Clark made soothing sounds and put himself between Daniel’s line of sight and the corpse behind them. Daniel didn’t need to see the evidence of his bloody heroism. With a quick turn of his upper body, Clark slid his weapon toward Daniel’s. Both hands now free, Clark tightened his arms around Daniel and shifted so that he held Daniel off the floor and against him, one hand cradling Daniel’s head.
Rocking, Clark stroked Daniel’s hair and kissed his forehead with a soft press of lips that was at odds with the strength of the hold around Daniel’s body. “I’m alive. And so are you. You got the bad guy, everything’s over, and we’re safe.”
Turning into Clark’s body, Daniel shuddered, more tears spilling. “You are…I…I kept my promise, I just…I just thought I’d lost you to do it. Oh, God, Clark.”
