Damian's Wolf - 5. Elven Advice

Jordan stopped in front of his apartment, turning to Damian.

“Do you need to get anything?” he asked, motioning toward the alley.

Damian shook his head.

“All I own is on me right now,” the neko said. “The laundry from this morning… I was helping someone with that. He offered to buy me lunch after.”

Jordan chewed on his lip nervously. Damian had it rough, but he really didn’t know how to help him, aside from offering him a place to stay out of the cold.

Unlocking the door, the werewolf held it open, allowing Damian to enter first.

“Thanks for doing this for me,” Damian said, waiting just inside the door.

Jordan shrugged.

“I can’t really let an employee freeze.”

For the first time, Jordan realized Damian’s clothes had small holes in them. A slight odour rose from them, not as bad as Jordan expected, but still present.

“So, um, the bathroom’s over there if you need it. There isn’t really anything in the fridge this close to payday, but I still have some milk if you want some.”

“Aren’t you worried about wolves? I mean, you have a large dog door,” Damian said.

Jordan swallowed drily.

“Uh, yeah… please, don’t tell anyone this,” he said, looking into what he hoped were Damian’s eyes under the hood. “I’m… I’m a werewolf.”

To his credit, Damian didn’t immediately run for the door.

“But tonight’s the full moon,” the cat said, his head slightly tilted.

“Actually the full moon lasts three nights. This is the third night. And sometimes I can get potions that will prevent my change unless I force it.”

“Why would you do that?”

Jordan sucked in a breath. He really didn’t want to unpack a lot of baggage with the neko. Not tonight.

“Probably for the same reason you hide yourself from the world,” he said.

They studied each other silently for a moment, then Damian nodded.

“Fair enough,” he said.

Jordan moved past him, his stomach grumbling. Or maybe it was his wolf, tiredly protesting his lack of freedom.

He paused. If he wasn’t really hungry, there was no point making himself upset opening the fridge. Maybe he could scrounge up a few silver for groceries.

And Damian needed clean clothes if he was going to work in the book store. One step at a time.

“Hey, do you mind if I wash your clothes? They stink a little,” he said, feeling nervous.

“Oh, um, sure…”

“You can take a shower while I’m out. The water isn’t the hottest, but it will get you clean.”

“You know, I could probably just wash them in the bathroom and save you the trouble,” Damian offered.

“What will you wear while they dry?”

“Oh…”

Jordan wondered why the neko sounded surprised. Did he really expect to just walk through the apartment naked?

Damian walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. A minute later, the neko’s pale arm stuck out of the bathroom, holding his sweatshirt and pants, without underpants, Jordan noted.

The werewolf took the clothes.

“I’ll be back in about two hours,” he said, heading for the door.

Arisa stormed into the laundromat, her eyes searching out the werewolf. It wasn’t hard to find him; they were the only two crazy enough to be outside during a full moon.

“Talk,” she said, stepping beside Jordan.

“I’m not taking classes anymore,” he offered.

“Shit. Why? What happened? Are you okay?”

Jordan shrugged.

“I was a few minutes late, showing Damian how to lock up for the night. But she knew that I’m a wolf.”

Arisa sighed.

“I told you that was going to happen,” she said. “And what about Damian?”

“What about him?” Jordan asked as the washer finished with a beep.

“Come on, he’s working in your store now? And he was in your apartment earlier. And those look like his clothes,” Arisa pointed out.

“They are. I’m washing them for him.”

“Wait, is he in your apartment alone?!”

“Yeah,” Jordan said defensively.

“You don’t even know this guy! What if he steals something?”

“What’s he going to steal? My TV? He can have it. I don’t have anything else of value.”

And the neko was in his bathroom, naked. But there was no way in hell Jordan was telling Arisa that.

The elf sighed.

“Fine. So who is he? You spent a day with him, right?”

“Six hours isn’t a day,” Jordan said.

“Whatever. What is he like? Do you like him?”

“He seems nice, but again, I’ve only been around him for six hours.”

“Does he know about you?”

Jordan hesitated.

“Really?!”

“He asked about the wolf door! What was I supposed to say?!”

“Do you think he’ll tell anyone?”

The werewolf shrugged.

“He doesn’t want anyone to know he’s a neko. At this point, we both have something on the other. I think I’m safe.”

Arisa shook her head.

“You are something else Jordan… And you’re doing his laundry? Why?”

“Because he’s homeless and broke.”

“It’s only a shirt and pants. Where are his other clothes?”

Arisa’s eyes widened in shock.

“Jordan! Is there a naked cat in your apartment?!”

Jordan let out a sigh.

“Fine. Yes, he’s naked. In my bathroom, tied down in the bathtub in case I want to play with him tonight.”

“Ha ha,” Arisa said drily. “How the fuck did this happen?”

“I told him his clothes stunk and offered to wash them. I didn’t realise he didn’t have any spares.”

“Okay, so to summarise, you have a naked, homeless, surprisingly handsome neko in your apartment.”

“You think he’s handsome?” Jordan asked.

“You don’t?” Arisa countered. “Is he big?”

Jordan coughed, staring at the elf.

“What?”

“His dick dumb ass. Is it big?”

“I don’t know! I haven’t seen him naked!”

Arisa snorted.

“He’s wasted on you…”

“Well excuse me, let me just run home and ask to stare at the dick of someone I barely know. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Arisa grinned.

“No, on second thought, I don’t want to know,” Jordan grumbled. “Fuck, now I have to figure out how to feed both of us until payday…”

“Will he even stay that long?”

“What? Why wouldn’t he? My apartment isn’t much, but it’s still better than the streets.”

“And you expect him to just crawl into bed with you because you’re letting him stay with you? Hell, can two people even fit in that bed?”

“I don’t know. Honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m just trying to help him any way I can.”

“Ah yes, Jordan the Wonder Wolf. How are you going to help him when you can barely take care of yourself?”

“Well, I’m saving about two gold a month now that I’m not taking classes. That will pay for food. And if he stays with me, rent won’t be as bad.”

“Because we all know you can have two people living in an apartment that big.”

Jordan turned on the elf.

“What do you want from me Arisa?” he snapped. “What am I supposed to say? Sorry you can’t stay with me because I can’t support myself so have fun in the cold? I can’t do that to him!”

Arisa shrugged.

“I’m only pointing out the problems in what really isn’t even a plan.”

“Well fuck, I’m sorry I forgot to budget for a homeless neko this month!”

“You know what? It’s too late to argue with you about this tonight. Do what you will with him, but don’t complain to me when you’re even more broke than you are now.”

Arisa stepped away from the wolf and hurried out the door, leaving Jordan with his thoughts.

The werewolf shut off his bike, his wallet even lighter than it had been earlier. He removed Damian’s clothes from the saddlebags, pulling out a bag of chips after. It wasn’t much, but if he was careful about eating, they could push it a few days.

Opening the door, Jordan froze in shock.

Damian was laying naked on his bed, his tail curled against his body. Quiet snoring filled Jordan’s ears and the werewolf realised the neko was asleep.

Jordan stared at the cat, his body reacting to Damian. The cat was slender, the muscles on his back relaxed in slumber. The hair on his tail seemed to blend smoothly at the base of his tail and the neko’s ass rose in two rounded globes, his legs finishing off his body in a pair of well-muscled pillars.

The wolf tore his eyes off Damian’s body, closing the door quietly. He crossed the room, setting the neko’s clothes next to the bed.

“Damian,” he hissed. “Damian!”

The neko’s eyes flew open and he looked around wildly. Curling up, Damian stared at Jordan.

“I washed your clothes,” Jordan said quietly. “You should put them on.”

Damian rolled over, sitting up as he accepted his clothes from Jordan. Pulling on his pants, the neko tucked his tail in the left leg of his pants.

“I’m sorry. I’m used to people asking favours for a roof over my head,” he muttered, pulling his sweatshirt on.

Jordan sucked in a breath.

“Well don’t worry. I’m not going to do that,” he said. “Not that you don’t look nice, because you do.”

“Um, thanks,” Damian said, fighting back a yawn.

“You can sleep in the bed. I’ll take the floor,” Jordan added.

Damian smiled.

“Again, thanks.”

The werewolf nodded, setting the chips above the fridge.

“I don’t have much food, but if you get hungry you can have some chips.”

“I’m fine,” Damian said as his stomach growled loudly.

“They’re there if you want them,” Jordan shrugged.

He spread a spare blanket on the floor and laid down next to the bed.

“We don’t have work tomorrow so we can sleep in,” he said.

“Oh. Cool.”

Damian laid on his stomach, his head facing Jordan.

“Goodnight,” Jordan yawned.

“Goodnight,” Damian smiled.