PERAYA ONE SHOTS & SHORT STORIES

9.3 (ENGLISH)

Nate sank onto the back of the chair and, with a sigh, buried his face in his bare hands.

One second ... He had been only a second away from destroying his friendship with Earth ...

And the worst thing in all of that was that he would had not achieved anything with that. Just to be completely alone once more ...

It was true that he still had his family and friends ... that he could count on all of them as he always had but Earth, he did not know how, had become such an important person in his life that, honestly, the very idea of  not seeing him anymore plunged him into despair.

But what could he do?

He knew that Sam was not stupid, that he had realized how he felt for his friend and, obviously, he was not at all happy with his relationship with his lover ... even if it was only friendship.

A small, desolate giggle came from his lips remembering the man's expression when he had seen Earth put his head on his shoulder and settle next to him as if it was the most normal thing in the world. As if it was something they had done their whole lives. Although he couldn't blame him either, not after everything Earth had told him ...

- "I almost destroyed everything because of my jealousy. I reached a point where I wanted to stop suffering and feeling like an idiot ... I wanted to be like everyone else, enjoy the moment and not worry about anything that is not me... and in the end the only thing I managed was to hurt everyone and myself ..."

Nate, after everything that Earth had revealed to him, had ended up nodding and then assuring the man that he understood perfectly. After all he also knew what it was like to have everyone telling him how he should be and how to act, to the point where he didn't even know himself ... he knew what it was like to discover that he had been lied to from the beginning and that everything that he believed was nothing more than a fake. That was why he had felt so close to Earth and perhaps that was what it had made him end like that... in love with his friend, who would never love him back.

With a grunt he got up and headed for the drinks machine across the room. A couple of minutes later he had a steaming coffee in his hands.

- "Wow, I didn't expect to see you alone ..."

Nate frowned, then turned to Stud who, with a slight wry smile, was watching him a few steps away. In his hands he carried the key to the center and his gym bag.

- "If you say it for Earth, he couldn't come today ..."

Stud nodded and, moving even closer, leaned toward the machine he had just used, to insert a coin into it.

- "I think I'm going to have one too. That way we can talk for a while and perhaps ... I don't know ... we can know each other better..."

- "Get to know each other better? Why?"

Stud just shrugged.

- "Well, you know ... to see if we get along so we can go out... to have dinner together or to a disco... after all, we are both friends of Earth.

Nate, upon hearing Earth's name, shook his head. Then he smiled and turned to head for the door of the building. However, as soon as he had taken a couple of steps towards it, Stud's next words made him stop and then head towards the place where the young man was standing, now with a coffee in his right hand.

- "I'm not running away from anything, it's just that I don't see what interests you about what I feel for Earth. As far as I know, you are only friends ... or you were, rather".

Stud, who had been smiling up to this point, stopped and looked at him seriously.

- "Earth is angry with me but he will forgive me ... just as I have forgiven him many things. In the end he is my friend and I know him well."

- "Oh yeah ... he'll forgive you .... when, according to him, you're the reason all the hell he lives in started" Nate replied, not taking his gaze from Stud's face. 

The latter, with a carefree gesture, shrugged.

- "I see that he has told you about it ... but I remind you that no one forced his boyfriend to sleep with me. He did it because he wanted to ... besides, Earth is not as innocent as he seems, or did he tell you how he got revenge? How did he take advantage of the feelings of others, including my own? I don't think so... but even then I still think of him as the most important person in my life and I want him to be happy, that is all... even if it is with Sam, who does not deserve him"

Nate looked at the man, unable to believe what he was hearing.

- "And you consider yourself his friend? Speaking of him like that? I understand now why Earth doesn't want to know anything about you ..."

- "You don't know anything! Earth and I are much more than friends, our relationship is not as simple as you think. We ..."

- "Ohhh .. now you will tell me that he is your soul mate, the love of your life ... Please, if that were the case with each person with whom one goes to bed, we would not have a better half but a thousand of them "- Nate said, interrupting Stud who, with a completely red face, was looking at him with his mouth open and a surprised expression in his eyes.

- "You ... You ..."

Nate, without taking his eyes off the man whom he had left speechless, shrugged and then smiled slightly.

- "Yes, Earth told me everything ... even what happened between both of you and how you ended up breaking things off... in the end he chose his boyfriend, not you ...".

Stud paled abruptly.

- "Honestly, you shouldn't worry so much about me or my feelings. I know perfectly well that Earth is not for me, that he only sees me as a good friend, and I agree with that however ... I really think who should think well of what he is doing is you.  Didn't you say that you wanted to be Earth's best friend again? To regain the relationship you had with him? Well, trying to seduce everyone who comes close to him I don't think you'll achieve much .. rather the opposite .."

After which Nate left, leaving Stud in the middle of the room with a furious expression on his face and a shattered coffee glass in his right hand. Coffee that slowly slid through his fingers to the floor of the establishment.

HALF AN HOUR LATER ...

Nate grunted and, putting his things on one of the lounge chairs in the living room, flopped onto the rug. Moments later he had settled his head on one of the soft cushions.

"I shouldn't have done it ...", he told himself again as he closed his eyes tightly, "I shouldn't have told him that ..."

But the truth was that he hadn't been able to control himself. Not when, while listening to Stud's words, Earth's expression passed through his mind as he told him how bad his relationship was and how guilty he felt for having ended up doing exactly the same thing, and worse, that had been done to him. 

"I was desperate ... I just wanted to stop suffering, to be like the others ..." Earth had told him, with tearful eyes, while he squeezed his hands.

And Stud...telling him that all he wanted was the happiness of Earth when, better than anyone, he knew how much his friend had suffered and was now fighting to fix his relationship ...

- "It's like Earth had told me. He doesn't understand nor see anything that is not the image that he has created about Earth and their relationship..."

And now...

Now there is one question left...

Should he tell Earth what had happened?