Warmth of the Heart

Bull wasted no time. He laid Drake on the floor in front of the fireplace, quickly starting a fire and getting it roaring, while grabbing blankets and towels to wrap around him. "Stay with me, Doc," Bull urged, rapidly undressing Drake, removing his icy cold and sopping wet clothes, the main source of the cold on his skin. Soon, Drake was naked on the floor in front of the fire, shivering uncontrollably.

"Wha…what are you… do…doing Bull?" Drake's teeth clattered as he lay bare as a babe in front of the fireplace.

Bull began frantically rubbing Drake's arms and legs to restore circulation. "You're dangerously cold, Doc. I need to get your internal temperature back up before that supercooled blood shocks your system and you die."

Drake's eyes fluttered open, his teeth still chattering. "Th-th-thank you, Bull…"

"Shh, don't talk. Just warm up," Bull said, his voice a mix of worry and tenderness. He continued to rub Drake's limbs, his rough hands surprisingly gentle. But it wasn't enough; it had been a long while since Drake fell in the water, and now his internal temperature was dangerously low.

"Sorry, son," Bull said, ripping off his shirt and unbuttoning his trousers. "I know this may make you uncomfortable," he continued, dropping his trousers and leaving himself just in his briefs. "But it's either 'invade your personal space,' or you die from cold shock." Bull tenderly laid Drake on his back on the ground, covered them both with blankets, and held Drake tightly in his massive masculine arms. "Let my body heat warm you."

Drake wanted to protest. He wanted to scream. He wanted to get up and run away, but the clattering of his teeth, the uncontrollable shivering of every limb in his body, and the inability to even feel his hands and feet prevented him.

But Bull was so warm, like being held tightly by a giant teddy bear. Bull's heat radiated through Drake's small frame, pressing naked body against naked body, slowly transferring his warmth to the freezing Drake.

In the confines of the log cabin in the mountains, Bull held Drake tightly, cradling Drake's head against his bulging sternocleidomastoid muscle on his neck. Bull's beard draped over Drake's head like a blanket, letting the body heat exchange save Drake's life once again. Drake lay naked on the deerskin rug, feeling the rugged, massive man pressed up against him, saving his life once again. With a hefty sigh, he let what was happening happen, softening his demeanor and embracing the giant, letting Bull's warmth cascade over him.

Minutes drifted by as Bull worked to warm Drake's body. Slowly, color returned to Drake's skin, and his shivering subsided. He looked up at Bull, gratitude and something deeper in his eyes.

"Bull…" Drake started, but Bull silenced him with a look.

"You're safe now, son. That's all that matters." Bull gazed deeply into Drake's eyes, tightening his grip on Drake and embracing him with his massive arms and burly chest.

In Drake's vision, Bull's eyes glistened like gemstones. His warm embrace had saved his life, his manly fur warming him and bringing him away from the brink of death. This burly man's rugged demeanor was nothing more than a facade. The brute truly cared for him, and the strange, unfamiliar feeling of safety in his arms drifted over Drake, a feeling he had never known before or even imagined needing.

"Bull…" Drake began again, gazing up at the man pressed against him. His eyes peered deeply into Bull's, searching for the words to thank him for everything he'd done. He had never cared for or felt this way for another man. He had no idea how to express what he was feeling at that very moment, to express his gratitude for everything Bull did to save his life on multiple occasions in the last few months. To thank him for every kind act, deed of concern, act of mercy, and for taking care of him at his weakest.

"Yeah, Doc?" Bull gazed deeply into Drake's eyes, both seeing each other differently for the first time.

No words of thanks came to Drake's mind. Only passion. "Oh William…" Drake whispered, as he wrapped his arms around Bull's broad neck and passionately kissed him.

Bull let out a sigh of relief as he embraced Drake with an equally fervent passion, letting his pent-up emotions and feelings he had been stifling for weeks now vent out. The large man grasped and groped Drake's body as he let his passions ignite, kissing Drake the way he had never been kissed before in his life.

And the two men, entwined in each other's arms, let their passions run wild for the first time. The warmth of the fire and their newfound connection filled the cabin, creating a bond that neither had expected but both desperately needed.