Delicate (mxm)

Chapter Seventeen.

It had been a week since Caleb and Eddie went to the hospital.

Luckily, Eddie didn't ask about Caleb's scars or why he freaked out in the hospital. They hadn't talked about it, and Caleb was relieved. He didn't know if he could talk about it. And he didn't want to make his relationship with Eddie any more serious than it already was. Because he would freak out-- it was hard enough to deal with where they were. He couldn't take much more.

Being with Eddie was too much already. He would just give it up if it weren't for how good he made him feel... physically. Totally. Just because of that. It wouldn't be hard to leave him, he kept telling himself. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. Maybe, he told himself, it was because Eddie was a great person who didn't deserve to have his heart broken. But then he'd laugh at himself. As if Eddie cared to have his heart broken. As if anyone would care enough about him.

He was scared to discover that he would be the heartbroken one. He just couldn't deal with it.

He should've known better before starting this nonsense with Eddie.

Caleb knew that he was delicate. Everything involving Caleb was delicate. Everything could break so easily around him. Everything could end up in such an awful mess with him.

And yet there was Eddie, stepping carefully around him, close enough to make him feel good but not close enough to scare him off. It was dangerous.

Someone as bright as Eddie didn't belong with someone as burnt-out as Caleb. Caleb was broken, off, already used. He was meant to live alone, without the risk of breaking as hard as he had in the past. Eddie was meant for greatness.

Yet he couldn't bring himself to end it. Even when he knew Eddie was coming too close. When he knew he was getting used to it.

So when Eddie texted him this morning to ask him if he was free, Caleb texted right away that yes, he was free, and he would like to see him.

They hadn't seen each other in a week. Since the hospital... accident. He suspected it was because Eddie was giving him space, which he appreciated.

So now there he was, waiting outside his apartment for Eddie to pick him up. Today he was wearing simple clothes, just a pair of dark jeans and a oversized pink hoodie. And of course he had a backpack with clothes and things for the weekend. Because he would be staying the whole weekend with Eddie. He was nervous. So nervous. He didn't know what to expect.

But before he could stress enough about it, Eddie arrived and got out of the car, walking towards Caleb.

"Hi," Caleb whispered. Eddie said nothing.

Eddie said nothing because he hugged him tight. Caleb was frozen for a moment and then relaxed into his arms, letting his face bury into Eddie's chest. It was weird.

He still didn't get used to hugs.

He wasn't used to hugs at all.

He couldn't remember the last time someone hugged him before Eddie. Not this way, not tightly, meaning to hug him.

The last person to hug him this way had probably been his sister.

So he just relaxed into it and closed his eyes, trying to remember perfectly how it felt. He felt protected, safe, alright. He felt Eddie's arms around him and Eddie's breath just above his head, Eddie's fingertips moving softly against his back. Eddie's heart beating against his ear. He tried to remember every single thing about it because once Eddie left him, no one would hug him this way, ever again. He couldn't get used to it, but he could memorize it.