A/N: While I am working on updates for my other stories, I decided to get a little one-shot out because it wouldn't leave me alone. Yes, the damned plot-bunnies have bothered me again. -Wink-

00O00

Sometimes I don't think that man is even human, but there were times when I was proven horribly—yet happily wrong. This would be one of those times as I had gotten injured last time I had gone out with Shay on a mission. One that he argued with me about going on. He didn't want me to come along as he feared that I would be injured—I didn't even try to lie about how I wouldn't get hurt. Hell I knew that there was this huge chance that I'd have a new injury to be pissed at. Unfortunately, I was right about that. And I knew that Shay would take it very personally.

He did.

Yeah, some rogue Assassin had taken it upon himself to target me since he thought that I was the weaker of the two. Well, that Assassin got the shock of a lifetime when I put out my own training and showed that I had hidden blades of my own. Yup, I had been trained to used these things for years before I even came to this time so I knew how to use 'em without any trouble whatsoever. Of course, for a little while during the fight I pretended that I was weak, vulnerable and this fool was taken in by it. However, in doing that, I wound up with a lot more injuries that I thought I'd receive, thus inciting Shay's rage.

Oh, it wasn't directed at me. Not all of it.

Hell, it actually had me smiling at one point when he was yelling at me. It showed how human he truly was and of course, when he inquired why I was grinning like a loon, I just shook my head. I wasn't about to tell him why I found this whole thing to be amusing.

Of course, once we got back to the ship, I found myself being fussed over my Gist. That man in particular had become like an older brother to me. Hell, he basically adopted me and so was quite annoyed at how many injuries I'd sustained in what should've been a rather easy mission.

"How did this happen?" he inquired, helping me treat a rather deep cut on my cheek.

"You've seen me fight before, Chris," I state. "You know as well as I do how I managed to get these injuries."

He grins. "Is that why the Captain is in such a mood?"

I look down. "Yup."

"Amazing on how he hasn't ripped into you for it," Gist comments calmly.

I raise a brow. "Who says that Shay hasn't already gotten after me for it?"

"Hm."

I shrug. "Of course, that's not the only reason why he's pissed at me." Now I know that this would be amusing to the First Mate.

"What did you do?" Gist asks, cutting right to the chase.

I laugh. "I started grinning as he scolded me."

Gist chuckles. "Only you would be so daring as to grin at the Captain when getting lectured."

I nod. "Call me gutsy." More like stupid, but I wasn't about to admit that out loud. Besides, I didn't need to. I knew how stupid it was to basically be laughing at Shay whilst being reprimanded.

Later on that night as I laid down in the bed I couldn't help staring at the wall, wincing a little as my injuries protested to any movement I made—no matter how small—and just had to curse the Assassins for even realizing just what my weakness was. It was very irritating to have an enemy finding out what could harm you in the worst way. In this case, they discovered that I was vulnerable to silver. Fuck my life when they found that out and I have no idea who told them, though I do have a pretty good idea.

"You all right, Love?" Shay asks from my other side, rolling over to pull me against his chest.

I whimper involuntarily. "Never been better."

He growls. "You know I hate it when you lie to me."

I glance over my shoulder. "Then why did you ask?" I chuckle. "You know that I normally lie when asked that question, Shay."

He nipped harshly at my neck. "True, but I was hoping that after what happened, Kels, you wouldn't. Not to me."

I inwardly wince at the reminder of how he found out about where I came from. Yeah, that hadn't been fun in the slightest damned bit. Of course how it all ended I did enjoy…immensely. Pretty damn sure Shay did too.

Blush.

Sigh. "Sorry." I was.

Shay sighed, nuzzling the back of my neck. "Next time, though, you should stay behind," his grip around my waist tightened a fraction. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

He forced me to turn around carefully, pulling me flush against his body again. "Do you understand? If anything happens to you…I-I don't know what…" I didn't give him a chance to say anything else as I leaned up and kissed him firmly on the mouth. To which, it took several seconds before he took control of it. Lovely. I do so enjoy being dominated by such a male.

Didn't take long before he proved in another way that he was human. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

00O00

-blinks rapidly- Okay, I have no idea where in the nine Hells this one-shot came from. It is perhaps not the best thing that I've ever created, but whatever. It's out there and I should be happy with it. (To a degree I am, but am not. It's complicated.) Anyway, if anyone out there winds up enjoying this story then that is all that matters.