Chương 34: Another Ghost Returns

Life had been pretty 'chill' after that intense night. Depending on your interpretation of chill.

Once in a while, Wolfe would take advantage of Leon's mouth and just kiss him whenever and wherever he pleases. Leon just let him.

But when he take it as far as grinding on him, he would push him away, and leave quietly.

This was the only coping mechanism Leon could do, as he could not push him away completely. He wants him too much.

Ah, if only this addiction was easier to let go off than his smoking addiction. But alas, he can't even let go of that too.

He actually smoked and smoked a lot lately to make sure he would taste terrible. But that did not stop the sly wolf.

He really was hell-bent on having them destroy each other, huh?

He was back at it again though, smoking outside the lampost near that Starbucks where he first saw him and his friends.

Everytime he had finished rehearsals, Wolfe would bombard him with calls and messages to come pick him up. He's playing with his mind this way, he knows it.

Acting like he needed him, like he truly treats him like a boyfriend.

But Leon knows that's far from the truth.

His cigarette almost burned to the butt while he was too busy brooding, so he quickly let it go and stepped on it. When he looked up, there they were.

"Leon!!! Haha! You're here again!" Wolfe waved at him whilst crossing the streets.

His friends found it really cute. They were always saying how much they adore how sweet and wholesome this couple was.

Leon chuckled bitterly. If only they knew.

"Leon is such a good boyfriend! He never fails to pick Wolfe up despite the rehearsals ending late at night. I wish my boyfriend was like him, or at least as patient." The redhead said.

Leon learned this past few days that her name was Serafina Fayer. She was playing the role of the creative interpretation of Red Riding Hood, but was instead referred to as Rotte.

Which was just a stylized version of the German for red, 'rot', Leon noticed.

She was the love interest/ antagonist of Wolfe's character, the Big Bad Wolf called Lupin. Also just the French for 'wolf'.

This play's full name was 'Red Riding Hood: The Tale of a Wolf'. The wolf was the main character, and it was a creative adaptation of the story but set in the Roaring 20s and Prohibition Era.

Lupin was a mafia boss in the city where Rotte moved in with her grandmother. He distributes illegal alcohol that was banned in America worldwide during the setting of the play, 1923.

It focuses on his perspective on how he does not want to be seen as the bad guy just for doing business and trying to survive. How he wants to live a normal life, fall in love, and just be understood.

But the even more interesting aspect of it was how much of an unreliable narrator Lupin was. At the start, you would sympathize with him, but as the play progresses, he was not the 'perfect antihero' he wanted to seem to be.

It was like he was trying to convince both the audience and himself..... Even when the truth was so clear. He had denied it so much that he had even fooled himself.

Leon felt this role fits Wolfe very much.

"Hah, I haven't even seen Robert's face during our victory parties. You shoulda dumped his ass first time he failed to attend." The handsome African-American guy told her.

His name was Heath Aguer. He plays the role of the Woodsman of the story, Detective Holzfaller. Which again, was just German for 'lumberjack', but Leon digress at this point.

The other two were actually a couple, the blond man and the brunette lady.

The brunette woman, Cherith Lucerne, was playing Rotte's grandmother. She was just in her 30s, actually, but that's nothing some prosthetics and makeup can change.

The blond, Taji Zahavi, was playing a new additional character: A psychiatrist who studies Lupin's mentality, trying to convince Detective Holzfaller against falling for Lupin's 'tricks'.

Leon had noticed that there was a bit of homoerotic tension and subtext between Detective Holzfaller and Lupin. So he too was technically a love interest/antagonist.

But he ends up with Rotte anyway in the end because this was a tragedy tale for Lupin, not a romance. And of course, 'bury your gays' trope. It still exists even in 2042, unfortunately.

They were all very colorful and interesting people. They also were kind-hearted, and naturally supportive of each other.

In fact, Leon thinks their friendship was 1000x more wholesome and sweet than whatever he and Wolfe were having.

"Oh, wait, Leon! I forgot my cane!" Wolfe said, snapping his fingers. "Shoot!"

Taji chuckled. "Have you suddenly become more senile than my character, Wolfe? Director Choi clearly told us to not forget any prop at all, as we were supposed to take it all home before going to travel to Toronto tomorrow."

"I know! I know! But this box is already heavy, okay!?" He handed to Leon the box that he was pulling over using a metal cart. "And I didn't know how to stick it inside, it was too long!"

All the others have them, labelled with a marker with the name of their characters.

Cherith patted his head. "Don't worry too much, the theater's probably not closed yet. And you can always ask the janitors for a key."

"I will, thanks!" Wolfe handed the cart to Leon. "You take this, I'll be right back!"

Leon frowned, but was too much of a broody mood to say anything. He wanted to follow Wolfe but them being alone in an empty theater.....

He might get other ideas. And Leon knew that despite being a law-abiding citizen, once Wolfe made a proposition, he would not be able to decline.

In fact, that was the only reason that they have not done it again yet.

Once he pushed Wolfe away, he never followed back, and did not bother and perster Leon like before. Which was not really 'in-character' for him.

Whatever. He was probably just waiting for Leon to bite the bait and take the initiative.

After all, it was not likely that Wolfe was just leaving him be to give him space, and had actual remorse left as a human---

"Leon! Leon, call the police!"

Wolfe Fang came back running, looking very rattled with his eyes wide...

Like he had just seen a ghost.

He rushed directly into Leon's arms, and all his friends expressed concern and asked him questions.

But Leon only paid attention to how much he was shaking right now, looking very pale and fearful, like he could break any moment or pass out.

"Wolfe, look at me. Everyone, please keep quiet first. You're making him more anxious." He said, pressing both hands on Wolfe's face to keep his attention on him, and make him know that he's here.

"L-Leon.... Cops..... Call them....." Wolfe mumbled incoherently, lips shaking.

He truly was having an intense panic attack.

Leon said in his most comforting tone. "Breathe first. Breath with me, Wolfe Fang. Look at my eyes and breathe."

He repeated these suggestions so that it would be easy for him to follow. Wolfe looked at him and breathed, his hands gripping tightly to his clothes.

Once he had calmed down, he broke out into sobs. Leon patted his back and hugged him. "It's ok... Let it all out.... I'm here."

"He's in there....." Wolfe cried hard on his shirt, his voice cracking and pitiful. "Leon, he's in there... I saw him...."

"Who did you saw?" Leon asked.

Everyone's heart went cold when he said.....

"L-Leslie.... I saw Leslie."

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