Lycanthropy and Me: The First Semester(mlm)

Day 73. Monday, Waxing Crescent (Redux)

Day 73. Monday, Waxing Crescent (Redux)

When Hunter woke up the next morning, he was sore, naked, and confused. For one thing, the ceiling was further away than usual, and for another, he was using Grayson's corpse as a body pillow.

"AHHHH!" Hunter jumped up, causing his head to pound, and slid from the bed to the cold floor. Sunlight peeked in through his darkroom curtains, illuminating his broken bed, his partially gnawed desk, and Grayson's slobber-laden keys that sat in the middle of the floor.

His mind rushed to make sense of what he was looking at, and his thoughts were interrupted by Grayson's yawning.

Well, that was a good sign. No corpse then.

Grayson rubbed his face and sat up. "Good Morning."

"WH--WH--" If the shift hadn't reworked his motor skills and left his jaw feeling off, Hunter would have started screaming. Instead, he flailed his arms in wordless panic before snatching a bedsheet to cover himself.

Now looking somewhat embarrassed, Grayson looked away. After a moment's deliberation, he went to retrieve clothes from Hunter's closet.

Hunter snatched the clothes with more force than intended and began shrugging into a hooded sweatshirt, the warmth of which calmed his nerves a bit. Grayson stood frozen behind him, unsure of what to do next. It reminded him of when he had to bring report cards to his parents. That same sense of disappointment seemed to come off Hunter in waves.

"What happened?" Hunter asked, his eyes downcast.

Grayson's gaze went to Hunter's back. He moved back to the broken bed, sitting cross-legged next to him. "Well, when I got here you were already out of your binds."

"And YOU STAYED!?" Hunter snapped.

"What, I was supposed to leave you like that?" Grayson shot back.

"YES!" Hunter was on the verge of tears. "YOU COULD HAVE DIED! IT...I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!"

Grayson flinched but didn't move from the bed. "But you didn't. You didn't even try to hurt me, Hunter."

Hunter slid his face into his hands, muttering something inaudible. Eventually, he looked at Grayson again, face visibly moist and voice strained.

"A long time ago...After my Dad left, I... hurt my mom. I woke up two days after my shift and her arm was wrapped up, and she was acting like nothing was wrong..." He paused. "And it scared the shit out of me. I didn't think I could hurt her. You always think your parents are invincible. And she kept telling me it was fine. She wore long sleeves for a while so I'd stop checking. It's been years, and it's healed but the scar is still there. And every time I see it, it's a reminder of what I really am."

Grayson wanted to protest, but it was becoming clear that years of self-loathing wouldn't be cut through that easily.

"Grayson." Hunter reached out for his arm. "I need you to promise me that if something happens again, you'll choose to save yourself." He looked him in the eye. "Please. I need you to promise me."

"Okay."

The answer was hollow, meant purely for pacification. They both knew that. Grayson was confident he could never leave Hunter behind, and Hunter was sure that nothing he could do would change Grayson's mind. He leaned his head on Grayson's shoulder. As tired and achy as he felt, he was still in less pain than normal. He didn't want to argue now. Maybe this was a step in the right direction. Maybe...

"Do you want some water?" Grayson asked.

"No." Hunter looked up into his eyes, breathless and forcing back a laugh. "I want to know what the hell happened to my bed."

Tension cut, Grayson couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you jumped."

"And why was I chewing on the desk?" Hunter sighed.

"Fiber?" Grayson shrugged. "I'll bring granola next time."

"Definitely not. We're not rewarding this behavior with treats." Hunter gave him a sour look. "Do not feed me after midnight."

"My little Mogwai." Grayson laughed. " Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." He blinked. "Like...Weirdly okay?" He looked down. "I'm not about to go for a walk or anything but I don't feel like I'm dying."

"Well, that's a relief. Maybe that's the trick then." Grayson replied. "But let's plan ahead next time."

"Next time." Hunter sighed. "30 days are gonna pass in the blink of an eye."

"Let's take them 24 hours at a time," Grayson said. "Do you want breakfast?"

"No, I want to look up prices for a new bed."