System of a Wolf - 4. Chapter 4

This was proving to be much more uncomfortable than Erith had first thought it would be.

The elf let a spoonful of honey fall into the pot of warm milk on the stove, a bottle of ginger sitting on the counter. A spoonful of turmeric mixed with the concoction, turning the milk an almost sunny gold colour. He added a sprinkling of ginger before stirring the pot. A dash of vanilla extract added to the mixture, evening out the bitterness of the turmeric.

There was enough for at least three cups here, and he hoped Blake would enjoy the drink. If nothing else, it would help them both get a great night of sleep.

Erith glanced at his tablet as he stirred, trying to figure out more about what Blake was dealing with. He’d always heard about this; he’d even watched videos about people wearing diapers to get off during sex. But Blake seemed entirely different from those people. This seemed like the furthest thing from being sexual.

It relieved the elf somewhat. Blake got naked because the thought of sex must not have been anywhere in his mind in the moment. He was just… a baby getting ready for a bubble bath. And as unnerving as that felt for Erith, he also found it oddly adorable.

With the milk simmering, Erith turned his attention to dinner. A sheet of chicken nuggets went into the oven and he started on a pot full of mashed potatoes. It was a basic dinner, but one that the internet assured him someone like Blake would probably enjoy.

Before he knew it, nearly half an hour had passed. The elf took a deep breath, checking the milk to make sure it was still warm. He headed to the bathroom and knocked quietly.

The sound of splashing filled his ears, and Erith prayed Blake wasn’t about to open the door while naked. He could not handle that right now.

“Erith?” Blake called from the bathroom.

“Yeah, it’s me. Are you almost done in there? Your milk is getting cold,” the elf called back.

“I don’t want to leave.”

He could almost see the pout on Blake’s face at the words. Another reason to be grateful that the door was closed; Blake’s puppy eyes were irresistible, as Erith had found out several times in the past.

“You know, it’s kind of hard to eat chicken nuggets in the bathtub,” he said.

“Nuggies?”

More splashing followed, and then the tell-tale sound of the tub draining. A minute later, Blake opened the door, still undressed save for a diaper around his waist.

“You have to be dressed for dinner,” Erith frowned.

The boy pouted quietly, but turned around and bent to grab his pajamas. Pulling them on quickly, he turned back with a hopeful smile.

“Nuggies now?”

Erith nodded, stepping away quickly as he tried to fight a stirring in his groin. It was not going to happen. He was not about to pull Blake out of his comfort zone.

Returning to the kitchen, he poured the warm milk into the bottle, before scooping a plate of mashed potatoes together and adding some peas with nuggets. Blake looked at it excitedly as Erith set the plate on the table.

His grin turned into a grimace at the sight of the milk though.

“I thought milk?” he frowned at the elf.

“That is milk. Just with a few things added to make it taste better,” Erith said, making his own plate and drink.

Blake set the nipple of his bottle in his mouth, sucking at it cautiously. His face soured at the taste.

“It tastes weird…” he grumbled.

“If you don’t want it, I can get you some water instead,” Erith shrugged as he sat down.

“No more milk?”

“No, the last of it went to making the potatoes.”

Blake scowled at the potatoes as though they had committed one of the most heinous crimes in food history, and Erith chuckled quietly.

“Do you want the water?”

“No!”

The boy pouted, but finally took another sip of the milk. And then another. Soon he was sucking happily at the bottle.

“Fine, it tastes good…” he admitted as he neared the bottom of the bottle.

“An acquired taste,” Erith suggested. “I like it.”

He continued eating his own meal, scooping up potatoes with nuggets as he enjoyed the simple meal. Blake just stared at his own plate.

“What’s wrong?” Erith asked.

“The peas can’t touch the potatoes…”

The elf let out a quiet sigh, setting his food aside.

“Blake, are you going to complain all night long?” he asked sternly.

The human shook his head quickly, the question seeming like a slap to his face.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I won’t complain. I like the food.”

He scooped up a spoonful of peas and potatoes.

“Stop.”

Erith shook his head slowly.

“Look, I’m not Dr. Marin. I don’t know what you like, and you being like this is… honestly a little upsetting. I feel like I can’t talk to you properly right now. I want you to be happy, to enjoy your time here, but I can’t do that if I don’t know what makes you unhappy,” he said.

“I just… I don’t like mixing my food…” Blake explained.

“Okay, well I know that now. But I don’t know if this is little Blake, or if you’re like this now, but you’re acting really rude right now. I spent a lot of time making dinner.”

“I know… Thank you,” Blake murmured. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

His arms wrapped around himself, and Erith let out a quiet breath.

“I really don’t know what’s going on right now. I want to help you, but I don’t know how. Just… can you go easy on me please?”

Blake nodded silently, before picking up his spoon again. Before he could get started eating again though, Erith took his plate away.

“We have plenty extra. I’ll make you another plate.”

It was always jarring to be pulled out of little space, and Blake had a hard time settling back into his routine after dinner. He appreciated Erith, appreciated what he was trying to do for him, but the mage was having issues with the new environment and the unfamiliar schedule.

Like how Erith was resting on the couch with a glass of iced alcohol. Normally Marin would wash dishes right after dinner, but the elf was waiting for something. It was small, but it confused Blake enough to throw him out of his rhythm.

“Can I see Gara?” Blake asked suddenly, feeling the need to do something.

If Gara was here, he would cheer the man up a lot. It always seemed to work when he was younger, and he saw no reason why it wouldn’t work now.

“Um…”

Erith seemed surprised by the question. He stared at the drink in his hand, as though lost in thought.

“Yeah… he needs to stretch his legs before bed anyway,” the elf said finally. “But I’m not switching back tonight. Are you sure?”

Blake frowned at the question. He understood, or at least, he thought he understood. Once Gara came out, he had to be the adult of the house. There was no space for little Blake when the wolf was playing.

“Okay,” he nodded.

He wasn’t going to get back into little space anyway. Erith had pulled him out earlier, and Blake couldn’t get back without his routine.

“Let me finish my drink first,” Erith said, gulping at his glass.

A minute later, he stood up, pulling out his phone. Wandering into the kitchen, he returned without his glass.

“Okay, I’m going to use the bathroom to shift while you are here. That way we don’t have to be naked around each other.”

Blake shrugged, still not quite sure why that mattered. Erith headed into the bathroom. The door closed slightly, but Blake could still see the mirror, and the elf through it. Erith’s shirt rose over his head, baring a torso muscled from years of work. Blake felt his face heat up at the sight, and he glanced away. That had to be what Erith was talking about. It wasn’t the first time Blake had these feelings, but it was the first time he actually understood what he wanted.

He wanted Erith. He wanted the elf to be with him, stay with him. Maybe even more.

Blake felt safe around Erith. He knew the werewolf wasn’t going to hurt him, not like his father’s friends always had.

But Erith didn’t want to see him naked. He didn’t want to be with Blake like that. The mage decided he wouldn’t tell Erith about this. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Erith’s feelings, or worse, to make Erith think he only liked him because he wanted sex.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden snuffling. A grey body flew out of the bathroom, the door bouncing off the wall as Gara raced at the couch.

“Hey Gara!” Blake grinned as he was bowled over.

The wolf licked at his face excitedly, his heavy body holding Blake down like the best hug in the world.

“I missed you buddy.”

The mage focused slightly, a ghostly hand scratching at Gara’s hindquarters as his physical hands focused on the wolf’s ears. Gara’s eyes closed against the touches, a soft rumble escaping him as he melted across Blake.

“Such a good boy,” Blake murmured as he was crushed by nearly a hundred pounds of werewolf.

He wriggled out from the furry blanket, giving Gara one more scratch behind the ear before wandering into the kitchen.

“Erith bought you food, but I don’t know where he put it,” the mage muttered.

Gara whined quietly, his body stiffening as his nose pointed at a cabinet high above the stove. Blake let out his own sigh and stepped toward the cabinet. A short burst of magic lifted him, Blake giggling as he grabbed the cabinet handles. Opening the cabinet quickly, he grabbed the bag of food as he fell again.

His feet touched down heavily, and Blake looked around for a pair of scissors. Moments later, he had a bowl filled with kibble, the bag rolling up as he returned it to its spot above the stove.

Gara ate hungrily. Blake wasn’t sure why; Erith had just eaten dinner with him, yet the wolf was wolfing down his food like he hadn’t eaten all day. It didn’t take long for the bowl to skid across the floor. The wolf looked at Blake hungrily.

“No, no more. I don’t think Erith would like it if you ate all your food in one night,” Blake denied.

Gara huffed quietly, chasing the bowl across the floor. He picked it up in his jaws and stared at Blake silently, almost accusingly.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Blake frowned. “I fed you. Come on, we can cuddle on the couch before I go to bed.

The wolf dropped the bowl with a metallic clang, and Blake flinched as he retreated from the kitchen. He held onto his resolve though. Gara had already eaten and Blake was going to enjoy his time on the couch before he had to head to bed.

Curling up on the couch, the man patted the space beside him. With a grunt, Gara jumped onto the couch, his large frame hanging off the furniture as he laid against Blake. Blake snorted quietly as he petted the wolf. He’d have to move to the bedroom sooner rather than later. It was no problem for him, he was just happy to be petting Gara again. Marin didn’t like getting pets, even though Blake loved giving them. But Marin could be a grumpy old man sometimes. The mage was used to it by now.

“Okay Gara, ready for bed?” he asked a few minutes later.

The wolf grunted again. He fell off the couch with a thump, Blake laughing as he shook himself. The two hurried to the bedroom, and Blake turned off the lights as he crawled into bed. It wasn’t long before they were both asleep.