Equilibrium

Chapter 29 - The great thing about White Knights

Byron shoved Zen hard into their new room and into the wall. Zen caught himself with his arms but didn't complain. He just sat down on the nearer of the two spartan beds.

Kevyn still had some fight in him though. "Hey!" he barked at Byron, who scoffed and left, locking the door behind him.

"So, we're fucked," Zen said.

Kevyn sat down next to him. "Things don't look great right now," Kevyn admitted. "But we're not fucked," he asserted.

"Right. Things could be worse. We could be dead. We could be in chains. We could never be allowed to leave."

"Stop it," Kevyn said, gently but firmly, and put a loving arm around him. "You were brave as hell back there. And clever. And if you can do all that, this is far from over."

"Okay," Zen said. Then he let out a breath and thought for a moment. Let himself calculate. Felt the cold remove of it, but also the satisfaction of putting those skills to use. "Here's the situation. Chay took his shot and lost. Jake didn't help at all."

"He will," Kevyn said with certainty. Zen nodded.

Zen didn't know the guy, but Kevyn was a great judge of character. "Brock is on his own now in the cushy rooms. He's been playing it safe and should be okay, but at the same time, these Folk are unpredictable. And trained killers. He could say the wrong thing, or fail in his job, or refuse to do something, and then he's in trouble. Or they could pressure him into another contract."

"He has his wits about him. We'll have to trust in that," Kevyn said.

"As for us, we're in the dog house. Do we make apologies? Or take our punishment and move on? Besides that, we're more limited this way. It's harder to make an escape plan from a guarded room. And my Frog is gone."

"Chay can use that though," Kevyn said.

"Yeah, it might be helpful."

"Jake can too."

"Alright," Zen decided after a long moment. "No apologies. They'll think they're gaining ground on us if we do."

"No apologies," Kevyn agreed.

"I have no idea what to do next, but we'll keep our eyes peeled."

"You really are my cunning little fox, aren't you?" Kevyn said.

Zen smiled and circled his arms around Kevyn's neck. "And what are you, then?" he teased. Kevyn's eyes flashed. "A wolf, I think." Kevyn kissed him, pulling Zen close by the small of his back. Zen arched into him. It was a welcome comfort, but a new doubt took hold. He pulled back.

"I can be calculating. And brutal about it too. But I don't like who I am when I'm like that," Zen said.

Kevyn cupped his cheek. Looked into his eyes. "That won't happen, Zenito. You're not who you were. So much has happened since. Be ruthless where you need to be, and kind where you need to be. As kind as you already are. And you'll be fine."

Zen placed his forehead against Kevyn's as if to absorb the certainty he placed in him. "You're right," he said, needing to believe that. "And you'll tell me if I lose my way?"

"In a heartbeat," Kevyn promised. "And I'm not the only one. You have some great friends."

"Yeah," Zen agreed.

Zen kissed Kevyn, and this time, he let himself be distracted from the mess they were in. Focused intently on the pliancy of Kevyn's lips, and the feel of his hard chest against his fingers. The heat of his skin and the need in his touch. Zen climbed into Kevyn's lap and ground his hips, making delicious sounds bubble out from Kevyn's throat. Sharp desire pulsed through Zen. "I need you," Zen said.