The New World: Old Habits

Chapter 7

Turg woke up the next morning to find that Jim had disappeared at some point in the night. Grim didn't seem to be worried about him, but as the sun was starting to set Turg started to worry about him. Jim told him he may be gone for a while and promised to return but Turg couldn't help but to worry about him. He cared about Jim a lot and only wanted the best for him. Turg just hoped he wasn't getting himself hurt or worse. 
Turg had spent most of the day outside with the animals and noticed that the fox had returned. Turg fed it another egg through the fence before it tried to dig its way in. Turg didn't try to stop the fox, instead he watched as it dug a large enough hole under the fence to crawl through. That was an issue for Jim to solve later. The fox would then begin smelling Turg as he held out his hand to it. It sniffed his hand instead before sneezing. Turg found that to be adorable. The fox didn't seem to be interested in the chickens, it only stared up at Turg as if it was waiting to be fed more. 
Turg decided to head back inside to see if the fox would follow. The fox did follow him inside, the cats didn't like the fox and either fled or started fluffing themselves up to appear larger. The fox responded by yapping at the cats, which made Turg pick up the fox so it wouldn't attack the cats. All the noise made Grim materialize in the room to ask "What's going on?"
Grim looked at Turg holding the fox and answered their own question "That's what."
"Turg found friend." Turg explained to Grim, who asked Turg again "Is that a fox?"
Turg nodded in response as Grim told him "Turg, I love you, but no. That is a wild animal, we can't keep it as a pet."
Turg was disappointed, he liked the fox but Grim was right. Right when Turg was about to put it back down on the ground, Jim had returned through the front door and quickly made his way to the kitchen where everyone else was. He had a noticeable blood splatter on the side of his light brown coat and looked exhausted. Upon seeing Turg with the fox, Jim pointed to it and told him in a very defeated tone "Turg, please don't set that loose in the house. I cannot handle another thing going wrong."
"What the hell happened to you?" Grim asked, Turg had the same question. Jim put his arms down on the counter as he leaned over it and replied "Werewolves."
Before Grim could continue questioning, Jim ordered "Now don't talk to me unless you're spoken to first. Turg, put the fox back outside and Grim, you go write or something. I can't handle anything else going wrong as I'm close to involuntarily transforming." 
Turg did just that, he headed back outside and put the fox back outside the fence, hoping it wouldn't follow him as he ran back inside. He knew it would likely be back. When Turg came back inside he saw that Jim had disappeared and Grim was preparing to make something in the kitchen. Turg didn't say anything to them, instead he took his boots off and moved past them into the living room instead. Jim was on the couch giving one of the cats chin scratches before Turg sat next to him. Jim had taken the bloody coat off, he was wearing his light blue turtleneck and jeans still.
"Oh, hey. Sorry if I seemed like I was mad at you when I wasn't." Jim apologized to Turg. He didn't think Jim was mad, he was just tired. Turg replied "It okay. Turg glad Jim back."
"Yeah, I'm back sooner than expected. I did the job quickly." Jim said to Turg before asking "Though I gotta ask, do you think I've gotten soft?"
Turg wasn't sure what Jim meant by that. He slightly tilted his head as Jim then elaborated "Like, I lose every fight I get into now and I get tired more easily. I mean, I like who I am now but it feels wrong at the same time."
"Jim not happy?" Turg asked Jim as he responded "Oh I'm fine, just still not used to this lifestyle, I guess."
There was silence between them for a few seconds before Jim spoke again "Or maybe I'm getting old. Humans weren't meant to live for as long as I have."
"You're only alive because I won't let you die." Grim told Jim, who was leaning against the wall next to them. 
"Ah yes, my secret to eternal life." Jim said upon realizing Grim was in the room with them. Turg didn't notice them until they spoke, they were very silent and could appear anywhere at any time. 
"I hope I'm more than that to you." Grim responded to Jim, who replied back with "One of the loves of my life, my beloved husband I've married three times and my voice of reason."
Turg didn't know they had gotten married three times, that was new information to him. 
"So, is the food ready or are you just hanging out with us?" Jim asked Grim, who replied "No, I just felt like bothering you two."
Grim then vanished from the room, Turg was still a little jealous of Grim for being able to do that. Jim then quietly said "Well hurry up, I'm starving."
"What Jim do today?" Turg asked as Jim looked back at him and nervously laughed. 
"Ah y'know, the usual. Dealing with people." Jim answered as he stared at his hand. He then looked at Turg and added "This time I got paid a lot for it." 
There was silence between them for a few moments before Jim asked Turg quietly "You still promise not to say a word about this to Grim?"
Turg nodded, he wouldn't tell Grim about Jim's new job. Though Turg started to wonder why Jim didn't want Grim knowing. 
"Why?" Turg decided to ask. Jim looked around before leaning closer to Turg and whispering "They'll be pretty upset with me if they find out I am doing these things again, despite it being how we met in the first place." 
Turg still didn't understand but he agreed nonetheless. He would rather not make everyone mad at each other and create a divide. He hated all conflicts. Jim then wrapped his arm around Turg and told him "You understand me. That's why I love you, well, one of the many reasons."
Grim would then announce that the food was ready and Jim immediately left the room. Turg had to pet all the cats in the room first before following him. He still thought about what Jim had told him and was starting to think that maybe Jim was purposely being violent again. Turg didn't want to think that, he still had faith in him but was starting to lose a bit of it.