wanna go for the title?

They spent a long time talking, switching from the hike to how Tommy's last shift had been to how Theo's week at school was to the video rabbit hole on sea turtles Evan had fallen down during a rare moment of quiet. By the time they say their goodnights, Tommy's ear is hot from having the screen pressed to his head for so long.

Evan and Theo are already waiting in the parking lot when Tommy arrives the next morning. Theo looks as pleased as Tommy imagines any four year old would to be woken up at this early on a Saturday morning, arms crossed tightly around his chest and his lower lip jutted out. That all changes when Tommy steps out of his truck and he runs to wrap his arms around his leg.

"Hi, Theo," Tommy greets, patting his head lightly. Theo beams up at him.

"Buck says there's a waterfall. Can we find it?"

"I'm sure we can," Tommy nods. He turns his eyes to Evan. "Hey."

"Hey," Evan grins. There's a moment where it almost seems like he's going to lean forward for a quick kiss, but instead he looks down at Theo and holds out his little backpack. "You ready, kiddo?"

"Yeah, let's find the waterfall!" Theo grabs Buck's hand and tugs him toward the start of the path, and Buck laughs, allowing himself to be pulled along. Tommy falls into step next to them under the shade of the trees.

Theo is a ball of energy, excitedly pointing to the flowers and insects, asking Evan to tell him their names and if they can take pictures of them all. He's loud, especially when a flock of birds takes off when they approach their roost. He squeals with delight and grabs Tommy's hand, pointing up to the sky.

"Like you!"

He keeps his grip on Tommy for a while, his little fingers squeezing tightly around his when he gets excited. The distance doesn't seem to bother him at all, they've walked maybe a mile and a half and his engery hasn't depleted a bit

He's still babbling away when they hear the rush of water in the near distance. He looks eagerly up at Evan.

"Is that it?" Evan pulls up a map of the path on his phone and shows it to him.

"Seems like it."

"So cool!" Theo takes off, kicking up a trail of dust in his wake.

"Stay where we can see you!" Evan yells after him, shaking his head.

"Is that a good idea?" Tommy asks. Evan grins at him and shrugs.

"He's okay. I have an airtag in his backpack, just in case." It's such an Evan thing to say, Tommy can't help but laugh. Evan laughs too and they drift closer as they follow Theo up the path, their shoulders bumping occasionally with their movements.

As eager as he is, Theo doesn't go more than a few feet ahead of them, bouncing in excitment. The waterfall is small, but he's thrilled by it all the same, marveling at the little rainbows the mist creates and small creatures swimming around in the water underneath. Tommy sneaks a few pictures of him and Evan knelt down, Evan pointing out a salamander and telling Theo some facts of his own. Tommy tries teaching them both how to skip rocks across the water's surface and they laugh as each one Evan tries sinks quickly. More hikers come and go, smiling and nodding kindly as they pass or settle on the grass nearby. It hits Tommy that those people see them as another happy family enjoying a day outside, two dads and their little boy who screams in shocked wonder when a fish leaps out of the water. How much he wishes that was true.

They start their descent back to the parking lot after sharing the smorgasbord of snacks Evan had brought with them. Now that the fun part is over and the day has gotten hotter, Theo is no longer as enthusiastic about the excursion and he starts whining quietly after a few yards that he's tired, his legs hurt. Evan has both of their backpacks now, so Tommy stoops and swings him up onto his shoulders without a second thought. The smile it gains from Evan is heart breakingly beautiful and more than a little grateful.

"How's the weather up there?" Tommy asks and Theo giggles.

"Daddy says that, too."

Back in the parking lot, Theo let's Evan buckle him into his carseat with little fuss, his eyes already drooping closed as soon as he gets still.

"Thanks for coming today," Evan says when they walk around to the drivers side. "I think he had a great time."

"I did, too. Thanks for inviting me."

That same tension from a few weeks ago is back, think and magnetic between them. Evan's gaze drops to his lips for a half second, then shoots back up to his eyes.

"I...I should get him home. Let him have his nap."

"Yeah." But he still lingers. Tommy huffs out a laugh and pulls him into a hug. "Drive safe."

"You, too," Evan says into his neck. "We'll see you soon."

And they did. After the hike, it seemed Tommy was being invited to join in on most of Evan and Theo's outings. They explored child-friendly museums and galleries, went to events in the park, spent evenings playing board games gathered around Evan's coffee table or watching animated movies on the couch. There was a memorable afternoon where Evan brought Theo to the Harbor station for a tour and Melton followed the boy around with the quiet amusement of a grandfather helping to sniff out harmless trouble. The three of them fell into each other's lives and routines like clicking a final missing puzzle piece into place.

Every encounter brought Tommy and Evan closer than they had been before. Keeping a tight lock on romance forced them to talk instead of burying themselves in each other's bodies. Evan told Tommy about his childhood, growing up with a family haunted by the memory of a brother he didn't know existed until just a few years ago, and how that loss shaped his relationship with his parents. Tommy told him about a father who was more of a dictator, watching and controlling every move he made until he joined the army, his distant mother who he believes loves him, but never as much as she loves herself, a string of step fathers he never bothered getting to know before they were replaced with the next. They shared secrets and regrets, fears and past glories, until it felt like there wasn't a flaw or scar left unseen. And all the while Theo whirled around them in bursts of glee and screaming anger, evenings of refusing to let Tommy leave until he fell asleep because the idea of him driving scared him, days when he wouldn't speak to Evan, but let Tommy coax him into eating his lunch or changing into his pajamas.

One day, Theo greets Tommy at the door with a little blue envelope decorated with ballons and his name drawn in crayon on the front. Inside is an invitation to Theo's fifth birthday party that weekend.

"I told him we could just ask you to come," Evan says, "but he insisted that all his friends get real invitations."

Later that evening, before getting tucked into bed, Theo makes Tommy pinky promise that he'll be at his party.

"Buck says you can't break these," He says, seriously. Tommy nods.

"I wouldn't miss it. Sleep tight, T-Rex."

Tommy has never been to a child's birthday party, but has an idea of what to expect when he lets himself in the day of the party thanks to movies and TV. There's the excited screams of children in the backyard, streamers and balloons and dinosaur decorations abound. The adults are gathered in the living room and back patio, talking and laughing, the table they had shared that first dinner at is piled with gifts.

"Tommy!" Theo shouts. The congregation of 118 members at the side of the yard looks up as he leaves his friends and runs to hug him.

"Hey, kiddo. Happy birthday!" He can feel multiple sets of eyes on him as Theo runs back to his playmates and Evan makes his way over to his side to take the gift bag from his hands and offer him a beer instead.

"Thank you for coming," He says with a small smile.

"Well, I did pinky promise. I was told those are unbreakable vows." Evan nods with the same seriousness Theo had.

"I have a couple of things to finish up in the kitchen, but I'll be right out. Help yourself to anything."

He bustles off and Tommy sighs. He doesn't know anyone else, so he figures he may as well bite the bullet. He heads over to join the other firefighters at the picnic table by the fence.

It's not nearly as awkward as he feared it would be. No one seems surprised to see his, and they all greet him with friendly familiarity. Soon enough, he's laughing with Howie and Hen about old calls, discussing the pros and cons of the new truck Eddie has been thinking about getting versus the one he has, giving Ravi and the 118's new probie work out tips. It feels normal, but Tommy knows it isn't. He sees the looks exchanged between Howie and Hen when they think he isn't looking. He hears their trepidation of him when they talk about Theo or Evan. It's all subtle, but Tommy is a man who lived most of his life with his head on a swivel, watching and listening for every small change in a person's demeanor.

Tommy is comfortable enough with himself to ignore all of that now. Today isn't about him, it's about the little boy who has had a traumatic year smiling while he blows out the candles on his birthday cake, it's about Theo excitedly tearing into the presents people who care enough to show up brought him, it's about a little boy curled up in his father's lap while they look at his new books together, even if he doesn't know what that moment really means.

People slowly start leaving and soon it's just the extended 118 family lingering, helping Evan gather up miscellaneous trash and take down decorations. Tommy grabs a couple of the serving trays and carries them into the kitchen, hesitating only a moment when he sees Evan's sister already standing at the sink, almost like she was waiting for him.

"That was a heck of a party," He says, shifting under the weight of Maddie's eyes. "Evan did a great job."

"He did," Maddie agrees. She takes the trays from him, emptying the leftovers and starting to wash them. Tommy is about to make his escape when she speaks again. "It sounds like the three of you have been spending a lot of time together."

Tommy can tell she's trying to keep her tone casual, but there's still an edge to it. His shoulders threaten to tighten, ready to go on the defensive, but he forces the feeling down and away. There's no reason for it, and he refuses to let himself be forced into this corner.

"We have," He acknowledges with no further explanation, not giving an inch. Maddie meets his challenge evenly.

"And you think that's a good idea? Given you and Buck's history?" Tommy grits his teeth.

"I think Evan is grown man who can make his own decisions, including who he wants involved his and Theo's lives."

Maddie drums her nails on the counter, obviously fighting against whatever words are poised on the tip of her tongue. After a long moment, she sighs.

"Look, I know you're not a bad man, I know I owe everything I still have to you. But Buck is in a vulnerable place right now learning how to live with all this. The last thing he needs is a boyfriend."

"Funny. Evan said the exact same thing." There's a vicious satisfaction at Maddie's look of surprise, how that drew her up short. "You're right, he doesn't need a boyfriend. He just needs someone who has is back. Someone who he isn't worried is waiting for him to make a wrong move or is going to try to correct him. We're friends, Maddie."

"You know he can never just be your friend," She says, and it's not an accusation, it's not said in a mean, nasty way. She states it as a plain fact. "Please just remember that whatever you two decide to do, there's someone else who's heart can be broken this time."

With that, she wipes her hands on a dish towel and leaves Tommy standing in the kitchen. He's tempted to follow after her, but Evan sweeps in holding Theo.

"Would you mind helping him with his pajamas while I get everyone else out of here?"

Theo whines softly as he's transferred from Evan's arms to his, and tucks his face against Tommy's neck. He can hear the quiet goodbyes being exchanged down the hall as he helps Theo through his bedtime routine; the casual "good night, see you laters" exchanged by him and the Diazes and Wilsons, Jee and Nash's giggles before Chimney takes them to the car, then a quiet exchange with Maddie that shifts to tense whispers.

Tommy is tucking an already half asleep Theo into his bed when Evan rejoins them. He lingers in the doorway for a moment, long enough to watch Evan brush Theo's hair back and kiss his forehead before he retreats to the living room and settles on the couch, the tension that had had kept his muscles tense the majority of the evening finally relaxing. He hears Evan go down the hall and move around in the kitchen, the quiet snick of the front door lock, then Evan walks into living room with two beers dangling between his fingers and offers him one before sitting down.

"Is it just me, or was the the most exhausting party ever?" Tommy chuckles.

"It was something. You did an incredible job, Evan. I know Theo had the time of his life."

"Thanks." They're quiet for a moment. "Tommy, I– I want to to thank you for everything. For how you've shown up for him, no matter what, no matter when. I can never tell you how much it means to both of us."

Evan's looks at him with earnest eyes and Tommy smiles, reaching out to squeeze the hand he has laying on his knee.

"There's nothing that could keep me away. Not from Theo...or from you."

The first kiss is barely there, the softest brush of lips. The next was deeper, firmer. Tommy's hand moves to cup Evan's face and he sighs against his lips, letting his fingers thread into Tommy's hair. They get lost in each other, and it's been a long time since Tommy has just kissed someone like this. One of Evan's hands tightens in his shirt, the other reaches behind himself, knocking a small collection of stuffed animals to the floor so he can lay back, drawing Tommy down with him, whispering his name against his lips like a prayer.

"Buck!"

Theo's voice echoes down the hallway, finally pulling them apart. Evan lays his forehead against Tommy's cheek, the warm huff of his laugher ghosting across his neck.

"I'll be right back," He murmurs, leaning in for one last kiss before gently pushing Tommy away to get up.

Tommy has to fight the urge to pinch himself. He feels like he's living a rom-com romance fantasy, reconciling with the love of his life, helping him care for a child he adores. He knows that he and Evan have a lot to talk about, but for the momemt, he allows himself to marvel at at how the universe has smiled on him.

He waits a while, but Evan doesn't return. Tommy rises and pads down the hall to make sure that everything is okay. He leans against the doorframe and smiles at the sight before him. Evan has fallen asleep laying next to Theo, his cheek pressed against the boys head where he's snuggled up against his chest. Tommy eases into the room and turns off the lamp, leaving the room in the soft glow of the nightlight in the corner.

Back in the living room, Tommy finds himself at a loss for what to do next. The logical thing would be to leave Evan a note and go home, call him first thing in the morning and figure out where they stand. But to leave agter kissing him like that feels wrong. He can almost picture the flash of devastated disappointment that will come across Evan's face when he wakes up to Tommy gone, knows the thoughts that will run through his mind, always the worst case scenario first. To hell with it, he and Evan have never been logical anyway.

Evan's smile when he walks into the kitchen and finds Tommy waiting for the coffee to finish brewing is almost blinding.

"You stayed." Tommy's answering smile is just as bright.

Evan moves so that Tommy can come inside and shuts the door, before leading him into the living room. Tommy lifts the bags in his hand slightly, drawing Theo's attention and he immediately starts wriggling in Evan's arms, trying to get a closer look.

"I, uh, brought some house warming gifts."

"You didn't need to do that." Evan places Theo back on the floor and Tommy holds his bag out to him. It's nothing special really, just a baseball, but Tommy had loved throwinb his around in his backyard when he was kid, pretending he was in the major leagues. Theo looks ecstatic when he pulls it out of the tissue paper, and Tommy's breath almost falters at how much he looks like Evan when his eyes light up.

"Can I go play with it, Buck?" He asks, looking up him excitedly. Evan tries to give him a stern look, but his smile betrays him.

"What do you say first?"

"Thank you, Mr. Tommy!" Theo surprises him by throwing his little arms around his leg before he runs for the door to the backyard.

"Not too close to the windows!" Evan calls after him, shaking his head when the door bangs shut without an answer. "Thank you. Really. You didn't have to–"

"I wanted to," Tommy smiles. He holds the other bag out to him and Evan takes it with a shy smile. "It's that wine we had on our trip to that vineyard. I remembered how much you liked it."

Evan's face goes through a complex array of emotions as he looks at the bottle, his thumb running over the label for a moment before he swallows and gives Tommy a strained smile.

"I, uh, I hope you like dino nuggets," He says, indicating to the kitchen. "I was going to make something a little fancier, but Theo had a great behavior week at school, so he got to pick whatever he wanted."

"Oh, that's great. No more misadventures with the fire alarms then?" Tommy jokes, leaning against the counter and looking around the room. There are toys stacked in every corner, building blocks and animals, a fire truck and police cars. The fridge is plastered with drawings and papers, Tommy can see what looks like a spelling test with a big '100' and a smiley face hanging front and center. Evan laughs.

"No, thankfully. We had another long talk about why that wasn't okay after we got home that day. I think he has an apology card for your station floating around here somewhere." Evan opens the side door and calls for Theo to come in and wash up and the boy begrudgingly trudges inside, the knees of his pants now stained with dirt and grass.

"Can we eat outside?" He asks as Evan leads him to the bathroom down the hall.

"Sure. Do you want to sit at the big table or at your table?"

They all sit around the table on Evan's back patio, and Tommy starts to feel a little awkward again. He's a grown man, nearing his mid-forties with a plate of dinosaur shaped chicken, mac and cheese of a slightly concerning orangish-yellow color, and bright green peas next to his glass of wine. He doesn't have any experience with children other than what the job calls for, so he's caught off guard when Theo picks up one of his nuggets and starts roaring loudly before smashing it into the ketchup on his plate hard enough to shake the whole table then shoves the whole nugget into his mouth in one go.

"Buck said you fly helicopters!" He says around the food in his mouth, specks of chicken flying across the table.

"Theo, don't talk with your mouth full," Evan admonishes, looking mortified at the glob of slober dangerously close to Tommy's plate. "And we take small bites, remember?"

He tries to wipe a big smear of ketchup off Theo's face, but the boy leans away, smacking at his hand, ripping another dino nugget's tail off viciously with his teeth.

"Yeah, I do," Tommy finally answers. "I drop water on fires from the sky or help get people to the hospital faster."

"Why didn't you bring your helicopter to my school?"

"Oh. Uh. Well, they only let us fly so many hours at a time...so we don't forget how to walk." Evan chokes on a laugh and Theo tilts his head.

"Really?" Tommy nods. "Can I ride in your helicopter? Buck lets me ride in his fire truck sometimes."

Tommy looks to Evan, who looks unsure, which is understandable. Theo wouldn't be the first kids who thought choppers were cool until they found out about the noise and how high up they'd be in the air.

"I'm sure we could work something out." At the very least he could let Theo climb inside and see the controls and instruments, give him one of the pilot in training pins he keeps for school trips to the station.

"That's so cool! It'll be like–" Theo snatches up another nugget and starts making flying noises with his mouth, swooshing and dipping the thing in the air before making a screeching sound and crashing it into his dipping sauce. The force of it sends ranch splatters flying and knocks over his glass of chocolate milk, soaking the front of his shirt and pants.

"Well, hopefully not just like that," Tommy smiles weakly as Evan jumps up, spreading a handful of napkins from the pile next to them over the spill. The movement is so quick, practiced, that Tommy is certain that it's fairly regular occurrence.

"I think that's enough playing with our food," Evan says. Tommy can hear barest edge of frustration in his tone, and apparently he's not the only one. Theo looks up at him with big, wet eyes and Evan immediately softens, ruffling his hair. "Come on, let's get you changed. We'll be right back, Tommy."

When they return, Theo sits at the little plastic picnic table set up near the edge of the patio instead of returning to the seat he had been in while Evan makes quick work of the soiled napkins. Tommy watches as he plays with his nuggets, a bit more subdued now, making them casually graze around his plate before chomping on them.

"Sorry about that," Evan says when he returns, dropping into the seat next to his.

"Hey, dinner and a show." Tommy bumps his shoulder and Evan gives him a small smile.

"Yeah. It's always an adventure around here."

A millions questions are on the tips of his tongue, each one fighting harder than the last to escape, but Tommy holds back. He's fairly certain Evan wouldn't want to answer them all with his charge sitting within hearing distance. Instead they all eat in a strangely comforting silence, he and Evan still sitting close enough to occasionally knock shoulders or knees when they shift.

"Mr. Tommy, will you play catch with me?" Theo asks when Evan rises to gather the plates and glasses.

"Sure, kiddo. You don't have to call me 'mister,' by the way. Just Tommy is fine." Theo smiles hugely at him and runs towards the center of the yard to gather his ball.

"I think you've unlocked a new obsession," Buck tells him, watching the boy toss the ball in the air. "Don't let him run you too ragged."

To be as small as he his, Theo has a pretty good arm on him. Tommy keeps his pitches gentle, underhanded, and Theo misses more often than not, excitedly chasing the ball under bushes and through the unending maze of toys scattered around the yard. He prattles on as they play, telling Tommy all about his school and his room and more dinosaur facts than he ever knew before.

"I think Buck has a crush on you."

The ball slips out of Tommy's fingers and he fumbles to catch it before he hits the ground.

"Wh-what?" Theo tilts his head, looking expectantly at the ball. Tommy tosses it weakly and Theo beams as it lands easily in his hands.

"He was on the phone with Ms. Maddie earlier and he was smiling a lot when he said your name and his face got all pink. That's what happens to Jenna in my class when she's around Milo."

He says it so plainly, like it's all so simple, and Tommy vaguely wonders what it would be like to see the world through a child's eyes again. He gets distracted when he hears Evan open the door and call that it's time for Theo to come inside.

He barely registers the ball soaring towards his face.

~*~

Tommy hears the door to Theo's bedroom snick quietly as Evan pulls it shut, then his soft footsteps coming back to the living room. He looks up as he steps into the room, keeping the football shaped icepack pressed gently against his face, more to make Theo feel better than anything

"I think he's down for the count," Evan says, smiling tiredly. "All the excitement really wore him out."

"Happy to be of service," Tommy replies, hus answering smile making the cut on his lip sting a bit.

"Alright, let me see the damage." Evan takes a seat next to him on the couch and Tommy moves the pack away so Evan can inspect the swelling. "I think you'll make it."

Tommy huffs out a laugh and Evan sets the pack aside.

"He's a great kid," Tommy says after a beat of silence. "Hell of a pitch."

"He is," Evan agrees. He leans back into the couch with a heavy sigh. "I don't even know where to start."

"You don't owe me any explanations," Tommy says gently, leaning back so their eyes can meet.

"I want to tell you," Evan's eyes drop down to watch where his fingers twisting anxiously in his lap. "Even after all this time, you're still the first person I want to tell everything."

Evan doesn't give him time to process that bombshell before launching into the whole story of how he came to care for Theo, starting nearly ten years before in Peru, leading to him becoming a donor for a peripheral friend and his wife, to reconnecting with them years later and seeing them laying dead in the street in the span of a week. Then the weight of seeing Theo sitting on a hospital bed with no idea of the loss he'd just suffered, watching the social worker lead him away to an uncertain fate, the fight to gain a foster license and temporary custody of the boy during the search for any remaining family.

"He has grandparents in Seattle," Evan says, toying idly with a stuffed animal that had been laying on the back of the couch when he started talking. "We met at the funeral, they're really nice people. But they're older, they said they just don't think they can keep up with him full-time. I know what it feels like to grow up in home where you feel like you're too much all the time, and I couldn't...I didn't want that for Theo. I invited them over, showed them how i had everything already set up, gave them all the information about the school and the child physiatrist Dr. Copeland helped me find, everything I had arranged just in case. In the end, they agreed that, as long as he's happy and improving, he should stay here. We talk a lot, lots of FaceTime calls, and they're going to visit around Christmas. We have a social worker that drops in a few times a month to make sure things are going smoothly, I'm sticking to my program, all that. And...I guess that's kind of the whole story."

"That's..." Tommy leans back into the couch and looks up at the ceilding for a moment, turning it all through his mind again. "That's a lot, Ev. I mean, it's incredible. And that you just stepped up like this after everything..." He turns his to take him in. "How are you doing?"

Evan opens his mouth, then pauses. He slumps back against the arm of the couch.

"Honestly? It's been hard as hell. Theo doesn't sleep great, he still has a lot of nightmares. He wants his mom and dad and he knows they're not coming back. He's sad and he's angry and he doesn't know what to do with it so he acts out. Things are getting better, but he's still struggling. Then I have to be the bad guy, you know? The one who makes him go to school and take baths and eat his vegetables. The one that puts him in time out or takes away screen time when he misbehaves. I'm the one that holds him when cries and screams that he wants his mom, that he hates me, that he wants his real daddy back. It's a lot harder than I thought it'd be, doing this on my own."

"Not all on your own, though, right? I'm sure the 118 has your back."

Evan grimaces a little and stares down at the stuffed toy, gripping it a little tighter.

"They're helping some, but it's complicated. No one was really on board with me taking him in at first, and sometimes it feels like they're all just waiting for the other shoe to drop, for me to prove that I wasn't ready for all this. Things really haven't been the same since...not in a long time."

Tommy frowns. The 118 he had been a part of hadn't been close knit, but the team he had seen during the cruise ship rescue and in the months that he had been dating Evan had been a unit, always in each other's pockets, always having each other's backs. It doesn't make sense to him that they wouldn't be here now, offering Evan support and advice.

"Your sister, though. She's gotta be around, right?" There was no way Maddie wasn't as totally crazy about Evan's child as he was about hers.

"Maddie...She's been supportive to a point, but she also has own kids that keep her pretty busy. We got into an argument today when I told her you were coming over."

Evan rubs a hand over his eyes and Tommy aches to reach out and hold him, to take some of the weight off of his shoulders. He reaches out and lays a hand on Evan's knee.

"I'm sorry," He murmurs. Evan puts his hand ovef his and squeezes.

"You don't need to apologize. Maddie just–"

"Not for that. Well, for that, too. But-" Tommy shifts so he can cup his other hand around Evan's cheek. "For everything. For not being there for you. For making you think you couldn't reach out. I never–I would have–"

"Hey," Evan interupts softly. "You don't carry all the blame here, Tommy. I had just as big of a part in creating the distance between us."

Their eyes lock and in this moment of closeness and quiet forgiveness, Tommy feels more intimate with him than almost any moment they shared before. His body moves on instinct, pulling him closer. At the last moment, Evan dodges, tucking his face into his neck instead.

"I can't, " He whispers. "I want to, so badly. I've thought about this moment so many times. But i have Theo now. I can't...he's my first priority. My only priority. Everything else - work, dating - it's not..."

Tommy pushes him back wnough to see his face again, to see the tears starting to shine in his eyes. He rubs a thumb over his cheek.

"Then I'll be whatever you need me to be."

"Tommy." Evan pulls away shaking his head. "I won't ask you to–"

"You're not asking. Evan," Tommy takes his hands in his again. "There's no one else. I don't think there ever could be. So if what you need now is just someone who has your back, then that's who I'll be. For as long as you'll let me."

He leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to Evan's forehead.

"Thank you for tonight. Thank you for letting me into this part of your life. For trusting me with him."

"There's no one I trust more." Evan wraps his arms around his waist and hugs him tightly. "Thank you for being here."