As much as I like Born Wolf (I do, greatly), and I will comment in the appropriate place for that story later, it is the stories like All Over The Road and this one that shine oh-so-brightly for me. This was just a little gem of story. It was a deceptively simple tale of good friends that may be, might be something more, and to use one of your own lines from the story—But it was so much more than that.
From the playful teasing in the opening dialogue on through the description of how the nickname came about and the rough-housing, showing off in the mall, and ice-cream and chocolate bears leaving tiny, sticky footprints, and on and etc. It's all a dance, a tease and a test of how far each one can move or should move before there's no pulling back—no way to misinterpret the play. Such a wonderful game these two are involved in and you capture it beautifully.