Page 5 of A Beary Nice View
I put my hand in my pockets and lean against the counter. Then I take my hands out, crossing my arms over my chest. No, that’s not right either. I try for casual but I know I’m not pulling it off. I’m not usually prone to fidgeting but there’s something aboutDellthat has me feeling all out of sorts.
I can’t believe my neighbor is here in my house right now. I can’t believe we’re just pretending we didn’t do what we did last night. My heart is in my throat and gods, I hate to admit it, but my cock is stiff in my jeans.
Turning around, I open the fridge to pull something out for us to snack on while we wait for Dell’s clothes to go through the wash. That’s when I remember the reason I was leaving in the first place is because I have no food in the house. Because of my vacation, I made sure there was nothing in the fridge that could go bad. Now that I’m staying home, I need to head to the store and restock everything.
Dell comes into the kitchen, looking around shyly. Intellectually, I understand that we’ve only just met but there’s something about him that sparks an intense interest in me. My inner bear is clawing at the walls of my consciousness, doing his best to convey that Dell is someone special, someone worth getting to know. I don’t plan on disappointing him.
“Hey, everything working okay?”
Dell nods his head. “Yeah, got it going now.” He crosses his arms over his chest, making himself smaller. I don’t like that. He should be loud and proud. He shouldn’t feel like he needs to make himself fit into a box when he’s around me.
“I would offer you something to eat but umm, I was actually supposed to be on vacation this week so I don’t have any food in the house. My plan was to go shopping today.”
“Oh shit. I’m so sorry, Alaric! I’m messing up your whole day.”
“You’re not,” I say forcibly. “You’ve made my day brighter by being here.” I snap my mouth shut and look away. Just because that’s how I’m feeling doesn’t mean I should be saying that. If I’m not careful, Dell is going to think I’m one of those guys who expects things in exchange for kindness when nothing could be further from the truth. I’m just happy I was able to help. No strings attached!
Dell looks down at his feet, an adorable blush rising on his cheeks. “If you’re sure.”
“I am.” I clear my throat. “I know this is really forward, but at my age, I really hate the whole will they won’t they bullshit that some people play. I’m interested in getting to know you.” I quickly add, “but only if that interests you as well. Absolutely no hard feelings if that’s not a mutual thing. You can finish your laundry in peace and be on your way without worrying about me hovering or whatever.”
Once I get the words out, there’s a silence that stretches between us. I swear I can hear my heart trying to beat its way outof my chest. Dell bites his bottom lip, thinking. Finally, he looks up at me, that sweet, soft smile back on his face.
“I would like that,” he says, the words just barely above a whisper.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Dell says, nodding his head. “I’ve umm, seen you around,” he says, his face suddenly flaming, no doubt thinking the same thing I am. Not only have we seen each other but we’veseeneach other. He watched me come. I watched him watching me. That remains unsaid though.
“I’ve seen you around too,” I say with a grin. “I kept thinking how much I wanted to introduce myself but never got the chance. We both seem to work a lot and our paths haven’t crossed.”
“I’ve smelled you in passing.” Dell’s eyes widen and he covers his mouth with his hand. “Shit. That’s so rude, isn’t it? I shouldn’t be talking about scenting you until we know each other better!”
I can’t help but chuckle. “If it makes you feel better, I absolutely caught your scent when we were in the laundry room together.” I give him a look. “I’ll admit, you smell divine, Dell.”
“Oh,” he breathes out, looking away. I like that he’s so shy, it’s doing something to my insides. I want to ruin him. I want to see how far down that blush goes. I want to fuck him until he doesn’t even know his name and he’s too lost in pleasure to feel shy anymore.
Dell brings out a side of me I haven’t felt in a very long time. I want to take care of him. I want to shower him in affection and presents. I want to hear him call me Daddy.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” he eventually says. “I’m a deer. In case you were curious.”
Now that he’s said it, I can absolutely see it. His wide, brown eyes are very doe-like.
“I’m a bear.” Then with a chuckle, I add on, “as you can see, in both forms.”
Dell laughs with me, looking more at ease now that the words are flowing. “What do you say we get out of here? We can wait until we need to switch your laundry to the dryer and then I can take you out to lunch, as a proper apology for hitting you with my truck.”
“How many times do I have to tell you, you didn’t hit me with your truck?” Dell asks, rolling his eyes.
“At least once more.”
Dell gives an exaggerated sigh. “Fine,” he says, doing his best to hide his smile. “You can take me to lunch.”
“Perfect. After that, if you feel up to it, maybe we can stop at the store so I can stock up on food again. By the time we get back, your clothes should be dry and ready to go.”
“That sounds great.” Just then, the washer does a little jingle, letting us know the cycle is over. I’m surprised it’s done so quickly. Spending time with Dell seemed to have flown by in a flash. We only just met but already I feel a connection, one I would be a fool to ignore.
There’s something special here, and I’m hoping like hell that Dell feels it too.
