I’ll still conquer the world. You can bet your ass on that.

But for now, I think it needs to be me and him.

Me and Dom.

I open my eyes.

Everything is so bright. Like stars exploding.

Rob’s babbling about something. I turn my head.

Dom’s watching him with something akin to bemusement. He must feel my gaze on him because he looks over at me. The corner of his mouth curves up slightly. He shrugs just once and leans against the doorway, letting Rob talk himself into a deeper hole. Dom trusts me. He knows nothing happened here. Nor would anything happen.

“… and it’s not like I’m trying to seduce him or anything,” Rob is saying. He sounds hysterical. “I mean, he’s not even my type. What is he, two foot six? I like my guys big. Though not as big as you. How do you even fit through doors? Do you cause children to have nightmares? What was it like living on top of the beanstalk?”

“Rob,” I say.

He looks over at me. His eyes are wide. His towel is somehow still hanging on. “I don’t want to have sex with you!” he shouts.

“My life is so weird,” I mutter.

“How is this weird?” Bear asks. “I thought we were pretty normal.”

“Don’t you worry about it,” Otter tells him. “You’re the most normal thing there is.”

“That’s a big, fat lie,” Creed says.

“It really is,” Anna agrees. “Normal does not begin to describe us.”

“Well, I think this is pretty normal for us,” Corey says.

“Trust me when I say I’ve got you beat,” Sandy sighs. “The majority of you don’t know Paul in person.”

“Paul?” Bear asks. “Who’s that? Is that a friend of yours, Sandy? Do I get to meet him?”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Corey says.

“Why?”

“Because the world isn’t ready for such a cosmic revelation,” Sandy says. “It’s best to just wonder what could have been.”

“And because the monologuing back and forth would kill us all,” Corey says under his breath.

“What?” Bear asks sharply.

“Nothing,” Corey says, smiling wide.

I turn back to Dom. Rob’s gone. I didn’t even hear him go. It’s only Dom and me now. Well, almost. I’ll just ignore the six people on my computer screen behind me for now. I need to get my legs working again.

“You knew,” I say simply.

He nods.

“Aw,” Sandy and Corey sigh.

“How?” I ask, though I already know.

“I know you, Ty,” he says. Of course he does. And of course he knows. I just needed time. But it’s been long enough, I think. It’s time to make plans.

“So sweet,” Anna says with a sniff.

“I’m standing,” I tell him. “Not right this second. But… you know. I think I’m standing.”

Dom smiles. “That’s good.”

“This is so special,” Creed says in a fluttery voice. “Seriously. Is it weird for me to want to scream that you guys should kiss? Goddammit, Anna! Your pregnancy hormones are contagious!”