Pip didn't want to ask for a bathroom to change into the clothes the Beta wolf had given him. Pip was so cold and tired; he simply turned his back to Krey and pulled off his damp jumper. His top underneath was wet too and making him even colder.
Pip stripped to his underwear, glad to have his wet shoes and socks off, and his soggy jeans. His feet were like blocks of ice.
As he fumbled with the shorts, he felt Krey's eyes on him. Instead of being embarrassed and wanting to shy away, Pip liked that Krey was watching him. Pip started to crave Krey's attention. "I-I bet these clothes will smell l-like other werewolves." Pip chuckled nervously, chattering his teeth. "Is that weird for you?"
"Yes."
Pip paused. Krey was right behind him because he felt his breath against his ear. When he turned his head, Krey's lips brushed his cheek. Krey gazed over Pip's shoulder and to his chest. Pip didn't feel self-conscious like usual; he felt no judgement from Krey.
"I'd prefer it if you didn't wear those and let me warm you instead." Krey's voice was deeper, vibrating through Pip.
Pip stood in his black boxers. The chilled air crawled up his skin. Krey lifted hands to Pip's waist, touching him with hot palms.
Pip craved more warmth immediately. He turned, leaving the shorts and t-shirt on the floor. Krey's eyes trailed him up and down. His pupils dilated.
Krey then took off his black blazer and his black t-shirt underneath. He slipped the t-shirt over Pip's head, and it rested half-way down Pip's thigh. "There," he said, tugging on the material, pleased that Pip was coated in his scent. "That's better." Krey pulled him to the small single bed and folded back the duvet.
Pip was under the duvet in seconds, desperate to stop shivering. Krey sat next to him and pulled Pip into his bare chest. Pip settled with his body pressed to Krey and the duvet up to his chin. They had to lie close for them both to fit on the single bed.
Their eyes were level and they stared at each other with pounding hearts.
"Do you feel different after hugging my wolf?" Krey asked with his hand on the curve of Pip's lower back.
Pip nodded, trying not to fret over the fact that Krey had given him his t-shirt, which was much too big for him, and was warming Pip up by holding him close. "I feel..." Pip blushed, "m-more connected to you. I don't really know how to explain. Um, well, when I stopped hugging your wolf, I didn't feel scared of you. I was still scared of Victoria's wolf, but with you, I just suddenly knew that I could trust you."
Krey wasn't even sure that his mother trusted him. A mate was what Krey needed to fall back in touch with the human side of himself. "What about here, now. Does anything feel different?"
"It feels, um, normal to be this close to you. I'm not as nervous about it. Also, I think I understand your emotions a little more. This is tricky to explain, but I-I think when I look at you, I can almost feel what you're feeling." Pip shook his head. "That sounds stupid."
"I understand completely." Krey's brown eyes were melting. "I've felt that way since I saw you in the library." He ran a hand through Pip's hair, slowly letting his guard down. "From when I first had the dream about you, just thinking about you makes me breathless." Krey tried his best to block out the first time they really met, when Pip was in the cellar, scared out of his mind.
Pip looked around Krey's relaxed face, cherishing the rare sight of Krey exposing emotion. He opened his mouth but couldn't find his words for a while. Pip wondered how open he should be, but the way Krey looked at him made Pip feel like he could tell him anything. "A-After my parents died, and I lived with my aunt and uncle, I forgot what it was like to- to know that someone cared. I think I accepted that I'd be on my own for a lot of my life. I never imagined that this would happen. I don't think any human would." Pip fidgeted with the duvet. "It's strange to say this in this current situation, b-but I'm really glad we met. I'm really thankful for you."
Pip tried to imagine going back to his mundane life of college and the library and long shifts at the café. He thought about going back to a life without Krey, and his heart ached at such a troubling thought.
"I'm thankful for you too." The corners of Krey's lips curled towards a smile. His frown completely left his face. "These past few months have been hell for me. If it wasn't for my mother I would've..." Krey's other arm tightened around Pip. "I'm stronger with you."
"I'm stronger with you too." Pip smiled. His happiness swarmed his chest. To Pip's surprise, a small smile painted Krey's lips, brightening his face, warming his eyes, blunting his sharpness, and proving to Pippor that Krey had emotion. Krey just stored it in unreachable places.
The fact that Pip had only seen snippets of Krey's smile saddened him. Krey had his bad moments, but there was a lot of good in him waiting to be seen. Krey needed a chance to redeem himself to everyone around him, but not to Pip. He already saw who Krey could be.
They stared at each other for a little while longer. Pip was tired, and the night was very late, but he couldn't sleep. He didn't want to cut the night short when Krey was being so open and vulnerable.
"I can't believe you threw Mark's phone like that," Pip chuckled.
"I can't believe I didn't bite his face off when I had the chance," Krey mumbled. His smile was gone as quickly as it arrived.
"Because you care about Victoria. Mark is-" Pip sighed. "A fucking idiot. But let him be Victoria's idiot."
Krey cocked a brow at his choice of words. "You're cute when you swear."
Pip blushed. "I'm serious, you should really try and ignore him."
"It's hard to ignore someone who bullies the person you care about." Krey's frown crawled back onto his face. "What is his problem anyway? I don't understand why he hates you so much."
"He blames my parents for the death of his dad."
Krey's frown deepened.
"His dad died the night my parents died, you know, from the wolf attack. My parents were the ones to invite Mark's parents and insist that they went on the camping trip. I guess Mark has had to deal with the aftermath. His mother has never been the same."
Krey sat up, and so did Pip. "That's not a reason to make your life shit. Your parents died that night. His mother survived. He should count himself lucky."
"I know it's not a reason to bully me." Pip linked his fingers to stop himself from fidgeting. "I don't know what would be worse, having no parents, or living with a parent who never recovered from the attack, and dealing with that every single day. I'm not saying that to give Mark an excuse to be a terrible person, but I'm sure it doesn't help."
Krey shook his head. "You lost both of your parents and lived with shitty family members for years. That's a constant reminder of what happened, and you're the nicest person I've ever met. Nothing in the world gives anyone the right to be cruel to others." Krey then paused. "Don't add me into this. I know I'm a twat."
"At least you can admit it," Pip chuckled.
"Are you calling me a twat?"
Pip laughed and Krey's eyes darkened with amusement.
"Yes." Pip grinned from ear to ear. "You can be very, um, difficult."
"I know." Krey grabbed Pip's waist and pulled him on top of him. He covered them both in the duvet when he felt Pip's cold fingers against his chest. "You know, if anyone else spoke this way to me, I would've punched them in the face by now."
"Because you can't accept the truth?"
Krey scoffed at Pip's honesty. "Brutal."
Pip rested his head on Krey's shoulder, smiling into the crook of his neck. He had never felt so comfortable in someone else's presence.
"I'm glad though," Krey continued. "I need someone to tell me to back down when I'm getting too much."
"Someone who won't just make you angrier."
"Exactly. Someone kind and cute." Krey's eyes trailed him. "And someone short and human, with really nice dimples."
Pip pursed his lips, feeling the redness spread all over his face. "Nobody ever sees this side of you, do they?"
Krey shook his head. "It's a weakness to others."
"Well, I think- I-I think it makes you more attractive."
Krey stared deeply into Pip's eyes, like he was seeing more than just the blue. Pip wanted Krey to look at him like that forever.
"I'm so glad you're my mate," Krey said before kissing Pip. With his body on top of Krey, happy and comfortable, Krey couldn't be more content.
"I'm happy- I'm your mate- too," Pip said in-between kisses. Now that they had known each other Properly, and Pip was comfortable with Krey's wolf, Pip felt like he was kissing someone he had known for years. But he hadn't known Krey for years. He had known him for just under a month, so how had they grown so close?
The bond thing, Pip thought, smiling against Krey's lips.