Dumas nodded slowly.  He was dependable and strong.  He could take Mari to doctor’s appointments, or run errands for her,  or even sleep at her place if it turned out that she needed constant supervision.  But there would be other tasks -- ones which didn’t rely on dependability or strength.   He couldn’t tell a joke to make her smile, or distract her from her problems with a clever magic trick.  Those things required a lighter touch and a quicker mind.<br/><br/>“She’ll need both of us,” Dumas agreed, his voice heavy and solemn.  “Everything we can give her.”<br/><br/>Then Chester made the comment about blushing.  For a moment, Dumas glanced away, afraid that even a camera’s inhuman lens might be able to detect the raw longing in his eyes.  Sometimes he thought about ending this.  Sometimes the words were almost on the tip of his tongue, begging to get out.  But then what?  At best, he’d become another notch on Chester’s bedpost, another conquest won and then forgotten.  The only way to hold Chester’s attention was to remain unattainable.<br/><br/>“You just have to try harder,” Dumas assured.  “Learn from Mari, since you were apparently watching the whole thing.  Tell me I look nice and give my hand a gentle squeeze -- I promise I’ll turn as red as a warning light.”<br/><br/>Leaning forward in his chair, Dumas matched his companion’s manic grin.  Even a wounded soldier can go on the offensive.  “The real challenge would be finding out if<span style="font-style: italic">I</span>can make<span style="font-style: italic">you</span>blush.  But I don’t suppose we’ll ever settle that one, since you never let anyone see your true face.”