This time, when he woke, things weren’t wavering. His vision was clear and steady. There were no nightmares.

He was safe. He breathed in deeply then open his eyes on the exhale. He hadn’t really seen the room before, but he observed the tangled mess of the place he’d been sleeping. The covers had fallen off leaving only the sheet behind, a black flag over a king size bed. It was an elegant room, with minimalistic décor and little to make it seem personal in any way. Gabe turned over carefully.

The pain was still there, and without the meds it had an edge, but he preferred this. He could work around the pain, and it was minutely better than it had been a few days prior after all. He gritted his teeth and pulled himself up. The tremble in his arms surprised him, and just the motion of sitting up left his feeling slightly dizzy.

He hadn’t eaten in a while. Right.

With a slightly shaking hand he ran a hand over his head, feeling the hair was long enough to hide his fingers.

A movement at the door caught his eyes, and he saw Xero standing there, clearly surprised at finding him awake. He couldn’t stop the smile that drifted onto his face.

“Hey boss.”

Xero stood still for a moment, then his face became stormy.

“He awakens.” Xero said to him humorlessly and walked into the room to stand at the end of the bed.

Gabe blinked and the smile dropped. “Yeah, the meds were knocking me out, so I guess they were still in my system.”

“Are you mentally present now?” Xero demanded.

Gabe settled himself back, starting to feel defensive. He had just woken up, was feeling lousy, and now Xero was getting ready to launch into him. Had the previous conversation been a dream? Or was he just being a bipolar asshole.

“Yeah I’m present, but I’m starving. Feel like cooking?” he shot back, sarcasm always at the ready.

“Would your care to explain to me how someone managed to catch you unaware?” Xero’s eyes were flashing with fury now.

Gabe huffed a laugh. “I was out, I wasn’t expecting someone to follow me into-”

“There is someone out to murder you. You are supposed to be on alert at all times. You were stupid.” Xero said sharply.

Gabe frowned at him. “I was out having a drink. With Etienne. I didn’t think-”

“Do you ever think?”

Gabe bit back some foul language. “What is the problem here?I just woke up and here you are shitting all over me.”

Xero stepped closer, his hands pointing at him with an accusing finger. “It’s my house and I can go where I please. I hired you because you had good instincts. Good survival skills. If having a couple of beers is all it takes for you to drop your guard, you’re useless to me.”

“You think I don’t already feel like an idiot for letting some guy jump me? You don’t have to hammer it home!” Gabe was nearly shouting.

“If you had any idea the amount of effort I’ve put into keeping you alive...” Xero said, running an agitated hand through his hair. Gabe had never seen him this way, the façade was slipping. “The least you could do is show a modicum of gratitude.”

“I didn’t ask you to play hero for me.” Gabe told him. “Is that what’s pissing you off, because I’m not grateful enough?”

“You are such a child.” Xero growled at him. “I’m pissed, I’m furious, because you died!”

Silence fell like soft feathers, muting everything. Gabe lost the retort that had popped into his mouth and stared at Xero. The other man lowered his hands, which had been punctuating his words, and breathed in a steadying breath. A hand covered his eyes.

“You died. For three seconds on the operating table, your heart beat stopped.” Xero said quietly.

“I didn’t.” Gabe replied, still in shock. He was sure he would have remembered something like that.

“You did.” Xero said through gritted teeth.

Gabe settled back into the pillows. He wondered if he should be feeling frightened that he had been dead, and was now alive, or awed. But he was focussed on the man in front of him, who, for the first time in their acquaintance, wasn’t the epitome of cool composure.

Before Gabe could dredge up a reply, Xero turned and left the room.

-8-

Gabe had managed to heave himself out of bed and find a shower. It seemed like Xero’s house was far too big and cavernous to find his way easily. But lucky for him, the guestroom had an en-suite. He pulled himself into it, his only motivation being that he hadn’t showered for goodness knew how long, and neither was acceptable in his personal opinion. He felt grimy and achy and his skin was tacky with dried sweat. Shuddering at his own filth, he turned the water on high, and stepped under long before he had adjusted it to a less scalding temperature.

When he finally finished, having found some toiletries to use that looked brand new, he stepped out and shucked his clothes back on. He decided pyjama pants were enough, since it seemed too much effort to add more and the wound was still covered by a surgical plaster, so he hadn’t had to worry about it. Walking gingerly, he made his way out of the room and along a gaping corridor.

At the end there was a wide living room with low black leather couches. He walked by slowly, trusting that his stomach would magnetically find the kitchen, walking past the large glass doors that displayed the lush garden and swimming pool outside. The house was spacious; space personified with elements of stark furniture and neatly potted plants.

His stomach was right, and gave a little excited flip when Gabe smelled food.

Immediately salivating, he wandered through and found the kitchen, with Xero standing in the centre of it. He was still wearing the button down shirt and pants Gabe had seen him in earlier, and Gabe internally scoffed at the idea that Xero would wear anything so common as a pair of jeans, even in his own house.

“Hey.” Gabe said softly, unsure if he was still going to be reamed out.

Xero glanced at him then quickly away. “Hello.”

Gabe sat at the wide, marble topped kitchen island, glad to take the weight off his feet. Even walking was hard for now. His body, usually so used to constant toning and exercise, had already lost its momentum. Gabe wondered how long before he could get back to it.

It seemed Xero was done with his admonishments, or whatever that had been. Gabe looked at his back hungrily, while he plated food. Apart from the riot in his stomach, there was a noise in his mind. A thought that demanded to be chased.

Xero turned and slid a plate of food across to him. “Red duck curry.”

Gabe thanked heaven and him, then dove in with the fork Xero had provided. His belly roared for more even as he chewed. Xero watched with a raised eyebrow, moving around the island to sit on the remaining seat beside him, and eating with less gusto.

“Haven’t eaten in ages.” Gabe explained when he saw the look.

“At least four days.” was all Xero said.

“Shit” Gabe said, digging in again.

Gabe was most of the way down the bowl before he slowed down. The heaviness in his belly was satisfying and he didn’t feel shaky anymore. He sighed contentedly.

“Should’ve known you could cook. It’s fantastic.” He asked before biting another mouthful.

“I had it made.” Xero said, shaking his head.

“You did what?”

Xero smirked very slightly. “I have a chef who cooks my meals. I ordered this before you woke up.”

Gabe wasn’t hugely surprised that Xero had a personal chef, but it still made him laugh. “So you don’t cook huh?” he teased.

Xero fixed him with an unimpressed look. “As if you do?”

Gabe held his free hand up in defines. “Point taken. But I don’t have a chef, I just go buy Chinese at the corner.”

“You have a problem with the meal?” Xero retorted.

Gabe stuffed a huge mouthful in his face and pointed at himself with a look that said do you see me complaining?

Xero chuckled. Actually chuckled. As far as Gabe knew he had never heard the man express any kind of mirth that wasn’t laced with threat or sarcasm. But this was soft, plain and genuine. Then his eye snagged on something on Gabe’s back.

“You have a tattoo.” Xero stated. When Gabe nodded he went on. “I saw a glimpse of it before, at the hospital…”

Gabe turned his back to him so he could see it properly. It felt strange to do is so casually. He generally made sure it was covered mostly, if not completely, by clothing. It wasn’t something he enjoyed showing off.

“Just one?” Xero asked.

Gabe nodded. It was an angel’s wing, just one, inked over his right shoulder blade. It was old and the lines were smudgy and blurred with time. Gabe had considered getting it lasered off before but couldn’t quite get round to it.

When he said nothing more, Xero said quietly. “There’s a story here.”

Gabe nodded again, before turning back to his food. He might explain it another time; just showing it to the open air was raw enough for now. When he looked at Xero, he saw the man staring intensely at his shoulder for a moment before looking away, content to leave him his secrets.

Gabe watched the other man’s face closely. His eyelids were at half-mast as he stirred his food, picking out the parts he liked best before eating them. His hair was, as usual, combed back, but there was no product in it now, to keep it in place. Smaller hairs fell loosely around his face, dusting across his forehead and eyebrows. His posture was relaxed and casual as he sat beside Gabe, and nothing about them sitting together in Xero’s own home felt strained or unwelcome.

Clearing his throat, he said;

“I can be gone by tonight?”

He sensed Xero flinch beside him, and met his gaze. He was frowning.

“You want to leave?” he asked flatly

Gabe shrugged. “Seemed like I wasn’t welcome, earlier.”

Xero’s eyes flickered then looked away, and he hunched his shoulder.

“I lost my temper.” He sounded angry with himself.

Gabe ate the last of the rice and put his fork down before replying. “Never seen you lose control like that.”

“Yes you have.” Xero told him, still interested in his food. “Once, when you were still in prison.”

Gabe tried to recall something like that but couldn’t, and Xero came to his rescue. “The donut.”

Ah, that. He had made a show of eating a donut, then tried some obnoxious flirting. Xero had snapped forward to grab his face then, and that was when Gabe first thought something else may have been going on…

But then he’d gotten out and convinced himself it was nothing.

But now…

Eventually Xero tilted his face up to meet his gaze. Then his eyes dropped to Gabe’s mouth.

For fuck’s sake. Gabe thought, and leaned in.

The distance was nothing, all he had to do was tilt forward a little to meet Xero’s lips. He kept the kiss just on the right side of chaste, still testing the theory. The mere idea was dangerous, but frankly, he’d been staring at the man long enough and he just wanted…

Then Xero kissed back.

Their lips were greasy with the food they had eaten, and Xero tasted like coconut milk and curry and hunger, drawing Gabe in closer. He let Xero’s tongue lap into his mouth experimentally, still amazed by the sensation, then allowing his body to respond in kind. He pushed himself closer, then…

“Ah!” he cried, as a hot knife of pain lanced through his back. He almost fell off his stool, but Xero’s hand had come up to catch him by the shoulder, steadying him. Gabe huffed through the pain, annoyed that what had started as pleasure ended in extreme discomfort.

“You should go back to bed.” Xero said quietly.

Gabe breathed out through his nose and stood. But he didn’t leave. He watched as Xero leaned back and away, eyes following and hand once again resting on his thigh. Their bodies had turned to each other in the kiss. Feeling tired and agitated and in pain, Gabe was in no mood for bullshit. He pushed forward, coming between Xero’s thighs until he was as close he could get. Xero’s face came up to meet for another kiss without preamble, and it was a continuation of where they had just stopped, stoking a fire that had been smouldering for too long. Gabe kissed him until the shooting pain in his back became unbearable, then broke away regretfully.

“I’m not done here.” He said to Xero, before hobbling away.

-8-

Gabe had rolled carefully back onto the bed that he was using, gritting his teeth. He seriously debated going back on the meds, but after what had just happened, he would rather have a clear head. Besides, he could deal with pain. It was being pathetic, relying on medication. Settling himself in the least painful position, he waited for the burning star in his lower back to dim to a normal level.

He must have fallen asleep eventually, the food, exercise and bizarre emotional upheavals doing their work and exhausting him enough. He only woke up when he heard a door close loudly in the house somewhere, and then the thin, reedy mumble of a voice that could only belong to Etienne. He might guess what time it was, but the room was dark, the sky outside his windows was dim. Looking at the clock, it said the time was 7 AM. He’d slept the whole night, without a single dream.

He heard a brief exchange of murmured words before the door opened and closed again, then he waited for the approaching footsteps. Etienne's rough face came into view.

“Morning princess.” He grinned. He was carrying a gym bag, which he dropped at the foot of the bed before collapsing into the chair near the window and propping his feet up.

“Etienne.” Gabe said wryly. “Here to babysit?”

“Sure am.” Etienne replied without a trace of shame. “Mr. Xero has gone out for a jog, and you’re not to be left alone.”

Gabe frowned at that. “Even here, in his own house?”

Etienne shrugged and closed his eyes, affecting nonchalance. “Apparently so. There’s clothes in the bag, by the way.”

There was a good reason Xero had trained and trusted Gabe to handle his side of the business, and Gabe had known Etienne for a while; he could see something wasn’t true. “Etienne, what aren’t you telling me?”

Etienne shrugged. Gabe knew he wouldn’t budge. “I’ll just ask Xero then.”

“Be my guest.”

Gabe tried to sit up and managed to find a way to do it that didn’t feel like he was tearing skin.

“Since your here, feel like finding us something to eat? I’m ravenous.”

Etienne’s legs came down hard on the floor as he got up. “Good idea. For me anyway. You’ll just get fat and then you really won’t be pretty anymore.”

Gabe groaned, and swung his legs carefully off the bed, feeling trembly again. “Tell me about it. If it weren’t for life threatening wound, I’d be out jogging with his highness right now.”

Etienne gave a short ‘ha!’ and walked out, leaving Gabe to follow slowly.