Baked

[Ethan Parks]

Every so often, the couple who owned the bakery under his apartment, would call Ethan down and either ask him to taste one of their new inventions or they would have a delivery that he needed to send out. That had been their arrangement to lower his rent. He had to be their delivery boy. He was absolutely fine with that. The idea of being able to meet with people and waive of at least ten percent of his rent with a side of baked goods shoved into his mouth every so often?

He wished all landlords would cut him as sweet a deal as the Adams' did.

"This is the address. Be careful with that bicycle you hear?" Mr. Adams waved him off and he gave them both a big grin and looked down at the address. He must have taken too long a time at the pavement when Mrs. Adams barked a "Left turn and then a right at the junction, sweetie."

With a sheepish grin, he waved at them again and set off. The weather was so nice and the smell coming from the basket was really distracting but Ethan finally made it to the address and he could hear barking as he approached the door. "Oh my God dogs." He grinned before ringing the doorbell.

"Adams' Delights! Bringing aroma to your doorstep!" He chimed the slogan to the bakery.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

It had taken a while, about two weeks, but Levi had finally managed to actually sleep for a full eight hours without waking up. It was a beautiful thing. His sleep habits would return to some sort of normalcy, but he didn’t want to jump the gun. It was only one night. Later tonight would be the real test. Aside from his lack of sleep, his overall lack of motivation and purpose was lost too. He hadn’t been to the bookstore, the bar, or even the park. His couch has become his nest. He’d occasionally let the dogs out around the block for a quick walk, but that was the extent of his journey into the outdoors. Pathetic.

He had managed to stay afloat with the food he had in the kitchen, but every so often he’d have a craving and for that he’d get it specially delivered to his lazy ass. Levi was all too aware of the fact that he was being psychotic, over dramatic even. There was no need for this behavior. He had himself convinced that his lack of sleep was beyond his control, but that was a bold face lie. He knew what needed to be done to solve all of his problems. It was just getting the kick in the ass to actually go and do it. The TV screen flashed of different colors as every scene passed, it was on mute. He had no real interest in whatever it was that was on the television. It was more so for the entertainment of his dogs who had been so resolute in watching it. The enjoyed the stimulation. It was more than Levi could offer them. He continued petting Luna, who was sitting next to him. She was so odd. She would never lay on the couch, only sit. Axel on the other hand was stretched out on the other side of Levi, belly up as Levi ran his other hand over his belly. They were a piece of work.

Immediately, the two of them shot up and started barking vehemently at the door. Levi’s eyes lazy watched the door, and within the next moment he heard the bell. Letting out a sigh, he lifted himself from the couch adjusting his sweatpants as he rose. He heard the delivery boy speak, and rolled his eyes. How corny. Levi rubbed the side of his face, and snapped his fingers and pointed to the couch. Instantly, Axel and Luna made their way to the couch no longer making any loud sounds. Just a faint whine, escaped every so often.

Levi opened the door, and gave a faint smile to the man standing in front of him. “Hey man, uh, how much was it?”

---

Tag: Ethan Parks

[Ethan Parks]

The barking had stopped but Ethan could still hear some whining as the door opened. With a bright smile, he held out the bag with the man's orders. "Hey! That'll be eight bucks. The receipt is in the bag." He pointed to the bag he had handed over to the man and he waited to be paid.

"I'm sorry, I have to ask, do you have dogs in there?" He asked with a grin. "I heard barking earlier. I'm just curious. I love dogs." Ethan remarked. It was weird how friendly and open he had become as of late when he had been such a recluse when he was a teenager. He supposed being in Florida and getting so close to people from all walks of life had opened his eyes to his newfound friendliness?

Whatever the reason, he was sure the people of Kalispell would appreciate it. Well, here's to hoping that his friendliness was not viewed as nosiness.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

Levi patted around his sweatpants for his wallet. Of course it wasn’t there. Why would it be there? He took the bag from the man, “Just a second.” Just as Levi was about to turn around he heard the man speak again. As Levi held the door open with his back, he couldn’t help but smile. His dogs were his weakness. They would be the death of him. The stranger’s question elicited a genuine smile from Levi. It was an automatic response. “Yeah.” He said as he turned his head slightly. He knew they were waiting for the okay. They loved new people. Especially since they haven’t been out as much as of late. Which was mostly Levi’s fault, and he knew it.

Levi eyed the man for a second. He didn’t seem dangerous. “You know what,” He began, “How about you come in for a second, I uh, gotta get my wallet anyway.” He added. Gesturing for the man to step inside. It would be kinder than slamming the door in his face while he went to get his wallet. Levi moved away from the door, and stared at his dogs. “Behave.” He said to them. Their tails were wagging feverishly. He noticed they were a bit closer than they were a moment ago. Sneaky.

---

Tag: Ethan Parks

[Ethan Parks]

"Yeah, take your time." Ethan waved a dismissive hand in the other man's direction before he raised both eyebrows at the offer. He didn't know what kind of person would let a stranger, a delivery boy for that matter, just walk into their apartment but he wasn't going to complain. There were dogs involved.

He stepped into the apartment and let the door close behind him and he was met with two expectant faces of the most beautiful huskies he had ever set his eyes on. "Oh wow dude...they're gorgeous." Ethan held his hand out for the dogs to sniff.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

“Thanks.” He said simply, as he made his way over to the kitchen. Levi placed the bag on the counter. Seeing that his keys were next to his sunglasses but no wallet confused him. Odd. Where was his wallet? He furrowed his brows slightly, truly lost as to where his wallet could be. It couldn’t be at the coffee shop, could it? No. He was sure he had it with him when he left. That was the last time he had left his apartment, and he’s ordered food since then. No, the wallet was here.

He raised his head and looked over at the stranger that he had so kindly let into his place. It wasn’t the smartest thing he’s done, but then again lately he has been doing a lot of stupid things. “Thanks.” He said with a smile. He’d never get tired of hearing that. Levi’s hazel eyes shifted from the stranger to his dogs. They were beautiful, and freshly bathed too. He watched as Axel started smelling the man’s hand, then as he usually did, he gave it a lick or two. Luna on the other hand started circling the man. She was silly.

Levi went into his room briefly, looking still for his elusive wallet. It wasn’t on his nightstand, or his dresser. He grabbed the last pair of jeans he wore and patted around. “Bingo.” He said with a sigh of relief. That would have been awkward if he had to tell the guy he couldn’t find his wallet in his own apartment. As he stepped out of his room, he opened the wallet and walked up to the man. Luna was now smelling the man’s shoes. He let out a small laugh, “You said eight right?” He asked, pulling out a twenty. Levi felt Axel nudge him. Someone approved. Luna however, was still investigating.

---

Tag: Ethan Parks

[Ethan Parks]

"Don't mention it." Ethan smiled and looked around. Natural curiosity and all that. It looked quite lived in and very much a bachelor pad. With the exception of the two dogs, Ethan found the apartment to be just like his. Without the Lego structures everywhere.

When one of the dogs started pacing around him, Ethan smiled at it while giving attention to the one who was already licking. He crouched down slightly and started moving his hand over the dog's head and scratched. "Hi. You're a good looking one aren't you?" He cooed before standing up straight again when the man returned.

"Yep. Eight." Ethan accepted the twenty and gave back his change before looking down at the dogs, already hesitant to leave. "Do you walk them around the park often?" He asked, looking expectantly at the man with a small smile.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

Axel was more than accepting of the stranger’s attention. Levi felt a bit bad for being more preoccupied with himself more lately than his dogs. Not that they were acting out or anything, but from watching them with the stranger, it was obvious they missed interacting with other people. Great. Another thing had to be taken care of. Luna seemed more off-putting than normal, her behavior has been different lately. Normally she was wary of strangers, but would always end up welcoming them after Axel approved, but lately, she seems more…cautious. Levi watched as she made her way back to the couch, returning to her position before the man showed up. Axel was still prying for more affection.

Levi gave Axel a brief pat on the head to appease him, but it wasn’t enough. He ignored him momentarily. Levi barely counted his change and handed the stranger a reasonable tip back. His eyes moved from Axel back to the man. “Yeah, I try to from time to time, but as of late…” Levi said as he trailed off and looked over remorsefully to Luna. He shook his head slightly. Levi struggled to finish his sentence. Not only is it good for them to go out, get fresh air, and socialize, but it would probably be good for Levi as well. Ugh. He needed to run again, he needed to get out, but more importantly he needed to face the one thing he’s been trying to avoid.

“You have any dogs?” Levi asked, as he rubbed the back of his head. He offered a small smile to the stranger, “He seems to like ya.” He said eyeing Axel, who hadn’t lost interest in the man, like Luna had.

---

Tag: Ethan Parks

[Ethan Parks]

Ethan hadn't realised that the other dog's behaviour was out of the ordinary. He just made it out that she was less friendly than the one currently rubbing it's head against Ethan's hand. The osteokinetic accepted the money and only looked up when the man responded quite hesitantly. He wondered if it had anything to do with the man's current living situation.

Don't judge, Ethan.

The question brought a slight crinkle on Ethan's nose. "Unfortunately no. I usually creepily latch on to other people's dogs. Like now." He chuckled and let the dog lick his hand.

"I like him too! What's his name?" Ethan asked. Maybe he should leave...

But dogs.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

Levi’s attention was averted to the stranger he had let into his apartment. He’d deal with Luna later. Axel seemed to be content with the man, and in all honestly this was the most interaction Levi had had with another person in way too long. It was even embarrassing to think about. The man seemed pleasant and harmless enough though.

Levi let out a laugh at the man’s comment. “Ah I see. You’re not a dognapper or something are you?” He asked jokingly. If he was, well, no, no, he is not. He can’t be. Levi let the thought vanish from his mind. Glad to be rid of it. If it wasn’t for his dogs, Levi probably wouldn’t be getting most of the attention that he does. Which begs the question, does anyone even like him? Or is it they just like his dogs? Levi pushed the thought away. Now wasn’t the time.

“His name is Axel.” As soon as Levi said his name Axel shot him a look. Levi simply smiled at his companion. “And that one is miss sassy pants Luna” He said nodding his head in her direction. Luna let out a small huff towards them, and laid down on the couch.

---

Tag: Ethan Parks

[Ethan Parks]

Ethan laughed before stopping short and narrowing his eyes at the other man. "I wouldn't tell you if I were, would I?" He said before shaking his head and hands. "No, no. I am not. I've never really had a pet so I wouldn't know what to do with one even if I did manage to kidnap one." He chuckled.

The introductions made had Ethan curling back up to his full height, just remembering his manners. "I'm Ethan, by the way." He couldn't help but laugh at how Luna pretty much ignored them completely. She really is Miss Sassy Pants. He reached a hand out to the man congenially.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

Levi let out another laugh. He wasn't a dognapper good. Although, he had a feeling he wasn't. "Never had a pet? That's a shame. Everyone should have a pet at least once in their lives." He said with a nod. Levi wasn't one to talk though. Luna and Axel were his first real pets. He made sure, however, to do extensive research before adopting them so he new what to do and how to train them. He seemed to be doing well so far. They're two years old and still healthy and happy as ever. Although, he knew that sometime soon he'd need to get them fixed. When he first got them he thought about letting them have some pups, but as time went by he felt it would be too much if Luna were to ever get pregnant. Not to mention dealing with her estrous cycle was getting a bit tiresome.

"These are my first real pets though. I had a few fish once growing up. That was all my parents allowed us to have. When in reality we all wanted dogs. Except my sister, she wanted a cat." Levi said as his eyes looked over at Luna. He was lost for a moment in nostalgia. A somewhat good memory at that. The real question was why did he just tell a complete stranger a personal detail about his past life. Odd. He never did that. Ever.

In attempt to shake off his slip up Levi extended his arm to shake Ethan's hand. "Nice to meet ya Ethan. I'm Levi." He said with a smile.

---

Tag: Ethan Parks

[Ethan Parks]

"You know, I absolutely think so too. But unfortunately right now I don't really have the time and my parents didn't really have the patience for pets when my baby brother came along. So..." he paused before laughing at his would statement. "I did have a pet rock when I went to Bellefonte." He pointed in the general direction of where the school was, not really knowing whether or not the guy knew what Bellefonte was.

"Such fine pets they are too. Well-groomed, friendly...well, one of them is at least." Ethan eyed Luna with a grin before he paid more attention to Axel who was rubbing the top of his head against Ethan's knee.

Ethan had a firm grip on Levi's hand, grateful he had his gloves on and was free to do so without the fear of crushing the other man's hand. "I don't mean to be forward but I seriously love your dogs and would it be at all possible for you to maybe bring them out to the park where I can accidentally bump into you with some dog toys to play with them?" Ethan asked with a sheepish grin. "Oh God, I do sound like a creeper dog napper. I swear I'm not." He chuckled.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

“Maybe one day then.” He said with a shrug. Levi felt his stomach sink at the mention of the school. Great. Not this guy too, but then again, what was he to expect. He moved back to a town that played host to the gifted children of America. Why did he come back again? Levi’s facial expression remained light, and had a smile present. He laughed at the mention of a pet rock.

Levi grinned when he heard Ethan praise his dogs, which he felt was a compliment to himself instead. His eyes moved from Ethan to Luna and back to Ethan. “Yeah, I don’t know what’s been up with her lately. She’s been a bit……off.” He said as he furrowed his brows. It was puzzling. In two years since he’s had her she’s never acted like this. It was worrisome.

Levi simply laughed again. He liked Ethan. He was friendly, and funny, even if he went to that school. Levi was tempted to ask about it, but felt it wasn’t the right time for that. It wasn’t that Levi didn’t like the school itself, it was more so some of the staff that was there that he had a distaste for. “You don’t sound like a dog napper. More so a dog stalker perhaps.” He answered with a chuckle. “But, that would be totally possible. They like you, well…” He eyed Luna again. “She’ll get over herself, believe it or not though she does like you, even if she’s being a bit rude. You don’t wanna know what she’d be doing if she didn’t like you.” He shook his head, his eyes wandered back to Luna and gave her a stink eye.

Levi made his way over to his fridge and grabbed a beer. He took a large swig and walked back over to where Ethan was. “I’d offer you one, but I don’t know how your boss would feel about you drinking on the job.”

Axel seemed happy enough in Ethan’s company. A slight twinge of jealous ran through him. It was silly. “But I have no problem meeting up at the park or wherever. They could always use a new friend. I’m sure they get sick of hanging with me all day every day.”

---

Tag: Ethan Parks