choose style
black
grey
white

When Reyn returned, Tavir was sitting up, his face set and grim, and Shurik was trying to look as if he wasn't there. Tavir felt glad he was, though; Shurik was at least some support, someone to turn to, to lean on if things got too bad. It made him feel stronger, somehow.

"Here's your clothes." Reyn even smiled as he placed a neat pile of clothing on Tavir's bed. "Get dressed and we'll get out of this creepy place, okay?"

"I'm not going, Reyn." Tavir kept his voice firm, despite the effort it had taken him just to say those four words.

"Not going? What do you mean?" Reyn was dumbfounded. It wasn't often Tavir went against his will, and it always seemed to come as such a surprise to him.

"I mean I'm not going. I'm staying here until I get better." Tavir met Reyn's incredulous gaze, feeling stronger now that it was finally out in the open.

"Here? You think you can get better here?" Reyn's tone was scornful. "How long have I taken care of you, Tavir? I know what's best for you. How could they have any idea of that when they don't even know you?"

"What's best for me? Reyn, I nearly crippled myself today! I've been in pain for three months! If you know what's best for me, why am I still hurting?" Tavir's anger warmed him, flowing through him and letting him say things he'd wanted to say for so long.

"It's in your mind, that's why. If you'd just -" Reyn was angry as well, but Tavir cut him off.

"Just what? I'm not scared or stressed or anything that you say is causing it. The only thing bothering me if the pain itself. I'm sick of hurting, Reyn. I don't want this pain anymore, and these doctors know how to make it go away. So I'm going to leave it to them, and not you."

"Damnit, Tavir, you're just not trying hard enough." That was always Reyn's excuse. "You could be the best hockey player ever known! You could play pro, and be famous, and make a fortune."

"I don't want to play pro hockey, Reyn. I just want to be able to walk." Tavir's quiet words seemed to have more effect on Reyn than all his yelling had. Reyn stared at him a long time, at his grim expression, and then his gaze flickered to Shurik, who's face mirrored Tavir's.

"Do what you think is best for you, then," he said, his voice scathing, and turned and walked out.

"They said I can check out today." Tavir had felt like it would never come, but finally he could leave the confines of the hospital.

"Hey, that's great." Shurik seemed genuinely pleased. "Do you have to come back much?"

"Yeah, every day at first, for physiotherapy or something." Tavir pulled a face, but he didn't really mind. If it meant his leg would get better, he was willing to do just about anything. "Then they'll send me somewhere else for the rest of it."

"Makes sense.. so, you can leave right now, or..?"

"Yeah, soon as I get my shit together." Tavir grinned. <And figure out where I'm going to go,> his mind reminded him, and his grin faded. Shurik had come to see him every day, but Reyn hadn't been in at all, not since they'd fought. Tavir didn't know what to think. <Does it mean he's waiting for me to come home? Does it mean he's trying to figure out how to say sorry.. or that he's waiting for me to come and say I'm sorry? Does it mean we're finished? Can something just end, just like that?> He'd never been in a relationship before, let alone lived with someone. <Does one of us have to say 'it's over' to make it happen, or can it just happen? Do I want it to be over?> He didn't know the answer to that, either. He still felt something for Reyn, something strong, but it wasn't the same as what he'd felt before.

"Hey, Tav?" Shurik's hesitant voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"What's up, kid?" <I really should stop calling him a kid,> he mused idly, thinking anything at all to avoid thinking about Reyn. <He's growing up just as much as I am, these days.>

"Where are you going to go? I mean.. is Reyn going to let you back without a fight?" Shurik looked uncomfortable, and Tavir felt sorry for him, caught up in the middle of it all. <You really picked the wrong guy to fall for, Shurik.>

"I don't know. I guess that's what I'll have to go and find out."

"Well.. I'll go with you, if you think it'll help at all." Shurik offered, and Tavir couldn't help but reach out and ruffle his hair.

"Thanks, Shur. I don't know if it'll help or not, but I'll appreciate you being there all the same."

Tavir leaned on his crutches, reaching automatically into his pocket for his keys. <Damnit, where did I put them?>

"Hey, Shur, are my keys in the side pocket of my bag?" he asked. Thanks to his stupid crutches, Shurik had carried his bag all the way, and now he started hunting for the keys. Then the door opened, and Tavir's heart did a somersault.

"Reyn.." Had Reyn been waiting for them or something? How had he known?

"Hello Tavir, Shurik." Reyn's voice, coldly impersonal, matched his expression. <Was he always this cold, and I just never noticed? How could I not notice something like that? And how come he still manages to tie my tongue in knots?>

"I've packed up all your things to save you the trouble." Reyn went on, ignoring his gawking. "You can move them at your leisure, though I'd prefer it if you did it soon."

"Wha..?" Tavir's tongue finally caught up with him. Of all the things he'd expected, this wasn't one of them. To be tossed aside, without even another word..

"I've arranged for your name to be taken off the lease, so don't worry about that. But I'll need the keys back." He held his hand out expectantly.

"Wait, Reyn, can't we even talk?" Tavir's mind was snapping, refusing to accept this. Reyn was deciding his life for him again, making all the arrangements, leaving him following the path with no choice in the matter. Even this! Reyn even decided this for him!

"What about?" Reyn raised a curious eyebrow, as if everything had been discussed, as if Tavir was foolishly causing a fuss at such a late stage. And suddenly Tavir hated, rage sweeping through him; hated Reyn's affected cool and calm, hated his lack of emotions even when it came to breaking up, hated how he walked all over people and then seemed to expect them to say thank you.

"Damn you!" he swore, one hand sweeping up to smack Reyn across the face before he'd even thought about it. Reyn stumbled, surprised at the sudden attack, and then his eyes narrowed.

"Don't make me hate you, Tavir," he warned.

"Well at least you'd actually be feeling something!" Tavir shot back, and then he turned, limping away before he did anything he'd really regret. He heard Shurik's quiet voice behind him, heard the clink of keys, and then the sound of the door slamming and Shurik running to catch up with him.

"You okay, Tavir?" Shurik's gentle concern touched him where nothing had for a long time, and he couldn't help the tears that spilled down his cheeks.

"Damnit, Shurik, I.." He what? He couldn't think of a single word to describe what he was feeling. Shurik led him outside, finding a bench for them to sit on. And then he leaned on Shurik, crying a storm of tears he didn't even know he'd been holding back.