Eternal Sunshine

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The drive home was a blur for Leo. When he parked in front of the house, his knuckles were ghost white from gripping the steering wheel so tight.

Fluke, Maze and Benz were sitting in the living room when Leo walked inside and the three of them jumped at the sound of the door slamming shut.

"Everything okay?" Fluke called out, but Leo didn't respond.

His heavy footsteps stomped against the stairs as Leo ran up to his bedroom, leaving his friends feeling confused.

"I'm not the only one who noticed only one set of footsteps on the stairs, right?" Benz asked, his gaze turning to the second floor.

Fluke and Maze gave each other a worried look before Maze stood up.

"I should probably head home."

Fluke nodded. "We'll find out what's happening on this end. I'll text you later."

Maze bent down to give Fluke a quick kiss before heading out the front door. With a heavy sigh, Benz and Fluke rose from the couch and made their way up to Leo's room. Benz knocked twice before opening the door, finding Leo sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. The tears became visible once Benz and Fluke sat on the bed next to him.

"What's going on, Leo?" Benz asked, placing a hand on Leo's shoulder.

For a while, Leo didn't say anything. He was still struggling to process what had happened between Nine and him. Things had been practically perfect between them since they reunited at the start of the school year. How did everything go so wrong so quickly?

"Nine and I got into a fight," Leo finally confessed. "I just... I don't know what happened."

"Start from the beginning," Fluke encouraged.

So Leo told them everything. His thoughts about how to help Nine. Talking with the dean. Nine overhearing the conversation and getting upset by it.

"He walked away," Leo wept. "He told me I didn't know him and walked away."

Benz and Fluke exchanged a look before Fluke wrapped an arm around Leo's shoulder.

"Do you want me to be honest with you, Leo?" Fluke asked. "Even if it's something you won't like hearing?"

"Yes."

"You overstepped."

Leo's heart sank. "But I was just trying to help."

"And in doing so, you made the situation about you."

"I..." That's not what Leo did. Right?

"While you've been blessed to never have to really think about money or struggle financially, the stress of money is constantly on Nine's mind. What happened with his scholarship is a lot for him to process. He's not going to take fixing this lightly. Instead of sharing your potential solution with Nine, you left him out of the decision completely. You took away his choice."

"I wasn't trying to."

"We know that. I'm sure Nine knows that, too. But the effect of someone's actions will always outweigh the intensions behind them. While trying to alleviate Nine's pain, you added to it. And now, instead of being by your boyfriend's side, comforting him while he deals with a burden he shouldn't have to deal with, you're here."

Tears flowed more heavily down Leo's cheeks as he leaned back against the headboard.

"What should I do now? I doubt Nine will answer the phone if I try to call him."

"I understand wanting to fix things immediately," Benz expressed. "But with how upset both of you are, especially Nine, I think it's a good idea to take the next couple of days to take a breath. Allow yourselves to process what you're feeling so that when you do talk to each other, you'll be able to do so rationally."

Fluke nodded. "Maze is with Nine right now. As difficult as it will be for you, let Maze take care of him."

Leo hated the idea of not talking to Nine for a couple of days, but he realized Benz and Fluke were right. Maze would comfort Nine, even if that should be Leo's job. But he went and messed that up. So, he would give them both space. While doing so, Leo intended to find a better solution for Nine. One that Nine would approve of.

Just a few days apart, nothing major. It wasn't like it would be eight years. Again.

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Agony. That's what the rest of the school week was for Nine. While he still worked hard during class, the stress of not knowing what his future would look like made it difficult to concentrate completely.

Nine had called his mother to let her know what the dean had told him the day he found out, once he had finished crying on Maze's shoulder. Koi had promised to do everything she could to help, but Nine knew there wasn't much she could do. He didn't blame her for that.

Then there was Leo. He didn't call or text Nine after their fight. While Fluke and Benz were waiting for Nine, Maze and Del outside the school in the mornings, Leo was nowhere to be found. He didn't show up during lunch either.

It was now Friday, three days after their fight, and Nine had barely seen Leo, let alone talk to him during that time.

"Is he not coming again?" Nine asked Fluke once they sat next to Maze at the lunch table.

Fluke smiled sympathetically as they opened their water bottle.

"He and Zol have something they're working on. Apparently, it needs to be finalized before the end of the day."

"Oh."

Nine couldn't help but feel jealous. Not because he thought Leo and Zol secretly liked each other or anything, but because Zol was lucky enough to simply be with Leo at all.

While Nine wasn't upset about their fight anymore, he knew he still deserved an apology from Leo. That is what's kept Nine from calling Leo himself. Leo is the one who needs to make the first move. Nine just wished it would stop taking so long.

Unless...

"Does Leo hate me?" Nine asked, eyes fixed on his tray of food.

Everyone around the table looked at each other before Benz spoke.

"Not even a little bit, Nine."

"Then why..."

"We advised him to give you some space," Fluke explained. "He wants to make sure the next time he talks to you, there's no lingering anger."

"I'm not angry, though," Nine whispered.

A tiny grin appeared at the corner of Fluke's mouth.

"Do you want me to tell Leo that for you?"

After a moment, Nine simply nodded.

The rest of the day dragged on. Nine was ready for the weekend, desperately wanting to collapse onto his bed and disappear from the world.

As he walked out of his final class of the day, Nine wondered if Fluke had already relayed his message to Leo and if Leo would be waiting for him at the bus stop. The small amount of hope that had started to build up as he walked over was shattered when he arrived and only Maze, Fluke and Del were standing there.

Despite his obvious deflated mood, Fluke smiled at Nine once he reached the three of them.

"Now Nine, I'm sure your immediate plans involve you going home and wallowing about in your misery, but I have a better idea for you."

"Wow, Fluke. You really know how to comfort a friend."

"I know," they admitted smugly. "Aren't you going to ask me what my idea is?"

Nine sighed. "Fine. What's your idea?"

"You're coming home with me. Someone wants to talk to you."