::CHAPTER 31::

3rd Person POV [Orion]

The weather in Rondesdale was as unpredictable as ever this time of year. Orion was beyond grateful that his mother had made him carry an extra layer of clothes with him. The morning had started off with the sun high in the sky and the village feeling warm enough to invite water slides, sunglasses and popsicles.

At this point in the day however, the clouds were gloomy and anyone who stepped foot outside gave an involuntary shiver. The village was as dark as it was grey and it called for fireplaces and quiet, indoor activities.

Orion had taken sanctuary inside a quiet café he favored and was doing his best to stay warm. Despite his body trying to keep the cold at bay, it got to him. He sat alone at a table, huddled in his coat and enjoying the calm around him.

Sitting beside his laptop and book bag was a plate with a slice of apple pie just out the oven. The whipped cream was already a melting mess on top. It smelt of apples, sugar and spices. It smelt of warmth. Orion was grateful that the café decided to turn on their heating by the time he ordered his second cup of cinnamon tea. He was cozy enough to feel at ease in the chill as he’d always loved cold weather.

Head bowed, his seat was purposely turned away from the display case to avoid the distraction of donuts, tarts and frosted brownies. He didn’t want distractions of any kind. The whole point of coming here was to get work done without the commotion of his father and a dozen soldiers at his house. They were probably still arguing over the sports match they’d gathered to watch on TV.

There was a distinct peace and quiet to the café that he didn’t have at home. There was the humming, hissing and sloshing of coffee, espressos and lattes being made. There was the sound of the farmers coming in to drop off the fresh fruit for pastries, cakes and jams. There were the background noises of thudding mugs, clinking silverware and people talking quietly together. The chill of the weather and warmth of the ambiance clashed in the best way.

Orion liked this place. It was where he came to think.

Right now he was focused on compiling more information into his personal research of Seconds. Recently he’d been talking to a girl from another Pack. She was growing into her Second abilities like he was and she had amazing things to share.

Unlike him, she could separate the chaotic, jumbled emotions of other people and get them to focus on the calming ones she wanted. She explained to him just how she harnessed that ability and how she’d used it in the past.

Squinting down at his messy scrawl, he continued going over the notes he’d made during their conversation. His fingers flew over the keyboard and his eyes scanned for errors. Hunched over the laptop, he was now expanding and explaining all the possible uses and situations he could think of where such an ability could best be used. It could be a highly tactical ability to have and one to look out for in his younger Packmates. His research was beginning to take the shape of a roughly sequenced book and he was buzzing over how well it was coming along.

“Orion?” Kevin called the name – uncertain as to whether the guy wearing the hoodie with his head ducked low was really him.

Orion peered around his laptop to see who it was and instantly felt his stomach drop into his toes. “Ah, it is you,” Kevin continued blowing on his hands, “I feel like haven’t seen you in a while. I was starting to think you were avoiding me.” Orion’s eyes fell to his computer. His silence turned uncomfortable and Kevin noticed. “I guess it’s okay if you were,” he added with a shrug, “Although I’m hoping that you’re not.”

Kevin was right. Orion had been avoiding him. After finding out Kevin’s real name, he needed time to process the shock. It wasn’t as though he was purposely being an ass about it. Orion would be the first to admit that it wasn’t a nice thing to do to anyone. He certainly wasn’t proud of himself in this moment. None of this was like him.

Talking to Kevin as a stranger had been easy. He had been no more than a cute guy in class; no identity or past to deal with. When he found out the truth, Orion had worried about how awkward it would feel talking to Kevin knowing that it was Kevin. Knowing the past they had.

He’d expected it to be uncomfortable. It wasn’t. It wasn’t all that weird aside from him feeling like an asshole for the way he’d handled this. He had to admit he kind of missed talking to Kevin. In fact, he’d kind of missed Kevin himself. Their sporadic hang outs had turned into a routine and he’d felt the change more than he expected to.

And apparently he’d taken too long to respond because Kevin nodded his head as if he understood something unsaid. “Never mind. It’s cool,” he waved it off and turned around to head to the cashier.

Damn. Great going, Orion.

“Zavier!” Orion called him back and jogged after him, “Hey, wait. Sorry. I-I know I’ve been a bit busy lately, but I’m free now.” Kevin turned back and gave him a considering look. It was as cold as it was harsh. “Come on,” Orion pushed, “Grab a seat and we can talk. I’ll even share my pie.” That pulled an eye roll and a reluctant smile out of Kevin who knew Orion never shared coffee, cake or – above all – pie.

He gave a sharp exhale, nodded and rubbed at his nape before returning to the cashier without a word. Orion took that as a good sign. He beamed and went back to his table to wait while Kevin put in his order. When he returned to the table, the younger boy didn’t say anything at first. One tense silence later and Orion wondered if this was a good idea. He busied himself with his tea instead.

“So what have you been up to while not avoiding me?” Kevin asked finally and Orion got the feeling that he had not escaped suspicion just yet. He was especially sure once he met Kevin’s eyes and saw the wariness lingering there. Then again, to be fair, wariness was almost always in Kevin’s eyes.

Orion never fooled himself into thinking he was trusted. He wasn’t. Kevin was almost constantly careful with him; barriers up, never getting too close, never taking what Orion said at face value, protecting himself from what he seemed to think was inevitable.

All the same, it never stopped him from talking to Orion and that counted for something.

“Like I said. I’ve been busy.”

“I heard,” he nodded and took a forkful of pie, “What’s been keeping you so busy?”

“I’ve been talking to this girl from another Pack,” Orion said in an offhanded tone to hint that it wasn’t important enough to expand on.

“Oh?” Kevin raised a brow, “I didn’t know you had friends in other Packs. That’s cool.”

“She’s not a friend. She’s a research subject.”

“We’re in the same class. I don’t remember us getting a research assignment,” his brow furrowed, “Is it for your job?”

“It’s not for school or work.”

“So you research things in your spare time?” he snorted, “God you’re nerdier than I thought, White.”

“You’re one to talk,” Orion scoffed before he could stop himself.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kevin turned away to the waitress coming over with his order.

“I – well – you always know the answers in class,” he said which really wasn’t a lie. It simply wasn’t the real reason he’d said what he did. The real reason was far more unintentionally mean.

“Good point,” Kevin nibbled on his Panini and eyed the notebook Orion had closed and moved out of his reach, “but I wouldn’t give myself extra homework unless it was important.”

There was a question lingering there but he didn’t phrase it as one. Though Kevin wanted to know, he still wanted to give Orion the option not to answer. It wasn’t his place to demand anything. He didn’t even trust the other boy enough to tell him his name. Orion had asked him a lot of things that he’d refused to answer so far. If Orion wanted to keep one secret, it would be selfish not to let him have it.

Kevin should have known better. Orion had never held back answering anything he’d asked since they’d re-met.

“You’re right. It is important,” Orion said slowly and Kevin could tell he hadn’t fully committed to whether or not he wanted to answer him yet. So Kevin waited. He didn’t push. After a beat, Orion slid the notebook over to him. “Here. It’s all in there.”

Kevin could admit to himself that he didn’t know what to expect when he flipped the old book open. The childish scrawl he found inside wasn’t it. He raised his eyes to ask but was met with Orion chewing on his lower lip. He recognized the nervous habit for what it was and consciously dragged his attention away from it.

With his focus back on the notebook, he spotted a date in the top corner and what appeared to be a diary entry. Except it didn’t feel like a diary entry once he began to read. The content appeared distant and clinical. Yet the more he read, the more he caught the subtle slips of emotion trickling in. Orion – young Orion, the one Kevin had known before – had been scared when he wrote those words. He’d been scared and vulnerable. Enough that he’d thought to record these things in some active attempt to understand himself.

Kevin snapped the book shut and slid it back to Orion. He didn’t want to read anymore. This was private. It was far too personal and he had no intension of getting personal with him. He especially didn’t want Orion’s trust when he couldn’t return the favor.

“I get it. You’ve been researching yourself,” he commented, “I didn’t expect that.”

“Not only myself. Well I guess it was only myself at first. Back then I was the only Second that I knew but I’ve found more people like me.”

“Oh.”

“I half expected you to ask why I’m doing this,” Orion said fingering the frayed edge of the book.

“That’s your business,” he replied, “I don’t need to know.”

“You’re not even slightly curious?” Orion raised his head.

“Not particularly. No,” he took a gulp of his drink and checked the time, “I’ve gotta get going anyways.”

“What? Already? But you just got here. And you’re not even finished your…” Orion trailed off when Kevin popped the last of the Panini in his mouth and ate it.

“Anything can be bite sized if you try hard enough,” he said in his wisest voice, “Hey, you can have the rest of my latte if you want.”

“Um. Thanks.”

“Can I take a rain check on the rest of that pie offer?” he smiled his gaze going soft. Apologetic.

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” and Orion realized he’d already forgiven him for ditching once again.

Orion watched him leave the café before he allowed a frown to fall onto his face. The disappointment had already settled in his chest. He was reasonable enough to see that there he couldn’t be let down by this. Not when he’d been actively ignoring and avoiding Kevin. That didn’t matter. He still felt let down.

He never expected Kevin would be this difficult to get close to. He didn’t realize he’d wanted to get close to him at all until now. It was easy to fall into this relationship they’d formed. Meet up, talk, keep things impersonal. It was a normal format for the not-so-common human/Chosen alliances that existed. Orion was started to find that it wasn’t enough.

Seconds didn’t have distant relationships. They were all about emotions. They threw themselves head-first into any friendship or bond they made. Orion simply was not made for something as remote as this. It felt off. Not enough. Lacking.

It was difficult to keep track of the amount of times Orion had shared something about himself to inspire trust. It never worked. Kevin would find a way to isolate them immediately after. Anyone would think that Orion would learn to stop crossing lines by now. He knew it only made the younger boy uncomfortable and retreat.

Danyel was the only other person he’d let take a peek inside that book. It meant a lot to him. It was something he’d been working on for a long time and he was kind of proud of how far it had gotten.

Of course, Orion knew Kevin. He knew better. He had no idea why he thought that would have gone any differently. Kevin shied away from these kinds of situations as much as humanly possible. It was frustrating and confusing and he wished he wouldn’t, but he expected it. And he should have expected the same today. He shouldn’t have gone there knowing the Kevin didn’t like it.

At this point it was official. Orion had turned being attracted to emotionally unavailable men into an art form. Admittedly, he had no clue where he was going with this. It wasn’t as if they could date. Maybe Kevin had the right idea. There was no use doing things to make matters worse. Having feelings for him at all was bad enough. Maybe he’d do better to distance himself too. Just like Kevin did.

It was a nice plan in his head but that all went to hell the next day when Kevin strolled into class late as usual.

It was obvious he was running through the hallways before. It was even more obvious that he’d barely had time to get dressed at all this morning. The boy wore a pair of mismatched socks – neither of which matched any other part of his wardrobe – and messy hair. Kevin grabbed the last seat left in the class and looked absolutely winded; hair tousled, chest heaving, lips as flushed as his face, pretty even while disheveled. The boy is a menace.

Orion made yet another promise to himself to not cross any lines today. It was perfectly fine to be attracted to a friend – if they even were that. He could have a shallow conversation and hold back on flirting. That was easy. He had tons of practice after Danyel.

He’d made up his mind, happy with his new found strong will. And he had such high hopes for himself too when he went to grab lunch later in the cafeteria. He’d planned on taking it back up to the roof for a quiet lunch with his not-friend. It surprised him to see Kevin, for the first time in a long time, sitting at a secluded table in the cafeteria instead.

Orion smiled to himself. Kevin could never hide in a crowded room with hair like that. The red was a beacon when compared to the blacks, browns and blondes around. Orion went straight over and Kevin turned around before he could get close or say anything. He clearly sensed the wolf at his back.

Cool green eyes flickered up to him with the barest touch of curiosity. He gestured for Orion to take the seat opposite him before returning to his lunch. It was home cooked judging by the tupperware but the presentation was flawless and it smelt amazing.

Orion hadn't even realized that he'd been staring at it until a pepper shrimp was placed before his nose, held between engraved chopsticks. "Try it," Kevin said the corner of his mouth quirking upward. A dimple flashed in his cheek.

For a second, Orion was tempted to lean forward and allow himself to be fed. Sense found him in time. He knew how it would look and he of all people − son of the Alpha − couldn't have a blatantly intimate moment with a human in such a crowded place. It would get to Asher before he could finish chewing.

Reaching out, Orion took the shrimp with his fingers. It was really spicy but deliciously so. As if sensing that, the chopsticks were held out again, but with sticky rice instead. He couldn't pick up rice the same way he did with the shrimp and it didn’t once occur to him to accept it in his palm. "It'll help with the pepper," Kevin promised.

Nodding, Orion figured he could easily explain this away later. He closed his mouth around the food, aware of Kevin’s gaze focused on his reaction. He felt the tips of the sticks slowly slide away from between his lips. It was a conscious decision for Orion not to pay attention to the pleased chuckle coming from across the table.

Kevin was right. The rice was perfect to balance out the heat and his thoughts were all over his face. "That was pretty awesome," he admitted swallowing the sample he'd been given. An almost proud look crossed Kevin’s face and in that second, Orion figured out who'd made it.

"You’re really good at this cooking stuff."

"Thanks. I really want to be a chef when I leave this place."

Orion could guess that this was something he didn't typically go around confessing to people. As if to prove him right, Kevin shook his head, "I don't know why I told you that."

Orion didn't question it. It wasn’t everyday that Kevin shared something personal. Anything personal for that matter. It was refreshing even if it was accidental.

"So what brings you over to my humble table?" Kevin leaned back into his seat with a grin and a grand sweep of his hands.

“Since when do I need a reason to eat lunch with you?”

“Usually? Never. This time? You look like you have something on your mind.”

"I don’t,” Orion took a bite of his burrito before pausing to chew, “Actually, scratch that. There was something.”

“See? I knew you had that look. C’mon. Out with it.”

“I was − uh – I was wondering if you might be free…sometime soon I mean." Smooth. Very smooth. Shut up.

"That almost sounded like you were asking me out," he teased.

"No, no," Orion gave a chuckle despite the white lie, "No, obviously not."

"I'm free tonight. What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing much. I wanted to hang out outside of school for a change. Grab a bite and a few drinks maybe? Catch the game or something. I didn’t really plan that far."

"Just us guys hanging out?" he clarified.

"Yeah. Of course. Definitely."

"Alright fine. I can meet you at your house at seven. School night and all. I gotta get you home before your dad goes feral."

"My dad? What about you? Won't your parents mind?"

“Seven’s okay with you?"

“Yes.”

Orion had to give it to him. That was the most polite shut down he'd ever gotten and it was done with a smile too. It seemed like he wasn’t going to get any more accidental insights today. Not that he’d anticipated anything more than that.

With Kevin keeping a wall around him, honestly there was no way to know where this was going without asking. Orion never got to talk to him long enough to get that far. The question felt out of the blue right now, but he asked anyway.

“What do you want from me, Zavier?”

“I’ve got no clue what you mean by that.”

“We’re not friends.”

“No. We’re not.”

“And you don’t share enough about yourself for that to change either.”

“Also true.”

“You do that on purpose?” Orion asked.

“Mostly.”

“So what’s your endgame then?” he crossed his arms, “You want to hang out with me but you don’t want to get too close? What’s the point?”

“You pass the time. I don’t have any friends here and I like having the company without commitment.”

“Commitment?” Orion snorted, "It’s a friendship. There is no commitment.”

“Friendship is a commitment. Right now I can walk away from this thing whenever I want and I won’t owe you any explanation or excuse.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“And I don’t have to keep in contact with you if I don’t want to. I don’t have to remember, ask or care about anything in your life. I don’t owe you any of my time or feelings. I don’t have to get you any presents for birthdays or holidays. I don’t have to answer if you demand anything. I like the freedom.”

Orion had said it once and he’d say it a thousand times. Kevin was honest. Even when the guy refused tell him anything, he never lied. It was oddly refreshing to get that kind of brutal honestly. People tended to tiptoe around him. He wasn’t sure if it was the celebrity status of being a part of the Alpha family or if it was him being one of the very rare Seconds in existence. Either way, he was rarely treated normally. If you could call this normal.

 “Okay, I’m curious. What would you call us?”

“People who have a knack for running into each other at meal times?” Kevin shrugged with a chuckle, “I don’t know. Why do we have to label something that isn’t a thing?”

“Because it’s weird,” Orion rolled his eyes, “You won’t tell me your name or anything personal and you back off every time I try to tell you something. I don’t know what you want out of this exactly.”

“I understand what you mean. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t know either,” he admitted with all the wide eyed sweetness in the world, “But I like the company.”

“Why do I bother with you?” Orion sighed but he couldn’t help the smile pulling at his mouth.

“I pass the time?” Kevin shrugged and then bat his lashes, “Or maybe my sunny personality?”

“Sunny personality?” Orion barked out a laugh, “Where’ve you been hiding that? In one of your billion beanies?”

“Oh, ha. Ha ha. You are hilarious,” he hid a smile behind the sarcasm, “I happen to be glorious company. It’s why you keep coming back. And I bet you like my beanies too.”

Orion didn’t answer. It was an accomplishment to get that big, dopey grin on Kevin’s face in the first place but it was too easy to lose it. Orion did like those stupid hats he wore. Yeah, so what if you look cute in them? Sue me.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Kevin poked him, “I got something on my face?”

“Yeah, your dumb face,” Orion grinned.

“Ahh. There’s that Chosen wit all the boys talk about.”

“Boys? What boys?”

“Human boys. Keep your pants on,” he waved a hand, “No big deal. Just guy talk in the showers after our gym.”

“You mention hot, naked guys talking about me in the shower and you want me to keep my pants on?” Orion scoffed.

“I never said a thing about them being hot,” he muttered under his breath, “You could do better.”

The bell rang for the end of lunch and they each had their elective classes to go to. Orion knew he wouldn’t be seeing him again until later tonight, which he’d half expected not to happen when he asked. In fact he thought he’d get shot down quick. If Orion had known that asking him to hang out would work, he’d have thought up something to do before hand.

Watch the game. I don’t even like watching sports. Ahmose. He dragged a palm over his face. It was all Asher’s fault. His buddies came over to watch the games with him every evening while simultaneously eating them out of house and home. This had been going on for days so of course the game would come to mind when Orion was grasping for something to tell Kevin.

He couldn’t believe his mind went blank like that when he was trying to think of something. It was Kevin. There was nothing to be nervous about.

That might have been believable if he’d jumped into a time machine and went back half a decade. Young Kevin he could deal with. The one he’d just had lunch with made him feel like he was talking to someone new.

Orion almost didn’t realize Danyel was within his path until he nearly collided with him head on. “Ahh, just the Second I wanted to see,” he said looking up from his cell, “Hold on a sec, lover boy.” Danyel checked around in his phone before handing it over and beaming down at Orion as if his birthday had come again.

On the screen was a photo of Kevin feeding Orion rice at lunch. It was an online picture circulating the net and there were hundreds of comments already. “Oh no,” he groaned, “Are you kidding me?” Danyel deflated and looked at the photo again as if trying to figure out what was wrong. “Dude, that picture makes it look like we’re…” Orion trailed off, “We haven’t even gone out yet and it’s on social media.”

“What’s the big deal?” Danyel frowned, “You’re you. This stuff comes with the territory.”

“Yeah, but people are spreading that stuff on inter-Pack media.”

“You’re used to that though. They did it with us all the time.”

“But we were dating. And it’s different when the guy is a human,” he hissed.

“Ohh. Didn’t think of that. I was too glad you made a move…finally.”

“Shut up. I only asked him out today.”

“Seriously? What did he say? Did he say yes?”

“Yeah yeah. It’s not a big deal. Not a date or anything.”

“Baby steps,” Danyel shrugged, “Not a date today but definitely a date next week. Maybe.”

“Slow down. I’m still recovering from the shock that he agreed at all. I really hope he doesn’t see this until tomorrow.”

“Well good luck with that,” Danyel looked doubtful and added in a whisper, “If anything, you guys can have an in-the-closet double date with me and Richie.”

“Shut up with your perfect relationship and your perfect mate.”

The words weren’t at all harsh and Orion found that his mood thawed a fraction more at that blissful grin Danyel had spreading across his face. His friend was so over the moon and back right now. They’d talked over the phone about it but it was nice to see how well things were going with his own eyes.

His Second abilities kicked up a notch just being in Danyel’s presence. He could “taste” the contentment and joy in the air. The glow was unmistakable. It was a welcomed change.

Their wolves were really glad to see each other so, for their sake, Orion walked Danyel to class. That gave all of them enough time to talk more. While the wolves were engrossed in each other’s company, the boys caught up too.

Danyel thought Orion asking Kevin out was the best thing since his own mating and he wanted to know everything; where they were going, what they’d be doing, who was driving, who was picking whom up, what Orion planned to wear, and the list kept going. It turned out that Orion actually didn’t know most of the answers and that made him even more anxious.

After school he headed straight home and tried to get starte planning the night. Except that didn’t happen because he’d made the poor decision to first tell his parents that he’d be going out. That held him back more than he could have expected.

“Ri-Ri, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” his mother fussed, “You and Danyel only broke up a little while ago.”

“She’s right, buddy,” Asher nodded, “Don’t you think you’re rushing things?”

“It’s not a date,” he groaned for the second time, “We’re just hanging out.”

“Together. At night,” Asher pointed out, “Only the two of you. No other friends.”

“And you said that you two aren’t even friends.”

“Maybe we will be after tonight,” Orion replied to her, “Who knows?”

“Sweetheart, rethink this. Do you really think this is a good idea?” his mother asked.

“It’s not a date. He’s a human.” Orion hated using the human card here, but his mother relaxed the moment he said it.

“Oh. He is,” she smiled, “Why didn’t you say?”

“Because it wasn’t important,” he mumbled.

“Well of course it is,” Asher grumbled, “We thought you were rushing into a rebound or something.”

“I’m not,” he told them, “I know better.”

“And you’re sure the picture that’s been circulating isn’t anything to be concerned about.”

“Oh,” his face fell, “You saw that?”

“What picture?” his mother folded her arms. Anyone would think it was leaked, nude photos on the internet if they heard her tone.

Orion groaned and prepared for more of their smothering concern. The pair meant well and they didn’t want to see their son hurt, but they could be a little overbearing at times. He knew a lecture was going to come once Asher showed his wife the picture.

He could already predict what they’d say. You need to be careful. You’re in the public eye. The town and foreign Packs need to know they can trust and rely on you. You can’t be seen doing certain things. Set the example. Your respect as a soldier and a Second is always on the line. Blah blah blah. He’d been getting the same thing since he was a child. He knew. But he was about to get another stern talking to in spite of that so he was resigned to his fate until they were done.

***

Meanwhile Kevin sat at the kitchen table, halfway through with his homework. The potatoes were boiling, the chicken was in the oven and the vegetables were already steamed for dinner. All the while, he kept an eye on his grandmother who was happily blurting out answers – most of them wrong – at the game show on TV.

Right now it didn’t matter that his mind kept shifting from one of these things to another. It certainly didn’t matter that there was so much for him to do this evening. His mind managed to find time to drift back to his plans tonight with Orion anyway.

He couldn’t seem to will his stomach into calming down. It was in knots and all over the place. There were already three empty cans of ginger ale he’d downed in an attempt to settle it. A couple of times he found himself staring into space and second guessing this whole thing.

If anyone asked why he was suddenly filled with nerves, he’d insist that it was his grandmother’s fault. Because it was. He’d been absolutely fine when he came home. It had been a long day and it didn’t particularly end well, but he’d been in a decent mood when he fell onto the couch beside her that afternoon.

With his deliberate lack of friends and his grandmother not feeling one hundred percent all the time, Kevin really didn’t go out very often. She’d always push him to get out of the house but nine out of ten times he’d ignore her nagging. The few times when he did go out, he made sure to give her a heads up about it and in turn she wouldn’t bother to give him a curfew. Not that he stayed out for long anyway.

It was a solid system they had going on and she never second guessed him or pried so Kevin hadn’t expected her to ask questions about it this time.

She looked at him knowingly the minute he’d told her he’d be out for a couple hours tonight. “You’re not going out alone. I can tell,” she squinted at him long and hard, “Is this with a friend of yours that you forgot to mention? What are you kids up to?”

They had been innocent questions. Innocent enough that he’d simply responded without thinking, “Not a friend but he’s a guy from school. We’re going to go hang out, grab some food and have a drink or two.” His reply had been easy. Casual. He hadn’t thought anything of it. The wide smile on her face and meddling glint in her eyes should have tipped him off long before she asked, “To clarify, you’re having dinner and drinks with your…not friend? So it’s a date.”

He would repeat it until the end of time: it was all her fault.

Kevin hadn’t been nervous or wary until she said that. He wished more than anything that she hadn’t pointed it out. It wasn’t a date. He knew that and he hoped Orion knew that, but he felt really weird about it all of a sudden. Particularly after she’d let out a delighted squeal, clapped her hands and demanded that he tell her everything about the guy. And by everything, that meant everything.

Kevin found himself sitting next to his grandmother answering at least a million and five questions about Orion, because of course she knew the Alpha’s son. Who didn’t? She wanted to know what he was like and how they met and if Kevin thought he was handsome and how long they’d been getting to know each other and so many other things. Half an hour or so later, he was lying in her lap feeling drained once she was done interrogating.

Thank goodness Orion wasn’t coming over to the house. Kevin was mortified by the thought of how embarrassing this could get if his grandmother met him. It wasn’t seven o’ clock yet and he was already regretting this decision.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought about him and Orion before. In fact he spent a concerning amount of time thinking about them. After all, Kevin often had to talk himself through their non-relationship.

He had to give himself regular reminders.

 Keep it simple. It’s not a friendship and it certainly wouldn’t become one more. Don’t get too personal. Don’t spend too much time around him. Look but don’t touch. Don’t get too attached. Don’t trust him any more than it’s safe to. Don’t become too easily accessible; no exchanging emails, phone numbers or social media names. Avoid being in a position of talking to Orion on too regular a basis even at home.

It was a lot of rules, but it wasn’t pointless. It was a full time job protecting his heart. To do that, he had created that ever-growing mental list of things that applied to all Chosen. Unfortunately, when it was concerning Orion specifically, the list became somehow harder to stick to. In spite of Kevin’s airtight policy against getting too chummy with Chosen, Orion seemed hell bent on getting under his skin. Kevin had no idea why he’d even agreed to do this thing tonight.

He knew how these things went. He knew how it always played out. Chosen generally didn’t like to hang out with humans. They were much happier pretending the other race didn’t exist. A lot of times they could be downright harsh for the sake of being harsh. Kevin had learned to watch his back because of it. Whenever they were nice to humans, him especially, it never ended well.

In spite of the distance he tried to maintain with Orion, history was repeating itself. It was the same wrong steps he was making and he could tell it would cost him.

It wasn’t difficult to realize the main problem; he was already attached Orion no matter how much he’d tried not to be.  Worse, he hadn’t caught the warning signs. There wasn’t anything specific about Orion he’d wound up latching on to. He’d fallen a little bit more for each of a hundred tiny things. Tiny, insignificant details and things that somehow became important when put together.

How many times had he stared at the pleats that formed between Orion’s brows when he worked on something challenging? How many times had he forced himself not to reach a hand over to smoothen them out with his fingertips? It made Kevin smile to see the cheeky grin Orion would flash in Biology right before calling their teacher’s name – “Ms. Chitbottom” – with a very deliberate inflection because Orion was more of a punk than people realized.

It always amused him that Orion would sometimes come to class with two cups of coffee and a yawn to shame all yawns. And boy was he the bitchiest, snarkyiest, sleepiest diva in the universe until he drained both cups. He liked that Orion always smelt like coffee beans and chocolate cake. Then there was the fact that Orion would sit and pout and complain until thy kingdom come if he was forced, God forbid, to choose any other flavor besides apple juice at lunch. And then he was too nice to accept Kevin’s when offered, preferring to bitch and moan for twenty minutes instead.

Kevin more than appreciated the controlled way Orion held his body when he walked. It screamed military and there was something kind of sexy about that taught restraint. Also that clinically neat way Orion dressed fascinated him; not a wrinkle in his t-shirts and his outfits always perfectly put together at any given time of the day. He especially liked that crooked smile of his and the way his eyes turned the color of mercury when the light hit it just right.

Yes, Kevin realized he was attached. Yes, he was growing more attached. Yes, tonight was a terrible idea for someone who wanted to avoid emotional attachment. Kevin half wished he had bothered to get Orion’s number so he could cancel. Ironically enough, not getting his number was a deliberate move to also avoid attachment so of course it was working out splendidly.

“God, I hate him,” Kevin murmured into his text book pages. He wished he did at least. Orion was difficult for him to hate and he could admit that he enjoyed hanging out with the guy. The biggest downside to spending time with him was being put in the spotlight. The spotlight wasn’t good for someone who thrived on anonymity.

Kevin placed the bag of frozen peas back onto his cheek with a wince and a sigh. The ache in his face was a reminder not to get caught looking like he was getting too friendly with Orion again. People didn’t take well to it and he should have seen the outcome a mile off.

Orion was gay and Kevin was a guy. There was no way that many Packmates who saw what happened in the cafeteria would have taken it well.

Now he knew that it was internationally frowned upon for a human guy to get photographed looking too cozy with an openly gay Chosen celebrity. If Kevin were a girl, they wouldn’t have suspected a thing between them. But, alas.

From what he’d seen of the comments, not many thought it was as platonic as it was. It upset people. The Packs liked Orion and they most definitely didn’t want him with a human. Especially when he’d just broken up with an Alpha. Kevin had been informed that the picture caused an “image issue” within the Pack.

Going ahead with their plans tonight was a risk. One that wasn’t worth it. He and Orion could easily hang out somewhere private. It would be less likely to get him beaten up again at least.

Kevin knew he should cancel but he made absolutely no move to do that despite how near Orion’s house was to his. His grandmother hadn’t seen the picture and even she thought it was a date. He didn’t want to know what the people who were already upset about the photo would think. Flipping the bag of peas to the colder side, he pressed it back onto his cheek.

He went over to check on the chicken in the oven. It didn’t take long to mash the potatoes and shred the chicken for his grandmother’s dinner before returning to his homework. Her hand was steady enough to feed herself today and that was one less concern on his mind.

It was funny how calm he’d been while getting through those routine things that afternoon when, at this very second, he was the polar opposite of calm.

He emptied half of his wardrobe onto his bed in a frenzied hunt for something to wear. It was a lot of work to find something clean, decent and that didn’t look like he cared too much…because he didn’t. Obviously.

It was a rush to shower, pick out something to wear, actually get ready, put away the extra food, clean up the kitchen and make sure his grandmother had everything she needed before he had to go. It was a task, as usual, to push away any worries he had about her. He knew she had managed okay enough on her own before he’d moved back in, but he couldn’t help it. He’d called their neighbors to let them know he was out for the night and to check up on her a little later.

Orion’s house was nearby enough that he could walk it in about four or five minutes at a stroll. If Kevin thought he was nervous before, it was nothing compared to walking up the walkway of that imposing house and knocking on the door. He shuffled from foot to foot waiting.

Orion’s mother opened the door and he tensed a fraction. She looked petite and delicate but he had a strong feeling that her reportedly submissive wolf only played possum. “You’re him?” she raised a brow and glanced at his bruised cheek, “What happened to your face? You a fighter?” His scoff was pure reflex but he didn’t miss the way her eyes narrowed.

“Sweetheart, save the interrogation for when he actually goes on dates,” Asher came up beside her and rest his chin atop her head, “You might pull something.” She pursed her lips at Kevin but invited him in all the same. Kevin got the sneaking feeling that she might not have if Asher hadn’t come along.

“Where’s Orion?” he asked Asher as he was surprisingly the more approachable one.

“Upstairs getting ready,” Asher said with a smile clapping a hand to his shoulder, “I’ll go let him know you’re here, alright?”

“Great, thanks.”

“You can wait in the living room,” he pointed Kevin through an archway nearby before turning to kiss his wife, “and you behave.”

She didn’t say anything until he left. Kevin took that as his window of opportunity to escape into the tastefully decorated living room. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this uncomfortable sitting anywhere. Orion’s mother took the empty space beside him and her odd, almost amethyst eyes were fixed on his. She was quietly intimidating and hard to look at, but he kept stealing glances at her all the while.

Orion had clearly taken after his father by way of hair, eyes and general disposition but he resembled his mother. It was safe to say that if Orion had had black hair and amethyst eyes that he’d be a male replica of the woman sitting beside Kevin. They both had an imposing sort of beauty to them that made them hard to overlook in a crowd. She was endlessly fascinating to look at and her gaze sharp. There was a fierce intelligence to them.

“So Kevin,” she leaned back into the loveseat and those words, more than anything, got his attention. She opened her mouth to continue but he waved a hand to shut her up, heart pounding fast in his chest. Kevin. She’d called him Kevin. As if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. As if she’d done it a dozen times and it was perfectly normal in this house to do so.

“You know my name? How do you know my name?”

“Orion and Asher,” she shot him a look as if he was a little slow, “They mentioned you, of course.”

“How long ago was this?”

“I don’t know. A lot of times. Mayb—.”

“Hey,” Orion stopped in the hallway, “You ready to go?”

Kevin got to his feet and swallowed the lump in his throat. He felt a little ill and he was no longer in any mood to do this tonight. Pulling himself together, he said his goodbyes before following Orion outside. He moved on autopilot. His head was reeling, too busy to pay attention to what was happening around him while Orion locked the door.

If it was one thing he’d learned in his seventeen, short years, it was that Chosen were never nice to him unless there was something in it for them. Or unless they wanted to mess with him. He enjoyed Orion’s company but he knew better than to trust him. At least he thought he did. The sinking feeling in his gut said otherwise. Somehow, at some point, he had started trusting Orion. Maybe not enough to really get close to him, but enough for it to hurt when he thought that Orion might have been toying with him from the beginning.

It was stupid really. He’d figured that staying anonymous would mean he could avoid the bullying and confrontations he’d had to deal with only two and three years ago at school. He could maybe avoid being taken advantage of because people usually said things like, “Oh, well it’s okay to rag on him. It’s only Kevin.” He’d been ridiculed and humiliated and pushed around before. He’d learned that being him was never a good thing. Anonymity was his protection.

Romantically, the bullying had been far worse. It was bad enough that one of Orion’s friends had taken advantage of him the way he had. Seeking solace in yet another one of Orion’s friends only a year later had been his second downfall. The fact that the second guy had been kinder than the first – though it was pretend kindness – had lulled him into that false sense of trust. It was beyond idiotic to go down this same road with Orion himself just because he seemed kinder than both boys before him.

Kevin had convinced himself that it would be okay if Orion didn’t know who it was he’d been hanging out with. There was no target on his back. It might be safe. Knowing that Orion may have known all along made it so much more possible that he couldn’t be trusted. That he was like the other two.

Kevin felt the familiarity of the situation. The aura of betrayal wasn’t anything new to him. It felt exactly like it did the other two times. Like he was being toyed with.

“Hello?” Orion waved a hand in front of his face, “You in there?”

“Sorry. I-I have a lot on my mind.”

“I want to ask, but I know better than to expect an answer,” he smiled.

And that smile was one of the worst things. It was equally sweet as it was shy, his hands stuffed in his pockets and eyes on the right side of hopeful. Like he really did want to hear what was on Kevin’s mind. Like he could maybe cute his way into getting answers.

It was maddening how easy Orion could diffuse tension. It was even more maddening when Kevin turned to him to give him a piece of his mind only to freeze before he could say a word. Because wow.

His mind had been running too fast to notice before, but he really should have taken the time to actually look at Orion tonight.

His clothes were really casual but he managed to make a wine red t-shirt and dark wash jeans look incredibly expensive and crisp under that leather jacket. His cheeks were already pink from the cold while he shuffled around in the most restless way possible. He looked excited about their trip tonight. It was unfair that Orion was not only famous and powerful but somehow also cute as a button all at the same time. How could you stay suspicious of someone like that?

“Did you walk here?” Orion asked looking around the front of his house for a vehicle.

“My house is only five minutes from here. Besides, I figured it was too cold for us to ride on my bike.”

“You own a motorcycle? You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not,” Kevin frowned.

His words came out defensive. Maybe a tad offended. It couldn’t be helped. Orion’s disbelieving tone suddenly sounded more mocking to him than it would have an hour ago. It felt as if he’d really said ‘You’re kidding. Kevin of all people has a motorcycle? Ha ha that’s rich.’ He knew he was being oversensitive about it. He knew it wasn’t meant like that. But knowing didn’t turn it off.

Kevin had never been protective of himself before this year. He’d allowed people to do and say what they wanted to him. Whether or not it hurt, he let them at it.

It had been a turning point for him to decide that he deserved better. That he was worth standing up for himself. Finding himself had taken even more time, effort and self-consolation – because no one else was going to console him. He was at that point in his life where he wouldn’t sit around and allow himself to be laughed at for trying something new, doing something he enjoyed or reinventing himself.

The knowledge that his anonymity had been compromised changed things. He was too tense around Orion to enjoy tonight. He needed to talk to him openly about it all and hear his side to things. Though it would be easier to just walk away, he wouldn’t. Orion had a right to give his side of the story and he’d give him that chance. Kevin planned to talk about this properly as soon as they got to the place. Until then, he’d try to relax and have a good time.

Orion’s mind wasn’t on any of that. His focus was on Kevin’s purpling cheek. He took a step forward and turned the younger boy’s face to one side. Guilt flared up inside him. Without a doubt it was his Packmates who’d done it and that pissed him off more than anything.

The cheek appeared too tender to touch but Orion was particularly careful when he brushed a thumb along the swollen edges. He wished he could leech away some of the pain. Unfortunately, while physical pain was Danyel’s specialty, emotional pain was his.

“This was because of the picture that’s been going around, wasn’t it?” he asked.

“Yeah. Which makes tonight a truly terrible idea,” Kevin replied resisting the urge to lean into the touch.

He hated living like this. Denying himself what he wanted because he was scared. Long after breaking up with those guys and the fear of the Chosen continued to control him. He couldn’t even trust himself with a friend. This had to end at some point.

“It’s a terrible idea,” he repeated, “but it makes me want to do it even more.”

Orion let his hand fall away, “You do?”

“Sure. It’s about as good a ‘fuck you’ as I could hope for, don’t you think?”

That one surprised a laugh out of Orion, “You’ve got spunk, man. I’ll give you that.”

They hopped into one of the cars parked in Orion’s garage and drove to a bar Kevin had never been to before. The ride was long and quiet and cold since the windows had to be rolled down. Orion’s dominance in such an enclosed space was in no way a good idea.

Kevin didn’t talk. With the tension in the air, it didn’t take a genius or someone with Second abilities to tell that something was up. Orion worried that the night was already heading south before it had started. All of his attempts at conversation fell short and Kevin’s mood “tasted” even colder than the air around them. The “taste” gradually grew more and more frosty the closer they got to the bar. It didn’t feel right. Kevin was never this closed off with him.

By the time they got into the warmth of the bar, Orion was already feeling out of place and wondering if he’d done something wrong. The pair walked side by side like strangers. They grabbed a booth and ordered drinks to keep them until they figured out what they wanted to eat. Aside from that, they didn’t interact at all.

At this point, Orion was walking on eggshells. He wasn’t sure if to try talking to Kevin again or to wait until he was ready. The nerves ate at him but he schooled his face into something impassive.

Kevin sipped on his water wishing it was something a little stronger. Anything that would calm him and ease the disappointment settled low in his gut. Throughout the entire ride, he’d been trying to brace himself for the conversation he planned to have. He tried to prepare himself for the added disappointment he expected to come his way afterwards. He was getting pretty good at shutting down emotions it would seem.

Kevin glanced over at Orion who seemed totally at ease, sucking down a beer. They were only a year apart but since the human drinking age was eighteen as opposed to the Chosen sixteen, he had to settle. Most bars would ask for ID and he figured that a sports bar and restaurant like this definitely would. He drank his water in silence, imagining it was the rum and coke he craved.

"It's alright to be nervous, you know," Orion said taking a sip and smiling half-heartedly around the bottle.

"Who said I was nervous?" he didn’t bother to raise his head.

"Your shaking hands and foot tapping."

No response, but he moved his hands from the table to his lap.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm nervous too."

It took a lot to keep from scoffing. No one would look at Orion's lazy gaze or the casual way he swished around the contents of his bottle every now and then and think 'nervous'. Bored maybe, but not nervous.

“What would Orion White have to be nervous about?” he asked.

“You,” Orion stated as if it were simply a matter of fact, “You’re angry and bitter and sad and hurt. I wish I knew why. I can tell it’s directed at me but I don’t know what I did.”

“Yeah,” he took a deep breath, “We need to talk.”

“Well that’s comforting. Those words always start such lovely conversations.”

At any other time, Kevin would smile at the impressive blend of sass and A+ sarcasm. Instead he sighed, “I know that you know about me. Your mom let it slip.”

“What exactly?”

“My name. You know who I am,” he said, “You knew all along.”

“No,” Orion’s brow furrowed and he closed his menu, “I didn’t. Uh – know all along, I mean. I found out recently.”

Kevin looked at him long and hard, searching his eyes for the truth. The problem was that it was hard to tell with this guy. Orion seemed genuine all the time. It was a constant fight not to believe him. Generally speaking, he seemed too good to be true. Guys who looked like him, had his status and had the added bonus of being a nice person weren’t typically interested in anything to do with him.

As self depreciating as it sounded, those were learned words. They were taught words. He’d heard them before from guys who weren’t nearly as attractive or famous. Guys who weren’t as high up the Chosen ranks or as good a person as Orion seemed to be. Ex-boyfriends – if they could even be called that. If this, whatever it was, fell flat then Kevin knew he’d blame himself for being stupid enough to believe Orion. He’d blame himself long before blaming Orion for playing him. He should know better by now.

Apparently experience was a poor teacher because he was still sitting here.

Orion reigned in the urge to reach forward and touch him. He’d only need a brush of skin to skin contact. Enough for his abilities to calm Kevin and make him feel better. There were too many “tastes” in the air. Most of them cold. All of them bad and making his stomach turn. He couldn’t remember any one person feeling this many things at once without watching them break down before his eyes. Clearly remaining anonymous had meant more than Orion had assumed if it brought on all of these emotions for Kevin.

Yet his face was blank. As if he felt nothing at all. Orion wondered how often Kevin had fooled people into thinking he was alright. How many times people thought their words didn’t get to him because it didn’t show on his face?

“When I first re-met you, I had no idea who you were. Neither did Danyel. You looked different. You acted different. Your scent was different.”

“My scent changed?”

“It’s subtle but enough to matter when we couldn’t recognize you,” he said, “You did seem like a nice guy though. We liked you.”

“And what about the next time we met? In the bar,” Kevin ignored the compliments, “Did you know who I was then?”

“No. That’s why I asked you, remember? By that point, I was curious but it wasn’t that important.”

“How long have you known then?”

“A couple of days. No one I asked could tell me. And the teachers told me to ask you if I wanted to find out so badly, but you refused to say. Plus it’s not like they take attendance out loud or anything.”

“So how did you find out?” he asked leaning forward. His curiosity was piqued.

“Danyel found out fist. After I spotted you in town, I asked my dad to check security to find out if you were cleared to be here. It’s protocol for human visitors.”

“And they had my name and information so Danyel only had to ask,” Kevin nodded and it all fell into place a lot easier, “So why didn’t you tell me that you knew?”

“Because you didn’t want me to know,” Orion raised a brow, “You’ve been keeping this a secret since we re-met.”

“So?”

“So it was obviously important to you that I didn’t know for whatever reason. Some weird trust thing I’m guessing.”

“It was. Partially.”

“Yeah, well I figured you wanted to tell me in your own time. When you were ready. I was trying to let you make the decision to reveal it on your own.”

“Thanks for that.”

“Although,” Orion peered at him over his beer as he took a swig, “I was secretly hoping I’d get you to trust me first before we had this talk.”

Kevin gave a shrug and looked over at the beer bottle. He wouldn’t mind having one after that talk. Idly he wondered if he could steal a sip or two. Orion saw where his gaze fell and smiled. “This place doesn’t card you know.” That was all Kevin needed to hear.

He called the waitress over by the name he’d noticed on her tag. It earned him a look of surprise. Pleasant surprise. He knew the feeling. It was rare to be called by name on the job. Particularly without malice or harassment in the tone. She came over with a smile, more than happy to get Kevin the next round he ordered and the pair decided on something to eat while they were at it.

Kevin found that his appetite had come back full force now that a little of the weight had been lifted from his shoulders. In the back of his mind he knew it was equally likely that Orion was full of shit and lying through his teeth about this whole thing, but he could ignore that for the moment.

“Okay,” Orion cleared his throat, “Are we’re officially acknowledging that you’re…um…you?”

“Might as well. There’s no point in ignoring it,” he shrugged.

“Then do you think I can finally ask you to tell me something about yourself without you running off?”

“I did do that a lot, didn’t I?” Kevin toyed with the silverware, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. You don’t have a lot of faith in Chosen. I get it,” Orion said glancing at the marred cheek, “But I’m not like them.”

“I’m not like them,” Kevin gave an almost bitter chuckle, “You guys always say that, don’t you? I’m not like them. Same words. Same tone. Same I-can-fix-you looks on your faces.”

“Except you believe me. More that you believed them. You want to trust me.” Orion could “taste” the hope.

“I don’t know how to trust anymore,” the words were softer than Kevin had intended, “but…”

“But?” Orion prompted.

“But…maybe I could learn again?” Kevin chanced a glance up.

“You could. I can help you with that.”

It was a terrible idea. Kevin knew it. His attempts to avoid getting close to Orion had backfired beautifully at this stage. He figured he might as well go ahead and accept the budding friendship. He could try.

If he was being honest, he wanted this. He wanted to know more about Orion. He wanted to read that old notebook he’d been working on earlier. He wanted to invite him over to his house and just hang out for hours.

The fears that kept holding him back needed to be faced some day. Today was as good as any. He could be wary of him without being afraid of what could happen with him.

Orion got a surge of pride the moment he felt the shift in the air. The “tastes” changed; slightly, slowly but noticeably. Orion could see that it took determination for Kevin to want to try again. He didn’t know exactly what had happened in his past but Orion recognized the “taste” of those emotions. It was a broken heart. And still Kevin was willing to try for him. It was hard not to feel good about that.

“Are you the competitive type?” Orion asked once they’d drained their second and third drinks. Kevin nodded with grin. He was. He had no shame in that. “Come on then. We might as well work up an appetite while we wait,” Orion motioned for him to follow.

Kevin trailed behind him to the other end of the restaurant. It was a back room that was more massive than he’d expected. There was so much noise and movement all over. Flashing lights, beeping, dings and click-clacks. There was laughter and smack talk, banter and teasing, gloating and groaning. There were basketball hoops, air hockey, foosball, pool, skee ball and more games than they had time to try. Kevin didn’t care about that. He tugged on the hem of Orion’s jacket and pointed to the furthest wall. Mountain climbing.

“You up for it?” he glanced over at Orion whose face split into a huge smile. He liked a challenge as much as the next guy. “You’re on,” Orion laughed, “Hope you’re prepared to get your butt handed to you.” Laughing, Kevin nudged him off balance and raced over to the girl working the harnesses. He was already getting himself set up before Orion got over the shock that he’d cheated in the first place.

By the time Orion got over, Kevin was almost strapped in. “I thought you’d never make it,” Kevin said his face the picture of mock concern, “I was getting worried.” Orion shook his head, disbelieving that Kevin was such a little cheating bastard. He fought back the smirk and the retort and waited to get strapped in before he got to climbing.

“Wow, what the—?” Kevin gasped at the sheer speed of the boy coming up behind him. He took that moment to dig in and go faster. There was no need to turn around to gauge how fast Orion was approaching. He could feel it. Sense the dominance levels he’d been trying to ignore all night.

With an idea and a secret smile, he looked for a position on the wall. As Orion came up beside him, he hip bumped the boy well enough to get him to lose grip a little.

“Kev!” he half huffed, half laughed as he fell. He grabbed hold to the wall again before he could fall all the way.

“Sorry, I sway sometimes,” Kevin shrugged with big doe eyes and an apologetic smile.

It only hit him as he was approaching the top again that Orion had called him Kev. It was only today that they’d acknowledged his real name. He hadn’t expected to get a nickname so soon. And it was his first, non-taunting nickname too. He kind of liked it.

He glanced back but Orion wasn’t there. He looked up. “Hiya,” Orion waved from his place near the big, red button. Kevin hurried up, but it was no use. Orion was nearly there and the light flashed the moment he smacked the button. Kevin groaned but climbed up to meet him anyway. Even if he couldn’t win, he’d finish.

Orion was all kinds of smug when Kevin shoved at the button too. “Did you have fun down there?” he asked. Kevin recognized the playful tone as gloating and made a face. “Whatever, chicken butt. I’ll get you next time,” he nudged him with a shoulder smiling. Orion peered back at his ass and then over at Kevin, “What? Chicken butt? I don’t have a…”

Before Kevin could tease him again, their table number was called over the room’s PA system. Both let go and fell back to the floor. It was almost as exhilarating as the climb.

Their orders were already at the table and their waitress fixed their drinks in place. Kevin’s stomach growled when he thanked her. She chuckled and nodded before leaving.

“Forgive me if I don’t share with you again,” Kevin said with a bite of his calzone.

“Nah, it’s cool,” Orion waved him off, “I think I could do without seeing you black and blue again.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” he snorted, “You’ll have to get used to that if we’re going to be friends.”

Orion paused. The shock lasted a nanosecond before the corners of his mouth tipped up. “Yeah? We’re friends now?” he asked.

“Chill,” Kevin ducked his head and scratched at his nape, “Let’s see how long I’ll put up with you.”

“I knew I’d wear you down eventually.”

“Is that a nice way of saying that you’re a relentless pain in the ass?” he teased, “Because I totally agree.”

“You’re welcomed.”

“I didn’t thank you.”

“You will one day. Just wait for it.”

Kevin scoffed but he could admit that the man definitely kept things interesting.

After dinner, Orion admitted that he hated watching sports and there was no way he was sitting through the game. It was a good thing he did because Kevin had been dreading having to pretend to watch the flat screen for over an hour.

For want of something to do, Kevin talked him into going back to the gaming room. There he thoroughly cheated his way through every single game that one could conceivably cheat in. In fact, he found ways to cheat in everything from pinball to the claw game; a game that was notorious for doing the cheating.

It was pretty easy to lose track of time and both were shocked that it was already ten in the night when Orion’s mother called. Chosen weren’t exactly safe these days and night time was an especially worrying time. Asher had implemented a curfew as a precaution. He was particularly strict about it where Orion was concerned so they opted to leave after splitting the bill.

When they got outside, a drizzle had already started. The pair had to race over to get to the car. Kevin rolled down his window the moment he got the chance. He preferred to be sprinkled with rain than to brave Orion’s dominance while trapped in the car.

Fortunately, the ride was far easier and more talkative than it had been earlier. The tension had long been left behind. It was difficult to say who was more relieved by that.

Kevin called out the directions to get to his house while they chattered. Orion was surprised to see just how nearby they lived. By car, it felt like they were neighbors.

It was a small place, probably only two bedrooms, and it was right to the edge of the forest. No Chosen in their right mind would build their home there. It would be a nightmare to fall asleep in a house right next to the forest where anyone could be lurking. For a human though, it was wonderful.

It had wide windows all around and a porch that looked out onto the street. There was a distinct, cottage feel to the design. It was of a sound structure that had clearly seen many generations. It was cozy. Homey. Orion found that he liked a house like this better than his own.

His had too much history. His was meant to be part housing, part laboratory. It was never meant for raising a family. It looked intimidating and imposing on his street in a way that Kevin’s didn’t.

He had so many questions about the place and who lived there with Kevin, but he didn’t ask one. It was more out of reflex than worry. He had gotten too used to Kevin pulling away whenever he pried into his life. It was second nature to hold back on his curiosity.

He was lost in thought too much to notice Kevin saying goodbye, darting out into the rain and then up the stairs to shelter on the porch. Orion rolled up all the windows again now that he could. As he was about to pull out of the driveway, he noticed Kevin motioning for him to stop. Not sure if he was seeing right, he squinted through the rain washed glass and past the windshield wipers. Kevin was jabbing a finger at the passenger side of the car.

Glancing over, Orion spotted a ring of keys sitting on the seat. He gave a sigh and rolled his eyes. Time to get sopping wet. He grabbed the key ring and jogged out into the downpour to hand them over. “I was going to come get them myself you know,” Kevin laughed, “But then again, I might have missed you looking like a wet puppy.” Orion shot him a look and shook his hair like his wolf had done countless times before. Kevin ducked from the spray even though his clothes were soaked already.

“Who looks like a wet puppy now?”

“Still you,” Kevin sniggered curling a dripping lock of white hair around his finger, “Definitely you.”

“I ran through the rain for this?” he huffed.

“I’m sorry,” Kevin pat him on the back, “You were really brave out there. My hero.”

“I think I liked you better before we were friends.”

“Liar. You’re loving this.”

“You can prove nothing.”

Kevin laughed and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, “Y’know, tonight was fun. I half expected it tank. Horribly.”

“Same. I didn’t think we’d make it this far. And you didn’t run off on me once. Good job.”

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure this is some kind of record,” he agreed with smile.

“Oh, it is,” Orion nodded, “Maybe we’ll get past that habit of yours.”

“I told you. I’m learning.”

“And I promised to help.”

“Yeah, you did,” Kevin rubbed at his nape.

Orion took a step closer. Kevin had to tilt his head further to look up into his face but that was nothing new. He was used to their height difference by this point. He couldn’t help but notice that the difference added to heaviness of their proximity.

Maybe it was the dark. Maybe it was the cold. Maybe it was the privacy of the shadowed porch. Whatever it was, Orion’s presence felt both intrusive and welcomed.

Kevin waited. It felt like something was supposed to happen. Anything. But nothing did. Orion just stared. He seemed to take in everything. It was uncomfortable standing under his scrutiny. “What is it?” Kevin asked when their silence became too loud. Orion brushed a knuckle beneath his most recent bruise, “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me who did this?” His voice was quiet.

“What’s the point?”

“I figured you wouldn’t say,” Orion sighed, “You know if you’d let me, maybe I could stop it.”

“You could. Or make matters worse. I’d rather get over it on my own.”

“As stubborn as before.”

“Hey, it’s not that I’m not grateful for the offer,” he scuffed his shoe against the flooring, “but I prefer to deal with my bullshit solo.”

“I get it. But if you change your mind you’ll let me know?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Hmm. I might even believe that someday. For now, I gotta get home,” Orion said and pulled him into a hug, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The move was so unexpected that Kevin froze up. His split second reaction was long enough for Orion to notice. “Hey, come on,” he chuckled, “You’re friends with a Chosen. I’d get used to being tactile if I were you.”

It was true. Touch was a primary part of Chosen bonding. So much so that Orion moved as if hugging Kevin was the most natural thing for him to do. And it wasn’t as though Orion being tactile was a bad thing either. He didn’t mean to seize up at the touch. It just caught him off guard.

Kevin definitely didn’t mind it. He smiled to himself and pulled Orion close enough that he could hug him back. There was a rumble of a laugh against his chest now that Orion got caught off guard too. That didn’t stop the arms returning to their place wrapped around his waist. “See?” Orion beamed down at him, “That’s the spirit.”

And it was nice. It was familiar. Like they had done it countless times before. If Kevin didn’t know better – and he didn’t – he’s say it was a protective touch. Orion was solid. Unmoving. His body heat was a comfort despite the dampness of his clothes and skin. Orion anchored him surprisingly well considering that the other boy’s wild, animal energy was buzzing so close to his skin.

“I didn’t expect you to do that. It surprised me, that’s all,” Kevin’s voice was quiet over the rainfall, “It’s – I can’t remember the last time anyone’s hugged me. Hell, it’s probably been over a year or so.” And that fact was made worse because Orion hugged him like Kevin was Pack. Like he mattered. Like leaving him wasn’t at all what he wanted to do regardless of it being a goodbye hug. It was why he remembered the last time they’d done this so well.

The way their cheeks aligned, Kevin could feel Orion’s muscles pull into a frown at him. In retrospect he probably shouldn’t have said anything. Orion squeezed him closer and bundled him in his arms. He let out a puff of air that could only be described as pitying.

“Over a year?” he pulled away enough to look Kevin in the face, “I’m not used to going more than a week without that kind of contact, much less a year.” Kevin shrugged. He was human so he wasn’t bound to an animal that needed physical bonding. It was fine for him. Orion pulled away a little more, worry slipping onto his face. “Wait, is it a personal choice?” he asked moving away fully, “Do you have a problem with people touching you like that? I should have asked first. I didn’t mean to—.”

Kevin tiptoed up and took his mouth in a kiss that was enough to stun him into silence, fists full of t-shirt. Orion’s only reaction was a soft gasp into the touch but Kevin was neither shoved away nor pulled closer.

Orion’s lips were as soft and as warm as he remembered. They were as soft and warm as he’d been trying not to remember for a long time.

It was quick. He pulled away before Orion got the chance to respond to him. Orion’s eyes pulsed silver around the edges even as they blinked down at him. Yes, Orion was definitely shocked but he wouldn’t stay stunned forever. Kevin opened his mouth to apologize but he found that wasn’t sorry. Not in the least. Hell, he’d do it again if given half the chance. If he’d gotten half the courage. Instead he murmured, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Orion.”

“Ri.”

“What?”

“Ri,” he repeated voice a tad dazed, “That’s what my family calls me. My family and my friends.”

“Oh. Alright,” he bobbed his head as he fumbled with his keys in the lock, “G’night then.”

Orion moved to stop him but Kevin unlocked and disappeared behind his door before he could. Orion could have called him back out. Kevin was just on the other side of the door after all. Orion knew that for sure.

He’d heard the creak of him leaning against the door. He could hear the uneven breathing. He could make out the litany of “Shitshitshit…” whispered close by. He could sense the embarrassment, worry and panic even with the wooden barrier. He could “taste” exhilaration and anxiety.

So in the end he opted to let the boy be.

Right now, there was no need to ruin the night. He had a tingle on his lips and the memory of a kiss – no matter how abrupt – in his mind. It was no hardship to go through the downpour again to get to his car. His mood was too good to care. The ride home was short enough that the happy bubble remained with him when he stepped into the house.

Asher was asleep beside the fireplace in the living room; a single reading light on, an opened novel resting on his belly and his head tossed back. He looked peaceful like this. If circumstances were different, Orion would have come home and told him about tonight. He wanted to. They hardly kept things from each other. Even now, Asher had been trying to stay awake to make sure his son had gotten home safe.

When Orion got close enough, Asher woke with a start. He blinked the drowsiness away and a sleepy little smile warmed his features. “Hey, bud,” he brushed at Orion’s hand, “How’d things go tonight? You two enjoy yourselves?” Orion could feel a grin threatening to spread to all corners of his face but he kept it neutral with a shrug. “You should invite him over properly one of these days,” Asher suggested, “I’d like to get to know him.”

“Why?” and it came out too defensive even to his ears.

“He matters to you, doesn’t he?” Asher said as if that was all the reason he could need, “I know you said you aren’t friends and you’re not dating, but he is important to you.”

“Yeah, I suppose he is. He’s a pretty private guy, dad. Can’t promise you’ll get much out of him.”

“I’m not going to interrogate him,” Asher rolled his eyes, “You can invite him over for a movie night.”

“Movie night? Seriously?” Orion tugged off his wet jacket, “I’m not sure he’ll go for that.”

“Come on. A ton of food, a ton of snacks, alcohol, sodas and stuff blowing up on a big screen TV? It’ll be great. You, Kenny and Danyel love movie night.”

“True,” he admitted, “Maybe he’ll be up for it.”

“Great. It’s settled,” Asher got to his feet and kissed the top of his damp head before wiping his mouth, “And go dry off before you catch something.”

“Alright alright. Calm your fur,” he smiled.

“Hey, by the way I was meaning to ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Danyel. Is he okay? I haven’t seen him in the den for a while. We need all the help available with the mated taking up bunkers, using up stocks and starting hormonal fights every ten minutes.”

“He’s been…busy.”

“Busy?” Asher blinked, “Busy with what?”

“Only – um – stuff.”

“He’s been ditching duty work because he’s ‘busy with stuff’? What could be so important when we need all hands on deck?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged and Asher frowned at the bold faced lie. Orion knew that face. Asher sometimes saw through his crap like no one else could. “Okay fine. Richard’s going to be leaving soon. I guess they’re just getting their last days in.”

“Right,” Asher acknowledged the truth in the well phrased lie, “Makes sense. I should have figured. That boy’s never been able to think straight when Richard is involved.”

“You’re telling me.”

Asher eyed him. The response wasn’t out of place. The words weren’t hurt or malicious. It was as matter-of-fact as could be. And that was a little concerning.

He wanted to trust that Orion could manage his own life and make his own choices. He really did. It took every ounce of him not to fall back into his paternal habits of prying and nagging. It was difficult when Orion was growing up and away from him faster and faster by the day. Their relationship felt a bit distant.

Asher never truly appreciated how quickly the Chosen matured other than when he was faced with his son. The boy was a legal adult; a grown man in the eyes of most. There was no need to coddle him. He couldn’t carry him around the village on his shoulders anymore. He couldn’t bribe him with a group run he was too young to join. Yet a part of him still saw Orion as his little boy.

He itched to ask of everything was alright. Asher knew he should believe him when he said he was okay with the breakup. He didn’t. It felt too soon. Too easy. Too painless.

It felt especially easy since he’d always braced himself for the inevitable breakup between Danyel and his son. He’d known from the beginning that they didn’t fit in that way. Asher had prepared himself for Orion’s heartache and heartbreak and months of moping over sad music. He thought he’d have to drag Orion out of his room and make him eat and deal with the tears to come. None of it came. From what he could tell, Orion hadn’t cried over this once.

Asher knew it was Orion’s longest relationship. He thought it would be harder to deal with than this. The ease of it all felt deceptive. Like maybe Orion was in shock before it all truly hit. Asher wanted to be there for the fallout. It was in his nature to be protective of his cub.

Perhaps it had something to do with Orion being his Second. It could be the guilt of Asher knowing he’d accidentally stunted his son’s self esteem by assuming the boy was an Alpha when he wasn’t. It could be the knowledge that Orion had been made to feel weak when he’d been the strongest in the group. Whatever the case, Asher had a near constant need to be there for him. He needed to know that Orion was feeling alright.

Balancing the emotions of others was a core thing for Seconds. Asher preferred that Orion knew someone had his back in that same way too.

The climbed up the wide staircase together. “Be careful, Ri,” Asher said as they reached the landing, “People watch you really closely and they don’t particularly approve of your friend.” Asher hugged him, “I would hate to have to deal with anyone who lays a hand on you because of him.” Orion nodded. in his grip and hugged him back tight.

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” Orion said knowing what it would do to Asher to take a step as dark as that.

“Just be careful,” he sighed and disappeared into his room without another word.

Orion thought it really was a good thing he couldn’t have told his father about what happened tonight. He got the feeling that he wouldn’t have taken any of this very well. Being kissed by a human out in the open didn’t exactly count as being careful.

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Thanks a lot for your guys being so supportive and patient with me this past month. I doubt you'd look at the length of this and believe that I had as much Writers' Block as I've had. But yeah... 

Thoughts? Comments?