just friends

four

there's nothing in the fucking fridge.

lyle lets out a faint huff of anger as he shakes his head, golden curls bouncing as he does so. he slams the door shut and reaches for the cupboard, only to find it as devastatingly empty as his own soul. well, empty aside from a can of sardines which he's unsure how they obtained - they both hate the stuff. 

lyle pushes his glasses back up his nose before shutting the door again only to find himself facing kai, who must've approached him while he was busy mourning over his rumbling stomach. he narrows his eyes at the other boy, making him uncomfortable under his stare. they remain like this for a moment, silence enveloping them both.

"well... what?" lyle grumbles impatiently.

kai coughs, lacing his fingers through his thick, black hair and avoiding his gaze.

"i... i just..."

"you just what? spit it out," lyle growls viciously, venom seeping from his words as his anger rises.

"i... what's happened to you? who are you?" kai whispers quietly, stormy eyes looking tentatively at lyle.

"what do you mean?" lyle asks, words still laced with venom.

"what happened to my lyle?"

"your lyle?" lyle spits, wanting to almost laugh at the bitter irony of it all, "you don have a lyle anymore."

"ly, i just-"

"don't 'ly' me!" lyle yells, slamming his fist on the bench beside them, regretting the action as his fist begins to throb painfully.

kai takes a step back, eyes wide and frightened of the raging storm in front of him. lyle's voice is thunder, tone icy sheets of rain and anger emitting in flashes of lightning. he's so unaware of how much pain is bottled up inside of lyle, how much his heart has been shredded. but in his defence, ending their six-year relationship wasn't a decision he took lightly, however his execution, approach and reasoning was slightly... irrational.

"i-i'm sorry."

lyle closes his eyes for a moment, letting his anger disperse. he doesn't want to become someone kai fears. despite him being so fucking hurt over this, he shouldn't try to force kai to feel the same. as painful as it is, he cant force their relationship to mean as much to kai as it did to him. he opens his eyes again, looking at kai with a more gentle expression.

"no i-i'm sorry. i just, it's hard... adjusting."

kai nods.

"i came here to tell you that i'm gonna be away for a week or two... i've decided to go visit my family. i think we really need space from each other, time to... adjust," kai says quietly.

lyle nods.

"okay... well, i'll see you when you get back i guess."

silence, then

"well uh..."

"bye," lyle says, holding out his hand for a handshake as kai slightly moves for a hug, pausing and taking his hand instead.

soon, kai is gone and lyle is finally alone. the emptiness of the apartment seems to resonate with him - he can't remember having to stay this long by himself, well, ever. he sighs, collapsing back onto the sofa and staring at the ceiling, his lanky limbs hanging off the cushion.

he closes his eyes, placing one of his hands on top of his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart. he feels drained, hollow, but perhaps the least sad he's felt in a while because, like the apartment he's in, he's just...

empty.