Realizations (Eugene x Ned)

Where It All Stopped

For a split second, Ned let himself kiss Eugene back. In that moment, he felt like he was finally getting what he's been wanting for a long time. Eugene felt the same, to say the least. That was until he saw Ariel appear from the kitchen behind them.

"Ned?"

The blonde man quickly broke away from Eugene, turning to face his wife. "Ariel! I-I can explain!" It was too late, she was already grabbing her keys and storming out the door. Eugene just watched as Ned went after her, apologizing and begging her to stay. Eugene watched the two walk out the door, hearing a car starting and driving away. A couple minutes later, Ned came back in looking angrier than Eugene had ever seen him look. "What the fuck?!"

"What?"

"Why would you fucking kiss me Eugene?!" Ned shoved the taller man backwards.

"Hey, hey! Would you stop? First of all, I didn't know Ariel was here. And second off, I didn't hear you complaining." Ned went to push Eugene again, but he caught his wrists before he could land a hit.

Ned ripped his arms away, shouting at his friend. "Get the fuck out! Now!" He sounded furious, but Eugene could see the tears forming in his eyes. So he did what Ned said, and left.

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A week later, and still, Ned wasn't showing up to any of the meetings or shoots he was supposed to. Eugene explained that he and Ariel were doing through a "rough spot", but he was sure to leave out the reason why. By the end of the week, when Ned still wasn't returning any messages, the guys decided to send Zach to check up on him.

When the short man arrived at his friends door, he knocked gently. It wasn't until the fourth knock and a ring of the doorbell that Ned opened the door. Zach looked him up and down, and for lack of better terms, he looked like shit. Dark circles hung under his eyes, his clothes sagged from his body, and Zach couldn't even guess when his last shower had been. He did his best to play it off. "Heyyy...buddy. You okay?"

Ned just looked up at him tiredly. "Do I look okay?"

Zach scooter himself inside, shutting the door behind him. He could see now that the state of Ned's house wasn't much better than the state he was on himself. "Oh Ned...Jesus..." He follows his friend in, but didn't join him on the pizza box covered couch. "This is worse than Gene said, huh."

Ned suddenly sat up, looking more awake than ever. "What...did he say?"

"He said you and Ariel were going through something...ya know, relationship problems."

"Well, I guess that's right considering we broke up." He laid back down, rubbing his eyes. "Did he tell you anything else?"

"No. Is there something else to tell?" Zach held his breath and sat down next to his friend, wrapping an arm around him. "You can tell me."

"No. Nothing else about that I guess." Ned shook Zach's arm off him, standing up and picking at his fingernails nervously. "But there is something else I wanted to tell you."

"Yeah of course, anything."

"I'm leaving the Try Guys."