Double the trouble

[Aldon Huang]

"Uh uh." Aldon waggled the dog-wolf again and Niall seemed to get the point. Werewolf. Yeah. One of the feared ones because their bite and claws passed along the infection so easily and so quickly. A single bite or scratch was all it took—just look at Gregg, and how little it took to turn him into a werewolf.

Sighing, he stroked the head of his balloon animal a few times but the sharp screech of fingers against plastic balloon made him wince. Aldon blinked uncomprehendingly at Niall's mention of names—Jordan, JC. Oh... neighbors.

It was just so odd how similar they were. They weren't hunters but they loved hunters. In Aldon's case, ex-hunter. Neither of them believed in killing and Aldon couldn't place his thumb on what it was about Niall, but he sensed that there was a bit of magic in him. It was like nothing Aldon had ever encountered, but he knew that there were still many, many types of supernaturals roaming the big wide world, that he in his isolated little community had never begun to dream of.

"Well," he said at last, after a moment's pause, "maybe it'll be a work in progress. I won't tell him what I am just yet." Aldon offered Niall a smile, genuine in its gratefulness. "Thanks Niall. You're awesome. Here. Let's exchange numbers and maybe we can hang out together! Just us!" He whipped out his phone to enter Niall's number.

"Should we go back? I feel like... oh... oh... somebody's looking at you!" A little playful smile curled at the corners of Aldon's mouth as he saw Ken looking their way. "Oh man. Does Ken know he looks like that when he looks at you? Hehe..."

[Niall Gallagher]

Oh, it would definitely be a work in progress but Niall liked to think that there was enough love inside of Ken to realize that people were people. Whether the person was a balloon dog or a werewolf or a vampire or a witch or anything else that existed out there. Ken would understand. He just needed more time here in Hazleton, not hunting. And the fact that he was currently in a wounded condition meant he would be out of commission for a while.

While they exchanged numbers, Niall nodded.

"I'd keep it hush hush for now but once he gets to know you more, he won't be able to do anything to you." At least, that's what he liked to think. Ken was a hunter, this was true, but he wasn't without a heart. And he could think for himself. He fell in love with Niall, after all! (Which gave him the warm fuzzies just thinking about it.)

"Oh, yeah," Niall said as if it was just NATURAL that they stop hanging out and get back to what they had come here for: which was the double date. Yeah. He half smiled in response to Aldon's smile, then he followed his gaze and found himself catching Ken's gaze. He didn't do anything spastic like start waving like a five year old but he definitely smiled wider. Still watching Ken, he added, "I doubt it. I don't think he likes being that obvious in front of other people."

But it was okay now. Even if years of hiding in the shadows marked him, Ken was trying. That was the important thing.

"Let's go," he said to Aldon with a light clap on Aldon's shoulder. Then he was heading over himself, striding over like Mr. Confidence, despite the rainbow sheep tucked under his arm and the remnants of a stick of candy floss in his other hand. He tossed the latter into a bin as he passed by. Then he slipped himself right beside Ken, barely sparing Greggory a look.

"I was starting to think you wanted to date Greggory here instead of me."

[Kenneth Branagh]

Something was wrong with Gregg.

The atmosphere was decidedly somber and tense between them after Gregg asked him the most absurd question--was he involved with Aldon? Where Gregg thought he had the time to reunite with Niall and get together with someone else's partner was beyond Ken. Besides... where was the comparison? There was no comparison. Niall was the only one who slotted perfectly into his heart and into his life.

Naturally he answered with the firm truth--that he was in no way, shape or form involved with Aldon. He had only met Aldon one time previous to this, at the bus depot. That wasn't nearly enough time to get to know someone, much less fall in love with them. It seemed that Gregg didn't believe him, but that wasn't Ken's problem. The jealousy of another man was in no way a reflection of his actions. It was just... that it was Gregg. Ken didn't think Gregg would feel this way without cause.

He didn't say it, but he thought that Gregg's suspicions were misplaced. If Aldon was cheating, it wasn't with Ken--it may have been another man.

Their partners, however, seemed to be having a much better time. Ken saw rainbow cotton candy disappearing at alarming rates, and balloon animals and secretive whispering. He was relieved--though he didn't say it--when they returned and immediately he curled his fingers through Niall's.

"No." Ken's response was as firm as his reply to Gregg earlier. "The only person I want to date is you." Which was why he agreed to this, only to have his own date be sent away. "Did you bring me a sheep too?"

[Niall Gallagher]

"Nope! Still just the one. Why? I didn't know you wanted one." He placed the balloon sheep on Ken's head like a crown to make him feel better. He pecked Ken on the cheek. "Now you're king of the gay rainbow sheep!"

And didn't he look adorable? He smiled and preened as if he were the one with the gay rainbow sheep on his head, then looked over at the other two. When his gaze met Greggory's, he noticed that he wasn't smiling but he didn't seem like a real friendly type from the start. How did he and Aldon ever find one another? Oh. Right.

"Weirrrrd energy," Niall said, looking from Gregg to Ken to Aldon, wondering if he sensed it, too. "What's with this funeral atmosphere? We're at a festival! Let's try to have a gay old time, hm? Shall we?"

He urged Ken to come with him. "We need to find a good seat for the fireworks."

[Kenneth Branagh]

"This is... not the sort of hat I'm accustomed to wearing," said Ken dryly as he nonetheless adjusted the sheep to sit more securely on top of his head. Serious, stable, dependable or cautious, those were his usual hats. Gay rainbow sheep king... not so much.

But as the warmth unfurled in his chest from Niall's peck on the cheek, he relented and smiled, too. Niall was acting happier than he had in days and it was good to see him being energetic and irreverent and playful again.

Which was decidedly not the atmosphere between Gregg and Aldon. Ken was concerned for Gregg as a friend. He wished that he could have more time to talk to Gregg, one on one, without the noise and hustle and bustle of the festival around them. Perhaps he could arrange to meet with Gregg privately, later on...

"I think I saw a nice grassy hill over that way." Ken had a particular fondness for grassy hills (given what went on in their youth on top of them). He exchanged a little Look with Niall and walked closer to him. "Gay old time, Poodles?" Ken murmured into his ear, half-chastising and half-amused. "You're terrible."

"Look Gregg... it's a little wolf-dog." Aldon could be heard to say behind them, sounding subdued. "Look! Woof woof!"

[Greggory Lennox]

Jealousy was not typically in Gregg's emotional repertoire. Then again, falling head over heels for somebody else also wasn't typically in there, either. He was learning all kinds of new things about himself since he'd fallen for Aldon; some of them less pleasant than others.

When he confronted Ken, quite bare and open about it--he wasn't the type to mince words--Ken was adamant that he wasn't in a relationship with Aldon. Gregg wanted to believe him. His instincts also leaned that way. Ken didn't seem to have eyes for anybody else, other than the mop headed man he had brought along. There was something about the way they both looked at each other that made Gregg doubt his own jealousy.

There was nothing there to worry about. It was Aldon he was worried about. Aldon seemed to immediately latch himself onto Ken's date. Should he be nervous? He didn't know. He honestly... he didn't know. It wasn't as if he liked the way he felt. Why should he be so insecure? There was no reason to doubt in Aldon. Aldon, he was just friendly. Naturally friendly. That never seemed like a threat before. So why now?

He watched the other pair for a moment, then looked down at the balloon animal that Aldon had apparently had made. It felt oddly like Aldon was holding himself back, or some part of himself. Even with the playful woofing sounds, it seemed like he was apologizing without so much as saying it. It was the equivalent of approaching him with a lowered head and tail in wolf form. But... he hadn't done anything wrong... had he?

It was just Gregg. Being weird. He didn't understand it, either. Slowly, he lifted his hand and stroked the top of Aldon's head before he slipped an arm around his shoulders to draw him close. Not possessively but... maybe a bit in apology, too.

"I think... I'm afraid," he said, without prompting and without explanation, either. But if that other guy could sense the weird mood, Aldon most assuredly did, too. "...I'm losing you."

[Aldon Huang]

Oh man.

Looking at Niall and Ken being cozy, holding hands and whispering into each other's ears made Aldon's heart hurt. He used to do stuff like that with Ry. They didn't even have to try; being close came naturally to them. Flirting, laughing, making eyes at one another, slipping away behind a tent... natural. As easy as breathing.

With Gregg, Aldon had to learn that not everything flew. Gregg was reticent and more reserved than Ryland. Even when Ryland protested, it was easy to see that he was only playing the game—he didn't mind if Aldon's hand slipped low or if he leaned in to nuzzle him, silently begging to be spoiled with kisses.

With Gregg, Aldon learned to read the signs. He had to pay attention. Some looks were meaningful. A brush of the hand over his was significant. Gregg wasn't the type of person to indulge in public displays of affection, though when they were alone, Aldon could do as he pleased.

As someone who was used to expressing himself physically, it was hard on Aldon to have to curb his impulses. It was also hard to keep secrets and even now, trying to apologize subtly, it wasn't working. He wanted to blurt it out. Rip off the band-aid in one quick tug instead of slowly peeling it away, revealing the wound underneath.

Even Gregg was acting weird now. The hand on his head was normal; the arm around him wasn't. Being pulled in wasn't and Gregg saying THAT out loud was definitely signalling the apocalypse. For a long second, Aldon gaped at him.

"Awha?" Even his surprise was exaggerated—not on purpose, but with his ever-present penchant for the dramatics. Aldon let Niall and Ken walk on ahead a little; they seemed wrapped up in one another anyway. "B-but—we broke up because I was trying to stay with you!" Well... he did blurt that out. Not that he expected it to make sense to Gregg.

"No Gregg! No!" He cried out in dismay, throwing himself onto Gregg so fast and so hard that the balloon which was squashed between them popped with a loud BANG right in his ears. "OW!" Aldon flinched. "S-sorry!!"

[Greggory Lennox]

That made little sense to Gregg. They broke up so that Aldon could stay with him? When did they break up? Sometimes, it amazed Gregg that they were even a couple at all. Even thinking that he was one half of a couple amazed him. As a teenager, the idea of romance seemed to avoid his grasp. He was awkward and shy as a child and it only grew worse when he hit puberty. How did he talk to girls? How did he talk to boys? He didn't know; he didn't have close friends. His family... well.

Natural instincts took over. The only thing to do was pay for time with others to relieve that natural instinct. But having a dedicated girlfriend or boyfriend never looked to be in the cards for him. Truthfully, Gregg didn't care. He just focused on his work. He focused on the big picture in front of him--ridding the world of supernatural creatures. He was a tool, an asset in the fight, nothing more. In time, emotions became more and more suppressed until he was almost robotic in nature. The shyness became stoicism. The awkward rubbed away into emotional distance. There could be no awkward moments when he felt next to nothing about everything.

So that made him emotionally stunted now, when he was ill equipped to deal with all of this between himself and Aldon. Aldon opened him back up to emotion and it brought back the shy side and the awkwardness that he had all but forgotten over the years of self-imposed exile.

Aldon, though, he was the opposite. Everything he thought and felt was on display right there on his face. He said everything and when he fell quiet, that was when things became worrisome. Of course Gregg was going to find it off that Aldon stopped telling him everything. Aldon was TMI all over. He told Gregg things he didn't even need or maybe even WANT to know sometimes. But he could count on Aldon to be Aldon and do that. It only made it more obvious when he was holding something back.

Still, while Gregg could predict the sudden lunge at him, he wasn't prepared for the loud pop of the balloon animal between them. His heart beat faster, first because of the sudden loud sound but then because of Aldon's obvious distress.

No? No what? Gregg shook his head, clearly way behind Aldon on whatever was going on.

"I don't understand," he said, because he didn't and he didn't know what else to say to Aldon's sudden outburst.

[Aldon Huang]

"It's my fault."

And there was nothing more serious, more grave, than Aldon admitting that he was in the wrong. Even when he bumped into other people, he claimed that they jostled him! It was sort of his thing. He played the victim card far too much in life and other people let him get away with it far too often and easily.

But there was no defense here. He could never claim that it was Gregg's fault! Did that mean he loved Gregg more than he loved himself? ...maybe? Or maybe he'd been stewing in this secret for so long that it broke him.

Aldon dragged Gregg off to the side, flicking a brief glance at Niall and Ken who were off and away now. Ken paused to pull Niall over to a tent, where he began to pick at the merchandise, buying Aldon some time to explain. In his usual rushed way.

"Before you came, I was seeing somebody else, somebody I loved but I couldn't say it to him because I didn't know what I wanted and you know, it scared me to think about locking myself down with one person. And he plays so many games that I was sorta afraid he'd leave one day and—that's not really important. I did tell him I loved him, but by then you were here and at first you were helping us find the hunters responsible for killing Andrew, our old alpha, remember him? So I told him I needed to stay with you but part of me really WANTED to stay with you and then he got mad cause I think he was worried he was losing me, but I still loved him, only I started loving you too. Then this other stuff happened with the hunters and our pack and we had to leave, right, except nobody ever came after us—what's up with that?!"

Aldon paused for breath. He clutched Gregg's arm. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'm in love with you and I'm also in love with him. Ryland. I thought we could work something out between all three of us, but he didn't want anything to do with that. And he told me I didn't love him enough, or my love wasn't enough for him, and he said he didn't want anything to do with me anymore. I've been wanting to tell you from the start only I didn't want to lose you too! You guys are like... like two halves of my heart! I don't love anybody else, I swear! I don't LOVE love people like that, it's just you... and Ry."

[Greggory Lennox]

"What?"

What on earth did he mean by that? What was his fault? The way Gregg felt? Feelings weren't really the fault of anybody. Feelings were there, no matter how a person thought or wanted to think. It didn't make sense, for Aldon to claim it was his fault. Gregg tried to formulate a response but he didn't know what to say to that other than what? If he wanted clarification, Aldon was game. A moment later, Gregg allowed himself to be pulled aside and then a surge of words came out of Aldon so fast  that Gregg really had to listen to keep up.

Even afterward, he wanted to utter the word what again but instead, he remained silent, thoughtful, ruminating over what Aldon just said.

There was somebody else. Gregg understood that. They had lives before they met one another and it would be too much to ask Aldon not to have a past with others. That didn't bother him. There was more to it, though. Apparently, Aldon was with both of them at the same time at some point. That also didn't bother Gregg--he was never a part of the traditional dating pool in the first place.

The losing part, though. That was important. Aldon's other boyfriend--previous boyfriend--was afraid he was losing Aldon. And then he did. But he did it to himself by breaking up with Aldon... did he not? And then there was Aldon himself, afraid of losing the other because of his games. Everybody was worried about losing somebody. Even Gregg was worried. He said it himself. He felt like he was losing Aldon because of the strange preoccupied mood he had been in.

So... Gregg let out a small breath of relief. He wasn't losing Aldon. And he wasn't going crazy or becoming a psycho who needed Aldon all to himself, either. It was the feeling of losing Aldon that bothered him more so than the thought of Aldon with somebody else, it seemed. Because... he really didn't feel any bodily claim. Just that sense of Aldon acting strangely. Distant. He didn't like that and it... triggered something. The odd emotions. The strangeness between them.

The important part of all of Aldon's word vomit to Gregg was this: he wasn't losing Aldon.

Slowly, he cupped Aldon's face in his hand.

"So I'm not losing you," he said it aloud, because the silence was stretching on far too long and he knew that it was going to make Aldon antsy. The longer they just stood there, the longer Gregg said nothing, the longer Aldon had time to start imagining the worst. The same way Gregg did when Aldon didn't tell him what was on his mind.

"That's all I needed to know." Still... while Gregg was relieved... what about Aldon? He didn't fully understand loving two people because Gregg barely learned to love one. But it really seemed to be eating at Aldon. What did one say in the face of that? He had no clue. How did he soothe whatever bothered Aldon? He couldn't speak for somebody else. He could speak for himself, though.

"You... you're not in danger of losing me."

[Aldon Huang]

"What?" Aldon stared as Gregg's hand slid over his face. "Lose me? No! No never! Not once!"

He expected Gregg to be angry. He thought that Gregg would hate him for going behind his back and seeing someone else at the same time. Most people would. Most people would be livid, feeling betrayed and used.

Then again... Gregg wasn't most people...

Aldon's gaze dropped. He still felt guilty that he had been keeping this from Gregg the entire time. Gregg didn't deserve secrecy and lies. And if Aldon had only been honest from the beginning, Gregg wouldn't have had to wonder about losing him.

"...I'm sorry," he said at last, even as Gregg was trying to reassure him, trying to make him feel better when Gregg was the one who had been wronged by Aldon. In his usual fashion he launched himself at Gregg and clutched at him.

"You'll never lose me either! I'd do anything to stay with you Gregg!" He turned to press a swift, fierce kiss to Gregg's lips. "Are you sure you're not mad though? Not even a little?"

[Greggory Lennox]

Now it seemed almost silly that Gregg had been so worried about losing Aldon. The way he stared downward, contrite, his voice sincere, Gregg had no reason to believe that there was anything more going on than what Aldon had finally spilled out. Actually, it was hard to imagine that Aldon held onto a secret for as long as he did; he never struck Gregg as the secret keeping type. He wasn't very good at it, which wasn't surprising. Holding that secret had made Aldon act strange. But he'd been holding onto the secret for as long as he knew him and Gregg had been none the wiser until now.

They were the same, it seemed. They both planned to use one another and instead, fell in love along the way. Funny how that worked. Gregg thought he could do it; use Aldon and his pack. Aldon probably thought he could do it, too. Use Gregg. Yet here they were. Gregg regarded Aldon for a long moment, then closed his eyes after Aldon threw himself at him. Their bodies made a solid sound as they collided and Gregg's arms instinctively came up around Aldon's body to hold him close.

Should he be more worried about the other person, though? Ryland? The one that Aldon used to be with? It was hard to really feel threatened when he was the one holding Aldon and Aldon was promising he would do anything to stay--with him. Gregg smiled as he started to lower his head. He didn't expect Aldon to suddenly turn and kiss him. Gregg blinked, then his fingers wound around the cloth of Aldon's shirt. Was he mad? He licked the lips that Aldon just kissed.

"Maybe a little," he said. "But... you're here with me. And you admitted to everything."

He felt like he should be more angry about all this but in the moment, he was just so relieved that it was hard to give focus to something like anger. Aldon was with him. He loved him. And he admitted everything to him. How much more could a person ask from another person?

"I... really thought you were hiding a relationship with Ken."

[Aldon Huang]

"Don't be mad," Aldon gasped in dismay while imploring Gregg with his eyes. And... with his words but the kicked puppy look was one of the most potent weapons in his arsenal and so what if Gregg was also a kicked puppy (in the sense that he was horribly wronged by Aldon)? The point was, Aldon apologized and even admitted—yes, with his own mouth—that he was wrong.

He didn't want to go through life with Gregg being slightly angry at him. Aldon hated it when people disliked him, without quite knowing why. Maybe it was the part of him that was so eager to be accepted, to please others and to be praised for being good even when he was objectively no good at all. Aldon liked to be in the spotlight, there was no doubt about that, and negative attention was horribly upsetting.

Who wanted to be the bad guy, though? Did anyone enjoy being a villain? Aldon didn't!

"I'll buy you a car, don't be mad." Offer them the world and then give them peanuts—that was Aldon in a nutshell. He could say the most outrageous things in the moment; he had no shame in that regard. Right now, though, he was still feeling guilty and he nuzzled the tip of his nose against Gregg's, since Gregg was conveniently close. Aldon's voice had lowered too, several volumes below his usual exuberant holler. He just couldn't seem to do anything quietly but Gregg had a calming effect on him.

Until he confessed that he thought Ken was the object of Aldon's secret affections.

"WHAT?!" He laughed—cackled—and looked over his shoulder at the ultra-blond man who was showing Niall something small and round. "HIM?" Ken looked over his shoulder at them with a questioning glance and Aldon hastily turned back to Gregg. He lowered his voice as if Ken had superhuman hearing. "Ken?! No way, he's totally not even—well, okay, he's pretty good looking," Aldon conceded, honest to a fault and always at the wrong times, "but... I have you! I mean not that I'd date him if I didn't have you or-or that I want to date him anyway, that's not really the—"

Aldon stopped and took a breath. "No," he said finally, ending his spastic flow of words abruptly. "I don't want to be with anybody except you. Period. I'm in love with you and... and that's it. That's the end of the story." Aldon didn't think he could love anyone except Gregg... and Ryland. Even loving two people was exhausting; he couldn't imagine adding yet another person to that messy love affair!

[Greggory Lennox]

Hah... don't be mad, he said. As if that were something he could control. There was a small ember of anger in there, he supposed. Maybe he wasn't acknowledging it properly but it just didn't seem that important to stoke the fires. Aldon's confession was what it was. It was like telling him not to be angry. How could he tell Aldon not to be in love with another person? And how could he tell him it didn't work that way? Gregg might not love multiple people--and he certainly couldn't envision it--but somehow, it seemed pretty natural for Aldon to say it. Aldon was an expressive person with an abundant amount of emotions to display. In that vein, it wasn't hard to see Aldon loving multiple people. There was just so much love in there that maybe it couldn't be contained to a single entity.

Somehow, that really just made Aldon all the more lovable in Gregg's eyes. His heart felt full, warm, full of affection. He watched Aldon, eyes on his imploring gaze, on his puppy dog eyes and his nose against his nose. And... he watched as Aldon suddenly cracked up. His gaze followed Aldon's to the pair that wasn't that far away, at Ken, who looked over at them as Aldon exclaimed the word HIM loud enough for the entire festival to hear. Gregg never would have said he embarrassed easily but in the moment, he almost blushed. Almost. Ken didn't hear his name--thankfully--but he still looked quizzical as he glanced back at them. Gregg's expression didn't change and he had no idea what Aldon's expression said but even if Aldon did feel something for Ken, it didn't seem like there was much to worry about. Ken looked smitten with the Irishman beside him, who seemed to be yammering on about something. His mouth never seemed to stop moving.

Nothing to worry about.

Now he felt stupid. Why did he jump to such conclusions in the first place? He was an idiot. Gregg turned back to Aldon, raising his brows slightly as Aldon proceeded to talk himself into a new hole. Rambling about how Ken was good looking and he might have dated him or something to that effect. Well, no. Also, Gregg was starting to realize that Ken's guy might be a motormouth but he was nothing compared to Aldon. Aldon, who just kept talking in circles and then tried to stop himself and started another tidal wave of words.

"You can stop," he said finally, stroking Aldon's face gently. "I believe you."

[Kenneth Branagh]

"Oh GOOD, because--"

Because of what, Ken didn't hear as a small gaggle of giggling teenaged girls passed through and their laughter drowned out Aldon's babble. Between him and Niall, Ken couldn't rightly say who could pack more words into a single second. When he heard Aldon's sudden laughter moments before, he was alarmed and looked back to see them looking at him. Gregg was passive--classic Gregg--and Aldon was amused but also guilty. For what? Sod if Ken knew.

He only knew that they were talking about him, because he heard his name drifting on the wind earlier. Ken didn't need to be a genius to know that Aldon was probably reassuring Gregg that he and Ken were, in fact, not romantically involved. At all. And furthermore, Ken had no interest in Aldon. He seemed like a talker. More of a talker than Niall. Not a thoughtful talker, either, whereas Niall's sharp humor hinted at his intelligence. Aldon... wasn't stupid, but to Ken, he appeared naive and anyone involved with him would perhaps have to go to great lengths to protect that. Gregg seemed up to the task; Ken already had his hands full.

When the teenagers passed, Ken found out why Aldon's voice suddenly stopped. He was embracing Gregg in a passionate and enthusiastic manner, to which Ken was unaccustomed. At least, in public. But it was sweet, he thought, and he was glad that they had sorted their troubles out. Ken's gaze slid to Niall, wondering if he caught sight of the lovers, wondering if he expected something like that. If he was comparing Ken's severe prudence and prudish behavior in general to Aldon's overwhelmingly affectionate displays towards Gregg.

Ken wasn't about to leap on him the way Aldon leapt on Gregg...

But...

He leaned in and kissed Niall softly on the corner of the mouth.