The hunter closed his jacket tighter around himself as the harsh, frigid wind whipped at the black fabric. Rune cursed under his breath and squinted through the blinding storm, blinking away the dryness of his eyes. ‘Damn red heads and damn their flamboyant ways,’ he thought to himself. Of course, he was referring to one red head in particular who was, at this particular moment, drunk off his ass and all but helpless. Why did Kanasaki need to be picked up from this damn bar, anyway? The man could make it home by himself!
The dark haired man trudged on angrily as a voice wavered through the speaker in his eyepiece. “Are you coming yet? Don’t…don’t make me come outside and find you. I’ll kick your ass.” The words were slurred—evidence of the man’s drunken state—but a hint of fear could be detected. The man wouldn’t go outside alone into a night like this, not on his life.
“Those are idle threats, Kanasaki, and you damn well know it,” the doctor hissed back to the tracker listening on the other end. “Now stop complaining or I’ll turn around.”
The line went quiet before Kana piped up softly, “You wouldn’t do…that. My lips won’t stay locked…if you do that.”
“Ugh!” The hunter spat in disgust. He knew he wouldn’t—no, couldn’t— leave the tracker there no matter how much the man annoyed him. So did the tracker himself, and he was fully aware how to take charge of any situation when he had the right information. Rune heard a faint chuckle through his communicator. Why that little…
Suddenly, a gruff voice could be heard shouting over the low rumble of noise from the bar, “Last call was over half an hour ago! Out, now, or I’ll get the bouncer!” Rune smirked to himself at his blackmailer’s plight as Kanasaki’s trembling tones calling back to the bartender.
“I…I can’t go out right now! My friend…he’s coming to get me, can I stay inside a little longer?” The demon hunter almost laughed as he listened in as the barkeep personally “guided” Kana out of the club.
“You can wait outside for your friend. You’re a big, er, boy now; you can take care of yourself.” Rune did bark out a curt laugh as the sound of a door slamming echoed through the receiver. Kana huffed testily, banging a fist on the solid metal entrance (and, unfortunately for the tracker, exit) to the bar.
“See if I ever come here again! Dick! Throwing your cus…customers out! Not right!” The hunter had to cover his mouth to hold back the stream of sadistic sniggering begging to spill from his lips.
“RUNE! Get over here RIGHT NOW!” The red haired DJ half yelled, half whined. The doctor smirked and held back a snicker at his friend’s shouted pleas. “Yeah, yeah. I hear you. On my way. Bye!” Kana’s panicked cry of “No, don’t!” was cut off as Rune closed the connection. He was only a block away; surely the redhead could take care of himself for a few minutes.
“Damn him! He’ll…regret that.” Kana snapped his cell shut and growled as he leaned back against the cold brick wall outside the bar. As if to only piss him off more, the faded yellow overhead lights shining down on him blinked out. Now, he was in the dark. Alone. In a windstorm. ‘Well, isn’t this just peachy?’ the tracker thought pessimistically, groaning as his head suddenly swam in a wave of vertigo. “I’m…NOT…going to get sick. I’m not.” How many drinks had he accepted tonight? Fuck, he certainly hadn’t kept count, and as the evening had worn on and everything blurred, he hadn’t even bothered to check just what he was drinking. “Bad idea…stupid, stupid…idea. Good job, me.” Kanasaki moaned regretfully and pressed his forehead against the cool but rough surface of the bricks.
“Hurry…” He pleaded to no one in particular.
Footsteps crunched softly on the dirty pavement, the quiet sounds almost swept away with the wind. The tracker was fully aware, however, but his expectations of Rune arriving soon drove away any suspicion from his liquor-addled brain. Kana turned to face his supposed partner, ready to berate the man for his tardiness.
“Took you long enou—hngh!”
Pain flashed through his head and his vision bled white as his head was smashed back against the once soothing wall. Rough fingers gripped harshly at his beautiful hair, mussing and dirtying the long strands. A none-too-gentle body was pressed lewdly against his own while a deep, alcohol soaked breath invaded his nose, making his gut churn nauseously.
“Been watchin’ you all nigh’. Yeh let us buy yeh drinks, but don’ let us take yeh teh bed? Filthy tease.” The oily voice sickened him.
“How…dare you…” Kana growled out, blood from his forehead dribbling sluggishly into his eyes and down to his lips.
The wounded DJ struggled to push the man away, to kick him, punch him or head butt him—anything—to no avail. His body wouldn’t budge, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Ah, I see what yer tryin’, but it won’ work. I was amazed yeh din’ check yer drinks… Slipped yeh somethin’ nice.” A slimy tongue traveled up his neck, and Kana grimaced in disgust. This wasn’t happening. This was all some sick fantasy perverted into existence because of the alcohol. Yes, that was it. He was really at home right now, curled up with a hunter, out of the storm and safe. He was not drugged up and being molested by some sick fuck in a dingy alleyway outside of a bar operated by a dick bartender. Nope.
As the green-eyed tracker slipped further into his imagined sanctuary, the dirty thug pressed closer. Was that the jangle of a belt buckle? No, that was the sound of a spoon clinking in a warm coffee mug as it was being stirred. Cream, sugar… Really sweet, just how Sharde liked it. What about the rustle of fabric being pulled roughly from his body? Ha, no, that was Rune angrily tearing away the covers in the morning when he discovered Kana curled close. Blissfully warm and definitely not alone. And THAT most certainly was not the sound of a heavy boot snapping and crushing the bones in a human skull. It was…
Err… It was the sound of bones in a human skull being snapped and crushed by Rune’s heavy boot. Most certainly. The pressure released from his back, Kanasaki slid down the wall staring blankly as the demon hunter ruthlessly pistol-whipped the by now bloody man. The tracker winced as the sound of metal colliding with flesh and bone filled the air.
“Don’t…” Kana’s voice was rough and quiet, but it caught Rune’s attention. With a growled out “Scumbag!” the hunter put away his weapon and kneeled next to his team member, checking him over.
“Shit, are you okay?” Rune questioned, a hint of worry coloring his voice.
“I’m afraid you hurt him a lot more than he hurt me,” Kana chuckled lightly before letting out a hiss of pain as his dark haired partner brushed a hand over his head wound. “Can…we go home now? You know…before the cops come…”
Rune nodded and helped Kanasaki to his feet. “Can you walk?” The redhead tried taking a wobbly step forward, but quickly shook his head and leaned heavily against the hunter, strength seemingly lost. “Great. Don’t tell me I’m going to have to carry you home.” With a small grin at Rune’s expense, Kana nodded. “Awesome. Really. Fan-fucking-tastic. I love this.” Growling irritably, the former doctor turned hunter gracelessly scooped up his partner, hefting the DJ into his arms. The tracker sighed and wrapped his arms around his friend’s neck, finally comfortable for the first time in hours.
“Wouldn’t have to carry me if you had hurried!” Kana said in a singsong tone.
As an eyebrow lifted, Rune retorted back in a singsong voice of his own, “Wouldn’t have to carry you if you hadn’t gotten drunk and molested! Want me to drop you?”
The hunter feigned letting go and Kana let out a shout of fright, clinging tight. “Don’t do that, bastard! I’m hurt and all you want to do is make…stupid jokes! Jerk.”
Rune let out a chuckle as Kana huffed testily, gripping the hunter’s warm coat tightly as the man replied, “You started it. Don’t whine at me while I’m saving your ass.” The DJ rolled his eyes before Rune continued, “And, may I point out, you got yourself into this mess in the first place. It’s only by the grace of my kind, gentle and caring heart that you’re not getting reamed by some drunk in the alley right now.”
The redhead growled warningly. “Shut up.”
“No.”
“Just shut up and take me home.”
“I could leave you here…”
“NO! Just… Damn it!”
Kanasaki let out a stream of curses that would earn the disdain of a thousand old ladies if they had deigned to be outside at this hour and not curled up comfortably with their numerous cats and handicrafts.
