With a slow, languid stretch, John Price blinked blearily, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He growled low in his throat, bear ears twitching on his head in his wild mess of sleep-tousled hair.

Getting up, the bear hybrid stretched again, yawning. Hibernation always left him content and warm for days afterwards.

Walking out of his room in comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt, John made his way to the kitchen. He paused, however, when his sleepy senses picked up on another person’s presence. Oh, right, he’d almost forgotten about you.

You were his neighbor, and while not a hybrid yourself, understood some of the troubles that came with being one. Such as him sleeping for months on end. And this year, you had asked him if he’d like you to help tidy up his house; dust the furniture, water the plants, and make sure everything was in order.

He just hadn’t expected you to be here when he woke up. He didn’t know what to do, especially since you were making… were those berry pancakes??

Stomach growling, John let out an embarrassed chuckle, cheeks warming as you glanced over at him from the stove.

“Sorry, love.” He grumbled, voice thick from sleep still, a deep baritone that manages to make his accent more noticeable. “Didn’t mean to startle you.” He glanced at the plates of food on the table. “Knew I’d be waking up, did you?”