Taking back Sunday

"Just that fucker." Dallas grouched softly as he ran a hand through Ajax's hair, admiring the boy's beauty for a moment. He always appreciated looking at Ajax. "I'm fine though, I heal." He reminded, giving a tired smile.

" Well, you better if you want me to properly welcome you to the pack later. " The boy purred suggestively, pressing kisses to any visible injuries the man sported.

"Sounds great to me, dollface." Dallas grinned as he slipped an arm around Ajax's waist. "Anyone else you wanted me to meet or can I go get a drink now?" He questioned.

"No, not really." Ajax rocked on the balls of his feet, eyes raking over Dallas. "Just go easy on it, okay? You don't want the entire pack thinking you have a problem." He knew they would catch on, but Ajax worried about first impressions.

"Why do I give a fuck what they think?" Dallas groaned softly. He knew they could all smell it on him already. But for Ajax, he would try to behave.

"Because I want them to like you, and take good care of you while im not around. " Ajax genuinely cared for Dallas, considering the man one of his closest friends. "Also for your own sake. I just wish you could be happy..." the boy understood though, most of his friends were werewolves now, he had witnessed how their mates affected them.

"Well I can't. I'm sorry." Dallas sighed, dragging a hand through his own hair. He wished he could be happy more than anything, but it was simply not an option. He hadn't felt true happiness in a long time now. "Maybe this was a bad idea." He shouldn't have came in here and made all of Ajax's friends think he was some drunken prick, even if that was exactly what he was.

" Oh no! Come on Dally, it is a good idea. If anyone understands your mate thing, its these guys!" Ajax was reeling, immediately trying to convince the man to stay. "You will be safe here! And you can talk to them about werewolf shit!" The boy was almost pleading. "And I know you don't like Law and he's a dick and everything, but he is having problems like you are with the mate thing, so maybe he could help you out! Just chill and give it a chance, bae."

"I just mean you don't need all your friends relating you with me, you've got a good thing going here, I don't want to ruin it for you." Dallas sighed, though appreciating the boy wanting him to stay so badly.

"Hey, if they have a problem with you, they have a problem with me." Ajax crossed his arms stubbornly. "Im not worried about what they think. Im worried about you. "

"You're a sweet kid, you know that?" Dallas gave a light smile to the boy before nodding his head. "Alright, I'll stick around and I'll play good for a while. But I really am getting a drink." He patted Ajax on the shoulder before trudging off for the kitchen, his gait slightly bowlegged, as always.

Ajax watched him go, snickering at the way his legs bowed.  He had always found that to be the most adorable thing Dallas had going for him, aside from the mans lush, forest green eyes. He had been on his way after the man when Law brushed pasted him. The man paused to stare at Dallas's walk, obviously noticing the mans gait for the first time. He let out a wolfish cackle, making sure it was loud enough for Dallas to hear as he followed the man into the kitchen. "Did I do that? Or have you always been like that, oui?" The silence had been too consuming, enough that Law had decided he would be better off continuing to bother Dallas than sit and let it swallow him.

"Back for more already?" Dallas sighed heavily as he grabbed himself a beer from the refrigerator, turning to face Law. "And what the hell are you talking about?" He barely registered how he walked most of the time and did not realize that was what Law was addressing.

"Im talking about that fucking gap between your legs, oui. You're bowlegged as hell." Law dropped down into a stool, propping his elbows on the island bar. It was impossible for him to keep a straight face now, his eyes studying the mans legs. "You're the first werewolf i've seen with Genu Varum.  You should let me make records of that in my book."  The man trailed off rather abruptly, eyes narrowing on Dallas as though he had committed a crime.  He hadn't even considered adding to his book since losing Eustass, but this man had him feeling lively enough to actually want to work on it....

"Oh." Dallas nodded, giving an eyeroll as he uncapped the beer and took a seat on another stool by the counter. "I forgot that's not normal around here." Where he'd grown up in Texas, it was more unusual to not be bowlegged. "What book are you talking about?" He arched an eyebrow, keeping his word to Ajax and attempting to stay civil even though he didn't like the look on the man's face.

"It's nothing, oui. Just an old medical book."  Law brushed it off, feeling as though Dallas were threatening Eustass in some way by being the first person to make him feel passionate enough to want to add to the book. "Where the hell are you from anyway? Everything about you says trailer park." The werewolf mustered up a wary smirk, trying anything to forget about how the man made him feel.  Maybe they would just kill each other and he wouldnt have to worry about it anymore.

"I'm from Texas." Dallas nodded as he took a sip of beer. "My name didn't give it away? And what are you, anyways, some kind of doctor?" He questioned, examining the man more thoroughly than he had before.

Law had his legs sprawled out, sitting comfortably as though he and Dallas did this all the time.  What could be seen of his arms were riddled with tattoo's, mainly blue in color.  They blended well with his dark tanned skin, just enough to be noticed but never demanding of attention."I used to be." The man gave a nostalgic sigh, the dark bags under his eyes making him seem older than his 24 years. "I don't really do as much as I used to. This is a small pack compared to my old one...."  His body had grown tired, eroded by all the sleepless nights he'd spend mourning his pack, his mate. "But before, I was a popular doctor.  You know, you don't find many who just work on werewolves and shit.  I did though. We had wolves from rival packs come from all over just to see me, or bring someone they loved to see me. " He had done good, but aside from all of that he had done his fair share of bad things too.  He had to learn some how, right? At one point he had over 100 hearts stored in his room, all for the sake of research and his book. "Now its pointless though. I don't care like I used too, oui."  Law's sharp blue eyes never left Dallas, eyebrows knitting together and he decided he couldn't possibly make the man hate him more. "Now whats your story? You're just as bitter as I am. Why?"

"I don't think your work is pointless just because your mate kicked the bucket." Dallas informed. He drank for several seconds before speaking again. "But I guess I get it. I've given up on everything too." He had used to fight for his country but when he'd found Vince he'd stopped, not being able to stand being away from the boy for so long. And after Vince left him, well, he just never went back. It didn't seem worth it. Nothing seemed worth it anymore.
He didn't know if he wanted to tell Law anything, really, but what did he have to lose?
"I'm a drunk, Law. Alcohol and relationships doesn't tend to go to well. In case you hadn't noticed, alcohol makes me an asshole. I couldn't stop drinking, even for my mate. I beat him and eventually, he got fed up with my shit and he left me." Alcohol was the only thing he had now.

Law whistled softly in return, simply regarding Dallas a moment before shaking his head. " Why can't you stop drinking? Nothing is worth this hell, oui." Law couldn't understand the man, how drinking could be more important than his mate, but he did know the feeling of loss after a mate had gone. Bitterness was their common ground. "What's his name? "

"I was too fucked up to even try to stop drinking before it was too late. And now he's already shacked up with someone else, why should I even bother?" Dallas shrugged. Booze was the only thing that even numbed the pain sometimes. "His name was Vincent Alistair Kennedy, just Vince to me." He gave a fond smile at the sound of the boy's name.

Law found himself pained to hear the way Dallas spoke of his mate. It only reminded him of his own torment. "Ever try getting him back? It is your mate oui, he has to feel something." Even being as bitter as he was, Law couldn't help but feel sympathy for this man.

"He's remarried. Has two kids." Dallas sighed, drinking from his bottle once more. "But still, I tried before. But he wants nothing to do with me. I used to come over to his place a lot where he lives with his family now. He went as far as to get a restraining order against me. I don't know if he still feels something for me but if he does, he sure as hell hides it well."

Law could only stare at the man, unsure if even the deafening silence could be as bad as having your mate reject you. Of course it sounded like the kid had good reason, but still, the mating bond was sacred among werewolves. "Well that fucking sucks, oui. You want another beer? " As much as Law disliked him, he understood the drinking now.

Dallas merely nodded as he finished off his first one.
"So what about yours? What happened?" He arched an eyebrow as he grabbed a second beer from the fridge.