A Lover's Quarrel

(For those of you unfamiliar with Noire, here is a brief bio of him. Noire is an anthropomorphic creature, being half Rottweiler and half bat. He was raised by his family, the Noctunes who were one of the cruelest, most blood-thirsty families in all the anthro world. From the tender age of ten, Noire was trained and conditioned to be an assassin by his father. The Noctunes were a turbulent bunch and began to fight one another for rank and gold. By the time that Noire turned 18, his parents had been killed and he alone had ascended to the head of the family as Patriarch. He loathed his family and as such did all he could to bring them to ruin, earning him the nickname of Ice Prince; that was before he found Zach. At only 18, Zach managed to melt away some of the ice around Noire's heart and the two began to grow closer. Perhaps if Noire had known what was going to happen a scant few months after this spat, he would never have been so harsh.)


A Lover’s Quarrel -

Noire poured himself two fingers of Irish whiskey into a glass and took a drink keeping his back to his lover, Zach. He stared into the polished metal mirror that formed the back of his elegant bar trying to calm his nerves before he said something he would regret later.

“I’m not going to discuss this with you, Zach.” He stated plainly; his voice monotone.

“Of course you aren’t; that would require that you actually acknowledge me; that you actually listen to me!” Zach prowled the floor of the study behind the Ice Prince. He was furious. Noire had been gone for two weeks without so much as a phone call. Zach hadn’t known if he was alive or dead or captured. “But instead you lock me away in this house like some kind of trophy.”

“That is not true!” The assassin growled, slamming his glass down so hard he thought he’d cracked it. He spun around, one of his wings clipping his glass and knocking it to the floor. It was broken now. “You are always free to come and go as you please; you know that. Do not make me out to be the villain of this piece!”

“Oh I don’t have to; you are doing a fine job of that on your own!”

“Take a look around you. Look at all the luxuries you enjoy; luxuries purchased with the blood-stained money I collect for killing your kind. Do you think all this comes without a price? Without sacrifice?” Noire appeared on the outside to be as calm as a grave but his hands were clenched into tight fists that told too well of his growing anger.

“Yes; sacrifice. That I know too well for I have laid down my happiness for the cold vacancy of your black heart!” Zach was young and full of youth’s foolishness. He took a step towards Noire; the flames of his own anger burning out from his eyes like a furnace of hellfire.

Noire was still wired from his outing and his head was slightly hazed by the alcohol. The moment his partner advanced on him, he drew back his fist as if to strike him, out of reflex. The shock on Zach’s face was obvious but he was not afraid of the anthro. He had never seen what Noire was capable of.

“Go on! Hit me you son of a bitch!” He yelled, daring replacing the anger in his eyes. He puffed his chest out, looking up into Noire’s silver eyes. “Go on!”

Noire moved like an adder striking. Zach filched and then cringed away but the Ice Prince had not been aiming for him. Noire’s hand slammed into the back of an antique wooden chair. He let out a scream of rage and hurled the piece of furniture over onto its side. Zach stumbled, catching himself on a table before he went down. He spun around, lungs pumping and wide-eyed. That was not the reaction he was expecting.

“What the hell do you want from me!? Huh!?” Noire slung his arms out and raked off all the liquor bottles on the bar off into the floor. “What is it you want me to do!?”

“I want you to love me!” Pain and heartbreak flowed out of Zach’s eyes and down his cheeks. “I want you to touch me without fear! I want you to look into my eyes without suspicion!” He collapsed onto a nearby couch, burying his face in his hands. “Gods, Noire; do you not know how to love?”

There was a long silence then, “No.”

A simple answer to a simple question. He did not know love; love was not a trait that was nurtured in the Noctune family.

Zach snorted in dark humor, “Well it shows. You never want to have anything to do with me. Sometimes I wonder if you only keep me here as a debt to my parents for saving your…”

“Bullshit!” It was not often that Noire used such colorful language, “You are the one that came to me, remember? You were head over heels for me and I tried, several times, to keep you away but you persisted. Do you like what your determination has won you?” The assassin made a grandiose gesture around the room.

“Had I know then what I know now I would have ne…” Zach’s voice trailed off into tears. His sides heaved and his face remained hidden by his hands.

Noire turned and stalked away, walking to one of the many windows in the room. He stared out into the cold winter night, unable to find any words of comfort for the only creature he had ever cared about. Noire did love Zach but it was a unique love; the type of love only someone as scared and haunted as he was could experience. The room grew quiet except for the sobs of his lover.

A thousand years later, Zach broke the silence; his voice quivering, “You didn’t come to my Birthday party.”

“What?” Noire turned. That was an odd thing to say at such a moment.

“My birthday; I had it here because I wanted you to share it with me… and you didn’t even show up.” For the moment the young human was placid. He kept his voice low as he spoke. “You weren’t here for Christmas either. Or Thanksgiving.”

“I was busy; you know this.”

Zach shook his head; Noire was missing the point. “Just go away; leave me alone.” He laid out on the couch, curling his knees up to his chest and turning away from the room. Tears still stained his cheeks though they had stopped falling for the moment.

Noire stared at his love, wanting so badly to rush over to him and shake him violently until he understood that he was unable to be what Zach wanted him to be. The human didn’t understand that this was as close as Noire could get to anyone. He had not meant to be so neglectful or cruel; he just had no experience with relationships other then predator and prey. He stood there, warring with himself until the muscles in his legs began to protest.

“Zach.” His voice was calm but clinical. “Zach; if you are going to go to sleep, go upstairs.”

“And sleep in your bed? No thanks. I’d…” He didn’t finish, too afraid that his anger would resurface if he did. “Besides, it is warmer down here than in your room.” He meant metaphorically of course. The study was chilly and already he had started to shiver.

“Fine!” Noire stomped out of the room, smacking the light switch as he passed and leaving the young man in the dark and cold, alone. “Fucking humans.” He growled low enough as to keep his words from Zach.