(Song Recommendation: Jane XØ - Love Me.)
"... What did she tell you?" Vulture asked softly, carrying the younger male through the streets. Link paused and glanced away. "... S-She told me that you were her divorced husband... A-And you killed two of her children for your reputation-" The gang leader cut him off almost instantly. "Bullshit. I've never been married for a start and if I made a girl pregnant, to which I have never, as a matter of fact, I wouldn't tell her to have an abortion. I'm not going to stop her but I wouldn't be able to care for that child... I think she's trying to lie to you so that you'll hate me more."
"... I-I didn't hate you anyway... B-But she had scars on her arms?"
"Attention-seeking through self-harm... She's always been quite the attention-seeker and uses fake suicide attempts and harm on her arms like this as a form of recognition from others." Vulture explained with a shrug. "You're going to meet a lot of girls that try to brainwash you. They're going to try ever so hard to make you hate me more than you already do. Don't deny your hatred for little me. It makes me feel left out." He chuckled. Link tilted his head. "I-I already said I-I didn't hate you anyway... B-But... B-But do you hate me?" He asked nervously.
"... No... N-No, I don't hate you." Vulture stopped in the middle of the street to put Link down and take a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "... I have a lot of things to ask you... W-Wait, what about your chest and your leg? Y-You were shot, right?" Link choked out, pressing his hands to where he remembered a bullet going through the taller male's shoulder. "I called a friend over... She's been with me since I was little and she's been patching me up. She took out the bullets for me... Not in the kindest way though, she was so mean..." Vulture chuckled, taking a cigarette from the small box and then offering one to Link.
Link sighed and took one of the cigarettes. "That's the first time you've taken a cigarette from me." Vulture smiled, shoving the cigarette box into his jacket pocket to take out a lighter. "... What else do I need to ask you...?" Link tapped his foot on the ground, thinking for a few moments. "Well, I don't know. What do you need to ask me?" The gang leader smirked.
Link silenced himself when Vulture lit his own cigarette and then held the warm flame beneath the end of his. Link coughed, choking on the first smokey inhale. Vulture's chuckle proceeded and he left a warm tap on his shoulder."You'll get used to it." He reassured him and leant down to kiss his cheek.
"... Y-Your name is Sean." Link spoke blankly.
"... I-I... Well, yeah..." Vulture murmured and looked away. "... Why would you hide something as silly as that...? Vulture, I-I've known you for a while now... L-Like... L-Like a good few months, I-I think... And you've kept your name from me? Sean Venus? Are you kidding?"
"... Link, not even my childhood friends know my real name... My colleagues and gang members refer to me as Vulture, just as you have done... Chester knew my real name when she found my passport from when I was younger... Look, I can explain why I kept it from you but... Not here."
"... Fine." Link sighed and crossed his arms. "Do I have to keep referring to you as Vulture?"
"Only when other people are around or when we're in public."
Link smiled a little and rubbed his arm. "... Sean is a nice name." "Don't go on about it..." Vulture glared down at him and tied an arm around his waist. "... How did you know where I was?" The teen asked softly, leaning into Vulture's warm and delicate touch. "Chester has been taking my colleagues for years... Talking them into joining something called the resistance." The gang leader rolled his eyes as he spoke. "Before you ask, she called it the resistance because of the Liquid Vulture rumours... About how people were tortured in the gang and murdered for their wrongs. The first part was wrong, of course, and she tortured people like you to brainwash their innocent minds... She's like a psychopathic ex-girlfriend, one could say." He continued, his fingers shakily moving over Link's waist.
Link watched his movements with dead eyes, worried about the older male's general health. "... Anyway. Chester started this whole resistance thing when I threw her out of the penthouse. She kept asking me for money and kept acting like a Barbie doll. I got sick of her behaviour quickly... Too quickly, one could say. She stayed with me for two months before I kicked her out in the middle of the night. She started being a total hypocrite, bringing people into her shelter and then kicking them out. She's always been angry at me and she's always been trying to get back at me... Problem is, she's a dumb bitch. When she stabbed me, I knew I could get off easily. If she wanted me dead, she would have shot me in the head... But she's too scared to pull the trigger-" Vulture cut himself off when his legs gave in and he dropped to the floor. "J-Jeez, are you okay?" Link turned to him quickly, trying to tend to his weak state.
"Y-Yeah... M'fine." Vulture stumbled to his feet and clutched his shoulder. "... I don't think the bandages were tight enough around the stab wound." He grunted. "T-Then we need to get you to a hospital!" Link choked out worriedly. "Link, we don't have the time to rush to and from the hospital for one stab wound. I'll live." Vulture rolled his eyes. "S-Sean, this isn't the time to be stubborn-!" "Link." He glared at the teen angrily. "Look, we can sort it out when we're in Chicago." "... Chicago?" Link looked up anxiously. "... Well, we're not staying in New York."
"... V-Vulture, I don't even have a passport-" "Then we'll get you one. Just come on. Red is waiting for us at the apartment."
"W-Who's Red?"
Vulture sighed.
"Well, what did you expect? You guys have a shit ton of stuff!" Red groaned as Vulture complained about only a few crates being full. "How are we getting Ivory to Chicago?" Link asked quietly, interrupting the loud argument between the gang leader and his colleague. Red turned to Link and smiled. "Well, I'll be driving you guys to the airport in my truck. I'll be bringing your suitcases and Ivory. From there onwards, I'll be driving to Chicago with some of your stuff and the cat. The rest of it will be in a moving truck along with this asshole's motorcycle." Red gestured to Vulture with a roll of her eyes. "... B-But isn't the driving journey over ten hours?" The teen asked worriedly. "Approximately twelve hours or just over." The tall female sighed with her hands on her hips. "What about the car?" Vulture questioned with his hands in his pockets. "I paid a colleague to bring it to your new accommodation. You'll be staying in a private area."
Link seemed to be gaining more confusion by the second. "... P-Private area?"
"It's just a really fuckin' big neighbourhood full of nice houses. It's better to have a spacious area than one that looks like a prison." Red's thumb flung over her shoulder as she gestured to the penthouse view behind her. "... So we have neighbours?" Vulture grunted. "Nobody said you had to get along with them. Besides, it was the only spacious neighbourhood near the main city... Thinking about it now, it's at least a five-minute drive to get from each house. I think you'll be fine." Red shook her head with a wave of her hand.
"... I-I don't... W-Wait, why am I coming with you?" Link turned to Vulture. "I'm not going to leave you here, am I?" Vulture turned to Link with a chuckle. "... N-No, I just mean... W-Well-" The younger male cut himself off when the gang leader tied an arm around his waist and pulled him close. "You'll be fine." He whispered. "Ivory doesn't freak out over being in cages, right?" Red asked as she walked over to another crate to close it and tape it up. "Don't put him in a cage unless he has toys in there. When you're in the car, give him free range and keep the cage door open. He won't leave but he might want to eat something... Will you be taking stops?" Vulture asked, strolling over to the hard-working female.
"Of course I'll be taking stops! It's a twelve-hour drive!" Red groaned. "Good. Ivory will start meowing if he needs to use his litter tray. You might want to keep one in the lower compartment." Link watched as Vulture began to help Red in packing up most of the items. "Yeah, yeah, got it... Do you have cash on you or will you get it out at the airport? Since you said you'd be buying your tickets there instead of online... Are you purchasing first class tickets or coach tickets?" "God, you ask a lot of questions... Look, it'll be fine. I'll get out money... I'm not sitting by strangers either... We'll be flying in first class if there are seats... Otherwise, business class. They're almost the same thing..."
He felt his body tighten at the sight of Vulture's hand on the waist of the female. The sound of Red's and Vulture's voices began to blur out, becoming muffled and incomprehensible. "... Sean." Link whispered softly, leaning against the nearest wall as black mist clouded his vision.
"Li...? Link?" He tried to make out the sound of Red calling to him, worried. Within seconds of her distraught and discomfort for the younger male's health, Vulture ran over. As he took hold of Link's hand, the teen passed out and fell into his touch. "L-Link!" Vulture shook him by his shoulders. "Red, get an ice pack and a glass of water from the kitchen. I'll go and lay Link down... Might need to wake him up with something."
Red sniggered. "With true love's kiss?" "Fuck off." Vulture snarled and lifted up Link to carry him into the master bedroom. As he kicked open the door, Link regained consciousness. "... S-Sorry, did I pass out for a second...?" He apologised softly as Vulture lay him on the bed. "... Don't apologise for passing out... You can't help it... Are you alright? Light-headed at all?" Link was a little surprised by how much care he was being provided with by such a scary person that had murdered someone on the same morning.
"... I-I'm fine." He shook his head, the thought of Vulture touching Red with the intention of lust and intimacy plaguing his mind. Vulture noticed the teen's stubbornness quickly and he sighed. He stood up and walked over to the door to close it and lock it. "... W-What about Red?" Link asked anxiously.
"You want her in here?" "... W-Well, no... B-But... N-No, wait-" He cut himself off when the gang leader approached him quickly to grab his wrists and pin him down to the bed. "... You're jealous of her... Why...?" Vulture whispered, his breath rolling over Link's lips and the younger male inhaled those breaths like they were rationed drugs.
"... B-Because you were touching her in ways that I want you to touch me in..."
"... Are you sure you don't want me to touch you like this...?" The gang leader smirked, pushing his hand against Link's crotch. "... Now, you wouldn't be happy if I touched Red like this... Would you?" "N-No." Link shook his head with bright red cheeks.
"Or like this..."
"S-Sean-!"