"Maybe it's time—" Michael starts, taking in a sharp breath, "— we all tell the people we love." He chuckles to himself, the sound barely heard above the crackling of the fire and the thoughts racing in her head.

"Yeah," she agrees, even though she knows she probably won't say anything to Noah.

"The secrets are gonna tear us all apart," Michael states, the words barely more than a murmur and he's not looking at her. He's staring at the fire burning behind her and it's in that moment that she realizes something.

Michael is in love with someone.

Someone had managed to tear down his walls and make the man fall in love.

More surprising though, was the fact that Michael loved this person so much, he was willing to tell them his secret.

"You say that like you have someone in mind," she starts, needing to confirm her own theory.

Michael's eyes shoot to hers and she can't quite read the feelings in his eyes. She does know that she doesn't recognize whatever it is.

Michael searches her eyes for a moment before he folds in on himself, shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I do... or I-I did," he mutters, eyes falling from hers.

"What happened?"

"We met in high school," he starts and Isobel has to keep herself from balking at that. They've been together that long? Someone had wooed her brother in high school and she was just now hearing about this?

"We fell in love really quickly. They were one of the only people who managed to break down my walls and everything was amazing. Then his dad caught us..." Michael trails off, voice cracking.

Isobel has a million questions.

Michael was into guys? Since when? Who did he talk to in high school? How had they broken through his walls? Who was this guy?

"We kept having fun afterwards, but it wasn't the same. His dad hurt him and we were scared it would happen again. All of our meetings have been fleeting and secret since then. Any time anyone came around he would flee and it seemed like he regretted it more and more each time."

Michael stared at the fire as he recounted everything as if he looked at her he would break.

"We were supposed to go to school together, you know?" Michael asks, voice choked off and shame fills her because she remembers that conversation vividly. She knows it's her fault that he stayed behind instead of going off to college like he always hoped he would.

She wanted a ship home more than anything and now that she's found someone she loves, she understands the feeling of wanting to stay on Earth.

There are things, people, here worth staying for.

"He left me behind and it hurts, even though he's back, because he still acts like everything we do is just as regretful as it was when we were teenagers. He hates that my family might know. It's a repeat cycle of love and leaving and it hurts too much."

Michael takes a shaky breath, trying to calm his aching heart.

"He taught me what love is, what it means. He taught me to cherish every moment that we're alive because it might be our last. He never judged me for the fucked up shit I did in high school and allows me to be myself. In his arms I feel like I am home."

He sounds so wistful as he talks about this guy and Isobel can practically feel the love coming off of him in waves.

"Then he rips it away again every time he leaves and I'm scared that if he comes by again I won't be able to say no. I never can."

Isobel watches a his shoulders tremble with restraint as he tries to keep himself together and her heart shatters. She's never seen her brother look so hurt before and it hurts her to see him like that.

"I'm not sure if I can recover if he leaves this time."