swingsets and dance routines ; tyrus

chapter #16: rain

Monday, 3:38pm

Marty: Hey, Cyrus. TJ is too stubborn to tell you, but he and I are performing solo routines at our dance studio with some other people. It's a casual thing, just parents, think you'd be interested in coming along? Buffy and Andi are if that helps!

Cyrus: I'll be there! :)

Cyrus glanced down at the messages as he waited, shifting nervously from foot to foot and wringing his hands together. He inhaled shakily, going over exactly what he had rehearsed in his head, despite knowing that he'd probably forget it all the moment he opened his mouth anyway. The sky was clear that day and the sun was shining, making him feel slightly lighter on his feet that he had been over the past week.

The door was pulled open then, and it really shouldn't have startled him as much as it did.

"Iris!" he gasped out, trying to conceal the fact that his hands were shaking as he swept her up in a hug. The girl laughed, but the sound was laced with unease. Cyrus bit his lip as he pulled away.

"Would I...maybe be able to come in?"

She nodded somewhat stiffly, stepping aside to allow him inside. He glanced about as if he hadn't seen that exact hallway multiple times before. Iris watched him closely for a moment as though calculating something in her head, before walking after him.

"We can talk in my room if you want," she said, clearly not aiming to tread lightly. Cyrus flashed her a nervous smile and nodded.

Iris settled down on her bright pink bed covers upon entering, sitting completely upright in a way that had Cyrus feeling even more nervous than before. He remained standing for his own sake.

"So," he began, his voice higher than he would've liked, "what's up?"

Iris just arched an eyebrow at him as if asking 'really?' and Cyrus let out a defeated sigh.

"Okay," he relented, "so I don't want to fake-date anymore."

The girl nodded. "It's fine. I get it. It's just...what happened? Was it TJ?"

Cyrus' eyes were soft when he turned to her, his head tipped to the side in a sympathetic fashion. "It had to end eventually, Iris. You know that."

The girl just sighed, not confirming or denying the fact. It was evident from the expression on her face that she was torn between fear and wanting to comfort Cyrus, who looked as though he was going to explode with nerves. Her fear seemed to win out because she all she did was timidly shift her gaze down to her lap.

"I know. It'll just feel...weird. Our thing felt like a safety blanket, you know?"

Cyrus nodded, understanding completely. "I know. But this doesn't mean you have to come out or anything - you have all the time in the world for that, okay?"

Iris nodded, her smile softer now. She hesitated for a moment, before getting up from her spot and stepping up to Cyrus. There were tears welling up in her eyes, and Cyrus wanted to reach out and comfort her somehow. He understood the feeling - their relationship really had been a safety blanket of sorts, but ultimately it was beginning to cause more damage than it was worth.

"You deserve happiness, Cy. If this is what'll make you happy, then so be it."

He smiled timidly at that, pulling Iris into a lingering hug. "You deserve happiness too," he whispered back.

"We'll both look back on this one day and laugh about it, won't we?" Iris asked him as she pulled away, swallowing thickly.

The boy nodded. "We will. One day not being out will be a distant memory," he promised.