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stung with tears, Lindsay blinked them away as fast as he could so that he didn’t lose sight of Dane even

for a moment. In spite of himself, after some hours, he dozed off.

In the night, Dane roused enough to move, turning over and wrapping an arm around Lindsay. He

nuzzled into Lindsay’s hair, breathing in and grumbling contentedly. Lindsay slept in fits and spurts,

waking now and then to check if it had all been a lie. Each time, though, Dane was still there, still

breathing, his heart still beating against Lindsay’s cheek.

It wasn’t yet dawn when Dane woke enough to grumble over something in the here and now. “Under

the covers,” he grumped in Lindsay’s ear. “You’re going to freeze.” The fire had gone to ash and a sharp

chill had crept into the room.

Lindsay woke quickly at the sound of Dane’s voice. “’m all right,” he protested sleepily, but he

wriggled around until he’d managed to get himself under the covers anyway. He hadn’t wanted to disturb

Dane.

Dane sighed, low and contented, cuddling Lindsay to his chest. He was bare except for the bandages

around his belly, shoulder and neck. Izia obviously hadn’t felt the need to dress him.

Lindsay wasn’t dressed either, with just the robe between him and Dane’s bare body. He bit his lip

and snuggled closer, the robe slipping with his movements. His bare skin slid against Dane’s, making him

shiver, but he didn’t pull away. He wanted to be close, to be able to feel and hear Dane’s breath and his

heart.

Dane slid a leg over both of Lindsay’s, curling around him and wrapping him up in sleek, naked

warmth. He seemed purely content like this, oblivious to any impropriety.

Lindsay remembered, suddenly, the way Dane had pulled him closer, had cupped his ass and ground

up against him, in the sleeping bag yesterday morning. He’d been so focused on his own pleasure, and then

so utterly horrified at himself for not staying in control, he hadn’t been able to think. Now, though, he

recognized Dane’s actions for what they’d been—if not outright approval, then at least acceptance.

Lindsay gave in. If Dane didn’t want him so close, Dane could be the one to push him away. Dane

had never pushed him away yet. He always drew Lindsay in closer. Lindsay breathed in the clean, warm

smell of him and got a rumble of pleasure in return as Dane seemed to relax even more.

Lindsay drifted off again, after a while. When he woke, the first hints of light were streaking through

the curtains and his face was pressed into the curve of Dane’s neck and shoulder. He tucked himself in

closer, seeking comfort in the warmth of Dane’s body.

Eventually, reality caught up with Lindsay enough to make him whisper, unsteadily, “You were

dead.” Saying it aloud, even very softly, made everything more real. Losing Dane had been a harsh blow,

one Lindsay might not have recovered from.

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“Yes.” Dane exhaled slowly. Lindsay hadn’t meant to wake him, hadn’t known he was awake, or for

how long. “I was. I don’t recommend it. I’m sorry I left you alone.” He pressed his cheek to Lindsay’s hair.

Lindsay shook his head. Dane hadn’t let him down, just the opposite. “I’m sorry I didn’t stop him in

time.”

“Not your job, not your problem.” Dane’s tone was firm, even if his voice was thinner than usual.

“My place is to take care of you.”

“I don’t care,” Lindsay answered fiercely. Tears were already welling up in his eyes, and he tried to blink them back. He shouldn’t have said anything. Damn it. He was supposed to be done crying. “I don’t

care whose job is what. I don’t want you to die.”

Dane’s expression was inscrutable again for a moment, then it softened. “Okay. Fair enough.” He

cupped Lindsay’s cheek in his hand, rubbing gently with his thumb. Lindsay tilted his face into the caress, soothed to a rather embarrassing extent just by being touched. “I’ll do my best not to do it again,” Dane

promised solemnly. He kept petting gently while he coaxed Lindsay to lie down in the curve of his arm, on

his uninjured shoulder. There was blood spotting his bandages, but he didn’t seem to be in much pain.

“Thank you.” Lindsay settled, nuzzling at Dane’s hand and shoulder. He didn’t want to lose Dane.

The idea that he should let it happen because it “wasn’t his job” was terrible. Dane tolerated him so well, even if Lindsay was talking back first thing in the morning.

Finding his hands in his tangled robe, Lindsay slid them over Dane’s skin, careful of the bandages. He

wanted to feel the warmth, the life in Dane’s body. Dane was alive—the fresh surge of realization made

Lindsay wriggle with joy. He pressed his lips to Dane’s shoulder and collarbone again and again until his

tongue was darting out with each kiss to steal a taste of Dane’s skin. He was gentle, delicate, careful not to ask for anything more than the contact and intimacy Dane was already allowing him.

Dane’s big arm around him flexed as Dane drew him closer, his hand splayed over Lindsay’s hip

where Lindsay’s robe had slid away to leave it bare. Dane’s breathing changed and he reached over with

his other hand to stroke Lindsay’s hair. Approval, not just acceptance.

“Dane,” Lindsay whispered, rubbing his cheek against Dane’s chest.

“Mm?” Dane made a slight noise of discomfort as he shifted to be able to see Lindsay’s face.

Lindsay cupped Dane’s face in both hands and stretched up, brushing his lips lightly over Dane’s. It

was a risk, but one he was willing to take. He’d almost lost Dane—he had lost Dane—and he never

would’ve known how Dane felt about him. At least this way he’d know.

Dane kissed him back, less tentatively, and made a soft noise that Lindsay already knew meant he was

pleased with something but not about to say so out loud. His hand on Lindsay’s hip pulled Lindsay close

enough to feel everything. Dane was already hard, hot, and his cock was perfectly in proportion to the rest of his massive body.

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Oh. Lindsay could hardly breathe. He’d had no idea that it would feel like this to be wanted, and he was sure that Dane did want him, at least a little. His gasp of surprise broke the kiss and he kissed Dane

again, quickly, so that Dane wouldn’t think that he was done.

Dane pulled away from him, though, laughing quietly as he nuzzled Lindsay’s nose with his own.

“Missed me that much, did you?”

Yes, yes, God, yes. Lindsay’s throat tightened up and he couldn’t say it out loud. He swallowed hard.

“But that’s not why,” he began hastily. Not why he was kissing Dane. He’d wanted to before, he really had,

so much, and then… “You were gone.”

That was all that would come out and Lindsay was despairing of ever making any sense when Dane

kissed him again, so sweetly, and wrapped Lindsay up in his arms. “I know,” Dane murmured. “I knew,

little bunny.”

Of course Dane knew. Dane knew and hadn’t pushed him away, had held him and slept with him and

kept him close, always.

Lindsay slid his arms around Dane’s neck and pressed against Dane to feel bare skin and bandages

against his chest and belly, and to feel more of the proof that Dane did really want him. All the fantasies that had withered and died before were blooming again in his head and that was all that he could think of,