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Cougar knew he only had himself to blame. He was a careful creature by nature — most feline splices were — but, every once in a while, he got just a little too cocky for his own good. This time, he blamed boredom. That might come as a surprise considering his chosen profession, but smuggling really wasn't as exciting as some made it out to be.First of all, most of the wares he transported weren't even illegal in the majority of the galaxy. He only had to be careful when crossing through the Ebrion Belt or close to any of the planets in the Bantonine system, since they had strict laws against recreational beverages. Second, he knew the surrounding planets and star systems well enough to sneak past the usual patrols, and was a skilled enough pilot to lose any pursuers, should he be spotted.When it came down to it, Cougar was more of a glorified transport pilot than an actual smuggler. He always made sure to sell his goods on planets where it was legal for him to do so, making the transport across certain borders the only real crime he committed.Unfortunately, the troopers in the Ebrion Belt took this particular crime very seriously. Or at least Cougar assumed they did, considering the heavy electronic cuffs he found himself wearing.The troopers had caught him at the very fringes of the Ebrion Belt, docked at one of the seedier spaceports. There were no excuses for getting apprehended that close to safer territories and Cougar was, quite frankly, ashamed of himself. If he had left the day before — like he had planned — he would have been fine, but the promise of a night of social interaction, albeit across a gambling table, had been much too tempting. Cougar wasn't an outgoing person by any stretch of the word, but space did get lonely sometimes and, every once in a while, it was nice to hear a voice other than his ship computer's.He really should have known better.A rough shove to his shoulder made Cougar stumble as he made his way up the ramp of the transport shuttle. It was a smaller ship, meant for the short journey between the spaceport and the closest planet, where Cougar assumed he would be put in a cell and charged for his crimes.His gaze swept over his surroundings, but he couldn't find any openings to escape. Two armed troopers were herding him up the ramp — three other prisoners waiting for their turn at the bottom of it — and the landing pad itself was heavily guarded, encompassed by a high steel wall lined with shock wire. Cougar's reflexes were fast enough to allow him to dodge almost anything, including plasma bullets, but there was only so much he could do while cuffed and unarmed. As much as he hated to admit it, the chances of him successfully pulling off an escape were slim to none.Perhaps he'd have more luck once they made it planetside.Cougar grit his teeth when he received another shove, but did as instructed and stepped inside the dimly lit transport shuttle. His eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom and he couldn't help wrinkling his nose at the stale smell permeating the air. He supposed that was to be expected, considering what the ship was used for — personal hygiene was rarely high on a petty criminal's list of priorities — but that didn't mean he had to like it."Sit down," the trooper on Cougar's right growled, pointing to the far back of the transport shuttle. There was a row of seats along each wall, facing each other, and three of the spots were already occupied. Usually, Cougar would have taken the time to observe his fellow captives — to find possible allies or enemies — but he froze the moment he saw what the prisoners were wearing.Collars.They were obviously meant to keep the wearers from escaping, attached to the wall behind them with a thick cord. They were the kind of collars that were designed to administer electric shocks if needed, in order to help keep the prisoners docile.Without warning, Cougar's elbow slammed into the right-hand guard's nose.He hadn't even made a conscious decision to move — instincts took over. Panic took over. Hands tried to grip him — tried to rein him back in under their control — and Cougar snarled, teeth bared and heart racing. He could hear the guards' shouts but paid no mind to the actual words, much too focused on trying to get away.Despite being cuffed, his claws found a nice, soft arm to sink into, earning him a howl of pain. The heavy scent of blood reached Cougar's nose and he let out a feral growl, pleased to have made the trooper bleed.The triumph was short-lived, however.Fingers closed around Cougar's long hair, giving it a firm yank — hard enough to make his head snap back and the hat fall off his head. He let out a half-choked gasp of pain and barely had time to catch his breath before one of the guards jabbed him with a baton. Cougar heard the crackle of electricity a split second before the current tore through his body, his muscles seizing from the force of it.Cougar was too overwhelmed to count how long the shock lasted, but, for a couple of long, agonizing seconds, he could barely think, let alone breathe.Even when the pain finally eased, he was too disoriented to do anything but slump to his knees. Somehow, he managed to brace his hands against the metal floor before falling flat on his face, but it was a small comfort. He could barely hear his own heartbeat over the ringing in his ears, his limbs quivering from the aftershocks.Hands grabbed him, pulling him to his feet, and he was far too weak to fight back when he was shoved into a seat. Next, they took his scarf, practically ripping it out from under the collar of his jacket. Cougar wanted to growl — wanted to sink his teeth and claws into the troopers manhandling him — but he had to focus on his breathing. It would take another couple of seconds before his healing kicked in.He still made a feeble attempt to struggle against the troopers when he felt the cold, metal collar brush against the bare skin of his throat. It was already too late, he knew that all too well, but panic rarely listened to reason. The click of the lock snapping shut almost made him whimper, but he quickly swallowed back the sound. He refused to show just how afraid he was. He hated feeling vulnerable.The guards spat a couple of curses at him, one going as far as to kick Cougar's shin in an extremely juvenile show of anger, before they turned and headed back down the ramp. Cougar kept his eyes closed — he wasn't even sure if he had opened them since he'd been stunned by the baton — and tried his best not to hyperventilate.The collar was a far too familiar weight around his neck — one he had vowed never to have to carry again. Yet here he was, chained to the wall like an animal, his hands cuffed and useless in his lap.Distantly, as if in a daze, he found himself wondering if this new collar was wide enough to cover the scars from the old one.Cougar counted his breaths, ignoring the stares he was getting from the other prisoners. He could feel their eyes on him, but was more concerned with not flinching at the feeling of metal touching his throat. Slowly but surely, his limbs began to relax, his augmented body recovering from the damage the electric shocks had caused.He hated being electrocuted."Are you okay?"Cougar's eyes snapped open, surprised by the softly whispered words. He turned his head and looked at the prisoner next to him — one of the three who had been there before Cougar arrived. He was a humanoid from what Cougar could tell, with spiky blond hair and a goatee, his gaze surprisingly concerned behind the round, red-tinted glasses he wore.Instead of replying, Cougar glared at the man, silently telling him to mind his own business. More often than not, that was all it took for people to leave Cougar alone. Part of it was his general demeanor — he was not a friendly man and he always made that abundantly clear — but, more so than that, his eyes had a tendency to make other humanoids uncomfortable. The way his bright golden iris almost completely covered the whites of his eyes, in combination with the small, pitch black pupil, made him look far too unnatural for the purebred humanoids.To Cougar's immense surprise, this man didn't seem deterred in the least. He even went as far as to smile, as if he was fascinated by Cougar's odd eyes rather than unsettled."Holy shit!" the man whispered, voice low but still disturbingly eager. "You're a splice, aren't you? What animal?"Cougar blinked, not sure how to reply to that. Most humanoids responded with disgust when meeting a splice, not excitement. The man glanced down at Cougar's hands before leaning closer — as far as his collar would allow — as if they were about to share secrets the other prisoners shouldn't be allowed to hear. Cougar had to bite back another snarl, not pleased to have a stranger within his personal space."Some kind of feline, right?" the man continued, practically vibrating with curiosity. "I saw claws before, but you don't have them now, so they're obviously retractable. And I'm guessing it's one of the bigger cats, since you don't have slit pupils."The man's grin was so bright that Cougar had to admit that he was, at least in that particular moment, kind of cute. It was a frustrating realization — Cougar wanted to hate the man — but he was just so disarmingly innocent that Cougar couldn't quite hold on to his anger. The man didn't even seem to care about the fact that they were both cuffed and chained to the wall, which was either a sign of insanity or stupidity.Cougar wasn't sure which one he would prefer."I've never met a splice before." The man nudged Cougar's shoulder with his own, clearly not caring about Cougar's defensive posture and flat glare. "I'm Jake. Jake Jensen. What's your name?"The sheer excitement in the man's voice was disorienting — it was a long time since anyone had been that happy to see Cougar — and he chose to blame what he said next on said disorientation."Cougar."He didn't usually give out his name to strangers.Jensen was practically glowing with excitement. "Oh! Is that the anim—""Yes." Cougar looked at this strange blond man who didn't seem the least bit concerned about their current predicament. Jensen's smile was so earnest that Cougar had to fight an urge to swallow. "And my name."Well, that wasn't entirely true, but close enough. It was what most people called him nowadays."Cool! Hey, I was—"Jensen cut off at the sound of footsteps coming up the ramp, signaling the arrival of another prisoner — and the guards escorting them. Suddenly, Jensen was back in his own seat, his gaze resting lazily on a spot near the ceiling, looking like he couldn't care less about the other occupants of the transport shuttle. Cougar understood why — the troopers probably wouldn't condone them speaking to each other — but he was still shocked by how quickly Jensen snapped from overexcited idiot to bored prisoner.Perhaps he wasn't as stupid as he appeared at first glance.No one said anything while the guards instructed the newest prisoner to take a seat opposite to Cougar and Jensen. The newcomer was clearly high on something, dazed and docile, but didn't look particularly dangerous. None of them did — especially not Jensen. Out of the five of them, Cougar was probably the one guilty of the heaviest crimes, but he suspected that the others had longer rap sheets, simply because Cougar didn't usually get caught.Cougar ignored the scathing looks the guards shot him and instead closed his eyes, listening to the hum of activity outside the transport shuttle. The air smelled less horrible when sitting next to Jensen — the man apparently favored apple-scented shampoo — but Cougar refused to acknowledge just how much he was enjoying it. His day was absolutely shitty, no matter how you looked at it, and the metal collar wrapped around his neck was a constant reminder of that fact.Only once the two troopers had disappeared down the ramp did Jensen speak again, though he stuck to his own seat this time."The guards called you a smuggler."Cougar didn't bother to open his eyes, but the eyebrow he raised was apparently a clear enough response to make Jensen elaborate."That means you have a ship, right?" Jensen spoke quicker now, his tone more urgent. "How about you let me hitch a ride?"The question was preposterous enough that Cougar turned to give Jensen a flat look. When he was met with nothing but wholehearted sincerity — as if they were having this conversation at a spaceport diner instead of a prison transport — Cougar demonstratively raised his hands, nodding toward the cuffs.Jensen smiled, but there was a hint of something guarded in his eyes. "I'll get us out of the cuffs and collars, don't worry. I'll even create a distraction for us. I just need your word that you'll let me come with you when you leave this port."Cougar wasn't convinced, which no doubt showed on his face."Oh, come on," Jensen cajoled. He kept his voice low enough that the other three prisoners wouldn't hear him — not unless they had extremely good hearing — but he was clearly getting a little impatient. "This is probably your only chance to escape and we both know that. I'll take care of the cuffs, I promise.""How?"As much as Cougar wanted to get the collar off, Jensen sounded more than a little insane."Don't worry about that." Jensen looked earnest, but the same could be said for most lunatics. "You can trust me."Cougar sincerely doubted that. The whole idea was ludicrous and he knew better than to put his life in the hands of a man he had only known for a handful of minutes. Jensen wasn't giving Cougar anything except empty promises and was, in all likelihood, delusional.Jensen pursed his lips, as if Cougar was disappointing him with his lack of trust."Fine. I'll give you proof."Cougar rolled his eyes but said nothing. It was best not to encourage the man. Jensen had, in all probability, been apprehended to save the general public from his nonsense and it was just Cougar's luck to be the one who was submitted to it in their stead.Any sane person would know that escaping from the cuffs and collars was impossible.Except a couple of seconds later, between one heartbeat and the next, a click echoed in the otherwise silent transport shuttle, the sound so soft Cougar almost missed it. He stiffened in shock.His collar had unlocked.Cougar didn't even have to touch it in order to know. There was no longer that telltale tickle of electricity against his skin, the hum of machinery having silenced. The collar still stayed wrapped around his neck, but it was a dead weight that could easily be removed.It took a second before Cougar dared to look at Jensen, fighting down his urge to rip the collar off. He knew that would be a bad idea, no matter how much he wanted to — he had to pretend it was still locked, at least for a little while longer. Long enough to fool the guards.There was no hesitation in Jensen's gaze, only determination."Trust me," Jensen whispered, low and earnest.Cougar swallowed, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. Trust wasn't something Cougar wasted on just anyone, but he couldn't deny that Jensen had earned at least some of it. If Jensen was telling the truth — which he seemed to be doing, no matter how unlikely it had sounded at first — they could escape. Cougar could get rid of the collar.Taking a chance on Jensen might just be worth it."I get rid of the shackles and you fly us out of here. Deal?"The offer was too tempting to refuse."Deal."Jensen grinned, wide and almost disturbingly pleased."Awesome! Now, we need—"Again, Jensen cut himself off when the troopers came stomping up the ramp with the next prisoner. Cougar was thrumming with impatience, his fingers itching to tear off the offending collar, but he knew they had to wait. The guards were armed and Jensen clearly had a plan of some sort. Cougar had to trust it was a good one.The sixth passenger was strapped in next to Cougar, no one saying a word. Cougar could see Jensen's fingers tapping restlessly in the corner of his eye and briefly wondered what kind of trick the man had up his sleeve. He had unlocked Cougar's collar without even touching it and there were only so many ways to do that.Telekinesis, maybe? Jensen could be part Tu'Vari, though they usually had a second set of arms as far as Cougar knew, plus telltale face markings. Of course, there were a couple of races where telekinesis manifested at random, without any outer signs, which made it significantly easier to blend in with a crowd. Jensen must have hidden his abilities from the troopers, otherwise they wouldn't have put him on a regular prison transport — those with special powers were usually given more than cuffs and electric collars.Jensen was clearly not as unintelligent as Cougar had first thought.The troopers soon disappeared down the ramp and, the moment they were out of earshot, Jensen leaned closer yet again."Where's your ship?"It was a reasonable question. If Jensen intended to arrange some kind of diversion, he needed to know in which direction they were headed."Impounded," Cougar replied, keeping his gaze aimed straight ahead.The prisoners on the opposite side of the transport shuttle — the two not drugged out of their minds, at least — appeared to have noticed that Cougar and Jensen were planning something and eyed them with interest. Cougar didn't doubt for a second that the two would jump at an opportunity to escape their cuffs, even at the cost of someone else's well-being. As might the newest addition, seated next to Cougar and within hearing range, but it would hopefully take a couple of minutes before they caught on to what Cougar and Jensen were up to."Okay, good."Cougar couldn't help frowning as he turned to look at Jensen. How was an impounded ship a good thing? Getting past the guards outside would be bad enough, but to somehow break into the hangar housing confiscated vehicles? It should make their task bordering on impossible.Jensen didn't look deterred in the least, offering a careless shrug. "That way I know exactly where it is." He glanced up at the other prisoners. "What kind of ship? Make and model?"Again, those were reasonable questions to ask and Cougar saw no reason not to reply."Blackwing SS, model HK-846-B.""Nice." Jensen sounded impressed, looking positively delighted. He didn't seem to be taking this whole prison break very seriously. "You have good taste, my friend."Cougar wanted to point out that they weren't friends — he wouldn't even go as far as to call them acquaintances — but bit back the words. In all honesty, he had already trusted Jensen with more information than he would give most of his friends, but Cougar blamed it on the circumstances."What's the login and password?"At this, Cougar gave Jensen a sharp glare. There was absolutely no need for him to access the ship's computer.Jensen had the audacity to roll his eyes. "Will you stop being so fucking suspicious? I'm trying to help!" he hissed. The exasperation in his voice made Cougar's hackles rise — as if he was being the unreasonable one — but Jensen kept talking before Cougar got a chance to voice his complaints. "The guards will return any second now and we really don't have time for this. Just give me the login and password."Despite Cougar's best efforts, Jensen barely seemed affected by his glare. Jensen met the look head on, looking impatient, of all things.Cougar knew Jensen had a point — the guards only had one more prisoner to load onto the transport and they would probably take off the minute they were done — but that didn't mean he wanted to just hand over such delicate information. He'd already given Jensen more than most and it grated on Cougar that it had felt so natural to do so.Jensen looked deceptively trustworthy.Cougar didn't even know why Jensen was on the shuttle in the first place — just what he had done to get arrested. Jensen could be a murderer for all Cougar knew, or some kind of con-artist. Cougar shouldn't trust the man. He shouldn't.The sound of footsteps didn't leave Cougar with much of a choice, however — not if he wanted to get out of this mess.Cougar growled low in his throat, his teeth gritted."CA2780. Password TNH5J687."Jensen nodded in confirmation. "Good. Thank you."At least he was polite."Don't remove the collar or get up until I tell you to. I'll take care of the rest." The last couple of words were whispered in a rush as the two guards came within view, the final prisoner walking between them.Cougar bit back another growl, trying not to show just how tense he was. Holding back the panic was a losing battle with the heavy weight of the collar around his neck, each breath threatening to get stuck in his throat. Cougar felt like a live wire, his hands tightly clenched and senses on high alert, and knew it was only a matter of time before he would snap.He really hated collars.He was good at waiting, though, even if he still had his doubts about Jensen's plan — or lack thereof. Cougar hadn't been told much about it and had no idea what to expect. He watched in silence as the troopers led the final prisoner toward a seat, praying that Jensen knew what he was doing.At first, nothing happened.Cougar almost started thinking he'd made a mistake by trusting Jensen, but then, just as suddenly as Cougar's collar had unlocked, there was a series of clicks in rapid succession. The cuffs around Cougar's wrists snapped open and slipped right off, hitting the floor with a loud thunk — as did the cuffs of everyone else in the transport shuttle.For a split second, no one moved. Guards and prisoners alike were staring in surprise and Cougar had to push down the instinct telling him to rip the collar off and fight his way to the exit. The other prisoners were clearly the diversion Jensen had been talking about and, for that to work, Cougar and Jensen couldn't be the first out of the transport shuttle.The standing prisoner was the first to react. She spun on her heel and slammed her fist into the face of one of the guards, effectively breaking the stalemate.The other prisoners — save the drugged one — all reached up and tore open their collars, making Cougar's fingers itch with the need to do the same. A warm hand settled on top of Cougar's, the jolt of surprise making him jump. He almost lashed out on pure reflex, but a reassuring squeeze around his fingers made him hesitate."Not yet," Jensen whispered, just as two of the other prisoners jumped the second guard. The only one who didn't seem inclined to move was the high prisoner, who sat blinking sluggishly at the commotion.It went against every instinct in Cougar's body to just sit and watch as the prisoners struggled to overcome the guards. Everyone but the woman were flailing and uncoordinated, and Cougar could have handled it in less than five seconds. But that warm, grounding hand on top of his held him at bay, even if he could feel tension vibrate underneath his skin.Unsurprisingly, the woman finished with her guard first, ripping his gun from its holster before throwing a glance in Cougar and Jensen's direction. Her skin was the dark, shimmering purple of a Vordalathi warrior, her eyes a bright yellow, and Cougar had the distinct feeling of having seen her before. A grin spread on her lips, showing just enough of her sharp teeth to make Cougar's hackles rise. Considering the braids Cougar counted in her black hair — one for each year she had been collecting ears — she was not to be underestimated."Thanks," she said. The other prisoners finally managed to subdue the other guard, but she didn't spare them as much as a glance, still focused on Jensen. She clearly knew who was responsible for unlocking the cuffs, even if Jensen showed no outer signs of his telekinesis."My pleasure," Jensen replied, offering her a sloppy salute. "Don't waste it."Her grin turned feral. "I wouldn't dream of it."They all knew they didn't have much time — the troopers outside must have heard the sound of fighting — and the first prisoner was already heading down the ramp, armed with the second guard's gun. The weapon only held stun bullets as far as Cougar knew, but that didn't make them any less effective in a situation like this."Let's go," Jensen said, when the Vordalathi woman turned toward the exit.Cougar didn't need to be told twice, quickly snapping open his collar and getting to his feet. The sound of gunfire was already filling the air and Cougar would have reached for the unconscious guards' batons, had the other two prisoners not taken them. Granted that they wouldn't do much good against bullets, but at least Cougar would be armed.He felt painfully vulnerable without a weapon of his own.He did find his hat, though, peeking out from under the wall-mounted seats. One of the guards must have kicked it aside after their scuffle. Cougar spared a second to snatch it up from the floor, feeling slightly better with it returned."Follow me," Jensen shouted over the noise, quickly making his way down the ramp, heedless of the flying bullets. Cougar couldn't quite decide if Jensen should be commended for his fearlessness or reprimanded for his stupidity.Cougar sighed as he put his hat back on, then followed after Jensen.Once they had reached the bottom of the ramp, Cougar quickly looked out over the landing pad. As expected, the Vordalathi woman was having no trouble holding the troopers at bay, heading toward the wide gates leading back to the rest of the spaceport — probably on her way to the landing docks and whatever ship she had waiting there. One of the prisoners lay unconscious on the ground, having been hit by one of the trooper's stun bullets, but the other two were still fighting.Jensen didn't seem to care about any of this, skirting the edge of the walled landing pad, heading for a much smaller gate in one of the corners. Stray bullets zipped past — one almost grazing Cougar's shoulder — but it was clear that the troopers hadn't noticed them yet. Cougar's hands were itching for a weapon, but there were no guards close enough that he could steal one from, not to mention that the moment he started firing, he'd reveal their position.He had to put his faith in Jensen.That was easier said than done, however, especially when Cougar saw the key panel next to the door Jensen was leading them toward. It had an electronic lock that couldn't be forced open — not even with telekinesis — and, once the guards saw them, they would be trapped.Cougar grit his teeth against a frustrated growl and glanced around for another escape. The steel wall wasn't too high to climb, but Cougar didn't have the tools to get past the shock wire that lined the top. The only other gate was the one the Vordalathi woman was headed toward and Cougar doubted they would be able to reach it with so many guards in the way.A sudden movement in the corner of Cougar's eye had his senses snap to attention. He turned his head just in time to see one of the troopers raise his gun and take aim, obviously having spotted them. They were only a couple of feet away from the steel gate, but that wouldn't do them much good if they were writhing on the ground from a stun bullet."Get down," Cougar snarled, pushing Jensen onto the cold, scratched steel of the landing pad. Jensen let out a surprised, half-choked noise — possibly from having Cougar land half on top of him — while the bullet hissed past above their heads, hitting the wall in a bright burst of sparks.Cougar knew the second shot wouldn't be far behind and he quickly got back on his feet. His fingers closed around Jensen's jacket, giving a firm yank and Jensen, thankfully, pushed up onto his knees, only to stop just as suddenly. A frustrated snarl clawed at the back of Cougar's throat. They didn't have time for this.Then several things happened at once.Jensen flung out his hand toward the trooper, palm open and fingers splayed, in almost the exact same moment that said trooper pulled the trigger. Cougar's heart leapt into his throat, but no shot came. For a breathless second, nothing happened, all three of them standing frozen, just staring at each other.Then Jensen fingers curled, closing into a tight fist, and the trooper's gun let out an ominous crackle before splintering to pieces, the resulting explosion throwing the man to the ground.Despite knowing about Jensen's powers, Cougar had not expected that. Telekinesis was a difficult skill to learn, one that required a sense of detail and finesse that few managed to master in their lifetime. Using it in tense situations like this should be nearly impossible, especially with the precision needed to cause a gun to explode from within."Get the door," Jensen said, sounding a little breathless."How—""The code is 783441," Jensen interrupted. He wobbled as he climbed to his feet and the look he gave Cougar was sharp enough to border on terrifying. "Now!" he snapped.Cougar had no idea how Jensen knew the code — or what exactly he had done to the trooper's gun — but that could wait. Their window of escape was closing fast. Cougar could prioritize.He rushed over to the keypad and punched in the numbers. The cheerful beep of the gate unlocking was drowned out by another one of those crackling explosions — another gun that Jensen must have obliterated — and the door soon slid open.Cougar turned back around, his heart giving a strange lurch at the sight that awaited him. Jensen was standing between him and the approaching troopers like a human shield, his hands outstretched and shaking slightly. Whatever he was doing — whatever power he possessed — was keeping the guards from using their guns, though they gave it several tries.It took a second before Cougar managed to regain his ability to speak."Come on!" he called, startled by the hint of actual fear in his own voice.Jensen didn't move.The troopers kept advancing — some of them abandoning their tampered guns, preparing their batons instead — and Jensen just stood there. It wouldn't take long for the guards to reach him. Fear lodged in Cougar's throat, entirely unbidden, at the thought of Jensen writhing on the ground, struck down by one of the shock batons. Cougar was reaching out before he even made a conscious decision to do so, preparing to physically drag him through the doorway.The moment his hand closed around the high collar of Jensen's jacket, his fingers brushing against bare skin, the hairs at the back of Cougar's neck stood on end. A crackle of electricity slithered under his skin, freezing him in place and sending his heartbeats skittering. Cougar sucked in a sharp breath, tensing under the onslaught of power suddenly roaring through him. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before, heavy, bright, and burning to the point where he feared it might just tear him apart. He could feel it building, coiling tighter and tighter inside of him, fierce and frightening.Or maybe it was inside Jensen — it was difficult to tell.The burn grew stronger, roaring from hunger, and Cougar could taste something sharp and metallic at the back of his throat, the smell of ozone stinging his nose. He couldn't move, let alone breathe, as that ruthless, nameless force surged through him.Then, between one beat and the next, that something shattered.Jensen made a wide sweep with his outstretched hands and Cougar could feel the release of pent-up power spread like a shockwave across the landing pad. The ground rumbled, the troopers' guns exploding in bursts of metal and blue sparks, throwing them off their feet, and, up above, Cougar heard the crack of the wall's shock wire snap in two. The transport shuttle several yards away shuddered under the force of whatever Jensen had unleashed, then went dark as its power cut off. The ground kept shaking, as if something living was writhing underneath the thick layer of metal, begging to be set free. The vibrations were strong enough to crawl up along Cougar's spine, making his teeth rattle.The entire landing pad was caught in a storm of destructive chaos during a disorienting, breathless second, before stilling just as suddenly. Once it had settled, troopers lay sprawled on the ground, the transport shuttle still and silent, and bright sparks were shooting from the snapped shock wires.Cougar had no idea what had just happened and was trying desperately to regain his bearings, his fingers still clamped around Jensen's jacket, as if that was the one thing keeping him tethered. He knew they had to move — more guards had to be coming — but he couldn't hear their footsteps over the ringing in his ears. He couldn't hear much at all, trying to catch his breath and blink away the bright blotches etched onto his retinas from the explosions. Then Jensen turned, throwing Cougar off balance yet again.Jensen's eyes were glowing.Not even the red-tinted glasses managed to hide the bright, brilliant blue glow of Jensen's eyes. Cougar could do nothing but stare, his grip on Jensen's jacket slipping. There was no mistaking what that glow meant — not in combination with what Jensen had just done.Jensen was something far more dangerous than a telekinetic."Let's go."Jensen either didn't notice the stunned look on Cougar's face, or he simply didn't care. He grabbed Cougar's arm, the touch sending another jolt through Cougar, and pushed him toward the still open gate, just as more troopers came running.Cougar's survival instincts kicked in and he did as he'd been told, stumbling through the doorway with an embarrassing lack of grace. He found himself on the edge of a huge loading area, crates and shipping containers standing in neat rows. On the other side of the wide, cluttered space, hinted above the top of the highest stack of crates, Cougar could see the domed roof of a spaceship hangar."Head for the hangar," Jensen instructed, his voice tight with urgency — as if the shouts and footsteps from the troopers weren't enough to urge Cougar on.His mind was still reeling, granted, but he knew that their escape took priority.Cougar ducked in between two rows of shipping containers, Jensen not far behind. As he ran, Cougar could hear crashes and the whip-like crackle of electricity behind him, but he chose not to look back. He trusted that Jensen would keep the troopers from gaining on them, even if it meant using powers that were, quite frankly, terrifying. As if to prove said point, Cougar caught sight of a thick cable in the corner of his eye, slithering like a serpent along the ground, heading toward the pursuing guards.Cougar barely managed to hold back a shudder.Jensen wasn't telekinetic — he was a technopath.They were one of the most feared species in the galaxy, simply because of how much power they held. Everyone relied on technology and electricity to some degree, and the thought of someone being able to manipulate all that, well — Cougar had now seen firsthand the kind of destruction a technopath could cause.The fear was definitely not unwarranted.Technopaths were known to be power-hungry and dishonest, having been at the centre of many conflicts across the galaxy. Nowadays, they were more or less extinct — having been hunted down by those who feared their abilities, putting an end to their tyranny — but, of course, Cougar had somehow managed to find one of the few still in existence.What had he gotten himself into?Cougar grit his teeth and pushed on. He could deal with that later, if they actually made it off the spaceport in one piece.He weaved his way through the lines of crates and shipping containers, but never strayed from his path toward the hangar. Cougar could hear Jensen's footsteps behind him, stumbling every now and then, but there wasn't much Cougar could do about that. He had to focus on the troopers ahead of him — those stationed at the hangar who had heard the ruckus and now came to meet them.Cougar made quick work of the first trooper trying to block his path, knocking her unconscious and stealing her weapon in one smooth maneuver that barely even broke his stride. Once he was armed, things got a lot easier — he rarely, if ever, missed his target, even with an unfamiliar gun in his hands.Picking off the troopers trying to stop them from reaching the hangar was no challenge at all for Cougar, while Jensen kept the ones behind them at bay. They soon cleared the last line of crates and Cougar could see his ship standing in the wide-open hangar, lights on and engines rumbling, the ramp already lowering in welcome.A technopath's reach truly was terrifying.Cougar ignored the shiver of unease and ran for his ship instead. There weren't any guards left ahead of them, but he could hear several coming from behind. Cougar refused to get caught this close to freedom. He was so close.When Cougar was only steps away from the ramp, a stun bullet zipped past his head. He threw a glance over his shoulder, surprised that Jensen hadn't stopped it, and promptly felt his heart skip a beat.Jensen was a lot further back than Cougar had expected, his face pale from exhaustion and steps stumbling.The troopers had almost caught up with him.For a brief moment — one he wasn't particularly proud of — Cougar debated boarding his ship and leaving Jensen to whatever fate awaited him. Cougar knew better than to align himself with a technopath and every second he remained out in the open was one where he might get caught again. Leaving Jensen behind would be the wise thing to do.Most people would.Then, entirely unbidden, he remembered Jensen standing between Cougar and a small army of approaching troopers, fierce yet vulnerable, literally keeping their bullets at bay with nothing but sheer will and foolhardy bravery. Cougar's chest squeezed. There was only one choice he could make.He was not the kind of a man who would break his word — not even to a technopath.Cougar turned mid-step, raised his stolen gun, and started picking off as many troopers as possible, hoping to buy Jensen enough time to catch up. Cougar kept walking backwards as he fired, ducking two incoming bullets without pausing, stopping only when he reached the ramp leading up into his ship. His chest was rumbling from a deep, furious growl, but he couldn't say for sure who he was angry with.Jensen finally made it to the ship, clearly just about ready to collapse, and Cougar let him pass and head up the ramp first. Only once Jensen had disappeared inside did Cougar follow, squeezing off a couple of more bullets before racing up the ramp. One of the troopers' responding shots hit the ramp close enough to Cougar's boot to make his toes tingle.As soon as he could reach, Cougar slammed the button to close the ramp, but it would still take seconds before they were safe. The troopers could try to board them or, for that matter, just shoot straight into the ship.Jensen was slumped on the floor just inside the entrance, leaning heavily against the wall. His forehead was pressed against the steel, his eyes closed, and Cougar was just about to bark at him to move deeper into the ship — so he wouldn't get hit by stray shots while the ramp closed — when the ground suddenly shifted.No, Cougar realized — the ship had lifted off the ground.He stared at Jensen, knowing he had to be the one doing it. Since Cougar had given Jensen the login and password to the ship's computer, Jensen apparently didn't even need to be at a terminal to control the vessel.For a moment, Cougar was struck by how utterly terrifying the creature he had just let inside his ship was — one that could control his ship with a simple thought — but then he saw the way Jensen was shaking.Jensen's forehead remained pressed against the wall, but it looked less like a choice and more like a necessity, his breaths short and gasping, as if he could barely get enough air to sustain himself. He was trembling so badly Cougar felt a stab of concern, technopath or not. Whatever Jensen was doing, it looked painful and it was obvious that, while still someone to fear, even a technopath had limits to how much power he could wield before he exhausted himself.Jensen was barely hanging on to consciousness, by the looks of it."Jensen."The ship kept moving, heading out of the hangar, if Cougar were to guess. Jensen showed no signs of having heard Cougar speak."Jensen," Cougar repeated, firmer this time."I can do it," Jensen croaked. He didn't open his eyes, but his face scrunched up into a grimace of pure, heart-wrenching agony. "I-I'm almost... almost done."After some hesitation, Cougar crouched down next to Jensen and, fully expecting another surge of whatever power he had felt back on the landing pad, tentatively placed his hand on Jensen's shoulder. Immediately, Cougar could feel a faint hum of something against his fingertips — as if Jensen was thrumming with an innate energy — but it was nowhere near what he had felt earlier. This was almost frail in comparison, like the flicker of a flame just about to go out.The touch made Jensen flinch, followed by a pained, helpless little moan that made Cougar frown."Enough," he said.He had no idea what he was doing — why he was being kind to a technopath, a species known for their deceitfulness and habit of abusing power — but he blamed it on not wanting to cause anyone more pain than necessary.Besides, they weren't in the clear yet — the troopers would no doubt follow them in whatever ships they had at their disposal and they needed to shake them. Cougar had no doubt that he would do better than a half-conscious technopath delirious from pain."Jensen, enough," he repeated, not daring to touch the man aside from the hand he kept on his shoulder. Even that was a little more than Cougar was comfortable with. "Engage the autopilot.""No, I—""I will take over," Cougar interrupted. They didn't have time for gentleness. "Let go."Cougar had a feeling he wouldn't be able to wrestle control over the ship away from Jensen unless the technopath let him.A tense silence followed, neither of them moving, before Jensen finally let out a shuddering breath and nodded. He keened — a broken little noise that went straight to Cougar's heart, no matter how much he tried to deny it — and the ship steadied its course, indicating that Jensen had turned on the autopilot, as requested.A split second later, Jensen lost consciousness, which was probably just as well.Cougar couldn't say why he bothered to catch the technopath when he toppled over, slipping a hand behind his neck to keep his head from hitting the hard, steel floor. It took precious seconds to gently lower Jensen to the ground, but Cougar didn't have the heart to just drop him.Once that was done, Cougar allowed himself a brief moment to close his eyes, take a deep breath, and berate himself for trusting random strangers. Then he pushed to his feet and hurried toward the bridge, leaving Jensen where he lay. The autopilot wouldn't be able to take them far — not without a programmed course — and pursuing ships were probably already at their heels. Cougar needed to get them out of here, far away from the spaceport and the Ebrion troopers, and then he could deal with his new passenger.They weren't safe yet, but would be soon — Cougar would make sure of that.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It took effort and several close calls before Cougar was able to shake their pursuers and could steer the ship toward safer territories, well out of the Ebrion troopers reach and jurisdiction. He would have to make sure not to cross the belt again anytime soon, just in case he and his ship made it onto any wanted lists.Once Cougar had assured himself that his ship was not damaged from the pursuit, he set course for the closest smuggler-friendly spaceport and turned on the autopilot. According to the computer's calculations, they would arrive in about two days. That was a long time to spend on a spaceship with someone you didn't trust — especially a ship as small as Cougar's — but he couldn't risk stopping at any of the more reputable spaceports.Cougar wasn't going to get that careless again.Moving the unconscious Jensen from the cold floor to the bed in the spare cabin was a lot more difficult than expected. Partly because Jensen was limp like a ragdoll, but, more so than that, because the technopath turned out to be made out of pure muscle. Cougar had noticed that Jensen was taller than him, sure, but the man had managed to look scrawny with his baggy pants and short, high-collared jacket. Apparently, one should not make the mistake of judging Jensen's overall body type based on the slimness of his hips.Once Cougar had finally gotten Jensen situated on the bed, he briefly considered tying him to it. An electronic cuff wouldn't work — Jensen had proved his ability to get out of those — but a piece of rope or something equally low-tech should be able to hold him. Tying him up would be the wise thing to do.And yet, when Cougar looked at Jensen's pale, tired face, he found that he didn't have the heart to be that cruel. Considering what they had just escaped — and the fact that Cougar would have been collared and behind bars had it not been for Jensen — he decided not to. As much as Cougar didn't trust him, Jensen deserved to not wake up restrained.Cougar made sure to change the password to the ship's computer, though. He wasn't sure if that would be enough to keep a technopath out — Jensen had somehow known the code to the door back at the landing pad — but it was symbolic, if nothing else.He didn't trust Jensen with his ship.Not that Jensen was in any shape to take over any ships at the moment, sprawled out on Cougar's spare bed, his chest rising and falling in a fast, shallow rhythm. He might even be developing a fever, if the shivers and slight shine to his skin were anything to go by.But that was none of Cougar's concern, he decided, before resolutely turning on his heel and leaving the cabin. He had better things to do, like take stock of what the Ebrion troopers had confiscated from his ship while it was impounded. He also had to contact his buyer to let them know the shipment wouldn't be coming — something he definitely wasn't looking forward to.Cougar grit his teeth and, with a shake of his head, got to work on sorting this mess out.
Jensen slept like the dead.That was fine by Cougar, who spent the following hours doing inventory, taking a nap, and pondering what to do next. He was relieved to find that everything was intact and accounted for save for his illegal shipment, but that also meant that he had made the entire trip for nothing. His contact was surprisingly understanding about the lack of delivery, but Cougar knew that he couldn't let it happen again unless he wanted to lose a faithful customer.Fortunately, money wasn't so tight that he had to make another run right away. It was better to lie low, at least for a week or two, and, perhaps, take a vacation for once. He had a feeling that would be easier said than done, however.Within hours, he was already feeling restless.That, on the other hand, could be because of Jensen's presence. Having someone else on his ship was unnerving, not to mention distracting. Even when on the other side of the ship from where Jensen was sleeping, Cougar kept catching whiffs of that fruity shampoo and the rounder, saltier scent of Jensen's skin. Trying to sleep was even worse, since his cabin was next to the spare one and Cougar found himself unable to tune out the sound of Jensen's breaths, barely audible through the wall between them.Cougar wasn't used to having company. His ship was his sanctuary and, unless they were a mechanic he had paid to do repairs, he never let anyone aboard, not even clients. That did get lonely sometimes, he could admit — hence the night of gambling that had gotten him arrested — and made the current situation all the more disorienting. He had no idea what to do about a second person on his ship.Even if Jensen wasn't conscious, Cougar was constantly aware of him.
No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't ignore him and continue on with his usual routine. And, eventually, around hour eleven of Jensen not showing any signs of waking up, Cougar could admit to himself that he was getting a little worried.Against better knowledge, he slipped inside the spare cabin to check on the technopath.He wasn't quite prepared for how innocent Jensen would look, his face relaxed in sleep and eyelashes fanned out against his pale cheeks. Cougar had taken off Jensen's glasses when he dumped him on the bed, now placed on the nearby table, and the effect was pretty startling.For the first time, Cougar wondered how old Jensen was. Cougar didn't know the standard lifespan of a technopath, but, if he were to guess, he'd say that Jensen was fairly young for his species. The facial hair suggested some level of maturity, granted, but his skin was soft and smooth, not to mention that he still held the carefree enthusiasm of someone who hadn't lived long enough to become jaded. So, while Jensen might be an independent adult, he certainly looked young. Only made worse by the fact that, at some point in the past eleven hours, Jensen had turned and curled up on his side, arms tucked in close to his body and knees drawn up.He appeared so lost and vulnerable that Cougar felt an involuntary pang of protectiveness.In that moment, Jensen didn't come across as particularly dangerous. Cougar knew he shouldn't allow himself to be fooled that easily — looks could be deceiving — but it was difficult to reconcile the stories he had heard about bloodthirsty technopaths with the young man before him. Even when he wasn't sleeping, Jensen had been far too happy and open to fit with what Cougar had been told to expect from a technopath. It was confusing.Jensen was confusing — and distracting.No matter how much Cougar wished to deny it, he had a hard time tearing his attention away from the technopath. Not only because Jensen was almost excruciatingly handsome — a fact Cougar did his best to ignore — but because there were so many contradictions surrounding him.Had he been in a less foul mood, Cougar might even have called him fascinating.Despite still wearing his jacket, Jensen was shivering, that feverish sheen still clinging to his skin. Cougar pursed his lips and stepped closer. He wasn't overly fond of touching people, but necessity took precedence as he gently placed the back of his hand against Jensen's forehead. His skin was warm, but not worryingly so. Then again, Cougar had no idea what temperature a technopath should have.Just like before, Cougar could feel that odd, pulsing thrum of power — a vibration just under Jensen's skin that transferred to Cougar as soon as they touched. It was almost like a second heartbeat that Jensen carried inside of him, a fierce and vibrant current that came from his core — as if he, himself, was made of pure, unleashed power.Cougar pulled his hand back and the tingling stopped immediately. It was a strange feeling, that, but not altogether unpleasant. It should have been, considering Cougar's dislike for electrical shocks, but this was different, somehow — softer, like a tickle rather than that dreaded, sharp bite of a shock collar.With a shake of his head, Cougar walked over to the small cabinet in the corner of the room and pulled out one of the thick blankets stored there. He wasn't fussing, he told himself — it was just a matter of making sure that Jensen didn't freeze to death. Anyone would do that.Well, maybe not, considering that this was a technopath, but Cougar decided that it was better in the long run if Jensen didn't die on him.Getting rid of a dead body was far too cumbersome.So, despite his misgivings, Cougar carefully placed the blanket over Jensen and, before he even knew what he was doing, had tucked him in as well. Cougar froze. Justifying not wanting Jensen to die was one thing, but that kind of gentleness? That was a whole other matter.His gaze flicked down to stare at Jensen's sleeping face, as if it might hold the answer to his momentary lapse of judgment. A second too late, Cougar realized he wouldn't like whatever he found. The answer written on Jensen's face — spelled out along the smooth slopes and lines of his features and found in the soft, delicate shadow cast by his long eyelashes — wasn't one Cougar wanted to acknowledge.Cougar had no reason to feel protective over a technopath, no matter how sweet or defenseless he looked. There was no place for emotions like that. They would only get him in trouble.With that thought firmly settled into his mind, Cougar straightened, tearing his gaze away from Jensen's face.He left the spare cabin without a backward glance.
It took a total of sixteen hours before Jensen woke up.Cougar had checked on him two more times, just to make sure that he was still breathing and that his fever didn't get worse. Thankfully, it had gone down somewhere around hour fourteen and, by then, some color had returned to Jensen's cheeks and the shivering had subsided. He seemed to be recovering, albeit slowly.Cougar was in the kitchen, cooking dinner, when he heard Jensen stumble out of bed. He couldn't help tensing, just a little, at the thought of seeing a conscious Jensen again. The technopath was intense, for a lack of a better word, and, now that he was no longer bedridden, could prove to be a significant threat. Cougar didn't even want to imagine what kind of nightmare-inducing things Jensen could do to him or his ship.Even so, Cougar remained where he was, trying to convey calm despite the paranoia and turmoil he felt inside.Jensen would come to him.After a detour to the bathroom, Jensen did. Cougar could hear his approaching footsteps, slow and shuffling, as if Jensen was barely strong enough to lift his feet off the floor. Cougar turned around in time to see a squinting Jensen appear in the doorway, his glasses once again perched on his nose. He had taken off his jacket and instead wrapped the blanket tightly around his hunched shoulders."Hi," Jensen croaked.Cougar didn't reply, not quite sure how to behave. Just like before, he couldn't help thinking that Jensen didn't look very dangerous. Sure, he knew what Jensen could do — the power he had unleashed on those troopers was truly terrifying — but, seeing him now, clinging to his blanket with his hair in disarray and exhaustion written so plainly on his face, he looked disarmingly defenseless."Uh, how long did I sleep?" Jensen asked, limping over to sit on the bench next to the mess table."Sixteen hours," Cougar replied.He wasn't sure if he wanted to turn his back on Jensen, but his food would burn if he didn't. Reluctantly, Cougar focused back on his cooking, trying to ignore the shiver that went down his spine. Cougar could feel Jensen's gaze on him and his shoulders tightened imperceptibly in response."Huh. That's not so bad."Cougar couldn't help wondering what would be bad, if sixteen hours was acceptable."I'm assuming we got away okay?" Jensen was clearly the talkative type, even if he had been dead to the world mere minutes ago.Cougar decided that a nod would suffice, not at all as interested in a conversation as Jensen seemed to be. It was bad enough that they would have to spend at least another day together before they reached the spaceport — Cougar refused to have to be social during that time.A silence settled between them and, unlike the silences Cougar was used to, this one was heavy, almost suffocatingly so. Cougar had no doubt that Jensen suffered more from it than he did, but it was definitely not enjoyable.Fortunately, he could distract himself with dishing up his food and, after a short moment of indecision, took out a second plate for Jensen. He had never promised to feed the man, but it seemed awfully rude to eat in front of him and not offer him some as well.Jensen clearly hadn't expected to be given anything, his eyes widening when Cougar put their plates and utensils down on the table. Cougar made no attempt to explain himself, wordlessly fetching them a bottle of water each before taking a seat opposite Jensen."Um... thanks," Jensen mumbled awkwardly. He fumbled slightly when he picked up his fork, probably because of lingering lethargy from having been asleep for sixteen hours.They ate in silence and, by the time they finished, Jensen's hands were shaking from exhaustion. What he had done back on that landing pad had clearly drained him. That was a bit of a comfort, Cougar had to admit, because it meant that Jensen was unlikely to try something like that again — he probably couldn't.Jensen wasn't invincible.Cougar watched discreetly as Jensen sipped from his water bottle, his gaze distant and shoulders slumping even further. Even if he had slept for sixteen hours already, Jensen was clearly still tired. Quite frankly, he looked sickly with his glassy, unfocused eyes and pale, clammy skin.They should talk. At the very least, Cougar should let Jensen know that they were headed for a spaceport where he would drop him off. Starting that conversation was surprisingly difficult, however, and Cougar was frustrated to find that it was caused by yet another bout of unexpected compassion at the sight of Jensen's suffering.Jensen should be resting.Almost as if to prove Cougar right, Jensen sighed and took off his glasses, placing them on the table between them. He rubbed a shaking hand over his face, his breath on the verge of hitching."I know we should—" His voice broke, forcing him to swallow and start over. "I dunno. Talk or something, but I just... Can it wait?"Jensen lowered his hand and, for the first time, their eyes met without the red-tinted glass between them. Cougar's breath caught, his gut clenching.Jensen's eyes weren't glowing — not like they had been back on the landing pad — but they were still a luminous, bright blue, reminding Cougar of the azure lightning he had once seen on Ha'ath V. It had been one of the most beautiful yet frightening things he had ever experienced — a display of raw, unfettered power that had left his bones humming and heart racing.The comparison was awfully fitting, all things considered.Jensen swallowed, clearly taking Cougar's silence as a denial."I just need some more sleep." Jensen was practically pleading, his words trembling. "I know I have a lot to explain, just... later. Please."Cougar still wasn't sure what to make of Jensen, but he could tell that he wouldn't gain any insights with the technopath this tired. He could barely hold his head up, by the looks of it. Besides, the more Jensen slept, the less time Cougar would have to spend with him before they reached the spaceport."Fine," he replied, sounding harsher than he had intended. "Go back to sleep."After a relieved nod, Jensen put his glasses back on and pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled as he stepped over the bench and Cougar barely had time to stop himself from reaching out to help steady him. Instead, Jensen caught himself against the table, his palm pressed flat against the scratched metal. Jensen swallowed and, after an embarrassed glance in Cougar's direction, made a second attempt, this one more successful.Jensen picked up the blanket which had slipped off his shoulders and wrapped it around himself again. He looked absolutely miserable standing there, pale and slightly hunched over, hands clutching the blanket so tightly that his knuckles turned white."I..." Jensen cleared his throat and looked at Cougar, his expression solemn. "Thank you. For not leaving me back there."Something heavy settled in Cougar's stomach."I know you could have. Not many would blame you if you had, considering what I am." A small, trembling smile spread on Jensen's lips, but it held more pain than joy. "I don't know why you didn't, but thank you."Guilt.That was what Cougar was feeling. Because, even if the moment had been brief, he had considered leaving Jensen there. He had told himself exactly the same thing as Jensen told him now — that no one would blame him if he did. It was what anyone would do when faced with a technopath."They would have killed me, you know?"Cougar wasn't so sure about that — Ebrion was a pretty peaceful place, with very strict laws and an established judicial system — but he didn't blame Jensen for exaggerating, either. Considering what Jensen was, the Ebrion troopers would no doubt have used more force on him than on regular prisoners, had he and Cougar been caught again. After what Jensen had done on that landing pad, the troopers had to have been pretty frightened of him.Cougar definitely shared some of that fear. He was suspicious and uncomfortable at the thought of a technopath on his ship, but, at the same time, he would be lying if he said that he could sense any maliciousness in Jensen. It didn't seem like he wished Cougar any harm.Jensen's smile grew softer, gratitude and relief shining through. It once again made him look disarmingly innocent — a thought which Cougar quickly stifled."No one has ever done that for me — saved me when it could have cost them their own freedom." Jensen's gaze flicked down to the scarf wrapped around Cougar's neck, covering scars Cougar would much rather forget. "And I think you, if anyone, understand how much that can mean to people like us."Even that small glance made Cougar's hackles rise and he had to fight the instinct to raise his hand to touch his neck. Even if he knew that Jensen must have seen the scars while they were on board the prison transport, he didn't like to be reminded of them.Cougar couldn't deny that he did understand what Jensen was talking about, though. He had been in situations where he would have wanted someone to save him — times when he had been cornered, beaten, and literally chained down, with no hope of escape. Those moments were in the past, far behind him, but not forgotten. He still dreamed about them sometimes — nightmares that had him wake up with a helpless scream trapped at the back of his throat.He knew all too well.Perhaps that was why he felt compelled to speak up."I considered it," Cougar said. He looked Jensen straight in the eye, for some reason not wanting to lie. He didn't want Jensen to think that he was that kind or compassionate — Cougar was just as selfish as everyone else. "I considered leaving you."Like usual, Jensen's reaction wasn't at all what Cougar had expected."I know." Jensen smiled, calm and at ease, tugging the blanket a little tighter around himself. "But you didn't. And, when you think about it, that means so much more. You knew the risks, but still didn't leave me. You had an opportunity to be selfish, but chose not to be."Cougar blinked, admittedly a little stunned. He hadn't thought of it like that.Jensen shook his head. "Whether or not you considered it doesn't matter to me, only what you ended up doing."Their gazes held and, in that moment, Cougar realized that while he might look young, Jensen wasn't stupid or inexperienced. There was intelligence in his eyes and, quite frankly, a wisdom to his words that Cougar hadn't expected.First impressions were truly deceiving sometimes."So, thank you, Cougar, for saving my life, even if you didn't have to."Cougar swallowed and offered a small nod, his chest tight."You're welcome."He didn't know what else to say. Cougar wasn't sure if he agreed with Jensen's assessment — he still wasn't a good person — but it seemed pointless to argue. It would only prolong a conversation Cougar wished could have ended minutes ago.Jensen's shoulders relaxed and, with one last smile, he turned and shuffled out the door. Cougar remained seated at the table, thoughts spinning, staring blankly after Jensen. That was not what he had expected.Then again, that was what happened when you made assumptions about people, Cougar supposed.He should probably work on that.
The next morning, Jensen was already awake by the time Cougar climbed out of bed. Admittedly, that caused a brief flash of panic — there was no telling what Jensen could have done to the ship while Cougar was asleep — but, deep down, he knew he was just being unreasonably paranoid.If Jensen sabotaged the ship somehow while Cougar slept, he might die too, after all.Cougar found Jensen in the kitchen, hunched over a steaming mug of coffee. Whatever extra sleep he had gotten seemed to have helped, but it would be a lie to say that he looked well. He was still pale, though not quite as bad as before, and his eyes were tired when they flicked up to meet Cougar's.At least he had showered, judging by the slight dampness of his hair. The smell of apples was absent, now replaced by what Cougar identified as his own shampoo, which, frankly, was very disorienting. Jensen wasn't supposed to smell the same as Cougar. It caused an odd feeling in Cougar's stomach he wasn't entirely sure how to interpret and therefore chose to ignore."Morning," Jensen greeted, his smile soft and tentative.Once again, Cougar settled for a simple nod."There's coffee for you too."Cougar was already on his way to get some and had to fight the urge to stop and stare — not in surprise as much as suspicion. Then again, if Jensen really wanted to kill him, he probably wouldn't use poison. With his powers, there were a lot of easier ways to do it — like seal off the part of the ship Cougar was in and suck out all the oxygen.So maybe Jensen could, in fact, kill Cougar without hurting himself, but that was something Cougar would rather not think about. Jensen had shown no inclination toward hurting him so far and Cougar would simply have to trust that it would stay that way.He would be lying if he said that the thought didn't make him uncomfortable, though.Cougar poured himself some coffee and decided to take it with him to the bridge rather than sit down opposite Jensen. If he could, Cougar wanted to avoid any kind of interaction between them. Besides, he needed to check when they would arrive at the spaceport.Without a word, he left the kitchen and, thankfully, there were no protests from Jensen. Cougar wouldn't have stopped even if there had been.Things were a bit awkward after the conversation they'd had the day before. Since Cougar had saved Jensen mostly because he didn't want to break his word or have Jensen's capture on his conscience, the gratitude felt misplaced. Cougar hadn't done it for Jensen's sake and the technopath was setting himself up for disappointment if he thought Cougar was going to risk his own safety like that again.Soft lights lit up as Cougar stepped onto the bridge, the screens coming back to life with a comforting, familiar hum. Coffee cup in hand, Cougar took a seat in the left-hand pilot chair and tapped a couple of keys. According to the computer, they were on course and would arrive at the spaceport in about four hours.Those would no doubt be four very long hours — ones Cougar would have to spend trying to dodge awkward conversations with Jensen.As if on cue, Cougar heard those hesitant, shuffling steps coming his way. His hackles rose and he had to grit his teeth against a frustrated growl. It hadn't even been two minutes since he left the kitchen. Was it so difficult to leave him alone? Considering what he was, Jensen had to understand if people didn't want to be around him.The second after the thought had appeared, Cougar felt a stab of guilt.Wasn't that what he had been told as well, for as long as he could remember? That splices, with their manipulated DNA and enhanced senses, were less pure and made 'normal' humanoids uncomfortable? That they had to be kept separate and weren't allowed the same rights and opportunities as unaugmented races?But this was different, surely. Even with all his enhancements, Cougar still wasn't anywhere near as dangerous as a technopath. Jensen's powers were terrifying and had a much longer reach than Cougar's claws and quick reflexes. It was reasonable to fear Jensen — wise, even.Cougar had to admit, though, that when Jensen carefully stepped onto the bridge, he looked more afraid of Cougar than the other way around. Maybe because of the glare Cougar shot him the moment he came within sight.Jensen stopped just inside the doorway."Uh, hi." He swallowed and shifted slightly, grip tight around the edges of his blanket. "I just... figured we should talk."Cougar would rather not, especially since they would be parting ways in a couple of hours. There really wasn't much to say, as far as he was concerned."We will arrive in four hours," he replied tightly before turning back to his screen.There was a brief pause."Um, arrive where?""Yeon spaceport." Cougar took a sip of his coffee, tapping through the ship's readings mostly to give himself something to do. Had anything been amiss, the computer would have told him.There was another brief silence, followed by Jensen shuffling closer. He stopped behind the right-hand chair, which was far too close for Cougar's liking. Perhaps it was because they were in such an enclosed space, but Cougar was acutely aware of Jensen's presence — it felt almost like a physical touch against his skin. Then again, considering Jensen's powers, that might be more than just Cougar's paranoia — it could be literal tension from that crackling power Jensen carried inside."What are we gonna do there?" Jensen asked.Cougar grit his teeth. There was no 'we.'"You are getting off," he replied, punching in the next command with a little more force than necessary. He refused to look at Jensen, but he was impossible to ignore, hovering uncertainly in Cougar's peripheral vision."What?" Jensen sounded alarmed. "But that's Hortag territory! Do you have any idea what they'll do to me if they discover what I am?"Cougar didn't and he had no desire to find out."Not my problem," he snapped, despite the brief flicker of guilt."Not your problem?" Jensen sounded angry rather than pleading which, all things considered, was a lot easier to deal with. "If they find me—""I don't care," Cougar interrupted, turning his chair to glare at Jensen. "I promised to fly you out. I have."Even as he said the words, Cougar felt a roll of nauseating shame. Wasn't he supposed to be better than this? Could he not, in many ways, understand exactly what Jensen was going through? There were systems where genetic modifications were illegal and, should Cougar set his foot in one, they would kill him on sight. The fear of knowing that there were some people who would hurt you simply because of the way you had been born wasn't easy to bear.Cougar had to force himself to finish, stubbornly ignoring his screaming conscience."We are done."Jensen was gripping the top of the empty seat with white knuckles but, even worse, was the look on his face — the betrayal he made no attempt to hide. A lump appeared in Cougar's throat, but he did his best to ignore it. He couldn't get involved with a technopath. He just couldn't. It wasn't his responsibility.Jensen wasn't his responsibility.It took a couple of seconds before Jensen replied and, when he did, the accusation in his words made the guilt already twisting in Cougar's chest so much worse."So that's it? You cared enough to save my life back when the troopers chased us, but now you'd leave me for dead?"Cougar frowned at Jensen's dramatics. The Yeon spaceport was a known hub for hitchhikers and Jensen could easily get on a spaceship to safer territories — his odds of survival were greater than he made it seem. It would be one thing if the guards and bounty hunters on Yeon knew to expect a technopath, but they didn't. The Ebrion troopers probably hadn't sent out any warning transmissions this far out from their jurisdiction, since they preferred to handle all conflicts within their own borders.And, even if they had, odds were they wanted Jensen captured and detained, not dead."You'll be fine," Cougar gritted out, moving to face his screen again.Or he would have, had his chair actually turned as it was supposed to. Cougar placed his free hand on the armrests, intending to give it an extra tug, when he realized that probably wouldn't make any difference whatsoever.The chair was a part of the ship, after all, and he was dealing with a technopath.His gaze snapped back to Jensen, a low growl building at the back of his throat."Stop that.""Why?" Jensen challenged, a lot more forceful than Cougar had expected. "So you can end the conversation before I've said my part?""Yes." Cougar glared. "We are done. You get off or I throw you off."Jensen had the audacity to look offended, as if he had any right to place demands on Cougar."Are you really that cold? You, if anyone, should understand what it's like to be judged for things you can't control. Both of us—""We are nothing alike."A part of Cougar wanted to get up from his chair, but another was worried that might be taken as provocation. Jensen was getting angry, his eyes glowing brighter — as did the lights lining the ceiling. Seeing the effect Jensen had on the ship, be it intentional or not, sent a shiver of unease down Cougar's spine."So, you're saying that you have never been treated unfairly because of what you are? That people don't assume things about you, as soon as they figure out you're a splice?"The questions grated, mainly because Cougar knew that Jensen was right — throughout his life, Cougar had been subjected to all manners of unfairness, just because he happened to be a splice. Admitting that out loud was a whole other matter, however."That's different." Cougar placed his coffee cup on the console next to him, afraid that he'd buckle the metal if he didn't."How? How is that different?" Jensen demanded to know. The air around him was practically crackling.Truth be told, Cougar had no reply — not a good one, at least. This was all about selfishly wanting to spare himself the trouble of being associated with one of the few species more hated than his own. That was the only excuse he had."It just is," he gritted out.He could hear how pathetic an explanation that was, but he didn't know what else to say. He had no obligation to stick his neck out for a virtual stranger just because they happened to have escaped a prison transport together. Keeping his word and getting them out of there was one thing, but being a selfless fool and allowing Jensen to stay with him was another. Cougar didn't need a partner for his smuggling operation and, even if he did, he certainly wouldn't pick a technopath.Jensen made a derisive noise."Oh really?" His eyes were shining blue now, the lights on the bridge so bright they were beginning to get uncomfortable.When the computer screens dissolved into grainy static, Cougar felt a stab of fear. Unless this happened every time a technopath got angry, Jensen clearly wasn't in control of his powers. Getting Jensen to calm down probably wouldn't be an easy task, however, considering how upset he was. Not to mention that Cougar had no idea how to go about that — not when he was the main source of Jensen's anger."You'd just dump me on some godforsaken spaceport?" Jensen made a sweep with his arms and the lights flickered. "Who would do that?"Cougar didn't reply, gritting his teeth as the tension kept building. He could tell it would break, sooner rather than later.He wondered if he would break with it, considering how volatile technopaths could be."Why would you change your mind now? You saved me from the Ebrion troopers!" There was frustration in Jensen's voice, each gesture of his hands making Cougar want to flinch. "Don't you care at all what happens to someone you—"And, just like that, Cougar's nerves snapped, panic taking over and overruling whatever self-preservation instincts he had."No, I don't!" he snarled. "Because you're a technopath."Only when Jensen stumbled back a step did Cougar realize that he had shot to his feet. There was a flash of alarm in Jensen's eyes and the lights of the bridge quickly dimmed, shrinking back as if trying to hide. That was not how Cougar had expected Jensen to react to a threat. He had seemed so confident and determined mere seconds ago, but now his eyes were wide and wary, his shoulders hitched high.Whatever anger he had displayed had disappeared in a split second and, in its stead, Cougar saw nothing but fear. The smell of it left a bad taste at the back of Cougar's tongue, but if this was what it took to get Jensen off his ship, he'd do it. Cougar couldn't get involved with this — especially not now, when he'd seen the kind of effect Jensen had on his surroundings."I should have left you," Cougar lied, voice a low growl. He took a step closer, taking no pleasure in seeing Jensen flinch away and press up against the console behind him to keep as much distance between them as possible. "I don't want you on my ship. You're a liability."The second after the words had left his mouth, Cougar knew he had accomplished his goal. He could see it in the way Jensen's face went blank, shields slamming up, leaving his gaze distant and empty. The blanket had slipped off his left shoulder, but he didn't seem to notice. Jensen swallowed, his gaze fixed on some point behind Cougar's right ear."Do you understand?"There was a beat of tense silence before Jensen nodded, stiff and jerky."Yes." Jensen's voice was low and just as dead as his eyes, the shift sudden enough to be jarring. The lights of the bridge were only a dull glow in the background. "I understand. I'll get off."Cougar pushed back the guilt. Jensen would be fine."Good."The silence was deafening, to the point where Cougar could hear the trembling breaths Jensen took. He refused to meet Cougar's eyes and neither of them moved. Nausea was building at the back of Cougar's throat — he wasn't proud of any of this — but he had to be selfish. He couldn't help Jensen. It just wasn't possible, not without getting himself in even deeper trouble than he already was.Seconds passed before Jensen wordlessly slid past Cougar and headed for the doorway, without a backward glance. Jensen's head was bowed, giving Cougar a clear view of the delicate, vulnerable curve of his neck. Cougar's gaze was automatically drawn to a mess of scar tissue at the base of it, gathered around some kind of injection port inserted between the knobs of Jensen's spine. He hadn't seen it before, the collar of Jensen's jacket having covered it when they first met, then the blanket. The scars looked old — at least a couple of years — and Cougar felt a twist of unease.He wasn't sure what the injection port was for — it looked different from the ones Cougar had seen before — but it probably wasn't anything good.Jensen must have felt Cougar's eyes on him, since he quickly hitched the blanket higher, once again hiding the small metal port from view. He didn't say anything — gave no explanation or comment — and instead kept walking. His shoulders were tense enough to show just how uncomfortable he was, however.Cougar stared after him, not sure what to do with this new piece of information. Judging by the amount of scars, the addition of the injection port hadn't been voluntary on Jensen's part. At the same time, it was difficult to imagine that anyone could do something like that to a technopath against their will. Surely they were too powerful for that?Cougar shook his head and pushed the thought aside. It didn't matter. He and Jensen would part ways within four hours and, after that, he could forget about technopaths altogether. There was no use in delving any deeper into this.Even so, a part of Cougar couldn't help pointing out that he and Jensen had more in common than Cougar was comfortable admitting.That same part — one Cougar rarely listened to, since it had no place in the cold, harsh universe he lived in — wondered what it said about him that he was just as judgmental as everyone else. That even he, who knew what it was like to be treated poorly based solely on prejudice, could not see past the bias someone else had fed him.When it came down to it, he was no better — perhaps even worse — than all of those who had looked down on Cougar throughout the years.Cougar spread just as much hate as they did.It was not a very comforting thought.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Cougar tried not to let his discomfort show as he watched the ramp of his ship lower. Jensen stood next to him, silent and gaze fixed on the floor, clearly lightyears away in thought. The four hours between their conversation and them arriving at Yeon spaceport had been awkward, but not for the reason Cougar had expected.Instead of attempting another conversation, Jensen had shut himself away in the spare cabin and not come out until Cougar had knocked on the door to let him know they were about to dock. Despite the things he had said and all of his misgivings, Cougar couldn't deny that the silence had unsettled him. It had rung out much louder than he had thought it would.There was no changing that now, however. They had reached their destination and Jensen was ready to disembark.Whatever possessions Jensen had previously owned must have been confiscated by the Ebrion troopers, leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back. Maybe he had some money tucked away in an account somewhere, but Cougar wasn't sure how to ask without opening things up for another conversation about whether or not he should let Jensen stay with him.So, the words remained unsaid, sitting heavy on Cougar's tongue.The ramp settled against the steel dock, the bustle from the crowd and nearby ships filling Cougar's ears. He watched as people passed by outside — mechanics, pilots, passengers, and everything in between — no one paying them any mind. Everyone had more important things to do and places to be. Jensen could easily disappear in this crowd, looking like any other humanoid as long as his eyes didn't start glowing. No one would suspect him of being a technopath.Jensen would be fine.He had survived thus far, after all. He couldn't be entirely incompetent when it came to taking care of himself. Granted that they had met on a prison transport, but that might have been caused by a momentary lapse of judgment, just like it had for Cougar.He glanced at Jensen, not surprised to find that the technopath was still staring blankly at the floor, his gaze distant. There was another tug of guilt, but Cougar firmly pushed it down. He had made his decision and he was going to stick to it.It took several seconds before Jensen snapped to attention, blinking twice before looking up at the crowd outside. His face betrayed nothing and Cougar couldn't deny that it made him uneasy to see someone as exuberant as Jensen be so quiet and expressionless.Jensen cleared his throat."I..." He faltered and rubbed the back of his neck. "I want to thank you."That sounded like the start of an attempted guilt trip, which made Cougar frown. Jensen either didn't notice or didn't care, since he kept talking."For the help you were willing to give." Jensen swallowed and glanced up at Cougar. His gaze was solemn and less imploring than Cougar had expected. It didn't look like he was trying to convince Cougar to change his mind. "I... I know I came off as ungrateful, trying to pressure you into doing even more. I'm sorry about that. I guess I just wanted to cling to the first decent person I've met in a while."Cougar wasn't sure if he would call himself decent — not when he was practically tossing Jensen off his ship — but he didn't argue.A frail smile spread on Jensen's lips."So, thank you, for everything you've done. It's more than most would have." Jensen looked at the crowd waiting outside the safety of Cougar's ship. "And you're right — I have a higher chance of surviving here than I did back on that prison transport."His smile was stronger when he looked back at Cougar, but it still didn't reach his eyes."It was a pleasure to jailbreak with you, Cougar."All Cougar could manage in reply was a stiff nod, his throat too tight to speak. Pushing down the guilt was getting more and more difficult, even if Jensen wasn't trying to make him feel bad. His calm acceptance was somehow worse than the argument they'd had on the bridge a couple of hours earlier.With one last smile, Jensen headed down the ramp, his footsteps echoing with an unsettling finality. He stopped at the bottom and looked back over his shoulder, hesitating. Whatever courage he was looking for, he seemed to find."You're a good guy, Cougar." Jensen didn't smile this time, which only made his words seem all the more earnest. He spoke so softly Cougar might not even have heard him, had he not had enhanced sensed. "I can tell you don't think so, but you are. And I'm glad I met you."Then, before Cougar had time to reply — not that he would know how — Jensen turned and slipped into the busy crowd of the spaceport. Cougar's gaze followed him, that tousled mess of blond hair easy to spot, but it would only be a matter of time before Jensen got swallowed by the bustle around him. Once he did, he would be out of Cougar's life forever.That was a good thing, Cougar told himself. And yet, he couldn't quite explain why he felt so tense, or why he had to hold himself back from marching down that ramp and grabbing Jensen before he disappeared. It was unreasonable and foolish. Jensen was no one to him and Cougar shouldn't put himself in danger because of misplaced guilt. Jensen wasn't his responsibility.Cougar still felt his heart give an anxious jolt when he lost sight of the technopath.He refused to move, firmly telling himself that he had done the right thing. There was no room for Jensen on his ship. The mere act of harboring a technopath would no doubt put Cougar on several wanted lists throughout the galaxy — on top of the one he was now on in the Ebrion belt — and Jensen wasn't worth that. No one was.Not even if they were delusional enough to think that Cougar was a good guy.This, right here, was irrefutable proof that he wasn't.
Since he was in no hurry to leave, Cougar found his way to one of the bars littering the spaceport, not so much to get drunk as to listen to something other than the ringing silence inside his ship. Somehow, he had already grown accustomed to the sound of having another person nearby and the echoing silence made him uneasy. It seemed to emphasize the loneliness he was already doing his best to ignore.Besides, a bar was as good a place as any to plan his next move.He picked one that was reasonably clean and not too far from his ship, still a little paranoid after what had happened at the Ebrion spaceport. Once Cougar had gotten seated on the high bar stool, quietly sipping his drink, he wondered if maybe he should get in touch with Clay. He and his band of freedom-fighting ex-soldiers always had some parcel or documents that needed to be transported somewhere. A job for the Losers almost always ended up with Cougar getting shot at, sure, but it was a nice change from the smuggling. It might, in fact, be exactly what he needed right now.Cougar decided to at least check in with Clay when he got back to his ship. If the man didn't have any jobs lined up, Cougar would just lie low like he had planned — perhaps even take a trip to a more scenic planet for that long overdue vacation of his.The bar was busy, more and more patrons tumbling in through the door as the minutes passed. Some threw Cougar suspicious glances, but most couldn't care less, much more interested in getting drunk. Splices weren't uncommon on Yeon, since a lot of them had to resort to illegal activities to support themselves — like smuggling, piracy, and plain old swindling. In fact, this spaceport was one of the few places where Cougar didn't expect to get beaten or arrested the moment he let his guard down.The noise of talking and laughing wrapped around Cougar and, for once, he found it quite comforting. The smells were less pleasant — far too many space travelers chose to forgo washing on long journeys — and Cougar wistfully remembered the sweet scent of apples. A small smile spread on his lips — he had quite liked that one.A split second later, he realized what he'd been thinking — who he had been thinking of — and ruthlessly pushed the thought aside.Cougar took a sip of his drink, frustrated that he had allowed himself to get distracted. It didn't matter what Jensen smelled like or how blue his eyes were or how his stupid smile lit up his entire face. Cougar and Jensen had gone their separate ways and would never see each other again.End of story.There was no use lingering. Jensen was long gone, just like Cougar wanted. He had his ship to himself again and was no longer burdened by a passenger who would put him on hundreds of wanted lists just with his mere presence.Jensen was no longer a part of his life.The thought had barely crossed Cougar's mind before the universe decided to prove him wrong. Suddenly, without warning, he heard the one word he had hoped never to hear again."... a technopath is on the loose."Cougar's spine stiffened, his hand freezing mid-air, drink halfway to his lips. He forced himself to complete the movement a second later, hoping no one had seen him falter. To say that would be incriminating was an understatement. Cougar barely even tasted the liquor, much too focused on the conversation taking place somewhere behind him. He couldn't see who were speaking, but their voices were just loud enough for him to hear over the noise of the bar."They say that all the time," a second person said, their tone whiny and high-pitched."Yeah, but this time the source is good," the first one argued. Their words were smug in that manner all gossipers seemed to adopt, as if it gave them personal pleasure to be the bearer of news — especially bad ones. "A transmission from a spaceport in the Ebrion Belt. They had a technopath in custody, but it broke free and now they're willing to pay big money to get it back."That certainly qualified as bad news, at least for Cougar. He was surprised to hear that the Ebrion troopers had shared such sensitive information with the surrounding planets and spaceports, since they usually didn't. Then again, maybe it was understandable if they reacted differently when it concerned a technopath who had taken their guard force apart almost single-handedly.Cougar stared down into his drink, trying not to let it show how invested he was in the conversation. He couldn't turn around — couldn't draw attention to himself where this subject was concerned — unless he wanted to be asked some uncomfortable questions about why he was interested. As much as Cougar wanted to find out just how much these people knew, he was too bad an actor to successfully inject himself into the conversation.He couldn't risk it.Fortunately for him, they kept on talking, still loud enough for him to hear."They don't know where it went, but it could be here, at the spaceport," the first voice continued.Cougar wasn't sure why they kept referring to Jensen as an 'it,' but he couldn't exactly turn around and ask.The other snorted. "Yeah, right.""It could! It apparently fled together with some smuggler they had caught the same day. A splice."Cougar tensed again, his heart hammering. He should have expected that — if the Ebrion troopers really wanted to catch Jensen, that was the kind of information that would help bounty hunters track him down. To a really skilled hunter, that might be enough.Paranoia surged up within Cougar and he had to force himself not to glance around the bar to check if anyone was watching him. That would, if anything, only make him seem more suspicious.He gritted his teeth. There was no reason why anyone would suspect him. He was a splice, yes, but the Ebrion troopers might not have known exactly what kind, which made the suspect pool a lot bigger. Even 'feline' was too broad of a description, since it was one of the most common types."That's a fourth of the smugglers docked here, Hank," a third voice chimed in, clearly of the same mind as Cougar. "Doesn't exactly narrow it down."Frankly, the only way for anyone to irrefutably link Cougar to this — aside from security footage from the Ebrion spaceport, though he suspected that had been ruined during Jensen's rampage — would be his ship. It was uncommon for a splice to have such an expensive ship, the model itself being pretty rare — certainly more so than a feline splice with his general description.Then again, maybe the Ebrion troopers hadn't had the time to process his ship properly. If Cougar was lucky, that information hadn't made it into any reports before they made their escape.That seemed to be the case, since Hank would no doubt have mentioned the make and model of the getaway ship if he had known."Well, they're trying to catch it, anyway," Hank said, clearly not appreciating his comrades' lack of enthusiasm on the subject. "Judging by the bounty, they really want that technopath back."Cougar took a perfunctory sip of his drink, his thoughts spinning. They didn't say anything about him being wanted — the Ebrion troopers were clearly focusing their efforts on Jensen. No one cared about the splice the technopath had escaped with.Cougar could slip away from this without anyone noticing.A flare of hope lit in his chest and he resolutely ignored the other part — the one that worried what was going to happen to Jensen. Cougar had dropped him off at this spaceport because he had assumed no one would be looking for him, but that was clearly not the case. There were, in all likelihood, already bounty hunters out there scouring the nearby planets and spaceports for the runaway technopath. Jensen could easily get caught if he wasn't careful.But that was no longer Cougar's problem, was it?"Of course they do," that third voice said. "Do you have any idea how valuable a technopath is?""I've heard that if you grind them down, you can use them as fuel for generators," the whiny voice offered.The comment made Cougar blink, a flare of unease flickering through him. He must have heard that wrong.Grind them down?That couldn't be right."Yeah, yeah," Hank agreed, "and the eyes will still glow after you've killed them, if you connect them to a power source. Makes for a great trophy."Cougar's stomach twisted, a wave of nausea and disbelief rising inside of him. They had to be exaggerating. Technopaths were dangerous, yes, but they were still people — not animals to be used as fuel or mounted like horror show trophies. That couldn't be true.He prayed it wasn't true."Really?" the whiny one asked, sounding intrigued — to Cougar's disgust."Yeah, I've seen it," Hank replied. "Pretty eerie, to be honest, but it's apparently a custom in these parts."A chill travelled down Cougar's spine, pooling in his gut. They had to be lying. He had never heard anything about this before. Then again, he couldn't say that he had paid much attention — before meeting Jensen, technopaths had been close to a myth to him.They were far too rare, most of them having been hunted down and killed years ago.The cold was spreading, numbing Cougar bit by bit. When he thought about it, he had never really heard about how the technopaths were killed or what had happened to them afterwards. That was never included in the stories — maybe intentionally.Maybe this was all true.That would explain Jensen's fear. It would explain why he had been so desperate to stay with Cougar and why he didn't want to be dropped off in Hortag territory.
Cougar felt sick. No matter how much he tried not to, he couldn't help picturing what Hank had described happening to Jensen — those beautiful eyes of his dead and empty, but still glowing in a blank, emotionless face. The knowledge that someone had actually done that to technopaths in the past was enough to made Cougar nauseous.
He hadn't known, and he had refused to listen when Jensen had tried to tell him. Jensen had asked if Cougar knew what would happen if someone found out what he was, and Cougar had cut him off and told him he didn't care.
Jensen had been so frightened — terrified for his life — and Cougar had simply brushed it off as an exaggeration. He had thought Jensen was annoying when he refused to accept Cougar's pathetic excuses and kept arguing that Cougar had Jensen's life in his hands.Cougar hadn't believed him."Idiots," that third voice cut in, haughty and superior. "They want the technopath alive.""Why?" Hank questioned sullenly. "Surely a dead technopath is better than a live one?"Cougar's fingers were wrapped so tightly around his glass he was afraid it might shatter, but he couldn't unclench enough to let go. The nausea had reached the back of his throat, his heartbeats racing, but not from fear this time.Not fear for himself, at least.He still kept listening. It had to be a good sign that the Ebrion troopers wanted Jensen alive."No, because a live technopath is an almost infinite power source," was the explanation — one that made Cougar throat close up, his breath catching. "You keep them alive and restrained, then hook them up to a generator. They can supply an entire city with electricity if you give them the right kind of drugs."In that moment, with appalling, terrifying clarity, Cougar suddenly understood why the injection port at the back of Jensen's neck didn't look like others he had seen.It was a power socket, not an injection port.At some point, someone had hooked up a cable to Jensen's spine and harnessed that bright, crackling power inside of him. Someone had used Jensen like a human battery. And, judging by the scars, Jensen hadn't volunteered for that treatment.How Jensen had managed to escape — since Cougar doubted that whoever had held him would just let him walk away — he didn't know, but the times Jensen had spoken about captivity as if it was something they both knew well suddenly made a lot more sense.And his desperation to stay with Cougar became even more heartbreaking.Jensen knew that if he was killed, they would grind him down for fuel or mount his head like a hunting trophy, and, if he was caught alive, his fate was even worse.Cougar had no idea it was this bad. He'd thought Jensen would get captured and imprisoned at worst. He'd heard a lot of bad things about technopaths — how they were power hungry and not to be trusted — but that didn't justify treating them like animals to be slaughtered. He hadn't wanted this.The conversation between Hank and his two comrades continued, but Cougar tuned them out.He didn't need to hear more — he didn't want to.His entire body was buzzing with restlessness, the fear and nausea tasting sharp on his tongue, urging him to get out of the bar. He knew he couldn't move just yet, though, since someone might take notice. He had to wait a reasonable amount of time — enough to finish his drink, at least — before he could leave. It was more important than ever that he didn't draw attention to himself.There might already be bounty hunters out there looking for Jensen.Cougar needed to find him first. He wasn't sure how, but he had to find him and warn him. Yeon spaceport was a lot more dangerous than Cougar had expected and he couldn't let any of what he had just heard happen to Jensen. The very thought made Cougar want to throw up.Aligning himself with a technopath was still dangerous, but Cougar wouldn't be able to live with himself if Jensen died because of him. There was only so much his conscience could handle.He needed to find Jensen, before it was too late.
Tracking Jensen turned out to be easier than Cougar had expected.Once he deemed it safe to leave the bar, Cougar returned to his ship in an effort to pick up Jensen's trail. He knew in which direction Jensen had headed and, within a couple of steps, Cougar caught a scent he recognized. It would have been barely detectable on the crowded dock, had it not been one he was so familiar with.Jensen still smelled disorientingly much like Cougar after using his shampoo while showering.It wasn't quite like proper scent marking — which was frustrating, since that would have made things even easier — but it was more than enough to steer Cougar in the right direction. As much as he wanted to run ahead, he made sure to keep a pace that wouldn't draw unwanted attention, calmly weaving his way through the throngs of people while keeping his eye out for Jensen.As always, the spaceport was a blur of color, movement, and noise; species from all across the galaxy mingling as they stocked up on supplies before the next part of their journey. Offers for deals were being shouted left and right, merchant stalls occupying whatever empty spaces they could find between the hangars and cobbled-together buildings. Even on a good day, the sounds would have been grating to Cougar's sensitive ears, but they were practically unbearable now.For each minute that passed, Cougar got a little more agitated, not at all helped by the times he nearly lost track of the trail because of invading scents that made him grimace and sneeze. He was far too stubborn to give up, however.Urgency drove him forward, but he couldn't quite hold back the fear of it already being too late. About two hours had passed since he and Jensen parted ways, but some bounty hunters worked fast. It all depended on whether or not the Ebrion troopers had given a physical description or not, since tall, blond, blue-eyed, and seemingly purebred humanoids weren't all that common on Yeon. Jensen would be far too easy to spot for someone who knew what to look for.As he searched the streets, Cougar couldn't see any lingering signs of a struggle or commotion, at least. Then again, most who visited Yeon would prefer to mind their own business and ignore any altercations taking place next to them. Jensen could have been grabbed and dragged off without anyone noticing.Unless he was strong enough to fight back, of course.But, considering how slow his recovery had been, odds were that Jensen still couldn't use his powers properly. In all likelihood, Cougar had sent Jensen into the waiting arms of bounty hunters while he was still more or less defenseless.Cougar grit his teeth against another wave of guilt but, for once, didn't try to justify his selfishness. He was getting sick of his own excuses. His conscience had been fighting against him ever since he first decided to send Jensen away. He'd known, deep down, that he was being unfair — that he was abandoning someone who needed and had earned his help. Some might be able to justify that kind of selfishness, but Cougar wasn't one of them. As much as he had tried to deny it, being that cruel wasn't in his nature.He couldn't leave Jensen to his fate, not when he now knew exactly what it might entail.Jensen's scent was getting easier and easier to follow, which had to mean that Cougar was getting closer. From what he could gather from Jensen's progression through the spaceport, he had visited bars and inns looking for a crew to hitch a ride with.During a frightening second, Cougar realized that Jensen might already have found one — he might be boarding a transport in that very moment. If he did, it would be almost impossible for Cougar to follow. He would lose the trail before having been able to warn Jensen, but Jensen had to know. The threat wasn't just here on Yeon, but all the surrounding planets and spaceports that the Ebrion troopers had contacted. Jensen would be walking into unspeakable dangers without even knowing that there was a price on his head.Just as the fear and worry was beginning to get the better of Cougar, his chest tight with regret, he saw a flash of blond hair up ahead.Cougar's heart skipped a beat in relief — there was no mistaking those broad shoulders — and he quickened his steps. Jensen was walking slowly, probably trying to spot the next bar to visit, and it didn't take long at all for Cougar to catch up. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed Jensen's wrist.The moment his skin touched Jensen's, that familiar, tickling shock of electricity traveled up Cougar's arm, making his bones hum.Jensen whirled around, eyes wide with alarm. For a split second, Cougar could feel the vibration of Jensen's power build under his fingertips — getting ready to lash out in self-defense, no doubt — before Jensen recognized him. The crackling power subsided just as quickly as it had sparked, Jensen staring at Cougar in surprise."Cougar? What are you doing here?"Seeing Jensen safe and in one piece made Cougar's chest tighten and, before he really knew what he was doing, Cougar tugged him closer. Jensen let out a small noise of confusion when they ended up almost chest to chest, Cougar's lips a hair's breadth from Jensen's ear. He didn't know what instinct drove him — what he had planned to do once he had Jensen in his personal space — but he managed to curb it just in time. Whatever it was, this was not the time or place.That still left them standing far too close — awkwardly close — Cougar's heart beating away in his chest while he tried to figure out what to do next. It was probably best to simply answer Jensen's question, he decided."They know you're here," Cougar whispered. He could blame their close proximity on not wanting anyone to overhear.Jensen stiffened, his pulse picking up under Cougar's fingertips. He was warm — warmer than Cougar had expected — and his scent was overpowering to the point where Cougar felt a little disoriented."Maybe not your face," he continued, finding is embarrassingly difficult to speak. More than anything, he wanted to rub his cheek against Jensen's to scent mark him properly, which was an urge Cougar had never felt before, much less succumbed to. He closed his eyes and, somehow, managed to finish what he had intended to say. "But they're looking for a technopath."He could smell Jensen's fear and, admittedly, was barely holding his own paranoia at bay. They shouldn't be having this conversation out in the open like this. The wrong people might see them.Cougar pulled back and caught Jensen's gaze, but found himself reluctant to let go of his wrist. All of a sudden, that point of contact was very important to Cougar. To feel that thrum of power coil inside his chest, warm and comforting — like a second heartbeat right next to his own — was incredibly addicting.It confirmed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Jensen was safe and alive."Come," he said, surprised by how hoarse his own voice was, close to a growl."Where?"It wasn't an outright refusal, but Cougar could see the wariness in Jensen. That was understandable, considering that Cougar hadn't exactly given Jensen a reason to trust him so far — not after the things he had said during their argument."Back to my ship." Cougar had so much to say — so many apologies to give — but he didn't want to do that in the middle of the street. It wasn't safe. "We need to talk."The role reversal clearly wasn't lost on Jensen, a flicker of a smile passing on his lips. He looked serious when he replied, however."I thought you didn't want me there?"Another legitimate question, albeit one that made Cougar uneasy. He would be lying if he said that he was happy to have Jensen on his ship — he could still remember the effect Jensen had had on it while they were arguing on the bridge — but, if Cougar's choices were to have this conversation out on the streets or on his ship, he preferred the latter.Besides, it would be safer for Jensen. The sooner they got him off the streets, the better.Cougar swallowed, giving Jensen's wrist a squeeze."I was wrong." He held Jensen's gaze, feeling something in his chest loosen — a tension he'd been carrying ever since he had decided to send Jensen away. "I'm sorry."He wasn't sure if he could promise Jensen a permanent place on his ship, but he could offer him somewhere to hide, at the very least. From the moment Cougar had left the bar in search of Jensen, he had known it would come to this. It hadn't even been a conscious decision.Just warning Jensen wouldn't be enough — Cougar wanted to help him, too.If that meant bringing Jensen back onto his ship and taking him to a system more tolerant of technopaths, then so be it. Cougar wasn't going to abandon him this time.He didn't want to be the kind of man who let others get hurt when he had the power to stop it.Jensen's shoulders lowered, his smile so soft Cougar felt an involuntary flutter in his stomach."Okay, we can talk."Without asking — without giving Cougar time to worry if he would have to let go now — Jensen's hand shifted, Cougar's grip slipping just enough that Jensen could twine their fingers together. Cougar felt another flutter, this one leaving behind a warm, pleasant sensation that beat in time with the steady flow of Jensen that had settled in his chest.Jensen's skin was warm against his, a shiver running down Cougar's spine when Jensen's thumb gently stroked his fingers. For being someone who usually shied away from touching people, Cougar certainly seemed to be craving it now — at least when Jensen was the one touching him.That, too, was a thought better saved for a less public location.After a slow exhale, Cougar nodded, relieved that Jensen had agreed — Cougar certainly wouldn't have been as forgiving in his position. But that just went to show how different they were — how much more trusting and compassionate Jensen was.In all honesty, the weight of Jensen's trust was a heavy weight to bear. Cougar had shied away from it once already, but he was determined not to do so again. This time, he would do better, starting by getting Jensen somewhere safe, away from bounty hunters and whoever else might want to hurt him.With a soft tug on Jensen's hand, Cougar started leading the way back to his ship.Jensen followed without hesitation.
Cougar didn't relax until they were back on his ship with the ramp firmly closed behind them. Even then, in private and away from prying eyes, he had to admit that he found it difficult to pick the conversation back up. That had more to do with his own dislike for talking than anything else, however. Cougar had never been good with words.In an effort to stall, he led Jensen toward the kitchen, figuring it was the best place for them to talk. It would offer them both a place to sit, if nothing else, and Jensen had shown a fondness for coffee that Cougar was not afraid to exploit in his efforts to get on Jensen's good side.They had only taken a couple of steps inside the room before Cougar felt a tug on his arm, making him stop short on his way to the coffee maker. He looked back at Jensen, tilting his head to the side in a silent question. Jensen met it with a smile that had an unmistakable hint of fondness."You really like holding my hand, don't you?" he said, out of the blue.Cougar blinked, his gaze flicking down to their linked hands. He had somehow managed to forget all about that. It wasn't that the hum of power had disappeared — he could still feel it, curling around his spine and beating in time with his own heart — it was just that he had gotten used to it. Having it there felt natural in a way he knew it shouldn't.That was probably a bad sign. Cougar knew he should be worried about the effects this had on him, but, surprisingly, a much bigger part of him rebelled at the thought of letting go.He looked up into Jensen's eyes and, knowing it wouldn't do him any good to lie, replied, "Yes."This time, Jensen was the one to tilt his head to the side, his expression curious. After spending so many years with secretive criminals and smugglers, it was almost shocking to meet someone who showed his emotions as freely as Jensen did. Cougar wouldn't say that he knew his every thought, but he had no trouble reading Jensen's moods or his body language. Jensen wanted people to know him."I admit, I didn't expect that." Jensen's smile was crooked. "For you to admit it, I mean. You're sending out awfully mixed signals."Jensen was right. Cougar had gone through quite the change of heart in the past two hours, to the point where it was a little disorienting — and it had to be even more confusing to Jensen. With that in mind, Cougar wondered why Jensen had even allowed him to hold his hand in the first place.Then again, Jensen seemed to be a very tactile being who liked physical contact, so perhaps he enjoyed it just as much as Cougar did."I'm sorry." It was as good an opening as any to apologize, Cougar figured. "For confusing you."He turned to face Jensen more fully, careful to keep their fingers entwined. A part of him wanted to blame Jensen for how he was behaving — Cougar had never before craved physical touch as much as he did now — but that would be unfair. Technically, it was Jensen's fault, since it seemed directly tied to his abilities, but he wasn't responsible for how Cougar reacted to them. And he certainly wasn't responsible for Cougar's choices and behavior."And for sending you away." Cougar swallowed, hoping Jensen would see his sincerity — that he could read the regret in his eyes. "I didn't know what they would do to you. I had never—"Cougar wasn't even sure how to finish the sentence, but, fortunately, it didn't seem like he had to."Ah." Jensen's smile faded. He absently rubbed the back of his neck and Cougar felt his throat constrict when he realized that Jensen was touching the power socket. It was probably a nervous habit he might not even be aware of himself. "Yeah, most people don't."The ache was back in Cougar's chest — the guilt, regret, and shame — and he had a hard time swallowing it down. Had he been better with words, he might have been able to express just how sorry he was, but now he had to settle for his awkward fumbling."And I lied." Cougar caught Jensen's blue, blue gaze. His eyes were hidden behind tinted glasses, sure, but Cougar had no trouble remembering their color. For the first time, he wasn't even particularly disturbed by the thought of Jensen's eyes glowing.The prospect of the light in them going out was so much worse.Cougar cleared his throat, Jensen patiently waiting for him to continue."I don't regret saving you," he said, voice low. A part of him wanted to avert his gaze — couldn't quite face the open, trusting look on Jensen's face — but he had too much pride, not to mention that Jensen deserved better than that. "I do care."As per usual, Jensen's reaction wasn't at all what Cougar had expected."I know," Jensen replied, easy and confident — as if the answer was obvious. "I always knew that."When Jensen smiled, soft and sweet, Cougar found himself smiling back for the first time, helpless in the face of Jensen's forgiveness.There truly wasn't a bad bone in Jensen's body. How someone could be so innocent — especially after everything he must have been through — was a mystery to Cougar, but, when he felt that by now familiar wave of protectiveness, he didn't fight it. This time, he was going to embrace it.Jensen was worth protecting."I told you — you're a good guy, Cougar." Jensen moved closer which, embarrassingly, sent Cougar's heart skittering.Truth be told, Cougar was so focused on Jensen that anything he did would make Cougar react. Jensen's scent was overpowering — still teasingly close to Cougar's own, making some primitive part of him purr with delight — and, curling inside Cougar's chest, was that steady, crackling energy that was pure Jensen. As their gazes held, Cougar had a hard time remembering that there was anything outside their private little bubble.Still, this time, Cougar really did have to argue with Jensen's assessment of him."I'm not." Not after what he had done.Jensen was not deterred, as usual. "You are. I mean, if you had known from the very start what they would do to me, would you have sent me away?"Cougar opened his mouth to reply that yes, he would have, but his stomach twisted into knots at the thought. Had he known, he would never have sent Jensen out there, even without the confirmation that there were bounty hunters looking for him. That's not to say that Cougar would have let him stay indefinitely, but he would have taken him further away from dangerous territory before kicking him out.The look on Jensen's face — the soft, knowing smile — made Cougar feel a flash of defiance."I would have," he snapped. "Eventually.""Let me guess?" Jensen's smile was now closer to a grin as he gave Cougar's fingers an almost teasing squeeze. "When we had reached safer territories? When I was no longer in as much danger?"Cougar refused to reply, sullenly averting his gaze. Then again, that was as good as an answer all on its own. Jensen let out a fond laugh."See? That's what I mean when I say that you're a good guy." Jensen inched closer and Cougar's attention snapped back to him, his breath suddenly stuck in his throat. Jensen's gaze was warm, his smile reassuring. "And that's a good thing. I like that you're a good guy. I—"Jensen licked his lips, which made that purring, primitive part of Cougar want to let out a pleased, rumbling growl. Cougar held it back in the last second, mostly because he figured that if he started growling now, Jensen would take it as a warning and back away.Jensen's voice was soft and tentative when he continued. "I like you."The excited flutter those words caused was almost embarrassing, but, at the same time, Cougar couldn't help reveling in the heady warmth that followed them. It gathered in his chest, entwining with the already existing thrum of Jensen.A part of him — the cynical part — was telling him that he shouldn't. That he was letting his guard down too quickly, but Cougar was tired after the earlier scare he had received and the time he had spent denying his instincts. He wasn't afraid of Jensen. No matter what was being said about technopaths as a species, Jensen wasn't like that. He was kind, sweet, and innocent, and Cougar wanted nothing more than to make sure that he lived to see another day. If that was because of protectiveness or something else — related to the soft purr threatening to build at the back of his throat — Cougar had no idea, but he was done fighting it.Cougar wanted Jensen to stay.The words came bubbling out of him before he even realized he had planned to say anything."I like you too."It wasn't a lie. He did like Jensen, even if there were also parts of him that Cougar found annoying — like the constant attention seeking. But that annoyance wasn't enough to make Cougar dislike him. He had tried so hard to dislike Jensen, but it was difficult with someone so open and carefree. Jensen shone with happiness and enthusiasm in a way Cougar had never really seen before, and had finally begun to realize that he might actually enjoy.The expression on Jensen's face said he hadn't expected Cougar to return the sentiment. He looked stunned, in fact, as if no one had ever told him they liked him before. With a pang, Cougar realized that was, in all probability, true. If Jensen's background was as similar to his own as Cougar suspected, odds were there hadn't been a lot of people who could have told Jensen that.Carefully, as if afraid that Cougar might recoil, Jensen raised his free hand, his fingers stopping just shy of touching Cougar's cheek. There was awe in his eyes — awe and something that could only be described as longing — and, before Cougar had time to second-guess himself, he tilted his head to meet the touch. Jensen's palm settled against Cougar's cheek, gentle and grounding.In the next second, Cougar's world was swallowed by a rush of power so great he forgot how to breathe.Cougar saw stars — bright bursts that lit up the inside of his eyelids, like exploding supernovas, colors swirling. Warmth pooled deep down in his gut, hot enough to make his knees grow weak, and he gasped for breath, dizzy and disoriented. It was an overwhelming flood of impressions, setting his nerve-endings alight, but he wasn't afraid. He could feel everything so acutely — Jensen's skin against his, the warmth of his touch — but he knew it was nothing to be afraid of.There was a second heartbeat filling Cougar's chest, slightly out of pace with his own before they eventually found their rhythm.Cougar had never experienced anything like it.A feedback loop, some part of his mind supplied. The moment Jensen had touched his cheek — establishing a second point of contact — they had closed the loop, allowing Jensen's power to surge freely from one to the other. That had to be what this was.It was intoxicating.No sooner had the thought crossed Cougar's mind before the sensations abruptly cut off. Not entirely, but it returned to its previous state, with that steady pulse of power rather than the veritable tidal wave it had just been.Jensen had pulled his hand away from Cougar's cheek."Whoa." Jensen's voice was hoarse. At least it was nice knowing Cougar wasn't the only one who felt a little out of balance, though he suspected that it hadn't been quite as overwhelming for Jensen. "I-I'm sorry. That's never happened before. I don't know what—"He tried to move away, tugging on Cougar's hand to make him let go, but all Cougar did was tighten his grip. It was a reflex more than anything, but Cougar knew he didn't want to let go.Jensen's eyes were glowing again. Not as strongly as they had back on the landing pad or when they were arguing, but certainly enough to be noticed, even past the red tint of his glasses."Are you... are you okay?" Jensen asked. He sounded frightened — guilty, even — as if he worried that he might have fried a couple of Cougar's brain cells with whatever had happened.And, well, truth be told — he might have. Cougar couldn't quite figure out why that would be a bad thing, however.That surge of power had been overwhelming, but also strangely soothing. For a couple of seconds, nothing had mattered but the two of them. It had been both liberating and comforting, to be that close to another person. Slowly, Cougar raised his free hand to his chest, where that second heartbeat had been — Jensen's heartbeat. He felt bereft without it — empty and wrong-footed.That was a new development, for sure — one Cougar wasn't entirely sure what to do with.He realized Jensen was still waiting for an answer."I'm fine." Cougar blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the haze from his mind. He looked up at Jensen, whose expression said he didn't trust Cougar's assessment. "It didn't hurt. I'm fine."Jensen swallowed, the guilt still shining in his eyes. "We should probably..."Instead of finishing the sentence, Jensen gave their connected hands another tug. This time, Cougar allowed him to pull back, partly because Jensen was right — perhaps Cougar would find it easier to think when they weren't touching each other — but also because he knew he would have to find out what that would feel like eventually.Cougar braced himself for emptiness — perhaps even some desperation — but none of it came. They were no longer touching, but Cougar could still feel a subtle thrum of power coiling inside of him.Jensen seemed to have left some of it behind.Perhaps that should have frightened him, but, more than anything, Cougar was intrigued. He wasn't stupid enough to think that Jensen had somehow transferred his powers to him but, more likely, was that the prolonged exposure meant Jensen had accidentally charged Cougar with some of it. Odds were it would fade on its own, given enough time."Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Jensen's shoulders were hunched, his expression concerned.How Cougar could ever have thought that Jensen was evil was beyond him."I can still feel you."That wasn't quite what Cougar had intended to say. Understandably, Jensen's eyes widened."Uh, what?"Cougar tapped his chest. "In here. I can still feel you." He tilted his head to the side, calmly meeting Jensen's gaze. "I like it."Jensen went red. He seemed to fumble for something to say, but mustn't have been able to come up with anything good. It was quite adorable and lit a subtle flare of delight in Cougar's gut. That blush wasn't just caused by embarrassment, if he was reading Jensen's expression correctly.But that was a matter for another time. First, he had to make Jensen understand that he wasn't afraid of touching him.Cougar held out his hand, palm facing upward, and nodded. Jensen hesitated, his gaze flicking from Cougar's hand to his face, as if trying to figure out what to do — and how much trouble he might be in if he chose wrong.After several beats, Jensen must have decided to risk it, tentatively reaching out with his own hand. When there was still an inch between them, blue sparks lit between their fingertips, sharp enough to leave Cougar's skin tingling. Jensen quickly snatched his hand back — on pure reflex, most likely."Whoa! That was—" He cut himself off, staring at Cougar who was still holding out his hand for Jensen to take. "Was that mine?"Cougar was pretty sure the spark had come from him — Jensen's power trying to find its way back to him — but he understood what Jensen meant. He probably hadn't expected to be zapped by his own electricity."It's yours," Cougar confirmed.Curiosity clearly got the better of Jensen and he reached out again, this time allowing their hands to touch, despite the crackle of sparks. Just like before, Cougar could feel the vibration of power, but the difference was that some of it seemed to be coming from him, flowing back to Jensen rather than just into Cougar.Jensen let out a noise that was part awe, part surprise."This has never happened before," he mumbled. His palm slid against Cougar's, his skin warm enough to send a shiver down Cougar's spine that had nothing to do with the technopath powers. "This is so cool."With some effort, Cougar was able to find enough air to reply."I like it."Jensen's gaze met his, a flicker of uncertainty still visible in his eyes.Cougar smiled, even if the expression still felt foreign on his face. "I like touching you."The words were a bit forward, some would say, but not a lie, either. Granted, Cougar wasn't entirely sure what to do with all of the urges he had — some he wasn't even willing to acknowledge yet, at least not until he knew Jensen better — but he didn't want Jensen to shy away from him. Whatever their future held, he didn't want Jensen to be afraid to touch him.Jensen let out a nervous laugh, but he didn't pull his hand back."Now it almost sounds like you're flirting with me."It was no doubt meant as an out — an opportunity for Cougar to retreat and point out that he would never be flirting with a technopath. But, truth be told, he would be lying if he said that."I could be," Cougar replied with a shrug. Jensen's eyes went wide, the blush returning with a vengeance. "If you want me to?"Jensen opened his mouth but no sound came out. For a second, Cougar worried that he might have crossed the line. It was only two hours ago that he had tossed Jensen off his ship, after all, and not long before that that he'd said he didn't care if Jensen lived or died. He'd apologized for both, sure, but that didn't mean that the hurt had magically disappeared. They still had so much to work through.Of course Jensen wouldn't want him to flirt with him."I think I do," Jensen mumbled shyly, as always intent on proving Cougar wrong. "At some point?"Meaning not within the immediate future, which was fine by Cougar. It would, in all honesty, be far too rushed — far too early after everything they had been through. That said, it was nice to have it confirmed that he wasn't the only one who felt something brewing between them.Cougar smiled, giving Jensen's hand a gentle squeeze. "Later, then."Jensen smiled back, looking adorably bashful. A second later, he cleared his throat, no doubt preparing to change the subject."Sooo. What's the plan?" He lowered their hands but didn't let go — perhaps he, too, was getting a little addicted to all the touching. "I mean, I'm here and I've gathered that you're not going to kick me off, but where does that leave us?"That was the question Cougar knew would come eventually, but had no good answer to. He didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep. The only thing he knew for sure was that he didn't want Jensen to leave before it was safe for him to do so. How long that would take was impossible to say and, maybe, Cougar would change his mind about having a permanent partner before they even reached that point.Now that he thought about it, technopaths had to be pretty good mechanics.Cougar pushed the thought aside, knowing he was getting ahead of himself. They would simply have to see what the future held when they got there."I don't know," he replied. "Do you want to stay?"Jensen swallowed, his grip around Cougar's hand tightening."Yeah," he whispered, soft and a little desperate. "I do.""Then you can."When Jensen surged forward and pulled Cougar into a hug, knocking the hat off his head, he couldn't say that he was surprised. The response was immediate — heartfelt and instinctive in a way that was so Jensen — that anything else would have felt like Jensen was trying to contain himself. Cougar didn't want that.The moment Jensen's arms wrapped around him, that breathtaking surge of power returned, but at least Cougar was prepared for it this time. It was still intoxicating and more than a little dizzying, but not so much that he lost his focus entirely. He returned the embrace, despite not being very used to hugs, and tucked his face against Jensen's neck.He hadn't planned to, but it was right there, Jensen's skin soft and inviting, and Cougar couldn't help burying his nose against it. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, contentment vibrating in his chest as he rubbed his cheek against Jensen's neck.A couple of seconds passed before Jensen's voice reached his ears."Are you doing what I think you're doing?"Cougar froze, feeling a flood of embarrassment. He had been acting out of instinct, too focused on the smell and softness of Jensen's skin. He wasn't stupid enough to admit that out loud, however."No," he denied, tone deadpan. Cougar debated pulling out of the embrace, but that would mean having to meet Jensen's gaze, which would no doubt be even worse."You were purring." The glee in Jensen's words was unmistakable."Was not."He had been.Jensen laughed and, happy as they come, rubbed his cheek against the side of Cougar's face. Cougar grimaced, but couldn't deny that his heart gave a stutter, fondness and exasperation filling his chest."It's okay to scent mark me," Jensen said, soft as a whisper. "Then people will know where I belong."For a second, Cougar forgot how to breathe. Never, not once in his entire life, had he belonged anywhere. Splices, born and developed in labs, had no home, identity, or nationality to speak of. They weren't even recognized as their own species since there was no perceivable standard — they were all too different, with varying abilities and features. They existed on the fringes, not belonging anywhere.It had never really occurred to Cougar that he could belong with a person — that Jensen would volunteer to be that person.A lump had settled in Cougar's throat, making it impossible for him to speak, but he managed to nod. Hopefully, Jensen would understand what he meant. Maybe, with some luck, he would able to read the gratefulness in how Cougar's hands slid in under Jensen's jacket, closing around the fabric of his shirt.If the way Jensen's arms tightened around Cougar, ever so slightly, was anything to go by, Jensen understood.The steady thrum of Jensen soothed the ache in Cougar's chest and urged his tense muscles to relax. Cougar might not know what the future held, but, for once, he didn't care. Not when he was surrounded by their combined scent, held carefully in Jensen's arms, with that second heartbeat beating away right next to his own.This, he realized, was what it felt like to belong.