Den of Thieves (BL)

"I'm fine," Beau said, trying to convince himself more than Ariel. "It's no big deal. I didn't know the guy anyway."

Ariel shot him a sceptical look, folding her arms. "Beau, I know you. You've never been with anyone since high school."

Beau let out a dry chuckle, trying to deflect the sting of her words. "Well, I wasn't exactly a catch in Varsity, with all those snobby elites."

Ariel didn't back down, though. "Come on, not all of them were bad. There was that tall, lean, handsome guy with blonde hair."

Beau winced, the memory coming back too quickly. "Yes, the one who didn't want to be seen in public with me." The words left a bitter taste in his mouth. It still stung, even now. Just thinking about it made his stomach turn.

Ariel wasn't deterred. "Okay, what about the one you studied with?"

Beau shrugged, trying to shake off how uncomfortable he felt discussing his failed relationships. "None of the ones I ever spoke to would live a normal life with me."

She softened, her tone becoming gentler now. "Look, you'll meet someone someday."

Beau didn't want to hear it. He had his family. He had Star. He didn't need anyone else. "I don't want to hear all that," he murmured. "I'm going to put Star to bed, and then get some shut-eye."

Ariel didn't push, but he could see the concern in her eyes. He gave her a small smile to show he was okay, even though the heaviness in his chest told a different story.

The next morning, Beau was up before dawn, ready to get to work. He went to the underground market to exchange the Graff Pink Diamond for Bitcoin. He was able to sell it for a third more than its actual worth, a small win in a world where every little advantage counted. Once the transaction was done, he sent his friends their shares, just as promised. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

That afternoon, Beau grabbed the wheelchair his nephew, Star, had made and made his way to the clinic to begin his shift. The place was busier than he remembered, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh as he walked through the crowded halls.

"It's better than yesterday," a familiar voice called out. Beau turned to see Lucy, the receptionist, flashing him her usual warm smile.

"Dr. Langely," she greeted with a teasing tone.

Beau smiled back, though it wasn't as bright as usual, he was still tired from activities of his other life. "You insist I call you Lucy, so please, call me Beau."

Lucy raised an eyebrow playfully. "An old woman can only hope that you'll walk through that door one day as our doctor." She wiggled her eyebrows, a routine joke between them.

"I'm a volunteer, Lucy," Beau replied with a slight shake of his head. "And I'd like to keep it that way."

"But you're here every single day," she countered. "Might as well be one of our four doctors."

Beau sighed, defeated by the constant pressure. "I'll think about it, okay?"

"I hope that's before I die," Lucy grinned, flashing her ID card to remind Beau of her age. "I'm getting too old to even be here."

He waved her off with a tired smile as she turned to leave. The mention of her age always made him feel pressured, the burden of the clinic's need for more help, but he had no intention of giving up his freedom to become a full-time doctor... not yet.

Heading to the small office they'd set up for him, Beau was about to sit down when there was a knock at the door.

"Come inside," he called out.

The door opened, and one of the nurses, Kaya, stepped in, flashing him a grin. "Good day, Doc."

Beau couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Kaya, calling me that won't make me want to become one."

"Your qualifications say otherwise," she leaned casually against the doorframe. "Anyway, I came to let you know that Mary is doing very well. I thought you'd want to let Star know he can visit now."

Beau felt a warmth spread through him, some good news to get his mind away from the usual chaos. "That's wonderful news," he said, his heart lifting. "Thank you. I'll check on her as soon as I'm done here."

"Great," Kaya said, nodding with a smile. She paused, her expression shifting slightly. "Oh, I don't know if you've heard, but our mysterious man has made another huge donation to the clinic. We might even be able to accommodate a few more patients and get more medicine."

Beau's brow shot up in surprise. "How do you know it's a man?"

"I don't," Kaya replied with a shrug. "Man or woman, doesn't matter. What matters is the help we're getting."

As she left, closing the door behind her, Beau sat back in his chair, his mind racing. She doesn't know it's me, does she? I hope not. I don't want too much attention. He had been funnelling most of the money from his heists into the clinic and other community projects, wanting to remain anonymous for as long as possible.

After a few hours of tending to patients, Beau found himself sitting in the cafeteria, his food untouched, lost in thought. I should call Nova after work and check-in. Find out if our heist is still causing a stir. I wonder if Lanet will realize it was me… and what he'll do when he finds out.

Dr. Crane set his tray down with a soft clink and slid into the chair across from Beau. "Hey, Beau."

"Hey, doc."

Crane studied him for a moment, noting the faraway look in his eyes. "You alright?"

Beau gave a distracted nod, his eyes still on the untouched food in front of him. "Yeah, just got lost in thought."

"I can tell," Crane chuckled, his gaze flicking from Beau's face to the food. "Your lunch has been wondering if you're ever going to eat it."

He offered a faint smile, but it quickly faded as fatigue weighed him down. "I'll get to it."

Crane's tone turned more serious. "You've helped us a lot today. Go home, get some rest, alright? But before you do, there's someone waiting for you in your office."

Beau nodded, grateful for the brief moment of lull he was being offered. "Thanks. Can you grab the wheelchair from storage? It's for Mary. I tagged it. When her parents come by, give it to them—it's from Star."

"Of course," Crane replied, pushing away from the table. "Take care of yourself."

Beau watched him go before turning back to his food. It was cold, but it didn't really matter. With a sigh, he poked at it, barely tasting the bite he took. He wasn't hungry. His mind was elsewhere, as it often was these days.

A few minutes later, Beau got up, leaving the cafeteria behind. His sister occasionally brought Star to the clinic to play with the other kids, but she always stopped by his office to check in first. He swung open the door, expecting to see her.

"Ariel, did you bring me—" His voice cut off as he saw who was sitting at his desk.

Lanet Hines.

The sight of him froze Beau in place. Lanet sat in the chair, legs crossed, an unreadable expression on his face. His eyes, once warm and inviting, were now empty, cold—like a deep well that he couldn't quite read. 

"Mysterious," Lanet's voice broke the silence, smooth, yet dangerous. "Or should I call you Danny Black? Or Dr. Langley? Which do you prefer?"

Beau's heart skipped a beat. The kind, charming man he had met only days ago felt like a distant memory. This was someone else entirely. 

His heart pounded in his chest, fear, that's what it was. However, he couldn't deny the knot of excitement that coiled in his stomach. There was something absolutely sensational about this situation—about the danger, the way Lanet looked at him.