In the Golden Triangle

Chapter 8: Ghost Tigers

Hin rubbed his sore jaw and smiled. The pain was a fun left over from when he had carried John out of Devon's tent last night. To say that John had been less than pleased would be an understatement. The man was short, but he had a right hook that took Hin by surprise. John barely let Hin get him out of the tent before his cursing turned physical.

A blind man could see the tension between Kitt and Devon. If Hin wasn't mistaken, and he never was, he could have sworn it was sexual. Taking John out of the equation made the most sense. John just failed to see it that way. He had been worried about Devon. His loyalty was something Hin liked.

Misguided though it was.

Hin settled back against the tree he was resting on. The shade was a nice reprieve. With no breeze to speak of, the day was hot and still. Wet heat hung over them like a blanket. Even the shade wasn't really enough to make the day bearable. Still, it was better than being on patrol.

Besides shade, the tree gave him a decent spot to watch the basketball game some of the guys were playing. It was a rough game—rules were flexible and shirts optional.

He wasn't hiding per se. Hin wasn't the kind of man to hide. But he wasn't exactly announcing his presence.

John was playing. He was an average player, personally Hin thought he was better at football. But he was fast and aggressive. Their basketball court was a small corner by the soccer field. It was nowhere near regulation size—Hin guessed it was probably closer to a half court size. Normally Hin would have joined. He liked basketball, and his height gave him an advantage.

Today, he would rather watch. He pushed his sunglasses into place and observed the game through dark tinted lenses.

Teh was the best player on the court. He had excellent ball handling skills, dribbling the basketball between his legs and spinning left on the pick Joom had set. Almost effortlessly he sank the ball into the net from what would definitely be the three-point line. Grinning he exchanged a high-five with John. Teh was taller than John, but just as lean. His skin was fair and turning a little pink under the sun. Hin had known Teh since he was a chubby kid just learning how to ride a bike. He never would have guessed that that kid would turn into an attractive young man. Kitt and Hin used to watch the girls follow him around school with interest, making bets on which one would be brave enough to try for him. Teh was usually completely oblivious, which made the betting that much funnier.

Teh flicked his hair from his face.

"Easy up there, Justin Bieber." John teased. Teh flipped him off and threw the ball at John so hard Hin could hear his hands slap on the rubber.

Joom swept in and stole the ball, taking it through the players and going for a layup. The ball bounced off the corner of the back board and slipped through the net. John went for it next, running in easily and snaking the ball from a private.

Hin was less interested in John's agile moves and more in the way his muscles flexed as he handled the ball. He was sweating, his dark skin shining. John was slender, and while his muscles weren't as defined as Teh's, Hin could see the strength there. His black hair was sticking to high cheekbones and Hin wanted to run his fingers through the wet strands and push them back from his eyes.

With a sigh he looked away from the court and back towards the camp. This little crush of his was getting wildly out of hand.

At first it was just a curiosity. Then it turned to physical—John was Hin's type, and the more he pushed Hin away, the more he was interested. But it was growing past curiosity and lust.