Travis worked diligently on Jonas' hair, giving him a cleaner style from before that he could still tie back if needed. He felt more put together, which was a novel experience.

Jonas ran his hand through it. "Feels nice."

Hugh jumped in front of him, holding his chin to inspect the cut. "Looks sick. You have your ears pierced?" His eyes noticed the small holes in Jonas' ear.

When Jonas nodded, Hugh took his hand and led him back to their room. He opened one of the drawers of his dresser and pulled out an earring. It was a long chain similar to the one Hugh was wearing.

"I only have one side peirce, so these have never been worn," Hugh explained, his hands brushing Jonas' ear, waiting for his permission.

Jonas wanted to pull back because Hugh's touch was like electricity. However, he fought the urge and leaned into the touch. Hugh looped the earring into Jonas' ear, brushing his fingers on the shell of his ear and down his neck.

Jonas felt his cheeks flush but kept eye contact with Hugh.

Jonas ran his hand against the chain now hanging from his ear. "Gifting me jewelry now?"

Hugh winked. "Anything for you, sweetheart."

Jonas chuckled lightly, drawing a warm smile from Hugh. They lay in the quiet of their shared room, the hum of their laughter still lingering in the air. The comfortable closeness between them was a new sensation for Jonas, one that was surprisingly soothing.

As the evening wore on, their conversation drifted into silence, replaced by the gentle sounds of the dormitory settling down for the night. The soft glow of the lamp cast a warm light over the room, and Hugh's steady breathing beside him was a comforting rhythm.

Later, while lying in bed with his arms behind his head, Jonas contemplated his new situation. The laughter and camaraderie of the evening felt like a distant echo as he mulled over the unfamiliarity of his surroundings and the new connections he was beginning to form.

"Are you asleep?" Hugh asked from across the room. His position mirrored Jonas'.

"Yup."

Hugh huffed laughter. "I gotta know... How did Jonas Spencer become the Wolf of St. Vincent's?"

Jonas sucked in a breath of cold air and clenched his jaw, the tension in his body palpable. Sensing the shift, Hugh exhaled softly and reassured him, "I don't know what happened in the past. I'm just curious. It doesn't change my feelings for you, sweetheart."

Jonas' lips curved into a faint chuckle at the endearing term. The warmth in Hugh's voice and the genuine concern in his eyes began to dissolve the walls Jonas had built up. He realized that, despite his usual reserve, Hugh made him feel at ease. More of himself began to slip out as if the comfort in Hugh's presence was slowly unraveling the guarded parts of him.

"How did you figure it out?"

Hugh shrugged. "I may have overheard some teachers."

Jonas sighed. "They're scared of me. Most people are once they realize who I am."

Hugh laughed. "I'm not. I don't see anything scary about you."

"You're not exactly the most normal person."

Hugh grinned under the low light of the lamp. "Mad Dog and the Wolf. I quite like the sound of that. If St. Vincent's knew we were rooming together, they would shit a brick."

Jonas ran his hand through his hair. "They definitely would. I didn't pay much attention to Hawkings last year for obvious reasons, but I know you terrorized them as much as I did."

Hugh chuckled. "I only gave them a little of what they deserved. I still feel it's not enough. Especially now."

"Now?"

Hugh turned to face Jonas. "You mentioned earlier that the story at lunch was bullshit and didn't cover everything. What did that place do to turn you into the Wolf?"

"You're not letting this go," Jonas sighed.

"You can trust me, but I won't force you," Hugh said softly. At that moment, looking into his pure green eyes, Jonas knew he could confide in him.

"My anger got the best of me. Last year, I nearly killed another kid. They said he was lucky to be alive, and I was fortunate not to face charges of attempted murder. Shit like that changes you—and how people see you."

Hugh was quiet for a while. "I don't think you're a person who just snaps. Something made you angry."

Hugh climbed out of his bed and sauntered over to Jonas, his joggers hanging low on his hips. He nudged Jonas with a grin. Jonas raised an eyebrow but moved over and lifted the covers so Hugh could join him.

Jonas chuckled. "Seriously?"

Hugh shrugged. "I'm a cuddler," he said as he snuggled up to Jonas and rested his head on Jonas' chest.

Jonas laughed a little. "You're a leech." But he couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. Hugh's warmth and the comfort of his presence were undeniable. The familiar electricity between them was soothing, and as he relaxed, his arm naturally draped over Hugh's back.

"So... are you going to tell me?"

"So you are a nosy leech..." Jonas grumbled. After a moment of hesitation, he relented. "I went to a big party where everyone but Hawkings was invited. I caught one guy doing something... unforgivable. I was lucky that I was able to stop him that night, but that rich bastard would never be held accountable for his own actions. He would get away with it. Knowing this, I lost control the next time I saw him. Before I knew it, I was getting pulled off of him and was detained." His voice turned to resignation over his violence.

Hugh tightened his arms around Jonas' waist. "Sounds like that guy deserved it."

"I still stand by what I did. Hell. I would do it again in a heartbeat," Jonas said. "Does that frighten you?"

Hugh chuckled. "Were those assholes frightened?"

Jonas sighed heavily, remembering that one fight. In fact, it shouldn't have been considered a fight because it was so one-sided. He was so consumed with rage when hitting that guy, Michael. He only stopped when security guards intervened and pulled him away. Yet even as his knuckles throbbed with pain, his rage remained unsatisfied.

The guards labeled him a "feral wolf," coining the nickname that would follow him. As Jonas glanced up, ready to confront them, he saw something new in their eyes—unbridled fear. Scanning his surroundings, he realized that every face around him mirrored that same terror.

Jonas felt a hand on his cheek, breaking him from his thoughts. "Your mind went somewhere else just now," Hugh said quietly.

Jonas sighed again and looked into the comforting green eyes. "It wasn't my finest moment, but yeah, they were frightened."

Hugh's fingers brushed Jonas' jawline, making Jonas shiver a little. "You may have guessed it, but I love a good fight. Always have. Love it almost as much as I love music. Did you know that I took this King title as a Freshman?"

"What? Seriously?"

Hugh grinned, his pride evident. "Challenged the first King I saw and almost got my ass handed to me. I won, somehow. But then everyone thought I was an easy target. I fought nonstop the first three months of school until everyone realized I was a mean sonuvabitch. Sophomore year was the same. Constant fights for months. I admit, it hurt like hell to beat people up with bruised knuckles."

Jonas laughed. "Yeah, I had the displeasure of learning that pain."

Hugh wrapped his arm tighter around Jonas' waist. "I can't pretend the shit I endured is equivalent to yours, but I've seen violence. I understand violence. That is the beauty of being a King, I suppose. We don't scare easy."

They remained in this close embrace for a while, with Jonas unconsciously rubbing gentle circles on Hugh's back. Hugh let out a soft hum of satisfaction, and the sound made Jonas feel a warm sense of contentment.

"I have another question," Hugh said. "I know I said you could have fallen to get that scar on the back of your head, but you could also receive it by someone attacking you from behind—probably with something more dangerous than fists. Which was it?"

Jonas sighed. "I didn't fall."

Hugh trembled with anger, his voice barely controlled. "They ambushed you at the end of the school year, didn't they?"

Jonas' silence answered the question more clearly than words ever could.

Hugh released a long breath, trying to calm his anger and rapid heartbeat. "Alright. Another question. Why didn't you update your social media after that one post?"

Jonas' chuckle became a genuine laugh, making Hugh sit up suddenly and look down at Jonas with surprise. "Damn, sweetheart. You need to stop hiding those laughs from me."

Jonas started to rub Hugh's back again, letting the feeling of holding someone like this sink in. He enjoyed it more than before, even more than with Emilia. His mind told him it was too fast to feel at ease like this with another person, but everything else inside of him told him to accept it. And he did. This was right.

Hugh was deep in thought, reflecting on his own feelings. Though he had always been reserved with friends, he felt something different with Jonas. Hugh, usually not one to seek physical contact, found himself yearning to stay close to Jonas. He had braced himself for Jonas to set boundaries or push him away, but instead, Jonas had welcomed his presence with open arms.

"I didn't really think that post through," Jonas finally answered. "I was angry and rash, so I just did it. I never felt the urge to do it again."

"You should totally post something. Something outrageous like 'Woof woof, bitches,'" Hugh joked.

"Woof woof, bitches? Seriously?" Jonas said with a laugh. Jonas reached out and grabbed his phone, which was lying behind Hugh. He opened it and started downloading the right app, his arm still holding onto Hugh the whole time.

He signed in with his credentials and cursed. The notification bell showed 999+ notifications. "It's only been a few months."

Jonas held the phone where both he and Hugh could see it, scrolling through the flood of notifications. While most were new follower alerts, the screen was also filled with many posts tagging him in various updates.

News reports about muggings

Dog attacks

Murders

He looked at his profile, which displayed one simple post.

"Damn, you got more followers," Hugh said when he saw the profile.

Jonas chuckled as he typed out a new post.

Woof Woof, bitches

Jonas and Hugh burst into uncontrollable laughter, their amusement palpable as they watched the notifications flood in. But it was quickly subdued by the relentless beeping of Jonas' phone. The post was being shared and reposted rapidly, and his follower count skyrocketed in mere minutes. The frenzy of activity left them momentarily speechless, caught off guard by the unexpected surge in popularity.

"Holy shit," Jonas whispered.

A scream ricocheted in their dorm. "HE POSTED!"

Hugh laughed, "Looks like Travis found your post." As Jonas shifted to place his phone on the desk, Hugh glanced over at the lamp.

He smiled a little. "Your light is interesting. Scared of the dark?"

Hugh was caught off guard when Jonas tensed under him. How could the Wolf, the infamous legend of St. Vincent's, be scared of the dark?

"Didn't you see the books I read?" Jonas said with a strained laugh, his body still tense.

Hugh grabbed onto Jonas' waist and pulled him even closer. "I like it. Mood lighting." He nuzzled Jonas' chest again and started to breathe deeply.

Jonas looked down at the silver-haired man in his arms. He had never been with a man before, only women. But that was because he never felt he could explore his sexuality under the thumb of his father. He liked women, sure, and found some men attractive. But no one made him shiver like Hugh.

Hugh's breathing was getting heavier, but he mumbled, "I would never be scared of you, Jo."

Jonas let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and closed his eyes. "Thank you."