unbreakable


They hold him, sandwiched between them, because that's all they can do.

Head rested against Jeremy's chest, he waits, let's them have this because they've waited so long for it.

One arm is around Jeremy's waist while the other is tucked between them, holding James' hand where it rests against his stomach. He can feel James' face in his hair, feel the tears falling, and he feels like weeping a little too when Jeremy's body hitches against him.

Anything he says right now isn't meaningless, he knows they will listen to every word. But it won't change anything, the hollow, emptiness he knows they've been carrying with them for months now won't be filled with words, won't be filled with this one afternoon together. But next week, and the week after that, the nights of gentle love making and the mornings of shared simplicity, then they'll all start to heal.

Jeremy's hand strokes his back, fingers brushing the back of his head. He hears the words, 'I love you' and knows it could have been said by either of them but it came from both. For a time they only had each other and now they have him back they won't ever let him go. He'll fight them, like he fought so damn hard to be in their arms now, but it'll never change anything. Not now.

Later on, after they leave here and go back to Jeremy's place, Richard has ideas of how he wants to spend the night. He knows he'll have to persuade them, talk them into it, coerce and beg and even maybe run the guilt trip until they give in. But in the end it'll be good for them. He won't break. They just have to be reminded of that.