Jaspar: I Still Love You Though

One Shot: Breakup

"Hey, Joe can you come up here a minute?" Caspar called.

"Hmmm yeah, just let me finish up with this edit."

"No, ummm, Joe it's kind of important, I have something we need to talk about."

Joe frowned slightly as he listened to Caspar's words echoing down the stairs. This didn't sound good. He shut his laptop and climbed up the stairs.

"Ummm, alright, I'm coming up." Joe replied. Caspar was sitting at the dining table, holding a letter in his hand.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Joe said casually. His eyes darted from Caspar to the letter, back to the formal table setting. He took a deep breath.

"Yeah, just, uh sit down, a minute." Caspar gestured awkwardly to the empty seat across him. Joe did as he was told.

"This is our lease." Caspar pushed the letter towards Joe. "For the flat." Joe glanced at it, then looked back at Caspar. Caspar looked away.

"Yeah, so?" Joe asked. "We should probably renew it, right?"

"Yeah, well." Caspar stalled. "I--- was thinking, um, and I got some advice from some people, and they said-- that, maybe we should get--- get apartments separately." 

"Wait--- what do you mean?" Joe laughed. "I can't understand anything your saying."

"I think we should move out." Caspar blurted suddenly. He looked down at the floor. 

Joe's voice trembled slightly. "Wait, why?" His mind was flying in circles. "The Jaspar Pad's great, it's got everything we need. TV, bathrooms, a kitchen . . . We even got ourselves a foosball table! You want more space or something?"

"Well, we're not really here that often, and it's probably, a good investment to buy our own houses."

"Caspar," Joe looked at him straight in the eyes. "What's this all about? We don't need more money. We're doing really, really well."

"Well, what if one day we aren't doing so well, huh? Houses are a good investment."

"Um, do you, not want to live with me anymore or something?" Joe asked quietly.

"We can still pick houses close to each other." Caspar said, ignoring the question. 

"Okay," Joe sighed. "I guess I don't know much about adult "investments" and stuff," Caspar gave a half-hearted smile. "I'll leave it up to management, and those people." 

"Oh, um, management doesn't know about this yet." said Caspar.

"They, didn't suggest this? Sorry, I thought when you said that you got advice, it was from management."

"No, no it was some---- some other people." 

"Right--"

"Joe, it's not a big deal." 

"No, no it's not. I know, I'm just a teensy bit confused." 

"If I'm honest," Caspar said, running a hand through his hair. "It was because of the pranks." He looked up and grinned.

Joe was glad for an excuse to laugh. "Damn, well I really messed up then, didn't I?"

"You can no longer claim that you're the "Roommate of the most Famous YouTuber from South Africa," Caspar smiled.

"And you can no longer be "Roommate of the brother of Zoella."

"What a shame," Caspar smiled, but his eyes were still sad.

"Yeah." Silence hung in the air between them. 

"Joe, it's not like we're breaking up."

"Were we ever together?"

"Joe! That's not what I meant. I meant, we're still good friends, you know?"

"Good friends . . ."

"Okay, great friends. Best friends. I love you, man."

Joe sucked on his own lip. He attempted the best smile he could. 

"Love you too, Caspar." 

Caspar looked sadly at Joe, now realizing how much being roomies meant to him. He grabbed Joe's hand suddenly. Joe looked up, startled. 

"I mean it. Okay? These years have been amazing, it's just..."

"It's just what?"

"I--- I don't know okay." Caspar stumbled over his words. "Hey, I mean they say distance makes the heart grow fonder, don't they?"

"Caspar--- stop making it seem like we're in a relationship."

"I was just saying... like I hope being apart makes us want to hang out more, makes us value each other more, as friends, you know?"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Stop being such a sentimental, Jesus." Joe teased. He wanted to hate all this sentimentality, but it was nice knowing that Caspar cared. Even if he didn't care enough to stay. 

Joe's eyes crinkled into a smile, just staring lazily at Caspar. Caspar glanced down at the small boy staring at him, and he smiled back. It was silent in the Jaspar household.