“You know we don’t have to do this,” Wren told him.
Teddy shook his head, unstyled hair shifting over his forehead. He still looked tired—he wasn’t long out of recovery, but this couldn’t wait.
“I think we do. I think we both need to step inside this place to finally say goodbye to it. I just…”
“Tell me,” Wren asked.
Teddy took a deep breath before responding. “I’m not sure how I’m feeling. I’m not sure why I don’t hate this place more, but at the same time I’m resentful of it. I don’t know how I’ll respond to anything they ask us and I don’t want to be emotional instead of having a productive conversation.”
“Being emotional isn’t a bad thing,” Wren said, rubbing the soft material of his hoodie. “You kept it under wraps for so long, I feel like you’re allowed a bit of a meltdown.”
“Not a fan of those.” Teddy gave him a wry look.
Wren smiled from the confines of his teddy bear hoodie, nudging him with his shoulder. “I can’t believe I’m about to ask this, but…do you want me to do the talking?”
Teddy turned to look at him with wonder in his eyes. “You would do that?”
Wren actually had to roll his because this man just refused to learn. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
He looked back up at the imposing building in front of them and refused to feel cowed by it any longer.
“We’re a team,” Teddy said, and Wren glanced over. Teddy gave him a smile. “We’ll do it together. Side by side. No more sacrificing ourselves for each other.”
Wren smiled back. “No promises, but…I like that.”
Teddy laughed. “Me too.”
“Come on then, Teddy Bear. Let’s get this over with.”
They pushed through the doors and walked together, side by side but not touching, their footsteps echoing off the tiled floors as countless curious eyes followed them.
They reached Gwen’s office sooner than either of them felt ready for it, and with one final look into Teddy’s eyes, Wren knocked on the door.
Gwen was quick to answer, obviously having been informed of their arrival by the reception staff. She ushered them in and made small talk, Teddy taking the brunt of it as he sat stiffly in his seat. Gwen probably couldn’t tell, but Wren could.
“I appreciate you coming,” Gwen said at last, her severe countenance lightening to the motherly expression Wren assumed Fix often saw. “Both of you.”
Teddy’s hand wrapped around his own on the armrest of his chair, and Wren offered him a small smile, squeezing back.
“Yes, well,” he said to Gwen. “We were summoned.”
“We don’t summon people,” she said, trying to contain a smile that truly surprised him to see on her lips.
“Feels that way,” he said.
“Be that as it may, I am glad you came.” She turned her head. “I understand you’re not fully recovered?”
“I’m well enough to talk and I wouldn’t let him face this alone,” Teddy said, letting her know in so many words that they were united. They wouldn’t be getting one without the other anymore.
“That is brave considering what you endured in your time here,” she said.
Wren wanted to end her for bringing it up so casually.
He gave Teddy’s fingers another squeeze and he returned it much like Wren had just a moment ago. A silent acknowledgment.
“With all due respect, I don’t want to talk about it at the moment,” Teddy said, voice calm and gentle as it usually was, but Wren heard the steel in it.
“There is hardly any respect owed in here. I wish I could turn back time and have this institution not be something you have to face, but something you come back to with joy.”
