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Alphonse Perils drenched his face with water, letting it soothe the redness of his eyes and put moisture on his face. He'd been lacking in water the past few days. The giddy current that came with dehydration and lack of sleep had made him stumble along his way once or twice. He couldn't tell. He was lost. He had tried drinking water to fill his body but it always made its way out through his eyes in streams.

He arrived at the football field's shower room early, just after sunrise. The guard let him in, but not without complaints. Alphonse had stared at the guard blankly as he went through his protocols to allow suspicious people in at the early morn. Or so he believed he stared blank. The guard seemed to have recognized him, not because he knew his face but because he knew the expression, the same as Alphonse had worn the day before.

The fox rubbed his burning eyes and blinked a few times, the cold liquid acting as a balm. He took out some toilet paper from his body bag and dried his hands with it, before he manhandled the camera out and headed for one of the stalls. He pointed the viewfinder to his face, angling it sideways so it could register the tiles in the background. He readied himself, breathed, before pressing the record button and put on the lewdest smile he could wear.

"Hey babe. Know where I am?" Alphonse said with a wink. He slammed his back against the tiles and moaned, making sure that the sound he let out was of pure lust and satisfaction and that the recorder's busted audio would register his moans with an unduly echo.

"Do I still...turn you...on?" He winked again. "Kidding. But you do know where I am, right? One of my favorite places--You remember how much I love muscly guys right? Yeah you do. Maybe that's why I fell for you in the first place..."

"...Kidding! But this was my favorite place. Not only mine actually, Lulu's as well. She's such a voyeur, like me! If you ask why am I here in the first place? Or better yet, why was I always here in the first place?"

"You remember my financial circumstances right? You came in me twice, or was that many times--Oh wait, did I say in me, I meant in my apartment. Darn it. I'm such a slut. Anyways, you're all too familiar with my problems. I think the time you spent with me, you were always concerned for my wellbeing. You even tried pay for my bills once when I was in a pinch. But being the bitch I was, I refused. I never liked being pitied. I had pride."

"But that's a different story. What matters is what happened here. I think it wasn't even a memory of you and me, I think it was something that happened between Me and Gid, I can't remember. It was a day or two before I went with you to replace those glasses you gave me. I texted Lulu the day after you went to the diner, early in the morning. She replied so quickly, as if she expected it. She's amazing like that...and scary. I almost thought she was a witch, but I shouldn't say that. She is your sister after all."

"You know, Me and Gid, we used to do...things here. If you know what I mean. That made you jealous, big time, didn't it? It was always a romp between me and him early. Sometimes he'd stop me just after I finished showering, and sometimes on the benches. Nobody would see us, nobody would know, not even you. But now, I'm telling you what had been happening between me and Gideon - which is what made you so jealous in the first place. I think we may have discussed porn before, and you said you loved those steamy shower sex scenes? Did you imagine me and Gideon doing it here? You know...a bigger guy dominating a much smaller, submissive guy? Me and Gid fit that profile quite nicely right? And I wouldn't wonder now why you got so jealous in the first place. But now, just to clear things up, I'll tell you if your assumptions about me and Gideon were right..."

"...or wrong."

---

"Coast clear?" Alphonse asked.

"Clear."

Alphonse threw the dry towel in a curl on his shoulders and skidded towards the tiled room. Gideon closed the door behind him and followed, both their steps falling light on the floor, their breathing shallow as if they were seasoned thieves and they were stealing a most prized reward. In the shower room, the fox entered a stall, hung his towel up beside the curtains and drew them sideways so they were closed. He could hear the tiger pacing outside. Gideon had always been tense during these times. He couldn't even keep his facade up. The fear of being found out was always present. But the tiger always pressed on with helping the fox. Alphonse had long since discussed his dire circumstances with Gideon. He didn't have electricity, nor any water running in his home and Gideon emphatically understood Alphonse's situation. Their weekly early-morning visits to the football field showers were Gideon's way of helping him.

Nobody else came around this time of morning. But that wasn't enough reason for Gideon to let his guard down. Alphonse had told his tiger friend to relax, but he wouldn't relent. He wondered what would happen if anyone were ever to walk in on them: the fox in a place he shouldn't be in, with a tiger who's supposed to be beating him down. Brows would be raised. If worst came to worst, Gideon's fists might find their way to someone's face. Alphonse's.

Alphonse loosened his clothes and hung them too up beside the shower curtains. He turned the shower knob, adjusted the temperature so it was hot, but not enough to burn his skin. The shower's continuous spluttering deafened his ears to the tiger's footsteps outside his stall. But he knew he was there, guarding him, always. He showered down, used the soap to wash his deeper pits. Especially his nether regions. Toweling himself when he was satisfied he was clean. He enveloped his waist with the towel and pushed the curtains sideways to find Gideon reaching out to hand him his change of clothes. Alphonse took them with a smile and winked at Gideon. To his dismay, the tiger didn't respond; only looked away and refused to meet his gaze.

"Relax." Alphonse said. "It's five in the morning, nobody's gonna come here-- especially not your team mates."

Gideon shrugged, an uneasy smile etched in his face, "You're right." he said, "Those guys never knew punctuality."

Alphonse smiled and cupped his chin with his paws_._ "Hmm. 'Punctuality', seems like too big a word for a jock like you."

"Don't get any bright ideas Perils. I'm a jock, but I'm not stupid."

Alphonse patted Gideon's shoulder. "Just trying to get you to relax, tiger."

The fox went back to his stall and put his clothes on. When he stepped out, the tiger didn't look any less tense than he had before. Alphonse frowned. Despite how everyone looked at him, and despite how he presented himself as a jock, he was far from being a meathead- smarter than Alphonse was in fact. If he put his heart to it then he'd be more capable than the fox would ever be. He was a logical man, and if he was worrying about something, then Alphonse had better be worried as well.

"Anything worrying you?" Alphonse asked.

Gideon shook his head, but the look on his face was one of frustration. "No."

"Well," Alphonse said, "If you want to tell me then feel free to do so...okay?" He stuffed his clothes and towel into his rucksack and slung it over his shoulder. Gideon walked stiffly beside him as they went out of the shower room. There was still nobody around. Alphonse's shower had taken less than half an hour, and the locker room was still empty. The clock overhead the shower entrance told him it was only a few minutes past six. People wouldn't be coming until later.

"Well?" Alphonse said, "We're still alone, spit it out." It wasn't a question, but it was a request. It was still Gideon's choice whether to tell him or not-whatever it was. Gideon took a seat on one of the benches and Alphonse sat beside him. The tiger gripped his thighs, flexing his hands a few times as if he was angry. A look on the tiger's face told Alphonse that he was indeed angry. But Gideon did not dare look Alphonse in the face.

"Is it me?"

Then the tiger looked at him. Down at him, and the stare he gave Alphonse had the fox roiling in his seat.

"I-it's me?"

"It is." Gideon said. His grips on his thigh hardened, and he unconsciously flexed his claws through his jeans and into his skin. The tiger winced but Alphonse didn't laugh, "...Have you thought it out yet?" The tiger said.

"Thought out what?"

Gideon gave him a look of disbelief, "You're not stupid Perils. You know what I'm talking about."

"Do you mean Zack?"

"You say his name like he's close to you. Did you fall for him? I know he looks good but you falling fast for a guy like that?"

"Wait a minute here," Alphonse said, "I did not fall for him or anyone for that matter. And anyway, what's the big deal with you and him? Don't get mad at me because he showed you up."

"Al, you're not listening!" Gideon yelled, "This guy, out of the blue, gets your glasses to crack, gives you new ones and follows you to your work to offer to buy you even newer ones? Tell me why you shouldn't be worried?"

"Tell me why YOU should be worried!" Alphonse yelled. Typical Gideon; Paranoid, as usual.

"I-I--never mind." Gideon said and stood up from his seat. He towered above Alphonse since the fox was still seated, but his posture was lower, weaker than usual. The tiger's eyes were glassy and his jaw clenched. Then he gave a last look at Alphonse-one of frustration-before he breathed in a gulp of air and assumed his customary facade before Alphonse's eyes.

Then, he left.

The bell rang, the signal for every student to wake from their slumber, the fruit of their boredom from their philosophy teacher's incessant rambling on whether a certain philosopher's teaching was correct or not. The other students couldn't care less, and Alphonse shared in their woes and desire to fall asleep during the class. The teacher failed to infect his students with his interest in the philosophy's ramifications in modern society, and so, like every other teacher (except Crowley), he failed to convince Alphonse to have genuine concern with the subject, though Alphonse does his share of work, begrudgingly.

Alphonse packed his books and readied himself to leave. He surveyed his class. The teacher had already left, and a wave of the bodies of students flowed out towards the class exit. There were a few other people loitering around, chatting, flirting. Unsurprisingly, these were the same guys and girls that were asleep during their class hours, and unsurprisingly, they were also the people that were sure to fail the subject.

The fox bit his lip in contempt, skimming his eyes towards their direction before he took his leave.

The hallway was packed. The students' elbows beat against each others' ribs, and the shouts and chattering of everyone meshed into a one big booming pile of rubbish. Alphonse kept his head low, sliding his body through the gaps between the bodies to evade bumping into any jock he spotted amongst the crowd.

He saw Gideon talking to one of his jock friends by the lockers and the tiger momentarily connected his gaze with Alphonse's. Anger etched itself into Gideon's face and his nostrils flared before he turned his attention back towards his team mate as if he didn't even see Alphonse there. The fox kept his brisk pace, meshing with the crowd. When Gideon was at his periphery, the tiger suddenly slammed his fist against the locker door. Alphonse didn't dare look, but his peripheral vision was enough to tell him that the locker door had bent like paper under Gideon's strength. The other two jocks with him shared laughter. They didn't care whether they'd get reprimanded for it, nor would they get troubles from the owner. They wouldn't. They were trouble, and if anyone sought counsel to punish them, it would be a grave mistake, and they'd find themselves stuffed down a dumpster.

A few surprised faces registered but none in the crowd slowed their pace. An elbow hit Alphonse's side and hit it hard. The fox had enough sense to scowl at the offender but he was gone. The crowd was moving on his side, fast. They shouldn't be doing that. He should be going along with them.

It was then that he noticed he had stopped in his tracks.

The fox was no needle in a haystack. They knew him very well. And a still figure amongst a moving crowd would catch attention like a tiger splitting a steel door like a stick_._ Alphonse brought his hood up over his head and stuffed his hands into his pocket, bobbing his head to an imaginary beat. He resumed his walking. He figured it worked, because no jocks came after him. An Alphonse Perils In the crowd would surely get their attention, but not a metal-head. It could've also been due to Gideon's help, but he doubted it. Gideon was mad at him.

Alphonse escaped the throngs of the filled hallway and sat himself down on the marble stairs of the theatre. He fidgeted with his cellphone, twirling it in between his thumb and forefinger and checking to see if there were any new message that arrived. He'd texted Lulu earlier that day, before he met up with Gideon at the shower room. Scary enough, Lulu replied in less than a minute despite it being four in the morning. She agreed to meet with Alphonse after his classes. They had to discuss things, or maybe a certain someone. Zack.

Alphonse had his reasons to be fearful of anyone getting close to him. It wasn't a secret that he had gotten tricked and stalked in the past. The life he'd chosen had its perks but it also drawbacks. Zack could've been playing him and Gideon would have been right to be worried for him, but he was wrong with his thoughts about Zack. He didn't know.

He was already starting to fall asleep when someone spoke and patted him, "Al?"

Alphonse snapped from his daze, and his heavy lids were pulling his eyes close when he looked up to a familiar furry figure.

"About time." he said.

Lulu crossed her arms on her bosom, "You should be thankful that I'm even here; your text came early, you know?"

"It was a request, not a demand. You could've chosen not to come if you didn't want to."

"But," Lulu said, bringing her forefinger up and waving it in front of Alphonse, "It's about my brother, isn't it?"

Alphonse nodded.

"Thought so."

The sun soared above the buildings with barely any clouds blocking the rays from hitting their skins. It disgruntled Alphonse that such a handsome lady as Lulu was walking around without any sunscreen on, or at least he thought not. She didn't smell like sunscreen. The husky, like the first time they met, was only wearing a tank top and short shorts--and she even had the guts to enter school grounds with only those on!

The place they came to was a place unknown to the fox, deeper into their neighbourhood and far from his own. He'd never come far into this neighbourhood, there wasn't any need to, and Alphonse always had the itch escape the place where those who tormented him lived. He didn't fear them, but a vague sense of what 'entering the lion's' den meant came to him.

They came down a slope along the road, passing by many houses, then to a place where there were no houses but only business establishments. He'd been to one of these before, but back in his neighbourhood, business was always half dead. This sector of the city though was teeming with life. The presentations were clean, the flashy light signs above their doors screamed grand and pricey to Alphonse's eyes. There were many faces that registered as familiar. It seemed to him that this place was the local hangout for the teenage students--with money. He didn't fit that profile. Alphonse had no choice though. Not with Lulu around.

The female husky pulled Alphonse close to her side and inserted her arms into the crook of the fox's elbows_._ The gesture slightly startled Alphonse. It wasn't something that he did with a girl, or rather, it wasn't something that a girl did with him. The way she held him suggested she hadn't done this before, or it had been a long time since she had. He wondered whether she and Zack had done this in the past. Lulu was pulling him around with a smile ever on her face, like she was really ecstatic that she was with Alphonse. She made a show of Alphonse to everyone they passed like he was some kind of jewellery she wore and Alphonse had never known he could feel so scandalized and delighted at the same time. That he was some kind of third limb and not all eyes were on him but on the both of them.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Oh be patient. We'll be there soon." She said, dragging him along an intersection. As the minutes went by, Alphonse became more unsettled with the non-knowledge of their destination. Up until Lulu dragged him to a corner, to a place that would have more fitted his own neighbourhood than the gaudy place they were in.

The place was crude; a vulgar spot amongst the whites. The wood that barred the place had an earthen look to it, as if it was dirt rather than wood; the framed the windows and the windowless door had an ample growth of mold_._ There were even finger and hand marks on the otherwise transparent surface, most, Alphonse figured, fading with time rather than anybody's attempt to wipe them clean.

Lulu opened the door without letting Alphonse's arm go and guided him towards an empty seat beside the shop window.

"What'll you be having?"

"Nothing," Alphonse said, checking the price catalogue on the wall over the counter, "Those are too pricey."

"My treat." Lulu said, smiling.

"...Has your brother told you that I don't like charity?"

"Has my brother told you that I don't like rejection? Besides, it's goodwill, now suck it up foxy and order."

Alphonse grimaced, but later on, he settled with ordering, "Mocha, please, any size will do."

Lulu went to the counter. Alphonse watched her as she ordered, failing to ignore the husky's flirtation with the attendant. She tilted her head to the side, so that her long, thin neck was exposed and the attendant stuttered on the same syllable several times. The husky turned her head away towards Alphonse and pushed her chest out. She sneaked a quick look at the fox and leaned down, and Alphonse observed the attendant licking his lips and peeking at her rack on display. A mischievous grin lit her face, hidden from the vantage point of the attendant but obvious to Alphonse. She was, to Alphonse, an imp_,_ and it became more apparent when she turned to catch the attendant staring at her rack. He jumped, startled when Lulu gasped, although to Alphonse's ears, there was a tinge of excitement; she did not sound surprised to the fox at all. The attendant muttered his apologies and even from Alphonse's distance, the fox could hear Lulu saying "Free drinks," "Compensation," and "Scandalized." Then after a whole minute of talking with the attendant, she stood to her full height and winked at him before she went back and sat on the couch in front of Alphonse.

She isn't afraid to use what she has, Alphonse thought. Up close, her fur was of a different pattern to her brother's. The black fur on her arms swirled above the white, like the circular designs on wedding cakes. Her fur also looked softer and more lustrous than Zack's. Between her and her brother, it was obvious who took more care of their fur.

"Harassing the cashier? Really?" Alphonse said, disgusted.

"Flirting," she said, "Is economical. I got us free drinks thanks to that."

"Shameless." Alphonse said.

She laughed and said, "If you have it you show it."

Alphonse raised an eyebrow_,_ "You know that kinda sounds familiar - you got that from Crowley, didn't you?"

"Ugh. More like the other way around. Crowley got that from me."

"Oh. Were you two close?"

"Inseparable."

Their orders came, the waiter balanced a tray on one hand. Alphonse noted that the guy was trembling, his eyes anywhere but on Lulu. He kept his head low and his ears were folded down on his skull as he laid their frappes down on their round table. Lulu sneaked a wink at the fur as he did so, and Alphonse heard the guy take a sharp intake of breath before he took something out from his back pocket and forcefully put it in Lulu's hand.

He retreated back to the counter with his tail between his legs.

Lulu took her frappe by the straw, a one-sided grin on her muzzle. Alphonse narrowed his eyes at her, took his own frappe and drank from it. In between sips, he sneaked a peek towards the cashier.

"He's still staring at you," Alphonse said, "What did he give you?"

"Really? You don't know what he gave me? How inexperienced could you be?"

Alphonse scoffed, "It's not like I flirt around like you do."

"It's his number," Lulu said aloud, "And it's not like I'm not gonna call him. I really do think he looks cute, don't you?"

"I don't have time for flirting."

"But you have enough time to go on a date with my brother?"

Alphonse almost choked on his drink, "It's not a date!"

"But my brother thinks it is," she said, amusement in her tone.

"W-what?"

She laughed, "Kidding. I just wanted to see how you'd react."

Alphonse fumed, "Not funny!"

"It is to me." She said, "But he does like you and I think I can see why."

"I'm the only gay guy in school." Alphonse said. He wasn't at all proud of that, though he was sure there were other closeted guys in school.

"You're the only uncloseted gay guy in school," she corrected him. Alphonse's eyes widened. Creepy - it was like she was reading his mind.

"I guess you're right," he said, "I just wish there were more uncloseted guys though."

Lulu's face turned serious, empathic, "So at least there'd be more people to share the negative attention with? I understand."

Alphonse's ears drooped. "Does that sound selfish?"

"Not one bit."

Alphonse took one long sip from his frappucino and looked out of the window to find gangs of friends, going in and out of a nearby mall.

He hadn't noticed where Lulu had led him to, but he'd underestimated the number of people that came to this place. Either that or more people had come to this place in the short time they'd been there_._

They all had genuine smiles on their faces as they talked and gossiped amongst themselves, their fingers pointing towards material treasures that sparked their interest. He envied them. He wished he had more friends at school, but he wasn't so lucky with his social life. Instead, he was stuck with a crow ten years older than he was and a closeted tiger who couldn't even openly show their friendship. Alphonse had to remind himself that said tiger was angry at him right now. He looked away from the smiling faces; the same faces could frown at him any minute,

"So," he said, "I'm here to talk about Zack?"

"About?"

"I don't really know why. I guess I texted you on impulse. I'm just a little bit surprised that someone like Zack would hang out with a person like me."

Lulu made a triangle with her fingers and spoke. "A person like you? There's nothing wrong with you."

"I mean I'm very unpopular, really, I think that's obvious. You've seen the flyers right?"

"That's just a matter of who saw the flyers. To be honest I don't think that everyone hates you. It just became the norm in your school."

Alphonse frowned, "So what you're saying is that them personally attacking me is a trend?"

"I'm sorry to say so honey, but yes, it is. But Zack doesn't think so though. I think he's been worrying whether he'd be wearing dresses and skirts in the future. Although he didn't seem to mind when I dressed him in them when he was a kid."

Alphonse almost laughed, "You did that? No wonder he turned gay."

Lulu giggled, "Had fun too. He stopped letting me do it when he turned twelve though."

Alphonse nodded, "When popularity starts to matter."

"And you agree?" Lulu asked, "That popularity matters?"

Alphonse mentally stepped back. The question would have sounded accusatory if it had not been Lulu that asked it. "It only matters to me because I'm on the receiving end of it. I wouldn't have cared if people didn't know me. But they do. I'm always in the limelight."

"I understand," Lulu said, "Crowley's been there. I think he's even been dumped in the trash once."

Alphonse's eyes widened, "Crowley? I never knew that. Did you go to the same school?"

Lulu nodded, "The exact same school where you and my brother are now, and I see the administration's still hasn't changed one bit. I'm surprised Principal Highland's still alive." She said and frowned when she mentioned their principal's name, "No surprise that despite the attention and abuse you're getting, nobody's defending you."

"Did Crowley go through the same thing?"

"Worse."

"Oh..." Alphonse said, depressed. He didn't know. The students in their class barely said a thing about Crowley, but that might be because they knew he could hear them and tattle on them. They knew he was close to Crowley. A teacher's pet as they called him. But with no ears listening? Maybe they would say things, a lot of them. "What did the principal do about it?"

Lulu's eyes twitched, and she snarled. It was a fearful expression coming from a person who usually smiled, "What did he do about your case?"

"The principal?" Alphonse said, "Nothing."

"Exactly." She growled, "He turns a blind eye on these things when he should be helping you. When he should've helped Crowley, and nobody ever thought of doing something about it. Have you?"

Alphonse shook his head, slightly startled by Lulu's animosity. "N-no, I can't. I'm running on scholar credit."

"Which puts you in a worse position. You can't do anything about it, and if you did, he could lay you off for bad behavior."

Lulu's tense fists took the cap off her frappuccino cup and she took a long swig from it. Alphonse could see her visibly biting the edges of the plastic off and he could feel her anger palpably from where he was sitting. To feel as much anger as Lulu was feeling meant that she and Crowley must've been close. Crowley went through a lot. They went through alot.

"I never imagined Crowley went through all of that. He's always--"

"It's his way of dealing with it. Laughing it off, smiling" And she smiled, "But you, you don't do that. Instead you keep on doing what you're doing despite all you're going through. Have you even taken a step back to observe what's happening in your life for once? Which direction you're going in?"

Slightly rattled by Lulu's rants, Alphonse spoke while he trembled, "I had no ti--"

"No time, right?" Lulu interrupted again. She sighed and rubbed her forehead, "You need someone Alphonse, someone to lean on. I figure that you don't have anyone like that. Crowley's too old for you, and deep down, he's aloof. You must've noticed it, haven't you?"

He had. Alphonse and Crowley's conversations were always of theatre and the drag scene. Work. Other than that, there was nothing. Crowley was merely his mentor and Alphonse appreciated the distance between them.

"--Al. I think you need Zack, and Zack needs you, but of course, it's still your choice."

Al bit his lip, attempting to speak but he came up with nothing.

Lulu sighed, an understanding look on her face, "I'll tell him to keep away from your private life."

Alphonse was taken aback by that. "What?"

"You've got secrets Alphonse. Secrets you don't want to share. I don't know what it is, but you think it's worse than you being gay or you being in drag."

"H-how'd you know?"

"So am I correct?" Lulu asked.

Alphonse bent his head in defeat. "Yes."

"I won't ask what it is, nor will I hold it against you, but it's important for you to keep it hidden and I respect that. You can trust me."

Alphonse gave an uneasy smile. He came to a decision, he could trust Lulu, not just because she was friends with Crowley or sister to Zack, but because she deserved his trust. "Just who the hell are you?"

Lulu giggled, the tension that rested upon her dispelled, "Lulu Jackson Gladwell. I read faces, it's what I do. And you, Alphonse Perils, are an open book!"

_ _

_ _

"Amazing!" Alphonse exclaimed, "How'd you know that?"

Lulu told Alphonse about her knowledge of Body Language and it struck him that there was another facet to it that was known as Microexpressions. Interestingly enough, Lulu told him of a study she'd learned about, about there being a basis regarding gay guys' 'gaydar'. Alphonse would've listened more intently, but all he could understand was that it had something to do with facial symmetry; he was far more interested to learn that he and Crowley (though unsurprisingly) were in fact not the only gay men in the school. Which Alphonse believed. He knew Crowley, Gideon and Zack were gay, but for there to be more than that? They weren't alone. There were tons of them. Enough to have an orgy!

"--You stand out though." Lulu said, and Alphonse snapped from his reverie and turned to Lulu, "You have guts to come out in a school like that."

"Actually," Alphonse said, "I didn't come out. It's just that it's all too obvious that I was gay and the jocks just started calling me 'gay' and 'fag'"

"Those jocks. If only they weren't such douches they would've been so hot."

"Oh come on now!" Alphonse said in disbelief, "Don't tell me you've never dated a jock before? With a face and body like that?"

Lulu stuck his tongue out at Alphonse and said, "If I'm gonna date someone then he better be out of college!"

"But that's dodging the question!"

"You learned something from me? I thought you weren't listening at all."

"That's still dodging the question!"

They went away from the unfamiliar place that Lulu brought him to, and went to another that was more alien to the fox. He had a feeling that he'd be coming back to this place. Soon. The round-cut trees bore small fruits now, and they'd soon be up for harvest. He wondered if such subdivisions as these had some kind of festival. He'd heard talk of these back at his place, but he snubbed from listening to such talk. Gossip that didn't relate to him was trash, but now, he might start listening.

Alphonse offered to walk Lulu home and she agreed, not without commenting that Alphonse was a gentleman but he turned gay. They quested on until they arrived at the Gladwell residence. The humble church beside their house spilled the few goers in steady twos and threes. Alphonse noted their clothes. Clean, ironed and not sending out tendrils of stink everywhere they go. These were people living comfortable lives in a comfortable environment. One of the pairs gave Alphonse a look, then Lulu. It was a concealed act, but Alphonse had seen it so many times that it was easy to pick it out from the crowd and the meaning along with it. Disgust.

Lulu tugged at his arm and used her other hand to beckon him inside the Gladwells' home with a push on his shoulders. Alphonse wanted to show the pair up but the much needed force that came with Lulu's gesture meant he did not have the chance to do so. He gave in and settled himself inside in front of the fireplace. Lulu disappeared upstairs, reappearing later with a bunch of clothes in her arms.

She stuffed them before the fireplace just like she had before and it was only now that Alphonse became aware of how reckless and potentially hazardous her action was. He instinctively knelt down towards the bunch and swept them far from the fireplace as Lulu eyed him with amusement. She knelt down beside Alphonse and started digging through the heap.

"Skirts?"