𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞

098. real life.

      

     THINGS WERE going good for birdie cohen. his friend group were alright again, able to hang out without weirndess or anything. and he had two amazing boyfriends. but there was... one small tiny problem. it's been maybe three months now since his parents left. and he still hasn't heard from them since.

and he hasn't told anyone. argyle and eddie just had assumed they were back now and stopped coming around, instead argyle invites them both over or eddie invites them both over at his place. he's not technically lying or keeping it from them, he just hasn't... corrected them that his parents weren't even home yet.

he's just waiting for a response. a phone call, a text or shit even an email or letter. whatever. he's been having more panic attacks lately because of it, wondering if his parents died. or if they've finally left him forever. whatever it was, it made him panic and feel like he was dying from not being able to even breathe.

that night was one of those nights when he was laying in bed, cuddled up to argyle's side who had eddie full on laying on top of him. "i--i'll be right back." he quickly got up, rubbing his chest and rushing into the bathroom that was outside of argyle's bedroom. "is he okay?" eddie murmured, slowly lifting his head from argyle's chest who also glanced over at the door then he shrugged his shoulders.

the two got up and approached the door, eddie softly knocking. "bird? you okay?" argyle asked and put his ear to the door, only to hear loud heavy breathing and choked out sobs. "shit, did we make you feel left out? you know you can talk to us, right? we agreed to communicating and talking it out." argyle says and eddie presses his ear to the door. "he's having a panic attack... is there a way to open this door?" he asked and argyle nods, reaching up and grabbing a pin that was on the edge of the door frame above it, sticking it inside of the doorknob until it clicked unlocking.

"hey, hey," eddie rushed to his knees before birdie as argyle just stood there, unsure what to do or even say. "hey, look at me, you're okay. you're okay, right?" he asked quietly, tilting his head and birdie just kept panicking, his eyes brimmed with tears. "just follow my breathing." eddie said and did the breathing exercise that his uncle wayne taught him. "it will pass... it will pass..." he repeats the mantra as birdie followed the breathing patterns.

then he was okay, leaning towards eddie who softly rubs his as argyle shut the door gently, sitting on the floor with his boyfriends. "my parents... i don't think they're coming home." he said quietly and argyle glanced at eddie right away who's rubbing birdie's back comfortingly. "maybe they extended their stay?" argyle tried to bring some comfort to his worries. "for three months?" he whispered.

"it's... been three months? like since they left they haven't come back?" eddie asked and birdie sat up, glancing between them. "i don't think they want me anymore now that i'm eighteen." he says quietly. "well, we'll take care of you from now on." eddie murmured, leaning over to kiss his forehead. "yeah, you'll always have us... dudes were shitty anyway!" argyle agreed and birdie giggles.

"yeah, remember when your dad specified he isn't racist and it's okay for him to say shit towards other racist because his wife is japanese and his great great great grandma was native american?" eddie said and birdie snorts. "remember it? of course i do. made me realize why i hated the fucker so much." he tilts his head to the side a bit. "and hey! we can be together publicly now." argyle said and reached out, touching his face. birdie smiles widely at that. "yeah..." he says quietly.

he leaned over, kissing argyle's cheek gently then eddie's. "can we go back to cuddling?" he asked quietly and argyle nods. birdie figured he'd feel better over time, maybe even get over it and move on with his life.

but then about a month or so later, he received the letter. along with another letter from nyu from when he applied. he set those aside quickly when he saw the one addressed to him in his mother's handwriting, practically ripping it open before unfolding the paper quickly.