Our Heart (Rewritten)

Existing And Living

Meanwhile, Fort is still waiting for an opening to try and talk to Peat. But the opportunity hasn't presented itself because after Boss left and he thought this was his chance, Peat then gets up and paces back and forth nervously before finally making a phone call.

When the line picks up, he bites down on his lip and Fort can practically see him mustering the courage to tell the person he calls 'auntie' about what happened. His tears start falling uncontrollably and he has to slap a hand over his mouth to keep himself from whimpering but when the woman takes note of his extended silence and muffled sobs, she exclaims, "Peat, what happened? Where is Noeul?"

Fort can hear her clearly even from a distance and he can't imagine how Peat must feel being in the front line.

"We're in...the hospital." Peat finally says albeit brokenly. "Noeul collapsed. I'm sorry, auntie."

Noeul's mom can be heard crying out worriedly and she ends it by saying, "I'm coming right now!"

After the call is dropped, Peat goes to sit on the opposite end of the bench from Fort and there, he completely breaks down. The latter doesn't know whether he should comfort him or how or if he even has any right to after all the things he said to him previously.

But setting all that aside, he scoots over closer to Peat and cups Peat's trembling hands with his. Peat seems to cry even more at his warm touch and once it's clear that it's a welcomed gesture, Fort wraps an arm around Peat and lays his head on his shoulder, giving him a safe place to just let it all out.

Moments later and Peat has calmed down enough to gently pull away and utter in between sniffs, "Sorry about that."

Fort shakes his head, letting him know, "It's no problem. I-I'm the one who should be sorry." He finally says; it's now or never. "Those things I said to you-"

But Peat's the one to shake his head this time. "No...you were right." He wipes at the traces of tears on his face before just kind of opening up. "I met Noeul when I was six years old; my mom was his nurse and she sometimes brought me to play with him since he wasn't allowed outside.

"He was quite a weirdo." He chuckles to himself, gaze nostalgic. "He was obsessed with movies, I guess because they were his only window to the world. And I admit, I only went to see him at first because my mom asked me to but eventually, he became someone I could talk to about anything. I thought I was doing him a favor...turns out it's the other way around."

"You two are that close, huh?" Fort remarks to which Peat cracks a smile albeit weak and hums, "Mm, we are. That's why I promised myself I'll look after Noeul and won't let anything bad happen to him. But ironically, I caused this."

"Hey, that's not true." Fort quickly quashes Peat's self-sabotaging thoughts. "You're doing your best."

"But there's only so much I can do." Tears well in his eyes as he turns to Fort and tells him, "I get it now...what you meant. I can't fill all the voids in Noeul's life...and I can't keep him from living just so he can continue to exist."

~~~

Boss speeds through the highway as the afternoon sky turns a darker shade of orange with streaks of deep purple. Earlier, he came back and heard the doctor telling Peat and, apparently, Noeul's mom that the boy is no longer in danger after which Boss decided to go somewhere.

He just really needs to talk to this person right now.

He arrives on location, holding flowers he bought along the way. His footsteps are heavy as he pads across the trimmed grass, his helmet hair somewhat a mess with pieces framing his face.