Constantine was plating up Adam's favourite breakfast. It was something he ordered every time they went to a certain cafe near their apartment back in Perth. Constantine chopped up the baby spinach and tossed it in a bowl with crumbled fetta and pine nuts and gave it a good stir, finally placing it carefully over the hot french toast piled high with crispy bacon. Over the top went a drizzle of honey. The were stared at the plate, pretty sure that it looked like the real thing. It wasn't anything he'd ever eat himself, give him steak for breakfast lunch and dinner, but Adam always scoffed it down. Hopefully, this was as good as the one back home, yes, he had come to think of Perth as home. Sometimes, it takes distance and being parted from something to make you realise how much it means to you. It certainly wasn't this place. Constantine didn't mind his small studio apartment but it was only a place to sleep and eat.
He heard his charge shuffle into the room and take a seat at the table. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that Adam was still deep in his own world, slumped over, his head lying on his folded arms.
"Are you OK? Constantine put the plate in front of him and hoped it would tempt him to eat.
Adam looked at the food in front of him and smiled. Constantine guessed it must have brought back the same memories. Adam sniffed it and his smile got a little wider. "I feel better after the shower. This looks great. Thanks."
The were was pleased and he turned away to wash up. As he scrubbed the pans and drained the sink he wondered what Paul was doing about fixing things. He stood at the fridge staring blankly at the shelves as he replayed what he'd heard in the car, that dog of a Guardian made his blood boil. This place was supposed to be a fresh start, a proper home at last. He was deep in thought and didn't notice Adam getting up and putting the plate in the sink. Constantine was happily visualising beating the crap out of the dog. It was only when Adam spoke that he realised he was standing close by.
"If I run away will you come with me?" Adam's eyes were on him. "What do you say?"
Constantine sighed and closed the fridge, he'd totally forgotten why he was standing there and started washing the last plate instead. "You can't leave." He said flatly.
"Why not? I can't stay here. I'm only causing trouble for Paul. He's better off without me." Adam's voice went up a notch. He pulled Constantine around to face him. "We did it before. We can do it again."
"You have a mate now. You wouldn't survive being parted from him." Constantine knew from personal experience what being separated from your mate was like. It was painful physically and mentally. Adam was being naive if he thought that the mating bond wouldn't drag them back together, one way or another.
"I wish we could. I'd be packing right now and we'd be out the door...IF it was possible. But it's not. Paul has to come up with another solution, a way to help you fit in here. I hate saying it, but it's all up to him. This time I can't help you." And he really did hate saying it. Paul was a cold fish. Constantine didn't like him and he didn't think that was ever going to change. He was also annoyed he couldn't do anything...Mate Bond trumps Bound Wolf.
Before he could say anything else Adam grabbed the plate from his hands and flung it against the wall. He howled and Wolf again started to push forward to take control. Through teeth that were already starting to grow longer and sharper, Adam screamed with frustration.
"Not even you will help me." Adam could barely control his rage, he snarled at Constantine, who was shocked by how quickly Adam lost control. He'd never been this bad before. If something had angered him it was more of a slow burn, he'd stew over it and eventually need a run to vent. This was different Adam was desperate.
"Ok. Ok calm down." Bravely Constantine wrapped his arms around the snarling Lycan and hung on as he tried to fight him off. "Please Adam stop, breathe. Paul will fix this. Give him a little more time. Please, Adam, listen to me." Slowly the snarling turned into sobs, the struggling stopped, instead, he clung to Constantine for support. The were wasn't good with the softer emotions. He could handle his friend snarling and cutting him to shreds but the.....crying...Ohy!
"Come on. It will work out." You sound soooo lame he told himself as he urged Adam into the bedroom and got him to lie down but his charge wouldn't let go of his arm. Constantine sat on the bed beside him and let him cry and slobber on his sleeve. Finally, he pulled his phone from his pocket and looked through his contacts. He groaned, he really didn't want to make this call but he had no choice.
"Hi. Yes, it's me. No. Yes. Why?" Constantine answered all the questions coming from the other end of the line with an annoyed look on his face. This call wasn't meant to be a friendly chat.
"Shut up and let me talk for a minute. Can you come over to my place?" There was silence from the other end and then the voice spoke again. "Yes, I mean now. It's urgent. I'll send you my address." Then he hung up and sent his address.
....
His patience lasted the whole of 20 minutes and eventually Constantine wriggled off the bed. Adam continued to cry quietly as he left the room, feeling helpless.
"I said it was a fucking emergency. So where is he?" He snarled as he closed the bedroom door. Constantine was circling the room when he finally heard the knock he'd been waiting for.
"What took you so fucking long? I said it was U R G E N T!" He bellowed the minute the door he pulled the door open and he saw Shaun, who jumped back in fright, not excepting to be greeted so aggressively.
"umm um...I had a shower and got dressed and came over." Shaun said in a small voice not really sure if he wanted to walk into the apartment. He stood awkwardly at the door. "I was still in bed when you called so I had to..."
"Shut up." Constantine's eyes ran over him as he grabbed his arm and dragged him in. "Stop standing there and come in."
He was sneering and Shaun wanted to turn around and go home. They'd barely spoken since the night they were intimate and this was already going badly.
"Remind me never to call you if I'm bleeding out or anything URGENT LIKE THAT." The were yelled again making Shaun blink nervously around the room like he was looking for an escape hatch. Constantine took a breath to calm himself. He stopped and narrowed his eyes as he moved closer to Shaun and sniffed.
"You've got to be kidding me. You have cologne on. I ring you and say come over it's urgent and your first impulse is to go OH I better put on some cologne." Constantine was so pissed off, on so many levels. Mostly because Shaun took his bloody time to get there. Also because he wasn't used to feeling helpless and it was driving him nuts that Adam was in the next room falling apart and he couldn't do anything about it. AND THEN Shaun, the most annoying human in the world, ever... shows up looking hot, and worst of all...he smells really good. Constantine didn't know whether he wanted to rip his head off or fuck him on the dining room table.
Shaun lingered around the door, looking like he was going to bolt if the were yelled at him again. "Can you give me a wee bit of a clue as to what the problem is?" By this stage, his voice was almost a whisper.
"It's not for me to say." Constantine frowned. " It's Adam. He's in there. Stuff happened and he's in a bad way."
Shaun straightened up immediately. "What did you do?" He took a few steps forward and it was him this time that looked annoyed.
"You say that every fucking time. I didn't do anything. He's been like this since the wedding. I don't know how to help him...he's all....emotional." Constantine pulled a face when he said the last word as if it was a contagious disease.
"Go in there, you'll know what to do, it's your sort of thing. You're his best friend go do your job." Constantine grumbled and pointed towards the bedroom door. Shaun was looking at him with narrowed eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" It was Constantine's turn to back off.
"I know you have mastered the art of camouflaging any kind thing you do with all that surliness and snarling that you do, but you don't fool me." Shaun poked him in the chest as he walked passed heading for the bedroom. " News flash...Constantine Rizzo you are N I C E! "
"Fuck off." He mouthed as Shaun opened the door and stepped in inside. "He is soooo annoying." Constantine kicked the couch.
....
Constantine was dozing when he heard the bedroom door open. He picked up his phone and checked the time, an hour had gone by. He'd spent the night in the car and had gotten almost no sleep, he was sore, stiff and exhausted. He let his head drop back and his eyes fluttered closed again. he told himself to get up but before he could open his eyes he felt a body flop down beside him.
"He's fallen asleep." Shaun rubbed his eyes. He looked like he'd been crying. "I feel so bad for him."
"Did he tell you what happened?" Constantine stayed where he was, turning his head to the side to look at Shaun. The were breathed in his scent and felt himself soften and relax.
"Bits and pieces but I get the gist of it. I think I know the guy he's talking about. I noticed a chubby old queen rolling his eyes all through the wedding ceremony. I remember thinking how rude he was. And then at the reception, he was doing a lot of schmoozing, flitting from table to table like an old tart. He looked harmless enough. If I'd know he was such a bastard I would have tripped him or dropped my dinner in his lap." Constantine could imagine Shaun doing something like that. He smiled at the thought of the honourable Tattac Guardian being called a chubby old queen.
"Anyway, Adam will be fine. One thing I know about him is that he's a survivor, he adepts. He'll be OK. After all, he's not alone. He's got Paul and you."
"And you," Constantine added. They fell into an awkward silence.
"It's good having you around again. I missed you." Shaun was taken aback by the change of subject. He didn't know what to say. This was the first real conversation since the night.
Shaun was even more surprised when Constantine continued in the same vein. "You never contacted me... not once...not a single text or anything." He sounded hurt.
There were so many times Shaun wanted to call Constantine and talk about what had happened between them but it never seemed the right time, or to be truthful he was scared to broach the subject. That night they had been so close one moment, and then next when he stupidly froze at the worst possible time, a wall had materialised between them. He hadn't been able to get the words out and reply to Constantine's confession...and then poof...Constantine cut him off and went back to being cold and distant like nothing happened.
Once they'd left for Sydney Shaun told himself it was for the best, that no answer was the right answer in their case. But now looking at Constantine he felt the same pull, the same fear of not knowing how a relationship with a guy, a werewolf would work. Shaun's mind was full of the same doubts and insecurities. All he could think was attack was the best form of defence.
"Neither did you. If I remember rightly you never even said goodbye." Shaun's jaw tightened. He didn't want to look weak, even if his insides were melting when he looked at Constantine.
"You're right." Constantine stood up abruptly. "It's for the best."
"Do you want another coffee?" He said coldly, as if what they had just said didn't happen. The shutters had come down again. Shaun couldn't believe it hurt even more than the first time. He felt physically ill.
"No, I'll just go and check on Adam." He got up and went quietly into the bedroom.
Constantine glared at the door. He was shaking with frustration, his claws extending and digging into his palms until his blood started to trickle onto the carpet. He heard himself growl and forced himself to stop.
"