Chapter Ten

Closer

Uploaded on 3/13/07

It'd been a week since the nearly disastrous mission with 53 and in the space of those seven days; Sin had noticed several changes about himself and his interaction with Boyd. He was not sure what had caused this sudden deviation from his typical behavior patterns but he was positive that it had something to do with the fact that three times during the course of twenty-four hours; Boyd had shown genuine concern for him. He'd treated him as though he were a human and not some creature who he could control if it came down to it.

It started the night of his attack and the immense guilt he'd felt after realizing that Boyd had never intended to hurt him. That Boyd had only been trying to destroy his only way to defend himself as Sin tried to kill him, just to prove that he could be trusted. He'd wandered the woods that night in a particularly wretched mood. His guilt only caused him to feel anger and frustration, anger that he cared about Boyd dying at all, that he felt guilty about almost killing him. He didn't like the fact that once again he was feeling emotions that shouldn't exist within him and it made him angry at Boyd for proving that he was trustworthy after all. Things had been less complicated when he'd been unsure of Boyd's motives.

The anger had left him in a particularly foul and violent mood the next morning and he'd followed Boyd to the bunker, driven by an overwhelming sense of responsibility over the fact that he'd most likely injured his partner before a very difficult mission. He'd given Boyd a half hour head start before the nagging feeling got the better of him and he'd followed, sneaking into the bunker and taking out anyone he passed on the way. He'd come upon Boyd early in the fight and for a moment he'd wondered if it had been a mistake to come; Boyd seemed to handle himself very well. But then it began to go badly and he'd realized that his partner was going to die.

The feeling that had come over him was very new and very intense. The guilt had returned and was mingled with something that felt like protectiveness. The feeling did not go away even after he'd returned to the cabin and it was still here, one week later, only intensified by the fact that Boyd continued to show that he was almost concerned about Sin's well being. He'd told himself several times that he was misconstruing the situation; that no one cared about how he felt, no one cared about whether or not he was cold. He was a freak, a monster, anything but an actual living, breathing human who felt things. But Boyd continued to prove himself as an ally and the desire to protect the only person who'd ever shown interest in him as something other than a tool had grown.

He'd stopped trying to fight the persistence of this new emotion and now he was more bewildered than ever. He'd found himself craving Boyd's presence, thinking about him excessively and exercising obsessively to distract himself from these alarming realizations. When he didn't exercise, he read his manuscript of Paradise Lost but that normally led back to thoughts of Boyd, so he'd go back to exercising, feeling a lot more frustrated than he had moments before. He decided that if this was the effect of sudden kindness after years of poor treatment, it was fortunate that someone had not been kinder to him earlier on in life or he'd have never survived a single assignment in the field.

There was another lull as Owen and Jeffrey worked to set up arrangements with Thierry and they'd implied that it could take several weeks or longer before anything was concrete. The lack of activity combined with his new habit of over-analyzing things began to drive him crazy him. He found himself actually venturing outside of his quarters after the monotony of the white walls had gotten the better of him.

He'd already done his normal work out routine, but he was headed to the gym for more exercise. It was the only way he could clear his mind of the obnoxious, confused thoughts that plagued him. He ignored the way the guards looked at him, ignored the agents that whispered to each other as he passed. He didn't even react with his typical sarcasm, too focused on his own thoughts and the paranoia that he was growing emotionally soft. It didn't matter that over twenty men had been added to his body count only a week prior; he suspected that he was losing his edge and he knew that it was because of the new repartee that he now experienced when conversing with Boyd. Gone were the monosyllabic answers and annoyed looks and in was the kind of amusing banter that he'd only ever experienced with the leader of Dǐ Zhì as they'd decided whether or not to kill each other. It was alarming but not entirely unwelcome.

He arrived at the training area and was pleased to see that it was nearly empty. He did not enjoy exercising around people, he did not enjoy being in a position that could be vulnerable around potential hostiles and he considered everyone on the compound a potential hostile. His need for privacy was especially strong because his arm was not entirely healed yet. Despite the fact that he had an extremely high pain tolerance, he knew that the injury could hinder him slightly in a fight.

Sin walked over to one of the bench presses and loaded a significant amount of weights, before stripping off his shirt and lying on his back. Several moments passed and he reveled in the silence of the gym, the peace of the repetitive movement and the lack of interest that anyone had taken in him. He wasn't sure how long he'd been exercising because his eyes had closed as he lost himself in the work but after a long while he felt a presence near him. He looked up calmly.

He remembered their faces clearly but didn't even blink as he stared up at the two hulking guards that had bragged about molesting him on the fourth floor. Although his expression did not change and he continued his repetitions, he felt the slow burn of anger coil in his stomach and begin to make its way up his body. He closed his eyes briefly and remembered the feel of rough hands grabbing at his naked body as he watched helplessly through a drugged haze and the anger began to burn hotter into a boiling rage. "Well if it isn't my would-be rapists," He said dully. He absently identified them as Harry Truman and Dennis McNichols and noted that his third assaulter was not present, although Dennis and Harry in particular had always been the two main ringleaders.

"Well look who crawled out of his cage," Harry said with obvious distaste as he eyed Sin. "What are you doing out here among the living, freak?"

"Holding a bake sale. I'm planning to donate the funds to the starving children of North East Asia."

They stared at him for a long moment before looking at each other in amazement. "Wow, this guy has some smart mouth," Dennis noted mildly.

"I don't see why everyone's so terrified of this punk," Harry said with a snort. "Look at him. He's a fucking featherweight. I could snap his back like a twig."

Sin sighed calmly and stopped his exercise, sitting up on the bench and not appearing intimidated in the least. "Why don't you two go molest some young boys and call it a day? I heard there are some pre-teen rookies in Dorm A." Despite his light manner, the anger was spreading and his eyes narrowed dangerously. The memory of them touching him and taking advantage of his helplessness dominated his thoughts, overpowered everything else.

"I'd rather molest you," Harry drawled. "Didn't you like it last time?"

Sin stared at him from under his fall of red and black hair, lips turned up into a ghost of a cold, frightening smile. "I can't say that I did," He replied softly. He stood slowly and stared into their eyes unflinchingly.

Dennis shot his friend an uneasy look. "Let's leave the freak alone, okay? We have to meet the Captain in twenty minutes anyway."

"I can take care of this guy in five," Harry murmured and placed the palm of his hand flat against Sin's chest, smirking at the obvious fury in Sin's eyes, not noticing the familiar lust for violence that was also beginning to cloud them over. "You wanna go?"

Sin continued to look at him through his bangs before letting his gaze drop to the hand on his chest, resisting his first instinct to break it. There were cameras everywhere on the compound and they were monitored at all times. If he did anything violent, anything out of line at all, they would not hesitate to have him subdued and dragged back up to the fourth whether he'd started it or not. It'd happened many times in the past and it was one of the reasons why people felt that they could treat him however they wanted; they knew they could get away with it and that if he retaliated in any way, he'd be the one to be blamed. In the past he hadn't cared, he hadn't tolerated anyone putting their hands on him, anyone abusing him, but that had been before the introduction of the box.

Sin closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm himself and the anger that was building inside of him. Was Harry worth a trip to the fourth? He knew he could snap the man's neck with relatively no difficulty despite the fact that Harry was almost twice his bodyweight. The man's size gave him too much confidence; he mistakenly thought he could overpower Sin simply because he weighed more. He didn't take into account the fact that Sin was a trained killer and that since his body was pure muscle, he was actually stronger and faster. "You're not worth the trouble," He told Harry flatly, opening his eyes and staring down at Harry calmly.

Harry threw back his head and laughed raucously. "Fucking pussy," He spat. "Too scared to fight someone who can actually take you on, huh?"

Sin gave him a withering look. "That comment is just one of the many reasons why you are not worth my time. Do you really think that you could hurt me if I chose to defend myself? I've been killing far more competent men since I was a child." It wasn't a boast; it was a simple statement of fact.

Dennis shot Harry an uncomfortable look and patted his friend on the arm. "Let's go man-- just leave him alone."

Harry snarled, face red with fury at the insult, and yanked his arm away. He shoved Sin against the wall, nostrils flaring and eyes narrowed. "Fuck that-- fuck him. I'm tired of this shit. I'm tired of this fucking freak thinking he can do whatever he wants." He put one beefy arm on either side of Sin's face and glared at him darkly, face contorted with anger. "He needs to be taught a lesson. He needs to be given a taste of his own fucking medicine." He reared his fist back and slammed it hard into Sin's stomach, releasing a grunt of frustration when the man didn't even flinch. He lifted his hand again, determined to see the pain on Sin's face, to see his blood splattered across the wall.

Through out it all, Sin grit his teeth and tried to ignore the hands on his body, the fact that such an idiot was hitting him. He didn't defend himself, even when Harry's fist slammed into his jaw, and he didn't react outwardly to the pain. Instead he pictured the box, the drugs and reminded himself that his actions here would just allow for more opportunities for him to be drugged and helpless at the hands of Harry's friends next time. But as calm as he tried to be, as much as he tried to remind himself that anything he did would send him back to the fourth, Sin felt his control slipping. The defense mechanism in him that was set off whenever he felt threatened, whenever he lost control, wanted the part of him that was violent and dark to take over. It wanted him to go on auto-pilot like he had so many times in the past, to go on a rampage and rip Harry limb from limb before moving on to Dennis and repeating the process.

But Sin didn't want that. He didn't want to lose control. He didn't want to be sent away. He didn't want to lose the minor freedoms he'd been allowed. Carhart had told him that this was his last chance and that if he fucked up again, he'd be sent to the box indefinitely. This meant no more wandering around freely, no more apartment and no more Boyd. Unfortunately, his control of himself was tenuous and when he snapped, it was nearly impossible to stop. It was nearly impossible to calm him down until all threats in his vicinity were dead; that had been what happened when Boyd had touched him that night, but somehow his partner had stopped him just in time. It a way it was his biggest weakness, even if it had also saved his life on more than on occasion. Acting on pure instinct was never a good thing, but as Harry grew frustrated with the lack of response violence was getting him, he began to take other measures and the look in Sin's eyes began to change from calm anger to deadly insanity. He felt himself becoming more withdrawn, distant in a way, as though he were watching a scene that was happening to someone else. It was one of the precursors to one of his fits, the most telling sign that instability was about to take over.

The entire scene was in plain sight of the others in the gym and while no one made any efforts to end the bullying, Luke Gerant was watching from around the corner with an obviously disapproving look on his face. He'd been in the far corner of the gym and had noticed as soon as the Monster arrived. He'd felt the familiar stirrings of terror and unease, intensified by the fact that the man was walking around freely and not shackled or restrained at all. He didn't know what he'd expected but it hadn't been for the Monster to pick a machine and quietly begin a horrifying amount of repetitions on it. Luke had watched him for twenty minutes and had found himself almost mesmerized by the peaceful expression on a face that he'd only ever seen twisted with anger. He'd found himself becoming less terrified and more intrigued, despite the fact that the mere presence of Sin offended every fiber of his being due to loyalty to his former Captain. Although even then he had to admit to himself that his Captain had been almost as bad, or worst, than the men who were harassing the Monster now.

Despite his fear and apprehension, he'd begun trying to devise a way that he could speak to the creature but it'd been thwarted by the sudden appearance of Harry and Dennis. Every hair on his body stood on end and he didn't wait to see the outcome of this impending tragedy. He moved quickly towards one of the public phones and stared at it for a long moment. He didn't know why he was intervening. He didn't even know who he was supposed to call. All he knew was that something very bad and very bloody was about to happen and that the end result would be that peaceful expression becoming lost forever, replaced by a drugged haze before it was shut inside of the box. He didn't know why that bothered him, but that coupled with Harry's bragging confession from a year ago was driving him to stop whatever was about to happen.

He grabbed the phone and dialed in his access code before getting into the agency directory.

---

The house was silent around Boyd, but for once he did not notice. Hunched over a dusty, thin pad with half-opened boxes surrounding him, he was unaware of anything else. One of his favorite hobbies used to be drawing, especially sketching with a charcoal pencil, but he hadn't thought of it in years. The scattered rearrangement of his room after searching for Paradise Lost ended up revealing old boxes he'd completely forgotten about. While putting everything away, an old sketchbook caught his eye and, after a long moment of staring in surprise, he slowly pulled it out. Luckily, it was just a book filled with scribbled sketches from the small book he'd used during his college classes; it could have been other subject matter that would have upset him more, like Lou.

But in his brief time in college, Boyd used to get bored in the classroom so he had a small, thin sketchpad he put in front of his normal notebook. Leaning back in the chair with his knees curled against the table in front of him, he used to pretend he was taking notes when he was just drawing the people around him. He could have drawn straight on the notebook, but Eloise (and he flipped a few pages in his sketchbook until he found the familiar messy ponytail scratched out in lead) used to constantly ask to see his notes and he did not want to seem unproductive. Boyd had always been good at listening while he multi-tasked; he could spend an entire class period drawing every single student in front of him in complete detail, and he was still able to distill the lecture down to the pertinent notes and know where to look for more information. Eloise was a partner randomly chosen for him the first day of one of the classes, and though she initially balked at being placed with such a younger student, she later decided he was a great resource for those days she just didn't want to pay attention. Which, coincidentally, became just about every day.

For the last several hours, he found immersed in flipping through his old college sketchbooks and trying to identify each person he saw. As usual, half the subject matter was actually landscape and buildings with the occasional attempt at something he imagined rather than saw. He was just getting into the section where he spent a day drawing parts of the city when a loud beeping thoroughly startled him.

He looked up from the sketchbook, blinking in surprise, and for a moment he could not even place what it could be. The sound seemed to echo so he followed it until he realized it was coming from his messenger bag. When he dug around inside he discovered it was the cell phone he got from the Agency and he just stared at it for a second, not even knowing at first how to answer the call. Although he always kept it on and charged, that was really just a strange habit; he never actually expected to need to use it.

Eyebrows furrowing down slightly, he asked, "Hello...?"

On the other end of the call, Luke hesitated for a long moment and bit his lip insecurely. He didn't even know this Boyd guy, for all he knew he was as abrasive as his partner. Luke peeked around the corner and was quite dismayed to see that the Monster was allowing himself to be pinned to the wall. "You better get down here," He blurted out.

Boyd blinked. "What? Who is this? Where should I be?" More than anything, he sounded confused. "Are you sure you have the right number? This is Boyd Beaulieu..."

If Luke hadn't been so alarmed by the events unfolding at the back of the gym, he would have been amused by the polite tone of the other man's voice. He had trouble imagining this guy hanging out with the Monster, but supposedly they were all friendly now or at least that's what the rumors said. "Uh, it doesn't matter who this is. The Monster--your partner, I mean, is being harassed by two idiotic perverts and I'm pretty sure this isn't going to end well. Especially since anything he does to defend himself will have him sent back to the fourth."

Boyd blinked, and he held the phone a little closer to his ear as if he could hear better. "What?" he asked sharply. Great. Exactly what Sin needed. Boyd would bet his paycheck that Sin didn't instigate whatever stupidity was happening, but he also didn't know if Sin would be able to keep from reacting violently. Trust some idiots to come along just as Sin was getting better... Boyd had to get there fast or he may not make it in time. He didn't know what he would do, except that he had to do something. If Sin was sent back to fourth, who knew when he'd get back out again? Who knew how long it would be before he was back to this point, when Boyd was actually starting to enjoy his presence? Sin may lose everything he managed to gain by even the small amount of freedom he had right now.

Immediately grabbing his keys from his bag, Boyd started to run out the door. "I need to know where you are exactly," he said firmly with an edge. "Or at least where Sin is."

Judging by Boyd's voice, he clearly intended to help; a fact which was not lost on Luke. Although it was surprising, he didn't find it to be a particularly bad thing. Everyone needed at least one person who would have their backs, no matter who it was. "We're in the gym on the compound. He's behaving very oddly for the moment, not defending himself at all but it seems that Harry is planning to use other means of humiliation other than simply hitting him. I don't know... just get down here, pal. It's only a matter of time before something bad happens. I figured you'd want to know since he's your partner and that whatever happens here might inevitably have him incarcerated indefinitely." He hung up without saying another word and took up his position around the corner again.

"Fuck," Boyd growled to himself, and he drove faster than was probably safe so he could get there in time. He didn't even bother locking the car door at the lot; he just jumped out and ran as fast as he could with one leg still bad.

He made it to the right floor within six minutes of the mysterious call, but every second of that dragged terribly as he wondered if he would be too late. Several months of Sin and Boyd slowly becoming accustomed to each other, learning how each other worked and improving their ability to finish missions, and now some idiot asshole appeared to mess it all up. What took weeks to build could be ruined in seconds just because some jackass decided that he could do whatever he wanted. And if Sin were to berserk in the middle of the Agency, there would be hell to pay. If Sin was sent to fourth at all, Boyd was not going to be pleased. If he was sent there indefinitely... Boyd's eyes narrowed and the danger in his aura kept at a distance the few people who glanced at him.

Boyd burst into the gym room without slowing down, and he took in the situation in barely a glance. The room was almost empty; Boyd strode past one person hovering near the door, and two who stood along the side wall staring wide-eyed at a scene they looked as though they didn't know if they wanted to cheer or avoid. Across the room, Sin was pressed against a wall, his expression dead, but even from that distance Boyd could tell the tension was building. The rage was building within Sin, and it was only a matter of time before he snapped and lost complete control of what he was doing. The knowledge that he made it just in time, while relieving, did little to help balance what he saw.

Two men stood near Sin, large, hulking people who could only be described as 'thugs.' At Boyd's entrance, one of them looked over, startled and almost guilty, but the other didn't seem to care at all. He was pinning Sin to the wall, groping him and apparently trying to pull his pants down. Sin's gaze slid dully over to take in Boyd's presence, but there was no recognition and the insanity roamed like a wild animal behind his dead-eyed stare.

Boyd felt his blood run a little hotter with actual indignant anger; he wanted nothing more at that moment than to stop those idiots immediately. He couldn't believe Sin could be standing in the middle of a room with others watching and no one stopped this. Boyd would never understand why everyone seemed to think they could do whatever they wanted to Sin, take advantage of him or hurt him or just mess with him. All that did was dehumanize Sin, make him more likely to become the monster everyone was sure he was. At least someone had the decency to alert Boyd to this.

Although normally Boyd would have approached the situation with more finesse and thought, he knew he would never be able to overpower either of those brutes, and he didn't know how much time it would be before Sin snapped. Expression dead calm despite his anger, he picked up a weight as he strode past and suddenly threw it with all his might right at the back of the man who was molesting Sin. The small weight was the first thing he saw and the fastest way to get the man's attention and Boyd could not say he minded the idea of hurting him a little in the process.

"Excuse me," Boyd said loudly as he approached. "My hand slipped."

Harry grunted in pain and released Sin, letting him slide down the wall and slump on the floor like a rag doll. He turned to Boyd with an incredulous look. "Oh look, it's blondie," He sneered even though he was obviously in pain. "Don't get mad, girlfriend, I wasn't messing with your boyfriend... much."

Boyd's gaze flicked down to Sin, who just dropped and stayed in an awkward position like he was lifeless. When Boyd looked back up at Harry, his expression remained calm but there was something in his slightly narrowed eyes that showed he was angry. "You do realize," he said with cold surety, "that every single cowardly act you've just performed on Sin was recorded and charges can be filed against you. In fact, I promise you they will be if you don't stop immediately. Don't think you can get away with pulling these stunts when I'm around."

"Oh ho ho, check out blondie!" Harry laughed and grabbed Sin by the throat, hauling him up and slamming him against the wall again. "No one gives a shit about what I do to him. They won't do nothing-- you can't do nothing. He can't even do anything-- the spic knows he doesn't stand a chance against me." He shoved his other hand down Sin's pants and squeezed. Boyd's eyes narrowed dangerously but Harry only seemed more pleased. "I gotta tell you, sweetie, your boyfriend is---" He stopped abruptly when he realized that Sin was no longer staring silently into space.

His face was still blank but his eyes burned like chartreuse flames and he didn't look anything near sane. His head was turned and he appeared to be staring at Harry calmly although it was obvious, to Boyd at least, that they were no longer dealing with the rational side of Sin. That had stopped being the case before Boyd had even stepped into the room but now the insanity seemed to have entirely taken over.

"What in the fuck are you looking at, faggot?" Harry sneered. He didn't get a chance to say anything else before there was a quick movement and suddenly teeth were sinking into his nose. He screamed and tried to dislodge Sin, but his hand was caught in his pants and he stumbled backwards awkwardly.

It all happened so fast that Boyd could only then react. "Sin!" Boyd was at their side in the space of a breath, risking being attacked himself by putting a non-threatening hand on Sin's shoulder and trying to steady Harry so he wouldn't rip his own nose off. Not that he particularly cared what happened to Harry, except that the more damage that was done here, the harder it would be for Sin to escape any punishment. "Sin, let go. It's okay." His voice lost the edge and became far more calming when he spoke directly to his partner.

Sin released Harry with a low growl; Harry's hand slipped free and he fell to the ground where his hands curled protectively around his face. "Harry!" Dennis yelled, and crouched over him.

Sin whipped around to pounce on the person who was touching him. In his current state he didn't see faces, just potential threats, people who wanted to hurt him. He grabbed Boyd's arm and pulled him against his chest violently. His teeth were bared and slightly bloody. Boyd's feet dangled in the air and one powerful hand pulled his head suddenly to the side. Sin's mouth was on Boyd's neck with his teeth poised at Boyd's jugular in the space of one blink and the next.

Boyd's heart rate increased simply from suddenly finding himself at Sin's mercy, but he did not struggle and even if his eyes widened a little, it was not that he was scared so much as he was surprised. Bare seconds were what separated this moment from what could be his death, so he immediately thought about what seemed to stop Sin before and tried it again.

"Hsin," he said soothingly, "stop it. It's okay."

Sin's teeth did not rip into his neck and instead, he seemed to pause, not moving for a long moment. Something in Sin seemed to unwind and once again the sound of his real name being said by that voice seemed to wake him from the insanity. It was not entirely clear why it worked again but one possibility was that instead of attacking him or coming at him aggressively to subdue him, someone was speaking to him in a non-threatening way and it made him stop to think and to inevitably realize that not everyone around him was an enemy anymore. Despite the fact that people thought he killed without remorse, without hesitation, even in his darkest moments Sin did not believe in killing the weak, the innocent. Boyd's voice saying his name so calmly caused him to stop dead and re-evaluate the situation, made him aware of the fact that he'd lost control and that in that state, he very well could kill someone who didn't deserve to die.

Sin stayed in precisely the same position for a long moment as he tried to figure out what exactly had just happened. His nose was buried in someone's hair and his lips were wrapped around someone's neck. The scent of soap and jasmine told him that he was holding Boyd and somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted that Boyd's skin tasted slightly sweet as his teeth and tongue grazed his partner's throat. Alarm flooded through him instantly but it didn't show on his face; it was the second time in a few weeks that he'd come out of one of his blackouts with a death grip on his partner. The only differences were that this time, he had no idea why Boyd was even in his vicinity... and this time, he didn't continue with his attack, didn't even consider the possibility that Boyd was a threat. This time all he could do was feel guilt, confusion and surprise at the effect Boyd's taste seemed to have on him.

He set Boyd down on his feet and blinked at him for a moment before looking down at a sign of movement. Harry was being attended to by Dennis, who seemed caught between sneaking terrified glances at Sin, and trying to keep Harry from aggravating his wound on his bleeding face. This confused him as well but he was more concerned with Boyd's sudden appearance. "Is there a mission?"

Boyd lifted one hand to his neck where Sin's saliva was still drying and he shook his head at him. "No, but give me a moment, please." Turning his attention to Harry, his eyes narrowing as he crouched next to him. "Since you seem incapable of common human decency, or even following simple directions, let me make this abundantly clear." Tilting his head slightly in Dennis' direction, he turned cold honey brown eyes on them both. "Charges will be filed for this event and for anything like it in the future. If you want to press your luck, let me assure you right now that I am not someone who would bluff about this. If you do not stop this behavior, I will bring you and any of your depraved friends before the review board. I don't imagine you want to risk severance without pay? Dishonorable discharge? Or would you prefer to let this escalate enough that incarceration could be considered for criminal sexual conduct?"

Although the questions were asked politely enough, it was clear that it was not an idle threat. He raised his eyebrows and surveyed them both. Harry seemed caught between shock, pain, and blustering fury aimed at Boyd for what he was saying, and Sin for what he did. Dennis stared between Boyd and Sin with wide eyes until Boyd smiled perfectly politely. The expression was not a friendly one at all, however, and the dark, cold promise in his eyes only made Dennis lean back in fear.

"Well," Boyd said calmly to Dennis, standing up to look down at the two of them as if they were hardly worth dirt, "if we are finished, I suggest you bring your friend to the medic before he loses too much blood. I would also appreciate it if later you repeated my words to him another few times or directed him to me so I can explain his situation again." With an emotionless expression, he let his merciless gaze look Harry over and dismiss him entirely. "I rather suspect his thick head can comprehend very little at the moment, least of all his utter stupidity. I would like you to remind him that even if he apparently has no conscience, I will be watching to see that he receives one in the form of punishment. So if you don't mind?"

"I-- No, yes." Dennis stared at Boyd in a wide-eyed fluster and started to pull Harry up with him. "I will."

Harry tried to scowl at Sin and Boyd both but the effect was rather ruined by the blood still gushing from his nose. He seemed too shaken to properly walk or react, but Dennis dragged him away, all the while looking over his shoulder at Sin in terrified paranoia that he would snap again and get them both this time.

Boyd crossed his arms and watched them with dark coldness until they were gone from the gym, and even then the cold indignation that had settled in his stomach refused to go away. He was still angry that this had happened, that the situation was such that Boyd really was required to come all the way from home to help. What the hell sort of twisted place allowed this to happen in plain view and under surveillance, but no one did anything about it? It should not have been necessary to call someone who lived off the premise; what if Boyd lived further away or somehow was unable to come? The fact that Sin could so easily have been put away indefinitely for something so disgusting and that was not even his fault kept Boyd's expression from changing at first.

Sin watched his partner in surprise and wiped blood off of his mouth. It wasn't difficult to put together the pieces of what had happened with Harry but he had no idea why Boyd was present all of a sudden-- it was jarring but it wasn't uncommon for him to temporarily black out during one of his episodes. "What just occurred?"

Boyd shifted his icily cold gaze from the door to Sin, but the moment they made eye contact he made an effort to return to the usual neutral blankness. He watched Sin, considering for a moment not telling him, as if it would change that it happened. But then Sin would be the only one who did not know, and he would be confused when he was later asked about it. Boyd looked away and crossed his arms, his left still sore from the dislocation the week before. "He was molesting you," he said simply, though it was clear from his tone that he was still a little angry about it.

Sin looked away and felt angry because he knew in that moment that Harry had won that round. "Oh." He'd wanted to shame Sin in front of people and Sin definitely felt ashamed that Boyd had witnessed it. He also felt ashamed that he'd nearly attacked his partner again in another one of his lapses. He'd always hated his weakness, his instability, but in that moment the anger, the frustration at his ability to completely lose all control particularly aggravated him, although it did not show on his face. "And this upset you?"

Boyd gave him a look that said he could not believe Sin asked that. "Of course," he said firmly, a hint of irritation making it into his voice. "Does it not upset you? No one should be treated like that in the first place, but the fact in particular that they believe they can do what they want to you without repercussions is ridiculous. I won't stand for it."

It was somewhat pleasing that Boyd seemed angry on his behalf and for some reason it soothed the humiliation, the anger and the slight sting to his pride. But Sin ignored his own thoughts and shrugged carelessly, slipping his shirt on. "They see me as less than an animal. It's fine. It's not the first time he's done that, although it is the first time that I was not drugged, which is why I reacted the way I did."

Boyd looked at him sidelong. "That is not reassuring," he informed him. What annoyed Boyd about it all was that not only was it pointless humiliation of Sin, but it was also people putting themselves in situations where they were pretty much guaranteed to be harmed. And then, later, they would complain about it and try to point the finger at Sin, who hurt them, because they hurt him. What sort of vicious cycle was being bred, and how was it that people could so stupidly get caught in it? He was not a saint, he was hardly even a moral person, and yet even he understood this simple concept.

Boyd pulled his cell phone out and played with it a moment until he managed to pull up his number. Holding it out for Sin to see, he looked at him seriously. "Here is my number... Call me if you need me for anything. If they do that again, I'll need to know so I can follow-up or he'll never believe what I said."

Sin stared at it and instantly memorized the numbers although he really had no intentions of ever using it for any such thing. Sin watched Boyd casually from under his hair and remained silent, reluctant to actually tell Boyd that. He had not expected for Boyd to come to his defense. He never expected anybody to come to his defense but yet again here Boyd was, showing some sort of concern for him. It was strange, alarming but not displeasing. Although he was embarrassed that Boyd had seen him in a moment of weakness, a part of him was glad that he'd arrived. If he hadn't, Harry would most likely have died and Sin would have been dragged to the correctional facility. He eyed his partner for a moment, keeping his expression unreadable. "Okay."

Boyd nodded absently, flipping the cell phone closed and sliding it into his pocket. He still felt a little edgy, but it was starting to fade now that he knew that Sin was alright. He didn't really know what came over him, except that he was tired of Sin getting hurt and then hurting others, and of course he was the one who had to deal with it because he was the only sane person around, apparently. He couldn't say necessarily that he cared about anyone else's wellbeing, so perhaps he just wanted to avoid the headache on his part.

Boyd realized he probably seemed strangely protective of Sin, but at this point he felt Sin deserved the bit of kindness. Even though Sin attacked him on the last mission, he had since made up for it by somewhat apologizing, making an effort to explain himself and even telling Boyd some personal information. He not only saved Boyd at the base but he also treated him as an equal, got hurt in the process and went out of his way to salvage the mission. Granted, there was a high body count on the way out and in, but Sin actually removed Andrews from the base and refrained from killing him, even tended Boyd's wounds so that he would recover and be able to negotiate as they were supposed to.

Beyond all that, Sin tried to hide the fact he was hurt, which could have simply been something to do with pride, but which made Boyd feel even more that he wanted to return some of the kindness to Sin. Most of all, Sin had been nice to Boyd despite the fact he was not nice to anyone. It made Boyd want to show Sin that there were some things in life that did not have to involve pain or cruelty; that not all repercussions were negative. That kindness could simply be returned with kindness, and common human decency and rights applied to Sin's wellbeing as well as anyone else's.

Boyd looked around the gym and took in their audience. The two people along the wall turned out to be two men he vaguely thought he remembered from when he was training. He nodded at them calmly, but they were now staring at him strangely between the wide-eyed looks they turned on Sin.

He slid his gaze away from them, dismissing their reactions. He could not blame them, really. It must have been quite the spectacle to see someone actually defending the 'monster' for once, and it didn't help that Boyd basically said that he took it upon himself to do the same in the future. The fact that Boyd was Sin's partner could work two ways if a rumor started; it could, on the one hand, give him the excuse as to why he cared, and on the other it would just make them seem closer. It certainly did not help that Harry called Boyd Sin's girlfriend and Boyd, now that he thought about it, had not disagreed. That was simply because he thought the comment was too childish and imbecilic to respond to, but that did not necessarily mean there would be no rumors.

That Boyd thought to protect Sin may further seem to verify Harry's label, the same way Andrews assumed Sin was his lover just because Sin had been upset when he was hurt. This could very well start rumors flying about the two of them and of course once a rumor started it tended to just grow until it became such a ludicrous accusation that it was a wonder anyone believed it. That was unfortunate; the last thing Boyd wanted was to draw any attention to himself. He preferred to walk through the halls like a wraith, but if it was a choice between losing some of his anonymity and simply ignoring Sin's situation... Well. Boyd had lived through worse than a few rumors following him around.

Movement caught Boyd's eye and he noticed that a person was still hovering near the door.

Luke had watched the entire scene play out and while it had been surprising to see Boyd stand up to Harry, it only intrigued him further. The most interesting part was the interaction between the Monster and his partner. The young blond man had such control over Sin... it was incredible. He'd nearly been mauled himself and a few brief words had called Sin off like a master reprimanding his dog. But even that analogy didn't entirely fit; it didn't seem as though Boyd considered himself to be the Monster's master or controller. From what Luke could hear, he spoke to the creature as though they were equals; it almost sounded like they were friends.

Luke couldn't pick up the quiet responses that Sin had made but his voice was surprising enough without hearing the actual words. When not faced with someone who was threatening him, he was quiet and his voice was very pleasant, deceptively soft, lightly accented and with a drawling quality.

Luke steeled himself and walked closer to the pair, clearing his throat. He tried to focus on Boyd but his eyes kept sliding back over to the Monster and the surprisingly powerful hands that had picked up Harry so easily. He didn't seem as scary now that he wasn't attacking somebody but at the same time there was something about his eyes that just weren't right; while the pale green color was shocking in contrast to his olive complexion, it wasn't just that. Something about the man just seemed to scream danger and when his gaze fell on Luke, he felt like a rodent being watched by a bird of prey. "If you want to report those guys, I'll back you up," Luke said to no one in particular.

Boyd calmly watched the new person. He looked barely older than Boyd, with honey-blond hair and blue-green eyes. His face was very young-looking, though, so Boyd could not tell exactly how old he really was. He was just an inch or so taller than Boyd and was fidgeting a little, like he didn't know where to look or what to do. Even so, between the words and his voice, Boyd was fairly certain he knew who it was. "Ah," he said after a moment, his tone soft, polite and on the pleasant side of neutral. "You are the one who called me. Thank you for that and the offer; it may come to pass we need it, although I will certainly be filing charges on my own." He paused, and tilted his head slightly. "What was your name?"

"Luke Gerant," Sin offered blandly as he studied the guy in front of him with slightly narrowed eyes.

Luke looked over at him and his eyes grew large. "Huh? How'd you know..." He trailed off and looked at Boyd in confusion.

Boyd shrugged when Luke looked his way. "I am not his mind-reader," he said mildly, "I have no idea how he knew your name. Have you two met before?" And this time he glanced at Sin.

"He's that guard from the fourth floor." There was a pause as he gazed at Luke. "The one who defended my honor," He added with a smirk.

"Ah," Boyd said, returning his gaze to Luke. He searched his face for a moment, as if scrutinizing Luke's soul, then inclined his head lightly forward. "Luke, I am pleased to hear there are still decent human beings in this facility. I was beginning to wonder if everyone had a defective view on treatment of others."

Luke continued to gape at Sin and was slightly mortified that the man had heard the conversation that had gone on between himself and Harry the day that he was released from the box. That meant that he'd actually been conscious that whole time... he hadn't imagined the way Sin had looked at him. He shook his head and looked at Boyd. "Well, I think..." He trailed off and stole another glance at Sin before firming his resolve. "I think that he should be in prison, but not tortured. It's ridiculous how these people carry on. Harry and I have had words before about his actions regarding the--your partner," He spoke as though Sin wasn't standing there, mostly because he couldn't bring himself to actually speak directly to the man.

Boyd inclined his head again in a calm nod and when he met Luke's eyes there was something almost respectful and friendly about him. "I understand. That is, I believe, an understandable stance of someone in your position."

"I apologize for killing your Captain, I suppose," Sin said suddenly, not appearing sorry in the least.

There was a brief moment of silence but anger was apparent on Luke's face and he grit his teeth before looking at Boyd again. "Someone should teach him manners," He said stiffly.

Sin smirked and his eyes were actually obviously, clearly amused. "I'm sorry, cupcake. Maybe you can come home with me and teach me how to be a good boy."

"Sin," Boyd said mildly, "is that any way to treat the one guard who is looking out for your welfare?" He looked up at him sidelong, more ironic than reprimanding.

He made a face at Boyd but fell silent, a small smirk still playing on his lips.

"Whatever..." Luke shook his head. This was just too bizarre for him. "Well look me up if you need me to confirm what just occurred in case Harry tries to spin it. I don't like your partner, but Harry is dangerous. He's an idiot, has no qualms justifying his own stupidity and for some reason has a league of guards on his side. He shouldn't get away with his behavior." He nodded at Boyd, shot Sin another annoyed glance and strode out of the gym.

Boyd watched him leave. "I think you scared him away," he said lightly, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Oh?" Sin gave him an innocent look.

"Shocking, that," Boyd said with mild sarcasm. "You, frightening someone away with your attitude? Wonders will never cease." More than anything, he seemed amused. He glanced at Sin then started walking out of the gym, his hands sliding idly into his trench coat pockets.

"I haven't frightened you away yet, sweet cheeks," Sin said mildly and began to follow him.

Boyd looked over sharply, more startled than anything. "Did you just call me 'sweet cheeks'?" His voice was lost between incredulity and something indefinable that may have been embarrassment.

"No?"

Boyd gave Sin a strange look but didn't comment. As they walked, he took in Sin's threadbare shirts. When Sin had been shirtless Boyd had noticed that he seemed even skinnier than he had on their last missions. Despite his thinness, it seemed that his body was entirely carved out of muscle so he was anything but weak, but now his waist was even smaller than before. If it weren't for the muscles standing in relief in his abdomen, it almost seemed like his stomach would be in danger of sinking to his spine.

They did not say much to each other as they walked through the halls, and Boyd did notice a few strange looks their way. No doubt Harry was already spinning a tale somewhere. That was fine; Boyd planned to file a report on him and if he needed verification, Luke was there. He was not worried. When they came to the hall where they would usually go different directions, Boyd gave Sin a sidelong look. Although he could just go back to his sketchbooks, it didn't seem as interesting as it was before he left. Winter was coming on quicker and they would potentially be going on more missions that kept them in the cold. Sin couldn't possibly have the body fat to keep him warm in such situations and Boyd had never seen him in anything but the same threadbare clothing. Besides, he didn't entirely think it was a good idea to leave Sin alone at that moment, just in case the guards Luke mentioned decided to try any immediate revenge. And if for some stupid reason this all turned out for the worse and Sin was sent to the fourth again, Boyd at least wanted to know he gave Sin a chance to be off the compound for something innocuous first, that did not involve killing people for a cause. Sometimes it was nice to just relax, and he wondered if Sin had ever been given the chance. That alone made his decision for him.

"You're coming with me," Boyd informed him and barely slowed walking.

"I am?" Sin said mildly, but he switched direction and followed behind Boyd as they continued to stride out the front of the building and across the courtyard. "Why." It was almost spoken as more of a statement than a question.

Boyd flashed his ID idly at the guards, who looked between Boyd and Sin strangely. Sin did not often leave the compound and generally needed to be accompanied by someone with clearance when he did. Boyd certainly fell into that category, but it was an oddity to see Sin leaving at all when they were not going on a mission at which point the guards were alerted ahead of time. Even so, there was no reason to stop them so Sin and Boyd strolled off the compound.

Stopping at his car, Boyd was pleased to see nothing was stolen from it despite the fact he did not lock it earlier.

"Because I am beginning to think you may own only three shirts and one pair of pants," Boyd said mildly, watching him over the car.

"Two undershirts, three t-shirts, and one pair of pants," Sin corrected him. He got into the passenger seat and looked straight ahead, waiting for it to start. He paused until Boyd was in and shut the door before he added, "I had another pair of pants but I lost them."

Boyd looked at him sidelong again. "And how long have you had that same clothing?"

Sin thought about that for a moment. "Since I was young and impressionable."

"I'm going to assume that means at least a decade," Boyd said mostly to himself.

He drove them toward the nearest set of stores that he knew of. "How are they even still good?"

"I hand wash them," Sin said calmly, watching where they were headed. "And you are bringing me to a lingerie shop." Sin looked over at him innocently. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

Boyd blinked and realized that Sin was looking at the old storefront for a women's undergarments store. Boyd had stopped the car in front of it only because that was the best parking spot anywhere nearby; the store itself was in disrepair and long ago broken. He looked a little startled and caught off-guard, then gave Sin a strange look. "No, this is where we're parking."

"Oh." Sin looked at the store again, eyeing a few of the displays on mannequins that remained tilted in the window. "I think they would fit you better anyway."

Boyd didn't seem to know what to say to that, so he just got out of the car in a bit of a fluster. Sin's mouth stretched into a smirk to himself when he turned away from Boyd, but when he was out of the car he was back to his general blank expression. "Where are we going?"

"Clothing shopping," Boyd said, then before Sin could say anything, "but not for lingerie." He looked Sin up and down. "You need normal clothes."

"My clothes are fine. And I don't wear coats so don't suggest it," Sin informed him as he followed Boyd down the broken sidewalk. Boyd inwardly thought that he would see about that.

Sin almost disagreed to the venture; the idea of spending time around crowds of civies was anything but appealing to him and he really did not think he was in need of any more clothing; he had the necessities. Despite that, he didn't object and followed Boyd without protesting.

He didn't like civilians but he enjoyed being outside the compound; it was the only time he was not constantly watched and despite the fact that the GPS in his collar told them where he was at all times, it was one of the few times that he felt free. The fact that Boyd was going out of his way to spend time with him was an added bonus. He didn't know why he had this sudden desire for Boyd's company but it was undeniable that it was there.

They ended up spending most of the day shopping; partially because it took that long, and partially because it was sort of fun, as strange as that seemed. After the war hit, many shops fell into disrepair and bartering for awhile was the only way to get anything. When the economy slowly picked up again, the stores accepted money as well as trade. While before the bombs, most stores were split along the socioeconomic status line, with very expensive shops holding only the best in designer clothing, down to the secondhand stores, now everything was mixed together. People wanted clothing that made sense for the times, so many of the designer clothes from before were on the extremely cheap racks, used more often for scrap cloth than anything else. The more expensive clothing was now the sort of thing that could be worn during the winter that would stand up to the elements or at least could handle some abuse.

The racks were packed full, and there were many people already in the shop browsing. A few gave Sin startled, alarmed looks, but most people ignored everything around them unless it was a danger to their health. Although his face had been splashed all over the news several years ago after the incidents preceding and following his arrest, the Agency had used its authority to ensure that the media no longer made reports about him. He was, however, still technically considered to be at large. It was only because of this that most civilians did not recognize him; people were too concerned with their own tragedies to bother remembering things that did not necessarily involve them.

And if for some reason someone did recognize him and report him to the cops, the Agency's government influence made it positive that he would never be held again. Despite the fact that Connors protected Sin from incarceration, it was obvious that it was for his own purposes; he wanted Sin at his disposal so he did not allow him to be sent to a state prison, although he made no attempts to clear up the mixed up details of what had actually happened. The false reports of serial murders and rapes combined with the things Sin had actually done at the compound, no matter what his reasons had been, proved to make him the scapegoat for anyone's problems or aggression.

Sin was quieter around other people, barely saying anything at all and it was obvious that he didn't feel entirely comfortable around crowds, civilians. He followed along behind Boyd for a good part of the experience and it took awhile before Boyd was able to convince him to start going through the racks on his own. Even then, he mostly moved a few things around in the vicinity Boyd stood, so finally Boyd gave up and just told Sin to look at what he held up and see if he liked it. While Sin was not disagreeable to shopping, he was very clear about what he did and did not like. He made faces at anything that was not his style, but if he liked something he just hung it over his arm and waited for Boyd to find him something else he would wear.

Although Boyd kept trying to sneak him sweaters or coats, Sin either made faces, moved his arm away, or set it off to the side when Boyd wasn't looking. In one particularly memorable moment, Boyd managed to throw a sweater over Sin's arm underneath a few pairs of pants, and it took Sin a few minutes to realize it. When he did, he just tilted his arm down until all the clothing clattered to the floor that was above the sweater, and the sweater fell on top of the pile. Boyd was standing right in front of him when it happened; Sin just stared down at the pile at his feet as if he had no idea how that happened then looked up at Boyd innocently.

"You," Boyd informed him, "are a child."

But he did not seem upset so much as amused, and when he bent to retrieve the clothing from the floor, he pointedly set the sweater to the side and did not try finding him another one. Instead, he focused on warmer, long-sleeved undershirts, ones that were not so threadbare.

After Sin had two and a half bags of clothing to his name, which Boyd paid for, they moved on to grocery shopping. Boyd said he had no food in his house and since he was in the area he may as well get some. But when they went in, Boyd paid careful attention to where Sin's gaze seemed to linger. Boyd casually grabbed anything that Sin seemed to want and if Sin glanced at him a few times questioningly, Boyd just did not acknowledge it.

By the time they returned to the car, there were enough bags that they each had to use both hands to carry them. They drove back to the agency in relative silence, though there was nothing cold or unhappy about it. Sin was staring at the bags of clothing and food piled around him thoughtfully, but he said nothing even though he watched Boyd when he wasn't looking.

When they arrived at the agency, Boyd got out of the car without a word, and helped Sin carry everything up to his apartment except the food which was supposed to be left in the car for Boyd's house. Somehow, though, every food item that Sin seemed interested in or that was nutritious and he should probably eat managed to make it into a few bags that also, coincidentally, made it into Boyd's hands. Boyd said he accidentally brought them with him but he didn't feel like bringing it all back down, so Sin would just have to keep it. Sin gave him another skeptical look but for a change, he didn't grace Boyd with a sarcastic comment or argue the fact.

Boyd was just setting the last bag down when Sin's cell phone suddenly rang. He looked up at Sin curiously; that was twice in one day those phones rang when he had not heard them any time before.

Sin seemed confused by the sound for a moment before pulling the phone out of one of the pockets in his pants. He stared at it with a slightly disdainful expression before flipping it open. He didn't say anything and waited for the person on the other end to speak first. There was silence for a long moment.

"Hello, darling." A sarcastic smirk crossed his face. "Ah, I see." He looked at Boyd and then at the bags on the floor, the smirk disappeared and he looked mildly annoyed. "Fine. I'll be there with bells on." He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket.

"I've been summoned," he said dully.

Boyd raised an eyebrow, though he absently grabbed the bags of food and headed toward the kitchen to at least get it all in the right area. "That was General Carhart?"

"Marshal Connors," Sin replied and looked down into one of the bags. He grabbed a box of cookies and ripped it open, a genuinely pleased expression coming across his face as he shoved a couple into his mouth.

Boyd opened the cupboards and stared at how they were all empty and dusty, except some stale old packages of Goldfish crackers and cookies. He started putting the food away, thinking it was no wonder Sin looked like he was starving to death.

"Marshal Connors?" he asked. That was strange; he didn't think Connors had anything to do with their missions. Then again, Sin said 'I've' been summoned, not 'we've.' He looked over at Sin as he rolled the empty bag into a ball, trying to decide what that must mean. "You have a solo mission?"

"Uh huh." Sin chewed slowly and raised an eyebrow. "I suppose they haven't decided to discard me after all."

"Congratulations," Boyd said mildly. He started unloading the next bag into the cupboards and fridge. "When does it start?"

Sin snorted and shoved more cookies into his mouth, looking down into the bags for the candy Boyd had purchased. "Congratulate me when they decide to finally get rid of me," he said flatly. "I'm supposed to meet him this evening so I suppose I leave tomorrow. It's most likely an assassination. That's the only time he contacts me directly."

He paused in his digging and seemed surprised that he'd shared that bit of information, but then he shrugged and continued his search, not looking up again. He was almost annoyed that he had to leave when they were getting along so well.

"Interesting." Boyd stuck the balled-up first bag into the now-empty second bag and walked idly over to Sin. He leaned over and reached into the bag Sin was searching through, pulling out a nutrition bar. "You're looking for something sweet, aren't you? Eat this first. Who's the target?"

Sin stared at the bar suspiciously and turned it over in his hand. He frowned at the fact that it was both whole grain and apparently full of vitamins. "Where's the candy?"

"Hidden inside for good little boys to eat," Boyd deadpanned, raising his eyebrows.

He frowned at Boyd. "So I guess you don't get any either then."

Boyd was startled into brief laughter and turned away. "Eat the fucking bar, you look like a skeleton," he told him good-naturedly.

Boyd grabbed the other bags of food and pointedly looked at Sin as he wandered to the kitchen with them in his arms. He looked rather like a little kid trying to take too many toys from the store at once. But this way Sin would not be able to grab more candy before he ate something at least mildly nutritious. Another time, perhaps, Boyd would introduce him to the concept of fruits or vegetables.

Sin scowled and opened the bar almost sullenly. "Do I? I hadn't noticed."

"Well," Boyd said as he unpacked the rest of the food, "I did, and now you're in trouble."

Sin snorted and swallowed the bar in almost one bite. It actually wasn't that bad; it was somewhat chewy and tasted slightly of peanut butter. "My target is in Venezuela but I don't have details yet," He replied finally. "I'm to be at his office at 1800 hours, so I suppose I should go in that direction now. He is oh so peevish when I do not arrive on time."

Boyd nodded and placed the last few items in the cupboards, shutting the doors firmly. He left the bags all balled up and placed in another bag in one of the lower cupboards, in case Sin needed them for some reason. Pulling his keys from his pocket, he walked out of the kitchen and stopped near Sin. "I'm going home, then." He paused and tilted his head slightly. "I suppose I will not see you again before you leave. Have a happy assassination."

Sin stared at him oddly. "I'm sure it will be a thrilling experience." He followed Boyd to the door with his hands behind his back, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Thanks."

Boyd looked over his shoulder with an unreadable expression. He wasn't sure, but that may have been the first time Sin thanked him for anything. "It was my pleasure," Boyd said calmly. He left soon after that and did not look back to notice the strange, lingering way Sin watched him go.

The night passed relatively simply. Boyd was pleased to have more food in the house, even if he did not eat much on any given day. He scolded Sin about his eating habits, but truth be told, he was not much better. It was just that Boyd never took his shirt off, so Sin would have no way of knowing how thin he was as well. Not other than what could be seen through his clothing and coat, at any rate.

The next day, Boyd intended to stay at his house but then he realized he needed to file the report against Harry. It took him awhile to track Luke down, get Harry's full name and any other information he needed and even longer waiting for one of the report computers. There were only so many in the building, and anyone who wanted to file a report had to do it on those specific terminals. There must have been a small mission undertaken by one of the other parts of the Agency, because the computers were all being used by men who wore the same standard issue uniform. Boyd waited a few minutes before he decided it was not worth it and went all the way up to the fourteenth floor. He had accidentally discovered an old reference library a few months ago, and came to enjoy resting there when he had to wait around the Agency and had time to kill.

Although it was mostly aimed at research, the library used to be one of two places reports could be written. Since then, the newer rooms several floors down were created and the amount of terminals increased dramatically. No one seemed to realize the reference library existed anymore, because even during the busiest times Boyd had only once ever seen one other person in the room. Now, Boyd used the room constantly when he knew there was a mission approaching that he needed to plan for; he often found and printed the blueprints on one of the main terminals, and had access to every type of information he could imagine in the books lining the shelves. Admittedly, many of the books were printed several years ago, but Boyd did not think that negated the importance of the room. He loved the comforting silence he could find there, an entirely different sort than the one at home. Here, the smell of old books and the knowledge that he was in a huge building surrounded by hundreds of people made him feel alone but not isolated. Boyd liked the room so much that had taken to stopping in the room any time he happened to be in the Agency and had time to kill, or if he just needed a moment to rest. It was out of the way, huddled all the way up on the fourteenth floor, but Boyd thought it was entirely worth it. As usual, the room was empty when he arrived. He headed to the correct terminal and quickly filed the report against Harry.

He was heading out of the building when he remembered he intended to talk to Ryan. It was not that important, but it wouldn't hurt to wander in the direction of his office. If he wasn't there, then Boyd would just leave. Boyd paused in the doorway and peered in. At first he thought it was empty, but then he thought he could see a shock of black hair peeking just over the computer monitor on the desk, hidden amidst piles of papers and little plastic figurines.

"Ryan?" he asked calmly.

Ryan sat up in his chair and grinned when he saw Boyd. "Hey! What's up?" He stood up, managing to knock over a large pile of folders in the process but he ignored it and walked around his desk, clearing off a chair for Boyd. His office was in a state of extreme disarray and it was a wonder that he found anything amidst the various, identical looking stacks.

Boyd shrugged with one shoulder but sat in the chair, letting his legs splay in front of him. His thigh still hurt, but it was getting much better. He probably should not have carried all those bags up with his sore arm, though, because now it twinged. "I was just visiting." He paused, tilting his head slightly. "I was also wondering how your first encounter with Sin went. You weren't alone in the room with him, were you?"

Ryan's face went through a variety of changes in mere seconds, it paled instantly before reddening to a deep scarlet and his eyes widened even as his lips turned up into an embarrassed looking smile. "Ahhh, yeah I was. He and I were the first to arrive." He scratched the back of his head and chuckled at his own expense. "I acted like a real dork, man. I wish someone had given me some warning. There I was waltzing in with my donuts and coffee and then the next thing I know, Hsin is lounging in the conference room and my donuts are flying everywhere. He must have thought I was such a nerd."

Boyd actually smiled a little at the mental image. Ryan relaxed him; over the weeks he had come to know him better, he realized that he was simply a sincere, open person who rarely put Boyd on edge. As a result, he often found himself being a little friendlier around him, a little more likely to show emotions or be honest. "Sin likely just did not understand what was happening. I don't believe he expects anyone to notice him in any way but negative, so for someone such as you to be struck silent out of awe, he would just be bewildered."

Ryan took this in and some of his embarrassment faded as he considered it. "Yeah, actually I can see that. He just stared at me blankly and raised an eyebrow." He grinned wickedly. "Man, I don't see how you can work side by side with that man and not want to touch him," He winked. "But seriously though, it wasn't that bad... it was just embarrassing because I didn't know what to say. I didn't know whether I should call him Sin or Hsin, I just stood there and gaped at him for awhile and eventually offered him a donut."

Boyd seemed mildly amused. "He took the donut, didn't he?" He said it more as a statement than a question; he could not imagine Sin passing up anything that was sweet or bad for him. As for working with him and wanting to touch him, he decided not to comment that the last time he tried touching Sin, he was just half a second from being killed. He hadn't had time to think too much about Sin as anything but his partner, but as he found himself watching the feed occasionally, he did have to admit that Ryan was correct in that he was an attractive person.

"Yeah, I was pretty surprised. I don't know I had this stereotypical idea that he was some health nut or something because he's so fit and everything. I know he's never drank or smoked in his life so I figured he'd have the same healthy habits about food, but then I guess when the hell would he have the opportunity to concentrate on his diet much, right?" Ryan rambled on. He paused and seemed to remember something suddenly, peering at Boyd from under his fall of shaggy, black hair. "Hey so did you get a chance to look at that drive I gave you?"

Ryan was all over the place, but Boyd was used to that by now. "Ah," he said, taken a little off-guard. "Yes, I did." He watched Ryan, considering whether he wanted to say more. After a moment, he decided that it did not matter; Ryan knew everything that was on there. When he spoke again, his voice was a little softer, just so anyone who may happen to walk past the deserted hallway would not overhear. "I researched the story regarding his jail time and discovered the access to the feed."

Ryan reddened once again and he held up his hands as though he were defending himself. "It's not what it seems like! I discovered they had cameras all over his apartment and linked the one in the main room just out of curiosity. I don't even look at it all that often since all he usually does is sit around staring at walls. Although..." he trailed off and peered at Boyd questioningly. "Have you seen them?"

Boyd shrugged one shoulder. "I did find the three cameras, although I find it ridiculous that they feel the need to put one in his bathroom as well. He has no privacy anywhere in his apartment."

"I know," Ryan said sourly. "That's why I only linked the first one." He was silent for another long moment, fidgeting with one of his action figures. "So what kind of stuff have you seen?" He asked casually.

Boyd leaned back in the chair. "I saw him fall asleep a few times, and one night he cauterized two bullet wounds on his own without any apparent anesthetics." He paused, considering. "He does not seem to do much, and I have not really looked in the last week."

Ryan nodded distractedly and didn't look up. "Oh so you didn't look in last night, huh? Hmm." He muttered it more to himself than to Boyd and immediately changed the subject with a big grin. "Well I'm glad you found that stuff useful. What did you think about the jail footage? I couldn't eat for awhile after seeing him yank that guy's head off."

Giving Ryan a slightly strange look, Boyd said, "It was enlightening. What do you mean about last night? Did something happen?" It was the night before Sin's first solo mission in quite some time. He didn't do anything stupid, did he?

"Um... no?" Ryan shuffled some papers and smoothed them down at random, his hands shaking slightly. His face was slightly red again and he looked a little wild eyed. "Enlightening?" He squeaked.

Boyd stared at Ryan. "What did you see?" he asked, rather in the tone of someone asking their dog what it just ate off the floor.

His cheeks reddened further and he looked at Boyd desperately. "Why are you torturing me?"

Boyd looked actually surprised by the question and stopped to consider the situation. Clearly it couldn't have been anything dangerous to Sin's health, or Ryan would have told him immediately out of concern. Judging by Ryan's expression, it must be something embarrassing. Did he see Sin walking around naked, or was it even more invasive? He should leave it alone, but now he was just honestly curious. "Well," he pointed out, "If I had been watching last night I also would have seen, so you may as well say it."

Ryan considered this for a moment and absently made one of his action figures kill the other. "Well..." He hesitated and peered at Boyd. "It's embarrassing," He whined.

"I will likely assume the worst unless you give me reason not to," Boyd said mildly, tilting his head slightly. He would have left it alone if Ryan were not reacting quite like that. The more flustered he seemed, the more Boyd wanted to know, simply to satisfy his curiosity.

Ryan reddened even further and sunk down slightly in his chair. "It's just... I couldn't see but, I could hear him breathing erratically and I thought... I thought he was doing something but I probably misunderstood." From the look on his face it was obvious as to what he'd thought Sin had been doing.

"Oh," Boyd said, leaning back in his chair. Although Ryan seemed to be implying something like Sin masturbating, that just seemed... odd to Boyd. He couldn't really imagine Sin doing that for some reason, so he tried to think of what else it could be. "That could be anything. Maybe he was having a nightmare."

Ryan peered at Boyd from between his fingers. "Really?" he asked skeptically. "Would he be that noisy over a nightmare?"

Boyd thought about Sin's loud cries, his convulsions and the other languages. "Yes," he said a little somberly.

Ryan took his hands away and watched Boyd for a long moment but did not question him further. "Well... I feel better now, I guess." In truth, he looked a little disappointed.

Thinking about what Ryan said before, Boyd tilted his head to the side. "You can zoom in?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ryan seemed relieved that there was a subject change. He grabbed a sticky note and scribbled down a list of commands. "Zoom in, out, move the camera a bit from side to side too. I don't do it much because I don't want whoever is in charge to realize that data is being sent to the camera from an outside source, but there you go."

"Interesting," Boyd said idly. That could be used any number of ways; including, as Boyd was thinking, turning the camera a little away from especially private areas of the apartment if he ever happened to be watching. They spent the next several minutes talking about nothing in particular, and eventually Boyd decided he should leave Ryan to his work.

When he got back to his house, he tried out a few of the commands just to see if it worked, and it did. Sin was not in the apartment, of course, and he didn't necessarily plan to use it to invade his privacy any more than it already was. But it was interesting to know that now he had some control over the cameras. He knew he should tell Sin about them, but something was stopping him. Again, maybe he didn't want Sin to distrust him, or maybe he just didn't want to lose the chance to see Sin when he wasn't around anyone, not even Boyd.

Continue to Ch 11 ~ Confusion