𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝?

"nah, you're sweeter than she is." dylan replies, looping an arm around his neck like she has so many times before. he says he's fine, and she shakes her head. "bullshit." she doesn't want to call him on it. but she also knows something is deeply wrong here. "what, you think i was born yesterday ??" a laugh pulls through her, well humored and well intentioned. "it doesn't have to be fine." a beat, "it's not fine." she leans closer, "but that's okay. and if you don't wanna talk, that's okay." she really means that. fingernails combe through the hair at the edge of his neck. "sometimes shit gets busy. i know you have a whole lot of shit on your plate right now." a shrug, "i'm here to help, y'know." a soft smile. "even if helping is just sitting in silence."

“I'm really glad you think so.” The words come out emptier than he intends, and it's too late for him to attempt brushing off the guilt that draws itself upon his features. Dylan calls him out, and his stomach drops with that familiar sense of dread. His gaze sticks to her, a deer in headlights. This feels too much like placing his head in the guillotine, and all he wants to do is run. Devon releases a breath, lungs aching for fresh air in a way that feels too demanding. “I swear, I'm fine,” he assures. Like a switch had been flipped in his brain, he fell back into the default setting of an indifferent demeanor. “I've just missed you, that's all.”

noah and reagan are thick as theives. where reagan falters, jesse knows he can trust noah to pick her back up. where noah struggles, jesse knows reagan is first in line to try to support him. perhaps that is the only thing that comforts him like this. "not right away." jesse replies, he knows this is the first time devon's had to see this up close. "not if he thinks she needs him." and then his head tilts, "and i know she will, so i know he'll be there." devon says he needs to stop worrying so much, as though jesse is going to judge him for it. "you aren't – " a shake of his head, "devon, i'm NOT in a position to tell anyone to stop worrying." a beat, "i just want you worrying accurately. if you say you wanna fly to bozeman, that you don't trust those fuckers, i've been looking for an excuse." a beat, "i'm already fucking dramatic. give me one crumb of enabling, and i'm gonna crack."

Worrying accurately. Devon would laugh if he didn't feel like his head was going to explode. "I don't want to be the enabler," Devon admits, shoulders slumping. It's evident that he doesn't take well to not knowing whatever Noah's up to. It gnaws at him. Any sense of rationality has long gone out the window. "Kind of sucks being the other side of the coin, huh?" Devon teases, a sound that is familiar to laughter emits from him, but it comes out emptier than anticipated. "Should we go? I don't want to overstep, but I'm going to lose my mind if I don't."

probably shouldn't be going. people have a tendency to tell their baristas things they wouldn't tell their therapist. shiloh is no stranger to other people's secrets, and she has a million of her own. careful, he warns, and she can't help but laugh. "listen. i gotta leave early to catch the train so i can check on the roast. 's no time after that to go home. if you're here and desperate, i'll probably unlock the door." she laughs, eyes catching on the dog settled at his feet. she puts a little milk in the coffee as requested, and barks out a laugh at the question. "oh fuck," she chuckles, "nothing. that's the problem." a beat, "i mean, my ex who sucks, but other than that, nothing. so you can't even avoid that asshole." she slides the coffee across the pickup counter. "where are you headin' then ??"

Devon smiled despite himself, shaking his head as he took the coffee from her. “That's a dangerous offer. One of these days, you're going to unlock the door and realize you've accidentally adopted a regular.” The mention of her ex pulled a laugh out of him, warm and easy. “Well, now I'm definitely not going to Decatur.” He glanced down at Clementine before looking back at Shiloh, fingers curling around the cold cup. “North, mostly,” Devon shrugs. There is hesitation in his words, like he's holding his breath when he speaks. Shiloh has no idea the weight of his endeavors, but it still feels treacherous to speak about. “I'm calling it a sabbatical, but I think I'm only saying that to make myself feel better.”

noah can't help his laughter with devon's response. he can see the sheer shock written into his features. "of COURSE he's hot, dev." a shake of his head, "god, you must think i have no fucking game." his eyes roll, and then he's looking at his brother again. "why are you always so shocked i can pull ??"

The shock settles into something indistinguishable, something short of envious. "Of course he is," Devon scoffs, a subtle roll of his eyes following in short of his words. He slumps in his seat, arms crossed over his chest. "You're always going to be my insufferable kid brother, Noah. Of course, I'm going to always doubt your game."