Damian's Wolf - 7. Crazy Little Thing Called Friendship

The bike pulled up to the apartment, its engine purring. Jordan shut the bike off, Damian letting out a sigh that warmed his shoulder.

The neko remained on his back for a few seconds, his breath heavy. Jordan could feel his erection pressing into the werewolf’s back and it fed his own arousal. But the outdoors was not a place for that.

“You okay back there?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Damian replied, pulling away from the wolf.

He climbed off the bike, giving Jordan the space to follow.

“So, what did you think?” the werewolf asked.

“I liked it,” Damian said. “The music was nice.”

He pulled off his helmet, swivelling his ears in the cool evening breeze.

“Where do you want me to put the helmet?”

“I’ll take it. What about the bike ride?”

Damian handed the helmet to Jordan.

“It was fun. I haven’t been that close to a man in years.”

Jordan’s ears burned at the comment.

“You make it sound sexual,” he muttered.

Damian shrugged. He seemed… different, even from how he had behaved that evening. More sure of himself.

They entered the apartment, Jordan stashing the helmets.

“I’ve never been one for beating around the bush,” Damian said. “I think you are one of the hottest people I’ve seen. But I thought you were with Arisa, so I didn’t do anything about it.”

“And now?” Jordan asked, staring at the neko.

“And now I want to know you even more. You seem conflicted, but kind.”

“I don’t know about kind,” Jordan mimicked Damian’s shrug.

Damian was suddenly standing right next to the werewolf, heat radiating from his skin. Jordan gulped, gazing up to meet the neko’s eyes.

“You took me in, got me off the street. If that doesn’t say kind, I don’t know what does…” Damian murmured.

Jordan’s breath caught in his throat. They were so close and part of him felt uncomfortable. But the rest of him wanted to jump into Damian’s arms and kiss him until their lips fell off.

He took a step back, trying to figure out his mind. The wolf had never desire intimacy so soon after meeting someone.

But that was the problem. His wolf wanted the neko. No, he needed the neko. And Jordan didn’t know why. All he knew was there was no way he was going to have sex with Damian. Not only did they barely know each other, but he was not going to be responsible for the birth of another werewolf.

“I… I’m going to take a shower,” he stammered, hurrying toward the bathroom.

He sat in the shower, water spraying over his body. The pipes ground their symphony for the apartment to hear. Arisa probably needed to have them checked, but Jordan didn’t really want to bother her with trivial things.

The wolf was stalling. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Damian wanted him, or so it seemed. And he wanted the neko, but he didn’t even know Damian. Not well enough to have sex with him, and it certainly looked like that was where this was heading.

“Claim him. He belongs to us,” his wolf said.

“No. Not happening.”

“He is offering himself. He knows you can make him a wolf like us.”

“I’m not going to change him, even if he begs me to.”

He wasn’t having sex with the neko. This was not happening.

With a sigh, Jordan shut off the water. He would have to let Damian down slowly.

He paused, hand reaching for a towel. Damian hadn’t said anything about sex, even when he had been naked on Jordan’s bed the night before. Maybe the wolf was reading too much into this. What was he so scared of? A little closeness? A nameless urge in his gut?

Jordan dried his hair slowly, mind spinning. He should see how this turned out. No, he needed to stop Damian before they both did something they regretted. Or he could enjoy the neko’s closeness. But keep Damian off of him.

He pulled his shirt over his head, the wetness of his body causing the fabric to cling to his skin. Crap, like the neko needed an excuse to see his body. His pants followed, thankfully loose. He wasn’t ready to face Damian yet, but he couldn’t really stall any longer.

Opening the door, Jordan stepped out of the bathroom, finding Damian seated on his bed, legs crossed.

“Feeling better?” the neko asked with a smile.

Jordan’s breath caught in his throat at the smile. Hesitantly, the wolf smiled back.

“A little,” he replied.

“I’m sorry if I came on a little strong,” Damian said. “I could probably learn a bit about tact.”

Jordan shrugged.

“You spoke your mind. I can’t be upset at you for that.”

“I’ve never felt like this about anyone before,” Damian admitted. “I barely know you and I just…”

Jordan frowned. It was almost like their minds were being played with…

“You’re meant for him, and he’s meant for you,” his wolf purred.

“Did you do this?” Jordan growled at his wolf.

“It’s the scent of our mate. It calls to us.”

What scent?

“I’m sorry,” Damian said, standing. “If you want me to go-”

“No!”

Jordan bit his lip. He hadn’t meant to blurt that out.

“No, I don’t want you to go,” he said more sedately. “I feel like I need you near me and it scares me. I’ve never needed anyone before.”

Damian crossed the room, reaching for Jordan’s hand.

“It sounds like neither of us understands this, but maybe we don’t need to? I want to be with you, and you want to be with me, right?”

Jordan nodded slowly.

“Then let’s be with each other. We can go as slow as you want,” the neko smiled.

Jordan returned the smile, relaxing slightly. Damian was right. They could figure everything out later. For now, they just needed each other.

They both fit on the bed, to Jordan’s surprise. It was Damian’s idea. The bed was Jordan’s, he had insisted, and he should be able to sleep on it. Despite Jordan’s protests, the neko had ultimately made him see sense. He needed his sleep and sleeping on the floor was hard.

But Jordan wouldn’t hear of Damian sleeping on the ground ever again. So they found themselves both on the bed, a tight fit, but doable. Facing away from Damian, Jordan had felt the neko’s hand rubbing his back. The sensation had soothed his mind and his body, helping him find sleep quickly.

Now, as the werewolf awoke, he found Damian spooning him, the neko’s breath hot against his neck.

“Good morning,” Damian whispered.

Jordan rolled over, Damian’s arm falling away from him. He felt strange, waking up with someone in his bed.

“Good morning,” he mumbled, sitting up.

“Do you mind if I have some chips?”

“No, go ahead.”

Jordan watched Damian grab the bag of chips.

“What are we doing?” he wondered out loud. “I mean, what are we?”

“Friends I hope. Maybe something more later, but for now I think friends sums it up nicely,” Damian said, nibbling on a chip.

He was so confident now and the change felt so fast, but so nice at the same time. Jordan liked how… almost forceful Damian seemed now, like he was taking charge.

“When we get paid, I want to make you some cranberry laerisa,” Damian said, finishing his chip.

He started rolling the bag back up, and Jordan stopped him.

“You can have more you know. I’m not letting either of us starve. And you can make laerisa?”

Damian smiled.

“Yeah, I learned it from Miss Stella a couple of weeks ago. It isn’t that hard.”

“So, you like to cook?” Jordan said thoughtfully.

Damian began nibbling at another chip with a nod.

“It helped me stay on my family’s good side.”

Jordan frowned even as an idea formed in his mind.

“If I could get permission from Miss Reyla, would you be interested in a bake sale? It could help the store out a lot.”

“That’s a great idea!” Damian beamed.

“I’ll call her later and see what she thinks. Now stop acting like I’m going to steal your food. Eat.”