So originally I was just gonna post this on AO3 and keep it there, but I thought, ah what the hell, I guess you guys deserve to read it here too. Just unfortunately for all of you, when it gets to the sexy parts, they just won't be included in this site's version. Bummer, right?

Ehmmm, do I even need to say this is a crossover AU at this point?

x-X-X-x

He hated clubs. He hated bars. He hated any place where people were packed together like sardines, and it was loud, and smelly, and just one big clusterfuck of a headache to begin with. The only reason Alex ever went to these kinds of places was because Dana asked him, and how could he say no to Dana? Especially when she made those giant puppy eyes at him with the quivering lip as she clung to his arm and begged he come with. Foolproof plan on her part to get him to do anything, the only person in all of New York that could make the Blacklight virus bend to her will.

So that's how he found himself standing outside a club in Brooklyn, Bad Weather it was called. It sounded so stupid, but apparently it was a pretty popular place, where the music was good, and the drinks were even better. Known for a specialty drink called the "Shirley Templar", something everyone was dying to get their hands on. Yeah, sure, uh huh, whatever they all said. Alex hadn't even stepped inside the place yet, and he could feel the virus churning around in his head irritatingly.

It was gonna be a long night.

Inside was even worse in his opinion. The bass of the music practically pounded a hole through his chest, and there were just too many people for his liking, and he found himself clinging on to Dana for dear life. But there was something else about this place, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He felt…He felt like he wasn't allowed to be here. There was this smell…This feeling…An apprehensive feeling he had only felt when he used to dive into Hives, like he was somewhere he didn't belong, but he had to be there regardless for his mission. But this wasn't a mission, this wasn't a Hive, and yet, there was still this underlying feeling-

Of danger.

Dana pulled him along through the club, throwing them into the thick of the crowd. Alex felt numb through it, hardly noticed as people bounced off him. Something was here, and he didn't know whether to run and drag Dana along with, or stay and face it. He doubted whatever it was, it would make a scene in the middle of all these people, but worse things had happened in the past. Eventually he let Dana go, just to move off to the side, away from the crowd, just to think, just to breathe.

He had to figure this out, whatever this was. He had never felt this overwhelmed before, not ever since he had handled the Redlight outbreak. Since that ended, he had felt nothing but relative peace in terms of roaming New York's streets. But here? Here was different. Here was like…walking into someone else's territory, and knowing full well you didn't belong.

But who's territory was he trespassing in?

He found out soon enough. Dana managed to find him, panting like she had run a mile and said to him, "Holy shit Alex, I need a drink, let's get one!"

Alex followed her to the bar, and the closer they got to it, the more that feeling of danger grew. Thankfully the lights weren't all that bright in there to the human eye, otherwise Dana would have saw the look on his face, twisted into a grimace as he got closer and closer to his potential enemy.

"Ohmygod," Alex heard Dana whisper. "They're right, the bartender is a total hottie!"

Hottie was one way of describing it.

Dangerous adversary was another. Even though he was handling other customers, his gaze subtly snapped to Alex, golden eyes that flashed at him from the bright lights over the bar. Tall, tanned, dark hair shaved short, a crooked nose and a slash across his lips, with brightly colored plugs in both his ears. Handsome, perhaps. But Alex could feel it, practically see it past those eyes that this wasn't a normal person.

No, this was an apex predator starring at him. A predator that moved and talked like a man, but beneath the skin, he was something far more fearsome. And yet, Alex couldn't figure out what he was. He could smell him perfectly, fur and blood, a musky scent that was all animal, but what animal that was, he couldn't place. Alex stared at him, and he stared right back. They were aware of each other's presence, and yet, they didn't seem to know how to react to the other.

At least, not with everyone here.

The bartender finally had time to move over to them, pulling on a charming smile that he flashed at Dana.

"Hi there, what can I get you?" the bartender asked pleasantly.

"Same thing everyone else is here for," Dana replied with a wink. The bartender laughed and nodded.

"Gotcha, gotcha. And uh, you man?" he asked Alex.

"Nothing," Alex replied stiffly. "Alcohol and I…Don't agree with each other."

"Heh, yeah, tell me about it," the bartender rolled his eyes with a knowing grin. "Lemme get you squared away then, miss."

Alex watched him like a hawk, the way he moved, the way he breathed, the way he did everything really. What was he, who he was he trying to hide? It wasn't an Infected, no way he could be. The smell alone was enough to tell Alex that, but it killed him inside not knowing. He watched the bartender, and even the man was busy making drinks and making conversation, he knew he was still watching him back.

Dana raved about her drink a minute later, said it was so good, try it Alex, just one sip, won't hurt ya. Alex agreed, just one sip, and he took the glass from Dana's hand and put it to his lips. The bartender was watching him intently as he did, and they both held eye contact as Alex tipped it up slightly, just to let a bit of the drink to slide past his lips and into his mouth. It dissipated immediately upon contact with his tongue. His mouth burned afterwards, and he could feel the virus recoiling from the disgusting concoction, as little as he had consumed.

"Not really my taste," Alex said. The bartender gave him a toothy sneer, and he moved on to help other customers. Alex gave the drink back to Dana, let her drink and chatter at him, all the while he kept his eyes on the other man. He hadn't realized he had been watching him so intently until Dana said to him-

"Will you just get his number already?"

Alex blinked and sputtered.

"W-What?"

"Oh come on Alex, I know you've been checking him out all night. Just get his number before we leave and call him later, okay?"

"N-no, it's not like that-"

"Suuure it isn't, Alex, suuure," Dana snickered at him as she set her empty glass down. "I'm gonna go dance again, and when I come back for you, you better have some digiiiits."

She left some money with him for the drink, then bounced back off to the dance floor. Alex ground his teeth together as she abandoned him, wishing he could have just explained what was really going on, and how they really needed to leave before something happened.

"Girls, am I right?"

Alex whipped around to stare at the bartender, but found him down and across the bar away from him, his back turned as he made a drink for someone else. Alex's eyes narrowed at him, had he heard? No way he could have heard anything over the sound of the music and his distance away from them. Especially with those ear plugs, but perhaps they weren't there to block sound out, but greatly mute it instead.

Later on, Alex and Dana walked out of the club back into the streets of Brooklyn, and Dana complained loudly that he really should have gotten that guy's number, he was totally into him, god, why did she have such a dense virus of an older brother who couldn't realize how gay he was for the cutest bartender in Brooklyn?

Alex promised her he'd go back some time to see him again. That ended up being a lot sooner than he cared to let on.

x-X-X-x

It was the early hours of the morning when Bad Weather was closed, and its employees finally cleaned the place up and could set out towards home. Alex sat perched at the top of it, watching and waiting for one particular man to leave. He moved carefully down the side of the building, bidding his time until his target finally left. Whether the bartender knew he was there or not, he gave no indication as he walked outside, even lifted his face up and inhaled deeply through his nose. Started to carry on as normal, but stopped short when someone called out, "Hey Desmond, wait up!"

Alex nearly growled at this interruption, waited and waited as the newcomer talked to…"Desmond". After what felt like forever, they finally parted, and Alex was free to follow. Desmond walked on normally for a couple blocks until he took a random turn and began to walk at a faster pace. Alex was still hot on his trail, still unseen, but not unnoticed. Desmond's pace quickened until he was all but running, and Alex was impressed by his sudden speed and how well he kept up with it.

But it wasn't going to be enough to get away from him.

He was an excellent adversary however, suddenly shooting down alleys and easily bouncing between buildings to overcome a wall in the center and continue on. Alex hoped he would soon grow tired, and yet, that didn't seem like it would happen any time soon. He was growing impatient, and decided to forgo any sort of stealth. He needed to catch him, needed to find out, just needed to know.

With a vicious snarl, Alex leapt for him, the virus shooting out from his body to propel him right into Desmond. They crashed, they rolled, they tumbled, and they dissolved into a fit of thrashing limbs and growls and screeches. It was too much noise, and Desmond nearly howled as Alex wrapped a thick tendril of black and red around his middle, and leapt away to the top of a building where they could continue this in private.

He all but slammed Desmond to the rooftop, yet the other man nearly grunted from the force, when normally such an impact would have snapped a normal person's spine. Alex held him down in place, crawling over him to keep him still, ready to figure this mystery out. To Desmond's credit, he still writhed beneath him, growling and snarling like a trapped animal, the sound too real for comfort.

"Let me go!" Desmond snarled at him. His eyes had changed, they looked more wild, like the beast underneath was pushing its way to the surface. His hands, thicker now, dug into the tendril holding him down, and Alex watched as his fingernails seemed to elongate and turn to claws that dug into the virus.

"What are you?" Alex demanded.

"You'll find out in a fucking minute if you don't let me go, asshole!"

Desmond writhed even more, thrashing violently as his now jaws snapped at the air. He was changing before Alex's very eyes, and Alex had no intent to do anything until he saw thing for what it really was.

"Show me. Let me see you. I want to see you. Do it."

Desmond responded with a pained whine, and Alex let him go finally to watch the real magic happen. His body seemed to move under his skin, bones bulging against skin as they moved and re-shifted into place. His clothes ripped open as he thickened, hair sprouting up through it. Alex back away in anticipation, watching Desmond transform before him until…

Until…

Desmond was gone, and in his place was a very large wolf with the shredded remains of clothing sticking to him.

Alex had seen wolves in pictures and on TV, but this was way bigger, more real, more unnatural. He stared at the wolf in awe and shock, even as it moved and it stood on its legs to tear off the last of the clothes on it. The awe faded away when it turned towards him, and he felt the growl it let loose vibrate through him. The wolf snarled, lips peeling back to reveal twin rows of large, sharp teeth. Its ears pressed back, shoulders hunched, and oh, it didn't look happy to see him.

"Shit," Alex uttered, all he had time to say before the wolf leapt at him with lightning speed. He grunted out in surprise as the back of his head slammed into the rooftop, and glistening jaws found his throat and tore into it. The virus wailed as it was suddenly exposed to the outside world, pulsating out from the wound, and with a mighty roar, Alex shoved the wolf off him. It tumbled away from the force, but was back on its feet in a flash.

Alex picked himself up, the virus still spilling from his neck. But he watched the wolf's reaction as the virus slithered back into place and closed the tear up as if it was never there in the first place. The wolf was visibly surprised, but it seemed to brush it off fairly quickly, because it came rushing back at him a second time. Alex's arms turned to claws in a flurry of virus, and this time, he was prepared.

They clashed, fighting literal tooth and nail with each other. They barked and growled as they rolled across the roof together, wounds being inflicted and closing up just as quickly. Their fight moved from that roof to another, the wolf leaping across the buildings with the same ease as Alex. It was impossible to escape, not that they were really trying to. They weren't going to stop until the other could no longer fight.

The sky above them turned from washed out black to gray, and then a dark orange and purple as the sun began to worm its way up.

Their attacks become more and more desperate they tried to gain the upper hand over the other. Oddly enough, Alex actually felt himself growing tired. It had been a long time since he fought anything that could wear him out, not since the Supreme Hunter, not since Greene…This wolf was clearly something else. He could feel the wolf felt the same, becoming sluggish in movement, but its bites and leaps still full of power. The longer they fought, the longer it took their wounds to heal, and blood splattered concrete.

And then finally, just as the sun was peeking out from the horizon, the wolf collapsed on top of Alex, tongue lolled out from his mouth, lifeless and energy spent. Alex couldn't even bring himself to push it off, slumped on the ground with the virus trying to push itself back into his body and seal up the holes in him. They lied there in a panting, exhausted heap.

The wolf's weight on him shifted, and he heard a sigh. Alex glanced down to see a very naked Desmond sprawled atop of him, back to human in a blink of an eye. Still healing lacerations coated his skin, and Alex was amazed that they were able to fight as long as they did (though he was sure he looked just as worse for wear).

Eventually they moved, Desmond rolling off him to blink and glance around in a stupor. The first words out of his mouth were, "Where are my fucking clothes?"

A good block away by that point.

Alex slowly rose after him, watching stomp around the rooftop to look over towards other buildings, trying to determine where they could be. But Alex knew, and Desmond let out a yelp when he managed to shoot out a large tendril to grab his middle.

"I don't wanna do this shit again, man" Desmond groaned tiredly.

"We're not, trust me" Alex said, and he launched himself into the air back towards where it all began.

Desmond's clothes were salvageable to say the least, but the bartender wasn't at all pleased by it regardless.

"Fucking A…Didn't ask for this today, man…Should have stayed away…Shouldn't have come back…God fucking dammit" Desmond muttered as he pulled on his pants, more tattered shorts now. "These were my good work pants too, dickhead. Gonna have to get a new pair…Fucking hell…Fucking Blacklight virus of all things…Fucking walks into work and fucks me up…The hell's your problem man?"

"I wanted to know," Alex said quietly, hardly disturbed by the slew of curses the other man threw at him. "I…I needed to know."

"Could have asked!" Desmond snapped at him. "Without kidnapping me!"

"Didn't know how," Alex shrugged. "You knew what I was…"

"Yeah well, that's a smell that doesn't leave your mind real easy," Desmond rolled his eyes. "I remember that shit, man. Awful times. Goddamn…I gotta work again tonight…Need to get home and sleep…Ugh, fucked my day up dude, really fucked it up."

"I'm sorry, okay?" Alex grunted. "Need a ride to your place?"

Desmond's eyes narrowed at him, then glanced down to his arms, then up to his face.

"Don't got much of a choice unless the subway wants to see me beat to shit, huh?"

x-X-X-x

Dana was making breakfast by the time Alex got back to their apartment. She glanced up at him in surprise from where she was scrambling eggs at their tiny kitchen.

"There you are!" she cried. "Where'd you go last night?"

"I uh…Had some business to take care of," Alex said simply. "Don't worry about it."

Dana quirked a brow at him. She hummed and nodded, and went back to her eggs.

"Would you like something to eat then?" she asked him. Alex shook his head. "Okay, just offering….You went back for that bartender, didn't you?"

Alex had started moving towards the bedroom when she said that, and he froze in mid-step for a few moments before continuing to walk.

"I still didn't get his number" Alex mumbled, then walked away to lie down for a few hours. He heard Dana groan loudly and grumble about how she could possibly be related to him, as dense as he was.