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When it comes to bounty hunting it was pretty complex.
Which wasn’t what trolls would expect as bounty hunting seems pretty self-explanatory right? You take a bounty, finish it, and then get paid by the employer. Which yeah it is but as John Dory had to learn quickly it wasn’t just that. Seeing as he had become a bounty hunter to try and find his brothers—he was quickly exposed to just how complicated bounty hunting could be.
First of all was that bounty hunting was the backbone to many subgenre communities or tribes like Jazz to make money and thrive. Sometimes bounty hunting looked more like a security force while others just went with petty crimes. Some hunting groups counteracted while others had petty rivalries that in JD’s opinion got way too many people involved but then again this had been the life he chose.
And really it had been his only option since his contact with the main tribes went…well let’s just say he probably got banned from some towns because of property damage.
Either way it was fine, the subgenres were more welcoming and long story short he had gotten roped into being a small time hunter. Which honestly after reflecting on where he was now—he had been stupidly lucky to have stayed lowkey for over a year before bounties for the only pop troll known started to circle around bigger bounty hunters.
And his lowkey schtick got fucked over
Muses, that year had been one hell of a stressful ride.
But there was one silver lining that he got out of that chaotic year.
A hunter’s alliance with a certain Smooth Jazz troll.
John Dory wasn’t surprised when he heard the door closed a bit too harshly followed by the sound of a pained grunt. He had quickly put Rhonda, a baby armadillo bus he rescued from a bounty, to sleep so he could take care of his newest problem.
That problem being the injured Chaz.
John already had a medical kit placed onto their small dinner table as he made his way to the front door after a short corridor. Becoming allied hunters with Chaz had been very useful as the guy being a pretty high ranked hunter was able to afford a small apartment room in a safe town. One of the few places that bounty hunters by law and strictly enforced could be chill enough with each other.
He turned onto the short corridor and was greeted by a familiar sight and smell of iron. Chaz dressed in jazz clothing, black gloves, a white blouse, and over it a black button up vest with musical notes embroidered on some parts and functional pants—the same outfit that looked like it had seen better days. John Dory had quickly locked eyes on the deep red slash on the other’s arm. Not to mention Chaz was limping and was almost (key word being almost) leaning onto his prized saxophone for support.
John acted without thought as he moved to take the saxophone away and placed it against the wall then he slid to use himself as support for the other. Putting Chaz’s uninjured arm over his shoulder and the other leaning onto the pop troll’s body for support.
“Hey—” Chaz rasped, annoyed.
“I’ll get your precious sax when your ass is sitting down in the kitchen.” John Dory snapped, shooting an irritated look to the other who grumbled in response. “Serously I’m half convinced that you’d rather jump off a cliff that let your sax get a tiny scratch!” he muttered as he led both of them towards the kitchen. All the while Chaz was doing a horrible job as pretending his wounds weren’t getting to him with his breathing being more like wincing and the bead of sweat coming off his forehead.
Usually when the smooth jazz hunter came back injured—John would tease him about letting his ‘arrogant act’ to intimidate others or make him underestimate backfire. Those times though he always came back with just a few scratches and wounded pride.
This time wasn’t like that.
This time Chaz came back worse than grated pride.
“Did your family hire someone again?” John asked, as he dabbed a warm clean cloth onto the gash on the other’s arm. His ally’s family was…something—John Dory didn’t know all the details, but he just knew that it was just bad. Something about the dad being a god-level asshole who pitted his own kids against each other for amusement. Liked having control over everything and hated when there was a threat no matter how small. A troll who now resorted to dangerous attacks and kidnapping attempts to get Chaz back after he ran away for years now.
Some father huh?
Chaz hissed when the cloth made contact on the bloody mess on his arm but nodded with scowl. John Dory felt a stone of worry pulled into his stomach at that conformation and sighed. “That’s the third time they’ve done it now huh…”
“Fifth, John. You weren’t there on the first two.” Chaz clarified, “At least Ethel and Finn didn’t get sent this time.”
“Should I be worried you kept track? How long until the sixth?”
“You're the one who agreed to our alliance and you're still surprised that I kept track?”
“I did expect it just not—ugh just shut up so I can fix this.” John huffed while the other just gave a dry laugh. A soft laugh that was the complete opposite to the usual arrogant bravado Chaz put up when they had hunts together.
Looking at him now, John Dory couldn’t help but compare and contrast the two sides of Chaz that he had grown familiar with. The one he met was the hunter the world knew, arrogant, self-serving, and cared really only for his music. Someone who would laugh and taunt his enemies during fights just for the fun of it.
The other…
“Are you sure you can’t just make up with your siblings Chaz?” He switched from the cloth to a needle and thread, “You grew up with them surely you guys can still—”
“John, when I was still with them, Finn tried to break my leg during a hunt, Ethel would purposely burn my musical sheets, or sabotage my performances for our father’s attention.” Chaz listed down blandly and then looked to John with a tired expression, “I don’t think anything can bury the hatchet…”
John, despite having been living with the smooth jazz trolls for years—the topic of his siblings, Ethel and Finn, had always been an unspoken agreement for them to never be brought up just as it was for JD’s lost brothers. Their alliance was based on keeping each other alive during that year when he had accidentally got caught up in one of said family’s attempts to get Chaz back.
By which was kidnapping and JD just happened to be at the wrong place at the right time. He was running away from some hunters who were after the pop bounty—Chaz was trying to lose the people sent after him. Before this had happened, Chaz had actually tried to get the pop bounty for himself months before and John Dory, who had taken to bounty hunting like a fish in water and high strung with other failed attempts on him had managed to take the smooth jazz troll down a peg.
It probably helped that the guy underestimated him a lot and for some reason was one of the lucky few who was naturally more resistant to Chaz’s music.
Which had infuriated the hunter more than anything and being the petty bastard he was decided after John put him down, to mess with him.
That started a weird time where the two of them kept going at each other, petty fights, small sabotages here, and just being annoying to deal with. Anyone normal probably would have developed a huge grudge against Chaz and John Dory was on that path. But at the same time it was also during that year he was at his most anxious with other hunters trying to get the pop bounty.
Chaz though?
At some point during that weird time, Chaz had admitted he didn’t want JD’s bounty anymore and just liked watching others fail to get him.
Said it was ‘entertaining’, asshole.
Still it helped to know that at least he had one less hunter to worry about.
At some point…he didn’t know—but they started talking and they both found out the other wasn’t so bad. Chaz was still an ass but he could see the guy wasn’t all arrogance—he learned the guy genuinely put effort into his hunts and technique. He also wasn’t so annoying either and the guy had the type of snark he kinda liked. In fact John had felt relieved to have someone in his corner to talk to a little but he never forgot that Chaz was a high ranking hunter.
So he never revealed to him about his bigger plan on finding his brothers and tribe.
Until the day he got caught up in Chaz’s family’s kidnapping attempt.
To cut it short as that event had been one hell of a trip, the two of them found they worked really well in keeping each other alive. He got a crashed summary of Chaz’s family drama and somehow in the middle of it the smooth jazz hunter got a dose of JD’s own brotherly drama in the midst of them trying to get rid of the trolls after them. It ended with those same trolls thoroughly humbled by them.
They grew a bit closer after that and they decided it would be a good call to go into a formal alliance for their own benefits. For Chaz he’d have someone who was unconnected but competent to help him with his family. For John Dory since their alliance had papers to back it up he was safer and more stable in the bounty world. Along with that he got a couple of good connections too that now kept an ear out to any rumors about the pop tribe.
Two years.
Two since they became allies.
Two years since his days became a little less lonely and he had more hope for the future.
Chaz hissed when he started stitching up his cleaned up wound, and John could only mutter an apology in return.
“You gave those guys a good fight huh?” He asked and Chaz gave a chuckle and tilted his head so it rested on his extended hand. Making him pause in stitching up the half-finished wound. “Isn’t what you're fixing proof enough doll? Maybe I should get injured more often just to be closer. ” The other answered, nuzzling a little into his hand. John Dory had to fight the urge to flinch away out of embarrassment—he could already begin to feel the heat coming up to his cheeks.
Muses dammit why did he have to be a good talker?
‘Well it's not like it means anything. Chaz flirts around; this is just how he acts around people all the time.’ Was what he thought about as he retorted to the jazz hunter, “Get more cuts and bruises like the shit you're in now I will pin you to a tree with my machete.” The last stitch was done and John Dory cut the string from the knot. He turned his attention to cleaning up and didn’t notice Chaz’s gaze turning towards him.
“Then doll, how about on your end?” He asked and JD paused for a moment, his mind going back to the first good news he got earlier this week.
“One of my guys managed to get in contact with a small K-pop community that’s interested in helping me find the pop tribe,” It had taken a while as JD had found out that pop-subgenres kept to themselves the most but recently there was a shift. Some small social movements apparently wanted the isolation to lessen a bit and some pop subgenres surprisingly joined in. So all of it just worked for him—to him it just got better chances to see his brothers again.
Chaz raised his brow at him, “Your guys?”
John smirked at that, “They like me better than you do.” before his face turned a bit serious again, “Also I got word that Ethel might be doing a performance at York City next month so better if I take the bounty there instead of you.”
“Jeez, sure you can handle yourself with her? She’s more slippery than me and chances are Owen has connections to the governor there.” His voice uncharacteristically had a hint of worry that nearly made him do a double take.
John smiled as he finished packing up the medical kit and then sat closer to Chaz, their shoulders an inch away from brushing, being mindful of the other’s stitches. “I’ll be fine and besides I’ll go in disguise just to be safe,” To prove the point, John Dory shifted his hair to go down and take on a navy color.
“They’ve never seen my face clearly so I should be good,” He piped.
“You'll have to style it more,” Chaz's hand reached out and John froze with his chest warm as the other brushed a stray hair behind his ear. Chaz’s hand stayed there as their eyes both stayed on each other, “Can't really lose my only ally.”
“As if that’s what’s going to take me down,” John laughed out, trying to ignore the deep beating of his heart. Trying to grasp back onto the sarcasm and deflection their relationship started out two years ago. But even in the back of his mind—somewhere deep down he knew that what they started out back then. Prickly, begrudging, and their guards up despite mutual agreement for alliance was long gone now.
Who else did Chaz be so close to him let alone willingly touch them that wasn’t a punch?
Who else did he tease or let take care of his wounds when needed?
John Dory wanted to think there are others that Chaz would let take care of him—but even in his denial stage in those first few months, it became so obvious that Chaz only trusted him with such sensitive things.
The one in his mind proved it again when a pile of deep wavy hair that reminded so much of a beautiful rose rested on his shoulder. Immediately John Dory became worried about the other’s state, “Chaz I just finished your stitches you—”
“You sewed them good, they won’t tear,” He grumbled and then nuzzled deeper onto the pop troll, “So just do me a favor doll and let me have this.” Both of their hands were sat right next to each other—if JD could have blinked and imagined, he could almost feel the comfort and warmth Chaz holding his hand firmly would bring.
How warm.
How careful.
How safe he would feel.
His heart wanted to bridge that gap so badly but something in him kept stopping him—whispers echoed into his ear. This would end horribly, he couldn’t keep his brothers, what made him think he could handle a relationship? Especially to a troll like Chaz? He…he was a lot at first but as soon as JD came to see under the bravado there was no turning back for him. He saw glimpses at first of someone who loved so tenderly and so deeply then at some point it became a person. A real person who he knew and who knew him just by looking into his blue eyes.
That.
That was the other side of Chaz that no one in the world knew.
Not the powerful hunter and taunter that was familiar.
But it was this troll—this troll who clung to him and left compliments laced with vulnerability that would be seen as something to take advantage of in a bounty hunt.
Someone that he didn’t deserve to know.
They were both quiet for a while just taking in the silence of the sub-par but familiar room they made their home for their alliance. An alliance that he didn’t know should be called that anymore but he never crossed that line.
“You know I’ve been thinking after York City I might take a detour to the Neverglades just to check on the locals there if anything has happened.” Chaz perked up a little but still refused to take his head off John’s shoulders.
“I could just check up on them—”
“You are on bed rest with that arm mister and don’t even try to fight it.” He grumbled, “I will tie your feet to the bed frame in your sleep if you do.”
Then his voice turned to be just above a whisper when he confessed, “Besides I want to face my brothers if I do find some good lead there. I need to see their faces, even if I know their going to be angry. Fuck…I won’t be surprised if they tried to punch me and—”
His whispered rambling came to an abrupt stop when Chaz’s wamr hand came on top of his and he squeezed it comfortingly. “Muses know what your brother’s may think but doll…let me ask you this. Do you regret what happened?
“Of course I do.”
“Do you want to make amends no matter how long it takes?”
“I’ve been searching for five years, Chaz. I’ll search for another for another decade if I have to.”
“There that’s your answer doll.” Chaz uttered and before John Dory could deny like he always did. Chaz came up from his shoulder and leveled him with a soft yet firm gaze—his hand still holding on the other but this time his thumb brushed circles repeatedly in a comforting pattern. ”You're making an effort, doesn't that already say something?”
And like that the matter was buried with a ribbon, Chaz came back to his spot moments ago on John Dory’s shoulder with a content smile while he gave the other the foundation that would hopefully bloom to something stronger.
Little did they know how much would change by the end of the year.