Page 92 of Mortis

The shriek of a siren tore through my thoughts. My head snapped towards the road as a police car flew down Church Lane. Then another followed. And another.

“Wonder what’s going on,” Teddy mused as we reached the funeral home. “Must be something exciting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the local force actually use their cars before. They normally just wander around on foot moving on unruly teenagers and the local drunks.”

Arlo was behind the reception desk when we walked in. He’d left home before us, announcing that he was going to collect breakfast rolls with Maurice before they opened for the day. Based on the paper bag sitting on the counter, steam curling from the open top, he had done exactly that.

“Got you both a bacon and egg roll from the café,” he said without looking away from the computer, waving vaguely towards the bag.

Teddy hummed happily and immediately made his way towards it.

“With brown⁠—”

“Yes, with brown sauce,” Arlo interrupted. “Even if it’s a crime against breakfast food.”

Teddy pulled a foil-wrapped roll from the bag and handed it to me before retrieving his own. The smell of warm bacon immediately made my mouth water, and the Beast gave a quiet purr of approval.

“Brown sauce is great.”

Teddy unwrapped his roll and took a large bite, releasing a pleased little moan as he chewed. My cock twitched inside my trousers, and I frowned down at it.

Apparently, that was all it took now.

“Yeah, on sausages,” Arlo replied, oblivious to my predicament. “Ketchup goes on bacon. It’s one of the Ten Commandments or something.”

“Oh, yeah,” Teddy said around another bite. “Thou shalt put ketchup on bacon. Pretty sure that comes right before thou shalt not be a twat.”

Arlo huffed and raised his middle finger.

Teddy laughed.

I took another bite of my roll, still uncertain why either condiment required religious doctrine, while Arlo returned to clicking rapidly at the computer.

“What are you looking at?” I asked through a mouthful of food.

Arlo finally turned the screen towards us. “I’m checking the Bugle’s Twitter page. Trying to see what’s going on with all the police cars.”

Teddy nodded. A glob of dark sauce clung to his lower lip. I wanted to pull him close and lick it away.

“We saw three just as we were coming in.”

“Well, another two whizzed by about twenty minutes before that.” Arlo turned his attention back to the computer. “Something weird’s going on, and I want to be the first to know about it.”

Teddy finished his roll and scrunched up the foil. I did the same, and when he held out his hand for my rubbish, I passed it over. He shoved everything back into the paper bag before tossing it into the bin behind the desk.

“Well, I’m going to finish up with Mr Simpson.”

He threaded his fingers through mine and tugged me towards the archway leading to the room of coffins. I followed without argument, as always.

Before we disappeared from view, Teddy glanced over his shoulder. “Where’s Grandad?”

“He’s gone to see Gerald,” Arlo replied absently. “No meetings booked in until one.”

I followed Teddy through the Staff Only door and into the kitchen. We hung up our jackets, then Teddy retrieved two unopened packs of scrubs from one of the cabinets. Unlike at the beginning of our budding relationship, Teddy was now more than happy for me to undress in front of him. And he was equally comfortable undressing in front of me.

I liked this development immensely.

Rather than retreating into the toilet to change, we did so together in the kitchen, where I tried not to stare.

I was unsuccessful.