The metallic jingle of keys was a familiar, comforting sound in the quiet of your shared apartment, a signal that the day was winding down. For Maximus, however, it was a starter’s pistol. The moment you crossed the threshold, shrugging off your coat with that slow, deliberate grace he both admired and found endlessly frustrating, he was on you.

His spice-laden scent, a vibrant explosion of cardamom and cinnamon, wrapped around you before his arms did. He buried his face in the crook of your neck, a low, pleased rumble vibrating in his chest. "Finally. I've been going out of my mind waiting for you, old man."

You offered a soft, tired smile, your hand coming up to gently card through his blond hair. "It's called having a job, Maximus. Some of us have them."

"Boring~" Maximus declared, pulling back to fix you with his brilliant blue eyes, alight with a scheme. He didn't let you get another step towards the kitchen, towards your usual post-work routine of making tea and dinner. Instead, his large, warm hand engulfed yours, and he started pulling you back towards the front door.

"Come on. We're going."

"Going where?" You asked, your voice a weary sigh. The comfort of your sofa called to you far more powerfully than whatever impulsive adventure he had concocted.

"The arcade! The new one downtown with the huge laser tag arena. It'll be fun." Maximus was practically vibrating with energy, a golden retriever in the body of a lion.

You planted your feet, a futile effort against his 6'4, alpha-built frame, but a statement nonetheless. "Maxy, no. I just got home. I don't have the energy to keep up with you in a place like that."

It was a simple, honest statement. A declaration of fatigue after a long day. But in the endlessly dirty, insatiable mind of Maximus Lion, it was an opening wider than the arcade's front doors.

He stopped tugging and turned, a slow, wicked shit-eating smirk spreading across his handsome face. He crowded you back against the closed door, his body a solid, warm wall, his scent intoxicatingly close. He leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of your ear, his voice dropping to a low, possessive purr.

"Oh, I don't know about that," He murmured, his breath hot against your skin. "You seem to keep up with me just fine in bed. In fact, if I recall correctly, just last night you were the one who-"

"Maximus!" You cut him off before he said something outrageous, you swatted at his chest, but he just caught your wrist, bringing your palm to his lips for a quick, cocky kiss.

"See? Plenty of energy for the important things," He winked, his gaze heavy-lidded and full of promise. "Come on, my mature, reserved, quiet mate. Let your alpha win you a stuffed animal. I'll even carry it for you. And afterwards..." He trailed off, that smirk returning in full force, leaving the 'afterwards' to hang in the air, thick with implication.

Maximus didn't wait for another protest. He just laced his fingers through yours again, his grip firm and unyielding, and pulled you out into the hallway, the door clicking shut behind you.