“Toy boy!” “I’m not a toy, Joel!”
There was something about the vehement denial and visceral pain in Jimmy’s voice that didn’t sit right with Tango as he heard the interaction on the other side of the building. The netherborn’s eyebrows furrowed in worry as he turned the corner to see his soulmate, his rancher, nearly in tears.
Tango immediately rushed over to Jimmy, not caring anymore about the project that he had been going to work on. His soulmate was more important. Tango quickly wrapped his arms around the Sheriff, trying to envelope the man as completely as he could with his smaller stature.
“Jimmy, c’mon buddy, look at me. I got you, honey,” the repeated reassurances seemed to get Jimmy to relax into Tango, blocking out any influence from Joel for a moment. It works so well partially because Joel has fallen silent after Tango’s intervention.
~~~
“What the hell was that?” The god questioned later, after Tango had escorted an emotionally exhausted Jimmy into his home, tucking him into bed for a short nap after making sure that his boots and hat were removed, a kiss placed on the man’s forehead.
“How do you not hear just how hurt he is by that?”
“What?”
“The ‘toy’ thing. It actually hurts him. It’s not a bit anymore, Joel,”
“He never said anything,” Joel’s response was so full of horror that it was barely an excuse. Tango could see the fear in Joel’s eyes that he would have truly hurt his friend, causing the netherborn’s anger at the god to slip away slightly.
“Come back tomorrow, Joel. You can apologize then. For now, get out of Tumble Town.”