3. Dennis #4
He did walk for a few hours, returning exhausted to the cabin just as the sun set, but he was no calmer, and he certainly wasn’t feeling any more collected than he had when he’d hung up with Myrah. And ready to negotiate? Hah. Mostly he wanted a nap and for none of today to have ever happened.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t - wouldn’t - stay out here all night.
He had to face the man sooner or later. So he girded his loins - whatever that meant - and stomped into the cabin, only to stop short when he nearly tripped over something in the dark room.
Bjorn had apparently turned the lights out except for a dim one by the bed, which illuminated... no, seriously?
Huffing, Dennis toed off his shoes and walked deeper into the cabin and yep, that was Bjorn, still naked as the day he was born, sacked out on the bed. The only bed. The bed Dennis had paid to sleep in. And Bjorn was snoring quietly into the stillness of the cabin.
“Fuck,” he muttered. He eyed the couch, which hadn’t grown any longer since the last time he’d mentally measured it.
Could he sleep there? Probably not, to be honest. He could wake Bjorn up and insist the other man go to the couch, but if Dennis wouldn’t comfortably fit, Bjorn wouldn’t even be able to crunch himself into the space.
Fuuuuck. He stood over the bed and studied Bjorn.
In sleep, his face was smooth and almost timeless other than the dark stubble on his jaw.
His leg twitched occasionally, and Dennis had a sudden memory of his childhood dog, who’d whine and twitch his paws while dreaming.
Was Bjorn dreaming? Were they bear-y dreams, or human ones?
What the hell did he care? Godammit he just wanted to sleep.
He didn't even care about that juicy steak anymore; he was too caught up in a weird combination of exhaustion from the walk and anxiety from Bjorn's mere presence. And there was still only one bed. Fuck this, he wasn’t surrendering his bed. Mumbling curses, he stripped out of his shirt and jeans, leaving himself in socks and his boxer-briefs. He briefly considered taking off his socks, but something about that felt like losing one too many protective layers, so he left them on and just hoped he didn’t overheat during the night.
With a sigh, he pulled back the covers on the outer side of the bed, realizing belatedly that Bjorn was sprawled across the whole thing and even though it was good-sized, a queen, it was no match for the bear. He gave Bjorn’s shoulder a shove. “Move over.”
No response.
Another shove. “Move, dammit.”
Bjorn snorted awake and blinked at him. “Huh?”
“Move over. You’re taking up the whole bed.”
It took a few seconds, but that finally computed in Bjorn’s head. He looked down at where he was sprawled over the bed, then up at Dennis, standing there in his underwear. “Ohhhh,” he said meaningfully.
“Not a chance,” Dennis shot back with a snort of his own. “This is only because we only have one bed. I’m not choosing to sleep with you.”
Bjorn shrugged and shifted over on the bed. “Well, either way, you’re welcome in here.” He held up the blankets enticingly. “C’mon in.”
Muttering darkly, Dennis climbed into the bed, which was still warm - nearly hot - from Bjorn’s body. He resisted the urge to snuggle in and instead curled up on the edge of the mattress. God, he was tired, and this was not how he’d been hoping to sleep tonight. Fuck the fates.
Bjorn made a protesting noise and scooted across the bed until he was pressed up against Dennis’s back, his soft cock nestled against his ass. “Warm,” he mumbled into Dennis’s shoulder.
“I highly doubt that,” Dennis said without opening his eyes. “It’s chilly outside.”
“Mmm. Warm.” And a lightly-furred arm came around his waist.
Dennis considered throwing the arm off. Considered kicking Bjorn. Considered again trying to sleep on the couch. But he was warm now, and the bed was comfortable, and he was just…gonna close his eyes for a second.
***
Dennis crashed to the floor in the dark with a startled yelp.
His elbow banged into the corner of the nightstand and he hunched in on himself at the pain.
“What the fuck?” Had Bjorn pushed him out of the damn bed?
He climbed to his knees, preparing to let the other man have it, but stopped short when he saw a large brown bear sprawled across the bed.
The bear’s feet hung off the end of the bed, one paw was laying where Dennis had been until a few seconds ago, and the fanged mouth was open and drooling.
“Well, fuck.” How was he supposed to get back in bed with a bear occupying the whole thing?
And hell if he was planning to spend the rest of the night on the floor.
He eyed the bed speculatively. It was against the wall on one side and open to the room on the other, the side Dennis had been on. If he could just…