Secrets (AllThingsCuddly/Gumdrop)

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver was small, to say the least. He was the average height of a female and about the average weight as well. Which is probably why he was picked for this particular assignment. He was told by his boss that he needed to infiltrate the other gang that was trying to encroach on their turf. This other gang was relatively new in this area and clearly didn't understand that there were already claimed turfs. He had argued for some time about how his boss had come to the conclusion that it would be easier for him to take on the appearance of a woman to join, rather than just go in as a male, but found he lacked the ability to win the argument. So there he was walking down the road between the two territories in a short tight-fitting skirt and a black mid-drift top, just loose enough to make people think he might have a female chest underneath. His legs were shaved and though he had his hair cut short, it still was more of that cut that could easily fit either gender.

He had looked himself over in the mirror a thousand times rolling his eyes as he finally set out for his mission. He had a knife attached to his leg, right on the inside of his boot, just in case anyone on the rival gang tried anything funny. He couldn't let them go too far or else they would know his secret and he'd be killed for sure. Show off but not too much, just enough to get attention and be allowed into the gang.

He figured this shouldn't take all that long, walk along the borders of the territories and catch some poor sucker's attention only to infiltrate the gang and figure out what he could from the inside before taking it down. It seemed however that wasn't going to be his fate for the day, as he ended up stumbling over a massive creature. "Shit." he tsked and leaned down "Hey...you okay?" he asked, poking what looked like an overgrown dog in the side. The poor thing look so hurt, he looked around for a moment before running out towards the road and flagged down a taxi "Can you get me to the vet?" he asked, "I'm going to need some help...it's kind of big." he said, making his voice a bit higher than normal, might as well use the look to its advantage. Sure enough, he managed to get to the taxi driver to help him to the vet. He quickly headed inside to a rather busy vet's office. He quickly thanked the driver and headed to the front desk, where he couldn't see anyone.

"Hello?" he called out. "Can anyone help me? I've got a hurt dog....hello?" he called.

"Mhmm," called the receptionist from inside the office behind the desk, "Just fill out the form and leave it on the desk!" she called.

Oliver sighed and grabbed the form, filling it out as best he could. After all, as far as he knew this dog was a stray.

After that, he placed the form on the desk and waited. He watched as pets headed in one after the other with vets rushing this way or that, seemed a dog fight had broken out nearby and half of them looked worse than the dog he had picked up. Oliver couldn't fathom how that was possible, but every time he looked over to the dog it did seem to look better and better. Which in itself was a bit weird. Finally, he was seen by a rather annoyed vet, who wrote off the now smallish bite on the dog and told Oliver to better handle the dog by putting it on a leash or putting it up for adoption if it was too big. Oliver only frowned and took the dog out of the vet and headed home. Why he decided to wander home with the dog he had no idea, but it seemed friendly enough and he just wanted to be 100% certain that it was okay. After all, it looked like it was a huge bite under all that blood before he got it to the vet.

So there he was in his small flat, letting in a strange dog and heading to the kitchen to grab some meat for the both of them. He eyed the dog for a moment trying to figure out how it had gone from such a state to what he was now. The vet wasn't wrong it did look like a much smaller bite. Maybe, it was just a lot of blood? He fixed up some meat and vegetables for himself, plating a little bit of the extra on a separate plate and set the plate on the floor for the dog. It had to be hungry right? "Now, what...there's no way I can tell the boss I went out and instead of finding one of the rivals I found a dog instead," he huffed. Maybe it belonged to one of the other gang members? He could put up signs...he should probably do that anyway, the dog looked clean enough. It could belong to someone. He leaned up against the counter as he ate his own meal and contemplated what he should do.

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

How was it that Jeremiah had found himself in this position? He had gone out to patrol the outskirts of their new territory in wolf form and had been jumped by a pack of stray dogs. It had turned into a vicious fight with lots of snarling, biting and blood. Although he had to admit that the adrenaline rush he got from the canine scrap was a lot of fun, the end result had been him ultimately bogged down by sheer numbers. He was sure he had actually killed a few of the dogs and injured quite a few others but then when he'd taken a particularly bad gash across his throat he had turned tail and fled. He'd intended to find a quiet alley in which to lick his wounds but had instead soon collapsed from the sudden dizziness and exertion.

When next he woke he was in the back of a cab sitting on some strange human's lap. Instantly he was alert and tried to move but the pain caused him to whimper and shift slightly. Soon the car stopped and this small human and the driver picked him up. His senses were going crazy. It smelled like cat in there. Well, dog and cat but the smell was harsh and revolting! Though that was when he was first able to lay eyes on the small human that had somehow taken pity on him and decided to bring him to the vet for care. He really didn't need it. His enhanced healing abilities were already kicking in and already he could feel his flesh knitting back together. Still, it wouldn't hurt to stick around a while longer. There was something about this human that intrigued him. He wasn't sure if it was the blood he'd lost or what, but his senses were going crazy. This human looked like a girl and yet smelled more like a boy. Which was it?

By the time they were leaving the vet Jeremiah was no longer even walking with a limp. He just happily heeled next to this human, interested in seeing where the other was taking him. His large paws padded nearly silently on the sidewalk. All the walk back he was on alert, his ears twitching at far off noises but he never detected an actual threat so he remained silent. His large wolf form came up to the human's thigh and he knew that if anyone tried to jump her (or him?) he could defend them both, he had nearly fully recovered from the sound beating he'd taken from the dogs.

He was only a little surprised to have the other actually take him back to an apartment. He sat down in a corner and watched with his yellow wolfish eyes as the human went about making food. As the small frame approached with a plate and set it on the floor in front of him, Jeremiah cocked his head to the side. What did the guy think he was? Oh, right. A dog. He huffed but right as he was about to lower his head to the floor to eat the food off the plate, he heard the other speaking. What's this? His head cocked to the side again. This person had been looking for a rival gang? Did that mean this was a member of the local gang they had taken land from? He and his pack weren't idiots, they knew they had stolen someone's turf when they had moved in but so far there had been no retaliation. Had this youth intended to infiltrate them? It never would have worked, the entire pack would have smelled the human and none of them would have allowed it.

Standing and stretching, he walked over to where the other sat on the couch, there was something he just needed to know. When he approached the human he set his head on his lap and then in a very dog-like motion he suddenly shoved his muzzle into the other's crotch, sniffing and rooting around a little. Oh yes, there was definitely something there. It was a boy after all. Dressed like a girl for some reason but equipment doesn't lie. His tail began to thump against the floor and he padded away as though nothing had happened, returning to the plate of food and eagerly lapping at it. He could pretend to be a dog for a while longer. This boy was cute and it sounded like he intended to try to infiltrate his pack. He needed to learn more about him.

-

Lucien was starting to grow worried. Jeremiah should have been back by now, hours ago in fact. It wasn't like the man to not at least call. Even in wolf form the other was resourceful and could handle himself, it was why he was his number two. Pacing the lair, he decided he couldn't take it anymore. "John, Drake, we're going out to look for Jeremiah." He snarled to his number four and five. "Rachel, you're in charge." She was the only female to rise high among the upper ranks and she was his third. He trusted her as much as he trusted the other higher ups so he had no problem leaving her in charge while he and the other two went out to look for Jeremiah. The three shifted into wolf form, the better to track and go unnoticed, and headed out. Lucien carried an oddly shaped pack on his wolfy back. Seeing a dog wearing a bag was an odd sight but luckily it was late and the bag was a similar color to his own fur so it would hopefully go unnoticed.

The three wolves together didn't run into any problems. No one would mess with a trio of wolves, they were too powerful together. They were able to retrace Jeremiah's steps. As they followed his scent to the veterinary, Lucien grew more concerned. Clearly a human had mistaken the massive wolf for a dog and tried to care for it by taking him to the vet, but why had Jeremiah gone along, just how badly was he injured? He was more agitated now and snapped at a passing dog, sending it scurrying with it's tail between it's legs. Finally the three arrived at an apartment complex and he looked up at it. Jeremiah was definitely in there somewhere. Huffing, he turned to look at the other two. 'Stay here and keep watch.' He growled in his wolfy voice. Then he slipped into the alley and quickly changed back into human form. Thankfully he had come prepared for the possibility of needing to change back into a human. From his bag he pulled out his clothing and quickly got dressed. He pulled on his dark blue suit and carefully brushed creases from the sleeves before sighing and stepping out of the alley.

Once more Lucien looked up at the apartment building, straightening the cuffs of his suit. Even though he was now in human form and his sense of smell wasn't nearly as strong, he could pick up the scent of his number two. Glancing over his eyes landed on John and Drake. "Find him." He said coolly, opening the door to the apartment complex. The two wolves pushed passed him and began to sniff around, following the much more obvious scent to their target. When at last they came to the door in question, both wolves sat on their haunches and whimpered. Nodding, Lucien raised a hand and knocked on the door.

Inside Jeremiah was alerted to the sudden scent of his alpha. Why was Lucien here? His head turned and he fixed his amber eyes on the human. If the kid really had intended to infiltrate the wolf pack, there was no way he wouldn't recognize the man knocking on his door as the leader of the rival gang. He would just have to convince Lucien to convince this human to return with them.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver glanced down to the dog when it sat its head on his lap. He was fine, at least until the dog started to nudge at his crotch. He pushed the dog's head off as quickly as he could, "Perverted dog," he mumbled and watched the dog go about its business as if he had done nothing. He rolled his eyes and went back to eating his meal, thinking over what he could do with the dog. Yeah, it was probably best to just make up lost dog posters and place them. He also wondered about his outfit a little bit as well, perhaps it was simply too rocker chick? His gang did tend to pick on the helpless looking girls, then again they never really let the helpless looking girls into their gang. He hummed for a moment before he got up and washed his and the dog's plate. "I swear, you better actually belong to one of that stupid gang or else you're really not worth my time," he mumbled, mostly to himself but partially to the dog.

Almost immediately after he said it though he sighed "then why did you bother to help the thing in the first place? Hmm, Oliver? Answer that one," he said, muttering away to himself. He knew why. He had a soft spot for animals, no matter how kind of terrifying they looked once you realized just how large they actually were. The dog needed help and Oliver would be the one to do it. He sighed and jumped when he heard knocking on his door. No one in the gang knew where he lived, at least not that he knew of and he didn't really have that many friends outside the gang. He thought about who it could possibly be as he moved over to the door. He peaked through the peephole first and felt his heart drop. "Fuck," he said under his breath.

What the hell was Lucien doing here? He turned around as if to keep the door barricaded from anyone entering. He looked around his small flat and then down to his boot, at least he had a way to defend himself. Plus, it wasn't like Lucien would know him. Oliver was just the lackey...the toy...he was anything but recognizable. He licked his lips and took a deep breath. No, this was good, if he could get in with Lucien he'd be set. Lucien was the head of the very gang he needed information on. Granted, this option would be the most damn dangerous. He closed his eyes, no, he had to. If his boss got word that he had this option and didn't take it, he was dead either way. He took another deep breath and fixed his hair slightly. He glanced over to the mirror he had by the door and fixed his outfit. "Keep him interested but not too much," he whispered before opening the door.

"Hello?" he said, looking to Lucien, he hadn't opened the door much, just enough that he could peak out. It was perfect a woman would never open the door fully to a strange man. Oliver glanced the man up and down his eyes stopping on the two massive dogs behind him. He let his head turn slightly at the dog he had in his apartment, no way...it had to be a coincidence. "Can I help you?" he asked, once again he kept his voice a little bit higher than he had been speaking. He tried to remain soft-spoken as well. There was no reason to alert Lucien to the fact that he was male or a threat to him.

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

Having been called a perverted dog, Jeremiah happily wagged his tail and watched the other. The boy must be accustomed to being on his own a lot because he sure talked to himself enough. He didn't believe the other when he said that if he didn't belong to the rival game he's be of no use; why else would he have him in the first place? His own thoughts were soon echoed back at him and he let out a huffing breath that was the closest thing a wolf could get to a laugh.

That was when the knock came at the door. Jeremiah could smell Lucien and he wondered how this human would react to seeing the man at his door. Sure enough, he recognized the 'gang' leader. When the boy looked out the window he began to panic and pace make around the room, as though trying to figure out what to do. Then he finally settled on trying to get Lucien interested in him? Another huff escaped Jeremiah. Clearly this gang had not done their homework. Lucien would have no interest in the petite girl this kid was pretending to be. In fact Lucien would have no interest in the boy even when he wasn't pretending to be a girl. Lucien preferred older men.

As the door opened, Lucien fixed his cool eyes on the partially opened door. It was barely opened and a slender face was barely visible in the crack. A woman? His brows furrowed. Where was Jeremiah? He glanced at John and the wolf whimpered at him. So his second was in here. With a firm push, he shoved against the door then inserted his foot into the gap between the door and frame. When the person inside inevitably tried to push the door closed it would be unable to close because of the steel-toed boot. "You have something that belongs to me." His voice was low and gravelly. The words came out in a growl and when the wolves heard the tone of his voice they both barred teeth and growled as well, pressing a little closer.

Hearing the tone of Lucien's voice, Jeremiah moved forward and let out a whimpering bark. 'Don't hurt him. I want him.' He pressed up against the boy from behind and pressed his muzzle out through the gap in the door, his tail wagging as he barked happily. 'He's a lesser in the gang we took territory from. We should take him home with us.'

Hearing the noises Jeremiah made brought ease to Lucien's stressed mind. Even though he was in human form he could understand the whimpering and barking. His eyes took in the slender form behind the door. He? As Jeremiah's face emerged through the door gap, the tension left Lucien's face. Keeping his foot in the door, he knelt down and rubbed at Jeremiah's face. Fine, he wanted to play, Lucien could play. "There you are Fido. I was worried about you." He scratched Jeremiah behind the eyes, chuckling at the way his second huffed at behind called Fido. Turning his attention back to the human, Lucien's expression was more relaxed now. "Thank you for taking care of him." He said, finally able to let out a breath. "Listen, let me treat you to dinner as a thank you." His eyes flickered over to Jeremiah.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver gave a small gasp as the door was pushed open a bit more by Lucien. He frowned and pressed the door back "Look, mister, I've never seen you before so I highly doubt that. Not to mention it looks like you're trying to invade my home so I can call the cops," he said. He wasn't some weak-willed person to be pushed around, though he couldn't help but glance back towards the inside of the house. Could that dog really be Lucien's? How the hell did he figure out that it was here? He was on alert now his time being part of the gang had taught him when to be on edge and now was the best time. He definitely had the upper hand in terms of surprise at least, if this man thought he could barge in, he expected Oliver to be weak that was for sure. Oliver might have been small but he could hold his own in a fight.

When he heard the bark he looked back towards the dog and noticed how it was acting. This dog was happy to hear a familiar voice, probably smelled something familiar as well. Oliver moved to the side when the dog pressed forward and opened the door a little more. The happy bark and tail wagging somehow putting his mind at ease as well, even if he couldn't understand what was being said. He looked to Lucien and watched him seem to be at ease, he couldn't help but smile. It was kind of cute. "Fido? What are your other dogs FiFi and BonBon?" he asked, chuckling. He looked back down to the dog, Fido...he guessed.

He gave a small smile when he was thanked, just a worried dog owner. "It wasn't a problem. Um, he was hurt though, just a small cut on his neck. Swear it looked a lot worse, but the vet said it was nothing, just kind of scolded me on making sure he stayed on a leash. I think dinner would be a perfect way to pay back that bill and a scolding that wasn't mine to have," he said giving a rather sweet smile. "Would you like to go now or schedule a time?" he asked, fully opening the door to Lucien. He wouldn't lie to himself, he was still on edge, after all this was the leader of a gang. How could he not take the other up on his offer to dinner? Play his cards right and he might just wind up on the man's arm for a little while. He supposed if he could get the man drunk enough they could screw...and not have anything noticed.

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

The corner of Lucien's lip curled up and he said, "Nah. These are Fang and Chomper. Fido here actually belongs to my, uh, he belongs to Jeremiah." He said, almost calling Jeremiah his second but stopping himself. "Fido there has a knack for getting himself into trouble, but he's a scrapper, he usually comes away looking better than the other guy. He'll be fine I'm sure. Wait here for just a moment?" He took a step away from the door and pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing a number.

"It's me. Bring the car around. I'll text you my GPS coordinates... Yeah... I'll see you in a minute." He said and hung up the phone before sending a text message to whomever it was that he had been talking to. "We'll go for dinner now. We'll take the..." He paused momentarily, looking between Jeremiah, John and Drake, "Dogs back to my place. I'm sure Jeremiah would like to join us as well. I'm sure he's been worried sick about Fido. For now we can wait in here until my car arrives. I came by foot since I had no idea where I'd be going. Fang and Chomper were able to pick up Fido's scent. They are quite good at tracking." He explained and stepped into the apartment, looking around the small loft.

Jeremiah stuck close to the human, not sure what Lucien was playing at. He had jumped on board fairly quickly with this whole thing. Why? As the two wolves prowled into the apartment it suddenly felt rather cramped, what with the two humans and three massive wolves.

'Why didn't you report in, boss has been worried about you.' John barked at Jeremiah.

'I don't have to explain myself to you.' He quickly barked back, snapping at the other wolf a little, showing his fangs as a show of dominance.

"Boys. Behave." Lucien snapped at both of them and both wolves cowered. "Sorry, when they get together they often get a little... rowdy."

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver chuckled at the names, "Not much better, is it boys?" he asked the dogs, before tilting his head at the drawback of whomever Jeremiah was, "Ah, so I didn't have something that belonged to you. So you were planning on intruding and stealing. I'm pretty sure that's what's burglary. Perhaps I should still call the police, who knows you might be trying to kidnap me," he said, giving a rather playful smirk. "I'll have you know, this girl bites," he said with a wink. He looked back down to Fido and smiled, "well, I'm happy he's okay," he said before nodding about waiting.

He listened to him while he was on the phone before nodding once more at the suggestion of going now. "And why isn't Jeremiah out here looking for his dog?" he asked, "you're being an awfully good friend being out here on your lonesome," he explained before moving aside to let Lucien and the two dogs into his apartment. He shut the door behind all of them and motioned to his couch, "feel free to make yourself at home in the meantime, care for a drink while we wait?" he asked. "They're pretty impressive then, I'm glad they were able to find their friend." He looked down at Fido and smiled a little noticing how close he was staying to him. However, he didn't look so happy about it when the dogs got into a bit of a scuffle. He moved a bit closer to Lucien at that point. Not because it made him feel any safer, but surely a woman would get closer to the man in charge, right?

When the dogs seemed to cower he looked a bit shocked at how well they listened, "They're really well trained..." he commented, before looking up to Lucien giving a small smile and jumping when he heard his phone go off. "S-sorry, its probably work, just give me a second," he explained and rushed off to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He quickly answered the phone "What?" he hissed into the receiver only to be cussed out for his tone of voice, "I will use whatever tone of voice I want when I have fucking Lucien in my house with three vicious fucking dogs!" he quietly continued to hiss. "Yes, I'm sure it's him! No. No. Yes." he said, doing his best to keep his voice hushed, "I don't know! He's taking me to dinner, a thank you for finding his friend's dog. It's a long story, don't worry about it. I don't know, make moves on him and his friend, see who bites and hope for the best. Like I said earlier this would have been much easier to go in as a guy, then at the very least I don't have to hide what's underneath!" he hissed once more. "You're not the one in the fucking skirt!" he growled. He sighed after a minute or two, "yeah, yeah, I'll call you in the morning," he said, rolling his eyes and hanging up.

Oliver quickly moved back out to his living room and gave an apologetic smile to Lucien, "sorry, my boss can kind of be an as-annoying man," he explained, "Oh, I'm sorry, I never caught your name, I'm Oliv-Oliva." he said, offering out his hand. Fuck, almost fucked that up.

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

"Jeremiah and I are practically family. Anything that belongs to him, belongs to me and vice versa." Lucien explained, though he didn't think he needed to be explaining himself to a human. He hated interacting with the lesser species but even he could admit that they had their uses. Jeremiah just had an unnatural fondness for them. "If I weren't grateful for you taking such great care of Fido I would be insulted by your insinuations. As for why Jeremiah isn't out here looking for his dog, well he doesn't yet know that he's missing. He was under my care when he slipped away and I decided to find him before Jeremiah could notice." Again he found himself explaining himself. Damn, why was he trying so hard? Oh, right, because Jeremiah had taken a liking to the boy for some God awful reason.

He didn't bother to acknowledge the other's offer for a drink. It wouldn't take that long for the car to get here. "Not trained enough, it seems, or..." He trailed off as the other's phone began to ring and he quickly excused himself.

'Fido. Really?' Jeremiah whimpered.

"What, I'm not the one running around playing lap dog. What did you expect me to call you?"

'Anything but Fido.' He grumbled with a bit of a growl.

"Wait, did I just hear my name?" Lucien suddenly asked and just by seeing the way the wolves responded he was positive that yes, he had heard his name from the other room.

'Yeah, I'm pretty sure he belongs to the Shentou gang. He was sent to infiltrate us. I think they wanted him to seduce you.' He said in a combination or barks and whines before huffing.

"That-" Lucien pointed at the door to the other room. "Is supposed to seduce me?" He shook his head. "Clearly-" Just then the door opened and he turned to take the other in again. "Ah, it's fine. I'm Lucien Greymane. Nice to officially meet you." He held out his hand to shake the much more slender hand.

Just then his own phone rang again. "That must be my driver. Shall we head down?" Though he didn't give the other much of a chance to truly answer, simply turning and opening the door. The wolves all waited for the alpha to leave first then followed him obediently. "So, Olvia, what kind of food do you like?" Lucien asked, offering his arm for Oliver to hang onto.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver rolled his eyes when Lucien didn't like his insinuations, "I'm a young lady living on her own where a man has just tried to shove his way into her apartment claiming that she has something of his, what am I supposed to think?" he asked, "Either way, I'm merely teasing, lighten up, Mr. Lost My Friend's Dog. Or I'll tell said friend the condition I found him in. Still, kind of sweet of you trying to spare your friend the worry."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Greymane," he said shaking his hand. He glanced down a little shocked at how much bigger Lucien's hand was than his. He nodded when he asked if they should head down. He grabbed a jacket on the way out and locked the door after everyone had left. He would have smiled had it not been a bit terrifying at how the gang and the three dogs looked leaving the apartment. It was a little cute. Once he locked the door he looked at the arm that was offered him before taking it. "Hmm, to be honest, I don't really eat out much. I prefer to cook for myself. I guess I like foods with lots of flavors, Indian, Italian, Korean can be fun. Not that I cook all that well in any of those types," he gave a small sigh, "I'm also always okay with a good burger. If I might ask, what is it that you do if you can afford a driver?" he asked, actually kind of interested in what leaders of gangs said to 'civilians' like him. "Also such a nice suit as well, you must be very wealthy. Or at the very least have some good taste," he chuckled a bit. "I bet who've made a special someone very happy," he said.

All fishing questions, he knew his job well. Settle the man down, figure out what you're playing with. In all honesty, his gang didn't know much about the leader. The gang was far too new for them to know much about them. That was his job after all. Hell, his job was simply to get in. If he got with the leader, well, good going on him. Though, honestly, he was hoping for someone a bit lower in the food chain. One that he might be able just to reveal his secret and get it over with. Then again, he knew plenty of men that were higher up that just loved a good reason to fuck a guy and put it into their head that he was a girl. It was a bit annoying when he thought about it. Probably how he wound up with this job in the first place. He really needed to stop sleeping around with the guys his boss hung out with.

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

Do all humans speak this much? Lucien was a man of few words and to have this jabbering little human clinging to him and asking twenty questions had him on edge. He could see the value of having a lackey from the Shentou gang in toe though so he played along. "Italian it is." He said in response tot he food choices. Of the ones the other listed that one sounded the best. Though his first choice would have been a steak house. Ever since he had been turned his favorite food was always a good, raw steak. The bloodier the better. "I'm a business man." Lucien answered simply and truthfully. The pack only appeared as a criminal gang from the outside but in reality it was just a group of individuals trying to survive in this crazy world. Over the last two hundred years Lucien had made a lot of money by playing the stock market. Though the pack could only stay in an area for a few decades or they would draw suspicion. When moving into the city they had taken over gang territory in order to fend off nosy neighbors. Now they would have to exert their dominance in order to maintain the ground they had taken.

"As making someone special happy, if that's a fishing comment about my relationship status, I'll happily inform you that I'm single." They spoke as they walked and just then they stepped out onto the street. What awaited them outside was not a car. The stretched hummer idled on the street and as they stepped out, the driver got out and walked around to open the door for them. "After you." Lucien said, motioning for Chase to get in first. Once the youth was in he turned to look at the wolves. "Better not ruin the leather or I will skin the three of you." He growled. Then he turned and climbed into the limo. The inside was roomy and luxurious. Lucien sat beside Chase then watched as the three wolves climbed in.

Jeremiah was quick to jump up onto the leather seat on Chase's other side and curled up close to the boy, setting his head in his lap and wagging thumping his tail against the seat. The other two remained on the floor of the limo, not wanting to risk scratching the leather. They lay down amid the walkway and panted lightly. "What about you, Oliva. You've been asking all these questions about me but you haven't really told me anything about yourself." Lucien said as the hummer started to move.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver nodded, yeah, a businessman was a good cover for what Lucien did. Technically wasn't a lie either, a gang leader was a businessman of sorts. He had to give a smile when Lucien caught him in his question about his relationship status, "Ah, a smart businessman, I see I was right in guessing you were rather well off," he stated. He stopped when he saw the hummer and it seemed that this was the very monster of a vehicle they were going to be getting into. His eyes went a little wide, oh, he was most definitely going to die if he was ever found out. He would die and never be found. "Th-thank you," he managed to get out only to be put into more shock when he saw the inside of the hummer. He looked down at the leather seats and half worried he might ruin the leather. He had never been inside anything more expensive than a two-year-old honda civic. Well, there was that one BMW but he hardly got to enjoy a...car ride in it.

He scooted in a bit and was looking around his surroundings as the four packed themselves into the thing. Though, it wasn't really much packing and rather filing in. He was a bit shocked that there was still some room to spare with all of them. He looked down to Fido for a moment, raising his hands as the dog set his head in his lap, "Better not be a pervert this time or I'm knocking you off the seat," he murmured to the dog, a little bit of annoyance showing on his face before he seemed to relax. He hesitantly laid one of his hands on Fido's head, absently starting to scratch and pet the dog when Lucien asked for him to return the favor of knowledge. "Oh! I'm sorry, how rude of me. I'm a...secretary," he said, trying not to wince. "And I am single myself as well," he explained. Yeah, a secretary was about as close as he could get to what he did. They sort of did the same thing, took notes, kept appointments, did errands, slept with the boss...

"Not for lack of trying," he said, laughing a bit, "guess I can be a bit much to handle sometimes," he said, smiling a little. "What about yourself, if I can ask? What is Mr. Greymane's type?" he asked, before looking down to Fido and petting down his back a bit. He had to say this dog was rather friendly. He found even though they had only spent a few moments together he was going to miss the big dog, it was kind of nice having him in the apartment.

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

At Oliver's words, Jeremiah snorted and thumped his tail. He rubbed his head against the others lap but didn't shove his face into the others crotch this time. He let out a small whine. 'You haven't seen a pervert yet. Just wait.'

Lucien, who was leaning forwards towards the wet bar let out a chuckle at what Jeremiah said. Pouring two glasses of Scotch, Lucien say back up and held one out for Oliver. Then, with his lip curling up at the side, he said, "I like men." It was very calculated in the way he said it. It was his way of telling the other that, while he was being nice enough to treat the other to a meal as thanks, nothing would happen between them. He tossed his glad back, swallowing the expensive alcohol in a single movement. Doing so had his suit jacket fall open, giving Oliver a glimpse of the concealed hand gun on the powerful man's side.

"I've only just arrived in the city. My, uh, family moved here with me. We're still in the process of settling in." He pulled out his phone and did a quick search for Italian restaurants nearby. "Looks like Antonio's is a popular restaurant. Ever been?"

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver let his eyebrow arch at Lucien's words. 'I'm gonna fucking kill him.' Was all he could think. His boss sent him in as a woman and he could have very easily come in as a man, been much more in his element and would have had more chances with the guy he was currently trying to convince he was a woman. "What a coincidence, so do I," he said taking the drink from Lucien. Unlike Lucien, though he didn't knock it back, simply sipped at it a few times before moving both his hands to hold it. He eyed the gun that he saw for a brief moment and took a quick glance at his boot. He had nothing but a small knife. It was enough to scare people off, but he wasn't the type to bring a knife to a gunfight. Just get the meal over with, maybe focus on this Jerimiah guy.

"Well, welcome to the city. It can be rather nice in some areas. I would be careful around this one though. I've heard there's a turf war going on between some gangs, nothing big yet, but it might get worse. You never know," he said. He wanted to gauge the reaction from Lucien, to see how much the man knew. "Family? Like siblings or cousins? You did say you were single," he explained his questioning. Family was always nice, family could be used. He hoped not a young family though. His boss might not care, but Oliver did. He knew what a young life meant in the world he lived in.

"Oh, um, yes, once. Being a secretary doesn't really lend itself to going out much. It was pretty good from what I remember," he said, thinking about where Anotonio's was. He glanced down at himself, he was going to stick out a bit. He'd just have to live by his motto, if you act like you're meant to be there, you will look like you're meant to be there. "If you haven't already, I'd also suggest Carrie's. It's a nice coffee shop not too far from here. She makes the best cupcakes. Has some doggie desserts there too."

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

Lucien raised an eyebrow at that comment. So this boy that was pretending to be a girl likes men? He glanced at Jeremiah and saw the way the wolf was washing his tail energetically. Those words certainly made him happy. Of course since the other was pretending to be a girl it could just be part of the act. What was with that anyway?

At the casual mention of the turf war, he raised an eyebrow. "Gangs and their silly little 'wars'. They don't know what real war looks like. The death and destruction of everything and everyone you hold dear. Defending your home from an invading army. Watching as your brothers fall one by one. Explosions. Gun fire. Noise." He closed his eyes and could hear the battlefield. It was during the war that he was turned. One minute him and his battle line were falling one by one, then in the chaos of battle a massive black wolf appeared.

His hand had clenched tighter onto his glass but at that moment Jeremiah lifted his head and licked his hand, bringing him back to the present. Letting out a breath, Lucien calmed himself. "War is not for the feint of heart." He said simply.

The human was trying to pry into his family life now? Leaming forward he refilled his glass again and then looked the human over. "I say family in a loose term. Most of us are not blood related but have banded together because of similar beliefs. I have no true family." No, they were all killed long before this human even existed.

Thankfully the subject was changed then. Food was a much more pleasant topic. "Doggie dessert. Hear that Fido?" He asked, oddly amused at the idea of feeding his second a milk bone.

Jeremiah let out a half whine, half whimper. 'In your dreams.'

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver was about to ask if Lucien had served in a war before. The way he described it, the way he acted was like he had personal experience with it. He opened his mouth to question when he felt Fido shift and lick Lucien's hand, seeming to bring him back from whatever horror he was watching behind his eyes. "No...no it's not," he managed to say and found himself petting Fido a little bit more than he had before. He had never been in a real war and he would even argue that any war was bad. They didn't need to see a real war to know what watching those you hold dear die or what gunfire sounded like. But as he had never been in a war himself, he didn't have that personal experience. He was also pretty sure he had never seen anyone he knew have the face that Lucien did.

"Oh, that's-" he stopped mid-sentence. He was going to say it was pretty cool to have a family like that, he knew what it was like. That was the way his family was as well. He kind of figured it's how all gangs were. What made him stop was Lucien's last sentence though, he thought about it for a moment, "I would argue that you're wrong there. It sounds like you do have a true family. Just because they aren't blood-related doesn't mean they aren't family," he said giving a small smile. His gang was his family. His blood-related family gave up on him years ago. Years before had ever joined the gang.

Oliver chuckled at Fido's whine and scratched behind his ear, "I'm sure they are very tasty. They look tasty anyways. She has to display them so carefully. They look just like what we would eat but I guess they are made out of things that are safe for dogs. Something like that, never really had a chance to see if dogs like them though," he said, shrugging. "So you mentioned your new in town, where did you live before?"

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

As the petite man commented that Lucien did have a true family, the older man simply nodded. "Yes. They are truly my family, I merely meant I don't have any blood relations left." He clarified, not wanting any of the wolves present to be offended by him claiming they weren't his true family.

He didn't really have much more to say on the subject of doggie treats. It had been more of a joke for Jeremiah's sake, he didn't want to pursue the topic at length. "I've lived many places." He said, again not wanting to go into detail about his past. In truth he was already growing bored with all this conversing anyway. Lucien wasn't one that liked to sit around and talk. Thankfully the hummer pulled to a stop just then. Turning to look at the driver Lucien ordered, "Take the w-dogs inside. Inform Jeremiah that I request his presence." He said, knowing full well that the blasted man already knew he was required but he wanted to make sure that Olivia thought the request was given.

The driver, getting the general gist of what was going on, walked around to open the door to let the three wolves out. He followed them inside and waited patiently while Jeremiah ran off to his room to change. Knowing they were heading for a nice restaurant, Jeremiah changed into one of his designer suits. When, at last, he returned to the stretched hummer he was wearing a dark blue suit, an expensive watch and a colorful tie. The driver opened the door for him and he slid in next to Olivia.

"Ah, about time." Lucien grumbled. "Jeremiah, this here is Oliva. She found Fido out on the street in a terrible state and was kind enough to look after him for you. We are taking her out for dinner to thank her."

Jeremiah fixed a rather predatory gaze on the small framed individual and then smiled. It wasn't even really a smile but more like a wolfish grin. "Pleasure to meet you, Olivia." He said, extending his hand towards him. "And where are we taking this fine lady this evening?"

"Antonio's." Lucien remarked, wanting nothing more than to slip out of the car now and leave the other two to their games. He had already committed to this dinner though.

"Antonio's? With her like this?" Jeremiah asked, sounding indignant. "No offense my dear, but you are a little underdressed for such an establishment." He paused as though thinking, although he had already come up with this plan while sitting on the man's lap and listening to him speak with his alpha. "I know, Adam, take us to Neiman Marcus." He called to the driver.

Lucien groaned and rubbed at his face. "You have got to be kidding me. You're just trying to show off, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. But I need to so something to thank this young woman for taking such good care of Fido." With that said, he casually set a hand on Olivia's leg to see how he would react. He knew, after all, that the young man had been sent in to seduce his way into the gang. Would he be receptive of the advances?

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver chuckled when he noticed Lucien was starting to give him very quick and general answers, "I suppose this dark and mysterious bit tends to get you those men you like?" he questioned, chuckling a little bit more. He didn't mind though, he was used to people taking a little while to warm up to him. "I promise I don't bite, Mr. Greymane. Not unless you want me to," he said, his tone speaking that he might not realize how that sentence could be taken. He let a silence slip between them after that though, waiting for this Jeremiah man to show up. Once he did he was about to give him a smile when he saw the grin. He almost shifted, this man looked at him like he was hungry. Oliver looked down at the hand offered and gave a sweet smile before taking the hand, "Nice to meet you as well, Jeremiah."

He glanced over to Lucien and then back to Jeremiah when he said that he was a little underdressed for the restaurant. He knew that but he hadn't really had a choice, "It's fine, I've been-" he was stopped when he heard the other ask to go to Neiman Marcus, "I-" he looked over to Lucien and had to admit he kind of agreed with Lucien. The last thing he needed was another article of women's clothing in his closet. Though, on the other hand...it did look like Jeremiah was much more receptive to his guise as he was now. He was friends with Lucien as well, perhaps they were in the same gang together? Even if he wasn't though, he supposed he could still use this man to get to Lucien.

Oliver glanced down to the hand on his leg, yes, this man was much more receptive to his ruse. He shifted slightly a little bit more into the hand, "That's very kind of you, Jeremiah, but really the dinner is just fine. Plus I don't think I could ever pull off clothes like the ones at Neiman Marcus," he stated. He wanted to see how far this man would fall into his ruse. Not to mention he knew nothing of dresses, he had managed to get this outfit from a girl in the gang...dresses for a fancy-ish restaurant he had never tried on.

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

Dark and mysterious. Right. Lucien wanted to roll his eyes but he restrained himself, settling for remaining quiet and waiting. "I assure you, I can bite much harder than you, if I wanted to." He quipped back, though even he wasn't sure if it was a threat or just a jest.

When Olivia was receptive to the hand on his leg, Jeremiah shifted it upwards just a little more. How far could he get before he found a 'surprise' under that dress? How far would the man let Jeremiah get? "I insist. Lucien is the one treating us to dinner, I must do something myself to thank you. A nice dress is the least I can do." He said in his smooth voice.

Lucien couldn't resist rolling his eyes this time then chimed in, "Jeremiah is my right-hand man. He deals with a lot of the day-to-day business for the company. Do not fret, he can easily afford a nice dress and it won't break his bank." He said, unknowingly answering the man's unasked question on whether Jeremiah was a part of the gang. With his wording Lucien had not only admitted that Jeremiah was part of the 'gang', but that he was his second in command.

"Trust me, Olivia, I think the clothing at Neiman Marcus will be perfect for you. They have a whole line of dresses for women of your build. I'm sure we can find a dress that we both agree on."

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver caught what the other said and only gave a small smirk that he did his best to not let Lucien see it.

As the hand moved a little bit higher up his leg he put his own hand on top of it. He moved so he was closer to Jeremiah, but not enough to let that wandering hand find anything that it shouldn't. "I...I suppose that is okay, but really, I should say that dinner is more than enough. It is very kind of you two to care this much about Fido," he explained as Jeremiah seemed to insist on the dress. "I'm sure you take care of him very well if this is how you treat the lady that merely did what any good samaritan would do." Lord was that a crock. A good samaritan was the farthest thing from what Oliver was. He was at most a samaritan.

"Oh, so you work with Mr. Greymane, that must be rather exciting. You must be very good at your job, I get the feeling that Mr. Greymane doesn't tolerate subpar work," he said. He was very interested in Jeremiah. Oliver would most definitely put up with this charade of being a woman and letting poor little Jeremiah be his sugar daddy for the time being if only to get some information from the man. "What is it you do exactly at your company?" he asked, a completely innocent question for people that just ran a business. "It must be something very important or lucrative if you can afford all of this," he suggested.

At the insistence of him trusting Jeremiah he smiled, "Fine, I'll accept your offer, but I must insist that you have all the approval to the dress, after all, you are paying for it," he explained. A dangerous game he knew, but he was sure he could play it off as him being too innocent to be wearing too short of a dress. After all, at least so far it didn't seem that either of the men were being awfully perverted. Well, minus that hand of Jeremiah's, he could see where Fido got it from. Like dog like owner, was how the saying went correct?

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

When Oliver's hand stopped his own hand from wandering, it only amused Jeremiah more. The man wouldn't want him learning his secret yet. That was pretty clear. Though he did shift closer, as though to show that he didn't mind the attention, he just didn't want that hand wandering. He relaxed his hand, not trying to invade his privacy any further. "I'll let you in on a little secret." He said, leaning a little closer which would allow Oliver to take in the scent of his cologne, mixed with the minty scent of his breath - Jeremiah had brushed his teeth after changing so that he wouldn't have dog breath. "This isn't entirely about you taking such good care of Fido. A lovely lady like you deserves a dress befitting your beauty."

Lucien coughed at this point and Jeremiah glanced over at him. "What?" Jeremiah asked but Lucien just shrugged, smirking.

It was Jeremiah's turn to roll his eyes and then he redirected his attention back to Oliver, only too eager to show off. "I do indeed work with Mr. Greymane. Though I tend to just call him Luc. I've known him for a very long time. We're like family. He oversees all the really important business but I tend to run the day-to-day operations. Have you ever heard of a little company called-"

"Jeremiah." Lucien suddenly cut in, fixing his second with a dangerous look. They both knew this man was a spy, there was no need to reveal too much information until they had him in a place where he couldn't escape.

The harshness of his alpha's one word was enough to cause Jeremiah to falter. He paused and looked at the older man before bowing his head in an oddly submissive gesture. "Sorry sir." Not wanting to lose too much face in front of Oliver, he quickly turned his attention back to the smaller man. "Luc is protective of his company. I can't go into much detail, suffice it to say I am a crucial part of making sure things get done." He said, giving the other a smile.

The hummer came to a stop then and Jeremiah for one was thankful for the reprieve. Stepping from the hummer, he held out his hand to help Oliver out.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Oliver tilted his head when Jeremiah said he was going to let him in on a secret. "And what secret is that?" he asked, letting his face look a little confused when the other said this wasn't entirely about Fido. When he heard what it was, at least partially about, he blushed a bit. He had never heard those words before, even if they were appropriate to his gender. They caught him off guard. "I-um, thank you," he said. His brain finally coming to and realizing that probably meant Jeremiah was impulsive, after all, they had literally just met when the man decided that he needed this dress. Good, impulsive he could work with.

He looked over to Lucien when he coughed and chuckled at the smirk. He was pretty sure he knew what the other was thinking. It was a bit much, Jeremiah was most likely expecting something else. Though he had to admit, these other gang members were showing to be just Oliver's type. He quickly returned his attention to Jeremiah when he spoke of what he did. He was actually a bit surprised that the man was about to tell him the company name when Lucien ruined that idea. He pouted a little bit when Lucien ruined his fun. "He seems to be protective over more than just his company," Oliver said, without really thinking, it coming out a little more catty than he was expecting.

He felt the hummer come to a stop and licked his lips. He was not sure about this part of his job, but he supposed if it managed to get Jeremiah to speak a little bit more, he could deal with a dress. Jeremiah was definitely the one he needed to get to know. He had found his in and now it was time to lay on the charm and appeal. After all, Jeremiah had already almost given him information he clearly wasn't supposed to have. He took Jeremiah's offered hand and got out of the car. He moved to wrap his arm around Jeremiah's, looking at the store he had never stepped foot into. He had to admit, even if he was going in as a man he wouldn't know where to start. "Well, I suppose we should get started, I don't think this is Mr. Greymane's favorite activity," he said, a small smirk forming on his lips as he teased the leader of the gang. "Though, why do I get the feeling you like dressing up young ladies, Jeremiah?"

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

"Mmm, he's quite protective of everything in his life. Don't even think about asking about his personal life. He's like to bite your head off." He replied easily, choosing not to look over at his alpha as he spoke. He didn't mind being catty about Lucien but he knew that if he did push things too far the man would not hesitate to stop him.

With Oliver now on his arm, he turned his own gaze towards the large store. "I do enjoy dressing up young ladies, but I enjoy undressing them even more." He admitted.

"If you two don't mind, I think I'll wait out here." Lucien called from inside the hummer.

Jeremiah just waved at the man and lead the way into the store. In truth Jeremiah batted for both teams, so to speak, so it wasn't the first time he had brought a date here. It was, however, the first time he had brought a man here intent on buying him a dress. Neiman Marcus catered to both men and women and he often purchased his own clothing here. If he really wanted he could out Oliver for a man and pick him up something more appropriate, but he was enjoying the idea of buying the feminine man a dress.

"Ah, Mr. Johnson." One of the salesmen said, rushing over as soon as the pair entered. "How may I assist you today?"

"I am looking to buy something for my lovely friend here. Something in black I think. With her pale skin I think black would be very dashing." He explained.

"Yes sir. Right this way." The salesmen turned and lead the way to the women's department.

"Yes, my parents had the audacity to name me Jeremiah Jones Johnson. The alliteration makes me sick, but what can I do." He said casually to Oliver as they followed the salesman. The man lead them to a private dressing room area where there were leather sofas and a wet bar as well as three private booths. He then had Oliver stand on a small rise and took a few quick measurements before excusing himself.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

"Hmm, I got a little bit of his personal life...and I'm still rather intact," he said, smirking a bit, though he didn't let on what bits of information he got from Lucien. Though, he had to admit other than the fact that Lucien was gay was really the only thing worth knowing.

He looked over to Jeremiah when he mentioned undressing ladies even more than dressing them up, "Hmm, I can't say I enjoy the same," he said, leaving that for what it was. "Though, I do hope you don't go undressing young ladies before the first date," he said, giving a bit of a look that suggested he was open to having a date with Jeremiah. He looked a bit shocked when the salesman came over to them rather quickly and seemed to know Mr... Johnson? He thought about it and smiled lightly at the alliteration of the name Jeremiah Johnson, it had a good ring to it. He followed along as the salesman led them towards the women's department, "Do you take your lady friends here often, Jeremiah?" he asked, as he stood up on the pedestal. "Plus, I think alliteration is kind of cute. At least you don't have a whole family named after a color," he said, rolling his eyes a bit. "Olivia Green, as in Olive Green. Thank God, my parents had some sense to not just name me Olive," he said, wrinkling his nose.

He stepped off the pedestal and started to look around the changing room. He was a bit surprised to find the sofas and bar. He walked around the small area and ran his fingers along the bar and the sofa before heading over to one of the private booths, wrapping himself in the curtains that separated them from the rest of the room, "Quite a fancy place here, isn't it?" he said, smiling and taking the time to very obviously look Jeremiah up and down. "I'm sure those girls you bring here are very happy with it, especially after you feed them a drink or two from that bar, remember we have your boss waiting outside for us."

 

[AllThingsCuddly]

"Clearly you didn't ask about his wife." Jeremiah muttered under his breath, thankful that they were out of earshot of the man in question. Now that was a touchy subject. Before he had been turned so many, many years ago, Lucien had quite the perfect little family, at least as far as Jeremiah had been able to discern. He hadn't known the man quite that long.

Again the man made a comment along the lines of not preferring women. The comment he had made to Lucien back in the car had been something along the lines of also liking men. Now he said he didn't like undressing women. Was this man really gay? Well, then again he was in a dress and had every intention of seducing another man. Straight men didn't tend to do such things. "Hmm? Oh, no, not often at all. It is rare that I am struck by the desire to dote upon my potential date by bringing them to such a fine establishment to treat them to a dress. I am a regular here though. This is where I purchase most of my own clothing." The pack had only been established within the city for around six months now but one of the first things Jeremiah had done was establish his own tailor here at Neiman Marcus. He had spent enough money here within the last six months that most all the sales associates knew him.

Olivia Green. Either the other was pulling his leg or his own name was actually very similar to Olivia. Oliver maybe? "Olive would still be a cute name. So long as they didn't give you the middle name of Oil. That would just be cruel. Then I would have to find you a Popeye."

His dark eyes watched as the smaller man wrapped himself in the curtains in what was an oddly flirtatious way. He tilted his head to the side then walked over but paused as the other referred to Lucien as his boss. While that was technically true, something about the way the other said it rubbed him the wrong way. "Is that your way of asking for a drink, or trying to wiggle your way out of one? Lucien is a patient man. He probably pulled out his phone and started to work the second we got out of the car."

Just then the sales associate returned with a selection of four black dresses. He hung each one up on separate hangers around the room and Jeremiah glanced from one to the next. They were of varying lengths but none would be shorter than knee-length on Oliver, which was fine by Jeremiah.

"Well, Olivia, which one do you like?" He asked, motioning to the dresses the salesman had brought in.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

"Ah, so I'm a lucky girl," he said, giving a bit of a flirtatious smile. "I meet you for a few minutes and suddenly you want to buy me a dress. I must look a mess," he teased, knowing he sure as hell didn't look a mess. After all, if he was going to look like a girl he was going to look like a hot girl. "My, my, does Mr. Greymane pay you well."

Oliver wrinkled his nose when he was told Olive would be a cute name as long as he didn't have Oil as his middle name, "That's exactly why I'm glad they had the common sense to not name me Olive. I got teased bad enough back in school about my name. Boys always teasing me about finding my Popeye. High school boys can be quite cruel, you know. You weren't one of them were you?" he asked, he was asking to be cute, but something in his smile hinted that he didn't mind the high school boys teasing him so much. He smiled a little more when Jeremiah got a bit closer to him while he was in the curtains. "That's my way of telling you that we still have dinner which means there is plenty of time for you to try and get me drunk," he chuckled, looking over to the salesman when he entered and blushed a bit, stepping from out of the curtain. He hadn't meant for anyone else to see him like that.

He looked at all the dresses for a moment before heading over to one. He had to admit he was rather impressed that the salesman brought dresses that were rather modest, nothing too flashy or short cut for him. He looked over to Jeremiah to see if he disapproved of any of them, but decided this dress he could probably get away with. "I suppose I should try it first, you know, to make sure it fits," he said and moved back to one of the stalls. He quickly got into the dress. He glanced at himself in the mirrors that were there and looked a bit shocked at how the dressed looked on him. However, he couldn't really get the zipper up all the way. He eyed his back for a moment, nibbling on his lip. Surely, he was small enough that not having a bra wouldn't be noticeable right? "Um, could you help me with the zipper?" he asked stepping out of the stall and turning around to show the zipper. "I can't seem to pull it up anymore," he explained, before looking at himself and Jeremiah in the mirrors that surrounded the pedestal. He looked down at his boots and tried not to frown. They didn't exactly go with the dress, but it wasn't like he had other shoes.

"What do you think?" he asked, turning around placing his hand on Jeremiah's chest. He glanced down for a moment, the man was like a solid rock. "I hope it's suitable."