15
Finn walked into the sanctuary kitchen to find a caged owl on the table, which was a pretty typical Monday morning. Or at least, it was now that Ezra was around. Ezra didn’t necessarily believe in keeping the animals outside.
Not that the rest of them could talk, with the huge cat flap they’d installed for Spot over the summer. Before that, they’d just left the door open.
“Morning,” Ezra said, sitting down at the table heavily and reaching out to pet the owl. “How’d the rest of your hot date go?”
Finn snorted. Of course Ezra hadn’t forgotten.
“Good, I think.”
“You’ve definitely got that just-got-laid glow about you,” he said, sitting back. “Good for you. Has he got a cute brother?”
“He’s got an asshole cousin who I assume is straight,” Finn said. “But no, no brothers.”
“I will also take a sister,” Ezra continued. “Equal opportunity and all.”
“He does have a sister. I haven’t seen her, but can we just once not make my life awkward?”
Ezra huffed. “I never make your life awkward. I’m just remembering how limited dating options are around here.”
“You’ve been back four days,” Finn said, flicking on the coffee pot. As usual, Ryan had filled up the water and put a new filter and coffee grounds in, waiting for the next person.
“And I haven’t even been ononedate. Oscar won’t come with me now that he’s joined at the hip with Mr. Gentle Giant, and going out alone is boring. I thought maybe I could convinceyoufor once, but then you’ve got this new guy…”
“Firstly, Ryan’s great,” Finn said.
“Oh, I know. He’s practically perfect. And he’s beautiful. Does he know?”
Finn laughed. “I don’t think so. Oscar tells him a lot, though, so one of these days he’ll clue in. I’m just waiting to see which one of them’s gonna break down and propose first.”
“How long has that been going on for?”
“To me? Since they first met. For them… I’m thinking Oscar started thinking about it like six months ago. We had a conversation about marriage and whether or not I thought it was stupid.”
“Do you?” Ezra asked, eyebrow raised.
“No,” Finn glanced down at the coffee pot, almost embarrassed to admit it. “No, I don’t think it’s stupid. I think it’d be nice. For them.”
He didn’t need to tell Ezra that in the year and a half since they last saw each other, he’d spent a lot of time reflecting on how badly he wanted someone who washis. Not in a possessive way, but in the sense that they could rely on each other. That they could share a life.
Seeing Oscar and Ryan together had only made it worse. They were more than his friends—they were hisfamily—but he wanted family of his own, too. Or maybe justmorefamily.
It was good to have Ezra back, honestly. Finn’s life already felt a little fuller.
“Uh huh. I’ll dust off my corsage, then,” Ezra said. “Nice deflect, by the way. I almost forgot that we were talking aboutyou.”
“We were talking about your lack of dating options,” Finn corrected.
Ezra waved the correction away. “Enough about me. Tell me about your adorable new friend.”
Finn smiled at the mention of Nolan, which probably said it all.
“Comeon,” Ezra encouraged. “Let me live vicariously through your love life.”
Rolling his eyes, Finn picked up the coffee pot and grabbed two mugs, knowing Ezra would want a cup as well. “Has someone told you how we met, or does that fall to me?”
He might as well tell Ezra the whole story. It was good to have him back, and Finn really wanted to skip past the awkward part and go right back to family status again with him.
