BE ON CLOUD UNIVERSE [END]

BLOCKED - BUILDBIBLE

BUILD POV

A week before Build was set to leave, he figured it was now or never. He'd have to tell Bible sometime.

"So, i might be going on an artist's retreat with some of my coworkers. Like, just the four of us, at an Airbnb or something." Build said, washing his face at the sink.

"Hold on a sec. What'd you say?" Bible asked, shutting off the shower and stepping out.

"My coworkers and i are doing a writer's retreat of our own." Build repeated, handing her a towel.

"Oh! Cool. Who's going?" Bible toweled off his long hair. Build shamelessly stared at him in the mirror, and Bible rolled his eyes when he noticed.

"I'm sorry, i just can't help myself." Build laughed.

"You're cute." Bible shook his head.

"So who all is going?"

"It's me, Bas, Tong, and Us." Build said, watching in the mirror again for his boyfriend's reaction. His lips pursed, but other than that, no change.

"That's fun. I didn't know Bas and Tong wrote." Bible said, applying a few drops of serum to his face and gently patting it in. Build had discovered that sharing skincare was one of the bonus perks of dating a boy.

The guys Build had dated in the past had used bar soap on their faces and he was pretty sure never even heard of moisturizer.

"They don't. Well, Bas does sometimes, but he mostly paints these days. And the place we're staying at is gorgeous, from what i've seen, so Tong's gonna bring his fancy camera and do some photography stuff."

"I see. Well, that's cool, i'm excited for you." Bible smiled at him in the mirror and dabbed on some eye cream. Build figured it was now or never.

"You and Us..." he started.

"You don't want to know." Bible shook his head.

"I'm just curious. I mean, you've never really talked about it, and i work with him, so i was just wondering. Like, i mean, what was your relationship like?"

Bible sighed and looked down at the counter. "It was a long time ago."

"I know that."

"And... I just don't really want to talk about it."

"Are you still into him?" Build turned away from the mirror to look at him.

"No." Bible's eyes snapped up to meet hims.. "I can't believe you'd even ask that."

He wrapped himself in the towel and slipped out into the bedroom. Build followed him after a moment.

"I'm sorry. It's just... I've talked to you about my exes because they mean nothing to me now. They're just memories, some more regrettable than others. I just wondered if you don't want to talk about him because your relationship was that bad... or if it was that good."

"It wasn't good." Bible shook his head.

"I haven't told you about it because i know you have to work with him, and i don't want you to, like, go off on him and get fired."

"Oh." Build was taken aback. He sank down onto the bed, and Bible scooted next to him.

"Our relationship was really unhealthy, in retrospect. I wouldn't say it was abusive, but he was just so controlling. And obsessive."

Build digested this information. He'd always thought Us was a little bit of a control freak, but he'd assumed that was just his work ethic.

"I think it's easy for you to talk about your exes because they weren't great, but they weren't horrible, either. But there are other things that you don't like to talk about, like your parents, and i try not to push you."