✘ danger

he  can't  help  but  to  nod  his  head  at  her  words,  agreeing  wholeheartedly.  he  wasn't  sure  when  the  last  time  he'd  gotten  proper  rest.  probably  before  he'd  been  turned  to  a  demon  but  even  then  ...  his  rest  wasn't  great  before  that.  "oh  i  cannot  remember  the  last  time  i  had  a  good,  real  rest."  benjamin  says  with  a  shake  of  his  head,  a  chuckle  falling  from  his  lips.  "what  do  i  do?"  the  demon  repeats,  humming  as  he  thinks  about  the  things  that  he'd  seemingly  been  spending  more  of  his  time  doing  recently.  "at  the  moment  i  just  go  for  walks,  honestly.  find  somewhere  around  town  that  i  haven't  been  to  yet  and  explore  the  area  until  i  don't  feel  like  being  there  anymore."

Dominic liked to think of himself as an easy going guy. The type who let things fall off of him easy and clean. He was also the type of guy who never turned away from another wolf, welcoming them with open arms and making his best efforts to make them feel safe in his presence. However, if there was ever an exception, it was of course, Grayson. The other man got under his skin, rowdy and unpredictable. The type of guy he just wanted to punch in the teeth — though he is trying to refrain given the other's injuries. Besides, a fight between these two would end in nothing but a loss of morale. And morale was already in the shitter.

When Nicci saw him with his sling, struggling to do the bare minimum, a twinge of sympathy hit his chest. Ignoring the request for silence, Dominic spoke, "Maybe you shouldn't be the one doing all that." Kindness lacking in his voice, but, he still stuck his hand on the ladder to steady Gray's descent. Watching the other struggle to pick up even a paint brush he had stained the tarp with, Dominic came to the realization that this job was too hard for Grayson, and barely hid his smirk. "Probably time you headed home. Leave the repairs to those who aren't taken out by a little paint brush." His grin, usually kind and genuinely, had a kind of bite to it he couldn't help. It was a sick satisfaction to see the other in pain. He could feel bad about it later. "Come on," He held his hand palm up for the paint brush, and folded it twice in a ‘gimme’ gesture. "Hand it over."

grayson  wasn't  sure  what  it  was  about  dominic  —  but  there  was  something  that  got  under  his  skin  so  quickly  after  he'd  met  the  other  werewolf.  it  had  led  to  many  moments  of  both  of  them  making  annoyed  comments  towards  one  another,  give  each  other  a  hard  time,  always  doing  whatever  to  get  under  the  other's  skin.  it  wasn't  as  if  grayson  disliked  dominic,  or  had  any  feeling  of  hatred  towards  the  other.  he  didn't,  but  they  just  seemingly  got  on  each  other's  nerves  no  matter  what  they  did. he  tried  to  ignore  the  other  the  second  that  he'd  found  out  that  dominic  was  at  the  elementary  school  as  well.  knew  that  it  wouldn't  help  him  at  all,  knew  it  wouldn't  help  anything  when  it  came  to  actually  trying  to  help  out  &  rebuild  everything.  does  it  annoy  grayson?  absolutely.  but  he'd  been  trying  his  best  to  just  keep  his  nose  in  the  job  he  offered  to  do  &  keep  his  focus  on  that.  but  every  time  the  other  came  in  carrying  another  box,  tension  builds  in  the  room  even  if  it  isn't  on  purpose.  it's  why  after  what  felt  like  the  hundredth  time  of  nicci  coming  in  the  room  he  finally  lets  his  annoyance  bubble  over. grayson's  lip  twitches  into  a  scowl  as  the  other  speaks,  his  eyes  landing  on  the  fact  that  dominic  still  steadied  the  ladder  for  him  regardless  of  what  the  other  was  saying.  "maybe  you  should  watch  your  fucking  mouth."  the  werewolf  retorts  with  a  snippy  tone,  brow  raising  as  he  turns  to  face  the  other  —  eyes  rolling  at  the  next  comment  the  other  made.  "i  wasn't  taken  out  by  a  paint  brush,  shut  up.  stupid  ladder  wobbled."  grayson  says  as  he  brushes  past  dominic  to  the  paint  brush,  middle  finger  pointing  at  the  other  werewolf  before  grayson  picks  the  brush  up.  he  hates  being  in  pain  like  this,  hates  feeling  almost  helpless  because  he  has  always  been  independent,  always  hated  asking  for  help.  he  refused  to  do  so,  even  now  as  the  other  asks  for  the  paint  brush.  "fuck  off,  would  you?"  grayson  groans,  carefully  making  his  way  back  up  a  few  rungs  of  the  ladder.  "look... just...  let  me  do  this."  his  tone  changes  at  that,  less  aggressive,  less  tense.  like  he  needed  to  be  there,  needed  to  help  out  like  this.

"actually  i  beg  to  differ  —  i  think  it  would  sell  quite  well."  the  werewolf  retorts  with  a  smirk,  brow  raising  as  he  looks  over  at  her.  "a  lot  of  people  know  that  i  love  going  out  to  have  a  good  time  and  if  there  was  a  drink  named  after  me,  they'd  at  least  want  to  try  it  to  see  what  kind  of  fun  i  like  to  get  into."  there's  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders  at  that.  "sometimes  people  want  to  wake  up  the  next  day  and  have  no  idea  what  they  got  into  the  night  before  —  my  name  would  be  perfect  for  that."  there's  a  chuckle  that  follows  his  words,  leaning  back  in  his  seat  as  his  brows  knit  together  for  a  fraction  of  a  second.  half  tempted  to  give  her  another  dramatic  response  but  he  figures  he'd  leave  that  for  later.  "oh?  so  now  i  really  did  become  like  your  personal  test  dummy?"  the  werewolf  asks  with  a  tilt  of  his  head  as  if  he's  mulling  the  idea  over  in  his  head.  "just  tell  me  when  you're  making  test  drinks  and  i'll  be  here."

❝ was she too cranky? or were you too cranky? ❞ both might have been true, but she knew what the werewolf was like when awake before he cared to be. she could deal with his moodiness just fine. but not everyone could see him the way she did, even the moments of him being difficult ones she'd gladly endure. ❝ well, i really appreciate you pissing off the people at the bakery for me. so sweet. ❞ her words tease but she can't help but think of some of his past words in moments like this. with as much as he'd been there for her lately, was she really supposed to believe she was too good for him? it continued to be a lingering thought that only became less and less true. her head shakes. she didn't expect a you're welcome. she didn't expect anything. she just wanted him to know she appreciated him. ❝ yeah, but you didn't have to do this to prove that. you chose to do this, too, ❞ she points out. no arrogance about it, its just fun to point out that he can be sweet when he wanted to be.

there's an almost giddiness returned as they joke. especially when he's overly dramatic about his talent and how much she enjoys making him do it. ❝ yeah, but you it's me so. ❞ an 'i'm allowed to be a pain in the ass' shrug goes with her words. ❝ of course, i do. i love your voice. and i think you like that i do, ❞ challenged with a playful nudge and raise of her brows. adelaide likes these moments that feels like no time has passed. talking and joking while he sets up the cake, teasing each other, him singing for her. it'd be nice if it hadn't or if they were still in each other's lives during that time. sometimes she just wanted to hear everything, having him fill in all that she missed — but that would take some time. which, as he pointed out before, they had — he wasn't going anywhere.

the image makes her laugh, never seeing the point in something like that until this very moment. ❝ that would be pretty adorable, but it's bad luck not to blow them out yourself so i would have done it anyway. ❞ he tells her not to move, so she doesn't, confused until the feeling of needles that prickle at her throat fades and her eyes go wide. ❝ grayson, ❞ she breathes out as a hand comes up to her throat in disbelief. she vaguely remembers the same relief in the clinic and immediately her arms pull him into a hug, her face buries in his shoulder for a second before she pulls back. ❝ thank you. ❞

the comment brings on a giggle, hidden by her hand. ❝ hey. my birthday, my cake. ❞ having never beat around the bush with her feelings or what's on her mind, she rolls her eyes as he draws out her admission. ❝ of course i do. i'll even change up my movie line-up so we're not watching all romcoms. ❞ it was just going to be a quiet evening of movies and ordering out anyway. now she had cake and company, so her birthday wasn't turning out as sad as she thought it was going to be.

grayson  is  glad  that  she's  at  least  feeling  okay  enough  to  accept  the  fact  that  he  wanted  to  be  there  for  her  birthday,  give  her  a  little  bit  of  time  to  focus  on  herself  rather  than  her  wallowing  in  sadness  or  pain  alone.  he  would  never  leave  her  alone  to  suffer  through  that  anymore,  not  now  that  he  knows  he's  close  enough  to  be  there  for  her  as  much  as  she  wanted  him  to  be.  of  course,  had  she  told  him  she  wasn't  in  the  mood  —  he  would  have  understood,  he  would  have  simply  dropped  the  cake  off  &  then  headed  back  to  his  house  without  pushing.

his  brows  raise  at  her  question,  a  faux  look  of  offense  creeping  up  on  his  features  before  it  fades  into  a  chuckle.  "okay  maybe  i  was  a  bit  cranky  too  but  what  can  i  say?  it  was  six  in  the  damn  morning.  you  know  i  how  much  i  hate  mornings."  grayson  retorts  with  a  nonchalant  shrug  of  his  shoulders  as  his  grin  turns  almost  mischievous.  "i  would  piss  off  a  million  old  ass  ladies  over  and  over  again  if  it  meant  being  able  to  get  your  favorite  kind  of  cake  for  your  birthday."  the  werewolf  continues,  his  tone  as  if  he  was  talking  about  something  so  simple  like  what  the  weather  was  like  that  day  ...  not  confessing  that  he'd  do  anything  to  make  sure  she  was  happy.  "i  did  choose  to  do  it,  you're  not  wrong."  he  says,  rolling  his  eyes  as  he  readjusts  his  shoulder  so  that  the  sling  wasn't  digging  into  him.  "don't  go  running  around  telling  people  that  i  got  up  that  early  in  the  morning  to  get  you  a  birthday  cake,  i  have  a  reputation  to  uphold."  the  werewolf  teases  with  a  grin  forming  on  his  lips.  "that  and  they  don't  need  to  know  that  because  there's  only  a  few  people  i'm  this  nice  to."

grayson  notices  the  shift  in  her  demeanor,  how  it  seems  almost  giddy  after  they're  able  to  go  back  to  joking  around  like  they  used  to  do.  if  he  were  to  be  honest,  he  felt  the  same  way.  thankful  that  even  though  it  had  been  years  since  they'd  hung  out  like  this,  not  much  had  seemingly  changed.  "you  might  have  given  me  an  even  bigger  head  than  i  already  had  the  first  time  you  caught  me  singing,  what  of  it?"  he  retorts  with  a  shrug  of  his  own  shoulders  —  as  if  to  say  he  had  no  problem  with  her  liking  his  ability  to  sing  but  also  had  no  problem  with  her  boosting  his  ego  every  time.  as  he  sets  up  the  cake,  he  looks  over  his  shoulder  a  few  time  with  a  raised  brow,  watching  as  she  tried  to  peek  over  his  frame  to  see  what  he  was  doing  &  each  time  he'd  playfully  move  his  shoulder  to  block  her  view  even  more  so.  it  felt  good,  to  be  able  to  go  right  back  to  messing  around  with  her  without  feeling  as  if  he  had  to  walk  on  eggshells.

the  ability  to  take  someone  else's  pain  away  from  them  was  one  of  the  few  things  that  he  actually  had  a  control  on  —  the  rest  of  the  things  that  came  with  being  a  werewolf  were  a  lot  harder  for  him  to  get  a  grip  on,  to  control  in  the  way  he  truly  wanted  to.  it's  why  he  doesn't  hesitate  to  try  with  her,  not  even  sure  it  would  be  able  to  help  given  the  fact  some  of  his  abilities  still  seemed  to  not  be  working.  his  regeneration  being  one  of  the  things  that  seems  to  be  taking  some  sort  of  vacation  at  the  moment.  he's  pulled  into  a  hug  and  his  good  arm  wraps  around  her  to  rest  in  her  hair,  pulling  her  closer  to  him  as  he  returns  the  hug.  "it  may  not  last  for  very  long...  but  i  wanted  to  be  able  to  take  away  some  of  your  pain.  even  if  it's  just  for  a  few  minutes."  the  werewolf  replies,  turning  his  head  to  gently  kiss  the  top  of  her  head.  "i'm  just  glad  it  was  able  to  actually  work."

at  the  mention  of  romcoms,  his  face  contorts  into  distain,  shaking  his  head.  "you  wanted  to  sit  by  yourself  and  watch  cheesy  ass  movies?  on  purpose?"  he  asks  with  a  scowl,  shaking  his  head  before  his  features  turn  from  distain  to  a  grin.  "i  guess  i  can  deal  with  a  few  romcoms  since  it's  your  birthday  but  don't  expect  me  to  like  it."  he  teases,  rolling  his  eyes  playfully  as  he  attempts  to  take  his  jacket  off  —  having  to  carefully  pull  it  off  of  his  shoulders  with  a  slight  grimace,  sitting  it  down  on  the  nearest  chair.  "lead  the  way,  birthday  girl...  and  no,  i  won't  judge  if  you  just  take  the  whole  cake  in  there  with  you."

part of ade wanting to high tail it out of there when she first saw grayson at the bonfire, was knowing what they meant to her and knowing how it would affect her. even then, she'd been filled with anger and longing, torn between being elated to see him again and wanting to slap him for ever leaving in the first place. adelaide was confused enough in life, grayson would only add to that. and he did. but he also brought back all the stuff that used to be there, the good things that made her laugh and roll her eyes, and yes, blush. ❝ that's not fair. you already know most of the things that do that. ❞ and being who he was, it wasn't like it was that difficult — unfortunately for her.

her head shakes when he apologizes. ❝ you don't — none of it is your fault. you did — , ❞ she pauses for a second, eyes fall and she nibbles on her bottom lip as she let's herself think. ❝ it did stop while you were there. even now, no ghosts bothering me. ❞ it feels kind of strange to be telling him about the intense things about her magic, but also the really normal things he never knew. ghosts had found her since she was a child and there were multiple almost always present in some way. ❝ but it's not your fault, ❞ repeated as she looks at him. just as it wasn't her fault she couldn't help him then either. now, she can only listen and hope he'll allow her in enough to help in those scary moments. ❝ you never have to worry about that again. at least, being alone after. ❞ she couldn't do anything about his shifting, but she could be there for him. a smile tugs in the corner's of her lips at the reassuring words, a quick head shake when he follows up with putting down his addition to fearlessness. ❝ impulsive, yes. stupid, sometimes, ❞ teased with a growing smile. ❝ but always fun. ❞ a breath with pause is taken, rethinking her wording. ❝ i just mean, i always knew i had you to count on if things went wrong. even with all the things you find stupid. but ... gigs and stuff too. ❞ adelaide never seemed nervous; she was confident and loved performing no matter for how many people. but it was even better knowing that no matter what, she'd have him there if it was amazing or she bombed. now she could include him in the magical aspects too.

it's not until the tiny droplet touches her cheek that ade realizes his words brought it on. but her hands are occupied and can't wipe it away, she's just left watching him as his body seems to surrender underneath her fingertips. ❝ you won't, you don't have to, ❞ her hushed tone is scared of breaking him out of this moment. ❝ yeah, it has been. ❞ her lips quirk a little. of course she was happy they found each other here, but thinking of grayson enjoying the town beyond that leaves a warmth in the pit of her stomach. thinking of him happy ... it's dangerous how much his joy affected hers, but that's all she wants for him.

❝ no. stop saying that. stop trying to make me hate you for ... being afraid. ❞ she never could. try as he might, the situation was different to her now. had he never explained, avoided her as she tried to do with him, all of that animosity would still be there. gazes shared, if ever, might have been rage-filled, on her part. it might take some time for the hurt to fade, completely, but he didn't avoid her. the explanation she deserved was had and she didn't think she would be alone in thinking it understandable. however terrible he thought of himself and their situation, he didn't deserve her hating him. ❝ i could say the same about your, you know? ❞ the line of hatred had already being blurred.

the back and forth continues to make things blurry, but she can ignore the confusion to focus on the moment, focus on him. she almost wishes he wasn't honest, for once, the words sending a small shock through her that makes adelaide pull back, head resting against the door so she could look up at him. somehow she found herself held to some higher standard that she couldn't help thinking made her seem unattainable. and the way grayson has spoken about himself this entire time, his words hit hard. trying to convince him that he was good enough seemed like it might be moot, and really, it wasn't the thing most bothering her about his assumption. ❝ you don't get to tell me what i deserve. ❞ it's not meant to be harsh, though. the fingers that come up to graze his cheek and softness in her eyes tell him that.

adelaide might have laughed, but part of her mind is still stuck, trying not to think and overthink; stay in the moment. it's impossible to escape it, though. not with him this close. his voiced pulled her back in every time he spoke and his touch was one she found she missed and craved more of. ❝ i am just surprised to find out you can, ❞ murmured teasingly. though, the truth of it, how much he's changed over the years isn't lost on her. ❝ maybe you're better at control than you thought. ❞ which, while shocking, was maybe a hint that he was capable of more than he thought as well.

grayson  had  always  been  a  fight  or  flight  kind  of  person  —  if  he  couldn't  fight  his  way  out  of  something  he  didn't  like,  he  left.  did  that  solve  all  of  his  problems?  absolutely  not..  but  he  didn't  have  to  worry  about  it  when  he  was  on  the  run.  adelaide  had  a  way  of  ruining  that  for  him  in  a  way  that  he  never  expected  her  to.  she  had  given  him  normality  when  he  was  so  desperate  to  find  a  way  to  feel  normal  after  his  life  had  quickly  turned  in  a  direction  he  would  have  never  imagined.  leaving  her  —  that  had  made  every  single  bit  of  his  problems  return  tenfold.  he'd  been  searching  for  that  normalcy  ever  since  he'd  left.

it  had  slowly  started  to  come  back  ever  since  he'd  run  into  her  at  the  bonfire,  a  warmth  he  had  only  had  for  such  a  short  period  of  time  slowly  starting  to  spread  through  his  chest.  it  was  terrifying  how  quickly  she  was  able  to  do  that  to  him,  he  should  have  immediately  ran.  but  he  couldn't,  he'd  already  lived  with  the  guilt  of  leaving  her  the  first  time,  he  refused  to  do  so  again.  not  when  he  had  to  opportunity  to  make  things  right.  her  comment  causes  a  smug  smirk  to  form  on  his  lips,  brow  quirking  upwards  as  he  tilts  his  head  down  to  look  at  adelaide.  "most  things?"  he  asks,  challenge  evident  in  his  tone  as  he  purposely  rubs  his  thumb  across  her  cheek.  "i'm  pretty  sure  i  was  the  creator  of  some  of  the  things  that  cause  you  to  do  that."  grayson  teases  with  a  grin,  though  he  doesn't  push  any  further.

there's  a  moment  where  he  sits  in  complete  silence,  listening  to  her  talk  to  him  about  the  fact  that  him  simply  just  being  there  was  able  to  take  away  some  of  the  things  she'd  have  to  deal  with  alone.  it  makes  his  heart  clench  in  his  chest,  eyes  softening  ever-so-slightly  —  he  knows  she  could  see  it  but  she's  one  of  the  few  people  that  he  didn't  care  if  she  saw  his  actual  emotions,  didn't  care  if  she  knew  that  something  so  simple  could  cause  him  to  soften  as  much  as  he  had.  "it  may  not  have  been  my  fault  but  that  doesn't  mean  i  don't  feel  bad  for  leaving  you.  not  just  because  you  had  to  deal  with  that  alone  but  because  leaving  you  was  the  stupidest  fucking  choice  i've  ever  made  in  my  life."  he  breathes  out,  leaning  forward  to  press  a  kiss  to  her  temple.  at  her  agreeing  with  him  being  impulsive  &  stupid,  a  genuine  chuckle  comes  out  of  the  werewolves  mouth,  nodding  at  her  as  the  grin  only  grows  wider  on  his  lips.  "it  was  you,  nothing  went  wrong.  you  were  always  perfect.  the  rest  of  the  world  just  liked  to  try to dim  your  light."  he  teases,  rolling  his  eyes  at  her  in  an  overly  dramatic  fashion  though  he  does  hold  his  hands  up  in  surrender.  "but  at  least  i  was  able  to  bring  some  fun  into  your  life...  even  if  that  did  include  you  having  to  babysit  me  while  i  was  drunk  and  trying  to  take  my  shirt  off  at  the  bar."  the  werewolf  says,  brows  wiggling  at  her  playfully.  "i'm  here  and  not  going  anywhere  so  i  hope  that  you'll  be  able  to  come  to  me  with  anything."  it's  sincere,  even  if  it  took  time  for  her  to  trust  him  like  she  once  had  —  he  would  always  be  there  for  her.

his  words  catch  in  his  throat  once  he  sees  the  tear  run  down  her  cheek,  immediately  using  his  free  hand  to  wipe  it  away  gently  with  his  knuckles  —  the  hand  placed  on  hers  tightening  around  her  fingers  as  he  presses  her  palm  further  against  his  chest.  "i  want....  i  want  to  feel  fucking  normal."  the  werewolf  admits,  his  jaw  clenching  as  he  tries  to  keep  his  own  tears  from  spilling  over.  it  had  been  years  since  he'd  actually  allowed  himself  to  feel  like  this,  to  feel  this  deeply  &  it  should  terrify  him.  but  it  doesn't,  because  it's  with  her.  he  trusts  her,  knows  that  she  wouldn't  tease  or  judge  him  for  letting  himself  appear  'weak'.  "to  feel  how  i  did  when  i  was  with  you."  it  comes  out  as  a  whisper,  almost  as  if  he  didn't  mean  to  say  it  at  all  yet  there's  no  bit  of  him  that  regrets  saying  it  at  all.

her  words  make  him  take  a  deep  breath,  tilting  his  head  as  he  chews  on  his  bottom  lip  —  clearly  trying  to  keep  himself  from  arguing  it  any  further  since  she  seemed  to  be  so  dead  set  on  it.  "if  i  had  done  anything  to  you...  god..."  he  continues,  voice  so  quiet  he's  not  even  sure  if  she'd  heard  him,  head  leaning  forward  to  rest  his  forehead  against  her  shoulder.  "i  wouldn't  have  been  able  to  live  with  myself."  as  he  speaks  he  takes  a  shaky  inhale,  keeping  his  hand  on  hers  while  he  takes  a  moment  to  ground  himself  —  to  not  let  the  emotions  completely  overflow.  "i  might  be  really  fucking  selfish  for  saying  this  but  i'm  really  glad  you  don't  hate  me."  the  werewolf  continues  with  a  breath  of  a  laugh,  though  his  words  were  completely  true.  had  she  hated  him  like  he  thought  he  deserved,  things  would  feel  a  whole  lot  different  than  they  did  currently.

that  was  the  'issue'  he  always  seemed  to  have  whenever  he  was  around  her  —  she  was  always  able  to  cause  him  to  spill  out  every  bit  of  his  emotions  without  him  even  realizing  he  was  doing  it.  but  she'd  been  able  to  tear  down  the  walls  he  kept  up  so  high  around  himself  within  a  few  months  time.  things  weren't  different  now  even  though  time  had  passed.  she  was  one  of  the  only  people  who  could  get  this  side  of  him,  get  him  to  be  so  open  &  honest  without  having  to  pry  for  it.  "you  know  what  i  meant."  the  werewolf  breathes  out,  immediately  leaning  into  her  touch  subconsciously.  he  doesn't  argue  it  anymore,  just  leaves  it  as  it  is.  knows  she'd  be  too  stubborn  to  even  argue  his  point  any  further.  not  to  mention  the  fact  that  he'd  much  rather  focus  on  the  feeling  of  her  hand  against  his  bare  chest,  his  heart  pounding  right  underneath  her  fingertips  to  tell  her  how  he  feels  without  him  even  needing  to  voice  it.

his  hands  move  to  gently  hold  her  thighs,  carrying  her  with  ease  as  he  makes  his  way  towards  the  living  room  —  the  couch  the  closest  thing  he  could  possibly  think  of  so  that's  where  he  goes.  "you  of  all  people  know  that  you're  able  to  break  that  control  of  mine  so  easily."  he  chuckles,  brow  raising  as  he  finally  sets  them  both  down  on  the  couch,  his  hands  immediately  resting  on  her  waist  as  he  pulls  her  further  into  his  lap.  "i'm  just  trying  to  be  a  gentleman  right  now,  okay?"  grayson  teases  with  a  roll  of  his  eyes.  she  hadn't  changed  her  mind  though,  which  meant  that  he  could  let  his  control  slip.  "but  you  didn't  change  your  mind  so...  are  you  wanting  to  cause  me  to  lose  control?  because  if  so,  it's  working."

there  had  been  moments  in  the  time  that  grayson  had  left  home  that  he  considered  returning  back  —  but  each  time  he  had  thought  about  it,  something  in  his  brain  wouldn't  actually  allow  him  to  do  it.  not  because  he  feared  going  back,  he  knew  those  streets  like  the  back  of  his  hand.  he  feared  the  possibility  of  his  parents  hating  him  for  leaving  —  his  sibling  hating  him  even  more  for  leaving  them  there.  they  would  have  every  right  to  hate  him,  to  be  mad  at  him,  to  disown  him  in  a  sense.  he'd  left  without  a  word,  thinking  that  it  was  easier  to  do  that  than  actually  face  the  problems  he'd  just  learned  he  had.  maybe  one  day  he'd  actually  gather  the  courage  to  go  back  home. grayson's  eyes  narrow  as  he  listens  to  the  other  talk  about  painting  —  he  wasn't  sure  how  painting  could  be  relaxing  but  he'd  also  never  given  it  a  try  himself  to  find  out  if  it  really  could  be.  "you  don't  sound  super  convinced  of  that."  the  werewolf  retorts  with  a  chuckle  of  his  own,  running  a  hand  through  his  hair.  "yeah  i  uh...  i  don't  have  a  family  here.  friends  and  stuff,  sure.  but  not  family."  he  continues,  lips  pressing  together  in  a  tight  line.  "and  what  do  you  do  when  none  of  that  helps?"  his  question  isn't  meant  to  assume  that  the  other  had  moments  where  his  breaking  point  was  met  —  more  so  a  question  that  grayson  wants  answers  for  so  he  could  find  a  way  to  let  go  of  the  anger  that  builds  up  within  him. the  thread  that  was  the  balance  between  grayson  letting  his  anger  get  the  better  of  him  &  the  regret  he  sometimes  feels  after  he'd  snapped  (  not  always,  sometimes  he  knew  the  other  person  deserved  what  he'd  given  to  them  )  was  so  thin  that  it  was  almost  nonexistent.  he  tried  his  best  to  reel  things  in  but  when  reality  sinks  in  —  when  he  sees  the  harm  he'd  caused,  it  does  cause  a  little  bit  of  regret.  "i  know."  grayson  replies,  exhaling  through  his  nose  as  he  finally  turns  around  to  face  sunni  once  more.  "was  trying  to  decide  if  i  should  make  sure  he  wouldn't  be  okay."  his  words  are  a  lie,  trying  to  brush  off  the  regret  with  a  joke. the  other's  comment  causes  grayson's  brows  to  knit  together  as  he  thinks  about  it.  would  going  back  home  get  rid  of  the  anger  he  kept  close  to  him  at  all  times?  that  he  wasn't  sure  of.  "well  that's  ...  part  of  the  problem."  the  werewolf  replies  with  an  almost  bitter  sounding  chuckle.  "i  grew  up  with  someone  i  thought  was  my  biological  father  but  found  out  after  the  first  time  i  shifted  that  my  mother  had  lied  about  him  my  whole  life  —  he's  my  step  father.  my  father  was  someone  i  never  once  met  and  mom  lied  about  all  of  us  having  the  gene  to  try  and  'protect'  us  because  i  didn't  shift  until  later  in  life."  grayson  explains  with  a  sigh.  "i  think  that  some  of  my  anger  comes  from  that,  honestly.  don't  know  if  going  home  would  help  or  hurt  that."

A part of her says to keep moving, to continue her evening as planned and simply return home — it's far easier said than done. Her feet change direction, her steps leading her through the darkness and down the back alley, subconscious seeming to make the decision before she could dwell on it for too long. Within seconds, she spots the culprit of that nagging sensation, knuckles coated in red and a cigarette within his grasp. He catches her attention first, holding it for a moment before honey hues latch onto the other, lying just short of motionless on the concrete. It slows her steps, causes a weight in her stomach drop uncomfortably.

Once again, logic tells her to keep moving, to stay out of business that didn't concern her, to stay away from someone whose anger still seemed to be seeping into the space around him. Instead, after a moments pause, she silently moves forward, removing her cardigan and crouching by the stranger on the ground. There's steady hands and eyes that examine his face, the sweater used to clear some of the mess as she attempts to gauge the damage left behind. Moxie knows there's not much she can do out in the open like this, without any supplies — but her touch does linger, does rest on the skin and draw some of that pain from his body and into her own, feeling some degree of relief when the male groans and indicates that he was, in fact, alive and breathing.

She doesn't intend to stare — in fact, she had planned to ignore the other wolf entirely for both their sakes. Only once again, instinct seems in better control than rationale, gaze inspecting him from a distance like she was searching for any injury he might have suffered, sweeping from feet to face before lingering there, like she could see something beneath the surface. "Charming." Anger. It's no surprise Moxie doesn't respond well to it — even if internally, she knew the emotion seeping from the male before her had nothing to do with her, that it likely even had little to do with the male laying on the ground. "Do you always smell like alcohol and rage? Or is it a special occasion?"

his  life  had  consisted  of  nothing  but anger  &  rage  —  for  most  of  his  teenage  years  he  didn't  understand  why  he  had  so  much  of  it  pent  up  inside  of  him,  the  only  thing  he  knew  was  that  it  was  so  hard  to  keep  it  together.  to  not  snap  on  someone  on  a  daily  basis  simply  because  they  said  something  he  didn't  like  or  didn't  want  to  hear.  it  was  years  later  that  the  gears  in  his  head  finally  clicked  together,  that  he  found  out  why  he  was  angry  all  the  time.  he'd  been  lied  to  for  so  many  years,  told  he  had  nothing  to  worry  about  but  he  had  so  many  things  to  worry  about  —  most  of  it  being  himself. he'd  tried  his  hardest  to  ignore  the  other  male,  brushing  him  off  every  time  there  was  a  comment  made  towards  grayson  —  walking  away  when  the  other  male  had  tried  to  come  up  to  him  inside  of  the  bar  to  start  an  argument  or  worse,  a  fight.  he  knew  the  other  was  just  trying  to  get  under  the  werewolves  skin,  wanted  to  get  a  reaction  of  him.  that's  why  he  ignored  it  at  first,  paid  the  other  no  mind.  but  then  when  the  other  followed  grayson  outside,  something  within  him  snapped.  his  vision  going  red  &  after  that,  he  truly  did  not  remember  much  of  the  fight  ...  coming  back  into  reality  just  before  things  had  gone  too  far.  which  even  though  he  was  angry,  part  of  him  was  glad  he  had  enough  self  control  to  stop  before  it  got  bad. the  werewolves  brow  raises  as  he  watches  the  other  head  towards  the  man  on  the  ground,  leaning  back  against  the  wall  as  he  takes  a  long  drag  of  his  cigarette.  he  knew  the  other  male  was  breathing,  maybe  not  in  the  best  shape  ...  but  breathing  nonetheless.  he  could  hear  the  other's  breath  from  where  he  stood,  knows  that  the  other's  heart  is  still  beating  within  his  chest.  grayson  doesn't  stop  moxie  from  what  she's  doing,  nor  does  he  move  from  where  he's  standing.  he  doesn't  want  to  startle  her,  make  her  think  that  he  was  mad  at  the  fact  that  she  was  quick  to  examine  the  other  male  to  make  sure  he  was  okay.  he's  not  mad  at  it  at  all,  actually,  part  of  him  is  glad  there  was  someone  close  by  who  seemed  to  have  enough  knowledge  to  possibly  help  the  other  off  the  ground. her  comment  causes  a  chuckle  to  fall  from  grayson's  lips  as  his  fingers  flick  the  ashes  off  his  cigarette,  his  brow  twitching  upward  as  he  looks  over  in  her  direction.  "perhaps  not  very  charming  right  this  second,  but  i  have  my  moments."  the  werewolf  retorts  with  a  dry  tone,  bringing  his  other  hand  up  to  inspect  his  knuckles  —  the  stinging  in  them  evident  but  he  knows  that  with  his  regeneration  that  they'd  start  healing  on  their  own  sooner  rather  than  later.  "not  always."  grayson  says  with  a  shake  of  his  head,  pulling  the  hood  of  his  sweatshirt  back  over  his  head  as  he  drops  the  cigarette  onto  the  ground,  combat  boot  stomping  out  the  embers.  "i  even  tried  to  not  be  today  but  the  dumbass  over  there  decided  it  was  a  good  idea  to  come  out  here  and  continue  to  provoke  me  even  after  i  had  fully  walked  away  from  him."

there's  a  small  hum  that  leaves  grayson's  lips  —  nodding  his  head.  he's  glad  that  the  other  hadn't  taken  his  comment  to  be  a  bad  thing,  because  regardless  of  the  fact  that  grayson  was  a  normally  very  blunt  person  ...  most  of  the  time  his  words  were  not  meant  to  offend  or  even  to  be  mean.  he  was  working  on  that,  had  been  ever  since  he'd  moved  to  portum  but  it  was  still  very  much  a  work  in  progress.  "grief  is  not  something  i  would  wish  on  my  worst  enemy,  and  that's  saying  a  lot  coming  from  me."  the  werewolf  says  with  an  almost  self-deprecating  laugh.  he  held  grudges,  worse  than  most  people  —  but  grief  was  not  something  he  wanted  anyone  to  have  to  experience,  especially  not  at  the  level  that  calahan  was  dealing  with.  his  level  of  grief  was  not  comparable  to  calahan's  but  he  was  aware  of  what  the  emotion  could  do  to  people,  the  negativity  it  could  bring.  "i  may  not  be  able  to  understand  the  gravity  of  your  grief,  but  i  do  understand  how  it  feels  to  deal  with  it  so  i'm  glad  that  i  can  be  of  some  assistance." the  other's  question  causes  grayson  to  take  a  deep  breath,  chewing  on  his  bottom  lip  as  he  tries  to  figure  out  how  to  answer  calahan's  question  without  letting  out  what  he  feels  to  be  his  deepest  &  darkest  secrets.  they  weren't  actually  secrets,  grayson  just  did  not  care  to  talk  about  his  family  because  any  time  he  stops  to  think  about  them  his  heart  aches  in  ways  he  never  expected  it  to.  but  he  had  no  one  else  to  blame  but  himself,  he'd  been  the  one  to  run.  "i...  i  don't  know.  not  entirely."  the  werewolf  finally  responds,  his  tone  quiet.  "i  think  i'm  worried  that  if  i  went  home,  they  wouldn't  be  able  to  recognize  me."  the  answer  is  just  as  quiet  as  before  though  his  words  sound  completely  honestly.  "or  that  if  i  do  end  up  going  home  that  there  wouldn't  be  much  home  to  go  back  to  in  a  sense.  what  if  they  have  completely  packed  up  everything  and  left?"  there's  a  sigh  that  follows,  his  hand  running  through  his  hair  as  he  speaks.  "but  yes,  i  also  fear  that  they  would  be  angry  at  me  for  the  way  that  i  left  town.  i  didn't  even  tell  them,  i  just  packed  my  things  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  left."

there's  a  pause  as  benjamin  just  simply  watches  nova  as  she  prances  around  the  shore,  in  &  out  of  the  water  without  a  care  with  a  small  smile  on  his  lips.  "i  do  not  doubt  that  in  the  slightest."  he  replies  with  a  nod,  his  smile  growing  even  wider  as  the  other  says  he'd  be  more  concerned  about  what  nova  could  do.  "i  would  asume  she  is  just  a  normal  dog,  correct?  i  haven't  been  in  town  very  long  and  at  this  point,  if  she  wasn't,  nothing  would  shock  me."  benjamin  asks  as  his  eyes  move  from  the  shore  back  over  to  milo.  "i  don't  think  the  rudolph  look  would  work  for  anyone,  so  no,  which  isn't  a  bad  thing."  the  demon  says  with  a  light  laugh,  his  hands  finding  the  pockets  of  his  jeans.  "i  never  thought  about  getting  a  pet,  now  i'm  kind  of  reconsidering  that."

at  milo's  response,  grayson's  hands  raise  up  in  surrender  as  he  chuckles.  "yeah  i  don't  think  you'd  ever  want  me  to  be  a  detective  —  i'm  far  too  reckless  for  all  of  that."  there's  a  teasing  lilt  to  his  tone  as  he  speaks,  though  his  words  are  completely  true.  someone  like  him  was  not  meant  to  be  a  detective  or  anything  of  the  sort.  he'd  never  tell  milo  that  he's  glad  the  other  actually  took  his  jacket  —  god  forbid  grayson  verbally  admit  that  he  cares  about  someone.  he  was  always  more  of  the  type  to  do  something  that  shows  that  instead  of  talking  about  it.  "i  don't  know  about  that,  you  were  literally  shivering  as  i  walked  over  here."  the  werewolf  quips  with  a  raise  of  his  brow,  as  if  to  challenge  the  other  though  he's  quick  to  give  milo  a  nod  of  his  head  at  milo's  question.  "yes,  in  fact,  i  am  ...  you  also  seem  to  be  a  little  bit  happier  now  that  you're  not  a  dumbass  freezing  in  the  cold."

there's  an  almost  wicked  grin  that  pulls  on  grayson's  lips  as  he's  called  ridiculous,  a  mischievous  glint  in  his  eye.  "you  have  no  idea,  honestly."  the  werewolf  says  with  a  small  raise  of  his  brow.  "we're  calling  parties  sinister  now?  that's  new."  he  retorts  with  a  slight  shrug  of  his  shoulders.  "i  guess  it  would  depend  on  the  kind  of  party  there  was  and  if  it  was  being  held  here  or  somewhere  else  ...  but  i  suppose  you  do  have  a  point  there."  grayson  says,  grabbing  the  drink  back  from  her.  "gonna  name  this  one  after  me  since  i  helped  you  figure  out  if  it's  good?"

there's  a  nod  of  his  head  at  that,  taking  a  deep  breath  as  his  shoulders  relax.  "i  have  found  that  my  brain  is  refusing  to  cooperate  more  often  than  not  anymore."  benjamin  explains,  leaning  his  elbows  against  the  table.  "i  can't  even  remember  the  last  time  i  had  a  real  nap  now  that  i'm  thinking  about  it."