Kintsugi

The Quest

Anson sprinted through the forest, pushing his limits along the darkened running trail. Four am didn't see much traffic through here so he was comfortable going as fast as he could with little risk of being observed. He was still careful to keep his senses open to anything out of the ordinary, however.

The voices up ahead of him on the trail had him slowing to a jog, wary of what he might find. Four boys had settled in a clear space next to the trail, laughing and drinking and smoking. Anson intended to run right on past them and pick up speed again. The boys just proved they were full of bad ideas as they stepped into his path to cut him off, surrounding him.  Forcing him to slow to a long stride.

"Hey baby. Care to join us?"

Anson wrinkled his nose, attempting to push on through without a word of acknowledgment. One of them set a hand against his shoulder to halt his determined progress, grinning when Anson scowled.

"What's your hurry doll?"

The slow, lustful gaze drifting over his body just made him cringe, and he had resolved to handle it when a gust of wind whipped past him, bringing the scent of Dragon. Anson glanced over his shoulder, past the two boys that had fallen in behind him. The figure stepping out of the trees wasn't quite the Dragon he had been expecting. The theatrics only made him roll his eyes.

Eveirdo stepped from dark shadows into a patch of watery moonlight and paused to be taken in. The piercings, leather, and tattoos, along with the broad shoulders and easy swagger made him intimidating. The low growl that issued from his throat was approaching overkill.

"Hands off. He's mine."

The boys sputtered for a moment, then continued their rash of poor decisions for the early morning to snarl in return. "You back off, jackass. We saw her first."

Eveirdo's eyes glowed an electric blue. His lips parted in a feral smile, showing sharp teeth. When his body began to arc lightning like a tesla coil, the boys ran. When they were well on their way, Eveirdo settled back into his human guise and burst out laughing. He noted the unimpressed look on Anson's face and grinned.

"Oh, come on. That was funny."

Anson sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "I was about to handle that."

Eveirdo shoved his hand into his pocket, extracting a pack of cigarettes as he nodded, still chuckling. "I know you were. But I couldn't resist." He withdrew a cigarette and placed it between his lips, offering the pack towards Anson.

Shaking his head, Anson stalked forward to take one. Eveirdo dug a lighter out of his pocket next, cupping his hands around the flame to light up, and Anson cocked his head curiously. The silver zippo might have been unremarkable except...

He reached out to snag it from the Dragon's hand, taking in the stylized wolf head on it. His thumb swept over the engraving thoughtfully as he lifted his gaze to Eveirdo. The Dragon stared back, perfectly relaxed. Ignoring the lighter in his hand, Anson leaned forward, cigarette between his lips and watching carefully. Eveirdo leaned in to meet him, letting Anson get a light off the cherry, eyes locked.

They withdrew, staring at each other while the breath of smoke dissipated between them. "What are you doing here, anyways?" Anson asked quietly. His thumb swept over the engraved lighter again.

Eveirdo shrugged, smirking. "Just checking in." Anson snorted, knowing full well Eveirdo would never admit the real reason he 'checked in' so frequently was because he had become attached to his brother's family. Eveirdo drew in a deep drag and let it out slowly, licking his lips. "How about you? What are you doing out here?"