Reno shuffled through the alleys of the docks, taking in the familiar smell of the sea breeze and the various, partly foreign fracquances that came from the merchants ships from all over the world. Seriously, he loved his job. He was the born sailor and he wouldn´t want to exchange the stormy oceans and the freedom they brought with them for anything and no one.
He winked at a sweet lady standing in front of a bar with a few of her friends, and with a smirk wandered down the dark street, whistling a happy little tune, when something from out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.
Stunned, the song was interrupted and the redhead quickly dived in the shadow of a side alley as a tall figure came into view. Eyes going wide like saucers, the man ducked behind a barrel stinking of old fish, but his attention was solely focused on the young man. The frightening familiar young man.
Glad in a long elegant black coat made of the finest textures, he nonchalantely held a black cane with a golden knub and idly sauntered along the half empty street, ignoring the stares.
What startled Reno wasn´t only that he obviously didn´t belong into this area, for the ships of the rich merchants were way down the ports, but that he had long silver hair that was held together in his neck by a golden clasp. A few loose strands were framing his beautiful face that even during the years he´d aged looked almost exactly as Reno remembered him.
What the hell?! What was he doing here? And in such array on top?!
The redhead remained hidden behind the barrel, his eyes following the young man as he slowly passed by a few meters away.
It wasn´t only the clothes and the age that was different from the last image he had of the brat, Reno noticed with narrowed eyes. No, his entire habitus had changed quite dramatically.
Gone was the snot-nosed, devious brat. This man was an aristocrate through and through, and the way he carried himself, the air of self-confidence radiating from him and the naturalness with which he looked down on the fishermen and daytallers only made it painfully clear that he had gone of to a whole new social rank.
The sailor clenched his teeth and, following a sudden impulse, stepped out from his hiding spot. Since Yazoo had already passed him, he only saw so much of his slowly distancing back, but Reno spoke up nonetheless, lifting his chin in a frosty manner “Yo.”
The figure stopped and craned his neck, looking at the redhead over his shoulder with his head tilted and a quizzical expression. There was no sign of recognition showing, just the silent order to speak the business he had with him.
Tightening his jaw, Reno slowly meandered towards him, the young man turning around fully.
“Now look what a prissy little princess ya´ve become, yo.”
The other arched an elegant eyebrow in consternation, asking politely “Excuse me, but do I know you?”
The redheaded sailor snorted and spit to the side, eyes narrowed in annoyance “Ya bet ya do. But couldn´t expect ya ta remember insignificant little me,yo. Let´s jog ya memory then shall we? Five years ago. Ya in a ragged shitty dress. Ya brothas waitin´in an alley ta beat da shit outta me. Da last time I saw ya, ya were a bloody, beaten mess though. I´d say ya made sumthin out a ya princess.”
Yazoo´s eyes narrowed a little as he tried to remember and then recognition dawned on his angelic face. Though the redhead couldn´t say that the other was exactly pleased to see him again, judging from the cold look he received.
“Rings a bell, yo?”
The silver haired young man mustered him briefly, looking like he was considering something and eventually deigned to speak up.
“If I remember correctly you are that person who chased us through the country after we disseized you, aren´t you.”
“Yeah, dat´s yours truly,” Reno made a sarcastic bow, spiting out again and closing the distance between them, though the other didn´t look very intimidated by his aggressive attitude.
“Looks like ya havin´it nice now, uh?” Reno shot him a scrutinizing look, disgustedly eyeing Yazoo´s expensive attire.
“Well, I manage. Which is more than one can say for you.” The brat actually dared to arrogantly lift an eyebrow at him.
The redhead was pushed very near his limits of the tolerable, but the best part came when Yazoo reached into his pocket, pulling out a gold coin and announcing languidly “I suppose that should be enough to compensate you. If you will excuse me now.”
He flipped the coin into Reno´s general direction and was already about to turn around and continue his stroll. With a blank expression, the sailor observed the money he´d caught out of reflex and then looked back at the brat´s back, invisible fume slowly crawling out of his ears and his face becoming as red as his disheveled hair.
After a few quick strides he was by Yazoo´s side, brutally grabbing him by the arm and forcing him to turn around, smashing the coin to his feet.
“The hell ya think who ya are!” he growled dangerously, tightening his grip. Curious passers-by and loitering fishermen eyed the scene, but none of them felt like intervening. No one in his right mind messed with Reno and besides the people felt schadenfreude for the aristocrate at most.
Unimpressed, Yazoo tilted his head a little, calmly staring the furious man in the eye.
“Don´t want ya friggin shit, yo!”
He spit at the money lying in the mud and glared back at the other with obvious hatred.
“Well. You do not have to take it then.”
“I bet ya feelin all high ´n mighty now, don´t ya.”
“I kindly advice you to take your hands of me,” Yazoo said calmly, but a warning undertone had crept into his smooth voice. The redhead didn´t seem to listen to him however, being totally caught up by his anger.
“Ya fuckin little bitch think ya sumthin betta, don´t ya?! I´ll tell ya sumthin brat, compared to ya brothas ya might look a hell uffa lot more sophisticated, but ya yest of ta worst scum that´s walkin ta ground!”
Now that had some effect, as the other narrowed his cool eyes, and lowly snarled “Watch out what you are saying. I will not tolerate that you stain their names.”
Reno just snorted, firing back “Like hell ya doin anythin´! Don´t get so important now, ya haven´t given a shit for da last few years now have ya!”
Yazoo´s brows furrowed, as he looked slightly taken aback, but growled “Just because I do not visit their graves does not mean that I have forgotten about them.”
Now it was on Reno to look irritated as he snapped back “Ta hell ya talkin´ about? They ain´t dead!”
“…What?”
“Ya deaf or what?! I said they ain´t dead. At least they seemed very alive ta me two months ago. Ya know while ya sat in ya fancy castle they dragged me around da friggin country an turned every fuckin stone ta find ya an what ya doin?!”
Yazoo´s already pale face had been drained of any colour as he tried to process what the redhead was telling him.
And suddenly the ranting man found himself crashing with his back into the next wall, a surprisingly strong hand grabbing his collar and two fierce, slitted eyes staring at him out of a petrified, pale face. “Where are they.”
Gasping for air Reno struggled for freedom but he soon had to notice that it was to no avail.
“Where.Are.They.”
Wide eyed, the redhead stared at the razor sharp fangs the other bared at him and a cold shiver ran down his spine.
What the hell was going on here?! He hadn´t much time to ponder the problem, as the silver haired man´s grip tightened, cutting of the air.
“E-edge!” the other sputtered, feeling his feet hovering a few inches over the ground.
A strange gleam appeared in Yazoo´s eyes and Reno´s head felt strange for a second, but then he fell to the ground suddenly. Holding his abused throat and coughing, the sailor looked around, but there was no sign of the other at all. He´d vanished into thin air.
Cursing, the redhead gathered himself up and stumbled back on the street, searching for the next ship that went back to Edge.
+
“You are late tonight,” Vincent remarked friendly, as the door to the salon opened and his lover entered. Since he hadn´t taken long for his own meal tonight, just finding himself a victim in the region, he´d been back rather early and already made a fire, where he was sitting in front of right now, a book in hand.
The other remained silent, closing the distance between them and coming to a halt next to his chair.
Vincent inclined his head in question, asking with slight concern “Is something wrong?”
“I don´t know,” Yazoo said very slowly, voice devoid of any emotion.
“Did something happen?” the other vampire inquired, putting his book aside and not leaving his eyes from the strangely stiff figure of his student.
“Yes,” the silver haired man mustered Vincent with a look that made his lover feel even more concerned. “I met someone.”
“Oh? And who might that be?” the cloaked vampire asked nicely.
“You don´t know him,” Yazoo retorted curtly. “But this someone said that my brothers are alive.”
To say that Vincent looked surprised was an understatement, but he caught himself soon enough, looking sympathetic and shaking his head, sighing “I am sorry to hear that. You should not listen to your acquaintance. I do not know why they would spread such rumours, as it obviously hurts you.”
The silver haired man lowered his head, face hidden behind long silver strands.
“I am sorry.” Vincent stood from his chair, walking over to his student and drawing him in an embrace. Head leaning against the broad shoulder of the raven haired man, they stood there in silence for a moment, the fire casting their melted shadows over the carpet and table, until Yazoo´s quiet voice echoed through the room again. “So if I would go to Edge you can acertain me that I will not find them?”
The other figure stiffened at this, making the younger vampire look up with cold, blank eyes and declaring “Because I will go there, you know.”
With that he freed himself from the other´s embrace and was about to leave when a single hand shot out, holding him back by the arm.
“Stay.”
Yazoo was frozen to the spot, eyes widened as he stared at the carpet, feeling his arm in the grip of his… lover.
“He was right. You lied.”
The fingers around his wrist tightened painfully, but no answer was spoken.
“Let go.”
“Yazoo, listen to me. Do not do anything rash, I can explai-”
“Let.Go.”
His pupils constricting to paper thin slits, the vampire kept staring at the ground unmoving, but instead of withdrawing his hand, Vincent pulled the other back towards him, gripping his shoulders and licking his lips, his intense gaze boring into his friend´s eyes.
“You must listen to me! They may not be physically dead, but to us it does not matter. You already left their world and nothing good will come out of it when you appear before them now! Just… forget about it.”
No reaction came and the raven haired man embraced him tightly again, with one trembling hand stroking over silver tresses. “I am so sorry.”
The young man in his arms started to shake, slightly at first but it became stronger fast and Vincent stopped his frantic attempts to soothe him, stiffening again.
“I said,” the low voice of his student boomed through the dark room “let go!”
And suddenly Vincent was flying through the air, skiddering over the carpet and connecting with a chair. Wide eyed he stared at the shadow of two large wings spreading from Yazoo´s back as the young man stood hunched, eyes torn open and wild.
Long, light talons had emerged from clawed, twitching fingers. Wet,bloody feathers fell down around him and gathered on the carpet.
Panting, Yazoo straightened himself, his flexing back muscles making his new wings move a little. With an ice cold look, he stared down at the shocked figure on the floor before him, relaxing his claws.
Then he turned on his heels and attempted to leave the room, but Vincent´s voice made him stop, as the other vampire breathed, one hand outstretched “Wait! Don´t… leave me.”
Inclining his head, the other vampire spread his wings and folded them together again and without so much as another glance vanished in the shadows.
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Xyleel: Uhm ja, um deine Frage zu beantowrten: Vincent hat offensichtlich gelogen, was Yazoo´s Brüder angeht. Und spätestens jetzt gibt es keine großen Geheimnisse mehr zwischen den beiden. Nur das Yazoo jetzt wahrscheinlich sowieso erstmal die Schnautze gestrichen voll hat von Vincent... Ich habe mich ein bisschen an meinen deutschen Fics versucht, aber dabei ist nicht viel herausgekommen. Ich geb mir aber weiter Mühe, nur die Motivation will nicht so richtig :(
