Blue grinned as he felt his mate's large hand caress his ass, once again feeling his cock throb with desire as Eivind pulled him up and directed his hands to his clothing. The young man's face was flush as he gently tugged Eivind's shirt up and over his head, his hands slowly trailing down the wolf's hard chest once the shirt had been tossed to the side. Blue's eyes stared longingly as his fingers dipped into the tight crevices between Eivind's solid abdominal muscles. For a moment, a sharp pang of insecurity pricked at Blue's chest as he admired the sharp lines of his partner's body. Eivind was much fitter than he was, with lean muscles that flexed and moved underneath his tanned skin. Blue, on the other hand, was merely skinny. His body was long and thin, his stomach flat but little definition to speak of. On the best of days, Blue could be considered svelte. Despite his stretched limbs, he typically moved fluidly, having settled into his body long ago and surpassing much of the lanky and awkward phase of his adolescence. But he did not have muscles seemingly carved from stone, and no longer was his body creamy and unmarred. The scars on his shoulder and side and were still very young. The tissue that had grown over the devastating wounds was shiny, thick and raised where his body had knitted itself together, and the skin surrounding the scars was still very pink, and would be for many months to come. They would never fade, he was acutely aware of that, but now he was wondering if they would at least become less noticeable over time, or if he was doomed to get stares for the rest of his life whenever he took his shirt off. It didn't seem like such a problem when he was surrounded by werewolves, many of whom had battle scars along their body, including Eivind, but injuries so severe didn't go unnoticed by humans. It was a sobering thought, and Blue had to force himself back into the moment and focus on removing his lover's pants, freeing the heavy erection that had grown between Eivind's legs. Well, at least Blue had physical evidence that Eivind still found him attractive despite his aesthetic shortcomings.<br/><br/>He exhaled deeply as he pushed the wolf's pants down his hips, taking in the sight of his handsome cock. He wanted it, craved it, but his headstrong partner didn't allow him to stare for too long before climbing into the bathtub, turning around and holding out his hands for Blue to take and ease his way into the tub himself. The boy obliged, settling down next to Eivind and nuzzling up as close as he could to the wolf without outright climbing on top of him.<br/><br/>The desire to try to tempt his partner again nagged at him, especially when Eivind's cock was more than ready to slip inside of him and fill Blue with immeasurable amounts of pleasure, but something about the older man's confession stilled Blue's lusty frame. Blue chuckled, though there was a melancholy chime to his voice as his fingers settled on his own lap. "You've seen me fucked up a lot," he mused, tilting his head so he could eye his lover's comely features. "I don't want you to have to go through that again. Watching me be sickly and weak, practically inviting death to come swoop me up... it couldn't have been easy. If I saw you like that, hurt and unable to help yourself, I'm not sure what I would do." He didn't even want to think about it. The idea seemed impossible; Eivind had proven himself to be capable and strong, even in situations where he was the underdog. He wouldn't be stupid enough to get himself into a desperate situation, not like Blue.<br/><br/>Eivind's fingers traced over Blue's thighs underneath the water, and the young man smiled sweetly in response. "Okay," he said simply, submitting to his mate's will and pressing a kiss to his hairy cheek. "But the second the doctor says it's okay, I want your cock buried inside of me and you fucking me until I can't even think straight." He watched with an amused look on his face as Eivind began investigating the various soaps, giggling as the wolf's nose scrunched up in displeasure. "Oh, stop it, it can't be that bad," Blue chastised, taking hold of one of the bottles and looking at the little label. "It's vanilla and oatmeal. That is one of the gentlest scents I think humans are capable of making. We'll go to the store later and pick up something a little simpler for you, okay?" He laughed and carefully stood, grabbing one of the folded washcloths from a low shelf that sat to the side of the tub. Although he teased Eivind, he was sure that with the wolf's enhanced sense of smell, even something as tame as vanilla was a little overpowering for him. Blue was happy the hotel at least offered something like that and not some overbearing floral scent like lavender. There were a couple of bottles with a purplish gel inside, but Blue stayed clear of those. If scientifically constructed floral scents even gave<i>him</i>a headache, he didn't want to imagine how they'd affect his mate.<br/><br/>Blue wet the cloth and squeezed a moderate amount of soap onto it, intent on giving Eivind a good scrubbing. He moved through the water and settled in between Eivind's legs again, this time with the innocent intent of merely bathing his lover. He began scrubbing Eivind's chest as the wolf spoke again, shrugging his shoulders flippantly as the wolf apologized for his pack's behavior. "I can't complain too much. Freyr is an asshole, but I suppose that's to be expected. And Sieger let us leave without fighting, didn't he? He could have done much worse. I know you wouldn't have let him, but he could've tried. Where would we go, if not back there? Your home is there."<br/><br/>His mate continued, and Blue bite his lower lip as he considered his lover's words. "I appreciate the thought, but it would be very hard to stay here, if we were going to live somewhere other than your home, or the hotel," he said slowly, running the soapy cloth down Eivind's arms. "I'm sure we could find an apartment somewhere, but it'd be hard. I've never lived anywhere but with my parents. We don't have any furniture, not unless you wanted to bring things from your cabin. We'd be doing everything literally from scratch and I... " he paused, not wanting to have to breach the subject so soon but figuring that it was as good a time as any.<br/><br/>"I know you said money isn't an issue, but I don't think it's right for you to spend all of this on me. Especially if we were to move here. I have nothing to contribute. I couldn't help you pay rent, unless I found a job, which I'd be willing to do, of course. But it would be an issue, unless you were looking to own something, like a small house or a condo or, I don't know, I'm not really sure how buying or renting property works, to be honest. I'm human, and supposedly an adult. I'm supposed to know these things and I don't." He suddenly felt very inadequate, and he gazed down into the rippling water as he began cleansing Eivind's torso beneath the surface. "I was worried I wouldn't have a place among your pack," he continued quietly, his eyes blurry as he watched the suds float along the water. "But it seems I don't have much of a place out here, either."<br/><br/>He sighed, but didn't allow himself to wallow in his self-pity for long. "Did you think I'd want to stay with them?" Blue asked curiously, furrowing his brows together and frowning slightly. "I told you, I'm yours. I'm not going to leave you, not even for them. Even if they ask me to stay, I'll tell them no. I'm going home with you." He wondered if he should elaborate, but then remembered the thought process he had back by the bed when trying to explain his feelings for Eivind, and decided to leave things at that. Keep it simple.<br/><br/>When Blue had finished scrubbing Eivind's body, he instructed the wolf to dunk his head beneath the water, get it completely wet. "I'm going to wash your hair. It's almost as bad as mine." He grabbed the complementary bottles of shampoo and conditioner and began massaging Eivind's scalp, making sure to comb his fingers through all of his wolf's locks.<br/><br/>"I know I just said all that stuff about money, but I do have one favor to ask." Blue cleared his throat, shoving down small feelings of anxiety that were climbing up his body. He wasn't sure why he felt nervous, perhaps he didn't want Eivind to laugh or make fun of him, or think him silly for asking. "I was hoping, before I saw my family, you could help me get some new clothes? The stuff Synnove gave me is completely thrashed now, and I think if I appear on their doorstep looking like I'm put together, they won't worry as much about you and me. At least, that's what I'm hoping. There's a mall a couple of blocks down near Stevenson and St. James. I'm not really a big shopper, so it'll be quick. I just, you know, really want something that fits. I hope that's okay?"