It's A Hoot (mxm)

Chapter 1

Weeks on the road, Toren had passed through a few towns and cities, but a little voice inside his head insisted he kept going.
The journey was beginning to take its toll on him. He was tired and restless. He could no longer tell if it had been good or bad idea.
He knew running from his problems wouldn't solve anything, he'd have to come to terms with their death sooner or later, but it did feel good. He hadn't realized how much he had needed to be away from people.

Two days he'd driven from the last town and there wasn't a building in sight. It was all forests and fields devoid of human touch. He'd made a few stops to stretch his wings, but Toren was done with running. When he saw the sign indicating a town ahead, he knew that would be his last stop.

He took the turn off the highway and drove the last few miles until he was in a quaint little place.
As far as small towns go, this was probably one of the smaller ones he'd seen. Not the smallest, but it was definitely small.
A few big franchises were erected near the main road, but it was mostly filled with little mom and pop shops.

He pulled into a gas station and got out, heading into the little convenience store. Before he did anything, he needed something to eat. It was growing closer to sunup. He would need to find somewhere to bed down.
He'd avoided hotels or motels along the way, doing most of his sleeping in his car so he didn't waste too much money. He was limited and he wanted to save enough to get himself a place. But this time he needed a bed to get a proper nap so he could wake up when most businesses were open and find himself a job, and essentially someplace to live.

He yawned into his palm and shuffled inside. The person behind the cash register beamed up at him with the friendliest smile he'd ever seen.
City folk were no where near as friendly so he was a bit taken aback. He blinked owlishly and gave a stiff nod in return.

"Good morning! If there's anything I can help you with, let me know," The cashier said. She was almost a little too chipper.

He walked down the aisle aimlessly, eyes scanning the contents as he waited for something to pop out at him. Something that sounded good.
Most of it was junk food, which he'd never really liked. Toren was a sucker for a delicious home cooked meal. He'd go find a restaurant to sit and eat, but with the sun coming up, he was getting more tired by the minute. He just needed something to stop the rumble of his stomach.

He noticed he wasn't the only one in the store. There was a man over in the milk section looking deep in thought as though his life was riding on picking the right one.
A woman and two kids were over near the candy and snack aisle, one over from where he was.

"Can I pick two?" One of children tried to pull the puppy dog eyes on his mother, but she was immune. The kid was pretty cute, Toren had to admit. He might've given in. Big round eyes and a pouty lip. His cheeks were chubby, still just barely a toddler. His older brother joined in with the begging eyes, no doubt instigating the whole thing.

"Just one," their mother stated firmly.

They both sighed, but didn't protest as they searched over their options.
Toren smiled. What good kids.

He finally found something of interest, going for a bag of beef jerky. The thought of the dried meat made his mouth water. He moved to the drink section and grabbed a few bottles of water before making his way back to the register.
He noticed there was an odd smell in the air. Owls weren't all that well known for their sense of smell, relying more on their sight, hearing, and stealth than anything, but he could still pick out something that wasn't quite right.

He cooed under his breath, scrunching up his shoulders slightly. The smell was shifter. Definitely shifter. He couldn't pinpoint which species though.

The woman and her two kids were making their way to the register as well so he slowed to allow them to go first.
She smiled in thanks at him and placed her items on the counter, the two kids putting their chosen treats down as well.
They were so small they barely managed to reach, their tiny hands popping over the edge as they stood on their tip toes.

Toren couldn't help the soft hoot that left his his lips, drawing a few glances from the woman and the cashier. He gave them a sheepish smile, unapologetic of his instinctual response.

The cashier began to ring her up and she took a few twenty bills from her purse. "And fifty dollars on pump six, please."

"Sure thing. Hey, how's Scott doing?"

The woman set a hand on her youngest's head. "He's better. Doc said he'll be right as rain by next week. He can't wait to play with the boys again. It's hard to keep him down sometimes."

Toren tried not to listen, turning his attention to a display. The cashier gave the woman her total and a few more words passed between them. As the woman began to gather her things, one of the candy bars dropped to the floor and slid to Toren's feet.
The owner of the candy bar, the youngest kid, went after it before his mother could say anything, only to freeze when he saw where it landed.

Toren chuckled at the open mouthed look on the kid's face. The uncertainty in his eyes. He could see him trying to decide if it was safe or not.

Toren made the decision for him and bent down as he stifled a yawn, picking up the candy bar and holding it out to him. He gave him a small smile which the kid instantly returned. So sweet and innocent.

"Thank you, so sorry," the woman hastened up behind the boy. He looked up at his mother, asking for permission and she nodded. That was all he needed to hastily snatch up his candy bar.

"What do we say?" His mother quirked a brow.

The kid looked up into Toren's eyes and shyly tucked his hands behind his back. "Thank you."

He chuckled and gave him a wink. "Try not to lose it before you eat it."

The woman smiled and thanked him again before ushering her boys out.