"So, it's usually not a good thing when you come around with milkshakes," Creek said and pulled their leg up under them. I had tracked him down to River's place and I needed to have a chat with them. Sometimes it felt like Creek was the only one who could understand me and listen to me without judgement.

"You were hard to find this time, so no complaining about it having melted a bit," I said and pulled out the paper straw to replace it with a metal one. I didn't like how the paper ones got all soggy.

"Might've been hiding away here for a bit," Creek muttered and put his metal straw through the lid of the cup. "I like it here. Not as crowded as home."

I glanced around the flat. I didn't really see the appeal, but in fairness I had a whole house. River's flat was one big room where the bed was almost right next to the kitchen, with some room dividers set up for some kind of privacy feeling. The only thing that had its own room was the bathroom, thank god.

"You know you're always welcome at mine and Abel's too, right?"

"I know, but I also know things are little hard for you guys right now. With your leg and all."

I nodded a bit. "That's true."

"Is it any better?"

"It's up and down to be honest. Some days it's bearable, other days it's all I can think about. So it's at least not that bad all the time."

Creek nodded a bit. "That's progress. You also seem lighter."

"I feel lighter. Somewhat. I don't know. Abel's been talking about how I'm not human anymore and like, I knew that, but I've also not thought much about it. I keep kind of forcibly forgetting about it."

"I have noticed that, yeah," Creek said.

"It's weird. You can say it's weird."

"I don't think it's weird. Also because now when I'm hanging out so much with River, I'm understanding it a lot more. You both had totally separate lives from us before you were bitten. The way you've grown up, the very foundation of your personalities, it's all rooted in the human world. The human way of thinking. You didn't even know we existed before not so long ago. River has had a little more time here than you, but we were literally the ones to introduce you to this world. And I think we tend to forget that too. This isn't exactly easy for anyone. Especially not you." They took a sip of their milkshake and looked back at the bed. River hadn't made it. He was at work now and Creek didn't have any classes, so they just hung out here, waiting for River to return at some point. His laptop was on the bed, open and ready to be worked on. The little picture into River and Creek's life together was nice. There were two plates and cups by the sink in the kitchen, showing they had eaten breakfast together this morning.

"I think your position is very in between. You're not fully human and you're not fully supernatural either. And no one can truly understand what that's like unless they're in the same position."

"No yeah, I agree. I try to explain it to Abel, and he gets it somewhat, but I also don't think I'm fully getting that I'm not fully human. So, it's hard for us both to fully grasp, whenever we talk about it." I twirled the straw around the cup a bit before continuing. "It's not like we're fighting about it or anything. It's just a discussion we can't seem to reach any kind of common grounds on. Maybe because fundamentally, we don't understand the other's position."

Creek bopped their head from side to side, grimacing a little. "Also, because your boyfriend is so nice, he doesn't think of werewolves as anything outside of the community. Like a lot of other people do."

I snorted. "Yeah, he's super adamant about that. Which isn't a bad thing."

"Not a bad thing at all, no," Creek said and chuckled. "But it also ignores the wolf in the room."

"The wolf, really?" I asked and laughed.

"Listen, when it's so easy, I gotta do it," he laughed, leaning back in his chair.

I rolled my eyes at him in response. And then we sat in silence for a while, drinking our milkshakes.

"We need to put booze in these at some point," Creek said after a while.

I snorted at that and nodded.

"I'm sure River has some hidden away." Creek rose to their feet and went on a hunt in all the cabinets, coming back victorious with some rum. We almost giggled like a pair of little girls, especially when River stepped in, the second Creek had gotten the lid off and was pouring rum into our milkshakes.

"Uh, hi," River said, sending Creek a look.

"Hi honey," Creek said with a cracking voice.

"I see you found some snacks, I had hidden," River said and walked into the room. He stopped by Creek, bent down and kissed their cheek. It was so weird to see River like this. Loving. Domestic. Like a proper boyfriend. I never thought twice about Creek being a good partner. They were already such a loveable person, and they really deserved all that was good in the world.

"Hide it better if you don't want banshees in your booze," Creek chuckled, sounding very silly. More silly than he ever had before.

River rolled his eyes and dropped down on the bed, pulling out his phone.

"Good day at the garage?" Creek asked, sending me a cheeky look.

"Yeah, not too bad. Your dad's car is ready, so you can tell him that," River said, looking up from his phone. "And you're just sitting here, drinking at three in the afternoon on a Wednesday?" He pointed an accusing finger at us.

"Well, I'm on sick leave still, so every day is the weekend," I said and shrugged.

"I don't have any classes this week. It's reading week," Creek chimed in.

"Well, aren't you two just the luckiest pair in town," River muttered and picked his phone back up.

"You can have a bit of my boozy milkshake, if you want?"

It was like those were the magic words. River jumped out of the bed and joined us at the small table, pulling a stool over, since he only had two proper dining room chairs. And those were both occupied by me and Creek. It was kind of cute how it seemed like he didn't wanna impose. Especially considering when he went to my house, he acted like he was home.

"What are we talking about?" he asked, taking a sip from Creek's milkshake.

"Secret artist things," Creek said all smugly and snatched the milkshake back.

"It's always secret artist things with you," the white wolf groaned rather dramatically. "I bet it's actually Gael bitching about something and you being all supportive and shit."

"Well, first of all, I don't bitch," I said and frowned at him. "And second, it was totally secret artist things."

"All I hear is bitch, bitch, bitch right now." River looked ridiculous as he tried to pretend to be me.

"Stop talking then," I shot back.

River full on laughed and gave me the middle finger.

"You two really are brothers," Creek muttered, their cheek leaning against their knuckles.

"I'm way prettier though." River shot me his best toothpaste smile.

My phone vibrated and I struggled to get it out of my pocket. Dumbass skinny jeans and dumbass leg that was now asleep. I finally managed to get it out and dread immediately filled my body.

"It's Dres," I said and looked up at River.

"What does it say?" Creek asked and leaned over the table, trying to have a look at my phone.

'Hey asshole, I'm sending someone for you Thursday night at two in the morning in the town square.' I read it aloud for them and frowned at my phone.

"He's fucking crazy," River spat and grabbed the phone out of my hand reading the message for himself. He showed it to Creek too and Creek grimaced.

"That's a trap if I've ever seen one." Creek handed me my phone back.

"I agree. But... I'm not gonna show up alone either." I blinked and turned my gaze to River.

"Fuck no, you're not. I'm going with you. And so is Tasha and Samuel. So is everyone, I reckon." He looked to Creek and Creek nodded.

"Yeah, this is not something you're gonna do alone."

I smiled a bit at that.