"You are a cocky little shit, huh?" Derek asks, but his voice is fond. Thomas is smiling, smiling excited and healthy, and Derek jerks his chin towards the woods. "Let's see if you can keep up with me out here."

He turns onto a dirt path that heads into the trees, feeling better now that his feet are on hard-packed earth instead of concrete. It smells better out here, the air cleaner, and Derek breathes deeply as he speeds up. He looks over his shoulder at Thomas, raising an eyebrow and smirking before turning forward again.