Jay 🤪

And then I'm sitting there with my friends

We're all watching a movie, talking over a pizza, having a really nice time

One of my best buddies Christopher, we call him Pher, stands up to get another drink

And Cream Cheese decides it's the perfect moment for him to launch himself off of the stairs and onto Pher

My dude was a walking ferret bed for like 30 minutes 😂😂😂

Roman openly laughed at the text message along with its attached image. The picture was of Cream Cheese, in his limp noodle fashion, draped over someone's neck like a scarf. The person, properly known as Christopher, had been caught in the middle of a wild conversation: shown via his large grin; long, dark green hair flying around him; and chestnut-colored eyes full of mirth. A red plastic cup was held out, pointing to him addressing one of his other friends who couldn't be seen.

A hand was pressed against Cream Cheese's head to make sure he wasn't jostled by hyperactive movements.

Ro 😊

That's really cute 🥺

It looks like you guys had a good time

Jay 🤪

Well

If you're down

You could come to our next group hangout 👀

Everyone's been dying to meet you

Roman's fingers hovered over his keyboard. He reread the last text several times to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

Ro 😊

You told your friends about me?

Jay 🤪

Of course I did

I've talked about you before, but they got really curious when we did our normal Halloween plans earlier than usual

When I told them it was because I was going to be spending the night with you, they hounded me until I spilled more about the stuff we've been doing together

It's safe to assume they're now obsessed with meeting you in person 🙃

Roman let out a quiet sound reminiscent of a coo.

He was touched. Not only at Jensen taking the time to tell his friends about their blossoming companionship, but also because said friends were interested in getting to know Roman as well.

His friend circle in the past had been pretty small. Aside from his ex, Roman only ever spent time with three other people when they were in school together. When he graduated, those relationships dwindled rather quickly. Since they weren't occupying the same space or shared classes anymore, Roman always saw to it to make plans for everyone to be together. After two years of constant excuses, however, the people Roman used to call friends became nothing more than distant memories. 

Aside from Jensen, Roman hadn't put himself out there in terms of building new relationships after getting broken up with back in April. A bit of nervousness built at the prospect of getting to know so many new faces and personalities. 

Still, they were close with Jensen. Enough for him to see them as people he could be safe with.

Roman figured meeting everyone wouldn't be so bad.

Ro 😊

Just give me a time and day so I can actually make sure I'm presentable

Jay 🤪

Dude 😂😂😂

You could show up in a potato sack and the messiest bedhead of your life and you'd still look good

Ro 😊

Oh? Are you trying to tell me something Jay? Take a guy to dinner first 😏

Jay 🤪

Okay 😊

There's a really nice upscale Italian restaurant by my place I've been meaning to take you to

How about this Thursday after my shift ends? After we have our fill of good food and wine, we could make it a sleepover 😁

Roman sat up completely, intrigued. He cradled his phone close to his chest and started pacing around his room.

The dinner thing was supposed to be a joke. They were just supposed to laugh it off or gloss over it completely. 

But-

But Jensen said yes.

They'd had dinner by themselves before, of course. It happened pretty regularly following their initial sleepover at Jensen's house. There was just something inherently... intimate about going to an actual restaurant. Alone.

Sitting across a small table, drinking together, conversing over shared platters and desserts; it sounded a lot like-

No- no, it wasn't a date. The word "date" hadn't even been used in the text. Why would it be?

They were just two friends grabbing a meal together. There was no reason to get overly excited about something so normal.

Ro 😊

Yeah, sure

Sounds like a plan 👍

I haven't had an adult beverage in a really long time

So I might be a lightweight

Jay 🤪

I'll keep you from faceplanting on the way home, don't worry 👍😂

Just make sure you stay sober enough to not vom on your suit 😜

Roman released a quiet, breathy laugh. His fingers moved at a faster pace along his keyboard. He went back and forth with Jensen, playfully teasing him about how he was either really funny or really clingy when he was drunk. Jensen argued that Roman was most likely a sleepy drunk with how many times he'd been caught resting with a book in his lap.

Roman fell back onto his bed, a bright grin staying on his face, when watching a video sent to him.

It was of Jensen during an old game night with his friends. His eyes were a bit hazy, and his face looked rosy. An orange guinea pig, Pumpkin, and a dark brown and white one, Mocha, were held firmly against his chest. Jensen gave both of his pets kisses against their tiny foreheads while swaying in an uncoordinated fashion to a party song.

The video ended on his endearing expression.

Roman watched the still image in silent admiration.

"Hey, honey, I just wanted to- oh. Are you busy?"

Roman looked up to give his full attention to Mikayla. "No, I'm just talking to Jay."

"Oh?" Her expression went from sweet to mischievous. "That explains why you're so red then."

"I- I am not." Roman insisted, shielding his face behind his phone.

Mikayla scooted onto the bed, whisper-shouting in pure joy. "Aw, come on, sweetheart! Let's talk boys! Give me the juicy deets. You like him, don't you?"

"Oh my- if I admit he's cute, do you promise to never say 'juicy deets' again?"

Mikayla giggled. She kicked her feet back and forth with great enthusiasm.

Roman wasn't too sure why his aunt was so delighted to know he found his best friend attractive. He guessed it was because fancying Jensen meant Roman was getting more comfortable in wanting things for himself. Certain walls were still kept up inside of him. Gauging his willingness to like someone, well, like that, still came with stubborn difficulty. But admitting he yearned for something at all was a big step for him.

Roman had always been about giving and helping other people.

Taking for himself in any way meant he was learning to be selfish. Which was a good thing.

He could finally start breaking the chains keeping him tethered to old, unhealthy habits forced onto him by Rachel.

Speaking of her...

"Uh, hey, Aunt Kay? I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

"Of course, honey. What's up?"

"Well..." Roman trailed off, uncertain. "My... birth giver reached out to me a few weeks ago. When I had that sleepover at Jay's. I didn't want to talk to her, so I never answered. But it really caught me off guard because I never gave her my new number."

Mikayla straightened up, all traces of amusement disappearing. "That's weird. I never gave her your number either. Neither has Denise or Dorian."

"If you guys didn't,  I don't know who-"

Roman's mouth clamped shut. He thought about all of the people who had his current number. He thought about the relationships he forged since moving to Maple Bay, along with when exactly Rachel attempted to contact him.

Juniper and Jensen had no way, or reason, to talk to Rachel. Those in the Indigo household knew better than to try.

That only left one person who could bridge them together.

"Of course it would be him." Roman tossed his phone next to him in anger. "My father."

"Do you really think..?"

He pulled his knees toward his chest to lean against them. "I think he gave it to her because of that big fight we had last time he came to visit. My dad's always been the 'family' man. He probably expected me and her to hash things out if she was given a chance to talk to me."

"That's not his call to make."

"I know. It's not like he's ever cared about how his actions impact me, though."

Roman cursed himself for not making the connection sooner. At the same time, he tried to force Rachel's attempt at contacting him in the back of his mind to focus on more important things. Like hanging out with Jensen, their family dinners, going to the Maple Bay Halloween Festival, celebrating Roman's birthday. Having so many interactions fill him with bright, radiant warmth helped to cast a shadow on the issues he didn't want to deal with.

That was also why he hadn't told Mikayla sooner.

She'd been so happy to see her nephew making progress with his individual growth. Informing her about the past coming back to haunt him would only make her upset.

"I'm not trying to worry you-"

"Roman, I-"

Mikayla's phone vibrating interrupted her. The device was taken out of her robe's pocket. A quick glance at the screen led to the call being declined a mere second later.

She hadn't been fast enough to hide the contact information, though.

"She's- she's been calling you too?"

Mikayla gave a defeated sigh. "Yes. To complain about life, as usual. I just hang up the phone if Rachel ever asks about you. I haven't told her that you're here. But she probably suspects since you didn't really have anywhere else to go."

It took everything within Roman to keep from pulling his hair out in frustration. 

He didn't understand Rachel's motives. Did she aim to poke and prod for the simple pleasure of knowing he was still struggling? Did she want to reach out because she wanted to hear, from Roman's own mouth, that he wasn't moving forward? Was Rachel's goal to have Roman believe she still had power over him, even if they weren't living together anymore?

Roman wished it wasn't the case, but, deep down, he knew Rachel's authority did reign supreme. The way she'd brought him up as a child impacted the way he lived as an adult. Each rebuttal, each jab, each degrading comment used to wear him down over the years — they were the driving points which made him afraid to be open. They made him afraid to trust other people.

Perhaps, in Rachel's demented mind, she was trying to show Roman the only person he could ever depend on was her.

Or she sought to hammer it into his head how he couldn't depend on anyone because he'd never been worth the trouble.

Rachel had always been adamant on her son's worth coming from how much he gave. And when he dropped out of college, a step taken to no longer provide for her, she kicked him out to prove how much she didn't want him anymore. 

His friends and girlfriend abandoning him after high school proved how much they didn't want him either.

Rachel jammed it into Roman's head that, no matter who he surrounded himself with, sooner or later, they'd get rid of him too when he stopped being useful.

Mikayla selflessly took on the job of keeping those ideologies away from Roman. But he didn't think it was her burden to bear.

Not for him.

"I'm sorry, Kay. I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted to drag you into this. I- I can go. Really- if she's contacting you as a way to get to me, I'll leave. You shouldn't have to take this on for my sake-"

Mikayla stopped him by cupping his face in her hands. She peered into his eyes, taking note of how fast they were filling with tears. Witnessing his fear turn into resignation was horrifying.

Roman was pulled in for a tight hug before getting a chance to pull himself away. Before he started putting more blocks up to hide behind another wall.

"I've told you before, honey. You don't ever have to apologize for needing me. This isn't a fight I'm going to let you go through by yourself. You don't deserve that. I care about you. Everyone in this house, Juni, and Jay- we all care about you. And we won't ever leave you to face your demons all alone. You are worth so much more than that, Roman. So much more."

Mikayla tightened her hold.

Roman didn't believe himself worthy enough to reciprocate the tender gesture.

He did, however, allow himself the chance to cry while wrapped in her protective embrace.