Warning: male/male loving, violence, coarse language, sexual themes.

Please comment, I love to get them.

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                                    Our First Conversation

            Thunder cracked loudly in the distance. At least it could have been thunder, it was just as likely to be one of the old city buildings finally giving into death. Things like that always seemed to happen during the Dead of night. The five hours in the centre of the night when all electrical waves were cut off, effectively sending the world back to medieval times. At least that was what I liked to think it was like. Only a couple of years ago I would have been spending this time locked up in my small apartment, just like every other ‘decent’ citizen. As it was I was sitting in an old, gas-powered van trying desperately not to fiddle or sigh too much.

            Normally I would have been angry or annoyed with being left behind and would be muttering things like ‘they never let me do anything’ and ‘I can kick their asses so demons would be easy. I shouldn’t be here, I should be in there kicking ass.’ and various other equally as childish comments. But I certainly wasn’t going to do that now. Instead I tried to stay very still and focus on the deserted street outside, not trusting myself to look at the man sitting next to me, because for once I hadn’t been the only one left on ‘van duty’, and it just had to be the worst person I could be stuck with. Not because I didn’t like him but because I had a huge crush on him, and I was so nervous I was starting to sweat. It was a complete tragedy. The only thing saving me was the fact he hadn’t said anything.

            I had been inducted into the slayers just under two years ago, my lovely normal life being turned upside-down as I learnt what really existed in the world. What really roamed the streets during Dead time. Of course I had been cocky at first, I still am a bit (in case you couldn’t tell). Having had martial-arts, boxing, fencing and just about every other kind of combat training you can think of since I was a child. Unfortunately ‘games’ as the slayers like to call them, are a lot different to actual fighting. Things always end up differently when you are fighting for your life. When your enemy use every trick and dishonest move they have, forcing you to do the same or die.

            I had adapted quickly though and I really was the best fighter in our gang… well except for the man next to me, him I wasn’t sure about since I’d never fought him. In fact I couldn’t remember ever actually seeing him fight but that wasn’t surprising since he mostly hunted solo. I was actually very surprised he was here for this mission, being the second on van duty really didn’t seem an important enough task for him. But I’m rambling again. The real point I want to make is the fact I’m boring, ordinary, just your average Joe.

            I’m average height (6 feet tall, to the inch), muscled but not beefy, nor trim. My hair is short, blond and annoyingly wavy. My eyes are your typical light blue, and well, I’m not ugly but you wouldn’t bother looking twice. Not to mention the fact I grew up normally, in your typical middle-class family with a dog and a cat, oh, and don’t forget the goldfish. Even my name is average ‘Richard Anderson’; can you even get any straighter than that? Yeah, I’m a complete bore… Not like the others.

            You may think I’m being hard only myself but just wait until I’m finished. Ok, we’ll start with Zackery, he’s our leader. First point; he’s the leader. He’s the only one that has contact with our guide (the angel who gives us our missions), if we didn’t have him, there’d be no gang. Second point; he grew up in the worst, roughest and poorest part of the city, fighting demons and losers since he could walk, the guy is a real bad-ass. He’s also got amazing intuition and can sense the moment you walk into a room, even if he’s not looking. He also happens to have a millionaire witch for a lover. Which brings me to Treya.

            Treya is rich, beautiful and she has magic. Real magic, like she can light candles with a thought and other cool stuff. She doesn’t need to fight in battle, just throw a few fireballs. Not that she’s invincible or anything but she’s still essential to the gang, especially since she funds it. If you need a cool new weapon it’s her you have to beg to. Coming from a long line of magic-users, the La’vetas, she also has many valuable connections within the covens of the world.

            Since I’ve said so much about Trey, I don’t need to say much about her little brother, except that he’s got defensive magic rather than combat and he is even more beautiful than his sister. But then maybe I only think that because I’m gay. Should I have mentioned that before? Of course not, huh? It’s pretty obvious since I have a crush on a guy. Anyway, he’s pretty, rich, the youngest of the gang… blah, blah. You get the point.

            Now this leaves me with the last of our little bunch. Raven. The guy’s a walking mystery, I don’t think even Zack knows his real name, or how old he is. From what I can tell he could be anything from 20 to 30, depending on what mood he’s in. One thing is for sure though, he’s in his prime. He’s been with us for the shortest time, only a few months, but he’s not the baby of the group like I was when I joined. That position still belongs to me. Apparently he’d been with another gang of slayers before but he moved, or something. And I get the feeling he’s been at it even longer than Zack, the way our leader will sometimes refer really important decisions to him, and other little things.

            He is, of course, gorgeous. Beautiful and elegant with a slender, graceful body and delicate features. Yet even with his beauty and waist-length hair, there’s just something about him that never let’s anyone mistake him for a woman. Perhaps it’s the way he moves, I’m not sure but it’s definitely attractive. I’d never had a crush on anyone before I met him but I have to say he’s definitely worthy of it. If only he wasn’t so mysterious and unobtainable, but then I suppose I wouldn’t want him so badly if he wasn’t. It’s the thrill of thinking you could know him, be the first to see into his heart and claim it.

            “Rick?” I nearly jumped through the roof of the van at the softly spoken word. Looking quickly to the beauty next to me I found him absently offering me a cigarette, one boot perched casually on the dashboard to lend him a casual and completely relaxed air. That was it; that was why he thought Raven had been doing this for longer than all of them. He was always relaxed and absolutely nothing seemed to faze him. No story or recount, no matter how astonishing, ever surprised him. You just felt the guy had seen everything before.

            His dark eyes were now focused on me, obviously because of my mute state and I felt like I was melting under his piercing gaze, so I blurted out the first thing that came to me. “No, thanks. I don’t smoke.”

            The packet landed on the dashboard next to his booted foot but his eyes never left me. One thin, perfectly sculpted, raven-black eyebrow rose in question. “You had one an hour ago. Have you quit since then?”

            “Umm…yes.” I knew my cheeks were flaming and I quickly looked away, fiddling with my hands nervously and wishing I could jump out of the van and run far, far away. I heard the little flick of the lighter as he lit his own smoke, then the squeaky screech of the window as it was forced down with the old handle. Would it kill Trey to buy them a new van? It wouldn’t even be spare change to her, for pity’s sake.

            “So what made you do it?” Oh, god, he was speaking to me again. I focused on the scene through the windscreen, maybe if I didn’t look at him this time.

            “Do what?”

            “Quit… smoking.” He sounded amused and a muscle in my neck twitched as I forced it not to move.

            “You can get lung cancer. People die from that you know.”

            “People die from decapitation too.” I had to look. He was smirking, a genuinely amused air portrayed by his body language. Now was one of the times he looked barely 20, a lock of his dark hair falling carelessly in his face, urging me to brush it back behind his ear. Now my fingers were twitching.

            “Yeah, but that’s not inevitable.”

            “Guess so.” He shrugged, taking a puff of his cigarette and glanced out the window. I had no idea what to say to that and only realised I was staring after he turned back to me, looking mildly puzzled. “Something wrong?”

            “No.” I shook my head a little too vehemently and found I had to blink stupidly for a minute before the dizziness passed. I was suddenly very angry with myself. I was acting like a lovesick teenager for pity’s sake. You weren’t supposed to act this way when you’re 22. It was just wrong. I made a vow right then not to say or do anything else stupid in front of my crush. I had the perfect opportunity to learn more about him, we were alone and bored, it was perfect and I would be stupid not to take advantage of that. “So, Raven… Seen any good movies lately?” I could have slapped my forehead, so much for my vow.

            “Nah, just a lot of bad ones.” He nudged the cigarette packet with his foot, sending it flying into my lap with such a casual and easy gesture I was infinitely jealous. “Have one, it’ll stop you being so nervous.”

            “Promise?” I found myself mumbling as I fiddled with the packet, finally getting one to my mouth.

            “I never promise anything.” He gave me a thoughtful look. “Are you always this nervous during V.D. or is it me?”

            “No. I’m usually fine, guess it’s just one of those nights, you know? No, I guess you don’t. Nothing ever makes you nervous, you’re unshakable.”

            “What the hell gave you that idea?” He laughed, and suddenly he didn’t seem so mysterious, yet no less appealing. “It is me, isn’t it? Am I really that intimidating?”

            “Yeah… a bit. It’s just that, well, you’re perfect.”

            “No one’s perfect, Rick, least of all me. So have you seen any good movies lately?”  The hair was still there, even as he smiled disarmingly and I wondered if he even realised it was there. Ok, so maybe he wasn’t perfect but he was still damn gorgeous.

            “Well, I did see that new vampire movie, Vision of Death, it was pretty good, though I don’t like how they made Vynor a chick, and Tristian wasn’t even in it. The book was much better. It annoys me how all this lesbianism is flaunted on the big screen but have two guys in love and it’s…” Oops, should have shut up after good. No one in the gang knew I was gay, in fact not even my parents know and I had been trying to keep it that way, but now I’d screwed myself. Damn my passion for trashy gay romance novels.

            “I thought it was because they wanted a big name to play that part but the only suitable one was female. With all the action movies coming out lately all the male stars are so buff and fake it would never have worked. As for Tristian, didn’t they cut him out because in the movie the slayers didn’t exist?”

            I blinked. “You’ve read Vision of Death?”

            “Yeah. Why do you look so shocked?”

            “Umm… well… You’re gay?”

            He shrugged, finally brushing the hair from his face, another lock falling from the other side a moment later. “When I’m dating a guy, yeah.”

            I had to ask. “Are you gay now then?”

            “Nah, I’m currently bi.” He grinned, seemingly amused by the whole conversation and at least pretending not to notice the fact I wanted him so badly just looking at his long legs started giving me a hard on.

            “That means you’re going out with a man and a woman?” I asked cautiously, earning laughter.

            “I’m too old to be promiscuous, Rick. It just means I’m looking. What about you?”

            Yeah, I’m looking alright, looking at the most beautiful guy I’ve ever seen, who could, now that I think about it, be quite obtainable. If I could ever get up the courage to ask him out, or even brush that lock of hair from his face. “Always gay.”

            “That means you’re married?” He smirked, knowing my answer before I even spoke it, so I didn’t bother. Something else he had said nagging in my mind.

            “How old are you? If you don’t mind me asking.”

            “27… I’ve shocked you again. How old did you think I was?”

            “Umm, I don’t know.” I shrugged, trying vainly to appear relaxed and not give myself away further as I was very close to doing. “It’s just, you seem so secretive that I didn’t think you’d just tell me.”

            “I could be lying.” He gave me a cheeky look before leaning back in his seat, the boot on the floor lifting to join its partner on the dashboard. “But why’d you ask if you thought I wouldn’t tell you?”

            “Dunno.” Then came the awkward silence that I really hated. I had no idea what to say and he didn’t seem inclined to start a conversation. Thankfully it didn’t last for long as the others came tumbling out of one of the buildings, rushing towards us. Van duty really sucked.