In all honesty, as much as I adore A1/A2 as a couple, I really really like the concept of A1/Thomas. As a fellow writer/storyteller, you made them so compelling and complex. For example, Thomas has taught A1 how to hide almost everything "wrong" (by normal societal standards) with A1, which has in someway helped him, but it has also made him much less emotional and vulnerable around everyone but Thomas. I think a lot about how Thomas does care very much for A1, but he's incapable of being able to do that without expecting something back from A1 in return. Loyalty, sex, companionship, etc.
Also, you mentioned that Thomas is the only "father" that A1 ever had, and I think one of the most evil things about that is that he's the only one who ever thought that. Because Thomas was always preying on him, but A1 still cannot allow himself to know that because in his mind: why would Thomas, his savior, do that to him? How could he be smarter than A1 to manage to do that to him?
Sorry for the rant lol! This is such a beautifully written story, I hope you know what a wonderful job you've done on it :))
thank you 😭😭😭 thomas/a1 makes me feel so unwell…
like we talk alot about the thomas side of things but im so fascinated by the a1 side of things
like thomas being a father figure to a1 contributes to both the sense of betrayal AND the defensiveness a1 feels for him…. like a1 knows that theres a power imbalance on paper, even if he doesn’t really feel it. and he’s aware that thomas treats him unkindly/unfairly at times but like. he’s also aware that he’s a difficult person to deal with.
and like he genuinely feels like he owes thomas for… making him.
he bought him his first suit. he taught him how to drive. taught him that there was more to life than surviving. that he can want bigger things. he can do better than just smiling the right way so people will tolerate him, he can command a room, he can gain the respect of powerful men
like i think most of us are disturbed by a1’s thomas suit, but like to him… THIS is how you be a man…
thomas being someone a1 admires and aspires to be like… thomas playing such a huge role in forming a1’s identity… thomas being there for so many of a1’s firsts…like even if he ever looked back and decided that he hated thomas, he’s never gonna be able to wash him off of him
they make me sick!!!!
