[ Hickey's hand tightens around his own and Angelo feels himself being pulled in, the last of his irritation from last night evaporating. It feels good to hear it all said so plainly. Hickey may treat him like a wind-up toy to play with whenever he feels like it, but he is not considered immediately disposable. It's pathetic how much he needs to hear this, to keep hearing it. He may not have a place among the crew, may not even want it, but he doesn't yet have to regret coming here. ]

Seems like we both decided earlier than assumed, then.

[ The echo of his own confession is at least not lost on him. He'd said it with no small amount of desperation, trying to smooth over the strange rift that had opened under their feet, but it had been the truth. He decided to bet on Hickey before Hickey ever knew.

And part of him wants to know when and why Hickey had made the reverse decision, but asking feels vulnerable in a way he can't stomach even now that the air around them is so tender and calm. ]

I don't know if the coat will fit exactly right like this. Some fabric was lost to the claws, so in the worst case might still need to make later adjustments.