“Have you ever loved someone?” The question came out of the blue. It caught Jimmy off guard, Tango usually wasn’t the one with the big existential questions. Tango turned to look at him, expectantly.
Jimmy paused for a moment. “I mean, I love you.” He furrowed his brow slightly, trying to figure out what Tango was getting at.
Tango shook his head. “No, not like that. I mean like what Joel and Lizzie have, like real love.” There was a sort of pleading in his expression.
Again, Jimmy paused. He hadn’t really thought about it before but now that he did… “I don’t think one kind of love is more real than another. I love you, and I love Grian and Pearl, and that’s just as real as anything else.”
That idea seemed to take Tango aback slightly, but it didn’t calm his distress. “But that’s different. Grian and Pearl are your siblings and whatever it is we have isn’t…” He trailed off.
“It’s still love.” Jimmy shuffled over to wrap an arm around Tango. “Just because it’s not what Lizzie and Joel have doesn’t mean it’s any less important.”
Tango leaned into the embrace, sighing. “I never really thought about it that way.”
Jimmy rested his chin in the crook of Tango’s neck. “How were you thinking about it?”
Tango let out another big sigh, resting his head against Jimmy’s. “I don’t know… like something was wrong or I was missing something because I just didn’t… I haven’t felt like that.”
“Nothing's wrong with that. I love you.” Jimmy emphasized his words.
Tango twisted to look Jimmy in the eyes. “I love you too.”