A Kink in the Tail

Chapter 33 - The Couch

"You've been avoiding me since I chased you out of the bathroom," Constantine said impatiently, although he promised himself that he'd be nonchalant.

"I finally got the message," Shaun said coldly, looking at him briefly. Then he went back to watching the News. The werewolf wished he had listened to him at the time. The situation might have burnt itself out by now if he had.  It had turned into a childish tit-for-tat situation.

"Are you going to keep on ignoring me?" Constantine couldn't believe he was nervous talking to a human...A HUMAN!!!!

"Pretty much." Shaun nodded but didn't bother to look his way. He squirmed a little harder, his palms flat on the cushions flexed uselessly as he tried to push himself up. He sighed and sat back, resigned to the fact he couldn't walk away from the conversation.

"Why aren't you coming with us?" Constantine asked quietly. His eyes ran over Shaun's profile. For a human he was Ok, he didn't mind his face. Usually, all humans looked the same to him, they were nondescript, with two eyes, a nose, and mouth. He'd never wanted to get to know one, much less understand one. 

Then there was Shaun, the exception, who had unexpectedly sparked something Constantine hadn't felt for a long time and certainly not for a male, a human male. It had only been his mate, his wife that had made him feel that way. He examined the long straight nose, the curve on the corner of his lips, the strong jaw, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to explain how even at that very moment he wanted to touch him, taste him again. When he realized he was staring and where his thoughts had taken him he looked away abruptly and shook himself.

Shaun let out another louder sigh. "Wow...that got out quick, we haven't said anything to anyone." He turned angry eyes at Constantine. "Have you been using your werewolf hearing to eavesdrop? Rude much."

The werewolf snorted loudly and his lips pulled back in a snarl. He was insulted that Shaun would even suggest he'd do something like that. "You humans say, "A little bird told me."

"Ah! Barnes."  As if to say who else would it be?

Constantine nodded and rolled his eyes. 

Shaun looked back at the TV. "That guy is everywhere...like a bad smell."

"You haven't answered my question. Why aren't you coming with us?" There was a long silence and Shaun stared up at the ceiling for a while trying to find the right words.  The answer was pretty simple.

"I want to get my old life back.  As cool as you guys are, I think I've had enough drama for a lifetime in the last couple of weeks."  They looked at each other, both a little sad.  "I'm going to miss Adam.  I imagined that our little group of friends would leave Uni, finally start acting like grown-ups, get good jobs, and eventually settle down, have kids.  Still, be friends when we're old and grey.  Very cliche."  Shaun smiled and shrugged.  "We'll keep in touch I suppose after things settle down but it won't be the same. Distance makes it hard to stay friends.  I'm going to miss not having my best friend around all the time."

He tentatively rubbed his thighs.  His voice was softer when he spoke again.  "And if I'm really honest, I don't want to be constantly afraid anymore.  Every step I take..."  He ran his fingers over the ridges that he could feel through his pants.  "...reminds me of that night, of Thanos and his men. What they did to me and the pain."  Constantine saw him tremble and his chin quivered as he held back tears. 

"Adam wants you to come with us because he wants to make sure you're OK.  He came back for you.  I didn't understand why at the time but I do now."  Constantine didn't want to try to change his mind anymore.  Shaun was right, he should go back to his old life.  The were realized the reason he wanted Shaun to go with them was a selfish one.