Thief and the Hero

Chapter Twenty-Six

"No, Splen-Splendont."

Splendont had racked his brain with questions and answers. After his talk with Splendid, he decided to do some "soul-searching." He wanted to be close to Lifty. He didn't want Lifty to think he didn't really care about him. He already realized he was dependent on Lifty's approval. And for him, that was terrifying.

"What?"

Lifty was leaving the house today and happened to run into Splendont, who was coming back from his three-day run around the world to ease his nerves and think. Lifty looked healthier now. He wasn't as pale and he gained weight, which was good because Splendont had kept an eye on him from afar while they weren't talking. He was wearing a nice button-up shirt and better-fitting dress pants. His ever present scarf around his neck tied the look together. His first response to seeing Lifty after dancing around him to give him space was to ask him out under the guise of hanging out as friends. However, the answer he got back wasn't the one he wanted to hear.

Lifty frowned, hesitating a bit with his words, "I'm not g-going to spend any-any time alone with you e-ever again. So, no."

Splendont blinked at that, he wasn't stuttering as much as he usually did, "Uh... why not?"

His heart was racing, but he couldn't understand why.

"I need s-space from you. So-so, please respect m-my boun-boundaries." Lifty gulped, but maintained his disapproving face.

Splendont felt a pain in his chest, but, he too, remained unfazed in front of Lifty, "Hm. Alright. Sorry about that, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Lifty blinked at this and nodded, "Ah, th-thank y-you."

Splendont forced a smile and moved so Lifty could go pass him, "You're probably heading out then? Plan on coming back?"

Lifty watched him, he could see him bite his lip in apprehension and the desire he felt at the sight raged through him, "I... I will come b-back later. I-I-I just– ah, I have things t-to do."

Splendont nodded at that, "Alright. Uh, be safe."

He walked into the house, not closing the door since he didn't want Lifty to feel like he was closing the door on him out of spite. He was overthinking how Lifty would think of his actions. However, the response he got from Lifty after speaking to him in the first time in weeks was rather... painfully disappointing. He went up to his room, briefly stopping when he noticed Splendid and Flippy lounging around in their room talking.

Something spiked through him at seeing them laying on each other and talk. They weren't doing anything, but talk. He glanced and could see them holding hands, fingers intertwined. He saw their smiles and gritted his teeth at their laughter when one of them cracked a joke. They were enjoying each other's company.

They're always fucking together. Where's the fun in that?

His mind instantly flitted to an image of Lifty and, again, his chest ached. He went into his room to go shower. His body became tense all over again despite having been on a nonstop run for three days. He couldn't understand why he was upset again. There was no reason to be. There should be no reason to be upset.

So why does it feel like I'm suffocating?

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