down, and he wasn't sure Katsu was worth it. Katsu barely seemed to tolerate him when they weren't having sex, wouldn't talk about himself, and now Ashe found out that he could kill just by touching someone. That he was willing to sentence someone to an ugly, painful death.
Ashe turned again. The others were having lunch not far off, pausing on their way back over the border. He'd go sit with Nate, apologize again for causing such a problem that they weren't even going to get paid for--
Katsu spoke quickly, words running together. "The man who helped me when I first arrived in this country, he taught me how to make coffee."
Ashe stopped. He turned and looked back, utterly confused. Katsu was looking at him now, alternately defensive and pleading. Ashe didn't bother hiding his bafflement. "What?"
"You asked." Katsu waved the canteen. "Yesterday morning. You asked where I learned to make coffee. Eddie said you thought I didn't like you because I don't... well, I don't talk. But..." He scowled up at Ashe. "Do I really have to say this?"
"Yes." Ashe faced him. "You do."
Katsu lifted his hand as if he was going to rub his head, then stopped when the canteen nearly whacked him in the face. "I learned to make coffee from the man who took me in. And I can kill people with a touch if I really try, but I hate doing it. And I wouldn't have come after you if I didn't like you." He scuffed the dirt, glowering down. His Adam's apple bobbed in a hard swallow. "Please don't leave because I killed people to free you," he added miserably.
Ashe stared for a moment, emotions whirling inside him. Then he tossed both his hands up and plopped down in the dirt. He'd never been good at distancing himself from people. "You are so difficult!"
Katsu looked up hopefully. After a moment, his expression lightened and he ascended the small hill, turning to sit carefully beside Ashe. "So... you're not going to panic on me?"
Ashe gave a humorless huff of a laugh and shook his head. They sat, silent, each with their own thoughts, though Katsu seemed more like he was waiting than anything.
"How long have you been in this country?" Ashe asked finally.
Katsu stared at the ground between his boots. "A few years. Maybe six."
"You speak our language pretty well." Almost entirely without an accent, giving Ashe no clues to where Katsu had come from.
Katsu nodded reluctantly. "I learned as a child."
Ashe mulled that over, watching Katsu out of the corner of his eye. "You really don't like to talk about your past, do you?"
Katsu shook his head glumly. His dark brows pulled together over the bridge of his nose, mouth a tight line. The muscles along his neck and shoulders were tense, and he clutched the canteen as if ready to throttle something.
Ashe wanted to know more. He wanted to know where Katsu had come from, where Katsu had learned to kill with a touch and then learned to heal with those same hands. Instead, Ashe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thank you," he said quietly.
Katsu relaxed just a hair. "Sure."
"No, I mean--" Ashe laughed. "Thank you for coming after me. For helping me get free."
Katsu looked at him slowly. His gaze was measuring, taking all of Ashe in before he nodded carefully. "You're welcome." He offered a small, rare smile, though it was still hesitant. "Wouldn't want you to think I didn't like you. Figured rescuing you from sure slavery was a pretty good sign. Easier than talking, too."
Ashe laughed, relaxed and delighted, and pushed himself to his feet. "Well, you'll probably have to do more talking. But I promise to try not to ask too many questions." He helped Katsu up, keeping pace as Katsu made slow, painful progress back toward the others.
"We're all right, then?" Katsu asked quietly as they neared the group. "You're not going to bolt?"
Ashe smiled. "I'm not going to bolt. I like you, too." Because obviously Katsu liked him enough to work at keeping him around. He looked over, grin widening. "And the sex is
Ashe turned again. The others were having lunch not far off, pausing on their way back over the border. He'd go sit with Nate, apologize again for causing such a problem that they weren't even going to get paid for--
Katsu spoke quickly, words running together. "The man who helped me when I first arrived in this country, he taught me how to make coffee."
Ashe stopped. He turned and looked back, utterly confused. Katsu was looking at him now, alternately defensive and pleading. Ashe didn't bother hiding his bafflement. "What?"
"You asked." Katsu waved the canteen. "Yesterday morning. You asked where I learned to make coffee. Eddie said you thought I didn't like you because I don't... well, I don't talk. But..." He scowled up at Ashe. "Do I really have to say this?"
"Yes." Ashe faced him. "You do."
Katsu lifted his hand as if he was going to rub his head, then stopped when the canteen nearly whacked him in the face. "I learned to make coffee from the man who took me in. And I can kill people with a touch if I really try, but I hate doing it. And I wouldn't have come after you if I didn't like you." He scuffed the dirt, glowering down. His Adam's apple bobbed in a hard swallow. "Please don't leave because I killed people to free you," he added miserably.
Ashe stared for a moment, emotions whirling inside him. Then he tossed both his hands up and plopped down in the dirt. He'd never been good at distancing himself from people. "You are so difficult!"
Katsu looked up hopefully. After a moment, his expression lightened and he ascended the small hill, turning to sit carefully beside Ashe. "So... you're not going to panic on me?"
Ashe gave a humorless huff of a laugh and shook his head. They sat, silent, each with their own thoughts, though Katsu seemed more like he was waiting than anything.
"How long have you been in this country?" Ashe asked finally.
Katsu stared at the ground between his boots. "A few years. Maybe six."
"You speak our language pretty well." Almost entirely without an accent, giving Ashe no clues to where Katsu had come from.
Katsu nodded reluctantly. "I learned as a child."
Ashe mulled that over, watching Katsu out of the corner of his eye. "You really don't like to talk about your past, do you?"
Katsu shook his head glumly. His dark brows pulled together over the bridge of his nose, mouth a tight line. The muscles along his neck and shoulders were tense, and he clutched the canteen as if ready to throttle something.
Ashe wanted to know more. He wanted to know where Katsu had come from, where Katsu had learned to kill with a touch and then learned to heal with those same hands. Instead, Ashe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thank you," he said quietly.
Katsu relaxed just a hair. "Sure."
"No, I mean--" Ashe laughed. "Thank you for coming after me. For helping me get free."
Katsu looked at him slowly. His gaze was measuring, taking all of Ashe in before he nodded carefully. "You're welcome." He offered a small, rare smile, though it was still hesitant. "Wouldn't want you to think I didn't like you. Figured rescuing you from sure slavery was a pretty good sign. Easier than talking, too."
Ashe laughed, relaxed and delighted, and pushed himself to his feet. "Well, you'll probably have to do more talking. But I promise to try not to ask too many questions." He helped Katsu up, keeping pace as Katsu made slow, painful progress back toward the others.
"We're all right, then?" Katsu asked quietly as they neared the group. "You're not going to bolt?"
Ashe smiled. "I'm not going to bolt. I like you, too." Because obviously Katsu liked him enough to work at keeping him around. He looked over, grin widening. "And the sex is
Similar Books
