A Song For You//[Thonny]

Chapter Eighteen

Weeks continued to fly by and Thom found himself back at Jonny's apartment more often than not, their relationship settling into an unexpected rhythm. It was subtle at first, this rekindled closeness between them—a shared glance, a lingering touch, a quiet laugh in the middle of a conversation that stretched into the early hours of the morning. Slowly but surely, the rift that had kept them apart was closing.

They took things one day at a time, careful not to dig too deeply into the past, almost as if they were afraid that any sudden movement might shatter whatever fragile peace they'd found. Thom had learned to read Jonny's moods, noticing the signs of when he was more tense or restless, and in those moments, he'd offer small distractions—an old cassette tape with a favorite song, a trip to the local record shop, or just sitting in silence, letting Jonny's presence be enough.

It was a delicate balance, and they both seemed to know that it was temporary. They weren't naïve. The scars of the past hadn't vanished, but they'd found ways to exist alongside them.

The more time they spent together, the less they cared about hiding it from everyone else—though "everyone else" mostly just meant Colin. And while Phil and Ed seemed genuinely glad to see Jonny happier and more stable, Colin was anything but pleased. He'd make small, barbed comments when Thom was within earshot, his disapproval all too clear. He didn't hold back his icy stares or the subtle, disapproving frowns whenever he saw Thom with Jonny.

Colin had tried to pull Jonny aside a few times, likely for another lecture, but Jonny had grown increasingly defensive of his relationship with Thom. The confrontation was bound to happen, but for the moment, they kept things from coming to a head.

Jonny leaned his head back against the couch, his eyes fluttering closed as he played with Thom's hand absentmindedly. They were just talking—quietly, in the dim light of Jonny's living room, with a half-finished record spinning on the player and two half-drunk cups of tea on the table. Thom didn't know how long they sat like that, comfortable and easy.

But the peace was broken the next morning when Thom heard the phone ring. Thom looked over at Jonny who was asleep, and he groaned, throwing the blankets off of him and shuffling out to the living room. It was Colin, his number flashing on the small screen, and Thom tensed. Thoms eyes narrowed. Colin was obsessed, wasn't he? He picked up, bracing himself.

"Hello?"

"Thom," Colin's voice was clipped and terse on the other end. "We need to talk."

"About?" Thom replied, though he already knew.

"About Jonny," Colin said, as if it were obvious. "And about you—whatever it is you think you're doing with him."

Thom took a slow breath. Was this all Colin was going to talk about? God, he was like a broken record. "I'm just trying to be there for him, Colin. He wants me there."

"Well, I don't want you there," Colin snapped. "I don't want you messing things up for him, not again. He's fragile, and you're dragging him down with you."

Thom's jaw clenched, holding back the retort that threatened to slip out. "Colin, I get that you're worried, but Jonny's an adult. He doesn't need you policing who he spends his time with."

There was a silence on the other end of the line before Colin replied, his voice tight. "Just... just know that if you hurt him again, I'll make sure you're out of his life for good. He deserves better than this mess, Thom. I don't care what you two think is happening, but I won't let you ruin him again."

The call ended abruptly, and Thom stood there, the phone still pressed to his ear, his heart pounding. He knew Colin wasn't wrong to worry, that the stakes were high and things were delicate. But he also knew he wouldn't walk away. Not this time.