Hide In Plain Sight...

Reaper...well. The moment he'd been pushed off, he'd managed to land on his back, which cleared his mind rather quickly. The moment that Nowe got up and left, the Fae had rolled onto his knees and into a crouched position. Once the sound of a door closing could be heard, he was scuttling to a spot of the room where he could hide and watch. He refused to go to his room when he had the chance of running into the Vampire so soon. Nope. And then he was leaving, which...the Fallen refused to dignify with a response. Let him go. He didn't care.

+++++++++++

Meanwhile, in another area entirely, a man was perched in a tree, looking up at the steadily darkening sky with half-narrowed eyes. A clash of lightning illuminated his figure and earned a frown, his eyes shifting from pale lavender to pitch black in a single moment. He shifted on the branch a bit, studying the incoming storm with a bored expression. "Lovely. That won't improve his mood much." He muttered to himself, shaking his head a bit as thunder rolled hard enough to shake the leaves of the tree a bit. If he wanted to beat the storm, he'd better make it to the Lighthouse before it started sprinkling. He stood and stretched, kicking off from the branch and dropping his glamour, taking to the skies as a pure black Phoenix, complete with black fire.

It took him a relatively short amount of time to fly to his destination, landing and donning his glamour just as the rain started coming down. He peered up at it with a faintly bemused expression, picking the lock on the lighthouse and going inside. Javaid, or Mort as he was at the moment, would have been completely fine with waiting for the Vampire but...he was bored. And boredom for that particular creature was dangerous. Black eyes flickered over the rafters and he smirked, shifting to his bird shape and flying up to perch on one of them. He'd wait here and try to ambush the Master Assassin. If he managed it, he would treat himself to saki later.

Though Nowe had no way of knowing the phoenix's thoughts, Javaid was right. The coming storm did not improve Nowe's mood. It also did not darken it any further which was a good thing for all parties involved. Because Nowe in a darker mood than he was currently in could prove deadly to anyone who made the wrong move. Despite his scattered thoughts, he'd driven out to the coast with little incident and parked a discreet distance away from the lighthouse. If anyone saw his car, they'd likely think he was just a daring photographer out to grab pictures of the storm rolling in or just a foolish idiot who thought walking the rocky shore at night with a storm rolling in was a good idea. Anyone who saw him arrive and head off down the beach, such as it were, would think the latter. He didn't rush and he didn't seem to have any specific purpose in mind. He just looked...casual. And it occurred to him that, if he wanted to, he could just wander the rocky shoreline and the cliffs all night, storm or no, and it would probably make him feel better.

But no, he had to go meet Javaid and gather the information the Phoenix had for him and deal with whatever nonsense games the Fae had decided to play tonight. The lighthouse came into sight just as the rain was falling. He was approaching from the opposite side that Javaid was entering from so he did not see the figure slip inside nor did he have any idea that the Fae was now lying in wait to try and ambush him. Instead he quickened his pace a little, jogging now to reach the lighthouse faster. Luckily, no one was out and about tonight to see him as he reached the building and slipped inside. Despite his efforts he was practically soaked thanks to the rain but the coolness had served the purpose of cooling the fire in his blood just a touch and he was in a slightly better mood than he had been five minutes ago. Not by much, but he was less likely to want to kill anyone which was a good thing.

He glanced around the room and narrowed his eyes. Javaid had to be there somewhere. The door had been unlocked. If not for the steady beat of the rain on the roof, he might have heard the Fae's heartbeat and known exactly where he was but he was still distracted and the noise of the storm drowned out the steady throb of a pules above him. "I'm in no mood for your games, Javaid. Show yourself or I'm leaving, information or no." Though he no longer felt the need to severely hurt anyone that got in his way, he was still very much frustrated and more than a little tense.

Mort would have chuckled if his current state was capable of it. Instead, he watched the Vampire slip into the building with glittering black eyes, silently opening his wings as he prepared to make his attack. His fire had been reigned in to the point where it barely glowed on his feathers, and he fanned out his tail feathers. Soon... Soon... There! The moment the other presented his back to the Fae, he glided down from the rafters, shifting back mid-flight and all but tackling the Vampire onto the bed. He gave a wicked smirk before retreating, running a hand through his hair as he peered at the man. "Got you, Nowe. What's up? You're usually not so distracted." He canted his head ever so slightly, back up to give the other room to get up.

"Anyway. Found the dirt you needed. That target you were supposed to be after that didn't seem to have any weak links? Yeah, he has one - a daughter by the name of Edmé. She goes to a private school four days out of the wee-hm?" He paused in his information spew to take a closer look at the man, pursing his lips thoughtfully. "Say...something seems off about you. What were you doing when I called?"

Nowe was not a Master Assassin for nothing. When Javaid was not readily apparent he was immediately on guard. Not quite enough, however, but enough to register the faint scrape of claws leaving wood and half turn to look up just as his 'attacker' was upon him. It was only luck and Nowe's own mental recognition of the one attacking him that saved the Fae from having a knife slipped between his ribs as he landed on Nowe. The vampire's eyes went wide with momentary surprise as they both ended up on the bed and, not for the first time that day, Nowe found himself pinned in an awkward position by another man. Which, of course, didn't mean he didn't enjoy the position he was in, just not the man he was currently with. His gaze narrowed and it was a good thing Javaid backed off quickly or he might have gotten hit. He sat up, edging backward on the bed almost as if he sought refuge amongst the pillows at the head of the bed. In actuality, he was seeking to hide the way his body had reacted to the brief flash of memory in which he'd been similarly pinned by a certain other Fae. "Everyone has off days. Why should I be any different?" Was his only reply to being distracted. It was none of Javaid's business why he was having an off day.

He relaxed only marginally as his informant started to give him the information he wanted only to pause mid-report and peer at him curiously. Javaid really was too good at his job. "None of your damn business, Javaid. Now get on with your report." His retort was sharp and his gaze promised unpleasant things if the Fae continued to press the issue. Of course, what he didn't realize was that he was blushing slightly, something vampires could only do when they were full of fresh blood. He also didn't realize that, thanks to Javaid's little sneak attack, the neck of his shirt had shifted and the band-aid he'd used to cover the bite mark on his neck was showing if anyone cared to peer closely enough. In an attempt to change the subject, he focused on the one aspect of the report he had already known. "I know about the daughter. Or at least that he had one. But I couldn't figure how she could be of any use to me. She's an innocent bystander. The father is the target, not her. I can't use her to get to him. And his daily routine is so erratic I can't guarantee he'll be in the same place when I finally decide to take him." He'd done his research, studied the man's home and work, both places had high security which made targeting him there too risky. He seemed to know he was being hunted and took different routes seemingly on a daily basis and never visited the same place twice. And he realized then that he'd been off about this whole assignment, unable to really focus and think clearly enough to devise his own plan of attack. Why? Because he'd been distracted by Zach.

And now he was even more distracted and for the life of him he couldn't figure out how to un-distract himself so he could do his job properly. With a soft groan he leaned back into the pillows and rubbed his temples with his eyes closed. "Merda. I should be able to deal with this man easily. What is wrong with me?" He questioned, though he was speaking more to the ceiling above than to the Fae standing not far off. He, of course, knew what was wrong with him though he still couldn't figure out when it had happened or why. Of course, now that he'd started rambling he was unable to stop himself from saying the next. "What hold does he have over mein herz that he can stir up feelings I've never felt for anyone else before?" He asked the ceiling again though as soon as the words left his mouth he snapped it shut and his eyes flew open and flicked to Javaid. He sat up slowly, his gaze narrowing dangerously as he glared at the Phoenix. "If you repeat anything you just heard to anyone I will cut out your tongue before I kill you do you understand me?" He was less worried about people knowing he had feelings for someone and more concerned that they might think it affected his ability to focus too much that they....fired didn't seem the right word but being an assassin was all he'd ever known. He didn't need his confusion about Zach and Reaper to leak out and find himself without a job, or worse. He didn't know what they might do and he really didn't want to find out.

Javaid tilted his head a bit when he finally got a response from the other, looking mildly amused but mostly curious. "Because you never have off days." It was odd to see the Master so...out of it. Mort was faintly concerned by this, but it really wasn't his business. The Phoenix Fae stretched a bit, yawning in response to the look Nowe had pinned him with. "Yeah, yeah. I know you know, but I wasn't suggesting you do anything to her. Think. Wouldn't a father want to pick his daughter up from school?" He shook his head, peering around at the lighthouse as if it interested him. That's not to say he wasn't paying extremely close attention to the Vampire. Truth be told he was taking in every single detail he possibly could, considering his peripheral vision was five times sharper than that of his direct line of sight. The man was blushing for one, and for two he seemed to have some sort of bandage on his neck. What was he trying to hide? He started to whistle, the faint sound of his Phoenix voice singing just underneath it.

The whistling cut off sharply when Nowe spoke up again, and the Fae tilted his head to peer at the man in a way a bird might. He didn't say anything at first, merely tilting his head more to listen to the man before taking a few steps closer, plopping down on the bed next to the Vampire. "So... You've finally fallen in love." Mort murmured quietly, his black eyes unreadable. There had been no denying that he was attracted to the Master Assassin, because let's face it - he was rather good looking. But with the man feeling all lovey over someone, he probably was losing his chance to have any fun and explore the other in any way. The Phoenix couldn't help but roll his eyes as he flopped backwards onto the bed, stretching in a way that would make his shirt stretch nicely across his abs. "Relax, Kätzchen. I wouldn't run around telling everyone. Not unless I was tortured, and even then you know I have a high tolerance for pain." He turned to peer at the other, lip twitching a bit. Truth be told, the other was really the only Assassin he swore loyalty to. He flat out refused to work for anyone else, and though he could be a pain in the ass sometimes, he tried not to get on the man's nerves -too- much.

"I did get other information you might be interested to, but I'm getting tired of talking." He sighed, allowing himself to trail off into silence before starting to whistle again, his Phoenix voice just a bit more prominent than last time. If the other wanted the information he had, he'd have to work for it.

"Just because you've never seen me on one does not mean I cannot have off days." He retorted sharply. But Javaid was right. He didn't have off days. He was, he had learned ages ago, a borderline sociopath. He did not feel. At least not like normal mortals did. Not even in the same way most immortals did. He was an assassin, cold and calculated. Serial killers did not have off days. And Nowe was a form of serial killer. But at least Javaid let the subject drop and Nowe was happy to move on to the subject of the daughter. "Oh? And I'm supposed to go after this man in broad daylight with school children all around? That is a brilliant idea Mort." But, it was about the best idea for getting close to the man that he'd been able to come up with. But perhaps instead of when he picked her up, he could do it when the father was dropping her off. It would be quieter then. He could slip up and deliver a slow acting poison. No sense in having the dad drop dead at the school. Not where, if he was seen, he could be identified by witnesses. If he did things that way he could not be tied to the crime. At least not easily.

He shot Javaid a dirty look when he mentioned love and very defiantly rolled onto his side and turned his back on him. "I did not say that." But he had. Not to Javaid, at least not directly, but he had said as much. And he'd said it to his reflection earlier. But he wasn't going to admit it outright to Javaid. At least not yet. It wasn't something he wanted the Fae to know. Of course, the feel of the other flopping onto the bed made him shift just enough to peer out of the corner of his eye and again the study the other as he stretched. Javaid was good looking, yes. But he'd never let himself get involved with the other. He made a face at the nickname and huffed as if uninterested in the display the other had been giving him a moment before. "As long as we have an understanding." He knew Javaid wouldn't tell anyone. He trusted the Fae but it had made him feel better to make the threat anyway.

He'd have happily spent the next few hours sitting in silence but Javaid had to speak up. And the promise of more information was rather tempting. But he couldn't resist a light jab at the other's ego. "Good because I was getting tired of listening to you talk." He replied, stubbornly refusing to look at the other for a long moment. The whistling, however, eased a lot of the tension he was feeling and he relaxed. He mentally made a note to pay Javaid back for using his Fae magic on him but it wouldn't be a horrible punishment. And he did roll over and prop his head up on one arm to look down at the Fae with a somewhat distant look in his eye. "I know you. You want something in exchange for this information you have. What is it you're after this time, Kujaku?" He questioned, letting his free hand trail lightly over the other's chest and silently wishing it was Reaper there in the bed and not Javaid. Once he seemed to realize what he'd been doing he withdrew his hand and sat up, huddling in on himself a bit. He did not want Javaid the way he wanted Reaper. But he did want....something.

Could it be considered cheating if he wasn't actually with the one he was cheating on? Was fulfilling that need worth the risk of alienating the one he was after? Of course, the question had had to ask himself then (because the first one was too difficult to try and wrap his head around) was: how would Reaper find out? Nowe wouldn't tell him and Javaid didn't even know him to be able to tell him. So, in theory, Nowe was safe to do as he pleased without fear of upsetting anyone. Right? Well....in theory yes. Who really knew what might happen?

Mort couldn't help but make a face at the way the Vampire was clinging to being distant. The jab at his ego only made him roll his eyes, though he continued to whistle until he was sure that the other had relaxed a bit. He wasn't trying to seduce him into anything, and he didn't want to put him to sleep, but having him be that tense around him made him uneasy. His whistling got into a higher pitch by the time Nowe deigned to grace him with a glance, and he promptly stopped to peer at the other. "My, my. You certainly know me all too well, Nowe." He chirped in response, gazing at the other out of the corner of his eye again. The hand trailing down his chest made him shiver, and he parted his lips slightly without meaning to. That small touch had felt like fire, and he...wanted more. He just wasn't all that sure how to go about getting more. When the touch was retracted, the Phoenix gave a quiet sigh, turning to watch the Assassin all but curl in on himself.

How was he supposed to fix this? Pouting just a bit, he reached for the Vampire, trailing a hand lightly down his arm. "What's wrong? You know you can tell me things and I won't judge you." Which was true. He'd done and seen many things in his lifetime, so whatever the man had to throw at him wouldn't make him so much as bat an eye. Of course, if he could get Nowe to touch him like that again too, that would be swell.

Nowe gave the Fae a half-hearted smile for his comment. "Don't flatter yourself you overgrown feather duster. Everything comes with a price." This was the sort of playful banter he and Javaid were good at. Poking fun and mild flirting. It was...easy to relax around the Phoenix and not just because of his song. But tonight was different. Tonight there was a variable there had never been before: Reaper. Thoughts of the Fae and what they had done, and had almost done, distracted him from the easy conversation that he could usually share with the Phoenix. And that was wrong on several levels. But at lest Javaid didn't seem to care too much which was good.

But he couldn't help the way he felt, so....unsure. He had never been afraid of much of anything though the stories he'd heard about Dragons were enough to shake him up a bit. Luckily, he'd never met one nor was he likely to. They had no reason to have any dealing with assassins like himself. But he was afraid now. Mildly so but fear was still fear. He was afraid of screwing things up with the angel Fae that was staying at his place. And sadly, he had probably already done that by giving in when Reaper had bitten him. The touch on his arm drew him out of his thoughts and he looked down at the hand that was touching him. He thought about moving away but he wanted to be touched and so he said nothing. Though as a compromise to the part of him that had always refused Javaid before, he also did not encourage further touch. Instead, he focused on the question he had been asked. "I...do not know." It was honest enough. He really didn't know what to do about anything right then. "I just....you were right. I have fallen for someone. It's just....complicated. I have no idea what to do about it and I fear I may have already pushed him away." He shot Javaid a glance and gave a small shake of his head. "No, you do not need to know the details so don't ask though I'm sure you can make a few close guesses."

He took a deep breath and, with a bit of reluctance, forced himself to relax again. "I am...frustrated in more ways than one." If Javaid didn't get the implications behind that he was an idiot. And he didn't think Javaid was an idiot. But now that he was talking he couldn't seem to stop. "I want him, Javaid. Badly. Whether it is love or some other power I cannot get him out of my head. But he....does not feel the same. As I said, it is complicated but in the end I am left....wanting." As he'd been speaking, he couldn't help but remember the feel of the Fae's lips on his and the taste of blood on his tongue. Nor could he block out the knowledge of the way Reaper's body had responded to his. So when he did turn his gaze back to Javaid, there was a ghost of that desire, that need glittering in their blue depths. "I do not like being left...unsatisfied." As he spoke something subtle shifted in his gaze and he smirked at the Fae.

"You have been trying for years to seduce me. It seems all you patience and a bit of luck has finally paid off. I will make you a deal. You want me. I do not want to return home still frustrated. So seduce me. In return for my...cooperation, you give me the information you promised. Do we have a deal?" He questioned, snaking out a hand to trail fingers up and down the other's leg. His touch remained chaste...polite even, but there was the promise of more there. And if Javaid could refuse that offer Nowe resolved that he'd have the bird's head examined. Not that he thought himself impossible to resist but Javaid had been trying to woo him for awhile. And Nowe was in such a mood now that even if he did refuse it would be the Vampire doing the seducing if needs must. He did not want Javaid. Not that badly, but he did want. And he was going to satisfy that desire one way or another. Javaid just happened to be a perfect target for it.

"Ouch. And here I thought I was more dignified than a feather duster." Mort mock-pouted, looking away before turning and giving the Vampire a glittering look that might take a lifetime to decode. He folded his hands behind his head and peered thoughtfully at the ceiling as the silence threatened to claim them again. For all that the currently 'Dark' Phoenix tried to appear uninterested, he was actually worried about Nowe. Just because he could keep his beak shut didn't mean that others would do the same. If they saw how the Master Assassin was acting now, even with his guard up around the Fae, there's no telling what the punishment would be. The man let out a little huff of air, mostly out of boredom, and peered at the other when he decided to speak up. He went into 'intent mode', his black eyes absorbing the way the man spoke of this other person and giving nothing away - at first. When he was done speaking for the time being, the assassin rolled his eyes good naturedly, rolling onto his side to better look at the other. "Sounds like you've gotten yourself into quite the mess... But not all is lost. I'm not sure what all might have went down between you two, but at any point during whatever situation you were in did he shriek and try to bolt away from you? Did he outwardly curse your very existence?"

Perhaps he was pushing a bit too hard or being too blunt, but he was attempting to give Nowe exactly what he needed to hear about this. He tended to have a strange knack of doing that, though there'd been several times he'd said the wrong thing and had gotten the Vampire pissed at him. He wasn't trying to do that now, so he allowed his black gaze to soften just enough to let his earnesty show. "If he didn't do either of these things, that means he's thinking about things. And if someone spends enough time to think, then that means they're considering something." He trailed off thoughtfully, his eyes searching the other's gaze and suppressing the urge to grin. It was just that harder when the other gave him a smirk, and he tilted his head with a bemused look. He mulled over the offer, giving a quiet noise in response to the light touch to his leg. "I may have serious personality issues, but I'm not insane enough to pass up that deal." As the storm clashed above, the Phoenix pulled the Vampire close and kissed him. The power conveniently got knocked out at this point, and he made good on Nowe's side of the deal.

The Phoenix had a very good point. Not that he'd admit much of anything out loud but Reaper had no tried to run or push him away and had only cursed him after he'd beaten him in their sparring match. Plus there was the issue of Zach to consider. Zach, as far as he could discern, would have no knowledge of anything that had happened when he resurfaced. If Reaper did leave, Zach would return eventually. At lest he hoped so. Who knew what Zach might think if his personality resurfaced and he thought Nowe had left him somewhere in the woods or wherever Reaper chose to hide out. No, it would be far better if Reaper stayed where he was though he also couldn't force him to stay either. At any rate, Javaid had given him something to think about for awhile. Was he right and Reaper was taking time to think about things? If so, what would he decide? Just because he was thinking didn't mean the end result wouldn't still be the same. He could still decide to leave and never come back if he chose.

But there was little room for thinking once Mort had accepted his offer and pulled him close. He was briefly amused when the power went out seemingly on cue but even that thought was tossed aside as he gave in to the demands of the Fae's body. He resisted only slightly, being unused to being the submissive personality in intimate situations but he did not outright refuse anything the Fae wanted. He had promised, after all, that he would cooperate. And fighting Javaid off would only have left him even more frustrated than before.

The storm had blown itself out by the time Nowe decided he was ready to return home. He extracted himself from Javaid's arms and stretched as he stood, feeling in a far better mood than he'd arrived in. He still had a lot to think about and he was still worried about what Reaper might do but at least he wasn't as tense and frustrated as he had been. He rummaged about on the floor until he re-located his clothes and dressed. Fully clothed, he perched back on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss Javaid's cheek. He did have a brief moment to wonder if what they'd done had affected the odd bond he and the Phoenix shared but he didn't feel any different, just as he hadn't felt any different when he'd saved the Fae's life and found himself with a Phoenix that would only ever listen to and help him. It was some sort of metaphysical life debt as far as he understood. Javaid had explained but Nowe hadn't really listened all that much, mostly because he was wondering how to get rid of him at the time. But the Phoenix had proved a useful ally and a wonderful student despite his attempts to bed his mentor. "Thank you for the information, Javaid. Keep looking for anything on those Angel Fae I asked you about though. I want to know everything I can about them." It was frustrating how little information seemed to be out there about the group Zach was from. Most of what Javaid had told him was information he already knew from Zach himself. But there was a bit of extra information the Phoenix had managed to dig up that Zach had not told him. Like the fact there were more than three others. That little tidbit of information had not come up in his talks with Zach. Now that he knew, however, he was even more interested in the group and knowing just what, exactly, he would be up against if he ever decided to go hunting them.

((I didn't want Nowe to leave just yet. Not sure what, if anything, Javaid might want to say so I left it open. If there's nothing else we want them to talk about feel free to have Javaid leave or assume Nowe walks out after Javaid tells him goodbye or whatever. =3))

Javaid made sure not to be too tough on his Master, if only for the fact that he had the feeling that the other wasn't used to this sort of treatment. Once his need had been sated, the Phoenix had snuggled into the Vampire, a quiet churr noise escaping just under his breath. He was content, and the warmth was almost enough to lull him to sleep. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the fact that he wasn't about to let go of the other all that soon. He liked where he was at, thanks. Closing his eyes, Mort was more than happy to just lie there and wait until the storm had ended, only giving a soft noise when Nowe pulled himself free. One black eyes was opened to watch the other, and he couldn't quite help the pleased noise that escaped due to the kiss. Propping himself up on his arms, he tilted his head at the other, looking thoughtful for a moment before replying to the other. "You're welcome. Ah... I'll keep an eye on them when I can track them down again. They seem to have gone back into hiding for the most part." He sat up, running a hand through his hair and leaning down to pick up his clothing. After he finished dressing, he peered back at the Vampire, his gaze hyper-aware for all of two minutes before he sighed.

"Should have been a bit easier on you. You're forming bruises that might take a little while to disappear. And that bite wound on your neck may start bleeding again if you tilt your head too much." He paused, frowning a bit at himself before shaking his head. The moment his eyes had become that intent, the 'click' between the two had solidified, and it was all but audible. "... Looks like you're stuck with me, Nowe." Mort finally said, his black eyes unreadable as he looked at the Master Assassin. "Sorry..." His gaze lowered, and for a moment his eyes flashed to a light lavender color before settling on black. He hadn't wanted to make it so that the other couldn't ever get rid of him, but now there wasn't much of a choice. The bond was almost purely physical, and if the Vampire was ever injured, he could bet that the Phoenix would be quick to show up on the scene to see what had happened. "You should be getting back. I'm sure your Angel misses you." He offered a kind smile, trying to show that he wasn't trying to start a fight or make the man feel bad in any way. His words were genuine, and well... He had a job to do, after all. It certainly would take a while to track down those Angels to get more information on them, even with how stealthy he was.

Nowe was actually mildly disappointed in Javaid's treatment of him. Just because he wasn't used to it didn't mean he didn't enjoy it. It had just been awhile since he'd had anyone to treat him as the submissive. A very long while. Not that he would admit any of that to Javaid, of course. There were just some things one did not say, particularly to someone you had no intentions of sleeping with again. He perched back on the edge of the bed when Javaid mentioned that the angels had gone back into hiding and frowned. He had not wanted to hear that. Though on the positive side if they were in hiding it meant they weren't after Zach at the moment. "Just...let me know if you learn anything new. And I want to know immediately if any of them come back into town. Particularly the ones I asked you about originally, Pyre and Shade. From what I understand they're the most dangerous.." They were also the ones that had attacked him which Javaid would know. So his request wasn't all that unreasonable.

As Javaid dressed, Nowe politely averted his eyes though a part of him reminded him that it was a silly thing to do all things considered but he did it anyway. just because they'd been intimate did not mean he needed to watch the Fae get dressed. He waved off the idea that Javaid should have been easier on him and shrugged. He touched his shoulder where Javaid had left a bite mark of his own and was forming one of the bruises the Fae had mentioned. "I'm a vampire. I can take a lot of damage. As for the brusies I am full fed on Fae blood. They'll heal in a day or two. I am not terribly concerned about them." Though he did shift his hand to the bite mark that Reaper had left on his neck and made a mental note to find and dispose of the bandaid that had disappeared sometime earlier before leaving. He did not need his DNA lying around if someone reported the break in at the lighthouse. But again, his thoughts were derailed by Javaid speaking up and he shot the other a somewhat displeased look. "Why am I not surprised? You're not going to try following me home like a lost puppy are you? I swear I'll lock you in a bird cage if you do." He did not like the idea of this....bond or whatever the hell they shared having grown stronger.

He stood, ready to make his escape and try to decide how long he wanted to be angry at Javaid when the Fae spoke up again and he flashed him a surprised look before narrowing his gaze. "How did you..." He cut himself off and decided he really didn't want to finish that question and merely srhugged. "He does not belong to me and I doubt he misses me." He said though he allowed himself a faint smile. "Funny though, that of all the people I could have fallen for it had to be the Angel of Death." He had thought about that earlier. And decided it could have been worse. He could have fallen for the Angel of Life, if such an Angel existed. That, however, would only have proved that Fate had a twisted sense of humor. But instead it only had enough of a sense of humor to pair him with the Angel of Death.

Javaid nodded at the request from...what more or less was his owner now. He wasn't sure exactly how deep the bond went, considering he'd only ever seen it happen twice before. He'd never thought he'd make a full bond with Nowe, but... The thin line he could all but see connecting him to the other was proof that it had. "Pyre and Shade... Right. I'll ask Denaz to help me later when I head out." It wasn't often that he requested the help from his fellow-Phoenix, but this was one of the times he felt like he'd need the male's help. Particularly if he was going to be working on flushing the Angels out of hiding. While he was lost in his thoughts, he only managed to nod in response to the assassin stating that he was a Vampire. Yes, yes. He knew that. A somewhat distracted hum was given when the other spoke again, though he managed to break away from his thoughts long enough to blink at the other.

"No, I'm not going to follow you home. How am I going to work on this assigment if I follow you home anyway?" He questioned, tilting his head just a tiny bit to peer at the man. He couldn't quite surpress the grin at the bird cage threat, instead giving a few bird chirps in response to it. "And keep me like a pet? Come now, Nowe. Stop teasing." Of course, Mort was only joking, but he wiped the smile off his face to try and explain to the other, again, just what he'd gotten himself into. "Look, I may enjoy looking at you and may make a pass every once in a while, but I wouldn't follow you home. And well...I'm sure you could feel the bond now. You'd just need to prob deep enough to find it." He leaned against the wall, pitch black eyes almost glittering with near excitement though he didn't intend that. "If you're hurt, that will automatically tug me to wherever you are. But I can feel the difference between getting roughed up during a sparring match or rough sex as opposed to your life being in danger. I'll try and stay away for the most part unless you need me."

At this point he just decided to shut up, letting his guard down enough for the completely apologetic feelings he'd felt to show through on his face. "You never know, Koneko. People, especially Fae, are very good at showing one thing when they really mean another." He tilted his head more at the faint smile and flashed one of his own. "Ah, the twin to Life. That is ironic, hai? But don't let me keep you from him," he made shooing motions, a sly look creeping into his eyes. "I hear Death doesn't like to be kept waiting. I'll keep you updated on the assigment. See you around, Nowe."

Nowe shifted a bit uncomfortably at the mention of the other Phoenix and gave Javaid a level look. "You know I don't like Denaz. And the fewer people that know about this the better. I do not need word of my interest in these Fae getting out to the wrong people." It was not an outright denial. He hadn't told Javaid he couldn't ask, just made his opinion on the matter clear. Whether or not Javaid chose to listen and not ask for the other Fae's help was his own business.

And at least Javaid wasn't going to follow him home. At least not immediately. "Perhaps you won't follow me home tonight but if you show up at my door unexpectedly for something not related to this assignment and I will be very unhappy with you. I'll not have you dropping in randomly just because you feel the need to see me." He narrowed his gaze at the amused look the Fae gave him and gave him an unimpressed look. "Oh I won't keep you as a pet. I'll just lock you up, shove the cage in the basement and leave you there in the dark for the rest of eternity." He wouldn't really. There was no cage large enough to hold the Phoenix and he was sure Javaid would be able to escape anyway. But the idea was certainly tempting anyway. As Javaid explained again, Nowe did indeed poke at his metaphysical ties to various people and found the one Javaid was talking about. He resisted the urge to tug on the bond and try and break it or manipulate it to his will and merely left it alone. Instead, he explored the fainter one that led to a presence he could feel just on the fringes of his awareness. Wherever Reaper was, he wasn't moved away nor was he moving closer. If he'd left Nowe's home he'd found somewhere to stay the night it seemed. This, at least, would make tracking him down easier if he had, in fact, left.

He came back to the present as Javaid spoke again and went very still and silent when the Fae mentioned knowing if he was hurt. His immediate thought was to forbid Javaid from ever answering that tug but his minor worries about the Phoenix showing up to 'rescue' him in the middle of something intimate were immediately laid to rest by the Fae. Though an all new worry took it's place and he frowned a bit. "So you're saying you'll know when I'm having sex? That's not exactly something I want to share over a bond I don't even want, Javaid. Can this bond of yours be broken? Or can I at least block you out so I don't have to worry about you dropping in to save me when I don't want or need your help?" He wasn't sure how all of the intricate details worked and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. As far as he could tell, the bond was sort of one way. At least it had been before. Now he wasn't so sure. "And does this thing work both ways? Will I sense if you're in trouble or is this sort of a one way deal. You can sense me but I can't sense you." If he were perfectly honest, he half hoped that it worked both ways. If the Angels caught up with Javaid he'd want to know about it and hopefully be able to go help him. It was the least he could do considering he was the one putting the Phoenix in danger.

The almost sudden display of apologetic looks from the Fae caught the Vampire off guard and he narrowed his eyes a bit suspiciously. He shrugged a bit at the words but let himself relax a bit. He really couldn't worry all that much about Zach or Reaper. Whatever happened would happen and he just had to deal with it. He obeyed the shooing motions, standing and heading for the door only to pause and glance over his shoulder. "Funny that most Vampires never worry too much about Death knocking on their door. And here I am letting him stay in my home." He chuckled a little at that and opened the door, pausing again with a sly smile of his own. "By the way....his name is Zach." And with that parting comment, he headed out into the night.

---

Nowe allowed himself time to think as he headed for home. Javaid had given him a lot of information to process and not just about the Angels but about Reaper and the bond they now shared as well. As such, he didn't realize that the faint presence in his mind that was Reaper was growing stronger the closer he got to his home. Instead, he opened the door and stepped into the living room only to be surprised to find someone sitting on his couch. Without turning on the light, Nowe knew exactly who it was. "Zach? I...didn't expect you to be up. Are you alright?" He questioned, trying not to sound too surprised to see him as he closed the door behind him. He wasn't sure why but he was fairly certain Reaper was gone and it was Zach sitting there instead. Something about the way he held himself just seemed off for Reaper. Before Zach could even ask the question, Nowe's mind was already working on an explanation of how he got from the mall back to the house without knowing it. For some reason, though the idea of lying wasn't all that appealing, he'd rather lie than try to explain about Reaper.

Javaid didn't have much of a response to the other as he headed out the door, only shaking his head a bit with a small smile. That Nowe could be a pain sometimes, but for now the Phoenix had a job to do. Casting aside his glamour, he flew around the ceiling until he found a way out, trilling out a song of amusement as he flew.

++++++++++++

Meanwhile, the entire time that the Vampire had been gone, Reaper had been...not quite thinking. Panicking was probably a better word. The Fae had holed up in the guest bedroom, hiding in the closet with the lights off. What had happened? Why had he reacted that way? The boy gave a bit of a whimpering noise, curling in on himself more as he clutched at his hair. So many different feelings coursed through him, though the main two were being angry and confused. He wasn't sure what he should do, so he waited a while longer to see if the assassin would return home. When he didn't, the Fallen hesitantly crawled out of the closet and into bed, curling up in a tight ball under the blankets. That hadn't happened. Nope. He refused to believe it did. He stared at the wall with faintly wide eyes for a bit longer, absentmindedly touching his lips. A brief surge of warmth rushed through him as he remembered the way Nowe's lips felt against his own, and he bristled in anger.

He considered doing something to get back at the other for making him feel like this, but what exactly could be done? Sure, he could beat him senseless, but for some reason that didn't seem like enough. So he tried to sleep, though every time he closed his eyes he would be plagued by the memory of what had transpired between the two of them. Each time that happened, he would either growl or groan and shake his head. No, there was really only one way for him to escape the memories... Closing his eyes, he pulled away from his body, switching places with Zach and receeding to give him control again.

Once that happened, the boy went very still for a moment and slowly opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. Where was he? Home? Zachariel sat up, rubbing at one of his crimson eyes and looking around. "How...did I...?" He frowned, getting up from the bed and making his way out into the hallway. "Nowe?" When he didn't get an answer, the Fallen shuffled over to the Vampire's door and knocked, opening it and peering in. Nope. He wasn't there. Frowning more, he made his way out to the living room to search, biting his lip a bit when he couldn't find the other. He didn't know what had happened, or where his friend went. So he sat down and played with his fingers, jumping a bit badly when the door to the house was opened. Looking as if he was ready to bolt back to the guest room, he held very still until he saw who it was, immediately jumping to his feet with a smile. "Nowe!"

He nearly ran over to the other, eyes searching the Vampire to see if he was hurt. "I'm fine. Where were you? I-," He trailed off, not wanting to admit he looked for the other. "How...did I get back here? I only remember getting that slushi thrown at me. What happened?"

Nowe was...admittedly a little relieved to have Zach be there and not Reaper. He wasn't sure how to face the other just then. Of course, Nowe couldn't look at Zach and not see the fresh bite mark on his neck, a reminder of what he and Reaper had been doing earlier. But Zach would have no knowledge of that and hopefully hadn't noticed the bite which would be healed enough by morning to avoid too much notice by the Fae. At least Nowe hoped so anyway. He couldn't help but smile a bit as the other said he was okay and launched into several questions, including the one he'd been sure Zach would ask. "Hush now. I had something important to do so I had to go out. It's nothing you need to worry about though." He assured the Fae, placing a gentle hand on Zach's shoulder and guiding him back toward the couch. "Sit and I will explain." He said, settling down himself and adjusting the neck of his shirt to cover the bite mark, though it was dark enough not to be too noticeable he was still wary of letting Zach see it. It was just one more thing he'd have to explain away. "When those boys threw that slushi they attacked and you fell. You hit your head and blacked out. Once I'd gotten rid of them I brought you home. I wouldn't have just left but I knew you'd be okay otherwise I would have stayed home to keep an eye on you." It wasn't elaborate as far as lies went but hopefully it was believable enough for Zach not to question it too much.

Luckily for Nowe, Zach hadn't noticed the bite mark yet. He continued to peer at the other brightly, his gaze fond as he settled down on the couch to talk. Bobbing his head in a nod, he made himself comfortable and waited for the other to sit as well. Listening to the explanation, the boy frowned a bit, rubbing his head as if searching for where he'd hit it. "That sounds like it hurt..." He finally murmured, letting his gaze slide down to the floor. This was the second time a fight had happened with him involved and leaving Nowe to deal with the people trying to hurt him. The first time they'd both walked away injured from it, but from what he could tell his friend wasn't hurt at all. This reassured him, if only a little. The Fae curled up a little to wrap his arms around his legs, partially hiding his face from view. "Sorry you had to do that." He felt bad, but didn't know how to make it up to the other. Biting his bottom lip, he uncurled enough to crawl to where the Vampire was seated and curled up against him instead, resting his head on the other's shoulder. There wasn't a heartbeat thrumming for him to listen to, but the other being close like this made him feel better somehow. Something in him relaxed when he could be near the other, and he wasn't about to push the source of the comfort away. The Fallen yawned a little and closed his eyes, resting his hand against the assassin's chest lightly.

Nowe made a sound of agreement to Zach's statement and nodded. "I'm sure it did but you're fine now. Fae heal remarkably quickly, like vampires do." He didn't add that Zach had recovered from far worse before. It wasn't something he wanted to bring up. And at least Zach seemed to believe the lie which was good. "It was nothing. They were human, it was easy enough to scare them off. There's no need for you to apologize." Especially since He hadn't actually needed to drag Zach back to the house unconscious or anything like that. Reaper had come back more or less of his own free will.

He was slightly surprised when Zach snuggled in next to him but shifted to allow the Fae to get comfortable, hesitating only a moment before resting the arm Zach was leaning against around the Fae. He smiled a bit when Zach yawned. "You're tired already? You've been out most of the day. How can you possibly be tired?" He teased, prodding the Fae in the side lightly. Of course, he knew why Zach was tired, he hadn't actually been 'out' in the way Nowe had told him he was. But even so, Nowe was not anywhere near tired and didn't quite feel like sitting around by himself, even if Zach was sleeping on his shoulder. But he couldn't force Zach to stay awake or anything like that so he was sort of at a loss as to what he should do next. He hated to suggest Zach go to bed if only because he enjoyed having Zach so close. But maybe, if he was lucky, Zach would provide a solution in some form or another.

Reassured by what Nowe told him, Zach allowed himself to relax more into the other, laughing lightly at the Vampire's question. "I get sleepy if I over-sleep sometimes..." He managed to mumble, curling up a bit and nuzzling into the other more. Nosing the other's neck lightly, he managed to get into a comfortable enough position to fall asleep, which he did quickly seeing as how the other's scent seemed to calm him. As a deeper sleep took him, a dream took over, a small smile curving his lips. Seemingly in response to the dream, the boy rolled a bit, squirming against the one he was cuddled up to and mumbling under is breath. He was still happy, but the more he tossed and turned, the more his shirt went up until his scars were exposed. He shivered a bit, one of his hands tightening its grip on his friend's shirt.

Nowe smiled a bit at Zach's answer and would have said more if the Fae hadn't fallen asleep on him. And then he was left with the dilemma of what to do. He wasn't quite ready to just cuddle up and go to sleep but he didn't want to try moving and waking Zach up either. Silently admitting defeat, Nowe shifted enough so that they could both be more comfortable and settled in to try and sleep. However, Zach didn't seem intent to let him do that either , though this was certainly an unconscious attempt on the Fae's part considering he was sleeping. All the same, Zach was mumbling in his sleep and shifting against him, preventing Nowe from going to sleep.

As Zach continued to shift, Nowe couldn't help but wonder what he was dreaming about. It didn't seem to be a bad dream but he was still moving about more than Nowe would have expected. Thanks to the fact that Zach's shirt was apparently trying to come off of its own accord, Nowe found himself unsure of where to put his hands as the Fae continued to shift. He tried without success to tug the Fae's shirt back down a bit but decided that trying too much harder would only wake Zach up and left it alone. The shiver, however, prompted Nowe to put his arm back around the Fae in an instinctive effort to warm him up. He didn't give much thought to the fact that Zach might not have been cold nor to the fact that his movement had put his arm directly across the fae's back.

Zachariel's breathing deepened as Nowe wrapped his arm around him, but the contact would suck the man deep into the boy's dream with him - replacing the Nowe that had already been there with the real deal.
++++++++

The air was cool to the touch, and the soft rustling of the trees around them would add to the peaceful setting. In the opening that the canopy provided, the silvery-blue moon peeking through and setting the sparkly star-like things in the leaves to glitter. Surrounding a beautiful tree smack in the middle of the clearing was an almost teal-colored spring, the water crystal clear and inviting. Submerged up to about his waist, Zach turned around to look at Nowe, a small smile curving his lips. "Aren't you coming?" He asked, cupping his hands in the water to bring some up to his face. In the dream, large black wings sprouted from the boy's back, the searing crimson flight feathers seeming off in this crystalline area. His wings were partially flared, if only to keep them from getting wet; the water glistened off of his bare chest as he turned to extend a hand to the Vampire, his eyes glinting happily. He flicked his wings a bit, sending little droplets of moisture raining around onto the almost still water before smiling more. He loved this place, and despite it being a dream, he'd actually been somewhere like this before.

Turning to make his way a bit closer to the shore, he revealed that he was indeed wearing clothing, though it was probably something that Nowe had never seen him in; he wore a Yukata, though he had it undone so the top half hung down. Hanging around his neck on a delicate silver chain was his crystal, and it seemed to glow faintly as he got nearer to the shore, though he stopped when it got around his knees. "The water is nice," He said quietly, looking back around at the big tree he'd been near earlier. "I wish we could spend a few days here..." His voice was wistful as he stepped back a bit into the water, doing a little twirl before peering back at the other with another smile, though this one was shy. "Don't you?"

Before Nowe could realize what he'd done, he was dropped into another memory but....this one was different. The scenery was cleaner, crisper and there was something....off about things. It took him a moment to register that there was someone else there with him. He watched Zach and was surprised to find that the Fae was watching him. "What is this place?" He questioned in return, stepping closer to the water but not too close. Though water of any kind (except holy water) had no effect on vampires, deep water was something Nowe had never had much opportunity or reason to deal with. As a vampire he couldn't drown but he tended to avoid going into water when he could avoid it because admitting he couldn't swim was awkward. Instead, he lingered on the shore, studying this version of Zach intently, especially the wings on his back. They were different than he expected. Black with red flight feathers. They were pretty in a way. He glanced at the extended hand and realized belatedly that Zach was bare chested. That startled him a bit and he glanced away briefly before looking back at the Fallen.

Nowe watched as Zach moved closer to shore and gave a curious look to the clothes he was wearing. He raised an eyebrow but didn't immediately question it. He nodded mutely as Zach's assurance that the water was nice but didn't draw any closer right away. He was still silent as the Fae stepped back and twirled. The shy smile drew a small smile from Nowe and he did step closer then, stopping when he realized he was wearing unfamiliar clothing. It was completely black and looked a lot like what Zach was wearing though the top half of his own outfit was on rather than off. He shrugged and looked back at the Fallen with a smile. "I do. It's peaceful here." He approached the edge of the water, letting it wash over his bare toes as he looked at the scenery around them. "It's beautiful here." He added, looking back at the Fae and wonder what, exactly, this was supposed to be. Somewhere in his mind he was aware that this was not a memory but that he was actually in Zach's dream. How it had happened he had no idea but it made him cautious. Even though it was a dream he was still aware of what was going on, though he had no idea how to break the contact that had brought him there in the first place. Not that he wanted to. If this dream version of Zach embodied things that Zach actually wanted then it might give him some idea on how to proceed with....well....everything. Besides, even if he wasn't looking for answers, it would be interesting to see how things played out anyway.

Zach's smile widened a bit when Nowe got closer to the water, and he stopped his spinning to move near to the shore once again. "This place is a place my siblings and I go to when there's a ritual," He began, running his fingertips along the water, creating little ripples. "Or when we have something to celebrate - a birthday, the new year, just us all being together again..." The way he looked away when he said the last part suggested that them being in the same area, all thirteen of them at once, was rare. He shook his head to clear the thoughts away, getting even closer to the shore and lowering himself to his knees as he peered at the man. Another smile tugged at his lips and he flared his wings more, rustling the flight feathers happily. "I'm happy to be able to show you this place... It is special to me, just like..." He trailed off with a light laugh, getting to his feet again and reaching for the Vampire's hand. "Come on... I want to show you something." Tugging lightly, he began to walk backwards into the water, squeezing the other's hand lightly.

He didn't pull Nowe deeper than what he had been at earlier, so the water would probably be at the man's waist when the Angel pulled him to a stop. Glancing up at the sky, he smiled when a two shooting stars flew past, his green eyes bright as he lowered them back to the other. "This place is almost...magical. Can you feel it?" The boy asked, his voice nothing more than an excited whisper. "I can feel it... Here." He brought the Vampire's hand up to his chest and held it just over the man's heart, meeting his gaze with another smile he just couldn't seem to stop. "But there is also something dark here..." He lowered his gaze, furling his wings against his back and ignoring the way the feathers touched the water's surface. "I feel it too. But it hasn't done anything bad, yet. So we are safe." Though he hadn't noticed yet, there was a figure perched in the shadows of the tree, his own searing crimson gaze almost locked on the other two. Reaper wouldn't intrude on the boy's time with the assassin... At least not yet. Neither of them knew he was there, for the moment, so there was no point in exposing himself.

Nowe didn't know what to say to Zach's explanation. What sort of rituals did he and the others perform here? He almost didn't seem to notice the way Zach drew nearer but he was aware of a lot more than he let on. He stayed silent even as Zach spoke up again and resisted a but as the Fae reached for his hand. "Just like what?" He questioned, being unable to let the Fae not finish the sentence. He wanted to know what else was as special as this place. And he wasn't really even seeing it. Or was he? He had no idea how 'real' this dream world was supposed to be. Had he been brought to some magical Fae place through some magic of Zach's? Or was it all truly just a part of the Fae's dream. "Can't you show me from here?" He questioned, resisting as Zach moved back toward the water. But Zach was gently persistent and he didn't want to upset the Fae so he followed, albeit very reluctantly.

He was glad when they stopped and the water was no deeper than his waist. He wasn't entirely comfortable in the water but it wasn't too bad to just stand there either. He nodded silently at Zach's question. Be it some aspect of the dream or the fact that the place really was magical, he could feel....something. It was hard to explain and so her didn't try. Instead letting Zach continue and resisting the urge to either pull away or move closer when Zach placed his hand on his chest. He focused his gaze on where their hands rested over the Fae's heartbeat, intently focused on the rhythm of the Fae's life blood flowing below his fingertips. He met Zach's gaze with a curious look and wondered what the darkness was that he spoke of? "You feel darkness where? Here?" He pressed a little harder against Zach's chest, indicating his heart. "Or here?" He used his free hand to indicate the area in general.

When Zach looked down he wondered what to say or do that might fix things, bring back the smile that had gone from Zach's face. "Things that are dark...." He began, not sure how to really word what he wanted to say but pushing ahead anyway. "Don't always have to be feared." He wasnt sure how much to say, not knowing how much of their conversation Zach would even remember when he woke. "I have felt dark, in here," He placed a hand over his own heart. "For a very long time. Vampires are dark creatures by nature, living in shadows and feeding off the life of others to survive. I am very old, Zach. And I have lived with this darkness almost my whole existence. It has been a very, very long time since I have known what it is to be happy. I'd almost forgotten what the light feels like." He stopped and looked away, shifting a bit uneasily. "I have you to thank for reminding me." It was the closest thing to 'I love you' that he had ever said to anyone and he couldn't help but worry about what the Fae might think. Which seemed odd considering he still had no idea how much of this Zach would remember, if anything.

The boy felt his smile turn a tad bit shy when the other pressed to know what else was special. Instead, he just held on a bit tighter to Nowe's hand, tilting his head a bit as he met the other's blue gaze. "It's special to me...just like you are." Zach searched the other's eyes for a moment before looking around the area again, closing his eyes as the faint sounds of birds singing reached them. "This is a place where nothing bad can happen... Even if the dark thing comes out." He continued, opening his eyes again to check the other's reaction. When his friend spoke, the Angel bit his bottom lip, nodding a bit to both questions. "It is in both places. In my heart, and here in this place... Though only when I'm here does the dark thing leave me and is by itself." He pressed a bit closer to the Vampire, hiding his face in the man's shoulder while keeping a hold of his hand. "I am afraid of that thing... But I don't want it to go away."

He shook his head, keeping his face hidden from the other. From his perch, Reaper flared his purely crimson wings and leaned forward, trying to listen to what the Fae was saying. And he was especially interested in what Nowe would say in return. Trying to be as silent about it as possible, he climbed down from the tree and into the water, cursing under his breath when the movement created ripples in the otherwise calm water. Thankfully, Zach chose that moment to pull back from the man to look at him, his green shaded eyes curious when his friend started talking again. He listened quietly, canting his head ever so slightly at the gestures he made and nodding a tiny bit. He couldn't help the smile that budded on his face when the Vampire finished speaking, his eyes shimmering with some sort of emotion that he probably didn't even recognize. For a moment he didn't know what to say, so instead he wrapped his arms around the other and hugged him, a silent thank you for what he'd said. The other Angel, at the moment, was peering around the trunk of the tree, his crimson eyes unreadable. Did what he say have to pertain to him as well?

Holding a hand over his head, Reaper turned to lean against the tree, furling his wings close to his back as he looked up at the canopy. What was it that he was feeling, and why was it so difficult for him to understand? He made a soft noise under his breath, scrunching up his face a bit. Why had the man's words affected him like this? It didn't make sense. Zach, despite not hearing the noise or feeling the ripples in the water, lifted his head and looked around, as if he felt something. "That dark thing is here somewhere... But..." He turned his gaze to Nowe and smiled again. "I'm...glad I can make you happy. That means a lot to me..."