Disclaimer: Don't own it. Don't sue.
Author's thanks: To all my loyal reviewers, sexy Hexy, and my muses.
The Slayer
By The 41st Magaunac
Every low life in the city knew where The Epyon was. It was the kind of bar that was talked about as if it were mythical, as it was never mentioned during daylight hours. However, it seemed that the moment the sun went down, all the people could do was talk about it.
Trowa frequented the bar often, not because he was a big drinker, or because he wanted to meet people or grind up against them to the bass heavy beats that The Epyon always played. The bar was literally a block from his apartment, and he found that trying to get to sleep before The Epyon closed in the early hours of the morning was a mistake. He left people alone, they left him alone. It was a simple yet effectual agreement.
Trowa didn't enjoy dancing. He was pretty sure it had something to do with the proximity of all that tender flesh to his jaws. He liked to sit on one of the little table in the corner and drink a couple of shots before walking home alone in the morning while everyone else left in pairs.
But not tonight. He was meeting someone.
The Epyon bar was two-tiered, and Trowa walked up the steel staircase to find a table near the crossbeam. From here he could survey the entire room. He would know when Quatre came in, and would be able to help him if he got into any trouble.
Anyone who went too close to Quatre would have him to deal with.
***
Treize slammed the door to his card, listening for the bleep as the car alarm flicked on. This was a rough area, and though he wasn't afraid of anyone he could come across in an alleyway, he also didn't especially want his car stolen.
He had only ever been to The Epyon twice before, and both of those times were for raids on weapons and drugs. He had greatly enjoyed locking up some of the shit he found in there. Those kinds of people deserved to be flung into a freezing cell where they could hallucinate without bothering other people.
However, tonight he wasn't exactly there on official business. Night crawlers visited this bar, a lot of them Zechs' own men. He would have a few words with them about his little proposition to catch the werewolf, then maybe he'd kick back for the evening.
He adjusted his tight black tank top so he looked completely un-ruffled, and strolled over to the doorway, a pair of blue-lensed sunglasses covering his eyes. The bouncer glanced him over, nodded, and then let him in through the door into the smoky abyss beyond.
***
"Isn't this GREAT?" Duo enthused as he clambered out the side of Quatre's sister's car. "This is gonna be so much fun!"
Quatre looked worried, and Wufei was just looking dubious. "This is the place? My God Quatre, what kind of guy do you meet who comes to a place like this?"
Though the entrance was lit with ethereal green lighting and the entire place had an atmosphere of foreboding, this was not what was worrying Quatre. He smoothed the creases in his blood red silk shirt. He was beginning to feel that perhaps wearing these jeans had not been such a good idea. They had more 'cunningly positioned' holes in them than he had ever seen. There were massive slits across the thighs and even (he noticed with a blush) almost exposing his butt. Creamy white skin peeped tentatively out of the gaps, smooth and tempting. They were like a second skin, hung low over his hips and tight all the way down to the ankles where they flared slightly, overlapping the top of his black ankle boots.
"Hn… I don't know Duo," said Quatre uncertainly.
"Great, he's not sure, let's go home!" said Wufei, trying to usher them both back into the car.
Quatre shook his head. "No Wufei. I have to see Trowa. It was your choice to come with me. You can go if you like."
"Over my dead body," grumbled Wufei as he locked up the car. He raised an eyebrow as he turned to see Duo already moving the heavy beat outside the club. He had unfurled his hair from its usual braid, and now it hung alluringly about his shoulders, acting like a rippling stream every time he moved.
"Come on, let's go in!" he finally said, after finishing his little dance and heading towards the bouncer. Quatre was quite amazed the guy let them all in with only a glance. He knew he certainly wouldn't have let himself in…
The dance floor of The Epyon was packed. There was a throng of people near the bar, behind which a burly blonde man was serving copious amounts of drink. Lights hidden up in the rafters flared brightly before going out, then lit up again, showering the dancers in a strange blend of colours, which only served to make the place seem more mysterious.
Duo had already been moving to the beat before he got through the door. He hadn't had a chance to dance to music like this for weeks now, and he was suffering from some serious withdrawal symptoms. "I'm gonna go and groove awhile, okay? Hope you get lucky, Quat!" he yelled, before disappearing into the depths of the crowd.
Quatre watched his bobbing chestnut head for as long as he could before he lost sight of it. In a panic, he whirled around, grateful to find that Wufei was still beside him. There was no sign of Trowa.
"I can't see him," said Quatre sadly, "What if he's not here?"
Wufei was not paying attention. He had just caught sight of a familiar golden brown head near the bar, a slight snarl appearing on his lips. The gall of that man to still be following them around!
"If you get into any trouble, I'll be right around here," growled Wufei, before strolling purposefully off towards his target.
Bewildered by Wufei's departure and suddenly alone, Quatre wasn't quite sure what to do. He tried to imitate some of the dancer's moves so he wouldn't look totally out of place, but didn't seem to be doing very well. It was suffocatingly hot, and he couldn't seem to find his way to the edge of the crowd. What's more, a dodgy looking man was grinning at him, and he couldn't seem to get far enough away from him.
It was only when he felt a hand reach to touch his butt that Quatre started and nearly fell over, whirling around to try and find his attacker. Unable to find anyone, he backed away, walking into an irritable man with strange coloured hair, who yelled something incredibly impolite at him, which Quatre was thankful he couldn't hear over the music. He turned again, to find that weird grinning man right behind him, and backed into something stable behind him. The grinning man stopped his grinning and backed away, disappearing into the crowd as though he had never been.
A pair of hands touched Quatre's shoulders, and he heaved a sigh of relief as he turned to find that the person behind him was Trowa, though not the Trowa he remembered, naked and shivering in an alleyway. This one was sexy and sultry, his slightly tight white shirt revealing his well-formed muscles beautifully.
Trowa had seen the blonde from the moment he entered, but had delayed going to see him until both Wufei and Duo were gone. However, he did not like the looks on the faces of the people leering at Quatre one bit, and had barged his way through the crowd. He only had to narrow his eyes slightly at Quatre's pursuer before the man had fled.
"Trowa! It's good to see you!" Quatre tried to yell against the music. Trowa, being the softly spoken type anyway, quickly took Quatre's hand and led him up the metal stairway to his little table in one of the more quiet corners. Quatre peered down on to the lower floor, thankful that he could still see Duo and Wufei among the people below.
He glanced back at Trowa, who was leaning forward on his elbows, watching him as though enchanted with some ethereal vision.
In many ways, he was.
***
Heero downed his shot and put the glass back on the counter. Alecks, the barkeeper, gave him a wry smile. "So, what brings you to a low-down drinking establishment like The Epyon, Lord Yuy?" he asked, picking up the glass to clean it.
"Nothing special," Heero replied, not exactly interested in small talk.
"Bad day?"
"You heard about that?"
Alecks pointed to the fresh looking bandage on Heero's hand. "Nice bracelet, Yuy. I think it kind of gave it away though."
Heero glared at the bandage, as though willing the wound to heal. "Just a little incident with the Slayer. A little setback. Nothing I can't handle." Heero turned to look out into the heaving crowd, no longer interested in the conversation.
"I heard Zechs wasn't too happy. His little sister lost a couple of men out there."
"Really?" Heero tried to look uninterested, but had to admit, he hadn't been informed about this part. "The witch?"
"No, werewolf," replied Alecks, pouring another few patrons a drink.
"Werewolf attacks a vampire? Why?" Heero asked, mostly to himself. It didn't seem to make sense. Werewolves and vampires had always generally tried to get along together. After all, humans hated both of them. Something was afoot. Then his eyes alighted on something in the crowd which made his blood run chill.
"Something catch your eye?" asked the barman breezily.
//Or someone,// Heero thought to himself, not answering Alecks' question. How could he be there? He was supposed to be taking this evening to relax and not think about Du… I mean, Him. He was just a thing. He had no identity…
Duo grooved his slinky body over to the bar, and leant over it to talk to the barman, smiling flirtatiously. "Screwdriver please!" he said with a grin.
Heero found his seducer nature was once again getting the better of him. "I'll buy," he said, not giving Duo a chance to refuse. "Make mine a bloody mary."
Duo looked up, and recognised Heero immediately. He started and backed away, but Heero shot out a hand and gripped his wrist tightly, pulling him close so he could whisper breathily in his ear. "I don't think we want any trouble here, do we? Just smile and nod, Slayer."
Duo had had no idea that having someone whisper in his ear could be so mind-meltingly erotic. There was something about Heero's deep and sombre voice that turned his legs into jelly and numbed his mind of all conscious thought. //I can't… let myself be drawn in again…// he thought. //This guy could kill me at any time.//
He did his best to gather his wits about him and leaned slightly away from Heero's bewitching eyes. "Wanna dance?" he found his mouth saying.
Heero didn't know what to say. He wasn't much of a dancer, not to say that he couldn't, just that he didn't. It wasn't in his nature. In which case, the question must be asked, why was he finding himself being led on to the dance floor by his one true enemy? A funky beat started playing, and Duo began to curl his hips and twist his wrists…
***
"Treize!" Alecks the barman looked somewhat impressed with Treize's appearance in his bar, and cracked one of his rare smiles. "How's the force treating you?"
"Been busy," Treize replied as Alecks filled his glass. "You?"
"Same old, same old. So, why are you here? I thought you hung with the big boy surface guys now."
"Sometimes I need to come back to my roots. Reminds me of who I am. It's like coming home," said Treize thoughtfully.
"Right, so why are you really here?"
"I need a favour."
"I thought as much."
Treize leant further across the bar so he could talk to Alecks in hushed tones. "Zechs says I can have some men for a job I'm doing. I'm after a werewolf. I know that some of his guys hang out in this bar of yours."
"So why are you talking to me?"
"I need you to run this job. Get the men together, it's big. We have to chance to take down Bloom's little parting gift." Treize slid an envelope across the table. "I've put the whole plan in there. It's thorough, absolutely…" he smiled, "Werewolf proof."
"So where will you be while all this is going on?"
"I have some business to attend to… and here he comes right now."
Wufei strolled quickly across the dance floor and right up to Treize, sticking his chest out and drawing himself up to his full height, which was still a good few inches shorter than the Superintendent. "What the Hell are you doing here?" he asked bluntly.
"Enjoying a drink," said Treize breezily, "How about you?"
"Stop following us around, Treize. I don't need your help, and I won't let you get in the way of anything my friends intend to do. That werewolf is not your concern."
"Aah, yes, but the safety of the citizens of the city is my concern," replied Treize with an irritatingly smug smile.
"Then arrest the people in this bar and get back to catching real criminals." Wufei growled, "Stop following us."
With these words, Wufei marched off into the crowd. Treize turned to Alecks and smiled.
"I think I'm in there," he said, before pursuing the Chinese librarian into the crowd.
***
"So, what did you wanna talk to me about?" asked Quatre, now they were settled in their seats and he was convinced that Wufei wasn't about to come along and start berating Trowa for any reason.
Trowa, who had barely said a word up until this point, was suddenly at a complete loss. The fact was that he didn't really know what he wanted to talk to Quatre about. Nothing particular, that was for sure. He just felt comfortable sitting opposite him, drinking in his features, listening to the soft and soothing sounds of his voice. "Umm…"
"Yes?" asked Quatre, trying not to show his impatience. He had been absolutely dying to hear what it was Trowa wanted to tell him since the moment he asked to see him the night before. Now he was sitting there opposite him, and he wasn't speaking. This did not bode well.
"I just wanted to know… that is I just wanted to say…" //That I'm in love with you. You have no idea how I feel about you, about my obsession with everything about you. You don't know how much I long just to be able to touch your skin, hold you beside me, just to feel your breath on my skin…//
//There he goes again,// thought Quatre, //that same far away look in his eyes, as though he's in another world altogether.// "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…" he said, making to leave the table.
//No!// Something brought Trowa tumbling back out of his fantasy world with a crash, and he put his hand firmly on Quatre's shoulder, keeping him in his seat. His cry had been both mental and audible, and he blushed hotly under Quatre's gaze.
Quatre sighed and seated himself again, not sure exactly what to do. Wufei had warned him that this guy would be strange, but Quatre was certain that underneath the cold mask he wore, there was someone incredibly warm and gentle. "Can I ask you something then?"
Trowa was a little taken aback by the question, but seeing as he didn't seem able to ask any questions himself, he let Quatre speak with a nod.
"How long have you been following me?"
The werewolf had been fearful of this question for quite some time. It had been well over two years now. He didn't go to school, his father had left home a further 8 years previously to that. After waiting all those 8 years for his father to return… he never had. He had found someone else to love.
"Just a couple of months," he lied. Quatre made to stand up again, but Trowa stood up and moved to Quatre's side of the table, gripping his arms. "Don't go! Why?" he asked desperately.
"Trowa," Quatre said sadly, "I can't talk to you if you're not going to be completely honest with me. You've got to tell me the truth."
"But I…"
"How long, Trowa?"
"… 2 years, 3 months, 21 days, 16 hours and 24 minutes." Yes, he remembered to that level of accuracy. Quatre had been the only influence on his life for the last 2 years. He could remember the first moment he laid eyes on him.
Quatre sat back down at the table, totally dumbfounded. He had expected a year at most… all that time? How could he not have noticed? He voiced these questions to Trowa.
"I hide all the time," replied Trowa. "I'm almost impossible to sense… I've been practising all this time, it's something I can do well."
"You never came to speak to me in all that time?"
"I didn't know what to say to you. I was filthy and living on the streets at the time. What would I have said to… someone like you?" //Someone so perfect as you.//
"You think I would have turned you away?"
"I would have turned myself away. I don't deserve to be this close to you, I'm still wondering when this is all going to end and I'll wake up alone."
"Stop that," said Quatre, taking Trowa's hand and making him shudder involuntarily. Was his contact to the brunette really having this kind of affect on him? "You shouldn't put me on a pedestal so high. You may not be able to reach me."
"You want me… to be able to reach you?" Trowa asked incredulously.
"You've been alone all this time?"
"No. I've had you. Something about you made getting up in the morning actually seem worthwhile. To see you smile… be angry… even cry. I wanted to share all those things with you."
"I don't want you to be alone anymore, Trowa."
"My mother… died when I was born… my father… he was on the run. From the police I think. I didn't know why. He never explained to me what I was. I didn't show any signs of being… what I am… until I was about 13 years old."
"And you went through it all alone?"
"I stopped caring."
"Then why did you start again?" asked Quatre.
"Because… because I met you…" a few tears slid down Trowa's cheeks as he let loose a little of his pent-up emotion. Quatre got up from his seat and walked to Trowa's side of the table, leaning down to press the green-eyed face into his silken shirt.
//I told him so much… I told him about my parents… why? I didn't have to…// Trowa thought, scared to touch the beautiful blonde in fear he would tarnish him. "Maybe I should go…" he finally mumbled.
"No," replied Quatre firmly. "I'm going with you. I don't want you to be alone tonight, Trowa."
***
To Be Continued.