Everything in him was screaming to run, but the only way out of the room was through the door that Fen was currently blocking. 

Huh?

The man slowly stepped to the side, then sat down in one of the little folding chairs against the wall. There was now plenty of room to run out the door, but the urge to do so had subsided enough for Pyre to calm himself with a few deep breaths. He wasn't afraid of Fen at all, but having an exit always available was an important part of not getting attacked by his father. 

It definitely helped that the guy wasn't his father's age, too. He was probably around twenty two or so, but numbers weren't really a thing that Pyre cared about. 

"What's your name?" Fen asked, snapping Pyre out of his thoughts. 

He wanted to ask why it mattered, but he knew why. If a guy dressed like that was at a homeless shelter, they either made a huge donation and had just come to look around, or they were from the government and checking in on the people using the facility. 

Considering the guy had his own butler to come pick him up at random, he had a hunch that it was the first option. He was honestly about to respond when he bit his tongue. If the guy was from the government as well, he might think he was a run away, which was true... but that also meant that he might try to return him to his father. Of course, he was nineteen and a legal adult, but just hearing someone tell him that he really should go back and talk to his father would probably start a fight. 

"Sparky," he grumbled as he shoved his hands into his new pant's pockets and walked out the door. 

He could hear the man's polished shoes behind him a few moments later, but since he was keeping a reasonable distance, he didn't try to run... yet. 

"My name seems to be Snaky," Fen replied after about a block. 

Damn that voice. 

It hadn't seemed to mess with him when Fen had been talking to Ann, but now that he was the focus of the man's words? 

Fuck, I'm out before I do something stupid. 

He began running at that point, actually managing a decent pace since he'd eaten a good meal earlier. When he finally stopped after about three blocks and turned around, he wasn't surprised to see that Fen hadn't moved an inch. He couldn't see is expression from so far away, but he doubted that he was happy about being run from a second time. 

"Well, at least now he knows I'm a run away, literally," Pyre joked as he turned back around... and promptly tripped over something. 

A metallic tang touched his tongue as he slowly pushed himself up, spitting a bit of blood on the sidewalk from his new split lip. 

"Are you alright?" 

A soft cloth was suddenly placed against his lip, making him hiss as it stung for a moment due to the added pressure. 

Pyre took a minute to calm his racing heart and take note of who was now in front of him before he decided to lift his eyes to meet Fen's. He got a smile out of the man in return, but he didn't feel like smiling... partially because of his lip, but also because he just didn't want to. 

He did, however, want to do something else. 

"Why didn't you talk after you had shifted back to your human form before?" 

It was a valid question, albeit a bit random. 

When the guy didn't respond immediately, Pyre narrowed his eyes. 

"His snake sometimes makes him mute. Especially if he's cold," came a voice from behind the other man. 

Why do I recognize that voice? Why do I wish I didn't?

His eyes found a pair of bare feet that slowly, ever so slowly, led up to a pair of dark blue cargo shorts and a white sweater. 

Oh man. Of all the people. 

The guy's appearance at least answered one of the questions he'd wanted to ask. 

The chubby cat that had tripped me... Gin. 

The guy had graduated two years ahead of him. He'd always been a large kid, though as an adult his body had evened out nicely. 

"It's nice to see you again, Sparky," Gin said as he leaned over and easily helped Pyre to his feet. 

As soon as he was up he shrugged off the guy's hand and stepped back, scowling. His heart, which he'd finally managed to calm after falling, was jumping around like a sugar-crazed five year old. Gin had always done that to him. 

While most of the student body made fun of the guy for being a fat kid, Pyre had taken one look at him and had just fucking fallen, hard. Gin had been the only person he'd even bottomed for... but after their first  time together, the guy had switched schools and since neither of them had had phones at the time, they hadn't bothered exchanging information. 

"You know him, Gin?" Fen asked, snapping Pyre out of his thoughts. 

He quickly took a few more steps backward, intent on getting the hell out of his current situation, but when Gin nodded to his friend, then reached forward, holding out his phone, Pyre hesitated. 

"It's not turned on," he mumbled about his own phone. 

His father had never helped him pay for it to begin with, and after he'd finished the temporary work he'd been doing at a construction site on the other side of town, the money had dried up. 

Gin slowly withdrew his device and slid it into his back pocket with a nervous frown. 

"How have you been, Sparky?" he asked instead, using the nickname he'd given him when they'd first met. 

He'd been getting bullied and Pyre had stepped in and tried to beat the shit out of the kids bothering him, but he'd been a bit too small at the time and while he'd done some good damage, the older group of kids had eventually overwhelmed him. 

They had spent the hour after the fight in a dark classroom tending to his injuries. He'd tried to brush Gin off beforehand, but the guy had been persistent in wanting to help since the kids had been bullying him to begin with. It hadn't been worth trying to argue with him. Besides, he had kept a first aid kit in his backpack because of the bullying and had been quite helpful taking care of his injuries. 

His mind returned to the question he had been asked, but what exactly could he answer? Good? Great? Horrifically bad? He thought about it for quite a long time before finally feeling his injured lips tilt upward. 

"Pretty damn good, actually," he said, meaning it. 

He was finally free of his father and could pretty much do whatever he wanted until he was tired of existing. The date was definitely subject to change, but he was still pretty content that he would be good to go in two years or so. 

"We can help you get your phone back on for free, if you'd like?" Gin said with a warm smile that just melted Pyre's twisted heart. 

Don't go there again. 

He wasn't even sure where there was, but considering that Gin had gotten him on his back, legs spread and begging, after only having known him for a week a few years ago... 

Nope. Step away from the candy. 

"Thanks, but I'm good. No need for it now, anyways," he said, turning to start his awkward walk away. 

He heard someone try to follow him, but the footsteps stopped after a few moments, making him finish walking to the end of that block before turning, just wanting one more glimpse of his old crush. 

The guy had followed him about halfway, with Fen just a few feet behind him. He looked like he wanted to yell something to him, but instead, he turned to Fen and gently took his hand to tug him forward. 

Pyre waited, curious to hear what he was going to say. It took him a minute, but eventually Fen spoke just loud enough for him to hear. 

"You are welcome at my home if you find yourself in need of a safe place to rest. I have already spoken with the door guard and he has, and will, profusely apologize for being so rude to you." 

Well, no thanks, but at least you put him in his place. 

Instead of bothering with words, Pyre glanced up at the darkening sky, then back to the two men. He had no intention of getting stuck in the rain, but he also wasn't interested in going back to the shelter, and definitely not to Fen's home, so he had to make some tracks to get himself a spot somewhere else. 

Shrugging one should as his final response, Pyre turned and left. His feet knew where they needed to go, but he felt his heart thrum uncomfortably in his chest, wanting him to turn around so that he could finally feel Gin's arms around him again like they had been for that one short moment two years ago.