Evenfall (44 page)

Boyd's eyes narrowed faintly and he resisted the urge to look over his shoulder in exasperation. It irritated him that people so easily assumed that of him. If he had a more overtly masculine build and, more importantly, face, then no one would probably make that assumption based on his mannerisms. He didn't hear anyone ever speculating that Sin was gay despite the fact that he was certifiably gorgeous to behold.

So why was it that everyone seemed so ready to believe it of Boyd?

"What's your problem?" Sin asked as they walked back out into the night.

"Danielle," Boyd replied with a suppressed sigh. He looked sidelong at Sin and tried not to let it all irritate him more than it already had. "I'm tired of people making such automatic assumptions that I'm gay when I don't even stereotypically act like I am."

"Hmm." Sin considered him for a moment and reached out suddenly, grabbing Boyd's chin and leaning forward to stare down at him contemplatively. His green eyes seemed so close and intense. His fingertips slid against Boyd's skin, brushing against his neck briefly before they fell away entirely. The feel of those fingers touching his bare skin was so unexpected that Boyd almost stumbled. "Maybe it's the hair."

Boyd's eyebrows raised and his eyes slightly widened. His lips parted but he didn't know what to say at first. Sin was watching him and he wondered what the older man was thinking.

Boyd looked away abruptly, absently pulling some hair behind his ear as he tilted his head down in a nod. In his mind, his skin tingled quietly but maddeningly where Sin had touched him. He resisted the urge to scrub at it or linger his own hand briefly against his cheek.

"Could be," he said, although his voice wasn't quite as calm and collected as usual.

Sin didn't answer and the two of them got back into the van. They pulled back onto the road and continued on their way toward Lexington. This time, there was no way Boyd was going to be able to sleep. He was entirely too aware of the fact that they were alone in the cabin of the van. They weren't even that particularly close to each other, but the proximity was enough that if Sin had to reach over for something his arm would sometimes come close to brushing Boyd's. And Boyd didn't know if he did or did not want that touch to happen.

He felt confused.

He couldn't help going back to his debate from earlier. The sheer strength that Sin had was contrasted so starkly by the way he was around Boyd. He not only treated Boyd differently by actually talking to him and now showing genuine curiosity in certain aspects of his life-- but he also treated him differently physically. He could kill people with little to no effort but when he touched Boyd, it was different. He protected Boyd, or held him without harming him, or, most bewildering of all, gently ran fingers along his skin.

The thought made a shiver tingle up Boyd's spine. Part of him wanted Sin to touch him again. He wanted those long fingers to slide back and tangle in his hair. That same part couldn't help wondering what it would have been like had their lips touched that night in Sin's apartment. What would Sin taste like? How firmly did he hold the person he was kissing? How would it have felt to be wrapped in those powerful arms, held tight against that strong body?

Boyd's lips thinned and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. What the hell was wrong with him that he kept thinking these things? Why couldn't he make himself forget it or ignore it all like he'd been able to with so many other things for so long?

He resisted the urge to sigh and focused instead on watching the road signs flash by. That didn't take long to bore him, however, since the road signs were few and far between on this stretch of the highway. With nothing but darkness outside, inevitably he found himself paying attention to Sin instead.

He noticed that as they grew steadily closer to the Agency, Sin started to grow tenser. His fingers started to flex against the steering wheel and his eyes became progressively hooded. Boyd observed the shift in his partner's demeanor for a few minutes before he asked something that he'd been wondering for awhile.

"Why don't you ever just run away?"

The question seemed to surprise Sin because he gave Boyd another of his slightly perplexed looks. Then he shrugged, mouth turning up slightly. "Where would I go?"

"I don't know." Boyd gestured vaguely. "Anywhere but the Agency. You could flee to another country where they don't have a strong reach."

There was a stretch of silence as Sin looked out the windshield, guiding the car through the blackness that surrounded them. After a moment he gave a careless one shouldered shrug. "I wouldn't be any use on the outside. Someone who can slaughter a warehouse full of hostiles and still maintain an appetite isn't exactly inclined to the domestic life."

"Maybe, but have you tried?" Boyd asked with a faint frown. "There are many types of jobs out there even in civilian life. Is the idea of a domestic life all that's stopping you?"

"No. It just wouldn't work."

"Why not, though?" Boyd pressed. "Are you worried about them noticing too soon if you left on a mission? Because if so I could cover for you."

The comment caused Sin to look over and give him a long assessing stare. His lips pursed together and his green eyes skimmed Boyd's face before he looked back at the road. "Why would you ever do that?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Boyd replied with a shrug. "I'm your partner and as such your well-being is important to me. I've seen the way you're treated at the Agency so if you wanted to leave, I wouldn't blame you. I could easily tell them I lost you on a mission. Or if we wanted it to be more believable you could injure me; make it look like you attacked me and fled. It could even be fairly severe if that was needed. Since there's already a running bet on how soon you'll kill me if a mission doesn't, I'm sure no one would question that too closely."

"Did it occur to you, in this fantastic plan, that they would terminate you for losing me?" Sin asked scathingly, seeming irritated by the suggestion.

Boyd shrugged unconcernedly. "It wouldn't matter. In this line of work, it's inevitable I'll die anyway. Since it'll happen regardless, I don't mind it having more meaning by at least helping you."

There was another stretch of silence as Sin scowled without looking over. He didn't bother to explain what he was thinking this time and he shook his head slowly.

"What?" Boyd asked, watching him a little more closely.

"I just think you're brain dead sometimes. You're almost like what happens when a completely thoughtless person meets a borderline one." A pause. "Besides, it would never work. This collar cannot be removed without surgery and it has a tracking chip inside."

Boyd considered Sin for a moment. He was bemused to hear Sin mention a psychological disorder like borderline personality since it wasn't one of the more well-known ones. Since psychology had been an interest of his own during school, it made him wonder if it was something Sin was interested in as well. Still, now that Sin mentioned that he did recall Carhart saying something about surgery.

"I see," was all he said aloud. He paused. "What if you found a black market surgeon who could remove the collar?"

Sin sighed, seeming to tire of the subject entirely. He never seemed to have very much interest in the conversation if it was focused on him, especially if it was sympathetic in any way.

"They'd have tracked me down by the time I was ready for the procedure to be performed. The Agency has connections internationally. We also have a European division. And in addition to that, the procedure is complicated. The collar is connected to my spine, and also situated in a way which makes it possible to sever my jugular easily during removal."

"Hmm." Boyd turned to look out the windshield, leaning one arm against the door of the van. "That does make it problematic. I see your dilemma."

Once again Sin just shook his head silently.

The rest of the drive was spent in relative silence, broken only by a few inane comments back and forth. Boyd was surprised by how comfortable it felt. He wondered how long this would last or whether the two of them would end up sliding back to earlier interactions at some point. He hoped that didn't happen.

When they got to the Agency and parked in the garage, Boyd hesitated when he got out of the van. He found himself unwilling to leave Sin immediately like he always had, although there wasn't much that he could do about it. He shut the door behind him and looked at Sin over the hood of the van.

"Well..." He gestured over his shoulder. "I suppose I'd better write the report..."

He didn't look away from Sin, though. It was almost a bit awkward, as if he were acting like they were two people on a date trying to decide whether or not they should kiss at the front door. He almost made a face at the fact that his mind picked that analogy.

"I'll go too."

"You will?" Boyd asked in surprise.

Sin shrugged nonchalantly, looking around the parking lot. "If it's some private thing you like to do, then I won't."

The comment drew an unexpected laugh from Boyd. Trust Sin to make writing a report sound like he was going off to masturbate. "I do prefer the old library but I assure you, I'm not doing anything that can't handle a witness or two," Boyd said dryly with amusement clear in his eyes.

Vivid green eyes slid across Boyd's face, studying him more thoroughly than was necessary. It was almost a full moment before he turned and said only, "Let's go then."

Boyd ended up leading the way up to the old library. He could feel Sin's eyes returning to him on and off as they waited for the elevator, although it was no more than normal.

There weren't many other people around, given that it was in that time period that was either very late at night or very early in the morning, depending on a person's perspective. Only one other person ended up in the elevator with them. The young woman was apparently trying to discreetly creep to the corner furthest from Sin without anyone noticing. She seemed tense and unnerved and kept glancing at Sin through her hair.

Boyd couldn't help wondering what all these people would think if they saw the other sides of Sin that he did. It was hard to be terrified of a man who could be so normal.

No one was in the library and Boyd headed toward the back where the old computers were pushed against the wall. Most people used them for little other than a catalog check of the books but since they were the first generation of computers that had been used for reporting, they still had the software and databases installed. Boyd preferred the quiet of the library to the crowded bustle of the main reporting room, where he sometimes had to wait for a computer at peak times.

He sat down at the computer and got to work. Sin leaned against a table nearby, his arms loosely crossed.

And he watched.

At first Boyd tried to ignore it but it became very distracting, feeling that gaze burning into the side of him. He thought maybe Sin was making sure he wasn't being disingenuous and writing horrible things about what Sin had done at the warehouse. He thought maybe Sin was checking his wording to be sure.

But when he looked over, he was startled to realize Sin was staring at him.

Only him. Not the computer at all.

The first time their eyes met, Boyd's fingers stilled on the keyboard. He was caught by that intense stare and he wondered what Sin was thinking. What he wanted. How it could possibly be worth his time to have followed him up here only to stare at him while he worked.

He ended up smiling slightly at Sin, almost as if he were trying to encourage or reassure him for something he didn't even know, and turned back to the computer.

From then on, he was acutely aware of the way that stare was centered solely on him. And, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that he'd spent so much of his time being unnoticed by others, he found he kind of liked that Sin was so interested in watching him. Especially when he wasn't doing anything particularly exciting.

Sin didn't say anything and Boyd didn't want to break the spell so he didn't say anything either.

When he sent the report and closed out of all the programs, he stared for just a second at the blank screen. Then he turned to Sin, searching his expression-- for what, he didn't know.

"Did you make it good?" Sin asked calmly, not breaking his steady stare.

Boyd's lips tilted up on one side as he stood. "Oh, did I ever," he drawled. "Stories will be told for years to come about this one."

"It's always good to have something to add to my resume," Sin said with a smirk, pushing himself away from the table.

Boyd couldn't help a faint sound of amusement. "Don't forget; you can put me down as a reference as well."

They looked at each other for a moment before Sin shook his head slightly and finally looked away. "I suppose I should return to my quarters."

"I should probably go home, too," Boyd said, although it wasn't with much conviction. He was reluctant to leave Sin's company. He paused and then tilted his head toward the library's entrance. "We could walk out together..."

It sounded so stupid that he half wished he could take it back.

But if Sin found the comment odd, he didn't let on. He didn't even make a joke about it or twist the words like he normally would. "Okay."