Den of Thieves (BL)

Before Star could glance in their direction, Beau swiftly pulled the knife away and straightened Lanet's shirt with an unsettlingly casual gesture. Then he offered a small, crooked smile that seemed to say, Be a good boy now.

"Alright, buddy, show me what you've started on," Beau said, his tone lighter as he turned his attention to his nephew. He cleared the clutter on the table, making space for the book in Star's hand.

Star beamed, flipping open his notebook. "I was thinking we could also make a slide for the handicapped kids, so they can use it without help." His drawings were rough and childlike, as expected, but it was clear the real design work would fall on Beau.

Lanet brushed a shaky hand gently through Star's hair, still clearly shaken from almost dying twice in a few hours. "How old are you?" he asked, curious about the boy's passions.

"I'll be eleven next month!" Star said proudly, then looked back at Beau with wide eyes. "Do you think we can design such a slide, Uncle Beau?"

Beau let out a thoughtful hum, flipping through the pages. "I'd have to do my homework on this one, Star. I'm a doctor, not an engineer."

"A doctor who's also a math wizard. And what did Mommy call you again? A trimester?" Star asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Beau blinked. "Why would Mommy call me a trimester?"

"I don't know. She said you have knowledge on tons of subjects," Star replied matter-of-factly.

Lanet couldn't help but gape at two. What books was this kid reading to have such a vocabulary at his age?

"Oh," Beau said, breaking into a smile. It was easily the most beautiful thing Lanet had seen all day. "That's polymath, Star. A trimester is a period of three months. Remember when we were discussing time?"

"Oh yeah, I remember now." Star grinned sheepishly. "I want to be a polymath like you."

Lanet found himself captivated by the exchange. The boy was young, yet so articulate and bright—it was fascinating to watch.

Beau chuckled, ruffling Star's hair. "Well, we've got less than two hours to put our brains to work before Mommy drags us all to bed. Let's make it count."

Star nodded as they dove into their planning. The boy's ideas were innovative, and Beau seemed to instinctively know how to guide him, breaking concepts down into digestible steps while adding his own input.

"So, if we make two slides, it means the smaller kids can play too," Star suggested. "One could be lower than the other."

"Good thinking," Beau praised, sketching a quick outline. "We can adjust the height and angle to make sure both are safe."

Star suddenly turned to Lanet, his wide eyes gleaming. "Mr. Hines, can you come to the park with us tomorrow so we can vi... ve..." He trailed off, searching for the word. "What's the word again?"

Beau smiled patiently. "It's visualize, Star."

"Right! Visualize!" Star said triumphantly. " So, can you come to the park with us tomorrow so we can visualize our idea?"

"Let me talk to your uncle first, okay?" Lanet said, forcing a smile. He knew he'd already intruded enough for one night and didn't want to push his luck—especially after Beau's threat and definitely not with the woman and her gun just a room away.

"Star, time for bed!" Ariel's voice rang out from the other room.

Lanet startled, cursing internally. Had he summoned her by just thinking about her?

"Good night, Uncle Beau! Good night, Mr. Hines!" Star chirped, giving both of them quick hugs before bounding out of the study room with his book and pencil in hand.

As the door clicked shut, Lanet exhaled and turned to Beau. "Wow, he's such a ball of energy, with so many ideas."

"Cut the crap." Beau's glare was ice-cold. Before Lanet could react, Beau grabbed something from the table. In a flash, something sharp and pointy was pressed firmly against Lanet's neck. 

Lanet raised his hands in surrender, his heart drummed in his ears. "Hey, relax. I promise I won't do anything."

Beau's intense gaze bore into him for what felt like an eternity. Then, his expression shifted—just slightly, the hard edge in his eyes softening. "I'm so stupid," Beau muttered under his breath. Slowly, he lowered the weapon and stepped back.

Lanet let out a shaky breath. Phew. How many times was I going to come close to death tonight?

"Expect your money next week," Beau said curtly, standing up to leave. "Then stay away from my family."

Before Beau could walk away, Lanet caught his wrist and stood, now standing close beside him. "Beau, huh? That's a lovely name."

Beau's tired eyes narrowed at him, watching him suspiciously. For a moment, Lanet thought Beau might lash out again, but then, like the flicker of a dying flame, his gaze softened.

"Was our date fake?" Lanet suddenly asked, his voice quieter than he intended. He had to know. From the moment Beau served his table, he felt something—a spark. But if it was all just an act, he deserved to hear it from Beau's own lips.

Beau looked away, his shoulders slumping. "Lanet..."

"I just want to know," Lanet pressed, his throat tightening. "I was angrier about that than I was about the diamond. I need to know if I was being played."

Maybe he was a hopeless romantic, or maybe he fell too easily. But it had been years since he felt anything close to the connection he thought they'd shared.

Beau sighed, behind it was regret. "I didn't play you. I was stupid to think anything would come out of it."

That was all Lanet needed to hear. His heart was already doing those somersaults it did when he first laid eyes on Beau.

Beau tried to pull his wrist free, but Lanet's grip tightened. He glanced down at the hand holding him, then back up at Lanet, confused.

"Hey," Lanet started. "How about we forget everything else? Forget about the diamond. Forget about my silly request. I was just... I was too angry at the time."

Beau's brows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, let's start over. A clean slate. If you're okay with that." Lanet knew he probably sounded foolish, trying to rekindle something after everything that had happened. But his heart wouldn't let him walk away just yet.

Beau stared at him for a long moment before his lips quirked into a sarcastic smirk. "Are you saying you want to go on another date with a thief?"

"Look, Lanet, I'm a thief. I always will be until this shitty government decides to treat us like actual humans," Beau added.

"I get it," Lanet replied. "Maybe if you tell me what's going on and show me around, I can understand better. I know I can't fix everything, but if people knew what's happening here, maybe someone could help. You said a lot when we were in the car…"

Beau shook his head, cutting him off. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" Lanet asked, confused by the sudden shift in Beau's demeanour.

Beau looked away, his shoulders tense. "Pretend to care. Then when I let you in, you…"

"Beau, look at me," Lanet's tone was soft but commanding. Beau hesitated but eventually met Lanet's gaze.

"Maybe I'm a privileged, ignorant ass," Lanet admitted, his lips curving into a faint, self-deprecating smile. "I didn't know anything about your world until I came here. But I want to try to help, even if you say no to a second date."

He released Beau's wrist and stepped closer, wrapping his arms around Beau's slim waist and pulling him in. The tension between them was still obvious, but Lanet refused to let it scare him away.

"But I broke any little trust you might've had," Beau whispered the words. "Why would you even want a second date? Why would you want to help?"

Lanet didn't have an answer that made sense—not even to himself. Maybe it was foolish, but something about Beau made him want to stay, to fight for something that might not even exist yet.

"We both have things to work on," Lanet said after a moment, his grip around Beau tightening slightly. "You can learn to trust me and stop assuming everyone living in the city is an asshole. And I'll learn to trust you too. We work on it together."

Beau's expression softened, his walls cracking just a little, but he still didn't say anything. Lanet didn't push. Some things took time, and for the first time in years, he felt like this might be worth it.

"I'll let you steal my heart too at some point," Lanet said with a nervous chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

But Beau just stared at him, unblinking.

Lanet's chest tightened. Was that too much? Too soon? He fumbled to correct himself. "I mean—"

Before he could finish, Beau threw his head back and laughed, a deep, hearty sound that filled the room.

"So, you do have a sense of humour?" Beau's eyes crinkled at the corners, it's as if he couldn't help himself but smile.

Lanet exhaled slowly, a wave of relief washing over him. "You had me worried for a second." He grinned. "So, you think we have a few things to learn from each other?"

Beau shrugged, his smile turning shy. "I don't know. You'll have to work hard to convince me."

And then, to Lanet's surprise, Beau leaned forward, resting his head on Lanet's shoulder, much like he had done on their date the other day when he gave Lanet a hug.

Lanet froze for a moment, unsure if he should move or speak. But Beau didn't pull away.

They stood there in silence. Lanet's heart thumped wildly in his chest as he glanced down at the man leaning on him. The thief who had stolen his diamond was now stealing something far more precious—his heart.