{ Maze Runner } 

It had been three weeks since Thomas had pulled into Nassau’s port on a ship crewed by liberated slaves from Savannah. In that time, he had come to discover that the notorious Captain Flint who had murdered his parents was in fact Lieutenant McGraw, and was now presently running Nassau as a free port for pirates and other disenchanted individuals alongside Captain Vane. 

He had almost been unrecognizable. It was the eyes, in the end, that Thomas had known – that queerly captivating multicolored gaze could surely only belong to one man. And knowing him – that had made Thomas rage, inconsolable in his grief and fury for three days as he attended to the wound granted him in understanding that it was his lover that had ultimately murdered his mother. Three days for him to reach a point that was stable enough to be reasoned with – though he had no interest in reason at that point either. 

He took his time acquainting himself with Nassau and deliberately avoiding James at all costs. When he felt the man might brave approaching him, Thomas took considerable effort to make that impossible. He needed time, and by God, he would not be pressed. There was too much to reconcile, to rush in blindly and cling to the smoking remains of what was left rather than consider all options carefully and determine whether or not ten years suffering for past choices with this man was not enough to cut the costs and move on. Who else could he possibly kill, in that event?

It was such bitter and cruel thoughts that had him keep James at bay, in the end. For there was also the fact that in spite of them, he knew in his heart how desperately and ardently he loved that dramatic fool. Enough, in fact, to know he would not tolerate wounding him too grievously, though he would be damned if his displeasure wasn’t known – and he had made it known, on several occasions, but the cruellest things he could say, he never spoke. 

The time had come to stop running, to cease this dance and address one another and all the damage between properly. He had thought himself ready, but James’ first words caught him off guard, upset his footing, and left him awash with frustration for how easily the man was able to appeal to his better nature despite everything that clamored for him to throw something right at that pretty face. Preferably a fist, but at this point a chandelier would also do.

“As do you, James, though I wonder if you even remember what that sensation truly feels like.” Thomas sighed, taking a seat and waving for the other man to do the same. “At this point I cannot say that I am happy – I was, when I first landed here,” Before I found you, before I learned who you had become, lay unspoken in the air between them, “But now – I would say I have only found more turmoil, and I wish for it to be abated. I do not doubt that the only way to do that is to reconcile with you, one way or another, so – “ He waved a hand, “What do you want of me?”