Chapter Three

Callum stomped over to Mason’s table with cheese fries, a hamburger, and a glass of root beer. He slammed the plates and glass on the table with a growl, “How long are you going to fucking be here? You’ve been here since like seven. It’s been five hours.”

“I’ll leave if you tell me when all your shifts are,” Mason offered.

“What? I thought you just wanted to know when I get off!”

Mason grinned, “I’d prefer if I was with you when you do that. My place if possible.”

Callum frowned, confused, before he got the double entendre and scowled, “Oh, fuck you.”

“Sorry, love, but I’ll be the one doing the fucking,” Mason winked.

Callum made a noise of frustration deep in his throat and looked to the off-white ceiling, as if it held the answer to ending his misery.

“Don’t you have something to do? Somewhere to be?” Callum asked.

“What I have to do is convince you to be mine, and the only place I have to be is in your gorgeous ass,” Mason said without batting an eye.

Callum flushed at the mental images that immediately came to mind as he stammered, completely flustered yet again. Mason had a knack for doing that to him and Callum did not like it one bit.

“Argh!” Callum stormed off back to the counter. “Tracy, I need to go on my break.”

“Go ahead,” Tracy said. “Hour tops, alright?”

Callum nodded and removed his apron, hanging it up in the back room before walking out of the diner and onto the streets. He just needed to get away from Mason. After that stunt with Jake, every time Callum went to a table they asked him about his relationship with Mason, which he denied to even having. It was beyond irritating and it wasn’t like he wasn’t going to see half those people again because they were the breakfast regulars.

Callum shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around. He didn’t have to feed yet, not for another week or so at least, but he needed some way to vent his stress and it beat going on a murderous rampage.

His eyes caught sight of a teenager who probably should have been in school but he didn’t look particularly busy, smoking in an alley. Decision made, Callum walked over to the boy and waved when the younger male caught sight of him.

“What do you want?” the boy asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“I’m gonna be blunt. I need blood,” Callum replied.

“You’re a vamp?” the kid asked, surprised.

“Halfie, but yeah,” Callum nodded and opened his mouth, letting his canines elongate.

“Cool! There’re a couple vamps at my school but they’re all a bunch of pricks,” the kid said.

“So, mind if I drink some from you?” Callum asked. He was always super awkward about asking for blood. Georgia was always the smoother one when it came to requesting fresh blood. In two years, Callum hadn’t quite learned the skill. Usually, he’d feed during sex but he had to get back to work and he was not about to commit statutory rape.

“Sure, I mean, I get to brag to my friends. Does it hurt?”

Callum shook his head, “I can secrete a numbing agent. You’ll feel this slightly odd feeling of something going in your skin but it won’t hurt a bit, I promise.”

The kid pulled his shirt collar down and tilted his neck, making Callum chuckle, “I can take it from your wrist. It’s a lot less awkward and I won’t feel like a pedophile.”

The kid blushed and handed his wrist over to Callum who smiled at the boy, “Thanks by the way. I really need this.”

Without further ado, Callum put his fangs to the sensitive underside of the boy’s wrist. Just as he was about to let the numbing agent coat his pearly whites and then bite down, the boy was wrenched away from him.

“What the…?” Callum and the boy exclaimed in surprise.

“Scram, kid,” Mason snarled at the boy. He let his fangs extend and growled menacingly, making the kid bolt out of the alley without a backward glance.

“What the fuck, Mason?” Callum demanded. “I was about to feed!”

“Feed from me,” Mason replied.

Callum blinked, “What?”

“I don’t want you feeding from other people. Just feed from me,” Mason explained as if it were as simple as that.

“Why?”

“Because.”

Callum groaned in frustration, “Mason, just leave me alone. Please.”

Mason took a step to Callum and crowded him into the wall, caging the halfie with his arms. “No can do, love. I’m going to make you love me just as much as I love you.”

Callum flushed and muttered, “Aren’t you the least bit embarrassed saying shit like that?”

“Why should I be embarrassed when it’s true?” Mason returned. “Now, you gonna feed or what?”

Callum was about to refuse but an idea popped up in his mind. It was time for a little revenge.

“Give me your neck,” Callum ordered, making sure not to sound too eager.

Mason grinned victoriously and tilted his neck to the side, baring his tanned flesh for Callum.

Callum didn’t bother being slow and gentle as he was with the kid. He also didn’t bother letting his gums secrete the numbing agent. With a vengeance, he bit down on the juncture between Mason’s neck and shoulder. Warm blood filled his mouth as Mason grimaced in pain but the shifter didn’t push him off. So Callum continued drinking.

Shifter blood was different than human blood, which was the only type of blood Callum had ever had, fresh or otherwise. It was…almost sweeter, tangy in a way. There was this other taste that he just couldn’t put his finger on but he found he liked it.

Callum drank for a few more seconds before giving Mason mercy and unlatching himself from the other man’s neck. He didn’t bother licking the puncture marks to speed up the healing process as shifters could heal quickly on their own. Besides, he wanted Mason to suffer for as long as possible, and he would. His neck would be sore for at least a couple hours, which was a point of victory to Callum.

“Can’t you use a numbing agent or something?” Mason complained, running to catch up to Callum who had left him in the alley the moment Callum’s fangs were no longer in Mason’s neck.

“Yes,” Callum replied.

“Then why didn’t you? It hurt like a bitch.”

“That was nothing compared to the amount of torment you put me through.”

Callum was pulled to a stop by Mason grabbing his shoulders and turning him around.

“I’m really sorry about high school, Callum. I didn’t know how to deal with my emotions and then I had to leave because of stupid pack stuff but now that I’ve found you again I just really want a second chance to do this right. I never stopped loving you.”

Callum looked away, his face warming in embarrassment.

“Please?” Mason pleaded.

Callum sighed, “Don’t stalk me anymore. I’m already never going to hear the end of your stupid stunt this morning and I don’t want any more incidents.”

“But he was harassing you!” Mason protested.

“And I could deal with him on my own without you going all rabid wolf in the middle of the diner. I’ve been dealing with him for months and I would never let it get out of hand. I can take care of myself.”

Mason grumbled but agreed, “Fine. But how will I know when you’re free?”

Callum knew he was going to regret this but he still said, “I’ll give you my number.”

Mason lit up like a Christmas tree and pulled out his phone, handing it over to Callum who reluctantly typed in his number.

Mason took his phone back and smiled goofily at the screen. Callum blushed and looked away, muttering, “Freaking creeper.”

Callum turned and resumed walking away but Mason quickly caught up once again.

“Heading back to the diner?” he asked.

Callum shook his head, “I’m still on my break. I’m gonna go grab something to eat.”

“Didn’t you just feed on me though?”

“I’m a halfie,” Callum explained. “I need regular food to survive too. I’ll get sick if I only live off of blood, which I only really need once a month or so. I’ll be puking up black blood for days before my body eventually shuts down.”

“Sounds horrible.”

“It is. I didn’t know any better and that’s how Georgia found me. Heaving in an alley and practically dying. She knew what was happening and took me to her place and fixed me up the most disgusting casserole I have ever eaten that gave me food poisoning. But she saved my life so I don’t hold it against her. I never allow her in the kitchen though.”

“Well, if you’re ever in need of food, I could always cook something for you,” Mason offered.

“You know how to cook?” Callum was skeptical.

Mason frowned, affronted, “I’m a guy with an enormous appetite that lives alone. I need to know how to cook to survive. Besides, I like cooking.”

“Never thought you’d be the cooking type.”

“Well there’s a lot you don’t know about me. And I want to get to know you more as well. Which is why I’m taking you out for dinner tonight.”

“When exactly was that decided?”

“Just now,” Mason grinned.

Callum rolled his eyes, “I’m not going to have dinner with you, Mason.”

“What? Why not?” Mason pouted, taking Callum by surprise. He still wasn’t used to seeing Mason with that expression. It was just…it made him feel weird.

“B-Because,” Callum stuttered and resolutely looked away from Mason’s face. Really, he was too handsome for his own good.

Callum picked up his pace before breaking into a sprint, zooming past people with his vampiric speed. Running away was a stupid and cowardly thing to do, not to mention pointless because Mason would find him eventually, but he didn’t know what else to do. He just needed some space away from the shifter.

Callum stopped when he reached a little coffee shop and went inside. He quickly bought a cup of hot chocolate and a chicken Caesar wrap, munching on it as he slowly made his way back to the diner. He still had a good twenty or so minutes.

When he reached the diner right on time, Callum sighed seeing Mason drinking a cup of coffee. He had hoped that Mason would retreat for the day, but it appeared that the universe was against him.

Callum entered the diner and ignored Mason who waved at him. He went to the counter and put his apron back on before Tracy called him up.

“This goes to Mason,” she told him, gesturing to a salad that was topped with so much bacon bits that it completely defeated the purpose of a salad being healthy.

“You’re on a first name basis now?” Callum questioned.

“Yes, you’ve got quite the boyfriend, buttercup.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

Tracy laughed, “Whatever you say, buttercup. Now go give him his food.”

Callum heaved a sigh but did as told. Tracy was the one that signed his paychecks after all.

“How the hell are you not obese and waiting for a heart attack?” he asked Mason, setting the plate down.

“Really fast metabolism and I exercise regularly. Gotta keep my wolf happy.”

“So how long you planning on being here?”

Mason chuckled, “Don’t worry, I’ll leave after I finish this. When does your shift end?”

“Why?”

“I want to hang out with you.”

Callum sighed but Mason continued on, “You’re refusing dinner tonight so we’ll hang out instead.”

“Mason,” Callum tried but Mason shook his head and pointed a forked piece of lettuce at him.

“No. We are going to be in each other’s company in some form. Dinner tonight or hanging out right after your shift. I am prepared to stalk you all day, Callum.”

Callum groaned but knew Mason was being serious. “Fine, fine! I’ve got stuff to do so it’ll have to be dinner.”

Mason grinned, “Great! Give me your address and I’ll pick you up at seven.”

Callum shook his head, “It’s bad enough you know where I work, no way am I telling you where I live. I’ll meet you at wherever we’re eating at seven.”

Mason pouted but nodded, “Alright.”

Callum left to go seat a couple and kept away from Mason until he finally asked for his bill.

“I’ll call you at six,” Mason said, getting out of the booth.

“Fine. See you later then.”

Callum turned to head back to the counter, but Mason grabbed his wrist and turned him back around.

“I love you,” he said and pressed his lips to Callum’s.

Before Callum could react, Mason sauntered out of the diner with a satisfied grin.

Callum gaped at the door then groaned, covering his blushing face with his hands. “That fucking idiot…”

____________________________________

A/N: Heyyo! So I got bored and decided to update because ToK is a bullshit class (and I dropped the IB diploma so it's even more of a bullshit class for me although I still need to pass the class to graduate this year and I hate presentations and mine's next tuesday and I'm so gonna throw up cuz I can't do public speaking and fuck meeeeeee) and I decided to update SW rather than BwB cuz I have more prewritten chapters for it. Yup.

Mason. I love him. Way too much to be healthy really. Callum, just fuck him already, please. (Ignoring the fact that I'm the author here...)

Andddddd yup. That's kinda it for now, I guess. I'm gonna work on BwB and probably update that one next within the next two weeks or so. That plot line is kinda running away with me at the moment and then I'm kinda also sorta attempting Nadir (more info on that on my blog if interested. It involves prisons and a mute MC and an asshole shut call and it's not a very fluffy happy story, but it is another yaoi) and also a bit on this fanfic idea I've sorta got called No Homo (also on my blog-it's JeanMarco) and I am very disorganized and easily distracted. But yeah.

Keep on keep on-ing. I wonder how Callum and Mason's dinner is going to be...

Laters!