{{A FRIENDLY REMINDER: Earth 3 continuity starts seriously differing from Earth 1's when William Anderson died defending his family against the rogue werevixen Yvette Smith.—tmw.}}
Not originally planning to go out that night, but knowing he'd be the proverbial "fifth wheel" if he stuck around while his mother Frances talked to Eric Anderson about whatever it was she needed to see him about, Benjamin Franklin Wilson (his original birth name) Twist (taken to honor his adopted parents once he could legally do so) began walking with no particular place to go.
Or so he thought.
After a couple of minutes into his walk, Ben soon realized that he was heading for the O'Sullivan residence.
Now with a specific destination and purpose, Ben hurried along, anxiously looking forward to seeing the somewhat older she-wolf again.
Not wanting to disturb those inside too much, Ben gently knocked on the front door of the O'Sullivan residence instead of ringing the front door bell.
A moment later, the front door opened and the adult Anna O'Sullivan appeared, wearing a bathrobe and and pair of cute fuzzy slippers.
Although still currently in his human form, Ben's keen werewolf senses could smell the scents associated with someone who had just recently gotten out of the shower.
The fact that what she could get of her long red hair was currently wrapped in a towel certainly helped Ben figure out what she had recently been doing.
"Ben," said Anna, genuinely surprised, but certainly not unhappy, to see him. "What brings you here? Cassie is finishing up her homework and then will be going to bed. After all, despite the fact it will be Friday, tomorrow's still a school day."
"I know," acknowledged Ben. "My moms have company, and I figured it would be best to make myself scarce for a while. I guess I came here by instinct."
"You did?" asked Anna. "I know things have started getting... interesting between us, but still..."
"Anna. I—" began Ben, not knowing exactly what to say.
"Ben," the older woman began, stepping a little closer to him. "I know that we're not breaking any Moon Lake laws, since they do allow for May-December, let alone second chance romances, considering how long the average were lives. But that doesn't change the fact that you're only 16 and I'm pushing 40."
"I'm not asking you to marry me," Ben said. Not yet? he wondered, as the thought crossed his mind. "I just want to know if it would be possible to see you more often?"
"We'll be together all of Saturday night after Cassie's birthday party when she goes off into the woods to spend the night with her boyfriend Eric Anderson," pointed out Anna, quite looking forward to enjoying Ben's furry body against hers.
"What about socially?" Ben asked.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked in return.
"You know, like on an actual date."
"Ben!" Anna said, but not with as much shock in her voice as she thought there should be, for she had pondered that question too. "You know that after my husband died, I've been pretty much a recluse. If not for Cassie inducting that Anderson boy into werewolf-hood, something wouldn't have stirred within either of us. The two of them might actually be developing something truly special, like what I used to have. But us...?"
"Look. I'll be the first to admit that I'm just as confused about all of this as you are. Yet I also won't deny that there might be something more than just the friends with special benefits status we have starting to develop between us. All I'm asking is if you're willing to take the chance and find out what it might be."
Anna O'Sullivan had to stop and think about that before replying. "Ben... You have no idea how lonely I was before what we have now started happening. Even if there is something special developing between us, what about the future?"
"What about it?" Ben asked in return. "If you're wondering about whether or not I'm willing to make a lifetime commitment to you, I can't legally answer that until after my 18th birthday about a year and a half from now. Yet you are on my mind more often, and not for just a quick roll in the forest, because you're becoming more to me than just an object of sexual desire."
"Don't you have any girlfriends your own age?" Anna wanted to know.
"There is this one weretigress," admitted Ben, thinking about Sasha Myers. "Yet with her, it truly is just sex. With you... I—"
Then Ben hugged Anna. The fact that her robe opened a bit, exposing the cleft of her breasts didn't matter to him. He was next to and holding the woman he wanted to be with. That was all that mattered.
Anna's first thought was to push him away. After all, they were standing on her front porch, in public for anyone who might be passing by to see.
Yet her first instinct was to pull Ben closer to her and lovingly return the hug, which is what Anna did.
How long they stood there together, they couldn't say. But even when they eventually broke the hug, the only thought on either Ben or Anna's mind was: It wasn't long enough.
They stood there for a little longer. Anna's hand's on Ben's shoulders while his were around her waist.
The fact that her cleavage was now almost totally exposed while his penis was valiantly fighting the confining space it was trapped in didn't matter, for the two just continued to stare deeply into each other's eyes.
Finally, Anna spoke. "Ben. Listen to me carefully. If we do this, we have to take it one day at a time. I would like to get to know you better than just as a friend or a fellow pack mate, but that means we get to know each other more as people first before we start considering going out on any real dates."
"I have no problem with that," replied Ben, as one hand began to caress Anna's cheek while the fingers of the other found themselves running through what the towel didn't cover of her long red hair.
"After the birthday party's over Saturday, we'll sit down and you can tell me all about Ben Twist while I share the Anna O'Sullivan story with you."
"Deal," said Ben with a smile.
"Will you still be able to spend the night with me?"
"If you want me to."
"I—" Words failed her as Anna hugged her lover (boyfriend?) again.
When the embrace finally ended this time, Anna looked at Ben with more than a physical, sexual longing in her eyes. Yet a practical side and a mother's instincts were still present in Mrs. O'Sullivan as well. "I don't know what your curfew is..."
"I still have a couple of hours," said Ben, after checking the clock on the cellphone he wore around his neck.
"As much as I want to, doing anything now would defeat the purpose of the conversation we just had," realized Anna.
"I understand. Till Saturday afternoon?" Ben asked, hopefully.
"I'll be counting the minutes until then," she replied, before realizing it wasn't just some silly romantic response to say. Somehow Anna knew she would be anxiously awaiting the appointed time to see Ben again.
"Good night Anna," said Ben, staring at her.
"Good night Ben," she said in return.
The two of them continued staring at each other until Anna said, "You do realize one of us has to leave now?"
"Considering you're already home, I guess it's me. Night," Ben said, reluctantly, before he finally managed to turn and walk away from the front porch.
Yet, every time he turned around for "one last glance", Ben couldn't help but smile at realizing Anna was still standing in the open doorway, watching him until the moment her keen werewolf eyes could no longer spot him.
MEANWHILE...
Unknown to either of the would be lovers, while Cassie O'Sullivan WAS upstairs doing her homework in her bedroom, she was not totally oblivious to the outside world.
After a "study break", as she called it, to relieve some tensions after knowing her boyfriend was seriously on her mind more than he should be at the moment, Cassie had cracked open her bedroom window for some fresh air and an attempt to air the room out after having gone wolfy and "taking matters into her own paws".
Now, the teenage she-wolf was sitting at her desk continuing her homework.
But the fact that her room was above the front porch of the O'Sullivan residence, coupled with her acute were hearing, allowed Cassie to hear every word that her mom and her guest said.
Ben and my mother? Cassie thought in disbelief once more.
I had the suspicion that mom might of finally started seeing someone again, but Ben? I guess I should be happy that mom's starting to find herself and live again, after all these years without dad. But I've got to stop and seriously think about this, Cassie realized, while trying to get back to her homework.