Naked, Toby, who had been warned he needed to eat to help his body return to full health, wandered into the kitchen.Bowl in hand, he leaned against the counter and munched his way quickly through a bowl of dry cereal that the box said was full of vitamins, while he acted like he wasn’t getting peppered with demands to hurry.
As his apartment was in the basement, Toby considered how to get out without being seen.In his bird form, he wouldn’t be able to open doors or close them.Niall would be in the café, as would Morty, so it wasn’t likely he’d be caught naked wandering up the stairs.The basement stairs led past the kitchen entrance, though.
His friends had seen him naked before, but Toby was a little self-conscious because the boner he’d sported since Saturday hadn’t deflated fully because he’d kept the hoodie close.Another reason he had slept late was that he had buried his face in the material, ignoring the dirty smell, and imagined it was his mate he was cuddling.A blissful state he wanted to try for real.
Come on then, get a wiggle on.
Excitement poured through him, and it wasn’t all his birds.Give a guy a second.It’s not you naked, roaming around with a boner!
Bowl in the sink, he was out his door, a furtive look around, and he was out of his apartment.Door shut, key under the mat, he crept up the stairs, listening out, back to blocking the huffy tweeting going on in his head.
He didn’t release a breath until he had the back door open and had slipped into the empty alleyway.The second air hit his skin, his bird forced the shift before he could blink.It took to the air, squawking with delight as it hit the thermals.
Being in the balloon basket flying in human form, Toby could say, was as much fun as this—if he ignored the head banging on the ground part.
The soft air glided over his feathers, and the sense of freedom bloomed between him and his animal.The genuine accord between them was never more than when they flew.
Toby’s cognizance remained where usually he would recede, giving over to his animal.Only this time he wanted to see where they were going.
Are you sure this is the right way?
Of course.I know exactly where I’m going,his bird snapped.
Don’t get your feathers in a flap, I’m just checking.This doesn’t look like the way the balloon traveled.It didn’t.
That’s because I’m going the way our mate traveled in the car when he took us to the hospital.
Is that wise?
His bird made a noise that most definitely sounded like a curse before he was the one blocking Toby.Something he could only do when in bird form.
Toby fretted as they continued flying, right until he noticed the covers and crosses on the ground up ahead, which he’d noticed before they’d crash landed.
His tiny heart fluttered much the same as his wings as they circled the large house and considered where to land.
Except Toby suddenly had a thought.In all the excitement and pushing his bird had done to fly to find his mate, he hadn’t considered he’d be naked when he got here.If they shifted, then he was going to benaked.Like buck naked.Because it wasn’t like his bird could knock on the door and introduce itself.Dang it all!
I’ll use my beak and peck at the window.One smell and he’ll know it’s us.Then you can do something about the boner.
Toby couldn’t argue with the logic.Just he didn’t think that was the right etiquette to get straight to the bone jumping part of the mating without so much as a first date.
He’s our mate, he’ll be as desperate as us to claim you, so give over!
Again, he couldn’t argue with the logic.It was just that Toby had rules about putting out.
Can you hear your stupid thoughts?We aren’t putting out, he’s our mate!Humans, why do you have to complicate everything by tying yourself up in these strings?
While they argued, his bird took matters into its own beak and landed on a window ledge and banged its beak against the glass incessantly.
“What’s all this?”rumbled a voice from behind them.
His bird flapped its wings and took to the air, flying over the head of the man who stood glancing up.
That’s not him.
Toby agreed, the smell wasn’t right.You’ve brought us to the wrong house.
I have not.
