Fox shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I just realized we don't know much about each other."
Fox felt a bit shy the way Vale was gazing down at him.
"I see. So, does that mean I can ask you anything?"
Fox bit his bottom lip then looked out in the crowd hoping to avoid the man's green eyes and question.
"Look at me, Fox," Vale's deep voice commanded. Fox couldn't seem to fight his order and instantly looked at the other man. The crowd and the music seemed to fade away when Vale reached up and lightly brushed one of Fox's cheeks. "There are so many things I want to tell you, but you're not ready to hear them."
"Do you have a crush on me or something?" Fox wasn't sure if his partner was crazy with all his talk of magic or liked playing pranks just to see him get flustered.
"I wouldn't call it a crush," Vale responded, smiling. "But one day you'll figure it out."
I doubt it. "Stop playing games, Vale."
"When it comes to you, I never play games."
Fox wanted to believe there was some truth to Vale's words. Even if there was, nothing could happen between them, not when they still worked together. Shaking his head, everything came back into focus, and it gave him the chance to change the subject.
"Have you ever tried finding your birth parents?" Fox stepped to the side and started walking again.
"They're dead."
"Oh."
Fuck, why did I ask that question?
"They were killed when I was five."
Shit!
"I'm sorry."
"Why are you, sorry? You weren't the one that killed them."
"I don't know. It’s what people say in comfort," Fox snapped.
"Then I guess I should say sorry to you for your parents’ deaths."
Fox had lost his parents when he was ten years old. Their house had burned down in the middle of the night while they were sleeping. No one knew how the fire started, but he was the only survivor, which was a wonder in and of itself. He'd been found protected under a mountain of blankets as if someone had been watching out and protecting him. After his parents’ death, he went to live with his aunt and uncle, who hadn’t cared if he lived or died.
It wasn't the first time he'd escaped death, either. When he was in Kuwait and his team had been ambushed by insurgents, he was one of two survivors. The other guy lost both of his legs. Fox came out of the situation unscathed except for the memories of what had happened; it was as if the bullets completely missed him.
"I guess you're right, sorry isn't needed when you had nothing to do with it. The funny thing is, they died so long ago I can't even remember what my parents looked like."
"I've never forgotten," Vale whispered. "I remember every smile, every laugh, every freckle, every kiss, touch..." He turned his gaze to Fox. "Their deaths are forever ingrained in my memory." Vale grimaced, looking away from him. "And even when I try to forget, something happens to make me remember."
Fox felt pity for the younger man. He was about to speak when Vale stopped walking and frowned, peering into the crowd. Fox followed his line of sight, not seeing or sensing anything that sent off his “danger is near” senses. The crowd had thinned out a bit since the parade was winding down, but everything seemed fine.
Fox was about to ask what was going on when his radio beeped, and the dispatcher spoke in his ear, informing them of a security alarm going off at the East Street warehouse. They weren't far from the location, so Fox told the operator they'd take the call.
"Come on, we gotta go," Fox grabbed Vale's shoulder, getting the larger man's attention. "We gotta go, we got a call."
Vale nodded, and they both hurried to the warehouse. Fox looked at his partner and noticed he was distracted. "Hey, are you okay?"
Vale turned his bright green gaze on his. "Yeah, I thought I saw someone I knew."
"Oh, not a friend, I take it."
"Not in the fucking least," Vale growled.
Fox was a bit taken back by the anger coming off Vale, who was always playful. He didn't ask any more questions because Vale didn't seem to want to provide any more information. The closer they got to the warehouse and away from the parade’s music, Fox could hear the alarm going off. When they got to the building, the heavy chains were still secured on the