"No, I tried every type of pleading I could think of when I was out here with Dante," Anders said wearily. "Why would bringing love into it work any better?"

He took a few more thoughtful steps. "I'm not making any forever decisions right now," he said. "But when you come home, we can talk about it."

That was the best he could do. Maybe it would be enough. Maybe not. Either way, they'd always be friends.