Elijah and Teddy emerged from the Historical Society into the cold of the late afternoon air. On the street they walked side by side, arms occasionally bumping as they went. After each time it happened Elijah felt a jolt of wonderful electricity spar through his arm so he began intentionally walking slightly too close to Teddy so that it would happen more often. They were so close they could well have been holding hands, and yet they were still so far away. For Elijah it was moving painfully slow. Usually wolves met and immediately both knew they were mates, he was constantly reminding himself that Teddy was human and very new to everything they were trying to do. He had to rebel against his every instinct and take it slow. 

"Is there anything in particular that you'd like to see?" Teddy asked as they walked, realizing he didn't really have a destination in mind. Out of habit he'd turned in the direction of the church, but if he was going to give Elijah a good tour, he ought to let the man decide where they were going. 

"Doesn't matter," Elijah said.

Teddy eyed the sky for a moment. Years of walking in the forest and getting lost among the trees had taught him to be able to understand a likely estimate of the time based on the position of the sun in the sky. It was to the West but hadn't yet dipped down to touch the horizon, which meant that they were beginning their journey just as the afternoon began to wane and make way for the evening. 

"Town Hall," Teddy said firmly, looking to the sky once more for some type of reassurance. "You should see Town Hall."

Elijah nodded. He had no real interest in seeing some silly human meeting house, but he could barely focus on making longer sentences with his attention so much on not staring at Teddy. All he wanted to do was look at the boy, but humans found that strange and unnerving. He busied himself by looking at the numerous colored buildings and trying to count the paned windows. Elijah would be glad when the day would come that he could marvel at his mate unabashedly.

"Sounds Good," Elijah chocked out, trying to keep his voice steady and deep. Teddy looked at him strangely, but said nothing on the matter. 

They fell back into their silent walk and Elijah's brain ran calculations on all the things he could say that might sound awkward, and whether that was worse than just walking in silence. 

"Do you like working at the Historical Society?" He asked after a moment. It wasn't a super exciting question, but it was at least something to say. Elijah wasn't much of a dater.

"It's a job," Teddy shrugged, eyes following the lone man who walked by on the edge of the pier. The man was an interruption to the otherwise perfectly serene empty stone streets. "I wanted to work at the restaurant--- that's where most of the students here work--- but Fr. Charles wouldn't let me."

"Why not?"

"Cause it's also a pub," Teddy smiled mischievously. "He didn't want me around all those drunk people... but he's there now anyway."

"Does Fr. Charles drink?"

"Oh no!" Teddy exclaimed. "He's never touched the stuff, unless you count church wine, of course. I guess I probably shouldn't have said that... that came off harsher than I meant it to. He just goes to be a part of the community."

"Ah," Elijah sounded. 

"--But I like the Historical society... and it's open until seven on weekdays; I only wanted to work at Terry's because it had later hours so I could work more and still go to school."

"Terry's?"

"The restaurant," Teddy confirmed. 

Elijah paused, before echoing Teddy's earlier question, "Are you in college?"

"High school."

Elijah nodded. There was an air of finality to that question, so he scrambled to think of some other way to keep the conversation going and blurted out, "How old are you?"

"I'm eighteen," Teddy smiled. "Just turned. You?"

"Twenty..." Elijah trailed off. He was struck with the remembrance that his birthday was quickly occurring; about as quickly as he was moving slowly with Teddy. He wished he was smooth. Wished he had some kind of prior experience in the romantic department to help him, but he had nothing. 

Teddy bit his lip timidly as they walked. He found his legs moving slower as they went, something in him equally strong made him long for the conversation not to fizzle out. He found he wanted to keep walking and talking to Elijah, more than he wanted to reach the meeting hall. 

Silence always felt strange to Teddy and he wished Elijah would keep asking him questions. He wanted to know more about Elijah, but didn't want to pry. If Elijah asked the question, Teddy could simply ask the same in reverse and then know he wasn't annoying the boy or asking anything too personal. 

The look on Elijah's face was stoic and hard to read, though he looked somewhere between annoyed and amused. All Teddy could do was hope to push the majority of their time together into the former category.

"If you don't mind me asking... Why did you leave wherever you were so quickly?" Teddy finally asked once the silence was too difficult for him to bear. He instantly knew it was the wrong thing to ask but he was so curious he almost felt as if he needed to know. 

Elijah's brows furrowed together and it was Teddy's turn to flush red with embarrassment once again.

"I'm sorry... I guess I should have realized... you probably didn't want to talk about that, and now I'm being really nosy," Teddy rambled apologetically.

"It's alright for you to ask." Elijah's rough voice called. "Is it also alright that I don't want to tell you?"

"You can share whatever you'd like," Teddy offered. "Only, I hope you don't think I'd judge you. Sometimes I worry people don't tell me things because they think I'll judge them."

"I don't think that." Something about Teddy made Elijah feel like he could tell the boy anything, but sharing somethings would quickly lead to lying which was a dangerous precedent to set in a relationship. 

With Elijah's choice solidified silence fell over them once again as they walked side by side. Teddy, a fast walker in his own right, still had to lengthen his strides to hope to come close to matching Elijah, and his breathing was the only sound shared between them.

"So... if you're here just to get away...." Teddy looked to Elijah who shrugged in moderate agreement. "Then what brings you to Belford specifically?"

"You're asking if I'm here for business or pleasure?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I suppose you could look at it like that."

Elijah thought for a moment then shrugged, "Both." 

"What kind of business?" Teddy wasn't sure if it was the kind of question he had to ask, but it dawned on him that despite how comfortable Elijah made him feel, he didn't really know much about the man. 

There was a glint in Elijah's eye, yet the man said nothing and Teddy let his eyes fall to the floor. He could still feel that Elijah was watching him even without looking.

"Can't answer that one?" Teddy asked, as he played with the hem of his shirt nervously.

"Won't."

Teddy's face twisted in confusion as they continued walking. Elijah had very specifically told him that he did not currently have a job, so what kind of business could he possibly be there for? Was it under the table work? Mob related? Drugs? Teddy's mind went rampant with fearful suggestions.

The two came to a stop in front of the brick building marked the Town Hall. One of the most municipal and boring buildings in town, it was still one of Teddy's favorites. Victorian architecture was echoed elsewhere in the town, but never was it as pronounced as it was on the town hall.

"Here we are," Teddy gestured to the building. The flag on the flagpole seemed to whip in greeting to them as it flapped in the strong wind blowing off the water. The air smelled slightly of salt, but Elijah more distracted by the scent of Teddy which overwhelmed him even outdoors. It was the only thing possible to stop him from thinking about how hungry he was. "Our town hall as it stands now was built in the 1800s, but before that there was an earlier one on this spot..." 

Elijah looked up at the building indifferently as Teddy continued speaking. He wasn't fond of architecture or buildings, but he was glad to listen to Teddy talk about anything that brought the boy joy. Of course, he would have much preferred learning more about Teddy, like why he lived at a church, or why he addressed his father as "Fr. Charles" which seemed stilted and unnatural, but all of that would have to wait.

"... couldn't do that since it was a Catholic Church so they had to build this to serve the other needs." Teddy finished. Elijah's mind had wandered, but Teddy had been in some conversation about religious differences and the set up of early English colonies. "It is pretty, isn't it? I would have loved to be able to see the old one in person, but I love Victorian architecture."  

"Mhm." Elijah sounded in agreement, looking back at the building. He was never one to say a building could be all that special, but it did look pretty with a dazzling backdrop of blue painted beneath the sky that sparkled like magic. "You're religious?"

"Catholic," Teddy smiled. 

"How come?" Elijah asked. He'd never found his religion, the cult of the moon, to be particularly alluring and was always confused as to how people could become so involved. 

"Well..." Teddy shuffled up and down on his feet. "I guess I've always been... but I believe there's good in every person... and that we're all united in some kind of human experience."

"Good in everyone?" Elijah asked. "Even me?"

"Especially you," Teddy chuckled. It made Elijah frown, he didn't want to be the one to have to shatter that illusion, but there were a lot of bad wolves in the werewolf world. Teddy turned on his heel to look out at the street. "That's the point of religion, you know-- to remind us that we're really valuable good people... People forget that."

"Forget what?"

"Forget that they're good. Sometimes it's deep down, or hidden, and you really have to look for it, but you'll never find it if you don't look." Teddy explained wistfully. His eyes traced one of the lone inhabitants as they jutted down the street. "Don't you think?"

"I suppose," Elijah shrugged with an air of pacification. He knew quite a few people he wouldn't consider to have any human goodness within them. "But it can be really really deep down.... But I also think there are bad people in this world."

"Not once you get to know them," Teddy insisted with a shy smile. "I don't believe anyone wants to be bad... or is even naturally unkind, but driven there."

"You really believe that?"

"I do."

"Good." Elijah nodded more to himself than to Teddy. "But promise me you'll do your best to avoid those seemingly bad people."

"Sometimes the worst people are the ones who need our help the most," Teddy frowned, looking down at his shoes. "I never want somebody to get hurt because I was trying to protect myself."

"I think you need to put yourself first because nobody else will."

"Oh no, I don't agree. That's love... love is learning to put another before yourself," Teddy explained. "Why do you even care what I do anyway?" The boy chuckled, "I'm just your tour guide."

"I..." Elijah stopped himself. "I think you seem like a good person, and I see a lot of really good people get taken advantage of. Just promise me you'll be aware of your surroundings."

"I will," Teddy smiled brightly, his teeth sparkling like the glimmer off the water. As he smiled a particularly strong gust of wind caught his and lifted his brown curls off his forehead and pushed them back out of his face. Elijah decided he preferred it that way so as he could see more of Teddy's face. 

"Are you cold?"

"A little..." Teddy chuckled sheepishly. His cheeks were flushed with the chill of the air.

"Here." Elijah untied the flannel from around his waist and handed it to Teddy. The boy was already wearing a pale blue sweater which was thicker than Elijah's black tee shirt but Elijah was only was concerned with his mate. 

Teddy eyed strangely as if it was an unordinary thing to offer. With his cheeks so flushed Elijah couldn't imagine that anyone in his place wouldn't have offered the boy their jacket. 

"Won't you be cold?"

Elijah shrugged nonchalantly, "No."

Teddy looked unconvinced, but another cold gust sent his teeth chattering harder than before. 

"If you're really sure you don't need it...." Teddy fiddled with the bottoms of his sleeves, wishing they were long enough to cover his stiff hands. 

"I don't really get cold."

"Alright..." Teddy paused only a moment more before taking stepping across the boundary between them and taking the jacket from Elijah's hand. Elijah was hit with a sudden pang of regret that he didn't think to hold the flannel in a way that would force Teddy to touch him in order to take it. 

The boy shrugged the flannel on over his shoulders. Ordinarily it would have been difficult to put a flannel over a sweater, but the garment was large on Teddy and it hung from his shoulders down nearly to his thighs. He was instantly thankful for the warmth, though it caused him to notice that Elijah's arms were bare. 

"I.. I can't believe you aren't cold?" He chuckled slightly in confusion. 

Elijah just crossed his arms across his chest and shrugged. He was so warmed with excitement at the fact that Teddy was wearing his jacket that he was nearly hot under his own tee shirt. The two scents intermingled in the air and made Elijah's insides do summersaults for joy. 

Teddy said nothing more to Elijah the matter. He had an inherent urge not to be a bother and to make sure people weren't sacrificing anything for him, but he also didn't want to annoy the handsome man who had offered him his jacket. Really, Teddy had nothing to argue about; if the man said he wasn't cold, then he must not be. There wasn't any incentive to lie about something like that. Plus, Elijah had only had the flannel wrapped around his waist even before he'd offered it to Teddy. 

Elijah's arms were thick and corded with muscles and his short sleeves struggled to fit around them. Teddy figured that muscles must provide some kind of insulation to keep Elijah warmer. 

"Thank you," Teddy offered sincerely. 

Elijah longed to say Teddy could  have anything he wanted anytime, but kept silent to avoid smiling and giving himself away. 

They stood for a moment staring at the building alone on the street. Elijah was thankful, even if it was kind of eerie, because it meant nobody was going to interrupt him and Teddy: no prying eyes anywhere. Elijah'd only briefly been with Teddy alone and in a group, but he could already sense that the boy was more himself alone. 

"Did you.. have any questions?" Teddy asked with a helpful smile, realizing he'd been talking for quite some time. Still, it felt good to have someone seem to so truly be listening to him as Elijah was. It wasn't a nod of the head or a flicker in the eye, but something about the man just told Teddy that he was hanging on every word. 

"No." Elijah said. "Do you want to go inside?"

"Well I already know what's inside," Teddy laughed, and the sound was clear and bell-like. "The point of the tour is for you."

"I meant since you were cold."

"Oh... I'm alright now, we can go wherever you want," Teddy said. "I didn't mean... well I didn't want to bother you..."

"You're not bothering me. I just want you to be alright."

"You do?" Teddy's voice was fragile, and he sounded almost like a child realizing they were loved. It melted Elijah's heart and he grunted a sort of affirmative sound. 

Looking at Teddy made the blood rush to his cheeks, so he looked away awkwardly towards the colorful buildings that lined the street and let the wind cool down his heated face. Being so deserted the village had become almost pleasant and he was hit with the desire to continue hearing Teddy speak passionately as they walked among the streets. 

"I wouldn't mind seeing more outside," Elijah shrugged. "If you won't be too cold."

"I wouldn't mind that either.... So long as you won't be too bored!"

Elijah gestured for Teddy to lead the way and he paused for a moment before turning on his heel. 

"Outside tour," He confirmed. "You've seen the church already right?" 

"I have."

The brick building atop the hill seemed to tower over the boys and it almost gave an imposing feeling to Elijah. He was suddenly reminded of Mr. Murphy's warning and struck with the legitimacy of it. The building almost seemed to reiterate it, as if his hurting Teddy would not only be a death sentence from the town, but from God. Elijah had never really believed in God, but he wasn't going to take his chances with somebody as devout as Teddy. 

"Well..." Teddy paused in thought. "We could..."

"Could we walk any closer to the water?" 

"Sure," Teddy nodded. "Here--" He gestured towards a little wooden staircase that was next to the town hall building. 

"Where does that lead?" Elijah asked.

"Just down to the boardwalk," Teddy explained, walking briskly across the street. Elijah followed quickly behind him. The staircase led down past the row of buildings which were built into the bluffs and to a wooden pier with fishing spots along it. 

The boardwalk ran parallel to the above street, but too low to be seen. One edge of the boardwalk had a wooden fence, the other backed right up into the stone of the cliff which the town was built on. It was closer to the water than the rest of the town and gave a breathtaking view out into the bay. 

The sun was setting more and more the longer they were out there, and the sky was streaked with pink and purple surrounding the two boys like a glorious parade. The sounds of the waves as they crashed below mixed with the call of birds as they glided in the distance. 

"I think this is one of my favorite spots in town," Teddy explained. Elijah didn't even need to see the rest of the town to know that he agreed. 

Teddy walked slowly up to the fence which came up to about waist level and leaned his elbows on it, and Elijah followed suit. Teddy face lit up with awe as he watched the clouds be colored with rosy hues, but Elijah's attention was strictly trained on Teddy.  

After another period of silence, Teddy turned to Elijah to find the boy already looking at him. Generally this would have been uncomfortable for Teddy, but for some reason he offered nothing more than a little hidden smile.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"How come you live at a Church?"

Teddy turned back out towards the water closing himself off and let his smile turn into a slightly wounded chuckle. 

"Is it... alright if I don't tell you that one, yet?"

"Of course." Elijah curiosity raged within him, but if he was allowed to have secrets, so was Teddy. "Do you like living in Belford?"

"I do!" Teddy smiled, still facing the water. "I'm very grateful... for everything I have, and I do really love everyone here.. it's just...."

"Just?"

"Sometimes I wonder if it might just be easier for everyone if I wasn't around... I just feel like such a burden sometimes... I love it here, but I don't know that I belong."

"How come?"

"I dunno," Teddy shrugged lightheartedly. "Everybody's been very kind to me... but sometimes I wonder what they say when I'm not around, you know?"

 "I do," Elijah agreed. He was the future alpha of his pack, but in truth sometimes he wondered if anybody would stay around him if he hadn't been born that way. 

"Oh well... we should probably be getting back," Teddy mused, but made no motion to move.

"Yeah." Elijah made no movement either. "We should."