“He’s in pain, and I can’t help. I think… maybe I might be more useful here?” he asked, carefully meeting Clover’s gaze in the dark.
Clover stuffed his face with brownie and took his time to swallow, but his fingers found Pyro’s. No matter what a pain in the ass Pyro had been at times, Clover still cared about him. Pyro had been such an idiot to overlook all the tender gestures. Maybe it was a self-worth issue, because by the time Clover was so ready to shoulder his pain following Boar’s disappearance, he should have really understood the boy loved him as much as the others. He’d never been just a dick, just a distraction, and he’d support the sweet boy with all he had.
“I just…” Clover had to take a deep breath. “What if Tank doesn’t come back? And I’m not even talking about it being my fault, Tank’s made his own choice. But if he doesn’t come back, it wouldn’t even matter whose fault it is. He’d still be gone.”
Pyro was hesitant whether he should do anything, but Clover had initiated touch many times already, so he slung his arm around the hunched shoulders. “I-uh… let’s hope it doesn’t happen. Does it help you to think of those negative scenarios? Because for me, it’s a shit solution. Makes me feel even worse.”
Clover cuddled up to him with so much need it nearly broke Pyro’s heart. Boar was so much better at being in tune with people while he always noticed problems when it was too late. Clover looked to him for support and affection, and he was slowly realizing that he could provide it, just like any of the other guys. Not only that. He should provide it. Clover was capable but still young, and without Tank to give the kind of support the boy needed, he seemed so vulnerable. So much younger, still inexperienced and recovering from what Apollo had done to him, he really was someone Pyro needed to protect.
Clover sighed. “What are you saying? Should I imagine us going in there guns blazing, slitting Apollo’s throat, dancing on his corpse then walking away with an explosion behind us?”
“Whatever helps. Your worry doesn’t help Tank, it only makes you feel bad. You know he’s a tough bastard. I’m sure he’ll be back in one piece,” Pyro said, pulling Clover to his chest as they watched the night sky reflect in the smooth surface of the lake. “We met when I fucked up, Boar got captured by this fucking drug dealer, and I was about to just storm in there because I didn’t know what else to do. I went to a bar for a drink to psych myself up, and I met Tank. He was just having a whiskey, Drake by his side, eyeing me with those dagger-eyes.
“I had nothing to lose at that point, so when we got talking, I told them my boyfriend was in trouble. Drake was having none of it, but Tank listened, even though to him I probably looked like a total whack job. He said he’d help bust Boar out for a fee. Now that I know the kind of money he earns, I realize he was giving me a steep discount anyway, but I didn’t even have that much, so I offered to work for him instead.” Pyro snorted and rubbed Clover’s shoulder. “You should have seen Drake. He bristled up like a cat thrown into a bathtub. But my point is not just about Tank’s good character, but that when he went in there, Drake and I weren’t even needed. He took on all the guys in there, killed two, and got Boar out without a scratch. He will be fine.”
Clover leaned against Pyro. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For just being here for me. It helps.”
Pyro relaxed. Maybe it was silly, but the fact that Clover appreciated his support when he couldn’t provide real help meant a lot to him. He could see now that Clover needed him as much as he needed the others, even if their relationship was usually more about hot sex and fun than care, and teaching, and all that serious bullshit. Maybe Pyro’s presence was less of an obstruction but a buffer to all that? Either way, the fact that it had taken him a year and a half to realize that he wasn’t just a sexual partner/friend to Clover made him feel like an idiot.
“I’d do all it takes for you. You know that, right?”
Clover looked up at him with a cute little smile Pyro had to kiss. “I know. You can be a menace, but a loyal one.”
“That’s right. I’m your vicious dog. Might pee on the couch but will rip throats out for you,” Pyro said, watching Clover in the dark while his heart drummed in celebration of the boy. He’d never before had a relationship quite like this one. Not because of the poly aspect, but because he’d never been with someone as gentle. Sure, Clover was no flower, he was brave and tried to get shit done, but he was even more sensitive than Boar, and that quality was something Pyro was learning to value.