Delicate (mxm)

Chapter Thirty.

Caleb hated his past self, he thought as he saw Eddie walking towards him. He hated his past self, but he also wanted to protect it. He wanted to protect that boy that had found comfort in poison, protect that boy that had lost everything and had been so alone. But he also hated him. Because he could've been so much better. He could've dealt with it in a better way. He could've just moved on. He could've just opened up to someone.

But that was alright. He had made so many mistakes, he had been so lost, but Eddie was there. Passing by, smiling down. And that was all he wanted for the rest of his life.

No more of those old scared hurt feelings. It was Eddie now. It was happiness and love and peace. He had survived. He hated that he had had to survive, but he survived. And now Eddie was there. And he didn't want anything else. He wanted them to be completly whole, to be entirely Eddie's. And there was one left thing to do for that.

Eddie looked up at him. Caleb smiled. Home. That was his life now. He had a home.

"Ready?" Eddie asked.

Truth was, he would never be ready. But he wanted to do it. And that was stronger.

"Yeah."

They held hands, and entered the gates of the cementery.

The same feeling that he always felt settled in his stomach, and he didn't push it aside. He kept walking, pain in all of him, but at least he was feeling something.

When they had buried Rose, Caleb had been so intoxicated he didn't feel anything. Feeling something, even if it was the most profund pain that existed on Earth, losing a twin, losing the person you were meant to have forever, the person you had spent every second of your life with, was better than feeling nothing. Because Rose deserved it. She deserved that pain. She deserved to have someone mourning her, and Caleb would mourn her forever.

He stopped when they were in front of her. Of her stone. Her grave.

"Here." He whispered. Eddie squeezed his hand. "Rose. Hi."

Eddie said nothing until Caleb looked at him.

"Say hi to her."

"Oh. Hi, Rose."

"This is Eddie." He said, trying to keep his voice steady. "This is who brought me back to life, Rose. As you would have said."

"He should give himself more credit about that. It wasn't all me."

Caleb laughed, and tears spilled from his eyes. Of course, Eddie was going to make this easier.

"You would've loved each other." He told him.

"Yeah?"

Caleb nodded.

"She took care of me. I was born before her, but she always acted like my big sister." He whispered. "And you take care of me. You would've made the best of friends."

"I'm sorry, baby."

"I miss you." Caleb kneeled in front of the grave. "I'm sorry I don't visit you so often. It's just that I... I can barely take it."

He could imagine Rose smiling at him and saying It's okay. I get it. Because that was Rose. She understood everything.

Eddie kneeled besides him and wrapped his arms around him.

"I'm sure she knows." He said. "I'm sure that wherever she is, she forgives you for everything."

"I know." Caleb whispered. "She probably hates me because I didn't forgive myself."