I woke up to Ash shaking me and at first, I had no idea where I was.

"Wake up, we're so fucking late," he urged, and I was on my feet so fast that the world spun around me.

In a daze I looked at my phone and cursed out loud. Nine in the morning and my workday started an hour ago, not to mention Ash who started at six-thirty. It was a mystery to me how I had been able to fall asleep that hard, but whatever the reason, we had to get to work fast. Going out into the hallway, I saw Nathan in the kitchen making coffee and I stopped.

"How do you feel?" I asked and ignored the insistent tugging Ash did on my sweater.

"My eye feels a lot better," he said smiling. "Thanks for staying with me."

"Just call if you need anything," I said.

"Come ooon," Ash whined, and I caught up with him at the elevator. "I'm in big enough trouble with my boss as it is."

It was only on the bus to work that I noticed Ash foul mood. At first, I had just thought it was because we were late, but now I wasn't sure. Had Nathan told him something that made him upset?

"It wasn't the guy I thought it was," he muttered when I asked him. "Nathan didn't recognize him at all when I described him."

Right then I realized that it had been damn lucky that I had actually convinced Ash to spend the night at his brother's place. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten this information and would have beaten up the wrong guy. But that the real assailant now was unknown made me uneasy.

"You wanna go there tonight to see if you can get any more information?" I asked. "Did Nathan tell you anything about how he looked?"

Ash nodded.

"I have more to go on now. But are you ok with me leaving you again? I... don't want us to fight again."

"I'm coming with you," I proclaimed. "If you find him, I want to be there. At least as moral support."

"Moral support?" Ash giggled and seemed to relax. "What the hell do you think will happen?"

I rolled my eyes and pressed my palm against his knee.

"Your personal cheerleader, then?"

Ash's eyes glinted in excitement, and he shot me a devious smirk.

"Watch yourself, or I'll get even better ideas about your outfit."

As soon as Ash showed up at our table at lunch Chris asked how Nathan was doing. I wondered how much information Ash wanted to give Chris, but the only thing he said was that he was going to look for the person responsible at the bar that Nathan had gone to. Chris got excited and volunteered as a wingman, because he always was there for his friends as he said. Ash had grinned at him and asked if he really was ready to sit at a gay bar for an unknown number of nights, and Chris's enthusiasm had faltered somewhat. But he repeated that he would be there with us in mind.

No matter how sure I was that Ash would handle himself in a fight I still got nervous. The closer to nighttime it got, the more awful my fantasies became. What if the guy was huge? What if he was some form of martial arts pro, or had several buddies with him that backed him up? Ash had said that Florian would come too, but even if Florian was a pretty muscular guy, he would only be there as a witness, as he was a devout pacifist. Would I have to help? I didn't even know how to fight. The only consolation was that my boots had steel-toe caps, so kicking someone in the crotch was always an option. If I had the guts to do it. That was the main issue.

Pink Robin was a larger club than Cupid's Den and seemed really popular judging by the long queue outside, even if the night was young. When I had tried and failed to hide my discomfort when looking at the waiting line, Ash just smiled and went past the line up to the doorman. We were let in immediately.

"Hey, I gotta have some perks being a club rat, right?" Ash grinned. "I got a VIP pas here. Come on, I think Florian's already here."

I couldn't help feeling a little inferior when I stepped into the large club. Both the décor and the people looked luxurious and I peaked at my boots and jeans. Ok, Ash hadn't dressed up either, but he could walk up to White House and still be let it so he didn't count. Florian waved at us from the table he had reserved for us. He on the other hand was dressed to impress, in a shiny red satin jacket, making him stand out from the crowd.

"Can I buy you gentlemen a drink as a morale booster?" he smiled flamboyantly as we sat down.

Ash shook his head and surveyed the surroundings.

"I wanna be sober when I beat the shit out of that bastard," he muttered. "So just a Coke for me."

"Same here," I said. "Except for the violence part."

We sat for a while and chatted until Ash got restless and said that he would take a walk around the club and ask around. Florian joined him, simply because of the fact that he knew practically everyone here. I stayed behind to watch our table, sipping my Coke and watching people. The big balcony that went around the club seemed to be the place where you hooked up or just showed off yourself. Either you stood at the railing looking down, or you stood with someone else kissing.

"You really like to watch people, don't you?" a voice came from behind and suddenly Simon sat down in front of me.

I couldn't stop the memory of the private room in Oubliette to flash before my eyes and I put down my glass with sweaty fingers. What was he doing here?

"I just... I'm waiting for Ash," I sputtered and desperately looked out at the crowd on the dancefloor.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Simon said and hid his eyes behind his palm. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just thought you looked bored and wanted company, that's all. As we at least know each other by name, I mean."

He looked genuinely sorry for bothering me. Christ, I couldn't keep doing this, getting terrified every time someone I had seen in a kinky setting just talked to me. I couldn't assume that everybody wanted to jump my bones. Besides, Simon had made it perfectly clear, several times, what he was after. And that he wouldn't cross the line. He had even proved it.

"It's ok," I said and smiled apologetically. "I'm just not used to it all. Not used to anything, really. That's why I sometimes behave like a fucking moron."

"Ash told me you were new to this," Simon smiled back. "So I get what you mean. That's why I wanted to make my intentions clear. You should have seen me when I was new to the scene, I was hopeless. It takes a while to get used to it, but you have a good partner in Ash to lean on. I had to learn the hard way."

"What's the hard way?" I asked, curious now.

Simon groaned and squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment.

"To have knives as a kink and not knowing what the fuck you're supposed to do is a recipe for disaster, let me tell you. I made a fool of myself so many times."

I had never thought of that. Everyone, including Ash, had been new to it at one point. Even if I couldn't even imagine Ash as an insecure newbie, he must have been. Somehow that made me more relaxed.

"But you've improved since then," I said. "I mean, I've seen you. And experienced it too."

Simon bowed his head.

"Why thank you," he smiled. "What are you guys doing here, by the way? You're not partying, I can see that much."

He pointed at my Coke. I hesitated for a moment, not sure how to answer. I didn't want to disclose too much, if Ash wanted to tell him everything he could do it himself.

"We're looking for a dude who beat up Ash's brother the day before yesterday," I said at last. "He's supposed to have been seen here."

Simon frowned and his eyes went serious.

"I was here then. I remember a young guy, pretty loud and boisterous, telling everybody that he was Ash's brother. I thought he was joking. Blond, right?"

I nodded.

"Then I know who you're looking for, I think," Simon said.

Jesus Christ, where was Ash? He needed this information fast. I got up and scanned the crowd to at least get a glimpse of Florian's lavish jacket.

"Come on, we have to find Ash, you have to talk to him," I said and Simon followed me into the bustling mass of people dancing.

When we found Ash he was talking to a bartender that was about to go on his shift and he looked miserable.

"Damn Florian, he got a call and now he just marooned me," he growled and suddenly realized that Simon was there with me.

"Simon thinks he's seen the guy," I said hurriedly.

"Maybe," Simon continued. "At least I saw who your brother left the club with, but that doesn't mean that it's the same person."

Ash's eyes had darkened.

"Oh, that's the guy alright," he mumbled. "Did Jamie tell you what happened? That someone raped my brother?"

Simon's eyes widened and I could see the shock landing in him. He stared at Ash and clenched his fists.

"Oh, fucking hell," he hissed. "You want my help in scaring the shit out of him? He's here now, I've seen him. He's name is Keith."