The Treehouse [BxB]

twenty five

The next morning, River took his dog on a walk, wrapped up in his old winter coat with a beanie pulled down past his soft curls. The grey clouds loomed above him like a mass of stubborn shadows as he trudged through his neighbourhood, wondering how it was possible for a year to pass, and so little to change.

His tan still lingered, as did the light brown freckles that kissed his cheeks. They were a reminder of his time in Italy - one of the only reminders he had. He hadn't brought anything home with him, aside from the clothes in his suitcase. He wanted to forget about that segment of his life altogether. He was ashamed of it, and terrified of the person he was when he was out there. He just wanted to be himself again, and being back home in Axminster was the first step to getting there.

He turned a corner, Marly trotting along as his side, and came face to face with a familiar pair of pale green eyes. He froze. "Declan?"

"Holy shit." Declan laughed, his dazzling smile surfacing, his eyes lighting up with excitement. He wrapped his arms around River, and River hugged him back, "When did you get back?" He asked, pulling away, examining River's flushed cheeks and bashful grin.

"Yesterday." He told him, "It's good to see you again, Dec."

"Where the fuck have you been for the past year?" Declan chuckled incredulously.

"Ah, you know..." River shrugged, "Exploring parts of Europe."

"Fuck, River." Declan combed his fingers through his ginger hair, trying to comprehend the sight in front of him, "I was worried about you. We all were."

"I'm sorry." River sighed. How many more times would he have to say it?

"Nah, don't be." Declan grinned, "I'm just glad to see you alive. Does Mickey know you're back?"

"Yeah." River nodded, "He told me you were at university."

"Yep." Declan beamed, "In Oxford. I mean, uh...not the University of Oxford. The other one."

"Brookes?"

"That's the one." He tugged at the sleeves of his puffer jacket, "I missed you, you know?"

"I missed you, too." And he meant it, too. He missed Declan's smile, his laugh, his eyes.

"What happened between us?" Declan chewed on his lower lip, and twisted his ring around his finger nervously, "I mean...I know that after all this time, it shouldn't even matter anymore. And I guess it doesn't. I just...I still wonder where it went wrong."

River frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I really liked you, back then." Declan confessed, "And then you just stopped answering my calls as if I never even existed. What did I do wrong?"

River stared at him blankly, "You cheated on me."

"What?" Declan exclaimed in exasperation, "What are you talking about?"

"It's okay, I'm over it. No hard feelings." River forced a smile, "You don't have to deny it."

"River, I have no idea where you got that from but I never cheated on you." Declan said, and it sounded like he was telling the truth. "Who told you that?"

"Mickey did."

Declan cursed under his breath, "Fuck." He muttered, "Why would he do that?"

River sighed heavily, "Dec, it's okay-"

"River, I'm telling the truth." Declan cut him off, "I was loyal to you, start to finish, okay? You have to believe me."

River glanced down at the pavement, pondering Declan's words. Why would Mickey lie to him? "I don't understand."