“Well, Mercutio is the sanest of the lot.” Anthony hangs up his coat as well, and when Gabriel turns towards him, he lightly rests his hand on the boy’s hip. They kiss, and Anthony allows himself to appreciate that he has missed this, too. There have been nights in these past weeks when he had lain awake feeling sorry for himself and his own terrible failures and had been struck, suddenly, by a longing for Gabriel’s soothing presence. Come morning, though, he would set it aside and return to worrying about Guy. For all his charms, Gabriel could do nothing to stop Guy's self-destruction, and he certainly could not change the awful future.

Now, though, he indulgences himself in the comfort Gabriel offers. He offers a wry, soft smile at the boy’s confession and brushes his thumb against his lower lip. “Did you?” he says, sounding a little playful.