Larry tries, for what seems like the 100th time, to convince Ian to come with him. "You have more time off saved up than Charles does, and that takes a special type of dedication. I'll only be at the conference five days out of the eight we'll be there, during the morning and afternoons only no less, and absolutely free to do whatever I wish at all other times."

Ian shakes his head. "I don't... Other people will know."

Larry snickers. "You could wave a flying mouse in front of the eyes of most of these people and they'd be none the wiser."

"And what if they notice anyways?"

Larry sighs. "Ian, you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Who you are is not wrong. What we do is not wrong. The only person you have to answer to, short of Mr. Freeh, is me."

Ian nods. "I know that, Larry. But having people be exposed to things about me which are genuine is a very new pill to swallow."

Larry pats his shoulder. "You'll do just fine. I'll be booking your ticket, Ian, and I'll call your boss for time off myself if I have to."

–

When they break for lunch, Larry always texts him telling him where they're going to be. Larry has lunch with a largely different group every afternoon, and Ian has to remind himself to not stop breathing from the anxiety each time he shows up at a restaurant to find Larry sitting with a group of people all sorts of curious about him. He has to remind himself that he's in control with every breath he takes, but part of him knows how much he -isn't.-

Ian protests against having to do it again, but Larry doesn't give in. "They're harmless, Ian, and you need to socialize with people who aren't afraid of you."

–

Larry signs him up for the dinner banquet at the end of the conference, and Ian wants to sink himself into his seat the entire time. Around forty of them crowd around a private dining room in a restaurant, big family-style bowls of pasta and eggplant parmigiana laid out every few feet. Larry's friends question him about his job, about how he knows Larry, and about his limited knowledge of Larry's field.

Ian feels like a fish out of water, and Larry sends him off to the bathroom to get some free time twice, because Larry wants Ian to be exposed and maybe a bit embarrassed and eventually desensitized, but he doesn't want him outright traumatized. Ian promptly gets up each time, all but running into the toilet and hiding in the stalls with full length doors to protect him for a few minutes while he reminds himself that none of them are judging him in the slightest, that none of them can -see- him.

The second time he returns, Larry places his hand on Ian's thigh, stroking it gently for a while. Ian catches one of the younger boys, a doctoral student, peering over at the two of them. Ian snaps at him in a tone low enough that he's reasonably sure the rest of the table wont overhear. "What're you looking at?" Ian asks.

The boy shrugs slightly, but doesn't move away from Ian as many other people would. He waves one hand at Ian and Larry. "I'm envious of you," he says.

Larry watches the whole interaction as soon as he catches on, smiling at the boy's honesty and refusal to back down from Ian's implicit threat.

Ian turns to face Larry, placing one hand over Larry's own. "I think I'm starting to see the perks of being seen, Larry." Ian says.

They leave early.