Thomas’s eyes widened, and he cocked his head.Great.Rowan was already making a fool of himself.
He shook his head.“You’re just very cute.”
Rowan was sure that if Thomas had been in his human form, he’d be smiling.As it was, he showed Rowan his front teeth, pulled on his shoelace once more, then turned toward the box.
Rowan sucked in a breath.Right.As cute as Thomas was, they weren’t here to admire him.They were here to help this poor rabbit go back to its normal life.
Thomas disappeared inside the box.Rowan held his breath, wondering if Thomas was going to be able to coax the rabbit out.Just in case, he took a few more steps back, giving them even more space.He’d interacted with the rabbit while it had been healing, but not as much as Thomas.He was a wolf shifter, and he hadn’t wanted to spook the poor animal.It was also clear that Thomas had gotten particularly attached to it, and Rowan hadn’t wanted to take that away from him.
Thomas finally reappeared, hopping out of the box.Rowan was desperate to coo at him, so he pressed his lips together and waited.He smiled when two white ears appeared at the edge of the box.
Thomas was doing it.He was convincing the rabbit to leave the box.
It didn’t take long at all after that.As soon as the wild rabbit was out of the box, it took off, bouncing away.Rowan sucked in a breath as he watched.It felt incredibly good.He wasn’t a vet, so maybe he couldn’t be credited with having helped the rabbit heal, but he’d fed it and had kept an eye on it, making sure it was okay.In a way, he’d helped, too, and now, the rabbit was free.
There was another tug on Rowan’s shoelace.He looked down to see Thomas there, watching him.He’d expected Thomas to shift back, but instead, Thomas pulled at Rowan’s lace again.
Rowan had no idea what Thomas was trying to say with that, but he crouched, bringing them closer.He reached out but stopped before touching Thomas.He couldn’t be sure what Thomas wanted.
He offered Thomas his hand.If Thomas wanted something, he’d need to show it to Rowan.
Thomas hesitated, but only for a few seconds.When he bumped his nose into Rowan’s fingers, Rowan was pretty sure he knew what Thomas was asking for.He reached out slowly, gently scratching the top of Thomas’s head.
Thomas’s eyes slid halfway closed, and he pressed closer.Rowan moved slowly as he sat down on the ground, not wanting to spook Thomas.He might not be a wild animal, but he was skittish sometimes.
Not today, though.Thomas didn’t hesitate to press closer, allowing Rowan to pet him.He was incredibly soft, and from up close, he was even cuter.Rowan hadn’t seen it earlier, but there was a patch of white fur on Thomas’s chest.
He liked that Thomas was comfortable enough with him to allow this to happen.He wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, but he enjoyed every moment of it.They had to get back to work eventually, though.That meant that after a moment, Thomas stepped away, and Rowan had to let him go.He took out his phone again, unlocking it to give Thomas privacy.
“That was nice,” he said, not looking up.
“It was,” Thomas confirmed.“It’s always lovely to set them free, but I think that this time, it mattered even more to me because it was a rabbit.”
“It reminded you of yourself.”
Thomas sat down next to Rowan.He was fully dressed, so Rowan put away his phone and turned to look at him.Thomas’s cheeks were flushed and his eyes were bright, and he’d never looked so beautiful.
“It did,” Thomas confirmed, pulling his knees up to hug them.“For a long time, I felt trapped, which is weird because I lived on the street.I didn’t have a choice, though.And after I moved to Mayport, everything was weird.I finally had a home, but I had some healing to do.The rabbit reminded me of myself because of that.”He was looking in the distance where the rabbit had disappeared.“The rabbit healed, and I think I am, too.I’m trying to move forward.”
Rowan didn’t think it was his place to tell Thomas that he was proud of him, but he was.He was also touched that Thomas was sharing that with him.It was a massive step forward in their friendship.
He bumped their shoulders together.“Youaremoving forward.You can build yourself a life.You already are.”
Thomas was silent for a second.Rowan got startled when he suddenly moved, getting to his feet.The moment seemed to be over, which was just as well.Rowan didn’t want to get emotional.
“We should go,” Thomas said.“Unfortunately, we have more work to do.”
He offered Rowan his hand, which Rowan took easily.He squeezed and allowed Thomas to pull him to his feet, and for a second, they stared at each other.
There were two different things that Rowan could do here.He could let go of Thomas’s hand, turn, and start walking toward the car.
That wasn’t what he wanted to do.
So instead, he used his hold on Thomas’s hand to gently pull him closer.Thomas didn’t hesitate to come.He moved slowly but carefully, and he never stopped looking at Rowan, not even when Rowan wrapped his free arm around his waist.Rowan heard Thomas’s breath hitch when he leaned closer, but once again, Thomas didn’t hesitate.He pressed close, leaving the last few inches for Rowan to cross.
That was fine with Rowan.
They were still at work, but they weren’tatwork, so Rowan didn’t have a problem kissing Thomas.He brushed their lips together, smiling when he felt Thomas’s entire body relax against him.Thomas sighed deeply, tilting his head just so and giving Rowan easier access.Rowan pressed their lips together harder.
