Zane tipped his head. “Another story there?” he asked.
“There’s always another story somewhere,” Ty answered vaguely.
“Like why you want it to end quick,” Zane said, deciding he’d pushed enough. He already knew more about Ty’s past than Ty knew about his. He supposed he was lucky in that respect. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes. “Going numb and then going to sleep,” he agreed finally. “I guess that appeals to a lot of people in our line of work. We’re more likely to be beaten up, shot, knifed, blown up, hit by a car, tortured….”
Ty merely nodded distantly, his head slightly turned as he stared out the window.
“Why’d you take this job?” Zane asked curiously. “After they ran you out of Recon? Why not tell the government to take a flying leap and buy a coal mine?”
Ty scratched his chin and cocked his head. “’Cause I was afraid of the coal mines,” he answered curtly.
“I knew you were a smart man,” Zane said.
“Doesn’t take a smart man to be afraid of the coal mines,” Ty responded seriously.
“What does it take? For you to be afraid?”
Ty turned his head quickly and frowned at Zane. “You don’t think I’m afraid?” he asked.
“If you aren’t, then you’re way beyond fixing,” Zane claimed. “I want to know what makes you afraid. I’ve seen it, a few times, in your eyes. On your face. But I couldn’t figure out why. Not really.”
Ty shrugged and looked away before Zane could see anything else in his eyes. “I don’t know,” he answered defensively. “Normal things, I guess.”
“Ty,” Zane said quietly, seeing the evasion for what it was.
“What?” Ty huffed.
Zane sighed and shook his head, but he had to laugh just a tiny bit. “I don’t think I have ever met someone as stubborn as you.”
“Shut up,” Ty said uncomfortably.
“It’s not an insult. Hell.” Zane sighed and leaned back against the headboard. He watched Ty for a long minute. The man looked antsy and unable to settle. On edge. “Ty, chill.”
“You woke me up,” Ty said accusingly. “Why do you want to know?
What does it matter what I’m afraid of?” he asked, obviously unable to let the conversation go.
Zane blinked in surprise. “It matters to me,” he said quietly. “I want to know. So I...,” His voice trailed off and he swallowed. “So I can protect you.”
Ty sniffed. “Protect me from being afraid?”
“Protect you when you’re afraid,” Zane corrected.
Ty muttered quietly to himself and shook his head. “Okay,” he finally ground out. “You want to know what I’m afraid of?” he asked as he turned his head slightly and looked back at Zane. “I’m afraid of small spaces,” he said as he raised his hand and began counting off with his fingers. “I’m afraid of small, dark spaces. I’m afraid of small, dark spaces with bugs and/or rodents in them. And I’m afraid of falling when my ass isn’t attached to a parachute.
Satisfied?” he asked sarcastically.
Zane refused to be baited. “Thanks,” he said simply, just watching Ty, wondering what was making him so cranky. He’d tried picking a fight; he’d tried reasoning with him. But Ty was still tense, unwilling or unable to just let the frustration go and shout at him. “Do I still make you that uncomfortable?” he asked, sounding forlorn. “After all we’ve done?”
Ty closed his eyes and raised his chin slightly, sighing quietly. “A little,” he admitted. “I’m not used to answering questions, okay?” he explained defensively. “I just ... it’s just weird for me.”
Zane nodded from where he leaned against the headboard, and a bit of his own tension seeped away. “Come here,” he requested, reaching out an arm.
Ty glanced over at him to see if he was making light. When he didn’t see any signs of joking he narrowed his eyes slightly. “Fuck off. Priss,” he offered with a small smile.
Zane’s eyes sparkled and he laid his hand over his propped-up knee.
“Who are you callin’ Priss, Mr. Suited Up and Shiny?” he taunted.
“If this is going to resort to name-calling, I’ve already got you beat, Spanky,” Ty warned with a smirk.
“How do you figure that, Jarhead?” Zane replied.
“’Cause I rock,” Ty explained in an even voice. “And you don’t,” he continued as he pointed at Zane, pinky finger held out to the side daintily as if he were drinking tea.
Smirking, Zane sat up, grabbed Ty and dragged him down onto the bed and under his bigger body. “I’d poke you, but you’d beat the shit out of me.”
Ty flailed briefly before he was pinned, and he blinked up at Zane suspiciously as he flexed his fingers under Zane’s grip. “Power trip,” he accused softly.
Zane waggled his eyebrows. “I gave you a chance to come peacefully.”
“You’re easily distracted, aren’t you?” Ty deadpanned.
“Not really,” Zane said smoothly, dragging one hand down Ty’s chest. “I’m still focused on you.”
Ty shivered as Zane’s fingers raised goose bumps all over his body.
“And that is the crux of our problem,” he reminded softly.
“Problem?” Zane echoed, his hand continuing its descent.
“All kinds of problems,” Ty affirmed. He reached up with the hand Zane had left free and smacked the bigger man gently on the side of the head.
“Focus,” he chastised.
Zane screwed up his face before looking down at Ty seriously.
“You’re not a problem. Not to me.”
“Sure I am,” Ty argued. “We know the bare minimum about each other, and correct me if I’m wrong, that’s just the way we want it. We know we want to take each other to bed, but we don’t have much else to go on. To me, that spells all kinds of problems,” he pointed out gently. “I didn’t say I was complaining,” he added.
“Grady....” Zane groaned and rolled to his side, then curled one arm around his partner’s waist. “I’m not trying to pick a fight here, but what do you propose we do about it? Neither one of us is all that good at talking. In fact, I’d say we suck spectacularly at talking.”
“How about you stop asking so many questions,” Ty suggested. “And I’ll start giving a damn when you look like you need a hug,” he added cheekily.