“Isn't it great!” Darren giggled again, sounding a little high compared to normal.
Lachlan raised an eyebrow at Giovanni, who accepted a bottle of water from Konnor, knowing better than to offer him alcohol with his medication. “Is he alright?” he stage whispered.
“Fine. Just full of sugar.” Giovanni smiled fondly, as he took a seat on the single armchair opposite the sofa. He didn't seem to mind that he wasn't sitting next to Darren, but across the coffee table from him. From that loving gaze, that Lachlan recognised all too well from when Cormag was caught looking at him, Giovanni was a man deeply in love and smitten up to his eyeballs. He didn't care if he had to sit a mile away, as long as he could see Darren and know he was safe.
Not knowing the big secret of Darren's therapy sessions, only that he went to see and called Rico for therapy often, Lachlan tried to be especially careful about his choice of words. He knew from Casen that Giovanni had certain trigger words and claimed Darren had them too. And that, amongst so many other things, was part of the reason he'd been scared of this get together. It was likely to end in disaster or tears or both, if anyone tripped over those trigger words by accident. He'd never be selfish enough to insist that Darren had to label them or make some kind of warning list for them, just so that didn't happen. His pain was his own. Just as Giovanni's, Tam's and Konnor's was.
Shaking his head, he offered Darren a small smile and returned his mind to the moment. It was best he didn't think too hard about how fucked up some of them really were. Their histories were tangled and woven together, all too often blending, contradicting and just downright confusing anyone who tried to separate them.
There was no separation. They were family. When one hurt, the rest of them hurt. No exceptions.
“I can't blame him for being excited,” Giovanni was saying, when he returned to the moment. “He's not long caught his matchmaking in action. Rhett and Eddy got together during the week and, after two years, it's about time that his meddling had an effect on Jean and Jaime. Even if they did have a reason for taking their time,” he admitted, still gazing at Darren fondly.
“Meddling.” Darren pfft, waving off his choice of word, while tucking his phone away. “Idon'tmeddle. I just see two hearts that should be joined and know how to get them together. I'm...” He stopped, as he searched for an appropriate word. Then he burst into another fit of giggles. “I'm the Band-Aid that holds them together.”
Giovanni chuckled, but it was clear it wasn't over the joke. What Lachlan saw in his eyes he saw in Cormag every day; love, pure and simple.
He was about to speak up and praise that openly shared adoration when there was a knock on the door.
Grayson jumped up from his seat and rushed to the door, opening it to Casen, who was huddled into the collar of his jacket. “It's raining?” he said, as though that was a shock.
Casen laughed and stepped inside all by himself. “No shit, Sherlock. Tam sent me on ahead, while he grabbed the bags. I think he's got some kind of surprise in store. Who knows? But the stubborn ass hasn't let me touch the bags since they were packed,” he rambled in explanation, as he walked in, removed his jacket and shook the rain from his hair.
“I thought he was a pussycat,” a voice said from outside, just before Grayson could shut the door.
Lachlan glanced back at Giovanni and Konnor, to make sure they were both taking this alright, as Mack followed his twin inside, with a backpack over his shoulder. Beside him, Darren was tense, though he had a genuine smile on his lips that he assumed was for Casen. The rest of the new arrivals were probably what caused his trepidation.
“Well, he's both.” Casen shrugged it off and rubbed his hands together, before heading over to Konnor and offering an awkward hug. Konnor returned it with a smile that said he appreciated the thought. “How are you?” he whispered.
“Coping,” was the honest answer he gave.
Casen's smile widened as he stepped back. Then he proceeded to greet both Darren and Giovanni what the same warm hug. By the time he reached Lachlan, his shoulders were more relaxed and his eyes were glimmering with amusement. “It's frosty in here, don't you think?” he whispered in his ear, as they hugged.
“Just a little. But the fire's warm. I'm sure we'll thaw out soon,” he replied, in the same discreet whisper.
When Casen pulled back and followed Konnor's directions to his room, Lachlan could tell that his words had eased some of his concern. And it was no wonder. As someone who had to deal with Tam's nightmares on a nightly basis, he wouldn't be especially eager to offer up new nightmares or open old wounds.
Lachlan remembered that feeling all too well and couldn't help but let his gaze drift across to Cormag, who was engaged in conversation with Mack.
God, had it really been six and half years since they first met and started dating? It still felt so new. He could remember the first few weekends when he stayed over in Cormag's apartment, waking up to his boyfriend shaking and sweating profusely, as he relived his high school nightmares, thanks to Konnor.
Now, his best friend had given them enough good memories to drown out those old grievances. But it hadn't taken away the taunts Cormag had faced as a teenager or the abusive boyfriends he'd suffered, before Lachlan came along. They'd taken a few years to block out. Happiness had the biggest hand in his recovery, but Lachlan liked to think that his ready shoulder, welcome ear and his love for Cormag had helped too.
