Page 13 of The Shapeshifter’s Secretary (Charmed Away Temp Agency #3)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The falling was getting ridiculous. Tony wasn’t sure if he was getting too comfortable and not paying attention or if something else was causing him to trip so much, but he couldn’t take the abuse for long. Eventually, he’d be forced to cave and use a wheelchair just to stop hurting himself. Walking was something he’d fought tooth and nail for after he was injured, and he didn’t want all that work to be wasted, but the pain radiating through his leg and up his side was debilitating. If he didn't get a handle on things or cave, he’d be out of work. Again.
He’d squeezed his eyes shut to block out the pain when the thunderbird shifter picked him up off the ground. Tony thought it would’ve hurt, curling up never felt pleasant along his side, but the magic from that morning helped a little. The size of the man carrying him probably helped too. He was taller and wider than Tony and carried him easily. No tight grip or scrunching him up required to better handle his weight.
When he peeked his eyes open, they were inside the warehouse that housed a bunch of computers that would be used to record the results from the experiments. Most of the staff was in here, out of range of any danger, and there were desks and chairs aplenty for them to sit and do their work. One saw them coming and immediately vacated his seat, wheeling it toward them so the thunderbird could set him down. It was a lot more comfortable than the plastic number he’d sat on outside. He didn’t begrudge Taron for that, it was necessary to avoid any conductivity, but after the fall, he was grateful for the soft surface.
The thunderbird shifter settled him gently on the seat, squatting in front of him to look him over. “Are you alright?”
His voice was deep and husky, causing a shiver to run down Tony’s spine. Luckily, either no one noticed, or they attributed it to the pain because they didn’t comment on it. Taron had followed behind them, and he actually shoved the man away, glaring at him as he stood protectively in front of Tony.
“What the hell? You can’t just snatch someone without their permission! Tony doesn’t like to be carried! It only makes the pain worse!”
Under normal circumstances, that would be true, but it wasn’t that bad this time. He opened his mouth to say as much, but Taron was on a roll, seething and ranting without caring that everyone was watching him.
“You can’t just take his things either! None of this would’ve happened if you would’ve just stayed the hell away from him! You shouldn’t have even left the monitoring circle! You’ll screw up the results!”
“Taron. Enough,” the man demanded, silencing the shapeshifter. Once he knew Taron was listening, he spoke again, his voice rumbling like a growl. “I was not taking his things. The cane is metallic. It would have been dangerous for him to be out there with it. I only planned on moving it inside until the experiments were through. You’d know that if you took even two seconds to speak with me before starting a fight. Though I’m not sure why I expected any level of maturity from you. If anyone is responsible for this mess, it’s you.”
Tony saw it coming before it happened and lunged forward, snatching Taron’s wrist to stop him from punching the man. They needed the volunteers to get the project off the ground. It was important to Taron. Thankfully, the chair had wheels, so he didn’t fall again trying to stop him.
Taron froze but didn't immediately look at Tony. He glared at the shifter, practically vibrating with fury, until Tony pulled him back to his side.
“Taron, don’t. You’re not at fault. No one is. It was an accident. I didn’t realize…” This actually felt like Tony’s fault, if he was being honest. He was the one who brought something metallic somewhere it wasn’t supposed to be. He was the one stupid enough to try to use a plastic chair to support him enough to stand. And he was the reason Taron was so combative. He was protecting Tony. And as much as that warmed his heart, it made him feel guilty, too. Taron didn't need to protect him, and Tony didn't want him kicked off the project because of him.
Spinning, Taron kneeled beside him, putting one hand on Tony’s shoulder. “You’re not at fault for this, a thaisce. I should have found something better suited for you to sit on. I’ll do better in the future. Forgive me?”
“A thaisce?” the shifter murmured. He was only a few feet away, watching them with a deep frown. His gaze flicked between Taron and Tony, and what almost looked like pain flashed across his face when he asked, “Are you two mated?”
Tony shook his head quickly. “No. He’s my boss. Sort of. I’m a temp.” Technically, Taron was his boss, but he didn't pay Tony. Charmed Away did. And while Taron could dismiss him from the job, he couldn’t get Tony fired from Charmed Away unless he did something awful. So, yes his boss, but also no? He didn't know how to make sense of all that, honestly.
The thunderbird shifter looked like he wanted to ask more but thought better of it. Instead, he kneeled on Tony’s other side, gesturing to his injury. “How bad is the pain?”
It’d been a lot better after that morning, but now it was back to throbbing, and he was pretty sure the plastic bits of the prosthetic cut into him in a few spots because they stung whenever he moved around. He didn’t want to admit to that, though. He’d caused enough trouble already. Taron still looked borderline ready to start a fight, and the tension in the air was palpable. And not in a good way.
“I’ll be alright with a little rest. I know better than to use that chair to support my weight now. I’m sorry for causing the distraction.”
Taron huffed, his lip twitching against a scowl. “You got hurt. You didn't cause any trouble. We really need to work on your self-esteem.”
Tony felt his face flush, and he ducked his head, embarrassed. He knew he had self-esteem issues, but he didn’t love it being pointed out. Especially in front of so many people. He could practically feel all eyes on them.
The thunderbird made an irritated sound, and when Tony glanced up, he was giving Taron a dirty look. “Don’t shame him. Not everyone is a cocky little shit like you.”
The more Tony watched them interact, the more he realized there was a history there. They were a lot more familiar with each other than just someone they’d met that day or even someone they worked with in the past. They acted like they’d known each other for a long time. And they hated each other.
“Please don’t fight,” Tony begged before Taron could start shouting again. He hated that this was all because of him and his stupid injury, and he didn't want it to get any worse.
Taron stifled himself from saying more, though he was still glaring at the thunderbird. That glare only got darker when the thunderbird ignored him completely, giving Tony his full attention.
“I apologize. Not only for my behavior but for my part in your fall. I didn’t realize taking the cane away would have such adverse effects. I only wanted to prevent any potential injury. I realize now that without it, you wouldn’t be able to move and that could be dangerous itself. If you’ll allow it, I’ll find you a better option for next time.”
Tony put up his hands, startled. “Oh, no. You don’t have to do that. I’ll figure it out. I–”
“I’ll get him something,” Taron snapped, seething again. “You don’t even know him.”
The thunderbird gave him a bland look. “Why would I need to know him to offer him support? Do you only help your friends? Have you become more selfish since the last time we spoke?”
“Go f–”
Tony twisted to cover Taron’s mouth, but the movement sent a sharp pain down his side and through his leg. He grunted and straightened suddenly, but that only made things worse. He had to freeze to allow the pain to settle into a throb before he could even attempt to move again.
A warm tingling sensation started in his thigh just above his knee and swept up his side, startling him. His eyes flew open, and he looked down in shock as the thunderbird applied gentle magic to his leg and side. Tiny sparks danced on his hands before sinking into Tony’s skin through his clothes. It was… soothing. It took the edge off the pain and settled some of the sharp stabbing. Tony sucked in a sharp breath, surprised and relieved, and when he locked eyes with the thunderbird again, the handsome man smiled at him.
“How–?” Tony couldn’t quite finish the sentence, still shocked to his core.
The thunderbird chuckled. “I can control my output. Only those over a certain age can do so safely, so I wouldn’t recommend asking just any thunderbird you come across. But I was part of the reason you were hurt. I feel it is my duty to make it better if I can. Is it helping?”
Tony’s nod was a little jerky, but he’d feel a little indignant if people judged him. Twice that day he’d had people help him with magic after years of pain. It was shocking, okay?
He snorted to himself at the pun, then realized they were both still watching him. Taron looked annoyed at the thunderbird, but his expression turned curious at Tony’s laugh, and he tipped his head.
“What’s so funny?”
Would it be rude to refuse to explain? Probably. “I, uh… I just thought for a minute that magic being so helpful was shocking.” He gestured to his leg, wrinkling his nose at the terrible pun.
In another surprising turn of events, they both laughed. Taron outright with an easy smile and dancing eyes. The thunderbird with more of a low throaty chuckle. Both sounds made Tony unbelievably happy. He wished he could pull off more moments like that, where he made such handsome men laugh.
A phone call drew Taron away, though he wasn’t happy about it. He stayed within eyesight and kept his eyes on Tony, even while he paced along one wall. The thunderbird huffed a small laugh.
“He still does that, huh?”
“What?” Tony dragged his gaze away from Taron, looking at the man at his side.
He nodded towards Taron. “For as long as I knew him, he never sat still. It drove teachers insane, but eventually, they learned he was better behaved and more attentive if they just let him move around.”
“Have you known each other for a while?” Tony didn’t want to pry, it wasn’t like he and Taron were in a relationship, though the idea had given him butterflies when the thunderbird suggested it. But he was curious to know more about the man who seemed so determined to take care of him. Maybe it’d make deciding about his future easier.
The thunderbird hummed, taking a moment to look at Taron before turning back to Tony. “We used to be friends, once upon a time. That was a long time ago, though.”
“Mr. Cloudwalker?” a female researcher poked her head in from outside, a frown on her face. “Will you be able to return today?”
“In a moment,” the thunderbird said smoothly, without looking at the speaker. “I want to make sure he’s okay first.”
Tony flushed brightly and felt his shoulders go up. “It’s, uh… It’s fine. I’m okay. Taron took me to see a healer this morning, so it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. You should go back outside. They probably need you more than I do.”
The way the man pressed his lips together made Tony think he didn’t believe him. And while the magic helped significantly, he didn’t want to be selfish with the man’s time. This project would help so many people. Their needs weren’t more important than Tony’s. No matter how much his body protested when the man pulled away. Not all of that was a pain response, either.