Elijah and Teddy filed up the staircase off the boardwalk and back onto the deserted streets of Belford. Thoroughly chilled as Teddy was and hungry as Elijah was they decided to stop by the cafe for a quick meal. Teddy only had to pop into the Historical Society and let Ms. O'Hara know that he was going off the clock, not that he was meant to work later anyway.
The interior of the cafe was as empty as the street had been and Teddy ushered Elijah over to an open table. It was the type of place where you just sat yourself, and Elijah sat in the blue booth with a satisfied sigh. He was fatigued from the day of walking and starving, though he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to afford the meal.
"Welcome to the Cammomile...." The waitress trailed off. She was the same one Elijah had spoken to earlier about a job and her face turned to a horrified kind of annoyance at having to see him again.
Teddy noticed this, and frowned in confusion.
"Mrs. Goodwin?" Teddy asked after a moment longer. He looked between her and Elijah noticing that they appeared to be locked in a staring contest. "Are you alright?"
Elijah didn't care, only looked calmly and dared her to look away.
"...Yes dear," Mrs. Goodwin asked, snapping back into action and breaking the contact. "Here... the menus." She handed both boys a yellow and blue menu with a tea cup logo at the top of the first page. "How are you Teddy?"
"Very good, how's Julie? I didn't see her at school today,"
"She's a little sick right now, you know how it gets..." Mrs. Goodwin trailed off again as she looked back to Elijah to see him already looking at him. Her face was now drawn in confusion, but Elijah's deadpanned gaze clearly said to go away. "You've got a new friend?"
"I guess you could say that," Teddy chuckled.
"That's... nice." Her words hung in the air like an insult and Elijah fought the urge to scream at her. This woman seemed intent on ruining Teddy's view of Elijah, and even if Elijah thought that was inevitable, he wanted to be the one to do it, not somebody else. "Would you like anything to drink?"
"Could I have peppermint tea?" Teddy asked.
"Of course you can," Mrs. Goodwin replied, then turned her attention to Elijah. "And you?"
"Water." Elijah grunted.
"Coming right up."
Mrs. Goodwin disappeared behind the counter and back into the kitchen. Once she'd left, Elijah let out a huge sigh of relief and slumped back over the table. He had a new problem to worry about though as he read the menu; he couldn't afford anything.
"Ms. O'Hara gave me some money for the dinner... said it was a company dinner since it's part of the tour, so you don't have to worry about it." Teddy said without looking up from his own menu, as if he could read Elijah's mind.
"Do you come here often?"
"Not really," Teddy smiled sheepishly. "Usually I eat at home, but it's occasionally a nice change of pace."
As Elijah sat with Teddy he looked at Mrs. Goodwin through the window above the counter into the kitchen. She was getting their drinks ready and had seemingly yet to notice his less than flattering gaze.
"Geez, she looked at you kind of funny," Teddy mused.
"She did."
If Elijah couldn't tell Teddy the whole truth, the least he could do was be sure to be sure to drop as many hints as possible.
"You don't seem surprised," Teddy commented.
"No." Elijah said bluntly. "That sort of thing happens a lot."
"Why?"
"Because I'm different."
"How?"
"You tell me."
Teddy groaned loudly with a playful sigh and smiled brightly at Elijah.
"You know, you make me very curious."
"Good."
Elijah and Teddy held eye contact for a moment as if each bashfully attempting to make the other one turn away and be the one to break the connection.
"Tea?" Mrs. Goodwin interrupted, clearing her throat. Teddy nodded in agreement before Mrs. Goodwin wordlessly placed the water ahead of Elijah. "So big new friend, huh Teddy?" She asked.
Instantly Elijah was annoyed with her tone of voice and angered by the suggestion that it held.
"Big new friend." She repeated. "Does Fr. Charles approve of him?"
Elijah bit his tongue to keep his anger inside. The woman was talking about him as if he wasn't there to hear it and couldn't be trusted in the slightest. Her tone brought back painful memories after his father's death and how his mother spoke to and about him while figuring out the succession.
"Mrs. Goodwin!" Teddy attempted, trying to diffuse the situation. Thankfully, Mrs. Goodwin backed off and held her hands in surrender.
"I'm not saying anything, just wanted to know. You know me, curiosity killed the cat and I'm a pretty damn big cat to kill."
Mrs. Goodwin took both their orders and Teddy ordered a simple sandwich. Elijah was suddenly hit with a stream of guilt upon remembering that he didn't know what kind of food or anything Teddy actually liked.
Elijah elected for something hardier, a diner steak sandwich, but he intended to take it off the bread, only eat a little piece and share it with Daniel and Anna upon returning home. They needed food, and they needed it bad, or they were going to have no choice but to hunt. If they needed to hunt, there was going to be attention, and attention was the last thing he and Teddy needed.
....
Elijah and Teddy finished their meal and left Ms. O'Hara's money for the bill. By the time they made it back out onto the street it was already completely dark and the sky looked as if someone had simply taken a paint brush, dipped it in black, and stored it across the whole night sky.
"How was your food?" Teddy asked. "You didn't eat much at all."
"I like leftovers."
Satisfied with that answer, Teddy pushed out with Elijah deeper onto the chilly streets. He was once again grateful to have Elijah's jacket around him as he tucked it closer. It had a dark kind of smell it was dignified but dangerous and it brought the same feeling to Teddy as he found himself wearing it.
When Elijah bumped his dangling hand into Teddy's as they walked a spark tat was quickly becoming a familiar occurrence shot through Teddy, and he didn't break the contact. He wanted more than anything else in the world for Elijah to wrap Teddy's in his own hand.
In that moment Teddy wasn't thinking: is this what it's like to be abducted? Or: am I about to be murdered? Instead he was thinking: is this what it's like to have butterflies in your stomach?
But his bliss couldn't last.
"Hey!" A voice called out, "Glover!"
Teddy and Elijah both looked over to see Damien staggering out into the street drunkenly. He was not in a good way, with his black hair smeared across his sweaty brow and his shirt hanging limply from his body. Nothing permanent, but he was sure to feel ill the next morning. The boy was surrounded by a group of a few other boys from the town, one of which Teddy recognized to be Jack, and they were all clumsily hiding their beers in paper bags.
"Damien?" Teddy asked. "Does your father know you're out tonight?"
"Tell 'em!" Damien slurred. "Tell 'em what you thought you saw, Teddy?"
"I think you should go home, Damien" Teddy suggested.
"He said he saw a fucking wolf!" Damien shouted. "Didn't you say that Glover?"
This suggestion was met with a rise of cheers from around the circle which
Teddy and Elijah both looked over to see Damien staggering out into the street drunkenly. He was not in a good way, with his black hair smeared across his sweaty brow and his shirt hanging limply from his body. Nothing permanent, but he was sure to feel ill the next morning. The boy was surrounded by a group of a few other boys from the town, one of which Teddy recognized to be Jack, and they were all clumsily hiding their beers in paper bags.
"Damien?" Teddy asked. "Does your father know you're out tonight?"
"Tell 'em!" Damien slurred. "Tell 'em what you thought you saw, Teddy?"
"I think you should go home, Damien" Teddy suggested.
"He said he saw a fucking wolf!" Damien shouted. "Didn't you say that Glover?"
This suggestion was met with a rise of cheers from around the circle whichTeddy and Elijah both looked over to see Damien staggering out into the street drunkenly. He was not in a good way, with his black hair smeared across his sweaty brow and his shirt hanging limply from his body. Nothing permanent, but he was sure to feel ill the next morning. The boy was surrounded by a group of a few other boys from the town, one of which Teddy recognized to be Jack, and they were all clumsily hiding their beers in paper bags.
"Damien?" Teddy asked. "Does your father know you're out tonight?"
"Tell 'em!" Damien slurred. "Tell 'em what you thought you saw, Teddy?"
"I think you should go home, Damien" Teddy suggested.
"He said he saw a fucking wolf!" Damien shouted. "Didn't you say that Glover?"
This suggestion was met with a rise of cheers from around the circle which