trans_9 | [Closed to Loren and Eva before a Wild Merlin Appears]

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[Closed to Loren and Eva before a Wild Merlin Appears]

Iniss stared at the slop, willing it to turn into something marginally palatable.

The slop remained inert and gray.

< I don't think it's going to magically morph into a cheese burger, Iniss. You may as well eat it before it gets all cold and congealed and starts tasting worse. >

< I can stand the taste, it's the texture that's soul crushing. It's like someone put old tires and used gym socks in a blender and decided to serve it for lunch. >

< I think I'm just glad you get to be the one that actually has to chew it. Yeerks are useful for something after all. >

< You know I could give you control, I'd even give the appearance of being charitable. >

< Give the appearance of being charitable, in reality being sadistic. I bet Dani would be proud. >

Iniss huffed, taking a bite of the food and forcing himself to swallow it without tasting it. His host couldn't help but rub that in, could he? Useless brat.

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"I'll play fetch with him until he's tired of it." He smiled, a tiny honest gesture. It felt a little like going home. "You're sure you won't mind? Will your room-mate? I wouldn't be a bother?"

Some of the tension eased out of him, mind adapting to being in control and feeling safe enough to relax.

He relaxed even further at Sam's words. Accepting them as fact. Of course Merlin couldn't hurt Iniss, right? If he had taken him, Stacy would have stopped him if he meant to harm him.

But the moment faded, tension returning. It was likely impossible to keep the knowledge from his face, someone would see it. He didn't know, he couldn't be a hundred percent sure without asking the wizard, but he was fairly certain. Fairly certain if Dean went looking, if he told Dean, Iniss would be back inside of an hour. "...yeah, they're pretty slow...It'll be easy to find him." But the words sounded flat and hollow, even to his own ears.

Tell them, and Iniss comes back. Don't tell them and lie to your only friends.

Life wasn't fair.

"Yay, it'll turn up. I can't wait," Eva says dryly, thinking how much easier life would probably be for Tom if Iniss had just vanished for good, even without the closure of knowing where he went. She studies Tom's face carefully as the sneaking suspicion that he's aware of something he hasn't told anyone sinks in.

She gives him a bit of a side-eye. "Tom, there's no chance he'll just...pop back in, do you think?"

Sam's mouth twisted up slightly, not at anything Tom said, but remembering something. "Cas is...well, I think he's running mazes with GLaDoS at the moment." Sam was starting to think that the destruction of their universe was worse for the former angel that it was for pretty much anybody else. It was pretty much the only explanation that he had. "And even so, he wouldn't mind at all. He likes you."

He glanced over at Eva, raising an eyebrow. But since it was directed at Tom, he kept his own two cents to himself and listened for the answer.

Dean then added, noting their reactions about finding Iniss again, "Look, just because I find the squirming slug, it don't mean he's hopping back on board. I'm just going to find who I need to send the thank you card to."

"Pop back in...?" He swallowed hard, looking down at his hands and squeezing them into fists. It was a purely unconscious gesture, a reminder, not a threat. He was in control. No one else. "I-I don't know? Maybe? I guess? I mean..."

He stared at his hands, lip caught between his teeth. Dean wouldn't make him. Dean wouldn't force him to take the Yeerk back. Other people might, if they knew where it was.

He'd made a deal.

"Glad he won't mind." He smiled faintly. "I'd be happy to stay with you, for as long as I can."

Eva raises her eyebrows, but can't quite come to a conclusion about Tom's evasiveness. Rather than press it, she sighs and switches the subject. "You know there's always room for you at Cassie's if, for whatever reason, you need a change of scenery."

"Before anyone goes anywhere. If- when we find Iniss, what are we going to do with him?" It's clear from the tone of her voice that she does not want him back in Tom.

Sam was good enough not to jab his brother in the hip with his elbow.

< And you wonder why I never come out when Dean is around if I can avoid it. >

< I don't wonder. I know. He still shouldn't be saying that right now. >

Sam blinked once, having caught everything even while discussing with Schmuz for that moment. He looked at Loren for a moment, then shrugged. "I think that whatever happens when we find Iniss is up to Tom." And he was absolutely serious about that. Whatever Tom wanted, he'd make sure it happened. "Anything after that, we'll work with when we get there."

Dean nodded, though he briefly glanced toward Sam.

He then replied, "Yeah, I'll look for him, but slug can stay in a jar or whatever. He'd still be secured and safe that way."

"Yeah...yeah, I know." He'd be welcome there, so long as the slug stayed out. There was always a catch.

He swallowed, tensing his hands on his lap, not sure what to say while they discussed things. What could he say? Nothing he said would make any difference.

He looked up, just for a moment, trying to catch Sam's eye. "Can we go? I-Can we just...go home?"

He didn't want to talk about this right now. If he ignored the problem, maybe it would go away.

She nods. "You can find me around, if you want to talk about it, Tom. I'll always make time for you."

She looks up at Sam and Dean. "You do realize if you don't take care of him, you will find a severed horse head in your bed."

"Same thing she said." She looked at Eva. "We have to hang out more."

"While that would probably not be the worst thing I've ever woken up next to--" Seriously. Ruby probably beat that out, though he wasn't going to talk about her. "We'll take care of him. Promise. Though I can't promise no bruises because we have a rambunctious teenage dog."

And would be teaching Tom how to defend himself, but that was neither here nor there. Really.

Dean raised an eyebrow at Eva, but he didn't question the protectiveness.

"Noted, Godfather style, nice. And yeah, Tom's fine with us."

He was more surprised and touched by Tom's declaration of calling it home. Shit, it really was becoming a home with them. First real sort of home since he was four.

"Yeah we can go whenever you're ready, kid," He grinned at him.

He reached for his backpack, sliding his arm through it and standing in an unconsciously graceful movement he would never have been able to pull of if he'd been thinking of it. Iniss had never liked moving like a teenager and Tom had never fully finished growing into his nearly six-foot frame. "Ready now." He echoed Dean's smile, feeling relieved to be able to escape. To stop talking about this.

To have a chance to make up his mind. To not worry about all the other voices.

"Thanks, I mean it, both of you. But...you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine." He gave them a shaky smile, probably completely undermining his claim.

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[Closed to Loren and Eva before a Wild Merlin Appears]

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