With every minute that passed, Will's heart beat a little faster. Soon I might even die. The smell of his mother's stew drifted throughout the house and although that normally made his mouth water, he was nauseated now. It had been five o'clock.

Will had been so overwhelmed by Onyx accepting his invitation that he had completely forgotten to say what time they were used to have dinner.

He could already see them sitting at the table for an hour; an empty chair, casting impatient glances out of the window while his mother would pass judgment on Onyx—something about how he should have asked at what time he was expected, or...

With a jolt, he raised his head when he heard the roar of an engine. Will stumbled towards the window and yanked aside the curtain. Yes, there he was. The boy drove onto the pavement and parked the bike there.

Will held his breath as Onyx took off his helmet and ran a hand through his hair. Now his heart was really racing. Startled, Will stepped back when the boy looked up as if he could feel Will's stare. With a flaming red face, he quickly took another step forward and waved awkwardly, trying not to look like an idiot. With a nod, Onyx greeted him back.

Will took a deep breath. Okay, you can do this. He turned away from the window and made his way across the room. As he passed the mirror in the corridor, he glanced at his hair. It could really use a new haircut, but he didn't really dare. So much had changed recently; his mirror image was the only familiar thing left. But maybe I'll be ready for it soon.

The stairs creaked as he descended them. His hands felt sweaty and he had to suppress the urge to flee upstairs. He could tell them he was sick. It wasn't even a lie, because he was nauseous and his heartbeat was pounding through his head.

"Onyx... How nice that you're here."

Too late. His fingers clenched around the banister as he heard his mother's strained voice, even though she was clearly trying to disguise it. She was not very successful.

"Hey."

Will bit his cheek. Fair is fair—Onyx did sound gruff. He made a quick prayer. Please, don't let this become a disaster.

Swiftly, Will walked down the last steps. "Hi." He scolded himself when he heard his squeaky voice. His mother turned slightly to the side so he could see Onyx. Immediately he turned red.

And his mother was right in front of him! He wanted to push her down the corridor and shove her into the living room.

"Hey Will." Onyx's voice sounded warmer than before and he lifted the corner of his mouth in a tentative smile.

Will's legs went limp like spaghetti. "Uhm..." That was all that came out. His gaze was drawn back to his mother and he signaled with his eyes for her to leave.

She looked back and forth between him and Onyx, seemed to swallow a sigh, and said not very convincingly: "I really need to check on the food."

As soon as she was gone, Will took a hesitant step toward the doormat. Nerves now inhabited every cell of his body. Permanently, it seemed.

Onyx took off his jacket, so it wasn't so obvious that Will was standing there bumbling and totally unsure of what to say or do. Why did things keep getting so awkward with Onyx? That tension, those jitters... They just didn't go away!

"Everything okay?" Onyx asked, who was hanging his jacket on the coat rack and therefore suddenly standing a lot closer to Will.

"Uhm. Yeah. Fine." He picked at his hair and didn't know where to look. "W-with you too?"

He risked a glance into Onyx's icy blue eyes. They seemed to grab him firmly by the shoulders, holding him in place until his heartbeat slowed down. It made the blush on his cheeks worse, but he felt like he had at least a bit of a normal heartbeat again.

"I'm good, too." Onyx put his helmet under the coat rack, against the wall. When he got back up, he stood even closer.

Automatically Will shifted back.

Onyx raised his eyebrows. "Are you afraid of me?"

"N-no. Of course not," he stammered. More of myself. That I keep doing stupid things.

"Good." Those mysterious eyes caught his gaze again and his knees buckled as if Onyx's hand weighed fifty pounds when he placed it on his shoulder. "Because know that I would never do anything to you. And if anyone does harm you, I'll rip his head off."

Will could utter nothing but a soundless "O". A shadow seemed to pass in Onyx's eyes. A shiver crept down Will's spine and he wasn't quite sure whether he secretly liked this protective attitude or found it oppressive.

Onyx squeezed his shoulder before letting go. His skin seemed to burn and it took a huge effort for him to get ahead of the boy to enter the living room.

It was as if a cold breeze stroked along his neck. Inside him something stirred, something growled. Call it instinct, call it a premonition, but Will was suddenly very sure: danger was on the way.