"I want to work again," PJ said to Chris as they sat on the couch together, watching Doctor Who on Wednesday.
"Again?"
"Yeah, I worked in a convenient store downtown when I lived with my brother."
"Well, do whatever you like. If you want to go out and apply at a few different places, I'll take you."
"That'd be nice."
"How about, mid-week next week in the afternoon, we'll go around and you can go in and apply wherever you want to stop?"
"Yeah," PJ agreed. He sort of missed the feeling of accomplishment at the end of a long work day.
They grew quiet again for a bit, as they tuned back into Doctor Who and at the end of an episode, Chris decided he ought to call Phil.
After he had found Phil's number in his contacts he tapped the call button and held the phone to his hear.
"Hey, Chris." Phil answered cheerfully.
"Hey. Say hi to PJ," Chris leaned over, grinning and held the phone to PJ's ear.
"Hi Phil," PJ spoke into the phone, rolling his eyes at Chris.
Chris laughed quietly and then retracted his hand, returning the phone to his ear. He said to Phil, "I know something you don't know I know."
"And what might that be?"
Chris ignored the question and said, "Say, have you ever found the wolf again?"
"Chris, you are making no sense whatsoever right now."
"PJ told me. About Dan. And you."
"Oh," Phil said, understanding. "I should have told you. I doubted that you would have believed me. I just thought it be best to keep that to myself. But of course, you met PJ and Dan and I both knew." He finished, a smile in his voice.
"Everyone left me out of the loop. I feel so left out," Chris mocked a hiccupping cry.
Phil laughed in response, "I would have gotten around to telling you. Eventually."
"Eventually," Chris echoed harshly. "Yeah, I might have started to wonder when you and Dan have wolf babies."
"Oh my god," Phil chuckled, and although Chris didn't see it, he knew his head was shaking. "You're terrible."
"But in all seriousness, that's pretty awesome."
"Yeah," Phil agreed, and Chris shuddered inwardly at the way his voice softened, despite he did feel a bit soft on the inside for just a moment.
"But you know my rule."
"No chick flick moments allowed." Phil confirmed dutifully.
"But if this was a chick flick," Chris said, betraying himself. "I'd say that I'm really happy. And happy that you are happy."
"And then I'd say thanks, me too."
"And then we'd plan a big slumber party and watch Sleepover to have girl time."
Phil laughed and then said, "Not even in an alternate universe."
"Right," Chris agreed with a wide grin.
"So, Dan and I are going to be going downtown to the mall on Friday afternoon if you and PJ want to join us. You'll get to meet Adrian, Dan's cousin."
"He's got a cousin?"
PJ looked over at Chris, interest piqued.
"Yeah, he's cool. Been staying with us since Sunday, actually."
"You need to keep me better updated than this, Phil." Chris scolded playfully.
"I know I'm a shit friend, huh?"
"I'm kidding. If anything I'm the shit friend here."
"Nonsense. So you and PJ want to go this weekend?"
"Yeah, hang on let me ask PJ." Chris turned to PJ, who was smiling and said, "Yes," before he even got to his question.
"Yeah, sounds good." He grinned.
"Alright, awesome. I'll ring you back on Saturday then. Or sooner. Depends."
"Right, later."
"Later," Phil agreed, closing the conversation and Chris hung up his phone.
"My social life's been exciting lately."
PJ laughed, and Chris shifted to lie back on the couch. He gestured for PJ to lie with him and said, "Come here, puppy."
At first PJ didn't say anything, but obeyed Chris and stretched out next to him. His back was pressed to Chris's chest, and everything felt incredibly warm throughout the both of their bodies.
"Puppy?" PJ asked with a cringe.
"It's cute. And you're cute."
"You're a dork."
"You still love me."
"I do."
"I love you, puppy."
"I love you too, you weirdo."
Dan, Phil, and Adrian met up with Chris and PJ at the mall.
They met near the bookstore, and walked throughout the complex building. Occasionally they would stop and look through a shop and idly browse. They pointed out cool Halloween themed decorations and they went into one shop that was mainly Halloween themed.
They looked over the cool and cheesy costumes.
"Dan, look." Adrian said, pointing to a werewolf costume, complete with a mask, a flannel shirt and ripped jeans. Along the same shelf a single wolf mask could be found.
"No," Dan shook his head as Phil lifted the mask off the hook. He held it up next to his face and Phil feigned seriousness for a moment.
"I think we found your Halloween costume," he said and Dan shook his head.
"That's not funny," Dan said, deadpan. "Put that back, Phil."
The five of them laughed, and went along the other racks, pointing out ridiculous or downright inappropriate costumes.
They left the costume shop, and made their way down the large corridor. They paused at one point to stand idly near the fountain and appreciate the way the water glittered in the light streaming in from the skylight.
The mall was a great place, Dan decided.
They lingered on the outskirts of the food court, Adrian, Chris and PJ were people watching and Phil turned to Dan and asked, "Do you want to get a smoothie?"
"Yeah, that sounds good." He agreed.
"We're going to get smoothies." Phil announced to the other three. "Do you guys want any?"
"Nah, that's okay." Adrian said and they agreed with him.
While Dan followed Phil to a nearby smoothie shop, the others sat on a nearby black iron bench.
"This has been really fun," Dan said to Phil as they stood in line.
"It's not ever yet," Phil told him with a smile.
"I know, but… thanks, you know." He smiled widely at his boyfriend, but as he heard the sound of dark laughter from down the large hall, his grin faltered.
Phil's eyes flicked to look at something behind Dan and his eyebrows knitted.
What a bunch of faggots
Phil hadn't heard the comment, but instantly Dan's blood boiled and all he could see was red.
Wrath filled his eyes, and his jaw clenched and Phil, for the first time, was afraid of what he might be capable of.
PJ and Adrian felt the sudden fire exuding out of Dan, looking between him and what he was glowering toward as they had heard the comment as well. Horror struck Adrian.
"Dan," Phil said, but he was already turning around, headed straight for the group of three boys that were leaning against the wall.
All four other boys were calling after him, hot on his trail.
Rage heated Dan's blood, and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
The pale boy with the black, spiked hair watched as Dan approached and mocked him to his two friends.
"How dare you," Dan growled, grabbing him by his collar. The boy's eyes widened as he was lifted an entire foot off the ground, and pressed to the concrete wall.
"Dan!" Adrian shouted desperately. "Don't!"
Phil's heart pounded, taking in the scene with wide eyes. PJ urged both him and Chris to leave, but they were both rooted to the spot.
Red flashed in the boy's eyes and his expression relaxed with a smirk as he realized the nature of the group of five that they'd previously been mocking.
Dan didn't relent. He pressed the boy harder to the concrete, despite seeing the red in his eyes.
"I don't care who the fuck you think you are. You don't dare talk about my friends that way."
The boy sneered at Dan, lip curling slightly.
"Dan," PJ put a hand at his shoulder, tugging him back. He glanced around and noticed that they were creating an awful scene. At any minute someone could call security over. "Dan, this is bad. We have to go."
Dan ignored him, continuing to fume as he stared at the boy dead on, watching the red swirl in his irises.
"Dan," Adrian attempted to get his attention as well and red eyes flicked over to him, a smirk spread across one side of his face.
"You're going to regret this," the boy said lowly as Dan relented, and his two friends jeered at Dan.
Dan was tempted to jump them as well, but he lowered the boy to the ground as PJ and Adrian tugged him back and led him away.
"What the fuck was that?" Phil demanded to know when they were safe in his car.
Dan was still upset, and he didn't want to shout back at Phil. Adrian winced in the backseat.
"You have no self control! What the hell is your problem?"
"You didn't hear what they said," Dan returned, his body still vibrating with anger and radiating off of him and into Phil.
"What could they have said to warrant that behavior?"
Phil had never shouted at him before. It was frightening.
"Phil, look-, Don't be so angry. It's my fault you feel so upset."
"You think I'm upset?! Dan, I'm confused!" Phil finally said, recalling the blood red irises of the three boys. "They weren't normal. What the hell is going on?"
"Phil, we need to just get out of here," Adrian spoke up gently. "Chris said that he and PJ would follow us."
Phil heaved a sigh and settled in the driver's seat. "You're right."
Phil started his car, and he drove around to the other side of the parking lot where Chris had said he was parked. When Phil drove passed Chris' car, he pulled out of the parking space and trailed after him.
The car was silent until Phil got onto the highway. Dan was rigid, and Phil focused too hard on the road.
Adrian began to speak.
"Phil, did Dan tell you about what happened to his Dad?"
He gulped, but nodded and Dan sat with his eyes shut. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he was sleeping.
"Sometimes, things turn out differently than it did with him."
"What do you mean?" Phil's grip on the steering wheel loosened slightly.
"Sometimes, not only do we become a shell of ourselves if we lose a mate, but a darkness can seep into that shell. Some of us become something else entirely after we're torn apart on the inside like that. Like a deep wound that gets infected."
"Is that what they were?"
"Yeah," he said. "They killed my Dad."
Dan's head jerked back to look at Adrian, and it felt as if someone threw a bottle of alcohol into a small fire as anger erupted inside him once again. "I swear to god I'm going to tear them apart."
"Dan," Adrian said brokenly. "That's not going to help."
The car grew silent again.
"This isn't okay," Phil said, more to himself than anything.
"No," Dan said. "It isn't."