Nothing is True. Everything is Connected.
Afternoon Fic: Mac/Danny – Still Breathing (Part 10)

Afternoon Fic: Mac/Danny – Still Breathing (Part 10)


Part One

Part Nine

Over the next five years, the two developed a weird friendship, Hannibal liked the guy. He was snarky, sophisticated, and a damn skilled thief. He was fluent in over a dozen Asian languages and dialects, and an expert in the region’s culture and politics. It was no wonder he was the main operative in the area, and could keep up to date, on Chang’s businesses, but unfortunately couldn’t tell him exactly where the son of a bitch was located.

In those five years, Hannibal had taken training seriously. Shao Jun had handed him off to one of Shogun’s Hunters, Yasuke, who was just as mean, but King had to admit he was feeling more of a Hunter, than an former cowboy turned soldier who was playing Hunter.

Everything had changed when he showed up in Malaysia and discovered Paul had been Turned.

He found him lounging on the patio of his suite, at a five star resort that catered to the very rich, who wanted to escape from reality. It offered everything you would want including illegal substances, which is likely why Paul was there.

Over the years he had discovered that it was officially Paul Mallory, and he was more than just a ‘spy’ but a Double-O, the James Bond jokes hadn’t stopped yet. Hannibal also learned that Paul had a roommate back in Scotland who was studying to be a Veterinarian, and liked to leave animals lying around the house. And no matter how much King hinted … to flat out offered … a hot night in the sack, Paul wasn’t interested.

Hannibal hopped over the railing, landing on the porch only to be startled when he came face to face with two lizards. “Dude!”

“They came for pets.” Paul leaned over his lounger, and gave one of them a scritch, before handing him a chunk of fruit. “I do have a door, you could’ve knocked.”

The two lizards glared at Hannibal, but then he was weirdly getting used to it. It seemed that if Paul sat still long enough, some type of reptile showed up, mostly lizards but he had seen a rare snake. When he pointed out the lizard army, Paul only shrugged stating Charles (the roommate) had a tendency to ramble while studying and he happened to be home recovering when he studied lizards, and learned a lot just by listening. Plus he had an Iguana at home, so he did extra reading to make sure she was taken care of.

The lizard jokes were as bad as the James Bond jokes.

He was ready to make another lizard joke, when he realized that the only heartbeats he was hearing, were the two reptiles. He stood there in shock for a few moments, barely noticing that Paul stood from the lounger, and was heading for the hotel room. He was saying something, but all Hannibal could focus on was the lack of a heartbeat.

“What the fuck happened?!” He grabbed Paul’s arm and pulled him around to face him, searching over his body to make sure he was alright. He ignored the hissing from one of the lizards. “When did it happen?”

Paul pulled his arm out of his grip. “What is wrong with you? Besides the normal insanity?”

“Who Turned you?” He gripped Paul’s chin to get him to look at him, making sure he was healthy and everything was okay. “I’ll Hunt them down…”

Mallory expression softened, a small smile appeared on his face. He took Hannibal’s hand, and then stepped back from him. “It’s okay. I was injured on the job, my brother Turned me.” He squeezed King’s hand, then stepped into the room, followed by the Hunter. “Thank you, for caring.”

“You’re my friend.” King leaned up against the wall, giving him a full once over noticing he looked healthy. “You’re good though with the whole Vampire thing?”

“It helps me with my job, made some aspects of it easier.” He gave him a soft smile, then pulled out a packet and handed it to him. “Chang is supposed to show up in Tokyo by end of this week. This is second hand information, and I can’t get it verified. But it’s the closest I’ve come to a location. This isn’t part of my assignment, and I’m going to deny you ever got this information from me.”

“Why do you keep helping me with this?” He took the packet, noticing photos, addresses and even press pass into the event for Hannibal.

“The British Government doesn’t see him as a threat, and after digging around the Vampire community, it would seem the Council doesn’t even know he exists. But I know and you know, he’s one of the major distribution of drugs out of Asia into Europe, and he doesn’t care who he kills in the processes. He just is very good and keeping a low profile.”

“Something’s bothering you.” Hannibal set the packet down on the table, then went over to the house phone to order some food and tea. He knew how Paul liked his tea, as much as Paul knew his favorite beer.

“What’s it like to have a Mate?”

He hung up the phone, and aimed for the mini bar. “I wouldn’t know.” Hannibal pulled out all the small tiny bottles of alcohol, cracked two of them and handed one to Paul. “Mine just got a new girlfriend, Tanya, probably some Jersey Girl looking to marry a good cop.”

“Why haven’t you gone back?” He asked downing the small bottle of scotch.

“He’s not ready, or I’m not. Sometimes I’m not sure.” Hannibal slumped onto the couch, tipping back another of the bottles. “Why the questions? Didn’t your brother tell you all about this.”

“James doesn’t have a Mate, and we’re very different. I actually have the soul of his brother, who I guess died in childhood. Craig, is the other of our three, he has a Mate, but he’s a fellow spy so I’m not sure how those two work it out.” He snagged himself another bottle, sitting down in the overstuffed chair, not very dignified which was rare for him. “I’m actually an only child, and barely had friends growing up, Jewish kid in a non-Jewish neighborhood.”

Hannibal snorted. “I was raised in the middle of the prairie. I drove my ma nuts as I wouldn’t stop talking, I had no one else to talk to.”

“That explains a few things.”

“Fuck you.” Hannibal laughed, tossing him another bottle. “I know those who have Mates. Shao Jun, who is a little demon, adores her Mate as much as he does her. Wales and Blossom, a pairing you would never expect, but they are devoted to each other. It’s supposed to be this most amazing thing.” The tone was pretty much mocking. “So why the questions? Did you find your Mate?”

“No. And I hope I never do.” He leaned back in the chair, head resting on the back of it. He wasn’t surprised when one of the lizards wandered inside, a snout landing on his knees.

“Why? You’re hot.”

Paul lifted his head and gave him a look. “In the five years since you’ve known me, you’ve tried to get into my pants at least twice each time you’ve seen me.”

“You’ve got a nice ass, what can I say.” Hannibal frowned sitting up. “And you turned me down everytime, I figured you were straight. You worried it will be a man? ‘Cause if that’s the case, Blossom is someone to talk to, she’s cool about this stuff.”

“I’m not anything.” Paul sat back up, patting the lizard, who Hannibal swore glared at him because it could.

“I don’t understand.” He shifted until he was closer, Paul was truly upset, in the years he had known him, he hadn’t see him like this.

“I’m not attracted to anyone.” Paul frowned as he said it. “I know it’s not normal, but I can’t explain it anyother way. I’ve had sex, know how to get someone off, and enjoy it on a physical level, but I’m just not interested.”

“So when you’ve always said to me you’re not interested, you met literally, it wasn’t just me.”

“Your ego is saved.” Paul gave him a look, but laughed lightly. “It doesn’t matter, man or woman. I can see that their beautiful, and why others would want to bed them, but for me it’s just not there. Charles walked around in low riding jogging pants, trying to get my attention, I just ignored him.”

“So you don’t like sex?” Hannibal hoped he wasn’t being insulting he could tell this was serious and truly wanted to be a friend.

“I enjoy it on a physical level, but don’t need or seek it out.” He tried to put into words feelings that he wasn’t even sure made sense. “I had to know about sex, all aspects of it. It can be apart of this job, James is damn good at it, the man can get a woman into bed with just a smile and ‘hello’. Craig had no problems bedding either male or female, though I do know his Mate is a man. And then there’s me.”

“Hey don’t put yourself down, you’re just different. Talkin’ to the girls who work at Blossom’s there’s all types of sexual preferences, kinks, and stuff. You’re Mate connects to your soul, not your body … it will be great.”

“Because you said so.”

“Yes.” Hannibal in a rare show of emotion, stood and pulled Paul into a hug. “Anyone will be lucky to have you, and if they reject you … I’ll kill them and we can wait until they show up in the next life, hopefully less of an asshole.”

“Hannibal.” Paul smiled into the man’s shoulder. “Get your hands off my ass.”

King laughed lightly as he stepped back. “Now that we’ve solved your problem, want to help me take out some Jersey girl.”

“Go back to New York, and claim him as yours.”

“What if he doesn’t want me?”

“Then I’ll kill him, and wait for him to come back less of an asshole.” Paul gave him a smile, and a pat on the shoulder. “How about we head down to the restaurant get some good food, and plot out how to approach Chang.”

“By the way who is your brother?” Hannibal nodded and headed for the door, as Paul shooed the lizards out of the room.

“James Bond.” He stood and gave the Hunter an all knowing smirk.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“NO!” Hannibal stared at him, then laughed loudly. “Does he take his Martini shaken not stirred?”

Paul shook his head, and grabbed his suit coat. “No more Bond jokes.”

“Fine, but I’m sticking to the lizard jokes.” As they left the room, and headed for the elevator, King glanced at the spy. “So how do you get through the sex part of this job?”

“It’s not like I don’t know what I’m doing, but since I got Turned, biting makes things so much easier.” Paul gave him a smirk, just as the door opened and an older couple looked at them with wide eyes.

Hannibal wrapped his arm around Paul’s shoulder. “It’s our honeymoon.”

They looked completely offended as the doors closed, leaving the two of them still standing in the hallway.

Paul sighed as he pushed the call button again. “Why are we friends?”

“Because you need a warrior my dear Lizard King.”

And now five years later, Paul still hasn’t gotten rid of Hannibal. “So where is the bastard?”

“Last I heard, Yasuke talked to some of the Hunters in Australia, and seems Chang’s been spotted on the islands.” Paul tossed some photos onto the table, showing Chang on a yacht. “But I found one of his major distributing warehouses outside Singapore, want to burn it to the ground?”

“Yes!” Hannibal jumped up from the chair. “Yes please!”

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