The End

[ayden_aeterna]

Of everything in the world that he would rather have been doing right now, this was about the last thing on the list. Anything would be better than this. The guilt was overwhelming, and Ayden had been worrying and upset about this for days.

Just please don't cry, he thought firmly as he fired up the Skype, and he wasn't sure whether he was

Comments

[dainty_ofcourse]

Senri was surrounded by scraps of cloth. After the meeting with GC he'd started in right away with the clothes that would be used for the article. His computer had been up and ready for Ayden's call and while he waited he sat at his desk, working on the lining of a charcoal gray vest.

He straightened and pushed his work aside when his computer rang. Somehow he'd managed to bury his laptop and it was a moment before he could answer. When the little screen popped up he gave the red-head a bright smile and greeting -- but it died a bit when he saw Ayden's expression.

"Is everything okay? What's wrong?" He was up and alert -- all kinds of horrible scenarios popping into his head.

[ayden_aeterna]

"Hey," Ayden said, his heart breaking a bit at Senri's instant attentiveness and worry. "No, I'm okay."

Well, that was big bloody lie number one. Ayden paused. Sighed.

"Look, umm... Senri, I... we need to talk..." This was not going well. And 'we need to talk' was a godawful thing to have said. Nothing good ever came after 'we need to talk'. "About us," he went on bravely. "After you were here, I mean... it's been... bloody hard..."

He stopped there, vaguely aware that his voice was breaking a little, and with no idea where to go next. Help, he pleaded silently, knowing he deserved more of a slap than any assistance on this one.

[dainty_ofcourse]

Senri sat back in his seat a little as Ayden spoke, his eyes dropping to the piles of fabric that sat in front of the laptop. He knew instantly where this was going. Familiar territory.

"Mmm, it has been hard." He parroted, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. Damn. Damn damn damn... He swallowed the emotion and finally looked up. "It was pretty good though, yes?" He even managed a sunny little smile.

Damn...

Less than three months. That had to be some kind of record. At this rate he couldn't afford to date... his bank account couldn't handle the break-ups. First he'd lost his apartment and all his belongings, and then he spent his entire bonus on a trip to New York. Stupid. So stupid.

[ayden_aeterna]

"God, it was amazing," Ayden said, honesty shining fiercely through slightly-damp eyes. "You're amazing. You really are. It's just that--" His voice broke for real there, and he blinked sharply, praying he wouldn't break down and cry.

"It's just, Senri... I... I'm not sure I can do this with... with the distance, and... and having you here for three weeks and then having to be apart again, and not knowing, I don't think I can do that, it's not fair on you, and it's so bloody awful being this far away, it isn't that I don't want this to work, I wish it could, but-- but..."

That had come out in a rush, and he stopped on a slight sob, hoping Senri had understood the hurried ramble of heavily accented English. "I'm so sorry," he went on quietly. "I like you, so much, and it really is me not you, it's my fault I can't cope... I'm sorry, Senri..."