GRAVEYARD | Topper Thornton

BROKEN

"Topper," I looked at the boy, tears filling my eyes, "everything's just so much," I told him leaning back into his chest. Sob's wracked through my body as I processed everything that had been happening. I looked into Topper's eyes as tears glistened in them, and he didn't even know the half of it.

"I miss you, Top," I whispered in the boy's ear, "but the old you, I don't like this Topper I've seen." His face showed a world of hurt at my confession, it wasn't something I wanted to say but I couldn't fix this if I didn't.

"What happened, Top," I whispered, holding his face in my hands.

"Harp, when you left. A piece of me broke, it was like I was drowning," he told me, "I couldn't breathe without you. I couldn't do anything, I didn't want to do anything but I didn't know." He stopped his sentence short, his blue eyes met mine.

"What didn't you know," I asked the boy.

"I didn't know if you'd come back for me."

I felt frozen at that moment. I never expected Topper to wait for me, hell I didn't even expect to be back here. I could see the hurt in the boys' eyes, the way they tried to avoid me. I pulled his face to look towards me.

"Topper," I whispered to him, "I love you." That was all it took for the boy to kiss me. I relaxed into his touch, spinning my position so that we were face to face. What I said was true, I loved him, I've always loved him, even when I was gone.

He pulled away faster than I'd have liked him too, looking me in my eyes before pulling me to his chest, holding me there through his sobs. I knew it was my fault the boy before I was so broken, but I'd work so hard to fix him, to fix us.

I stood up away from the window, holding my hand out to the broken boy before me. I led him into his ensuite bathroom before turning the shower on to let the steam fill the room. I looked towards him as he leaned against the counter, obviously exhausted from the mental anguish inside his head.

"Are you okay to shower," I asked him, "I'll get you clothes." The boy could only nod at me and moved past me to strip himself of his clothing and stand under the running water. I stepped out of the bathroom and over to Topper's closet, grabbing him a teeshirt and basketball shorts, knowing well he'd only wear the shorts.

I went back into the bathroom to place the clothing on the counter, only to find Topper slouched on the floor of the shower. I sighed, feeling guilty as I slid my clothes off and joined the boy, pulling him up, supporting most of his weight. Topper didn't flinch at me joining him, as a year ago, showering together was a normal occurrence.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him along with a chorus of I love you's and it's going to be okay's. As I let the water cascade over us both, I held on tight to the taller boy in front of me, just as he did to me. It was almost as if we were scared to let go. If the other would once again vanish from our arms. Leaving us broken once again.

Once we both mustered enough courage to untangle from the other, we got dressed, me in the shirt I'd grabbed for him, and like I'd guessed him in only the basketball shorts. We both moved to his bed as night had fallen long ago, leaving us in a state of peace for each other. Topper laid his head against my chest, as I ran my fingers through his hair. He looked up at me one last time, whispering "I love you," before both of us were overtaken by sleep.

an:
guys
this is the second to last chapter...