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Kai
Why was he unloading all of this shit onto Steel? He really shouldn’t. Self-preservation wanted him to stop. His heart wanted him to keep going. It was in need of a hefty unburdening.
He raised his gaze from his shoes to take in Steel and the way the man was watching him. Even if Steel had tried to keep a neutral expression, his eyes were doing all the talking. There was a war raging in those steely blues, not unlike what he felt inside himself.
He was back to asking himself why, even if a part of him didn’t want to know the answer. He’d always known he wanted Steel. He wanted a good hard fuck. This, right now? It was getting personal, and he didn’t do personal. He didn’t do feelings.
Elijah had been the only one who could make his defenses drop without him realizing it. There was something so inherently sweet and innocent about the guy that his usual defenses melted away around him.
Steel wasn’t sweet or innocent. Quite the contrary. So why was he telling him things he hadn’t told a single fucking soul before?
“What do you want me to do with this?” Steel asked, his voice completely flat and emotionless.
“I don’t fucking know, Steel. I…” he trailed off, closing his eyes for a second as he dropped his head back. “Maybe I just want you to know that I’m human, too?”
As he said the words, he realized just how true they were. How much he actually cared about what Steel thought of him. It fucking sucked. He’d never cared. Not like this.
“Fuck,” he said under his breath and pushed away from the railing.
He headed past Steel toward the door and a hand wrapping around his wrist had him freezing to the spot. He hadn’t felt Steel’s touch often and was disappointed when he couldn’t even enjoy it, because they were both on high alert.
He turned slowly and raised his gaze, his mouth drying out when he looked into fiery eyes.
“I don’t want to believe that you’re human. I really fucking don’t. But I think I also needed to know. Just don’t expect me to forget that you almost killed my brother.”
Steel cut Kai off before he could protest.
“Don’t even think about saying that you didn’t ‘almost’ kill him because you wouldn’t have missed if you’d taken the shot.”
Kai pressed his lips together hard. Technically, he didn’t have to say it, because Steel had summed it up just perfectly. Which made him feel like shit because he realized what a shitty thing that would’ve been to say.
He could let his pride suffer if it meant he didn’t have to upset Steel. He owed him that much. He owed him a hell of a lot more than that, but he’d make it up to him someday. Somehow.
“I’ll shut up,” Kai agreed with a nod.
Steel’s chest moved with a deep breath as he returned Kai’s nod.
“Deal.”
Steel
When Kai shifted his weight, Steel realized that he was still holding him by the wrist. Instead of letting go, he held on tighter as he watched Kai’s Adam’s apple bobbing. There shouldn’t have been anything sexy about it. There really shouldn’t. So why did his breath catch in his throat?
Kai pulled free and turned, walking away, which was the last reaction Steel expected from him. He was starting to see what lay underneath all that bravado and fake cheerfulness. It wasn’t pretty, and yet…
He ran his hands down his face, muttering under his breath, “Get a grip, Steel. Kai is the last fucking thing you need in your life.”
He followed Kai inside and went back to the kitchen where he grabbed their bowls to put in the dishwasher. He’d only just put them in when he heard the buzzing of his phone. It was on the dining table where he’d left it when he’d gone after Kai.
He walked over to pick it up, unsurprised to see Ares’ name on the screen.
“Ares. What’s up?”
“Hey. Just wanted an update. What’s the plan here, Steel?”
As if he knew. He was following his intuition, his conscience, and maybe a tiny bit his dick.
“Honestly? I don’t know. I think that’s up to Kai to decide.”
