Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bennett stretched, holding his arms above his head and sighing as his back popped. He leaned forward to rest his head on his fist with a pout, frowning down at his math homework once more.

"How do you do this one again?" He rubbed his eyes, hoping that maybe he could brush away his confusion.

"This is a simple problem, but it doesn't surprise me that a mere mortal such as yourself would have trouble with it~" Fischl said with her usual air of arrogance. Bennett rolled his eyes as she grabbed the worksheet from him and scribbled down her answer.

"You're supposed to show your work y'know." He chuckled as Fischl returned his paper to him.

"I-I am merely giving you guidance!" She spluttered. "If you do not appreciate my help, I can take it back!" She tried to snatch the worksheet back and Bennett scrambled to stop her. They both grappled at the sheet for a moment before a tearing sound was heard and Bennett looked down to see his homework, now crumpled and torn in his hand.

"Shit, Bennett, I didn't mean to-" Fischl started.

"It's fine, don't worry. At least now I don't have any homework to do!" He chuckled, tossing the ruined paper aside.

"You- You idiot! You should at least try, your grades might even start to improve because of it!" Fischl exclaimed, dropping her usual formal speech in her frustration.

"Eh, I doubt it, I'm not that smart anyway. Besides, it's getting late. I should start heading home before it gets dark." He shrugged.

Fischl scowled, crossing her arms. "I think you're smart…" she shook her head, getting back into character. "But you're right, the hour is drawing late and it'd be wise for you to head out before it gets dark. One would not want you to get lost."

Bennett smiled as he gathered his things and shoved his ruined homework back into his bag. Fischl may be an odd girl but he'd been friends with her for as long as he could remember. They were both outcasts, so they relied on each other. Plus, she was really fun once you got used to her quirks, and Bennett wouldn't have her any other way.

He shouldered his backpack and waved goodbye to Fischl, setting out on his way home. He walked down the dirt road for a few minutes but soon he decided to cut through the woods in hopes he might get home sooner. It was getting pretty late, after all, the sun was already dipping below the horizon and the autumn chill was giving him goosebumps.

Stomping his way down one of the deer paths, Bennett yelped as a twig scraped his bare leg. Curse his constant desire to wear shorts! He shivered, shoving his hands in his hoodie sleeves to keep them warm. He’d been exploring these woods his whole life, but rarely at night, and as the shadows grew darker, he grew more apprehensive. He felt the hairs on his neck rise at what sounded like quiet footsteps behind him. He whipped around but saw nothing there.

“It’s fine, probably just a wild boar or something,” he said to himself, pointedly ignoring how it quivered a little. It was fine. Even if it wasn’t a boar, what kind of person would follow a teenage boy through the woods at night? Okay, that was the wrong question to ask. He felt his pace quicken as his anxiety grew, his mind running off with itself. After a few minutes of speedwalking, Bennett paused to catch his breath and looked around himself. His heart sank as the woods around looked completely foreign. It’s probably just the shadows, I’m not lost. He reasoned with himself, trying to ward off his growing anxiety. He looked around once more, to see if he could recognize his surroundings with a longer glance. As he turned around, he froze. 

Holy shit that's a person. 

Despite the low light, Bennett could see the silhouette of a person peeking out from behind the trees about a hundred feet behind him. Fuck! Fuck-don’t let them know you saw them! He continued looking around him, trying to appear as casual as possible despite his racing heart. After a moment, he thought he knew which direction his house was in, but as the last of the light of the sun disappeared, he couldn’t be sure.

Bennett started walking once more, keeping a quick yet casual pace and trying his best to listen for movement in the woods behind him. The sounds of the forest weren’t loud, but they weren’t exactly quiet either, and it made it hard to tell if the person was still following him or not. His brain screamed at him to just run, but he knew if he panicked he’d just get more lost. His dad was a forest ranger and had taught him all about survival. Unfortunately, Bennett had never been very good at the self-defense side of things.

He paused, risking a look behind him. It took him a moment, but he saw them. Behind him, off to his left and much further back, probably why he hadn’t heard them for a while. Their red eyes locked with his and his heart dropped.

Shit.

Bennett broke into a sprint, part of him hoping he was going in the right direction, and the rest hoping that he was faster than whoever was following him. His lungs burned and his legs stung as he crashed through the underbrush, but he didn’t care, he just wanted to get home alive. He looked over his shoulder once more, to see if he was being pursued, but he couldn't make anything out in the blur of shadows and foliage. When he turned back around he yelped in surprise as the ground gave out below him and he tumbled into a ditch.

Bennett threw his hands up to shield his face as he fell, but he still ended up with a mouthful of dirt. He wiped his face, hissing as sat up. His shoulder hurt like hell and his knee was scraped, but he needed to get up.

“You okay?” Bennett screamed, looking up to see a boy, about his age but taller and with broader shoulders, looking down at him from the top of the ditch.

“You scared me!” He shouted, fear morphing into anger. Why the hell was this guy following him through the woods at night?

“Sorry. Help you.” The boy said tersely, crouching down and sliding into the ditch. He held his hand out and Bennett took it, using it to sit up better.

“Why were you following me?” He asked, getting a better look at the boy now that he was sitting next to him. He had long, messy hair that seemed to glow silver in the moonlight. He was wearing loose-fit clothes--an old t-shirt and torn jeans--and he was barefoot. And yep, those were red eyes. Who was this guy?

“People not come in woods when dark.” The boy replied. His sentence was broken, and he paused halfway through as if to think of what to say. Does he not speak English? “Razor thought, why you here?”

“I was walking home, but I got lost. Plus, you scared me half to death!” Bennett snapped but his frustration was waning, being replaced by curiosity. Who was this kid? He lives in a small town, surely he’s seen him before, but yet, the boy looked like a complete stranger.

“Sorry,” The boy repeated. “Did not mean to scare you.” He hugged his knees and looked to the side. Bennett's heart melted a little, he looked like a sad puppy.

“It’s fine, my name’s Bennett, what’s yours?” He reached out to shake the boy’s hand but he winced as his shoulder throbbed with pain.

“You’re hurt.” The boy said, grabbing his hand but not answering his question. He pushed up Bennett’s sleeve as if looking for the injury.

“I’m okay, don’t worry! I trip and fall all the time, I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.” He said, pulling his hand back with a flush. This boy was rather forward, wasn’t he?

“Razor help you, back to town, yes?” The boy asked, standing up and brushing off his pants. He gazed down at him with those piercing red eyes, and Bennett suddenly felt very small.

“Razor, is that your name?” He asked, standing up as well and grimacing as his scraped knee stung. He’d have to clean that when he gets home. The boy--Razor--nodded and reached out to grab Bennett’s forearm as he stumbled. “I’m fine, really,” He said, cheeks heating up. He tried to push Razor’s hand away but found that the boy’s grip was steady and unwilling to let go.

“No. Hold you.” Bennett blushed even harder. God, he was too gay for this.

They walked in silence for a while, partly heading back the way they had come. At some point, Bennett gave up and leaned into Razor’s side despite his embarrassment. Everything hurt and hanging on to the silver-haired boy made it much easier to walk. But still, he squirmed, uncomfortable in the silence.

“So, Razor… that’s an unusual name. Did you pick it yourself?” He asked eventually, breaking the tense silence. The boy nodded and gave a small noise assent, but said nothing. Bennett hummed, trying to think of something else to say. “You said you were curious as to why I was in the woods after dark, but why were you?”

“Razor lives here.” He replied gruffly.

“Here? You mean in the woods?” Another nod. “How come I’ve never seen you in town then?”

“Don’t go to town. Too many people.”

“Huh? Then how do you get food? Do you live off the grid or something?”

“Bennett asks many questions.” The boy said, his tone a bit strained.

“Sorry-” Bennett flushed.

“It’s okay. Razor just talk little.”

Bennett nodded. That makes sense, probably because the guy doesn’t speak English very well. He didn’t seem like the talkative type either. He was caught up in his thoughts and he didn’t notice that Razor had stopped.

“Here.”

“Huh? Oh-” Bennett paused, seeing the street lights in the distance. They were on the edge of one of the fields near his house. It was empty right now, mostly bare with just a few weeds, as it had grown summer crops and the autumn chill had killed them off.

“Thanks for leading me back.” Razor nodded but he wasn’t looking at him. He was watching the street, staring at the gas station that sat before them across the road. He seemed tense. This was probably closer than he usually got to town.

“I’ll head home now,” Bennett said, walking out into the field. “Thanks again for-” He turned around but Razor was gone. After a moment he could see the boy retreating into the forest. Huh. That was, really weird. Bennett laughed a little to himself. What just happened even? He shook his head and walked to the road, heading in the direction of his house.

After another ten minutes, he was home. He kicked off his shoes as he stepped inside, trying to close the door as quietly as possible.

“Bennett?” He heard his dad call for him from the kitchen.

“Yeah, I’m home.” He said, dropping his backpack on the couch.

“There you are, I was starting to get worried. I texted you but you never answered.” His father sighed, stepping into the living room.

“Oh sorry, my phone’s dead.”

“Are you alright? You’re covered in mud.” His dad came up to him and brushed some dirt off his face.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I took a shortcut through the woods but I got a little lost and fell into a ditch.”

“You need to be careful Bennett.” His dad sighed. “C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up and have some dinner.

Much later, with a fresh bandage on his knee and dinner in his belly, Bennett made his way to his room. His shoulder ached as he pulled off his binder to change into his sleep clothes. Putting on an oversized t-shirt and some gym shorts, he climbed into bed. He nestled into his bed, snuggling up to his many stuffed animals. Fischl liked to tease him, saying he had an obsession, but he just ignored her. They were comfy, and besides, she has plenty of her own strange obsessions. 

He looked out his window, into the woods beyond his house, once again thinking of the weird red-eyed boy. Where was Razor? Where did he even live? Bennett had explored these woods for years, but he’d never come across a house in them, let alone seen Razor before. Why did he live in the woods anyway? Does he have a family?

Bennett sighed and laid back in his bed, resting a hand on his forehead. There’s no use in wondering, the only way he’d get answers would be to ask Razor again, but he didn’t even know where to look for the guy. Maybe he could go back into the woods after school tomorrow and look for him again. It was probably a bad idea but he couldn't help being curious.

Bennett rolled over and decided he’d ask Fischl about it at school tomorrow. He lay there for a long time, trying to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes his mind wandered back to the boy in the woods. This was gonna be a long night.

Chapter Text

Bennett sighed as he slumped down into his chair. He pulled out his phone and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes, but it didn’t work. He unlocked his phone and pulled up his chat with Fischl. They shared a math class but they didn’t sit next to each other, so they would just text each other during that period.

Captain Benny👍: i did not sleep last night

🖤💜Prinzessin💜🖤: What happened? 

🖤💜Prinzessin💜🖤: Wert thou plagued with visions?

🖤💜Prinzessin💜🖤: I can send Oz to protect your dreams as well~

Captain Benny👍: no nightmares

Captain Benny👍: just didnt sleep lol

🖤💜Prinzessin💜🖤: Did you at least finish your homework?

Captain Benny👍: nope

Captain Benny👍: something weird happened tho

Captain Benny👍: some guy was following me thru the woods

Bennett looked up and saw Fischl turn around in her seat to stare at him in horror. Are you okay? She mouthed. Bennett smiled and nodded, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. He turned back to his phone

🖤💜Prinzessin💜🖤: Bennett wtf

Captain Benny👍: im fine lol

Captain Benny👍: it was just some kid and he said sorry

Captain Benny👍: he was kinda weird tho

🖤💜Prinzessin💜🖤: wdym?

“ Ahem. ” Bennett jumped, dropping his phone onto his desk. He looked up to see his teacher, Mr. Timaeus, holding a hand towards him. “Your homework?”

“Uh-” Bennett reached into his backpack and found the crumpled worksheet. Oh yeah. “I accidentally ripped it, sorry.” He said, handing his paper to the teacher.

Mr. Timaeus nodded. “Remember, no phones in class. If I see it again I’ll have to take it.” Bennett nodded and hastily sent one last message to Fischl before shoving his phone in his pocket.

Captain Benny👍: ill tell u at lunch

Bennett sat down at their usual lunch table to wait for Fischl. He usually got to the cafeteria first, so it was his job to save their spot. Plus, he often packed his own lunch, meaning he didn’t have to wait in line. He was busy fumbling with the ziplock back that was holding his sandwich hostage when Fischl sat down, loudly clacking her tray on the table.

“So, are you going to tell me about this stranger in the woods now?”

“One sec-” Bennett had given up on trying to open the bag with his fingers and was now trying to rip it open with his teeth. Fischl rolled her eyes and held out her hand. Bennett handed it over and watched as, embarrassingly, his friend opened it easily with her fingers. She raised an eyebrow and handed it back to him. “Heh, thanks.” Bennett busied himself with eating, not noticing Fischl’s pointed stare until she cleared her throat.

“The boy in the woods?”

“Oh right-” He swallowed his bite of food before continuing. “So I decided to walk home through the woods since it was getting like, really late. After a while, I start to get a little lost, and then I notice some guy following me. So I try not to freak out but then we lock eyes so I know that he knows that I know, and I start running away. I wasn’t sure if he was following me or not so I turned around to check and I tripped into a ditch.”

“Of course you did.” Fischl smiled. She was right, Bennett did have exceptionally bad luck after all.

“Anyways,” He rolled his eyes. “The guy caught up to me and he helped me get up. But get this--he had red eyes, like, red red. He also had really long grey hair but he was like, our age.” Bennett paused to take another bite of his sandwich.

“So, a random guy with red eyes follows you through the woods and chases you into a ditch, and you’re fine with this?!” Fischl exclaimed a little too loudly, causing a few heads to turn.

“I mean, he did apologize. Plus he was kind of cute.”

Fischl threw her head into her hands. “Oh, thou art hopeless.”

“Hey, it's not that bad! He even helped me walk back to town. He was pretty nice too, even if he didn’t speak English that well. I think I’m gonna go look for him after school today.”

“You’re going to what? Are you crazy?!” Fischl cried. “You don’t even know this guy's name or where he lives!”

“I do know his name, and it’s Razor.”

“Yeah, and Razor definitely isn't a name that some crazy psychopath in the woods would have.”

“He’s not a psychopath-”

“I’m not going to convince you, am I?” Fischl sighed. “At least let me come with you then, so you don’t get lost again.”

“How do you know you aren’t going to get lost?”

“Excuse me? I am the Prinzessin der Verurteilung! I do not ‘get lost’.”

When the final bell rang, Bennett waited for Fischl in the courtyard. They walked home together every day, so this was their routine. After a few minutes of scrolling through his phone, he noticed his friend walking toward him.

“We should stop at my house on the way back,” Fischl said as she approached. “That way we can drop off our backpacks and grab some flashlights.”

“Sure.” Bennett nodded and he lead the way down their familiar route home. After about fifteen minutes they arrived at Fischl’s house, dropping their backpacks on the couch and grabbing some flashlights and water bottles. They waved hello to Fischl’s mother as they left. Seeing Bennett was so common that she didn’t question it. The two friends practically lived at each other’s houses.

Bennett lead Fischl down the road to the deer path he had followed the night before.

“Wait.” Bennett stopped and turned to see Fischl standing in the road. She had an arm raised and was looking up towards the trees, “Oz! Reveal thyself!” At her command, a raven flew from the trees and landed on her arm. When they were younger, he and Fischl had found the raven injured and Fischl nursed it back to health. Since then, the raven had stayed by her side, and would often follow them when they went on walks through the forest. It was a smart bird and seemed to understand what Fischl said, but, it only listened to her. Bennett had a few scars on his arm to prove that.

“You gonna have him follow us?” He asked, walking over to pet the bird. Oz had warmed up to him since the time he scratched his arm, but he still wouldn’t answer to any of his commands.

“Yes, I shall have him scout ahead and alert me of any danger,” Fischl said with a smug smile. With that, Oz flew off into the trees, perching on a high-up branch about 200 feet ahead of them. Bennett rolled his eyes. He knew the bird wasn’t going to do that, but it would follow them at least.

The two of them set off down the path, Bennett doing his best to remember which way he’d gone last night. It was much easier to tell where he was during the day, and when they reached the clearing he had stopped at before, he recognized where he was. The ditch he fell in was probably one of the dried-up creek beds that only held water in the spring.

“This is where I saw Razor last night.” He said, stopping to sit down on a fallen tree, “He said he lives here in the woods, so he’ll probably be somewhere nearby if he’s still around.”

“He actually lives here? Where? I’ve never seen any houses out here.” Fischl asked, taking a seat next to Bennett and taking a sip of her water bottle.

“I don’t know. He didn’t say where--just that he lives in the woods. Wherever he lives, it's probably not very nice. His clothes were all torn up and he wasn’t even wearing shoes.”

“The more you tell me of him the more convinced I am that he’s a serial killer.”

“He was like 17! How many 17-year-old serial killers do you know of?” Bennett asked, throwing his arms up. He understood that Fischl was being cautious, but really, Razor wasn’t that bad.

Fischl opened her mouth to respond but she paused. “I- Well… Admittedly I am not aware of any 17-year-old serial killers. But,” She added hastily, “I’m sure there are plenty, and you still have no reason to trust him.”

“Why’d you even come along if all you’re gonna do is complain?” Bennett asked grumpily, crossing his arms.

“I’m just concerned. You may know his name, but he’s still a complete stranger. I want to make sure you’re safe.”

Bennett was quiet for a moment. He stared off into the woods in front of him. Fischl was right, he really didn’t have any reason to trust Razor. Why was he even out here, anyway? He shook his head and stood up, brushing some dirt off his shorts. 

“I’m gonna go look around and see if I can find him. You can come if you want.” He started walking in the direction of the ditch, not looking to see if Fischl was following him or not. A few minutes later, she caught up with him, and they walked in silence. They searched for another hour but found nothing. Occasionally Bennett would look up to see Oz watching them from the trees, but no Razor. Eventually, Fischl came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s getting late, and I don’t think we’re going to find him. We should head back to my house, my mother will be making dinner soon.”

Bennett sighed. “Alright, let's head back. I’ll tell my dad that I’m eating at your house tonight.”

They began their walk back to Fischl’s house and made it just as the sun began to set. They ate dinner and did their homework, but eventually, Bennett’s dad texted him that he wanted him back before it got too late. He waved goodbye to Fischl’s family and started walking home. He walked in the grass by the side of the road, as their town was so small that very little of it had actual sidewalks.

Bennett stopped across from the gas station, looking out at the field where he’d last seen Razor. He knew he was supposed to go home, but his curiosity got the better of him. Soon he was crossing the fallowing field and was at the forest’s edge once more. There was little chance he’d find even Razor, especially now, but he wanted to look anyways. Without thinking he walked into the woods, heading in the direction of the dried-out creek.

Bennett hadn’t been walking for more than five minutes when he heard something. It was a howl. He knew there were coyotes in the area, but that was no coyote cry. That was a wolf. He turned around, knowing that he really should head back, especially if some wolves had made their way into the forest. He’d have to tell his dad about that, so the forest services could relocate them somewhere safer.

Bennett made his way back to town and into his neighborhood, giving one last glance back at the forest before jogging to his house. He really hoped that Razor was safe now that there might be wolves in the forest.

Chapter Text

Bennett grumbled and rolled over in his bed, pulling the covers up over his face. The sun was shining in through his blinds, but thankfully, it was Saturday, which meant he could sleep in. He was usually a morning person but the last few nights he hadn’t gotten much sleep. He lay for several minutes, trying to get comfortable, but finally accepted that sleep had escaped him. He pulled out his phone and saw a message from his dad.

CyrusTheForestGuy🌲: Hey Benny, I got called into work early, there are some waffles in the freezer

Bennett sat up and stretched. He was wearing an old shirt from his dad that had the State Park’s mascot on it, a weird-looking bear in overalls. It wasn’t pretty, but it was comfortable. Plus, it hid his chest well when he wasn’t wearing his binder. He stood and walked to the kitchen, sending a reply to his dad as he went.

Captain Benny👍: ok

Captain Benny👍: btw i think i heard a wolf in the forest last night

Captain Benny👍: you might wanna check the area in case you find it

Bennett popped two waffles in the toaster and looked out the window as he waited for them to warm up. He wasn’t expecting a reply from his father, he rarely had service when he was at work, but he’d forgotten to tell him about the wolf last night so he might as well tell him now--before he forgets again. The toaster popped and Bennett was just about to grab his waffles when he noticed some movement in the corner of his eye.

Is that-

Waffles forgotten, Bennett raced out the backdoor and to the edge of the forest behind his house.

“Razor?” He scanned the trees, looking for that flash of silver he’d seen from the window, but he saw nothing. He waited for a moment for a reply, but none came. “Dangit…” He murmured, mostly to himself. Suddenly, when the cool morning breeze hit his bare legs, he remembered that he was still in his boxers and an oversized t-shirt. He quickly ran inside, embarrassment warming him up against the chill.

Shit, my waffles are cold.

Bennett busied himself until early afternoon with homework and video games. He was playing Minecraft with Fischl, but when she left to go eat lunch, he turned off his Xbox and got up to stretch. He eventually found his way to the kitchen and started munching on some chips. He was absentmindedly staring out the when-

There!

The same flash of silver that he’d seen this morning was running through the woods past his house. Bennett dropped the bag of chips and scrambled to pull on his tennis shoes, not even tying the laces in his haste. He ran across the backyard and into the woods, going the same direction as the silver thing he’d seen. He jogged through the forest for several minutes, hoping to catch sight of it again, but to no avail. Soon, he came to a stop, sweaty and out of breath. He really hated having to wear a binder all the time. He sat down on the ground, panting, holding his aching ribs. Letting his head roll back on his shoulders, Bennett closed his eyes, deciding to take a quick break to catch his breath.

“Bennett-”

“Ah!” Bennett sat up with a scream. There in front of him stood Razor, leaning over the prone boy. His long silver hair hung down, making a sort of halo around his face. “You have to stop sneaking up on me!” Bennett cried.

“Oh, sorry…” Razor said with a guilty look. He reached out a hand to help Bennett stand.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Bennett said. “I was out here for hours yesterday.”

“I know. Razor saw you with that girl.” The red-eyed boy said with a quick nod.

“Then why didn’t you come over?”

“Razor does not know girl. And she said mean things.” He replied, avoiding Bennett’s gaze.

“Oh,” Bennett rubbed his neck in embarrassment. “She was just looking out for me. We’ve been friends for a long time and she wanted to make sure I was safe.”

“Razor keep Bennett safe,” Razor said with a serious tone. Bennett looked away, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. He doesn’t mean it like that-

“Uh… T-Thanks” Bennett stuttered. God, does he ever blink?

“Come,” Razor said. He turned and started walking away, not even looking to see if Bennett would follow. Bennett did, of course. He scrambled to catch up with the taller boy. They walked for a few minutes until Bennett could hear the familiar sound of the river. It was shallow in the fall, winding its way lazily through the forest. Bennett had been to this river many times, as it was only a 20-minute walk from his house. As a kid, he loved walking along the riverbank--skipping stones and watching the ducks. 

Razor stopped suddenly and Bennett almost ran into him. “If Bennett look for Razor, Razor will wait by the river after high sun.”

Oh. Razor was going to wait for him. Bennett tried to himself from having too big of a smile as the silver-haired boy turned around to look at him. “Okay! I won’t be able to come every day, but I’d love to meet here and hang out!”

“Hang… out?” Razor asked, tilting his head quizically. The longer Bennett spent with the boy, the more and more he thought he looked like a puppy.

“Ah, it's just an expression. It means that we spend time together! Like a play-date, but those are for little kids.” Bennett explained, starting to ramble. He wasn’t sure how much of this Razor knew and how much he didn’t.

“Play?” Razor asked--an expression Bennett hadn’t seen before dance across his features.

“Uhm, yeah, I guess. I mean, we don’t have to, we can do whatever you want but-” Suddenly, Bennett was cut off as the taller boy pushed him into the river. He gasped, the cold water making his muscles cramp. “Hey! What was that for?!”

“Play!” Razor crouched down, a mischievous look on his face. The boy pounced, pushing Bennett back into the river. He cried out, grabbing onto Razor and pulling him down as well. They wrestled for a moment in the shallow water, until Bennett came out on top laughing. In the back of his mind, he knew Razor probably let him win, since he was clearly the stronger of the two of them, but Bennett didn’t really care. He stood up, reaching out a hand to help Razor stand as well, and as he did, he yanked, sending Razor tumbling onto the river bank. He laughed and laid down next to the startled boy. Bennett rested his hand on his chest, feeling just how quickly his heart raced.

Much later, as the sun drew closer to the horizon, Bennett was still by the river with his newfound friend. He was sitting on a boulder, watching as Razor stood in the river with his pants rolled up to his knees. He was crouched over the water, standing as still as possible. Suddenly, he pounced, reaching out with his hands. With a triumphant cry, the red-eyed boy pulled a wriggling fish out of the water. Bennett clapped as Razor walked over and deposited the fish onto the bank. It thrashed and squirmed, and Bennett found himself feeling bad for the poor thing. He picked it up and yelped at the slimy texture as it slipped out of his hands. He waved his hands around, trying to get rid of the feeling.

“What Bennett doing?” Razor asked, tilting his head yet again. From their time together Bennett had gathered that he did this whenever he was confused, whether he said anything about it or not.

“I was trying to put it back but it felt really gross!” He whined. Finally, he relented and wiped the slime off onto his shorts. He’d have to wash them when he got home.

“Why Bennett not eat fish?” Razor walked over, frowning at the fish and picking it up. It had stopped wriggling at this point, meaning it was probably dead. So much for putting it back.

“Huh? I don’t want to eat a raw fish! I’m not even that hungry.” He cried. Razor frowned even deeper at that and sat down on the ground next to the boulder, fish in hand.

“Fine. Razor eat fish,” he said grumpily, hunching over with his legs loosely crossed.

“Woah, Woah, wait!” Bennett yelped as Razor opened his mouth to take a bite. He snatched the fish back, inwardly cringing at the slime but holding on tightly anyways. “You need to cook it first!” Razor’s look of alarm morphed into confusion.

“Cook it? How?” Bennett stared back, now donning his own confused look. Does he not know how to build a fire?

“Wait here,” Bennett said, setting down the fish. “Don’t eat that!” Razor’s hand froze where it was, reaching out for the fish. He pulled the hand back into his lap and sat patiently. Bennett ran off quickly and returned a few minutes later with a bundle of wood and some dry leaves. He set out to work building the base for a fire, making sure to clear away any flammable debris on the river bank. After a suitable base was built, he grabbed a dry piece of bark and two sharp sticks. He pulled one of the untied laces from his shoes and built a quick bow drill, just like his dad had shown him. Razor watched in wonder as Bennett drilled into the bark until it began to smoke. It took a few tries, but soon, the tinder caught alight and the fire was properly glowing.

“How Bennett make fire?” Razor asked, staring in amazement as Bennett set about cooking the fish.

“My dad taught me! It’s not hard.” Bennett said with a smile, handing the slightly charred fish over to his friend.

“But humans not have magic?” Razor said with a frown.

“It’s not magic,” Bennett laughed. “It’s friction!”

“Friction?” Razor just looked even more confused. He took a careful bite of the fish before spitting it out.

“Careful! It’s hot!” Bennett said, reaching out to Razor as he coughed. “And, I might have burned it a little…”

Razor devoured the fish after it had sufficiently cooled down, and Bennett watched, amusedly, as he ran back to the river to catch more. Bennett cooked each one after it was caught, still cringing at the slimy feeling. It wasn’t long before he started to get pretty hungry too, and he decided to eat one of the fish. It didn’t have any seasoning, and it was a little burnt, but it wasn’t too bad. Plus, it was nice to know that he can cook his own food in the wild if need be. Time drew on as they--mostly Razor--ate their fish. Before they knew it, it was getting dark.

“Oh, shit- My dad will be getting home soon. He’ll be mad if I'm not there.” Bennett sat up, tossing some mud from the river onto the dying fire to put it out. “I have to get back.”

Razor stood as well, picking a fishbone out of his teeth. “Bennett go back.” He said with a nod.

“I don’t have school tomorrow, so we can meet here again, yeah?” Bennett asked as he pulled his shoes back on, not even noticing that one of them was still missing its laces.

“Meet here tomorrow.” Razor echoed.

“See you then!” Bennett smiled, starting on his walk home. He walked quickly, hoping to get there before his dad. Before he got too far, he turned around one last time and waved to Razor, who shyly raised a hand as well, copying the gesture.

Luck was not on his side, unfortunately, for when he arrived home, Bennett saw his father’s truck parked on the street. He ran to the back door and snuck inside, hoping to avoid getting in trouble, but yet again, his bad luck got in the way.

“Bennett? There you are. I’ve been calling you for 10 minutes, why didn’t you answer?” His father asked. He was standing at the counter, still wearing his ranger uniform.

“Sorry, I was in the woods and didn’t have any service.” He replied, sliding off his wet, muddy shoes and making his way into the kitchen.

“You need to tell me if you’re going to go somewhere-” His dad began, but Bennett interrupted him.

“I know, I just forgot-”

“And I don’t want you going into the woods anymore, at least not until we’ve got this wolf situation sorted out.” His dad said, his voice strained a bit with frustration.

“Oh, okay.” Bennett frowned. So much for seeing Razor tomorrow… “So you saw my text then?”

“I did, but we already knew about the wolves. That’s why I got called in today. We were surveying the area and trying to figure out how big the pack is.” His father’s face softened when he saw Bennett’s dejected expression. “I’m not mad at you, I just want you to be safe. And I want you to start answering your phone.”

“Alright. I’m sorry, Dad, I really am.”

“Thanks, champ.” His dad said with a wink, ruffling his hair. Bennett rolled his eyes and walked back to his room to change out of his dirty clothes. He hated when his dad called him ‘champ’, and he knew that was exactly the reason why he did it.