There was something in the air unspoken, unaddressed – Theo felt ever more sure of it as Reg quieted after his words too. Another day: he would find the words to ask, or else figure it out. He had his hunches... he would not go so far as to call it an instinct, just a sense that the things his friend was saying or not perhaps aligned a certain way.
Or he was biased towards the theory. They would see. For now – “Thanks, Reggie,” returning the old nickname with a fond one of his own. “I’ll owe you one.” What he could do for Reg in return nowadays, he didn’t know – but if there was something he could do, Theo wouldn’t hesitate. It felt like... It felt like he could have come here tonight with a lot worse than his complaint, almost any confession at all, and Reg would have treated him with the same old patience, the same lack of judgement. That, Theo thought, was rare: the mark of a real friend.
“And I’d like to meet him. Properly,” Theo said with a smile, of Felix. Perhaps he would be able to tell, better, if he saw them together. Joking, he added: “You know, to see about those dirty spoons.”
Or he was biased towards the theory. They would see. For now – “Thanks, Reggie,” returning the old nickname with a fond one of his own. “I’ll owe you one.” What he could do for Reg in return nowadays, he didn’t know – but if there was something he could do, Theo wouldn’t hesitate. It felt like... It felt like he could have come here tonight with a lot worse than his complaint, almost any confession at all, and Reg would have treated him with the same old patience, the same lack of judgement. That, Theo thought, was rare: the mark of a real friend.
“And I’d like to meet him. Properly,” Theo said with a smile, of Felix. Perhaps he would be able to tell, better, if he saw them together. Joking, he added: “You know, to see about those dirty spoons.”
