Whylight

10.

Paul waited on Chris for a couple more minutes before he began to grow restless. He felt as though he were being watched and judged by almost everyone in the room. At one point a woman had even approached him, wordlessly taking Paul's face in her hands despite his questioning expression and turning it from side to side before pinching his cheeks and letting go. Her hands had been ice cold and as she walked away Paul had heard her laughing at him.

Paul felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked around at the members of the club. The room was full. If logic served him correctly, Paul knew that he should be warm due to the body heat radiating from each and every person, but he was quite the opposite. In fact, Paul was freezing. Instead of producing heat the people seemed to be the source of a coldness that was seeping into Paul's bones, chilling him from his core and he was just about to give up and head back outside to seek another alley to sleep in before Chris appeared in front of him and offered a hand.

"I prepared your room," he said as Paul stared at him, his newfound uneasiness ridding him of the ability to speak. "Are you coming?"

Paul swallowed heavily before nodding his head.

"Yes," he croaked. "I'm coming."

"Good. Come along then."

Accepting the hand that Chris had offered to him, Paul climbed to his feet and allowed Chris to lead him off. His hand was as cold as the woman's had been, and, with a jolt Paul realised it was also as cold as it had been that one day in gym class. As though it had never warmed up.

Paul bit his lip, wondering whether or not it would be rude to ask Chris if he had an iron deficiency.

Stopping outside a door, Chris gestured for Paul to go inside, the pink haired boy hesitating briefly before he reached out and turned the handle, feeling the door give way beneath his fingertips. Paul stepped inside, only to find himself in a rather dim yet elaborate room. The walls had been painted a deep shade of crimson and the furniture mostly appeared to be made of ebony with a large queen sized bed nestled against the furthest wall.

As Paul continued to goggle at the sight before him, Chris watched him bemusedly before nudging the door open further with his foot.

"I trust that you'll be okay here for the night then?"

"...... Mhm, thanks Chris."

"You're welcome darling, I'll see you in the morning."

Feeling a blush creep up his cheeks, Paul hurriedly slipped inside the room and was relieved to hear Chris' footsteps pattering off down the hallway. He'd have to get a grip on himself, it wasn't like Chris had meant anything by the pet name. Not that Paul cared.

He only had to stay there until morning, then he could go home.

He hoped.