The House Master

The Anatomy of a Coffin

Warning: Very mild innuendos between underage characters.

The concert hall is abandoned, as one would expect on a Monday evening. The trio wander aimlessly around the stretch of land surrounding it, the car park, further into the roads. It's isolated, providing an enjoyable solitude that all three are grateful for. Adrian lights a joint.

"Aren't you worried about the police?" asks Diedrich. "If not for yourself, for us!"

The taller boy stares at Vincent's legs, his expression analytical but with underlying tones of naughty lust. "He looks like he can run rather fast. And as for you, well... I don't much care,"

Diedrich scowls with incredulity. "This is private properly, they have every right to call the police on us!"

"Who?!" Adrian spreads his arms wide and gestures to the vast, empty park, then steps closer to Vincent, almost brushing his hand through Vincent's hair. He glances back at Diedrich with a challenging, amused expression in the knowledge that the tallest of the group is the most powerless. "Nobody is here, you fuckin' tool!"

Vincent hangs back a little, pouting up at Diedrich with large eyes, calculated to be cute. "It's alright, I promise,"

He takes Diedrich's hand, a friendly gesture. Adrian notices but isn't disheartened, understanding how close they are, and suspecting how much history they have. Diedrich must be on Level 99 Friend Zone by now, especially since Vincent knows exactly how he feels while refusing to entertain his delusions. Even using them to his advantage, like now, to make Diedrich calm down.

"I know you trust me, but I also know you're anxious," Vincent speaks slowly, with consideration. "Try to have fun with us, let your hair down and stop being so uptight, it might make me like you more,"

Adrian scoffs - that'll never happen. But if it gets the annoying prude to shut up, a little manipulation is just fine with him.

"Adrian, can I ask you something?"

"You already did, that's a question." The taller boy laughs at Vincent, who stands his ground, unwavering. "But yeah, you can always ask me anything - honestly, it's fine..."

Like Diedrich, he also feels the need to say more than what's necessary, verging on apologising for his feelings.

"There's no way we can go to my place, but..." his parents, especially his father, would never tolerate having friends over. "Can we come over to your place? It's strange to ask, I know,"

"Umm..." Adrian reaches up, running his fingers through his hair, spinning it around his index finger and releasing it in neurotic repetition. What can he say, when Vincent smiles at him so dazzlingly, but yes? "I... okay, that- okay..."

"Fantastic!" Vincent claps, a sound that cuts through the air, shattering the oppressive silence of solitude.

Adrian finishes smoking before they leave. Good thing he does, as they pass a police car on the adjacent street. If any of them were to attract the police's attention, it'd be Diedrich by how intensely his body shudders whenever a car passes. And he isn't even the high one.

"They could be undercover!" he insists upon Vincent's questioning.

When they arrive in his neighbourhood, Adrian exhales deeply, beginning to shake. Don't panic, don't panic!