Coexist

I understand. I'll have Magnus keep an eye out for him. I'm sure he won't just disappear, though, Del. Stay calm and think about what you really want. He made a decision that he thought was best for him, if you don't agree, you need to give him a reason that will be worth more to him than the reason he left, Buck thought to Del as he stretched out on his bed.

It hadn't been too hard on him to stay away from Del, but he could feel the man's unease through their bond constantly. All of a sudden Del didn't have Mina around him any longer, and the person he'd relied on to be the calm half of his crazy for years wasn't returning, either.

I can feel you pacing, Del. You need to get some rest. It's almost three in the morning.

Not that they weren't used to staying up till all hours of the night. A lot of predators preferred to hunt from dusk to dawn, so they got used to being available whenever it was convenient for the customer, but he could tell that Del was absolutely exhausted.

He got a frustrated growl in response, but no actual words. A few moments later and the sound of his front door opening had Buck slowly sitting up.

I'm going to go now. I'll come by tomorrow and check on you. Get to bed.

He pushed their link to the back of his mind as he stood up and stretched. Buck knew better than to be lying in bed when Magnus got back. He'd let the man stay with him for two days so far, but he slept in the guest room and there was limited contact. His split animal personalities were a bit hard to manage but Buck was learning how to control them a little bit at a time. As funny as it seemed, the dog part of the man was harder to handle than the bear because it always wanted to be near him and touched, but the bear tended to slip in at the worst possible moments. Thus, they weren't going to be doing any kind of physical activities anytime soon.

Not that he minded. Relationships were definitely not something Buck was used to having. Many people they knew through their work thought him and Del were together as a couple, but that was definitely not true and never would be.

Frustration leaked into his mind as he heard Mangus come up the stairs. The man had also gotten better at not getting angry over him thinking about Del any longer. He still got upset, but there was no growling or clearly jealous behavior.

"I saw Del's boy across the street from work tonight," Magnus said in a gruff tone as he stepped into the bedroom, shrugging his coat off in the process.

Buck took the garment and folded it up, then set it on top of the dresser before he was gently pulled into Magnus's arms. The hug was brief for two reasons. Magnus's control and the fact that he smelled like an ashtray. Buck followed him back out the door as Mangus headed for the bathroom, pulling off his shirt in the process.

The view was pleasant, but the amount of scars on the man's back was unsettling. They were still new to even being around each other but Buck was still hesitant to really jump into the situation. Their line of work came with death threats from all around the globe, and Magnus being a retriever for them was even worse. He likely had the police sniffing around him more often than not.

"If you keep staring at me like that I'm going to lick you in a very unfreind-like way."

Snorting and shaking his head, Buck scowled, only to feel Magnus's warm tongue brush the tip of his nose before the man turned and walked into the bathroom. Instead of going back to his room, Buck stepped into the bathroom after Magnus was in the shower and out of view.

"What was he doing near your work? Just walking by?"

The quiet patter of rain against the window mixed with the streams of water coming from the shower-head took over as the only sounds in the room until Magnus finished scrubbing his hair under the spray. At least, that's what it looked like his shadow beyond the curtain was doing.

"He was just walking by. He looked tired and a little dirty, but not depressed or anything," Magnus replied as he opened a bottle of something to use.

Nodding, Buck leaned against the counter and sent the information to Del through their bond. He could feel the man's nervous response moments later, but there were still no words. Just the fact that Del was worried about someone besides Buck was new to both of them... but worry didn't help the situation. Del was still the same person and he didn't want to change. Mina refused to stay with him because of the way he was and the choices he still made.

You have to change or he'll never come back to you.

A hot, moist pair of lips pressed against his left cheek, drawing Buck out of his thoughts abruptly, making him turn his head as Magnus leaned back and smirked.

Ah, the shower is off. No wonder.

"Shift for me, Maggie," Buck said, his voice slightly deeper, making the request more of a command.

Magnus tilted his head in question but did as told without hesitation, leaving his bog standing on all fours in the bathroom, its shoulders higher than Buck's waist. It carefully sat down and stared up at him, panting quietly as it waited for more attention of any kind.

Buck watched him for a few calm moments before taking a comb from the counter and sitting down against the wall. He could immediately feel Magnus's excitement grow as he sniffed the item and twitched his stubby ears.

The few times we've stayed at each others' places I remember you always brushing your hair quite a bit.

It was never in any vain sort of way, though.

"Want some attention, hmm?" he mused to himself as he reached out and gently began running the comb through Magnus's thick coat of fur.

As if it were unable to resist, the massive boggy laid down, placing its damp head on Buck's leg. Soon a hum of appreciation started up from its chest and echoed around the room. He knew that it would take a long while to brush out the giant beast, but he was a pretty patient person, and it seemed like Magnus was completely okay with staying where he was for however long the task took.

It actually felt pretty good to just sit and groom Magnus's shift. For the first time since he'd probably met the guy, he was sending nothing but content and happy feelings through their awkward bond. Both of his animals, it would seem, enjoyed being brushed.

After about half an hour, Buck nudged Magnus's head off of his leg and re-positioned himself. Once comfortable, he began working on the huge animal's other side, then after another forty-five minutes or so, Magnus rolled over so that his belly could be done.

"I didn't think that you would shed so much, but just the fur coming off the comb is filling the little trash can in here," Buck noted with a grin as he tossed another small handful away before getting back to work.

No one has ever tried to brush me.

"Ah, for good reason," Buck noted with a slight chuckle as he leaned over and grabbed Magnus's front left leg, the last one he had to do. "Hopefully it feels better having all of the extra fur off when you get back up."

To test his words, Buck finished up with Magnus's last leg, then got himself up and stepped aside so that the bog could get back to his four paws. He definitely looked a lot less scraggly with all of the extra fur off, and when Magnus shook his coat out, there was almost no extra strands that flew into the air. It also looked pretty soft and had a slight shine to it.

"You look much better," Buck said as he knelt back down and ran his fingers through the soft fur on Magnus's face.

He was just leaning in to rest his forehead against the bog's when Magnus suddenly shifted back to his human form, leaving Buck's hands on either side of his face and their noses nearly brushing. He quickly leaned back, but not before Magnus was able to swipe his tongue against the tip of his nose.

Rolling his eyes, Buck shoved Magnus and got up to head downstairs. He'd put food in the slow cooker a while ago and it should be ready any time. Hearing footsteps behind him, Buck paused at the top of the stairs and turned around to level narrowed eyes on a very naked Magnus.

"Put some clothing on before you come downstairs or no dinner," he said with an authority that wasn't interested in an argument.

Magnus gave him a fake pout, but then grinned and disappeared into the guest room he'd decided was now his own. Leaving him to get clothed, Buck headed down the steps with a small smile on his face. It was odd having someone in his home, let alone someone who wanted his attention, of all things.

I'll take more than that when you let me have a bite.

A week ago that statement would have made him uneasy, but considering that he only felt maybe five percent hostility through their bond paired with ninety-five percent other things, it definitely didn't worry him like before.

Be a good boggy.

There was a sarcastic bark-growl in response from upstairs as Buck got busy dishing out meals he'd made in two crockpots. One was vegetarian, since he never ate animals, but the other was the first meat dish he'd ever cooked in his house. It didn't exactly smell the best, but he did manage to hide most of the scent with different spices and herbs.

By the time he got both of their plates, silverware, and drinks to the table Magnus was back downstairs, and mostly clothed.

"You're minus a shirt," Buck noted as he sat down in front of his own plate of food and picked up his fork.

He expected Magnus to sit down across from him, where he'd set up his dinner, but the guy simply grabbed his plate and set it next to Buck's, then moved the rest of his things before pulling his chair around and dropping down into it.

"That's what took me so long. I just couldn't decide if it was worth wearing one to dinner, then I realized something. I am a pretty messy eater and am out of clean shirts. I put them all in the laundry," Magnus replied as he began eating hungrily.

Buck sighed and rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he took a bite of his own dinner.

You put all of your clean shirts in the laundry so that you didn't have to wear one tonight.

The smirk on Magnus's face should have made Buck annoyed, but it just had him hiding his own rare smile as he calmly ate his dinner.

I see you smiling at me.

Buck ignored the thought and continued eating, only to hear a quiet chuckle from the man beside him. He refused to look up, though. Magnus had a playful side that sometimes, or really, all the times, bordered on perverted.

You like it.

That comment finally drew Buck's attention to Magnus, a raised eyebrow disappearing into his bangs. He thought that the look would deter the guy, as it usually did, from continuing on with whatever strange thought was floating around in his mind, but instead, he felt the man's wet tongue steal another lick from his nose.

You like it, Magnus repeated into his mind as his lips stretched into a mischievous smirk.

Buck pursed his lips and looked back at his plate, but after only a few moments he glanced sideways at Magnus.

You like me, the other man thought to him.

Shaking his head, Buck returned his attention to his food and quickly finished the meal before standing up and stretching slightly.

You like having me here.

Buck licked his lips and took his plate to the sink to rinse off, then set in the dish washer. Magnus was close behind him and copied his actions, but right before Buck could slip out the door and head to bed, Magnus spoke into his mind again.

I like seeing you smile at me.

Buck fidgeted with one hand on the doorjamb but didn't step beyond the threshold into the next room.

I like that you like me.

Warm fingers slipped into his free hand and squeezed gently at the same time he felt a soft kiss against his left cheek.

I like you... but I'll behave until we're on the same page.

With that thought Magnus stepped around him, sending him a wink before heading upstairs to bed. Buck let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and flipped the lights off in the kitchen, then the living and dining room. Once he was back up in his room with the door lucked, just in case, Buck tugged off his clothing and dropped down onto his bed. As his eyes finally closed, he sent one final thought to Magnus.

I like you, too. I suppose.