Rowan smiled.“Yeah, okay.Here, let’s start with this one.Walk me through what you do understand, and we’ll build from there.”
Rowan was patient, breaking down concepts into pieces that made sense and never making Thomas feel stupid.When Thomas got frustrated, Rowan would give him a break, then come back to it from a different angle.
Alice came by to take their order, and they ended up staying for dinner.As they ate, they talked about work, about Mayport, about nothing in particular.It felt natural and comfortable in a way Thomas hadn’t expected.
“You know,” Thomas said during a pause in conversation, “I still don’t really get why you’re doing this.”
Rowan looked up from his plate.“What do you mean?”
“You don’t really know me.And now you’re spending your evening helping me study.”
Rowan was quiet for a moment, then shrugged.“Maybe this is what I’d rather be doing.I told you that I don’t know anyone here yet.You’re my coworker, yeah, but, well...”He hesitated.“I’d like us to be friends too, if you’re open to that.”
Friends.The word settled into Thomas’s chest.When was the last time someone had asked to be his friend?His found family was everything to him, but outside of them, Thomas didn’t really have friends.He was too busy.“Yeah,” he said.“I’d like that, too.”
Rowan’s smile was bright, and Thomas felt something in him relax.Maybe letting someone in could actually be a good thing.
They stayed at the diner until Alice started giving them pointed looks about closing time.For the first time in weeks, the GED didn’t feel quite so overwhelming.It was still hard and really fucking scary, but at least now Thomas wasn’t facing it alone.
“Same time tomorrow?”Rowan asked as they gathered their things.
“Yeah,” Thomas agreed.“Tomorrow works.”
They walked out into the evening air, and Thomas felt lighter than he had in weeks.He still had to take the exam, but now he had help.He had someone who believed he could do this.
“Thanks,” Thomas said.“For not making me feel stupid about needing help.”
“You’re not stupid,” Rowan said firmly.“Not even close.You’re someone who’s working hard to achieve something important, and that takes courage.”
Thomas didn’t trust himself to speak without his voice shaking, so he just nodded.For the first time since he’d started this, Thomas let himself believe that maybe he could actually do it.
And if he stumbled, well...now he knew he didn’t have to face it alone.
* * * *
ROWAN SHOULD BE MOREfocused on the fox than he was on Thomas, but that was proving to be a hard thing to do.He’d found it impossible not to stare at his coworker as they worked together, getting the room ready for the vet.They needed to examine the fox and work on its broken leg.Hopefully, the fox was healthy apart from that.
Rowan had known that working with animals would be hard, but luckily for him, so far, he hadn’t lost any.It would happen eventually, and when it did, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.He didn’t have anyone to talk to about those things beyond Thomas, and he didn’t want to burden Thomas with his feelings.The poor man had enough to focus on.
He was working himself to exhaustion, and while it was tempting to say something about it and ask him to slow down, it wasn’t Rowan’s place.Thomas was young, but he was an adult and old enough to know what he was doing.More than that, he and Rowan weren’t friends.Technically, they were nothing more than coworkers right now.Rowan was touched that Thomas had trusted him with his secret, but he realized it had happened mostly because he’d stumbled onto it.He was pretty sure that Thomas would never have told him what he was doing if that hadn’t been the case.
“Hey, I need that,” Thomas said as he bumped into Rowan’s side.He was reaching for something on the shelf, and Rowan barely had time to move.Thomas was leaning against him, pressing their bodies together.
It was enough to shock Rowan.He didn’t think he’d imagined it when he’d realized that Thomas was keeping a distance between them.He wasn’t sure why or what had changed, although maybe the fact that Rowan knew about Thomas’s studies and was helping him meant that Thomas had decided he could trust him.He seemed more comfortable with him, at the very least.
Rowan still stepped aside to give Thomas more space.Thomas smiled at him, grabbed whatever he’d been reaching for, and turned away.Rowan watched him move, telling himself not to be a weirdo.They were at work, and they were barely friends.He wasn’t about to spook Thomas by having a weird reaction to his vicinity.
He was pleased, though.He hadn’t expected Thomas to relax so quickly around him.He wanted them to be friends, but he’d felt like it wouldn’t be possible before.Now, he wasn’t so sure.With Thomas more relaxed around him, Rowan believed he had a chance.
“You know, our job is to clean up before and after the examination,” Thomas said lightly.
Rowan blinked.He was pretty sure Thomas was teasing him.“Are you saying I’m not doing my job?”
“Well, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.”
Rowan laughed.“Fine.You’re not wrong.I was daydreaming.”
Thomas quirked a brow.“A good daydream, I hope.”
