Page 25 of Conflict Conclusion

“Or Yarmen. I don’t want him to bother Yarmen, but I also don’t want to just kick him to the curb⁠—”

“We’re not going to kick him to the curb,” Leon said, pressing his hands against his thighs to stand back up. “At the bare minimum, we would make sure he got adopted by someone else if he can’t live here.”

It was so beyond stupid, but James found his eyes spilling over.

“Maybe…someone will want him.”

Leon washed his hands in the sink, drying them haphazardly on his joggers before tipping James’ chin up. His eyes searched James’ face, like maybe he’d be able to figure out what the heck was happening that way.

“You want him,” Leon stated, and all James could do was nod.

“And I want what you want, love. We’ll figure it out together, but first, we need to get him to the vet.”

Just like with his mom in the attic, that seemed like a simple enough first step. Leon led them back out to the kitchen before darting into his bedroom to get James a shirt. He returned with one of his well-worn band T-shirts and took the cat out of James’ arms.

Even though the shirt smelled like laundry detergent, beneath it was the citrusy, woodsy scent James had long since associated with Leon…and with a feeling of home. He put it on, and it felt almost like a warm hug as it settled around his shoulders.

Leon must have noticed a change in his expression, because his shoulders relaxed and he smirked at James. “I hope you know we’re going to have to talk about whatever the hell that was in there about cat moms and being a bother,” he said, jerking his chin toward the bathroom. “I’m pretty sure Kaden would have to refund me for every therapy session we’ve ever had if I didn’t insist on a conversation.”

“You’re probably right,” James muttered.

He accepted the cat back as Leon shoved his feet into his boots and grabbed his keys. It was probably beyond absurd to say, and definitely pointed at some deep-seated abandonment issues he should talk to his therapist about, but James had missed having the sturdy weight in his arms. The big guy began to purr as James held him close, bracing his arms so he wouldn’t be jostled as they headed for Leon’s car.

What had started off as a beautiful, sunny day had turned into an overcast evening. The clouds were dark and heavy, seeming to press down on them as they pulled out of Leon’s parking garage.

The ball, which had mostly settled, began to vibrate again in his stomach. “Do you think he’s going to be okay? Could it be something simple like a twisted ankle, or maybe something is stuck in his paw?”

“I didn’t see anything in his paw,” Leon said absently as he turned slowly out onto the busy street.

It hadn’t even occurred to James to offer to drive, but maybe he should have. Would driving to the vet on the same roads they’d used to bring Hailey to the hospital bring back bad memories for Leon? There wasn’t anywhere near as much urgency in this ride as there had been then. Leon was going just below the speed limit, checking his mirrors multiple times before switching lanes.

“I’m sorry, I should have offered to drive,” James said, toying with the corner of his button-down farthest from the cat’s hurt leg.

“It’s fine. You have your hands full,” Leon said, tossing James a quick smirk.

“I do, but…you’re more important to me than a cat I rescued today,” James said, blinking back yet more ridiculous tears.

Leon was more important than moving logistics, rushed timelines, and injured stray cats. It had been such a rough year. All James wanted to do was make Leon’s life a little easier, and make him happy, the way he made James so beyond happy.

“You mean the world to me, Leon,” he whispered. “This cat is just⁠—”

“A little sweetheart who I can tell you’ve already fallen for,” Leon said, his eyes fixed on the road, even as his smirk grew. “It’s really okay, darlin’, I can drive when I need to. I drove Aspen all over the fucking universe while you were gone.”

The light ahead turned yellow, and Leon slowed to a stop just as it switched to red. The cat purred softly, and James gently stroked his back until his eyes fell shut.

“Hailey’s mom thinks I might have PTSD,” Leon said offhandedly. “And…I think she might be right. What’s so stupid about that is I think it’s not even just about Hailey’s accident. I've been, uhm…Things have been coming up about my dad dying, too.”

The light turned green, and the hum of the engine drowned out James’ sharp intake of breath. He’d had his own suspicions over the past few months, but Leon had a therapist, and James hadn’t wanted to go against whatever he was saying.

“I guess maybe I should go back to seeing Kaden once a week,” Leon said, his smirk more of a grimace now. “Our bi-weekly calls have mostly been about my ADHD and meds. I didn’t think…Well, I guess that’s it, isn’t it? I didn’t think. If Hailey or you or even Aspen had been through something awful, I would have been fucking relentless that you get help, but I just didn’t think I needed it.”

That ball slammed down into James’ stomach, and he nearly doubled over.

He should have said something earlier. He should have been brave and voiced his concern instead of assuming everything would work out in the end. Nothing in life ever just happened. It had to be fought for. He had fought by his mom’s side to overcome his dad leaving and get her through her cancer treatment. He had fought for a good job, and once Leon had shown him the error of his ways, he’d fought against his bigoted boss and made their workplace safer for everyone. He and Leon had gotten through the awkward, beginning stages of their relationship, and now they were in love, but fighting for each other—and for their happiness—never really stopped.

He owed it to Leon and himself to keep fighting for what he wanted. Even if that meant fighting his own fear and doubt.

“That sounds like a really good idea to me. I think I’m also going to go back to seeing my therapist more regularly. I want to be better at supporting you, and—” Leon opened his mouth as if to protest, but James pushed on. “There are also some things changing in my life that I want to be better prepared for working through.”