“Thought maybe you’d finally skipped town,” he said, stepping around the corner of the aisle to stand next to him. His shoulder-length, dirty blond hair tumbled in messy waves out from under a loosely worn beanie, as if he had just come from the ocean. He was still holding his vape in one hand, so he must have been smoking on the beach—nothing new there—and came by to get snacks, same as them. On his other side, Florian could feel Kade tense, instantly distrustful. “I hadn’t seen you in a while.”
“Yeah, I’m moving,” he answered, glancing away from the row of condoms in front of them. Of all the places they could have run into him, why here? Cameron seemed to notice too, and a snort of a laugh escaped him.
“Damn,” Cameron said, his attention moving to Kade, as he eyed the taller man up and down. “So does this guy not know you have a pussy or what?”
Florian’s face burned red, and he opened his mouth to snap out something; but Kade had already stepped in front of him.
“Hey,” Kade said, eyes narrowed, as he looked down at Cameron with an expression that was somehow both disgusted and utterly bored. “Shut the fuck up.”
Cameron burst out laughing at that, though he did take a step back. “Get a load of this guy,” he laughed, shaking his head. “Whatever, man. Twinks are a dime a dozen around here. Hey, if you ever want to fuck a dude that actually has a dick, I can point you in the right direction.”
“Seriously, Cameron, fuck off,” Florian muttered. Even as he spoke, Kade surged forward to shove the other man up against the row of glass doors filled with cold drinks behind him, Cameron’s vape clattering to the ground.
“Apologize,” he growled, and for an instant Florian relished the look of panic that had overtaken Cameron’s features, his flip-flops sliding off his feet that were now a solid inch off the ground. “Apologize to him.”
“Hey!” a shout came from the front register, and Florian winced as he looked back at the attendant scowling at them. “Knock it off or take it outside!”
“You heard the man,” Cameron said, the same stupid grin on his face though with a more nervous twist to it now.
Kade glared at him for a second longer, then dropped him and stepped away in one fluid motion. Cameron stumbled as he dropped, looking between Florian and Kade, before bending down to pick up his fallen vape pen and slide his sandals back onto his feet.
“Whatever, dude,” he laughed nervously, and started to walk away, before turning to Florian once more. “Good thing you’re moving, cuz my friends’ll kick his ass next time I see him.”
“Doubt it,” Kade replied coolly, already turning his attention back to the medicine aisle. Florian stifled a laugh. He waved Cameron off and didn’t turn to watch him go, though he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the bell on the door jingle as it opened and shut.
“Sorry,” he muttered, leaning closer to Kade. “I really didn’t think we’d see him around.”
“You really dated that guy?” Kade said, raising an eyebrow down at him, and this time he did laugh.
“Yeah,” Florian muttered, chagrined. “Look, in my defense, he didn’t used to be so bad. He got some shitty friends after high school, I guess.”
“Hmm,” was all Kade replied, though the slight smile on his face was reassuring.
Florian didn’t want to be there any longer than they had to, so he grabbed the first box with a brand that he recognized, and they stepped up to the register.
“Sorry about that,” Florian said nervously as the clerk started ringing him up, but the man waved him away.
“Don’t be. That kid’s always causing trouble,” he sighed. “Just had to make sure you didn’t break anything. Honestly I kinda wish you had taken him outside and smacked him around a bit.”
“Next time,” Kade said, deadpan as ever, but it made Florian burst into laughter all the same.
