Hudson was the perfect mix of a big strong male with a heart of gold.
Just listening to Hudson and his brother Carter talking about their days had shown Bastian just how positively Hudson viewed the world.
Hudson was pure sunshine and rainbows and…just a sweetness. It was so uncommon in Bas’s world to come across anyone that pure that Bastian was determined to make sure that nothing bad ever touched Hudson. Whether they were mates or not.
He reached the bakery and entered the shop grinning as Noah helped a customer. Dean and Logan were nowhere to be seen but Bas could hear the banging of pans coming from the kitchen.
Bas waited patiently until Noah was done and the young shifter looked over at him.
“Hey!” Noah greeted. “Snack?”
Bastian shook his head. “I was hoping that I could borrow the office again.” He wanted to shift and take his normal position in his tree. And yes, Bas had claimed that tree as his own.
“Of course!” Noah waved him forward.
“Thanks.” Bas dipped his head as he strolled toward the back. He paused before pushing open the door. “Should I knock?”
Noah giggled and nodded. “It’s usually a good idea. The kitchen is safe, but the office could be…interesting.”
Mates. Because Dean and Logan were mates and couldn’t keep their hands off each other. It was like that with all the couples and throuples he was around. They had no problem showing their affections, whether in the privacy of their house, in the yard, forest—hell, Bas had seen them in town kissing and holding hands.
At least Bastian hadn’t seen any homophobes or heard of any trouble.
The entire town seemed to be LBGTQIA+ friendly.
Pride flags and rainbows stickers were often found on the business windows and inside the shops.
That gave Bas more to think about.
He didn’t even know if Hudson was gay. Or attracted to men. He didn’t have to be gay after all. He could be bi, demi, pan…there were multiple ways to identify that might mean that Hudson dated men. Bas would have to keep his fingers crossed.
* * * * *
Hudson
Walking through the park, Hudson smiled and waved at the friendly people in town that he was getting to know better. He loved living there so much. In Boston it had been hard to connect with anyone outside of work since the residents had always been in such a hurry or ignored him.
The slower pace suited Hudson perfectly although he often wondered how Carter would manage without all the chaos of thecity. Carter might have been burnt-out from the job, but he had also thrived in the big city.
Hudson loved people but it was harder for him to find friends that he wanted to hang out with unless it was another firefighter. Carter made friends with every person he met.
Even in his new town, Hudson only hung out with his brother, EJ, Easton, or one of the other firefighters. He saw groups that looked like they’d be fun to do around, like the guys that ran the bakery or bookstore, but Hudson found it hard to just walk up and introduce himself.
With his size, he often intimated other people until they got to know him better. Once they realized that Hudson was…soft, as Carter said, then Hudson sometimes found himself being bullied. Even in the firehouse back in Boston there had been some assholes that had been mean.
He never let other people’s opinions dictate how he lived his life, but it was hard not to get his feelings hurt. And when he was around people that he knew he would never be friends with, Hudson couldn’t even tell his brother since Carter tended to be overprotective.
Spotting the tree, the tree that his little furry friend had been in, Hudson practically skipped over to it.
It was a nice tree, he supposed. Tall, offering much shade under the thick branches and full leaves. If Hudson was a cat, he reckoned that it would be the tree in the park that he’d pick.
Standing with his head back so he could look way up, Hudson nearly fell back on his ass when he caught sight of the gorgeous brown fur with spots. Was Bas really a margay like the internet search had indicated?
And Bas was really high this time. At least three or four branches higher than the day before.
From his spot, Hudson could only see one leg, but he knew that it was his friendly feline.
“Oh no,” he whispered. Looking around, he tried to see anyone who might be able to offer him assistance. Hudson wasn’t even sure if a ladder would reach the cat this time. They might need to get the fire ladder truck.
