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“You have got to be kidding me.” The large luxurious room seemed perfect, with one exception. There was only one bed.
Behind his left shoulder, he heard a put-upon sigh. “Well, this is unfortunate.” At the massive understatement, he sent Peter an incredulous stare. The expression on the werewolf’s face as well as his tone remarkably stayed the same. “I hope you don’t have a habit of stealing the covers.”
He was shaking his head in the negative even before the other man stopped speaking. “Yeah, no, no way this is happening. I don’t think so.” It got him a slight eyebrow lift. All he did was head for the door. He yanked the door open just in time to see Scott walk past. “Scotty.”
The issuance of his name had his best friend coming to a stop and turning in his direction with a small smile. “What’s up, man?”
He frowned severely. It had the smile on Scott’s face dimming slightly. “We have a problem.” The deadpan response had his friend starting to look concerned. This expression was echoed by Kira who was waiting patiently a few steps away. “Come in here.” There was a thread of confusion now in Scott’s expression that he didn’t have the patience for. In an abrupt motion, he grabbed Scott’s shirt and moved backward to yank him into the room. The surprise that flew across the werewolf’s face wasn’t entirely unexpected.
“Stiles?! What…”
He motioned toward the bed with his free hand. “There’s one bed, Scott. One bed.” What he got first and foremost was an owlish blink. No words were forthcoming as clearly the other man was processing the situation. It was during this brief moment that he caught sight of Peter near the dresser. “Are you unpacking?!”
The outraged question earned him a slightly cold grimace. “There’s no need to bellow like a howler monkey.” He immediately spluttered with indignation. Unfortunately, he hadn’t found an appropriately scathing response before the older man continued nonchalantly. “My clothes need to be unpacked or they’re going to start to wrinkle. Unlike you miscreants, I actually care about my appearance.”
The uppity response had him scowling. “Oh really, you don’t seem to care too much when you’re eviscerating someone.”
Now the werewolf was matching him scowl for scowl. “Why don’t you say that a little louder, Stiles. I don’t think they heard you down in the lobby.” The criticism was followed by an eyeroll. He had a strong urge to punch him in the face. This feeling only grew when Peter went back to unpacking as if nothing had just transpired.
“Um, Stiles.” His gaze flicked back to Scott at the interruption. “Can I have my shirt back now?”
The question reminded him that he was still holding the other man in place. He let him go, although begrudgingly. “Well…?” His question was leading. Apparently though, it wasn’t enough.
“Well, what?”
It took everything he had not to shake his best friend hard. “Well, what happened? Who is responsible for this mess? What do we do to fix it?”
In an instant, Scott looked highly uncomfortable. “I was the one to book the rooms.” There must have been a look on his face because the werewolf was quick to continue. “They must have gotten confused or something. I mean, most of the pack, at least who came on the trip, are couples. We needed a lot of singles. That might be what happened.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. The reminder of his pathetically single state was not appreciated. It had taken a lot of convincing to even get him to agree to the trip. Finding out he’d be rooming with Peter, the only other single pack member going, had almost prompted him to back out again. He didn’t want to share a room with the werewolf, for several reasons. Being in the same room would have been bad enough, trying to share a bed would be torture. The less homicidal Peter got, the more his attraction had grown. Was it healthy? Probably not. Did he likely have a screw loose? There couldn’t be a doubt. He couldn’t help it. The man was sex on legs. Not only was he gorgeous, he had a wicked tongue and was smart enough to keep up with his chaotic mind. He had a sense of humor too. It could be as dry as the Sahara. Often it went right over other people’s heads. The bump of humor Peter got from that only had him feeling an uptick in his own humor. It was a bad combination. And this…this was a disaster.
“How do we fix this?” The tired words were accompanied by him lowering his hand. He got a bad feeling at seeing the expression on Scott’s face. It was saturated with sympathy, complete with appropriately repentant puppy dog eyes.
“I don’t think there is a way to fix it. This is the week before Christmas. They were almost completely booked two months ago when I made the reservation.”
He sighed out heavily, took a look around the admittedly nice suite and nodded to himself with decision. “Okay then, I’ll see you in a week.”
The announcement had his friend blinking rapidly. When he eventually spoke, it was in a messy stumble. “Wha..at? What do…do you mean?”
There was a movement behind his shoulder. It hinted that Peter might be paying a little more attention to the ongoing conversation. He didn’t care. Really, he didn’t. “I’ll see you next week. I’m going home.” The words were barely out before he started to move toward his suitcase.
“Come on, man. This isn’t that big of a deal. You’re really going to miss out on a resort vacation in Hawaii because you have to share a bed with pack?”
He was getting ready to confirm as much when Peter spoke up mildly. “I’m surprised. I never took you for such a delicate flower, Stiles.”
The insult had him immediately coming to his own defense. “I’m not a…” Unfortunately, the rest was lost when he was summarily interrupted by his temporary roommate.
“Imagine throwing such a fuss just because we have to share a room for a few days.”
Here is where he interrupted, loudly. “We’re not just sharing a room; we’re going to have to share a bed.”
They fell into silence then as Peter approached their location closer to the door. There was a graceful movement to his posture that starkly reminded him that the werewolf was a predator. It didn’t make him uneasy like it should have. This in turn made him uneasy for an entirely different reason. When the other man eventually came to a stop, they were only standing a few feet apart. “What does that matter? The bed’s big enough for the both of us to be comfortable.” There was a brief pause during which Peter leaned his upper body closer. The movement was accompanied by a smile that was sharp. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite. Not unless you want me to.”
He gulped heavily as a spike of arousal shot up his spine. Trying to temper the reaction, he responded in a flippant tone. “Yeah, no, I’m good thanks.”
The response got a shrug. It also had the other man moving away for which he was eternally grateful. He kept his eyes on the werewolf’s back as he headed toward the nearby table. There was a lone book on its surface. It didn’t take him long to identify it as the one Peter had been reading on the plane. “Suit yourself.”
The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Eventually it was broken by Scott, his voice heavily laden with hesitation. “Stiles, are you…are you still going to leave?”
Any response he may have voiced was stalled by Peter speaking up conversationally. The werewolf didn’t even look up from his book. To add insult to injury, he looked perfectly at ease, unlike the two of them. It made him want to kick him in the shin. This level of desired violence was probably a good indication he should leave. The next question from Peter though, had him determined to stay. “Yes, what’ll it be princess?”
He scowled in a way he was sure looked vicious. “Don’t call me that.” This barely garnered a response which he knew was intentional.
“Whatever you say, pup.”
The new nickname wasn’t much better, especially as Peter normally used it as an insult. For the moment though, he let it go. He was jet lagged, hungry and annoyed. All he wanted was to get some rest. “I’ll stay.” There was instantly a smile on Scott’s face. It was tempered somewhat when he quickly continued with a raised index finger. “But! I still want you to call the front desk and see about getting us a new room. You have to at least try or I’m going home.”
The condition was met with an easy nod. “Yeah, of course, man. No problem.”
With a nod of his own, he indicated that was good enough for now. They said their goodbyes at that point. It had been a long trip and all of them were tired. Unlike his roommate, he didn’t unpack. That seemed a little unnecessary. All he did was elevate his luggage by placing it on the provided rack in the closet. Once that was done, he withdrew a few essentials along with his toiletries. It was only when he was heading toward the bathroom that he paused. The whole time he’d been moving around the room Peter had been reading at the table. “I’m going to get a shower. Do you need to get in the bathroom first?” Truthfully, it was probably unnecessary. He’d showered before leaving that morning. It didn’t stop him from feeling gross. That was enough to prompt him into a second shower before bed.
“No, I’m fine.”
He paused another moment, thinking over the answer. “Are you sure? I take long showers.” This further prompting was enough to have the older man looking in his direction. They met gazes. It was strange. The low light in the room seemed to make Peter’s eyes subtly glow. He found himself wanting to fidget under the glance.
“I’ll be fine. Take as long as you like.”
With a brisk nod, he left the room on fast feet. It felt a little like running away. He studiously ignored that observation. What he focused on instead was the new room. It was surprisingly large with both a free-standing shower and a jetted tub. There was the expected toilet with an unexpected bidet. Across the other side of the room was a huge vanity with double sinks. On each wall bracketing the counter were two medicine cabinets. The vanity itself had multiple cabinets. When he opened them up, he was surprised to see them already partially stocked with supplies. This bathroom was as luxurious as the adjoining room.
It was no wonder Scott had decided on this place. He’d been wanting to treat Kira to a proper vacation for a long time. This was the sort of suite that was perfect for a couple. Thinking on it brought his aching loneliness to the surface. He tried to stop thinking about it. For tonight, he opted to take a shower instead of a bath. At some point, for sure, he was trying out that tub. It’s just tonight might not be a good idea. No matter how nice the tub might be, he had no desire to fall asleep and potentially drown. Or worse, to fall sleep, only for Peter to break in at him being unresponsive. Knowing his luck, the water would be clear as a bell and it would have gotten really cold. He definitely didn’t need that, now or ever.
The shower was turned on deftly. With that done, he moved to the vanity to unpack his toiletries. Unlike his clothes, unpacking his toiletries just made sense. He’d be using them every day, after all. The sink he chose was the one closest to the door, for no real reason except it was closer to the exit. It wasn’t uncommon for him to be half-awake in the morning when brushing his teeth. The less he had to walk, the better. The water heated up fairly quickly. It was honestly a little too fast. He hadn’t even finished unpacking and he already couldn’t see his reflection in the huge mirror. All it did was prompt him to pick up the pace.
By the time he finished, he was starting to feel uncomfortably warm. He quickly stripped out of his clothes to climb into the shower. The heat that slammed into his skin felt blissful. It had him moaning out lowly and dipping his head down to be drenched by the water. That was enough to make the shower feel good. What made it perfect was the steady pressure of water hitting his skin. Trying to get a decent shower at a hotel could be hit or miss. This set-up was honestly as good as it could get. He was suddenly feeling a lot more optimistic about this vacation. It had gotten off to a rocky start but this was definitely an unexpected perk. As great as the water felt, he only allowed himself another few minutes to enjoy it. There was no telling how long the hot water would last. He had a good feeling but didn’t really want to push it.
The process of getting himself clean was done methodically, without any real thought. On occasion a stream of water would hit a sore muscle. It would randomly prompt a satisfied sound to slip past his lips. This pattern continued until he was almost done. Then out of nowhere a thought slammed into his mind. It had him freezing in place. He didn’t think about how his hair was standing on end, colored white with foamy soap whorls. He didn’t think about the layer of soap drying on his back or the thick sluggish slide of a soapy blob making its way down his right inner calf. He didn’t think about the water droplets sliding down his face to drop off of his chin. He didn’t think about anything, except for one thing. The man in the other room was a werewolf and he could probably hear him taking his shower.
When the thought really sunk in, his face went about three shades darker than normal. It was the thought that Peter wouldn’t care to listen in that broke him from the moment. With touches gone a little rough, he continued to clean his body. All the while he felt odd wondering if what he thought was true. Then he felt annoyed at his fixation and told himself he was being ridiculous. This was coupled by a sadness he refused to acknowledge as well as a sliver of pleasure that was totally inappropriate. Whether that was because it would mean Peter was a pervert or because a part of him sort-of liked the idea was debatable. What wasn’t up for question was he had no desire to have a debate at the moment, internal or not.
He scowled at the thought before trying to stop thinking altogether. It wasn’t easy but he managed it well enough. The end of the shower had him prepping for bed. This entire process was done swiftly with a familiarity that comes with practice. When he exited the bathroom, it was with a squinted gaze. What he found was Peter still sitting at the table reading his book. He looked the same way he had earlier. That didn’t mean he trusted it.
“Are you done in the bathroom?” The question was accompanied by a brief glance. This was primarily so the werewolf could secure a bookmark in his paperback.
“Yeah.”
His gruff abrupt answer got an easy nod. “I’m going to go get cleaned up. Feel free to pick whichever side of the bed you want. I have no preference.” The words were accompanied by another brief glance that had their gazes meeting. He still looked suspicious. It didn’t garner a comment.
The new silence was punctuated by the door to the bathroom closing. He stood at the edge of the bed momentarily annoyed before randomly picking a side. In truth, it didn’t really matter to him either. That was one of the benefits to being single. He was a middle of the bed sleeper. There was no need to pick a side, so naturally he didn’t. Where he currently landed was on the right side of the bed. It was good enough. The bed itself was ridiculously comfortable. There was a pronounced fluffiness to the bedding and the fabric brushing against his body was super soft. He felt cocooned. This was even without having to wrap himself into the blankets like a burrito.
In his ears was the distant sound of running water. It had him scowling when he thought of his earlier suspicions. He found himself frowning mildly when a massive yawn broke up the expression. Further settling in, he kept his ears trained on the subtle sounds he could hear filtering through the wall. Out of nowhere, his sleepy mind pointed out that he was now doing what he’d accused Peter of doing. The scowl was back. It wasn’t the same thing, he knew. He didn’t have super werewolf hearing. And yet, it still felt like an invasion. Finally having enough, he firmly told his mind to shut up and flopped over onto his side somewhat aggressively to burrow into the bedding. He could think about all of this tomorrow. The soft grunt that fell from his lips denied wanting to take it further. This was where his mind settled into some sort of begrudging medium that finally allowed him to drift away into sleep. The soft sound of the running water filtering to his ears was the last thing he heard.
TBC...