All of a sudden, Syn was there with them.
Darling moved away and allowed him to take over. When Darling’s agonized green gaze met Ture’s, Ture saw just how much Maris meant to Darling, too.
In this fearful misery, they were kindred spirits.
“You stubborn Phrixian bastard. Pain in my ass,” Syn snarled under his breath. “Don’t you do this to us.” He jerked an injector from his bag.
Ture’s eyes widened at the size of it.
When Syn went to bury it in the center of Maris’s heart, Ture started for him, but Darling caught him and held him back. “Don’t look.”
He couldn’t take his eyes off them as Syn injected adrenaline directly into Maris’s heart.
Just as Ture was about to scream, Maris took a deep, frantic breath and opened his eyes. Panting and shaking, Maris glanced around until he saw Ture with Darling. He held his hand out toward them.
At first, Ture thought he was reaching for Darling. But it was his fingers Maris’s locked with. He pulled Ture closer until he could place a light, weak kiss to his knuckles.
More tears choked Ture as he returned to stroke Maris’s hair while Syn stabilized him for mobility.
Darling sat by Ture’s side and squeezed Maris’s shoulder. “Next time you leave when I tell you not to, I swear I’ll shoot you myself.”
Maris coughed. “Just don’t hit my groin.”
“You’re not funny,” Ture and Darling said simultaneously.
Hauk laughed. “I think he’s hilarious.”
They both glared at him.
Aggravated to the extreme, Darling turned his back to Hauk as Maris nuzzled Ture’s palm. It was only then that it dawned on Darling that Maris hadn’t called him when he was hit.
He’d called Ture instead.
For one heartbeat, an insane stab of jealousy went through him. Since early childhood, Maris had been the one constant Darling could count on, no matter what. He’d had Mari to himself for so many years that it was hard to accept the fact that Maris finally had someone else.
Someone he loved enough that it had been Ture’s voice alone that he’d wanted to hear before he died.
Not Darling’s.
But that wasn’t something to be jealous over. Maris deserved to be loved and cherished by someone who could give him everything he needed. And while Darling could give him his friendship and heart, he could never share his body with Maris. No matter how much he loved him.
For the first time, he fully understood the depth of Maris’s love for him. Even though he was in love with him, Mari had tracked Zarya down and brought her back into Darling’s life to heal his ravaged soul. How many people would be so altruistic?
Leaning down, Darling kissed Maris’s bearded cheek. “Love you, Mari.”
“Love you, too,” Maris answered automatically. He smiled at Darling’s heartfelt words until fear gripped him. He glanced up at Ture, expecting the worst.
There was no judgment or hatred in those beautiful gray eyes. No hesitancy in his touch as he continued to stroke Maris’s hair.
Hauk went to meet the medics who were bringing in a stretcher for Maris.
Syn checked his vitals. “Barring infection, I think you’re going to make it, bud. And don’t you dare get an infection. This is as close to death as I want you to come in my lifetime.”
Maris coughed. “I try to avoid Death as best I can. Bastard is relentless. I think he works for the League.”
Ture and Darling stood up and moved back so that the medics could lift Maris onto the stretcher.
When they reached the transport, they both started to go in. Ture hesitated.
Darling smiled kindly. “Sorry. Habit. I know he’d rather have you with him.”
Ture wasn’t sure about that. Not that it really mattered right now. He dropped his gaze to Darling’s blaster. “You should go. I can’t protect him from another attacker. Not like you can. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
His smile melted into a frown. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. This isn’t about my ego. It’s about Mari’s life. Keep him safe for me. Please.”
Darling hugged him before he climbed into the transport behind Syn.
“Don’t worry,” Hauk said as he draped an arm around Ture’s shoulders. “I’ll get you there before the transport.”
*
Maris pulled the mask away from his face as the transport took off. “Where’s Ture?”
Darling returned it to his mouth and nose then held it in place so that Maris couldn’t pull it off again. “He told me to go with you.”
Wincing, Maris clenched his teeth. After all the times Ture had professed his love, Maris had never responded to it. But with Darling...
Maris hadn’t even thought about it, or how it would sound to Ture.
Damn. It had to cut deep. No wonder he’d stayed behind. His luck, Ture would never speak to him again.
“Shh,” Syn said, leaning over him. “You need to calm down.”
Easier said than done. He wouldn’t have hurt Ture for anything.
What have I done?
When he failed to relax, Syn knocked him out.