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Thomas chin twitched as he tried to shake his head but couldn’t.
“It was in this room,” he told Thomas, knowing he was revealing something that literally no one else knew about. “When I had to tell him about my parents, about my life, and when I was done, he asked me what I wanted.” He took a breath in, still remembering the moment like it was yesterday. “I told him I wanted him to see me. I had been hiding my entire life and I wanted someone to finally see who I really was, not who I lied about being. He told me that he saw me, every part of me, that I didn’t have to hide.” He straightened, letting go of Thomas. “You asked how I feel when I see Felinus. I feel safe when I see him because I know that he would bring the entire world down to be at my side. But when Felinus sees me? When Felinus sees me, I feel seen and that is so much more important to me than how I feel when I see him. So, Thomas O’Malley, I think Danny was probably someone you needed after all you’ve been through. He was who could help you learn how to smile again. Someone that, for a little while, you could have fun with. But the person you are meant to be with? That person will make you feel seen every time their eyes fall on you.”
Thomas stared at him then, slowly, he nodded.
Issac felt himself smirk. He thought there was a new twist on that confusion, a confusion that might turn to an epiphany if he didn’t push it. “Good lad,” he said a bit of the Irish that had hidden in his accent pushing out as he squeezed Thomas’s shoulder. “Now, exit out of that bullshit tantrum, email Ceri and Jessi that you are okay and I’ll be keeping an eye on you until they get home.” He smiled. “Felinus has already filled in Marcus and Sean on what happened on the island. I’ll text them about-” his eyes flicked towards the computer, “that.”
Thomas relaxed under his hand and he nodded. “Thanks, Issac.”
“Anytime, Thomas,” Issac promised him, smiling. “Also do me a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Keep the love bit about me and Felinus to yourself. I made that man wait nearly six months before I was ready to say it out loud. No one needs to know I felt it within a week like some cheesy romance novel.”
Thomas chuckled, making an “x” over his heart the way Issac had seen him do with his aunts when they were promising something, a cute little gesture that belonged amongst a family. “I promise.”
Goodbye
Danny frowned as his text to Thomas didn’t seem to go through. Sean’s message about there being a change of plans had come through just fine, but Thomas’s still spun. It made him anxious.
An email from Sean had come the morning after Thomas abandoned him on the island, telling Danny that Thomas was safe and not to message him again. Danny hadn’t liked it, but he listened. It seemed unfair to be told that he wasn’t allowed to email his boyfriend, but Mark and Kevin agreed with Sean, particularly given Thomas’s final words that still didn’t make any sense.
They were Seong’s words. The man had been too ready to jump in. The fact that the Zoo had been able to come in and do everything they claimed they needed to do on such short notice—
Why would they do all of that just to steal your boyfriend, a little voice in his head said, sounding a lot like Thomas’s tired sigh. He could have just waited for the school year to start. When you were three states and hundreds of miles away and he had Thomas all to himself.
Danny frowned. That did make more sense but…
Sean was sitting in the pick-up lane, waiting for them.
“Hey, Sean,” Mark called as Danny’s older brother got out to help them with the bags. “Where’s Marcus?”
“Jessi and Ceri’s flights got in early,” Sean replied, a bit short as he opened the back of the van. “He brought Thomas to pick them up and took them home already. I’ll drop the two of you off on our way home.”
“Oh,” Kevin said, tossing his bags into the back. “Are we all meeting at the restaurant later then for the welcome back dinner?”
Sean paused as he went to move a suitcase to make more room, then he looked from the two of them to Danny. “Get in the car,” he said in a dangerous calm voice, throwing Danny’s bag in and closing the hatch.
They did, Danny in the front and his friends in the back.
“Sean—”
“No one talk until I’m out of the airport,” Sean interrupted, glancing over his shoulder. “Not a fucking word.”
Danny leaned away from Sean as they drove through the throng of traffic and travelers. A thousand thoughts ran through his head on what Sean could be angry about. Had something else happened to Thomas? Had the Zoo overstepped what should have been handled by the Clovers and there was a war or something? Danny couldn’t remember the time before the Three Rings but anyone who spoke of it mostly just turned grave. Had something completely unrelated to Thomas happened?
“You didn’t tell them,” Sean said once they had finally reached the interstate to head back home.
Danny frowned at him. “Tell who what?”
Sean’s eyes narrowed at the road but he didn’t look at Danny. “Tell them,” he jabbed a thumb back at Kevin and Mark, nearly jabbing Kevin in the eye with how close they had both leaned in, “about what you did to Thomas.”
“I didn’t-” Danny started.
“OH FUCKING HELL,” Kevin roared, glaring at Danny. “What did you fucking do this time?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Danny shouted back at him, twisting in his seat to glare back at him then at Sean. “What are you— FU—” He choked on the swear as Sean cut through traffic suddenly, taking the immediate exit.
