Page 80 of Rarely Pure and Never Simple
"It's not gonna bite you," Blaze said on a snort.
"It's a little more firepower than I'm used to."
"Right. Got it." Blaze crouched down to smooth Shudder's curls back from his forehead. His complexion was far too pale, an indication that hehad, as the healers warned, done too much too soon. Blaze's hands on him were gentle, his expression almost tender as he straightened Shudder's limbs. "Time to rest, Shuds. You did good out there."
The bit of praise stabbed at Damien. He returned his attention outside to avoid the confusion growing in him like a weed. Guilt wrapped around it all. He should have been worried about Shudder, and some part of him was, but the terrible, bitter hurt of seeing Blaze handle him with such familiar affection overrode any sensible emotion.
It's only natural. Blaze loved him once. He might not admit it, but he did. If he still loves him, there's nothing unexpected in that.
What had he been thinking, anyway? That Blaze, who was his friend, who had stood by him and tried to protect, was falling for him? A damaged, unpredictable neurotic who blacked out on flashbacks?
He tracked one of the larger roto-jets in its descent, kicking up dust and sand in the yard as it settled. No time to brood. Not that he ever should. Blaze had been kind to him. He needed to appreciate that and cherish those memories. Any jealousy was misplaced and dangerous, even if Blaze did have any sort of feelings for him.But he kissed me and told me to be careful. He held me while I slept… Stop it. Just stop.
The door to the Guild ship opened. A figure with bright-red hair stood at the top of the steps with a huge plasma rifle held across his chest. At least Damien knew this Guild hunter.
"Blaze, I'm going out to talk to the Guild."
"Who's the lead dog?"
"It's Fox."
Damien fought a smile as Blaze muttered "That idiot." Then he waved Damien to the door. "Go on, Twitch, you deal with them. You probably won't start a fight."
Hands held out wide, Damien stepped out of the building. Guild-uniformed men and women were already pouring through the ruined front gate, and several rifles swiveled his way. They all lowered at a sharp command from Fox.
"Hazelwood! You all right? Doc's worried sick." Fox's voice was high and thin, odd for such a large man.
Damien closed the distance, making sure his strides were purposeful but not threatening-hurried. "I'm fine. Are we secure? I have kids holed up in that building. Don't want to bring them out until it's safe."
"They're clearing the site now. Give us a couple and I'll let you know. Where's Emerson?" Fox's voice dripped with contempt when he said the name.
"He's with the kids. Keeping them safe." Long practice at tamping down on every reaction and emotion allowed Damien not to bristle.
Fox snorted. "Not the person I'd leave with kids. Arrogant, high-handed son of a bitch. But whatever. Short-term solutions."
While it was interesting to see Blaze through the filter he was so careful to present to the rest of the world, Damien was running low on resources and curiosity. "We have injured, and the detainees here have been abused. Please treat them kindly. We also have two outlanders with us, wildings who've helped us. I'd prefer that you leave them in my care. One's injured, and he's not going to do well in a hospital."
Fox stared at him with narrowed eyes. "Leave it to you to attract weird shit."
Footsteps approached behind him, and Damien whirled to the side, the millipedes crawling along his spine. The Guildswoman, some newer member he didn't know, blinked at him in shock.
"God, you're a mess, Hazelwood." Fox rolled his eyes. Then he waved a hand back toward the building. "Go on. Get yourself out of the way. I'll let you know when it's clear."
The casual, condescending dismissal was half the reason Damien had never applied for Guild status. Dr. Parma understood that. He backed up a few steps to give himself room, then turned and strode back to their impromptu safe zone. Blaze understood it, too, and while he was often casually insulting and intentionally abrasive, Blaze had never dismissed him or treated him as less.
He had to stop thinking about Blaze.
Hard to do, though, when he was traveling with him. With a soft sigh, Damien settled next to Blaze, who was still hunkered down beside Shudder. "We're to stay put until the all-clear. I told them Shudder and Dryad were wildings who've been assisting us. Figured that way, we could wrap him up and take him out of here, and no one will ask if Dryad covers her face."
Blaze shot him a look that he found hard to read. He seemed shaken somehow, if that was possible for him. "Have I told you yet today how brilliant you are?"
"No."
"Well, you are. Fucking genius." Blaze threw an arm around his shoulders for a quick hug.
It shouldn't have soothed Damien's irritated nerve endings, but it did. When Fox called them, Damien led his little band out into Guild hands, where medics were ready and waiting. He did give a verbal report to Fox—how many detainees he believed had been held here, where the lab was, and what he believed was being done here.
For all he knew, this was a government installation, and the Guild would be required to pay restitution under the table. He didn't really care. The kids were safe, and the nonconsensual medical experimentation on variants would be harder to sweep under the rug now. Guild members were political animals, but harm a variant child, and they closed ranks with dizzying speed.
