“She called me an ass? What the hell?” Ash pouted, his beefy arms crossed over his chest.
“No, I’m calling you an ass,” Cael corrected.
“What for?”
“For blaming yourself. This wasn’t your fault, Ash. And before you say anything else, you were on the other side of the damn building. There was nothing you could have done. You know that, right?”
“I know, I just….” Ash let out a long breath.
“Come here, big guy.” Cael carefully shifted over and patted the bed. After some hesitation, Ash sat down beside him with exceptional care. Dex tended to forget how big Ash was, since whenever Dex saw
him, the guy was usually standing around Sloane, Hobbs, or other Therian agents closer to his size, but next to Cael, the difference was staggering, especially since Cael was shorter and slighter than Dex. Cael’s size and Therian qualities weren’t suited for Defense, but they were an exceptional fit for Recon. His size, stealth, speed, agility, and smarts made him perfect for the reconnaissance position. “Bring it in. Time for a hug.”
Dex watched flabbergasted as Ash gently pulled Cael into a hug. His brother tilted his face toward Ash’s neck, his fingers slipping under the collar of the larger Therian’s uniform. With a smile, Ash pulled back, giving Cael a wink, followed by a playful nudge on the cheek.
“I gotta go. If you need anything, and your bro’s busy, or sleeping on the job, call me.”
Cael grinned widely. “Okay.”
With a grumbled “good-bye” in Dex’s direction, Ash left the room. Dex waited until he’d closed the door behind him before taking a seat on the edge of Cael’s bed. His brother wisely avoided his gaze, his eyes dropping to his fingers.
“What?”
“Christ, it’s that bad?” Dex said, running a hand through his hair. He got up and started pacing. “Cael, we went through this. Remember your senior year in high school? You remember what I told you?”
Cael nodded somberly. “Yes.”
“What did I say?”
Cael swallowed hard, his voice quiet. “Never fall for a straight guy.”
“And what happened with Shane? He broke your heart into tiny pieces.”
“Yes, I remember.” Cael lifted his chin defiantly. “Thank you, Dex.”
“And out of everyone, you’re gonna fall for him? The guy’s an asshole!”
“He’s not!” Cael snapped, startling Dex. Damn, it really was that bad. “I know he might seem that way, but he’s really not. I don’t know why you two can’t get along. He’s outspoken, and yes, crude sometimes, but underneath all that, he’s really…. He’s a good guy.”
“Okay, look, as much as the guy annoys me, you know I’d support you in anything that made you happy, with anyone who made you happy, but Cael—”
“Yeah, he’s straight. I get it. But you know what, sometimes, I’m not so sure.”
“Cael….” Dex let out a sigh and resumed his seat beside his brother. He wanted nothing more than to see his brother happy, even if it was with, God help him, Ash, but his brother was looking for something that wasn’t there. “Don’t confuse affection for something more. He cares about you. I know he does. It’s obvious. He treats you differently than he does everyone else. I admit, it amazes even me, but I don’t think it’s more than that. Have you ever seen him do anything with anyone that made you think he might be interested in males?”
Cael shook his head, his bottom lip jutted out. “But maybe it’s different with me. Maybe it’s the first time he’s thinking… he might want to.” He worried his bottom lip, when he suddenly seemed to think of something. “You could ask Sloane.”
“What?”
“Don’t tell him it’s for me, but ask him if he might know something about Ash that maybe we don’t. They’ve been best friends since they were little. If anyone knows anything, it’d be Sloane, right?”
“Things are tense at the moment between us, what with my going against his orders.” Cael nodded dejectedly, and it was too much for Dex. “But as soon as we sort it out, I’ll talk to him.”
“You will?”
“Of course I will. You know I’d do anything for you, bro.”
Cael smiled sweetly at him, before letting out a yawn. “Thanks, Dex.”