Finding Stefan's paranoia reasonable, Garret agreed to help him however he could to uncover the Sylvia's secrets. As a 'sparky' he monitored the electrical systems of the Sylvia, as covertly as possible. Something did not add up; a casual experiment with the circuitry revealed that the energy output was focused towards a specific part of the ship. It wasn't the sonar, as their benefactor had claimed, and it had some unique redundant systems he couldn't figure out the function of.
Stefan was greatly pleased, both in the fact that Garret believed him and actually confirmed some of his suspicions. Even putting that aside, however, the opossum was just glad to have the wolf around. Maybe it was the fact that he was the first member of the crew he got to know, well before the others, so there was a sense that he knew him best, even though they actually only knew each other for a few days. Maybe its the fact that they meshed well together: he was witty as all hell when he got comfortable, and wasn't above joking Stefan's own conspiracy theorist mindset while still respecting him. Maybe it was the fact that he was clearly checking him out when the power first went down; even as Stefan was mostly focused on the faulty alarm, he could still see from the corner of his eyes.
Maybe he was rushing it, but if you like someone they at least oughta know. And, well, it was clear Garret had some interest. He had to have, Stefan was basically the only member of the crew he would talk to voluntarily even if he did like the others a lot.
To test waters Stefan scopped his surroundings. Almost everyone was busy with something, aside from those at the lounge having a lovely drunken conversation. He admitely was a bit curious, and thought about joining in, when he noticed Garret coming in from outside, likely from having a smoke. He seemed to be screening the room himself, and his eyes met Stefan's.
"Hey mate" he waved, "Found nothing suspicious on the deck. Saw some narwhals taking a shit though."
"Thank you for that" Stefan answerred, trying to emulate a movie Phelous reviewed.
Stefan sat on a couch and pat it, inviting Garret over. The wolf complied, in a way that Stefan could only comply as both excited and reluctant. He sat down somewhat timidly, before manspreading in the true Scott way. It was amazing how he could just shift from nearly dying of social anxiety to the most relaxed person on the planet.
"So" Stefan said, "Do you have any opinions on our beloved first mate Aaron?"
"Clearly wanting to sloppy toppy all of the guys in the ship" Garret said, a hint of nervousness in his voice, "That does bother you, Mister 'I'm not a Twink'?"
"Just as much as it bothers you, Mister 'I'm not a Twink'."
While that prompted a subdued chuckle from the wolf, he notably seemed a bit hesitant. Stefan frankly wanted to mess with him into fessing up, but Garret could take it the wrong way. As Sun Tzu said, "Quickness is the essence of the war".
"Just so you know, I'm not a twink because I'd rather think of myself as tough, you know. Tough and gay."
"Oh, cool cool" Garret nodded, "Though I might add that you look like you're wearing eyeliner and nail polish."
"Aw the guy with the emo hair is lecturing me" Stefan said, punching Garret in the should playfully.
It didn't take long for both of them to start wrestling on the couch, laughing and playing as they tried to get a hold on each other.
"Get a room" Tabby said while reccording them.
Eventually Garret came out on top - whereas Stefan let him win is anyone's guess - tying the opossum's paws above his head. Stefan bit his lip.
"Wanna take this to the bedroom?" he asked flirtatiously.
Garret was about to quip, but he realised something was brushing against's Stefan's you-know-what. He stood aside embarassedly.
"Hey, I do mean it" Stefan said, putting his paw on Garret's, trying to look into his eyes.
The wolf did stare back, before looking aside.
"T-thanks" he said, "And hell, I kinda do want to take ya on that offer."
"But..."
"But what mate? I'm fucking gross. My eye is the least of my problems."
"You say that like I give a fuck. Seriously, you're handsome, Garret. Nobody here thinks its a deal breaker."
"Aaron would fuck any guy, he doesn't count."
Aaron, all the way to the lounge, gave him the middle finger.
"Well, I wouldn't. So trust me when I say you're beautiful."
Garret tentatively looked back at Stefan. His couldn't choose between starting at the opossum's face or at the ground. This movement must have triggered his eye episode, as he suddenly winced and covered his damaged eye.
"D-do you have the meds on you?" asked Stefan, starting to panic.
"N-no, they're in my bedroom!"
Stefan quickly helped him up, massaging his back. Wordlessly, they made their way to the cabins.
***
Upon entering in his room, Garret pointed at the coffee table. As Stefan went to grab it, the wolf plummeted into his bed, curling into a fetal position. Stefan quickly joined him, laying beside him and putting the meds in the empty paw. Garret quickly proceeded to drop them on his injured eye, and after a while he began to breathe more slowly.
"You alright?" Stefan asked, boldly but gently stroking Garret's cheek.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine."
They laid beside each other, only staring into each other's eyes. To Garret Stefan's eyes were pretty pleasant to look at, two soft brown irises conveying so much: worry, regret, even that alleged affection of his.
If only one of his own eyes wasn't blasted and the other red after crying.
He looked aside with his one good eye, and angled his head to let his hair cover the other. But Stefan's paw, still caressing his face, thumbed the bangs out of the way.
"Sorry" the opossum said, as if releasing the extent of his intrusion, "Just making sure that you are indeed beautiful and you don't actually need to cover your eye."
Garret said nothing. A smile curled on his lips, but it was a prety desperate one, the kind of smile you give when you need a distraction from how awful things are.
"I see how this is" Garret said, "You have a gore fetish, and my eye turns you on."
"What!? No, I'm being serious. Besides, it's not even bleeding, would be a shitty guro if it has no blood."
Garret chuckled, but the memories of his brother turned in his head. He instinctively drew up his sleeves, revealing the scars in his arms.
Predictably, Stefan was quite shocked, even holding himself on one shoulder to take a closer look.
"Jesus, Garret. That must have been one hell of an accident."
"You don't think I cut myself?"
"No, they're on the sides of the wrist and they look like tooth rather than knife work."
Garret was impressed. Stefan was perceptive, unlike the few clients that saw his wounds and immediately jumped to self-harm as an explanation.
"I could have biten myself, you know."
"Unless you completely rotated your teeth or bent your arm at 180º? Not likely, buddy."
Stefan laid back again, tentatively touching Garret's arm. Garret would probably have started to snarl was it anyone else, but he allowed him to softly feel him, finger pads softly passing through the scars. He no longer felt pain in them - part due to healing, part due to nerve damage - and Stefan was being as gentle as possible, so he just let it happen.
"Do, do you wanna talk about it?" the opossum asked, "You don't have to, especially not after I've been intrusive and all that..."
"Y-you're fine. Thank you for not being freaked out or drooling over them."
Stefan snorted, but it was a brief amusement. He inched slightly closer to Garret. The wolf could feel the marsupial's breath on his whiskers, but he was focused on his eyes. They were glistening a bit with early tears, and Garret felt awful, even if it was Stefan's fault for getting attached.
Which was something he himself wanted. He just didn't feel like he deserved him. Or anyone.
A comfortable silence passed, before Garret's eye began to twitch. Not a moment too soon, Stefan grabbed it medication and landed a few drops on the still mostly open eye, calming Garret.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. You've already helped me a lot, and... and I just plain like you. I know its only been a few days, but I feel like the world dies around me when I'm with you."
Garret ddn't respond for a while, before looking at Stefan again.
"You... love me?"
"Crush at the basolute least, but yeah, I think I'm falling for you~"
Garret snorted at the lyric, before turning to Stefan. He reaching his paw to the opossum's face, who leaned to the touch.
"I don't know what the hell you see in me, but you're beautiful too."
