Re: Oliver/Tommy
"I'm not asking you for a future. We don't know if there is a future, but you just insulted a young woman because she enjoys sex." That was still not computing in his head. "Is sex the problem? Not with me, but in general? But you said you said you had sex, so I don't know. And why the fuck are we even discussing this out here, I'm not sure."
Tommy ran his fingers through Oliver's hair. It wasn't the expensive hair cut that it had when they got here, but it was still short, shorter than Tommy's own cut. His fingers curled around the back of Tommy's neck. "I understand all of that, Oliver, and I don't expect you to change overnight, but at least I expect you not to have to force yourself to speak to me, because if you can't even talk to me unless making a joke out of this relationship, then maybe I was wrong, and maybe you really aren't ready for anything. If you need to put the breaks on this, I will understand, but don't do it, because you think you can protect me better that way. I don't want you to."
He squeezed Oliver's nape gently. "Derek spent his entire life in a war zone. I would hope that you aren't as bad. For him, that life wasn't an anomaly, but the norm. He doesn't want to get over it, because he's planning on returning to that life. I'm hoping that you're not looking to return to that life."
Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, Tommy pressed their foreheads together. "Good, because you're too good looking to hide," he teased. "God, Oliver, it's really so very simple. Me, you, living life like we always have. The conditions might be different, the finances might be lower, but the important things don't change and that's our friendship, our love for each other." He smiled at his own words. "I couldn't even say that with Laurel, but you? I've loved you since we were kids.