Lately though, Clover wasn’t even that keen on training, eager to be Tank’s little house mouse. The way he flinched in Tank’s arms at the sound of an approaching car reminded Tank of how fearless Clover had been before the whole Apollo disaster. He missed that bratty energy.
“Stay here. I’ll see who it is,” Tank said, pulling on his pants and quickly wiping the cum from his hand. He was about to grab his gun, just in case, but the white van about to park outside was all too familiar.
“I— It’s Drake,” he uttered and opened the door.
Chapter 3 - Drake
The seven hour-long overnight drive from Colorado had sucked out the remainders of Drake’s energy, leaving him running on vapor. He’d been gone for days. He didn’t know how many, since the calendar meant very little in his life, but it had definitely been around a week. Still, the necessity of coming back to the people who resented him—regardless of what they said—felt as oppressive as ever. From the moment he left the asphalt and followed a dirt road through pastures overlooked by reddish hills, the invisible vise had been slowly tightening on his chest, and the lead weights made his shoulders hunch toward the wheel.
He wasn’t ready to face any of them yet, but it had to be done.
Once they found Boar, Drake would have to decide what to do next, but until then, he wouldn’t leave. He already kept his visits as short as necessary so he wouldn’t have to face Clover much, but when he couldn’t avoid them, seeing the boy opened a gaping hole in his chest. All the time they’d spent together, all the closeness they’d built. Ruined, because every time he closed his eyes, he saw Clover strapped to that bench, beaten bloody, crying and flinching at his touch.
Nothing would ever be the same.
He hadn’t taken the short captivity well either. Recovery itself had lasted a month, but the bruises and broken ribs were nothing in comparison to what he’d done to Clover. He would never forgive himself, even if Clover could.
The boy would never love him the way he had before it happened, but that was fair, because Drake didn’t deserve someone so precious. Not only had he failed to protect Clover but he’d also pulled him into a trap. He was surprised the boy even wanted to look at him.
His throat tightened when he spotted the two trailers in the morning sun. They appeared so normal. Like a regular camping ground, and it struck him how much better off his friends were without him. It took all of his willpower to keep himself from driving off. There were things they needed to know, and once Boar was back, they could hate him all they wanted. Once everything was over, Tank would be free to let Drake go.
Tank left his trailer before Drake managed to switch off the engine. Dressed in his pajama pants, broad in the shoulders, and as strong as his nickname suggested, he looked as if he hadn’t aged a day in the last few years. As if nothing affected him. He was stability, the wall Clover needed, so unlike the mess Drake was.
There were no greetings, just: “How many times do I have to remind you to keep your phone on?”
Drake’s jaw clenched, but he made himself leave the van despite not wanting to face the reality he kept running from. “I don’t have to report to you. I’m not your boy.”
Tank frowned at him. “It’s not about that, so what’s your problem? I just want to be able to check if you’re alive every now again. Don’t think it’s too much to ask.”
“And if I wasn’t, then what of it? No point in wasting resources when Boar’s missing,” Drake said, taking his duffel bag from the passenger seat. He needed to change.
Tank stared at him with his mouth open. “Are you kidding me right now? We lost Boar, and you’re saying it wouldn’t matter if we lost you too? You see how affected everyone is. Hey, I’m talking to you!” Tank said, and stood in Drake’s way.
Drake’s breath caught when he faced the massive chest, which grew tenser by the moment. But he stifled the alarm at the back of his head and looked up. “Don’t you worry. I’m going to do my duty and help you find him. That’s why I’m away all the time. What’s the point of me sitting on my ass?”
Tank clenched his jaw and his nostrils flared. “There’s shit to do around here too.” It sounded like an excuse. “Where have you been then? Clover worries about you so much I don’t know what to do with him sometimes.”
Drake flinched, and the tension around his heart became hard to bear. “Clover’s better off without me here.” The last thing Clover needed was Drake’s dark appetites for bondage. He didn’t even dare ask how Clover and Tank were doing in that department. With Pyro, it was hard to say, because Drake and him weren’t on speaking terms.