piecewise | g/t snippets & drabbles

goodbye (m/nb)

"Don't leave..."

Me. they both heard, but neither said. Adam nodded at the notion as he swallowed back tears, the black teen's adam's apple as visible to the borrower as the rest of him.

Chen willed themself a step back. And another. And another. The giant form in front of them shrunk ever so slightly as they pressed backward. Starting over, they thought, but the chills down their spine told another story.

"Will I see you again?"

It was ironic, how soft the human could be in moments like these. Choked up was an understatement. As Chen examined the canvas of his features, they saw all the words, actions, and feelings he was holding back. The "no!" that would've commanded them to stay, the sweep off their feet with the cradle of his palms.

The anguish of potentially never seeing them again.

"Maybe," Chen managed, still dazed as their body disconnected from their soul. They watched the human's picture come together in their mind, from their first meeting on the roof to the last time they'd been outside together.

Together seemed to bring them back to life, their footsteps finally halting enough to focus on who was in front of them. Warily they blinked, allowing their vision to bring Adam back in.

"For what it's worth..." they trailed, and to his credit, Adam leaned in as far as he thought would still be acceptable. "I'm glad it was you."

Adam chuckled, the already lower register of his baritone reverberating through the 4-inch being. Usually, it was comforting - a warm, enveloping reminder that he'd always be by their side and that far by their standards wasn't the same as his. 72 inches of man, with an extra foot of personality to match. Chen tried to imagine the eyes that soaked them up so guiltily, the eyes that once crinkled whenever they finished borrowing, or responded to one of his quips.

"I know," Adam said, and it was like the roles were reversed. They trembled, but both knew it wasn't fear. At least, not fear of Adam. "I'm glad you fucked up, too."

Chen scoffed. "Mhm," they let simmer, but something about the interaction made their heart lurch. Familiar was the word they tasted on their lips, as the human's chuckle brought them back to bittersweet.

"I'm gonna miss you," Adam said, and Chen would've rolled their eyes at the redundancy. Except...

"I'll mi-"

"Can I hold you?"

Chen stiffened as the human continued. "Just...one more time. I promise I won't..." He trailed, and they both knew what he was implying.

"You wouldn't," they said softly, and to their surprise, the borrower believed the sentiment completely. "You're...that good of a guy."

Their ears perked up at the sound of his knees hitting the hardwood floor. The backs of his palms slid across the floor, stopping mere centimeters from where Chen now stood. They noted how short a distance it was to Adam, remembering how long it'd taken them to make that distance to begin with.

A sad chuckle escaped their lips. He could've...a thought buzzed, as on instinct they climbed into the radiator of flesh before them. The air surrounding his palms was toasty, a comfort Chen realized they'd taken for granted. The hills of flesh that responded to their every step, that retracted with a touch, or scrunched up as Adam clenched his fists - Chen would miss it all.

Ceremonially, Adam lifted his hands once more, bringing Chen to the person of their departing affection. Softly, his breaths blew - rustling the hair atop their head, dispersing the heat emitting from his palm. Chen noted how small the breaths were, how small he was - crouched over them like they were his own soul.

"Adam," they whispered airily. He leaned in closer, tears threatening to spill at any moment. With a sleeve, Chen stood up - closing the gap between them, brushing the tears from the brims of his eyes. Adam's eyes fluttered, and as Chen grounded themselves with his nose, he surprised them with the sensation evident there. Underneath Chen's free palm was a fuzziness, a familiar warmth and pressure that only gave way to more tears. Chen found it in them to chuckle.

"It's okay to be sad, you know," Chen said, sniffling themself. "But it's for the best."

"The best," he rumbled, nodding slowly. Slowly, he lowered his palm back to the ground, his body slumping with acceptance as Chen made the interaction as painless as possible. Gracefully they stepped off, waving once more to the human that changed their life. The talkative one, with so much to say and so little time, and the quieter one - the one that would miss them but lacked any of the precision to say how much, the sad one that Chen made unafraid to express himself.

Finally, they made it to their hole in the wall, closing the door as they opened another to a new chapter. A reluctant chapter, but one that he needed. That they needed, even if it didn't feel like it.

"You..." came his voice from through the wall, finality ensured in its echo.

"You were the best thing that ever happened to me. Good luck!"

Chen held their face in their hands. Good, their thoughts mustered, flickering to the being they'd never see again. With shoulders heaving and breaths hollow, they let him consume every one of their thoughts, sinking to the ground behind the wooden partition that separated their worlds.

"And you...were the only good I ever needed."