Chapter 9:
The Shady Cove
The first twenty minutes of their journey was marked only by the roar of Roume’s truck and the steady flicker of the white lines on the road. James reveled in so many things at once, the way the steering wheel hummed beneath his palm, the way the pedals squeaked beneath his feet, the curves of the road. It all felt so normal, so human. The world outside was gorgeous, however despite everything, it was not home for James.
Obane was silent and leaned against the passenger side door watching the world outside fly by with only the occasional glance to James. It amazed James however, that the man could be so infuriating even in silence.
It was not until they passed their first car on the road, when James caught the look on the driver’s face when he saw Obane, that he was forced to speak up. “Hey,” he spat sharply, “Get rid of the horns and scales. You’ll scare people.”
There was a long silence as the man calculated his words carefully, then said, “I had believed the point of this venture was to get away from people.”
“The point of this was to get away from you,” came the swift retort, “You and all of those other scaly freaks.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel and he feared it might break at any moment, “I want to be around normal people, people who don’t look at me like a uterus with legs.”
Silence stretched between them. When James finally glanced over, Obane’s horns were gone, and the black scales on his face were shrinking. The silence persisted, but it was enough for James.
Another several minutes passed quietly, “I do not look at you in such a manner.” The man’s smooth voice was tinted with a heavier accent now, a clue to James that he was lying, “What I sought was a mate. I claimed you so that no other would lay claw on you.”
“Bullshit.” James spat before the man finished what he had been saying, “You and every other dragon has been fascinated by me since everyone figured out what I was.” He snorted, “Even my old man saw me as nothing but a fucking baby factory.”
Obane finally lifted his head and his golden gaze settled on James with a steady force, “Thel’rian sent me to protect you, he wanted nothing more than to see his…offspring…safe. He summoned every favor and debt I owed to him, so that I would take you for my mate.”
“Oh yeah, I bet you were complaining about that! Gee, thanks dad.” He had to hold back punching the steering wheel out of frustration.
“I admit that the prospect of a mate was greatly enticing, especially when called as a favor. I understand that you dislike me-”
“Hate.”
Obane sighed softly, “Hate me… That does not change matters. You are my mate, at least until the child is born.”
James snorted and leaned back, “Roume told me you’re desperate for a kid because you’re looking to pass on your power.”
“This is true.”
“Do you actually feel guilty or were you just saying that crap to try and get on my good side? For that matter, do you even look at me as a ‘mate’ or just a baby machine?” James asked with venom on his tongue.
Obane closed his eyes, “Does my answer matter?”
“Not really.” James said with a snort.
“I had hoped to find in you a mate to share myself with. My guilt for my supposed wrongdoings is strong. However I am aware that nothing I can do will change your opinion of me. I would not think to debauch myself with another male, as so many of my kin have, but your presence confuses me. A female as a dragon, a male as a human, my sense of pride resents and yet my instincts yield. Even now your scent, the arousal of a female, has me at a great unease.” He spoke clearly, calmly.
James tightened his grip as more annoyance set in, “What kind of species goes around screwing first and asking questions later anyway?”
“Females are supposed to be entirely extinct, and have been for a very long time. Your presence and your very existence propose many contradictions to our perception of fact. In my acceptance of your father’s request and my desire to find a mate, I saw little other option than to claim you before another male could.”
“You have an answer for everything don’t you?” James huffed, his annoyance spiking once more.
The dragon shook his head, “Because I speak only of what I know. Only truths.”
“What did my dad do that gave him so much pull with an Omega anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be like, a King or something?”
There was a pause as the dragon calculated his words, “He raised me.”
James snorted in a mixture of amusement and disgust, “Wouldn’t that make me your brother? Can my life get any worse?”
“He did not raise me in the manner of a son. My father died when I was young still, Thel’rian took responsibility for my wellbeing until I was capable of maintaining my own power. I do not look at him as a father, nor he to me as a son.”
James felt an uneasy stir of resentment in his gut, “At least you knew him. Probably looks at you more as a son than he does me.” The bitterness in his tone was unintentional and surprised him.
Obane’s gaze shifted some, “I see…” He said in a softer tone, “You feel abandoned, don’t you?”
“Don’t you dare go trying to analyze me. If you need to analyze something, look at yourself!” He felt suddenly defensive, uneasy.
The silence stretched out once more and after a while James once more was able to relax. Obane turned to stare out of the window again, his face as unreadable as ever.
Finally a question came to mind that James had been wanting to ask for weeks. He struggled with the desire to ask, but curiosity won over, “What’s he like…? My dad I mean.”
For a moment he was unsure if Obane would answer as the silence stretched on, then finally he took a breath, “Thel’rian is a proud man. Albeit like all of your bronze kin, he wears his stubbornness openly. He is among the eldest of your kin as well, an alpha like his brother.”
James hummed in thought, “That doesn’t tell me much. I don’t care about what he’s like as a dragon, I want to know what he’s like as a person.”
Obane canted his head, “I do not understand.”
James deadpanned, “I mean, what’s his personality.”
There was a confused expression on Obane’s face as he considered how to answer. “He is…” His dark brows furrowed, “He is a good man. You remind me a great deal of him. He takes no unnecessary pain or strife from anything. He is strong, and knows it, and is not shy to put those who stand before him in their places.”
James felt his jaw cinch, unsure of whether he was angry or pleased. “So why’d your dad kick the bucket anyway, if you Omegas are so great and powerful?”
“I killed him.” This was said so easily and casually that James had to glance to the side to make sure he was not being joked with. Seeing this, Obane continued, “It is the duty of all Omegas to seek the peace and wellbeing of our scale. Where Alphas are deigned by birth to lead the inferior, an Omega ensures that the power is balanced and our kin are safe. However it is no secret that the power of an Omega will eventually grow to be too much for our bodies to handle. The pain leads to a slow churning insanity. As my father’s son and heir, it was my birthright to slay my father when his mind was lost to the growing power inside of him.”
Eyes on the road, James parsed this and finally admitted, “That’s…rough. Evran told me that when the Gold Omega died, you had to put down a lot of her…scale?”
“Brood, but…yes. Losing Admina was beyond the loss of a fellow Omega, but a friend as well. Upon her death, the gate linking all of her kin to their source of natural power was sealed as she had no heir. Her kin quickly succumbed to madness and it became the job of all remaining Omegas to end their suffering for her sake. Alas, many dragons who had lost their mates in the plague had also forfeit their sanity.” His eyes stared down at his hand, and James wondered for a moment what the man was seeing. “Dragons were once a populous race. Our numbers dwindle heavily.”
For a moment, just a moment, James felt something akin to guilt. Before he could voice this however, another question came to mind, “So that means this kid you’re so intent on forcing on me is going to kill you too huh?”
Obane nodded silently.
“Don’t think it changes a damn thing about what I think of you,” he spat swiftly, “But that’s rough. I don’t get any of this dragon culture bullshit. Seems like a lot of drama.”
“The fate of an entire species is…’a lot of drama?’”
“W-Well no! I mean, hey don’t make me sound like an ass. I just meant…there seems to be all of these rules that you all make yourselves follow, that you’re making me follow. ‘Females have to eat first’ and ‘You have to be mated to someone strong’ or my damn favorite, how I have to take whatever bullshit you do to me in stride because ‘you’re a fucking Omega.’” James seethed, realizing how good it felt to just get to vent at the source of his anger, “Nobody’s taken any fucking time to consider me in all this, you know? Well no, you don’t know. My whole life was taken away from me, fuck, my gender got taken away.”
Obane was silent for a moment, “We have all considered you.” He said evenly, “Perhaps just not in ways that you understand. Perhaps the one thing we have not taken into account is that you truly are an outsider to all of this. Roume told me you were raised by humans, you believe yourself to be a human. This is something that…baffles me. Though for the last several hundred years I have lived side-by-side with humans, I have held fast to my true culture because that is all I know.” He closed his eyes and nodded, “Very well then,” He said as if accepting some unknown challenge, “I will strive to better understand you and your human culture. You are my mate, and your happiness is my responsibility.”
James groaned, “Alright, for starters don’t say crap like that. I’m not your mate. Humans don’t have mates.”
“Husband then?”
“We’re not married!”
“What then?”
James snorted, “Nothing. You and I are nothing. The only relationship we have is that you forced this…thing…inside of me. By the way, your whole impregnation trick is disgusting!”
“It is in our nature. Besides, there are other animals in this world that use similar methods.”
“You said you’re not used to human culture. Have you ever used the Internet?”
Obane considered this, “I know of it. But, I have never had a need to use it.”
“Then how the hell do you know about that, it’s disgusting!”
The conversation from that point on drifted to less pleasant topics for James. He found himself greatly annoyed by Obane’s overly calm and calculated demeanor as they discussed the various mating habits of other animals.
#-#-#
It was some time later that James noticed a sign on the side of the road for ‘The Shady Cove.’ He felt his brow raise as curiosity set in. Obane had fallen silent beside him, however he was no longer tense.
As he rounded a corner he began to drive perpendicular with a river and saw a town in the distance nestled along the curve of the water. “’Bout damn time we found civilization.” He grumbled, “Obane, pop open the glove compartment and look for anything shiny.”
He raised a brow, then reached over to open the compartment with a click. There appeared to be many papers, but as the dragon pulled these out he revealed a small nest of gold and silver trinkets beneath.
“Great, grab that, we’re gonna need it.”
“These are not yours…” He stated.
James sighed, “Well, the truck’s gonna need gas. We’re gonna need food and for fucks sake, I need some clothes. You do too by the looks of it. We’ll consider it my allowance or at least compensation for keeping me locked up.” He hated himself for a moment, knowing he sounded cold.
Obane retrieved the patch of jewels and replaced the papers into the glove box.
“Don’t give me that look!” He shot at Obane with a glower.
The dragon blinked, genuine confusion on his face, “What…look?”
James refused to answer, focusing on the town as they drifted into what appeared to be the main street. He looked around, frowning, “Small place.” He muttered. There were few cars parked around, the buildings all appeared to be made of old wood.
Ahead of the truck, loitering beside a car were two men dressed casually and talking. James coasted the truck to a stop as he rolled down the window, “Hey guys,” He leaned slightly out of the window, “You two from around here?”
Both men turned to look at James, both of them at least forty and well used to working in the sun. One of the men, one with brown hair and a goatee that was attempting to slowly devour his face, laughed, “Yeah we are. You obviously aren’t.”
“Nah, just passing through. You got a pawn shop around here?”
The fluffy-faced man nodded, “Yeah, go back the way you came a bit.” He pointed back down, then across the street, “It’s on the left side. You’ll be looking for the General Store, ask for Ed. He’s probably got what you’re looking for.”
James nodded, “Thanks.” He waved out the window and went about turning the truck around. It took him less than a minute to spot the General Store, “Man, I’ve never been in a town so small in my life.” He grumbled as he pulled the truck into a parking spot, accidentally grinding the gears as he went.
“You do not travel much do you?” Obane asked as he offered out the jewelry.
James took this and began to methodically untangle a few pieces from the main knot. “I traveled plenty as a kid. Mom and I went to…Cancun, Hawaii, New York, Boston.”
“That is not traveling.” Obane shook his head slowly.
“Hey! That is so traveling. What’s your definition then?” He threw the remaining pile into the glove box and opened his door. Obane followed suit, and they made their way up onto the squeaky wooden path towards the opened green door.
“Traveling is going someplace that you have never seen before. Not in pictures or videos. This is traveling.” He nodded around them, “A brand new experience.”
James stopped and looked around, noting the silence and the dust, “Riveting.”
“Back in Italy, we have many tourists. They go to Rome and Cicily mostly. Few dare to step beyond those comforts. My home is truly beautiful.”
“So, do you have a territory then?”
“Of course I do.” He nodded firmly, as if the thought alone of saying no was a preposterous idea.
“Where in Italy?”
The dragon canted his head. They stepped through the threshold and James’ eyes forcefully adjusted from the brightness of the world outside to the dim, dusty area of the General Store. “I do not understand the question…”
James sighed, “I mean, where abouts in Italy is your territory. Like if I were to ask Roume where his territory was in America, he’d say Oregon.”
“Italy.”
“No, where in Italy. Gimme a city or…a place.”
“Italy…”
James covered his face with his hand, “You mentioned Rome, is it by there?”
“Yes.”
“Ok, where?”
“Italy.” Before James could ask another inane question he added, “My territory is not in Italy.”
James paused as he finally realized what the dragon was trying to say, “Wait, you’re telling me that your territory is Italy?”
“Hello boys!” The sound of footsteps was now evident as an older man rounded the corner and started walking down a dusty aisle towards James and Obane, “Fresh faces I see. What’re you lookin’ for?”
James looked up, “Well, we’re a bit short on cash but I have some nice things to sell if you’re interested.” He held up the gold chain and pendant in his hand for the man to see, “It’s a long story.”
The man frowned and looked up at James, “Sounds like a fishy tale boy.”
“No, honest. They were my Uncle’s but I’m in a bit of a bind.” He shoved his hand back in his pocket, “C’mon, help a guy out?”
The man heaved a sigh, “Alright, come on. I can’t promise to give you full value for ‘em. We don’t have much use for shiny baubles in this town.” He turned and started walking to the back of the shop with James and Obane following behind, the sounds of their footsteps making quite a racket.
“Well, offer what you can but I can’t take too much of a loss.”
They emerged from the maze of aisles and approached a counter painted green, chipped and faded with years of use. “So are you Ed?” James asked in an attempt to make conversation.
“Yessir.” Ed sidled behind the counter and settled behind an ancient looking cash register. He rummaged around beneath the counter for a moment, then came up with a Jeweler’s Loupe in one hand and motioned for the pieces in James’ hand. He handed them over, or at least tried. “You’re gonna have to let ‘em go if you wanna sell ‘em boy.” He gave the pendant a light tug, James found his hand clutched around it, refusing to open.
“Er…” He took a breath, forced his muscles to relaxed with visible effort before the chains pulled free, “Sorry.”
Obane canted his head, “Is something wrong, James?”
“No…least I don’t think so. What’s the verdict Ed?” he asked, pulling himself away from the thought.
The man was holding the pendant under the Loupe held to his eye, squinting hard. “Where’d you say you got this?”
“My Uncle gave ‘em to me.”
“You must be in one hell of a bind to be sellin’ this.” The man lowered the device and set down both the pendant and the necklace, “I’m no jeweler, but I know a fine piece of metal when I see one. I’m afraid I don’t have enough cash to offer you in all of this box here for even one of those pieces.”
James frowned, pondering this. “What can you offer for the pendant?”
“On the spot? I can give you four-hundred. But I’d feel terrible damn near stealin’ this from you boy. Take a look around the shop, lemme know if there’s anything you want or need.”
“You got any clothes?” James reached out, plucking up the necklace and pendant before pushing them into his pocket.
The man shook his head, “Not much. But Jenny across the way makes and sells clothes of all kinds. Tell you what, I’ll walk you two over there. Pick out whatever you need and we’ll add that on. Sound fair?”
James smiled at the man, “You’re really nice you know that? Where I come from nobody would be this hospitable. Sounds fine to me Ed, thanks.”
Ed smiled back and walked back around, leading James and Obane once more. They left the shop, James paused, “Aren’t you going to lock up?”
“Nah, it’ll be fine.”
James blinked, confused, but followed the man across the street.
The shop they entered was cued by the jingle of a bell overhead. It was a wide, open shop with metal racks scattered around. The back wall was made of windows overlooking the river and the forest across from it, offering natural light and a serene sense.
“Hey there Ed!” A woman’s voice made James perk up. A woman barely James’ age stood behind a glass counter, perched on a stool. She was heavy set, quite attractive with a bright, genuine smile and long red hair.
Ed smiled, “Afternoon Jenny. You’re lookin’ lovely today.”
Jenny giggled and finally took stock of James and Obane. Her eyes widened some, particularly when she gave Obane an obvious once-over.
“These boys are lookin’ for some new clothes. Whatever they need, go ahead and put it on my bill.” Ed went on, “Take good care of ‘em ok?”
She shook her head and nodded to Ed, “Alright, no problem.”
Ed took his leave as Jenny hopped down from her stool and hurried around the counter, picking up a cloth measuring tape, “Alright guys! Let’s get you measured. Who will be first?”
“James is the one who insisted upon clothing.” Obane gently nudged James closer to Jenny, “He will be first.”
Jenny was once more staring at Obane and James could have sworn he saw a speck of drool at the corner of her mouth. He felt a small flare of annoyance, however refused to be outright rude, “Shall we get started?” He asked, cutting through her daydreams.
“Oh! Yes.” She shifted her footing and gestured for James to follow her towards a tall mirror situated between two cloth drapes leading into smaller fitting rooms. “Arms out, legs apart.” She instructed, lifting his arms as she wanted them.
Jenny was fast and precise. Despite her age, James had no doubt that she was well versed in her craft, her hands swift and confident. She rattled off the measurements to herself as she measured him in turn.
“You don’t expect to make us clothes do you?” James had to ask, “We’re not staying for too long.”
She giggled, “Don’t worry, I figured out a way to make these clothes ready to wear in about fifteen minutes max.” She draped the measuring tape around her neck and walked over to a rack, coming back with what appeared to be the shambles of a shirt, holding it up, “See, I have the separate shirt pieces assembled, all I have to do is shear them down and stitch them together.” She held up the cloth to James’ front and with a few tugs it looked almost normal, “It lets me alter the clothes to fit you perfectly.”
“That’s pretty impressive.” James admitted.
“What’re you looking for, anything in particular?”
James snorted this time, “Anything but black.” He muttered, catching the sidelong glance from Obane in the mirror.
She picked up another shambled shirt from the rack and held it up, this one brown with a golden phoenix embroidered on the front. “So where are you two from? We don’t get many new faces around here.”
James shrugged, “I’m from California, but I’ve been staying with my Uncle Roume here in Oregon for a few weeks.”
She gasped suddenly, “You’re Roume’s nephew? Well why didn’t you say so?”
“You know him?”
“Of course I do. The whole town knows him. He’s practically family.” She chirped happily. James was unsure why that struck him so hard. When he did not answer she turned some, “And what about you handsome?”
Another flare of annoyance.
“Me? Ah, I too am visiting Roume. Family from Italy.” James noted how his accent was suddenly thicker than it had been.
“Oh, a foreigner. I hope your stay has been pleasant!” She giggled obscenely. More annoyance. “Alright James, I think I have some clothes that should fit you without any altercations.” She stepped away and moved along the wall, plucking up a few shirts and jeans. “Try these on while I measure your friend here…what did you say his name was?”
“My name is Bane, however do make sure that whatever attire you sell him has plenty of room to stretch.”
Something snapped. The flare of annoyance turned into a burst of rage as he snatched the clothes from Jenny’s hand, “Nobody asked you, asshole! Fucking piece of shit…!” He shoved open the drapes and then shoved them closed, irritated that he could not slam them properly.
He threw the clothes down on the little bench of the small room and stared at himself in the mirror. He was tense, with muscles and veins bulging along his neck and arms.
From outside he could hear Jenny whisper in a voice quiet enough that a normal person would be unable to hear, “Is he always that angry?”
Obane did not respond. At least not verbally. He knew James could hear.
All at once James felt a swell of emotions, anger, embarrassment and fear. For a moment, he had been feeling normal. For a moment he had felt as if he had escaped his nightmare. He realized that Obane’s comment was a slap to the face, making it all rush back.
He stared at himself in the mirror, and what stared back at him was nothing short of pathetic. Defensive anger, dismissive threats.
Outside, Jenny and Obane were talking quietly. Jenny’s giggles were loud and obnoxious and made James visibly flinch.
“How’re you doing in there Grumpy?” Jenny asked after a moment.
James looked over at the clothes he realized he had not tried on and breathed a sigh, holding back the anger, “Fine,” he said, noting the defeat in his voice, “Thanks.”
He finally pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside.
“I believe I will go and help my friend choose an appropriate attire.” Obane said in a quiet voice.
“Oh no problem. You’re really tall, I’m going to have to make something special just for you.” She was walking away with another giggle.
The stab of annoyance was muted this time. James was turning a shirt over in his hands when the drape pushed aside and the small space was crowded by the taller man, watching James’ face from the mirror.
James slid the shirt on, looked at himself and for a moment felt that sense of normalcy return. He chose to continue ignoring Obane as he pulled that shirt off and tried on another, only to find that it was too tight and he quickly abandoned it.
As he reached for the third shirt, a warm hand gently took his wrist. Obane had invaded James’ personal space, something which would have normally made the man aggravated and violent. The dragon took note of the lack of reaction, “What is wrong, James?”
“Nothing, I just didn’t appreciate your stupid comment.” He hissed, though it lacked his normal zeal.
Obane snorted, “I can see you are lying.”
“Let me go.” James snapped as he wrenched his hand away, “And I’m not lying, that comment really did piss me off!”
“You were displaying hostility long before I said anything.”
“Only because that Jenny chick is being obnoxious, drooling all over you like a bitch in heat!” He flinched at his choice of words.
Obane chuckled, “So it is jealousy. I was nervous to have hoped.”
James growled as he kicked off his over-sized shoes, “Jealousy suggests that I like you. I don’t. I still hate you. Now get out, I’m changing.”
“Do not tell me that you are self conscious.”
James snorted, “Of course not, with how much male-nudity I’ve seen since this whole mess started. You’re just getting overly comfortable and don’t seem to remember that I hate you.”
“You do not still hate me really, do you?” He asked, shifting to sit on the bench, taking one of James’ shirts.
James was silent for a long moment, frowning. He pushed his pants off and tossed the pants aside. He pulled on the new pants, tugging them closed as he held Obane in suspense. He sighed finally, “I…I don’t know.” He looked at himself in the mirror, “I hate what you did to me, what you’re forcing me to do. Nothing is going to change that.”
Obane nodded, “I understand.” He said, “Of this I cannot fault you.”
“I’m scared.” James admitted it before he even realized he had thought it, “I don’t have anyone that I can rely on, everyone is forcing me into this…situation.”
Obane stood up slowly, sliding a gentle hand onto James’ shoulder. He flinched at the touch, “Allow me to protect you. Hate me for what I am having you do, but you will find no one better who will be there for you.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that you look at me as a walking uterus!” He spat sharply.
Obane shook his head, “I look at you as the son of my best friend and mentor. I look at you as my own savior. You have not given me the opportunity to know more about you until today.”
James blinked, then turned to look up at Obane’s face, “You’re a smooth talker…but…you called me his son. You admit I’m a man then?”
“I admit that you confuse the ever living hell out of me. You look and act as a man, yet you smell as a female. Even now. You torment me.”
James snorted, “Is this the part where I’m supposed to feel sappy?” He grumbled.
Obane chuckled, his lips twitching up in a smile…a smile. The look alone had James shocked and confused. He had never seen the dragon’s smile, how it made his eyes brighten up some. He dipped down, moving swiftly to take advantage of James’ surprise.
The kiss was searing, quite literally, Obane’s mouth was just shy of spouting flames. James was rigid against him, his lips firmly closed as Obane attempted to win his affection. The heat felt amazing, the scent of the dragon so close, his breath and the taste of his mouth seeping through to James’ tongue made him arch lightly.
He felt the female part of himself, the part that had been happily quiet since the night they had ‘met,’ stirring to life. His resilience to the sensations swelling through him was crumbling slowly.
Obane tipped his head, sighed, hands coming up to rest on the curve of either side of his neck. That gentle action broke down enough of James’ inner wall, the man felt his jaw unclench and a long, forked tongue slid into his mouth.
This surprised James, making him flinch, however the taste was unlike anything else he had ever experienced. The heat filled him, that long tongue, flexible and rough like a cat’s, wrapped around James’ and tugged at it.
A spark of lightning arced down from the heat in his mouth to the tips of his toes, ever nerve becoming alive.
James opened his eyes just slightly, saw Obane completely engrossed in the kiss, pushing in deeper, and when those black eyes opened to look back at him…
His senses returned all at once. James reached up and shoved at Obane’s chest, pushing him back roughly, “Get away from me!” He hissed, ignoring the lingering heat on his tongue, the way his skin prickled. “If you ever touch me again, I’ll kill you!” He shoved again, pushing the dark dragon out of the dressing room and closing the curtain swiftly.
“James…” Obane tried, gently pushing at the curtain without opening it.
“How’re those clothes working for you?” Jennie came out of her back room with an arm full of altered clothes. James knew in that moment that he hated her without reason or right, she had done nothing wrong.
For a moment he feared admitting jealousy, but then realized that he was not jealous at all! He hated that she had no idea, no clue that the man she had been flirting with and fawning over was some sort of monster, that he could hurt without care and that he was there only to make sure that his prisoner was unable to flee…
And yet…he knew that was not true either.
Perhaps he simply hated her because of her face. He settled on this. “They’re fine.” He said, trying to hide the tenseness in his voice as he began to pull his clothes back on.
When he came out of the dressing room with the clothes over his arm he watched Jennie helping Obane into a new brown leather jacket, pulling at the shoulders so that they were snug, fixing the sleeves so that they rolled just right over the wrists. She reached up and with a smirk dropped a hat on Obane’s head, a fine brown trilby that sat somewhat lopsided.
“Oh you look quite handsome. Wouldn’t you agree?” She looked over to James, not knowing how dangerous of a question that really was.
Obane’s eyes were on him, studying James as he struggled to find a suitable answer, “He looks like Indiana Jones.” He shot, shoving his free hand into his pocket.
“Who?” Obane canted his head and the hat slipped down another inch.
James waved his hand, “Nevermind.”
“Then how am I supposed to know if you are complimenting me?”
James bristles, “Why would I compliment you, lizard breath?” He snorted and looked towards the door, “Now try on those clothes and let’s get out of here.”
Obane blinked at the unexpected nickname, but gently took the pants’ from Jennie and vanished into the dressing room.
“So, the clothes fit?” Jennie asked.
James held out one of the shirts, “This one’s a bit tight but otherwise they fit fine.”
“Good,” She took the extra and went to put it back, then glanced over at James and mouthed quietly, ‘Your friend is so cute!’ She had a gleeful expression that quickly faded when she saw the murderous look flashing in James’ eyes.
The curtain slid aside and Obane stepped out wearing a fresh black shirt and pants fitting perfectly against his body. Both James and Jennie stared at him in silence as the man stood, slowly fidgeting, “Does it not appear appeasing?”
Jennie spoke up first, “You look amazing!”
“More like ridiculous!”
Obane chuckled, that smile pulling at his lips and both Jennie and James fell into a state of mutual dumbfounded silence.
James snapped out of his stupor and looked over, “We’ll take ‘em.”
#-#-#
Jennie had tried to make excuses for the pair to stay for a while longer, but James was insisting upon getting out of the shop. They made their way back over to Ed’s shop, the man approving of the new attire before he fished out the agreed upon amount for the pendant. James pocketed the money, said his goodbyes and they were back out on the dirt road leading through the town. He pretended not to notice Jennie who stood at the corner of her store’s window, watching Obane as they walked away.
“I have similar clothes back in Italy,” Obane said as if he were trying to make conversation, “With true leather, each piece hand-crafted and tailored. Perhaps if you wish to return home with me you will find greater enjoyment of that wardrobe.”
“You look stupid!” James shot too quickly, “But at least now we don’t look like hobos so I guess that’s alright.” He wrinkled his nose and huffed.
Obane sighed but there was a slow, lazy smile on his lips, “I find your attire most appealing.”
“Have I ever told you that your stupid hoity-toity talk is really aggravating?!” James huffed in a sudden burst of anger.
Obane’s smile widened slightly, “No, I believe that is a new insult.”
James deflated and grumbled, “You find this amusing don’t you?”
“You use your anger as a defense mechanism, but your face betrays your words. Often when you get angry you are simply trying to hide what you do not wish to admit.”
“You’re annoying.”
Obane laughed, “That one I believe.”
James spotted a diner through one of the large windows, he turned and led the man inside. The bell announced their presence, a tired looking woman looked up from where she had been reading a magazine behind a long counter.
They walked up and slid onto two of the bar stools. The woman walked up, “What’ll it be boys?” She asked, not even bothering with a pen or pad, they were the only ones in the small, dark diner.
“Steak.” James said, “Make it three.”
Obane nodded, “I will have the same.”
“And a coke.” James added.
“Mineral water for me.”
The waitress just looked between them, one gray-grown brow raised high on a wrinkled forehead before she shrugged, “Don’t complain if you can’t finish it all, you’re payin.” She turned and walked up to a window, “Frank! I need six steaks!” She turned, “How do you want ‘em boys?”
“Bloody.” James said.
“Well done.” Obane responded calmly.
The woman turned back, “Three still screaming and three charcoal.” She slammed a bell, “Wake up, c’mon!” The woman then went about getting their drinks.
The two fell silent. James listened to the slap and sizzle of raw steak hitting a grill, listened to the clink of the ice in the glasses as the waitress brought them their drinks, listened to the lazy crunching roll of tires through the dirt as a car passed by outside.
Obane glanced up with his glass up to his mouth, “Miss, I believe I requested mineral water.”
The woman grunted, “Trust me, there’s plenty of minerals in that, drink up.” She dropped back down with her magazine, flipping through it slowly. Obane sighed and let the issue drop, but James saw his hand flexing against the glass and could hear the cheap plastic straining.
Finally James admitted quietly, “I think my hearing is getting sharper.”
“Oh? It is a known fact that Bronze dragons have acute smell and hearing.” They both glanced over to make sure that the waitress was not staring at them, however she appeared far too engrossed in her magazine and Obane continued, “Their strengths allowed them to better hunt on the ground, as opposed to many other scales who hunted from the skies.”
“Does that mean our eyesight isn’t as good?”
“As compared to other scales, it is said that you may as well be blind. However I cannot say for sure.”
“Save for the stupid gender bullshit, being a dragon is pretty cool I guess. I mean, I’d have been totally alright with it.” He took a long drink of his coke.
The two fell into silence once more. Eventually two plates appeared in the ledge leading into the kitchen, the waitress stood, took the plates and walked them over, then set down forks with napkins and slid over a bottle of ketchup with a warning of, “You’ll probably need it.”
James and Obane exchanged looks, then switched plates wordlessly to get their proper meals.
“I cannot understand why you would wish for meat so raw. That must be unsanitary.” Obane cut through his block of charcoal and took a crunchy bite.
James made a face, “You’re no better with that crap.” He pointed out, shoving a large bite into his mouth.
Obane’s fork was sneaking closer with a curious look.
“Touch my meat and you’ll never be able to reproduce.”
“I only need the one.” He nodded towards James with a chuckle, “Ack,” he pulled away when James’ fork rammed into the top of his hand with force before the man returned to eating.
James’ eyes caught sight of a bottle of whiskey sitting behind the counter and an idea slowly began to form as he cut through his second steak.
“Hey,” James looked over to the waitress, “Hey!” She finally looked up, “Can you make my friend here a Forty-Rod?”
The woman arched a brow, “We don’t make any of those fancy drinks here boy.”
James beckoned her over, she slowly came closer and he pulled her in close so that he could whisper into her ear. He made sure Obane was unable to hear.
She shrugged as she straightened up, “It’s your dime.” She grabbed a bottle of the whiskey and disappeared into the kitchen.
“What is a Forty-Rod?” Obane asked with evident confusion.
“You’ll see.” James murmured, “Just try one.”
The waitress came back with a clouded half-glass, setting it down with a clink in front of Obane before walking away. Obane reached out for it, but James stopped him, “Finish your food first.” He said, “You won’t be walking straight after that.”
The man snorted, “I assure you that I am capable of handling a copious amount of alcohol with no adverse affects.”
James mimicked his voice in a high pitch, “Just eat first.” He said this as he was shoveling the last few pieces of his steak into his mouth.
Obane obeyed, though seemed annoyed to do so. He pushed his plate aside and took the glass, lifting it to his lips, drinking the whole of the contents down in three swallows. He set the glass down, licking his lips and James caught the flicker of that forked tongue. “Miss, can I get another?” He held up the glass.
James grinned.
The waitress brought him another glass, and he asked for a third, however James stopped him before he got a forth, “That’s enough big guy. You’ll be regretting that soon.” He looked up, “Check?”
Obane seemed annoyed, a deep frown set on his lips, “James,” he stated firmly, “I assure you,”
“Hey, I’m not spending all my money on your drinking habits.” He took the check as it was brought to him, pulling out three twenties before setting it down, dragging the aggravated dragon from his chair, “Let’s go.”
Obane huffed, rather annoyed as he tried to fight James, “Why not just one more?”
“Because…” James glanced back and watched the man’s dilated pupils just before he swayed to the left, his breathing picking up, “That’s why.” He pulled the man suddenly down the slim space between two buildings as the dragon’s steps became more uneven.
“Wh…” Obane was struggling for words, James pulled him to lean against the wall behind the garbage cans so that they could not be seen from the street, “What…what is…?” Golden eyes locked with his own and James admitted some silent guilt.
“Forty-Rod… It’s a pretty simple mix, sixty forty, whiskey and milk.” He smirked and watched Obane drifting down as his legs were giving in, his mind slowly drifting into unconsciousness.
“But I did not…” He panted, obviously struggling to stay awake.
“Smell it? I figured that the smell of the whiskey would be pretty overpowering.” James shrugged, feigning indifference, “Yell at me later…”
Obane drifted sideways and collapsed down onto the ground fighting for a moment more before unconsciousness won over. James knelt down and plucked off his hat, putting it on his own head, “Sleep well.” He turned and started walking towards Roume’s truck.
