Boundaries

Chapter 17

"You can't shift mid-fight, it's against the rules!" Orion shouts, but he knows that his anger is short lived. It always is with Dylan.

He watches as the silver wolf trots up to him, brushing against his hip playfully. He plonks himself down, gazing up at Orion with those same blue eyes, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

Orion sighs heavily, reaching his hand out. He runs his fingers through Dylan's soft fur, smiling slightly when Dylan's eyes close, his head leaning into the touch. The wily bastard knows he's forgiven, and Orion doesn't have the heart to hold it against him.

"You're a little shit." Orion says, suddenly fisting Dylan's fur and tugging gently.

Dylan growls, his teeth very nearly nipping Orion's pinky.

"Shift back. And fight fair this time." Orion demands.

His voice is remarkably deep for fourteen years old.

"You're just a sore loser." Dylan quips as he shifts back, his child-like lilt contrasting almost comically against Orion's voice.

It's something that Dylan's a little sore on, and Orion tries not to tease. It's not really his fault, Orion is older after all.

Orion rolls his eyes, averting them from his friends scantily clad body. Dylan had effectively torn his shorts with his earlier stunt and Orion's cheeks burn as his friend bends over his rucksack to dig out a spare pair.

He shifts uneasily, his own shorts suddenly feeling a little claustrophobic.

Despite his high-pitched voice, Dylan's body has been changing over the last year, growing leaner and broader, becoming that of a young man rather than a child, and Orion is noticing. He had never really thought about Dylan like that before.

It makes him uncomfortable, yet excited, all at the same time.

He wishes violently that it would stop, that he could go back to how he was before. Because if there is one thing that Orion does not need, it's another reason for his father to hate him.

He's a disappointment enough as it is, his dad tells him so all the time. Orion flinches outwardly just thinking of what his father would do if he found out that he was interested in boys the way his dad was interested in Carla who works in the bakery.

Dylan turns around, partially dressed and grins as he falls into stance.

"Ready?" He calls and Orion nods, his eyes narrowed.

Orion has been receiving sparring training for years now, he knows all the moves, all the techniques.

But the problem is that Dylan is wildly unpredictable. Where Orion is controlled, and prone to hesitation and habit, Dylan is spontaneous and explosive.

He's also smart for his age.

Orion enjoys sparring with Dylan the most. It's an actual challenge for him, and he smiles as he feels his brain working.

He watches Dylan's foot inch back just a smidge and Orion leaps into action, following the path of movement. His plan would have worked, if he had remembered one thing.

His best friend is an idiot.

Instead of moving backwards, as Orion had assumed, Dylan braces his weight on his back foot and leaps upwards, grabbing hold of a branch above them. He lets go suddenly, landing on Orion and taking them both to the floor in an unceremonious heap of limbs.

"Dylan!" Orion groans, trying not to smile at his friends maniacal laughter.

"You should have seen your face." Dylan says, grinning painfully wide.

"If you're not going to fight properly then I'm not going to bother." Orion sasses and Dylan groans.

"Ry, come on, I'm just having fun." Dylan grumbles.

Orion feels bad for a second. When had he become such a stick in the mud? All he ever does at home is fight and train, why is he trying so hard now?

"I'm sorry, Dyl." He says suddenly.

Dylan looks surprised, but smiles and shrugs.

"What do you want to do?" Orion asks.

Dylan ponders for a second.

"I want to shift and play." He says and Orion smiles.

He hasn't shifted in ages.

"Okay." He says, tugging off his pull over.

He folds his clothes neatly as Dylan tugs off his shorts and throws them on the ground. Orion watches as he backs up, takes a running start and jumps, shifting in mid-air.

Dylan had been practicing that all summer to impress the kids in Bluewood. He says it's the 'coolest thing ever' and Orion is inclined to agree. It is pretty cool.

Orion smiles at the memory of Dylan falling flat on his face in his pursuit to perfect that move. The other kids in Bluewood hadn't seen that, and the thought makes him feel special.

Orion shifts quickly, embarrassed to be caught without his clothes on. His body too is changing and he isn't entirely comfortable with the changes yet. There is hair in places he had previously had no hair...and a lot of it.

The shift is quick and he shakes out his dark brown coat, spotting Dylan waiting for him by the river. He trots over and leaps on his friend, the two of them growling and tussling playfully. They chase each other for hours, playing in the water of the river and playing hide and seek in the trees of Bluewood.

Dylan can't remember the last time that his best friend really let loose like this, giving in to one of his whims and being a kid for once. His happiness makes him glow and Dylan can't help but feel it looks good on him.

Dylan stops suddenly and simply stares at Orion, his head cocked to the side.

His heart suddenly feels full and light, unbearably happy inside his chest. It urges him forwards, to the wolf, his best friend, of whom he is so fond. He doesn't know what the feeling is, but he doesn't question it. He merely acts.

He pads over softly, hesitating, before brushing his face against Orion's cheek.

The older boy stands there, frozen, unsure what to do. It's an intimate gesture, uncharacteristically affectionate for Dylan, and he pauses, pondering what's happening. But there is no ulterior motive.

Orion lays down and Dylan follows suit, resting his head over Orion's paws, their sides pressed together as they relish the feel of the wind in their coats. Orion rests his head on Dylan's, occasionally licking his ear or nuzzling his cheek.

Neither boy is entirely sure why they spend the afternoon like that, or why it felt so right, and they never mention it again. But not a day goes by thereafter where either boy doesn't think about it.