Hey there! This story is different to what I've been writing so far. In summary, it is a BL (boylove/gay/Yaoi) story, so if you are not into same sex relationships rather steer clear of this one. This story is meant for mature audiences and contains sex scenes, some strong language and violence/crime. The overall tone of the story is fairly light, plenty of humour and banter with the occasional sentimental moments.

The story is set in a world where Avians (think of them as winged people) and humans co-exist. Kai is a police officer in the Homicide department, living at home with his father and his dog, Hades. His life takes on a very different turn when he receives a wedding proposal from a very prominent leader's son. And the latest case he's working on seems to indicate a possible serial killer on the loose.

Chapter 1

I stepped into the coffee shop located on East and Main. It was a well-known one in our district with very good ratings, and I can see why as the door closed behind me, shutting out the winter cold and noise of the street. Unlike typical coffee shops, it wasn't noisy in here in spite of it being busy. Soft jazzy music played in the background and I could see there was plenty of space between tables. Most had some sort of divider between them, giving the table's occupants a bit of privacy.

The decor felt very natural with the colours and furniture items used. The walls had calm shades of cream and green. Bamboo lamps hung along with air plants from the ceiling and plenty of other potted plants were about the place. The tables and chairs were all made of natural light-coloured wood, perhaps pine. There were several glass panels in different places in the roof, allowing natural light to filter in, which explained why the plants were doing so well.

It smelled awesome in here, the scents of coffee and baked goods assaulted my nose and made my mouth water even though just moments before I had no appetite and a stone in my stomach. Oh right...the reason I came here. I had been distracted from that for a moment since I loved coffee and the chocolate croissants, they had looked absolutely divine. Perhaps I would get some to take away later for me and pops.

I sighed and took a deep breath. Just then one of the coffee shop staff approached me.

"Good day sir, can I help you get a seat?"

"Good day...um, I am supposed to meet someone here by the name of August."

The woman's eyes widened slightly as if surprised, but she quickly smiled.

"Of course, right this way."

I followed her further into the building and I realised this coffee shop was larger than I had thought. We went up some stairs and I noticed that none of the tables on this floor had people while the bottom floor had been very busy. I thought it a bit odd and wanted to ask the waitress about it but we had already arrived at the table she was leading me to.

"Sir, this gentleman said he is here to see you."

I frowned a bit at how formal she was being to a customer. Or was that how they treated everyone here? It's not like I've been to an expensive coffee shop before, and when I say expensive, I mean like twice as much as Starbucks, so I wouldn't know. Perhaps it is something similar to those cafes that call people "Mistress" or "Master".

I looked at the man already seated and found my breath hitch. So, this was August. Why did he have to be so handsome, dammit. I had a weakness for handsome, muscular men and the last time I gave in when one showed interest in me it just landed me with a very broken heart. I didn't want to go through that again. Besides, my father needed me. He's been doing a lot better now, but since the accident he hadn't been his usual self again. If he hadn't insisted that I at least met with August, I wouldn't have been here in the first place.

"Thank you," he told the waitress and his deep voice almost made me swoon. "You may leave us for now, we should be ready to order in 15 minutes."

He had a very authorative way of speaking and the whole way he carried himself supported just that. This was someone that was used to issuing orders, not following them. He'd probably turn out just like that asshole. Why are all the handsome ones assholes?

For a moment we were both just looking at each other; he was clearly sizing me up. Not that I wasn't doing the same thing to him. His dark hair was tied back into a traditional braid. Some of the clans still did things like that, small signs of clinging to rules and traditions from ages long past. He had two earrings in his left ear, both studs but the one had a black stone in it and the other a dark blue one. I could see tattoo markings peeking out his formal shirt collar on the right side of his neck and knew these were traditional markings, they had the faint turquoise blue colouring of clan tattoos. He wore no tie and I noticed that he filled the dark blue button-up shirt out very well. I am picking up that he must like the colour blue, unless he thinks that all the blue would draw attention to his eyes? Which it actually did.

After the war between Avians and Humans things had changed quite a bit. A peace treaty was signed by both parties and now Avians and Humans lived side by side in peace, well mostly.

August was gorgeous by both Avian and Human standards. But viewed through human eyes he had no facial hair, making him look younger than he probably was and though he was muscular by human standards he would be considered average by Avians. His height, as I later learned when we stood up to leave, was slightly taller than me, which again was tall in human standards but average to Avians.

In the looks department he had everything going for him. That made me wonder even more what on earth made this man interested in me? His dark blue eyes were framed by a browline and brows that give it a distinctly Avian look, making me feel like he was a hawk looking at prey.

Perhaps that was what I was in his eyes?

"Please sit," he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and I realised that I was standing there the whole time, gawking at him and felt like a bit of an idiot.

"Oh...yes, thank you," I mumbled and sat down opposite him. The tables here had sofa-like seats rather than chairs like downstairs. The table was narrow to create a very intimate atmosphere with the hanging bamboo light above us casting a soft light on the table.

After a bit of uncomfortable silence, I felt like I had to say something but couldn't think of anything. I jumped a little when August spoke.

"Thank you for coming to meet me," he said.

"Um...you're welcome?" It came out more a question than a statement.

"I'm sure you have questions?"

"Yes...why me? I don't really know who you are. From your looks, manners and how you present yourself I get the feeling you are someone important and in no difficulty of finding companions. I am not an important person. I don't have anything to my name except an old car. Unless you are looking for someone easily expandable? If so, please ask someone else."

"My, I didn't know you thought that highly of me," he said with a smirk.

"To answer your questions. Yes, I am important in my clan. I assist with certain aspects of...governance in our district. No, I'm not looking for someone to throw away. What I do want is a bit tricky to explain, so I hope that you'll be patient and hear me out till the end."

Just then the waitress came by and took our drinks order.

I felt like I was in a bit of a haze as I got home, chocolate croissants in hand. August insisted on paying for them as well. The man clearly had money to burn, not that croissants would particularly bankrupt you. Putting the puzzle pieces together, I figured out that he booked the whole top floor so we could have somewhere private to talk. The staff practically fell over each other to see us off, it was quite a spectacle.

Initially August had wanted me to come to his home, but I insisted on meeting somewhere public. I wasn't going to take any chances with someone I don't know, important or not.

"So, how did it go?" my dad asked as I entered the kitchen. He was busy bottling some strawberry jam. He liked cooking and was very good at it. It kept him busy now that he was on "medical leave". His leg was healing well, but he still couldn't walk on it for long periods.

I put the box on the table, and he opened it to peek inside.

"Looks delicious, coffee?"

I nodded and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs while he filled the kettle up and eventually sat down across from me.

"It...was unusual," I finally say.

Pops laughed.

"I bet it was. It's not every day that the son of a clan leader proposes marriage out of the blue."

"What?!"

I knew he was important but didn't know he was a clan leader's son.

"I take it you didn't know. It's not like it is a secret, the tabloids and social media regularly write about him since he is considered one of the city's most eligible bachelors."

"And you didn't think to tell me that when you practically pushed me out the door to go and meet him?"

My dad just shrugged his shoulders.

"I thought you kids were all over social media. I thought he looked hot and that he'd be interesting."

I guess it was my fault for not snooping around the internet to find out more about him. I didn't because I wasn't intending to give him a chance. I was going to turn him down and felt it would be easier if I didn't know much about him.

"Long story short, he says he first saw me when I went with you to that Cocktail party when you were still working on the Taylor case and that I caught his interest, but he didn't have the opportunity to talk to me then and that he'd been unable to get his mind off me since then."

I left out the whole part where August told me that apart from him already being interested in me, he also had another reason for asking for me to marry him. His father was putting pressure on him to marry soon and was trying to get him to marry a woman while he was gay. When I asked if it was just a temporary marriage, he wanted he said no, but he then proposed that if I wasn't happy in the relationship after a year and wanted out he would let me divorce him. No strings attached.

He said that while I was married to him all he asked was that I performed all the duties required of a spouse. In return all my needs would be met, and I would be treated as his spouse in every way. I would also be given a fairly large allowance every month to do with as I liked. When I raised the issue of my career, he said that he doesn't expect me to resign, that I could continue as before. It was all really odd.

"Is that so," pops said thoughtfully.

I knew my dad's time on the police force and later as a private detective had taught him to keep many secrets. There were a lot of things he didn't share with me to "keep me safe", even though I was a police officer now myself, who worked in the homicide department. The way he said "is that so" made me feel that he knew something I didn't. I also knew by now that nagging him wouldn't get anything out of him and if it was something important, he would tell me.

"I still don't get why he's so interested in me specifically; I mean heck he could probably get any man or woman he wanted in this city. But he...seems like a decent guy or perhaps that is just my prejudice talking since I like his type."

"So he's your type?"

"Yes, he's got the build and the intense, broody thing down pat. It's just...after what happened with Neil I'm hesitant to jump into another relationship so suddenly. No matter how attracted I am to him. I don't want to get hurt again and besides; I've been very busy at work lately. How am I going to juggle a relationship on top of that?"

"That is the question everyone on the force asks themselves and six years later find themselves married with three kids," dad said as he popped a piece of croissant into his mouth. "Speaking from personal experience."

Dad got married fairly young and raising three kids hadn't been a walk in the park for my parents and it became even more difficult when mom passed away from cancer when I was only 7. My older sister eventually graduated college and became a lawyer and is now married with three kids of her own. My older brother decided to enlist in the army after school and eventually dropped out.

He had always been the problem "middle" child. I remember him being quite a bully to me growing up. He eventually ran with the wrong crowd and it wasn't a surprise when one day he suddenly turned up at dad's, asking for money. Anyone could see that he was as high as a kite on drugs. Dad, who at the time had already retired early from the force and was running his own private investigating agency had him put in rehab, but he then disappeared again, and we hadn't heard from him since.

I became a police officer like dad and continued living with him in the large house. We sometimes butted heads, but mostly got along fine. Luckily, the house had two bathrooms and we each claimed our own, so it didn't matter how the toilet roll was put on or how the toothpaste tube was squeezed. I just wish he wouldn't be so secretive about August. He seemed to be all for the idea that I give August a chance. It made me wonder even more how they knew each other. When I asked dad, he just played dumb.

We had exchanged cell numbers at the coffee shop, but I was surprised to receive a message from August that night.

August: "I had a very enjoyable time with you today. I hope you have sweet dreams. A"

I felt very flattered that he messaged me, and I found that even though he is hoping that I'd accept a marriage proposal, he wasn't putting pressure on me or making any sexual innuendos. I guess I kept comparing him to Neil. When Neil had fallen "head over heels" for me, he kept making sexually suggestive remarks, making it clear that he wanted to have sex.

I was just a young, naive man then and believed that he was really in love with me and that we'd have a future together. When I asked him if he saw us being in a long-term relationship he had said yes. That all lasted a whole two weeks. I found out that he was seeing other men and women behind my back and that I was just another one on his pole of conquests. I couldn't believe I was so stupid.

August was different. He was asking for commitment, which baffled me somewhat. Were Avian men perhaps differently wired than humans? I was only half Avian, dad being human, so I wasn't too sure. I stared at myself in the mirror. I had short sandy blonde hair and green eyes. I took after Avian men in that I had no beard or moustache and was tall for a human, but my features were definitely more human.

I didn't think myself exceptionally beautiful or anything, I was certainly not on August's level. What did he see in me? I guess only time would tell.

Under normal circumstances I would run a mile if someone of authority, that I didn't know from a bar of soap, suddenly proposed to me while they could ask anyone else, but the fact that my dad is in on it somehow makes me think that it is not as suspicious as it looks like, but certainly suspicious somehow. If I didn't know my dad as well as I did there would have been no way I'd go along with any of this.

Me: "You too. K"

I felt a bit bad writing so little, but I didn't know what else to say. I wasn't sure how I felt about him, and could I truly say that I enjoyed meeting him? I was nervous as heck and could barely drink my coffee. The guy was gorgeous and had this confident aura that made me super aware of him.