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Love can be found anywhere in the world.

For some, love is a beacon to be chased across oceans, to foreign lands and countries. To others, it has to be grown at home, and found within the world that someone has created for themselves.

As it turned out, love could be as close as the other side of the drywall.

Bartuc always had a hard time coming up with words, especially when Marcus was around, and the poor wolf found himself without enough to say when Marcus was around. Bartuc had the pleasure of living on his own in a fairly nice apartment, and just on the other side of the wall, the lion Marcus was just getting out of bed for the day, to enjoy a perfectly casual and relaxing Saturday.

For Bartuc to ask Marcus to spend the day together would have been nothing out of the ordinary, but the wolf was always slightly timid about the subject, and the lion was even worse, being too introverted of nature to aggressively pursue a relationship, despite the number of his close friends telling him that he and Bartuc were perfect for each other.

The wolf had the same situation on his side of the wall, and everyone had a comment to make; whether it was the way that Bartuc had an extra skip in his step when Marcus was around, or the way that his already bright, golden eyes simply sparkled when someone talked about the lion, or even the way that they were inseparable when they finally worked up the courage to talk to each other, it seemed that the signs were clear.

Everyone believed the pair was meant to be, if they could just get the lead out of their shoes.

If any concern could be found in their potential relationship, it had to be the fact that they were a bit too similar. Bartuc and Marcus were each too timid to challenge each other, hence the reason that they weren't in a committed relationship already. Neither one of them was willing to step up and take the initiative, even if a blind man could see that they would make a fantastic couple.

Bartuc was still daydreaming about just how sweet and tender Marcus' lips felt against his own, after their last date. Neither one of them would have called the occasion such, but Bartuc wasn't sure what else he should call an evening spent with someone he cared about in private company, enjoying a nice meal and going for a walk about the park.

With anyone else, it could have just been 'hanging out' or 'chilling.' With Marcus, there was a warmth in Bartuc's cheeks and a playful spinning in his stomach that no one else ever made him feel...and when their lips finally met...

" Fireworks ," Bartuc whispered to himself, his voice dreamy and drifting as he spun around upon the small office chair at his computer desk. The golden light in his eyes was lidded over slightly as the world in front of him wasn't the world he saw; he was still lost in the memory of the inescapable chill that settled in the base of his spine. Goosebumps were still popping up under his fur and moving across his shoulders as the chill ran up the course of his neck, and just for a taste of that sensation, he pressed a pawtip to his own lips: they were every bit as sensitive that morning as they'd been the night before.

There was only one thing that seemed to be missing, and it was the words that Bartuc needed to hear so that he'd know just how serious Marcus was. The lion was a sweetheart, and when he found the words, they were always dripping with the kind of passion that was spur of the moment...but there was never a word to make Bartuc believe that he and Marcus were an exclusive couple.

The thought left a tiny frown on Bartuc's lips, but it was hard for him to frown at all, given just how many happy memories were still fresh upon his mind. He didn't want to wait forever for Marcus to get his act together, but he could enjoy the fruits of their loose relationship in the meantime.

"Sleep well, Marcus," Bartuc said to himself, knowing that the lion couldn't quite hear him through the thin drywall of the apartment complex. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you later today."

**

It didn't take long for Bartuc to shower himself off, get dressed and head to the local mall. In a more tropical region of the country and loving the outdoors, Bartuc could almost always be found there during the weekends, and recently, he wasn't found there alone.

Shockingly, he wasn't there with Marcus, however.

"You're a little bit later than usual," Bartuc was greeted, as he pulled up a chair at one of the mostly empty food court tables. The wolf tucked his tail aside and sat down politely, before smiling up at a tall, built crocodile.

His name was Roderick, and he'd truly come into his own, since meeting Bartuc. The crocodile was a powerhouse, coated in muscles from his neck all the way down to the back of his thick, ripped calves, but right upon his stomach, the weight never seemed to fade away. He still had a bit of a gut to try and trim off, and despite the fact that it made him feel a little self-conscious, Bartuc was the first to compliment Roderick and tell the crocodile to embrace the beauty that he already held.

A few weeks had passed since that moment, and Roderick was clearly taking a liking to Bartuc, who returned the feelings. The wolf was more than sure that he could find a few attractive enough qualities to keep him at Roderick's side, and the crocodile was aware of the growing triangle of affection that he was now a part of.

After all, he wanted Bartuc all to himself, but more than that, he wanted the wolf to be happy...if not for the fact that he was far more aggressive than either Marcus or Bartuc himself, he might not have ever pursued a relationship with the canine.

"Sorry. I guess I slept in a little bit too late," Bartuc admitted. He didn't want to be honest about why that was the case, but green scales wrapped around sharp, intelligent eyes of blue, and with them, Roderick saw right through any white lie that Bartuc might try to come up with. "I...I had a very nice date with Marcus last night. We stayed out rather late."

Despite his wanting to be the center of Bartuc's desires, Roderick knew that he wasn't necessarily the front-runner, and he didn't take his interactions with the wolf for granted. Rather, he playfully addled Bartuc and encouraged the wolf to be himself and be honest about his feelings for Marcus, in the hopes that it might make him seem a bit more of an understanding person.

"Uh oh...sounds like you finally invited him to stay the night," Roderick teased, and immediately, warmth began to creep into Bartuc's cheeks, giving a soft, scarlet glow to his otherwise dense, gray fur. "Don't tell me that my little Bartuc went all the way with a shy, little lion?"

If he could, Bartuc might have curled right up into his tail and rolled away in a ball of bashful fluff. " No! Nothing like t-that! We just...shared a good night kiss before I went home. It was really nice...his lips were so soft, and his muzzle felt so warm against mine...I guess I kinda wanted to invite him over for more, but he was just so quiet and timid about it that I didn't want to pressure him!"

"Can't really blame you. It sounds like your lion is the type you've gotta work over really slowly."

"I guess so," Bartuc agreed. "But...Roderick, why would you be excited to hear about something like that?"

"Your happiness still comes first for me," the crocodile admitted. "Besides, if it came down to it, I think I might be willing to share you...but I don't think your lion boy is quite as generous. Besides, you haven't even told him about me yet...have you?"

Bartuc didn't want to admit that Roderick was right. It wasn't that he was ashamed of his side dealings with the crocodile; far from it, but he didn't want to hurt Marcus' feelings by telling the truth. Perhaps worse still, he partially blamed the lion for being so timid in the first place, that perhaps, if Marcus had ever stepped up and made his feelings official, they might be a closed, committed pair already.

"No. I haven't told him..."

"Bartuc..."

"I'm sorry! I just...just don't want to hurt his feelings, you know? I don't know what to say to him!"

"Neither one of you is in a committed relationship. You're both allowed to date around, right?"

"Right."

"Then what is there to feel bad about?"

Bartuc let out a quiet sigh. "I'm sure he wants to be in a closed relationship with me as much as you do, Roderick. I just don't think he has the guts to say it."

"If you think that you're right, why don't you just ask him yourself?"

It was a rhetorical question; Roderick knew that Bartuc was almost as shy and reserved as Marcus, but he wanted to hear what the wolf would try to come up with, as an excuse.

"I don't want to ruin the friendship we have," Bartuc admitted, after a few long, drawn moments of contemplation. "I wonder sometimes if he's just really an affectionate person. He could be this close with all of his friends!"

"From what you've told me, it doesn't sound like he has many friends," Roderick commented, "And even if he is just being sweet on you, it sounds like he isn't as committal as you'd like. If you're looking for something long term, you need someone who you know you can count on."

"Then I should just ask him?"

Roderick nodded. "You should, if you really think he's that interested...but if you're truly that worried about losing him as a normal friend, or even a best friend, then perhaps your feelings for him aren't as strong as you think."

The crocodile wasn't quite as close of a friend to Bartuc, and had a lot less to lose with him if they were to part ways then than Bartuc did if he ended up being wrong about Marcus. His honesty was brutal, to boot, and given the way that Marcus was almost always willing to say whatever it took to keep Bartuc around, the wolf wasn't used to having to deal with such challenging questions and prompts.

His eyes slowly lidded over as he leaned back in his chair and tilted his head so his muzzle poked up toward the sky. "If I'm wrong, I might lose him forever as a friend, but I could be passing up on a wonderful relationship. If I'm right, I get to keep him as a friend, and as a mate, but then...I lose out on the possibility of ever being with you, Roderick."

"That's the way love works," the crocodile replied casually. "It's an unpredictable and cruel mistress, and it rarely ever gives you exactly what you want, and never gives you everything you want. If it were as simple as dating each of us for a trial run, I'm sure you would have gone and done that, already."

Bartuc had trouble fathoming the idea. If he dated Roderick and it turned out that Marcus was in love with him, the lion might turn away from him forever, at least, as a potential lover. There was comfort for Bartuc in knowing that Roderick was so wise about the inner workings of a romantic relationship, and yet, there was none to be found in exploring the avenues that Bartuc had been forced to.

He'd been delaying the inevitable for far too long, and while it seemed Roderick wasn't running out of patience any time soon, he was beginning to worry that Marcus wasn't quite so understanding.

"So...if I ask him, y-you...you'll understand?"

"Gotta do what you gotta do, Bartuc," Roderick answered. Even if his voice was a little gruff, he was smiling all the while, something that Bartuc was glad to see as he opened his eyes once again. "I may be selfish, but I'm not so bad that I'd ask you to throw away your feelings for someone else, just to be with me."

It was all a bit underhanded of Roderick to be so understanding and comforting to Bartuc, while pressing about how selfish Marcus could be, but his words were merely an honest expression, rather than a sinister plot to turn Bartuc against the lion. His feelings for Bartuc were purely romantic, and in truth, he wanted the wolf to be happy; he just wanted to make sure that Bartuc knew what he might be getting into, if he decided to choose Marcus, after all.

"Thanks for waiting for me, Roderick," Bartuc said, his smile wavering a little bit as he fought back some quiet, happy tears. To know that someone like that could exist, someone who would forgo their own happiness for his own, gave Bartuc a welling sense of joy that rose up from the pit of his stomach, and settled as a pleasant warmth in his chest. He stood up from the small table and scooted around the side to lean in, and with a gentle rumble in his throat, he pressed a kiss against the cheek of the crocodile, before scooting away from the mall as fast as he comfortably could.

**

Marcus was up and showered by the time Bartuc was back at their apartment complex, and the white lion was glad for the fact, as Bartuc came right to his door and managed to bring the feline outside.

"This...this is a pleasant surprise," Marcus admitted, his voice timid as ever. He was sharing in the same wonderful, swimming sensation of the kiss that lingered from the night before, and just to see the person who offered it to him was enough to leave his muzzle coated in a crimson flush. "I thought three days was the rule?"

"Not when the person lives right next door," Bartuc argued. He chuckled quietly and leaned against the inside of the door frame, as he and Marcus shared a glance, each one just a little bit too shy to make the same move they made the night before.

There was a catalyst this time, however, that wasn't present earlier.

"So? What did he say?"

It was Roderick, standing right behind Bartuc and grinning down at Marcus, who looked too shocked to reply. Of course, Bartuc never had the chance to ask, but he could feel the intent, the simply burning desire in Roderick's eyes as the crocodile loomed over him.

Not a nervous gulp, but one of confusion trailed down Bartuc's throat as he felt trapped between two extremes: The wild, mysterious unknown that was Roderick's fiery passion, and the comforting, familiar mildness that was Marcus, almost literally in a nutshell.

Bartuc could feel two sets of eyes upon him, each one eagerly awaiting an answer to a question that had never been asked, but each one of them held it tightly inside, desperate for what that knowledge would bring.

As he took in a deep, heavy sigh...how could he possibly answer?