Reid had calmed down enough to tell me about his therapy appointment with his brother. That confession just led to another cuddle session as I almost suffocated him in my arms.

I hadn't ever considered myself the cuddling type but with Reid I couldn't control myself. I wanted to attach myself to him basically at all times. I don't know how long we'd laid out on my couch pressed together before Evan showed back up to give me my phone with a huge smile on his face.

My guess was that things were just fine with him and Jake. I just hoped that didn't mean that they had phone sex on my phone in my bed. I wouldn't put it past them so I just tried not to think too much about that.

But now all I felt was comforting bliss as I sat on the couch with some survival show in the background while Reid laid out, his head in my lap. This was my idea of a perfect afternoon. I let my fingers brush through his curls as I played softly with his hair.

I hadn't payed attention to a single second of the show that Reid had put on but he'd barely moved, his eyes trained on the screen. It was obvious he was sucked into it and so I stayed there on the couch as his pillow doing my best not to bother him.

I was completely lost in my head and Reid when I felt him move against me. I paused my fingers in his hair and looked down to see him rolling onto his back. His face was looking up at me with a wide smile.

"Hi." He grinned.

"Hi." My fingers went back to his hair brushing the curls back off his forehead.

"What's your favorite pasta noodle?" He asked.

I blinked down at him not expecting those words to come out of his mouth. I couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

"Probably penne." I answered.

"If you woke up tomorrow as any animal which one would you want to be?" He questioned.

I wasn't entirely sure what prompted this questioning session but I was happy to entertain.

"I want to hear your answers to these questions too." I told him as I thought about my answer.

"I like shells and I'd want to be a mountain goat." He answered.

"I think I'd want to be a cat." I told him.

Cats seemed to have nice chill life. At least they seemed to live the kind of life I wish I could.

"I think dogs are better." Reid replied.

I gasped. There just wasn't any way. I couldn't be dating someone who didn't appreciate cats. I'd had one growing up who was basically my best friend. He would fuck off pretty regularly and I'd have to hunt the guy down but I loved that piece of work. My dad hadn't let me get a new one after he'd died because he was working too much but I liked to imagine when I moved into my own place I'd get a cat.

"That's just not right." I argued.

"Cats just don't really like me. One of my dad's friends had a cat when I was younger and I remember being dropped off at his house and I was super bored with nothing to do. I was wondering around this random guys house and found his cat. I barely even got my hand out to pet him and the cat went crazy on me. Scratched me right in the face, I went running crying my eyes out. When my dad found me he was so mad I swear he was going-," Reid got quiet seeming to sink into his thoughts.

I knew there was a lot with his dad he was still coming to terms with. Memories from his childhood he was reliving in a new light. I could only imagine that his therapy session with his brother just tore open some more wounds he'd been holding together with bandaids.

Reid had a tendency to bury things. I'd seen it when things were bad with Ronan. He'd pretend everything was fine and shove it all into the back of his brain so he wouldn't have to face it. He hid from his problems and now that everything was shoved into his face there was no hiding anymore.

"Are you okay?" I asked him breaking him out of his zone out.

"I think that day my dad was going to hit me. I remember him dragging me out of that house. He was shaking in anger and when we got home Ronan was there. Ro took one look at us and he'd picked some fight with my dad and I remember being annoyed that they couldn't ever get along. But now I realize that Ro was doing that because my dad was mad at me, he wanted to take his anger out on me. He would have if it hadn't been for Ro." His eyes got misty again and I could see all those emotions flooding back.

Reid had gone through so much. Ronan had hidden as much of it from him as he could but I could still see those invisible scars. Those moments he'd pushed down and forced himself not to think about. You didn't live in an abusive home without scars. Ronan did his best but just because the hands never touched Reid it didn't mean he was totally unscathed.

I could see the hurt written all over his face.

"You know none of that was your fault right?"

"How many of Ronan's scars do you think were actually supposed to be on my back?"His voice broke with the words.

I knew I could tell him that wasn't his fault. The only person to blame was their father but Reid had accepted some of that guilt. He'd seen the sacrificing Ronan had made and decided that he should have done more to prevent it.

I didn't know what I could do to show him that he was just a kid and he wasn't responsible for the actions of adults.

"Your father's shitty actions are not your fault." I tried to assure him.

I watched some of the tension release from him. I didn't know if he really believed me but he seemed to settle enough back into my lap.

"Thank you for being here." He smiled up at me.

"I'll always be here whenever you need me."

It was a promise I was going to keep no matter what.

A/n:

I honestly love writing these two just being with each other. It's so much fun and they are just so cute.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

-Cora Leigh