Thomas raised a brow. "Why are you two pointing out my height when Arion is taller than me?"
"I'm used to Arion."
Thomas looked from Dean to Arion, then back again, as if trying to decide whether the explanation had any logic in it or whether accepting it would preserve energy he did not have.
"That does not make him shorter," Thomas said.
"No," Dean replied, settling more firmly against the sofa with Boreas pressed against his knee, "but his size is already accounted for in my daily emotional budget. Yours is additional structure."
Arion's mouth twitched. "Additional structure?"
Dean pointed at him without looking. "Do not repeat me like that. I'm under stress."
Thomas managed another faint smile, and for half a second the exhaustion in his face eased enough to show the man underneath the guilt.
Then he sat.
