Meant something. After everything, did Mike really think a simple kiss could hold some meaning? Was he really so easily led astray by false words? He'd already seen this went deeper than he'd thought, but now he wondered how fundamentally Mike felt all of this. He'd not just broken and rebuilt the junkie, he'd created something new. Something unlike anything he'd done before. It was something he didn't quite know what to do with.

"Oh, it did mean something. But it's you who doesn't understand. Nothing negates the rules I've given you." He yanked hard as he fastened the buckle to hold the sleeves in place. "Nothing. But you can't seem to understand that." Next came broad, canvas straps that fastened around Mike's chest and arms, further trapping them against his body. Each of these were just as rough. "I keep thinking maybe, just maybe I can trust you. But you keep reminding me that a junkie should never be trusted."