Page 183 of Inbetweeners

“Shall we take cakes?”

“They already like you.”

“I can never have enough love.”

Phoenix chuckled. “Then we’ll take cakes.”

About half the office was in when they went into the room. Jonah and Raffety sidled up the moment they walked in.

“I recognise those boxes,” Kel said. “I get first choice because you like me best, right?”

Emmett did like Kel, though when he’d first seen him shift and turn into a wolf, Emmett had almost bolted.

“Tar gets first choice,” Emmett said.

“What have you done that’s going to piss me off?” Tar asked.

“Nothing.”

Tar stared at him and Emmett frantically thought if there was something bad he’d done that he’d forgotten about, but nothing came to mind. Tar took a chocolate éclair and left the room.

Everyone but Matthias took a cake.

“Sorry,” Phoenix said, though he didn’t sound sorry.

“How about if I pricked my finger and let you suck it?” Emmett said.

Matthias dropped his feet from his desk and sat bolt upright.

“No!” Tar yelled from his office.

“No,” Phoenix said at Emmett’s side.

Matthias gave a heavy sigh. “Such a tease. It hurts not to be trusted.”

Emmett and Phoenix sat at their desks, which happened to be at the other end of the room from the vampire.

“Show me yours,” Phoenix said.

Emmett rolled up his sleeve, and peeled back the wrap on his right wrist to reveal a white unicorn with a huge horn. “Like it?”

Phoenix gaped at him. “But that’s not what we agreed on.”

He peeled off his wrap and showed Emmett the rainbow-coloured heartbeat across his wrist.

“It’s beautiful,” Emmett said. It matched the one he had on his left wrist. They’d chosen them as a reminder to treat every day as if it were their last, to not to miss opportunities that came their way, but seize every moment and appreciate it. The tattoo showed their love, life and passion along with their strength and persistence. Emmett frowned. “I sort of wish I’d gone for that instead of the big-dicked unicorn.”

“It has a big horn, not a big dick.”

Emmett gasped. “I want my money back.”

“Show me your other wrist.”

Emmett smiled. “Weren’t you fooled, even for a moment?” He pulled back the wrapping and revealed his matching tattoo of the heartbeat.

“Not for a minute.” Phoenix turned over his other wrist and showed Emmett a tattoo of someone’s face. “I had this done of you.”

“It’s hideous!”

“I don’t think you’re hideous.”

“It had better wash off.”

Emmett laid his wrist next to Phoenix’s so that the tattoos matched up, one life line, running into the other.

“We have forever,” Emmett whispered. “Will it be long enough?”

“We’ll make it long enough.”

The End