Do I love you or the thought of you?

Justin stood staring at himself in the mirror in the caravan he shared with his ‘Master’ Wade Barrett, holding his shirt in one hand. He was supposed to be getting ready for a show, already half dressed in the outfit he wore while performing.
He’d stopped to look at the faint scars that he had on his chest, frowning, knowing there were more on his back. Wade was the only other person in the circus who had seen the scars, as they weren’t noticeable unless someone got close enough and Justin always made sure no one saw them; the scars being the only reason the Werewolf who was otherwise proud of his looks wore a shirt while performing.

He reached his free hand up to run a finger along one of the more visible scars, cursing silently. He didn’t actually know how he’d gotten most of them, though some were caused by injuries he’d ended up with while he was transformed by the full moon. Justin didn’t really remember anything of his past before meeting Wade, let alone how exactly he’d met Wade and it often bothered him that he didn’t; never really getting a proper answer out of Wade when he asked about it.

Though Justin loved performing in the circus and being with Wade, he wished he had someone else he could truly talk to at times. Sure he had his friends, like Heath who ran one of the food stands, but Wade often tried to keep him away from Justin.

Being a half-breed Were meant others of his kind all shunned him, so he couldn’t talk to them about anything, besides the few odd ones he came across who ignored the rule his parents had broken. Though he didn’t really know anything about his parents, Justin knew that while his father had been cursed, his mother had been human; most Werewolves not liking such a thing because they thought being turned into one was bad enough and didn’t approve of children being born with the curse.

Sighing, Justin pulled on his shirt and spiked his hair, smiling a little when he was satisfied with it, going to put on his shoes afterwards. Once he was ready, he headed outside, the look on his face one he’d come to realise only Wade knew the cause of; Justin having stood staring at his scars in the mirror many times before. He looked around briefly, watching the others who worked at the circus getting ready, before deciding to head towards the main tent to practice before the show.

It was another day on the midway, another dollar and another long hot shower after the day was done to wash the clinging batter from his hair and body. As tiresdme as the day was however it never wore down Heath's zest for llife nor the burning hatred for the abonimations that ruled the darkness.

Werewolves, Vampires, Kitsunes, Faes. Creatures long thought to be myths that in actuallity clung to life by their curled talons and claws. Heath was never a believer, he's heard the stories, had come from down south where tales of such creatures were still bandied about around campfires, but until the night he's witnessed his father being murdered by a werewolf he though they were just tales of BS.

Since that night Heath had made it his duty to hunt down and wipe as many of the dirty beasts from the earth as he could. To date he'd killed three, one of them leaving a long arcing set of scratches across his back that burned when the moon was full and onlt further fulled his hate.

The sounds of other carnies and performers filled the air and he sighed as he pulled his thick red hair into a pony tail and slipped his concessions shirt on. As he took one last look in his mirror he caught sight of Justin heading towards the main tent and he allowed himself to stare. They were friends, Justin had been the first one to approach him when he'd signed up and they had gotten along easily.

There was one fly in the ointment, Wade Barrett. The dark haired Brit hated that Heath and Justin spoke and had gone to great lengths to keep the two of them apart. If there was one thing that Heath hated more than Werewolves it was Wade Barrett and as he closed himself into his fried foods joint to get a jump on his cooking he let his mind wander to the many painful things he'd like to do to the Brit and the fun things that he and Justin could once the Brit was out of the way.

The circus floor was his stage and the worthless mortals that decided to visit his home were his prey. At least they would be if he was able to feed off of mortals like a normal vampire. But nooo, being turned by a Ventrue had made Wade Barrett need a certain type of blood. Werewolf blood to be exact. That's part of the reason he had been so willing to bring up Justin Gabriel as his little pet.

At least it had been in the beginning. The young man was handsome, fierce when it came down to it. Wade needed someone like that in his life. He didn't ask about the scars. He had enough of his own scars to know that the stories behind them were sacred. He also didn't care. As long as his Justin was handsome from the face down, as long as he was the envy of the rest of the circus he would use his power as ringmaster and the jealousy from having Justin Gabriel as a pet to his advantage.

Take Heath Slater for example. Heath Slater, a weak mortal who Wade couldn't believe worked for him willingly. There was something off about the ginger, something that Wade hated more than anything. He could smell the stench of death on the man and knew that he was trouble.

However, at the moment he was walking through his circus. He needed to clear his mind before the show. He hungered and he didn't want to be bothered by anyone else. He passed by Heath's stand, shooting the ginger a smirk before he headed into the main tent to find his Justin, a grin on his face.

"Hello love."

Hearing Wade's familiar voice, Justin stopped and turned to face him with a smile on his face; though he still had the troubled look in his brown eyes. He put down the clubs he'd been about to practice juggling with and went over to Wade, looking up at the Vampire as he wrapped his arms around his waist; hugging him.

"Hello." Justin responded, trying to sound more cheerful than he actually was, though he doubted he'd fool Wade with it. Even if the act worked on his friends, Justin had learnt that Wade wasn't so easy to fool after knowing him for so long.

"Looking for something?" He asked teasingly, tilting his head to one side, hoping he could distract Wade enough to stop him noticing something was wrong. Justin was always stubborn when it came to talk about things that were bothering him, only admitting something was when people had already figured there was, never really saying so otherwise.
The stubborness was a trait he'd picked up from his Werewolf father; along with the curse.

Heath scowled as Wade passed him, that damn smirk on his face. It was something that he was starting to find annoyed him more than anything else on the face of the planet. As the grease started to bubble Heath moved and stood on the tongue of his trailer, staring out over the midway.

Around him joints were opening and the usual threats about awning calls rang out and he shook his head as some of the more shady charcters passed. Nearly eveyone had a secret here, some darker and more dangerous than others but still secrets all the same.

There was a wolf here, he's heard tell of it as well as vampires. Of course he couldn't prove it, he'd have to do more research but deep down he could almost bet that that oily rat Barrett was one. The large Brit had the feel of a vampire about him and it would be a nice feather in his cap if he could take the man out.

He watched as Wade ducked into the circus tent and it took everything in Heath's power to keep to his trailer and now follow. However as he went back inside to check his oil he made a plan to stop by and see Justin after they closed.

Wade hugged him back with a tight hug, loving the way that his were felt against his skin. He could hear the heartbeat pounding in his ears and it was enough to make his hunger worse. The look in Justin's eyes, however, shot down any want for food he had. There was something troubling in his pet's eyes and he'd be damned if he didn't ask what was wrong. Not that he wasn't damned anyway. All vampires were.

"Whats wrong Justin? And don't tell me nothing because it's bull," Wade softly said, tilting Justin's head to it's upright position as he looked into his eyes. "You can tell me over a fried twinkie and a bit of fried chicken. Heath opened his stand so he can fix us some food."

It wasn't just for food that Wade loved to go to the food stand with Justin, he loved to torment the red head that ran the stand. He was a weak mortal and if he had half an idea about what he or Justin were then he would have turned tail and ran. However, he could see what made Heath a desirable man. Heath was strong and friendly, much more so than he himself was. However, Justin was his pet and he would die before he let Heath get anywhere near his pet.

Justin sighed quietly when Wade asked what was wrong, having been about to quickly say 'nothing' until Wade said not to. He gave a small smile when Wade lifted his head, which only widened at the mention of food; though it was partly also because it meant he got to see his friend.

He had a feeling there was another reason besides getting food that Wade wanted to go to Heath's stand, seeing as there were others, but he didn't bother asking Wade about it; staying quiet instead. Quickly removing his arms from Wade's waist, Justin took one of his hands and stated dragging him towards the doorway of the tent.

If he had a tail, it would have been wagging; Justin always eager for food, though it was a different kind of food when it came to his Werewolf side. He wasn't exactly proud of it, but that side of him preferred human flesh, or animals if he wasn't able to get that, usually hunting outside of the fairgrounds when he turned under the Full Moon; otherwise he settled for raw meats like steak when he was able to fight his Were instincts.

Sweat was crawling down Heath's face as he pulled out a pork tenderloin, shaking the grease off of it and placing it on a bun for presentation for the day. When he looked up he smiled seeing Justin coming his way. The smile faltered a bit when he seen Wade in tow but he grinned as he leaned on his elbows and called out the window.

"Justin! You come to eat me out of all my food?"

He nodded cooly to Wade before turning his smile back to Justin, taking just a moment to let his eyes wander over Justins face.

Wade smirked as he and Justin approached the stand that Heath ran. Slater was a constant thorn in his side and sometimes he hoped that he could bash the mortal's head in and show him true power. He reminded Wade of most yankee's he had come across in the revolutionary war and it set his blood on fire. Because of men like that, he had lost his mortal life and had been turned.

"You know how Justin is with food," Wade smirked at Heath, "he just loves to wolf it down. I swear, he's more animal than human sometime."

The hidden joke made Wade laugh, if Heath only knew what Wade knew he would turn from his friend. He wouldn't have to protect his friend at all. Heath would want nothing to do with him.

Justin rolled his eyes at Wade's joking, unamused. He turned to face Heath after shooting Wade a look, silently telling the Vampire to stop. He grinned at the red head, back to his usual, cheerful self for now; always glad to see his friend.
"Don't worry, I won't eat all of it; maybe just most of it." He teased. "Wouldn't want you to be stuck here cooking all night..."
He had a feeling Wade was hoping Heath figured out the truth, knowing Wade was possessive and probably hoping it would keep Heath away; but Justin didn't want his friend to hate him. He'd make the joke hoping to distract Heath from the one Wade had made, adding the comment afterwards knowing Heath usually tried visit him after the show.

Heath grinned as he winked at Justin. "I could stay here all night if it meant feeding you all night..."

The image that that brought to mind made Heath bite his lip to keep from groaning and he grinned again as he motioned to the fresh cooked Corn-dogs, chicken tenders, and various sweets that he had lined up. Looking over Justin's shoulder he practically glared at Wade. The large Brit grated on him, even worse than the scars that ran down his back that sent fire through him on a full moon and manifested in Wolf like tendencies. Just the random thought of those scars had him pressing a hand to the base of his neck where the longest swipe ended and he scowled, barking out at Wade in a mix of anger and frustration.

"Hey only grease for cooking is allowed in here, so you and your oily hair can wait outside. I keep a clean joint and the health inspector will be here any minute. And unless you plan on paying me for the time I miss if they fail me then get!"

Wade noted the look that Justin gave him but rolled his eyes. He didn't want to leave the mortal alone. Deep down there was something even more sinister than hatred running through his veins for the young man, something that he could tell neither Heath nor Justin for fear that they would both look at him like he was insane.

When he heard the comment about his hair, Wade scowled at Heath, "I'll have you know that my hair isn't oily. It's product and Justin thinks it makes my hair look nice. Not unruly and untamed like it is when it's not this way. Besides, I want food. I'll have one of your corndogs if you don't mind. Actually, I'll have one even if you do mind."

Chuckling, Justin turned his gaze to the food, missing Heath's glare; too busy trying to decide what he wanted to eat. He had his eyes on the chicken until he noticed Heath move, frowning again at the comment Heath made before turning to see how Wade would respond. Sighing, Justin ran a hand through his dark hair as he looked at his feet, waiting for them to finish snapping at each other.

He would have said something to stop them, but didn't bother, not wanting to annoy either of them; especially Wade, knowing he didn't exactly have the calmest of personalities. Instead of saying anything, Justin looked out at the fairgrounds as his mind went back the what had been bothering him in the first place when Wade had found him, not really paying attention to Heath and Wade anymore.

Heath opened his mouth to tell Wade that he hoped the large Brit choked on that corndog but stopped when looked back at Justin and noticed that he was looking out over the grounds with a sad forlorn look. Loewring his voice and putting on a small smile he nudged Justin gently.

"Hey, don't see anything you want? I can make you some special if you want."

Somehow it was Wades fault that his friend looked like that and Heath narrowed his eyes only a bit at the man before turning his attention back to Justin. The small sad tilt to Justins lips should never be there and Heath was bound and detremined to wipe it away and replace it with a smile instead.

"Isn't that sweet of the ginger, Justin?" Wade asked as he turned his head to look at Justin. There was something wrong, of that there was no doubt. However, Wade couldn't place his finger on it. He had always been so kind and loving to Justin, there was no reason he should look as upset as he did.

"What sort of mojo did you send my Justy's way, Heath?" glared Wade, looking the mortal man over. He blamed Heath for it. Hell, if someone had asked him what the cause of world war two was, he would have blamed Heath for that as well.

"He didn't do anything Wade..." Justin sighed, looking up at him. "I was like this when you found me in the tent, remember? It's why you suggested we go get food..." He added before turning to Heath with a small smile on his face. "You don't need to go make something special just for me, I know how long it takes to cook some of those foods."

Looking at the food, Justin's problem was temporarily forgotten again, his basic instincts often taking over even when he wasn't a wolf. "Besides, the chicken will be fine." He said with a small smile, though normally he would have been grinning.

Heath arched an eyebrow at Wade before snapping his teeth at the man. The dulled wolf like aggression that wasn't something that played well with his own aggression making him twice a prickly.

"Yeah, I didn't do nothing. I'm completely innocent."

He looks back at Justin, noticing the slight smile but nothing that he'd normally see on the mans face when food was around. Shelving his worries he nods, putting a few big pieces of chicken on a plate for Justin and then picking up the smallest corndog he had and holding it out to Wade with a slight smirk.

"There you go boys." He turns back around to get two large cups. "Thristy?"

Wade shot Justin an apologetic smile and nodded, "Sorry love. I just like to blame this little mo...man for everything he does..." he had almost called him a mortal though he knew it would have aggrivated Justin.

With a smile he looked back at the food, scowling when he was handed a small corndog. He narrowed his eyes and took it from Heath, "Well thank you Slater but you didn't have to hand me something that showed exactly what your mind thinks of. Just like this corndog, it's capable of very little. I'll take a tea though."

"Wade!" Justin said, sounding irritated, a slight growl in his voice as he turned to face his 'master'; sick of listening to them insulting each other when he wasn't in the best of moods to begin with. "What's the point in apologising if you're still going to be an ass anyway?" He asked as he gave Wade a look he'd usually only give when he was in one of his bad moods leading up to his transformations during the full Moons.

He slowly turned back to face Heath and thanked him for the food, coming closer to get it with a small smile; pointing out the drink he wanted before giving Heath a look, as if he was silently trying to apologise for Wade's behaviour.

Heath was going to snap back at Wade but the tone of voice that Justin had used stated clearly that he wasn't in the mood to hear them fight anymore. Heath settled for glaring at Wade as he handed the man his drink before turning and giving Justin what he hoped was an apologetic smile.

"So are you doing anything new in your act tonight?"

Heath leaned back against one of the counters and focused all of his attention on Justin, wanting to just enjoy the time with him even if the large british annoyance was there too.

When Justin berated him, Wade rolled his eyes, "No I guess it doesn't help if I just keep being an ass to him Justin." he leaned back against a nearby telephone pole as he assessed the situation. Heath was becoming more and more of a threat to him for Justin. It wouldn't be to long until they were spending nights together either laughing and talking or doing some of the acts that Wade personally loved to show Justin through. He took a deep breath as he thought about how much he'd like to get rid of the ginger.

Though there was something else that seemed to be nagging at his soul. Heath was increasingly handsome and the way that his blood seemed to stand out when they would talk was different. Blood only looked good to him if it was werewolf blood and Wade was almost certain that the blood in question was not werewolf blood.

Justin watched Wade as he leaned against the pole, not bothering to respond to him, deciding it was better to just leave him for now; frowning before turning back to Heath.
"I was hoping to do something new, only I haven't been able to get it quite right..." He said, answering Heath's question. "I always screw it up at the same place. I was about to practice it again, but apparently food's more important." He smiled at Heath, more genuinely than he had earlier, despite being annoyed a minute ago, distracted by the conversation about his act.

Tilting his head to the side Heath gave Justin a wide smile.

"I can always help you if you want Justin. I might a little clumsy, but I'm a fast learner and maybe with two sets of eyes watching what's going on we can figure it out."

Heath could feel Wade's eyes on him and he flicked his eyes over quickly before turning them back to Justin. The inspection of the large Brit however left his scars on his back tingling and the dormant wolfish tendencies were starting to kick up; feeling threatened and making him feel a little more aggravated by the large man. Still intent on ignoring Wade he grabbed some fresh french fries and put them in front of Justin.

"Food is always important, wouldn't want you to waste away to nothing. I'd be left all alone if you did that, and I don't like being alone."

"Of course you don't like being alone," Wade laughed, "people who are annoying never like being alone. Especially annoying gingers," he gave a soft laugh. Looking at Justin, he smirked, "You'll get it like you always do darling. But for now why don't we get back to the trailer and you can tell me exactly whats wrong."

Justin gave a small smile as Heath put the fries in front of him before opening his mouth to respond to Heath's offer, only to turn and look over his shoulder as Wade laughed. He stayed quiet as Wade spoke, glancing back at Heath before nodding submissively at Wade's suggestion out of habit. He picked up his food and started towards Wade before stopping abruptly to turn and look back at Heath.

"Maybe you could come by the main tent a little later?" Justin suggested. "...maybe in an hour or so?"