Rebound Pt. 03

"Ugh, you are not working out on a SUNDAY? When we were up till god knows what hour?" Sam sighed.

"See, Jude gets it." He moaned. Ryan shrugged.

"Ok Sammy." He said. "You lie in bed all day. But that deadlift goal is for Wednesday, and I know you really wanted to meet it." He grinned slyly at Sam who sighed.

"I can skip training for a day and make it.'' I could hear the doubt in his voice.

"Yep." Ryan said, kissing his forehead. "Totally." Ryan went to shower and Sam sighed as he tidied away the coffee. He looked conspiratorially at me as he sat down again.

"I'm not making it either way." He said with a sigh. "I think he knew I wouldn't. Jerk." I laughed.

"What's the deal if you don't?" Sam blinked at me and turned bright red. "Oh I see." I coughed. "Ignore that." I laughed. I wondered to myself exactly how their whole dynamic worked. Sam totally 100% seemed to be in charge but every now and then Ryan clearly held the whip. Sam caught me looking at him thoughtfully and rolled his eyes.

"Ryan talks too much." He said amicably. "My advice is don't ask, don't tell." He stretched out. "But it's definitely more fun when neither of you really have the upper hand. Imma shower, and then we really will head. You can stay if you want?"

"I'll head back to the hotel." I sighed.

"Oh, you actually are in a hotel?" Sam frowned. "We thought you were being funny."

"Yeah, Lee's mum helped with the apartment so it's his really. He's buying out my share in instalments." I sighed. "Looking for a place, but you know, mildly homeless in the meantime." Sam bit his lip.

"Ryan will kill me if I don't offer here for a few nights." He said slowly. "We do have a spare room, but we couldn't drag you there last night so you were sort of stuck on the couch..."

"Thanks Sam." I smiled. "But umm... I'm good." I smiled at him and he smiled back. Yeah. Neither of us really wanted to live with each other. Especially when, whatever happened in their bedroom, I had no doubt it was loud.

-----

Nate

----

I was walking the dogs in the dark when I got home from Mum's because Alex was away for a couple of weeks and I didn't get a chance earlier, when my heart stopped.

There, just down the path, was Darius. His face fell as he saw me. I slowly walked towards him and he winced as he looked at me. He did look bad, Russell really had done a number on him. I felt my stomach churn a bit, but even though he kind of scared the shit out of me.... my fucking dumb heart was fluttering. Come on! Why did I still like him? I guess you don't just get to switch that off. He swallowed as I approached him.

"Nate." He greeted me with an awkward nod.

"Hey." I said, pretty cheerfully all things considered. "How are you, D? Oh, dumb question. Forget I asked that." He snorted.

"I always like that about you." He smiled. "No matter how bad things get, you're like a little ray of sunshine." I was glad it was dark enough he couldn't see me blush.

"Eh." I said, and sat down on a park bench. "I think it's stupidity, not optimism." D sighed and cautiously sat next to me, leaving room for Jesus between us. He offered me a cigarette and I took it without thinking before laughing and handing it back.

"I quit like a year ago." He frowned.

"Did you?" I laughed.

"You didn't notice?!" He winced.

"Man, I can be a bit self absorbed." He muttered. I bit my lip.

"You made me vegan lasagna." I said. "I guess you notice the important stuff." He sighed.

"Nate... I..." He sighed and I reached for him in spite of myself. I squeezed his hand and after a second or so he squeezed back.

"It's ok." I said. "I think we both knew we were on limited time here."

"I shouldn't have kept going for you." He said with a sigh. "I'm real sorry Nate. I am. I just felt you slipping away and I... I didn't know how to get you to stay... but I should have known better. I really thought, for you, I'd just... be better." I smiled at him.

"Me too." I said. "You are completely and utterly a dickhead, and it was fucking dumb of me to think I'd be different." Darius sighed and I put my arm over his shoulder. "And uh... you have a drinking problem." I said quietly. He winced. He looked at my face.

"Yeah." He mumbled. "I... I'm off it for a bit." We sat in silence. The wind was getting smoke in my face and I breathed it in. God I could go for a cigarette. Darius sighed. "I guess we can't ever go back to how it was." He said quietly.

"Na." I agreed. "That was barely working before, it definitely won't work now." He sighed and pulled away from me.

"I'm in counselling." He said. "And uh... you know. AA. And I can't even... begin to properly apologise. I'll never forgive myself. I know I fucked up. I'm so sorry for hurting you Nate." He said. He looked at me and brushed a strand of hair off my face. "You deserve so much better. I'm sorry. You trusted me and I let you down." He started to stand and I stopped him.

"Thank you." I held his hand tight. "I forgive you, D." I stood up and looked at him. I got onto my tiptoes and brushed my lips against his cheek. "Maybe if we're both single when we're 30...." I suggested. "Assuming you don't drink by then...." He grinned.

"Absolutely." He said. He looked at me and smiled sadly. "It's not fair of me to tell you this now." He said. "But I really do love you." I sighed.

"I know." I said. "You know if you weren't such a jerk we could have had a really nice time." D laughed.

"I'll miss your ass, Nate." I sighed.

"Definitely skipping the break up sex then?" He laughed.

"If your brother catches me anywhere near you, probably ever again, I am like completely and utterly dead, Nate."

"Probably true." I smiled. "Oh well. You have the honour of knocking Finley off his perch as the worst guy I've ever dated. That's something." Darius snorted and we walked away, in opposite directions.

----

Monday

----

Nate

----

Last week! I was so close to being a real person! So close I was completely losing the plot at work. I made the wrong order like 5 times and some asshole told me this was why I was stuck in a coffee shop. I sighed and looked at him.

"Well, lucky for you I'll be out of your hair in a week." I grinned. "Unless you work on the 5th floor and then I'm afraid I'll be more in your hair than ever." His eyes bugged out.

"What are you talking about?" He said. "This is a litany..."

"Big word." I widened my eyes. "Sorry, you lost me."

"Nate..." Russell pulled me away and began the grovelling apology that he'd be stuck doing for the next couple of months in my absence. He whirled on me and folded his arms.

"If you are going to be an ass for the next week, could you at least help with the cleaning? You don't have to talk to people that way." I sighed and launched myself up on the counter to get around to cleaning the glass shelves that I'd been putting off for like 3 months and swore I'd get done before I left. I let Russell and Frank look after the people, which was probably a good idea if I kept running my mouth off, and got through a not unimpressive amount of polishing. And then I slipped.

"Shit." I whispered as I lost my footing on the counter and reached for anything to stop me from falling backwards. But my hands grasped nothing and I closed my eyes and pictured my skull breaking on the concrete floor. I braced for impact, trying to keep my head tucked into my chin...and something broke my fall. I blinked and realised I was cradled in someone's arms. Someone incredibly strong to catch me like that. My chest thumped wildly.

"Fuck, Nate." He whispered. I blinked and Jude was looking down at me. "Shit, you ok?"

"Uh." I quickly righted myself, jumping out of his arms and finding my feet.

"Any pain?" He insisted, somehow still holding me.

"Uhhhh... yes. Painfully embarrassed." I pulled myself out of his arms. "Thanks. I guess I uh... owe you my life. Or at least my back." I laughed half heartedly. Jude bit his lip.

"Fuck, Nate." He said again. "You could have..."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm an idiot." Jude sat down, staring at me. He was breathing heavily. "You ok?" I asked. He winced.

"Sorry... just..." He shook his head. "Quad americano please."I grinned.

"I'll bring it over."

Russell had the same look in his eye.

"Fuck Nate." He said. "I thought you were done for." I shook my head.

"I know, I'm still shaking."

"Fucking Gigolo Joe just sprinted across the whole restaurant." He said. "Don't you dare charge him for that coffee." I laughed.

"You know I never charge Jude for coffee unless I absolutely have to." Russell sighed.

"He looks shaken up." He said. "You too, actually. You wanna take 5?"

"I'll just get Jude his coffee."

"Just go sit with him." Russell said. "I'll bring them both over." I wandered back over- my legs really were shaking, and threw myself beside Jude. He glanced at me.

"You'll be safer in an office." He said. I grinned.

"I dunno- you've seen me trip myself up on my headphones more than once. And god forbid I knock a computer over. Shit, maybe I should stay here. At least here I can only really damage myself." Jude frowned at me. And really slowly he reached out and squeezed my knee.

"I'm going to win lotto." He said seriously. "And buy you a bubble to live in. You'll give me a heart attack injuring yourself the way you do." I laughed and he started to grin. And I found my hand on his, for no good reason.

"Thanks." I squeezed his fingers. "For... everything." He smiled at me. His eyes lingered a little too long on mine, and I noticed we were still holding hands. And then I noticed something else.

His ring was gone.

-TBC-