Kev took the seat on the couch across from Talon, the plush cushion sinking under his weight. Talon looked more tired than Kev could ever remember seeing him. The eagle was always so alert and focused, but now he just looked like he was ready to fall asleep, his shoulders slumped, his usually sharp gaze softened with exhaustion.
"I'm glad Sabrina didn't make it to the basement," Kev said.
Talon slowly opened his eyes. "Sister will not give up so easily. I just hope Madam Cindy does not engage with her." He then reached for the cup of coffee that Kev had made and gulped it down.
Kev glanced around his apartment. Nearly everywhere he looked, he saw something that Cindy had gotten for him: the drapes, the candles, the bread box, the new mirror in the bathroom. When she saw something that needed fixing, she engaged. Kev sipped his own cup. "I hope so too."
Talon put his mug down and rubbed his face feathers a bit, trying to coax himself into focus. "I am glad Mr. Horns will be attending dinner tonight," he said. "That Mr. Bruno is quite... big."
Kev nodded. "Horns is bigger. We are so lucky Horns is relaxed. He grabbed Bruno and manhandled him like it was nothing."
Talon stared at Kev. "What? When did this happen?"
"Just a few minutes before you got here," Kev said with a shrug. "I didn't know the second floor was off-limits, so I showed them my room."
"You what?!" Talon stood, the movement sharp and sudden. This was apparently shocking to the bodyguard.
"Oh, sit down," Kev waved his hand. "After you went up the elevator, Warlock popped his head out from the private pool room and asked if he could see the accommodations."
Talon slowly sat back down, but his eyes were still unwavering, fixed on Kev. "You should have come to me. They are dangerous. Couldn't you smell the blood on them?"
Kev felt a chill run through him. Really? They reeked of blood? There was no way... but Talon wasn't exactly known for lying or exaggerating...
"It was fine," Kev said, trying to force his voice through the icy feeling in his chest. "We're about to get into a partnership with them anyway. They're on our side."
"Even if Mr. Fang said they are on our side," Talon stated, "if it is my job to protect you, I will keep them in my sight."
Kev looked away. "I'm sure Rex smells like blood too."
"Not that much blood," Talon replied.
A knock rang through the room. Talon, as always, quickly opened the door. "Mr. Fang."
Fang stepped inside. He wore a classic, black, three-piece suit, impeccably tailored to his powerful frame. It was a picture of stoic, formidable authority, but his amber eyes, usually so expressive, were unreadable as they immediately locked onto Kev.
Kev's eyes locked with Fang's, and he felt his pulse quicken. The wolf's expression was flat, but Kev could only picture his raw howl from the night before, his pained, angry face at the top of the stairs. He had looked so lost, so hurt.
"Talon," Fang's voice was low, "wait outside."
Talon only glanced over at Kev before nodding at the wolf and stepping past him. The eagle pulled the door shut as he stepped into the hallway, leaving Kev and Fang alone.
The silence in the room was a heavy, suffocating thing. The player piano was off, the only sound the distant, almost inaudible hum of the club preparing to awaken. Kev and Fang just watched each other, the distance between the couch and the door feeling like a mile.
Fang slowly broke his gaze and walked further into the apartment. He looked around. "Is there anything you would like for your room? I'd like to get you something for it."
Kev took a deep breath. "Are you feeling better today?"
He watched the words hit Fang like a slap. The wolf, who was facing away from him, winced, and his tail slowly drooped. He turned to face Kev, his eyes downcast, his large, imposing shoulders slumped in a posture of defeat.
"My love... I..." Fang was clenching and unclenching his fists as he spoke. "I am... ashamed of my behavior."
The wolf finally looked up at Kev and strode over. He sat on the couch next to Kev and grabbed the human's hands in his own, holding them up gently between them. "Please forgive this foolish old wolf," he said, his voice a low, rough murmur, "for being... ungentlemanly."
Kev tilted his head back to look up into Fang's eyes. Those amber orbs, usually so filled with confidence, were now searching Kev's own, searching and hoping to find something, to learn that Kev would still be his.
Kev squeezed Fang's massive hands back. "That wasn't really you last night," he said softly. "I talked with Lanon, and I know you're-"
"No." Fang released Kev's hands and threw his arms around the small human, hugging him tight. "These things are just excuses. I shamed myself last night, and I must do something to apologize."
Kev leaned into the wolf, into the embrace. It wasn't the things that Fang bought him that made him feel safe. It wasn't the club or the clothes or the expensive food. It wasn't the trips out into the city or the drinks at the VIP booth. It was Fang himself. Somehow, even in this situation, Kev felt himself relax.
"I don't care if you have episodes," Kev said softly. "It's out of your control, and I know you are working on it with Lanon. I'd never leave you over something like that."
He felt Fang's grip tighten, and then the wolf relaxed as well, a long, shuddering breath escaping him. "I do not deserve your love," Kev heard Fang whisper in his ear.
Kev pushed himself away and grabbed Fang's suit lapels. He took another deep breath. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm the one who's causing problems. I'm making so much work for everyone, and I haven't lifted a finger to help."
The human could not resist Fang's strength as the wolf pulled him back into a bear hug. "You have solved so many of my problems," Fang declared softly. "I can no longer imagine an evening without you by my side."
"You're being hyperbolic," Kev struggled against the wolf for a few moments before giving up and enjoying the embrace. "I don't do anything. You've got a great staff... no, you've got a great family here. They take care of you better than I ever could."
"You have done something none of them could," Fang rubbed Kev's back. "You are not Horns or Cindy, but you are mine..."
The words, meant to be the ultimate reassurance, landed in Kev's heart with a dull thud. Was he just Fang's emotional support pet?
"Kev, three years ago," Fang said, his voice a low, rough murmur against Kev's ear, "I... found myself cornered. My... outbursts had caught up with me, and I was going to lose a portion of my acreage. I just couldn't let that happen. So I took a calculated risk. Instead of losing a fifth of my property, I would share half with the city and its inhabitants. It was a mutually beneficial agreement which kept the land deeded to me, and I would only need to pay taxes on the club grounds. The city councilors got the park to show off for their voters."
"The people were happy. The newspapers were running headlines that read 'Mr. Fang's Forest Free For Frolicking' and 'The Park Is Open: Fang Provides Green Space for Families'," Fang recited, a faint note of pride in his voice. "It was the best deal I had ever made. With all the positive publicity, people had even begun to forget about some of my less-than-savory interactions."
Kev squeezed Fang. "People still love the park," he murmured. "You should see it during the day."
"The last time I was at the park during the day was the ribbon-cutting," Fang stopped rubbing Kev's back and just held him still, his breaths coming a bit heavier with each sentence. "It was a big to-do. The city councilors really wanted to milk the publicity from the event, so there was a marching band from the local university, a few local musicians, food trucks... even a parade set up that was going to travel around the grounds. And, of course, there was an audience and cameras as well. It had been the biggest story in the city for weeks."
Kev rubbed Fang's back, his own heart aching for the wolf. He had guessed that one of Fang's episodes was the reason why he was in self-exile, but really... an entire parade's worth of people had witnessed it... that was just too cruel.
"After the children's choir stopped singing, I was to give a few words," Fang's voice was growing a bit thick, "but when I went to read the teleprompter..." Fang swallowed. "...I saw... a photo."
Kev could feel Fang's fur beginning to stand, his heart hammering in his chest. All he could do was continue to rub the wolf's back.
Fang shuddered and squeezed the human gently. "Maffa had put it there. And I... I lost control of myself. I ran right towards the teleprompter, and I... turned it off... and I saw Maffa, that fucking cunt. He taunted me, and I chased him... through the crowd... through the parade... through the marching band..."
"When Rex and Dale finally stopped me, I... I couldn't do it anymore... Maffa had won. He even went on camera after and 'forgave' me. That shit-sucker. He said I was overcome with 'passion' when I forgot that I had made a deal with the city. He said I was just not very smart... I still remember how badly I wanted to rip that cheetah's whiskers off and use them to sew his eyes shut."
Kev gently headbutted the wolf's chest. "Hey there. None of that."
Fang sighed and finally released the human. "I couldn't show my face out in the city," he said, his voice raw. "I've lost my temper before, but... the cheetah led me around like I was on a leash. If that happened again... I had never felt so weak... so violated."
"You're not weak," Kev said firmly. "A weak man would not have the self-control to stay in the club for three years. Thank you for telling me."
Fang reached out and brushed Kev's cheek. "You've given me the confidence to step out into the world again, my love. You've freed me from my cage."
Kev put his hand on Fang's leg. "I know you're calmer around me, but... I haven't cured you. You still had an episode last night when we passed the room across from yours."
Fang coughed and glanced away. "That was an abnormality due to the enforcer raid. It is just a closed door, like any other door."
"Come on, Fang," Kev said softly. "Can't we talk about it?"
Fang shuddered again before turning to Kev. "I understand how you want to forget about your past and move forward, because I do too. We are the same in so many ways, and that is why I love you... you make me a better man, and you have remarkable self-control..."
Kev closed his eyes and leaned against Fang. Once again, he felt trapped. The wolf had used his own admissions in the graveyard against him. He would be a hypocrite if he kept asking Fang about the mystery door... It didn't feel fair. But it could get dealt with later. When he wasn't so close to the man he loved.