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Chapter 51: Bed

It had gotten late. The sun had disappeared from the sky and all that was left were the stars. A moonless night.

It seemed as if their contact had lasted but only a second and the fox felt that it was hardly enough. Any moment where he lingered away, apart from his friend, was a moment of his life wasted. He tried to be as close as he could to the wolf, but only so much could have been done.

They had prepared for bed, as the next day was sure to bring them anxiety. Both individuals were not accustomed to really socializing, yet that was what they were to do. Together, they figured, it would be fine.

The room felt small, especially when the lights were dimmed. Roger's parents had not returned home yet, still away at work. It gave the two plenty of time to be alone and enjoy each other's company without the awkward shame that Roger oft felt.

They still sat on his bed, merely talking. The topics of which they covered were various, but none of them were clear. It often come to the situation where the fox knew a lot about the subject and the wolf hardly knew much, and they would change the subject. The opposite would happen when it came to more athletic topics.

The wolf took to lying on the floor this time. Roger thought of protesting, but he hesitated. Would it seem odd, he wondered.

He turned the lights off and waited for his eyes to adjust. He managed to make his way to his bed and clumsily slipped under the covers. It was cold under the sheets, but he knew it would warm up.

He rolled onto his side and looked at the dark mass below him. He already heard snoring coming from the wolf, and he sighed, rolling over onto his back. He stared at the ceiling, or whatever he could make of it. He did not focus on it and in truth his vision was not working as well as his mental procession.

After much internal deliberation, he decided he would try. His parents may walk in, but he did not mind so much, he told himself. It was just a friendly thing to do, right? He convinced himself.

He would try to wake the wolf. It would be a difficult task, he knew, but it was more difficult if he did not try. If it did not work, he could at least join the wolf on the floor. He rolled back onto his side and reached an arm down, gently shaking the wolf.

The snoring got a little louder as the only reaction. He shook a little harder and softly said, "Hey, Hunter, wake up."

The snoring stopped, but the breathing was still heavy. It was working, but the wolf was still asleep. He took to shaking him a little harder, but not enough that it was violent. He spoke a little louder, but not enough to be of normal volume. Perhaps that was the problem.

Hunter made a noise and rolled onto his back, facing toward the fox. Roger could not tell if his eyes were open or if he was even awake, but he moved his paw back and asked, "You awake?"

The wolf said a sleepy, "Yeah. What's wrong?"

Roger bit his lip lightly. He lowered his voice again, hesitated, but finally managed to say, "Hey, could you, um... well, I mean, you can sleep on the bed, if you like."

There was a deep breath that turned into a yawn. "Ah, you're too kind. I don't want to take your bed away from you," was the response.

"Well, no, I mean... just beside me, you know? I'm sure it's better than the floor..." the fox said.

There was a pause. He could hear a slow swishing under the wolf's sheets and he knew that he was wagging. By all means the fox could tell that the wolf at least enjoyed the prospect of it. Still, there was hesitation, and then the wolf asked, "Are you sure that's okay? I'm not going to squish you, am I?"

Roger shook his head, but realized that he most likely could not be seen. He said, "No, it's fine. Come up here."

Hunter stretched a moment, and then got up. Roger moved toward the wall and repositioned the blanket. He fell upon the cold side of the bed, and he was truly unsure if the bed would be large enough to house the both of them, or even just the wolf, but he wanted to try.

The wolf climbed into the bed next to the fox. It seemed it was but barely large enough lengthwise, and as long as they stayed close, they would be fine.

"It's going to be warm like this," the wolf mentioned. Almost as if on cue, the bed began to warm, and Roger felt as if he were beginning to overheat. He suddenly felt a bit claustrophobic.

"Maybe without the blanket?" the fox responded. They removed the cover and put it off to the side. The temperature was a bit more acceptable, but still warm. Perhaps in time it would regulate, the fox thought.

Suddenly, he did not know what to do. He was now lying in bed with his friend, and all actions immediately seemed inappropriate. He turned away and faced the wall, feeling that it was the best course of action.

He felt the wolf reach over and take hold of him. He felt warm, and suddenly fatigue began to wash over him. The anxiety was disappearing.

He put a paw on the wolf's arm and squeezed it. The wolf squeezed back in return. A smile played over the fox's face. It was unseen.

It began to get warm again, but he no longer minded. He felt at ease being held by his friend, though had he been asked weeks earlier, he would have even denied the possibility.

He heard soft snoring behind him. The wolf was quick to fall asleep, it seemed. He figured that the appropriate thing to do was to follow suit.

And so he did.