Star smiled. “You were always good for my damn ego. Maybe I should have followed you here from the beginning.”
Tanner snickered. “To tell you the truth, things weren’t all that great for me in the beginning, either.”
“What do you mean?”
“Other than being homesick, I dropped out of school because I just couldn’t concentrate. Then after I got my job, I fell in complete lust with my boss.” Tanner put his half-eaten apple on the table. “I tried my best to make him see me. I was diligent in my work, was at his beck and call, but instead, it was like I was invisible. It hurt worse when I found out he had a mate and a kid.”
Star scowled. “You fell for a married man?”
“I didn’t know he was married. He never talked about him, and then one day, this kid shows up at his office saying he wants to talk to my boss. I don’t know what the kid said, but after that, this gorgeous-ass dude started coming to the office and ordering everyone around, and Azazel just stood there with a goofy smile on his face, and that’s why I knew that he’d found his mate. It broke my heart.”
Star’s eyes widened as a part of Tanner’s story stood out to him. “Wait, your boss’s husband is a man? He’s gay?”
“Yeah,” Tanner said. “I wanted to hate Uriel, but he’s super cool. I think he knew I had a crush on Azazel but didn’t call me out on it. And their son Kristoph is so adorable. And now that Lilth’s born, the entire family is over the moon. Hell, all of Valleywood; Azazel is the deputy mayor.”
“Wait, your boss and his lover are public about their relationship?” Star asked in confusion.
“Why wouldn’t they be?” Tanner shook his head.
Wouldn’t they get arrested for being gay and out?Star thought. However, because of his confusion, he spoke what he was thinking.
“I can’t believe you still do that.” Tanner tsked. “Talk out your thoughts and not realize it. And in what universe would they put two people in jail for loving each other? That's so freaking wild.” Tanner stared at him as if he were a stranger.
“Did you hit your head when you fainted or something? I could have sworn they caught you before you hit the ground.” Tanner shivered, looking at Star seriously, who was utterly perplexed by their conversation.
Didn’t we come from the same place where we had to hide, afraid to come out of the closet, or heard stories of gay couples being arrested? What the fuck is going on?
Instead of voicing his concern, Star smiled. “I’m tired and talking nonsense. Don’t pay my babbling any mind.” He reached out and touched Tanner’s shoulder. “Thanks for inviting me here. I missed hanging out with you.”
Tanner nodded. “I’m glad you’re here, too. Hopefully, I can convince you to stay.”
“We’ll see.” Star chuckled.
Tanner stood. “Come on, let me give you the penny tour.”
Star followed Tanner around his apartment and got a feel of the place, which took less than five minutes. It was a one-bedroom apartment, one bathroom with a small balcony attached.
“Oh, I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the couch?” Tanner said when they got back to the living room.
“Nah, I’m good.” Star smiled. After being in prison for years, Star could sleep anywhere. “I originally planned on staying with Dent.”
“Yeah, I know, but as soon as his bosses heard he had arrived, they called him to the office, and when I called my boys on video chat and I saw you passed out, I told them to bring you here.”
“Oh, that was kind of convenient,” Star said, scratching his head, feeling a bit awkward about the whole thing.
Tanner shrugged. “I call it fate. Once I arranged for you to come here, I called my boss and asked for a couple of days off. He was pretty cool about the whole thing. So, I’ll take you around Valleywood tomorrow and introduce you to some of my friends.”
“Sounds good. Are you still in love with him? Your boss, I mean?”
“Nope. I found my two loves, and they are all I need.” He beamed, touching his stomach, and Star furrowed his brow seeing the action, as if he needed to remember something, but got a sharp pain in his head when he tried to focus on it.
“Fuck,” Star hissed, grabbing his head.
“Are you okay?” Tanner asked worriedly.
“Yeah, I got a headache.”
“Let me get you some painkillers, and you can take a shower and go to bed,” Tanner suggested.
