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Hey everyone! Hope you're enjoying the story--especially after the last chapter and what not! But either way: good times keep rolling, hopefully....

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"No. I love you more," Ben replied and kissed the wolf on the lips.

"Liar--you know I love you more," Marion chuckled and nuzzled the bear. It had been somewhere between a surprise and a scare to find the bear bringing him breakfast in bed the next morning. A surprise in the fact that it was a kind, romantic and although cliché act, and a scare in that he'd woken to the bear moving towards him with a knife.

Well breakfast was a polite term. It was nearing one in the afternoon, but they had been up a bit later than either had planned last night. He remembered nestling back into Ben, the bear still planted in him--by his own request--and dozing off. Still, he found himself awake not even ten minutes later with Ben still in him. After a minute of indecision he began to rub himself back against the bear. It didn't take him long to build up a rhythm that had him moaning and groaning--rousing Ben from his own slumber and the bear lifting up one of his legs for better access. Next there was plenty of happy yelps, growling, and barking. They both decided on a shower afterwards--one where Marion found himself off the ground and planted against the wall, and then later with the bear's lips upon his own member. He wasn't entirely sure when they had fallen asleep, only that the shower's purpose had been nullified by the evidence in morning by the flakes of dried seed in his fur.

They were both currently in the bed and enjoying the possibly childish love game where they told the other that they loved them the most; though more childishly was the fact that both was sure they were winning. Ben had his arm draped over the wolf and was enjoying the moment. He ate the toast that the wolf didn't, and half the apple, but other than that left the bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and grits to the wolf.

"Well how about this...we love each other equally?"

"Preposterous...that would mean that we were equal," Ben replied with a fake aghast look.

Marion leaned over and nuzzled the bear, "Please?"

Ben smiled and nuzzled the wolf back, "Oh OK..."

Marion chuckled a little and gave a small sigh. He looked up at the bear and then back at the meal he'd finished, "Thank you...this was good,"

"I'm glad you liked it," Ben said and kissed the wolf on the cheek. "And in all seriousness Marion...I really do love you,"

Marion cocked his head, "I meant it even while we were joking around," he said, but couldn't help but feel his heart flutter a bit at hearing how Ben would say it when he was serious.

Ben smiled and nodded, "Me too...but you're not a teacher. I'm almost ashamed to know I said it like that...you know, so pup-like, because I've seen it so much that it's almost disgusting. Those puppy love games....ugh,"

Marion chuckled, "Well then--I love you too,"

Ben smiled and rested his head on the wolf's, "If I didn't think you did I probably wouldn't be in the bed with you,"

"What's this probably mean?" Marion asked with a grin. "I won't have you probably not cheating on me you know,"

Ben jumped a bit, "I--I didn't...Marion...No, I didn't mean it li--"

Marion leaned up and stopped the bear's stuttering with a kiss, "I know...I'm just playing with you,"

Ben stared at the wolf and smiled, "Oh...OK...."

Marion smiled and pushed the breakfast tray away, "I...do need to talk with you about this though,"

"Hmm? What's 'this' though?"

Marion gestured to the bed and between himself and the bear, "Us...and what we did Ben..."

Ben felt his heart sink a bit, as if expecting the wolf to tell him he regretted the entire thing. It was worse only because he couldn't imagine such a thing--he couldn't believe it. Worse still, maybe the wolf couldn't see them together forever? Had he done something to upset Marion? He couldn't think of anything? He'd told the wolf he loved him--surely he hadn't messed up. He gave an encouraging smile though--even if his heart was suddenly pumping like he'd run a mile.

"In the moment...I didn't really think or anything, and I really do love you Ben," Marion said quickly, cupping the bear's cheek and kissing him quickly, "So don't look like that. This wasn't a mistake. But...I want to know you're in this for the long-run. I mean, if you aren't then tell me now," he said, his own heart beating as terribly as Ben's--he didn't know what he'd do if this was just a game for Ben, even if he knew it wasn't.

Ben cocked his head and nuzzled against the paw. But for the first minute he couldn't bring himself to answer--too scared to speak yet. The fear of the wolf leaving him seemed irrational, and of course he knew it was irrational--that's what fear was after all. Still, the prospect had left him more than a bit worried. "I didn't think about the short-term of this too much...if that's what you mean. We've been going out for awhile now afterall..."

Marion rubbed the bear's muzzle slowly and couldn't help a smile, "I...just want to be sure,"

"I'm in it for the long-run Marion...I want to be with you--if you'll have me......You said you could see me with you for...well, a long time,"

Marion cupped the bear's cheek and kissed him for a moment, pulling back and sighing, "Of course I'll have you Ben. And, I can see that--a bit clearer now that I know it's so nice waking up to you in the bed,"

"Uh-huh," Ben said, eyeing the wolf in a 'maybe for you' manner.

"I do not kick in my sleep," Marion said, wondering how long Ben would stay on the fact that he'd apparently kicked him throughout the night.

"Well...maybe you were just thumping your leg because you're so happy," Ben said with a roll of his eyes, loving the new way to tease Marion. He had said it at first as just an observation, but when Marion had seemed so appalled by it--well, what kind of boyfriend would he be not to take advantage of such an opportunity?

"Mayb--...You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"When have I ever done that?" Ben asked with a smile. He leaned in, stealing a kiss, and the answer from his boyfriend, "That's a rhetorical question though. And...as long as you don't start flailing your arms about I should be OK,"

Marion chuckled lightly, leaning against the bear and letting out a content sigh. He stayed as he was for a few moments before looking back up at the bear, "It...well, this isn't going to be weird for us isn't it?"

Ben knew what the wolf meant and smiled, "You mean Chris,"

Marion didn't meet the bear's eyes and nodded.

Ben couldn't help but to stroke over the wolf's paw with his free one. Marion was an amazing person, and the wolf was simply one of the best people in the world. In their entire relationship he had found one thing out very quickly; the wolf was Chris's father first and his boyfriend second. That was why he came over here, the wolf refused to leave the pup alone for any large amount of time.

Ben knew the wolf was an excellent father. Chris showed a strong upbringing in his school life, more so than many of the children. He'd talked personally with the pup and liked the pup, not as his boyfriend's son but as an individual. Ben smiled at the wolf, "You know I would never hurt Chris,"

Marion nodded, "I know that..."

"You're worried about if this doesn't work, aren't you?"

Marion felt terrible but he nodded anyway, "Yes..."

"Do you think this won't?"

Marion looked up at the bear, "I told you...I can see you with me Ben--I want a life with you,"

"Me too Marion...and so far I can't really see anything in the future that is going to suddenly make me stop loving you, cause I'm guessing that's your fear when it comes to us breaking up..."

"Ben...I just want him to have the best..."

"I know," Ben said and kissed the wolf on the cheek. He'd heard Marion confess all his worries about Chris more than once. The wolf was more worried about his son's well-being than he was about his own. Ben stroked over the paw again but this time stopped and placed it over the wolf's, "Marion--if you don't want me in his life, it's OK,"

Marion's head shot up, "That's not what I mean!" he yelped, taking the bear by surprise.

Ben cocked his head and allowed the wolf to continue.

"I...I want...Ben, it's the opposite. I want you to be a part of his life, and I want you to be there for him,"

Ben was a bit surprised, but smiled at the wolf, "Really?"

"Of course..." Marion replied. "Ben, you're a big part of my life, and...you have to be a part of his life too--because he's such a part of my life. I can't separate you two. You're both too important to me. I can't live two separate lives,"

Ben nodded. He had put up certain boundaries. He didn't try to invade the boundaries of father and son--he knew he was just Chris's father's boyfriend. To think of himself as anything more almost seemed wrong, but now the wolf was telling him that he wanted him to be more. But what more could he be?

"Ben...I...I want you in my life,"

Ben leaned forward and kissed the wolf. He pulled back and smiled, then let the wolf continue.

"And...I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want you to be a part of my life with Chris too,"

Ben smiled, "Well, you need to talk to him about that,"

"I will,"

"And...if he says no...I don't want you to feel bad about us not having to go any further than dating, OK?" Ben asked, smiling at the wolf. He didn't want to come between them as a family by any means. Chris was very attached to his father, though he didn't try to show it as much as he did, and Marion was just as attached, more than willing to drop previous plans to be with his son.

"But..."

"No 'buts' about it. Besides, we can always wait till he's at a friends," Ben said with a wink.

The small joke was a much needed reprieve from the strain on the wolf's mind. The idea of his son not accepting this was like a dagger to his heart. Still, Chris did like the bear--so it wasn't like they were going in cold turkey. He chuckled and kissed the bear on the lips, "I guess that's true,"

Ben chuckled too and leaned over, rolling himself on top of the wolf and letting his paws stroke up and down his lover's sides, "So...umm, you're done with breakfast...right?"

"Want to go at it again?"

"Big time," Ben said, laughing a bit as he leaned in and kissed the wolf who accepted his tongue happily.

____

The week passed slowly and Marion found himself trying to build up the courage to have a serious conversation with his son. It was easy to push the topic away--at least under the guise that he wanted Chris to do well on his exams. He did want the pup to do well, but he knew more than that he was thinking of it as an excuse to put the conversation back. He wanted to have Ben with him while he had the talk but the bear didn't think it was a good idea. Ben said that if he was there it might pressure Chris into a decision and he wanted the pup to give his own opinion on the matter.

Marion couldn't help but feel it was a lot to ask. He was basically thinking about asking his son if he was OK with having Ben as a father of sorts--wasn't he? Of course he was the pup's father, and Ben wasn't, but...still...

What if Chris thought that Ben was trying to replace his mother? That idea was terrible and the biggest worry in his mind. It was approaching the second anniversary of her death, which was about a month away. He wanted to have the conversation before it, but what was he putting his son through? Chris had lost her, and he knew the pup still wasn't entirely over it; that Chris would never be entirely over it.

The thought that he was putting himself through more than he was going to put his son through by worrying about what he might be putting his son through was something Ben insisted he was doing. It wouldn't be unthinkable. The bear had been right in that he generally went a bit crazy when Chris was concerned in matters--not a bad crazy. The bear told him he was more protective of the pup than the government was its tax dollars.

Marion sat down at the chair and looked at the door that he knew his son would be coming through soon enough. It was about four o'clock, and Mrs. Tracy would be dropping Chris off from school right about now. Normally he picked up the wolf, but sometimes Mrs. Tracy--who lived just two blocks down, and whose son was in Chris's class--picked him up, as he did likewise for her son.

He was more than proud of Chris. The pup had his brains and his mother's skills of social contact. Still, though he didn't dare to detract from Nancy's parts in the pup, Chris was very much like him. The pup had some of his mother's mannerisms--quite a few. Chris was more like him in character, while more like Nancy in his acts.

He nearly jumped when he heard the door open, but realized it was just himself tapping on the table with his spoon--which had knocked off his pen. He'd written down the speech about fifty times, but thrown it away each time because it was a disgrace to what he wanted to portray. How, as he supposed to, while letting his son know how much he loved him, tell him he basically wanted Ben to come in and be a part of his life? That wasn't something he could ask Chris--it was something that just had to happen naturally.

The entire thing was a mess in his head. The whooping twelve hours of sleep he'd managed to get through the week were hardly restful. He dreamt of Chris reacting negatively and calling him a faggot, of his son running away. The dreams hurt, and if anything like them came true he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it. Only two people's opinions carried so much weight in his life.

Fate was a terrible thing. Not only had it managed to give him a son that he'd always wanted, it had, in that same time, given him the male he'd always dreamt of meeting. Those two things would either coincide or collide and break. The two people he loved were the two things keeping him up at night with stressful ideas and sweats. A family of his own seemed to be so close and yet so far away.

Marion's heard jerked up as the kitchen door was opened in his side vision. He saw Chris walk and he smiled at him, "Hey pup...how was school?"

"Ehh, not bad..." the pup replied, throwing his bookbag in a chair at the kitchen table before rolling his neck on his shoulders--as if to smooth away the stress of carrying so many text books.

"Good...good..." Marion said and stared at his son before nervously glancing away. "How was your exam today? Math, right?"

"It was decent," Chris replied. He moved over and began to shuffle through the cabinets for something to eat. He had a tradition of getting a snack whenever he came home. His father was notorious for wanting to eat all the snacks he liked to eat. They shared similar tastes too often in the world of food. He tentatively opened a shelf where he kept a small stash and frowned, "Where are the pudding cups?"

Marion nervously looked at the last of the pudding cups that he'd eaten, "Umm...we ran out," he replied and carefully hid the empty container.

Chris couldn't help but chuckle, "I thought I hid these really well too..." he said and moved over to get his second favorite snack. He pulled out a bag pretzels and moved over to get a tupperware of chicken salad from the refrigerator. Over the week he couldn't help but notice his father had been really jumpy. Last year his dad had quizzed him for his exams, asked him extensively about them, and so much. This year his father just asked the question as if to fill the air.

He knew something was up. His dad was acting odd as of late. The older wolf would often seek time alone--not that he minded it. He didn't mind his dad not beign around all the time; sometimes he liked having a room to himself or just being alone. But still, the undertone wasn't right. It was like his dad wanted to get away--like something was bothering him. His dad had let him go to a friend's house the other week--the week before finals. Why? He'd said he'd had a date with Ben, but the wolf had seemed very nervous about it. And Ben had picked him up--his dad could drive, which made it stranger.

It was strange. He had no idea what was going on. When he asked Ben about it the bear just shuffled his feet and told him to not forget about his homework and upcoming exam. He knew something was up, but at the same time he didn't have a clue what it was about. He moved over and sat down at the table, scooping some of the chicken salad onto the pretzel.

Marion could smell the salad. He didn't like chicken salad, but he knew Chris loved the stuff. If it meant his approval he'd buy the pup an endless supply. He looked up and smiled at the pup then looked away again.

Chris cocked his head. He usually ate at the table, but it was rare for his father to sit down with him. Normally his dad was up in the study doing work or just relaxing. They would meet up at supper time and would eat together. After that it was usually both going into the living room and watching TV together. He was slightly ashamed of it, but he would sometimes lay down with his father.

His dad never teased him about it though. Chris could remember lying down with his mom and how nice it was; that was the same with his father too. He liked to lie down and nestle into his father's arms. The first time he'd pretended that he'd simply fallen asleep; though he had been wide awake the entire time--even when his father carried him up and tucked him into bed. Now he would just scoot a bit closer and his dad would usually extend an arm around him.

Chris knew that it wasn't very 'mature' but he also didn't know if he could help it. His relationship with his father was everything to him. When it came down to it all, his dad was the only person in his life that mattered to him; the only person he had left. His father looked back at him and this time their eyes stayed together.

"Son..." Marion said and looked away.

Chris cocked his head. For some reason his stomach sank. It almost reminded him of his mother when she had told him she had cancer. The tone seemed similar--dreadfully so. Was that what was going on? Was his father going to leave him too? Was that why Ben wouldn't tell him what was going on? His hunger instantly went away as his stomach was thrown into knots. Without any real reason all the terrible memories he wanted to get rid of began to surge into his mind once again. "Yeah?" he got out, trying to not sound too scared, to sound impartial if he could manage it.

"W--we need to talk about something..."

Chris's brow furrowed and he tried to not think too much. Still, he could easily remember those exact words coming from his mother. Almost as if conditioned to it his eyes threatened to water at the thought. Over time though he'd managed to live with it, the wounds weren't as painful anymore. Still, if he ever found himself thinking about his mother he found the happy memories were the only cure for the pain having her taken away from him. Had his father allowed him to go to a friend's house so close to exams because he was going to the doctor and didn't want to scare him? Would that be why Ben picked him up? "O...Ok," he choked out.

"Remember when I asked you what you thought of Ben?" Marion asked, deciding that was a good place to start.

"Uh--huh," Chris annunciated, not trusting his voice. He looked down at the table and tried to keep his body from showing the fear creeping up on him. Had the question been vital? Would the bear be taking him in soon? The idea of losing his father made him shudder and he fought back the tears. His father couldn't--no he wouldn't leave him--would he?

"Well...Son...you know I love you, right?"

Chris winced at the words. He looked up and nodded.

Marion stopped and cocked his head. He could tell his son's eyes were watering a bit. Whenever his son was about to cry, which wasn't too often now, his eyes would shine in the light a bit. Had he already messed up? He felt a pit in his stomach, "Son...what's wrong?" he asked, wondering what he'd done wrong.

Chris shook his head, "Nothing...it's OK..." he replied, trying to get the image of his dad leaving him out of his mind. He couldn't help but relive the fact that his mother had left him and now his dad might be doing the same--though the later was unlikely. He shoved a pretzel in his mouth to increase the unconvincing façade that everything was fine.

Marion stood up and walked over. He put an arm around his son and kneeled down, "What's wrong?"

"Are you OK?" Chris asked, feeling the pretzel scratch at the roof of his mouth. His eyes were blurred and his father was nothing but a black blotch in his vision. Still, that black blotch was everything to him.

Marion cocked his head but nodded, "Of course I am son...wh--" he was saying when his son sobbed a little. It wasn't like Chris to just cry like this--the pup wasn't an easy crier. He pulled him closer and sat in a nearby chair. His paws began to stroke over his head, "Hey...hey...tell me what's wrong Pup,"

Chris hated that he was crying. He felt like such a baby whenever he cried. He shook his head and tried to keep anymore tears from leaking out.

"Chris...please tell me--did I do something to upset you?" Marion asked, no longer concerned if the pup was going to be angry or not. All he wanted was to mollify his son.

"N--no," Chris cried and felt the tears thankfully beginning to go away. His father had told him he was OK. He put his arms around his father and hugged him, burying his head into his father's chest. He could smell his father's scent and it always served to calm him down greatly.

Marion rocked his son back and forth for a few minutes before Chris stopped his crying. It was a relatively short spell. He couldn't help but wonder what had set the pup off. When his son looked him in the eyes he smiled and kissed him on the top of his head, "Now...tell me what that was about,"

Chris looked away, "I...I'm sorry,"

Marion frowned, "Don't apologize to me pup..."

"Sor--" Chris was saying and stopped himself. He tried to keep his face neutral while he spoke, "It...when you asked me about all those things...and with how you've been this week...I...I thought...you might be sick,"

Marion felt his ears twitch and his heart jump a little. He knew that Chris wasn't thinking the cold type sick, whenever the pup was scared about something he used euphemisms to downplay the severity. Sick here meant dying no doubt, just like being a bit timid meant terrified for him. He shook his head, "No son...I'm not sick. I'm in perfect health...well...I mean, my chloresteral is a bit high," he said with a chuckle, trying to throw in a bit of humor so Chris would smile.

"I...don't want you to leave me too Dad,"

Marion felt his heart nearly jump out of his chest. He pulled the pup close and shook his head, "You never have to worry about that Chris--never,"

Chris choked out a sob and pushed it away.

"I didn't mean to scare you...I'm so sorry son,"

Chris shook his head, "I...I was overthinking it...it's my own fault,"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been acting funny, Ben won't tell me what's going on, and I thought you were about to tell me that you were sick. You haven't been badgering me about my exams like you normally do...you let me go out on exams weekend and Ben picked you up...and....I...I don't know...I just..."

Marion frowned and wished he'd just had the courage to explain the situation as it was to his son instead of scaring him. To know that he'd just made him cry was painful. Aside from the pain though he couldn't help but be amazed at how observant the pup was. Then again, Marion was sure it wasn't any great achievement to know he'd acted strange all week. Still, at the end of it, the pup's observations were admirable. He took in a deep breath and sighed, "Son...I wanted to ask you because...well, I love Ben..."

Chris cocked his head and looked up at his father. His tears were beginning to dissipate with the fact that his father was fine.

Marion knew he had his son's full attention and decided it was best to just continue, "We both care a lot for each other son. And...well, what I'm trying to say is that I ju...I just want to know if you...Son, you...is it too strange for you if we're serious? I mean...you're a huge part of my life and I don't want to do anything to upset you...but...Ben is a becoming a big part of my life too,"

Chris stared at his father for a second. In comparison to the idea that he had been scared his dad was about to tell him he was going to leave him his father asking him if he was OK with Ben was like asking if he wanted mashed or creamed potatoes; it just didn't seem to matter too much. Still, he was calmer now and knew that his father had been upset about this all week. "What do you mean serious?"

"I..." Marion began and stopped for a moment. It was certainly not about having sex with Ben--though the act was a pretty large physical compass to that fact. Still, there was so much more to it than their physical bond. "I mean that I want to be with him Pup. Ben makes me happy and when I'm with him I feel....well, it's really hard to explain. I know one day you'll understand, but it's not something words can express,"

"So...Like...moving in?" Chris asked, not really taking in his father's words about how he felt--more focused on what sort of physical ramifications such a move would imply.

Marion shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure at this moment. I won't say it's not that, at least not in the future...but, for now...we're just both seeing where this is going to go,"

Chris wiped his nose on a napkin and looked at his father for a few moments, "Why would you need to ask me?"

"You're a part of this family Chris...me and you...well, we function as a unit,"

Chris could vaguely remember his teacher saying something to that degree--that the family was a unit. It made sense, but he'd never really liked thinking of the family as just some mechanical organic machine that couldn't adjust to rapidly changing circumstances. "OK. So...y--you love him?"

Marion felt his face go a bit red but he nodded, "Yeah--I do,"

"He loves you?"

The pup was acting very mature. Marion had much more expected Chris to be asking things like how it was going to affect his own life and what not, but it was the exact opposite. "He says he does and I believe him,"

Chris waited for a second, "OK...umm, I still don't get what you're asking,"

"Well, is there anything you want to talk about...you know, like how this will affect you or anything,"

"How will it affect me?"

Marion cocked his head, "Umm...well...school or something?" he suggested, not entirely sure himself. The argument that raising a child by two gay furs wasn't exactly a concern, mainly because of Chris's age. The issue didn't make any since to Marion, and truthfully, he felt a bit cowardly about it all. When it came to rights and equality, he didn't care if the government saw them as a couple, or anything like that. At the end of the day all he cared about was that he could provide for Chris, and now for Ben too.

"People at the school already know you two are dating. One of the teachers saw you with Ben and thought it was me with him and I just told him it was you two. Another teacher saw you two about a month ago, and asked me if I was in trouble. Mrs. Tracy knows about it too...I think they just picked up on it...and then let it loose to the students,"

Marion frowned, "Do they say anything to you?"

"A few do," Chris admitted. "I get all the small jeers and everything but it's nothing I can't handle. It's no worse than when Jake was made fun of by the jocks," Chris replied.

"Is that still happening?"

"No...Ben took care of it," Chris replied impartially. Jake, a tiger in the band he hung out with, had recently become the target for a few of the jocks, just because of his beliefs. It lasted for about a week and then one day just suddenly stopped. The only indication that Ben had been a part of it was the fact that the bear asked him how Jake was doing. Aside from that Chis would've thought the jocks had gotten bored.

"He did?" Marion asked, wondering what his boyfriend didn't tell him now. Of course, from what Chris was implying he already put enough together. He knew Ben, just like the bear knew him. The bear hadn't wanted him to worry about these things, but he ws taking care of them--watching out for Chris. A small smile ran over his features, knowing he would kiss the bear and hug him tightly to him for the acts of kindness Ben never meant to be known.

"He's intimidating," Chris said truthfully. How could the bear not be? He was sure even if Ben began wearing pink and rainbows the bear would still have the natural look of intimidation that made him seem--at times--inapproachable.

"He can be..." Marion admitted too, but with a chuckle. He joked with the bear about it; that if Ben didn't look like a lumberjack serial killer then perhaps the pups at the school would laugh at his more cynical jokes he made in class. Looking back at Chris he smiled encouragingly, "But...you're OK?

"I have my friends and I have my family...what else do I need?"

Marion smiled lightly and wished he hadn't made as big a deal out of it as he was doing. It must've been Nancy because there was no way Chris got his level of maturity from his father.

"And..." Chris said and noticed his father's ears twitching, "I guess you want to know this...but...I don't see Ben as a part of this family," Chris admitted to his father. He could tell the words hurt but he also knew his father wanted him to tell the truth. And a part of him was glad to say it--to just get it off his chest.

"I...I mean, I like him and I consider him more of a friend almost but...I don't see him as being a part of our family. I just still see him as Mr. Vaughn a lot of the time. And...well, we don't have any blood," Chris said. He didn't want the bear to be part of the family--not yet. His father was his family, and so were some of the wolves back where he and his mother lived, but the bear was not. It wasn't that Ben couldn't be--though how he could be he didn't know. But the bear could up-and-leave at any time. What if that happened? He didn't want to be attached to someone who could so easily go away, leaving his father emotionally ruined, and even possibly him.

"I understand son," Marion replied, a bit hurt but glad his son had told him.

"I don't though..." Chris replied. He didn't get how family was defined; to him it was just a value he'd made up as a pup yet still didn't know how to explain. "I mean...you and Mom, if you'd stayed together...would you two be a family?"

Marion cocked his head. He thought about it and nodded, "Yes, I believe we would be,"

"You two didn't share any blood, only through me, and if you hadn't had me but had stayed together...would you still be family?"

Marion realized where his son was going. He took a bit longer and nodded, "I believe we would be,"

Chris nodded and sighed. "I don't know how to see him as family? He's...a nice guy, but..."

Marion sighed and nodded again, "I understand," he said and quickly smiled, "It's OK Chris. I really do get it..."

Chris looked away, feeling uneasy. Why couldn't he think of Ben as family? He could even think that he technically didn't share blood with some of his uncles and aunts but they were family. He didn't know why he couldn't see the bear as that. He liked Ben, but he just wasn't ready to see him as a family part. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was partly sure it was because the bear was a male, though even if that was something he didn't want to admit, he knew--deep down--there were other things he didn't wish to admit. "Sorry Dad..."

"It's OK Chris..."

"I do like him....it just seems weird to me," Chris admitted to his father.

"I know it does..." Marion replied. Sometimes it was odd to think that he wanted the bear to be a part of the family just for the fact that the bear wasn't a wolf and had no connection to Chris.

"Dad..."

"Hmm?"

"Will he be moving in still?"

"Well Chris...if he did would you be OK with that?"

Chris shrugged his shoulders, "I guess...It'll be weird one way or the other...I...I was used to it being just you and me,"

"Well, we would probably just start with a weekend visit Pup...him coming over and staying for a bit--we wouldn't just jump right in..."

"Would he stay in your room?" Chris asked, but felt heat run into his cheeks as he realized what he'd asked. He hadn't meant the implication, but it quickly dawned on him what he meant.

"I---Uhh...." Marion let out, surprised his son could ask such a thing. It wasn't an unfair question, but it was shocking. How did he approach it? A few moments passed before he let out a small sigh, "Well, yes...yes he would. Like I said, we do care for one anoth--"

"So...you can see yourself spending the rest of your life with him?" Chris asked, wondering just what to think now. He didn't know how to approach the topic either, or any of it's implications. Relationships were so strange to him. Did the fact that his father was gay mean the rules changed--that they didn't have to wait, or that they didn't have rules? But, even in all relationships, were there even rules to begin with?

"Yes...I can," Marion answered the question, much easier than the last one. He gave another sigh before drawing up his courage, "Chris...I...I know it's an awkward topic. And I know we haven't ever really discussed it either, but...well, you know...Me and Ben have a bond. I love him and he loves me....but obviously marriage isn't quite an option--well, at least not right here--but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't wait. I've waited this long for someone like Ben to come along...and, well, I'm just trying to say that you need to be careful. Love and lust are two very different emotions--never let the later impose itself as the first Pup,"

Chris nodded and was silent, much like his father after the small talk. It was quiet, and both could hear the small hum of the refrigerator. A few more moments passed. Chris tapped at the table with his thumb and eventually looked at his dad, "...Well.......Ok..."

"Ok," Marion replied stoutly, very happy and very glad to drop such an uncomfortable topic. Still, he didn't know if he'd handled it correctly--maybe he should check out a book on it?

"Well...when do you think he'd come over?"

Marion frowned, "He doesn't have to,"

"It's fine...but...c--can you and me just hang out sometimes still?" Chris asked, hating that he was mostly annoyed at the idea of never being able to share the couch with his father again. One of the things he didn't want was to never lie down with his dad again because the bear might be here.

"Of course Pup...whenever you want,"

Chris smiled and let out a small sigh, "Well...he doesn't like pudding cups too does he?"