"I don't get bored and I'm not boring," he answered, chuckling. "I have politics to entertain me." At least he did until they got here. "Actually did I tell you about this woman at work. Single, smart, into politics. I'm going to take her out tomorrow after work. Feel free to go with Travis while I get laid. Oh wait, that's why you go with him. You get laid. Often and loudly."
Doug sighed dramatically. "Alas, we must deal with people and their ignorance."
He reached out and covered TJ's hand. "He's not delusional. He... cares for you, but he's not wrong. You can do this and I'm right here to help, even through something like last weekend. You have nothing to hide from me. Not that you can now," he added with a smirk, although that buzz had stopped and he couldn't feel anything other than himself at the moment. "Mom and Dad mean well, but they are control freaks. They don't like anything that's not predictable. Even in crazy times, politics are predictable. You're not and they don't know how to deal with that. It's not your fault."
He squeezed TJ's hand. "It sounds like we stay. You're not going to get us killed, and we can take this day by day. We don't have to pick a day we go back. We wait and see what happens, how we both handle our powers, although it's pretty ironic. You can make people feel and I can sense feelings. We're going to know what everyone feels and when they don't you can still make them feel that way. Maybe you can show Mom and Dad how you feel. That would stop the stupid questions." Doug grinned. "You care about someone other than yourself. I think that, by itself, is proof that you're growing here."