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"Am I a good person?"
John sat on the sofa, hands clamped together so tight his calloused fingers were turning white. He'd been back a month already, a long stint at this "rehabilitation center" that, from what John had shared, sounded worse than prison. Bobby took a deep breath, a reaction, any hint of uncertainty would only make things worse. The question was sudden, why today of all days? Everything had been perfectly fine, they'd celebrated the holiday and no one was even weird about the fact they held hands or sat just a little too close than normal.
"Yeah. I think you are."
Bobby took one of John's hands into his, chilling his sweaty palms, he always did that when he was nervous, clenched his hands too tight, got too hot. It was a miracle he never set the mansion alight.
"Even after everything?"
His voice faltered, gripping tight to the ice of Bobby's knuckles. His other hand running over his slightly grown out buzz cut. He'd done that when he got home the first night, set his bag down and went to the bathroom. When he emerged he'd taken clippers to the grown out bleach blonde that he'd given himself when he joined magneto and taken it all off. A burden lifted.
"Even after everything."
Bobby repeated, an air of certainty to his tone as he pulled John's head to his chest, a gentle kiss on his forehead before he rested against him. It'd happened so naturally, they'd happened so naturally. A few nights after John had gotten back he'd crawled into Bobby's bed late at night in some desperate attempt to be held and comforted, he'd not slept in his own bed since.
"But I-"
John barely got two shaky words out before Bobby cut him off.
"I don't care what you did before. You want to change don't you? You want to be good."
That made John smile, ever so slightly but it was there, if you knew how to look and God did Bobby know. He loved when he smiled, he chased it like a high, a genuine one was rare. Made you feel on top of the world when you coaxed it out of him. John sat up and wiped his eyes, even now, just the two of them, he couldn't let himself cry.
"Good enough for you, at least"
A quick laugh, the air tinged with an excited coldness he couldn't control when his heart started to flutter, an iced hand brought to warm rosy cheeks and a promised whispered, meant for no one but eachother.
"You'll always be good enough for me"
John didn't think he deserved all this, someone who loved him regardless. Bobby always says it wasn't his fault, he was manipulated and that it *seemed* right to him at the time.
"I'm sorry."
John whispered as he pushed Bobby back onto the bed, curling Into his side, he didn't deserve to be stuck with him, his mess, his problems.
"Don't be."
Bobby ran his fingers through the short scruff on John's head, he couldn't wait for it to grow out, to run his fingers through his hair like he'd always imagined doing. Bobby didn't care. He had his best friend back and it he'd finally gotten it right, sorted through his mind and feelings. Everything felt so right it felt absurd he ever had it wrong. It was just them, just Bobby, just John, together, the way it was always meant to be.