Fleur-de-lis

three's a quire

John's p.o.v.

"Now explain!" Van demands.

We were sitting on the bed in Roman's hotel room. His little girlfriend had politely taken her leave after they were exposed.

"Where do you want me to start?" Roman asks.

"How about when you found out where we lived?"

Roman's jaw tensed up. "Well...it started when I saw a video of you online...in the gay pride parade. That helped narrow it down. I asked a few people online if they had any more information about you and where you lived and unsurprisingly, nobody knew a thing...except this one guy...who knew a lot.

"What guy?" Van asks.

"I think his screen name was...Callahan?" Roman informs.

"Jesus Christ, Cal." Van mumbles under his breath

"After that, Karen and I came up with the plan of luring you here and got her friend Courtney to help me out." Roman continues. "She's not actually my girlfriend."

"Okay. I love Karen but next time you see her tell her I said to go fuck herself." Van comments.

Roman shifts uncomfortably.

"Now tell me why." Van demands.

"Because you ghosted me!" Roman confesses abruptly. "Because you chose this asshole over me!"

"I might be an asshole but at least I'm not a petty stalker." I defend.

"Fuck you!" Roman snaps at me.

"Cry about it." I reply back.

"Can we stay on fucking topic!" Van snaps at the both of us.

"Sorry." Roman murmurs.

"Yes, little brother." I apologize.

Van had the means to kick both our asses so we dared not cross him when he was serious.

Van exhales. "Roman, look. I'm really sorry about what I did but I had to make a lot of tough choices that you'll never have to make in your entire life. As much as I wished that it would've worked out between us...it just plain wasn't meant to be."

"I still don't get it." Roman says. "What was so wrong with me that you didn't even feel the need to tell me goodbye?"

"There was nothing wrong with you. There's just a lot wrong with me." Van admits.

"And that's just it?" Roman questions. "We just weren't right? Is that how you felt? What about how I felt? I loved you, I felt more strongly about you than I had with anyone before you. I came all this way because I wanted to see if he was actually so much better than me or maybe to see just how shitty your relationship really was so I'd feel better. But deep down I guess I did all of this because I still love you."

"...I love you too, Roman. But it just can't happen between us." Van replies. "I hope you can find closure."

A sullen look washes over Roman's face. "Maybe I should just go."

"I'm...sorry." Van says.

'Good riddance.' I think.

Roman heads for the door. I look to Van who I expected to give his usual sigh of relief like he did every time he'd handled a tough situation but his expression just got darker as Roman headed for the door.

'Oh no.' I think. 'Van, please don't make that face.' His eyes well up as he fights back tears. 'Goddammit, no no no no no.' 'Don't make that heart breaking face.'