A man in an ill-fitting suit pushed Laurent to the side. “Jesus Christ, move.”
Beast spun around, grabbed the man’s jacket and shoved him back so hard he fell over, dropping his briefcase to the floor. “You forget the magic words?”
The man’s eyes went wide, and he started slowly getting up. Beast could see the calculation in his eyes. Should he start a fight with Beast, or should he apologize and piss off, only later swearing under his breath?
“Sorry,” Suit mumbled in the end. Wise choice.
“To my friend here, not me. It’s him you wanted to shove around,” Beast said, still blocking the escalator with his body. There. He’d show Laurent how safe he was with Beast!
Laurent stroked Beast’s forearm, the fully black one, which had been burned much worse than the other. The touch sent shivers all over Beast’s body. So tender and familiar. “It’s unnecessary, don’t worry. I was obstructing the way for this gentleman.”
Beast wasn’t having it. The fucker would apologize. He was so determined and focused on the rude fucker he didn’t notice other people approaching.
A pair of strong hands pulled on his other arm. “Sir, I need you to leave the premises,” said a tall mall cop. Two more were already on their way, as if Beast were about to start tearing people’s limbs off, not simply arguing with another shopper.
Beast stared back at the man, his fists itching for violence. But if he got himself arrested what would happen to Laurent? So he swallowed his anger and raised his hands. “Fine. Fine, I’ll go. You can let go of me.”
“This way please,” the fucking mall cop insisted, and Beast had to bear the guy in the suit flipping him off. If Laurent weren’t here, arrest be damned, he’d pull out of the grip and break that coward’s hand.
Laurent kept up with their pace, his pretty face marred with worry, which was stressing out Beast even more. “It’s a misunderstanding, sir.”
“Save it, kid,” a security officer who caught up with them grabbed Laurent’s arm as if he too needed prodding. “We’ve seen the whole thing. We knew you two would be trouble.”
“Oh, really, what gave you that idea?” hissed Beast, trying to keep Laurent in sight at all times. He knew damn well what, and that was why he always kept calm and polite in public places. But of course, it was he who they suspected of trouble, not frustrated people in nice suits who behaved like cunts.
“The look on your face.” A shortie mall cop with a face full of acne followed them with a gloating smile despite not actually being needed. If only they weren't spied on by the eyes of witnesses and cameras, Beast would smash the bastard’s teeth in.
At least they were already at the door, and soon enough Beast stepped out into the afternoon sun and stuck his hands into his pockets. Yet another humiliation in front of Laurent. He bet the boy would gladly just go home now.
Once the mall cops were gone, after delivering a lecture about violence in no shape or form being acceptable in the mall, Laurent stood there, red in the face and breathing hard.
Beast swallowed hard, watching him for the longest moment. “Let’s just go,” he said in the end, feeling completely hopeless about his chances with Laurent after this unlucky display. The condoms would be yet another useless purchase gathering dust somewhere in his bedroom.
“Y-yes,” Laurent uttered, but as Beast turned around to stomp off to the parking lot, Laurent slid his hand into Beast’s.
Beast squeezed it with relief so powerful he needed to stand still for a few seconds. Not everything was lost then. He could still make amends. “There is this other place. I go there often, and they are very nice,” he said once they sat in the car.
Laurent fastened his seatbelt, like he’d been taught when they first got into the car in the morning. “Is it normal for so many soldiers to appear from nowhere over the slightest disagreement?”
Beast scowled. “No. You heard it yourself. Those fuckers were just waiting for an excuse,” he said, pulling out of the bay.
“At first I thought… I hope you don’t mind me saying—that it’s your size that is intimidating but today I saw a lot of men much taller than myself. But I saw no man with as many patterns on their skin as you. Is that what scares them?”
Beast howled on the inside and left the parking lot as quickly as possible. Laurent found him intimidating? “They’re stupid fucks, okay? I did nothing wrong. They just didn’t want me to be there, that’s all.”
Laurent nodded and looked out the window. For a moment Beast wanted to ask what he was thinking, but then decided he would rather cool off before potentially finding out there was more about him that Laurent found scary.