Even though I meant to make him feel better, I knew as soon as the words came out of my mouth that I made him feel worse. I groaned inwardly. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. Just… it’s my treat, okay?”
Liam nodded. He turned the shirt he was holding towards me with a slight grin. “What about this one?”
Printed on the blue fabric was the white design of a roaring grizzly bear. Liam’s eyes sparkled with mischief and I couldn't help but chuckle.
“Subtle,” I said.
“It’s cute, right?” He turned it around and looked at it again. He clearly liked it a lot.
“Let’s see if it actually fits you,” I said, taking the shirt and holding it up to his shoulders. It looked like a good fit. “Alright. Put it in the basket.”
Liam eventually took the lead, wandering around on his own on the hunt for new clothes. The basket was soon full of a few shirts, but no pants or underwear.
“You’re gonna need something to cover your butt,” I said.
Liam whipped around, blushing until he understood what I meant. “Oh.”
I gestured to the back wall. “Jeans are over there.”
Liam tilted his head back and stared up at the towering array of jeans. There was an impressive selection of styles and colors, but I worried Liam wouldn’t know where to start.
“Do you like blue or black?” I asked.
He was still staring at the wall. “Huh?”
I sighed. “Blue jeans or black jeans?”
“Um… black is fine.”
As he gazed, dumbfounded by the selection, I started searching out any pairs of black jeans that caught my eye. But as I reached for one, I realized I didn’t know Liam’s size, and I didn’t want to just eyeball it. Especially at these prices.
“Liam, do you know your pant size?” I asked.
He wracked his mind for an answer but ended up shrugging.
I sighed. “Come here.”
I grabbed two different sized jeans off the shelves. They differed slightly enough that I could get an average between their sizes for what fit Liam better. He stood in front of me now, and I stretched out the waistband taut against his hips. He made a small sound in the back of his throat.
“How’s this?” I asked.
“Good,” he muttered.
I couldn’t guess the length because his oversized pants were obscuring my view. I grunted and pressed the jeans to his waist with one hand, then compared the leg lengths.
“It’s a bit long,” I muttered to myself. I switched the pairs of jeans, pinning the new pair to Liam’s waist again. He jumped slightly as I brushed his bare skin by accident while trying to line up the waistbands. I tried to ignore the warmth radiating from his body.
“This one looks better,” I said. Standing, I held it to him. “But you should try it on, just to be sure.”
Liam’s cheeks were tinged pink. He took the jeans without making eye contact with me. “Okay.”
I was about to lead him to the dressing room, but thankfully he seemed to recognize one on his own. Maybe he had lived in a human society before but was just a little disoriented.
“I’ll wait for you out here,” I grunted, leaning against the wall.
Liam nodded and went inside the empty room.
Then he started stripping with the door wide open.
