Love and Lattes

Chapter 16

When Bugs got out of the shower, he go out of the bathroom and was fixing to head to sleep, until he somehow noticed that Daffy wasn't in the bedroom or the couch near the living room.

"Daffy?" Bugs called out to him, but heard no reply while looking everywhere.

"Daffy!" Bugs shouted out aloud and still didn't hear anything.

That is, until his grumpy roommate came out of a room from the noise racket.

"Bugs, what's going on with you? It's late. Go to bed already. You've said you got work in the morning, don't you?" Rodney asked as he opens up his door in a half groggy from the sleep disturbance.

"Sorry Rodney, I didn't mean to wake you up. But have you seen Daffy? I know I just saw him a few minutes ago. But I can't seem to find him anywhere." Bugs said, scratching his head confused.

"No, why?" Rodney asked.

"Shoot. Where could he have gone at this time of night? It's too dark out there. He could get mugged or anything! Hold on a second Rodney, I'm going to go look for him. I'll be right back." Bugs said worried as he quickly walks out of the house with his car keys and drives over to The Club, thinking that Daffy must have went over there to think or practice more of his music.

However, by the time that Bugs got to the place, he saw The Club closing up for the day.

So, he then tried to knock on the door to get the owner to open the door for a second.

"Sorry sir, We're closed. Come back again tomorrow. We will be open from 10am in the morning to 8pm in the evening." Paul said bluntly with a face that tells you, he must have had to tell a lot of customers the same quote so that the drinking bums can stay off his bar at night.

"Wait! Don't go! I'm looking for a friend. His name is Daffy. Have you seen him?" Bugs asked, frantically.

"Oh yeah, I know who he is. Don't worry he's okay. He had asked me to let him stay staying at one of my other apartments. If you want to check on him, he'll be at 125 Bruceford rd, Ascott Mquire's apartment #26." Paul informed once he realized that it was just a friend who wanted to check on an old buddy of his.

"Thank you." Bugs said quickly as he rushes over to his car and drives away immediately to that location.

"Wait! Oh....never mind." Paul was going to say about the Florida news but didn't have time to say much about it either, figuring that maybe Daffy will tell him himself later.

When Bugs got to the place, he rapidly knock on the door, hoping that this would be the right apartment.

And sure enough, when the door was open, it was Daffy alright in the flesh.

"There you are! I've been looking for you all night. Why are you all the way out here for?" Bugs asked curiously with smile for a small moment until he immediately dropped his face a little when he notices that Daffy is giving a different look than he expected.

The kind that tells you something must have happened for him to be like this.

"Have you been following me? How did you know where I was at?" Daffy asked with a cold tone that definitely sounded way off to Bugs.

"I didn't. Your friend told me that you're borrowing his place for the night. Why do you sound so mad though, is there something that I did wrong?" Bugs asked, confused.

"No, but you should head back home and get some sleep. It's late and you have an early shift in the morning." Daffy said bluntly.

"I don't understand. What about..." Bugs was going to say until he was interrupted.

"I'm not going to work tomorrow, I quit. And I suggest that the next time you want to be friends with someone who is too much of a loser, that you might want to warn them ahead of time of you planning to leave the state soon. Oh, and you probably need to tell your boss about your job situation too while you're on your way over to New York." Daffy said coldly that took Bugs back in a jolt.

"What? I don't know what you're...." Bugs was going today until Daffy cuts him off.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! All of those compliments you gave me. The thoughtful gestures of wanting me to achieve my dreams. The caring notions of helping me out and letting me stay at your place. Like I'm some hobo on the street, who needs a good home. All of that just tells me that you're only seeing me as a charity case. Please be honest with Bugs, did you ever just become friends with me over pity? Was...everything all just a lie? A temporary bond to place over my head while you're gone?" Daffy asked in a more deep hurt tone.

"No! Of course not. Why would you...." Bugs asked, puzzled that he would think like that.

"Don't lie to me. I've already had it happen to me once and I'm not going through it again. So whatever it is, just save your breath. Because I don't need any more fake promises than I can already handle." Daffy reminded him, referring to his past memories of high school with Porky.

Bugs, now thinking that his self-esteem is getting to him again, tries to reassure him that he's wrong about all of those assumptions of their friendship.

"Daffy, I know we had our differences back then when we first met. But right now, I swear to you, I'm not lying when I say that you are my friend. And care about you a lot. Don't ever think you're just a regular guy who needed assistance with everything because you're so much more than that to me." Bugs pleaded but Daffy's insecure mind was still forcing him to think the opposite.

For some reason, he didn't want to hear the actual truth and gritted his teeth in agony.

He was getting a sick feeling to his stomach and still felt so hurt that he wanted to leave to get away from the pain right away.

"I'm leaving tomorrow tonight for Florida." Daffy said bluntly, looking down.

"What? Are just trying to change the subject?" Bugs asked, puzzled by his tone of voice.

"I'm serious. I got a gig down on Miami beach and they want me in by Saturday morning so I'll have to leave as soon and get the reservations ready for the hotel up there." Daffy explained while Bugs's face paled up in shock.

He never expected for him to leave so soon and the fact that he's not allowing himself to listen to his heart, makes the bond between feel even more drifted apart.

Like two tides of ocean that never met at the surface.

"Is that what you really want?" Bugs mumbled out while looking at him, his eyes looking so hurt from the sudden pain in his heart.

"Yes. And just in case I don't get to see you again, I want you to know that I wish you the best of luck. I hope that you are able to get what you really want for yourself out there. Goodnight Bugs." Daffy said while shutting his door to a close.

"Daffy, wait!" But before he could say anymore, Daffy closed the door all the way and locked it.

Leaving Bugs in a stump as he slowly walks over to his car and heads back to his apartment.

With a very sorrow expression on his face that showed you how upset he is right now from the sudden news of Daffy's leave.

Feeling like he could have done more to get him to stay but failed as a friend.

While Daffy, behind closed doors, slumped to the floor with his arms wrapped around his knees and his head down, sadly.

It was hard for him to say what he had regretfully said to him.

Which made it even more difficult for him to say goodbye to the only good possible friend that has ever come across his life.

That somehow could have been more than that if only he had the guts to tell him the real truth.

That he loved him so much, he really didn't want to leave.