Wrong Way Out

[Aldon Huang]

"Hey hey that's my stop!" Aldon tugged frantically on the cord as the bus driver almost missed his stop, with a suitcase and two gym bags bumping around by his legs. As the bus ground to a halt, he almost pitched head over heels out into the aisle. As it was, he barely got his legs untangled and made an ungainly exit off of the bus.

GEEZ! Was the guy asleep at the wheel or something? Aldon dusted himself off, grumbling, and then rearranged the bags to sit more securely over his shoulders. He extended the handle on the suitcase and hauled himself—and everything he deemed important—away from the bus stop. Was this where Gregg wanted to meet? Aldon looked around, then down at his phone, scrolling up and down through messages.

Yes. This was where Gregg wanted to meet... sort of. But the actual location was half a block off. Sighing dramatically even though nobody was around to hear it, or to sympathize with his plight, Aldon set off at a determined pace.

It was finally time to blow this popsicle stand. Time to leave Hazleton, like he always declared he would, but never did. Deep down, Aldon was afraid. He'd grown up in a big, loving family; he was accustomed to being surrounded by friends, family and pack members. He was the most social of social creatures and now, to have to go on the run, it was a frightening prospect.

He had Gregg, of course. That was the one great comfort in all of this. Aldon knew that he had to protect Gregg, and those he loved, and if that meant silently sneaking out of Hazleton, into Portland, and across the country to Florida, then... fine. He could do this! Like he said, it would be like a long, unplanned road trip. Only instead of seeing the sights, he and Gregg would be 'on the lam' from hunters. And from members of his own pack, who would sooner tear Gregg from limb to limb for what he used to be. Tensions remained high after Andrew was assassinated and hunters were regarded as 'must-kill' targets right now.

It was a little while before Aldon managed to get to the meeting place, and as soon as he caught sight of Gregg off in the distance, his steps quickened. Despite the fear of the unknown weighing on him, and his reluctance to leave everyone behind, Aldon couldn't keep himself from beaming. "Gregg!" He waved enthusiastically (as he was wont to) and hastened over so that he could throw himself, two gym bags and a suitcase all at Gregg.

[Greggory Lennox]

Leaving one town for another one was pretty much old hat for Gregg. It was a hunter's MO, actually. Slide into one city one night and slip away the next. It was ideal not to become well known and really, Gregg had probably overstayed his welcome in Hazleton anyway. After becoming a werewolf and falling for Aldon, though, some part of him thought it was going to be home. Everything else changed, so why not that, too?

But for now, it was probably best for everybody involved for him to get the hell out of dodge. With Aldon, though. Not with a bunch of hunters. Just himself and Aldon.

Admittedly, this entire thing was beyond Gregg's scope of experience. He'd never fallen in love before. He never had a close relationship with anybody beyond his mentor and even that wasn't romantic so much as it was a complicated father/son type of deal. Gregg missed him, though. He probably should have hated all werewolves for it but realistically, he knew that it was just part of the job. Gregg never had the passion for the job the way some of the hunters did. The ones whose lives were actually touched by the supernatural... Even after Gregg lost his mentor, he couldn't help but see it all in black and white. It was part of the job. Gregg thoroughly expected to die violently himself some day, probably defending some hapless human that had no idea what was happening to them.

He was thinking of that as he stood tensely waiting for Aldon. The world around him was far too close and real. Every shadow made his gaze shift, every sound perked his ears. He was waiting for any sign that their plan had been exposed, that somebody was on their tail.

Because of his hyper vigilance, he was aware of Aldon as soon as he was within sight. Really, he was aware before that--he could sense him with those fancy sniffers of his that came with being a werewolf. The tension melted away at the sight of Aldon. It didn't surprise him to see that Aldon had weighed himself down with everything he could grab or that he came rushing as Gregg without dropping any of those things. Or that he tried to hug Gregg while still holding all those things.

Gregg was a pretty big guy but even he wasn't immovable against that charging wall of Aldon plus his things.

"Whoa...!" He managed to stay on his feet even as his hands came up to Aldon's waist. Although he wanted to say something putting everything down, he didn't. His mouth was more happily occupied with finding Aldon's in order to greet him with a kiss, hands pulling him closer, stupidly happy to see Aldon. After what they talked about earlier, that was all he wanted to see.

[Aldon Huang]

"Gregg... I brought... the blue shorts... that I like..."

Aldon didn't know why he thought that was important to bring up, in between kisses. He did get what he wanted—the hug and the kiss—and physical affection and attention did its job to make him feel better about a frankly crummy situation. Aldon had never been on the run before. The most running he did was at the gym, or from his own deeper feelings.

Not anymore though! Now he was preparing to go cross-country and he, without any prompting, admitted that he loved someone. No rainbow post-its needed!

His traitorous heart gave a little pang in that moment. It wasn't right to be thinking about Ry when he was in Gregg's arms. Then again, it wasn't right to be thinking about Gregg when he was sitting in a salt water bath with Ry, either! Why was it that when he was with one, he kept thinking of the other?!

Aldon pulled away just long enough to smile up at Gregg, taking in the fall of his hair and the light in his eyes and the soft expression on his face. There was wariness in his eyes, though, and he could tell that Gregg was ill at ease. Somehow, Aldon could just tell. It was definitely a werewolf thing. He and Gregg were the same species now, after all; plus, they were pretty in tune with one another by now, having spent so much time together.

"You okay?"

[Greggory Lennox]

Oh goodie. The blue shorts he liked. Gregg wished he could joke about it; but there was still a deep sense of unease about what was happening and what they were doing. Was running even the right answer? Gregg wanted Aldon out of the way of whatever might happen but at the same time, he wanted to be there to do something. Shouldn't they be migrating all the wolves? But how were they supposed to do something like that without attracting attention?

"No," he said, honest to a fault with Aldon. He wasn't okay. His gaze on Aldon searched, as if it could somehow plumb the depths and find all the answers he needed there. The problem was that Aldon didn't have the answers. They had to get away, in order to keep Aldon's people safe. His own people, too. Gregg had to keep reminding himself that he was amongst them now, that he was a part of the pack, of Aldon's pack.

And that he was a liability now. If it got out... And it would get out... But was he making it worse by leaving? Was he making it worse by looking so guilty? What were they really going to accomplish by running? They might lure out one or two hunters. Those hunters might be spared, if they didn't push killing on them. But the rest, the other hunters, the pack, everybody else...

"I don't like what's going on here," he admitted, reaching up to stroke Aldon's cheek. "I have a bad feeling about it."

[Aldon Huang]

"I didn't think so," said Aldon sadly, dropping his gaze to the collar of Gregg's jacket briefly. Neither of them were okay and maybe they wouldn't be okay for a long while yet, but at least they had each other. If Aldon had to go through something like this alone, he didn't think that he could do it. In fact, he knew that he couldn't, which was why he wondered how Gregg was able to do this for so long before. Hunters were always on the move, on the prowl. How did they cope with this sense of unease, and with constantly being uprooted?

They had a home here. Aldon certainly did and he thought that Gregg was beginning to settle in with the pack, too. The others were still wary of him—helped in no part by Gregg's stolid and ironically lone wolf personality—but they counted him as one of them. If anything happened to Gregg, the pack would leap in to help, Aldon knew that for a fact.

And now, they had to skulk off without telling anyone. Well, Aldon told Rae, but Rae wouldn't blab about it. Aldon did swear him to secrecy, after all!

"I don't like it either." He rested his forehead against Gregg's shoulder, briefly closing his eyes in order to gather his thoughts. The hunters, the ancients, the witches... Alva getting kidnapped by a witch and Ry and Yoojin's insane plan to lure the witch out by seducing one of his friends... Everything was happening here and while Aldon didn't want to be in the middle of it, everyone that he cared about unfortunately was caught in the net.

If they stayed, though... If Gregg's secret was exposed at any point... Aldon shuddered to think what may happen. He took a steadying breath and opened his eyes again, one hand slipping down to catch Gregg's, to hold it tight. "We have to go, Gregg. C'mon, the bus depot's not far from here."

[Greggory Lennox]

It felt like home. Like what he had always imagined home to be, to hold Aldon's hand safely and securely in his. To feel the warmth where his head had rested against Gregg's shoulder. Gregg had never cared for somebody with his whole heart this way before and it made him want to tread more carefully than ever. Gregg had never been reckless to begin with but around Aldon, he felt extra inclined to watch his every step, his every word.

Lightly, he squeezed Aldon's hand, trying to reassure him and knowing deep in his heart that this was all his fault. That look in Aldon's eyes, the jauntiness stolen from Aldon's step. That was all his fault. But... but he had to tell him the truth. There was no point in trying to lie to him and cover up the past. He wished he had the sob story Aldon expected. He wished that things were more complicated than they were.

He still trusts me.

That was the kicker. That was what further fueled the warmth in Gregg's chest. Aldon still trusted him. Gregg's lips formed a small smile and he pulled Aldon closer even as they walked toward the bus depot.

"Let's think of this as a vacation." It was the furthest thing from his mind but if it was a vacation and not them going on the run, then it was a pleasant trip where they could get to know each other better.

[Aldon Huang]

"Yeah! Vacation! Whoohoo!"

There was less enthusiasm in Aldon's voice but he managed some semblance of cheer despite their dangerous situation. Aldon had never been the down-in-the-dumps kinda guy. He was more the type to complain and moan and make a big deal out of his troubles, but in that hammy way that everybody knew meant he wasn't genuinely upset. A loudly complaining Aldon was never a truly upset Aldon.

Even now, though he was unsettled by and unhappy with their predicament, he didn't want to be mopey and weepy. That never did anybody any good! Aldon was the mood maker; he was never the one bringing everyone down with doom and gloom. An encouraged smile made its way to his lips and despite the bags and things bumping around between them, he managed to get in close anyway.

It was funny, though. He swore he was forgetting something. There, just at the back of his mind, was a nagging voice but he couldn't make out what the message was. Aldon could've sworn that he just plain forgot something really important. Or somebody, maybe. But he told everyone he was leaving, didn't he? All the important people--his friends Rae and Josh, his twin and his parents. Who else was there? The harder he tried to think, the harder it was to remember. He thought so hard that it made his head hurt, and soon Aldon stopped trying.

"So we take the bus into Portland, and then rent a car?" he asked as they drew closer to the bus depot, heading to the window where tickets were sold. Aldon studied the price guide and wrinkled his nose at the exorbitant prices displayed. Damn. They might as well walk! The woman behind the window gave them a certain Look, at seeing their clasped hands, but Aldon never minded what people thought of him (or his excessive PDAs).

"Two tickets for Portland, please. For the uh... bus leaving in 15 minutes." The woman forked over two bus tickets and Aldon tucked one into his pocket, while handing the other to Gregg. He had the waiting area pointed out to him and, hefting the bags, set off to sit and wait. "I think I'm regretting... packing all our things..." he wheezed as he collapsed into a metal seat, still holding on to Gregg's hand like a lifeline. Aldon was never letting go. Ever.

[Greggory Lennox]

Why was he so fond of this man? All Gregg wanted to do was hold him, kiss him, laugh with him. He wanted to be somewhere safe, have a few drinks, loosen up. He just wanted... them. He wanted them to be together. That never mattered before. Gregg kept people at bay forever. He pushed people away if they even tried to get close. Not many wanted to, once they saw this tall, tatted man. There was something intimidating in the way he held himself, the hard chipped green of his gaze. People didn't want to get close to him as he got older and harder.

But Aldon, look at him. Somehow, he bull-headed his way straight into his heart. When they were wild wolves out there, he could feel it. They were close. They were almost like kin. But something more. Aldon calmed him and vice versa. The way they curled up together, the way it made Gregg feel... He held that feeling close now in the worst times. He'd do anything to protect it. And to protect Aldon.

He took his ticket and slid it into his back pocket. And when they sat down and Aldon slid his hand into his, Gregg held tight. Despite his distaste for PDAs, he leaned forward and he kissed Aldon's temple. "Don't..."

[Aldon Huang]

It started with the two of them alone together and it was ending with them, alone together. Aldon remembered the first time that they met, out in the woods. On the night of the full moon, he'd changed. The feral blood surged in him as he tore through the woods in search of prey and he found Gregg. Instead of killing Gregg, however, Aldon ended up in a cave with him, curled up beside him. For some reason unknown even to Aldon, Gregg calmed him instead of inciting the desire to kill.

Aldon being Aldon, he offered to show Gregg 'the ropes'. It started out harmlessly enough--just being nice to the new guy. Aldon had seen newly turned humans and he sympathized with their plight. The freak-out was intense. They just seemed so lost, so miserable. Plus, Aldon was always a friendly guy. He loved people and he loved being around people and he liked to help.

He also loved being close to people, and sometimes whether or not they wanted the same thing was irrelevant. Aldon was like the complete opposite of Gregg and yet here they were, together. He liked their differences, though. He liked that sometimes they disagreed, but they didn't fight tooth and nail. Gregg grounded him and brought sense to his wild schemes. Aldon liked to think that he lightened Gregg's outlook on life, too, just a little bit. He definitely showed Gregg that not all werewolves were bad!

"What?" Don't what? Don't regret packing everything? Don't regret being with Gregg? Don't be gloomy? Aldon didn't regret meeting Gregg. He tilted into Gregg's lips but it was only a gentle peck. For PDA-shy Gregg, though, it was a lot. Even holding hands in public like this was rare. Aldon smiled at him, trying hard to resist the urge to kiss him.

He sorta leaned in. Sorta looked like he was going to do it. Sorta thought about it. Maybe half-closed his eyes, as his heart flipped and flopped in his chest. Gregg was achingly handsome. He attracted the admiration of many pack members but it was Aldon that he stayed with. Hm. Aldon was a pretty good catch too, though! So... maybe this was just right. Maybe finding Gregg in the woods back then, and being calmed by his presence, all fit into the bigger picture.

It was like Aldon said earlier. They were awesome together.

[Greggory Lennox]

To Gregg, their relationship was one of balance. If he had been told he would be with somebody earnestly, that he would fall in love, he would have turned his head and let out a noise of disbelief in response. Now that it was happening, he couldn't say no. It was in his face. Aldon saved his life, truly. Despite Gregg's intentions of using his unfavorable turn of fate to make one last attack on those that he'd fought against most of his life, Aldon changed everything.

He changed everything.

From Gregg's outlook on life to his approach to the supernatural. Before Aldon, Gregg was nihilistic to the core. One day, death would come for him and he waited for it, not with fear nor with excitement but with the sense of a person who knew that it had to end one day. He treated each day as a new job. Wake up, prepare, work, sleep. Not much was done recreationally. Even sex was just a biological necessity.

Aldon brightened his outlook. Suddenly, he was less fatalistic and more optimistic. When he woke up, he looked forward to what the day would bring. Being close to somebody was so different. It was hard not to like Aldon, too. He talked way too much but he was so enthusiastic and so earnest that it was impossible for Gregg not to feel closer to him. And for the first time in his life, there was somebody in his life that he desperately wanted to keep there.

Their noses brushed first. And then their lips met for a second time. Another gentle peck that melted into something deeper. It didn't matter if all the eyes in the world were on them in that instant. Gregg followed his earlier instincts to hold, to kiss until the breath burned in his lungs. Then another kiss, a longing, warm press of his lips to Aldon's before resting forehead to forehead.

"Don't ever change."

[Aldon Huang]

"I won't if you won't," Aldon breathed, with his heart bursting in his chest. He was brimming with affection and love and warmth and just... the knowledge that someone loved him for him. Warts and all. (Not that he had warts! But he was no angel and he could admit to that.)

In all the time that they had been together, Gregg had never once tried to change him. Not once. He seemed bemused by Aldon at first, as if Aldon was the first of his kind, ever, that Gregg had come across. Maybe it was true and maybe it wasn't, but the others clearly hadn't stuck around for very long. And then, as time passed, that bemusement turned into affection and as oblivious as Aldon could be in some areas, he felt that acutely.

"You also have to stay awesome. I only date awesome people."

He smiled. The smile turned into a breathy laugh as he clung to Gregg, pressing his cheek to Gregg's in a rapturous bear hug. One of his big, all-encompassing, clingy hugs. Gregg was perfect just the way he was, too, and Aldon wouldn't have changed a thing. He stayed like that for quite some time, soaking up the atmosphere and the affection until their bus lumbered into view. It was nice to just sit there and be together. It was natural. No matter where they were or how many people looked at them oddly, Aldon's focus was completely on Gregg, the way that he felt it should be.

"I guess that's our bus!" He pulled back finally, hand seeking Gregg's hand, still maybe a little flushed. This did feel more like a vacation now, rather than a madcap escape from... everyone. "Hey! Hey I have an idea! Why don't we rent an RV?!"

[Greggory Lennox]

"I won't," he promised. Not any more than he had for Aldon himself. Gregg wondered what Aldon would think if he met Gregg before the change. They would have met as enemies. Aldon would never know this side of Gregg. Gregg wouldn't even know this side of himself--and he never, ever would have gotten to know Aldon the way he had now.

"Well," he breathed, "if I'm not changing and I'm already awesome..."

Did he really have to continue? He was certain Aldon followed his train of thought. Or maybe he was just following the shape of his mouth the way Gregg was following Aldon's. Being close to a person like this had never appealed to Gregg before. Sex was just another bodily need that he took care of. Being intimate, that was different. Just being in the same room with Aldon was different than anything he ever experienced in his life. Something about Aldon softened any edges and brought about a warmth that radiated from every place their bodies touched, from cheek to cheek to arms and hips and legs.

And as per usual with Aldon, while Gregg was in one place, Aldon quickly switched gears to another place, causing Gregg to have to reorient himself.

"An RV?" he repeated, because it didn't really sink in. They were words but Gregg wasn't thinking, he was feeling. It took him a couple of seconds to catch up and he considered it while they started toward the bus.

"You mean right now? Instead of the bus?" he asked. Damn it. Aldon was making him feel like a lovestruck dope and he still couldn't find himself to hate it.

[Aldon Huang]

"No! What? No!" Aldon spanned the range of emotions, from puzzled to indignant to bemused to concerned to puzzled again. "You said we have to get out of town! I meant--when we get into Portland! Instead of a car, let's rent an RV!"

He learned quickly, and early on, that Gregg needed to be told things in no uncertain terms. See, Aldon was used to a certain amount of wiggle room in what he said, and who he said them to. But with Gregg, things needed to be definite. Concrete. He couldn't just go and casually mention an RV, and get an eyeroll and a little exasperated half-laugh.

...Not that Gregg had ever done those things. Eyeroll, exasperated half-laugh. Just. He remembered somebody doing it to him, vaguely, at some point. A lot, too--they did it to him a lot. Hmm.

Aldon took in a deep breath to counter the sudden sharp pain in the back of his head. "Ah. Let's talk about it when we get to Portland," he smiled at Gregg, as the pain receded to a dull throb. Nothing serious. Probably just the stress of everything happening all at once. Aldon pulled his ticket out and showed the bus driver, and then went to the very back and threw himself into an empty seat with a groan of relief. He shoved the bags under the seats and immediately latched onto Gregg once he had taken a seat too.

Twining their fingers together, he glanced down at their clasped hands. Warmth enveloped him and he smiled again. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Aldon's head lolled against Gregg's shoulder as he looked out the window at the dwindling line-up for the bus. People were getting on, getting settled, and soon the bus was lurching out of the bus depot and headed out of town.

Before he knew it, his mouth was running--running away with prospects of an RV, extolling the virtues of their own house-on-wheels, the privacy, the freedom to go where they pleased.

[Greggory Lennox]

This was home. Wherever Aldon was, chattering the way he did. Gregg listened to him while the bus drove past familiar sights and then out onto the highway. He listened as he turned toward him and he smiled at him. He kept listening, his hand in Aldon's hand as he changed subjects wildly from one thing to the next. It hardly seemed like he took a breath and he smiled a lot. His smile was endearing. His smile made Gregg warm from the inside out. He was sure he could survive the arctic if he had Aldon's smile spurring him onward.

The ride was a little less than an hour by bus and the Portland bus hub was loud and noisy when they arrived. People were milling around in lines, waiting for their busses to arrive, waiting for people like himself and Aldon to get off so they could get going to their destination.

There were several rental shops within walking vicinity, too. How... convenient.

"You still want an RV?" Gregg asked as he linked an arm with Aldon so as not to lose him. He moved around a small group of people. Then he got that feeling. The feeling trickling down the back of his neck. Gregg slowly turned his head and out of his peripheral vision, he saw him.

"Aldon," he whispered into his ear. "A hunter is here."

[Aldon Huang]

"Yeah!" Hadn't Gregg been listening? The whole ride, Aldon was fantasizing about driving an RV across the country. Then he got onto the subject of his first road trip with his twin, Monroe, and then he recounted that one summer spent at Josh's cabin out in the woods with his friends. The common theme—an RV—might not have been immediately obvious in his wildly swinging topics of conversation, but to Aldon they were all linked.

So, long answer short, yes he still wanted the RV. He grinned up at Gregg—the RV was as good as theirs—and then he saw the change come over him. Felt the tension in their linked arms. Aldon quieted down because although he couldn't sense what Gregg did, he was subdued by the sudden change in him.

"What? A h—" He had to force himself not to say the word. As if speaking the word would bring the hunter down on them. Aldon gulped. "Is it... somebody you know?" Or someone who knew Gregg? Aldon ducked his head and tried not to look conspicuous, but he suddenly felt like every pair of eyes was on them.

"What do we do Gregg?!"