Delicate (mxm)

Chapter Twenty Three

Eddie was heartbroken.

He had told Caleb he loved him, and he had ran away. He didn't know what broke his heart more: the hurt look in Caleb's eyes, the way he looked so scared and all the words he had say...

I don't deserve love.

Or the fact that he just left him.

Both hurt too much. He knew Caleb was damaged and that their relationship was fragile. He didn't know he was so damaged he couldn't hear the words I love you without panicking.

Eddie was heartbroken, and he didn't like being heartbroken alone. So after staring at the door for ten minutes with tears on his eyes after Caleb left, he grabbed a coat and ran to a place he was always welcomed and safe, a place where he could cry and no one would judge him.

Nico's place. His best friend. His brother.

Soon he was on his doorstep, panting and feeling tears burn in his eyes. He knocked the door.

Nico opened it and frowned when he saw the state his friend was in.

"Eddie? Is everything alright?"

Eddie looked at his best friend and couldn't hold it in anymore. He shook his head and started crying. First a few tears fell and then he started sobbing. Nico's eyes widened for a second, but then he hugged him.

"Hey," He said softly. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay now. I'm here."

It wasn't okay. How could it be okay?

He had lost Caleb. Or so he thought.

"Come here," Nico said, helping him get inside and taking his coat off gently. Eddie sniffled and wiped his face. Maybe some men would be embarassed of showing themselves this way, crying and vulnerable. Eddie wasn't. Right now he was sad and he needed his best friend's comfort.

Nico leaded him to the couch and Eddie sat down and curled up in Nico's side, crying in his embrace. Nico just wrapped his arms around him and rubbed his back, and waited until he calmed down, whispering comfort words that meant nothing.

When his sobs were finally subsiding, Eddie felt Nico turning his head and nodding, and then he said, "Can you bring him some coffee?"

Great. Tyler was here-- of course he was. They lived together. But he wasn't going to worry about the boy seeing him cry. The only thing in his mind was Caleb, his Caleb. That was all that mattered. He was all that mattered.

He sniffled and parted away from the hug. Nico was looking at him worriedly.

"What's wrong, Eds?" He asked softly. Eddie closed his eyes and placed his head on Nico's shoulder.

"Caleb." He whispered.

Nico didn't say anything, he just sat there with an arm wrapped around his shoulder.

Eddie opened his eyes and saw Tyler leaving a cup of coffee on the coffee table.

"Thank you." He said in a raspy voice from crying and Tyler looked at him with worried eyes.

"You're welcome." He said with his soft voice and a small smile, and turned to leave.

"You can stay, Tyler." Eddie said, and sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm done with crying."

Tyler frowned but nodded and sat down in a armchair. Eddie hated to see such a tiny man worried for him, but it was cute.

"Are you okay?" He asked shyly.

"No." Eddie shrugged. "Sorry for appearing out of nowhere." He mumbled.

"Don't be." Tyler said softly. "It's okay."