Author: NebulaSpider
Rating: T
Title: Guys' Night Out
Summary: Sometimes it takes a night away from everything to see what is right in front of you all along. This was written as a gift for the 2008 Demilos_Wagon LJ community Holiday Fic Exchange.
Disclaimer: Tin Man, Wizard of OZ or anything associated with it belong in no way, shape, or form to me. Sadly, this includes Cain's gun. For some reason, there's no money either. ::pouts::
For a change, it was not raining in Central City. The night was crisp and clear and the stars shone brightly overhead. There was no moon, but that did not matter to anyone except the odd astronomer or alchemist. There was always light in Central City, no matter what time it was. The flickering streetlights that were designed to imitate old gas lamps illuminated the streets quite clearly. Two men walked together smoothly up the center of the street. One was tall and slender, with crazy hair and a grace of movement that every woman that passed admired and even envied. One was broad and confidant, with a hat pulled down low on his head, concealing his eyes. His duster flapped idly as he walked. They were not in any hurry, but obviously had a destination in mind.
Two very young women passed them on an intersection. One of them slowed and stopped deliberately right in front of the men, eyeing them up and down. "You fellas look like you know how to have a good time. Why don't you keep us company tonight?" She smiled coquettishly up at them. "My friend and I are lonely."
The man in the duster pulled his friend to a halt to prevent him from running over the women. "Pardon, ladies, but we have other plans tonight. Our thanks, though." He tipped his hat to them politely then steered his friend around them and continued down the street they were on.
The woman stood with her mouth hanging open. She was not used to men denying her when she invited them over. Her pretty hair glinted in the lamp light as she slowly shut her mouth and shook her head back and forth in disbelief. Her friend touched her on the arm lightly. "Pay it no mind," she advised, glancing over her shoulder. "They're heading right into Sin Square and there's no way you can compete with that mindset." Behind them, bright lights and music drew the party-seekers and the merely curious alike into the carnival-like atmosphere of the one place in Central City where everything went, even if it was illegal.
Wyatt Cain hunched his shoulders into his duster and shot a sideways glare to his friend. "Remind me why we're here again, Zipper head." He was a Tin Man. Tin Men did not belong in Sin Square, unless they were aiming to arrest someone in one of the more outrageous establishments.
His companion gave him a deliberate bumbling idiot look. "Come on, Cain! It's been ages since we had any excitement. I love hanging out at the Palace and relaxing and all, but you're way too tense. Relax! Have fun! Find a girl! Get drunk!" With each exclamation, Glitch waved his arms around wildly. "Besides, it was my turn to pick and I'm bored."
Cain ducked as one of Glitch's arms came close to knocking off his hat. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But…Sin Square? Don't you have an image to maintain as the Queen's Advisor or something? And I'm a Tin Man," he said, trying out his argument. "I'm supposed to arrest the carousers, not join in their midst."
"Tomorrow is our day off, Cain," Glitch said, rolling his eyes. "The Queen didn't say anything about the cow and broccoli incident, and that one even made the papers." Ignoring Cain's sudden flush, he continued. "She understands that we have to get away from Palace life sometimes and she isn't going to say or do or even think anything about it so long as we don't start some kind of major diplomatic incident." He paused for a moment to eye the passing prostitutes and drug dealers. "Clearly, we can pretty much lay that concern to rest completely. Okay, and so long as her daughters are adequately safe," he added on as an afterthought. His eyes widened in alarm as he thought of something else. "You did leave your gun in your room, right? Please tell me you did. You know they won't let us in with firearms." He heaved an audible sigh of relief as Cain pulled back his duster to show his bare belt. "Are you trying to say you don't want our 'guys' night out', Cain?" Glitch finished, trying not to smile through his assumed hurt face.
"No, no," Cain protested dryly. "I would never try to get rid of an institution created by DG."
He grinned at the memory. He would have never guessed when DG and Glitch came dashing down the hill to free him from his tin prison that they would all have formed a lasting, amazingly close friendship, but that was exactly what had happened once they freed Azkadellia from the Witch during the Eclipse. A year later, the bond between the three of them and Raw was still as strong as ever, despite the fact that Raw had returned to his own tribe of Viewers in order to tutor Kalm in his gifts.
Three months after Raw left and a year after the Eclipse, DG started to drop hints about something she called 'guy's night out'. After another three or four months, she stopped hinting and told them outright to pick two nights a month to go hang out together and leave her completely alone. "You're driving me crazy!" she exclaimed, throwing herself on the couch. "I love you both to death, but I'm going to go absolutely insane if Az and I can't spend some time together with just us girls or have some time totally to myself." After that amusing outburst, every other weekend Cain and Glitch would hang out together. Usually, they spent the evening in one or the other of their quarters or the stable tack room, but recently there had been some more out of the ordinary nights. This night was rapidly shaping up to be one of the more unique ones, Cain thought with some amusement.
"So where are we going first?" he drawled. "Since this night out was your choice," he winced as a particularly loud group of people with horns passed them, "I'll leave it to you to choose. Try not to make me regret this."
Glitch beamed at him and pointed to the first open doorway. "You won't. I knew you could get into the spirit, Cain!"
Cain glanced up at the sign hanging over the door. It read, "Wonder Whores Watering Well". He groaned loudly for effect but grinned as they crossed over the threshold and Glitch made an immediate beeline for the topless bar. "This oughta be interesting," he said to himself.
One strip bar, one club and two 'normal' bars later, Cain felt much better about the whole evening and far more relaxed. They sat quietly at a joint called only "Central City Bar". Cain recognized it from his time before guarding the Mystic Man as one of the most popular Sin Square places to relax. It was a good time but the proprietor was clean and honest. Any troublemakers quickly found that they were not welcome. From what he gathered so far, it was still that way. He signaled the barkeep for another beer. It was brought over before an order placed previously. When Cain raised an eyebrow, the barkeep only shrugged in return and offered a grin. "It's good to have you folk here, even if you are just having a good time. We like to encourage return visitors, if you know what I mean."
Cain laughed and tossed some extra money on the bar for the man's tip. "I hear you. Thanks for the service."
Glitch watched the interchange with some confusion. "Wait, so they know who you are?"
"Of course they do." Cain took a healthy pull on his beer. It was far superior to the stuff from the other places they were in earlier. "Most decent business men in this district know the majority of the Tin Men by sight, or at least figure out how to recognize them immediately. If they are shady, they want to be able to hide their more illicit activities as soon as possible. If they're honest, they want to encourage us to linger because they know that even off duty we're worth our weight in gold in a fight. They may not know who I am specifically, but even as a bodyguard I act like a Tin Man. I guess I could hide it, but why bother?" He smirked. "Clearly, it has its perks."
"I suppose that makes sense," Glitch said doubtfully. "And I can't argue with the results. I guess I just didn't realize you wouldn't be able to relax completely here. I should have, I suppose. You never even relax at the Palace and you're comfortable there."
Cain snorted. "The princesses live at the Palace. It's a nightmare keeping track of DG and Az is only marginally better. I bet Madison has his hands full with her, too. Thank God he's a Slipper and I can trust him to be mostly impartial." He finished his beer and ordered another drink, letting his eyes roam idly about the place. It was an automatic check for trouble spots and to fix the descriptions of other patrons in his head. He didn't even think about it anymore after so many years of being on his guard. The dance floor was particularly animated, with so many people on it at the moment that he couldn't even see everyone on it. He made a mental note to keep an eye on it and shifted on his seat so he could do so.
"Madison seems to do well," Glitch said calmly. "I think the fact that he is a Slipper does help, though. He didn't even lose his head when Zero escaped last fall." He noticed immediately that Cain's fist tightened on the glass he held. "Even you couldn't quite think straight, but he managed all right with both girls for a little while until everything calmed down. I hope you recommended him for a raise, at the very least."
Cain took a deep breath to calm himself down at the mention of his old enemy. "You know, Zipper head, even though you have your brain back in its entirety I wonder sometimes if maybe the Alchemists missed a few connections. Why would you even bring that up when I've finally gotten over it?"
"You haven't gotten over anything, you just repressed it. You need to talk about it, Cain, or you'll go insane. You never let go of things even when you think you have. It's not healthy. You won't talk to Raw about it and I know he's tried more than once before he left. I don't think you can bare your soul to me, either, but at least I'm relatively impartial and can't know how you're really feeling. I'd rather you let a little steam out even if you shade the truth from me than be out of control when it counts the most." Glitch let Cain mull that over in silence as he finished his drink and ordered another one to nurse. "How did you ever meet, anyway? Why do you hate Zero so much?"
Cain remained silent for several minutes, staring out into space over the dance floor as memories came back to him. He grimaced and opened his mouth, then shut it in another frown. Finally he settled for shrugging helplessly. "It's a long story, Glitch. It's a long and painful story." Glitch didn't say anything, letting the silence drag on until Cain gave in.
"Zero was a Tin Man," he started softly, ignoring Glitch's start of surprise. There was no reason for Glitch to know, after all. No one but the Tin Men would have really known something like that from before the Witch's reign. "We didn't go to the Academy together, but when we were both assigned to Central City, we became partners. After a while, we trusted each other with anything on the job. And after a little bit longer than that, we trusted each other with anything off of the job too." He stopped, choking up a bit on the bitter memories, and twisted his fedora in his hands absently. He focused his attention on his hat and his drink, afraid that if he looked anywhere else, he wouldn't finish telling the story.
"We always worked very differently, and that made us good together. I was very cautious; by the book for the most part. Adrian was impulsive and rash. We were – no, we are – both brilliant tacticians in the same ways though, and the differences combined with the similarities made us stronger than any other pairing in the Tin Men at the time. We compensated for each other like we breathed. Everything was so natural, so effortless even. Every difficult or 'impossible' assignment was given to us and damned if we didn't come out on top and shining like heroes every single time. Every. Single. Time. After a while, it started to affect him. He was always rash, but then he became careless." Cain swigged the last of his beer and slammed the empty glass down on the counter. He asked for whiskey when the barkeep hurried over.
"He became careless and even more arrogant than he was naturally. After a while, it started to affect his job. Once, a child died because of it."
From the tightness of Cain's jaw, Glitch knew he would not elaborate. He decided not to interrupt and started to hope that Cain's whiskey glass wouldn't shatter under the pressure he was putting on it.
"No one really looked too much into the child's death. It was just decided that because she was a whore's brat nothing could have been done to save her given the circumstances." Cain's voice oozed derision. "There were other incidents, but nothing that could be proved by anybody against anybody. I was so stressed out about everything going on that I started to spend more and more time on the job, trying to figure out who was responsible for what." He downed the whiskey in one shot then ordered another one. No other customers even came close to them, sensing they did not want any part of what was going on.
"I don't even remember now what made me figure everything out, but one day I realized that nearly every recent incident and a good many of the previous ones could be laid directly at Adrian's feet and at mine." At that, Glitch did raise a wordless protest, but Cain raised a hand to cut him off. "Not because I knew what was going on, Glitch, but because I should have. He was my partner and I should have known what was happening. He blindsided me as much and as easily as glory blindsided him and I will never forgive myself for that." He downed his second shot and exhaled shakily. "All those people, all those deaths…those were my fault too, in the end." He signaled for another whiskey, but Glitch grabbed his hand as he started to down it as well.
"Not too fast, Cain. God knows I don't begrudge you the drink, but wait just a minute and let the last one settle." Reluctantly, Cain pulled his hand away from the glass and made a fist against his leg. "What happened then? Did you confront him?" Glitch asked softly.
Cain shook his head slowly. "No," he said hoarsely. "No. I didn't know what to do. I didn't think anyone would believe me without more proof. I left early that day and went home to talk to Adora. I wanted to know what she thought about everything." He sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes in agony. "When…when I got home, Adrian was with her. He was on top of her, in our bed. I…just left. I couldn't believe what I saw, but I knew I wasn't imagining it." The words were so simple, but so difficult to say. To this day, he could see his beautiful Adora moaning up at his trusted partner. His heart had broken utterly that day and hatred such as he had never imagined he was capable of grew for his ex-partner.
"I left the Tin Man and became a bodyguard for the Mystic Man. Shortly after that, I told Adora that I knew what was going on, and we decided to move away from Central City to try and preserve our relationship. There was Jeb to consider, after all, and I wanted us to remain a family if it was possible to do so." Oh, that did not come close to describing his agony. All the crying, screaming and distrust that happened in that interval; it all broke his heart and made him angry all over again. He didn't mention any of those things to Glitch, however, he just told the story as baldly as he knew how to. He reached for his drink again and this time his friend didn't stop him. Glitch just looked sad for him, and that's all Cain needed from him right now.
"After a year or so, things became better. Adora threw her whole being into our relationship again. It took me a little bit longer, but eventually I was able to do so as well. Shortly after that, the Witch took over and we became part of the Resistance to help refugees escape her reach." Again, Cain left so much out of the story with his stark words. None of the fear, the agony of discovery or the deprivation he and his family experienced during that time came through in his voice. "One day, Adora told me she received several letters from Zero, begging her to leave me and come back to Central City for him. She even showed me one, and told me that she ignored all of them and that she wanted me and Jeb. She told me that she was serious about our family now and despite her indiscretions earlier, I believed her and managed to hold onto my temper so I didn't drive her away. Three months later, Zero tracked us down.
"You know the story from there. All I know is that if he ever dares to show his face near me again no one will be able to stop me from killing him by slow degrees." He slammed down a fourth shot and dared Glitch to say something about that with a dark look.
Glitch just looked incredibly sad. "I'm sorry, Cain. Words don't do it justice, but I understand why you hate him so much. For what it's worth, if he ever shows up again, I'm right next to you, guarding your back."
Cain was touched, but just nodded and muttered a gruff thank you. Glitch seemed to understand how he felt and smiled at him and ordered another round. "I'm sorry I brought up the memories, but I think it's good you got it off your chest. Feel any better?" At Cain's surprised nod, he grinned. "Now we just need to find you a woman and this night is complete."
"No!" Cain groaned. He suppressed his thoughts about women. Rather, he suppressed his thoughts about a single woman. "We are not talking about women. This is 'guys' night out', remember? For guys? Just us relaxing?"
"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't score some women. My rhythm should be sufficient for the task," Glitch said confidently. "Even for you."
"Glitch," Cain said patiently. "I don't want a woman. I think you can understand why." He absently touched his ring finger. He had given his ring to Jeb months ago to wear for his own bride and didn't regret it, but sometimes he missed the very visible shield it represented. Now he had to come up with verbal shields and he wasn't nearly as good at that.
"Not really. I don't suppose it would have to do with a certain dark haired, blue eyed princess would it?" Glitch smirked then ducked as Cain half-heartedly swung at his shoulder. "I see my guess is not too far off the mark," he continued to tease. "It's so obvious. The stoic bodyguard that spends all day every day personally watching over a beautiful girl that saved him and also just happens to be a princess… Why don't you just admit it, court DG, and be done with it?" he laughed.
"It's not that easy, Zipper head," Cain growled. "It's complicated."
"Everything's complicated, Cain," the advisor shrugged. "At some point, you have to accept it and deal with it though. What you choose to do is up to you, but you still have to make that choice, no matter how uncomfortable it is. You can make a move or you can let her go, but you can't tell me you don't obsess over the choice every day. I know you too well. And if I can see it as Glitch, others have as well if they choose to put the pieces together."
Unfortunately, it was true. Glitch, although his brain was completely restored now, somehow managed to lose the reputation for sharpness that Ambrose held. It wasn't true of course; Glitch was at least as keen as he ever was as Ambrose, but he allowed himself to cultivate the impression that he still 'glitched' even in court sessions. He did it deliberately to ease tensions and discover information, but Cain was one of five people that knew the truth: the four of them and Azkadellia. Even the Queen and Consort did not realize how sharp Glitch was still.
"So what is so complicated about it, Tin Man?" Glitch asked.
Cain thought about ignoring the question completely, but decided that it would be utterly pointless. He settled for shrugging and swirling his liqueur around in his glass. Glitch let that pass for about a minute before challenging him to elaborate.
"Oh, come oh, Tin Man. You can do better than that. You spent most of your life filling out reports about why things happen. This can't be much worse. You've already had a wife and son." Cain's eyes darkened dangerously and for the second time that night was on the verge of a breakdown. Glitch mentally apologized, but thought that deliberately goading him was the only way to get the entire sorry situation out in the open at all and begin dealing with it in a healthy manner. "So why is this so complicated in comparison?"
Cain snarled low in his throat. He leapt to his feet and in the same smooth motion grabbed Glitch's collar and pulled him halfway off of his barstool. "Stay out of this, Ambrose."
It was a calculated insult and Glitch refused to respond to it or back down. "She calls your name out in her dreams, Cain. I'm not going to stay out of it. Hurting her is hurting all of us and by Ozma you will acknowledge this and make a decision," he said calmly, even though his heart was beating too quickly. "So what's the problem? She's beautiful and you're willing and I know for a fact you're both interested."
Cain choked. DG was interested in him? "You've been reading too many novels, Glitch. DG isn't interested in an old washed up Tin Man."
Glitch nodded thoughtfully and Cain's heart clenched even as he forced himself to give a mental sigh of relief. "You're right, of course. She isn't interested at all in washed up old Tin Men, but I know she's more than interested by a strong, fit, stubborn Tin Man by the name of Cain." He looked off into space absently for a minute then shrugged. "Although I have to admit that I don't understand the attraction myself."
Cain rolled his eyes and took another sip of whiskey. He was reaching the point where everything seemed almost as if it was happening to someone else and he wasn't going to refuse a gift at this stage. If Glitch would accept it and let it go then maybe he had a chance of getting the man so drunk he completely forgot about this night altogether.
"Cain, why are you smiling like that?" Glitch asked suspiciously. "You frighten me when you smile like that. You're just shouting to the whole world, 'Devious thoughts are going through my head right now!'"
"Oh, nothing to worry yourself about," Cain said. "Have another drink."
Glitch hesitated for a minute.
"Glitch," Cain said reasonably, "I'm forgetting my anger here. Work with me."
"Oh, right," Glitch hastily downed the next drink. "I still think you need a girl though. Why was that again?"
"You don't fool me, Glitch. Keep it to yourself. I'll happily intervene for you if you see a girl you want, though. I'll just sit here like an old man and drink my whiskey." Cain settled himself comfortably on his bar stool and placed his hat on the bar. "Run along now." Glitch grinned and ran off, leaving Cain to his thoughts.
The truth was that he didn't know how he felt about DG. She was a pain in the ass, for sure, but she was also beautiful, sweet and ultimately kind. Within a week of moving into the Palace, she knew every servant's name, whether or not they were new to service. Everything she did, she did with her entire being and he couldn't help but slowly fall in love with the girl that spent her entire life never knowing she was even supposed to be a princess.
He remembered the first time she really got the hang of her magic from Toto. She was so excited that she ran to show the three of them right away. The next thing he knew, he was in the middle of a garden pond with a gold fish flopping around frantically on his hat brim. Glitch and Raw fell over themselves laughing hysterically, but DG just widened her enormous blue eyes in horror and leaped into the water to help him out. She apologized for a solid week after that incident.
Come to think of it, most of her magical mischief seemed to involve him somehow.
That just wasn't enough to convince him that she would be interested in him though. In his own eyes, he felt horribly inadequate for her. He knew he was physically attractive, but what could hold her attention past that? She was beautiful and vibrant and everything anyone could dream of in a princess.
Every time he looked into her huge blue eyes, he felt like he was falling right into her. He would do anything for DG, including protecting her from himself and his intentions. He thought about her every night as he put her to bed and made sure her suite was secure against intruders. The one time he caught her in a nightgown without a robe on over it, he was up all night relieving his thoughts and desires. He wanted her so badly! It was just that she deserved so much better than a washed up old Tin Man, no matter what Glitch felt about the matter.
He absently balled his left hand. There was no ring there anymore, but that was the other half of the reason he couldn't bring himself to court DG properly. It did not matter that Adora was dead and gone now; he still woke up feeling guilty every day that he recommitted himself to her then failed to protect her and Jeb. He had loved Adora, yes, but it was mostly guilt that held him back from moving on, especially since she was the one that left him behind so many years ago. And yet, that wasn't true either, because according to Jeb she had remained true to his memory after his imprisonment and Zero found her again then killed her anyway. It was so complicated!
I can't win, he thought to himself. He was reaching for his drink when a very brief hush fell over the front of the bar, quickly covered over by a sheer babble of noise. Cain might have missed it except that he was trained to pick out such things from his surroundings. He glanced over his shoulder, but didn't see anything except a few people picking their way to the bar. One of them caught his eye. She was slender and looked to barely come up to his shoulder, but moved through the crowd toward the dance floor with confidence. He quickly lost sight of her and returned his attention to his drink. Maybe Glitch was right, but he didn't know how to move on past the guilt and anger and despairing love that Adora took with her to the grave.
"Women are trouble," he grumbled to himself.
"I never would have pinned you for the type to drink over that, Commander." The amused voice came from behind him and took him completely by surprise. It was only due to years of training and the fact that he actually recognized the voice that prevented him from leaping to his feet with a yell and pulling a knife. As it was, he grabbed his glass convulsively, prepared to throw it before he even realized what he was doing. Then he put a name to the voice and stood up faster than he thought was possible for him anymore to stare one of his hand-picked bodyguards in the eye.
"What are you doing here and where is DG?" he snarled. "Why isn't she safe?"
The young guard facing him paled a shade at the show of temper, but held his ground. "She's safe, sir," Jotin stammered. "The princess Azkadellia was feeling sick, sir, but the princess DG was bored and wanted to come out. The Queen allows outings so long as she's aware of it and the princess brings the appropriate guards. I have an extra pair here with us tonight."
That meant there were four guards for DG. There were four guards, but hundreds of people in this immediate area alone. Cain gritted his teeth together. "You mean the Queen is aware that her youngest daughter is in Sin Square right this moment with only four guards?"
There was no response. "Well, soldier? Does she know?"
Jotin didn't stand to attention, but only because he was too well trained to draw attention to them in public by such an obvious move. "No, sir. The Queen is not aware of the specifics at the Princess DG's orders. Sir."
Cain had to admire the princess and her guard even as he mentally skinned them up one side and down the other. She inspired loyalty and trust, that was for sure, but even she had to know how dangerous this was! And how did she manage to persuade Jotin and his team to go along with this farce? "Where is she?" Jotin's eyes darted to one side briefly before he stared straight ahead again. The guard didn't choose to answer, but that brief indication was all Cain needed. He plunged into the crowd in that general direction, scouring everyone with his gaze in order to find the girl he was looking for. His heart was in his throat. Please, let her be safe, he prayed. I just want her to be safe.
He found her on the dance floor. DG was dancing on one edge of it, looking completely relaxed and at ease. There was a guard standing casually at the two corners closest to her, but Cain could only think about how vulnerable she was if someone on the dance floor close to her decided they hated magic and the Gale lineage. He stalked onto the dance floor and grabbed an arm to swing her away from the other people there. She melted instantly into his arms, turning to face him and press her body up against his. Cain felt her slender, curvy form against every inch of his legs and torso and shuddered slightly as his body took immediate interest. After a second, she actually glanced up at him and her blue eyes widened in shock. "Cain!" she exclaimed. "You're supposed to be with Glitch!"
"Is that why you wanted us to take a night off every other week?" he snapped. He escorted her off the dance floor and toward the doors of the bar. "So you can run away to the city and court death? Are you out your mind, Princess?" As he passed his seat, he tossed a bunch of money on the counter and continued to hustle out of the door. Her fourth bodyguard was standing in the front of the building. "You arrange transportation for yourself, the rest of the guards here and the Queen's Advisor," he said. "Consider yourself on report."
Before the guard could even stammer out an acceptance, Cain had the princess out of the door and next to her transport. DG was too conscious of the eyes that watched them to make a fuss in public, but as soon as he slid in next to her and shut the door, she hit him hard in the arm. "What was that for?" she yelled. "I was having a good time, Cain! I do everything you and my mother want, so why can't I have some fun once a year?" Her hair was falling out of its arrangement around her face and she was flushed with anger. "What gives, Cain?"
"Are you out of your mind, DG? Do you have any idea how dangerous that area of Central City is?" he yelled right back at her. "You can't take four inexperienced guards and expect to be safe in an area like Sin Square! What's wrong with you?
"Four inexperienced guards? Cain, you picked those guards yourself. What made you choose them if they're not competent?" She stopped yelling, bewildered by his anger.
"They are competent!" he cried.
"Then what's the problem?" she asked reasonably.
"They are not me!" The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could prevent them and he instantly pressed his mouth firmly shut, afraid of telling any more secrets he wasn't ready to acknowledge yet.
She looked at him and Cain thought she never looked more desirable than she did in that moment in the back seat of her limo with lights from the street flashing over her face as the car moved through the city. He found to his dismay that more traitorous words were spilling from him. "All I want to do is protect you from everything that's wrong with this world," he choked out. "I can't bear the thought of you being hurt. Those men, they're good guards. I never would have picked them to watch over you if they weren't good at what they do." He swallowed convulsively. "Then I think of you, without me by your side, and I panic. If anyone ever hurt you, it would kill me."
DG stared at him in wonder, all of her anger forgotten. "Do you mean that?" she whispered.
"More than you know, DG." He reached out a shaking hand to touch her face. "You're the whole world to me, you know." He knew it was the whiskey making him speak, but the words were genuine. They came from his soul. "I love you," he said softly, "and I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I don't think I can ever stop." Her eyes filled with tears and a single one fell down her cheek. He reached out a calloused finger and wiped it gently away. "Don't cry," he said brokenly. "Don't cry, DG. I'm so sorry. I won't say it again." She shook her head frantically, as if denying it, but didn't say anything. He wanted to say more but she was still staring at him with that lost look in her eyes, so he fell silent and they rode the rest of the way to the Palace without another word. His heart shriveled in dread that he ruined their closeness with his drunken words.
He performed all of his normal bodyguard duties. He helped her out of the vehicle, cleared them past the checkpoints and escorted her up to her room. He checked her rooms thoroughly before she entered. As soon as he indicated that everyone was as expected, she walked in and shut the doors firmly before he could leave. "Don't leave me," she whispered.
The words seemed to break some kind of dam within him and he strode the two steps toward her to cup her tiny face in his hands and kiss her. After a moment, he tore his lips away from hers and stared down at her with burning eyes. "Don't say that if you don't mean it," he said roughly, twining his fingers through her midnight hair. The strands were so soft on his fingers, like the finest silk.
DG touched her lips, staring up at him in wonder. "I mean it," she said. "I've meant it forever. I just didn't know you felt the same way." Slowly, slowly a smile appeared on her lips and her entire face was lit with joy. "Oh, Cain," she breathed and melted into his body. He leaned down to kiss her again and again before drawing her down to the floor in front of the fire so he could prove exactly how he felt.
In the morning, the flames had died down, but coals were still visible and warm beneath the ashes. DG stirred as sunlight hit her eyes and rolled over to bury her face in her Tin Man's shoulder. Her hair tickled his face until his woke up enough to push it aside. "I am a princess," she breathed in wonder.
Cain snorted sleepily. "Of course you are, darling." He stroked her riot of dark wavy hair tenderly, pressing her body against his.
"No," she mumbled, "you don't understand." She kissed him absently and cuddled closer. "It's like a fairy tale."
"What's a fairy tale?" Cain asked in tired amusement.
"I was a waitress on the Other Side. Then I found out I was a princess. I met a wonderful man and almost drove him away but he saved me with a kiss. Now we can live happily ever after."
Cain didn't bother to open his eyes, but he knew she was smiling the same secret, brilliant smile she was smiling last night. "Of course we will," he said, yawning, "but sometimes I don't understand you."
Later that morning at breakfast, Glitch sidled up to Cain at the buffet. "Didn't I tell you that you wouldn't regret Sin Square last night?" he smirked.
Cain casually tipped his cup of coffee over onto Glitch's coat and smirked right back as Glitch howled. "You did," Cain replied. "And now we are going to live happily ever after." He still wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but he loved that it made his princess laugh.
Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. This fic really got me in a writing mood and plots abound...hopefully, more fics will be forthcoming shortly.