Was it worth all of the pain and humiliation, just so that Diroze would keep looking at him like this? Like he was worth something? Like Diroze would miss him if he was gone?
“Captain, I—”
“Please, call me by name,” Diroze interrupted, leaning forward until their noses were nearly touching. “I think, after over a decade of companionship, we have earned that much. Besides, you seemed eager to use my name earlier.”
Aurion paused, wondering what Diroze was referring to, before flushing abruptly when he recalled the way he had nearly screamed at the man before. Oh, God.
“Diroze,” he corrected hastily, quite eager to move on from that. “It’s not that I don’t enjoy my work. I’m just…my injuries—what I mean to say is, I don’t think I’m suited for this anymore.”
“You don’t think so?” Diroze s
