The pair of you had been walking for a few minutes. While it was not something new for you both to do together, the reasoning for the situation was.
“Are you sure?” You asked, looking around at the forest of trees encircling your vision.
“Yeah, totally.” He was practically hopping in place.
From what you were told prior, you were not exactly sure if he was preparing himself, or just full of his usual excitement.
“Um, Seth?” Your hesitance catching his attention. “You as a, uh, wolf, isn’t gonna take out a couple trees or anything, right?”
Bouncing over to you, he shook his head with a laugh. “No, you don’t have to worry about that. Just think, large wolf, not Godzilla.”
You tilted you head at the thought. “Wouldn’t King Kong make more sense for a comparison? I mean…mammals.”
“Hmm, I guess so. Yeah, that’ll work too. All right. Now, are you ready?”
“To see you as a cute puppy? Yes.”
A pout emerged on his face, “I’m not cute—”
“Cuteness is in the eye of the beholder.”
“I’m not so sure that’s the phrase.”
“Either way,” you laughed, tapping his shoulder. “C’mon.”
“Okay, but…don’t move. Stay right here,” he said and took a step back. “Please?”
“You got it. Not an inch.”
“Cool.”
Seth walked further away from you than usual. But then, a nervous chuckle. “Do you mind turning around?” He asked, shifting from one foot to the other.
“What, am I not allowed to look at you?” To say how quickly you had become confused with words, would not have explained your emotional whiplash. Now he did not want you to look at him?
“You are, just…not at the moment. I, uh, have to take off my clothes.”
Your eyebrows rose from the explanation. “Oh. Why didn’t you say so before?” Covering your eyes with your hands, you spun around, hearing the dirt under your shoes as you did so. “I thought you didn’t want me to see you as a wolf anymore.”
“No way!” His laugh carrying over the sounds of his clothes.
Not that you could entirely help it, but questions started listing themselves in your mind. “Do you usually undress in the woods?”
Seth’s laugh rang out again. “Don’t make this weird!”
“I’m not! I’m just asking a question.”
“Hang on.”
You remained silent. Quietly listening, you heard his breath increased, and then something so fast that you could not identify it properly. Ripping? Popping? You were not so sure, but it did sound uncomfortable.
A light stomping on the ground made you want to turn around. “Can I look yet?” You asked, dropping your hands slowly to your sides.
Listening to him approach, his footsteps were much heavier. Then, a gentle nudge to your back and a soft whine. When you moved to see his change, you were faced with a sandy colored wolf with the most kind and curious eyes.
“Seth?”
The wolf nodded his head.
“You’re huge! There’s no way that you could even fit through a doorway!”
His head titled cutely, but otherwise kept eye level with you. One of his large paws patted the ground and he nuzzled his face to you.
“An you’re adorable,” you cooed, reaching up to lightly scratch behind his ears. “I see absolutely no downside to this.”
