Alcohol left a bitter taste on his tongue, yet it was much sweeter than the pain in his heart. He was drunk, he knew that, yet it didn't matter. Bringing the glass to his lips once more, the liquid rolled down his throat in an attempt to numb his feelings. It wasn't enough, it couldn't distract him for long, but what did it matter? He had lost the love of his life, he had lost his fiancée.

He cracked open another bottle, standing up while drunkenly stumbling out of the office. The CEO had been sulking all night long, leaving him as the last resident in the building. It was well past midnight, even the janitors had gone home, but he still wandered the halls aimlessly. Even if he went home, he wouldn't be able to sleep. Since he took over the company for his father, work had been the only thing on his mind.

That was actually the reason his fiancée had left. She thought he was too absorbed in work, too stressed. That was true, he couldn't deny it any longer. He would spend night after night sitting in bed, typing away reports and emails in bed before getting dressed to do the same at work. This was the first time in months he had been intoxicated, the first time in months his mind was someplace other than work.

Leaning against the glass window, he stared out at the glowing city, bottle in hand. With his vision disoriented and blurry, all he could see was a mess of flashing colors and lights. He took another swig of the alcohol, loosening the tie that was practically strangling him. His suit coat had been discarded, while the top two buttons on his dress shirt had been undone. He looked so broken.

A bit of intoxicating liquid dribbled out of the corner of his lips, the CEO wiping it careless on the sleeve of his shirt. He couldn't drive home, just because he was drunk didn't mean he was stupid. He would spend the night in the building, he decided while wobbling back to his corner office. There was no doubt in his mind that he would be hungover in the morning, but that felt years away.

He flopped down into his chair, groaning as he placed the bottle with the four other empty glasses of alcohol on his desk. The CEO leaned back, shutting his eyes while trying to fight a headache. He was on the verge of throwing up from the sheer amount of beer in his body, though a buzz in his pocket stopped him.

Fumbling to pull out his phone, the glowing screen made him squint his eyes. A message was on the screen, though he couldn't make out the letters. Damn, he was far beyond his normal level of drunk. Luckily enough, the text was quickly followed up by a phone call. He could probably still hear, right? The CEO shrugged it off, trying to sound as dignified as possible as he swiped a thumb against the screen to answer the call.

"Hel-...hello?" He groaned, his words interrupted by an unexpected hiccup.

A familiar laugh came from the other end of the call. "Break-up been hard? I can practically smell the alcohol on your breath over the phone."

"Ha-ha, Bdubs. Very funny." He grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh come on, Mumbo. This is what, your third girlfriend this year?"

"Fourth." The CEO corrected.

"Fourth. Huh. Damn, guess I owe Keralis some money."

"He's rich, what does it matter? Hell, you're rich! You both run billion-dollar companies!" Mumbo snapped with a slur, then a hiccup.

"What can I say, that sucker just loves to gamble and bet. You could always join us for poker night, maybe that would help you with this break-up."

"How did you even find out about it? She just broke off our engagement today!"

"New and media are all over it. They just love harassing people 'til they snap. She gave them the complete story, an article was just released about it."

"Great, another target on my back. My father will be thrilled to hear it.." he mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why are you even calling in the first place? What time is it?"

"Three in the morning. After your other rough break-ups, I thought you'd either be drinking or working. Looks like I was right. Come on, I'll send a driver over to pick you up and take you to my apartment. You need to crash for a couple days, no work."

"Can't. I'm already behind, this whole...situation has set me back a day's worth of work."

"Awe, who cares? The work and the company will still be there when you get back. Plus, you haven't taken a vacation or a sick day since you've taken over. I say we take a few days off and I help you relax a bit."

Mumbo groaned, his drunken headache pounding against his skull. He didn't have it in him to argue, and Bdubs was persistent as hell. Keralis too, he would drag the CEO out of his office by force if he didn't take a break soon. Defeated, he let out a sigh. "Fine."

"My driver is already halfway to your office. Seen you soon."

Bdubs hung up without another word, while the mustached businessman leaned back in his chair. Just by his voice, it was clear he had something planned. Whatever it was, Mumbo didn't care at this point. He just wanted to feel better, to heal the awful wound in his heart.

Consciousness was starting to slip as his vision turned even more blurred. Before he could even take a moment to process their interaction, he blacked out.

—

"Awe, poor Bumbo. It's time to get up, we're going to be late to our appointment. You can sleep on the way there."

He was lightly shaken in an attempt to wake him up, the CEO letting out a groan at his pounding head. The overhead light was practically blinding, causing him to flinch and use his arm to block it out. Someone handed him a pair of sunglasses, which he quickly snatched and fumbled to put on.

"Back with us?" Bdubs asked while adjusting his tie, Keralis standing next to the American. Both of them looked sharp, trimmed hair and stunning outfits, while Mumbo looked homeless. He gave a weak nod, graciously accepting the glass of the water that the Polish male gave him.

"Ugh, how drunk was I night?"

"You threw up twice in my driver's car, then passed out on my couch. Go take a shower, there's a clean suit waiting for you. Apparently someone saw you stumble out of the car and into my penthouse. The media is swarming downstairs in the lobby, waiting for you to come out. They want your statement on your recent break-up, but once we get outta here, they won't be able to find us."

Mumbo groaned, Keralis helping him to his feet. "What? Where are we going?"

"To the airport. We have a private jet waiting for us. Bubbles and I have an important meeting, and after what happened, we thought you would be interested in coming!"

"If I wanted to sit all day in a meeting, I would just go back to work." He sneered with a roll of his eyes, while Bdubs snorted a laugh.

"Not that kind of meeting. We're more or less...picking up a product. You see once we get there." The American CEO said, gesturing towards the bathroom. Mumbo sighed, giving a nod.

He was quick, just an icy shower to wake himself up. Within minutes he was out and dressed, his hair was dripping water as he left the bathroom. He looked much better, like a real CEO in his crisp and polished suit. "Let's get this over with," he grumbled, striding past the two other millionaires.

Keralis and Bdubs shared an excited grin, the two putting on their own sunglasses as they made their way into the elevator. They rode in silence, the three standing with their posture straight and their expression stone-cold. They had done this long enough that they had known what the media and reporters were like, any little expression will be blown out of proportion.

As soon as the doors open, hundreds of cameras flashed and took their photos. Reporters screamed over one another, yelling meaningless questions that Mumbo had no care for. Even with his sunglasses on, there were so many flashing lights, he had to raise an arm to block it all out. Being a 26-year-old billionaire was practically a goldmine for the media, so it was like the CEO was underneath a microscope constantly.

A car was already waiting for them, the driver holding the door open for the three. Mumbo practically ran out of the lobby and into the building, with Keralis and Bdubs close behind. He took off his tinted glasses with a sigh, though the screaming questions were only slightly muffled. The Brit visibly relaxed in his seat, shutting his eyes while letting out a quiet sigh.

"I can't deal with this much longer. Why the hell can't I just run off and quit this damn job?!"

"Your parents would kill you. Hell, your dad nearly killed me once for almost backing out of a company deal." Bdubs laughed, loosening his tie while grabbing a beer from the limousine minibar. He was older than Mumbo, though the CEO was lucky enough to have him and Keralis for support. They were probably his only friends.

They were off to the airport, Mumbo had barely noticed that the car was moving until he realized the loud shouts of reporters had come to a stop. In only around thirty minutes, they were boarding the private jet and preparing to take off. Three glasses of bubbling champagne were poured by one of the flight attendants, which the mustached billionaire quickly pushed away before he could get blackout-drunk again.

He stared out the window for most of the flight, letting his mind wander as the time passed. He was still disoriented and a bit confused, the hangover not seeming to pass, but luckily it was beginning to fade as the jet landed on a private island. Mumbo blinked, glancing to the others CEOs. "Do you own this?"

"Nope, but a friend of ours does." Keralis said as he stood up, taking his glass of alcohol as he walked out of the plane. Puzzled, the Brit followed Bdubs out of the jet and onto the island.

Someone was waiting for them, a man with chestnut hair and a fluffy beard, along with a patch over their left eye. Similar to the other CEOs, they wore a fancy suit with a lime green tie. "Well, hallo there!" They greeted with a Swedish accent, holding a sort of fancy cane. It was clear that they didn't need it to walk, it was likely used for a fashion statement of sorts.

"Iskall! Good to see you, old friend." Bdubs grinned from ear to ear, embracing them with a hug.

"Mr.BDoubleO! It has been a while, hasn't it?" The Swede asked with a rich, inviting laugh.

"Too long!" Keralis chimed in as Iskall hugged the Polish CEO in greeting.

"You two should really stop by more. I bet you'd love to see the new beach house I've just purchased."

"We would, but damn, work only keeps getting busier. Unlike you, we can't all travel the world and relax on a private island."

They rolled their eye. "You could if you really wanted to, you both have the money."

"I'll stick to buying your products instead, shpank you!" Keralis giggled with his cheeks slightly turning a rosy shade of pink.

"Speaking of which—" Iskall glanced to the young CEO who was standing off to the side. "—who's this?"

"Oh right. Iskall, this is Mumbo. Keralis and I brought him along to buy one of your products. He could use it, especially since his fiancée just broke off their engagement."

"Ah, I see." Iskall stroked their beard, studying the mustached CEO. "Alright. Come with me. I'll show your friend our wide array of products, while you two can meet your orders."

Mumbo blinked in confusion, though he couldn't waste a moment to think about what they had meant. Following the other businessmen down the long runway that the private jet had landed on, the four approached a circular metal platform at the end of the pavement. Iskall walked over to a box that was attached to the railing that surrounded the platform, waiting for the three to board before typing in a password.

They hit enter, a little red light on the box suddenly turning green to show that access to the private area had been granted. The floor suddenly rattled and shook, an eerie groan escaping the heavy machinery. Mumbo's legs wobbled unsteadily, eyes widening as the platform slowly began to move. It slowly sunk underground, like a sort of elevator, taking the four into the depths of the island.

"So, tell me about this fiancée of yours." They asked the young CEO, who was holding onto the railing of the platform for dear life.

"Erm, she dumped me because I worked too much.." he muttered weakly, staring up at the sunlight that turned more and more distant, the only light now coming from artificial bulbs beneath their feet.

"Mm. You want a more loyal partner?"

"I mean, I guess?" The Brit shrugged.

"Hmm.." they pondered with a smug grin twisting the ends of their lips. "I think I'll be able to help you, Mr. Jumbo." Iskall grinned with a little chuckle, just as the elevator came to a screeching halt. "Right this way, boys."

Glass doors slid open automatically, revealing a long hallway lined with containment cells of some kind. They were pitch black, giving the illusion that they were empty, yet out of the corner of his eye, Mumbo could have sworn he saw something move in the shadows. He turned to face the cell, eyes narrowing as he peered into the darkness.

"Bumbo! Hurry up!" Keralis called suddenly, his voice bringing the CEO back to reality.

"Oh! C-coming!" He replied, tugging nervously at his tie while running to catch up with the three. Something about this strange facility made him nervous, like he was about to be strapped in a straitjacket and thrown into some kind of lab.

Iskall stood by one of the cells while Bdubs practically bounced up and down with excitement, Mumbo had never seen him with this childlike energy before. The Swede punched in a numerical code into a keypad, much too fast for the mustached CEO to process. "We have our agreed pricing, correct?" They asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Who the hell cares—" The American said while undoing his suit coat, tossing it carelessly to the side before yanking off his tie as well. "—whatever you want, I'll pay it."

"Erm, Bdubs, don't you think that's a bit irresponsible?" Mumbo whispered in a harsh tone. "What are you even buying, anyway?"

The lights flickered on with a sudden jolt, shining light into the containment cell. Horror suddenly filled the pit of his stomach, the young CEO feeling his legs shake at the sight of a man—a hybrid—behind the glass wall.

His dirty brown hair was ruffled and soft, while a pair of fluffy ears peaked out ever-so-slightly. His long and skinny tail swung side to side, while his curious green eyes sparkled. Scars covered his face and bare chest, with the only clothes he wore being a pair of simple black trousers and some sort of mechanical collar.

"Bdubs!" The cat hybrid meowed happily, pawing at the glass while letting out little whines of desperation.

"Hello Scar," the American CEO greeted with a soft voice, his palms pressed against the glass as he stared into the cat's vibrant green eyes. "I've missed you."

He quickly reached into his pocket without breaking eye contact, placing his wallet into the palm of Iskall's hand. The Swede smiled cockily as they pulled out a credit card, chuckling underneath their breath. "Perfect. Scar is all yours." With a press of a button, the glass barrier slid open, and the hybrid threw his arms around his new owner.

"You...you bought th-that thing?!" Mumbo snapped, Scar's tail going between his legs as he let out a sad whimper.

"He's not a thing—" Bdubs responded calmly with an arm around his pet, the cat nuzzling his head against the CEO's chest. "—his name is Scar. Iskall travels all over the world and finds hybrids to rent out or sell. After a couple times of renting, I've finally decided to buy him."

"Are you insane!? My goodness, this is probably illegal! Oh, my parents are going to kill me for even being here!"

"Calm down, Bumbo." Keralis said with a relaxed tone as he placed a hand on the Brit's shoulder. "They won't know. Have your parents even talked to you since they retired?"

Truthfully, they hadn't. Which, Mumbo had to admit, was pretty nice. The most they had communicated was a scolding text each time an article would come out about the young CEO. They weren't exactly the most loving parents, mostly harsh and focused only on work. Still, that didn't change the fact that he would be a dead man if they ever found out he was here.

Fingers snapped in front of his face, bringing him back to the present. "Earth to Mumbo, you there?" Bdubs asked. "Look, you obviously don't have to do this if you're uncomfortable with anything. We just thought it would be a good idea to be with an obedient partner for a night or two."

He sighed in defeat, glancing to Iskall. "Okay, I admit it would be a nice to take my mind off things. Do you have any alcohol? If I'm going to do this, I'm doing it drunk."

"You've had more than enough after last night!" Keralis scolded, and Mumbo knew that he had a point.

"Okay, okay. Fine. Show me what...hybrids you have."

Iskall smiled with a gleam in their eye. "Right this way! Keralis, why don't you come along too? You can pick up your order while Bdubs and Scar have some alone time.."

The American grinned, an arm around his hybrid that was lovingly kissing his neck. Despite the unsettling cat-human mix, Mumbo had to admit that he was a tad bit jealous of just how happy Bdubs seemed with Scar. The two walked back to the elevator to head to the surface, while Iskall led the two remaining CEOs deeper into the facility.

Keralis led the way, as if he knew exactly where he was going. He probably did, who knows how many times he had been in this same hallway while browsing for a new pet. The Swede hung back with the mustached Brit, walking slower to keep up with his reluctant pace. By the time the caught up with Keralis, he was waiting by a glass cell with a wide smile.

"And you're sure you want this one?" Iskall asked cautiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! Shpank you!" He said, handing over his credit card.

"Mm, alright then."

Typing in a code, the lights in the cell flickered on, and Mumbo saw why they had been so nervous to sell this specific hybrid. He had thought that Scar was something crazy, but this was a completely other level of insane. It was some kind of horse or centaur, but with green fuzz covering its body and skin. Along with that, it had two curled goat horns. Its back faced the glass, making it hard to make out any other features.

"What it that?" Mumbo whispered to the Swede, keeping his eyes glued to the unknown creature.

"It's called a creeper. Very rare. Found him wandering through a dark forest in the northern parts of Germany, though he was pretty hurt. I fixed him up with a few robotic parts, but that didn't seem to attract any customers. Not to mention he can be pretty...Intense. He's been here for a couple years, been rented once or twice, but no one really connected to him. Until Keralis, apparently."

Its pointed ear twitched, the creature turning towards the barrier. Half of its face was covered by metal, making it some king of cyborg. The robotic red eye glanced from Iskall, to Mumbo, before settling on Keralis. "You..you're back?" A gruff and coarse voice spoke, as if the creature hadn't said a word in weeks. They held a German accent, the centaur cocking its head to the side in curiosity.

"Of course! How can I bring you home if I didn't come back?"

The creature's organic pointed ear twitched. "You..you bought me?" He asked in barely a whisper, while the CEO gave an excited nod. A dark green blush crept across the edges of his face, while his gaze cast to the side to avoid eye contact. The cell opened, though Doc didn't move, glancing to Iskall as if he were asking for permission.

"Go right ahead." They nodded, and the creature reluctantly left the containment cell. Keralis giggled and ran a hand through the dark green fuzz that covered his organic side, causing Doc to shutter at the touch with a slight hiss.

The creeper scooped the businessman into his arms, lifting him off the ground with ease. Keralis giggled happily, letting the creeper-centaur carry him to the elevator to prep for departure. As they left, Mumbo turned to the Swede with confusion in his deep chocolate eyes.

"I didn't think that these hybrids were actually human, I mean, they can speak and act just like normal people."

"Most of the don't," Iskall corrected. "I've taught the hybrids that have been around the longest to speak. Scar really only knows how to say Bdubs, and Doc knows most words in German. The rest are just like animals. Would you like to look around?"

"Erm, I guess. I'm not sure what I want, or if I even want a hybrid."

"Theres no need to worry! All these hybrids will love you, guaranteed! Their food is drugged with a special mix of herbs and rare ingredients that have them practically begging at your feet."

Mumbo raised an eyebrow. "So...you drug them?"

"Well, I wouldn't say 'drug'. It's more or less to remove all sorts of aggression and violence to turn them into the perfect pets to sell."

The CEO felt off-put by that idea, giving the whole underground facility an even worse feeling than before. Now all this really felt illegal, but Mumbo wasn't sure if he could back out now. The most he could do now was follow nervously until he managed to build up the courage to tell Iskall that he wasn't interested in purchasing anything. He hadn't even noticed that the Swede had stopped, talking about something as they entered a code to one of the containment cells.

"—and this is one of my brand-new hybrids, just brought him in from the coast of Ireland a few weeks ago. The locals called him 'Grian', which means sun in Irish. He's a pretty fellow, I bet he'll go for a high price.."

There was already a faint golden glow from the cell, though the lights flashed on to reveal the hybrid. He flinched at the light, using his radiant wings to block the artificial light. The feathers had a soft yellow hue, almost hypnotic to look at with the warm and welcoming glow that they emitted.

Just like Scar, he was left in nothing but a pair of simple black trousers, though they were slightly ruffled and torn. His sandy blonde hair ruffled and uncared for, dirtied with bits of leaves and mud. It was completely the opposite of Mumbo's perfectly cared for appearance, yet the rugged look had a certain appeal to it.

"He's been untouched—" Iskall continued as they noticed the CEO's interest in the animal. "—completely brand new. I haven't had the chance to prep him for sale yet, so he hasn't even been rented. Avians like him are clingy, very dependent on their owners, so once you bond, you'll be stuck with him."

"Dependent..." the mustached Brit repeated underneath his breath, blinking as he forced his gaze away from the bird's wings. "What—" he cleared his throat as a light shade of pink crept across his cheeks. "—what more can you tell me about these avians?"

"Not much, there's barely any around. He's one of three that I've had, but the other two were sold years ago. I was lucky enough to find him, I'm not sure how many more of these there are left in the world. Would you like to get a closer look?"

He glanced between Iskall and the avian before giving a slight nod. "I'd like that, yes."

The glass barrier slid open and Mumbo stumbled inside, almost drawn to the bird with the inability to register the world around him. Everything else was tuned out, while he focused solely on Grian. He kneeled beside the hybrid, who was still using his wings to hide in the corner. Mumbo reached out and brushed a hand through the feathers, causing the avian to shutter.

"So soft.." he muttered underneath his breath, eyes widening at the feeling.

A soft coo slipped out from the bird, his wing lowering to look Mumbo in the eyes. The yellow color caused the CEO to gasp softly, so entranced by the stunning gaze that stared back at him. "You like that?" The mustached Brit asked, receiving a silent nod as a response. He smiled, continuing to lovingly pet and stroke the feathers of the hybrid.

Grian nuzzled closer, pressing his chest against the taller male while resting his head in the crook of Mumbo's neck. His breathing was slow, completely in sync with the CEO that held him so dearly. The bird's wings wrapped around him, firm like a hug, yet it felt soft and warm like a blanket.

"Goodness, Iskall was right. You are certainly clingy." Mumbo said with a gentle laugh, picking out the leaves and sticks that were stuck in the avian's hair. He was so pretty, so lovely resting like this in the taller male's arms.

"You thinking of buying him?"

Iskall's voice shocked the CEO, causing his body to tense as he glanced up from the little birdy in his arms. He had completely forgotten that the Swede was standing there, watching him. Realization suddenly hit like a truck, there was no way that he could purchase Grian! His parents would never support buying some kind of hybrid, let alone a male! He was supposed to be straight, he was supposed to marry a lovely, normal girl!

He shoved the bird off him, possibly a bit too harshly, because he let out a yelp of pain as he landed on his wing. Regret instantly filled his mind as Grian glanced up at him with a fearful look in his eyes, scooting away from the CEO to the opposite corner of the room. "Nono, I'm sorry! I didn't mean—"

"Mumbo!" Iskall snapped with a sudden cold voice. "Avians are very shy creatures! It was lucky enough that Grian was so sudden to trust you, but the chances that he will again—"

"I want to buy him."

The CEO barely processed the words that came out of his mouth, taking him a moment to realize that he was the one that had spoken. Iskall glanced from the shaking bird to Mumbo.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea. I think it would be better if you leave for now and come back another time, hm?" They offered, the Swede handing the mustached Brit their business card.

"W-wait, no, I'll double whatever price you're asking for!" He said suddenly, causing Iskall to pause.

"It won't be pretty," they warned. "he's already pretty expensive. Are you sure? He may never even bond with you."

Mumbo swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to ignore what his parents would think of him if they ever found out. They would probably take back the business and kick him onto the streets, leaving him with nothing. Hell, they would probably hurt Grian.

Just like he had.

But he didn't mean to. Mumbo didn't mean to hurt such a beautiful hybrid. He didn't want Grian to fear him, nor did he want the bird living in a box to be rented out, or even sold to an even worse person.

"I'll take him."