Beyond The Fine Line

Chapter XLVIII - Heart to Heart

A late afternoon haze hung over the city, the heat still present but softened by a gentle breeze. The sky turned amber as the sun dipped behind the buildings, casting long shadows across the pavement outside the station. The air was thick with the smell of street food from nearby vendors, mingling with the faint scent of exhaust. The streets remained busy, but there was a subtle shift in energy as day slowly gave way to night.

As soon as they stepped outside, Fort's family whisked him away into a hug. His mother frantically checked him for injuries while Araya scolded him for getting into trouble with tears in her eyes, her voice trembling slightly. His father tried to keep his composure as he thanked Margaret for her help, but his shaking hands showed how worried he had been.

Sari embraced Sean so tight it looked as if she was planning to break all his bones or suffocate him, possibly both. Izzy let her have it for a moment, then gently patted her shoulder, afraid she would actually murder his little brother in front of a police station.

"You good?" he asked, looking at Sean's face with concern.

"I will live," Sean chuckled, his eyes instinctively searching for the person he wanted to see the most.

Even Sari was moved by the way his expression suddenly changed and decided to let him off the hook. This one last time.

Sean had thousands of things he wanted to say to him, starting with an apology for causing trouble again. He was prepared for that icy, unshakeable calmness that made Jay's anger feel more terrifying than shouting ever could. But this... this caught him off guard.

The softness of Jay's gaze as it swept over him, checking if he was okay, undisturbed even by the slight frown at his injury. The way Jay simply pulled him close and kissed him with such tenderness that Sean's heart stopped. The pure affection behind it seemed to seep into his bones, washing away any traces of exhaustion... it felt like he was finally home.

"Thank you for getting my ass out of prison," Sean muttered against his lips.

Jay's expression slowly slipped back to its usual indifference, tinged with amusement, yet still a faint softness remained. "Of course, you are mine. I couldn't just leave you there."

His eyes widened slightly as his mind drifted back to that afternoon in Jay's bedroom and the words he had said trying to get through Jay's walls: I'll be yours, and you'll be mine. Sean had never expected Jay to bring it up so casually yet with such gentleness in his voice. He knew all too well how difficult moments like this were for Jay, how uncomfortable any display of affection could make him. And Sean accepted it as part of who Jay was, and he loved him anyway. So seeing him like this was even more meaningful, showing how much Jay cared about him in return.

"You do realise that since you admitted it so openly, I will never let you escape now?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Jay smiled at him. "Given your stubbornness, I never stood a chance anyway."

Sean chuckled softly, intertwining their fingers together. "I love you too."

As he expected, Jay instantly stiffened at his phrasing, his expression going blank in that way Sean had come to recognise - the instinctive retreat. But he didn't mind. He knew Jay might never say the words back, and that was okay because he finally learned to read between the lines. Jay's grip on his hand almost imperceptibly tightened, but it was enough. It was always the little things with him, easy to miss yet with more meaning than any declaration ever could.

Sean leaned in and kissed him. He didn't need Jay to say it - he already knew.

"As much as I would love to see you two make out in front of the police station," Izzy started with the full teasing force of older brother. "Sari and I need to go back. Lizzy will cry auntie's ear off if we miss her feeding time. I'm telling you... kids are worse than prison."