Page 51 of Guiding Desire
Vin sighed. “I’m aware. What’re your scores?”
Orrey frowned. “Ninety-eight percent on the handgun, ninety-nine on the rifle.”
“Fuck three Wild Hunts and a rabid Hound on top, you’re a fucking ingénue!” Taros dropped his arm across Orrey’s shoulder, causing him to almost stumble and fall right in front of the kitchen, where the warm spices had already permeated the air. “And you cook. Fuck me, I’m jealous, beautiful.”
“Well, I—”
“Ignore him. If he wants to be taken seriously, he wears combat pants. Explain why you’re not with a special tactics unit,” Vin said.
“I’ve been taken plenty serious without my combat pants.”
“I do not care. I’m having a conversation with Orrey here. Go away and put on some.”
“Some combat pants?”
“Fake Hound ears to scare the children for all I care, just go away.”
Vin put the mugs on the counter instead of putting them away, but watched closely while Orrey took the tara to the sink to give them a rinse. Taros, Vin ignored completely.
“Well, they said they’d like to see me there,” Orrey started. “But I didn’t want that. Just acting when something bad had happened. I wanted to help make the city more peaceful before anything bad could happen, you know.” He smiled to himself, but the brightness of the smile ebbed quickly. “Before all this, I actually wanted to go into the investigative path. Taking information and finding out about bad stuff before it happens and then prevent it.”
“Hmm.” Vin drew out the sound.
Orrey wasn’t sure what to read into it. Luckily, he didn’t have to wonder. A door opened, and slightly heavier footfalls than Vin’s made Orrey turn. To face a somewhat wild-eyed Senlas.
“There you are,” the Guardian said on a heavy exhale.
“Yes, I woke up earlier and—”
Senlas rounded the central kitchen counter and wrapped Orrey in his arms.
That was entirely bizarre. Not in a bad way, but the expectations of passionate hugs had not quite yet had the time to build in Orrey’s head. Maybe during sex, but not this long after it.
Like with so many things in this unfamiliar environment and with these unfamiliar people, Orrey didn’t know what to think about this hug, which wasn’t brief either. What he did know was that he didn’t hate it. It had come with the unexpected force of a fist out from your blind spot, but it was anything but painful.
“You smell good, kitten. But something else does too. Is Karmine up?”
“I just made some porridge,” Orrey said.
Senlas pulled back, slowly turned toward Vin. “Did you make him cook?”
“He offered to cook, and I didn’t stop him.”
“I don’t mind. We rotate, back home. My old place, I mean,” Orrey said.
“Hmm,” Senlas said, looking him over. “Thank you. And for picking the tara. You need to have your meds before you eat, kitten.”
Orrey was glad to have some physical distance from Senlas, to breathe through his confusing feelings. Senlas pulled the pills from their containers on the counter and counted them out, offering them to Orrey with a glass of water, just like yesterday.
Orrey swallowed them one by one.
“I need to take you in for a checkup today,” Senlas said.
“Of course,” Orrey said, then groaned. “I forgot to call my mother. Or text my dad or second mom. Where’s my screen?”
“Col still has that,” Vin said when Senlas didn’t answer.
“Right. I gave it to him. Sorry, I lost track,” Senlas said. “And you were still mostly out yesterday. I’m sure they’ll understand.”
