#ch fic

America finally reached Canada, scowling at him. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s not like I’m the one who wanted to go hiking anyway.” Canada rolled his eyes with a scoff and trudged forward, muttering something about America being lazy. ‘Heh. I’ll show him,’ America thought, a devious plan already forming in his mind.

They walked a bit more, with Canada constantly making jibes at America for being out of shape. The latter, on the other hand, didn’t say much, and just waited for his time to strike. Soon enough, though, he grew hungry. “Ay, Canman. Can we eat?” Canada rolled his eyes again, but nodded and led them off the trail to a small clearing. Canada set down his pack and pulled out the boxes of food and the picnic blanket, carefully arranging everything in a neat and tidy way. America helped him spread out the blanket, hungrily eyeing the food. The two sat down and America immediately began scarfing down his sandwich while Canada watched on in disgust. “You’re eating like you haven’t eaten for DAYS.”

“I barely had breakfast ‘cause you forced me to come so early!” America exclaimed around a mouthful of sandwich. Canada shook his head, looking disappointed in his brother. “Right, well. Finish quickly, the summit is nice.” America nodded.

Once they were done and had packed up everything, the two went back to the trail and started again on their hike. This time, America didn’t complain at all. His chance for revenge was right around the corner. He didn’t miss the way Canada kept glancing at him warily through the corner of his eye, as if he knew America was planning something. He smothered a smirk. Canada didn’t know what was coming.

At long last, they reached the summit. America took a deep breathe, inhaling the fresh mountain air. Canada stood next to him, hands on his hips, and grinned at the scenery. “See, America? This is why you should get out more often.” America rolled his eyes and elbowed his brother. “Shut up, Mr. I-Won’t-Admit-I’m-In-Love-With-My-Roommate.” Canada scowled at him, looking thoroughly displeased. “Because I’m not!”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what they all say.” Canada shook his head and turned away from America, who was quietly reveling in the satisfaction of irritating his brother. But the best revenge was yet to come.

“Hey Canman. Put down your backpack and stuff.”Canada raised an eyebrow, but did as he was told. “Why?”

“Because,” America grinned, stalking closer to him, “of this.” He launched himself at his brother, and began tickling him. Canada’s shrieks of laughter echoed through the mountains as he thrashed under his brother. “A-Amer-America! Wh-What the he-hell man?!” He managed to wheeze out before succumbing to another laughing fit. America grinned evilly, poking Canada's side and sending him into another laughing-screaming fit. “Look who’s breathless now!”

“F-For a different r-reasons, dum-dumbass!”

“You’re getting better.” Dick said. His tiny fists were raised. 

“I’m sorry I kicked you there,” Aspen said. She’s winded. Dick is not. It stings just as much as it did the first day, that she’s so unfit compared to him, but hey, he’s a circus kid, those are both advantages. She’d get there too, eventually. Dick took her on the trapeze the other day. 

“You didn’t hurt me.” Dick smiled, which was the only cue Aspen gots before he hit her with a spinning back kick right in the gut. It bypassed her own defensive stance, it was so fast, and it felt like someone threw a brick at her stomach. When she doubled over, he grabbed her arm and threw her over his shoulder on to her back on the mat, twisting her elbow and wrist with surgical precision until she tapped out. He let her go, then, offering her a hand up without a shred of pre-teen smugness. Aspen wondered, not for the first time, how this kid is so chill, how he managed to be this nice while kicking her ass, but she just closed her eyes and let her head collapse against the mats. 

Dick laughed. Good. Kid didn’t smile enough. 

“That’s enough for today.” Calum says. He’d been watching from outside of the mats, like he did every time she sparred with Dick. 

“Good work, Grayson. I’m just gonna stay here, do a quick quality control test of the mats. I’ll catch up.” Aspen nodded, not opening her eyes. Thank god they’re done. Some of this training felt good, she wasn’t going to lie, but about this time every morning she was tempted to just let Dick kick her ass until Calum let her go have a shower. 

She could feel Calum’s presence above her as Dick’s footsteps tapped off of the mat and then out the door. Calm didn’t move, and after a long moment Aspen cracked an eye open to see him looking down at her, with that face he does when he’s really trying not to be amused by her. He was, she knew he was. “Mats are good.” She announced, opening her eyes all the way and giving him a tired smile. Calum stuck out a hand to help her up, and this time, she took it. “Fairly high quality, good condition -” 

Halfway through helping her up, Calum knocked her feet out from under her and yanked on her hand, pulling her into his chest as she fell on top of him. Her head was spinning, but once she got her bearings she realized he was lying on his back, with her lying chest to chest on the mats. His grip is tight; he’s clinging to her. She can feel her heart thumping against his solid chest. 

“Focus, Penny.” Calum said. He had her right on top of him, his eyes sparkling into hers. 

“Oh, I’m focused.” She smiled. “What am I focused on, again?” 

Calum laughed a little. She felt lightheaded. She loved these moments before they kissed. “You’re in a bit of a scrape here, darling.” 

Aspen considered it for a second. Calum’s other hand was on her waist, holding her steady. He was smiling up at her. He was sweaty from their workout earlier, and his hair was all messed up. He almost looked normal like this. Like her gym-buddy-boyfriend in basketball shorts. Her heart thudded against his chest harder. “I’m in complete control of this situation.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” 

Calum flipped them over, supporting himself carefully over her. His hand is planted by her face; he’s careful not to hold her down. His other hand was still steady at her waist. “You sure about that?” 

Aspen smiled bigger. “You’ve fallen right into my cunning trap.” 

“That’s sure what it looks like.” Calum teased before he leaned in to kiss her. It was light, at first, but she pressed deeper, keeping him there. It felt good. She couldn’t feel her aching muscles anymore; she was out of breath for an entirely different reason. It felt so good she almost forgot to wrap her leg around his, trap his arm, and tilt her hips to tip him over on to his back. Almost. 

Calum let her grab his wrists as she straddled him, trapping his hands against his chest as she looked down on him. She knew he was letting her do this, she’d seen him in a fight. It still felt good, though. The first time she had tried that, he had just laughed. Now he was playing at being trapped beneath her. “Goddamn,” He said, obviously pleased. Aspen would be pretty pleased too, with a good-looking girl on top of her, but it was more than that. He was proud. Maybe he didn’t resist her maneuver, but he hadn’t been expecting it, either. 

After that, Aspen didn’t waste her time. She leaned in, knitting her fingers in Calums as she kissed him, and he opened his mouth almost immediately to let her kiss him deeper. She felt warm all over. Calum smelled sweaty and rich and it was driving her wild. 

Calum pulled back after a moment, and Aspen let him, just so she could catch her breath. She could hear him smile in the small space between them. But his hand slipped from hers to give her waist a gentle squeeze. “We have work,” he reminded her. 

Aspen dropped her head into the crook of his neck and pouted her lips, brushing up against his neck. He was right, she just hated to let go of him. It was so recently she got to kiss him at all, it still felt like a privilege. “I guess I’ll let you go this time.” She said, heaving herself off him. 

She was picking up her water bottle and towel when she heard Calum find his feet behind her. The mats amplified his sounds. On any other terrain, he’d be soundless. “And here I was gonna tell you to be more aggressive when you’re sparring.” 

“I can be aggressive when I’m not fighting a kid.” Aspen said, trying to focus in on the training again. “You saw the security footage.” 

Calum reached out and squeezed her elbow. “I did.”

Aspen looked over at him, and he gave her a little smile. Just recently he had seen the footage of Liam attacking her. He had asked her if it would be alright, if he saw it, in that initial talk after he gave her the lab. She had wondered if he had already watched it, but she gave him permission anyways. Based on that, the first moves he had taught her were focused on getting out from under someone. He still wouldn’t spar with her, in case the experience of having a guy try to take her down freaked her out. Aspen was kind of thankful for it. She’d felt nothing but safe with Calum, but she’d also had a few nightmares, and she was gonna take it easy in any way she could at that point. She was tough, and she was gonna stay tough, but that meant not overwhelming herself just to look tough. 

They split apart after that, going their separate ways without a kiss goodbye. Aspen had her own bedroom in the manor. She hadn’t been allowed to stay over, but she had a place to keep her work clothes and a four-piece bathroom near the manor’s gym to get showered in every morning. Calum had stocked the room with, she was pretty sure, the most expensive soap you could find in Gotham - the prices when she looked up the brands made her head spin. She left his place every morning smelling like a basil-lavender-sicilian-lemon-rose, and feeling only a little bit like the world’s most complicated one-night stand. 

There were rules, you see. And they were good rules, and she understood them and all. Her problem was just the fact that these rules existed. Aspen, historically, had not done super well with Calum’s rules. 

He didn’t want Dick to know about them. That was fine, that was something Aspen understood, she didn’t want to waltz into his kid’s life while there was a possibility of them not… not seeing this through. Aspen, for her part, wasn’t crazy about being linked to him in the public eye. She’s seen how his girlfriends get treated in the supermarket check-out line. So that meant she hadn’t been able to stay over, and Dick’s pretty involved in the whole “Batman” thing so she hadn’t been able to have Calum over at hers without raising suspicion, and she wasn’t gonna be able to fuck him at the office, and neither of them could really do the seedy-motel thing, and… 

Long story short, these rules meant they haven’t done much more than kissing, and Aspen was starting to lose her shit about it. I mean, if he wasn’t feeling comfortable emotionally, that would have been one thing, but if it was just from circumstance… 

Aspen, in the steam-soaked shower, slipped one hand delicately between her legs. God, if only Calum was here. Her body was aching, but she wasn’t tired out yet, and she just yearned for this final bit of tension to be released. 

She takes a deep breath and turned around, turning the cold water on until it hurt her skin and gave her goosebumps. 

Fuck. 

Or rather, Profound Lack Thereof. 

                                   ---------------------------------------------------

“I don’t think you should be there.” Aspen said, pouring herself a cup of tea. Used to be she only grabbed something caffeinated in the afternoons, when she needed a pick-me-up, but between early mornings training and nights in the Cave she was starting to need more of it.

“It wasn’t a question.” Calum replied, knife clinking against the plate. They were in the kitchen, having breakfast at the little table with Dick while Alfred busied himself around the stove. 

“You don’t need to be there the whole time with the DA. I’ll be fine.” She insisted, cracking open a scone. Honey ginger. Alfred was mixing it up this morning. 

“I know you’ll be fine, but I want to be there anyways. At least for this first meeting. You're my employee, it'll look good for me to be supportive and involved.” 

"Dick thinks you should come home after work and hang out with him instead of coming to the meeting. They grow up so fast." Aspen said, giving both boys a wide eyed, emotional look. 

"I think he should be at the meeting, actually." Dick piped up. 

Aspen snapped into a glare. "Seen and not heard, Grayson." Dick grinned at her and wiped yolk off his mouth. He knew there was no venom in it. Aspen looked back across the table at Calum, where he was still looking back at her. He could be hard to distract when he wanted to be. 

Dick had started watching their spat like a tennis match, poached eggs forgotten, as Aspen geared up for her rebuttal. “As far as the DA knows - and correct me if I’m wrong - Liam and I are just unfortunate employees of yours. I think it might be a little suspicious. You can stop by at the start or the end to say hi and continue your professional relationship with the DA’s office, but I don’t need you to babysit me through the whole thing.” She couldn't say it out loud, but she didn't want to make the DA suspicious that there was something more between them. Romance-wise or caped-vigilante wise. "I mean, you are also Liam’s boss. Do you visit him when he's meeting with his legal team?" 

Calum's eyebrow twitched, even though the rest of his face was impassive. Aspen smiled. She knew he loved it when she hit him with a good argument. "I was his boss, and he wouldn't want me there. Also, he did kidnap you." 

"Good point. Counter: I also don't want you there." 

Calum smiled and ducked his head. "We'll discuss this at work." He said, and Aspen couldn't tell if that meant she won or not. 

"I guess we will." 

Aspen turned back to her scone, buttering it pointedly. It took a lot of effort to butter something pointedly, but she was determined. She couldn't maintain her facade once she took a bite, though. The scone was still warm, melted butter running through the fluffy insides over chunks of candied ginger - fuck, she was going to have to take another cold shower. "Mr. Pennyworth, another triumph." She announced. 

"Thank you, Ms. McMichael." The butler called over from the stove. "Again, I did ask you to call me Alfred." 

"And I asked you to call me Aspen, so it looks like we're at an impasse, huh." She said, after another bite. 

Dick caught her eye as she set about buttering the other half of her scone, and something in his gaze almost made her pause. Hm. That looked like trouble. Maybe it was time she saw herself out. "I think I'm gonna head out now. My big meeting at the hospital is tomorrow and although I have some wealthy patrons and the like behind me, I want to be prepared." She took her napkin off her lap and downed the rest of her tea quickly, winking at her wealthy patron across the table. “Plus if we’re, uh, working late tonight I need to get it done as soon as possible so I can focus.” 

“Good luck!” Dick said cheerfully. 

Aspen gave him the stinkeye, even though she appreciated the sentiment. “I’m gonna kick your ass tomorrow morning.” She promised. 

“Like hell you will.” 

“Not at the table, if you please, Master Grayson.” 

Aspen stuck her tongue out at Dick as she left. Calum shook his head near-imperceptibly at her, but he was fond, she could tell. At least, that was probably fond. She’d put $5 on it. 

“Hopefully I won’t see you gentlemen tonight.” She said as Alfred came over to help her with her coat. 

“Let’s hope.” Calum agreed from the table. He hadn’t gotten up. “Let’s meet after lunch to discuss the meeting?” 

Aspen knew she wasn’t getting out of this. “Drop by the lab whenever.” She sighed. “See ya, boys!” 

She smiled to herself on the way out the door. One of the best things about this new life was finding a place at Hood Manor. She had been disconnected from her roommates ever since the promotion to PA, and now, with her fucked up hours at work and in the Cave, she saw them less than ever. It was nice to have somewhere she fit again, that was all. Being the person who drank tea with Alfred while Cal and Dick, for some reason, took decaf coffee. Being Dick’s godforsaken sparring partner. It felt a little bit like having a life. 

Aspen slid into the driver’s seat of her car. Her new car. Not just new to her, either, new new. There wasn’t a convenient transit route up to the Manor, and if she was coming up every morning before work and every night after, Calum figured he’d just… buy her a car. He didn’t fuck her on top of it, it didn’t get THAT shades of grey, but holy shit, she had a quasi-boyfriend who bought her a car. She still felt a little thrill every time she turned the key in the ignition. He had offered to pay for gas, too, but she had insisted on taking care of that herself. He would have, though. If she let him. He would have taken care of everything. 

Sometimes Aspen wonders what might have happened if things had unspooled differently. If, after Calum had kissed her that night, she hadn’t gone back to help Liam. Maybe if she had played her cards right she’d be burning in the sun in Mexico, or on an iron-wrought balcony in Paris. Maybe Calum would have been with her. Probably not. Aspen was almost certain she’d made the right choice, in the end. I mean, she had this car, now. But she wondered, every so often. 

She always took the long way to work, and today (after she took advantage of the parking spot with her name on it) she stopped by the coffee shop around the corner. It still felt weird, to be able to buy a tea in the morning without going into a shame spiral over wasting her money on something she could make at home, and how she was gonna waste all her money on this, and drink herself into poverty like some Charles Dickens character on hard Earl Grey. The baristas were starting to remember her. It felt surreal. She used to be a barista remembering people and trying to get a perfect ristretto shot -- not in Gotham, but while she had been in school. This was gonna wear off eventually, she was sure, getting knocked on her ass every few minutes about the intangible what-the-fuck-ness of her life, but for now… 

Her current project at work was teaching herself programming. Well, she called it teaching herself. Whenever she got really stuck, something she couldn’t fix with a google search and a prayer, she’d wander down the hall to whatever software engineer had the best opinion of her at this point. She was learning some basics - she was getting ambitious for sure, trying to code a machine-learning AI to create an index of violent deaths in Gotham, comparing the crimes to the villain they were attributed to or proven to be from. Anyone could look at a corpse with facial rictus and say it was a Joker special, but she’d be interested to see if there were any less obvious signatures from Gotham’s flourishing criminal community that they just hadn’t noticed. 

When she got really frustrated, she’d take a break, roll her chair back and slouch and try to collect her thoughts. She had a few tanks of critters Calum hadn’t noticed until after they had moved in, and she let him and Dick name most of them, so he wasn’t mad about it. She watched the axolotls, Martha and Achilles, wiggle around the aquarium for a minute. 

She hasn’t started a proper research project yet. She’s been running PCR gels and such for Calum, especially back at the Cave, but for a while she hadn’t been able to think of exactly what she wanted to dedicate her time and extensive resources to until Calum had to fight off a Venom-crazed junkie and came back bruised and bloody. That wasn’t exactly new, but the other guy hadn’t made it through the withdrawal combined with the stress from the injuries. Then Aspen knew. Might as well give back to the hospital that gave her her first stitches since that canoe trip when she was sixteen, right? They needed it most, too. Venom wasn’t really starting to get national attention yet, partly from the mayor’s attempts to keep it quiet. Cal had filled her in on that. 

Anyway, she was meeting with the board tomorrow to see if they’d approve the collaboration with her as chief liason. Which. She was gonna be one of the only people without “Dr.” before her name in that room and she was gonna be coordinating a big research project, hopefully meaningfully participating in it, and - it was big, was all. 

Maybe it was good that she hadn’t slept with Calum yet. Wouldn’t want to think that this was just because she was a pretty face. 

Well. Such as it was. She rubbed her scar absentmindedly, staring at her computer screen.

She heard Calum’s footsteps before he knocked on the doorframe of the lab. When she wasn’t doing wet lab, Aspen liked to leave the door open. If Calum happened to be swinging by, he’d be able to see her at her computer and know she was okay without having to duck in. Of course, he did also have cameras in the room, but she liked to think he noticed and appreciated this too. 

 She turned in her chair and gave him a smile before she spoke. She was still being careful about what she said to him at work, at least while the door was open. “How’s it going, boss?” She grinned, raising an eyebrow at him. 

That was careful for her, anyways.

“Always a pleasure, Ms. McMichael.” Calum didn’t smile back, but he had a warm look in his eye, and that was enough. “I was hoping to talk about the meeting at the DA’s this evening. May I?” 

His hand was on the doorknob. Aspen was almost squirming in her seat. “Please.” She said, in her most polite voice, and Calum closed the door. 

Immediately, Aspen stood up and started to walk over to him. Not too fast. He didn’t need to know how eager she was for him to just touch her again. Calum looked her up and down as she walked over, jaw flexing. “I really do want to talk about the meeting.” He said. 

Aspen didn’t reply until she was already within arm’s reach and Calum’s hands had closed around her waist and pulled her in. She leaned closer, the tip of her nose brushing his cheek as she ghosted her lips over his. “I know you do.” She said, so close she knew he could feel her lips flex into the words. 

Calum groaned, lips parted, eyes already closed, waiting for her to lean in and complete the kiss. Aspen knew that. She didn’t move. After a long, long second, Calum groaned again and grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss with mouths already half-open, deep, totally work inappropriate. Aspen couldn’t help but smile against his mouth, pressing her body up against his so close she almost fell when he stepped her back until her back hit something he could kiss her up against. He smelled clean now, like boy and expensive cologne, and Aspen knew for the rest of the day she’d be smelling him on her skin. Fuck. 

After a few long moments, he drew back, keeping one hand tight in her hair so she couldn’t chase his lips. He’d picked up on doing that surprisingly quickly, and she kind of wished it didn’t turn her on so much. “You’re a terrible tease, you know that, darling?” He murmured as she tested his grip. 

Once she established that he wasn’t going to let her go for another kiss, Aspen leaned her head back, looking at him through half-lidded eyes, throat open and unmarked. “What’re you gonna do about it?” 

Calum closed his eyes and huffed out a breath, finally letting her go as he rolled so he was next to her, back up against the same wall. “Nothing. For now.” He conceded, finding her hand without opening his eyes. 

“Oh, good, no consequences.” Aspen teased once she had caught her breath, rubbing her thumb along his knuckles. Calum cracked his eyes open and turned his head to smile at her as she brought his hand to her lips and kissed the knuckle of his pinky finger, then the ring finger, then the middle, then the pointer. Then, once he had been lulled into a false sense of security, she slipped her fingers out of his and grabbed his wrist, pulling two of his fingers into her mouth to the first knuckle before he could make a fist and cut her off. She could feel him test her grip as she drew her tongue along the underside, but he was more than strong enough to break her hold entirely, and he didn’t. Aspen met his eyes and hollowed her cheeks, and when he experimentally pushed his fingers a few centimeters deeper she let go of him and let her hand trail down to grip his forearm, putting him in complete control. 

“Fuck, Penny, look at you.” Her heartbeat picked up as he experimentally started to fuck her mouth with his fingers. He never went deep enough to gag her, but he started to use a little more force, and she let him. Was this how it was gonna happen? Up against a wall in her lab? Would he bend her over her desk so she couldn’t sit down to work without thinking about his grip on her hips, his hand in her hair? Calum was looking at her like he’d devour her if he could, fixated on her lips wrapped around his fingers, but when their eyes met again he snapped out of it, withdrawing his fingers and using that hand to grip her jaw, palm pressed against the ridges of her throat. It felt like he knocked the breath right out of her. Aspen groaned and tested his grip, but she wasn’t going anywhere. 

Calum watched her squirm for a second, smile on his lips when she relaxed. “God, you’re a menace.” He said. She could feel the cool wetness of his fingers against her jaw. It had only been a few seconds, but the feeling would stay with her all day. 

She took a deep breath to try and calm the pounding of her heart, regain her composure. “Means a lot to hear it from you, sir.” She smiled. 

Calum moved in for a quick kiss, a peck, and he kept his hold on her the whole time so she couldn’t chase his lips and draw him back in. “You really have to stop that.” He said, letting her go, and this time Aspen was ready to focus and not try to make out with her illicit boyfriend. 

“Fine.” She sighed, walking back to the desks and pulling out a chair for him, too. Not that she had stopped her seduction entirely. She knew he was watching her walk away. “Step into my office. Let’s talk about the appointment with the DA.” 

In the end, Aspen got her way. Kind of. They decided together that Calum would accompany her to the DA’s office, but not stick around too long. He was not to be coming into the meeting with her. She was putting her foot down. He made it hard, given that he was adorable and kept trying to give her little touches to get her to cave. 

Unfortunately, she didn’t have to suck his dick to get him to agree. Next time, maybe. 

As Calum left, he paused with his hand on the doorknob. He hadn’t opened the door yet, which was the only reason he smiled and said “Be good,” after he kissed her goodbye at her desk. 

Aspen grinned lopsidedly. “Oh, I’m very good, sir.”

Calum sighed, fingertips still on the doorknob like he didn’t want to leave. “Stop. You know what that does to me.” He almost pouted. 

Aspen was delighted. She liked when they could have serious, intense, sexually charged moments, but this was fun. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, boss.” She said, without bothering to feign innocence. 

“Sure.” Calum shook his head. “I’ll meet you back here when it’s time to leave for the DA’s office, alright?”

“Sounds good. Have a very calm and productive day.” She said, and she meant it, a little. She didn’t want him distracted by their unbearable sexual tension for the whole afternoon. That would just be cruel.

He laughed as he opened the door to leave. “Likewise, Ms. McMichael.” 

Aspen didn’t say goodbye, just smiled at him as he left. She knew if she did, it would come out too soft, too fond, and if any of her coworkers were passing by they might hear it and get suspicious. It was fun, for a second, to feel like she was caught in an office affair without the violence and terror and legal frustration of the other half of her life. For a second, she pretended to be a regular scientist, just trying to violate HR regulations and fuck her boss. 

  He tensed as a pit of fear formed in his stomach. Surely he was worried, but he felt no reason to be afraid. Then he realized: soulmates could pick up the other’s emotions. He took a deep breath, hoping his soulmate was OK as he focused his hearing, trying to find her voice. 

“I’m sorry sir, but my boss asked me-” Her voice sounded small.

“Oh, I know your boss, I’m sure he won’t mind if you take a break,” A man cut her off, and Calum frowned. He recognized that voice. It was Ryan Jackson, a beta whose parents worked in the Los Angeles pack’s security office. 

  He snubbed out his cigarette before hurrying downstairs. Many were surprised to see Calum join the party, but knew from the look in his eyes that it was best to let him accomplish his task and made way for him. He finally found who was looking for, Ryan had cornered the young lady a few feet from the bar and showed no intention of letting her do her proper job. 

  The lady that had been on his mind the last ten minutes bit her lip when she saw him, and he felt anxiety mix in with the fear.

“I-I’m sorry sir, I was on my way up with your drink when..” She gave a small glance towards the muscled man towering over her. 

“No need to apologize,” He gave her a small smile before turning to Ryan, who tried to keep his cool in front of Calum.

  The two men were the same age, but it as an Alpha, Calum was guaranteed respect from the beta, whether the two liked it or not.

“You need to leave this young woman alone Ryan,” Calum spoke calmly, but it was clear that it was an order. 

  Ryan instinctively stepped back, but challenged, “And if I don’t?” 

  Calum frowned, “Then we’ll have a problem, won’t we?”

  Ryan frowned as well, but left, leaving the two alone, and Calum made sure he was clear across the room before turning to the young woman, biting his lip as her blue eyes met his brown ones. 

“Are you OK?” He asked softly, relaxing as he felt her do the same.

“Yes, thank you, and again, I’m sorry, I was just about to head up but he stopped me and-”

“Hey, I understand,” Calum gave her a small smile, “That guy can be a jerk.”

  She nodded, “Well thank you again.. Here is your drink,” She handed him his whiskey glass, “And if you need anything, my name is Sonia and you can ask for me at the bar.” She politely smiles as she begins to walk away. 

  Sonia, Calum couldn’t help but grin as he repeated the name in his head. 

“Hey mate..” Ashton approached Calum, “Everything OK?”

  He bit his lip and nodded, “Come upstairs with me?”

  Ashton nodded and followed his friend, biting his lip as the two sat on a couch, watching as his friend took a deep breath.

“Something happened tonight,” he smiled weakly, “I found my soulmate.”

Ashton widened his eyes and grinned, “Dude, that’s awesome! But why do you look so nervous?”

  Before he could answer, both of the young men looked up as the sliding door opened, watching as Mr. Moran came over, biting his lip. 

“Evening gentlemen,” He began, “If I may, I would like to talk to Mister Hood about the situation that just happened.”

Calum bit his lip and nodded, “Of course, sir.”

“One of my workers was responsible for bringing you your drink,” He nodded towards to glass in the younger man’s hand, “But there was a delay in bringing it to you?”

Calum frowned and nodded, “Another one of the special guests were trying to distract Sonia from her work. I talked to him though, and he’s not going to bother her anymore.”

The owner nodded then nervously continued, “Did anything else happen? Staff was telling me that when Miss Sonia returned to the bar, she was very red and seemed lightheaded.”

  Calum widened his eyes but tried hard to remain calm; as much as he respected Mr. Moran, he couldn’t let any council members know that he had found a soulmate, at least, not before he told his own parents. 

“It is a bit hot a bit out here sir, she may need some water?”

Mr. Moran nodded and let his shoulders relax, “Right, I’ll check in on her when I return. I appreciate the concern.” He gave them a gentle smile, “Let Luna and her children watch over you.”

  The two men returned the same farewell and watched as the older man returned to the club.

“Calum, don’t tell me that your soulmate is-”

“A human, yes she is,” he sighed, “I looked into her eyes, and I became warm,” he smiled, “but it was like I was freezing before, and hadn’t realized it.”

Ashton sighed and nodded, “I understand, but do you think the elders of our council will? Some are still upset about-”

He cut him off, “I know, but that’s why the younger generation will be better leaders. We’re more open minded, and when we take charge, no one will need to worry who their soulmates are.”

“OK, I get it Mister Soapbox,” Ashton chuckled lightly, “Thank you, and I’m sure there are others who are more grateful than I am.”

Calum nodded and finished his drink, “Fuck, this isn’t going to be easy, is it?”

Ashton shook his head, watching his friend, “No, but Amare and Fortuna must have wanted this to happen, and they will work together for you, and your soulmate. And her name was..?”

“Sonia,” he grins, “And you won’t believe how beautiful her eyes are.”

  Ashton smiled and listened to his friend continue, the two looking up as the door opened and their friend Michael stumbled over to them.

“Guys,” he grinned, “You are missing the best full moon party so far this year! I mean, I can understand you Calum, you like being alone on these nights, but Ashton? Dude! You totally missed Ryan getting his ass handed to him by this alpha!” Michael collapsed on the couch next to the pair, snuggling a pillow into his chest.

Calum bit his lip, “That was me, and you’re so damn drunk.”

Michael’s eyes shot open, “Dude!! What happened?!”

  The two brunettes shared a look, it’s not that they didn’t trust Michael, they were just concerned on how he would take the news while intoxicated. 

Calum sighed, he knew it wouldn’t be fair to hide this from Michael, he was their best friend after all. 

“He was interfering with one of the humans who works here, and I stepped in.”

“So? Why not just get Mister Moran? It’s his business,” Michael wondered.

Calum swallowed and looked down, “Well, that human.. They’re my soulmate, I think.”

Michael sat up, staring wide eyed at his alpha friend and Calum quickly continued, “And no, I don’t know how that is possible, as this has never happened before, but how do I bring it up to the elders? Especially when many of them can’t accept alpha-omega relationships? Or even respect humans?”

“But your parents aren’t like that, and they’re elders,” Michael pointed out and Ashton sighed.

“My mom was an elder, or at least supposed to be, and look what happened once she met my dad.”

  The boys sat in silence for a moment, thinking back to the story they have heard, one the eldests still enjoyed gossiping about, the one that had left Ashton and his siblings outcasted almost their whole childhoods. 

  Calum started to laugh dryly, shocking his two friends as they stared at him, “It’s kind of sad isn’t it? I barely know her name, yet if I was asked, I’d abandon everything I knew to be with her, just because Sors put us together, and I’m supposed to trust them.”

The boys sighed sadly for their friend and Ashton rose, “Maybe we should head home, and tomorrow, when you’re sober, you can still see if you have Amare or alcohol to blame.”

  Calum nodded and followed his friends inside and down the stairs to the bar to pay their tabs. As Fortuna would have it, Sonia was at the register. She offered the three men a small smile as she pulled up their tabs.

“Heading out gentlemen?”

Ashton nodded and gave her a polite smile as he handed her his card, “Yeah, it’s getting late, and we have work tomorrow.”

  Sonia nodded and smiled as she rang him up, then Michael, then bit her lip when it came to Calum. 

“Oh, Mister Moran said your drinks were on the house tonight Mister Hood, he wanted me to explain it was because of the delay to get you your drink earlier.”

Calum frowned, “That wasn’t the bar’s fault. Is he paying for it, or someone else..?”

  Sonia hoped her worry didn’t show, but Calum picked up on it as he felt it overcome him and he didn’t wait for an answer as he put his card away and pulled out a few twenties, more than enough to cover what his tab would have been, setting the money down on the counter.

“Here, for your trouble,” He smiled as her eyes widened, “I’m sorry about what happened earlier with Ryan, I promise he won’t ever bother you again.”

Sonia bit her lip, “Sir, you’ve been drinking, are you sure you want to tip this much?”She turned to look at Ashton and Michael, expecting his friends to speak up, but they only smiled as Calum insisted she take it. 

“Thank you sir, this means so much!” Sonia exclaimed as she stuffed the money into her jeans. 

Calum couldn’t help the grin exploding on his face as Sonia’s excitement attached to his soul, “Of course, and before I leave, I was wondering if I could get your number?”

  Sonia blushed and smiled softly as she took her pen and wrote it down on a napkin and Calum reached for it, but as she quickly pulled it away, he looked up at her. 

“I usually don’t give my number out to men I just met, especially customers, but there’s something about you that makes me trust you.”

  She let him take the napkin from and watched as he quickly set it into his phone, watching as his friends went to wait outside. 

“Can I text you tomorrow?” He asked as she gathered the glasses at the bar, setting them on a tray.

“Sure,” she agreed, “I should be up around ten, so you can expect an answer around then, but as long as I’m not called in, I should be free all day.”

  Calum nodded and smiled, picking up her tray and handing it to the bartender, who took it into the kitchen, watching as Sonia grabbed a spray bottle to wipe down the counter. 

“Before I leave, can I ask how you’re getting home?”

Sonia smiled, “Only if you answer why you’re being so concerned.”

  Calum swallowed nervously but nodded. He knew that to a human, he was coming off as weird and maybe even creepy, but to a wolf, it was the adrenaline of the instinct to protect your soulmate. 

“I drove here, my car’s out back.”

Calum nodded and gave her a smile, “I’ll text you when I head out so you can have my number, can you text me when you get home safe?”

Sonia smiled and nodded, “Sure, Mister Hood,”

Calum smiled, “And if you’d like, you can save my number under Calum, unless you prefer Mister Hood,” he winked.

“I’ll think about it,” she teased, “Now are you this concerned towards Julia or Noah as well?”

Calum bit his lip and tried to think about how to respond, “I don’t want you to think I’m crazy, or creepy-”

Sonia cut him off with light laughter , “It’s L.A., I’m sure I’ve heard it all,”

“Right,” Calum smiled, “I guess, there’s just something about you. I wish I could explain it more.”

  Sonia blushed and kept her eyes on the counter, scrubbing on a spot that wasn’t there. 

“I’ve heard the rumors about you, that you don’t want to settle down, you used to come just for hookups, but now you prefer to be alone.”

  Calum sighed and watched her, waiting for her to say more.

“I just- I see how some of the other VIPs Mister Moran invites treat my coworkers, and I don’t want to be a toy for you. I know I said I trust you, and I do, but you have reputation here.”

Calum nodded, “I understand, and I don’t know how to show you that I can be different.”

“Let’s just take things slow, not rush anything,” Sonia smiled and Calum’s heart rate began to race at the sight of it as he nodded and smiled in agreement. 

“Slow, that’s new for me,” Calum admitted and Sonia giggled.

“Don’t worry, I’m a good teacher.” She came around the counter and headed to clean the dancefloor. 

Calum chuckled then stuffed his hands into his jacket, “I’ll let you get back to work, but I look forward to talking to you tomorrow.”

  Sonia nodded and smiled over her shoulder before going back to picking up the abandoned glasses.  

  Calum couldn’t help his grin as he headed out to regroup with his friends, who were sitting inside Ashton’s red Mustang convertible. 

“Ready?” Ashton smiled as Calum got in beside him, pulling out of the parking lot as he buckled himself in.  

“So you got her number, that’s awesome!” Michael grinned, “Now to get to the step where you reveal you’re a werewolf and you two are soulmates, but no one knows why as it never happened before in anyone’s history.”

“Wow, you make it sound so simple,” Calum rolled his eyes, “We agreed to take things, whatever they may be, slow.”

  The boys nodded and the car became silent, and Calum took the moment to text Sonia, then stared out the car window, the only noise left in the car being Michael’s soft snoring. 

  Back at the bar, Sonia finished her cleaning duties and was about to check out, when Mister Moran called her into his office.

“Yes sir?” she bit her lip nervously, she knew her service had been worse than average that night, but she didn’t understand why this couldn’t wait until morning.

“Sonia, thanks for coming in, I’ll try to make this quick so you can get home,” her boss smiled, but there was an emotion there that Sonia couldn’t understand. It reminded her of the sad smile her mother bore right before she would ask questions she didn’t want the answer to.

“You’re not in trouble, I just wanted to ask about your service to Mister Hood today. Do you remember him?”

Sonia nodded and swallowed dryly, “If this is about the tip sir, I tried hard to resist, and his friends made no effort to stop him. I can give-”

“You can keep whatever tip you earn,” he interrupted, “I’m more concerned about what happened when you first went up to the VIP lounge.”

  Sonia nodded, she knew something weird happened up there and it had been on her mind all night. 

“Well I had brought Mister Hood his drink, as I was instructed,” she began, “He was smoking his cigarette, I apologized for being late and explained why the usual wait staff wasn’t serving him. Everything was going fine, but suddenly I, I don’t know, I guess I got a little dizzy. Once I got my way again, I asked Mister Hood if he needed anything else, but he didn’t respond, so I promised to be back soon with his drink.”

  Mister Moran nodded and sighed as he poured himself a drink, keeping his back to Sonia as he watched the city slowly put itself to sleep.

“And Mister Hood, how did he seem?”

“Well.. I guess he looked like I felt, like he had disappeared for a moment, and was slowly coming back.”Sonia bit her lip nervously. How could all this be important? “Maybe it was the heat sir, it can do things to people.”

Her boss nodded as he took a small sip, “Possibly.” He sat his glass down but continued to watch out his window, “Thank you Miss Sonia, that is all. Don’t worry about locking up, I’ll make sure to do that before I leave. Get home safe OK?”

  Sonia nodded and bid her boss goodnight, grabbing her purse from the rack as she headed to her car.

  Mister Moran listened as the remaining staff filed out of the club and made sure the last car left the parking lot before sitting back down at his desk. He sighed before picking up the phone and dialed a number. It rang once before a young voice greeted him.

“Yes, hello. Can you please put either of the Alpha Hoods on the line please? I believe it may be urgent.”

Calum sat in his last interview before his flight home. A wrap up of their feelings about this tour. Calum had mixed feelings about the past few months he’d spent away from you. He loves his job, of course, but the strain it put on your relationship made it harder for him to appreciate being on stage in the same way he had before.

“And you’re all heading home right after this, yeah?” The interviewer asked them with a Spanish accent to her voice.

“Yeah,” Ashton spoke up, nodding, “Luke, Michael, and I are going back to Australia for a while.” He felt bad for singling out Calum as the only one not returning to Australia, but Calum hadn’t told them yet about the issues between the two of you and Ashton didn’t want him to find out they already knew.

“You’re not going back to Australia, Calum?” The woman asked. The question tied up a knot in Calum’s stomach. He was going back to Los Angeles, to see you as fast as he could, but he didn’t think admitting that on a public platform would be his best idea. 

“Uh, yeah, no.” He shrugged and forced a small chuckle to keep up the mood of the room, “I’m going to see my dog first.”

The interviewer just smiled at his response and a small wave of relief washed over him when she moved on to ask other questions before his nerves about seeing you again revived themselves. You both hadn’t communicated much since the phone call where you got into an argument. There had been a few texts back and forth, mainly updates on Duke more than anything else. 

Thankfully, for Calum, you’d still been living at home. He thought you might’ve gone to stay with a friend after the last call you two had, but you didn’t. You really only stayed to take care of Duke, there was no way you were going to leave him on his own for the last month of tour. But that thought didn’t cross Calum’s mind. He was trying to keep a positive outlook on things.

Calum told you his flight was at 7:00pm out of Madrid. 7:00pm in Madrid was 10:00am in Los Angeles and you planned to wake up before then to text him. You, unfortunately, slept past your alarm and woke up around 11:30am with Duke running frantically around the house.

Calum’s flight was supposed to get in around 10:30pm, so you knew he wasn’t home yet. You let the dog out, thinking more and more about when Calum gets home and how you’d have to deal with your issues for the first time since the phone call, and this time it would be face to face. Your stomach tied up in a knot, as did his on his flight. 

You both were nervous, but Calum was also looking forward to reaching a solution. He was looking forward to walking through the door and seeing your face and finally sleeping beside you in the same bed again. 

Calum’s flight landed on time and he got out of the airport and caught a cab as quickly as he could. His heart was racing and the adrenaline he had was enough to keep him awake even though the jet lag he was facing was threatening to shut his eyes.

He’d never gotten out of a car any faster than he did that cab when it pulled up in front of the house you and he shared. He took a moment, looking at the outside before he made his way in through the front door. Duke ran up to him the second he walked in, seeming almost more excited than ever.

Calum greeted the dog lovingly, dropping his jacket on his bag that he left at the front door before walking further into the house. He called out your name, cautiously, though he got no response. His brows furrowed as his confusion built until he saw a small note left on the island in the kitchen. 

Your handwriting was scribbled across a torn, lined piece of paper, saying how you decided to stay at a friend’s for the night. Your note shared how you were nervous and mentioned how you chose to leave that instead of sending a text because you didn’t know if his phone was on airplane mode or not. It was also easier for you, however, you didn’t write that down.

Calum stared down at the note as if it was written in a foreign language. Even though it wasn’t, he still didn’t understand. Tension built up in him and mixing with the exhaustion he felt, it prompted him to pour himself a drink. He took it outside, sitting down in his backyard to allow himself to ponder your current situation. He hated it, of course, and he only wanted it to be over and done with but for whatever reason, you seemed to be preventing that from happening. He looked around his backyard, and once he remembered how the two of you shared your first kiss in the same place, he drank the rest of the alcohol from his glass and immediately went inside to sleep.

Calum wanted to be angrier, but he couldn’t find the means to. He just felt defeated. Maybe it was the jet lag overcoming him, or maybe the alcohol in his blood was soothing him for the time being, but he felt stuck. You, on the other hand, couldn’t get yourself fall asleep that night. You kept yourself up, thinking up all the different ways that the interaction between the two of you could go. You didn’t want him to be upset or angry, but it was so much of you to ask that he stay neutral and calm because you knew there was no way you would be.

Morning arrived and you’d gotten three hours of sleep or so. Calum woke up to Duke trying desperately to get him out of bed. It was early afternoon and you were both up. You decided you’d text him and try and see him that day because you felt like you just couldn’t push the interaction back any further. It’d be too damaging to the both of you.

Calum agreed to your proposal, of course he did. He politely suggested you come over at whatever time you wanted, and his kindness only seemed to make you more upset.

It wasn’t until about an hour after the last text was sent that you ended up back at the house you share, clad in a hoodie that was definitely his along with a random pair of sweatpants that might’ve belonged to you or your friend, you weren’t sure. Your hair was messy and your eyes were puffy. You clearly didn’t see a reason for putting yourself together because you knew you’d be a mess at the end of this anyway.

Once you reached the front door, you knocked softly. It was almost too quiet for Calum to hear inside, but he did because he was waiting by the door, anxious for your arrival. He opened the door shortly after you knocked which gave away the fact that he was waiting behind it, but he didn’t care and neither did you.

Calum took a moment to look at you, and you did the same for him. It was the first time you’d seen each other face to face in months and it melted away all the anger you’d felt up to this point. You couldn’t help what you did next, and as much as you wanted to hold up a strong, sturdy front, you almost immediately wrapped your arms around your boyfriend’s torso and let your face bury itself in his chest.

Calum received your action gracefully, wrapping his arms back around you and lowering his head to leave a gentle kiss on your hair. The hug brought him more hope, it felt like pieces were falling back into place already.

The two of you stayed on the front porch with your arms wrapped around one another for a while, appreciating the comfort provided by the other person. You eventually made your way inside, though, and took a seat on the couch in the living room. Duke jumped up and sat beside you as he normally does. Calum sat down on the couch as well, allowing there to be room between both of you in order to give you some sort of space.

Silence hung over the both of you, it wasn’t uncomfortable but neither of you appreciated it. 

“I’m sorry,” You both told each other, one person’s voice overlapping the other, leaving you to finish your phrase before Calum did. You looked at him for a moment afterward, a small frown etched onto your face.

“Don’t be, Cal. I lashed out at you the last time and it wasn’t fair.” You sighed with a small shake of your head, your left hand gently scratching behind Duke’s ear.

Calum, to your right, quickly shook his head after you spoke. “Y/n, come on. You had every right to lash out, it’s a lot for me to ask that you stay with me when I leave for months on end.”

You felt tears starting to well up and you cursed under your breath because you were getting emotional so early on, “God, it’s just hard. And I really want to be good at dealing with it, Cal, I really do. But I don’t know how when I don’t see you for so long.”

“Hey,” He quickly frowned as his hand gently rested upon your knee, and he waits a moment to see if you’ll pull away, but you don’t. “I know it’s hard, my love. I know. But we can work around it, I promise. I can try and come back and visit you more often on breaks, or we can fly you out for a few days to a show, or-” “Calum, please.” You sniffle and take both of your hands to wipe stray tears from your cheeks, “That’s so much to ask. I don’t want your schedule to become more complicated because you’re trying to work around me.”

“It won’t be that much of a change, Y/n. I can deal with it, there’s nothing I won’t do or try to make us work, alright?” His brown eyes search to meet yours, and when they do a faint wave of some kind of relief or appreciation, something you can’t necessarily pinpoint washes over you. “No amount of distance is going to be the reason we aren’t together.”

You keep your gaze locked with his and nod to his words, “You promise? You promise we’ll make this work? Because I don’t know what-”

The beginning of what Calum could tell would be a long-winded ramble was cut off when your boyfriend gave you a nod, a small smile, and uttered a few more words to you, “I promise, darling.”

Those three words caused a sense of warmth to blossom within you, something that almost seemed new as it began to replace this heavy, empty feeling you’d been experiencing. 

Calum noted the way the corners of your lips began to lift gently into a soft smile before he leaned over and pecked them softly, reassuring the plethora of new and positives thoughts that began to manifest in your mind. You still felt the conversation should be revisited, though on a later date to work out any logistics. At this moment you were appreciating the affection you were giving to and receiving from your boyfriend as the two of you curled up on the couch along with Duke. You two were watching some random episode of a show you loved that was streaming on the television mounted on the wall in front of you while Calum snuck in small, soft, and quick kisses here and there.

I stepped off the plane and took off my shades. The sunlight rushing in from the sky was a jarring sight. My first week of freedom was spent at home resting, but now I had to go out and have my first meeting with the man my parents arranged for me to see. I’ve never put much thought on my career when I was inside. I took an Uber from the airport and shut my eyes, hoping to recap what had happened the day before:

As I looked into my old penthouse, which was rented out by my parents while I was serving my sentence, I texted Beau, hoping for a response. He was on his way, which gave me time to see the carpet still pristine and the view of Hartfield still stunning.  When I saw Beau step into my place, he gave me a huge hug. I asked him what the ring on his finger was and he told me that he and Becca Davenport fell in love within my three-year sentence. Of course, I had to keep my cool, wanting  to be happy for him. However, part of me was let down that he’d degrade himself with that bitch. Also, I was hoping to have started something with him when I came back. I was sick of playing all these games and wanted a stable relationship to come back to. Nonetheless, I held in my feelings and offered to be his best man. That’s when I knew I had to leave for Hollywood.

I stepped into Viktor Montmarte’s office after his secretary let me in. He stared at me for a few seconds, which unnerved me. A lot of his demeanour reminded me of my father.

“You’re 15 minutes late. Do you know how much meetings I could have fit in with those precious minutes I’ve wasted waiting for you?” I didn’t appreciate the tone he used to greet me. I’m a Sterling, and we don’t put up with such insolence.

“Perhaps, you can tell that to my Uber driver. The fool couldn’t take me here quickly enough.” I took a seat across Viktor and gave him a good stare back. I didn’t care if he was my boss; I was going to show dominance.

“Excuses on your first day? You’re lucky your father is a family friend, or I’d have you blacklisted from the whole West Coast.” He tapped his foot and I could hear his heartbeat quicken with every passing second. “Also, did I say you could be seated?” I planted my bum on that chair and leaned nearer to him.

“Perhaps, my father would love to know how you’re treating his son. You’d be banned from this continent’s polite society, I’ll see to that.” Perhaps, Viktor was a bit fazed by my words as he raised his voice in response, and it wasn’t pretty.

“There are 2 men in this room; One is an ex-con, and it isn’t me. You’ve screwed up your life once already. Do you really think you can tell me, the guy that owns all of Hollywood, what to do? Perhaps, you were too comfortable being used as a human pincushion in prison.” The last line cut deep. I shut my mouth and tried to keep my composure. Those three years were long and grueling, and I didn’t need a reminder of that.

“Just tell me what my first assignment is.” Within a flash, Viktor pulled out his tablet and showed a face of a blond man that seemed familiar to me.

“Your first job for me is to manage this man. A comic actor named Seth Levine. He’s much easier than some difficult clients I had before, but he needs to be dealt with just the same. His wardrobe is unbecoming of an A-lister,  his relationship choices have been less than optimal, and some of his associates are hard to control. Fix him, or I’ll fix you.” I recognised the man right away after studying his facial features, so I voiced my concerns. “You can’t ask me to manage him. He’s my roommate, and that would create a conflict of interest.“ That was when I was met with the heartiest laugh I’ve ever heard from a guy.“This [he points to himself] isn’t the face of a man who cares about such things. Now, get to it, or I’ll drive an automobile through your hopes and dreams the same way you...never mind, you get my point. I’ll send you an e-mail with specific instructions soon. Now, out of my office, Sterling.”

Stepping into the condo I was to share with Seth, I didn’t know how to break the news to him that I’d be his new manager. I wanted to start out my new life without a hitch, but it seemed to me Viktor wasn’t having it be easy for me. I stepped in and saw Seth lounging with his boyfriend, so I stayed out of their way while the movers were bringing my stuff in. After the boyfriend excused himself to go to the gym, Seth sat in the kitchen table with me and extended his hand to greet me.

“You must be Nathan Sterling.” Seth seemed to be about a decade older than I was, as evidenced by the lines on his world-weary face. I took time to read his Wikipedia profile while on the way to the condo, and I found out he struggled in Hollywood for so long before his big break making that film with an up-and-coming directress named Teja Desai. I could tell things were looking up for him, but he was exhausted already.

“Your manager-slash-roommate, I forgot to tell you.” I sighed and crossed my arms. “Hope that won’t get in the way of us living together. I’ll still pay rent and clean up if needed.” I took a protein bar from my bag and chewed on it while admiring how Seth decorated the place.

“I got the call from Viktor that Tad was being let go for you, so I’ve already mentally prepared myself. It was only a matter of time, as Tad was getting on my nerves. Hope you won’t do the same.” He winked at me and grabbed an apple and chewed at it.

“I want to make this as painless as I could. We’ll make the lifestyle changes Viktor recommended and then go from there. That might mean less public time with your boyfriend and perhaps you doing a few ads for some soda brand, but we’ll discuss that tomorrow.” I didn’t know how Seth would take such news, but he nodded. “Look, this isn’t my first go-around in Hollywood; I know the game that must be played. All I want from you is to be committed to making me a huge star. My boyfriend never got his undergraduate degree and I want to ensure that I pay for his education, and I’m willing to do what it takes to secure that for him.” Seeing Seth care about someone so much kinda reminded of how far I was ready to go for Beau, before he let me down.     

“Is everyone in this town vicious? I mean, I just served a three-year sentence for a hit-and-run cover up, but the way Viktor talked to me...that was unprofessional.” That caused Seth to nearly choke on his apple.

“Dude, you must be kidding me. Everyone in this town has to be vicious to survive. Nathan, I once had roommates that were drug dealers, murderers, or loved pineapple on pizza. You aren’t the worst.” Seth’s kind words got me. All the time I was inside, only my parents bothered to come see me. (Not Beau, and not anyone of my Alpha Theta Mu friends.) It was like I was forgotten after all I did to build that fratority and contribute to its foundation. I thought about the time I spent grieving the death of my sister Nicole after she was murdered by a co-worker at Raines Corporation where she worked and how none of the prisoners had sympathy for me because I was a white guy born into privilege.

“You might change your mind if you talked to people in Hartfield.”  I looked up into the ceiling and saw the twinkling light fixtures that Seth added to the loft of the condo. Part of me didn’t want Seth to see how much sadness I held from having to go to Hollywood of all places to start over.

“We all have a past. You are a blank slate to me. If you do mess up, though, I’ll send my friend Victoria Fontaine out for you. Otherwise, we’re good.” He got up and went to the sink to clean all the dishes left. That gave me time to head to my empty room, which didn’t have my bed set-up yet due to the movers not being done with my stuff. I then went to the video recording app of my phone and made a message to Beau that I wasn’t sure whether to send as of the time I hit record:

“Hey, Beau. I’ve been thinking a lot since my flight out west about how lucky you are to be getting engaged to the blonde of your dreams. Just wishing that blond was me. I took the fall for you during the Alpha mess so that you could live your life while I paid for what happened with the crash. No, you weren’t obligated to wait for me, but remember that I’m the reason for a lot of your happiness, and I was hoping you’d be the reason for mine. However, I’ve been nothing but miserable thinking about you. So, yeah, I’ll be the best man, stand by you as you swap vows with Becca and give a toast during the reception, but don’t expect me to be 100% OK with this in the near future, or ever. You might think I’m being selfish for this, but after everything I had been through being nearly assaulted in prison everyday, I needed to vent. Anyhow, those are my thoughts this afternoon. Take it or leave it.” I finished recording and got up to sort my belongings as the movers came in with more stuff. Then, in a moment of boldness, I sent the video to Beau. Viktor was right: I needed to take the reins of my life and not be tied down to the toxicity in the past. END