Falling for a mistake | Jeverus

Part 14

The divorce papers are ready for James to sign, with his own signature already on there.

" Severus? I'm gonna leave, wanna hitch a ride?" Frank asks as he opens the door holding his coat.

" Are you ok?"

Are you ok. He's heard that phrase so many times he doesn't even know if he can lie anymore.

" Severus?"

" Sorry um, i just...." Severus looks around at papers but his mind his blank.

Frank comes closer, leaving his door slightly open but it doesn't even matter, everyone can see everything anyway.

Not like there was people around, there was a physician having a consult on the other end of the floor but they were easily out of earshot.

" Seriously man, are you ok?" Frank rounds the table and lays a hand on his shoulder.

Then everything breaks. Just like these glass walls, everything shatters inside him. He covers his face with his hands and he feels like he's hyperventilating.

" Ok you're not ok. Is it your heart? Do you have chest pains again?"

Yes but not like that. Nothing compares to the pain he feels right now, the impending doom his marriage is falling into consumes him and leaves him a sobbing mess.

He's reduced to a shell, a husk of a human that only knows pain. He feels small again, like when he was a child and he took the pain with every inch of his life.

He promised to never feel like this again, to let it all in but the dam breaks.

" No. Frank I....I made a mistake." Severus sobs and Frank lays down his bag to get on his knees.

" Severus talk to me." Frank grabs him by his shoulders and when he doesn't speak he wordlessly brings him into a hug.

" I shouldn't have agreed to this. I thought it'd make him happy, make him whole again but for what cost?"

Frank immediately knows who he is referring to and the mistake he's talking about as well. He curses under his breath and looks sideways so Severus doesn't see the look of absolute fury on his face.

" I fucking told him." He says quietly and Severus leans against his shoulder to hide himself.

" Did he threaten to leave?" Frank asks and Severus just shakes his head.

" I'm the one leaving."

" What?" Frank pushes him back to see his face and almost winces at the image.

Severus' face is flushed, eyes and nose red with tears. His hair is pulled back onto a ponytail like always but strands come loose and it's obvious.

He's coming undone at the seams and Severus doesn't know how to patch himself up.

" You're leaving him?"

" Sirius gave him an ultimatum. I thought we were getting better but then he leaves and if he's still seeing him this close to the deadline then I've already lost haven't i?"

" How do you know that?"

" I don't know Frank, i just do!" Severus shouts but Frank doesn't even flinch.