Jayde's hands clenched into fists as he watched the only person he could maybe consider a friend storm away. It left anxiety ripping down his spine, then anger quickly following on its heels. Because how dare Axel act like he was the one most torn up over all of this? Like even he didn't understand what kind of person Jayde truly was. Like he was dangerous. Hadn't Jayde come here in good faith when he could just as easily have denied Axel his request? Maybe he should have. It was because of mistakes like this that he pushed everyone out of his life. They made everything else far too complicated for him, even the act of protecting them.

However, as he turned to leave, the last face he wanted to see rushed out in front of him. Jayde felt his breath catch in his throat. "Har...lan?" It didn't even occur to him that such a meeting could happen here. He found his eyes darting over the other man's attire and worried face for any sign that this was something other than a chance meeting. Harlan wasn't that type, but habits. He had his habits. And then there were the worried words spilling from the other man's mouth, leaving Jayde at a rare loss for what to do.

"Harlan," he repeated, stepping back, his hand coming up reflexively to clench around the chain hanging from his neck. "What are you doing here?" He looked around again before dragging them both fully into the shadows. "Didn't I tell you that we couldn't meet up? And you-?!" Harlan what? The words were sinking in though and they left Jayde with a strong sense of dread. Did Harlan have particular feelings for him...?

~~~

"Fuck! Fuckfuckfuck!" Axel hissed into the dark, his mind spinning so fast that he thought he would get dizzy from it. He didn't walk with any goal in mind, but he didn't get far either when someone called out his name. Fane. "You? I thought you left?" he gasped and spun, only realizing too late how close they were. The second the other man's hand closed around his arm, a shock of revulsion went through him. "Don't touch me!"

Axel wrenched his arm away and then promptly threw up on the ground, sinking to his knees after. Fuck. As if this night wasn't going bad enough already. Now there was no way he'd even get away from Fane.