Frightening a Wolf
#5 of Jeff and Will
An unexpected visit leads to unexpected awkwardness.
Will was positively beaming as he strode into the apartment building. An unexpectedly free afternoon meant he could have more Jeff time. Normally he would have called in advance, but he wanted to surprise Jeff. Will had been given a spare key, and this seemed like the perfect time to use it. He just hoped Jeff would be home. He couldn't wait to see the look on the wolf's face.
As he came to the door of Jeff's apartment, key ready to go in the lock, he reflected that he should probably at least knock rather than barge in. He slid the key into his pocket and rapped on the door, smiling widely.
After a moment, he heard the floor squeak on the other side of the door. After about fifteen seconds, the door opened a few inches, prevented from opening further by the chain.
"Hello?" Jeff's voice was tentative as he peeked around the door. Will relished seeing his eyes widen when he saw who it was.
"Hello!" Will couldn't help but laugh at the shock plain on Jeff's face. "Aren't you going to let me in?"
Jeff blushed furiously. It wasn't the reaction Will expected, but it was funny for the fox.
"What are you doing here?" Jeff was clearly flustered, and for the first time Will wondered if he were interrupting something.
"I got the afternoon off, and I decided to come see my favourite wolf. So? Can I come in?"
Impossibly, Jeff got redder. "I'm not decent."
"Oh, really?" Will's smile became a smirk, and he made a show of licking his lips. "All the more reason then."
"Stop it." Jeff was very cute ducking his head like that, Will reflected.
"So are you going to invite me in, or shall I remain on your step forever?"
Jeff looked to the side, and Will could see the gears turning in his head. Will's smile slipped a fraction of an inch. Did Jeff not want him here now? Why not? Did he just need time to himself, or was it something else?
Jeff's eyes tracked back to Will, and his frown dropped a fraction of an inch. He had probably seen the change in Will's face as easily as Will could see the change in his.
Jeff ran his hands over his face. "Yeah, sorry, you just... really surprised me. Just. Just a second."
He closed the door, and there was a brief pause. Will felt his face drop into a frown. He didn't want to make Jeff uncomfortable in his own home. Then he heard the chain slide, and Jeff opened the door wide enough to let him in.
Jeff was wearing a housecoat, of all things, something Will had never seen before. It was simple and grey, much like Jeff's fur, and where the top formed a V, Will could see the fur of Jeff's chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt, it seemed. The corner of Will's mouth twitched up as his eyes flicked down. He couldn't help but wonder what else the wolf wasn't wearing.
Will stepped forward with arms outstretched, but Jeff took a step back, hands raised in front of him. Will frowned again. This would be the first time he'd ever seen Jeff refuse a hug.
Jeff's smile was apologetic, and his face hadn't lost its blush. "You don't want to get too close just yet. I probably stink, honestly. I should really take a shower."
Will recovered his smile, but it took some effort. He was used to embarrassment and insecurity from Jeff, endearing and saddening in equal measure, but this seemed to be a different kind of unease. Never once had he complained about the wolf's smell, and even if Jeff had felt the need to shower when Will was around, he'd never refused a hug first.
"I'll just, uh, jump in real quick. Make yourself at home, I'll be out soon."
As Jeff turned to retreat, Will slid up behind him. "Want some company in there?" he asked seductively, and he lightly touched Jeff's side.
Jeff jumped forward as if shocked, his fur standing up. Will in turn jumped back in surprise, though not as severely as Jeff. When Jeff looked back at Will, there was panic in his eyes.
"No--No thank you." Jeff's voice was shaky, but he made a visible effort to control himself and forced a smile. "I'll just be a few. Don't worry about it." Jeff closed the bathroom door, and Will heard the click of the lock.
Will liked to do things for Jeff, but he couldn't fulfill the wolf's request this time. He worried. He and Jeff hadn't been together that long, really, but he had spent a lot of time with Jeff, and this was new. Usually Jeff leaned into his touches, relished them really, in a way that was cute and made Will feel good. Suggestive comments weren't out of place either. So far, they hadn't engaged in anything sexual, but Jeff was even more prone to innuendo and suggestive, or even explicit, comments than Will. Will had no idea what made this time different, and he didn't know how to make it better. He considered leaving, giving Jeff his space, but Jeff had told him to make himself at home. Leaving might just make Jeff sadder.
So Will sat on the couch as he heard the water start running. He thought about turning on one of Jeff's games, but he was too upset to do so. Instead he simply sat, bouncing a leg, and thought about the wolf in the shower. Normally in those circumstances his thoughts would turn lewd, but this time all he felt was worry. He hoped he hadn't ruined anything by turning up unannounced.
Ten minutes later, the sound of water stopped. Will kept bouncing his leg, and occasionally he looked toward the bathroom door. A couple minutes later, he caught a glimpse of Jeff softly padding to the bedroom, wearing his robe. Will went back to worrying while he waited for Jeff to get dressed.
At some point, Will realized Jeff was taking longer than he would have expected. Concerned, he got up and walked toward the bedroom door. Once in front of it, though, he didn't know what to do. Knocking unexpectedly had created this mess in the first place, it seemed. While he stood there, his ears twitched up. Through the door, he could make out the sound of long, deep breaths. He recognized the pattern. It was something Jeff did when his anxiety flared up, a way to calm himself down. Will fought with indecision. Should he knock and offer comfort, or would that just make things worse?
While Will had his internal struggle, he noticed the heavy breathing had stopped. There was a squeak from the floor, and he realized Jeff had started moving around. Will quickly and quietly returned to the couch, not wanting Jeff to be embarrassed at being overheard.
Another half minute later and the door opened. Will marshalled a neutral expression on his face before looking over. Jeff's smile seemed more genuine, but Will could still see worry behind it.
"I'm really sorry for coming over unannounced--" Will started, but Jeff wrapped him in a hug before he could continue.
"It's fine," Jeff said, nuzzling Will's neck. "You just surprised me is all."
Will was surprised by the change since he had first entered, and it took him a moment to hug back. "Are you sure? I can go if it's a bad time."
"No. I want you to stay," Jeff said simply.
When Jeff pulled back from the hug, he started holding Will's hand, and Will got another look at Jeff's face. The smile was genuine, and the worry was fading. Maybe Will hadn't ruined everything after all.
Still. Communication was supposed to be the most important thing in a relationship, or so Will had been told. So he kept his eyes on the wolf and asked the question. "What was wrong when I came in?"
Jeff's smile slipped slightly before it froze. Will hated causing that discomfort, but he wanted to know what the matter was so he could avoid it in the future.
"I just." Jeff's eyes slid away from Will's. "I wasn't expecting any visitors, and I wasn't... decent. That's all." He looked back at Will and tried a smile. "It's alright."
It wasn't alright, though, not really, and for more than one reason. Will could tell that wasn't all there was to it. Jeff was hiding something, and Will hated that. It wasn't that he wanted to intrude on Jeff's privacy. It was that there was something Jeff didn't feel comfortable saying to him, and Will wanted Jeff to be comfortable saying anything to him. It wasn't right that someone as amazing as Jeff was so insecure.
Will didn't press. Now was not the time. Still, he hoped Jeff would open up more around him in time. The wolf joked about Will looking for greener pastures, but Will knew the jokes covered up a real insecurity. Will would just need to continue to show Jeff that his favourite, greenest pastures were right here, next to Jeff.
AN: Honestly, I wasn't sure about uploading this chapter. I enjoyed writing it, but I'm still not sure I want to put it up publicly. However, here it is. A little longer and a little different from what I've done in the series thus far. Hope you like it.