The cat is back.

His husband looked up from where he'd been focusing on chopping onions. He looked nervous, and of course, Marsh knew why. He watched Walker pulling up his turtleneck a little more. He didn't like him hiding the kiss marks he gave him, but it was his choice. He was just glad to have been allowed to apply them in the first place.

When Ranger finally came into view he looked... different.

He smells different, too.

He had been around more people than just his horse.

"Hey Rane, how was your evening?" Walker asked with a curious smile.

Ranger returned it, but his was a bit more nervous as he dropped down onto the couch with a yawn.

"It was definitely something," he said as he nudged off his shoes and kicked up his feet on the footrest.

Walker finished up the onion he was working on before tossing it into a large pan that already had several other vegetables starting to cook. He then checked on the eight slices of bass in the oven before closing it and walking over to his brother.

Marsh fought his nose to move away from the oven, but eventually won the battle. He followed his man, but didn't crowd him. In fact, he even took a few steps backward and sat himself down at the table.

They had cuddled a lot earlier, and done other things even earlier than that. He didn't want to push him.

I hope I am doing this right...

He felt a soft chuckle in the back of his mind and glanced up after having evidently glanced down at his hands in his lap.

You are acting very mature and I appreciate it, my little bear.

Marsh tilted his head, proud but confused. He certainly wasn't a little bear. Walker's small smile widened before he turned away to drop down beside his brother, though, so he bit back his curiosity. He honestly didn't mind being called anything as long as it was his Walker saying it.

"Another kid? Is he really serious about that? It's a huge responsibility, and for it to be his ex wife's? I don't think I'd be able to do it," Walker said.

The horse has another child?

He hadn't really been paying attention, but now his curiosity was piqued.

"That's how I felt at first. That he wasn't his responsibility, but man... Nia had a connection with him immediately. She can't speak, but boy did she talk to him the entire time they were together."

Marsh frowned at that. The horse somehow came across a child that was not his, but was related to his own through his mate that had left. Then those two children formed a bond...

"He can't split them up," he said abruptly, surprising even himself.

Both brother's had their eyes on him immediately, clearly surprised by his words, too. He hunched a little and looked down at his hands twisting their fingers in his lap.

"I just wouldn't ever want someone to take Walker away from me. He's the only person I've ever had a bond with, and even if we don't end up as mates, I still want to stay by his side..."

Walker hopped up as a timer he'd set earlier chimed at that moment, but he made sure to stop in front of him and lean over for a quick kiss to the top of Marsh's hair before hurrying to the kitchen with a red tint to his cheeks.

"That's honestly what he thought, too. Bonds are not common and even amongst family, you aren't guaranteed a connection with anyone," Ranger said as he tilted his head on the couch so that he could see them both. "And honestly, the guy's heart is so damn soft. He wouldn't have turned that boy away for anything."

Walker pulled the bass out of the oven, making Marsh's eyes glue to the tray as he then moved to stir the veggies as he responded.

"And you're beyond smitten with Heian... and I can even feel your growing love for both of those kids," he said with a raised-eyebrow glance over his shoulder.

He heard Ranger groan and flop over on the couch, but didn't bother looking at the man. His man was in the kitchen wearing a little apron with cartoon bears on it, cooking him his favorite foods. There was no reason to look anywhere else.

It was actually even better than that because he'd gone and caught the fish a few miles north earlier. He'd come back soaking and freezing, but he'd caught his husband dinner. It made him feel like he really could be worth something in this strange human world. He could provide for his human.

Yes, you can.

That praise made Marsh's lips curve into a toothy smile.

"Hey Marsh? How has your eyesight been?" he asked out loud as he plated up four pieces fish, then added a good scoop of vegetables to a plate before bringing it over to him with a fork.

Marsh took the food gratefully but set it on the table as Walker returned to the kitchen.

"I can see some. It's a little hard sometimes, and at night both eyes aren't that great," he said, making Walker nod as he carried over a plate of food to his brother.

He dramatically accepted it, refusing to actually sit up as he took the plate and set it on his chest.

Marsh watched as Walker returned to the kitchen and made himself a plate with the remaining two pieces before bringing it over to the spot beside where he sat. He returned one more time and filled three cups with water. After delivering his brother's, he set the last two on the table and sat down.

"How would you like to go to the optometrist tomorrow?" Walker asked, making Marsh frown.

"That's a big word," he said, not sure what it had to do with him.

Walker chuckled, his eyes squinting adorably.

"It's a doctor that can possibly help you see better."

I can just magically see better?

Walker took a sip of his water before continuing.

"You've seen me with my glasses, right?" he asked, getting a nod from Marsh.

Oh, right. Glasses help humans see better.

"Can my bear wear them?" he asked, his delicious-smelling dinner forgotten as he focused on their conversation. He didn't want to seem rude by eating when his Walker was having an important talk with him.

Walker hesitated in his response, but then chuckled.

"I'm sure we can figure something out for him," he said.

Thinking it over for a few moments, Marsh shrugged one shoulder and nodded.

"If you think I should go talk to the long-word doctor, I will go."

Walker gave a quiet chuckle.

"Then it's settled. We'll go see them tomorrow."

He then turned and began working on his plate of food.

Since he figured that the discussion was now over, Marsh turned in his chair and slowly began eating his dinner. His bear, of course, wanted to just inhale the entire plate, but he'd been working hard to seem a little more human. Of course, he knew that Walker didn't like him just because he did or didn't act a certain way, but when his husband left the house, as all humans did eventually, he wanted him to be more comfortable offering to bring him.

Like the eye doctor. He doubted that he'd have been asked to go to such a place the first few weeks he'd been living with him. Yet now, he was able to control himself a lot better, though it took quite a bit of effort still. That effort, however, had clearly paid off. Walker had asked him to go somewhere with him that humans normally go. He trusted him enough to behave around others besides during simple trips to the grocery store.

"What's got you so excited, Marsh? I can feel you practically wiggling at the edge of my mind," Walker said with an intrigued look that made Marsh slightly embarrassed, but more than that, proud. Their bond was also developing well.

"I am happy Walker found me and brought me home."

Walker hesitated on cutting another piece of fish to eat.

"I'm glad that I brought you home, too," he said before cutting up a big piece of fish and after getting it onto his fork, offering it to Marsh.

"I never intended to meet my significant other deep in the woods trying to prey upon my ex-friends, but now that I have you, I hope that you are always happy and comfortable here."

Marsh happily took the proffered bite of food, then chewed and swallowed quickly. He was then about to say something in response when they both looked toward the couch at the sound of an extended, overly-dramatic groan from Ranger.

"I would say get a room, but I know you two are already sharing one."

Turning, Marsh noticed that Walker's face was turning red from embarrassment. He wanted to growl at the man's brother for making him feel awkward, but he was beginning to understand that brothers sometimes messed with each other like that. Of course, in this household it was mostly Ranger picking on Walker, but his husband had gotten him back quite a few times.

"He's right. Let's go have dinner in our room," he eventually said as he stood and picked up his plate and drink.

He could sense Walker's nervousness grow slightly and quickly moved to tamp it down.

"I want to watch that new movie that just came out. The one you said would be pretty cool."

That caught his husband's attention immediately, bringing him to his feet as he grabbed his plate and cup.

"You're right, I've really been wanting to see that. Thanks for reminding me," he said, his nerves completely vanquished by the excitement of finally finding some time to watch the movie he'd wanted to see.

They ignored Ranger's quiet chuckling as they both headed upstairs. Marsh got to the top a few seconds faster, but Walker hurried to catch up. They stepped inside their room almost at the same time, then quickly but carefully got into bed with their plates after setting their drinks on the nightstand.

Once they were settled, with Marsh tucked beneath Walker's arm and their plates both on their laps, they got the show started up.

"If you have any questions about seeing the doctor tomorrow, don't hesitate to ask. I want you to feel comfortable," Walker said as the movie began to play.

Marsh snuggled in, not too interested in what was on the screen, but allowing it to take most of his focus since he knew that it was important to his human.

"I will ask if anything worries me," he responded, earning a one-armed hug closer against Walker's side.

"Good, I—"

"Hey bro, get your butt down here!"

Marsh blinked and sat up as Walker slowly slid out of bed, confused about what his brother could suddenly want with him. They both left their plates on the nightstand before heading back downstairs.

"What's wrong?" Walker asked as he went over to where his brother was looking out of one of the windows leading toward the barn.

When they stopped to see what was going on, Marsh felt his eyes widen slightly. Before them stood a small black bear that was more skin and bones than fat and fur. It was trying to catch one of their chickens, but was clearly having no luck.

He recognized it, though.

"That's Nokosi. He's a shifter that prefers his animal form, like me, but he was never very good at hunting. I shared a kill with him once in a while if I didn't need what remained, but I suppose with me gone and after the harsh winter, he'd had to wander to find things to eat."

Ranger glanced toward Marsh, raising an eyebrow.

"He's a shifter? He doesn't look that old..."

Marsh shrugged, not one to really focus on numbers.

"If I had to guess, he's probably around twelve now."

Walker turned, his face turning as white as his brother's was as they both replied with shocked horror.

"He's only twelve?"