The thought of being here when he wasn’t wanted was, just barely, worse than the thought of leaving.
“C’mere,” Finn said, and before Ryan could react he was being folded into Finn’s arms, squeezed within an inch of his life. After a moment he managed to get his own arms to come up, hugging back just as tightly.
It would have been nice to get to know Finn better. Now he’d never get the chance.
“Thanks.” Ryan sniffed as Finn backed off, holding back tears.
Dammit. Things weren’t supposed to end like this, were they?
And yet… there was still no Oscar, so this was how they were going to end.
Fine. Whatever. There was no point in dwelling on it. Waiting around wasn’t going to change Oscar’s mind.
“Guess I’d better head off,” Ryan said, mostly to himself. “Thanks again. It’s been… a journey.”
Finn smiled wryly. “One way to put it. Safe travels, man.”
Ryan nodded, heading to the driver’s side of the car and letting himself in, sitting heavily enough on the seat to make the suspension creak under him.
This was it. It wasn’t as if he could just sit around in the car all day waiting for something to change.
The engine roared into life as he turned the key, purring softly as he backed the car up. Finn waved as he pulled out, and Ryan raised his hand in acknowledgement, not quite feeling up to a cheerful wave goodbye.
A slight breeze made the rusted sanctuary sign swing gently as he passed under it, a reminder of when he’d arrived. He never had gotten around to repainting it. That’d be someone else’s job, now.
This would be someone else’s home.
Oscar would get over it.
He’d… well, he’d justhaveto get over it, too.
