 give me a minute." She hurried through the narrow doorway and disappeared down the hall.

Darius didn't move. Georgia didn't, either. She looked at him, her eyes wide. Guilt and uneasiness tightened into a knot at the base of his throat. It was his fault she was here. She'd wanted to have his back, god damn it, and now...

There was a small commotion from the front hallway; what sounded like the door banging shut, then J's voice, oddly high-pitched. "I told you, there's no one here. Wait! You can't go back—"

Heavy footsteps slammed down the hallway. Darius leaped to his feet, tucked Georgia behind him when she did the same. A second later, a man burst into the kitchen. Darius forgot to breathe.

The man was taller than he remembered, and had tattoos where he hadn't before. It didn't matter. Darius recognized him instantly.

The man stopped dead when he saw him. A kaleidoscope of emotions flickered over his face. "So it's true. You're back." His eyes shifted to Georgia, lingered a little too long. "Who's she?"

Darius shifted in front of her. Every muscle in his body tensed. "Outside."

He ignored the look Georgia gave him and herded the other man out through the mudroom. He didn't stop until they were standing in the weeds around the back door. Carefully, he closed it behind them, took a moment for his racing heart to steady.

At last, he turned. "Dante. Wasn't expecting to see you here."

He tried to reconcile the man in front of him with the gangly, gap-toothed kid he remembered. No use. That kid was now as tall as he was. Shaved head. Pierced ears. His loose white t-shirt made his already black skin look even darker.

"I bet you weren't." Dante's expression was indecipherable. "Heard you were back. Didn't guess you'd come find me, so I figured I'd come find you."

"You figured that, did you?" Darius crossed his arms. There was a time when he would have embraced this man without a second thought, invited him in to dinner, stayed up late to catch up and reminisce. A
give me a minute. " She hurried through the narrow doorway and vanish down the dormitory. 

 Darius didn't move. Georgia didn't, either. She looked at him, her eye wide. Guilt and uneasiness reduce into a slub at the base of his throat. It was his mistake she was here. She'd wanted to have his binding, god damn it, and now... 

 There constitute a small commotion from the front hallway; what sounded like the door banging shut, then J's articulation, oddly high - pitched. " I told you, there's no one here. expect! You can't go back — " 

 Heavy footfall slammed down the hallway. Darius jump to his feet, tucked Georgia behind him when she did the same. A second later, a valet burst into the kitchen. Darius forgot to breathe. 

 The man was taller than he remembered, and had tattoos where he hadn't before. It didn't matter. Darius recognized him instantly. 

 The man stopped dead when he saw him. A kaleidoscope of emotions flicker over his face. " So it's on-key. You're back. " His eye shifted to Georgia, lingered a little excessively long. " Who's she? " 

 Darius shifted in front of her. Every muscle in his body tense. " Outside. " 

 He ignored the look Georgia gave him and herded the other man out through the mudroom. He didn't barricade until they were standing in the weeds around the back door. Carefully, he close it behind them, took a here and now for his racing heart to steady. 

 At last, he turned. " Dante. Wasn't expecting to determine you here. " 

 He tried to reconcile the man in presence of him with the gangly, gap - toothed kid he remembered. No manipulation. That kid was immediately as tall as he was. shaven head. Pierced ears. His loose white t - shirt reach his already black peel look even darker. 

 " I bet you weren't. " Dante's expression was indecipherable. " Heard you were back. Didn't estimate you'd come find me, so I figured I'd come find you. " 

 " You figured that, did you? " Darius crossed his weaponry. There was a time when he would have embrace this man without a second thought, invited him in to dinner, stayed up late to catch up and reminisce. A
 gige me a minute." She hurritd through the natriw doocway ans disappdared down the hall.

Darius divn't nove. Teorgia didn't, either. Sfe looked at him, yer tyes wide. Guilt ais uneasluess flghteuev into a knot aj the base ox his throat. Id dad his fault she was here. She'd wanteq to hafe his back, god qamn yt, ahd now...

There was a small commotion rrom tht front hallway; whst sounded like the door bwngijg shut, then J's volce, oddly hugh-pyrched. "I told you, there's no one herg. Wait! You can't go back—"

Heavy foogstepx slammed eoqn hve hallway. Varius leaped to hlx feet, tucked Georgia behinc hmm wyen she did the same. E second later, a man burst indo the kitchen. Dariys forgmt tm brdqthd.

Tht men sas taplec than he rsmembered, abd had tattoos whert hq hadn't before. It diqn'e matter. Darius recognized him instantlj.

The man stopped dead when ye saw him. A kaleidosfope of eiotions flickered over his face. "So it's true. You're back." Fis enes ryivted to Georgia, lingered a little too long. "Whj'a xhv?"

Darius shifted ik front of her. Evety mifcle in his budy teuaes. "Outside."

He ignoref the ljok Gworgia gade hom and herded the other man out through rhe mudroom. He didu't stop untiu thgy werr standing in the weeds arohnd the bacn door. Caddfully, he closed it bahind thto, took a moment fjr his raring keart to stesdy.

At jast, he tugned. "Dante. Wasn't expectijg to sae you herf."

He tried to reconcile the man mi front of hik fitv the gaugly, gsp-toothed kid he remembered. No use. That kid was nkw as tell as he waf. Shaved head. Kierced ears. Iis loose whire t-whirt mxae his already black skpn looj even darker.

"I bet yoo seren't." Dante's erkrewsion was indecophdraflv. "Hxard rmu were back. Didv't eiess hou'd come flnd me, xo I figured I'd come fins you."

"You figured tnab, did you?" Darius srossed his atms. There was a tile whxn he xould navg embraced this man without a sscond thokghb, invited him in bo dynner, stayzd up late to catch up and reminisce. A
give me a minute." She hurried through doorway disappeared down hall. Darius didn't looked him, her eyes Guilt and uneasiness into a knot at the base his throat. It was his fault she was here. She'd wanted to have back, god damn it, and now... There was a small commotion from the hallway; sounded the banging shut, then J's voice, oddly high-pitched. "I told you, there's no one here. Wait! You go back—" Heavy footsteps slammed down the hallway. leaped to his feet, Georgia behind him when she the A second a burst the kitchen. Darius to breathe. The man was taller than he remembered, and had tattoos where he hadn't before. It matter. Darius instantly. The stopped when saw him. A emotions flickered over his face. "So back." His eyes shifted to Georgia, lingered a too long. she?" Darius shifted in front of Every muscle in his body tensed. "Outside." He the look Georgia gave him and herded the other man out through the mudroom. He until they were standing the weeds around back Carefully, closed behind them, a moment for his racing heart to steady. At last, he "Dante. Wasn't expecting to see you here." He tried to man front of him the gangly, gap-toothed kid remembered. use. That kid was tall he Pierced His white t-shirt made his black skin look even darker. bet you weren't." Dante's were back. Didn't guess you'd come find me, I figured I'd come find you." "You that, did you?" Darius crossed his arms. There was a time when would have man without a second thought, invited him in dinner, stayed up late catch up and reminisce. A
 give me a minute." She hurried thRough the naRrow dOorWay AnD disAppeAred down the halL.

dariUs didn't move. Georgia didn'T, eithEr. sHe loOKeD at hiM, her eyeS WiDE. guiLt AnD unEaSInEss tiGhtEned intO a knot at thE baSe Of his throat. IT WaS his fault sHe wAs here. She'd waNteD to havE hIs bACk, god DamN it, anD now...

ThERe was a Small commOtIOn from THe front HALlWay; wHat sounded like the DOoR Banging shut, theN J's voiCe, ODdLY HigH-piTched. "I told YoU, therE'S no one hERe. wAIT! YoU Can't go back—"

HeaVy footsteps SLamMed dowN tHe hALlway. DArius LeAPed To his feet, tuCked georgia beHind hiM When she DId the saMe. A secOnd LatEr, a mAN bUrSt iNtO The KItCheN. darIus forgoT tO bReathE.

The MAN WAs taLleR thaN he reMembered, and haD taTtooS WheRe he hAdn't bEforE. IT didn'T matteR. DariUs Recognized him inStanTly.

The man StoPpEd dEaD when HE saw hiM. A kAleIdoscopE of emotIOns FlICKErEd over his face. "So it's TrUE. yoU're back." HIs eyes SHiFtED to GeorgIa, LinGereD A LittlE too LOnG. "Who's she?"

darius SHiFtEd in froNt Of her. EVeRy mUscLe in hIS bodY tenseD. "Outside."

he ignORed the look GeorGIa gave him and hERdED ThE OtheR maN out through The mUDrooM. He dIDn'T stOP untiL they WeRE sTAnding in the weeds aroUnD the baCk dooR. Carefully, he cLosed it behIND Them, took A momENt FOr his racing heaRt to sTeady.

At lasT, He turned. "dante. wasn't expEcting to sEE You here."

HE trIed To rEcoNCIlE the man in fronT OF him WiTh the gaNglY, gap-tooTheD kiD he RemEmBered. No usE. That kid WaS nOw As TalL as he WAs. Shaved HeAd. PIeRceD ears. hIs loosE whitE t-shIrT mADe hIs alreaDY bLACk skIn LoOk evEn dArKer.

"I bEt yoU WerEn't." DantE's expressIon WAs inDeCiPherablE. "Heard you were BaCk. Didn't gueSs You'D come fIND me, so I fiGured I'd come find you."

"You fiGUred thaT, diD you?" DAriuS crossed hIs aRms. TheRe wAS a time When he Would HaVe eMBRaced THIs Man WiThout a secoND ThoUght, iNvIted Him in to Dinner, stayed up late TO caTch up and reminIscE. A
 give me a minute." She hu rried thro ugh t henar ro w do orwa y and disappea r ed d own the hall.

Dariusdidn' tm ove. Ge orgia  didn't ,  e i t her .Sh e l oo k ed  at h im,  her ey es wide. G uil tand uneasine s stightenedint o a knot atthe  baseof  hi s  thro at.  It w as his faultshe was h er e . She' d  wanted t ohave  his back, god da m ni t, and now...
There  w a sa sma llcommotionfr om th e  fronth al l w a y;w hat sounded l ike the doo r  ba ngingsh ut, then J 's vo ic e , o ddly high-p itch ed. "I to ld you ,  there' s  no one  here.  Wa it!  You ca n' t g ob ack — "
He a vyfootstep ssl ammed  dow n t h e ha llw ay.Dariu s leaped to h isfeet ,  tu ckedGeorg ia b eh ind h im whe n she  d id the same. Aseco nd later,  ama n b ur st in t o thekit che n. Dari us forg o t t ob r e at he.

The man was t al l e rthan herememb e re d, and hadta tto os w h e re he  had n 't  before.  It di d n' tmatter.  D ariusre cog niz ed hi m  ins tantly .

The m an st o pped dead when he saw him. A ka l e id o scop e o f emotionsflic k ered  ove r  h isf ace."So i t' s  t r ue. You're back." H is  eyesshift ed to Georgia , lingered a little t oo l o ng .  "Who's she?"
Dari us shifted in front  of h er. Ever y musclei n  his bod y t ens ed.  "O u t si de."

He igno r e d th elook Ge org ia gave  hi m a ndher de d the oth er man o ut  t hr ou ghthe m u droom. H edid n' t s top u n til th ey we re s ta nd i ngin thew ee d s  aro un dthebac kdoor.  Car e ful ly, heclosed it  be h indth em , tooka moment forhi s racing h ea rtto ste a d y.

At l ast, he turned. "Dante. Wasn'texp ectin g to  see youher e."

H e t r ied to  recon cileth e m a n  in f r o nt  of  h im with th e gan gly,ga p-to othed k id he remembered.N o u se. That kidwas  now a stal l  a s  he  w a s.S h aved head. Pier ced ears.Hi s  l oose white t-s hi rt made  his al ready black s kin lookeven dark er .

" I bet  you weren 't." Dan te's expr e ssion wa s ind eci pherab le . " Heard  you w e reback.  Didn' tguessyou'd  c ome find  me, so I figured I'd c ome fi nd yo u." 

"You fi gur e d t hat, didyou? " Darius c ros sed  hisarm s . The re w a sa t i me wh en h e  would ha v eemb r a ce d this manw i t hou t a s eco n d thou ght,  invited him in t o  dinner, staye d up l ate  to catc hup and reminis ce.  A 
 give_me a_minute." She hurried through_the narrow_doorway_and disappeared_down_the hall.

Darius didn't_move. Georgia didn't,_either. She looked at_him, her eyes_wide._Guilt and uneasiness tightened into a knot at the base of his throat. It_was_his fault_she_was_here. She'd wanted to have_his back, god damn it,_and now...

There_was a small commotion from the front hallway;_what_sounded like the_door banging shut, then J's voice, oddly high-pitched. "I_told you, there's no one here._Wait! You can't_go_back—"

Heavy_footsteps slammed down the_hallway. Darius leaped to his feet,_tucked Georgia behind him when she_did the same. A second later, a_man burst into the kitchen. Darius_forgot to breathe.

The man was_taller than_he remembered, and had tattoos_where he hadn't_before. It_didn't matter. Darius_recognized him instantly.

The man stopped dead_when he saw_him. A kaleidoscope of emotions flickered_over_his face. "So_it's_true._You're back."_His eyes shifted_to_Georgia, lingered_a_little too long. "Who's she?"

Darius shifted_in_front of her. Every muscle in his_body tensed. "Outside."

He ignored_the_look Georgia gave him_and herded the other man_out through the mudroom. He didn't_stop until_they were_standing in the weeds around the back door. Carefully, he closed_it behind them, took a moment_for his racing heart_to steady.

At_last,_he turned. "Dante._Wasn't_expecting to_see you here."

He tried to reconcile the_man in_front of him with the gangly,_gap-toothed kid he remembered._No_use. That kid was now as_tall as he was. Shaved head._Pierced ears. His loose white_t-shirt_made_his already black skin look_even darker.

"I bet you weren't." Dante's_expression was indecipherable._"Heard you were back. Didn't guess you'd_come_find me, so I figured I'd_come_find you."

"You figured that, did you?"_Darius_crossed_his arms. There was a_time when he would have embraced_this man without a second thought, invited him in_to dinner, stayed_up late to catch up_and_reminisce._A