Love's Battlefield - Volume 4
Love's Battlefield: Volume 4 â€" Late Night Drive
Groggily stirring from his serene slumber, having dreamt of and mentally re-experienced the events that had just unfolded a mere hour or two ago, Thomas blinked his eyes several times and shook his head vigorously before fully snapping out of his post-sleep daze. Looking up, the blue boy received an immediate face-full of the underside of Dex's chin, coming to the realization that his master was, in fact, carrying him through the club's crowded parking lot. Among several others, a young otter and his equine boyfriend pointed amusedly and giggled at the adorable sight. Blushing feverishly, the little Lucario fidgeted in the rabbit's arms, effectively drawing the beautiful bunny's eyes down to meet his own.
"Well well, look who's risen from the ashes like a fresh phoenix hatchling." Chuckled Dex as he set the adolescent canine down in the passenger's side seat of his car, a canary yellow Ferrari Spider of all things. "Did you enjoy yourself as much as I did tonight, my pet?"
Gulping down the knot in his throat, Thomas struggled to summon a reply from his lungs but couldn't so much as manage a whimper. Slamming shut his eyes as if to hide himself from the noble hare, the azure dog simply nodded his head awkwardly. And Dex, all too accustomed to his faithful little slave's shyness, smiled brightly and placed a single paw atop the trembling teen's head, ruffling his coarse braids gently before stepping around to the other side of the expensive sports car.
"I thought I'd take this time to apologize for the rough treatment back there." Said the rabbit earnestly as he buckled his seatbelt and inserted his key into the ignition. "Being a heartless, dominating bastard is kind of expected of me by now; the crowd loves it and I'd love for them to come back, if you catch my drift. And as for our encounter in the dressing rooms, well, you know what they say about assuming your role; you have to live the persona, not simply act it." After a second, Dex made certain to add, "Had we been enjoying ourselves in privacy, I can assure you that my tongue would have been much less sharp and that my touch would have been far more gentle."
And that, Thomas thought to himself, sounded more like the boss, manager, and master that he had come to know and admire. Though his demeanor and attitude had always seemed amazingly bulletproof and unflappable, the sheer amount of force and haughty narcissism Dex had used earlier, to great effect albeit, were both far from his norm. Although the Lucario had thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless, the fact that the rabbit felt an apology was needed comforted him in a deeply moving way.
It had been a long time since someone had last dominated the azure pup. It had been even longer, or maybe it simply hadn't been, since someone felt badly for doing so.
Thomas noted this with a smile.
"Though I would highly advise against it at this late hour, is there anywhere other than your home that you would prefer me to drop you off at?" Inquired the dragonic rabbit as he adjusted his rearview mirror and turned the key, bringing the sexy speed-machine to life. Oh yes, Dex knew style like the back of his ring emblazoned, charcoal paw.
Hesitant to answer truthfully as it was clear that his master wished for him to retire for the night, Thomas licked his lips and anxiously fought down the urge to lie, if only for his master's sake. Still blushing fiercely at the thought of having been asleep in the handsome hare's arms, carried out of the club in front of every paying pair of drunken, sultry eyes, the cobalt canine fiddled with the collar still clasped around his neck and struggled to reply. But then something hit him, hard and fast like a lightning bolt or a blunt impact; another reason, much bigger than simple embarrassment, why he didn't want to answer the rabbit's question. Thomas's mind immediately shifted to Adam and the grim conversation that inevitably awaited him at his friend's house. The Quinton household was normally one of the azure dog's safe havens; it was a place where almost no one knew about his crimes, a sanctuary that he could escape to and find solace in. The large family there was always happy to see him and treated him much like they would had he shared their own blood and genes, which was something that NOBODY else outside of maybe Dex had ever done for him. Being treated like an equal, like another brother or sister, was a warm feeling to him and something that few things could come close to matching. But everything has a flaw or two, a single surface crack hiding and obscuring the web of cracks beneath it, and Adam's humble home was in no way exempted from this rule. The sad truth was that although his happiest of times were spent in that cramped, cluttered building, playing hide-and-seek with Adam's two brothers and three sisters or reading any one of his friend's massive collection of books, most of his saddest times lingered in the air within those walls as well. He thought of the same bat that he'd seen earlier in the night, one of the most friendly, funny, sociable, and trustworthy furs Thomas had ever been lucky enough to meet, and then winced as a more disturbing image of the same boy flashed through his mind; wings spread across the ground and eyes opened eerily wide as the young bat's brown-furred chest heaved up and down too rapidly to be normal. Thomas remembered holding Adam's paw while it happened and he remembered how tightly the bat clung to him, grasping onto the cerulean canine for what seemed to be dear life despite how frail he looked at that exact moment. The thumping of an impossibly fast heartbeat blared loudly in his ears along with the background wailing of the ambulance sirens that approached at what seemed to be a snail's pace. The words 'Am I dying?' ripped through him like a gunshot and put an uneasy quiver in Thomas's pierced lip. He remembered it all as though it had happened only hours ago.
But then the Lucario remembered telling his friend that he would show up to talk; that he would be there for him. That promise really, truly had been made only hours ago.
"You don't let your one and only friend down." Murmured Thomas too quietly to be heard.
If Dex had heard that statement, his face showed no trace of it, though he smiled broadly regardless. Perhaps the hare just knew when and where to do such subtle things.
"A-actually, Master, I-I sort of made plans to talk to someone tonight; a friend." Mustered the Lucario after a few more moments as he decided that the truth was better than an outright lie, especially given who he'd be lying to and the depth of the lie. Though the words came out in a sputtering stammer, they were delivered with an unusually stern expression that clearly puzzled the rabbit at the wheel.
Raising a single eyebrow, Dex turns to his quivering pet and, more forcefully, asks, "And who is this friend?"
For a split-second, the cobalt canine locked eyes with his driver, then hastily looked away. With an even deeper blush, Thomas kept his stare averted and thanked his lucky stars that none of his brown-nosing coworkers were present to see their boss and master fretting over him like a worried parent. He also thanked a few extra lucky stars that the rabbit cared enough to ask. Most pimps probably wouldn't invest that many emotions into their merchandise.
Fumbling with his words again, the blue boy manages at least a syllable or two and mutters, "A-Adam."
And instantly, the tension visibly left the bunny's shoulders as he breathed an exhausted sigh of relief.
"Well, so long as it's only Adam, I suppose I can rest easy tonight." Replied the rabbit happily as he regained his warm, compassionate smile, an expression that did nothing but compliment his already fetching facial features. "I trust that you will, or course, be spending the night and much of the next day safely passed out there with him? If I learn that you've been wandering the streets at sunrise, there will be much reprimanding to be done. And trust me when I tell you that I do not punish my employees in the same way as when I do while on stage."
Nodding sheepishly, Thomas steadily calms himself and replies, "H-he wanted to talk about something important, something dire I guess, so yes, I'll likely be there for a good while."
"Important? Dire?" Questioned Dex as the mighty vehicle thundered into motion, a touch of concern emphasized in his soft tone. "Though I'm not very familiar with the boy myself, having only met him once, I do remember you telling me that his health had taken several sudden turns for the worst in the past." Turning to face the cerulean canine as they came upon a red traffic light, Dex leaned forward, gripped the boy's shoulder gingerly, making an effort to have the Lucario look him in the eyes, and asked, "Is everything alright, Thomas?"
The use of names was a rarity for the rabbit, a merry sort whom instead favored nicknames and the like. With that said, Dex was serious.
Squirming in his seat, Thomas clenches his fists and lets out an exacerbated, frustrated sigh, then in a morose half-whimper, he answers, "I-I don't know, I really don't anymore. Every time we have a serious talk, it's almost always about his health, his insurance problems, or some other bad circumstance. He goes to his doctor's clinic about two or three times a month and to the hospital anywhere between five or six times a year. Even with all of that, and all of the billing that has to be paid for it, we still don't know what's wrong with him."
Narrowing his eyes, the hare tightened his grip on the steering wheel; sounds of leather crunching underneath what must have been frighteningly powerful paws despite their smaller size.
"M-master?" Questioned Thomas shakily as he noticed the frustration that had taken root in the rabbit's strengthening glare.
"Was he diagnosed with this unknown illness prior to getting insurance coverage?" Asked Dex, his voice suddenly very hard and stern.
With a shudder, the boy replies, "Yes."
And then Dex's expression turned several shades grimmer.
After a few unbearable minutes of ominously silent driving, Thomas murmurs defeatedly, "They just keep sending him home, telling him that nothing can be done, that there are no treatment options available to him. It's all a bunch of lies; that all it's been from the very beginning. The real reason they haven't identified what's wrong with him is because they haven't performed any advanced tests; none. They can't; their higher-ups won't let them. It costs too much money and they won't make enough in return from Adam or his family. His parents can't pay for anything with more than four zeros and a few additional fees involving random stuff like shipping, receiving, rooming accommodations, and patient transportation costs. You should have seen their last bill; I think the hospital just started making things up so they could charge them for more." Sucking in a sharp breath, holding back the tears that were well on their way, Thomas made an effort to cover his face with both paws before exclaiming, "They'll just keep sending him home, shrugging their shoulders without the slightest care in the world; lying through their teeth because, to them, his health comes second to the weight of his wallet! If he doesn't scrounge up enough money to get the tests done, he'll die without ever knowing what doomed him to begin with!" Normally very careful about his manners and language when in the presence of his master, Thomas's emotions had apparently got the better of him as he growled fervently, "Not that I don't already know at least half of what's killing him! Sure, he has some kind of a disease, but the insurance companies and the greedy pigs occupying the chairs of this city's board of medicine, they're the ones who are to blame! Diseases kill because that's what they do; people kill people when there's either nothing more to be gained from whoever they're killing, or because the victim's death itself is something to gain! If Adam dies because of a bunch of greedy fuckers sitting in comfortable leather chairs with bank accounts more expansive than a whole country's yearly income, I swear to God or to the gods or to whatever that I'll kill every single one of them!"
Shocked, Dex brushes a shaky paw through his hair and mutters softly, "Stars and stones, I had no idea."
"No one did." Whimpered the Lucario as he slumped down into his seat and, as best he could given the limited space, curled up into a little ball. "There are things that you just don't tell people about. It's easier for everyone to just think of me as a whore; whores are predictable and, better yet, they'll always put out for you when you need them to. If I made it known that I'm not really the slutty, sex-crazed nymphomaniac that everyone thinks I am, that I'm trying to make an astronomical amount of money for my sick friend so I can somehow save his life, then I'd probably seem a lot less appealing to a vast majority of my target demographic. Good Samaritans don't call me at eight in the morning and offer me a hundred dollars for the best blowjob in six states; perverts and lowlifes do. That's just the truth, the unavoidable truth, and I'm okay with it so long as I get my money and they get off." Sniffling and brushing aside several salty tears, Thomas sneered disdainfully, "When you buy a prostitute for the night, it's to let loose and have fun; you don't want the knowledge that there's a living, breathing person hiding within what seems to be an empty shell; a husk. After all, once the sex is over and the sun starts to rise, who really wants to feel obligated to sit around and talk with them afterwards; all of those awkward silences and the nagging feeling that you should tip them higher even if you don't really want to or simply can't afford to. I'd been playing the game for a little over a year before you found me and took me in and I've pretty much come to the point where there aren't any new customers anymore; there are only repeat customers and I'll be damned if I'm going to lose them because of the simple fact that I still feel and have yet to become completely hollow inside. Adam's dying and I'm the only one who can save him now; I'll sell my body along with my soul if it means he'll live even a single year longer."
As the costly car came to a slow halt in front of a quaint home located in a nicer stretch of the city's urban sprawl, Dex actually opened his mouth to respond and came up with nothing. For the first time in years, the crowned king of Midnight City's nightlife found himself at a loss for words.
Steadying himself, but looking more frail than an ornate porcelain vase, Thomas took a few more seconds to control his breathing before saying, "It's alright, Master, this really isn't your problem and I'm sorry if I spoiled your mood by bringing it up; I know it's a pretty sad and sorry subject to end such an otherwise completely amazing night with. I shouldn't have brought it up; I just couldn't get my mind off of Adam and what our heavy talks usually entail. I'll be fine and so will he. He'll get through this somehow and I'll be there alongside him every step of the way."
For a conniving, manipulative, deceitful dog, Thomas knew how to bow in fealty before someone of significantly greater status, as was made clear earlier in the night, and he certainly knew how to worry himself to death over the unstable health of a loved one. Apparently, even a liar and a cheat of his considerable caliber still had, as he himself so knowingly described it, the ability to feel.
Before opening the door and exiting the vehicle, Thomas turns back to face the regal rabbit. With a fair amount of perplexity touching his eyes, he inquires, "M-master, a question before I take my leave?"
"Certainly." Retorted Dex neutrally. A master of disguises out of pure necessity, the hare skillfully guarded his still troubled expression with a calm facade.
"H-how did you know that something was wrong?" Asked the cerulean canine.
Earning a slight laugh from the rich rabbit in the expensive car, Dex responds with a smile, "My job requires of me many things, including a near constant state of alertness and vigilance. For example, I've known about your secret 'crush' on me for quite some time; I saw it in your eyes and the way in which they undressed me from afar. To add to that, your strong and dominant aura, that rebellious teenage fire that you're always radiating, faded whenever I drew near, allowing me to assert myself and assume a role of leadership in your place. Though your boss, it was obviously more than a simple level of respect and reverence towards a figure of authority or a mere supervisor. For someone as strong and independent as yourself to literally hand me your leash and accept me as your master, I had to assume that there was a great deal of infatuation involved." Chuckling at an immediate blush from the blue boy, Dex continued on to say, "As for tonight, well, it was obvious that something was amiss. After months and months of longing and lusting after me, tonight was my gift to you, I was my gift to you, a gift that I was certain you would relish and revel in. Relish and revel you did, but only for so long and to a certain extent. During the short trip here, whenever I got a chance to take my eyes away from the road, I saw only pain and stress in your eyes; feelings that almost anyone would consider odd after having experienced a night like ours. Besides, little one, I've known you for quite some time now and I pride myself in my ability to take notice of the minor details, so reading the anxiety in your body language wasn't much of a challenge either."
"S-so, I'm that obvious?" Remarked Thomas with a wry smile.
"Perhaps not to everyone, but as far as I am concerned, yes." Answered Dex with a grin. "Though I must say, after seeing you wear your heart on your sleeve tonight, I'm more than a little impressed with how well you normally cover up your insecurities. Building up your strong and dominant persona must have taken quite a long time."
Still blushing, the lazuli lupine laughs weakly, "Yeah, it did; it took forever. I'm nowhere near as strong as I act. If someone ever called the bluffs that I'm always making, I'd probably have ended up behind bars of some kind a long time ago. And I'm not going to shock anyone by saying this, but poles that I can't play with aren't really up my alley."
"Trust me, I share that sentiment. But if I might infringe upon your false facade just a bit more, my pet?" Stated the beautiful bunny as he called back to life his Italian chariot. "Telling me your friend's story was in no way a mistake or error on your part, not to me it wasn't. It might have slaughtered the mood and atmosphere, but that's little in comparison to the value of knowing it and the fact that you trusted me enough to tell it to me. Perhaps your pride is keeping you from requesting assistance or maybe it's your friend's pride that you wish to keep intact, but know that I will respond QUICKLY if ever called upon. Whether or not you think the young bat's health is of my concern, the fact of the matter is that anyone cared for by someone that I care for automatically becomes someone that I care for as well. Kind of like the mathematical process of transition, eh?"
"A-are you offering me your help, Master?" Asked the Lucario as water welled up in his crimson eyes again.
Nodding his head, Dex answers, "Yes I am. Though you haven't told me the entire story, or any of the other related stories that I'm certain exist, you've told me more than enough to spark my interest. I'm not a saint, but I'm not a demon either; I have a heart somewhere in this chest of mine and it seems determined to help. Maybe it's just out of curiosity, but I'd like to get to know Adam a bit better. If he means this much to you, enough to massacre a large group of wealthy bastards I mean, then I can only assume that he really is worth protecting, and trust me when I tell you that people worth protecting are a rarity in this world today."
After a few seconds of thought, Thomas tilts his head in confusion and questions, "Master, I know I'm probably keeping you here later than you'd like, but would you mind if I asked another question?"
"By all means, ask away."
"Alright. What did you mean by 'other related stories'?"
"What do you think I meant?"
"I think I know, but I don't really want to say."
"Then you're probably spot on." Stated the hare softly. "I've had a feeling in my gut for the longest time that you were more than just another sex-crazed kid who took to the streets too soon, though I didn't know quite why at the time. But trying to pay for an uninsured friend is a new one; most just claim to be hooking and turning tricks to make money for college. That's almost always a lie, of course, but I can tell that your story, at the very least, is partially true. The only thing that doesn't add up is the fact that I have a teeny bit of counter-evidence; I've heard the rumors about you, Thomas, and about the things that you've done to your fellow classmates and even some of the staff at your school. You started blackmailing and manipulating your peers somewhere around your freshman year, if I've got the time line correct, and that's just not something that you do to help a friend. Things like that are only ever done for the pure, simple amusement of doing so."
Bowing his head, Thomas looks away and cringes, "Y-you know about all of that, do you?"
"Of course I do, little one." Replied Dex affirmatively. "What I fail to understand is why you would do such things? I'm absolutely certain that somewhere deep down, my little pet is a good person with his own set of morals, but I'm just too confused to find and identify them. Care to enlighten me?"
Shuddering, the azure dog turns away suddenly and replies, "S-suffice to say, I have issues with power and the use of power. Someone hurt me a long time ago and every since then I've had this need to control almost everything around me. Sometimes, than need to control and dominate things extends to the people around me, regardless of who they are or how innocent they are. It's a poor excuse, I know, but it gets me to sleep at night."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Inquires Dex invitingly.
Yes, yes he did. More than anything, the Lucario wanted someone to share his pain with, but that person wasn't going to be Dex, not when he'd already promised that to someone else hours earlier. Maybe he would divulge the truth to the regal rabbit someday soon, perhaps tomorrow or the day after, but there was a bat waiting for him in a house that he often called home and that, to Thomas, was decidedly more important to him than his own problems.
So as much as a letting the cat out of the bag to Dex would likely help, it would have to wait.
"Not tonight." Said the canine in what could have passed for a whisper. "It's late and I should get inside. Adam's waiting for me, he's been waiting for hours, and I'd like to speak with him before he falls asleep. Besides, I've kept you long enough as it is; there must be a whole slew of things more important than myself that you could be juggling right now."
"Then I won't push you to talk." Returned the handsome hare as he looked back one final time and smiled his gorgeous smile. "But you have my number; call it should the situation become dire enough to demand it. Goodnight, my little pet."
And with those words and the roar of an engine too powerful for such a claustrophobic road, the eccentric rabbit and his speed-machine were gone. Left behind in the air, steadily dissipating, was a single smoke ring, pink and shaped vaguely like a heart. The dragonic bunny had blown it without the use of a lit cigarette or cigar.
"My master." Whispered Thomas to no one in particular.