Worse Than His Bite

Chapter 21: Black parade

"Do I look alright?" Asked Phineas.

He adjusted his black tie as he faced the full length mirror. It was amazing that he'd managed to cobble together a fully black outfit for the occasion. Sure, he'd brought a selection of clothes with him, but he tried to have at least a little colour to what else would be very boring business suits. He definitely hadn't planned to go to a funeral, technically, a wake—was there a different? Everything he wore was black, from his shirt, to his suit, to his shoes.

"You look perfect," said Sebastian, "always do." He lay on the bed and watched.

Phineas' face grew warm at the compliment. "Thank you." He kept wiping his hands on his jacket. Flexing and scrunching up his hands over and over.

"Are you alright?" Asked Sebastian.

Phineas ran his fingers through his dark hair once more. It had grown longer since he came here. Some strands fell into his eyes when he leaned forward. Maybe he should put some gel in to keep it back. They need to go soon though, for now it should be fine though, right? How long could a wake be? "Think I'm just a bit nervous," said Phineas. "Funerals make me really uncomfortable."

"I've never been to one."

"Really?"

"I should've been to many, but they never happened."

"That sounds so sad."

Sebastian shrugged. His hair spilled down onto the pillows like black water. Phineas' hair didn't seem so long when he looked at Sebastian's.

"What will you do while we're gone?" Asked Phineas.

"Wait for you to get back." He rolled back onto the bed. "Not much else to do."

"Has Leo spoken to you recently?"

Sebastian shook his head.

"I hope he's okay."

"He's probably not." Sebastian said it so casually that it took Phineas a moment to register what he'd said. Such uncaring tone for a supposed friend.

"Shouldn't you check on him?"

Sebastian shook his head, the pillow case rustling beneath his head. "He'll come to me. Always does."

There was still so much Phineas didn't understand. Every day that passed, he hoped they would all become closer. There were small glimpses at times —when Sebastian made him food or Leo cracked a joke at Phineas' expensive— that he thought these men he was with might be more than strangers to him. That perhaps he did know them. He was wrong, of course. It seemed to be his default set of being these days, he was always wrong, everything around him was wrong. He was wrong that the old lady was harmless, he was wrong that Leo was anything but callous, and he was wrong that Sebastian was human. Two more months. Then he could live right.

Footsteps thumped across the landing.

"I better go," said Phineas.

"Be safe."

Phineas almost got away. Sebastian's hand reached forward and placed itself on the back of his neck. Originally, psychologists agreed that there were two ways to react in fear: fight it flight. Now there was apparently a third reaction: freeze. Phineas was ashamed to say that he was that third reaction. He was a posable doll in Sebastian's hands. When Sebastian leaned forward to kiss him, Phineas didn't push him away nor did he move in. He wasn't sure which he wanted so he froze. It was only a peck, a quick press of their lips together. Sebastian's lips were soft whilst the stubble around it was rough and scratched his face.

"Hurry back." Sebastian told him quietly before he went back to lying on the bed.

Phineas left the room when his senses came back to him. Leo was indeed waiting for him. He was dressed all in black apart from his signature patchwork jacket.