Chapter Twenty-Two

Protection

Uploaded on 3/13/07

The first several days after Sin's release from the fourth had passed in a blur. He thought it was strange since it did not typically take so long for him to shake off the effects unless he was incarcerated for a much larger period of time. The only explanation was that either they'd given him much larger doses than usual or that the drugs combined with his concussion were responsible for the majority of his sluggishness. Whatever the case was, he'd been unable to do much other than sleep and wander around his apartment for the first three days.

Although a support agent had brought him up several bags of food and other things the day after Carhart's visit, Boyd had continued to drop by every so often to ensure that he was eating properly and improving in strength. He never stayed for long and they never spoke much, but it was always pleasant and Sin had found himself once again craving Boyd's presence. The feelings and confusion surrounding Boyd, which had mostly disappeared and turned to animosity after the mission in France, had returned in full force but this time Sin did very little to fight or analyze it.

Sin accepted the fact that he wanted Boyd around and it no longer bothered him. The part of him that was angry, suspicious and emotionless screamed at him and told him that he was being weak and foolish, demanding if he'd forgotten the remote and the way Boyd had treated him after his birthday. There were times when Sin listened to that voice, there were times when he felt the familiar stirrings of anger and resentment that had dominated him for the past several months, but then he remembered what Boyd had done for him and the suspicion, the anger, the bitterness faded away.

If Boyd had forgiven him for all he'd done and said, he could do more than forgive Boyd in return. Boyd had proved himself to be more than trustworthy and when Boyd had said that he cared about him; Sin didn't find any reason to disbelieve him. Boyd had lied for him, risked his own freedom by defying Connors, stood up to his mother and to the entire Agency... what more proof did he need?

Sin spent his time wandering around his apartment, feeling liberated by the absence of the cameras and thankful that Boyd had thought to get rid of them. He didn't feel pressured to hide his physical pain anymore and that alone allowed anxiety that he hadn't even realized existed, to disappear. He found it hard to believe that Connors had allowed it, that they'd given Boyd everything he'd demanded without questions or consequences, but he figured it had something to do with Vivienne's influence. While no knew exactly what Vivienne's role was at the Agency, it was certain that her word held major weight and in certain instances it could completely override Connor's.

Every time the memory of her and Boyd's conversation drifted through his mind, Sin felt that strange warmth consume him. The warmth that allowed him to fight over a decade worth of paranoia and coldness and accept the fact that not only did he like Boyd, but he was the closest thing to a friend he'd ever had. It was strange; he didn't understand why Boyd would like him, why he would care about him. When people said that he was a killer, an unfeeling monster, part of Sin had always accepted the fact that it was true. Although he wasn't responsible for most of the things that people believed, he knew that violence was deeply ingrained in him and that the fact that he was so quick to kill made him far from a normal person. Boyd saw something in him that he didn't even see in himself and that made him want to try to find whatever it was, made him want to be the person Boyd saw so that he wouldn't give up on him and move on.

Sin didn't know how to do that though.

They'd mostly gone back to the comfortable familiarity that had been between them before Thanksgiving, but something about it was different. The moment they'd shared before Carhart had walked in had confused him. Not only had he unconsciously touched Boyd but Boyd had allowed it and had seemed to even want to touch him in return. It was a drastic difference from previous incidents and Sin wasn't entirely sure what it meant. It nagged at him constantly, especially when Boyd was in his proximity, but he didn't do it again and they never brought it up.

Sin found himself extremely quiet around Boyd at times, not really knowing how to react to someone who had managed to get so close to him despite all of the things they'd gone through to get to that point. However despite all of his confused thoughts and hesitance, he didn't show any of it and when he wasn't silent, he was instigating their usual joking banter.

It'd taken him most of the week to come to the point where he could freely admit those things to himself and by the time Saturday afternoon came, he found himself extremely bored with nothing left to analyze or do. He lay on the white carpet, staring up at the ceiling in silence or pursuing his manuscript of Paradise Lost for most of the day before deciding that he needed something else to do. He'd exercised for the better part of the afternoon but soon lost his focus as his mind began to wander.

He gave up on sit ups after awhile and sat on the floor, picking at the scabs on his lacerated hands and trying to ignore the fact that he wanted to see Boyd. However, the desire would not go away and after while he grabbed his cell phone and dialed Boyd's number. It rang three times before Boyd answered and even then, there were rustling sounds and a long period of silence.

"Boyd?"

"Ah," Boyd's voice said after a moment, sounding a little amused. "Sorry. I couldn't find my phone and then I dropped it. It was very dexterous of me."

Sin cradled the phone between his neck and shoulder and began to pick at his hands again. "You're too clumsy; I don't think this partnership can work anymore."

Boyd laughed, sounding startled into it. "Well. If that's all you called to tell me, I think I'll go cry in the corner now..."

A smirk tugged at Sin's mouth and he stopped messing with his hands, opting instead to flop backwards on the floor. "Entertain me before you do that. I'm bored."

"The interesting part of that proposal is that I don't have to," Boyd said with faint amusement in his voice still. "But just for you, I can go play video games and set the phone next to me with the television turned up loud. You could let your imagination go crazy making up what each noise means."

"I could do the same for you but it wouldn't involve video games," Sin drawled. He made a face at himself and closed his eyes. "Anyway..."

There was a bit of rustling noise. "I can't tell if this is a break-up call or sexual harassment. Are you really that bored? What did you call for?" He sounded curious and teasing more than anything.

"You know you like it," Sin drawled. He snorted softly before speaking again. "I'm bored. Go buy me reading material."

"Reading... Do you want me to come get you so you can buy books?" He sounded a little confused.

"You get it. I don't have any money or anything."

"How can that be? You must get a paycheck; they have their issues but I can't imagine you get no money at all. They pay me." More rustling was followed by faint clinking sounds in the background.

Sin narrowed his eyes at nothing in particular and thought for a moment. "I suppose I do. It goes directly to an account. I haven't accessed it in years though."

"You should look into it. Interest has probably accrued a decent amount for you by now." There was a hissing noise, more rustling, and a louder clank. "I suppose I can get you something but I will need a list. What are you looking for?"

Sin shrugged even though Boyd could not see him. "I guess. There is money leftover from my father's account as well but I do not see a point, as I do not have need for money usually. Except for instances such as this one, when I am bored and have no reading material." He paused and asked almost as an afterthought. "What's that sound?"

"I'm making tea. So you're saying even though you probably have more money than me you still expect me to pay for all your entertainment?" Boyd tsked softly, sounding wry. "How unfortunate. I must not have read my contract thoroughly enough."

"I don't know how much money I have," Sin replied before adding, with a small amount of playful pleading: "Come on, Boyd."

"I don't know," Boyd drawled teasingly, dragging the words out. "I'm not certain yet this partnership is good enough for me to spend my hard-earned money on things I never benefit from."

"You'll benefit from it," Sin insisted, a smile crossing his face. "I'll continue to be well read and we can enjoy literary discourse over cookies and tea. You're making tea already-- it's perfect." He spoke in a dry, sarcastic manner but it was obvious that he was deeply amused.

"See, it's already starting. First you want my money for your books, now you want to drink all my tea. I suppose I will provide the cookies as well?" A soft, dramatic sigh. "I'm beginning to think you like me only for my material possessions."

"I like you for many reasons. However, your wonderful sense of generosity is a bonus." As soon as the words left his mouth, a large amount of embarrassment and irritation spread through him. He didn't even have the drugs to blame his loose tongue on anymore.

Boyd chuckled softly and did not seem to notice anything strange with the comment. "Now you're just trying to use flattery. I'm onto you, Mr. Vega, I've seen your tricks."

He resisted the urge to say another innuendo and replied sullenly. "I guess you don't have to go..."

"Alright," Boyd said after a moment, sounding amused and resigned. "You never told me what to get you."

"You pick."

"That could be dangerous, you realize. I could get you anything. Wedding gown books, a children's book about frogs... The possibilities are endless."

"It's okay. I trust you."

There was a long pause, then a soft sigh. "I can't disappoint you, then," Boyd murmured not unkindly. "Give me a few hours and I'll be there."

"Excellent. I expect you here in three hours exactly."

"I hope our watches are synchronized or I'm in trouble," Boyd said mildly. "I'll be there." The line went dead as Boyd hung up.

Sin flipped his phone closed and continued to lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling once again. He wondered what books Boyd would bring him and found that although he'd mostly used it as an excuse to call Boyd, he really was looking forward to having something else to read.

When he'd been a child in his mother's care, he'd had little else to do with his time but peruse old copies of classic literature. There had only been a few books in the common room of the house and he knew them all by heart; among the fashion magazines and romance novels had been a collection of works by Dickens, Stevenson and Bronte, left behind by one of the girls who'd made it a habit of picking them up when she went shopping, trying to 'get smarter' as she'd always say. He'd reread them countless times while his mother had entertained in her bedroom, when he'd been desperate to distract himself from the things that went on around him.

Although it seemed odd, Sin thought that books had done more for him than anything else when he'd been a child. Through them, he'd broadened his thoughts, his perspective of the world outside of the small Hong Kong brothel he was born in and they'd taught him how to read in English when he hadn't ever even been taught to read in Chinese.

Even after his mother's death and his father had taken him far from Hong Kong, he'd continued his obsession with reading. It was actually his withdrawn, bookworm qualities that had at first motivated his father to begin teaching him how to fight. It was his shocking ability to mimic everything his father showed him, the first time he saw it, which had encouraged his father to train him to be an agent. 'The best agent,' he'd said, 'even better than me.'

Sin closed his eyes and massaged his head, trying to block out the flood of memories that came with his father's phantom voice. There were things he didn't mind remembering, things he didn't mind talking about, but then there were the things that lived in the darkest parts of his mind that only showed themselves in his nightmares. Those were the memories that he never wanted to recover, the ones that Lydia had determinedly tried to make him relive when she'd climbed on top of him and effectively signed her own death warrant. Although he'd had no respect for the woman as an agent, a doctor or anything else, he was positive that he wouldn't have reacted so violently, wouldn't have slipped into an uncontrollable episode, if she hadn't touched him at the exact moment that she'd asked him about his mother.

Sin sat up and stared into space for a moment, lost in thoughts about his parents although that was something he usually wanted to avoid. He remembered back when he'd first entered the Agency, back when certain memories were deeply repressed and in no danger of escaping, back when he'd told doctors the truth because he didn't remember why the truth about his parents were better left a secret. He wished he could go back to that time, wished that his memories would stop pushing to the forefront of his mind, wished that they would stay hidden where they belonged; in the darkness, with the shadowy thing that took over his body when he felt threatened and lost control.

He stood up with a frustrated scowl and ran both hands through his hair before moving over to the window, staring down at the early March frost; it seemed that there would be one last snowstorm before spring. To his dismay that simple thought automatically led to yet another memory of his father, one that involved early morning jogging during an ice storm, building up stamina for missions that would require him to run around in some of the coldest parts of the world. 'Russia', Emilio would say, 'is full of frozen, heartless pricks. If you wanna beat 'em, you gotta be able to tough it out in their kinda conditions. So basically, you gotta know how to not bust your ass on a shitload of ice while half frozen and drunk.'

Sin swore under his breath, trying to force the man's image away. He didn't want to remember. He didn't want to think of it. He didn't want to see Emilio's face glaring at him disapprovingly, an expression that just as easily melted away into a large, disarming smile. That huge grin had always haunted Emilio's face and he'd often teased his son for never cracking the smallest smile. Sin had never been good at it and he'd never bothered; in the past he'd never had a reason for laughter or smiles.

Despite their differences in personality, there were times when he loathed seeing his own reflection because it automatically reminded him of his father; he hated whatever course of nature had decided that their DNA should be so exact. While he had his mother's slanted eyes and full lips, he had his father's olive complexion and strange, green eyes. It was a constant reminder of who he was, where he came from and what he was meant to be. He was supposed to be a sharper image of his father; a killer but without the weakness for women, drugs and alcohol; an assassin with no flaws. Despite the fact that his father had been dead for fifteen years, the goals were deeply ingrained in him and the training that he'd endured since he was eight years old would always be at the back of his mind.

There were times when Sin wondered what Boyd's father had been like; he'd seemed so kind in the home video, like he'd really loved his son. Sin wondered what he would be like if his father had been Cedrick Beaulieu; what he'd be like if he hadn't been taught to kill.

Sin turned away from the window and headed for the door, grabbing his phone as an afterthought. He needed to be out of the apartment, he decided. He needed some kind of distraction or the ridiculous thoughts would haunt him for the rest of the night. He didn't know why the thoughts of his parents came so frequently now; it had something to do with the flashes he'd seen during the mission in New Orleans but he didn't want to go there, in fact he wanted to avoid it at all costs. What he'd seen had scared him and he wasn't normally scared by much.

He left the apartment and went downstairs, glancing at the usual guards who stood at the entrance before heading outside. Once again the guard warned him that it was freezing, but Sin ignored him and stepped out into the biting wind with no jacket or sweater to protect him. He ignored the temporary discomfort caused by the cold and walked in no particular direction. He thought about going to the gym but he'd already exercised once that day and if he was honest with himself, he'd admit that it did very little to clear his mind anymore.

As he wandered around the courtyard, he saw several agents wrapped in heavy coats giving him strange looks but he wasn't sure if it was because he was under dressed or because he was... well, him. The thought was effective in allowing him to forget about his father but it turned his mind towards Boyd again, and the rumors that Ryan claimed surrounded him. Sin wasn't the only one to receive strange looks anymore-- Boyd received his fair share as well.

The idea of people harassing Boyd, physically as well as verbally, made Sin insane with anger. It made him angrier because he knew that it was his fault, knew that if he hadn't opened his mouth about Thierry in the confere--

'Do you know because of you and stupid Jeff telling whoever the hell he told, everyone's been harassing Boyd?'

Sin froze in mid-step and felt himself go still. He'd wondered how everyone could have known about Boyd and Thierry, why there were so many rumors about Boyd's sexual orientation and somewhere in the midst of being incarcerated and drugged he'd entirely forgotten Ryan's comment.

Until now.

Anger coursed through him, warming his body enough that he completely forgot about the cold; he turned around and began to walk towards the building where Jeff lived. His stride was like that of a predatory cat and the people who passed him didn't take their time moving out of his way. His hands balled into fists and he grit his teeth, trying to calm himself down and failing miserably. He'd been the one to tell Jeffrey but Jeffrey hadn't had the right to tell everyone else. He knew where Jeff lived for the same reason that he knew mostly every agent's identity and residence; they were his enemies and any good killer knew his enemies almost as well as he knew himself.

Jeffrey lived in one of the nicer buildings; it was nearly as large as the hi-rise which supposedly housed Johnson's Pharmaceuticals, the official cover for the Agency, and held offices, lounges and libraries in addition to agent housing.

He entered the building with relatively little problems from the guards, claiming he was going to one of the common areas, and ran up the stairs to Jeff's apartment on the eleventh floor. He knocked several times to no avail and he wasn't sure whether Jeff was not home or simply ignoring him. The idea made his temper flare even further and for a moment he could do nothing but stand there with his hands balled into fists, frustrated and annoyed and with no way of relieving it at the moment. He didn't know if his anger was irrational and at the moment he didn't care. He knew he was as much to blame as Jeffrey was, but still... that didn't excuse the man's behavior.

Sin didn't know what he intended to do once he had Jeffrey alone but for the moment he didn't care and was only focused on the fact that he didn't plan to hang around in the hallway waiting for the idiot to return. Instead, he began moving automatically down the hallway, not really sure if he should just come back at a later time or kill time in the complex until he saw Jeff return. Once again he knew it was irrational, but he didn't want to come back later. He wanted to confront Jeffrey now when the realization of what the man had done was fresh in his mind, now that the anger was burning hot within him. He didn't want his temper to cool, he didn't want the next time he saw Jeffrey to be when Carhart was there to intervene. But at the same time he had to admit to himself that perhaps it was better if that was the case. Boyd had gone through a lot of trouble to free him and it was entirely possible that a confrontation with Jeffrey could wind up putting him right back in the box.

He'd almost decided to leave, to follow the part of his brain that was telling him to just walk away and let it go, but then a supply clerk pushing a huge cart full of laundry came out of one of the apartments on the floor. Before Sin even realized what he was doing, he was stalking behind the young man silently in the shadows. It was painfully easy to lift the man's wallet and remove his keycard and Sin was already disappearing down the hallway before the man even noticed that there was someone else in the hall with him.

The keycard that supply clerks possessed served as a kind of skeleton key for whatever wing they were in charge of and opened every door in that area. Sin found it somewhat amusing that it'd been so easy to lift the damn thing but supply clerks weren't exactly trained to be as aware of their surroundings as other agents were so it wasn't really that surprising.

All thoughts of abandoning his temporary mission fled his mind and he used the card to enter Jeffrey's apartment without further problems. It was stylishly decorated in an elegant, minimal way, with furniture that was either red or brown. Everything he could see had an earthy feel to it and Sin was quite disgusted by the sheer amount of creativity Jeff had put in decorating the place. He stalked around the apartment, expression as dark as his mood and realized that Jeff really was not home. He hung around for nearly an hour, brooding, reflecting and effectively growing angrier, until finally there was noise outside the door and it swung open.

Jeffrey had his arms filled with paper and was watching the floor as he talked on a cell phone held to his ear by his shoulder. "Yes," he said impatiently, "I realize this, but I can't possibly get it done in two days. ...No. ....No, that's unacceptable. ...What?" Kicking the door shut behind him, he automatically flipped a light on as he passed and carefully set the pile of papers on a table next to the door. He did not seem to notice Sin, but it had been dark when he entered and he had yet to look in his direction. "Listen, I just got back to my apartment and I haven't even had the chance to check my messages. I'll see if he called. Yes. ...Yes, I'll do that too."

Without even saying goodbye, he flipped his phone shut and turned around as he looked up. He was so surprised when he saw Sin that he actually jumped and yelled, "Holy--!" Glancing around wildly as if searching for exits or back-up, he turned wide eyes back to Sin. "What the hell-- How did you get in here? What are you doing here?"

"I came to chat," Sin said flatly, standing up and walking towards Jeffrey.

Automatically starting to back away, Jeffrey gripped his cell phone as if it would protect him. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed. He glanced around quickly once more then returned his stare to Sin as he grew increasingly more paranoid. "We can talk later, why are you in my home?"

Sin continued to walk towards Jeffrey who kept backing up without looking where he was going. Briefly, Jeff looked toward the door as if he wanted to run out of it but that exit was quickly intercepted by Sin. There was no way Jeffrey would go past him and Sin kept moving closer until he was effectively invading the other man's personal space and had him backed against the wall. "I want to talk now."

The second Jeffrey hit the wall he started to feel a tinge of panic; he had never been in the presence of Sin when he looked so angry and he was quite unprepared to have it suddenly directed at him. He started to slide to the side in the hopes of escaping. "We can talk just fine across the room. Why the hell are you getting so close?" The last question came out as an alarmed hiss.

Strong hands grabbed the front of Jeff's shirt, pulled him forward and then slammed him against the wall. "Shut the fuck up and don't move again," He said softly. Sin's face darkened and his eyes narrowed as he placed a hand on either side of Jeffrey's head and leaned in close to him.

Jeffrey stared at him, eyes very wide and mouth a little slack. The level of alarm he felt could not even properly be identified, but he did find himself distinctly thinking, 'Am I about to die?' Aloud, he said as calmly as he could manage, "Alright. You have my attention... What do you want?"

Sin stared at him through half lidded eyes. "Why are you afraid of me?"

"Because you're a fucking psychopath who just pushed me into the wall," Jeffrey said, a little of his attitude appearing impatiently. He seemed to realize that it was not the best thing to say, however, because immediately he frowned and looked a little apprehensive.

"You've never seen me become a fucking psychopath," Sin said, his voice a study of quiet fury. His dropped his hands, leaned back for a moment as if to give Jeffrey some room and then wrapped one of his hands around the man's throat, lifting him clear off the floor with surprising strength and slamming him against the wall again. "But you will if you fuck with me."

Jeff choked and his head smacked against the wall. Eyes widening in fear and anger, he tried to pry Sin's hands off his throat while his feet kicked helplessly against the wall. "What the fuck!" he managed hoarsely, panicked. "I didn't do anything, I haven't fucked with you!"

"I don't care what you people do to me. I don't care what you think of me," Sin continued as if he hadn't heard Jeff, ignoring the way the man clawed at his hand helplessly. "I don't care that you think I'm a depraved killer who murders and rapes for sport. I don't care that you hate me and probably want me dead. Your words hold very little consequence to me."

His eyes narrowed further and his hand tightened around Jeff's throat. "But I do care about what you do to Boyd."

Eyes widening further, Jeff tried to say something but he only choked. He tried to kick Sin away but he was not particularly strong and it did nothing to alleviate the pressure on his neck. Tears started to gather at the edges of his eyes as he struggled to breathe and he shook his head a little; though it was unclear whether he was denying doing anything or just trying to silently ask Sin not to kill him.

Sin stared at Jeffrey coolly for several moments before abruptly releasing him and allowing the man to fall to the floor at his boots. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

Coughing and drawing in deep, shaky breaths, Jeff crouched on the ground and couldn't answer for a minute. "What," he gasped finally, anger and fear making his voice quake, "what the fuck are you talking about? I haven't done anything to him!"

Sin's temper flared and he fought the urge to kick Jeffrey in the face, opting instead to press the steel toe of his boot against the man's chest, once again pinning him to the wall. "Who told you to open your fucking mouth about the assignment in France?"

A flash of guilt passed through Jeff's expression and he took a moment to respond, still panting to catch his breath. He glanced around briefly again then turned his eyes down to the foot on his chest. When he looked up, he looked determined if also afraid and angry. "What are you, going to beat me up about that? I'm not going to talk to you like this. Let me up and we'll have a civilized conversation." 'You asshole' seemed to hang in the air.

"You're lucky I don't rip your arms off about it," Sin replied but released Jeff and took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest and glowering down at him.

Jeffrey stood with all the dignity he could muster after being thrown around a bit and he straightened his shirt rather importantly. Giving Sin a sidelong, very suspicious look, he skirted around him and headed for the living room. He paused before sitting down, as if waiting for Sin to come over and sit first as he was the guest.

"Tell me what your actual problem is and we can discuss it," Jeffrey said with a hint of irritation. One hand rose to rub his throat unconsciously. "Threatening me won't ease your mind and it certainly won't make me happy."

"Your happiness is not my concern," Sin retorted. He followed Jeffrey over to the couch, looking at it dubiously without sitting down. "Are you aware of the fact that Boyd is now harassed daily because of your burning desire to spread the word on his sex life?"

Jeffrey narrowed his eyes, looking a little affronted. "It was your burning desire actually, Vega. Don't try to pass the blame to me just because you wanted to piss him off. But if you must know, yes, I am aware of it. I didn't mean for it to happen. I told only two people in passing, but, as I'm sure you realized by saying it in front of me, sometimes even one is enough."

Sin stared at him for a moment before looking away moodily. "Well I didn't mean to say it," He muttered. "You, on the other hand, are a different story. What the fuck is your problem with him anyway?"

"I don't like him," Jeffrey said bluntly, though it twisted easily to his usual taunting nature. "Are you going to attack me again because I'm saying bad words about your little... partner?" There was no doubt he meant that more than one way. "Or would you like to sit down and be a normal guest?"

Sin made a face and sprawled onto the couch, slamming his dirty boots down on the coffee table. "Better?"

Glaring at the boots, Jeffrey sat down rather primly on the edge of a chair. "Well. I can hardly expect more, I suppose." He sighed, irritated. "What were you wanting out of this little interrogation, anyway?"

"I'd intended to break your nose and possibly other body parts as well," Sin drawled. "But I'd like to know exactly how these rumors came about before I make a decision. I normally wouldn't give a fuck what who said about what, but at the moment, I do."

"How eloquent." Jeff sighed and sat back in the chair, one hand moving to cover his eyes. "You will likely not believe me, but I truly did not intend for it to get so far. I simply told my two closest colleagues about it because I thought it was funny." He raised an eyebrow and surveyed Sin from beneath his hand.

"You must understand, there are some of us who very much dislike either Beaulieu, though you did not hear me say that. The Inspector has had several very good men dismissed simply because they were not useful enough for her. Her son appeared out of nowhere, yet with absolutely nothing special about him save his name and impressive ability to impersonate a statue, jumped straight to the highest ranks. I dislike nearly everything about him and enjoyed the idea that he had done something embarrassing and utterly foolish." He shrugged. "They also thought it was funny, but unfortunately, despite my warnings not to pass it along, they did." He paused, looking at Sin a little questioningly, as if wondering how much he even wanted to hear.

He settled back and seemed to enjoy the idea of explaining it all, or perhaps just getting it off his chest. "There are some people who like him, several groups who do not seem to care or are neutral, but a few that do not care for him at all. He was never particularly popular with the guards simply because most of them have worked here for years hoping to make it higher in the ranks but then he just appeared out of nowhere and stole the hope. It was infuriating for them to see a scrawny little child running around getting all this attention. This was only worsened when he apparently did something to piss Harry Truman off. Although my colleagues apparently are loose-mouthed, I also cannot believe they meant for it to spread so far. I imagine they said something in front of one of the guards and it spiraled from there."

Sin did not appear happy with this information but he didn't appear to get any angrier either. In truth he found it to be unsurprising and extremely understandable that people on the compound felt that way; it was exactly how they'd felt about him when he'd arrived at the age of 14 and had immediately risen in the ranks. "Jealousy is a terrible thing," He said, sounding bored. "But I could care less about who dislikes Boyd. It would be perfectly fine with me if no one liked him at all as long as they kept their fucking hands off him."

Jeffrey raised an eyebrow. "Careful. It is precisely that sort of talk that will only exacerbate it further."

Sin stared at him blankly for a moment before frowning. "What? Why would that exacerbate anything? What exactly are these stupid rumors anyway?"

Another raised eyebrow and Jeffrey looked at Sin as if he were an idiot. "One would think you did not spend your life on the compound. Amazing." He straightened in the chair a little. "For months there have been rumors that you and he are an... item, shall we say. Apparently there was something to do with your apartment, I don't really know what it was and I don't particularly care to know the sordid details." His expression twisted a little in distaste.

"So it was already believed Boyd or you were homosexuals, but the moment it became known that Boyd had slept with a man for information, it was confirmed. Being a homosexual is not exactly something a person advertises around here." He shrugged and continued in near boredom. "At any rate, the rumors are the sort one would expect from that. Mostly, as I understand it and personally witnessed a few times, he was often accused of rising in the ranks by sleeping with people in charge. I heard other things, rather vague, really. It seems as though if he tried to get anything, regardless of what it was, he was asked if he was paying in whatever currency it was, or his body. The other usual jokes, crude comments and, I suppose above all, names. Often, people fell silent when he approached and began whispering as soon as he passed. It was probably rather annoying for him, but you wouldn't have known judging by how little he responded. Eventually it became ridiculous even to me and I started telling people to mind their own business when these silly things were murmured to me in the hallway."

Sin stared at Jeffrey doubtfully, mouth twisted into an annoyed frown. It irritated him that all of the idiotic rumors and harassment directed at Boyd was directly related to something he had done. His eyes grew darker, angrier, and his hands curled into fists. His jaw clenched and he fought to control his temper, to not take it out on Jeffrey although that was exactly what he'd come to do. He wasn't entirely sure why he wasn't going through with his original plan to harm the analyst but he knew it had something to do with the fact that when it came down to it, all of this information just made him angrier at himself than anyone else. "You realize," He said slowly. "That all of that is bullshit. Or are you an idiot too?"

Jeffrey looked annoyed. "Did I not just say that I told them to mind their own business?" He waved a dismissive hand. "Though it is difficult to weed truth from fiction. The most recent rumors seem rather far-fetched as well and I did not particularly believe them at first. But I saw Boyd in passing and he did look rather roughed up. It's also clear from the mission to France that he will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, just like his mother. So who am I to judge the truth?"

"And what exactly are the 'most recent rumors'?" Sin asked, voice flat despite the way he practically radiated anger. He wanted to hurt someone but he wasn't particularly sure who. Everything kept going back to something he'd done so perhaps the wisest course of action would be to hurt himself.

Noting the anger, Jeffrey hesitated a moment, as if wondering whether he should continue. "Well," he said, watching Sin carefully in case he decided to attack again, "the story goes that Boyd wanted something from the guards so he attempted his usual course of action. Mind you, I don't necessarily believe this; I'm just relaying the rumor." He felt it was rather important to remind him of that before he said anything more, if Sin's body language was anything to judge.

"Apparently he lured Harry to an empty room because he felt that he was the unofficial ringleader of the guards and he wanted them to work with him rather than against him for a change and was using his body as a kind of bribery. That seemed rather ridiculous, but that is beside the point. He allegedly attempted to seduce Harry repeatedly, who, like any heterosexual man faced with such advances, felt alarmed enough to try to escape. Boyd supposedly would not allow it and Harry hit him in self-defense. When Boyd realized he could not get his way by sleeping with him... Well, here the rumor seems confused. Some say he planned to defame Harry by claiming he was victimized because Harry attacked him unprovoked despite the fact Boyd supposedly forced him to that course of action.

"Others say," and Jeffrey looked at Sin warily, "he called you to do his dirty work because his only means of getting what he wanted failed. Whatever the case, Harry was killed in the ruckus and many of the guards blame Boyd. Even if you supposedly killed him -- which I don't know is the truth but would make sense if you were detained on fourth as I heard -- many feel that he is the one that started it all by instigating with Harry and harassing him months ago for doing something supposedly innocuous, though I don't know what exactly it was. They also think he probably whined to his mother because he was summoned to her office just before the incident. The guards that perhaps do not care about Harry or any of the rumors still sound as though they join in disliking him. Boyd makes a good target for anyone displeased with his mother or you because he does not have the same history and reputation as you, nor does his word hold the same weight as the Inspector. So, even if you two are untouchable, he certainly is not. I suspect that was another reason he was pushed around in the hallways prior to his failed attempt to rectify it with Harry. It is also likely the reason many people just watched rather than bother to help him, either because people did not want to get involved but most likely because they simply did not care."

Sin glared at Jeffrey and didn't know if he wanted to laugh or hit someone. On one side it was so ridiculous that anyone who believed such a thing was obviously mentally deficient in some way but on the other hand the idea that there were people actively harassing his partner over such utter foolishness made him even more pissed off. "That is by far the stupidest thing I've ever heard," He said and made a face. "First of all, why would Boyd need to whore himself to people in the Agency for anything when he supposedly could go running to his mother for whatever he wanted? And what would he possibly need from some idiot guard anyway? He easily earns more than triple their salary. The whole thing makes no sense and people who believe it are obviously too stupid to be left alive. People need to get over their inferiority complexes and move on."

His eyebrows drew together, further darkening his expression. "I snapped Harry's neck because he was assaulting my partner. Protecting Boyd is my job and that is why I am no longer being incarcerated. If anyone else decides to pull the same shit, I won't hesitate to do it again, consequences be damned." Sin stood up, irritation practically radiating off of him in black waves. "Next time I suggest you keep what's said in a briefing inside the conference room. I'm surprisingly pleased that I won't be forced to hurt you but that doesn't mean it will stop me if this kind of thing happens again." He turned abruptly and headed for the door but not before pausing and glancing back at Jeffrey. "Thanks for the information, by the way."

Jeffrey couldn't seem to tell if Sin was being sarcastic or not, so he just shrugged. "You're welcome this time. But next time I expect at least a phone call for warning and less proximity. It makes me not want to help you out in any way."

Sin snorted. "Yeah, yeah," He said over his shoulder and went out the door.

He stood outside the apartment for a moment with his hands shoved in his pockets, staring at nothing in particular. He was more annoyed than he'd been before talking to Jeffrey and was pretty sure that everything that had happened to Boyd was his fault. He'd almost forgotten how ridiculous people could be when faced by someone younger and more powerful than they are. He'd felt that particular kind of anger directed at him when he'd first joined the Agency; people had hated him long before he'd earned the reputation of being a blood thirsty monster. They'd hated him just because he'd earned the prestigious level 10 rank at the age of fifteen when there were people in the Agency who'd been striving to achieve that for years. Now Boyd was faced with the same thing and Sin had gone and made it worse by putting his partner in compromising positions twice. He was damned lucky that no one had ever found out about his embarassing display at the hotel in France; it probably would have made the situation unbearable.

Sin scowled and strode down the stairs, casually dropping the keycard on the floor before he exited the building. He didn't like to think about anything that had happened in France because he didn't really know what to think about it anymore; on one hand it made his temper flare dangerously as he remembered Thierry's condescending comments and Boyd's flirtation, but now he wondered if he'd ever had any right to be angry over it at all. Now that he reflected back on the entire incident he was pretty sure that the dejection and bitterness that he'd felt had more to do with the fact that it'd seemed like Boyd had trusted a man he'd just met more than Sin, rather than the fact that he'd actually slept with that man at all.

On the other hand, thinking about France also made him remember other things... other things that were better left forgotten in the drunken haze he'd been in that night. Things like the feel of Boyd's body pressed against his and the taste of Boyd's mouth on his tongue. His actions had confused him and he still wasn't entirely sure what had driven him to do those things when he'd never done anything like it before. He thought he was able to completely forget about it but ever since that day earlier in the week, ever since Boyd had allowed him to touch him... he couldn't get it out of his mind.

Sin scowled and walked back towards his building, expression dark and eyes stormy. Once again, people avoided walking near him but he didn't blame them; he probably looked like he was ready to snap. It was barely ten minutes later when he approached his building and saw Boyd standing outside of his building talking to the guards.

None of them seemed to notice Sin approaching; he was still too far away and walking too silently.

"What's that, presents for your boyfriend?" one of the guards was saying. He reached over and pulled on the edge of a paper bag Boyd held in one hand.

Boyd did not let it go; he only narrowed his eyes slightly although his face was mostly blank. "Don't you ever grow bored with this?" His voice was tinged with weary irritation as he dragged the bag closer, away from the guard. "Come up with something more creative at least."

The guard tugged the bag toward himself abruptly but Boyd still did not let go. Part of it ripped a little and the guard smirked. "What's the matter?" he taunted, snickering. "I have to inspect this shit, you know. You embarrassed of something? What do you got in there, faggy porno mags?"

Boyd looked like he was going to say something sarcastic but the guard yanked on the bag abruptly and it almost ripped. "Stop it," he snapped, sounding outright annoyed now. "You don't need to inspect this; what the hell would I even bring in that would be a danger? These are just books - you can tell from the feel and weight, unless you've never been literate enough to pick one up."

The second guard present was one Sin recognized, Office Allen, the one who always warned him of the cold and tried to tell him to bundle up. Although he didn't go out of his way to interrupt the other guard, it was obvious from the way he rolled his eyes that he was exasperated and annoyed by the scene.

"Oh ho." The guard seemed to thoroughly be enjoying himself now as he smirked meanly. "You're getting pretty hot and bothered, aren't you? Readying yourself for a long night? Gotta get the blood pumping so you can fuck all you want now that the cameras are gone, huh? That is why you took them out, ain't it? So that freak can assfuck you without having it on camera? Although I bet the guys up in surveillance are pretty fucking relieved about that." His smirk neared a leer, and Boyd only stared at him in narrow-eyed silence.

Sin didn't know if it was the fact that he'd just heard about all of this crap in detail from Jeffrey or if it was just seeing someone harass Boyd at all, but whatever the case was something in Sin snapped. Suddenly he was standing in front of Boyd before anyone had properly become aware of his presence. Grabbing the guard by the neck, he lifted him up and slammed him violently against the side of the building with the same strength he'd used on Jeff although this time the danger radiating off of him implied that he would do a lot more than simply scare the man. "Is there a problem?" He asked flatly.

The guard looked thoroughly startled and a little frightened. "The fuck--?" he hissed.

Allen moved over immediately to intervene. "Put him down," he said sternly but not unkindly. "You could get in a lot of trouble for this."

Boyd was so surprised by Sin's entrance that he didn't speak for a moment; he just stood there with his half-ripped bag and stared at his back in shock.

Sin ignored Allen and stared up at the man who dangled from his iron grip. "Because I could have sworn that it looked like there was a problem."

"Vega, put him down. Please man, don't make me have to do something I really don't want to do," Officer Allen pleaded.

"Then I suggest you keep this idiot in line." Sin squeezed harder, resisting the urge to crush the man's windpipe, before letting him drop to the cold ground. "Next time keep your fucking mouth shut and your hands to yourself," He said coldly, eyes narrowed into slits. After a long, tense moment that seemed to last for an eternity, Sin finally just walked over the guard and entered the building.

The guard swore under his breath, one hand massaging his throat as he glared furiously at the ground. "I'll see that fucking animal back in his cage," he hissed vehemently.

Allen knelt at his side and looked at Boyd meaningfully before nodding his head for him to enter. Boyd blinked then inclined his head and hurried into the building with the bag of books held to his chest. He moved quickly to catch up to Sin but didn't say anything at first.

Sin automatically took the stairs, assuming Boyd would follow him, and stormed up to his apartment silently, swiping his keycard in the door with more force than was necessary. His hands were balled into white knuckled fists and he was practically radiating anger. Once he was in his apartment, he took a long, deep breath and raked both hands through his hair, closing his eyes briefly.

"What's wrong?" Boyd asked the moment he shut the door behind them. He looked rather mystified by Sin's anger and the fact he had interfered. "Did someone say something you?"

"No."

Boyd blinked, gave him a strange look, and headed past him toward the table. "Okay," he said, drawing it out a little in confusion.

"I'm just tired of people fucking with you," Sin snapped, sounding agitated.

Freezing as he set the books down, it took a moment for Boyd to finally straighten and another for him to turn around and give Sin a look that was difficult to interpret. He considered him for a moment, his expression unreadable, before he shrugged idly with one shoulder. Crossing his arms lightly across his stomach, he looked away. "Oh. The guards. Thank you for the help but it's nothing to worry about. It is not very important and what happened downstairs was a fluke."

Sin turned his dark glare onto Boyd, eyes narrowing. "What the hell do you mean it isn't important? And how the hell is it a fluke?" He shook his head, mouth turning down. "Why don't you defend yourself?"

Shrugging again, Boyd seemed entirely unconcerned. "Why should I?"

"Becau--" Sin broke off abruptly and stared at his partner incredulously before taking a slow, calming breath. "Because you could wipe the floor with that idiot and he has no right to treat you that way. He's a fucking useless, lazy guard and you're a level 9 operative. You contribute a lot more to this idiotic Agency than he does and you were not trained to be a fucking doormat to those morons."

"So?" Boyd raised an eyebrow slightly. "If I attacked him it would only make it worse. I would either be trying to show off or I would be like an older brother suddenly beating up a younger for no reason than because he can. Whereas if I let them have control then they will probably grow bored eventually." He turned away to wander toward the window, saying offhandedly, "They can think whatever they want of me and truthfully some of it is right anyway."

"That's stupid," Sin snapped. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." He crossed his arms over his chest, glowering down at Boyd. "Oh and which parts are right? I know I've been gone but please feel free to fill me in-- is it the parts about you sleeping with guards for mystical favors or the fact that you go crying to Vivienne every time you have a problem?"

Stopping at the window, Boyd stared outside for a moment silently. "'Mystical favors'... I hadn't heard that one yet." He did not have much emotion in his voice, but it just seemed as if he just could not bother to feel anything about it. He looked over his shoulder, part of his hair catching and pulling away from his unreadable expression. "You hated me too for the same things; I don't see why it's so surprising to you. It's that I'll do anything for my goals, or did you forget already about Thierry?" There was nothing cruel in the way he said it; merely a fact. Perhaps he did not want to hear the answer, but he didn't give Sin the chance to respond.

"And it's that I did get the job primarily due to my mother. If she had not been there, they would not have known about me. I am cold and it's probably fun to play with me, and I suppose there is some truth to the rumors of my homosexuality anyway." He turned back to the window, a slight furrow in his eyebrows that was reflected in the glass. "I don't understand why you're upset when they're just telling the truth... Maybe it was a little frustrating at first, but by now..." He shrugged with one shoulder again.

"You got the job," Sin began in a flat, irritated tone, "Because you were good enough. Your mother submitted your name but Carhart had no intentions of taking you seriously until I told him to give you a chance. And then you proved yourself. End of story." He tried to ignore the comment about Thierry, tried not to think about it and focus on the matter at hand. He wanted to explain himself, wanted to make Boyd understand why he'd behaved the way he had but honestly, he knew he wasn't ready to talk about it yet. "And I never hated you for anything. I was-- I don't know what I was but it has nothing to do with the reason that they fuck with you. And if you don't stand up for yourself, they'll never stop. You'll just continue to be an easy target for people when they get angry at me or your mother."

Boyd sighed, ran his hand through his hair and turned to face Sin fully. "Maybe I don't care," he said almost wearily. "At least that means they're leaving you both alone."

Sin glared at Boyd for a long time, mouth pressed into a tight line. He wanted to smack some sense into his partner, wanted to force him to see that he was wrong, that he didn't deserve any of this. Instead Sin shook his head and reached out, shoving Boyd into the wall. "You're dumb." He gave him one final glare and then turned around, walking to the table with his books. "What did you get me?"

One hand lingering in slight bemusement where Sin had touched him, Boyd watched Sin with that same unreadable expression before it lightened a little. "Half jokes and half serious," he said, pushing himself away from the wall and sliding his hands into his pockets. "Guess which are which."

Sin stared at Boyd suspiciously for a moment before picking up a purple book with what looked like a large image of a peanut butter sandwich on it. "The Ultimate Peanut Butter Book." He stared at it, turned it all around in his hands and then looked up at Boyd with raised eyebrows and a smirk. It was strange but for some reason seeing the book made all of his anger vanish in an instant. "Excellent."

Boyd seemed amused by his reaction and the rest of the remote tension that had unconsciously lingered in him disappeared. "So you can be more creative," he said, tilting his head a little and wandering closer.

"What's not creative about eating with my fingers?" Sin asked and opened the book, flipping through the pages. "Besides, I think you should make this stuff for me."

"So you can put me to work for you more; I see," Boyd said wryly. He quirked one eyebrow in calm amusement. "However, you would find that my presence in the kitchen would not work as well as you'd planned. And there are other books, you realize. Quite a few, in fact." He gestured to the bag but did not pull any out, instead apparently opting for Sin to discover each on his own.

Sin smirked and set the recipe book down on the table. "You are my slave. Deal with it." He reached into the bag and pulled out a small, soft cover book. He stared at it blankly for a moment before looking at Boyd. "The Seductive Spy?"

Boyd smirked in amusement, though it was unclear if it was for Sin's slave comment or the ridiculous romance novel Sin was holding in his hand. "You have not lived until you own and read at least one bodice ripper." He looked at Sin with one eyebrow quirked. "At least, this is what the woman informed me at the store."

Sin raised an eyebrow and flipped through the book, stopping at one page and gazing down at a passage with an unreadable look on his face. "'And then his quivering member entered her inner most secret.'?" He looked up at Boyd again and tilted his head to the side. "Ah. 'The woman.' Right." He smirked and placed the book on top of his pile. "I'll bet that's from your personal collection."

"Please," Boyd scoffed. "The ones from my personal collection have resurrected vampire Scotsmen who travel through time. They are far classier." Boyd swiped the peanut butter book from the pile and wandered toward the kitchen, flipping through it curiously with possibly the intent to see if Sin had the ingredients to make anything.

"Make me peanut butter cookies," Sin demanded and pulled out two more books. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett and a large, wide hardcover anthology of Neil Gaiman's best novels. Both were from the earlier part of the 21st century but it wasn't surprising; after the war had spread within US borders, the production and creation of new arts, literature and music had come to a standstill. Even now, most artists preferred to live in certain parts of Europe, South America or the Oceanic Republic and imports from many countries were rare as relations between nations were strained.

Sin sat down on the floor absently, folding his legs Indian style as he read the back of each book. His face took on a thoughtful expression and he began picking through the pages, becoming completely engrossed for several long moments. It was interesting to see his complete attitude change so quickly; he'd gone from outraged to quietly pleased in the space of five minutes. "Have you read these?" He asked Boyd curiously, flipping to the back of the Neil Gaiman anthology to read the brief information about the author. "He died during a terrorist attack on London during the summer thirteen years ago during a book tour. In SoHo. I wonder if it was the incident with ER5." Sin was quiet for a moment before raising his eyebrows almost comically. "Hopefully I didn't indirectly kill the poor bastard."

"There were a lot of terrorist attacks at the time as I understand it," Boyd said idly, watching Sin from the kitchen. "Although you would have done a great disservice to the literary world if you had. I've read most of his books and I find him entertaining." He leaned against the counter and did not appear to be getting ready to make anything, though he still held the cookbook open in front of him.

Sin stacked the books onto his pile and looked into the bag again, leaning up to reach from the table and causing his shirt to ride up slightly, a movement which Boyd followed. It seemed as though he'd outgrown most of his clothes years ago but couldn't be bothered to purchase more than what Boyd had already purchased for him. "There were, but that one was particularly large. The explosions caused fires which spread to civilian areas unfortunately. Despite that, that assignment was the one which caused me to be considered for promotion to Level 10. People were not pleased." He pulled out The Art of War and his eyes brightened considerably, or at least, considerably for him.

"Oh, so the Levels work by promotion and not applying? I don't entirely understand the system; no one explained it and I suppose I have been too lazy to check myself." Although Boyd was discussing work, he seemed more interested in watching Sin's expressions.

He nodded, not looking up, as he thumbed through the book. "Yeah, but it's hard to get promoted after Level 4. Level 7 is when you're considered to be up there. Can't even become Level 10 without a bunch of tests and training, though, and it's very rare that they even invite anyone to compete for it. There aren't many Level 10 Agents. Me and Kassian are the only two at the moment, I think," He said in an almost distracted tone.

"I've not met 'Kassian,'" Boyd said absently as he looked down and pulled his ID tag out of his pocket. Examining it, he quirked an eyebrow slightly at the rank listed next to his name. "So... Level 9 is good? I suppose I should have researched this before but it never seemed particularly important."

Sin looked up from his book and gave Boyd a mildly incredulous look. "Level 9 is very good. So you see," He said, going back to the original conversation. "There is no way they would have simply handed that rank to someone simply because of whom their mother is." He looked back down at his book, a pleased expression on his face and added it to his pile before reaching into the bag once again. "You are not missing much by not being acquainted with Kassian. He is a poor attempt at a replacement for me."

"Well, I doubt anyone expected me to live," Boyd pointed out, sounding completely unconcerned by the idea. "It's entirely possible they hired me just to have a body to throw at you, no offense meant of course. If they just needed someone there in general, then having my mother's word likely helped. Apparently she has quite a bit of influence in some cases. Perhaps she even insisted. I'm certain she would have gotten a bonus from this."

"Probably. But I'm positive that any of their other candidates would not be breathing at the moment, had they been chosen. So obviously you were the superior choice." He pulled out more books, and glanced at Boyd, looking slightly amused. "How much stuff did you buy?"

A slightly teasing expression crossed Boyd's face and he quirked an eyebrow. "What?" he said innocently. "You told me you were bored and needed entertainment. As this was also a test, I decided to go for an A plus rather than an average C."

Sin didn't answer, instead opting to look at a book titled Baby Animals. An amused grin was definitely on his face now and he either did not notice, or did not bother trying to cover it up.

Unable to hide his own smile, Boyd sat on the counter and watched.

After several long moments, Sin looked up at Boyd and closed the book abruptly. "What are you smiling at?" He asked almost defensively.

"Noo," Boyd said a little plaintively, "Go back to looking at the animals. It was cute."

"Cute?" Sin asked disdainfully.

"Yes," Boyd said lightly with the smile lingering. "You were very intrigued. I wasn't expecting that."

Sin gave Boyd a withering look and nudged the book towards his pile, appearing mildly mortified. "Whatever..." He turned his attention to a copy of Milton's Paradise Regained and ignored the slightly flustered feeling that came over him. There were very few things that ever embarrassed him or put him at a complete loss for words but for some reason Boyd was having that effect on him at the moment. It was humiliating in a way and for a moment he almost wished that he could go back to his completely untouchable act, his removed attitude. But just from the satisfaction he got from the knowledge that Boyd knew him well enough to understand his taste in literature and to remember his preference for Milton, he knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. But even so-- he knew he was acting like an idiot and had been ever since he and Boyd had reforged their tentative friendship, ever since they'd grown close again. His father would be ashamed. "You are doing very well on this test so far," He observed after a moment, casting an appreciative glance at his partner, not giving away his thoughts.

Boyd only smirked rather mischievously and said nothing, though he raised his eyebrows and watched expectantly. His eyes danced in amusement at how flustered Sin looked and it almost seemed like he was saying he knew something that Sin did not.

Sin gave Boyd a suspicious look and emptied the bag of the last two books. A thick copy of Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales fell out and a paperback novel with two men kissing on the cover. Sin was still for a moment and did not say a word. After awhile he picked it up.

"Friction 5: The Best Gay Erotic Fiction..." He dragged his eyes away from the cover and stared at Boyd before looking back at the book again. Was Boyd trying to screw with his head or was this completely coincidental? His eyes narrowed and he sneaked another glance at his partner. "Well."

"I found a very interesting store," Boyd said innocently, though something about him seemed teasingly amused.

Sin looked at Boyd through long, black eyelashes and didn't say anything for a moment. He wished and not for the first time, that he could read Boyd the way he could most people. Unfortunately what his partner was thinking typically remained an enigma and he had no idea what to make of him at the moment. "Oh?" His slightly accented voice was quiet, curious and he raised an eyebrow.

"Mm," Boyd agreed. He quirked one eyebrow and leaned forward, resting his hands on the edge the counter. "Indeed."

Sin's eyes narrowed slightly and for a moment he was silent, not really knowing how to respond to this. On one hand the images on the cover were slightly disturbing to him but at the same time, he was compelled by them. He stared at it for a moment before looking at Boyd again and tried to wrap his mind around what Boyd was actually trying to imply by providing him with such a book. It seemed that he was joking, that he found this situation very amusing, and while Sin couldn't help shaking his head with a smirk there was a part of him that strangely, surprisingly, substituted the models on the cover with he and Boyd and his heart sped up at the mental image in his mind. "Hmm." His voice came out lower and for some strange reason he found himself reaching up to tug Boyd down to where he was sitting on the kitchen floor. "And what store would that be?" He asked slowly, keeping his tone almost uninterested.

Boyd's eyes sparked with mischief. "A secret," he said mysteriously, sliding off the counter. Initially he bought the book as a joke; he just wanted to see how Sin would react when he pulled it out after the other, mostly innocuous books. It wasn't so much that he'd expected a particular reaction as it was that he was curious about what he would do. Somehow, he figured Sin would probably just make one joke and set the book to the side, but the fact that it became a topic of conversation somehow pleased and mildly amused him.

Sin released Boyd although his hand lingered longer than was necessary and for a moment he had trouble looking away from Boyd's face. He supposed that this situation wouldn't be nearly so distracting if it weren't for the fact that the mental image in his mind easily reminded him of the fact that he actually knew what it was like to taste Boyd's lips, to feel him pressed to his chest. But he did and so the book and the cover and the words that he imagined lay underneath made something in him grow warm. He was thoroughly unable to think of anything sarcastic or witty to say. Instead, he dragged his eyes away from Boyd's mouth and looked down at the book again. "So, you've read this?"

Dropping his gaze to the book, Boyd studied it. "No," he admitted after a moment. "I flipped through it a little, though. Just to see if it was... appropriate."

"Appropriate for what?" Sin asked, both eyebrows raised, distracted by Boyd's proximity.

A slow slide of fabric as Boyd lifted one shoulder in a languid shrug. He couldn't help watching Sin, the way his eyes strayed to the cover occasionally, and how intense he seemed when he looked back up. He'd meant to just be laughing about the book by this point but instead he was distracted by Sin's reaction and wanted to see more. "Entertaining reading material," he said almost absently, watching Sin's expression with a strange sense of fascination.

Sin forced himself to focus on the book, forced himself not to act like an idiot. He couldn't understand it. Not even two weeks ago he'd been angry at Boyd, had never wanted to talk to him again, and now he was practically... he didn't even know how to describe his behavior. No matter what Boyd was doing or what was going on between them, the boy was a constant distraction to him. And not an entirely unwanted one, which was what disturbed Sin the most. He cleared his throat and raked a hand through his hair absently. "Why don't you read it to me?" He asked, a challenge in his voice.

Boyd was mildly surprised by the request, especially since he sounded serious. He couldn't see Sin's expression well enough from that angle but judging by his tone he thought Sin must be teasing him back, as if he didn't think Boyd would actually do it. He looked down at the book as well, studied the cover with the men kissing and started wondering what Sin would look like as different acts were read. Part of him just wanted to rise to the challenge, but the other part continually wanted to push Sin; not to be cruel to him or hurt him, but because Boyd was mesmerized by his expressions, his smirks and smiles, his eyes and all the emotions that they could display. He hadn't realized until Sin was cold to him for those weeks just how fascinated he was by his lighter emotions. Reaching over a little belatedly, Boyd's fingers seemed to accidentally brush Sin's as he started to pull the book gently away, watching Sin the entire time. He drew some hair behind his ear, though several long strands fell forward to hang in front of him. "Are you sure? It's long," Boyd murmured as an idle warning.

Sin shrugged, hooded eyes focusing on Boyd once again, not bothering to look away this time. "I have time."

Boyd looked over lingeringly, his honey brown eyes a shade darker and half-lidded. He watched Sin silently, seeming almost entranced by his expression and proximity. Dragging his gaze back down to the book for a moment, he shifted just enough that his arm pressed against Sin's. His hair fell forward again, though enough was still pulled back that it did not completely hide his expression. It was hard to read, but he seemed quite focused on the moment. Boyd's eyes slid closed and he drew in a slightly shaky breath, his fingers tightening on the book resting in his lap. He waited a moment then slid his eyes open to look at Sin sidelong; there was something about him that seemed intense but a little careful. "Making me do more work. I see," he murmured wryly. He searched Sin's expression but could not seem to look away from his lips once he glanced there. His voice was soft, almost absent. "I don't want to take away all your fun later."

"I think it'd be more fun right now," Sin said automatically, but then cursed himself. What the hell was he thinking? He shifted a bit, his discomfort somewhat obvious despite the fact that his face was carefully blank. It was the little things that gave it away, small alterations in his mannerisms that only someone who was constantly in his presence would pick up. He ran a hand through his hair again, something he'd never used to do until recently, and glanced at Boyd briefly. Despite the sudden craving inside of him, the sudden burning desire to relive the kiss they'd shared in France, that memory was always associated with confusion and resentment and he dropped his eyes briefly, uncomfortably, before looking up once again and locking eyes with Boyd, lips slightly parted as his fingers curled slightly into fists.

Watching him intently through half-lidded eyes, Boyd blinked slowly and seemed to unconsciously lean a little closer. His arm shifted against Sin's and his leg dropped and pressed lightly against Sin's thigh. He stared at Sin's lips, but before he came too close he slid his eyes closed again and, with a slightly shuddering breath, pulled away until he wasn't touching Sin at all. He ran his hand through his hair and it fell forward to partially cover his unreadable expression. He didn't seem to know what to say, so he remained silent.

Sin stared at Boyd, confusion and frustration cooling the heat that had briefly warmed his body. He cleared his throat again and grabbed the book from Boyd, stacking it on top of his pile. "Thanks for bringing stuff. If I ever access my bank account again I'll pay you back."

Boyd shook his head but didn't look over immediately. "No, it's fine." He drew his legs toward him and gave Sin a distracted, apologetic expression. "I'm sorry," he murmured a little helplessly. "I didn't- It's not-" He stopped, shook his once, and looked a little frustrated with his inability to speak. Dropping his hand to brush Sin's thigh almost comfortingly, he inclined his head and tried again, his tone a little more formal though his hand lingered casually. "Thank you for having me over. I don't mean to be abrupt, but I should probably go. I don't want to... bother you."

Sin nearly opened his mouth to object but decided against it at the last minute, instead opting to nod and get to his feet. He picked up the surprisingly large stack of books and put them on the small table by the couch. He didn't want Boyd to go but he knew it was the best idea at the moment. Even in his ignorance of anything to do with sex, he knew that he was attracted to his partner; there was no way he could deny it anymore. The desire to touch Boyd had been almost overpowering and the memories of feeling those perfect lips against his had almost been his undoing. If Boyd stayed, he had no idea how long he'd be able to control himself which made him feel guilty, ashamed, especially when he remembered the last time he'd acted on those desires.

He'd gone so long without needing sex, without needing companionship and now it was as though all of the repressed desires and needs were waking up and it all had something to do with Boyd. It'd started months ago, back when they'd first become tentative friends, but now it was more prominent than ever.

He wasn't angry about the fact that he had these feelings, he'd decided to stop trying to control his emotions around Boyd after he'd gotten him off the fourth, deeming it a lost cause. What did anger him, however, was the fact that he couldn't seem to control his actions or his mouth because of that. Feeling things and acting on them were two entirely different stories and he was not going to push himself on Boyd again. Not when it'd ended so disastrously last time. Not when he'd mocked the poor boy for sleeping with Thierry and had effectively tarnished his name because of it.

Sin leaned against the table and watched Boyd, expression calm. "Thank you," He said again. "That should satisfy my boredom for a long time." He reached out a hand to help Boyd up from the floor.

Slipping his hand into Sin's, Boyd stood but did not let go for an extra few seconds. When he did, he crossed his arms at his stomach and watched Sin with an unreadable expression for a moment. Looking away, he smirked slightly and started past him toward the door. "Next time, I expect at least a few peanut butter cookies for bothering to make the effort to visit you," he deadpanned.

"I don't cook," Sin replied with a smirk and trailed after Boyd. "That's your job. Didn't they tell you?"

"That will be a disaster," Boyd said mildly as he stopped at the door and turned. He quirked one eyebrow. "I hardly know one end of that mitt thing from the other."

"And you think putting me in the kitchen will end any better?" Sin leaned against the wall next to the door, crossing his arms over his chest and gazing at his partner. "They're paying you 200K a year to be my babysitter. You can at least make me cookies."

"180K," Boyd corrected him importantly, "and for that amount I can buy you cookies." He tilted his head, giving Sin an affronted look. "Actually, your logic is backwards. You must be paid far more, and you are lucky to have me. Therefore, I conclude that you should be repaying me. I seem to be doing all the work in this partnership, anyway. You can hardly be bothered to get off your ass to do anything on the missions as it is." Despite his words and the mildly indignant tone, it was clear he was only teasing.

Sin made a face at Boyd and shoved him lazily with one hand. "You're being cruel to me. You are fired. I'll replace you with Ryan." His eyebrows raised and a smirk curved on his face. "He won't mind."

Boyd rocked with the movement and raised his eyebrows. "Ah, I see how it is. What if I get to him first?"

"Then there will be a fight."

"Ah." Boyd seemed amused. "Well, if the participants are you and I, then it is clear who the winner will be."

"I didn't say I'd be fighting you." Sin cocked an eyebrow and opened the door. "Now get out."

Boyd looked like he was going to say something but he glanced at the guards who were standing just to the sides of the door. He raised his eyebrows and gave Sin an amused, challenging look, then turned and headed for the elevator without glancing back.

Sin watched Boyd walk away and continued to lean against the door jamb until the elevator doors closed. He glanced at the guards who hung around his door and raised an eyebrow. "Don't you people have something more fascinating to do?"

One of them, Officer Daniels, shrugged, looking mildly embarrassed. "I just go where they tell me to go, dude."

"It's the only way you're getting away with the lack of cameras, bud," The other guard, Office Curtis according to his badge, said. He glanced at Sin for a moment, looked at the elevator and then winked. "Although I'd probably want 'em down too if I was you. Privacy, you know?"

Sin looked at him blankly, eyes like green ice as he stared at them coolly. The change in his expression was so abrupt that the guards seemed taken aback by it. The smirk and amused look was gone from his face entirely and had disappeared as soon as Boyd had disappeared from his sight. Boyd was the only reason he behaved like that and the only person who got to see him in that way; around everyone else he was as cold as ever. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The bawdy grin disappeared from Office Curtis' face and he blinked at Sin, looking apprehensive, some of the usual fear creeping into his eyes. "Uh... nothing?"

Officer Daniels rolled his eyes. "Good night, Vega."

Sin looked at them for a moment and then disappeared into his apartment. He was partially annoyed and partially curious. After what Jeffrey had told him he was on edge about any comments made regarding Boyd but he wondered why the man had chosen to say that at that particular time. Had he heard something through the door...? And if he had, did that mean that Boyd's comments and actions were just as confusing to others as they were to him?

Sin shook his head, put his hands in his pockets and wandered over to the table, looking down at the erotic fiction book.

For a moment there, he'd been on the verge of touching Boyd, of kissing him, but then he'd thought about the last time he'd tried. He thought about how Boyd had responded at first, how he'd seemed so willing and then he remembered the way he backed off at the last minute and the fear and disgust that had been in his eyes. Despite the fact that he seemed so comfortable in Sin's presence now, Sin didn't really feel the urge to attempt something like that again. Not when things were going so well and there was a large chance that something like that would screw everything up.

He picked up the book and wandered over to the couch, sitting on it unceremoniously with his long legs sprawled out in front of him. As he flipped through the pages he decided that things had been a lot easier before Boyd had come along. It had all been a lot simpler when he'd had no remorse for the way he treated others and when he'd had no curiosity about the things he hadn't experienced before. Things like companionship, affection and sex.

He shifted uncomfortably as he read the first story in the anthology.

And things had been a lot easier to ignore before Boyd had given him that book.

Continue to Ch 23 ~ Interpretation