Theo looked up at Jun, who appeared to be settling in to watch him eat as he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed.
His holster was still loaded. Theo’s heart sank at the sight, his continued status as a captive unignorable.
He shoved the tray away, the metal clanking hard against the wall. “What, no knives, Captain? Don’t you trust me? Precisely how far do you think I could get on your ship when all of you are armed to the teeth? It’s not as though I would even be able to make my way back home, even if I managed to escape.”
“Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.” Jun watched him with faint traces of humor lining his eyes and coloring his tone.
The easy humor sent something tumbling in Theo’s chest, something with the sharp edges of rage banging against his ribs. He glared at Jun, straightening his posture in his chair. “No, that’s your job, isn’t it?”
Jun’s whole body jolted. He pushed up from the wall with a wave of concern crashing over his face. “Did I hurt you? When I—” He stared down at the floor for a full three seconds, then looked back up at Theo and walked over with sure, decisive steps.
He curled his hand softly around Theo’s throat, but it didn’t feel like a threat.
It felt like the opposite of a threat.
Like a comfort.
Theo’s pulse leapt beneath the warmth of his palm; his eyes fell shut as though a switch had been flipped, all of the rage draining away.
Jun’s hand slid up Theo’s throat to cup his jaw, and his thumb brushed across his lips.
“Did I hurt you?” Jun’s voice was soft and deep, and Theo felt himself falling into it like a warm bath. “Answer me.”
Something beyond the phantom warmth of Jun’s hand blocked Theo’s throat, and he had to let out a breathy sound before he could speak. “No, you didn’t. Not in the way you mean.”
Jun pulled his hand away, but Theo bobbed closer as he tried to chase the contact. Jun crossed his arms tightly, the hand that had been touching Theo now balled into a fist.
Jun’s face was solemn, mouth set in a determined line. “You know you don’t have to do those things with me. I only want you of your own free will. I will never ask for more than that.”
Theo sighed and picked up the fruit. He tried to remove the peel but failed to lift any of the edges from the stem, the peel waxy and slippery in his grasp. “I know. Difficult as it may be to believe, I can assure you I have a knack for only doing things I want to do. I’m rather notorious for it back at home.”
Jun took the fruit from him and deftly dug his thumbnail in beside the stem to lift up a thick strip of peel. “Tell me if you don’t like something”—he addressed his words to his hands, keeping his face hidden—“if I push too hard or… Or anything. I’ll always stop when you ask me to.”
He continued to remove the peel until the pale-green fruit segments were revealed, coated in white, pithy threads. He pulled some of them away, broke off a cleaned section, and held it out to Theo.
Theo leaned forward and bit into the fruit, spilling tart juice down Jun’s hand. Jun’s eyes widened, his lips parting on a sharp exhale as Theo’s teeth scraped against his thumb.
Theo watched him while he chewed, a drop of juice falling from Jun’s frozen hand onto the floor with a quiet plop. “You hurt me when you left me here alone. I don’t like to be alone; I’m not any good at it. I don’t want to do that anymore. I can’t stare at these walls a moment longer.”
Jun stared down at the spot of juice. He held out another segment and met Theo’s eyes. “I can’t stay in here with you. I have a ship to run, and I need those translations as soon as possible.”
Theo nodded, plucking the morsel from Jun’s hand with nimble fingers, secretly thrilled at the flash of disappointment in his eyes when he didn’t use his mouth. “I will help you. I’ve given my word on that, Jun. I will work on these passages until they are translated to the best of my ability. But I want something in exchange for my expertise and effort.”
“What?” Jun asked in a flat, sharp tone. More juice spilled from between his fingers as his hand convulsed around the fruit.
“I want my freedom.”
Jun started to speak, brow furrowing, but Theo pressed sticky fingers to his lips before he could make a sound.
“Not like that. I’ll stay here until the work is done, just as I’ve told you I would. I want the freedom to move about the ship, to be out among you and your crew. I don’t want to stay in here all alone anymore. Please don’t leave me here alone, Jun.”
He almost made it through his entire plea without his voice breaking, right up until the end.
Jun’s eyes softened even as his lips firmed against the pads of Theo’s fingers, and shadows of longing rippled beneath the surface of his face.
Theo moved his hand to Jun’s shoulder, trailed down his arm, and wrapped it around his wrist. He brought Jun’s empty hand to rest against his throat, and then Theo lifted his chin.
Jun didn’t move, eyes wide and hand perfectly still where Theo had placed it. Theo swallowed just to feel the slight pressure against his Adam’s apple, something warm settling in his stomach like a cat curling up to sleep. “We can continue doing this too. If you want. As long as I’m free.”
Jun ripped his hand away, took a step backward. “You don’t need to barter your body for your freedom. I would never ask that of you.”
Not to be dissuaded, Theo stood and followed Jun as he
