Jesse offered a little wave of his hand and smiled. "It's really okay. Merlin's my lil' brother and because he sometimes feels emotions in a really intense way because of his ADHD, Damien and I know that he needs a bit of backup support as a buffer. But honestly, that's mostly been Brandon's job lately. With the relapse, I think they've been trying to spare each other pain and stress, which really just creates more. But they're still learning the marriage thing. What they don't tell you about the vows is that they're not just a promise to each other, they're kind of a dot point list of what is absolutely going to challenge you at one point or another. In sickness and in health is a massive one. Brandon and Merlin didn't even want to include the 'Til death us do part' one, for obvious reasons. When it comes to cancer, you don't want to tempt fate. I really don't think any of this - me being a stopover to him meeting you - is because he doesn't want to meet you or is apprehensive in any way. It's just so big for him that he can't take it all in one bite. His cup just isn't full enough to cope. Had Brandon's remission still stuck and Merlin hadn't fallen ill, I don't think he would've needed me for a buffer. Don't have regrets. Regrets just burn up energy you can utilise elsewhere. Don't leave yet, either. I can see how you might be thinking that's a valiant option to give him a chance to catch up but when he reaches out to you and you're here, trust me, that will be a big deal for him. Probably not one he realises yet. I can say that without a shadow of a doubt, as someone who tried to reach out to his real dad and discovered I was just too late. My new siblings, they're amazing and I love them. It's been a blessing to come into each other's lives. But I do really feel that big hole of knowing I'll never meet my real dad. I could put flowers on a grave and that's it. You and Merlin have both fought a lot to get here. You deserve it to be everything it should be."

He stretched back, linking his fingers together behind his head with a nod. "Because he was small. Because he wore glasses. Because he would have meltdowns he couldn't control. Because he got migraines that would make him sick at school. Kids can definitely be real assholes. Jokes on all them, though. He grew up majorly talented and hooked one of the most eligible Gen Z bachelors on the planet. Karma did her job." He smirked, still finding it amusing because he knew a lot of Merlin's high school classmates who were assholes to him tried to reach out to him on social media once it broke that he was first connected to Justin, and then Brandon. He told them to go fuck themselves and blocked them. "He did have a tough childhood but it wasn't because of lack of love. Not even remotely. Neurodivergence is just a tough gig. It came out in him as a child very differently to how it does now he's an adult. Now, mostly, he just stresses a lot. His medication keeps it well controlled. It's just when there's a lot going on that he struggles."