“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“What for?” Boar kissed the side of Clover’s face. “I thought you and Drake were dead or still held captive. Clover… baby… I’m so happy to see you.” He took a deep, trembling breath and pulled the balaclava off Clover’s head.
The air felt cold against Clover’s flushed skin, but each time he looked into the kind eyes that still watched him as if he were an angel, guilt cut its way through his breastbone and stabbed his heart. “I— I’d told you to go with us if you loved me. And you’ve been through so much because of me. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m a terrible person, I hate myself for it so much.”
“Clover, sweetie. Thinking of you kept me alive. I imagined the chance of seeing you again, and thought that you’d need my help. I knew I needed to survive for you.”
“Don’t excuse me!” Clover sobbed, wrapped up in Boar’s hug, which felt like a warm comforter on a cold winter night. “I blew it. I hurt you. Love should be unconditional, and I—”
“I would have gone with you either way, Clo,” Boar whispered, cradling him with the same gentleness he always had. “I would have never let you go on your own.”
His warm embrace was Clover’s solace, but with his hands still cuffed, Boar couldn’t put his arms around Clover as easily. Itching for more closeness, Clover pushed in under Boar’s arms, but once his cheek lay on Boar’s hot chest, in a way so familiar, fear slowly drained out of his body.
“I love you so much, Boar. You make our group whole, and it’s all a mess without you. I just need you to know I never took your love for granted.”
Boar kissed Clover again. “I missed you all more than you can ever imagine. Is Pyro okay?”
Before Clover could answer, they heard Pyro’s voice on the speakerphone Drake turned on. “Tonight we celebrate, Boar! See you in a bit!”
Chapter 10 - Clover
“I thought we were broke,” Clover said, hugging Tank tightly under the streams of water in the shower.
The ceiling was fitted with a rainfall showerhead, and the size and overall setup of the space reminded Clover of the luxurious bathroom in Tank’s old house. He’d grown so accustomed to the comfort it had offered, he’d started taking it for granted, only to lose the safety of his first true home to a fit of Pyro’s rage. It felt as if that night had been ages ago.
“I wanted to splash out on Boar. He deserves it before we all have to go back to the trailers,” Tank said.
Clover closed his eyes and ran his hand up and down Tank’s side. Nothing could hurt Clover when that towering body stood between him and danger. Tank was tougher than Kevlar. Harder than steel.
“Thank you for believing in me.”
The big, warm hands spread soap over Clover’s back, but the foam got instantly washed away by the drizzle.
“I always did, even if it might not have looked like it to you. But in the end, you had to confront a situation beyond your current skills and you succeeded. They’d have taken him away if you hadn’t acted,” Tank said before switching off the water.
“I couldn’t let that happen.” Clover stood on his toes and kissed the square line of Tank’s stubbly jaw. “I love him so much, you know? He’s all bruised, they cut his hair, but when I looked into his eyes, I could see our Boar, as gentle as ever. To me. ‘Cause he strangled that Tyrone guy like he was… I dunno, Hercules.”
Tank snorted. “He does look like he could play Hercules in an upcoming movie. Maybe we should find him an agent?” he asked and flicked Clover’s nose. It was an attempt to wipe the remainders of grief off Clover’s face, but despite the guilt still being a presence in Clover’s heart, he felt infinitely better already.
“I don’t think any of us should be showing our faces on TV.”
Clover couldn’t get enough of Tank’s hands, but it was time to leave the warm shower and see what the others were up to. “I made up with Pyro. He did have to grovel quite bit though.”
Tank offered him a smile before using a clean towel to dry Clover’s hair. “I’m glad. Maybe it’ll all be back to normal at last.”
“It will. With Boar back, it will.”
Tank held a white hotel robe open for Clover. “What about you, though? We didn’t have time to really talk about it. Are you sure you’re doing okay?” He kissed Clover’s head once he wrapped him in the soft fabric.
Clover turned around and smiled at Tank. “Some days are hard, but it gets better. I guess I’m starting to realize things will never be the same, and that’s okay. I can be happy anyway.”