shyguy | Friends from Boston

Shy and TJ have spent a nice, quiet day together as Shy waits for Tom to show. He's curious if Dev will be with him. He's not sure that he'd want to go on a road trip to help out a husband's ex, so if the guy does show up, Shy knows he'll be impressed.

"Are you sure you don't mind them staying here?" Shy asks TJ again.

"Of course I don't mind," TJ assures him with a grin for the umpteenth time. "And if they decide to stay somewhere else, I won't be offended," he adds before Shy can ask that. "I'm just psyched to meet a friend who cares so much about you. Plus, I want to see if he's as hot as you say."

"Oh, trust me, he is," Shy says. "And if I hadn't been an idiot, I could have married him and been happy. He's just the best."

TJ smiles. "Don't you dare be a homewrecker, Shy."

Shy's eyes widen, then he realizes he's being teased. "Tom is an awesome, dedicated husband, and Dev is a sexy guy I can tell really loves Tom. No way I'd be able to even attempt to wreck that home." He checks the time. "They should be here any time now."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tom laughed at the playful swat and leaned over to kiss Shy's cheek as well. "I think the two of you may be more trouble together than TJ and I could handle."

"The house better be standing when I get back," TJ warned, giving Shy a wink.

Shy smiled and gave TJ a bashful kiss on the cheek, making the other man blush. "I'll take good care of it."

Tom smiled at Dev and raised an eyebrow over TJ and Shy's exchange. He knew the younger man had insisted he had slept with TJ because he looked like Orli, but he wondered if, given time to heal, there might not be something more there.

TJ smiled at Tom. "Ready, Professor?"

Tom grinned. "Ready." Once they were in TJ's truck and away from Shy's hearing, he looked at the younger man. "And how are you doing with today's...events, TJ?" He didn't even know the man and yet Tom had never been able to turn off that need to help, to comfort that his training had instilled in him.

TJ looked a little surprised but pleased by the question. "I'm okay," he said, pulling onto the road. "Sad for Shy, though, 'cuz he's pretty broken up about it. I'm just glad he came to me instead of doing something crazy."

"So am I." He wasn't sure how to approach the subject of the two of them sleeping together delicately. "Shy was worried that he'd hurt you, TJ. He knows that you said you were okay, but he's not convinced you weren't hurt."

TJ looked a little embarrassed but smiled. "He told you about that, huh? Well, I'm not gonna lie. It didn't really surprise me, but it wasn't like I was thrilled about it. But I am okay with what happened."

"Shy told me because he's worried about you." The former priest smiled slightly. "You know, if you need to talk about it, I've had some experience at listening."

"Yeah, Shy told me you used to be a priest, so I guess you would be good at listening to people pour their hearts out, huh?" TJ smiled. "I don't want to say anything about your friend, though."

"TJ, I'm offering to listen to you." Tom said. "Whatever you say to me is irrespective of any relationship I might have with anyone you mention. If you want to talk, I'll hear what you have to say and try and help you make sense of things if we can. No judgments, no hassles."

TJ gave Tom an assessing look, then nodded. "Well, I like him. I guess that's no secret. I've pretty much had a crush on him since the first time I saw him, but I don't think he knows that."

Tom smiled gently. "TJ, Shy can be oblivious at times, but I have a feeling he knows that you have feelings for him."

"Shit, he does?" TJ asked, blushing a little. "I didn't want him to know."

"I don't think Shy knowing is a bad thing. It made him willing to trust that he could come to you when he was hurting." Tom said.

"I'm really glad he did that, but I thought it was just because we're friends."

"It may have been, but he didn't hop a train to Boston to see me, did he?" Tom smiled.

"I've got pot," TJ countered with a grin.

Tom laughed. "That could be it then."

"Yeah, I think it was," TJ said as they pulled up to the liquor store. "But it's okay."

"Tj?" Tom laid a hand on the other man's forearm, gentle caring and concern written on his face. "I don't think it was just the pot. I'm not saying it will turn into love everlasting, but I really think it was just you."

TJ smiled at the concern and gave Tom's hand a pat. "I appreciate that, but I swear I'm really okay with whatever happens. I really care about Shy, but I'm not gonna hope he ever feels the same way. He's got too much stuff to work through for me to do that."

"A very level way of looking at it." Tom smiled back.

"I've been called levelheaded before," TJ said with a grin. "I like it if it means I just kinda go with the flow."

"That's a great way to be." He grinned back as they climbed out of the truck. "So what booze do we want tonight? And should we pick up some food or order delivery when we get hungry? You know given Shy appetite when he completely sober, I shudder to think what it'll be when the munchies hit."