Not cannibals, I swear

The mall was practically empty. Save for a few people lined up at the coffee shop for their morning energy boost, there hardly were any customers around. But that worked in Collin's favour. The fewer people they came across, the lower the risk of anyone noticing Max's ears and tail and snapping a video of it. The last thing he wanted was to end up on TikTok with a caption 'Furry couple spotted in the wild'.

Lost in his thought, and that horrifying image, Collin stepped onto the escalator.

He really was just doing it. Shopping with some guy who could apparently turn into a dog. Nothing weird about that. Nothing at all.

"Wow, what is that?"

Max's voice came from behind him. Turning, Collin noticed Max stood frozen at the base of the escalator, staring at it like it might bite and hesitant to take the first step. His brows creased and he stepped back down.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't—" Max frowned. "This is weird."

His big brown eyes narrowed in suspicion and followed the steps rising one by one.

"It's an escalator," Collin explained. "Just takes you up."

"I don't like how it moves," Max muttered and took a cautious step back, never looking away from the escalator. "Makes a strange noise, too."

Collin glanced at the steps. Over the mall's music, he barely heard anything at all.

"Does it?" he asked.

Max nodded.

"Well, all it is, is just stairs that move. Nothing dangerous about it," Collin said.

But Max didn't look convinced. In fact, it seemed like he was about to bolt.

With a sigh, Collin stepped backward onto the escalator again, letting it carry him upward a short distance, before walking down to remain eye-level with Max. "See?" he asked. "Nothing's happening."

Max studied the escalator for a moment longer. Then he jumped onto the same step Collin was standing on.

The impact almost sent Collin flying when the hard sternum between those thick man breasts hit him straight in the nose. He barely caught the rubber railing before losing his balance entirely. Pain shot through the center of his face, and his eyes began watering.

"Oh, god," he groaned, taking an awkward step up. "Please, just warn me next time."

Wincing, he blinked the tears away. Max tilted his head, watching him with open curiosity, oblivious to the fact that he'd almost broken his nose with his literal chest.

When they reached the top, Max took an exaggerated step off the escalator, raising his leg high as if stepping over an invisible fence.

Collin led them past a makeup store where a bored shopping assistant examined his nails, a shop with candles that oozed with spa-like scents and finally into an affordable clothing store. He weaved through the racks full of women's dresses, crop tops and leggings, until they reached the man's section.

He grabbed several large t-shirts (all plain and in neutral colors: black, navy, deep green) along with sweatpants and jeans. On the way to the changing rooms, he added a couple of loose hoodies to the pile.

"Come here," he said, pointing to the third changing room on the right. He set the clothes on the small seat. "Try these on. I need to see what fits."

Max disappeared inside, emerging one outfit as a time ready for inspection. The clothes fit him much better than Collin's, and were loose enough that they could conceal the tail and still look normal.

They gathered the chosen items and headed to the register.

As the cashier scanned the items, Collin fished his card out of the wallet, eager to leave.

"You smell good."

Collin almost snapped his neck turning. But Max wasn't looking at him. He was looking at the cashier. The woman stiffened. Collin froze, his cheeks flushing pink.

The good news was that she saw him. She definitely heard him. Collin didn't just hallucinate him. Max did in fact exist. The bad news was, he had no sense of social norms.

Collin shot him a scolding look, but Max didn't seem to register.

"Like meat," he said, as if hoping to help them understand. There was not a thought behind those eyes. "But really good meat."

Collin's mouth fell open. The cashier's eyes widened. She scanned faster, hands shaky. One of the shirts slipped out of her grasp and hit the floor.

"I'm hungry," Max continued, not trying to be discreet, tone loud and clear.

"Sorry," Collin mumbled. They had to get out of here—NOW—and he'd never come back here again.

"I think she ate something tasty," Max said.

The cashier finally took Collin's card, avoiding eye-contact as she scanned it. "B-bacon, egg sandwich," she muttered.

Max's hand flew out, gripping Collin's forearm. His eyes lit up full of hope.

"Can we have that?" he asked.

"Yes," Collin said quickly, snatching his card back the moment the cashier returned it. He grabbed the bags and practically fled the scene.

"Are we going to eat now?" Max asked as soon as they crossed the entrance.

"Yes."