Fang went utterly still. The raw emotion that had been radiating from him moments before seemed to retract, replaced by a chilling quiet. He took a deliberate step back from Kev, his eyes, still glistening, now held a dawning suspicion. A low growl rumbled in his chest, not of anger, but of something deeper, more unsettling. "Explain yourself," he commanded, his voice flat, devoid of its earlier warmth.
Kev flinched at the shift in Fang's demeanor. He pulled his hands back, clutching them tightly against his own chest as if to ward off a blow. He couldn't meet Fang's gaze, his eyes fixed on the overgrown grass at their feet. "The first day," he began, his voice barely a whisper, "I woke up in that... that little room. I didn't know where I was, how I got there. And then... then you barged in."
Fang's brow furrowed, his confusion evident. "Get on with it," he demanded, his voice regaining some of its earlier sharpness, though now laced with a different kind of tension.
Kev shuddered, the memory of that initial terror still vivid. "I'm not... I'm not who you think I am," he choked out. "I'm not whoever they hired to be your personal assistant. I don't know who that person is, or how I ended up in their room." He risked a glance at Fang, whose expression was now unreadable, his eyes hard, his tail perfectly still. The sight made Kev's stomach clench.
He quickly looked away again, turning his back on Fang and sinking onto the cold iron bench, his shoulders hunched. "I was lost," he continued, his voice trembling. "And you... you gave me a home. A job. I didn't know what to do, how to tell you. Everyone... Horns, Cindy... they were all telling me I was doing a good job, that I was good for you. I was so scared." He buried his face in his hands. "Scared of telling you the truth, scared of what you'd do. Scared of being homeless, out on the street in a place I don't understand, knowing nothing."
The silence stretched, broken only by Kev's quiet, shuddering breaths. Then, he felt the bench dip beside him. Fang had sat down, still silent, his presence a heavy weight in the darkness.
Kev kept his face hidden, the words tumbling out now, a torrent of fear and confession. "And you were so... kind. Not always with your words, no," a small, watery chuckle escaped him, "but with your actions. You... you offered me the bed on my very first night. When I was terrified, and you looked like you wanted to eat me."
He felt a large hand settle on his shoulder. He looked up, his vision blurred by tears, to see Fang looking at him, his expression unreadable in the dim light. Then, slowly, Fang pulled him into an embrace. It wasn't the fierce, possessive hug from before, but something softer, almost hesitant.
"And I couldn't even let you sleep in it," Fang said, his voice a low, rough murmur against Kev's hair.
Kev hugged Fang back, clinging to him. "It's the thought that counts," he whispered, the simple truth of it anchoring him in the swirling chaos of his emotions.
Fang held Kev for a moment longer, then gently pulled back, his hands still resting on Kev's shoulders. His gaze was searching, the earlier hardness softened by a bewildered concern. "Tell me where you are from, then," he said, his voice quiet, almost a whisper.
Kev rubbed at his tear-streaked face with the back of his hand and coughed, trying to compose himself. "It feels like... it feels like I'm from a different world," he confessed, the words tasting strange on his tongue. "But that would be crazy, right?" He let out a shaky laugh. "Where I'm from, there are only humans. Beastmen... beastmen are just things that sing and dance in animated movies."
Fang's brow furrowed deeply. "What?" he breathed, the single word laced with utter confusion.
"Beastmen were just a myth," Kev elaborated, his voice still trembling. "Like... like unicorns or dragons. I don't know." He looked at Fang, his eyes pleading. "And you don't know how you got here?" Fang pressed, his voice still low, but with a new urgency.
Kev shook his head vehemently, fresh tears spilling over. "No. Please, believe me. I'm so sorry for lying to you."
Fang pulled Kev tight against him again, a low sound, almost a whimper, escaping his throat. He held Kev for a long moment, his large body a solid, comforting presence in the darkness. "None of the staff can recall who brought you into that room," Fang said, his voice muffled against Kev's hair. "The records from Lanon all seem correct. I've gone over them personally… but none of the paperwork is for you..."
"I don't blame anyone from the club," Kev whispered, his voice raw. "I just... I feel like I'm going crazy." He pulled away from Fang again, needing to see his face, needing to gauge his reaction. "I've been trying so hard to avoid thinking about this," he confessed, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Trying so hard to fill my daylight hours with activities, with cleaning, with playing guitar, with talking to people... anything so I didn't have to sit and think about how I got here. Every time it creeps into my head, I feel like I'm insane. It's so hard to stop thinking about it, like... like some cosmic, planet-devouring entity just decided to really fuck with me." He shuddered, then his gaze softened as he looked at Fang. "But then you laid down next to me and all the fear vanished... I was thinking about you."
At that, Fang's tail gave a single, almost imperceptible wag.
Kev took a deep, shaky breath. "If you want, you can try to track down where I'm from," he said, his voice gaining a sliver of resolve. "But I don't care. I don't want to care, and I don't want to think about it. I just want to keep moving forward and not go insane."
Fang was still quiet, his brow furrowed as he absorbed Kev's chaotic, heartfelt confession. The only sound was the distant city hum and the rustling of leaves in the neglected graveyard.
Kev looked up at him, his eyes red-rimmed but earnest. "I don't want to lie to you anymore, Fang," he said, his voice steadier now. "You can try to figure out what's going on, but I feel like I'm really far from home." He looked back down again, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Maybe I am the assistant and I've got amnesia or something," he offered, a small, humorless laugh escaping his lips.
At that, Fang chuckled, a low, soft sound that surprised Kev. Kev looked up at him, his expression questioning.
Fang smiled down at Kev, a genuine, gentle smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "You wouldn't be the only member of my family with an interesting past," he said, his voice a low rumble, devoid of the earlier tension.
Relief, so potent it was almost dizzying, washed over Kev. He leaned into Fang, his head resting against the wolfman's broad chest, the steady beat of his heart a comforting rhythm. "Can you forgive me?" he whispered.
Fang's large hand came up to pet Kev's head, his fingers gently carding through his hair. "Don't let it happen again," he said, his tone firm but with an undercurrent of affection that spoke volumes.
"Do you believe me?" Kev asked, his voice small, almost childlike, his face still pressed against Fang's chest.
Fang held Kev tightly, his chin resting on the top of Kev's head. "There is something odd about you, I know that at least," he said, his voice a low, thoughtful rumble. "I don't care... If this is your truth, then who am I to question it? If you're not lying, then nothing will change the fact that you are here now."
"I'm not hiding anything else," Kev said, his voice gaining a little more strength. "I just didn't know how to tell you because it's insane."
"I am sorry, though, Kev," Fang said, his tone shifting, a note of seriousness entering his voice.
Kev pulled back slightly, looking up at Fang in confusion. "Why?"
Fang sighed, his gaze sweeping over the dark, neglected graves before returning to Kev. "You may not want to think about how you arrived," he began, "but others will." He paused, his expression growing grim. "Rex stopped a troublemaker earlier, at the security checkpoint before we left the club grounds. The troublemaker… it was Abe."
Kev's eyes widened. "Abe? The raccoon city enforcer? The one who was with Bryan?"
Fang nodded. "He was trying to tell the security team that the city is interested in you. Apparently, you've shown up on CCTV cameras out in the city with me."
Kev frowned, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach. "I haven't done anything wrong, other than smoke a little bit," he said, his voice laced with a hint of frustration. "Why do they care about me? You associate with much more dangerous people than me."
Fang's grip on Kev's shoulders tightened almost imperceptibly. "You're not in any databases, Kev," he explained, his voice grave. "You're a phantom, with no identification, no history they can access. It just gives them another reason to harass us, another angle to exploit."
Kev looked down, a wave of guilt washing over him. "I always seem to be making trouble for you," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
Fang gently tilted Kev's chin up, forcing him to meet his gaze. "You are just existing," he said, his voice firm but kind. "The city is making trouble."
Kev, overwhelmed by Fang's unwavering kindness and the sheer strangeness of his own situation, found he had no words. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed Fang, a deep, heartfelt kiss that conveyed all the turmoil and gratitude swirling within him. Fang responded with equal intensity, his arms wrapping around Kev, pulling him close. For a long moment, they were lost in the embrace, the neglected graveyard and the distant city forgotten, only the raw connection between them existing in the moonlit clearing.
When they finally broke apart, breathless, Fang didn't need to say more, and neither did Kev. The understanding that passed between them was more profound than any words.
Fang grasped Kev's hand, his touch firm and reassuring, and led him back towards the overgrown path where Rex waited. As they approached, the tigerman straightened, his earlier sullenness replaced by an air of watchful anticipation.
"Let's have that talk with Abe tonight," Fang said to Rex, his voice now carrying a steely resolve. "I hope he's awake soon."
Rex grinned, a flash of sharp teeth in the darkness. "We have smelling salts, sir."
Fang waved a dismissive hand at Rex. "Spare Kev the details. It's been a rough night."
Rex's eyes flicked to Kev, a predatory smirk returning. "Is that what took so long? You were rough on him?"
Kev, his emotions still raw and his nerves frayed, glared back at Rex, the earlier vulnerability hardening into a flash of anger.
Fang growled. "Kev, have a smoke." He gestured towards a dilapidated bench just off the main path, shaded by an ancient oak. "Rex, we need to talk."