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Jake felt something lightly brush against the top of his head and heard someone saying some things.

"I'm going to make this right...I promise. Jake...I love you," Lucas whispered and gently kissed the bear on his head. He watched Jake for a few moments before heading off to the room and lying down in the bed. He lay on the bed and traced the collar on his neck. He lightly ran his fingers over the patterns, remembering the night Jake gave it to him. He lay in the bed and realized just how much more space the bed had without anyone in it and he smiled to himself. His smile quickly fell away realizing that it was only felt more spacious because the bear wasn't with him. His thoughts ran back to how when they first moved in together he said it was cramped.

In the other room Jake fell back asleep, the moon giving a small stream of light into the room. When he next woke the beginning rays of dawn were shining on his face, into his eyes, making him wish he had on his glasses. He mumbled to himself and tried to ignore it. He realized that going back to sleep would be impossible, his mind already tormenting him again. He grabbed his glasses and was thankful for the relief that they offered his eyes as he stared around the room. He wondered how long he had been with Lucas. He realized he could still smell the wolf's scent on himself, and on the couch. He inhaled lightly and then exhaled, sighed, not sure whether it was comforting or just another form of torment.

He silently began to sit up and immediately felt his body telling him to stop; he ignored it and sat up. He moved a paw to his shoulder, which was lightly throbbing, along with his chest and legs. He lifted up his shirt and saw that he had bruised his chest, it was swollen lightly and the black and blue was visible even under the fur. He checked his shoulder too, the same result there also. Instead of complaining he lightly chuckled at himself for the injuries, it almost seemed appropriate. If he didn't get hurt in some way on a regular basis then it wouldn't feel normal. He lightly ran his paw up his shoulder and to the other one, feeling where Lucas's mating mark was. He let out a sigh and felt a part of him wishing that it would go away, but another part holding onto it.

He realized that his 'other part' was still with him. It didn't make any sense to talk about it. He thought back to talking to Lucas about it. There was no easy way to describe it; it was just there. It made him feel bipolar, made him act like something he wasn't. He tried to push it out of his mind, and Jake lightly stood up, his legs aching. He stretched as much as he could, knowing it would help in the long run, and at the thought immediately regretted thinking about the word 'run'. He let out a groan and looked around his apartment. He walked slowly and carefully back to his room and saw the wolf in there, sleeping soundly. He stopped in the doorway and watched Lucas. To his surprise many of his feelings faded away and the only ones left were a small smile on his muzzle, but he frowned afterwards too.

Switching between the two expressions he watched Lucas sleep for a few minutes before exiting. He walked back to the main part of the apartment, and walked over to the bar area of the kitchen, connecting yet separating the two rooms. He saw that his phone had a message and flipped it open. Lucas's father had called, and there was a message left for him. He dialed in his password and heard the wolf's voice.

"Hello Jake, sorry about yesterday...but school is school...Well, anyway, I hope you're doing well and everything is going well. If you need to talk then I'm free today after ten in the morning. Call me if you need to," the wolf's prerecorded voice said.

Jake erased the message and looked at the clock; it was nine-fifty-nine. He chuckled lightly at the time. He laid his head on the bar and rested for a few moments and thought back to the previous night. He wondered about the bear he had met. He tried to recall the name. "...Keal...no...Kay...no...more to it...Kaden!" he said snapping his fingers.

He thought about who exactly the bear was. He seemed familiar but the bear hadn't realized it till today. He knew he had seen the bear before, but couldn't remember where. He thought that he was probably a student or a resident, he couldn't place it though. The bear also reminded him of himself. How he had talked on the phone. Jake lightly smiled to himself remembering how he felt for Lucas. His mind then ran to his current feelings, his thoughts constantly switching. He knew he still loved the wolf, there was no way he couldn't, but he wasn't sure if he could be with Lucas again.

Jake looked back at the clock and saw it was ten ten and decided to call Mr. Vadikson. He dialed the number and after a few rings the wolf picked up.

"Jake? How are you?" Mr. Vadikson asked with a cheerful voice.

"...I can't really tell at the moment..." he said. He looked around the room and stood up. He walked outside and stood, looking out at the cars.

"Want to talk?"

"Can you?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Me and Lucas..." Jake said, thinking about how obvious it was. When the wolf didn't respond Jake guessed that was the signal to continue, "We talked...some...I don't know what to do. Mr. Vadikson...I still love him...but..."

Mr. Vadikson was listening intently on the other end of the line. He knew that now would be the time the bear needed support most, it wouldn't be easy to live with Lucas, circumstances considered.

Jake sighed and continued, "Yesterday...we argued, well, it was more one-sided I guess. He tried to tell me he was sorry, and I let myself get carried away, I yelled at him, I told him that he had abandoned me, that he had no right to say those words...does he?"

"I can't answer that..." Mr. Vadikson replied. He didn't want to try and influence Jake to either side with his son. He just wanted the bear to be able to talk to him about it.

"What am I supposed to do? I want to forgive him...I want us to be able to be together again...yet...this other part of me tells me it isn't right, that were at irreconcilable differences,"

"Well, Jake...you know I have some obvious bias. I would love to see you and my son together...but if I can give my opinion..." Mr. Vadikson said, inquiring.

"Go on..." Jake replied. He liked that the wolf didn't try to remain objective in his parts. He knew that Lucas's father wanted them to work this out.

"What is so irreconcilable about what happened? He betrayed you...that is how you see it, and I won't say that he didn't. You feel lonely and he left you alone. These are tough to get over I get it...but, don't let what has happened in the past cloud the possibilities for the future. Think of it this way; Jake, you love my son...why?"

"I...don't know...I just do...I mean, I know why; it's because of. I can't stop this feeling... Jake replied.

"You don't know that Lucas doesn't feel the sa-" Mr. Vadikson was saying before the bear interrupted.

"You don't betray people you love!" he growled into the phone. He realized what he had done and apologized, "Sorry...go on..."

"Lucas is lost too Jake. I think he wants things to work out...all I really want to say is don't give up, or push him away..."

"I don't want to push him away...I...just..." Jake said, not sure what he was saying anymore.

"It's ok..." Mr. Vadikson said, trying to soothe the bear.

"No...its not..." Jake replied. "This is not OK...I don't want to be like this all the time...I don't want to feel like this..." Jake said, trying to keep a steady tone. He felt his voice shaking a bit, "Why can't I just forgive him? If he really wants to work this out...why can't I forgive him?"

"Jake...it's never easy to get over something when you've been hurt, much less give it another chance. The fact that you're considering it means a lot for you and shows a lot about your character..."

"What does it say?" Jake asked, "That I'm pathetic...that I trust too easily?" he asked, a bit angrily.

"It says that you're looking for someone to reach out to. That you're confused and feel like you're not able to trust..."

Jake didn't respond. The words didn't really feel comforting, though they weren't untrue. He sighed and looked out at the distant sun. He didn't feel like he could trust Lucas. How could he? He wanted to though, "Mr. Vadikson....what if I do give him another chance...what if it doesn't work out then?"

"Well...you'd have to deal with that when and if you get there," Mr. Vadikson responded, choosing his words carefully. "But Jake...don't be afraid to give someone another chance...opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat,"

"What?" Jake asked, not really getting what the wolf meant by it.

"Sorry...not the best quote...I mean, that you're suffering...and so is Lucas, but that even though you two are having a rough...Ok...really rough time, it is a second chance also,"

"I guess..." Jake replied, sighing. "Thanks for the talk...I need to go for a walk..." Jake said and hung-up on the wolf. He began to walk down the stairs, his legs telling him to stop already.

******

Mr. Vadikson didn't have time to say good-bye before the bear hung-up on him, but he smiled lightly. He hadn't expected the two to work things out just yet, he still wasn't sure if they would work things out, but he felt that they had a better chance than most people. He walked into his kitchen and saw his wife sitting there.

"Who were you talking to?" she asked.

"Jake," Mr. Vadikson replied casually.

Mrs. Vadikson tried to suppress a shudder, but did let her objection be known, "Why do you still talk to that boy?"

"Same reason I still talk with Ana and with Lucas...he's like one of my children,"

"Hmph..." Mrs. Vadikson huffed. They had grown tired of arguing about the subject, neither one willing to move. "If you ask me they don't know what the real world is like,"

Mr. Vadikson chuckled lightly at this. "I think they're learning well...together..."

*********

Jake walked lightly down the road, not walking too fast, his legs still hurting him. He pulled out his phone again and looked at it for a moment. Sighing he dialed another number and waited for the person to answer. As he was waiting he adjusted his glasses on his muzzle.

"Hello?"

"Hello?" Jake replied.

"Hello,"

Hello," Jake said again.

"Hey,"

"...Hey..." Jake said, growing tired of the game.

"How is it going?" the voice asked.

"I don't really know...you got time to talk Jim?" Jake asked, he felt like calling his old friend may help.

"Sure...you know, you really should call more. So what's up?"

"Nothing...just trouble between me and Lucas..." Jake said, not really thinking.

"You make it sound like the two of you are together," Jim chuckled.

Jake laughed lightly, "No...we aren't together..." he replied.

"So what's the problem?"

"It's kind of pathetic...sure you want to listen to me complain?" Jake said.

"Try me..." Jim laughed.

"OK...well..." Jake began. After talking for a few minutes he stopped, "And, that's about it..." he said. He had been walking and his legs didn't bother him as much as he thought they would. He didn't tell Jim anything much actually. He just said he and Lucas were not seeing eye to eye and that they were fighting.

"That doesn't sound like you..." Jim said. "You're usually a pretty forgiving guy... there is something you're not telling me?" he inquired.

Jake sighed, "Yeah...but I don't think I can really say at the moment. That's even more complicated," he said. He wanted to tell the gorilla about how he and Lucas had been going out, to confide in someone other than Lucas and Lucas's father.

"Ok...well...if you ask me...you should give him a chance," Jim said.

"Why?" Jake asked.

"Well, just think about how your mindset used to be. You hated people who didn't give others a second chance...how many really bad things has Lucas done after all?"

Jake thought about it. "Not much...he's bee-" Jake was saying before Jim interrupted him.

"Well, there you go. Jake, you're still the same guy I know, and the guy I know is one who tried and still tries to see the best in everyone. Remember when I cheated on that project my junior year in high school?"

"Yeah...you stole my research..." Jake said laughing.

"I did make an 'A' though..." Jim said with a chuckle. The gorilla had stolen some of his old work. When Jake found out he was furious, but not because his friend had used it, but because he had betrayed his trust.

"I think this is on a different scale though Jim..."

"Perspective..." Jim scoffed and laughed. "The way I see it, and Jake I say this because I'm your best friend, you're the only one who isn't letting go of the past..."

Jake thought about it more for a moment. "I still don't think it's that simple..."

"I'm sure it isn't...but trust me on this...I know it's completely different but when me and Jules broke up for a few weeks we both kind of hated each other...we were ready to kill each other actually," Jim said, laughing and continued, "But we both decided that we should try to make things work out...and well...now look at us,"

Jake thought about the gorilla's words. They made some sense, and he found a sad since of irony in the fact that it was almost a replication. "Jim, you might be onto something ...thanks," he said.

"Not a problem..."

Jake took a breath, "Jim...I...I," he began and stopped, "I have to go," he said, changing his mind at the last minute. He hung up on the gorilla. Not wanting to tell his friend just yet. He wanted to eventually, but couldn't risk it yet.

*****

Jim looked down at the phone. He wondered what was going on with Jake, and felt a paw on his shoulder. He looked over and saw Jules, his fiancée.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"Just Jake..." Jim replied.

"What did he want?" Jules asked, curiously.

"To talk to me about Lucas..." Jim said, thinking more on the matter.

"Those two...are quite a pair," Jules said.

"What did you say?" Jim asked, something sounding off.

"They're quite the pair?" Jules said again.

"Huh..." Jim said, wondering about what the bear had said.

"What?" Jules asked looking at the gorilla.

Jim laughed for a moment, "I'm sure it's nothing..." he said and hugged the fox.

******

Jake stood still where he was standing. A car zoomed past him, the breeze it caused running through his fur. Jake looked up at the sky, "What am I doing?" he asked himself with a chuckle. He was standing on the sidewalk, and enjoyed the feel of the breeze running through his fur. He was watching a cloud pass by when he felt something hit him from behind and he stumbled forward, nearly tripping over his feet.

"Oh...sorry!" a voice was saying.

Jake managed to stay on his feet and jumped at the voice and turned around to see a tiger. He blushed and stepped to the side, "I'm sorry..."

The tiger laughed and stopped jogging. He took some earplugs out of his head and stuffed them into one of his pockets, "It's not a problem. I hardly ever have people to run by in the summer...much less into...it's nice to see another face,"

Jake looked over the tiger. He smiled, "Thanks..."

The tiger took a deep breath and extended his paw, "I don't usually run into so many people in Kirson this time of year...I'm Mason," he said.

Jake shook the paw, "Jake Yellat," he replied. "I've seen you before...I see you running all the time..."

The tiger looked at Jake with a confused look.

Jake caught onto the look, "I'm working with Dr. Hensley over the summer...I drive down through this part of town...you usually run around 12th street and onto Rock Avenue right?"

"That's observant..." Mason replied, a bit taken back by Jake's statement.

Jake realized how strange it was to say all he had to a complete stranger.

Mason caught onto the bear's mood quickly and tried to make him feel calmer. "You go to the college?" the tiger asked.

Jake nodded in response.

"How strange to see two college students back at this time..." Mason said to himself more than to Jake.

"Two?"

"I met a young wolf the other day...what was his name...I know it started with an 'L'...oh, why can't I recall it..." Mason said, scratching his head. He forgot Jake was there and began to run through the traits the wolf had, "He was about a head shorter than me...seemed really distracted and sad..."

"Lucas?" Jake said.

"Lucas? No, wait, yes! That's it!" Mason said and clapped his hands together.

Jake looked down at the street. The idea that a random stranger was talking to him about Lucas almost seemed like fate. The tiger's attitude was strange. It was like he was stuck in-between his mind and the world around him.

"Do you know how he's doing?" Mason asked the bear.

Jake looked up, "He's...you know...honestly I don't know..."

"Well, he seemed like he was really down..."

"Really?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, he hardly responded to any of my questions...kept going back to his thoughts...nearly got himself hit by a car," Mason said. His eyes widened and he looked at Jake, "What am I doing? This is none of your business..."

Jake frowned.

"I shouldn't have told you any of that...it's a breach of privacy...I can never seem to keep quiet when I'm free-thinking...oh wait...I'm doing it now...aren't I?" Mason replied.

Jake looked at the tiger, "When did this all happen?"

"I don't think I shoul-" Mason was saying before he was interrupted.

Jake let out a light growl and stepped in front of the tiger, "Please...I just want that one question answered..." he said. He didn't even think that he might have been threatening the tiger. By the time he realized he had done it he had no choice but to play it out.

Mason looked over the bear, and sighed, "yesterday...before noon, I guess,"

Jake nodded and began to walk away from the tiger. He turned around, "Sorry, I have to go..." he said, his mind going to Lucas, "Thanks..."

Mason watched the bear move off slowly. "I wonder what that was about..." he said as he began to jog again. He put his headphones back in, a light techno song playing in his ears as he bobbed his head to the rhythm.

Jake walked to the apartment quickly and walked up to his floor. He thought about what Jim and Mr. Vadikson had said, were they right? Jake looked up at the sky and let out an aggravated growl. He didn't want to be hurt again, he didn't want to be let down again, but he didn't want to be apart from Lucas any longer. On his way he saw his landlord-Tyler. The shepherd saw the bear and stopped him.

"Jake...how are you today?"

Jake looked up at the sky for a moment, "I think I'm getting there..." he said, not really thinking about how strange the words must've sounded.

"Ok...well, I just wanted to let you know that they caught one of the people who have been breaking into the apartments...it was a rotten fox..."

Jake looked at his landlord, "Wait...just one of them?"

"Sadly the others still got away," Tyler replied.

"Well, they should be too scared to try anything...I hope. Thanks for letting me know Mr. Spencer..." Jake said and began to walk away. He waved good-bye to his landlord and walked to his door. He was about to open it when he saw it opening. He moved back and saw Lucas walking out. He felt a small smile cover his muzzle as he saw the wolf.

Lucas looked up and let out a startled yelp as he saw Jake. The bear had surprised him. He thought he saw a smile on Jake's muzzle, but didn't think too long about it.

Jake stood to the side and let Lucas pass him. The wolf slid past him and looked at Jake with a slight smile. "I'm going out into town to get something to eat...you want to come?"

Jake looked down at the wolf. He felt a small frown cover his face, "I'm not too hungry..."

Lucas frowned too, "OK...well... call me and I can pick you up something if you want," Lucas replied. Lucas walked off and left the bear. He had wanted Jake to go with him, but wasn't about to push the issue. His mind wandered as he moved.

Lucas began to walk down the stairs and began the trek into town. He didn't feel like driving into town when it was just a little more than a mile away. After about twenty minutes of walking he reached the city. Lucas felt his stomach rumble as he entered the city and was glad-his timing going well. He looked around and decided on a small Chinese restaurant close by. Walking in he looked around and the smell of the food filled his nose

He looked around and saw the restaurant was empty except for the staff, usually when school was in session it had a few people here. He walked up to the counter and placed his order, and then waited for his food. When it came he ate quietly, thinking about Jake. 'Why would he want you back?' his mind asked.

Lucas frowned and looked away from where he had been staring hoping to look away from his thoughts also. It didn't work. He stared off into space. He didn't expect Jake to forgive him, but last night had confused him a bit, the bear asking him to stay with him for a bit, and then how he acted in his sleep. From Jake's actions he couldn't tell if the bear hated him or was serious when he said he loved him. Lucas wondered about his own feelings for Jake. He had betrayed him. How could he say he loved Jake, would he believe him? 'Bastard...' his mind called him.

Lucas had told Jake he loved him, those feelings, he had never had them before, he felt like they were real. He wondered where they had gone, hating himself more as he realized he had tried to get rid of them. He had pushed Jake, his only mate, away from him because he was scared. Lucas felt his face grimacing at the thoughts. He knew he wanted Jake back, but also knew that he had no reason to expect the bear to want to renew their relationship. 'How could you expect him to love you? How could you say you loved him and then betray him? Why even bother?' his mind asked him.

Lucas chuckled lightly, wondering if this was what Jake meant, having a voice in the back of your mind. He argued with himself. He didn't expect Jake to love him, but the bear said he did. "I just...I-...because..." Lucas said out loud, trying to talk to himself.

Lucas lost his thoughts, knowing anything he tried to explain would just be an attempt at self-justification. His thoughts ran to his parents, his biological ones, and he wondered if he was like them. He chuckled lightly, the word bastard in the back of his mind. He knew his parents had not wanted him, that they had abandoned him, and that he was out of wed-lock. Suddenly a chill ran through him, wondering if he was like them in any ways. He tried to push the issue out of his mind, but couldn't.

Lucas sighed, and grabbed his phone. He looked at it for a moment then called his father. After a few rings he picked up.

"Lucas, how is it going?" Mr. Vadikson asked. Lucas didn't answer. Mr. Vadikson looked at the phone and then tried again, "Lucas?"

"I'm here..." Lucas replied.

"You doin' OK son?" his father asked.

"Dad..." Lucas began and wondered how to word it. "Could...you tell me about my parents...you know, the biological ones,"

"Why?" Mr. Vadikson asked. "You've never really been interested before,"

"I just want to know," Lucas said, not wanting to explain.

Mr. Vadikson sighed loudly. The thought of having to speak about the subject annoyed him. "Lucas, before I begin-" he tried to say but Lucas interrupted him.

"Don't worry Dad...you and Mom are still my parents...you get what I mean. I'm just curious about what type of people they were...that's all,"

"Well," Mr. Vadikson began. He had expected to have to tell Lucas this one day, and was surprised it was now and not sooner, "first off their names are Ray Smith and Holly Langston," Mr. Vadikson said.

Lucas chuckled a bit more loudly at this, "Great..."

"What?" his father asked curious.

"...It's nothing..." Lucas replied.

"If I'm going to tell you about this I want to know your thoughts..."

Lucas knew his father deserved to hear what he was thinking. He sighed and looked down at the floor, "Just lately I've been a real bastard...in every sense it seems,"

"Lucas, never let anyone call you that," his father said, "and never tell yourself you are one. Understood?"

"Yeah...sure,"

Mr. Vadikson knew trying to get Lucas to understand at the moment wouldn't be easy and didn't push the issue. He continued about Lucas's parents, though his tone changed to a much lower one, and deeper; "Well, Ray was the local sheriff in the town you were born,"

"Was?" Lucas asked, wondering what his father meant.

"He...was a dirty cop, dealing drugs under the table, skimming off the top of what they found. He was arrested around ten years ago, and in jail...well, obviously, he would have some enemies...he's dead...," Mr. Vadikson said.

Lucas didn't react; it wasn't really that much to him. "And Holly?" he asked.

"She teaches at a university somewhere near the border...I don't really know where. Honestly she's not a very interesting person..."

"I guess I got my smarts from her then..."

"No, both your parents were extremely intelligent Lucas...and fools,"

"I'm starting to think that last part is inheritable," Lucas said with a chuckle. He was worried that he was like his parents. He didn't want to be like them, he wanted to be like, if anyone, his dad.

"Lucas...is this about you and Jake?" Mr. Vadikson asked he knew the answer; he wasn't even sure why he was asking.

Lucas hesitated for a moment, "Sort of..." he replied. After a moment he began to talk again, "I just want to know if I'm like them...if they rubbed off on me any," he said, trying to explain it.

Before his father could speak he was talking again, "I know what you're thinking, I know...I know that you and Mom are my parents, that's how I feel, but I was wondering..."

"Lucas, I did case studies on those two, and trust me...you are nothing like them and never will be. I kept watch over them the first ten years of your life and made sure that they never tried to do anything that could affect you. You are our child, Lucas and always will be. I called them fools because they gave you up. They didn't care about others,"

"And what about me...I feel like I didn't care abou-" Lucas was saying before his father cut him off.

"No," he replied coolly. "Lucas, those two...they gave you away, they didn't try to be with you. But you, you want to be with Jake. You said it just then...you feel. Those two, I don't think what they had were feelings. Lucas...you just lost your way for a moment..."

"Dad...it sounds nice, what you just said...but,"

"Lucas," his father interrupted again, "no more buts. Do I have to remind you that your mother and I raised you better than that?" he asked.

Lucas chuckled at this. He knew what his dad was doing, and he was glad it had worked. His father had a funny way of being able to make him feel better, by being able to discipline him, yet with a loving tone.

"Lucas, you are my son, I love you. Never think of yourself any differently, you are my son, no matter what. I don't want to hear you talking as if the people you were born by had such an affect on you this late in life. All your life you have been a kind, loving, honorable person, and none of that is going to change because of one mistake you've made. You'll get through this...both you and Jake,"

"Yeah, I know..."

"That's my boy," he replied, smiling at himself and for his son. "Anything else you want to talk about?"

Lucas felt himself smiling too. His question felt answered. He had never really cared who is biological parents were, he never had an interest. The thoughts slowly receded back to his mind and he began to think about Jake again. He was happy, "Do you know what I can do to help Jake?"

"Be there for him, that's all he wants right now I think,"

"I want him to know how I feel though. That I'm not going to hurt him again,"

"Then do what I just said. He's probably worried that he can't trust you Lucas, and you can't really blame him for it. Just be there for him, let him see that you're not a different person...that you're still the same wolf he fell in love with,"

Lucas couldn't help but blush, hearing his father say the last part. His father had never actually said things like that about him and Jake before, it felt strange, but at the same time comforting. The words made him feel happy, "Thanks Dad..." he said, trying not to make it sound too strange.

Mr. Vadikson felt a smile on his muzzle on the other line. As he always had, he wanted to get it through to his that he was there for him. It was troublesome at times, and Mr. Vadikson chuckled, wondering if Lucas realized how much he was like Jake.

"What are you laughing at?" Lucas asked.

His father realized he had begun to laugh more audibly. "Sorry...nothing...just you,"

"Now you have to tell me," Lucas said with a smile

"No, no...something are better left for the individual to find out," his father said.

Lucas let the issue go, "OK..." he said, still wanting to know. He looked outside and saw that it was getting dark, which didn't make any sense. Looking at his watch he saw that the time wasn't that late either. "Hey, Dad...I'll call you later, looks like I need to go, Thanks for the talk,"

"OK, Bye. Love you son," Mr. Vadikson said and heard the wolf hang up. He looked over at Ana, who he had tried to not let hear any of the conversation. He knew she wouldn't understand any of it; she was far too young and impressionable. He put the phone away and sat back in a recliner, thinking about his two conversations. It was strange; he began to feel like a medium for the two. He talked with both of them, and they both said the same things to him-wanting to be with each other again, yet neither one of them knew the other thought the same. He chuckled lightly, a strange black humor to the entire situation.

Back at the restaurant Lucas walked over to a window and looked outside. It was getting dark quickly. He saw a storm cloud coming in, heading to Jake's. He stepped outside and felt the wind running through his fur. He was glad it was against his back, it would make things easier. He looked behind him, judging the speed of the clouds, and then in front of him, wondering just how quickly he could run. He felt the first of a drop of rain land on his muzzle. He sighed, and realized he needed to hurry. He started out, running with the wind carrying him a bit. He could hear the sound of thunder and see flashes of lightning. He realized it was going to be a bad storm, giving him incentive to pick up his pace.

After a few minutes Lucas stopped. He wasn't tired, but he was wearing two shirts, a button up shirt and a regular t-shirt underneath. It was slowing him down because he hadn't buttoned up the first. He quickly did so and looked behind him again, the storm was moving more quickly than he had expected. "...Well, Jake did do better than me in math...so he could've told me how quick it was coming," Lucas said to himself with a laugh.

He felt the first of a bad wind, and he was only a half-mile from the apartments. He increased his speed, and to his dismay the winds changed on him. They began to push him, making his fast pace seem like it was his regular one. He cursed his luck and tried to fight it. Now the sound of the thunder crashed all around him, not just from behind as it had before. Then the worst thing possible happened, it began to pour. It poured faster and harder than Lucas thought possible for so far up north. The rain, with the winds increasing its power, stung his face. He instantly felt his clothes being soaked, slowing him down to almost a jog.

Jake looked outside, he was beginning to worry about Lucas; it wasn't the best time to be outside. He had spent the past two hours thinking about the wolf anyway. He wondered about everything it felt like. From his coming out to Lucas to the day they broke up-each moment ran through his mind slowly. He thought about what Jim and Mr. Vadikson had told him, and realized it was all true. As his mind traveled through the memories he smiled most of the time, or felt a content and safe mood in his memories with Lucas. He took off his glasses and let out a long sigh, setting them to the side--it was dark enough to not hurt his eyes.

He looked down at the phone in his paw, wondering where the wolf was, hoping he was OK. He walked to a window and stared outside, it had begun to pour down, the sound of the rain hitting the apartments filling the rooms. He sighed and opened the door, feeling a spray of mist hit him. One bad thing about living on the highest level was that the wind was much stronger. Jake was annoyed by the fact that he was getting damp but walked out onto the walkway. He looked down the street and looked for the wolf. He saw Lucas running quickly; at least for how bad the weather was and was glad to see him. He moved to go down to meet Lucas. As he ran down the stairs his mind wanted him to stop, but he moved forward. 'He's still my friend and mate...no matter what,' Jake told himself.

Lucas ran as fast as he could, which wasn't as fast as it should've been. He felt like he was losing ground at some points. The last three blocks he tried to sprint and found it was more like he was running as fast as he could swim. He didn't really feel the rain anymore, he was numbed from it. While he could usually run a half mile quickly in about three minutes, with the rain he felt like he had been moving for at least seven. After a bit more he realized how close he was, and with a final burst of energy he found himself under the safety of the apartment's roof.

"Glad to see you made it," Jake said, watching the wolf jump at his words. "I was beginning to worry about ya' cause of the storm,"

Lucas let out a small yelp that was drowned out in his pants. He looked up at Jake, "...Hey..." he said and waved a paw weakly.

"You OK?" Jake asked.

Lucas looked up at the bear, and put his hands behind his head to keep himself up and allow more air into his lungs. He took a few deep breathes, "Yeah..."

"Ok...well come-on, let's head up and get you dried off," Jake siad. He hadn't expected Lucas to say too much. He knew how it was. The last thing that you wanted to do after a sprint was to talk.

Lucas moved forward stepping past Jake. He was at the step and felt his foot slipping suddenly, not sure what was going on or why. He tried to stop his fall but couldn't, and then tried to prepare himself for the oncoming pain. To his surprise it never came though. He felt something holding him up. He opened his eyes and saw that Jake was holding him. He looked down and felt embarrassed, having slipped on the stairs in such a way.

"You OK?" Jake asked, still holding Lucas.

"Yeah...thanks for the save," Lucas replied.

"No problem...but that's supposed to be my thing. Don't try to steal my thunder,"

Lucas looked up at Jake and saw the bear smiling at him. He felt a smile of his own break across his muzzle. The change in attitude was strange, but then again, they were both trying to repair something. He wondered what had happened to Jake to make him change so, but didn't care; just happy he was acting better.

Jake realized he was still holding Lucas, and the wolf seemed to notice it at the same time as he stood up. Jake looked down at his shirt and pants and saw they were thoroughly soaked through after catching Lucas. He sighed and dismissed it, deciding it wasn't worth getting angry over. He saw Lucas begin to shake himself off. Jake put his hands up, trying to stop the water, but it didn't help. After Lucas finished he was still wet, and he had only gotten Jake wetter. Jake looked at Lucas, a bit annoyed, "Thanks..." he said with a scowl.

"Sorry..." Lucas said, seeing Jake look down at his clothes. Lucas was soaked through, his clothes and fur dripping with water still.

"No problem," Jake said as a crash of thunder ran through the air. It wasn't a big deal. Jake still felt calm.

Lucas looked out at the storm. He had never seen a storm this bad before, at least not here. The thunder crashed more and lightning began to streak the sky, illuminating the black outlines of clouds. He turned around to Jake, "This is a pretty cool storm,"

"Yeah...it's..." Jake began and looked for the words, "Calming..." he replied.

Lucas looked at the bear with a smirk.

Jake saw the smirk, "What?" he asked.

"Just your word choice..."

"What...I like storms,"

"Really?" Lucas said, looking back out at the rain, "I don't really know what to think of them. Sometimes they are cool. They can be fun to watch. Why do you think they're calming?"

"I don't know...they're just relaxing to me,"

"Sure you just don't like to watch things get struck by lightning?" Lucas joked.

"Well, that can be a bonus," Jake said with a chuckle and lightly punched Lucas on his shoulder.

Lucas smiled and then grimaced as a roar of thunder shook the building. He looked at Jake, "We may want to go inside..."

"Lead the way, I'll make sure you don't trip," Jake said with a grin.

"Jerk," Lucas said and began to walk up the stairs. Once they got to the third floor he saw that the rain was being blown on the walls, the runoff going off the sides. He looked back at Jake, who was just chuckling at the sight.

"This sucks..." Jake said, "I didn't want to get completely soaked,"

"Well, I'm already soaked," Lucas said and looked back at Jake, "Ready?"

"Yeah...the door should be unlocked..." he said as ran behind the wolf. It was only a few feet to the door, but in the few seconds they were outside they became drenched. Jake slammed the door as they entered. He stood dripping and realized he needed to take off his clothes. He looked at Lucas who apparently had the same realization as the bear. It was strange, they had seen each other naked before, but it just seemed different. Jake moved away from Lucas, "I'm...going to the bathroom. I'll only take a minute," he said.

Lucas watched as the bear moved off. He could tell what Jake was thinking. He was sad to see Jake leave, because it showed they were still not OK. He felt a frown on his muzzle and realized he was still dripping water onto the floor. He quickly stripped his clothes and threw them in the sink, deciding it would be OK. He was glad the collar was made of leather, it was damp but it didn't drip and he could still wear it. He ran down the hall, wanting to quickly get something on before Jake came back. He knew it would be awkward for Jake to catch him like this in the apartment. He dried off as quickly as he could. Lucas quickly grabbed another pair of boxers. He looked down and decided to put on a grey undershirt. Lucas moved over and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The sound of light rain passed over, the storm letting off for a moment.

He thought about the bear, wondering how Jake was doing under the surface. He was having trouble seeing past the wall Jake was putting up, but it wasn't as bad as he had feared. The bear really was trying to be near him, and Lucas was glad for that much. He ran a paw up onto his collar, and gently ran his fingers across it. He hadn't taken it off but a few times since the bear gave it to him. It was well worn now, and felt better than when he first got it-like well worn shirt. He liked the feel of it, but what the collar meant to him was the most important. He didn't take it off because it was one of his only reminders of Jake after he had broken up with the bear. He wanted to be with Jake again, wanted to make new memories with him.

Jake went to the bathroom and took off his clothes. He stood in his briefs and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked at where Lucas's mark was, it wasn't very noticeable, and could only be seen if it was looked for. He looked over his face too, his beard grown out more. It ran across his muzzle and up his cheeks a bit. It covered any marks he had, or made them less noticeable. Jake didn't really like the look; he had just let it grow out when Lucas had left him. It wasn't a terrible look, but he thought it looked too rough, at least for him. He next looked over his body. His dark brown fur seemed even darker as it was wet, the caramel color on his chest running around his stomach and along his paws. He was bigger than when Lucas left too. He stopped working out over the summer, a bit by choice. He lost all motivation to, and had put on a bit more weight. He still didn't look fat though, if anything he just looked filled out; having more girth to him now. He had never grown the weight the rest of his family, and was still lighter than most of them. His family tended to be overweight though, so he was glad he was more normal. He looked a bit more natural with it, like he was finally filling in the areas that should've had more weight. The weight made him look more mature and gave him a bit more of an intimidating look-like he loomed over people a bit more now. His chest and shoulder were still bruised; he guessed they would be for a bit. He heard Lucas walking by the bathroom, and sighed, looking back to where the mark was on his shoulder.

Jake took off his briefs and went to the shower, turning it on. He stepped in and took a quick shower. While he was showering he thought, the warmth of the water making him give a happy growl. He thought about Lucas and if he should forgive the wolf. He thought back to his conversations, and wanted to forgive the wolf. It felt strange, to want to forgive Lucas, but it seemed right also. Jim had been right, he tended to forgive people.

His thoughts ran back to high school, he was seen as one of the kindest people there, mainly because he didn't hate anyone. Jake thought for a bit more and his thoughts then drifted back to Lucas. He wanted to be with the wolf again, and wanted to know how Lucas felt. Jake closed his eyes-promising to talk to Lucas about it very soon, and let the wolf know his thoughts. His thoughts stayed on Lucas. He felt his sheath begin to stir as he ran a paw over it. He gently squeezed his sheath and let out a light moan, his cock reacting happily to the touch. He felt a smile on his muzzle at the thoughts of the wolf, but quickly stopped himself. It didn't feel right to think of Lucas that way and then not let him get close. Jake turned off the water and got out quickly. His cock was now out of its sheath and he sighed, wishing he hadn't even started. When he got out he dried off and looked back in the mirror. He decided to clean up a little.

Jake trimmed his beard, trimming it back to a more defined state. He still left some of the features though, but made it look more natural on him. When he finished he looked at himself again, it was better; it looked more like him. He began to walk out and stopped realizing Lucas was in the apartment. He grabbed a towel and opened the door, looking around before going off to the room. Inside he let the towel drop and quickly grabbed a pair of briefs, and then a pair of wind pants and put them on. He turned around and saw Lucas on the bed, who was staring at him. Jake felt himself blush, and didn't really know what to say. He looked over the wolf's body, and remembered his thoughts, but his embarrassment quickly pushed them away.

"You took a shower?" Lucas asked casually.

Jake was taken back for a second, and realized Lucas wasn't letting it get to him though. He was grateful and nodded his head, "Yeah..."

Lucas sat up and looked over to the bear, and noticed he looked different, "...you trimmed your beard...why?"

"I felt like it," Jake said, not really knowing how to explain it.

"I like it, looks more you'ish' if that makes any sense," Lucas said with a chuckle, and felt the room shake as a crash of thunder came back. Lucas grimaced, realizing that the storm was coming back. He stared at the bear for a moment, his eyes tracing over the bear's body.

Jake didn't know how to respond, but felt himself blush again. He looked away from Lucas, and wasn't sure how to feel. The blushing made him confused, why was he blushing? Jake wanted to tell himself to stop, that it wasn't anything like that, but a part of him said otherwise. He looked back at Lucas, who had stood up and was walking over to him. Jake tensed up as Lucas walked near him, but walked right pass him and down the hall. Jake let out a sigh of relief, and his mind wondered again. He tried to piece together what was going on in his mind. It was strange, when Lucas had been gone it was easier to be angry at him, but with him here it wasn't. He found himself wanting to be near the wolf more and more, "I...need to talk to him..." Jake said to himself.

"It's only right...I mean..." Jake still said to the empty room.

He looked at his shoulder and gently placed a paw on it, "OK...I'm going to talk with him. I'll tell him what I think and then we'll see what happens..." he said to himself and looked up at the ceiling. He grabbed a shirt and put it on, and began to walk down the hallway, following after Lucas.

Lucas sat down on the couch, glad he was away from Jake. He began to wish he had put on some pants; he tried to ignore the physical parts of him, though some parts were harder to ignore. He looked down and saw his sheath was a bit swollen, but it wasn't very noticeable. Lucas chuckled for a second, realizing just how strange they were acting. When they had been dating it wasn't bad, and even when they were friends they could just ignore if one of them was acting strange. Now it was different. They both knew how the other felt, and it made things more difficult, though it should've made things easier. It was odd for him to feel like a pup again, embarrassed of his attractions, he usually had a mutual respect for the bear. He wanted to have Jake back. Most of the time his thoughts for Jake were more emotional, his thoughts being more about how he felt when he was with Jake, and how the bear made him feel. Lucas listened as the thunder outside still raged on.

"What are you thinking about?" Jake asked and watched as Lucas let out a scared yelp and jump.

Lucas heard Jake chuckle a little and looked up at him, "Don't do that!" he said and saw the bear was wearing more clothes now, which made things easier.

Jake laughed and leaned on the wall, looking at Lucas. He stopped laughing after a second and looked at the wolf, more intently.

Lucas saw the stare and got uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what Jake was thinking and stood up. He tried to move to the side, not sure if he was giving Jake his space or just running from the bear. He tried to sidestep the bear when Jake stepped in front of him. He looked up at the bear, confused.

Jake put a paw on Lucas's chest and pushed him back. The wolf didn't resist, moving backwards. Jake pushed Lucas back onto the couch. He didn't push the wolf hard, just encouraged him to not resist. Jake told himself not to chicken out as he looked at Lucas, to try and get through himself. He wanted to see what Lucas was going to do, the wolf said he wanted to work things out-why would it not work?

Lucas stared up at Jake. He didn't know what to think now. He could tell something was on Jake's mind, but was scared to know what. "What's goin-?"

"Just let me talk..." Jake interrupted, "Lucas...I'm pissed at you. I guess I'll start with that...I haven't the slightest idea why I'm doing this...I don't even know if these types of things will ever make sense to me..."

"Jake...what are y-" Lucas tried to ask before Jake continued.

"I still love you, I already said that...I know I can't get rid of those feelings...because those are feelings that I want to keep, but there are other feelings too. There are feelings of betrayal Lucas..." Jake said and crossed his arms, "But...Jim is right...and so is your dad. I'm trying to hard to hold onto the bad memories that you've caused me, but if I can say so...those memories are still painful,"

Lucas just sat and listened to Jake. He hadn't the slightest idea what Jake was trying to get at. He frowned as the bear reminded him of the pain he had been through, which he made sure he emphasized. He looked up at Jake, who was staring back at him intently. He noticed the bear's eyes were watering. The sound of the rain decreased outside, almost stopping entirely.

"Lucas...I also remember the good times we've had together. Not just as boyfriends or as mates, but as just friends..." Jake said and looked at the wolf, "I remember how we would hang out all the time, just chilling because it was what we wanted to do. We had really fun times, and I want us to have more time with each other...I don't know if you are serious about being with me again. But Lucas...I want to retry this if you do..."

"Jake...I do...I reall-" Lucas began but the bear cut him off again. He could smell Jake's scent coming off him. He was inches away from his face and his teeth were showing and a threatening growl came from his chest. He could see a tear run down the bear's muzzle.

"But," Jake growled, "if you betray me again," he said and let the words just hang in the air.

Lucas wasn't afraid of how Jake was talking. He expected it. Instead he looked at Jake, his eyes sure, "Jake, I'm going to make it up to you,"

Jake moved away from Lucas and turned his back. "Right now...I'm somewhere between hopeless and unsure about how this will work..."

Lucas frowned. He saw Jake turn around and sit next to him on the couch.

"But..." Jake said again, "I'm willing to let go of what you've done...and Lucas...keep this in mind; this wasn't just a small fight. I don't know why this happened...and you keep saying you don't, which makes things harder for me. The fact that you left me...without a reason. I still don't think I've completely forgiven you...I still think a part of me is angry, but...Lucas...I also know that out of everybody I have ever met...you are the one person that makes me feel like this. I don't mean angry," Jake said with a chuckle, seeing the wolf frown, "I mean you are the only one who makes me feel like I'm really cared about. I don't want to see us apart all the time...or ever. Even if I tell myself differently...I...still want to be with you,"

He felt small tears welling in his eyes, realizing Jake was going to give him another chance. Lucas leaned closer to Jake, wanting to kiss him, but stopped himself. He didn't want to do anything that would make Jake uncomfortable. Instead he leaned closer to Jake and wrapped his arms around him, bringing him into a tight embrace. He buried his head into the bear's chest, small tears wetting Jake's shirt.

Jake didn't return the embrace right away. Staring at Lucas, who he could feel lightly crying in his chest, and felt happy, but not about the tears; he was happy that Lucas was this close to him again. The warmth of the wolf's embrace ran through him and Jake lightly wrapped an arm around the wolf. He let out a groan, his chest and shoulder hurting through the pressure, as he leaned back into the couch and brought Lucas with him. He embraced the wolf more lightly, not wanting to put any pressure on his chest and let out a sigh. After a few moments they were in their usual position, Lucas leaning back into Jake who hugged him from behind.

"Jake?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah?"

"So...we're boyfriends again?" Lucas asked.

"I think that's what I was getting at..."

Lucas lay in the bear's arms for a moment more. After another moment he leaned back into Jake more, "Jake..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to be there for you this time...I'm not going to be a horrible friend...I'll be there when you need to talk; I'm going to be a faithful mate...I won't abandon you; and Jake...I do love you, I'm sorry I ever gave you reason to believe otherwise, but there'll never be another reason. I swear,"

Jake didn't respond to the wolf's words. He didn't know how to. They took him by a bit of shock. He pulled more on Lucas, not wanting to let go of the wolf. He wondered if this was just one of his bipolar mood swings for a moment but pushed the issue out of his mind. It would be up to him to decide how to take this relationship, and up to Lucas to regain his trust. Jake looked down at Lucas, "I hope so..." he said, not sure if he believed him.

"No," Lucas said. "Don't say that. Jake, I'm going to be here for you. Please don't doubt that. I don't want to leave you ever again," Lucas said and nuzzled the underside of the bear's muzzle.

The rest of the day passed a bit more casually. They talked like they usually did; it felt like a tension was slowly going away. It was still there, that was for sure, but at least it was bearable now. Neither of them initiated anything either, both taking it slowly waiting to see what the other would do. Jake walked over to the kitchen and fixed an early diner. He looked back at Lucas, "What do you want for diner?"

"You decide..." Lucas said, lying down on the couch.

"Hmm...OK," Jake said. He fixed some soup and sat down next to Lucas once it was done, setting down two bowls.

"Smells good," Lucas said with a smile.

"I would hope so..." Jake said with a chuckle. He wasn't sure if Lucas remembered that he had taken up cooking, another probable cause for his increased weight.

They ate in silence, watching TV. After they finished Jake let out a yawn and leaned down onto the couch. He placed a paw on Lucas and brought the wolf down with him.

Lucas didn't mind the bear's actions, instead enjoying them. It felt strange, yet all familiar. They were together again, but not really together. Lucas looked up at Jake, and saw the bear was staring at him. He didn't do anything and instead returned his attention to the TV. He was glad to just have Jake with him again. When night came Lucas wondered if Jake would still sleep on the couch. He got up and went to his bed and slept there, Jake staying on the couch. Lucas moved to the bed and let out a sigh. He wasn't sure what to make of the day; it was all so strange to him. Had Jake really forgiven him? He told himself that things were getting better, that even the smallest step forward was a great accomplishment.

The next day passed slowly, both spending time near each other. It was dark outside, another storm predicted to come in, even larger than the last. It was strange in some respects. It wasn't like they were a new couple, so it wasn't really like they could bond again. Lucas guessed they would have to move slowly and wouldn't rush things. He knew he needed to earn Jake's trust again, and was happy he had another chance. Just spending time with one another was the best way he guessed. He didn't mind the time though; he enjoyed feeling the bear near him. Lucas looked up at one point and saw the bear staring down at him. He didn't know why but something about the stare made him feel like everything was OK. Lucas leaned up and gently licked the bear's nose. He saw Jake's eyes widen at this, and he repeated the action. Lucas felt the bear's grip pull on him more. He felt himself getting carried away, his feelings for Jake running throughout him.

Jake felt the wolf lick him and felt his mind going away. He leaned down and gently kissed Lucas-not thinking about it. He let the wolf turn around in his arms so that they were face to face. Before he knew it he was kissing Lucas again. He pulled on Lucas more, kissing Lucas more deeply, wanting to have the wolf in his arms. Jake let out a happy moan as the wolf's tongue ran into his muzzle, something he had missed. Soon they were pulling on each other and Jake was running his paws over Lucas's back. He realized how much he had missed the wolf, but quickly remembered everything that had happened. Suddenly he broke away and sat up. He panted and looked over at Lucas, frowning at the wolf.

Lucas knew why Jake had broken the kiss. It was too soon. He looked at the bear with a frown, "Sorry...I didn't mean to..."

Jake looked down at the floor, a bit ashamed, "No, it was my fault...I just..." Jake said, not sure how to finish the sentence. It wasn't like he hadn't kissed the wolf before. He had done it more times than he could count, but it wasn't like other times. A part of him still wanted to be angry at Lucas, though he didn't feel it near as much.

"I understand..." Lucas said.

Jake looked over at the wolf. He was happy to hear Lucas trying to be there for him. He leaned forward and gently nuzzled the wolf. Jake wrapped his arms around the wolf again, "Thanks..."

"Is this the best way?" Lucas asked.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"To regain your trust..."

Jake didn't respond. He didn't really get what the wolf meant.

"Jake, this isn't about the kiss...well, it is, but not for the physical reasons...I just want to know if you really want to work this out with me...I understand if you hate me Jake...I don't want to feel like I'm pushing you,"

Jake rubbed the wolf's arm lightly, "Lucas...trust me, if I didn't want to give you a second chance...you wouldn't get one,"

Lucas chuckled lightly, "I guess that's a good thing,"

Jake laughed too, "I guess so,"

"Jake," Lucas said and waited a moment, "thanks for everything..."

Jake didn't respond again. He didn't really know how to. He wasn't sure if they were going to make it yet. They spent time together but what did that matter. The problem occurred when Lucas was away, when he was around people. Jake knew he had a similar problem, but he had never broken up with Lucas. Just as his thoughts came in the wolf seemed to relay them back.

"I know what you're probably thinking...that the hard part isn't until we are away from each other again, or that once we're back in public it will get worse, but Jake...it won't..."

"How do you know?" Jake asked, emphasizing the 'you' in his words.

"This may sound cliché...I know you hate those, but...Jake, I won't let it happen," Lucas replied.

Jake was glad to hear the words, but another thought came back to him as soon as the wolf reassured him of his devotion. Jake wondered just how devoted he was to this. Was he actually taking this seriously? He wondered silently if he would be able to really accept the wolf's love again, or if it was actually love. He knew that a one-sided relationship wouldn't work, and that if they were ever going to work things out he would need to trust Lucas more. He felt bad for how he had treated Lucas when he got back, what he had done. The memory of him slamming the wolf into the wall played through his mind and Jake closed his eyes, wishing it would go away. "Lucas..."

"Yeah?" Lucas asked, nuzzling Jake.

"...I'm sorry..." Jake said, not sure what else to say.

Lucas laughed at the bear, "Why would you be sorry..." he asked then his voice became lower and more serious, "I'm the only one who needs to say it,"

Jake nuzzled Lucas affectionately, "I..." he began and looked for what to say to the wolf. "...I missed you," he finally said.

Lucas looked up at Jake. He wondered if it would be OK to say the same. Had he missed the bear, or had he gotten caught up in the summer, and truly forgotten about Jake? Lucas frowned and wished he knew what to say. He searched for the words for a few moments, the best he could do was, "I'm sorry...I can't say I'm the same person I was before summer...I don't know I want to be either. Jake, there isn't' a good reason to give you for any of the pain I caused you. But Jake, I want to be with you...you're the only one,"

Jake was glad the wolf wasn't lying to him, that he didn't pretend that his summer had horrible without him. He didn't expect the wolf to do that. He still nuzzled the wolf, the words may have hurt, but he was just glad to hear the sincerity of the words. Jake felt that they may have a chance, that maybe it was going to be OK. He began to feel more comfortable around Lucas again. During one of the commercials he began to bite on one of Lucas's ears playfully.

Lucas laughed lightly and gently rubbed his own body back into the bear. He was glad that things were going as well as they were. After a few minutes he felt Jake let go of his ear and gently kiss the top of his head. They spent the entire day with each other, lying in each other's arms on the couch. They got up to eat, but otherwise were on the couch with the other. In between commercials they would talk more normally, their conversations slowly returning to a more normal and friendly flow.

"How much did you get paid?" Lucas asked the bear, inquiring the bear about his work during one break.

"That's none of your business," Jake replied with a chuckle. He wasn't angry at the wolf for the question. He knew Lucas was just looking for a conversation. "But I made a nice little bit I guess...I was putting it away for something special...If I still can, I'll do what I had planned,"

"Cool," Lucas replied. He didn't inquire what the bear was talking about. He didn't really need to wonder, he knew if Jake was going to tell him he would. As the day progressed it became dark quickly. The predicted storm soon hit, and within the first ten minutes the power in the apartment went out. The wind was loud, even without the sound of the rain pelting the apartment. Lucas didn't know where it came from, but instead of the usual interest in a storm he felt a bit nervous. He leaned back into Jake, and felt the bear pull lightly on him, and nuzzle him. "That sucks...the power is out..."

"Scared?" Jake asked a slight hint of mock in his voice.

Lucas pushed away from the bear, "No..." he said and as another crash of thunder came down his ears instinctively flattened down. "They're...just loud..." he said, trying to cover up.

A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the room followed by the apartment being shaken by the thunder that followed. Jake watched the wolf, whose ears were flattened on his head again. Jake smiled at the wolf and sat up next to Lucas. He was staring at Lucas for a moment before the wolf looked over.

"What? ...I have sensitive hearing..." he replied.

Jake stood up and walked through the apartment, using his knowledge of where things were to not hit things. "Sure you do..." he whispered as he walked away.

"I do," Lucas replied and Jake stopped for a moment.

Jake looked back at Lucas, "Oh..." was all he said. He chuckled lightly and moved off again. He rummaged around in the kitchen and eventually found what he was looking for. He walked back into the main room where Lucas was and set a candle on the table then lit it. A light golden glow filled the room, briefly illuminated further by a crash of lightning. He looked at the wolf and gave a light smile, "Well...we still have some light in the room,"

Lucas was staring at the bear, the light cast on him made the wolf stare at him, it made Jake look nice to say the least. "Yeah...a good amount..." Lucas said, his tone not really focused on anything.

Jake caught the wolf's tone and was glad the room was dark, to hide the blush that was under his fur. He moved around the coffee table and sat next to Lucas. Neither of them lay down for a moment, both staring at the candle, not wanting to break the quite of the room. They didn't have to wait long before the thunder took care of that for them, another crash shaking the room. Jake chuckled lightly and watched the rain pelt a window. He looked over at Lucas whose ears were still flattened against his head and he had a small grimace on his face. "Are you OK?" he asked the wolf.

"Yeah...why wouldn't I be?" Lucas asked.

"Just wondering if there was anything I could do for the noise..." Jake replied blushing.

"How?" Lucas asked, not sure what the bear was saying.

Jake didn't know what to say at that point. He wasn't sure what he was saying either. He stared at the small flame flicker for a few moments before leaning over and wrapping his arms around Lucas's chest.

Lucas felt the bear hug him and wasn't sure how to react, it was strange in some respects. He didn't lean back into Jake or anything, staying as he was. As a flash of lightning lit the room he braced himself for a loud crash that didn't come. He relaxed and just as he did the thunder hit, and he jumped a little. He felt Jake pull on him a bit when he did. He slowly reacted to the bear's pull, leaning down into the couch with him. He felt Jake move his paws over his ears and Lucas chuckled lightly, "Jerk..."

Jake moved his paws away from Lucas's head and laughed lightly. He wrapped his arms around the wolf again, and rested his head above Lucas's. It was relatively calm except for the sometimes violent crashes of thunder. The rhythmic sound of rain was making him feel sleepy. He let out a yawn and pulled on Lucas a bit more.

"Big-guy?" Lucas asked.

Jake felt his ears perk up at being called his nickname, it made him smile. He gently nuzzled Lucas from behind, "Yeah?"

"I'm glad I'm back..." Lucas replied. A flash of lightning followed by a crash of thunder ran through the room.

Jake stopped for a moment. The wolf's words made him happy, and he was glad that they sounded sincere. He leaned down and gently kissed Lucas on the top of the head. "Me too..."

Lucas nuzzled against Jake's embrace and felt Jake begin to bite on his ear lightly. Lucas chuckled and tried to move out of the bear's embrace but found that he couldn't. "Jake!" he pleaded and tried to get away from the bear.

Jake continued to tease the wolf, and pulled Lucas closer to him and wrapped a leg around the wolf, stopping him from moving. He felt Lucas try to get off and felt the wolf was able to move forward a bit. Lucas gave a bit too much strength and they wound up on the floor. He ended up on top of the wolf and facing him. He started at Lucas for a moment, the flame showing his face just barely over the shadows.

Lucas couldn't see Jake's face, the flame only revealing a silhouette of him. He could feel Jake's breath hitting his face though. He saw the bear's face though when the lightning flashed and could see Jake was smiling. Leaning forward he gently kissed Jake lightly on the lips, and then rested his head on the ground; "Thanks..." he said and rubbed the bear's back.

Jake smiled at the wolf and leaned down resting his head on Lucas's shoulder, and sighed. He felt Lucas rubbing his back. The thunder wasn't as bad now, only coming in light booms, but the rain was still stead and constant. After a moment he got up and lay back on the couch, thinking about the kiss and the wolf more. He had enjoyed it. He didn't break away from Lucas this time, but didn't want to follow through with any of his desires, not sure if they were alright yet.

Lucas stood up and looked at the bear, who was staring up at the ceiling, not smiling, but neither frowning. "You OK?" Lucas asked, then looked at the floor, "I'm pushing you aren't I?"

Jake looked up at Lucas, "I'm fine...you aren't pushing me...I'm the one who usually starts things...I just...want to take this slow..."

"...I get it..." Lucas replied as he stood in front of Jake.

Jake stared at the wolf for a moment. They stared at each other for a moment before Lucas began to leave. He was at the door when Jake called him back. "Lucas...if you want...you could stay here...you know, tonight," Jake said.

Lucas looked at the bear for a moment. He wasn't sure whether to take Jake up on the offer or not. He felt bad that he was sleeping in the bed while Jake was on the couch, even if the bear did it himself. "Why don't you come to the bed?"

Jake didn't respond. He closed his eyes and began to drift off, ignoring the wolf's question. It wasn't one he wanted to answer. He just couldn't sleep in the bed at the moment. He felt stupid for it, but with all the time he and Lucas had spent there; just together it didn't bring him the usual peace. He felt Lucas sit down next to him and Jake opened one of his eyes, looking up at Lucas. He moved back and made room for the wolf who lay down in front of him. Jake cast an arm over the wolf and pulled him closer to him.

Lucas let out a sigh as Jake pulled him closer and felt his own body telling him to go to sleep. He was tired from the run. He gently nuzzled the bear before finally drifting off to sleep.

Jake knew that Lucas fell asleep quickly. He listened and watched the wolf sleep for a few minutes, not really sure how to feel. After a moment he leaned close to Lucas's ear, "I love you," he said lightly. He thought he felt Lucas move closer to him, but didn't tell himself whether it was true or not. He leaned his head above the wolf's and thought about what he was doing. Was he right? Would this work out? He thought back to all the second chances in his life he had had, and how they all ended in failure.