Firestone Hot Springs friends and liars don't wait for me

he heard the splash off ahead of him.
it was through a passing thick plume of steam and mist off the spring between them that he saw the large cat lying in wait, in the water. and lakhos froze the moment he realized just what it was—just who it was.
fuck.
talk about danger close; this was too close. way too close. his breath stilled, caught in his throat, but the cat didn't go launching itself out of its comfortable pool to take a swipe at him. no, instead it—no, he, lakhos was pretty sure the size alone screamed that the cougar was male—only made a noise that seemed more like a bubbly growl.
was it a warning? should he flee? or was this his one opportunity to pass by without becoming a lean cuisine? his mouth opened in a silent uhhhh moment, and very gently he decided to test his luck.
giving the feline a wide berth, keeping a much larger, much hotter pool between them, he began to attempt to pass by... and was just as ready to run as he was prepared to keep up the slow and steady pace.
he seemed calm and composed, but the reality was that the words fuck fuck fuck fuck spin around behind his eyes like a slot machine ready to strike a jackpot.