Kev watched, his stomach turning slightly, as Bruno and Warlock exited the club. The poodle, limp and unconscious, dangled from Bruno's shoulder, his fluffy white tail bouncing with each of the bear's heavy steps. They disappeared through the main doors, just another strange, unsettling tableau in the nightly spectacle of Club Fang.
Kev shuddered and looked over at Talon. "So, that was the Mafia Don."
Talon nodded, his eyes still fixed on the spot where the incident had occurred. "I am surprised."
"Me too," Kev said. "I totally thought he was going to be a penguin."
Talon looked over at him, his brow furrowed. "Why?"
"Oh, you know," Kev said, "...because..." He didn't have a good answer.
Talon shook his head before looking back at Fang and Rex, who were now at the side of the bar. Dale was there, talking with them. It was odd to see the horse without a glass in his hand as he stood with his arms crossed, looking quite serious.
"The cobra must be quite skilled," Talon said.
"Why's that?" Kev said, finally turning away from the velvet rope and claiming his normal seat in the booth.
Talon turned back towards Skippy and rasped, "Mr. Rex did not attack him."
Kev sat and watched the crowd. Rex was right; there really was a good view from this spot. The chaotic swirl of beastfolk had quickly returned once the excitement had ended, and the air was once again filled with chatter and music. It was as if nothing had even happened.
Fang returned to the booth, holding a pair of drinks. His suit was still impeccable, but his fur was slightly ruffled, and there was a harried, frazzled look in his amber eyes. He looked like he'd just run a marathon while doing his taxes.
Kev took a sip of his offered drink and watched Fang quickly sip his own down. "The Mafia boss seems a bit..." Kev hesitated, "strict."
Fang rubbed a hand through the fur on his head and finished off his drink. "I almost had Rex remove him and his bodyguard." The wolf sighed. "You know, I thought he would be a polar bear."
Kev nodded enthusiastically. "Right! Or like, a penguin."
Fang turned. "A penguin?" he asked, his voice not hiding his confusion.
"You know..." Kev murmured, "they're always in a tux or whatever." He took a sip of his drink.
"And so are we," Fang said, before looking back towards the bar. "You wait here. I'm going to get another drink."
Kev reached out and grabbed Fang's arm. "Wait," he said, sliding out of the booth with the wolf. "Let's take a walk instead of drinking. We will be sitting for a while, so I'd like to stretch my legs."
Fang smiled, and his tail gave a small wag. "If that's what you want, we can take a quick walk."
Kev leaned on Fang as they headed towards the rear exit, after telling Talon to wait at the booth. He lit a smoke as they stepped out into the night. The sun had just set, and a final, faint orange glow over the trees was fading quickly into a deep, velvety indigo. The torches had been lit, their flames casting long shadows across the manicured lawns. The air was warm and smelled of night-blooming jasmine and damp earth. A few couples were scattered about, their forms indistinct silhouettes on distant benches, their low, intimate conversations lost in the chirping of the crickets.
As they strolled, Kev dug for something to talk about, anything to distract Fang from the upcoming meeting. He could tell Fang was on edge from meeting the Mafia boss in such an unexpected way. Unfortunately for Kev, the only thing that kept popping into his mind were his imposter syndrome anxieties.
"Fang," Kev said, "I really want to help out around the club more."
The wolfman snorted and looked over at the human. "The last time we had a chat out here, you asked me to take you off the payroll."
Kev couldn't help but grin back. "I never signed the waiver to work here. I'm sure Bozeman would find a way to claw back any payments anyway."
"I'm sure he could," Fang laughed. "That chameleon is a coward, but he can do anything to anyone, as long as he gets their signature."
Kev squeezed Fang's hand. "I'm glad I'm a free man, then."
"And no one will ever cage you," Fang said, his voice a low, serious rumble. "Not as long as I am around."
Kev knew those words could be taken very literally. Fang really had saved him from the first moment they met, and Kev had had no idea. "I know you're stressed with work," Kev said after a few moments. "And I'm... probably giving you more stress..."
"No, you're-" Fang tried to say.
"How could you not be?" Kev said. He stopped walking and held Fang's hand, turning to face him. "You are a busy man, and there are only so many hours in the day. Since you're spending half the night with me, you must be working twice as hard during your shift. It's just math."
"Seeing you happy makes me happy," Fang smiled gently. "On the first night we met, all I could smell on you was fear. But your blue eyes looked right into mine... You did not run or hide... And now, in the last few days, you are finally showing your true self to me. And I love it."
Fang reached out and gently tilted Kev's face up, his calloused thumb stroking his cheek. "When you are not afraid," he murmured, his voice a low, husky purr, his amber eyes glowing in the torchlight, "you are so... magnificent."
Fang then leaned down and kissed him. It wasn't the fiery, possessive kiss from the fashion show, or the desperate, clinging kiss from the graveyard. This was different. It was a slow, deliberate claiming, a kiss that spoke of adoration and a deep, soul-shaking tenderness. It was a kiss that tasted of whiskey and promised forever.
Kev could only reach out and hold on to Fang, his legs feeling weak.
"I love you," Kev said, his voice a breathless whisper when they finally pulled apart, looking Fang in the eyes once more. "But I don't want to be your pet."
Fang pulled away as if he'd been stung. His expression shuttered, the warmth vanishing, replaced by a guarded, almost pained look. "Lanon," he growled, the name a curse on his lips.
"Yes, Lanon," Kev said, and he could feel his blood pressure rise as he thought of the instigator iguana. "You know... he said some crazy shit last night."
"I told him to keep away from you," Fang said, glancing at Kev but quickly turning to inspect a large begonia bush.
"He said... that..." Kev clenched his jaw. "He was coaching you. And told you to kiss me on our second day together. He even said he told you to say 'I love you'... Isn't that outrageous?"
When Fang did not stop inspecting the bush, Kev's stomach did a slow, sickening somersault. "That's OUTRAGEOUS, right?! Why would he lie like that?!"
Fang turned. "He is not lying." He looked defeated, just like when they were in Kev's apartment after the raid, but his amber eyes held Kev's.
"That's-!" Kev didn't know what to say. He felt a rush of anger and confusion bubbling over inside him. Lanon was telling the truth about it? Then what did that mean about his and Fang's relationship? Were they just marionettes being puppeted along by the evil ringleader of a carnal carnival?
"It's been so long since I've been in a relationship," Fang said, his voice a low, rough murmur. "All the ones that had come before... they just wanted... prestige."
Kev was still angry, but for some reason, Fang's gaze was making him want to look away. The wolf was being deadly serious, and hearing his vulnerability made Kev ache.
"You're so different," Fang stepped forward and grabbed Kev's hand. "So... unconventional... I did not want for you to run off into another's arms."
Kev broke his gaze. He felt ashamed that he'd even thought that Lanon had anything to do with their relationship other than speeding up the inevitable.
"Even Cindy approves of you," Fang said, his voice soft. "If I had to do everything again, I would not change a thing."
Kev blushed. He had wanted to talk about what he could do to help the wolf with work… maybe help with the numbers or manage his schedule, anything that would ease the burden… but this sudden declaration of love had made his worries seem much further away.
He shouldered Fang playfully. "Maybe we could change me almost getting abducted by the enforcers back during my first week."
Fang squeezed his human's hand and laughed. "Oh, but then we wouldn't have gotten to invite Abe on his little sleepover."
Kev walked next to Fang as they headed back towards the club. "Speaking of Abe, is he going to sue the club for kidnapping him or something?"
"Sue... us?" Fang questioned, as if he should be the one suing the raccoon he had imprisoned. "He got multiple days off in his favorite place in the city."
"Well..." Kev shook his head. That logic was terrible. "Don't you think the enforcers will be angry that one of their own was... uh... talked to for so long?"
Fang waved a dismissive hand. "Romulus got his enforcer back with all his fingers and toes. I don't see what he has to complain about."
Kev nodded. This world really was a lot more brutal than back home. He tossed his already cold cigarette into the trash as Fang pushed the door open.