Love Makes You Soft

"Well great!" Stein breathed a sigh of relief. He had been afraid Sawyer was going to ruin this small happiness for him too. "So tell me more about yourself. What do you do for fun? Do you like sweet foods?" The boy was rambling in his excitement to finally have someone to talk to.

"I'll come home if you ditch the meat bag." Sawyer tried to deny it, even to himself but thinking that Stein was filling his place with Sinclair caused a scorching jealously to arise in the pit of his stomach. And besides, Vince was pissing him off with all the close contact.

Sinclair's stomach filled with dread as he read the text and realized he'd have to stop talking to Stein or risk Sawyer really being pissed at him. But one look up at Stein's eager smile as he talked to him and Sinclair knew he couldn't leave. But how was he to tell Sawyer that?
"He's really kind of nice. I think he might like me a little bit. And he really wants to help me with his arch reactor thing. I kind of have to stay." No, he could easily leave. But he wanted to stay.
As he sent this message, he looked back at Stein and grinned brightly.
"I don't really do much for fun. I, uh, read and do research on random things when I get bored and I talk to Sawyer and sometimes if he's not working with actual people I'll help mom in here." He nodded slowly. "Sweet foods are alright, I guess?" He chuckled softly at the question. "I like most foods... except meat. I'm a vegetarian." He nodded. "Which is kind of hard when you're a werewolf but..." He shrugged lightly. "What about you? Sweet foods?" He smirked, truly enjoying himself here with Stein.

"Oh yeah,  I'm big on sweets. " Stein gave an embarrassed chuckle, his cheeks reddening as he rambled on.  "I have a infinity  for chocolate and raspberries.   I  like working with your mom, too.  Law's really cool."  He could do without the doctor constantly fighting with Dallas though.   "What's your favorite things to research?  Do you have  a favorite math equation or do you just like numbers in general ?"  Stein continued asking questions,  afraid that if the conversation stalled Sinclair would get bored with him.
Sawyer didn't offer any response.  He was so enraged that anything he may have said would only hurt Sinclair's feels, so he refrained completely.   The jealousy was making his skin crawl.
"Hey, you. " He nudged Vince roughly in his irritation .   "Get the hell off of me. Wake up. I can't fucking thleep." Sawyer was desperate now, wanting to forget his traitorous brother.  "Leth go do thomething."

Sinclair couldn't help but laugh softly at the way Stein fired off questions, smiling brightly at the way Stein blushed.
"Wow, uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to think of something to say that would make him sound interesting and maybe make Stein want to keep spending time with him. "I like researching anything, really, but I guess I'm interested in research about people... like why people do things and all that. Psychology, I guess." He nodded. "And I really just love numbers in general because there's always a set answer. Math work kind of calms me down." It was why he'd always done both his and his brother's math homework in school. "So, more about you." He grinned as he thought of a question. "Do you have any invention or project in mind that you know you probably isn't possible for you to invent but it's like a dream kind of?" He was definitely interested in Stein's work.

Vince groaned as he awoke abruptly, too tired to notice the change in Sawyer's attitude.
"Do something?" He questioned, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he sat up. "Like what do you have in mind?"

"Oh not really. The arch reactor was my dream come true." Stein spoke proudly, his fingers gently running over one of the devices curved pieces. "I hadn't been sure this was going to work, but I took the risk." The boy shrugged sheepishly. "I guess that was enough excitement for me." Plus after losing Dimitri, everything In his life had lost its luster.

"Hell if I know. It'th your houthe. Juth get up and pay attention to me, damn." Sawyer chided himself for actually wanting the boys time. He couldn't help himself though, Sawyer wouldnt tolerate loneliness. He'd tired of that years ago. Now, he demanded attention wherever he went.

"Well then we better get it fixed up soon for you." Sinclair grinned as he went back to work, only wishing he could be of more help. "Maybe you could make me something one day." He nodded. He would certainly rather have mechanical parts than his flesh which took on germs so easily.

"Shit, you're cranky." Vince groaned as he sat up, resting his head on Sawyer's shoulder as he spoke. "I don't have anything to do around here anyways. We could talk, I guess?" He yawned before sitting up straight and looking the man in the eyes. "Don't you damn sleep?"

"I might could do that. If you tell me what you want." And of course he'd have to get an okay from Dallas and Law, the last thing he wanted was to have more issues with the family he loves so much like his own. "I have a big book of diagrams back home if you want to see them." It had been a long time since anyone had taken such an interest in him, he found it felt nice to finally feel important again.

"I have fucking killer inthomnia." Sawyer muttered softly, the dark bags under his eyes mirroring that of his mother. "And thure, leth fuking talk I gueth, but turn a t.v. on would you? Dont you have one of thothe?" He struggled with Vince's sweet gestures. None of his previous lovers had ever been so comfortable as to lean against him.

"I'd love that sometime." Sinclair nodded. "You're so impressive, really." He shook his head. "I always thought I was intelligent but I can't even fathom how you do some of these things." Stein was fascinating to him.

"TV is in the living room." Vince nodded. Unlike Sawyer, he was a very affectionate person with everyone, even men he'd just met. He pressed a kiss to Sawyer's cheek as he crawled off of the bed, still naked as he took the man's hand and led him out into the other room. As he plopped down on the couch, he tugged Sawyer down beside him and made himself comfortable in the man's lap. Like Sawyer, Vince was not hesitant when it came to taking what he wanted. Perhaps it was their only similarity.

As the time passed and Sinclair was sending more and more time with Stein, instead of staying home and being alone, Sawyer had taken to spending most of his days with Vince. This had been possibly one of his worst fuck ups yet. He had started....thinking of Vince in ways that he didn't fully understand. The man never seemed to leave his mind. And before he knew it he was even more than comfortable with the mans intimate touches, in fact, sometimes he craved them. Not that he would ever admit to that. But all of these feeling were leading him to believe that he was much more invested in their relationship than he had ever intended to be. So much so that he was even beginning to feel guilty for not telling Vince everything the boy wanted to know about him and his family.

Vince on the other hand had no trouble admitting his feelings for Sawyer. He knew he was falling hard and he didn't really mind. He thought Sawyer might even be the one. But something wasn't adding up quite right... He knew something was wrong about the boy but he kind of didn't want to figure it out. He wanted to keep things as they were. Currently, they were at Vince's place as they were most nights, curled up in the sheets. By now, Vince had learned to always wait for Sawyer to fall asleep before sleeping himself or else he'd just get woken up again when the boy got bored.
"Ever think we're going to spend the night at your place?" He questioned softly as he buried his face in the boy's neck.

"My plathe." Sawyer echoed irritably, his stomach jerking at the thought of actually telling Vince the truth. "I don't really have my own houthe or anything. I live with my parenth and thome of their friendth, I gueth." The dark skinned boy tried to shrug it off, one of his arms winding around Vince's waist in the hopes of distracting him. "It'th really fucking lame. That'th why my ath ith alwayth here."

"Oh, I guess I forget how much younger you are sometimes." Vince shrugged it off as he moved to lay atop of Sawyer's chest, smiling down at the boy. "I don't mind staying over here most of the time, it's alright." He reassured as his lips found Sawyer's jawline. "But I mean, if you ever wanted to take me over there, I wouldn't mind." He smiled softly.

"You might not fucking mind but dad thure ath fuck would."  Sawyer shook his head at the idea, his jaw tingling in the place where Vince had kissed him.  At this point he didn't even want to fuck with his father.  He wasn't here for Dallas anymore.  He was spending time with Vince for himself. "He and you kinda had a thing once I gueth. I don't know much about it."

"Oh?" Vince arched an eyebrow. "Who's your dad?" But the second the words left his mouth, he already knew. The smile, the freckles, the eyes. He tried to never think about Dallas anymore because it left him with an ache in his chest. Dallas was so much worse than all the other men who'd abused him in the past. Because unlike them, Dallas had not always been an asshole. He'd started out as one of the sweetest men Vince had ever known. But when he drank, he became one of the worst.

Sawyer hesitated, as though he was still contemplating weather or not telling Vince the truth would be a good idea. He wasn't aware that the man already knew, that he looked so similar to his father Vince had already guessed it.
"Hith name ith Dallath Reynoldth. I don't know if you remember him or not." The young wolf trailed off, his body tense with the worry that Vince would reject him. "But Thath my popth "

"I-I remember him very well. You're not... like him, are you?" Vince grimaced. "You should really stop drinking, you know." He didn't think he could take it if Sawyer turned out to be just like his father and ended up hurting him.

"What do you mean by that?" Sawyer looked almost hurt, his shoulders squaring up as though he were getting ready to defend himself. "What'th wrong with me being like my dad? I love my dad. He can be an ath hole thometimeth, but dad'th really a good perthon. There'th nothing wrong with him." The young wolfs nose flared slightly as he argued on his father's behalf. "And I know I thouldn't drink. I haven't been recently. You've kinda cured that need I gueth. I uthually drink when I'm lonely. Now that I got you I'm fucking fine on that. But my dad'th really great, tho don't talk bad about him, alright? I don't like it. "

"You could have fucking told me this earlier." Vince sighed, hating that now he could not look at Sawyer and see the freckles sprinkled across his nose without thinking of Dallas's face. "I just meant..." He trailed off, not wanting to piss the boy off. "An alcoholic? You're not going to get drunk and beat the shit out of me like he did?"

"Yeah I fucking could'a told you, but I didn't. And at thith rate I never thould have! Now you're not even fucking looking at me the thame, damnit! " Sawyers face was growing pink, a clear indication that his irritation was getting to him. "And why in the hell do you gotta call him an alcoholic?" The young wolfs jaws snapped as he spoke. He knew his father was an alcoholic and he absolutely hated it. Even more so when another person stated the obvious. "I never heard of him hitting you....but I gueth I don't put that path him. Tho what though? That thit ith over now, tho Juth thut the hell up already!!" Sawyer gave a harsh shove to the man's chest. "You pith me the hell off."

"See? You're just fucking like him! That's why I asked!" Vince snapped, shoving Sawyer back although it didn't do much. "Don't fucking shove me! Your father ruined my fucking life and you're not going to try and convince me that he's a good guy, alright?"

"I dont give a flying fuck what he did in the path! He'th my father! I love him! And You better fucking watch your cock thucking mouth!" Sawyer was snapping his jaws at Vince in a fit of rage, one of his hands moving out to grasp the boy by his face, his palm against Vince's nose as he violently shoved again, this time sending the smaller male toppling into the floor. He didn't follow completely to see the damage he'd caused. Instead he merely leaned over the edge of the bed, scowling down at the crumpled heap on the floor. "Get the hell up. You're man enough to thove me once? Leth thee you do it again." His voice was spiteful and condescending, much like Law when he and Dallas were having one of their more severe fights.

"You fucking shoved me first!" Vince snapped as he forced himself to his feet, merely pointing towards the door then. "Get the fuck out! I'm not fucking doing this again." He would not end up in another abusive relationship. And it seemed like Sawyer was headed down the exact same road as his father.

"Fine, I'll fucking go.  But we both know that ath thoon ath I'm gone, you're gonna be wanting me back."  Sawyer snarled at the man, his green eyes sharp with anger and hurt.  He didn't want to leave. He didn't really have anywhere else to go.  The truth of it was, that as soon as he walked out that door, he'd be the one missing Vince.  But Sawyer was too proud to admit any of that.   Instead he snatched up his jeans and wallet before making his way to the door.  He paused there a moment,  turning back as though he wanted to say something.   He had remembered his t-shirt, laying discarded on Vince's couch, but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted Vince to keep it.
"I'm thorry for putting my handth on you...." It was the only time Sawyer had ever apologized for such an act.  "Thee you around,  Vinthe." The man's name had barely left his mouth before the door was slamming shut behind him.

The second Sawyer was out the door, Vince already regretted his decision. So maybe Sawyer had pushed him, but that wasn't so bad right? And he'd apologized, which was more than any of the other men in Vince's life had done. He knew he was pathetic, but he couldn't stand the idea of being alone again when Sawyer was really the best guy he'd ever had.
He found himself running to the door as soon as Sawyer had shut it, pleased to see that the man was only a few feet away.
"Wait!" He called out, hanging his head as he spoke again. "I-I didn't mean it. You don't have to leave, really..."

"Vince." Sawyer 's body was tense as he paused, the mans voice striking him directly in the chest . He knew if he turned around it would only make that ache worse, but he couldn't help himself, he glanced back just to see Vince hanging his head.
"I feel like thit, and all I did was puth you. What will happen next time though? I don't know that I'm okay with....thith. Uth. Anymore."
He knew that his temper was terrible. He got it from both his mother and his father. He was violent by nature.
But Vince....He's been done wrong so many times, and yet he's still so trusting and willing to give second chances. Vince embodies innocence.
And The longer Sawyer stares into his sweet face, the worse the pain in his chest becomes.
"You're tho fragile.....I can't rithk being the one who finally breakth you, and I will, if I thay...We both know that. "