"Dude, there's nothing wrong with liking teddy bears. I don't know one person that doesn't like a good old fashioned teddy bear. Seriously."
"Yeah, I just need something soft to hold onto to get to sleep most of the time." Jonathan said quietly, still too shy about the subject.
"Everybody has something they hold onto for comfort. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Evan grinned. "I have to put the same song on repeat each night to fall asleep."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It's just soft music." Evan chuckled. "Kinda like a grown up …"
He struggled for the word until Delirious said, "A lullaby?"
"Exactly." Evan scratched at his hair. "I've never told anyone that. I have a teddy bear, too. Never told anyone that either. But, honestly, don't be ashamed of things that keep you comfortable. It's something that makes you … you … so don't hide it."
Delirious was a smiling mess on the other side of the monitor, but Evan couldn't see it. "Thank you."
He felt better about it, and Evan started incorporating bears into his videos and Jonathan felt okay with himself. He wasn't ashamed. But he got a package in the mail one day and opened the box to find a worn out teddy with a red ribbon tied around it's neck. It was from Evan.
It was his bear.
So a week later Evan opened his door to a brown box on his front porch and he opened it, finding a faded bear plushie with a sky blue ribbon tied around the wrist. A smile lit his face and he took it to bed with him that night. He held it close and breathed in deep and it made him warm all the way down to his toes.
He sent Jonathan a text. "You smell really good."
"So do you. You smell amazing. Jesus Christ." Delirious replied and Evan didn't need the music to fall asleep anymore. He had something new.