As they made their way back to the estate, Nathan's thoughts wandered to the times when his jealousy over Leon had nearly torn him and Bjorn apart. Leon had always been a priority for Bjorn, even before Nathan entered the picture, and Nathan hadn't been able to help the sting of feeling second-best.
He remembered one night when Bjorn had left him in the middle of an argument to go check on Leon, who had supposedly fainted. That had sparked a terrible fight between them when he returned, with Nathan accusing Bjorn of caring more for his brother than for him.
"Leon is not a choice I have to make," Bjorn had said back then, his eyes pleading for Nathan to understand. "He's my brother. You are my heart. Don't you see? It's not a matter of comparison."
It had taken time for Nathan to accept that Bjorn's protectiveness over Leon didn't diminish what they shared. But he had come to realize that love was not a finite resource; it could be given freely, to more than one person, in different ways.
Now, as Nathan looked at Bjorn, who was still slightly grumbling under his breath about Atlas, he felt nothing but affection. "You're such an idiot sometimes," Nathan murmured fondly, tugging Bjorn close.
Bjorn blinked, his irritation fading at Nathan's sudden comment. "What?"
Nathan just smiled, his heart warm with the knowledge that Bjorn's love for him was unwavering—even if it sometimes got tangled up with his brotherly devotion. "Come on, you big fool," he teased, pulling Bjorn along. "Let's get home."