Blind Promises

59. Do You Trust a Spy?

Rich threw gravel when he took off, Liam hoped he didn't hurt any of the soldiers left behind. They were grown, some of them would probably see hostile soil before long, but they were fresh. When did he become so jaded? He used to smile and look back on his own first few years, there was a difference, he was driven and came in with SO as his MOS. But he was still a fresh kid, young and dumb, even with one of the best educations money could buy. Guys sitting where he sat now looked at the recruits through squinted, hardened eyes. Liam caught the most shit, had to do the most work, it didn't matter, why? Because of his looks. The others loved to watch and laugh. Rich's battalion came to Bragg for some training. During off time, they'd go watch the newbies struggle through the course. Rich didn't laugh, Rich wrote a name in his notebook, a year and a half later Liam met Rich for the first time. They'd been in the same unit since. Maybe North Carolina would be a decent place to raise a couple of kids until his EOS.

Liam looked at Rich, "Ever thought about Bragg?"

"Fuck no. I ain't changin' diapers."

That was the dumbest shit he'd ever heard, no one ever changed his diapers, if anything they filled a few "Not one day I was on that base was I ever coddled. Did you have a different experience?"

"No, but young special operations candidates do stupid shit, they're fueled by adrenaline and testosterone. Young, dumb, and full of..." A bigger picture wasn't coming together for Rich.

Liam rushed in, "Yeah, yeah, I get it, no need to finish. It gives us a solid reason to be stateside with our children. And beautiful wife in my case, but we can't all be so lucky, sucker."

"Oh if she wasn't in this stupid piece of shit right now I would make your ears burn."

Gwen was interested now, "Oh, don't hold back on account of me. Especially if it's at my expense. I do like to hear those best."

"It's not about you, baby doll. You know it ain't, that's why you're encouragin' it. Sneak." Rich pointed at her.

"Damn it."

Liam looked between them, he was missing something, he felt blind again. Gwen looked up, "Hey, what is all that crap? It bugs me that I can't see."

"No changing the subject." Liam was determined to get some answers.

Rich cursed under his breath, "You want to hear what I'd say? Do you? I was gonna say, 'I must be pretty lucky because someone just killed the motherfucker stopping me from the only person on this earth more beautiful than you, sorry DC but I think we both know who the prettiest of them all is, right? It just so happens he has a sister."

"News to who?"

Gwen laughed, "He has a point, Rich. I mean, he was clueless until San Antonio but after that, we did have a cryptic conversation where I made him put A and B together."

"You're killin' me, DC."

"Besides, when do I get to be fairest? Not right." Gwen loved to make him flustered. "He's the prettiest, Alex is the prettiest, when is it my turn? Ooh, right, never, I get it now."

Gwen hadn't meant to touch him so deeply but she stung Rich. His partner's soft spot for her was exponential. "Gwen."

"I'm teasing, Rich. I get to be the most beautiful in his eyes every day. Or so he says. At least when we're alone. Boys are boys, there is always that next hot thing to talk about when no one is listening but it'd be weird as shit if it were Alex." Gwen leaned up and kissed his partner's cheek.

Liam looked down at her, really took the time to purposely take everything in. He'd started to take his vision for granted again, he had told himself he wouldn't. Gwen's dark hair fell around her shoulder in waves after being held up in a messy twist most of the day. Compression shirts should be a normal part of her wardrobe, he loved it, he could see every detail without compromising her privacy. Perfect. Pregnancy complimented her, a little ball in the middle of crisscrossed legs made him smile for the first time since she'd asked him to get frosty. He melted, when her warm eyes looked up at him, he was done.