that he can climb up to via the cat trees & in nice weather he leaves it open, or has it rigged so he can open/close it in cat form so that he can climb up on theroof & hang out as he pleases? Is one side of his room a sort of rock wall ledge to mimic a snow leopard’s natural habitat?
///
We get weeks of flirting over text/calls afterwards. Maybe Aspen comes to the city to pick up some furniture from a friend of his who does architectural salvage or something? (Contemplating a tie-in with the chick who runs the antiques shop/magical sextoy store.)
Felix wants to go up & visit again, but he’s worried about being a nuisance (Aspen didn’t stay during his trip, they just had a quick lunch together & then he left again.) (not even sex!) They keep trying to make plans, but timing doesn’t work out. Aspen’s been super busy with the holiday season so he hasn’t been as responsive in his texting & Felix is feeling the distance grow. At the same time, Felix quits his job bc it is a toxic environment & his boss has been deliberately blocking all his attempts at time off, but only tells Blake about it bc he doesn’t want Aspen to think he’s being irresponsible (or some shit like that).
After like a week of moping bc he wants to go see Aspen, but doesn’t want to impose himself, AND he’s had zero luck so far finding a new job (it’s been A WEEK), Blake steps in. Tells him he’s coming with her to get out of the house & they’re going to check out a new act she’s been meaning to talent scout.
Blake picks Felix up after his work shift & forces him to come with her to go check out a new talent act. She doesn’t tell him it’s up in Jericho, just that she wants him to go with her & that he can sleep in the car on the way. Fine, fine, I’ll go. (He’s feeling grumpy bc he hasn’t heard from Aspen in like 2 days. MaybeAspen’s phone broke? Dropped a log on it or something? It fell out of his pack while he was running home as a snow leopard & he hasn’t been able to find it bc of the snow? And he doesn’t have a land-line installed at the inn, but man is he getting one in NOW.)
Anyway, Blake & Felix go to Jericho to check out the act Blake wanted to see. Blake falls in love on the spot (it’s moth gal), but is doing her best to play it cool. She informs Felix that she got them a place to stay overnight… at the inn. Felix is freaking out bc DOES ASPEN KNOW HE’S COMING blah blah blah anxiety spiral. They show up, Aspen is DELIGHTED to see him and also nervous bc of the lost phone issue & just kind of word-vomits that he didn’t want Felix to think he’d been ghosting him or anything. They kiss & make up.
“You’re worse than lesbians!”
Aspen, while delighted, is also frazzled bc he’s a) got no phone and b) has been booked solid & is EXHAUSTED. Blake let’s it drop that Felix could have been here helping the entire time bc he’s on funemployment. Aspen is like OH REALLY. Felix is all FUCK’S SAKE, BLAKE. Aspen grins & offers to pay him (possibly makes a joke about paying in sexual favors, or maybe Blake does), if he wants to help while looking for his next position. Felix (with a big push from Blake) says ok & comes up to stay with Aspen. This is perhaps two weeks before Crimbo.
At some point, Aspen’s friend from town shows up & turns out she runs the local Unseen clinic and has been looking for staff. Bingo! Felix is hired. There’s logistics with him staying with Aspen until he(felix) finds an apartment etc, but that’s that.
Christmas is Felix & Aspen & Blake & the clinic friend & maybe some cameos from the Pumped crowd & Sassed? (Maybe All Curled Up is a client w/ Desiree’s company & they juststarted w/ them a few months back, which is why Aspen’s business is suddenly booming?) (Is Blake there, or is she busy performing somewhere/stalking her moth lady?)
