Title: Meeting the Family

Author: Chrissy Sky

Rating: M.

Warnings: Humor bordering on crack, still no sex.

Word Count: 4085

Disclaimer: Slayers does not belong to me, nor is this documenting any true crime facts.

Prompt: 11. Slayers, Xellos/Zelgadis: Yakuza AU - Xellos wasn't sure if his partner would be accepted by the Metallium matriarch, or if Zelgadis would be open to what that might entail.

Summary: See prompt.

A/N: Ah, here we go. I feel much happier about this one. Hopefully the prompter likes it too.

Zelgadis' burn scars were partially inspired by Prince Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender), as I needed something to replace the stones with. The Metallium crime family is vaguely based on details I read online about real Yakuza sects, but it is still no more factual than your everyday Yakuza movie.

Some minor social commentary snuck in as well, which was a product of the research I did while writing. However, it's not meant to be taken too seriously.

Some could say that Zelgadis had been born into a life of crime.

He himself would say that it had been seared onto him at the age of eleven when his grandfather had lit their house on fire in an insurance scam.

Meeting Xellos had been one of those strange and unusual events that Zelgadis was certain could only happen to him, and it was right up there on the same superstitious levels as black cats, full moons, and Fridays that happen to be the 13th. It wasn't that he avoided stepping on cracks in the sidewalk, nor did he believe that someone had nailed a doll representation of himself to a tree in a Shinto temple. He just knew he had been born with extremely bad luck, and Xellos' arrival in his life only confirmed it.

He had been walking home one evening when he had been bumped into. Checking his pocket instinctively, Zel immediately saw that he had been robbed, and he chased after the thief, only to discover that someone had beat him to it.

Under the dim light of the street lamp, he saw two figures. One was the thief. He was short and in the dark, he could hardly see his features, but could tell that he was a nondescript youth, probably not even in high school yet. The other was tall, with purple hair cropped just above his shoulders in a vaguely monkish fashion. His eyes were dark, too dark to see in the lamplight, but his features were otherwise highly attractive. He wore a long trench coat that looked fairly expensive.

The tall man had hold of the thief's wrist and was twisting it until the boy released the wallet. The man caught it before it fell to the ground.

"Maa." The man's voice was strangely feminine, which was strange with the height, but not with his delicate face. "You should apologize, young man. That was fairly impolite."

The boy stuttered an apology, his wrist a fraction from breaking in the man's grip.

Dark eyes focused on Zel. "What would you like to do with him?"

He tone was polite, gentle, but it sent chills down his spine, and not just from fear. "Oh… Let him go. No harm done, I guess." Zelgadis was pretty sure that the police wouldn't make the boy as frightened as the mysterious stranger was now, anyway.

The man shrugged and let the boy go. Cradling his wrist, the little thief took off like a rabbit, disappearing into the dark.

Zelgadis, gathering his courage, stepped forward to take his wallet back. "Thanks."

But the man didn't give it back. Instead he flipped it open to study Zel's ID. "Zelgadis Greywords. Twenty-two years old, living in –"

"Hey!" Zelgadis objected, snatching the wallet and glaring.

The man just smiled harmlessly. "Sorry." He didn't sound apologetic. "You're so pretty, I wanted to know your name."

"You could have just asked."

"I could have," the man agreed, still smiling.

Zelgadis groaned, ready to tear his hair out, but this would mean messing up his hair, which was carefully covering his scarred eye. He didn't think the man would find him as pretty if he saw that. Though, that was an idea to get rid of the creep…

It was a tactic Zelgadis rarely used. People in Japan discriminated against each other enough without giving them a singularly visual reason to do it to him. But to scare off freaks like this, Zel didn't mind it so much. But he didn't move his hair away from his face. He thought, if the man hadn't been so attractive, it would have been less embarrassing. As it was, he couldn't get his hand to move.

"I should go," he murmured instead, turning to go.

"Oh, please wait. Let me buy you a drink. Your nerves must be shot after such an ordeal."

The soothing voice stopped him, the tone and implication both temping. It had been ages since anyone had asked him out. Being both a homosexual in Japan and considerably shy, Zel didn't meet new people often. Coworkers were out of the question, as office romances were doomed, especially with all the married men in the office building where he worked.

But it would have to be a public bar. The guy could a homicidal killer at worst, and an opportunist creep at best.

He shrugged and pretended not to be nervous. "Sure. What's your name, anyway?"

The smile was still as amused and disturbing as before. "Xellos."

That's how he found himself in a well lit bar a few minutes later, sharing a bottle of sake with Xellos at a private table. The bar had a few other people in it, it wasn't far from his tiny apartment, and Xellos stayed away from anything too personal, which served to lull Zel into a sense of security.

Almost. The smiling was still creepy.

Given what had just occurred, they ended up starting the conversation with crime.

"I'm truly surprised you would allow the boy go like that," Xellos murmured, resting his chin in his hand, purple eyes gleaming. He seemed amused.

Zel shrugged. "I was a troubled youth myself. Got into a lot of trouble."

"Theft?"

He flushed. "Among other things." Losing his virginity in the boy's locker room with a sexually confused jock, for one thing. Not that he would tell Xellos that. "It's easy to fall into in my old neighborhood, unfortunately. When the rest of Japan looks down on you because you've come from a poorer family and have had fewer opportunities, you think you've got no choice."

Xellos smiled. "Or they've watched too much TV and think it's cool."

Zel waved a dismissive hand. "Media has some part in it, but it's not the cause."

"So you believe that culture itself creates crime? Social inequality, perhaps?" Xellos seemed honestly interested in his opinion.

It made Zel blush. "Mostly, I guess. That was my personal experience at least. There are different factors for each individual case, I'm sure."

"It's very open-minded. And you've appeared to have made something of yourself since your misguided adolescence."

Zel sighed. "Sometimes, I'm not sure it's any better." He'd traded possible jail time and other street gangs for a cubicle and coworkers all trying to move higher up the ladder. The cubicle was more stressful and Zelgadis was sure he was getting high blood pressure. His tiredness showed more days than not.

Xellos looked distinctly sympathetic. "You, my dear, need a vacation."

Zelgadis snorted. "Yeah. With what money? I barely make enough to pay for my shitty apartment."

"You live alone?"

"Yeah. Just me and the roaches."

Xellos giggled. "At least you have a sense of humor about it."

Zelgadis shrugged uncomfortably. All of a sudden, the conversation had gotten personal. He downed his glass and reached for the bottle, lessening some of his nervousness. "What about you?"

"My job? Oh, I do a little of this, a little of that."

Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. "Vague much?"

Xellos smiled. "It's fairly boring. You wouldn't be interested."

"I doubt that." Xellos didn't seem to be lying, but he wasn't telling the whole truth either. And that hold he had had the thief in earlier, that had been some pretty sophisticated martial arts.

But the mystery intrigued Zelgadis instead of scaring him off, like it should have. Maybe he really was just tired of his conservative life. Maybe he still wanted something more in his life, and that's why he'd agreed to a drink with Xellos. (Or two or three or four, as Xellos kept the bottles coming.)

They talked of more benign things after that, thankfully, like their favorite books and music—Xellos had a pretty eclectic taste, as he found out, but they had many of the same favorites—until Zelgadis was sleepy and dizzy and very drunk.

He didn't mind staggering home with Xellos helping him, nor the sloppy kiss that took place in front of his door, nor handing over his keys. Xellos seemed far more mobile at the moment, and very willing to take control of the situation, leading a wobbly Zelgadis through his apartment. Zel, however, did have enough of his brain cells intact to not let him turn on a light.

He wasn't this kind of person, Zel thought dizzily as Xellos' mouth latched onto his neck and they fell back onto his cheap futon. He didn't bring people home for one-nighters and—oh god, did Xellos even have a condom? He didn't, it had been too long, and relaxed when Xellos winked and pulled one from his pocket.

But he didn't resist. Xellos' hands were confident, experienced, and they felt so good on his skin. It had been so long, and still partially inebriated, he didn't want to stop. It was reckless and stupid, but his heart skipped at every possessive caress, every lick and bite that marked him. He could almost pretend that Xellos had wanted him for a long time, the way he was being touched now. Like something precious, but afar, and finally taken and attained, with no desire to release.

Zel gave as good as he got. He'd never thought anyone as beautiful as Xellos could want him. The mysterious man was as beautiful as an angel, but as wicked as a demon, and Zel wanted to own him too. Even if only for a little while.

His headache, later that night when the alcohol started to leave his system, was thankfully not too bad. Xellos was even nice enough to fetch him a painkiller and glass of water. When he flipped on the light, Zel was careful to make sure his hair hung over his scarred eye.

Xellos handed him the water and pill with a soft smile. It was almost not that creepy.

"What?" Zel asked suspiciously, downing the water and pill.

The other man's hand moved faster than he could react, brushing his hair aside. Zel gasped and moved away, but it was too late.

"Silly," Xellos murmured, making Zelgadis blush. "I saw it before on the street. Have you been trying to hide it from me all this time? I would've liked to look at you while we made love."

His blush deepened and he hid his eye. "What—made love? We just barely met!"

Xellos' smile was blithe and crazy. "Love at first sight."

Zel couldn't help it—when he was finished sputtering he hit the crazy man with a pillow. Juvenile though it was, it helped him feel better. "Idiot. I should've kicked you out," he had to check the time, "three hours ago."

Xellos pouted, but it wasn't real. "Aw, Zelgadis-san. So mean."

"Anyway—what's that?" Curious about something that caught his eye, he turned Xellos around until he could see the man's back.

There was a tattoo there. It covered the majority of Xellos' right shoulder blade, and was crawling down his spine and across to his other shoulder. It was in the shape of a wolf, with sharp teeth in a wide open mouth. Zelgadis touched the skin lightly, tracing the pattern and earning a shiver from Xellos, which made him smug. "Pretty."

"Ah, thank you." Xellos seemed pleased by his compliment.

"Did it hurt?"

"Very. It was done the old fashioned way."

Zelgadis winced, then frowned at him and pulled his blankets around himself more. "Anyway, there's no such thing as love at first sight."

"There must be. It happened to me."

"That's the worst pick up line of all time!"

"But I've already picked you up. How can it be a pick up line?"

"It just is!"

"You're upset. I'll make you dinner."

"It's two in the morning!"

Xellos beamed. "Then I'll make you dinner tomorrow night."

"You-!"

Xellos was very persistent. Annoyingly so. He would come over to Zel's house nearly every night, it seemed, and he would turn up at the oddest moments in public.

Zelgadis was always about two seconds from filing a restraining order against his stalker when Xellos would do something unaccountably sweet, as if he were some girl the man was courting. Flowers, trips to the movies, a gold fish from the Shinto festival they went to, a new jacket that was way more than he could afford on his salary, and more. Zelgadis couldn't deny that he liked the attention. It was overwhelming and much more than he was used to.

He tentatively began thinking of Xellos as his boyfriend.

His life outside out the blossoming relationship was improving as well. His coworkers and his boss were suddenly very polite to him, almost afraid. Though his usual paranoia insisted that it must be because of his scar, and not because of any outside factors.

Xellos didn't seem bothered by his scar at all. If anything, he seemed to like it as much as the rest of Zel. Every time he kissed it, gently, it sent shivers down his spine.

Xellos didn't ask about it though, for which Zelgadis was grateful. People always inevitably wanted to know how he'd gotten it and it wasn't anywhere near a happy memory. Given the choice, he'd rather not even think about it, let alone how it had happened. Xellos seemed to respect that.

Similarly, Zel didn't ask about the tattoo. They had something in common because of it. It wasn't like Xellos could walk around wearing a tank top, or even white t-shirts (it would show through the fabric). Xellos normally wore dark shirts or had his jacket on.

After a dizzying six months, Zelgadis knew things had gotten serious when Xellos announced that he should meet the man's family. Nervously, he agreed, though he warned that Xellos couldn't meet any of his family. Xellos smiled and assured that he didn't mind, some things couldn't be helped.

"Because my family's dead," Zelgadis murmured, ducking his head. He didn't want Xellos to think he was just blowing him off.

Then he squeaked—squeaked!—as Xellos smiled and pulled him back into bed.

He'd suspected that Xellos' work wasn't entirely on the up and up, the secretiveness being a very big clue there, but seeing the name on the luxurious building as they walked inside, Zelgadis felt true dread.

"Metallium," he gasped out, looking at his lover in alarm. "As in…"

Xellos' smile looked strained, eyes flashing with what seemed to be guilt. "The nefarious crime organization that controls most of the world's black market trade? Ah, yes." He held a finger over his lips. "But shh. No telling, alright? Promise."

Zelgadis nodded quickly, because he wasn't an idiot. What would he do, tell the police? The police already knew the lead members of the organization, and if they weren't being paid off by them, they didn't have enough substantial proof to take them to court yet. If he went to the police, he'd be dead within the first twenty four hours. "So you're taking me to meet your boss."

"Ah, yes and no."

Zelgadis frowned. "What do you mean?" If Xellos was there to sell him into slavery, he'd bash the bastard's head into the mirrored walls of the elevator they were inside. Love or no love.

Xellos looked sheepish. "You see, you really are meeting my family. Zelas Metallium is my mother."

Zelgadis' mouth was still hanging open as the elevator doors slid open. Belatedly, he realized he should have demanded the bastard's surname six months ago.

In the Yakuza, a woman being in charge was very unusual. The Japanese, along with being xenophobic, were also sexist.

Zelas Metallium had married into the crime family while she was still in college, taking business classes. When her husband died unexpectedly, the man who should have been next in line as Boss had been imprisoned a year before. He died while still in jail and there had been much confusion among the elders as to who would inherit the Metallium empire.

Zelas came in, seemingly humble and sweet, to temporarily take control until the selection process could be dealt with. As soon as power was designated to her, another side of her character emerged. She seized further control, eliminated the elders and replaced them with their sons and daughters, who were more inclined to Zelas' point of view.

Within the Metallium organization, the abduction and trafficking of women slaves was disbanded, and there was more of a focus on corporate espionage and blackmail. There were still some dealings with drugs, pornography, and professional wrestling, but they remained further under the radar than other Yakuza groups.

Zelas' hero status came about when a tsunami struck the Metallium's hometown and she sent relief aid before the government had even fully gotten their resources together. Not only did it make the Yakuza group look good, it made the government look incompetent. A bonus in the crime queen's book.

Now she sat in her luxury condo, waiting for her son to bring his new boyfriend home, finally.

The blonde woman was smirking like a shark. It was fairly disturbing, but Zelgadis saw the family resemblance immediately.

He bowed respectfully, as if he were meeting with a politician or royalty. "Madam."

"My son's told me so much about you." Zelas turned her purple eyes on Xellos. "Though I can't imagine he's told you much about me."

"No," Zelgadis admitted with candor, "he hasn't."

Zelas chuckled and Xellos blushed, embarrassed. Zelgadis found he liked the expression on Xellos. It made the delicateness of his features more pronounced.

Dinner was an uncomfortable affair until Zelas and Zelgadis found that they had something in common—they loved to tease Xellos mercilessly. Soon, they were exchanging all sorts of stories about the man, and Zel learned more about his lover in an hour than he had in all the six months they were together. He was beginning to feel like this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Then there were bare-bottomed baby pictures, which clinched it.

Zelas had quite a collection. Cowboy hats, sailor uniforms, plastic pirate swords, and some of Xellos just wandering around naked within his mother's camera range.

"So he's always been an exhibitionist," Zel remarked around a chuckle, remembering how Xellos liked to wander naked around his apartment.

Zelas smiled fondly. "Yes. I finally had to make him move out. There are just some things after a certain age that a mother shouldn't have to put up with."

Xellos groaned, his face now deeply hidden in hands. "Kaa-san, please…"

Zelgadis smiled fondly, since Xellos couldn't see it. He thought that Xellos showing weakness, when the man was normally mysterious, confident, and annoying, was rather endearing.

Then there was a soft knock on the door, and a colorfully dressed teenager stepped inside.

"Yes, Phibrizo-kun?" Zelas asked, handing the photo album to Zelgadis. He could tell this had to do with business, but most of his attention was on the boy.

Because he recognized this young recruit. He had seen him before. On the night when he had almost been mugged, to be exact. Zelgadis glared at Xellos, who had the decency to wince, at least.

The teen, Phibrizo, whispered in Zelas' ear, obviously carrying some message to her. The crime boss nodded and the teen slipped back out again. He didn't spare Zelgadis a glance – either he didn't remember the night six months ago or he didn't care.

Zelgadis rounded on his lover as soon as the teen was gone. "You ordered him to mug me!"

"Ahaha…" Xellos rubbed the back of his head. "Would I do something like that?"

Zelas was smirking at her son, amused. "Of course you would. Honestly, dear, can't you think of better ways to pick up boys?"

"Ahahaha…"

Zelgadis didn't worry about Xellos' job too much. What he did was dangerous, of course, but he wasn't out killing anyone, or selling drugs on street corners. He was upper management, and would some day be his mother's second in command, able to take her place when she retired or died. (And if Zel had anything to say about it, she would be retiring. His boyfriend's mother was strangely dear to him since that first meeting and he didn't want any harm to come to her.)

No, he didn't worry about Xellos too much. If he were arrested, his mother would always pay for his bail. The charges wouldn't be that serious anyway. It wasn't like he was killing people.

He was in charge of the uncensored porn distribution.

It was eight months into their relationship and their first Christmas together when Zelgadis noticed something new on his lover's naked body.

He pointed at the pink illustration on Xellos' bottom. "Xellos, what the hell is that?"

"Hm? Oh…" Another embarrassed look. "Well, you see, I thought I needed to mark something meaningful. I don't feel the need to cover myself with tattoos, of course, but something rather special happened to me."

Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. "Don't be vague. What happened that was so special? I know it wasn't there before…"

"Ah, well. You."

"Me?"

Xellos smiled, his cheek still resting against a pillow, his eyes glittering in the low lamplight. "You are what happened. I've never been in a relationship for so long, nor with anyone that was so dear to me. I care for you more than anyone. So, this is celebrating that, as well as marking me as yours."

At first, Zelgadis was flattered. Xellos had put a permanent mark on his body signifying their relationship. He didn't talk of their relationship often, so it was nice hearing how much Xellos cared. He didn't say the word love, but getting a tattoo, in the particularly painful way that the Yakuza preferred, meant something.

But, the tattoo itself… "Xellos, it's a fucking rabbit!"

Xellos pouted. "I knew you'd focus on that."

"A pink rabbit! Not even blue!"

"Aw, Zel-bunny…"

"No nicknames!"

It was later that night, after Xellos had apologized with his very talented mouth, that something else occurred to Zelgadis.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me to join," he murmured into Xellos' hair.

"It's not safe," Xellos answered, resting against Zel's chest. "I was, however, going to ask you to move in with me."

Ah, another big step. Like the tattoo. "To keep me safe?" He didn't need confirmation. "I'm not a bird you can cage up. You've probably seen my rap sheet, too, so you know what I'm capable of. Besides, what you do isn't particularly dangerous. I can work around the office. Do something benign." It wasn't that he wanted to be Yakuza. He just didn't want to be useless.

"Hey, didn't your mother just fire her bodyguard?"

"Gaav-san wouldn't stop getting into fights. It's his own fault, really, wearing that bright orange coat everywhere…" Xellos lifted his head with a frown. "Why do you bring that up?"

Zelgadis smirked. "Oh, no reason."

Xellos hadn't asked Zelgadis to join Metallium because he wanted to keep him safe. He also liked having something to himself. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed anything outside of working for his mother. Even selling porn was beginning to become dry and boring.

He should have known that after the first meeting, though, that Zelgadis and his mother got along far too well. It was a good sign, of course, as his mother had never liked his other boyfriends. Gourry had been sweet, and very good with a sword, as it turned out, but a little slow on some things. And Milgasia, well, of course his mother wouldn't like someone as stiff and proper as he was. Besides, Milgasia finding out about his job was an utter disaster.

Zelgadis was perfect in every way. He accepted Xellos' activities without batting an eye, he was sweet and charming without meaning to be, adorably shy, but was cynical and had a dark sense of humor. The information the police had on him was, indeed, very interesting, but Xellos' interest lay mainly in what the reports said about his character. Zelgadis was magnificent.

But his worst fears culminated when Zelgadis became his mother's bodyguard. The two of them seemed bent on embarrassing him at every chance they got, and the two of them working together was frightening.

Xellos couldn't help but laugh in private, though. It almost felt like they were, well… a real family. It was nice.

He thought he could probably live with it.

~ End. Thanks for reading! ~