Page 15 of Bear With Me

“You got it!” Bjorn tapped at the phone screen for a minute, then set it down. “Waypoint set.”

In three-tenths of a mile, bear right onto exit thirty-seven, said the phone in its mechanical, English-accented voice.

Dennis did as instructed, and soon they were pulling into a sizable rest stop. He eased the car up to a gas pump. “Go do your thing while I pump,” he told Bjorn.

Bjorn nodded and stepped out of the truck. He was tall enough that it was a step instead of a hop, as it would have been for so many people. He didn’t even need the running board. “Want me to get you something in the store?”

Dennis shook his head. “I’m coming in once the tank is full. I’ll get my own stuff.”

“‘Kay.” And with that, Bjorn strode - bounced? - off toward the shop attached to the gas station.

***

Five minutes later, Dennis followed his path into the store, only to almost run into Bjorn coming out. He jumped back before they could collide. “Christ!”

Bjorn just grinned at him, his arms full of…Dennis wasn’t entirely sure what, but there was a lot of it. In one hand he clutched a large frozen drink cup, and Dennis was very glad they hadn’t actually run into each other. He wouldn’t appreciate having to wear that slushie or whatever. “You good?” Bjorn asked, shifting his burden slightly.

“Yeah. I’ll meet you back at the car.”

“You got it.” Bjorn gave him a cheerful nod and pushed through the door into the outer court.

Dennis sighed, watching him for a few seconds, before he turned back to the store and headed for the coffee counter. He needed a large cup, and maybe a Snickers. Or two. Or five. Maybe some gummy bears, too? Hmm.

***

By the time he made it back to the car, he was clutching his own armful of things he most certainly should not be eating at his age. He set his coffee cup on top of the truck so he could pop the door open, then paused, somehow both surprised and not surprised to see a large brown bear sitting in the passenger seat, covered in what looked like the remnants of a bag of Cheetos. Dennis snorted. “You forgot you couldn’t fit a bear paw into the bag, didn’t you?”

The bear, looking abashed, raised an orange-tinted paw to its face and started licking it with a long tongue.

Dennis reached out and plucked a Cheeto off Bjorn, brushed a piece of fur off it, and popped it into his mouth. “Mmm,” he moaned dramatically, rubbing in that he was stealing the other man’s snack. The bear grumbled. “Hey, did you find us a hotel?”

Bjorn-bear regarded him coolly, then waved a paw at himself as if to say Do you expect me to answer that in this form? A Cheeto dropped off his chest, bouncing to the truck floor. Dennis made a mental note to vacuum the mats next time they stopped for gas. He didn’t want Cheeto dust ground into his carpet.

Dennis scoffed. “Figures. Well, I’ve got a few more good hours in me before I need to stop, I guess. Hopefully you’ll have changed back by then.”

Grumble.

He turned on the ignition and steered the truck back toward the highway. It was blessedly silent without Bjorn playing DJ, and Dennis savored the quiet. Bjorn, on the other hand, seemed unsettled, shifting in his seat restlessly. Finally, Dennis reached over and poked the bear in the shoulder. “Stop squirming. You’re going to break my seat.” He glanced over. “Shit, your seatbelt.” Bjorn hadn’t had it on when he shifted, apparently, because it wasn’t on now. Dennis immediately steered the truck to the shoulder.

Bjorn made an inquiring noise and looked at him as Dennis put the truck in Park and then leaned over.

“The last thing I need is to get in an accident and have a goddamn bear ejected through the windshield,” Dennis grumped. “That wouldn’t be good for you or the truck.” He reached across Bjorn and grabbed the seatbelt, drawing it across the bear’s bulky body. It locked before he got it all of the way to the buckle and Dennis cursed. “Why are you so damn big?”

Bjorn’s noise this time was mournful, and he snuffled at Dennis’ hair.

Dennis tried again to get the seatbelt across his companion with no success. “Fuck.” He didn’t want to drive with an unbelted passenger. Not so much because he could get a ticket - any cop with a brain would understand that you couldn’t belt a bear - but because he’d seen enough accidents in his life to not want an unrestrained passenger pinballing around the truck if he had to suddenly hit the brakes or something. “Now would be a good time to change back to human, just FYI.”

And before Dennis could get another word out, he found himself with his nose in the neck of a naked man. Bjorn’s long hair tickled his nose, and he pulled back so he could sneeze.

“Hey, cool!” Bjorn said. “I have good timing. Maybe I’m regaining control?”

They both knew that wasn’t how it worked, but Dennis grunted in agreement anyway. A man could dream. “Now put on your seatbelt,” he ordered. “And…maybe some pants?”

Bjorn shrugged. “All my spare clothes are in my suitcase,” he said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the bed of the truck. “Got a blanket, maybe? At least I won’t shred that if I shift again.”

Dennis thought about that for a second. Did people keep blankets in their cars? He certainly didn’t. Finally, he reached behind the seats and pulled out a ragged towel he used to wipe condensation off his windshield on foggy days. It was only a hand towel and would barely cover Bjorn’s crotch, but it was better than nothing. “Here,” he said, handing it over.

Bjorn regarded the towel doubtfully, but tucked it over his groin. “Sorry about sitting bare-assed. I think there’s still some shreds of my jeans under my crack, if that helps.”