A Pleasurable Deal
Devin stared out at the open water. He found himself at the control panel, with the open air whirling around him. He felt safest near the man that saved them all, despite his distrust of the man. Victor Strand. They knew each other briefly before the older man had been taken into containment, or whatever the hell the military called it. They ended up in a house together, trying to get away from things and back to their own homes.
The man was hospitable enough, but he soon found that anything Strand lent came with a price, so he stopped taking from him. Devin didn't like being in anyone's debt. It was an unavoidable truth now that he was on the man's yacht, sailing far away from the burning city of Los Angeles.
He let out a sigh and leaned against the railing. His parents were rich, he inherited a lot, but now he had none of it. Everything he had was outside of that safe zone, and once the Clarks and Manawas and Salazars and Ms. Ortiz saved Strand and Nick, they all just fled to Strand's home and, ultimately, onto the Abigail. He never had a chance to retrieve even a change of clothes.
Too late for that now.
"Hey," Strand broke the silence. Devin shifted, turning slightly from his spot against the railing to look back at the man. His eyes met the other man's dark gaze and a chill ran down his spine. There was something in the way the man looked at him. "Time to make yourself useful." Devin's brows pushed together and he tilted his head to the side slightly. He turned fully to face the man. Strand brought the ship to a standstill.
"What do you mean?" Devin asked. Strand stood up. Devin watched the man carefully. As much as he owed the man, he didn't trust him about as far as he could throw them. Most of their time in the house together, the older man spent planning something. He overheard a conversation to someone once about escaping the safe zone and leaving LA, but he didn't hear much more. Either way, the man was up to something long before they got onto the yacht.
He had been too prepared when they got out, knowing exactly where to go and what to pack. The others didn't trust him either, but Devin wasn't sure he even really trusted the others. They were all just vagabonds thrown together and forced to make this work. But Strand was the worst. He was cunning, charming, and a great fucking salesman.
Strand moved closer to Devin and the younger man found he was easily trapped. If he tried to move passed the man, he would be grabbed. "I'm falling asleep. If we're going to survive this trip, I'm going to need something to keep me awake."
"So what am I supposed to do?" Devin asked. There was instant coffee in the kitchenette, the ship filtered water so they could drink it. It didn't seem like that's what the man was getting at considering the way he stood. The deep chuckle that came from him only confirmed Devin's fears. The man was after something more.
"Entertain me, of course." The purr in Strand's deep voice sent a shudder down his spine. "I don't usually lend my services for free, and seeing as I've saved your life twice now," he continued when Devin remained silent. Devin stared up at the man.
"Twice?" he asked, barely able to find his voice. His mind raced in different directions, trying to figure out what the man wanted and how he could pay off the perceived debts.
"You're too reckless to stay in that safe zone, you would have been caught and killed," Strand responded. Devin couldn't deny the accusation. He would have tried running out of there like a bat from hell had Strand not been there. It gave him a sense of stability, of normalcy in a world torn to shreds by insanity. Devin jumped when the man reached up and ran his fingers underneath Devin's chin. Strand smirked. "Don't think I haven't noticed."
Devin froze. He wasn't sure what the man had noticed, but he knew the man noticed many things, and they were usually right on the mark. Devin took a deep breath, surprised by how shaky it was. "Ok," Devin responded, trying to keep his voice steady. "So how am I supposed to repay you?" He kept his words slow, focusing on how they sounded as they came out. Strand pushed Devin's chin upward without resistance. He proceeded to lean down, his large lips pressing against Devin's. Devin's blue eyes went large. A jolt of feelings ran down his body. Strand broke the kiss, keeping his lips mere inches from the other man's.
Devin nearly gasped for breath.
"I think we'll both enjoy this deal," Strand purred. Devin couldn't find any words before the man's lips crashed into his again. This time, his eyes fell shut. His hands moved to the man's shirt, fingers balling the fabric into his fists. He hated that this man knew him better than he did. But right now, he really couldn't complain.