Page 46 of Men of Fort Dale: The Complete Series

Again, a flash of shame and pain flicked over Dean’s face that was gone in an instant.

A thousand questions plagued Troy’s mind, and he held them back.

For a long time he’d suspected there was something between Sloane and Dean, or more likely, considering Sloane’s tragic heterosexuality, just on Dean’s end.

Troy had never asked, and Dean had never said, so he couldn’t be sure.

But Troy wondered if that little tidbit finally came out into the open, it would shake things up a bit.

Dean looked askance at him, smirking. “I can hear you thinking.”

“You cannot.”

“Can too. And I can smell the smoke.”

Troy huffed. “That’s rude.”

“Fits with the mood I’ve been in, right?”

Troy rolled his eyes. “So, while I oh so casually respect that you don’t want to talk about what’s going on, will you at least tell me what took the edge off? You’re obviously not ready to keep ripping limbs off.”

Dean laughed. “Marco stopped by earlier while you were with Simmons.”

“Oh, I see. Boyfriend talked you off the ledge, then?”

Dean narrowed his eyes. “Don’t push it. And nothing is official between us.”

Troy held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, then your not boyfriend came by and talked you off the ledge.”

Dean picked up a pen from the desk and chucked it at Troy. “You’re the worst comfort in trying times.”

“To be fair, I never claimed to be.”

It was enough to see the amusement light up his friend’s eyes again, so Troy was willing to accept the improvised weapon tossed at him. Maybe he couldn’t help Dean by talking it through, but hey, a smile was good.

Dean leaned back in his chair. “But what about you?”

Troy blinked. “What about me what?”

“When are you going to get yourself a not boyfriend?”

Troy laughed. “I think I’ve had plenty of those already.”

“I don’t think your hook-ups fall into that category unless you’re trying to say Marco and I are just a hook-up.”

“Ooh, is that a trap I smell?”

“Better than the smell of lube and booze, which I’m sure you’re more than used to.”

Troy’s mouth fell open, and he chucked the pen back at Dean. “I can’t believe you just called me a slut!”

“Am I wrong?” Dean asked, his lips curling with devilish mischief.

Troy huffed, standing and snatching up the tablet. “That is neither here nor there, and I ask that you mind your own business, good sir.”

Dean gave him a dry look. “This from the man who likes to share every last detail of his latest bedroom partner, in excruciating, unnecessary detail, I might add.”

Troy laughed, giving him a shrug. “Some of us aren’t built for relationships, Dean, whereas others, like you, are. I’m having some fun, and I don’t want a boyfriend or a not boyfriend.”

“You sure? I could always ask Marco if he’s got some single friends.”

“Oh, no, no matchmaking, no setting me up. I can tend to my own love life, thank you very much.”

That wasn’t strictly true, but he wouldn’t start admitting his failings to Dean.

God knew the story of his love life, back when he’d tried to have one, was a complete disaster.

Troy had learned his lesson, or at least what he claimed was his lesson.

If love could be that disastrous for him, then there was no point trying to force it.

He didn’t think he could take that heartbreak again.

Dean shrugged. “It’s not like it would kill you.”

“Says you. Imagine trying to tie down this wonderful commodity to only one person. It would be a crime.”

Dean groaned, rubbing his face. “Please, Lord, tell me you have something else to do.”

“I’ll point out that you started this.”

“And boy, am I regretting it.”

Troy gave him a wink. “That’s what I’m here for, to feed you nothing but regret.”

“Maybe you should go make sure everything is in order for our round of check-ups.”

“What, those don’t start till 0900.”

“And you’ve got twenty minutes.”

Troy looked up at the clock and cursed. “Damn it. Are these more of General Winter’s new chosen people? Because after the surprise ‘oh, just a training exercise injury’ visit, I don’t think we can take more.”

Dean snorted, turning back to the computer. “No, we have a new one in a couple of days, though, but these are just normal check-ups.”

Troy sighed. So much for his quiet and boring morning. He’d completely forgotten about the morning’s check-ups, and he’d been hoping to slip in a quick nap.

Troy set the tablet down. “You’re a slave driver.”

“You can always take my place and do the paperwork.”

Wrinkling his nose, Troy left the office before Dean decided that was a good idea. The last thing they needed was Troy dealing with paperwork. But first things first, he thought maybe he knew just how to lift Dean’s spirits.

With a knowing smirk, he opened the screen to his phone and dialled a number.

Trying to improve Dean’s mood with good food wasn’t the grand plan Troy thought it was.

Troy sat beside Dean, watching the man poke at his food, growing distracted from his meal as he tried to be as evasive as possible, telling Troy what was wrong.

For a brief shining moment, it looked as though Dean and Sloane’s friendship had been restored, but apparently, something more significant had happened, which was exactly why Troy had cornered Dean in the office and started being the concerned friend.

Troy also thought it was cute how desperately Dean tried to be cryptic while wearing every emotion openly on his face.

So Troy tried something a little more direct.

Troy chuckled. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wondered if there was more going on with you two than you let on.”

Dean’s eyes widened with shock. “What?”

Troy held his hands out, hoping to placate Dean.

“Stop, it’s just a thought. Don’t get me wrong, you two would be a cute couple, and sometimes I still wonder, but you guys are what you are.

In the end, that’s all that matters, and you shouldn’t worry too much.

Sloane’s a stubborn jerk, and you’re just as hardheaded.

You guys aren’t going to fall apart that easily. ”

“You really thought there was something going on between us?” Dean asked.

Troy screwed up his face, making a show of giving it some real evaluation, but he already knew he was going to lie.

Dean was a good man and did his best by other people, but he could be prickly where his pride was concerned.

He thought Dean would be horrified if he knew Troy suspected Dean’s feelings for his best friend.

“Weird, but not on your end. On his, though? Yeah, I have.”

“You thought the straight guy had something going for me?” Dean asked incredulously.

Troy shrugged. “Call it a hunch, idle fantasy, I don’t know.”

Dean rolled his eyes, jabbing Troy with the plastic fork. “Now, we’re getting into your weird fantasies. Time to call this meeting to an end.”

“Hey,” Troy yelped, wiping the smear off his uniform.

A deep voice cleared their throat behind them, and both medics turned around to face the noise. Troy’s expression froze, his throat tightening as he saw the towering man waiting for them in the office doorway.

It had been six years, and time had changed both of them, but Troy would know him anywhere.

Oscar Reyes.

Oscar was looking at Dean. “Sorry to interrupt.”

Troy’s heart hammered, and in a brief moment of lucidity, he was glad he was sitting down.

He supposed he knew deep down there might be a chance he would run into Oscar again, but as time passed, Troy had convinced himself it would never happen.

Yet here he was, the only man Troy had ever loved in all his twenty-five years, looking tall, strong, and not having noticed Troy.

“Oscar?” Troy asked, his voice cracking.

Oscar’s gaze darted to Troy’s face, and for a moment, shock widened Oscar’s dark eyes.

A moment later, the surprise was gone, replaced by a serious expression Troy knew all too well.

The flash of emotion, the burial of any weakness, and the stoic expression brought bittersweet pangs of nostalgia for Troy, and an ache he thought he’d left behind rose again.

“Yeah. Hi, Troy,” Oscar said, voice so neutral it sounded unnatural to Troy’s ears.

“You two know each other?” Dean asked him, brow high.

Troy had forgotten Dean, ripping his stare away to face his friend. “Knew.”

“General Winter told me I needed to come here for a check-up before going on duty,” Oscar explained, voice tight.

Dean jabbed the fork in Troy’s direction. “He’ll get you all set up and checked.”

Troy barely managed to keep himself from spluttering. “What?”

Dean held up his food. “I’m on lunch.”

“That I bought you!” Troy protested.

“And I’m so grateful that I want to finish it before it gets cold,” Dean shot back.

That little shit.

“You…” Troy began.

“I know,” Dean said with a wink.

Troy couldn’t muster the energy to hold his glare, turning to face Oscar, who still stood in the doorway, his face taut.

Troy grimaced, pushing out of his chair, resigned to his fate.

Grabbing his tablet, he motioned for Oscar to enter the hallway.

Troy regretted that choice a moment later when he had to squeeze between Oscar and the door.

Troy’s breath caught as he pushed between the wood frame and Oscar’s rock-hard body, the man’s cologne filling his nostrils and flooding his memory.

“Are you ever going to tell me what you wear for cologne?” Troy asked, flopping onto his side to watch Oscar as he slid out of bed.

Oscar snorted. “Nope.”

“Why?”

“Because you want to know so badly.”

Troy frowned. “That’s a horrible reason. What the hell?”

Oscar grinned. “Because I know it drives you nuts not to know, you nosy ass.”

“I am not nosy!”

Oscar turned, smirking. “You might want to try that on someone who doesn’t know you better.”