"Let's not tell him, then." Sean grinned, bumping shoulders with his dad as he pulled out of the hug. "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of my step-dad. But, let's face it, Dad, people are going to see what they see, no matter if you're open about things or not, no matter if it's the truth of the matter or not. They've had lifetimes to train their patterns of thought, just like you have. By comparison a year is really not a lot of time for change. Just look at us. We're getting better, building a better relationship than what we had in the past. But, things aren't perfect yet. I know I still have moments when those first, earlier instincts kick in and I have to remind myself things have changed. You're not like I thought you were when I was sixteen. I'll bet you have the same.
"Eliot's not a bad guy. But, he wasn't working with Hardison or Parker for Special Ops. Something had to have changed his mind that he stopped being in Special Ops and switched sides of the law. Maybe he didn't have the same experience you did. Maybe he was assigned a team with people who didn't do their jobs the way they should. Not every SEAL or SpecOps guy can be as good as you. And maybe he doesn't understand who he was dealing with, he saw the surface and had an emotional reaction that overrode logic. He's not the most socially inclined and he doesn't know you, just what he sees through the filter of past experiences we know nothing about. I get the feeling he's not used to the definition of team you and G use, the one that puts it just a half-step below family."
And even if his dad wasn't much of a talker, he was talking now. Sean couldn't help but be pleased with that. He liked to talk. He liked talking with the people he loved, too. "Take it from a guy who has had a few relationships, even at the tender age of twenty-two, there's never a roadmap. Not unless you're Savannah and that's just...odd. Nothing goes as planned because no two people are the same and so no two pairings of individuals can be, either. I mean, G's not Moms. You wouldn't expect him to act like her, or the relationship to go the same. So, you just go with what feels right to the two of you at the time and see where it goes. And when you need to put yourselves first, Savannah and I will kick your butts and make you do it," he added with a smirk he'd definitely picked up from his step-dad, even if G's was still a thousand times more frightening.
Snorting, Sean shook his head. "Nah, just me running a prank within a prank. He was pretty unimpressed with all of you."
He pulled one knee up to rest his chin on while his dad spoke. part of him wished he'd just tell him the answers. But, Sean had never really been a 'follow the leader' sort of guy and he preferred making up his own mind on everything. So, his dad's words put a couple things into perspective, but didn't really solve anything. Although, he did smile at the story about G. "So, you won't tell me what to do, but you'll compare your husband to the guy I may or may not be into?" he asked with a laugh. "I think G might have met his match on the dangerous when bored angle, though.
"My first impression was the guy was pretty cool and fairly normal. It's the second one that thinks he's certifiable on occasion." He was thinking about that list of facts, though, and how truly depressing his life sounded when set out like that. If he didn't know better, didn't know that he was basically happy, he'd be really bummed right about then. "So, essentially, you're saying the facts add up to the possibility I might actually have feelings for this lunatic. But, you won't say it because you want it to be my choice. You know things between us haven't changed that much, right? I've always wanted your approval, but it's never been a factor in the things I really want to do, even if I told myself it was.
"Although, I still don't get why everyone thinks I need to have someone in my life like that to be happy. I am happy. I don't need another person for that. Even if I am falling for Troy and being together would make me happier, I'm still happy without him. I'm not going to fall apart because I don't have a lover."