“He said he hoped you took his advice.”
Seb caught the quick look Tim shot him. “What advice?”
“Nothing.” Tim waved a hand in front of him. “You know what Nathan’s like.”
Yeah, Seb was well aware of what Nathan was like. He very much doubted the advice was nothing.
Luke cleared his throat and indicated the guy stood next to him, silently watching them with an amused smile. “You ready for me and Jack to get started?”
“With what?” Seb peered around Tim to get a look outside and spotted a couple of boxes along with a new, very sturdy front door. “Oh!”
Two hours later, after showering separately—covering his cast was too much of a hassle to shower together—Seb was in clean pyjamas, but Tim was dressed and looking far too good for a Monday morning. The security camera was well on the way to being installed next to his new, scratch-free front door. Luke and Jack had worked on it while Tim and Seb finished eating breakfast upstairs, trying not to feel uncomfortable that the installers could hear everything they talked about. Seb tried to keep their conversation bland and boring.
Jared constantly complained about shifters and their unfair advantages, and Seb heartily agreed with him. He’d often wondered if Jared only moaned so much because he was jealous.
Seb had to admit—if only ever to himself—that recently, he’d started to envy their extra speed, strength, and everything else that came with it. Must be nice to know you would come out on top in most fights, and if you didn’t, you’d heal quickly anyway.
“So Luke’ll be around today.”
Seb looked up sharply. He’d been too lost in his own head to follow the conversation. “Sorry, what?”
Tim cocked his head to one side, studying him. “Are you okay? You’ve been a bit… off this morning.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Is it the door and the cameras? I know I should have asked if today was okay, but Alec suggested it and I agreed without thinking. It wasn’t my business to do that on your behalf. I’m sorry.”
Surprisingly Seb hadn’t thought about it from that angle; he was more than happy to see that old door go as soon as possible. But even so… “Yeah, you’re right. It’s not your place to make those kinds of decisions for me.” Tim’s face fell immediately and guilt prickled at Seb’s insides. “Not that I don’t appreciate it being done so quickly, because I do. I’ll feel a lot safer knowing who’s outside my front door before I go down to open it.”
“But?” Tim prompted.
They both knew a but was coming.
“But it’s my home. You should have asked me first.”
“Yes, I should have.”
Tim was one of the gentlest shifters Seb had ever met: easy-going, not arrogant in the least, and always careful not to overstep. Well, that had all been true a week or so ago, anyway. “Why didn’t you?”
“I—” Muted laughter from downstairs halted him midsentence, and Tim sent a glare in the direction of the front door—not that Luke or Jack could see him. He sighed, looking sheepish. “I suppose I forgot.”
“Forgot what?”
“That you aren’t actually mine to protect,” he said. Tim’s voice was so quiet that Seb doubted the others would hear him. “If we were together properly, then I’d do everything I could to keep you safe, and as my ma—boyfriend, you’d let me.”
Ignoring Tim’s slip of the tongue, Seb sat forward. “And that’d work the other way around too, then? If you could make decisions without consulting me, then I could do the same for you, right?” Tim smirked. “Hypothetically speaking, of course.” Seb added, just so Tim didn’t get any ideas.
“Of course. And yes.” His smile turned soft, and by the way his gaze slipped down to Seb’s hand, Seb got the feeling he wanted to hold it. “If you wanted to do something like that for me, I’d be more than happy.”
“Okay.” Seb didn’t know why it mattered to him so much that Tim acknowledge they’d be equals in a relationship because they were never going to end up in that situation. Ever.
“Okay.”
Silence settled between them, so Seb took the opportunity to finish the rest of his tea. Their closeness yesterday evening suddenly seemed like a lifetime ago. He was seconds away from broaching the topic when Tim cleared his throat.
“I meant to ask you earlier, about family. You never mention anybody, and I was curious.”
Seb set his mug down on the table and met Tim’s gaze. Family wasn’t a subject he enjoyed talking about in general. Apart from one other person, Jared was all the family he had or needed. “I have a sister, Kelly.”
