Evenfall (86 page)

Although Boyd had not analyzed that yet, now he wondered if Sin would realize eventually that he didn't like men. Maybe the only reason Sin had reached out for Boyd at any time was because he was just a body that was there, because Boyd was the only one who treated him like a human being. But here in Monterrey there were thousands of people who had no reason to do anything but that, and a nightclub would be saturated with them. He couldn't imagine that Sin could be there for longer than a week before at least one woman would want more from him.

It's not like Boyd had any hold over Sin but he also couldn't deny the fact that he didn't like the idea of others being able to touch him. But he had no right to in any way take this chance for normalcy away from Sin by saying anything about that. It would be awkward if Sin brought anyone back to the apartment, but maybe Boyd could just leave the building for awhile if it happened.

Realizing he had fallen silent, Boyd returned his attention to Sin, though he didn't really know what to say. "Well... If it's the only job you can find, I suppose it will have to do. Just... There is such a thing as 'sexual harassment' so of course if she is doing something you don't want, you should remove yourself from the situation as soon as possible but refrain from attacking her."

Sin shrugged, looking moody. "I don't know if it's a good idea. I will be around intoxicated people, people will be touching me and I will be expected to react in ways that I am not capable of. I think I will inevitably fail this mission."

Boyd's eyebrows twitched down slightly. "React in ways you are incapable?"

Sin raked a hand through his damp hair, looking frustrated. "Yes. I am supposed to be a normal man. I am supposed to not kill the drunk people who will inevitably be attacking me. I am supposed to be able to deal with people coming on to me and not be awkward and irritated by it. You should be doing this, not me."

Watching Sin, Boyd sighed and walked over to his own bed, sitting on the edge and tilting his head. "This will probably be good for you; it will give you time to grow accustomed to being around others. I can't say it is an ideal environment; you're right that it would have been better to ease into if you were in a more professional setting. But if you are a bouncer, then you at least do have some leeway. Your profession alone will be the excuse if you accidentally get a little overzealous. Besides, you have been working on these sorts of assignments far longer than I have. I had to learn everything when I started at the Agency, so you could think of this as another form of training."

"I'm bad at undercover assignments," Sin insisted and turned on his side, looking at Boyd. "I don't know to act normal. It's ridiculous that they expect me to know how. I've never been around people in a social setting." He shook his head and sat up abruptly. "It doesn't matter."

"It will be difficult at first," Boyd allowed, inclining his head. "But you will learn. You can also ask me later about any situation that arises and I will help if I can." He watched Sin and lifted one shoulder in a helpless shrug. "I'm sorry it's not an easier mission for you but we can't really avoid it. Maybe you will find a better job tomorrow. I imagine the market must be flooded, though."

"I don't have high hopes although I will keep trying." Sin got to his feet and began wandering around the studio, going to the fridge and opening it. He stared into it for a moment and then closed it again. "No food."

Boyd could not see Sin very well from his bed with the addition of the screens so he stood and walked around them. Crossing his arms and quirking an eyebrow, he said mildly, "On an interesting, related note, most people would label fruits, vegetables, bread and meat as 'food' and candy as 'snacks.'" He pointedly looked at Sin's stomach, which was entirely too thin compared to how well-built his upper torso was. "You will not be healthy if you just eat gummy bears and cookies. Eat something normal first and then we will talk."

Sin crossed his arms over his chest, looking defiant. "I've been fine all of these years. If you want me to eat something else, you should be the one to cook it."

"Clearly that may end up being the case, but it will probably be a disaster. I hardly know the difference between a pot and a pan." Boyd paused with a blink, looking thoughtful. "Actually, I don't know if there
is
a difference..."

"That is sad." Sin gave him a disapproving look. "You have nothing else to do so you may as well cook. And also, you should do laundry as well."

"What am I, your wife?" Boyd asked him, highly amused.

Sin seemed to consider that for a moment. "You would need to exchange bodies with my new boss for that. You can be my slave instead."

Boyd could not help a startled laugh at that. "I don't know if I like the idea of being your slave," he informed him with one eyebrow arched in challenge. "The very nature of that relationship would imply I get no compensation and I just can't agree to that."

"You get to be in my presence. That should be sufficient compensation." Sin walked around the island again and frowned. "If you're going to be sitting around here while I'm working at some ridiculous nightclub, you better make me some food."

"Excellent," Boyd said with laughter in his tone. "We have now transported ourselves to the 1950's." He shook his head and smirked teasingly. "And what will you do if I decline?"

"You will be treated poorly."

"Oh really?" Boyd drawled. "What will you do?"

"I will be dissatisfied and belligerent."

"Yes, but you can be like that anyway even without me being labeled as your slave." Boyd quirked an eyebrow in an amused challenge. "If I were your slave, that's a lot of power you want over me just for you standing around at a nightclub. Surely I'm worth at least a second job on the side too?"

Sin made a face and walked towards his bed again, brushing past Boyd rudely. "It's fine. I don't really want you to be my slave anyway. You are disobedient and I would have to beat you frequently. I will find my own means of nourishment." He lay down on his bed again and folded his hands over his chest, closing his eyes.

Boyd shook his head to himself then walked around the screen to reach his duffel bag for a change in clothing. He grabbed the clothes, watching Sin lie there in sullen silence ignoring him. Rather than being hurt by it, Boyd was amused and pleased that Sin was comfortable enough around him to do things like act childish. Since Sin was actually looking for food, he probably truly was hungry, and Boyd would end up making something simply because they didn't currently have many snacks and Boyd doubted Sin ever did anything more than open a bag of candy or a jar of peanut butter to 'prepare' his meals. But it would be awhile and Boyd had bought a present for him when he was out so he may as well give it to him in the meantime.

Dropping the clothes next to the bags he'd brought in earlier, he dug around until he found two small packages. He'd initially intended to give the gift in a different, more innocuous way, but if Sin was going to torture him by running around naked while implying that Boyd should be his subordinate, then Boyd was going to give him a taste of his own medicine. Standing up while hiding one package in each hand behind his back, Boyd walked to the side of Sin's bed and leaned forward until his face was close to Sin's. He didn't say anything at first; just smiled enigmatically and waited to be noticed.

Sin's eyes opened slightly and he stared up at Boyd with a look that was half surprised and half... something else. It was hard to say whether or not he was pleased by the proximity, but he made no efforts to move away. He gazed up at Boyd through long, black eyelashes and his lips parted slightly although no sound came out.

"I bought you a present," Boyd murmured lightly and something in the timbre of his voice made the moment seem intimate. He leaned just a little closer, red hair framing his face and hanging between them. "Which do you want? My left or right?"

Sin blinked slowly and he began to speak but no sound came out. He cleared his throat and shifted slightly, temporarily causing them to move closer together. "Your left or right... what?"

"My left hand," Boyd said softly, not breaking eye contact as he tilted his head slowly toward his left. His hair shifted in the movement, swinging between them and lightly tickling Sin's skin. "Or my right." He tilted his head toward his right. Quirking one eyebrow, he murmured with a smirk, "It's a difficult decision. Choose wisely."

Sin didn't respond at first and his eyes flicked over Boyd's face, focusing on his eyes one moment and then his mouth the next. He swallowed convulsively and shifted again, dragging his eyes away although they wandered right back not even a second later. "I want whatever you want to give me."

"Mm." Boyd's lips spread into a slightly wicked smile. "Good choice." He leaned forward slowly and it was unclear what he intended; though his eyes sparked with a strange emotion, his expression was difficult to interpret. Drawing close enough for his breath to just make it to Sin's skin, he stared into Sin's eyes for a moment with a half-lidded gaze that slowly moved to study Sin's lips.

"Don't eat them all at once." He pressed a crinkling bag of cookies into Sin's chest and within seconds had disappeared with his clothes into the bathroom. The sound of the shower turning on was almost immediate.

 
===

The rest of the evening passed relatively uneventfully mostly due to the fact that when Boyd returned from the bathroom, Sin was already asleep or at least pretending to be. Although Boyd was somewhat relieved that he didn't have to attempt any adventures in the kitchen, he was mildly disappointed that he didn't get to question Sin further about the club he would be working at and he stopped at his partner's bedside for a long moment to simply watch him sleep.

After wandering around the studio for the rest of the afternoon and putting away the various items he'd purchased, Boyd retired to bed himself although as usual, his slumber was anything but peaceful. He didn't know if it was the fact that he wasn't used to sleeping in such a vastly different environment, but several times throughout the week he'd woken in the middle of the night disconcerted and confused, not remembering where he was or why. That night was no different and he awoke with a jerk, gazing up at the ceiling blankly for several long moments as he regained his bearings, sweating uncomfortably under the sheets.

It took a long moment for him to figure out that he'd actually woken up because of a strange sound in the studio. He didn't move at first, didn't show any outward signs that he was actually aware of his surroundings just in case someone was in the room with them, but he finally realized that the sound had come from Sin's bed.

Boyd could hear low muttering coming from Sin and once again he was speaking in Mandarin so Boyd had no idea what he was saying. Although he didn't have a translation, there was no denying that the man was visibly distressed in some way and his voice rose slightly at random, hands twitching oddly as though he were trying to grab something, or maybe make a fist. His entire body was tight with tension and it seemed as though one wrong move would cause it to snap like a rubber band. His eyebrows were drawn together tightly, a fine sheen of sweat coating his bare chest and his hair was damp, tendrils clinging to his forehead. It almost seemed as though even in his sleep, Sin was trying to fight showing any outward signs of discomfort, but it didn't seem possible at that point.

Boyd pushed himself up on one elbow and watched uncertainly. He didn't know what Sin would do if he woke him from a nightmare. The last time he'd woken Sin up in this state he hadn't reacted violently but that was most likely due to the fact that he'd been pumped full of sedatives. Even if Sin said he'd never meant to hurt Boyd it didn't mean he couldn't kill him simply through instinct if Boyd wasn't fast enough, and he couldn't quite forget the first incident when something like this had happened when he'd nearly had his neck broken. It was a fifty-fifty that this would not end up in him being flung around the room again but at the same time, Sin seemed better now, more trusting and before he hadn't grown accustomed to Boyd's presence yet. Now he was, now he let Boyd touch him and he even reached out on his own... and Boyd didn't think he'd be able to lay there and listen to Sin suffer even if he wanted to.

Tilting his head, Boyd thought about it for only a second before he put his legs over the side of the bed and padded closer. He had gone to sleep in loose pants made of very light fabric and a short-sleeved shirt this time because he learned early on that the long sleeves were entirely too hot to sleep in. His wrists chafed from the bands he wore and he unconsciously rubbed one hand over his bare arm as he stared down at Sin.

"Sin," he tried saying to wake him, but he knew there would be no answer. Sin jerked just a little, mumbling something that sounded particularly upset, and Boyd braced himself for what could possibly be another moment of amazing stupidity. Reaching out, he said, "Hsin," as he hesitantly brushed his fingers gently across Sin's cheek.

He didn't even have time to blink before one strong hand grasped his wrist violently and Sin's eyes snapped open; just as before, they were unfocused and not entirely conscious or sane. In the dim light, his green eyes almost glowed and were filled with a prowling darkness that Boyd felt caught in. It was impossible for Boyd to look away so he just stared, knowing there was no recognition in that gaze, knowing in less than seconds he could be running for his life.

Boyd held himself very still, barely daring to breathe too heavily so it wouldn't seem like a sudden movement, and tried to give off as non-threatening an aura as he could. Despite himself, he felt his heartbeat start to increase and the beginning of adrenaline curling through his blood. He ignored Sin's painful grip on his wrist and his own automatic reaction to want to pull away so that he could assess the situation from a safer distance.