“That was easier than expected.” Rory tilted his head. “Sebastian’s that much of an influence on you? How’d you even get together?”
“Why would I tell you that story?” Wesley said shortly.
“’Cause Iasked,” Rory said.
Wesley fixed him with a stare down his nose. “Remind me: when did my relationships become any of your business?”
“When you forgot where your lips are supposed to go.”
Wesley raised his eye skyward. “Are you ever going to let that go?”
“Nope,” Rory said, popping thep.
Wesley took a breath through his nose. If he were a humble man, he’d take this moment to thank Rory. To sayyou opened my eyes to new paths when I saw you with Arthur. I didn’t know a damn thing about real feelings before then. You showed me what making someone happy looks like and gave my cold heart a fighting chance when someone incredibly special came along.
And maybe someday, Wesley would be a bigger man and tell Rory all of it.
Today was not that day.
“Sebastian and I met in London and our association grew from there,” said Wesley. “I’m sure that’s all you need to know.”
“And just to be clear,associationis your fancy way to say you decided you oughta put your lips on him too?”
Wesley narrowed his eyes.
Arthur’s voice drifted over. “Everything all right, you two? You’re not fighting, are you?”
Rory’s gaze went to Langford’s body. “Nah, Ace,” he said, a little softer. “We’re good.”
Wesley rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.
Rory looked back at Wesley. “Thanks for saving Arthur and the rest of us,” he said, with complete sincerity. “You’re real brave. Loyal too. We’re lucky you were here.”
Christ, really?Rorywas going to be the bigger man? “Stop it,” Wesley said, because he absolutely, positively was not having feelings tonight. “Stick to yelling at me.”
The corner of Rory’s mouth turned up in a grudging smile. “Come on. I want outta here.”
Zhang had seen a second-floor library from the astral plane, one with plenty of seating and windows still intact from the storm. Wesley and Arthur moved Alasdair into an empty bedroom on the third floor and locked him in, in case he woke. They came back up, and Wesley covered Langford’s body with his jacket before walking over to Sebastian.
Sebastian’s fever was gone—disappeared with his magic, it seemed—but he’d had an alarming amount of magic run through him and looked ready to sleep on his feet. Wesley got him standing, his eyes catching the outline of the lion again, and no, he couldn’t think about Sebastian’s sacrifice right now, because it made his throat tight and overwhelming sentiment want to spill from his tongue.
He supported Sebastian with an arm around his waist, and the six of them began making their way downstairs. It was slow going, with Sebastian leaning heavily into him, Zhang and Jade both unsteady, and Arthur and Rory stalling everything to kiss on the landing.
Having to dodge the occasional decorative vase zipping through the air didn’t make the progress easier, but Jade’s quick thinking had saved Sebastian from the brooch. As far as Wesley was concerned, her telekinesis was entitled to every knickknack in New York.
“Arthur, we’re going to need a car to get back to the city,” Wesley pointed out, “or a place nearby for the others to sleep. Miss Robbins, Mr. Zhang, and Mr. Brodigan are probably in need of food as well.”
“Alasdair left us water and rations in the office,” said Rory. “We were sick, but we got each other to eat. Now I just want Ace.”
Arthur tsked. “As much as I return the sentiment, when was the last time you slept in a real bed?”
“What aboutyou? You said those dicks had you locked up this whole time—”
“No, sorry, I have a monopoly on being overprotective, you don’t get to do it too—”
“I don’t know how I missed it before,” Sebastian muttered, listing into Wesley’s shoulder. “They really are obvious.”
“My point,” Wesley stressed, to the group, “is that you are all going to wait in the library. Arthur and I are going to handle the rest.”
