Krem appreciated the comfort of the words, the attempt, even if he couldn't bring himself to believe that they'd gone home. There was something premeditated about the whole thing, as far as he could tell. Aggie and Dorian had both disappeared, it seemed, when no one would notice they were gone until hours, or maybe even days, after the fact. It just felt wrong.

He pulled Thomas gently over to the couch, moving his book onto the coffee table before sitting down and tugging him along with him. Having him close was better than thinking about all this other stuff, at least for now. He ran his fingers into Thomas's hair.

"I might kiss you tonight, even though I'm not supposed to," he warned softly, smiling just a little. "So don't call the piercing authorities and tattle on me."