Page 36 of Bear With Me

“That was…oddly specific,” Bjorn pointed out.

Dennis snorted. “You should see some of the outfits my friend Beau comes up with. I mean, it’s no skin off my nose what he wants to wear but…” He stopped. “Actually, I’m making myself sound really shitty right now, aren’t I? I don’t care when it’s Beau wearing it, so…hell, if you wanna wear crop tops and hot pants, you do you.”

Bjorn laughed. “I do not, in fact, want to wear hot pants. I’m pretty sure they don’t make them in my size, anyway. I’ll probably buy some sweats, some pajamas, and a couple pairs of jeans and t-shirts. The basics. We’ve just gotta get through tonight with me, uh, under-clothed.”

Dennis made a contemplative noise and stroked his chin with his free hand. “I promise not to stealth-suck your dick even if you’re naked.”

“What?!” Bjorn squeaked. “I mean, uh. No, wait, what?” It was garbled, but it was the best he could do.

Dennis grinned. “I was just pointing out that I won’t take advantage of you even if you are a shameless hussy.”

What the actual fuck had gotten into his mate? Was he punch-drunk from lack of sleep? Had Gran slipped him something? Bjorn had absolutely no idea how to respond to this…was it flirting? He was pretty sure it was flirting. He cleared his throat. “Uh…thanks?”

A deep chuckle answered him, and Dennis turned over, putting his back to Bjorn again. “Snuggle up, big guy. Let’s try not to knock me out of bed more than once tonight.”

Bjorn, still mostly-speechless, managed an “Uh, sure” and tentatively shifted until his chest was pressed to Dennis’s back. He kept his hips back, because nobody needed to know he was still – again? – hard.

Dennis made a dissatisfied noise, reached back, and seized Bjorn’s hand before pulling so his arm draped across Dennis’s middle and his hand dangled over his clothed belly. “That’s better,” he muttered into his pillow, sounding sleepy. “Gotta conserve space.”

Bjorn desperately wanted to wiggle in excitement, but he suppressed the near-overwhelming urge. Instead, he tightened his arm slightly and pressed his palm against Dennis’s stomach. “Sleep, mate,” he urged quietly.

Dennis answered with a quiet snore.

12

Dennis

They got through the night with only one episode of Dennis being knocked out of bed, for which he was thankful; the hardwood floor in their room wasn’t kind to his backside. When his phone’s alarm went off the next morning, he found himself wrapped up in Bjorn’s large body: Bjorn's arms were around his torso, one leg between his, and face buried in the crook of Dennis's neck. Dennis considered panicking about how close that face was to where a claiming bite would go, but he was so warm and comfortable that he couldn’t muster the outrage. Instead, he smiled to himself, slapped the snooze button on his phone, and settled back into Bjorn’s arms. He could get away with resting for another five minutes or so.

His movement must have alerted his bed partner, however, because no sooner had Dennis relaxed again than Bjorn made a snuffling noise and rubbed his nose against Dennis’s neck. “Mmm, morning,” he rumbled, voice hoarse with sleep and face still buried in Dennis’s skin. “You sleep good?”

“Not bad,” Dennis allowed. He wanted to grump a bit about being pushed out of bed, but the truth was he was actually…getting used to it? It still wasn’t his idea of a good time, but he’d made peace with there being nothing Bjorn could do about it for now. “Bed’s pretty comfortable.” He squirmed a little, attempting to put space between them, and rapidly re-discovered why they’d woken up tangled together: there was no more bed to be had. Riiiight, this was only a double. “Even if it’s fucking tiny,” he added, catching himself just before he went off the edge.

Bjorn chuckled roughly and pulled one arm from around Dennis to rub at his own face. “What time is it?” He withdrew his other arm and sat up, and no, Dennis did not feel a sense of loss about that at all. Nor did he admire the bare, hairy chest that now sat inches from his nose. Nope.

Dennis mirrored his movement, sitting up and reaching for his phone to check the time. “Seven. The alpha said to be ready around eight.”

Bjorn nodded. “I’ll get some breakfast going for us and Gran while you shower.” He started to lift the sheet his bottom half was wrapped in, then froze. “Oh.” He glanced at Dennis. “Forgot about my lack of pants.”

Dennis snorted. “Nothing I haven’t seen a dozen times at this point.”

A slight flush washed over Bjorn’s face, but he climbed out of bed and made a beeline for his suitcase, from which he retrieved one of his last pairs of pants. Looked like today’s shopping trip couldn’t come soon enough, Dennis mused. “I’m not trying to wave my dick in your face, I swear,” Bjorn said as he pulled the jeans up and zipped them.

Dennis, who was wearing his very comfortable flannel pajama pants, got out of bed more slowly. “I know,” he told his ma- He cut off that thought. Bjorn. Not mate. Hearing the bear continually refer to him as mate was infecting his brain! “You haven’t even helicoptered it or anything.”

Bjorn looked taken aback by the joke, but managed a small, self-conscious laugh as he opened the room’s door. He peeked out into the hallway, presumably confirming that Gran hadn’t made a break for it, then looked at Dennis and nodded. “Enjoy your shower.”

“I plan to,” Dennis answered with a grin, digging into his suitcase for his razor. He was tempted to rub one out while he showered, in the hopes of negating some of this new sexual energy he was feeling, but he decided that would just be weird to do in an elderly woman’s house. “Tell your Gran good morning for me if she’s up.”

“I will.” With that, Bjorn disappeared down the hallway toward the kitchen, leaving Dennis alone in the bedroom.

Dennis took the opportunity to slap himself in the forehead. Why did he suddenly have sex and mates on the brain all the time? Bjorn was getting to him. Gran’s questions were getting to him. Hell, the den’s whole atmosphere was getting to him. He picked up his razor, gritted his teeth, and resolved to lock his shit down.

***

"Good morning, Dennis!" sang Ginevra as he walked into the kitchen half an hour later. She put down the fork she'd been eating with and smiled at him. "Did you sleep well?"

Dennis nodded politely, hoping Bjorn had helped Gran into the kitchen and she hadn’t walked herself there while ill. "Very well, thank you."