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"Jimmy. What is this?" Scott struggled to breathe past the black hole that had opened up inside his chest, his mind spinning. He could see sparks falling out the corner of his eye, his magic going haywire in time with his emotions. He must be dreaming. Surely this was a nightmare. There was no way…
The bra was as real as everything else around him. A sports one, sat half hidden under Jimmy's bed. Like it'd been dropped there. Taken off in a hurry maybe. Scott tried and failed to not imagine his boyfriend pulling it off a faceless woman's figure.
"Scott what- where did you find that?" Jimmy asked, his golden wings shifting against his back. He was anxious. Uncomfortable. Scott's initial instinct was to try and comfort him but he let the feeling pass. He didn't want to comfort Jimmy. Not when- well, it seemed like this discomfort was deserved.
Internally Scott pleaded for this to not be real. Such pleading had never saved him before.
"It was under the bed. I was tidying up for you." What a joke. Scott had thought he'd learnt, he thought he knew better. His last boyfriend had cheated on him and he'd promised himself that he'd learn the signs, that he'd never be caught off guard and taken advantage of again. Here he was anyway. Jimmy had clearly been better at hiding it, no suspicious work trips, no joint card with unaccounted for out goings, no wandering eyes. Scott must have missed all the clues, but even looking back he couldn't see them.
Some people just wanted a pretty fae on their arm to show off to their friends. He'd thought Jimmy was different. He thought Jimmy was one of his best friends. Clearly he was just deluding himself. Scott should have known he would never be enough, no matter what sweet words Jimmy had said to placate him.
"Jimmy are you-" cheating on me. He couldn't even bring himself to say the words, staring desperately at Jimmy as he hoped that the canary would say no, of course he wasn't, it could all be explained away. He'd hoped that last time too, and the guy had tried, and it hadn't fixed anything.
"Yes." Jimmy's voice was a croak. He looked scared of all things, which was ridiculous honestly. Why was Jimmy scared?! Because his perfect trophy life was crumbling around him because of his own actions?
After everything they'd been though. After Third Life, after Empires, Jimmy had just thrown it all away for some random woman in the hub and Jimmy had the nerve to look scared?
Distantly Scott considered that it might be the other way around. The woman here may be the original, the girlfriend, Scott may be the other girl, so to speak. He didn't think he really cared.
"I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't find the right time. I hope this doesn't change anything. I still love you."
"Change anything?" Scott laughed hysterically, reaching up to pull at his hair and trying to force the glowing tears gathering in his eyes to stay at bay. He could tell that his glamour was cracking, slipping away, his teeth getting sharper and particles gathering around him, but he couldn't find it within himself to care. "How would this not change things, Jimmy? You've been lying to me!" Honestly the lying was the least of his crimes, but Scott still couldn't bring himself to say the rest of it. "I can't even look at you."
He moved robotically, grabbing the overnight bag he'd brought with him when he came to spend the weekend at Jimmy's house instead of his own. Jimmy didn't try to stop him, tears flowing down his cheeks and his wings wrapped tightly around himself as he watched Scott leave.
"I'm going home," Scott said, even though he knew it wasn't true. Home had too many memories, too many times cuddling with Jimmy watching films or hosting him for a meal. No, that wouldn't work right now. He tried to figure out what on earth he was going to do, hit by the sudden realisation that most of his friends were Jimmy's too. "I'll get in touch with you later." For now he'd go to Owen's. Owen liked Jimmy, had always said that he was good for Scott, but he would definitely take Scott's side. He'd probably feel bad that he hadn't magically seen this coming. Most importantly, Jimmy had only been to Owen's house a couple of times.
He left without waiting for Jimmy's response, finally letting the tears fall once he was safe in his car and away from the still smoking remains of what he'd believed to be his future.
Scott avoided Jimmy as much as he possibly could. It wasn't perfect, they still shared friends after all and however much he hated what Jimmy had done to him, he still loved him too much at the same time. He'd never been able to tell the others why he had broken up with Jimmy, why they were barely friends anymore. Only Owen, Bek and El knew, and he'd made the three of them promise to keep it to themselves. He knew that he shouldn't be protecting the lies of a cheater, but even the strongest of his rage had yet to fully destroy the love he had for the memory of his best friend and boyfriend.
He'd get there one day, hopefully.
Double Life was already proving itself to be hard. The tiny group in a tiny server didn't exactly give Scott much space to run away. He was enjoying his Divorce arc with Pearl, Cleo, and Martyn, though he could admit that all the talk of cheating was both healing and hurting in equal measures.
Jimmy was clearly getting along with his soulmate, his feathers fluffing in a familiar way every time he saw Tango. Scott tried, he really tried, to just let it happen. He didn't know Tango that well, but he was so bright and happy all the time, so enthusiastic, he absolutely shone when talking to Jimmy, his blaze rods spinning faster and his tail constantly wrapped around whatever part of Jimmy it could reach. Scott didn't want to see that brightness dim, and he knew better than anyone that people didn't change.
He tried to catch Tango alone, but the guy was slippery and constantly moving. The only time he stayed in one place, ironically enough, seemed to be when he was talking to someone else, and even then it was difficult to get him one to one. Eventually he decided to just shoulder the sonic shriek and go to the ranch. He didn't really want to talk about this with Jimmy around, had actually promised Owen that he'd avoid the avian as much as possible, but Tango deserved to know and he deserved to find out within some amount of privacy.
He waited until a rest day, then waited until it was dark purely because he was psyching himself up. Cleo and Pearl noticed something was off, doing their best to distract him all day and make him laugh. He was running out of time though, and he needed to do this now so that Tango didn't think it was some kind of Double Life based mind game. Like what Bdubs and Impulse were trying, but even more cruel.
"I'm just heading out," he told the others, knowing that they'd get worried if he just vanished without a word. "Last wander before we go back to murdering each other."
"Stay safe," Cleo called, mostly focused on the elaborate french plait they were doing in Pearl's hair.
"Don't stay out too long," Pearl followed up, clearly enjoying the role of concerned parent.
"Alright mum," Scott laughed, his ears twitching happily and the tight squeeze in his chest feeling lighter for just a moment. It came back again once he'd turned himself to the bright lights of the Ranchers’ Ranch. What he needed to do had never really gone away, but it suddenly felt much more real than before.
Knocking on the ranch door was one of the most difficult things he'd done in a while, beaten only by staying there while he waited for someone to answer, and meeting Tango's bright eyes as he asked if Scott was okay.
"Yeah, sorry, I just need to speak to you about something. It's not game related." Hopefully saying that now would reduce the likelihood of Tango assuming it was all a mind game, even if they were still in the break.
"Something serious?" Tango asked. "You seem…" He never finished his sentence, waving Scott to follow him towards the slightly threadbare sofa. Scott didn't need him to, he knew his hands were shaking and his breathing was just slightly too fast. He knew he looked scared and that his magic was glowing through the rapidly spreading cracks in his glamour. He was actually quite thankful that Tango didn't say it out loud. At least for now he could pretend that he was managing to hold it together, even when he really wasn't.
"Jimmy! We have a guest!" Tango called through the ranch before Scott could stop him.
"A guest?" Jimmy popped down the ladder before Scott could properly prepare himself, eyes going wide and wings pressing closer to his back at the sight of Scott. At the state he was in. "Oh, Scott! I wasn't expecting you." He winced almost as soon as the words left his mouth, clearly aware of how rude that had sounded. "I mean-"
"Don't worry about it," Scott interrupted, digging deep and trying to find the anger, the detachment, that had allowed him to make it this far. "I was actually here to talk to Tango." He waited a moment, watching understanding and dread dawn on Jimmy while confusion stayed painted across Tango's face. "About you."
"Ah." Jimmy said. His smiled wobbled, but didn't drop.
"About Jimmy?" Tango looked between the two of them, the tension in the room slowly dawning on him and his blaze rods slowing their circling. "Oh. About your break up."
"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about it, as you seem to be planning a relationship of your own." He bit his own cheek, his suddenly sharper teeth making him taste blood. He was holding himself together with nothing but spite by this point.
"I've already told him," Jimmy said, his voice staying even despite the shake Scott could see in his hands. "Learnt my lesson. As soon as we went past friendship, I let him know."
"And you don't care?" Scott asked slowly, his nails digging into his palms. Tango already knew? Scott had spent all this time trying to catch him, had come to the ranch despite his promise to try and avoid Jimmy as much as possible, and Tango already knew?
"No. It doesn't change the way I see him."
Scott scoffed, trying to stay calm, to stay friendly, even as Tango sliced him in half with his words. Tango… didn't care? Jimmy had broken Scott's heart, not even all that long ago, treated him like nothing, and Tango didn't care? Scott might have never been Tango's best friend, but he'd hoped that they were at least closer than this.
"People change, but not that much." Scott forced his voice to be hard, forced venom to spray through his words to keep the hurt away. "He didn't respect me, he won't respect you either."
"What does respect have to do with this?" Jimmy asked, having the gall to look upset at Scott's words. As though Scott was the one being cruel here, and not the one who held him close at night and kissed him like he was special and then turned around and cheated on him and then acted like it didn't matter when he was found out.
"Respect is all of it!" Scott spat, his eyes flashing. "You didn't respect me. You didn't respect our relationship. That's what happened." He didn't think he was still breathing. He couldn't think at all, actually. His brain was just flashes of red and blue.
"Scott- no. That's- I was scared. It wasn't a lack of respect."
Scott couldn't do anything but laugh. Not a lack of respect? Jimmy had played him as a fool! He'd treated Scott and his loyalty as a joke. He'd been just like Scott's previous partners, who saw Scott as nothing more than a pretty face with an empty head.
"Scott. There's no need to be cruel."
"No need to be cruel?" Scott shook his head. Maybe this was what would finally do it. The final straw that would end with him telling all their friends the full story of why he and Jimmy had broken up. He couldn't tell if he was happy or horrified at the prospect. "After everything you did, you're telling me not to be cruel?"
"Yes. I know I upset you, and I'm sorry. I never meant for that to happen. But I didn't want any of this to happen. I-"
"That's not how the real world works," Scott interrupted. "You don't get to fuck around and then get upset when you find out! I trusted you, and you repaid me by-" he cut himself off, once again choking on his own words. "You repaid me by betraying me."
"It wasn't about you. Look, I don't want to argue. I loved you, Scott."
"Well you had a fucking funny way of showing it." Scott rolled his eyes, spinning on his heels. There was no point in staying here. Not when Tango already knew and didn't care and Jimmy refused to accept that there was anything wrong with what he did. He wasn't going to stay here and be convinced that he's the crazy one here. That he was the one who's in the wrong for not being okay with his boyfriend going out and sleeping with other people.
"Me? I'm the one who had a funny way of showing it? You're the one who left!"
"Yeah, and for good fucking reason! I should have known better than to think that you weren't just like all the others!"
"Hold on- hold on, stop it!" Tango cut in, holding his hands up in what was presumably meant to be a calming gesture, his tail lashing behind him with stress. "There are a lot of words being said here, but not a lot of sentences being finished." He looked between the two of them, as though he was daring them to try and argue with him. "Scott, why did you break up with Jimmy?"
"Why did I- didn't he tell you?" Why was Tango making him say it out loud? He'd already said he didn't care. Was this a test? A punishment? Care that your boyfriend, your friend, played you like a fool and get ridiculed for it? "Jimmy cheated on me!"
"I-" Jimmy's mouth fell open, his entire body freezing completely in place, as though he'd been turned into a statue. "You were asking if I was cheating on you," his voice was flooded with horror, the fight from before gone as though it has never been there. "I said yes."
"I know you did." Both Tango and Jimmy looked like they were realising something, and Scott didn't think it was possible to feel any further out of the loop. "What's going on?"
"I didn't cheat on you." Jimmy said, as though there was any chance of Scott believing him. He'd admitted it himself at the time. Scott didn't know if this was some desperate attempt at gaslighting but he wasn't going to accept this shit.
"Yeah?" He asked, voice heavy with sarcasm. "So what was-"
"I'm trans! The bra was mine, Scott."
He was sparking hard, he knew that, but he couldn't stop it. What did Jimmy mean? How could this be possible? Was it a lie? Was this some kind of sick mind game? Just like Scott had been worried it would look like he was playing?
Jimmy didn't look like he was lying. His eyes were wide, staring at Scott with desperation as his wings shuffled against his back. He was clinging to Tango's hand.
They'd never seen each other naked, during their relationship. They'd agreed to take it slow when they first got together, and hadn't progressed past that even as their relationship got deeper and Scott was certain that that it would last forever. Scott still felt the sting of previous relationships which made him a bit uncertain about jumping into things too fast, and he was Jimmy's first long term boyfriend, so Jimmy was also a bit hesitant. That's what he'd said anyway. Suddenly it was looking like his body shyness was about something more than just virgin uncertainty.
Scott had never noticed anything strange. Hadn't felt anything he hadn't been expecting, even on the few occasions where their making out got a little steamy, but he also hadn't been looking. The bra was the first sign Scott had ever seen, and of course he'd jumped straight to cheating, after everything that had happened in his past. And Jimmy had agreed.
"No you… you said- you agreed."
"I thought you were asking if I was trans. I thought you'd figured it out." Jimmy laughed, the sound wet, as he dragged his finger through his hair. "I didn't even consider that it looked like I had cheated on you. Not once did I make that connection. Of course that's what you thought! Random bra on the floor."
"In your bedroom too," Scott pointed out. The words felt detached from himself, like something else was using his mouth to speak.
"Right, yeah." Jimmy nodded, his wings drooping behind him. "Yeah, that definitely didn't look good for me."
Scott sat down heavily on the sofa, feeling like he was going to collapse if he stayed on his feet for another second. All of a sudden, he wished that weren't in the middle of a game. He wanted to leave. Wanted to log off the server, go to Owen's and scream until he could talk and then talk until he understood what the fuck was going on.
Jimmy had cheated on him. That was why he had broken up with him. That was why he avoided him. That was why he'd been so so angry for the last year. And that entire time…
"You thought I just didn't like the fact you were trans."
"Well… yeah," Jimmy admitted hesitantly. "Or you didn't like that I didn't tell you, at the very least. I mean, it was… whatever. You're gay. I wasn't mad about it." Jimmy had always been a shitty liar. Today was no different. Scott wasn't entirely sure why he was lying, maybe he was worried about Scott arguing back, maybe be was feeling the same guilt that Scott was feeling about the past year they had just had, but it wasn't exactly making him feel any better. He'd been so ready to assume that Jimmy had been so cruel, and yet here was the real Jimmy. Here was the Jimmy Scott had become best friends with and who he'd dated. He'd been there the entire time.
"But I was mean about it," Scott pointed out. He hadn't been unreasonable—he hadn't. He had to keep reminding himself of that—but that was because he'd been in a totally different situation. From Jimmy's point of view, he had been… an absolute asshole. He had been an absolute asshole, somewhat accidental as it had been.
"You were right to be. If I had cheated on you," Jimmy shook his head. "No wonder you left. I hit you with the 'I still love you, nothing has to change'!"
"Yeah, yeah you did," Scott agreed. Shying away from the reminder of that night. It was all so obvious all of a sudden. Jimmy's anxiety, his fear. Still, the momory of how he felt in that moment was still there, the rushing in his ears and the dread that had weighed down his lungs as history repeated itself. He could feel it now with every breath he took, though he couldn't tell if it was from the memory or the realisation of how much he had fucked up. "But… you didn't cheat on me. I've been avoiding you for the last year, because you have tits."
"Yeah," Jimmy shuddered, his wings wrapping around himself as his shoulders dropped. It was like a shield fell away, the true hurt appearing on his face. "I- I was always too scared to tell you the truth, but there was part of me that was so sure that it would be okay. That you wouldn't mind. And then you did."
"A lot." Scott buried his face in his hands. "What a mess." He kept his eyes covered as he finally allowed glowing tears to fall, breathing shakily as he tried to pull himself together. He should be overjoyed right now. Jimmy didn't cheat on him. But the hurt hadn't magically vanished, and it had been joined instead by the guilt of everything he'd done.
"For the record, I didn't- I don't care that you're trans. And I don't care that you didn't tell me straight away." Scott said shakily, needing to know that Jimmy knew the truth. "Everything I said, that was about cheating. Never about you being trans."
"Thanks, Scott. I really needed to hear that." Jimmy's voice cracked half way through his sentence, but Scott could hear how sincere he was. The idea that his best friend, his boyfriend, would hate him being trans had clearly been weighing on him as much as being cheated on had been weighing on Scott.
And none of it had been real.
He felt sick.
"Have we all learnt important lessons about saying what we mean?" Tango asked, making Scott jump. He'd forgotten the blaze was here. His original goal had been forgotten in the wake of everything he'd known in the past year being thrown on its head.
"Oh, Tango. Hi."
"Hi Scott. For the record, I didn't care that my boyfriend was trans. I would have cared if he cheated on you." His eyes were warm, and Scott got the distinct feeling that Tango could read him to his core. It wasn't a common feeling for Scott, he was more used to being the one reading others than being read. He couldn't decide if he was deeply uncomfortable or if it was nice to be seen for once.
"Thanks, Tango." Scott murmured, finding his voice catching in his throat.
It didn't matter. Jimmy hadn't cheated on him anyway. It didn't matter if Tango would have cared or not. Tango didn't need to clarify something that never happened.
It still felt like a lot.
"My previous boyfriend, the one before you, cheated on me," Scott said, voice quiet. Wanting—no, needing—to explain himself. To tell Jimmy why he had jumped so quickly to seeing the worst in him. He didn't want Jimmy to think he'd done anything wrong. Other than not finishing his sentences, maybe. "Tried to convince me I was making it all up. He couldn't keep up the charade once it started crumbling though. He never cared about me, just wanted to keep me around because I made him look good. I promised myself I wouldn't let myself be treated like that ever again. That I would learn the signs."
"Did I-? Did I act… like him?" Jimmy asked, stumbling over his words but committed to saying exactly what he was asking.
"No, that's what upset me so much," Scott smiled sadly. "I thought that I'd somehow missed it all over again."
Scott felt fragile, like any tiny thing would shatter him into a million pieces. The idea of playing a death game the next day left his lungs stuttering in his chest, the idea of leaving the ranch right now doubly so. A subtle glance at Jimmy - clinging to Tango with his head tucked to his chest - told him that the other man was feeling similarly. They'd both had a bit of an emotional rollercoaster tonight, and Scott was left feeling rather motion sick from it all.
"I should probably…" Scott started hesitantly. Cleo and Pearl would want him back, and Jimmy and Tango looked like they needed a minute alone together.
"No!" Jimmy all but yelled, shooting upright, his wings flapping with distress. "Please don't," he continued, much quieter. "Please don't leave again."
If Scott's heart hadn't already shattered, this would have been the finishing blow.
"I'll stay if you want me to. I just thought you might want a second to process." Scott murmured. Jimmy had spent the last year thinking that he was an asshole after all, just as Scott had for him, so he had at least the start of an idea of how Jimmy was feeling. It was strange to forgive the unforgivable, even when it turned out that the unforgivable had never been true outside of their heads.
"Please." Jimmy held out his arms, staring expectantly until Scott hesitantly walked into his touch. Jimmy didn't waste any time pulling Scott onto the sofa with him, wrapping him in his arms and his wings. It was a painfully familiar action, even after a year.
"I missed you so much," Jimmy whispered into his hair, followed up by a kiss so light that Scott wondered if he was just imagining the touch and it had been something else. "Both as my friend, and as my boyfriend."
"I missed you too," Scott replied, a fresh wave of grief washing over him. A misunderstanding. All of this pain, this anger and upset, it had all been because of a misunderstanding.
"Do you want to stay the night?" Tango offered. "I know the game will start again in the morning but we will guarantee safe passage. That or I can message Grian. It seems like you both might need a little longer for all of this."
Scott felt himself freeze up, reminded once more of Tango's presence. This time though, he was sitting in Jimmy's arms, the two of them saying how much they had missed each other. Was this making Tango uncomfortable? Making him worried?
The blaze didn't look either of those things. He looked happy, if anything. A little concerned, but the kind that looked more like he was worried for Scott and Jimmy than worried about this whole thing ruining his new relationship.
"Don't look at me like that," Tango said with surprising amounts of warmth. "What are you getting stressed about now?"
"I'm-" he tilted his head back to look at Jimmy. Jimmy, who he had missed so much, who he had never stopped loving even when he tried, who wasn't his anymore. "I couldn't impose. Last I checked, you only have one bed."
"It wouldn't be an imposition," Tango assured, even though Scott had just given him the perfect out. "Look, the entire universe has been off balance the last year, because of you two being at odds with each other. It just wasn't right. Maybe you didn't notice it, but your friends definitely did, and everyone's been feeling weird the entire time. If you two are going to do some kissing and making up, then I am 100% here for it."
"But, Tango—"
"100% here for it," Tango interrupted. "Actually, I am very much hoping that I will be allowed to watch, and get my own go too."
Scott blinked slowly, feeling struck dumb by this change of what he thought was going to happen. He glanced at Jimmy, finding him smiling from ear to ear.
"I can have both of you?" Jimmy checked.
"If Scott's okay with it, I am."
Scott stared at them for a long moment before realising they were waiting for an answer.
"Oh! I'll be honest, I didn't think this would ever be possible." He'd spent so long trying to convince himself he didn't want this. The idea of not only getting the chance to have it again, but having it handed to him with a charming grin - and a blaze attached - was so far out of his understanding of reality. "I mean, yes. Yes, I think I'd like that a lot."
Jimmy and Tango both looked delighted, though Scott spied some of his own hesitance reflected back in Jimmy's eyes. He wanted to ignore it, to not ruin the moment, but Tango had a point about learning from all of this. Not saying things hadn't saved their relationship last time.
"Umm, I don't know how I'm going to… feel. Once this settles." He winced at his own words, trying to figure out a way to put everything into words. "Every relationship I've had previously ended in cheating, and I know you didn't actually cheat but I thought you did and… I'm not sure I know how to… trust."
"Well we will have to prove ourselves trustworthy then, won't we," Tango smiled, like it was no big deal.
"Don't worry Scott. I'm still processing the fact that you're not pissed that I'm trans. We can take it slow, okay? No expectations. Just… us." He shrugged, his smile warm but a little bit subdued.
"And when I get convinced this has been a long con and you're playing me for a fool after all?"
"Then we'll talk. Properly this time. Not the… the mess of a conversation that caused this. No assuming we know what the other one is saying. Yeah?"
"Yeah. That would certainly be nice." Scott agreed. He's not certain they'll be able to manage it, but he'd certainly love it if they could.
"Besides, you have something you didn't have last time," Tango said with a sharp grin. "Me! And I have been told many times that I'm good at solving problems. Admittedly that's normally to do with game design, but I'm sure I'll be able to stretch those skills a little."
Scott giggled, Tango's announcement doing its job and lightening the mood. Things didn't seem quite so difficult when Tango was looking between them with so much certainty in his eyes that it was going to be okay. If Tango believed in them, then maybe Scott could too.
"Thanks, Tango," Jimmy said, pressed a warm kiss to Tango's lips. Both of them melted into it, clearly comfortable with each other despite the newness of their relationship. Tango's tail wrapped around Jimmy's wrist, while Jimmy's wings fluffed up. Scott half expected to need to look away from the gentle sight, but found nothing but longing and a little bit of cuteness aggression. He wanted to squish them. He wanted to kiss them too.
Both of them, if Tango was interested.
"My turn?" he asked when the Ranchers pulled apart. Jimmy didn't even properly get his breath back before he was leaning into Scott's touch. It was so familiar, making Scott's breath catch and his hands shake. Scott easily remembering what Jimmy liked and Jimmy did the same, the kiss lengthening as neither of them wanted to be the one who pulled away. Scott wasn't sure how he'd survived without this.
"Yay!" Tango cheered when they finally pulled apart, the lack of oxygen starting to catch up with Jimmy. "Kissification achieved."
"Not yet," Scott suggested, his eyes dropping down to Tango's own lips.
"Oh, you- yes please." Tango leaned across Jimmy, smiling at him for a second before turning back to Scott. He let Scott be the one to close the final distance, slowly exploring the unfamiliar touch. Tango's lips were warm, shockingly so, and not as chapped as they looked like they should be.
"Oooh, sweet berry," Tango murmured as they pulled away, licking at his own lips. "I'm going to make you so many flavoured lip balms."
"Do you plan to taste them a lot then?" Scott asked teasingly, still a little out of breath.
"As much as I can." Tango's tail reached around to stroke up Scott's back, a surprisingly comforting touch for the heat that was dancing between them.
"You two are going to be the death of me." Jimmy announced, his voice slightly shaky. His face was bright red, when Scott managed to tear his gaze away from Tango's grin, and his wings somehow even more puffed up than when Scott had last looked at him.
"Did you enjoy the view?" Scott fluttered his eyelashes, plastering himself to Jimmy's side.
"Hnnngh. Pretty men." Jimmy replied, his wings wrapping around both of them and trapping them against him - not that either of them were trying to get away.
Scott settled his head on Jimmy's shoulder, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing. This all felt a little bit like a dream, but definitely one that he never wanted to wake up from. Owen, Bek and El were going to have so many questions once Double Life ended. Everyone would, actually. Even without knowing the full story, it had been clear that something bad had happened, and it had gone on long enough that no one thought it could be fixed.
And yet here they were. Not fully okay again, but healing. For the first time since that fateful day, Scott was feeling hope for his future. Maybe something beautiful could grow out of these smoking remains after all.