Chapter Three
Merton gave up trying to escape the arms of a football player slash werewolf, and settled against him. "Everybody's your best friend, Tommy." He felt the tears well up in his eyes.
"No, they're not! Really, Merton, do you think that?" Tommy sounded shocked.
"I mean, really, Tommy, would you even be my friend if it wasn't for the whole werewolf thing? I mean, you've never treated me like . . . But you know, you'd never . . ." Merton couldn't find any coherency in himself.
Which was kind of sad, he thought, as Tommy was rocking him gently. Why was it always like this? Tommy being the fucking big strong hero, and comforting poor Merton Dingle, saving him from himself. He never even realized he said it aloud, until Tommy replied.
"I'm not a hero, Merton."
Yeah, you are, you're a hero, and I'm just a sidekick. Comic relief. You're fuckin' pet.
"Merton. . ." There was a silence. And Merton was stuck there, waiting for Tommy to say something. Something reassuring, but something so generally hero-like and Golden-boyish and predictable that it would just be a blow. Something about him being better than other people. Or something about him being better than he realized. Something about not being appreciated for the wonderful person he is. Something like what his mother told him, when she was trying to help him get over this or that.
And after a while, Merton couldn't even find it in himself to talk to her anymore. His dad was such a big presence anyway, that all their moments had been stolen. Instants where she could love her son without displeasing her husband. So the Lair had become his refuge. Somewhere his dad could stuff his son and pretend he had never been born. Somewhere Becky could pretend he didn't exist. And somewhere, far enough away, that his mother could justify her disregard.
Merton didn't even realise that Tommy had said nothing. Just held him. As Merton slipped out of the reality he couldn't face, into dreams that he couldn't hope to better.
He felt nothing but safety really, as Tommy easily lifted him up and laid him out on the couch. And it was so soothing, when Tommy tucked him in gently. And he was almost in the dark black void when he felt lips pressed to his forehead. For an instant. For an eternity.
The growl echoed in the room. Mine.