Chapter Text
Rain came down in sheets, turning the streets of the Cursed Apple into a smear of refracted lights and shadows. Neon bled across the pavement. Gutters overflowed. Somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed and then hushed itself.
Shiv moved through it like he owned it.
His coat hung heavy with rain, collar turned up, but it didn’t slow him down. The cold didn’t bite the way it should have. The deluge didn’t bother him.
His hair was another story.
The pompadour he’d slicked back earlier was starting to fall apart, dark strands slipping loose and clinging to his wet neck and forehead. He didn’t bother fixing it. He had big game to catch. He kept a steady pace, boots cutting through shallow puddles, eyes fixed ahead. It wasn’t sight guiding him. He stopped at the mouth of an alley, head tilting just slightly.
There.
Beneath the stink of rot and runoff, under cheap liquor and grime something else lingered.
Beast.
Wrong.
Shiv breathed in slowly through his nose, letting everything in. Most men would’ve missed it. Most men didn’t have something behind their ribs that stirred at the scent, fangs bared, eager to play. He ignored that part of himself. That’s what the reliquary was for. Another step into the alley. Cigarette burning low between his lips. Brick walls closed in, fire escapes rattling faintly above as the wind picked up. Trash lay split open, soaked through, but that wasn’t what caught his attention.
Bootprints?
Faint. Half-washed away by the rain, but not gone.
Shiv crouched, gloved fingers hovering just above his knife before he straightened again. “Goat bastard,” he muttered. The rumors had spread fast. Vandalism. Broken storefronts. Symbols carved into doors that hadn’t been there the night before. People swore they’d seen something in the dark; something big, something mean. Said it wasn’t a man at all.
Shiv didn’t care about rumors. Only patterns. And patterns said whatever this thing was–it kept moving. So would he.
He flicked ash into the rain, the ember hissing on contact, and followed the trail deeper into the dark. To Shiv, it was a simple game of cat and mouse. The bigger the thing, the more the chase was worth.
He reached a chain-link fence, bent and warped as if something large had forced its way through. A grin tugged at his mouth, a fang catching his lip as he studied it before slipping through the opening.
An abandoned warehouse loomed ahead. Windows shattered, brickwork defaced with layers of restless vandalism.
A huge crash sent an aluminum trash can rolling as Billy batted it down the alley, spilling its nastiness all over. He scampered over to grab it and make sure all its contents were spread on the steps of the police station; his target that rainy night. His fur was sticking to his trapezius, it was beginning to bug him out, unfortunately the neck of his jacket didn't perform the best under such rain.
None of that mattered, he would be soaked when he got home but he would be able to share a hot bath with a certain frog; he smirked, the image motivating him to hurry. There were windows that wouldn't break on their own, paperwork to waterlog and facades to deface.
Billy took impulse and rammed into a second story window, shattering it on his way in, punching glass he climbed his way inside. The place was barren and dark; picked specifically because it closed down on Sundays. He stretched his arms, cracked his knuckles and with a grin he brought his bat out once more. Ready to hit a few homeruns.
The hunter slowed as he stepped around the warehouse, his nose leading him down another alleyway towards the police station. Shiv perked up at the sound of shattering glass and boots hitting concrete. The smell of trash stinking up his nostrils. He made his way into the building ahead, already busted from the vandalism only a beast could do. The echoes of crunching glass reverberated through the ceiling above him. He followed the sound upstairs, his hand steady on his knife.
Shiv slowed in the doorway, taking the creature in.
A man’s body, lean and strung, as if it had been wound too tight, wrapped in ill-fitting clothes that looked like they’d been slept in more than worn. Damp fabric clung to him in patches, rain and sweat darkening it unevenly.
And then, here was the head.
Goat, unmistakably so. Horns curling back, slick with rain, catching what little light bled in from the broken window. Thick iron nails jutted through them, hammered in at uneven angles, like someone had tried to put him together and misread the instructions. Fur matted along his neck where it disappeared into the collar of his shirt, while his arms and hands were human by comparison. That wasn’t what he’d been tracking.
“You’re makin’ a hell of a mess for someone workin’ alone,” he said, voice low, even. “Thought I was chasin’ somethin’ bigger.” Shiv’s mouth twitched faintly. “Guess rumors got lazy.”
A silence.
Then, sharper: “You got a name, or you just break things for the fun of it?”
The unleashed pandemonium he wrought made it extremely simple for anyone to sneak up on him, but Billy hadn't been worried about the noise, as that was the whole point of it. He wasn't scared of anyone or anything, for they should be fearing him, the ones to wake the fuck up and finally— His thoughts were abruptly interrupted while he still held his bat mid air.
Billy's head turned ever so slightly, not a lot necessary when your range of vision was so large. Slowly he lowered his arms, resting the bat on his neck. He steadied his breath before speaking, turning completely to face what seemed to be the monkiest man he's seen.
“Weird question to make to someone you were followin'. Guess ya ain't the best detective around, or whatever you are” he raised an eyebrow, “Why don't you piss off?” he nearly spit with his words, not thrilled with the idea of dealing with whatever this guy was after. He smelled like trouble, but when hasn't Billy avoided running straight into trouble?
Shiv took a step forward, his body less tense now that he sized up his prey. “Detective? Do I look like a pig to you?” He reached into his coat, casual as anything, and pulled out another cigarette. For a moment, everything else paused. The chaos, the noise, even the tension hanging between them as he brought it to his lips and flicked a light.
The flame flared, brief and bright, illuminating the edge of his grin and that hint of a fang before it vanished. He took a slow drag, exhaling to the side like Billy wasn’t worth the smoke.
“Listen, I don’t care about why you’re doing this, I don’t care about who hurt you,” he went on, voice dropping into something flatter, colder. “That’s not my line of work.”
His fingers brushed the reliquary at his belt again, and this time the glow lingered; low, pulsing, like something breathing behind glass.
“I track monsters. I find them.” A small tilt of his head, studying Billy, already halfway to a conclusion. “And I put them down.”
That playful edge didn’t disappear, it turned venomous.
“You can make this easy,” Shiv added, the cigarette hanging from his lips. “Or you can make it fun for me.”
He stopped just short of striking distance, eyes locked on the bat resting across Billy’s shoulders, his hand on the waist where his knife sat.
“Up to you, kid.”
Billy was acutely aware of every movement the man before him took, his hand slightly fidgeted on the bat. Tightening and loosening the grip at random intervals. He wasn't a fan of staying still for long, and the adrenaline in his veins kept flowing from his unfinished business. The faint glow of his eyes was briefly overshadowed by the fire, as he too, ached for a smoke. His free hand reached for his pocket checking if he had any… empty.
“Before I give ya the horns, you got any spare smokes?” A cheeky grin adorned Billy’s face.
The rain was turning into a storm. The wind picked up pace, puddles forming around them. Billy began tapping his foot in exasperation, splashing around. He hardly ever waited around for someone to finish their sentences. Every word caused the flinch of his features, like the clock of a bomb ticking closer to detonation. He clicked his tongue at the mention of monsters.
“Oh, it's this bullshit again!” Billy would've rolled his eyes if he could, instead he threw his free arm in the air.
“You think you're the first funny guy to come up ta’ me and tell me all dat?” he amply gestured around the room making a circle with his arm.
“Oh, you got a problem with goats, buddy? Just because I got this above my shoulders doesn't mean I'm no longer human.” Billy approached him with a few steps, challenging him with a stare, the chain on his neck jiggling. “But don't worry, I'm not the type to turn down kicking some bigot's ass,” he spat on the primate's shoes.
Unlike the goat man, Shiv didn’t move. He barely blinked at the pleasantries.
“Sweetheart,” Shiv’s voice, thick like caramel, “Humans can be monsters too.”
He flicked ash aside with a sharp snap of his fingers. “We lie. We take. We dress it up in pretty words so we can sleep at night.” His eyes glinted, catching what little light there was. “At least you don’t pretend.”
In a quick, harsh movement, he stepped forward, knife flashing free, and drove him back against the window. The blade caressed the goat’s neck, beads of blood reflecting the moon and city’s glow.
There hadn't been time for him to react to any of his words, only the result, now felt from a far more vulnerable position. The hot sensation climbing up his stomach and chest was like the afterburn of a shot of tequila. It clashed against the chilling gust that pierced his matted fur and disheveled the hair-do of his current rival.
Billy hadn't noticed the blade, only the stinging sensation that it left behind. He wasn't in the mood to be both lectured and attacked, it better be one or the other; not that he would answer too differently to either.
“To me you still lookin' like a fuckin' bastard!” he blew air out of his nostrils, blasting his warm breath on the blade wielder's face. His elbow had made contact with the window's frame, he could feel some of the leftover glass shards, his thick jacket shielding him.. “You don't know shit about me. Now, get off me!” his hand, still tightly wrapped around his bat, quickly swung towards his enemy’s torso.
Shiv lifted his prosthetic arm to block the bat, the nails at the end of the goat’s swing biting into the wood with a harsh crack. The impact rattled through him but instead of giving ground, his stance locked, shoulders tensing as something deeper coiled tight beneath his skin.
For a split second, he just stared at Billy. Then his lip curled. “You’re real loud for someone pinned like this.”
His prosthetic twisted sharply, knocking the bat off-line. His other hand lunged forward, fisting into Billy’s jacket and hauling him in close, chest brushing chest, their breaths colliding in short, heated bursts. The blade followed, not quite striking, twitching, like it wanted to.
His breath hitched, uneven now. Not pain… something else.
“I like when my prey fights back.” The words came out lower, rougher, like they were being dragged up from somewhere deeper than his throat. His grip tightened, knuckles going rigid as that barely-contained edge started to show. The line blurred between them, and in the heat of it, Shiv’s control was slipping through his fingers.
As an instinct, he flashed his teeth and grunted, throwing his ears backwards. Billy now stood slightly taller than him, the glow of his eyes highlighting the other man's features. So up close, he could appreciate their details, their subtlety. He was becoming painfully aware of how their bodies touched, stealing his attention away from the present danger.
Billy wrapped his hand around his attacker’s wrist, which held the knife pressed against his neck. But sharper still were the words pouring dangerously from his mouth, threatening to crumble his composure and belief in his escape. He hastily shook the thought away and doubled down.
“I ain't no damn prey! You're gonna regret gettin' in this handsome bastard. What’cha in this for anyways? You didn't sound too fond of pigs earlier, just fuck off already before I nail you to the desk” spit splattered on his face with every word he sputtered out.
Billy could've swung the bat at him again, but the angle was awkward and the beast was defended on that side. He was more worried about keeping that blade away until he could punch back properly. The goat’s spit trickled down Shiv’s stoic and unchanging face. The goat clenched his fist harder around the wrist, right where Shiv wanted him.
“If you’re trying to send a message, you’re doing it wrong.” Shiv leaned in, sliding his knee between his prey’s legs. “Petty vandalism doesn’t mean shit to them. The people you think you’re standing up for? They’re the ones who’ll pay for it.”
They were already pressed together, the jagged edge of the broken window biting into Billy’s back. Glass shifted and crunched behind him with every inch of pressure Shiv added.
He leaned his weight in, forcing Billy harder against the frame, close enough that one wrong move would slice skin open. Close enough that the goat felt his body being controlled, dominated by another much stronger than him.
Billy’s clutch tensed. That was all Shiv needed before his mechanical hand came up between them, metal fingers snapping around the creature’s throat with a sharp, unforgiving click.
The hunter wrenched Billy to the side, off the glass and then drove him down without hesitation.
The goat hit the floor with a violent crack, the air leaving his chest as Shiv released just enough to let gravity finish the job. Shards rattled loose from the window behind them, skittering across the ground.
Shiv straightened over him, flexing his metal hand while tracing the splintered wood of his false arm with the other.
“Now,” he said, voice low and steady, “you wanna try this again?”
No matter how many racing thoughts fought for his attention, they all came to a sudden stop, his strong coughs breaking up his breathing. He held his chest with one hand as he pushed himself upwards with the other one, heaving. The goat's head turned to his attacker, disbelief plastered all over. He had managed to make one hell of a first impression.
Billy sought for his bat, using it as a crutch to stand up, as he supported himself on the window's frame, microscopic glass pieces digging their way in. Their sting yet to trigger pain due to the adrenaline pumping through his veins.
"What did you say your dumbass name was?” He was honestly intrigued now, but he wouldn't wait around for an answer. Billy moved his legs with impressive speed for someone with zero momentum, ramming his head into Shiv's stomach. Quickly he swung his bat to the unprotected side of Shiv’s body, aiming for his stomach, itching to return the favor.
Shiv was too slow. He jerked to the side, trying to dodge, but the bat still slammed into his belly, the nails at its end biting deep. The force drove the out air from his lungs, and blood surged up his throat, spilling from his mouth.
He stumbled back, his shirt torn and peppered with small, jagged holes. Beneath them, shallow punctures marked where the nails had struck. His hand drifted over the damage, fingers slick with blood. More of it escaped his lips, trailing down his chin before dripping onto his hand.
He looked up at the goat, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
"You tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine," he said, voice rugged. "Considerin' I asked first 'n' all."
Billy shook his head like a proper goat, standing up the same as before, bat on his shoulders. There was a grimace adorning his face, as he looked the other man up and down.
“You're enjoying this way more than you fuckin' should” he pointed at him with the bat, but his expression twisted into a smirk. Billy did too. “Name's Billy, since you clearly couldn't tail that part well enough.”
“Something like that.” Shiv slipped off his jacket with care, keeping it clear of the blood seeping through him.
Beneath it, a white button-down clung to his torso, clinched tight under leather straps that held a metal shoulder plate connecting the prosthetic arm in place. Knives were fixed along the straps, including the sheath that had carried the blade now in his hand. The shirt was drenched through, outlining his lean, sculpted frame, every hair and scar starkly visible through the fabric.
“You got me good, Billy. Better than most. Makes this almost disappointing.” He let the jacket fall, dragging his fingers back through his hair, dark coils spilling loose around his face and over his shoulders. For a moment, he just looked at Billy, indulging in him.
“I do appreciate a challenge. Makes the ending worth it.” He rolled his shoulder, getting more comfortable. “Go on,” Shiv said, his head tilting just slightly. “You don’t strike me as the type to stop now.” He stepped to the side, circling just enough to make Billy adjust himself.
“Shiv,” he added after a beat, like the thought had only just occurred to him. “You’ve earned that much.”
His gaze flicked once more to the bat, then back to Billy’s eyes. “Show me.” He lifted his knife up as an invitation.
“Let’s see if you can do that twice.”
Shiv’s posture shifted, akin to a tiger sizing up its prey. Something crept up Billy’s spine at the sight, goosebumps shifted across his body in response. For some reason still unknown to him, Billy had been satisfying a similar desire; his eyes unable to be torn away from the body before him, the layers of clothing stripped away violently, revealing glimpses of sweaty skin and hardened muscle peeking through. He furrowed his eyebrows, weird. The goat reached for the pocket in his jacket, pulling a beer bottle out of the blue, smashing it on his head and soaking himself, licking up the now spilled contents.
Punkgoat leaned the bat on the desk by him, joining his rival in harshly taking off his jacket, throwing it on the half destroyed chair. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck side to side. A burning sensation inside, perhaps pride, forced him to match Shiv, to exhibit his body in a similar fashion. If anything, Billy had exposed himself even more than the man before him, given his lack of sleeves. Leisurely he reached for the bat, almost allowing Shiv to indulge in the view. For him to admire his muscular arms, his soaking wet torso. Billy smirked at him, surprised by the flattery coming from this random guy, his name bouncing around in his head.
"I still don't really get it, man, your end game" he paced himself. “None of this is your business, what does it matter to you what I do in one of these filthy pig pens?" He licked his lips then clicked his tongue. “Just curiosity speakin’, I ain't letting you go before your spankin’s over" Billy revealed his teeth with another wicked grin.
Although his pacing seemed pointless, it seemingly led him to a desk chair, which he kicked violently towards the expectant chimp. Shiv caught the chair, but above it, Billy had jumped at an angle and swung his bat downward, trying to sneak in a second strike. His keen eyesight allowed the goat to both enjoy the show before him and assess every object surrounding them, without giving away his real focus.
Shiv threw his arms up, crossing them defensively, knife angled just in time to intercept the incoming hit. The impact shuddered through him as Billy leaned in, the bat grinding against Shiv’s blade, ready to crush him at any second.
Through gritted teeth, Shiv snarled, “It’s my business when it involves innocent people. You know damn well your little disruptions have been affectin’ them.”
Shiv’s arms trembled under the pressure, this enemy was not like any he’d fought recently. The blood on his hands made the knife start to slip in his grip.
“WHAT are YOU talking ABOUT?!” The strain of pushing down on Shiv made his words spill out sloppily. He pushed down again, taking advantage of the less than ideal guard of his opponent. “I'm destroying records! They can't throw no innocent folk into jail if they don't got shit on them! At least for a while.” He grinded his teeth; he truly believed what he said, or at least, furiously wanted to. Billy lifted his knee and punted Shiv in the stomach right after that, fueled by the tumbling anger brewing inside his own.
Shiv’s facial expression changed, something softer than before. Destroying records? The force of Billy’s knee knocked Shiv backwards on his ass, displacing the knife in his hand. It fell to the ground, bouncing away, out of his reach. He held his stomach again, incisions burning from the contact. “I was talkin’ about some of your prior acts of vandalism. Far as I’m aware, this the first time you’re doing somethin’ that benefits the people.”
Billy rested one of his hands on his hip, while he pointed at Shiv's chest with his bat. He stood tall above him, legs at each side of the man's thighs; his fierce expression hiding the pleasure beneath, enjoying how he was able to overpower such a foe. This passing victory stroked his ego, as butterflies skittered in his stomach.
“Nah, I was protestin'. Someone's gotta make it obvious, how much shit's fucked up 'round here. Bit of destruction, hurtin' their wallets; THAT'S the only way to make 'em look.” He felt electric, and this was easily reflected in his racing heart rate.
“You and I… we ain’t that different…” Shiv lifted his fingers to his mouth, licking the blood off. “I got a history with these fucks. Had I known you were doing that, I woulda signed up to help.” He moved to get up, quickly coming to a halt. He chuckled, realizing that Billy had trapped him. “I might be getting too old for that kind of fun.”
Billy squinted, slowly moving his bat out of the way, not entirely sure yet if he wanted to buy what Shiv was selling; or if he didn't want the fun to stop just yet. He crouched above him, hovering using his bat as support. He noticed his clothes felt a little tighter than normal while shifting, he chalked it up to being soaking wet.
“You better mean all that. It would be a sad sight if you switched up on me as soon as you started losin'.” He showed his teeth again, with a smirk.
Now face-to-face, Shiv was able to look at Billy’s features better. Sure, he was a goat from the neck up, but he was still a man everywhere else… Especially where it mattered. He tried to ignore the bulge trying to burst through Billy’s already tight skinny jeans. Shiv felt a tightness of his own, still worked up from fighting. “I’m a lotta terrible things, but a liar ain’t one of them.”
The street lights outside attempted their best at drawing their silhouettes within the dark office. Billy's breathing calmed, he allowed himself to look at the body under him. He thought that if this had been a woman, things might have gone very differently. Even then, it took him effort to tear his eyes away.
“If that's the case, then you'll get out of the way and let me finish what I came ta do, won'tcha?” The question was sarcastic in nature.
“Yer gonna get caught,” Shiv huffed, bloody hand grabbing Billy by his wrist to prevent him from leaving. There was a flicker of guilt in Shiv’s gut. The kid wasn’t anything like the rumors painted him to be, and the damage he’d caused barely amounted to more than noise, a few broken windows, and some littering. Billy reminded him too much of himself at that age–restless, defiant, always one step from trouble. Shiv had spent his youth dodging the law, written off as a lost cause when he was really just a good heart buried under bad instincts. Violence came easier than words, and kindness showed up in all the wrong ways. From the way Billy carried himself, Shiv could see similar feelings simmering beneath the surface.
“They want you dead,” Shiv said quietly. “It’s only a matter of time before they send someone here.” He winced in pain from sitting, the incisions on his stomach pressed against each other. The reliquary on his hip glowed like a hushed breath. “I was only contracted to kill you, not a buncha other freaks. Help me up so we can burn the evidence, and I’ll tell ‘em you got away.”
A flame lit up inside of Billy's chest, he was taken aback by how sincere those words were. Normally he would call bullshit, swat away his touch and walk off. Instead he found himself frozen in place. He gulped.
“Uhm…” he searched for words. “Aren't you one of those?” he shifted slightly, squatting like that was starting to make his leg sore.
“You've got knives with ya, it wouldn't be too crazy for you to stab me once I turn around on ya.” His distrust felt more rehearsed than it did genuine; Shiv's words had clearly disarmed his defenses and now he only held onto them due to sheer habit. Blood had stained Shiv's white shirt, obvious against the contrast. He knew he too was cut up somewhat, but his fur would mask it easily. Besides, it hardly hurts at this point. Billy wondered if he might be feeling a little guilty seeing him like that.
“In the same regard… what’s stopping you from killin’ me where I sit?” Shiv caught the shift in Billy immediately; the drop in his guard, the hesitation creeping in. The kid wasn’t wrong. At this distance, Shiv could strike and finish the job before Billy had a chance to react. But something in him refused.
The beast, on the other hand, wasn’t as patient. It stirred beneath the surface, restless, hungry, itching to taste the chevon in front of him.
“We don’t have much time,” Shiv said. Even to himself, the words felt uncertain. He couldn’t tell if he meant the police showing up or the monster inside him letting loose. “So it’s simple,” he went on. “We either kill each other… or we burn this place down and walk out alive.” He looked across the room.
“There are a few records in here I wouldn’t mind wipin’ clean.”
Quietly Billy stared, the whooshing wind contouring their bodies and reminding them of the elements they were covered by, as goosebumps tickled his peach hairs. Billy swatted Shiv's hand from his restraint, but before falling he reached out with the other one, pulling both himself up and the other man in a swift motion.
“Was that too fast for you old man?” He hadn't let go of his hands when the goat spoke with a lower tone, his mean exterior crumbling slightly. They were close enough their breath was mixing up again like earlier. “I know you brought a lighter, mine got all wet so, you can start with that.”
“Baby,” Shiv paused with intent. “You’d be amazed at what this old man can do.” He swiped his tongue across his teeth, maintaining eye contact. “Matches in my jacket with my cigarettes. Light me one, will you? An’ take one for yourself, if you smoke.” He grazed past Billy to a row of filing cabinets, sure to make contact with his wet body. “These will be great fire starters,” he smiled, careful to only toss the papers away from the puddles of water from the rain.
The way this man had switched his whole demeanor around was keeping him on Billy toes, but the edge of it all had pulled him in like a magnet. His eyes glued to the broad shoulders as he walked by him, the brush too hard to ignore, forcing him to notice what by now was a half chub in between his legs. The punk's eyes shot open. Am I really… He chuckled. It wasn't his first time, adrenaline and all.
Billy threw his head around in search for the discarded jacket, making sure to keep Shiv in his periphery. His hand snapped to the jacket pulling it up and digging into the pocket fishing two cigarettes, throwing Shiv’s jacket right on top of his own once done. Heavy boots splashed and chains jingled as he jaunted over to Shiv, making sure to stop just a step away.
Billy placed one cigarette on his mouth, he provided it cover from the unrelenting wind and lit it up, dragging some puffs, blowing it on the shorter man's face. He had been holding the other smoke in his hand, he placed it on Shiv's lips and waited for him to get a handle of it. As he pulled the second match to light it up, it slipped from the punk's hand and fell right into a puddle. "Ah, dang it... I hope that wasn't your last match." It wasn't, he had felt the box and left it behind.
"What? You nervous all of a sudden?" Shiv smiled, the unlit cigarette bobbing between his lips. "Never done this with a partner, I reckon?" He slammed the empty filing cabinet shut, then moved on to the next, continuing to make a mess with the papers. "Grab some of those over there." He pointed a metal finger toward the wooden chairs leaning against the wall. "Start breakin' 'em. They'll burn real good."
“Sure they will" he glanced at the cabinets, still some doubt kept him from giving him his back. Billy moved to reach for his bat, then he went by the cabinets, slamming them right in the middle, smashing it into wooden shrapnell. “Could've used my cig to light yours though," he shrugged, grabbing the biggest pieces to throw into a pile by the middle of the room.
Billy threw him a glance as he pushed some desks out of the way, after that he searched with his eyes for the door that led into the documents storage. He connected his boot with the door, smashing it off its hinges. Stacked boxes, overflowing with boring papers, welcomed him.
"Jackpot." He grabbed the butt of the cigarette and exhaled a big cloud.
Most of the cabinets were emptied onto the floor by now. Shiv stood up, making his way towards the pile. A photo on one of the desks caught his eye. He picked it up, studying it. A family photo; policeman and what appeared to be his wife and a daughter, smiling happily. Shiv felt his anger spike. For a split second, it wasn’t them he saw. His grip tightened on the frame. They looked untouched...whole. The photo hit the pile harder than it needed to, glass shattering on impact.
"Come here," he said, beckoning Billy.
The cigarette nearly dropped from his hand with the way Billy jolted, he turned around in a quick motion while furrowing his eyebrows. Even though he had been the loudest of them two Shiv had managed to stand out. He squinted in his direction, walking fast towards him, unable to object to the command. Billy's eyes fixated on the photo as he took another puff from the cig.
"What now?”
Shiv’s hand closed around Billy’s waist and pulled him in without hesitation, drawing their bodies flush together. There was no space left to fake distance. He brought his cigarette up and pressed it to Billy’s, holding it there as he inhaled, the ember lighting up between them. Heat elsewhere lingered, Shiv didn’t pull away, feeling Billy's erection with his own.
Smoke slipped from his lips in a slow, controlled breath, curling through the air between their faces. His smile followed, fang bared. For a moment, his eyes caught the light and held it wrong. A faint red glimmer stirred beneath the surface.
“Burn it down.”
Blood rushed down the punk's body, turning what seconds ago was just a fleeting erection back into a throbbing one, this time almost painfully pressing against his tight clothes, the contact eliciting a soft and raspy moan. He felt his stomach turning, glad he hadn't eaten in a few hours.
"Couldn't you just... take it outta my mouth like normal?" Billy’s complaint was his attempt to hide his inaction; he made no attempt to get away from Shiv. Instead he twisted his hips, rubbing each other with the motion, forcing a groan out of his mouth. “The fuck you even see?" His voice was coarse.
“Fuck the picture–“ Shiv moaned, guttural, primal. His hand moved from Billy’s waist to his ass, feeling him up while the goat rubbed against him. Another smile, free hand occupied with the cigarette, “This how you pictured your night would go?” He took a drag, throwing his head back to exhale smoke with a moan.
Billy's hands found purchase on his shoulders, being groped like was making him stand on his tippy toes. It was not the kind of touch he was used to at all, but one he was welcoming right then.
"Fuck no!" The smoke was making him dizzy, or maybe it was all the blood leaving his head. He panted, leaning into Shiv’s ear: “I'm beginning to think I was set up," his words were breathy, heavy against tangerine skin. Tangled up, the goat pushed Shiv back, who kept hold of one of his biceps with one hand. Billy found support on the desk’s flat surface, leaning over the sweaty primate.
Shiv welcomed such energy. He discarded the cigarette towards the pile of papers and wood, hoping the embers would catch on and light the building up.
“A set up?” Shiv let go of Billy’s waist, cupping his crotch with his hand. He pressed down on his erection, feeling the length of it.
“Darlin’, I am supposed to be carvin’ you up right now. Instead you got me all worked up here.” His cock twitched against Billy’s leg, an out of place laugh shaking out of him. “I ain’t ever been hard in a police station before.”
"Ah, fuck "Billy's breath hitched, he bit hard on the cigarette the inhaled the thing whole, still lit. It burnt on its way down, but he didn't care, not while he rocked his hips against a man's hand. “Yeah. Some kind of bullshit entrapment, or maybe you'll be cuttin’ my balls off." He rested his forehead on his shoulder, now both of his hands were the ones seeking Shiv's waist, the fabric still moist as his hands wrapped at each side. He snickered at his final comment. “Can't say I haven't."
“I like it,” Shiv snickered, rubbing harder against Billy’s cock through his pants. The goat was melting into him. “Feels wrong... in a good way.” The papers did indeed catch, slowly starting to disintegrate in an amber glow. Ribbons of smoke began to fill the air, forcing Shiv to slow down to a stop. “Billy."
Billy groaned in annoyance, as Shiv grinded to a halt. Frustrated by the sudden lack of sensation, as Shiv provided enough strain for him to be left itching for more. He tried to persuade Shiv into more by pushing him on top of the desk, slotting himself in between his legs, grinding with a growing hunger for more. He didn't bother replying, instead Billy panted on his ear like a dog in heat. His body was completely enveloping the knife wielder's frame in his desperate hug.
The fire expanded rapidly, flames licking at the debris. The smell of smoke began to fill the room. “I’ll give you whatever you want, we just gotta get outta here first.” Shiv tried to move, but couldn’t without Billy’s cooperation. The goat had him in a death grip. He squeezed tightly on Billy’s bulge before completely letting go. “Come on, sweetheart. I’m parked down the street.”
Billy's ears twitched and pointed backwards, finally paying attention to the creaking noise behind them. His nostrils needed for him to emerge from the deep cologne smell Shiv's neck exuded before the smell of smoke made its way to his brain. He turned his head over his shoulder to take a look at the growing bonfire, refraining from touching any further.
"When the hell’d you do that?" As if a lever had been pulled he switched gears, he looked over for whatever drawer was around and kicked some of the smoldering debris into it, running back into the room with all the boxes he left in the middle of it. Hastily he opened several of them and poured them around the flame as fast as he could, hoping it would catch on. “That better work." He hurried out of the room, searching for Shiv.
The fire had grown noticeably larger in the middle of the office. Anxiety spiked inside of Billy as the smoke had expanded faster than he had expected, burning his retinas and poisoning his vision. Billy ran towards where he last remembered leaving his bat and quickly snagged it, heading next towards the window. Shiv was nowhere to be found.
The hunter leaned against the doorframe, knife and jacket collected. His eyes still caught on the picture frame burning up, wishing his life had been different. The smoke was starting to get to him, his head pounding. All of his senses were clogged by the smoke and dancing embers, making it hard to tell where Billy had gone. He could barely smell the goat, worried that he'd lost him to the fire. Suddenly, his eyes caught the horned figure by the window. Shiv made his way over, using his metal hand to smash sharp glass pieces sticking out.
“After you.” He beckoned Billy to go first.
In a swift motion he grabbed his own jacket, figuring putting one arm through a sleeve was enough to carry it. He jumped out without second guessing, bouncing off the wall, as though he was a climber goat. Billy landed on his feet, biting hard on the bat to slide his arm in the other sleeve, then looked upwards, rain blurring his sight as it landed straight into his eyes. He blinked with slight pain and annoyance, shielding one side with a hand.
Shiv followed swiftly, climbing out the window and mantling the ledge before propelling himself off. His hair, now fully loose, streamed behind him as he backflipped to the ground. He stuck the landing, slinging his jacket over one shoulder. Damp strands clung to his face and sideburns, trailing down his neck and sticking to his soaked frame. “I need a fuckin’ drink,” he muttered. “You ever ride pillion, or is that jacket just for show?”
Billy whistled after his landing, a little surprised he had done it so well, with extra flair too. His admiration didn't stop there, somehow he hadn't clocked that all the hair for such an up-do had to come from somewhere. The sight painted the tangerine man in a different light. A more mysterious and sexier kind. He snorted at his question.
“Of course I've ridden a goddamn bike, who do you take me for?” He rolled his eyes, or attempted to. Smoke started to emerge from the window.
Shiv smiled, looking into the goat’s pretty eyes. He found Billy’s attitude endearing despite the edge.
“Most a’ your generation like to wear the clothes and that’s it.” He started walking forward, putting his jacket on. “I’m in a garage not too far away. Got a friend who lives over here who lets me use it. S’long I don’t bring anything I’m huntin’ back there.” His smile turned into a devilish grin. “Guess you’ll be the first. Let’s go, baby.”
Unease crept up his body again, he thought he was beginning to feel dizzy thanks to the cocktails of emotions he had gone through in less than an hour. His gut was screaming at him to run away already, that he had played cards with the devil for long enough, but right below his gut was something else begging him to follow, even if worse could come from it. He strutted towards Shiv, bat laying back on its rightful place, above his shoulder.
“Where's your ride then? Bet this all nothin' but an excuse for me to grind my cock up your ass.” He snickered briefly.
“All that smoke must’ve gotten to your goat brain. You were practically drooling all over me in there. Forget that already? Besides, it’d be my co—”
The cry of sirens cut through Shiv’s words. He moved without thought. Billy’s back hit the brick wall with a thud, Shiv crowding in close, arms braced on either side of him. The alley seemed to shrink around them, all heat and noise, swift adrenaline. Shiv’s body angled forward, instinctively shielding, as if he could somehow block out whatever was tearing down the street. Billy was bigger, broader, more than capable of holding his own but instinct overruled logic.
A firetruck zoomed past the end of the alley, followed by a streak of police lights painting everything in frantic reds and blues. The loud siren sound bounced off the buildings, then slowly began to fade. Shiv didn’t move right away. He kept Billy pinned there for a moment longer than necessary, close enough to feel the quick thud of his heartbeat, hammering hard against Shiv’s chest.
“Agh—” Billy squinted at him, his attention stolen by the pandemonium incoming. The goat's eyes shifted back up, the fire escaping the windows they broke up earlier impossible to ignore, only accentuated by an explosion which blew another to pieces. It wasn't just water then that rained for a moment, but a million glass shards. He attempted to shield them both with his arm. “Please tell me your bike's the opposite way they’re comin' from.”
Shiv had braced for the impact, not expecting Billy to shield him. After the explosion settled, Shiv pulled away from the goat, brushing dirt off his pants.
“You’re not gonna like my answer…” His gaze flicked toward the alley’s exit, where the flashing red and blue lights once were. “…it’s right through where all that noise is comin’ from.” Another crack overhead, glass scattering down in sharp bursts. Shiv swore, stepping in again on instinct, hand catching Billy’s arm to keep him steady.
“I’m not ditchin’ it,” he muttered. “We go through, shelter for a minute in the garage then take off.” Finally, when it felt safe, he let go, stepping away from the goat and further down the alley towards the exit. He glanced back at Billy, softening expression. “…an’ try not to drool on me this time, yeah?”
“I didn't fucki–” Billy interrupted himself as he realized he was raising his voice, he both lowered it and his head to speak closer to him.
“I didn't drool on you,” his sight just like the edge of a blade, he followed his lead unquestioningly.
At the end of the alley, Shiv stopped short, pressing a hand against Billy’s chest to hold him back. He leaned out just enough to scan the street, then gave a small nod. The coast was clear. He moved quickly, guiding Billy down the block, through another narrow alley, and finally to a set of concrete stairs that disappeared into a basement. Shiv pulled a key from his pocket, unlocked the door without hesitation, and led Billy inside.
The room was dark. A dim, flickering fluorescent tube buzzed overhead, casting a dull yellow light across the space. It looked like a garage; toolboxes lined the walls, buckets and mismatched parts scattered across a stained concrete floor. The air smelled of oil and dust. And in the middle of it all sat Shiv’s motorcycle. Old-school. Gorgeous, with chrome shining faintly under the weak light, its frame clean as if it had been cared for far more than anything else in the room. “Ain’t she pretty?”
Billy was a little agitated from the short jog they took to get there, once he turned his attention from the outside in he whistled lengthily, circling the ride.
“Alright, cut the cool guy act, just who the fuck are you?” He crouched next to the chopper as he asked, admiring it as he scratched his stubble in admiration.
Shiv laughed, removing his jacket, then shirt, wringing it out in a bucket nearby. “I told ya,” he made his way over to a cabinet on the wall, taking two rags out. He tossed one to Billy and kept one for himself, patting himself dry with it. “The name’s Shiv.”
“Man, I already know your damn name. You said somethin' earlier about huntin' monsters, you gotta be more than just ‘Shiv’.” He stood up, catching the rag and patting his face and neck, not quite too preoccupied with it. “Whaddaya actually do?”
“I’m in charge of the Baxter Society.” His tone was calmer than it should have been for the weight those words carried.
“And you’re standing in the founder's basement.” He used the rag to clean some of the blood from his abdomen. “I take contracts, chase monsters, listen to concerned citizens, you know, the usual noise. Shit that cops say they do- but don’t actually do. I don’t take every call, just the ones that seem important. But the complaints about you seemed interesting… guess I got lucky.”
He pulled a white t-shirt from the same cabinet, pulling it over his head. “I can’t fulfill that contract now, though.”
“Wait, the Baxter Society is real?” Billy snorted. “Nah, stop pullin' my leg, none of those motherfuckers’re huntin' any monsters for real. And don't you evah think about fullfillin' that contract, it ain't happenin'.” He reached for the handlebars, unable to keep his hands off them for much longer.
“The Society helps the people. Something you should be happy about, you punk wannabe—Hey!” Shiv snapped, stepping towards Billy, a knife suddenly drawn and pointed at him.
“Hands off her.” That bike was precious to him in ways Billy just couldn’t understand. “I might have to fulfill it if you keep puttin’ your paws on my girl.” He kept the knife raised, the same cold expression from their earlier fight etched across his face.
“The fuck you call me?” His hand made contact with the handle, not scared of it one bit, though it did make him freeze for a moment.
“I'm no wannabe, I was destroying that goddamn pig-pen with or without your help!” He pointed at himself with the thumb in his free hand. “Plus, where's any of the damn proof? For all I know you just a buncha show offs” He shrugged off his look, still confident with how their last encounter was heading.
“‘Sides, weren't you takin' me somewhere?” He flashed his teeth in a sideways grin, hopping on the bike before Shiv could get close enough to prevent him from doing it. “Bet I look fuckin' fantastic on top of your bitch.”
Shiv couldn’t deny he was impressed by the kid’s audacity. Billy faced him now as Shiv stepped closer, knife still drawn, straddling the front of the bike. With his free hand, he grabbed Billy by the throat, metal fingers clinking against his fur.
“I know listenin’ is a hard concept for you, but you’re gonna be a good boy and do it for me. Lotta people out there want you gone, and just ‘cause I got soft on you doesn’t mean somebody else will. You think you’re tough ‘cause you got a lil’ edge to you, but that don’t mean shit to some of these people. They don’t know what the fuck you are, and they don’t care enough to find out either. You and I ain’t like them.”
He brought the knife closer to Billy’s neck.
“Reality is, even if I let you walk right now, the old man upstairs’ll have you six feet under so fast you won’t even know it happened. And nobody’s gonna remember you as anything other than a nuisance, if they do at all.”
Billy tried to look away, but Shiv tightened his grasp, forcing his eyes back onto him.
“If you stop bein’ such a fuckin’ brat, I’ll take you back to my place so you can lay low for the night. If you impress me enough I’ll tell the old man that what you were doin’ earlier ain’t Society business. An’ let’s get another thing straight; I don’t got shit to prove to you about me or the Society. You wanna believe whatever bullshit you’re bein’ hand-fed, fine by me.” His jaw tightened slightly. “I just thought you were different from the rest of ’em.”
The goat let out a choked out moan escape once he was straddled. The alarms that never stopped ringing in his head since their squabble from earlier came to a stop became louder again. Distrust and weariness mixed with the developing heat in his lower abdomen was making him all woozy. Billy's hands slowly crept up Shiv's thighs as he was threatened. Although the words were as sharp as the knife against his neck, he was realizing how difficult it was to be entirely pissed off at what he was being told, no matter how bullshit he thought of it. Until the very end, words that couldn't be ignored no matter how much his growing fire inside him was pushing against his pants and the other man's bottoms.
"I am different." His voice barely cracked, but it did. Shiv had found the one spot that hurt him the most and unknowingly stabbed him full force. Disbelief coated his face. “That's why I do what I do, because ain't no one else tryna change shit around... me." He felt a cage enclosing his heart and squeezing it out. “Everywhere there are frauds, getting their crummy hands in whatever position of power they can; makin' promises 'bout how they gonna improve shit for all us poor folks. Then what? Nothing!" Despite the passion in his voice he was quiet, holding in the dam of emotions that threatened to burst out.
"They take it all, then boom, another motherfucker takes his place; rinse and repeat. Meanwhile you gotta sit nice and pretty and pretend your ass isn't gettin' railed all the way through the other end." He sniffled. “Fuck if I care if all I am is a nuisance, least I made 'em look. They can't ignore me forever, even if they take me out!" His words drove recklessly around the cul-de-sac of suicidal ideation.
Shiv returned the knife to its holster. “I think you’re destined for a greater cause.” He released his grip on Billy’s neck, his hand sliding up to the goat’s chin. He tilted it upward, free hand moving to cup the other side. “Lotta folk feel the same as you, they don’t got the balls to say it or do some’n about it. You just can’t waste your life pissin’ people off. You’re givin’ them what they want. The real score is doin’ something that will have an impact for a long, long time. Even after you die.” He rubbed the goat’s cheeks with his thumbs. “Let me take you back to my place. We can talk about this all night. Can I trust you enough to leave you alone for a minute? I gotta touch base with my former boss. I’ll be real sad if I come back and you’re gone.” That devilish smile reappeared, “I haven’t been able to grind my cock against your ass yet.”
After what he considered to be long enough he snapped his face out of his touch. Billy crossed his arms, letting go of Shiv's thighs, looking to the side and basically pouting. "I'm not going anywhere." Still too hurt to move on, refusing to agree out of sheer stubbornness in the moment. “But you better hurry! Don't got the whole night.”
"I like when you listen." Shiv bent down and planted a kiss right between Billy's eyes, fingers brushing along the nervous goat’s chin before Shiv pulled away. He stepped back from the bike and disappeared through a door atop a narrow wooden staircase.
Billy refused to get off his girl now, especially after that, whatever the hell that had been. His head had been hot ever since that stupid monkey man had left. Why am I sticking around anyways? His hands latched onto the handles as he leaned forward, looking straight down into it without detailing it, eyes unfocusing. Billy didn't think he was this kind of guy, and yet there he was, magnetized to a man that has twice tried to cut his throat open.
Didn't know exactly when but at some point he crossed his arms and rested his head on top of them, laying on the bike's curves. He was caught with his eyes closed when the tangerine man returned.
The door swung open again and Shiv reappeared with an open beer in hand. He took a sip, then offered it to Billy. “Miss me?” he taunted, shrugging back into his coat while digging through the pockets for his bike keys. "Hope you like dogs."
"You the dog kind?" Nonchalantly Billy rose, pushed by a single arm, with the other one reaching for the drink, taking a big swig out of it.
"Didn't ask for the damn thing. Came to my doorstep lookin' sad," Shiv smiled, lifting the garage door. "Kinda like you." The rain had let up slightly, but Shiv wasn't worried. He didn't live far, after all. "I'm assumin' you're good without a helmet since you got those." He pointed at the goat's horns before climbing on in front of him. He turned the key in the ignition and flipped the engine on. The bike growled in response. "C’mon, It's a short ride."
"You brought me here!" He snapped, offering the beer back at him. “I’d only poke holes in a helmet. I'm not afraid anyways," He shrugged, leaning back on the bike, detailing Shiv’s back muscles all the way down to his ass. “I’on look like a sad dog..." he added far later than he should've, petty thoughts hard to let go off. “You better have more beer wherever you takin' me to.”
"I have plenty to drink at home. Try not to fall off, alright?" He grinned over his shoulder and pulled out onto the street, putting his helmet on. The motorcycle rolled out into the street with a low growl, rainwater spraying behind them as it picked up speed. Shiv leaned forward slightly as the bike picked up speed, one hand on the throttle. The streets were quieter during the storm. Storefronts glowed against the puddles, reflections appearing like smeared paint. Water dripped from gutters, spurting out beneath flickering streetlights, the motorcycle weaving easily through the empty roads. Shiv felt the most at ease in this moment. The bike was the only thing separating him from the open road.
"Yeah, right." He almost snorted, given his beer was declined he raised the bottle and downed whatever he left of the liquid in a matter of a few seconds. Dropping it by the side of the bike and leaving it alone in the now empty garage. Billy had been lazily holding on to Shiv's waist as they exited slowly, but once he picked up he was caught somewhat out of guard, forcing him to enclose on his back and hug his waist with an arm, pressing their bodies together.
Once he felt more comfortable with the speed, Billy allowed his head to hang backwards, grinning from side to side as he enjoyed the view of the empty road. "Woohooooo!" He yelled into the quiet night, unable to help himself, the speed and vibrations of the bike spiking his adrenaline. The raindrops were the only witnesses to their escape.