A violent wind buffets the hideout. It wails through the metal hallways, like a specter that haunts the valley.
A slender figure stands waiting in an open room facing the windows, watching the dust whip against the walls like a drum. He is surprised how empty the room is. In a storm like this, he would expect at least one other person to be awake. But no, it is only him. Only him and whatever thoughts his sleep-deprived mind could conjure.
To his irritation, most of those thoughts center around his boss, though not in the "work-related stress" way that one would expect. Anything but.
Over the last few weeks, he has watched with disbelief as the begrudging respect he held for the man changed to something more, the fleeting trust morphed into longing.
However, a muscle-bound giant of easily twice his age, and possibly twice his height, Gonzap was far from the ideal partner he had hoped for. Then again, it's hard to match an ideal he had never set up. Within the ranks of Snagem, love is treated as a trifling inconvenience. Not intentionally, he's sure, but living with such a gang of rogues isn't exactly conducive to a stable relationship. Even the grunts themselves can't find each other more than tolerable.
It's a tenuous brotherhood at best.
He chuckles darkly to himself. Of course he would be the first to break that mentality. How apropos.
His train of thought is interrupted by heavy footsteps on the metal floor. Gonzap is standing beside him, peering into the endless darkness.
"The storm woke you, too?"
"Not exactly."
"How does a storm "not exactly" wake you up? Are you sleepwalking?"
Wes turns slowly, looking his boss dead in the eye without a trace of emotion.
"...Yes." he quips, with all the sarcasm he can muster.
"No need to be snippy."
"Sorry. I have a lot on my mind, I suppose."
"Oh?"
Suddenly, Wes can feel his heart race a little faster.
"Yes. I've..been meaning to consult you about something."
"Business? Are you asking for a promotion?"
"...Of sorts. Yes."
Gonzap's left brow arches impressively. He can feel the tension exuding from the boy, despite Wes' admirable attempts to contain it. It becomes infectious, seeming to osmose into him, making his own breathing difficult.
"I'm not really the romantic type, so I'll be blunt. I may have fallen in love with you."
A chilling silence falls over them. Immediately, Wes begins to question his decision to be so honest with the other man.
"You do know I'm, like, 40, right?"
"That crossed my mind. Yes."
He has to fight to contain his suddenly boiling anger. It's a legitimate worry, and the first thing any sane person would fret about, but the thought that he had not even considered it enrages him. Of course he knows. He is painfully aware of how wrong this is.
"Are you sure you're not just lonely? I mean, there are no women so I can understand that."
"If it was that simple, I'd have dealt with it already." he responds with some embarrassment, as he finds himself unconsciously curling his hand as if grabbing something, only to bring it to his side with the uncomfortable realization of what he's done.
"And you're sure of this?"
"Yes!" Wes' composure is beginning to crack, "of course I'm sure! Do you think I'd be out here making a fool of myself if I wasn't?"
"I probably shouldn't answer that."
"I'd punch you right now if you weren't my superior."
"And if you weren't trying to confess to me. Kind of unromantic."
"Quite. Now, are you going to answer me, or not?"
"Since we're both being honest, I am kind of into you."
"Is that why you've been babying me so much?"
"That's such a harsh way to put it."
"But is it?"
"Yes, I wanted to protect you."
"Figures. So..is that it? Are we agreed?"
"You treat this like a business, Wes. Not sure what I think of that."
"Just tell me."
"...Alright. Agreed. Not sure how this is going to work though."
Wes flashes a familiar smile, a wide grin that seems to cut into his face rather than pull back naturally, spreading to his ears and baring his teeth like an animal.
"Neither do I. But that's what makes it fun, isn't it?"