Blurry

- 37 -

Hiding how much he adored Ethan would be difficult, but Norman would manage. He's forced harder acts, after all, this one would be easy. The ex-agent would just have to watch himself and watch how he said things. But he could do it, for however long it may be. Silently, the hope of it not being a very long time dwindled like a dying fire. Norman knew he would at least have the early mornings and nights to shower the architect in love. And of course the days that Shaun was at his mother's place.

"I'd be able to do that," Norman quietly said, nodding. Ethan looked relieved at the answer, giving a quick peck on the ex-agent's forehead before pulling back and smiling at him. "I'll go order the pizza, you plan your introduction," the architect murmured, giving one last loving look before leaving the room again. The ex-agent chuckled softly, realizing he truly did need to figure out how this introduction would go. He needed a less tramatizing reason for his retirement from the FBI, but none could come to mind. He could use an injury as an excuse, or the stress of the job. The stress of the job felt like a better answer to say, so he settled on that.

He stepped out of the room, noticing Ethan pacing in the kitchen. Shaun was sitting at a counter, throwing in little pizza details he wanted to his father. Seeing Ethan's amused smile and eyes sparkle made Norman's heart feel warm, wondering if one day he'd get to have those interactions. Whilst it was a probably impossible hope, it was one Norman would still have until it was settled that no such thing would happen.

Ethan noticed him, waving a hand to invite the ex-agent over. A smooth way to pull him into the room, to get Shaun's attention to him. Norman walked over and leaned against the doorway, waiting for the phone call to end before speaking. He felt nervous yet didn't show it, keeping a calm exterior. The phone call ended, Ethan tucking his phone into his back pocket and glanced at Norman, tilting his head.

Before the ex-agent could say the planned introduction he wanted to say, Shaun spoke. "Are you the guy who calls every Monday?" The child asked, his head tilted to the side. Norman felt stunned, not expecting to be known by the child. He could only nod slightly, making a note to ask Ethan about that later. The young boy hopped off his counter stool and offered a small hand to Norman, a bright smile on his face. "It's nice to finally meet you!"

Norman melted into a smile in return, gently but firmly shaking the boy's hand. He could almost feel Ethan's broad smile at the interaction, feeling warm inside. "It's nice to meet you as well," the ex-agent found his voice, surprised by the soft tone he took on. Perhaps it was the mix of relief from seeing the child living normally, or the fact that he was so quickly accepted into the household. Either way, Norman couldn't help but smile.