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The night was cold.
The cardboard box above their heads was propped up by one of its flaps. Grizz could see the light from the street lamps from where he lay, face squished against the hard ground. Only a thin blanket defended his fur from the harsh ground. From beneath the box, he watched leaves tremble as they skirted along the pavement, lifted by the drafts of wind.
A freezing draft sent shivers down Grizz's spine. He put an arm around his harmonica, which lay beside him. He was small, but his harmonica was smaller. He couldn't remember when he'd first gotten it, but he was glad he did. Their lives depended on it.
Grizz sat up, his ears brushing the top of the box. Panda lay close beside him, curled in a fetal position. Nearly pressed against the back of the box, Ice Bear rested on Panda's back, fast asleep.
Grizz was young, but he knew this wasn't the life they'd live forever. He wished he could give his brothers more. He would give them all he had, but he had close to nothing. It was hard to believe that they depended on him. But he was happy to. It gave him a sense of responsibility—something to hold on to.
Knowing he was in charge, and they wouldn't leave.
He lay down again on his back, holding his harmonica on his stomach. The cold steel sent goosebumps over his furry skin.
Panda mumbled something before turning to his side to face Grizz, causing Ice Bear to slide down onto the ground. A soft growl emanated from Ice Bear's throat, fading as quickly as it came.
Grizz watched Panda breathe, slowly, and the drafts came again. He shivered. Would Ice Bear mind sleeping on the outside tomorrow night?
"Grizz," Ice Bear's voice said.
Grizz almost shot up with surprise. "Yeah?"
"Let Ice Bear sleep there. It is cold. Ice Bear enjoys the cold."
Grizz sat up again, Ice Bear's white silhouette now looking dazedly at him.
He smiled and gave a yawn. "Sure, Ice."
The two bears crawled and switched positions. Immediately, Grizz felt warmth envelop him as he settled down on Panda's other side. He sighed.
"Thanks, Ice."
There was silence.
Grizz closed his eyes and began to dream.
-----
Panda awoke the next morning to find the space before him empty.
He sat straight up, his head colliding with the cardboard box and causing it to fall down over him. "Grizz!? Where are you?"
"Pan-pan, I'm here," Grizz's voice was unhurried as he pushed the box off the both of them, early morning sunlight falling fast and hard onto their fur. Panda turned around, raising a paw to shade his eyes, and locked gazes with his brother who was just getting up off the ground. He heaved a sigh of relief.
"Then...where's—"
"Here," Ice appeared before them, holding two packs of chips, a bag of animal crackers and what appeared to be a large soda. He dropped them on the ground and sat down. "Ice Bear has breakfast."
"Sweet!" Grizz's grin took up half his face as he reached for a bag of chips. Ice Bear swiped at it with his claws and passed the bag to him before taking a sip of the drink.
Panda picked up the animal crackers. "Animal crackers...aren't made of animals, right?"
"Of course not, silly," Grizz said, taking a few of the crackers himself. Crackers burst from the opening of the bag.
"Grizz," Panda whined, picking up the fallen crackers and putting them into his mouth. The salted butter taste flowed like milk over his tastebuds.
"Sorry," Grizz mumbled, his mouth full of chips and soda. "Ice, you should take some."
"Ice Bear has something better," the polar bear replied, his mouth curling into the tiniest of smiles. He stood up and disappeared around the bend again.
Grizz and Panda finished the animal crackers and left half the chips for Ice, who came back dragging a cordless mini fridge.
The cubs' eyes went wide. "Whoa," Grizz gasped.
Ice Bear looked smug. "Ice Bear will use it to sleep in. But Ice Bear allows family to sleep in it too."
"I-I think we'll pass," Panda smiled. "But this is great! We can put all kinds of food in there, right?"
Ice Bear narrowed his eyes, causing Panda's heart to skip a beat. "Never mind."
"The door has like...shelves," Grizz said, examining the interior. The mini fridge was just taller than Ice Bear, and looked heavy and durable. "We can put food in there."
Ice Bear nodded. "Yes. But the rest is for Ice Bear."
"Can do,"
"Well, I think we'd better get started with today's performance," Grizz said, picking up his harmonica from under the blanket. "Money isn't gonna earn itself. You guys ready?"
The two younger bears nodded in unison.
"Ready."