After Us

Bonus Chapter Two : Stay

"So, does this mean he's staying?"

The question wasn't at all surprising, given that he had been expecting to hear it the night before. When he'd gone back home with Tharn in tow, at the dinner table when the four of them were having dinner. Yet, the question wasn't asked, to his equal surprise and confusion.

Probably, his old man didn't just find the right moment to ask it, not when his whole attention was on Tharn all throughout dinner.

He had a feeling a proper conversation was in order, but he honestly didn't know where or how to start. He hoped he didn't need to explain everything, but out of respect to his parents, he knew he had to.

He shrugged his shoulders for starters, gaze never leaving Tharn. The sight of him there, sitting next to his mother on one of the patio chairs, smiling and talking as they sipped on their teas was incredibly heartwarming. Something he didn't know he would ever get to experience again, after the whole two years he'd lost Tharn because of his selfishness.

"Well, that's what he said, Dad," he murmured in answer. He turned to find his father watching the scene, too, his expression solemn and somewhat thoughtful.

His old man turned to him then. "You didn't expect him to?" and there was another question he wished he didn't have to answer, but it sure looked like his father was in the mood to talk.

He sighed and shook his head. "After two years? Not really." he answered.

His father didn't look convinced, and there was that mysterious lilt on his lips that confused Type as he relate to it.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Dad?" he said, turning sideways completely until he was facing his father properly. His old man shrugged his shoulders, but that mysterious smile was still plastered on his face even then.

"Nothing. Just. I'm surprised you really believed he wasn't ever coming back to see you."

Type averted his gaze, not quite ready to admit that yet. "To come see me and getting back together with me are two entirely different things, Dad." 

"But you wished he would." his father said, meaningfully, and Type frowned at him.

"What, that he would come back after I've broken his heart? Sure, at first, I did. But that was because I was too confident for my own good. It was stupid, Dad, okay? I knew Tharn loved me, but what I did to him was cruel. I'm just lucky he's so forgiving that he can look past that now instead of just taking revenge on me and then leave. To be honest, that's exactly what I was expecting when he showed up."

His father looked at him as if he couldn't decide whether to laugh at him or punch him. Part of him wondered if it was because the older man didn't expect he would answer truthfully, or the fact that he was being brutally honest about the whole thing when he normally wouldn't comment on anything, if he could.

"Hmm, but your mother and I were certain he'll be back," his father countered softly, as if he was certain this was the case. He bristled but was cut short when his father lifted a hand and followed it with, "He loves you that much, son. I've seen it. I've witnessed it with my own eyes to doubt him, really."

He chuckled, mirthless at best because, apart from this conversation being so out of the ordinary, it was also terribly embarrassing. He turned his gaze away from his father and out of the window again, watching Tharn and his mother and wishing he could hear what they were talking about.

"You don't believe it?" his old man asked afterward.

He laughed, hoping he would be able to mask the uncertainty by acting like he wasn't feeling it.