Aries Short Story; 3rd Try/3rd Troy
Gwyar, age 17
Troy (ex/boyfriend), age 16
Smith (ex), age 19 (deceased at 15)
Aurora (sister), age 21 (deceased at 11)
Irene (mother), age 47 (deceased at 37)
*~*~*~*
Gwyar had not been doing well recently, more so than usual. Which was probably saying something, but he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure of much, recently. His side hurt, so did a lot else but mostly just his side, he couldn’t find any reason to care. He couldn’t find any reason for much of anything, if he were being honest. Not like that really mattered, not like that made anything different.
--
But he was walking down a street, and even if there was no one around, he didn’t feel like voicing anything. So he walked down the street, ignored the pain at his side, the scratchiness of low quality gauze, the other pains he had, and held the cash he’d won today in clenched hands that were shoved in his jacket’s pockets.
--
He reached the apartment complex he’d been staying at eventually, the only one that he’d been able to convince to let him have a room even though he didn’t have a Koda. Sure, the room they allowed him to have was the smallest one they had and he knew he was technically paying more than anyone else there was paying, but… Well, technically, the complex didn’t have to let him stay. They could’ve said no. So at least there was that? Regardless, he reached the complex and went in without a word.
--
Inside, he took out the cash, separated the right amount for this week, and handed that cash to the front desk. Luckily, the money was free of blood. Thank his ability for that, at least. Definitely helped to make sure no one ever actually knew where he got the money from. Though, his appearance probably gave them ideas. Scars, near constant bruises, limps, scabs, or visible gauze… Yeah, chances were that they knew. But since the money was clean, who were they to say anything? So without a word, he made his way up a flight of stairs, wanting nothing more than to simply get to his room and sleep. Forever, preferably, but he was doubtful of the likelihood of that possibility.
--
He reached the floor that his room was on, and stopped dead in his tracks. Someone was standing outside the door to his room, knocking insistently. Someone with blonde hair, someone Gwyar recognized, someone he hadn’t seen in… In at least a year. Probably longer. He took a step forward, was he going crazy? There was no way he was actually here. Not again. Not after last time. He hesitated, brows furrowed, and then swallowed past the sudden lump lodged in his throat. “…Troy..?”
--
The blonde by then had stopped knocking, was just standing there, staring at the door. But as soon as Gwyar had spoken, he turned, green eyes looking up to find red ones immediately. “Gwyar? There you are! Thank everything that you’re here! I was knocking for like, ten minutes! Didn’t know if you were actually here or not.”
--
Gwyar stared at Troy, stared at those green eyes, the wide smile on his face, the messy blonde hair, the blue hoodie… His eyes narrowed, brows furrowed, lips set in a line. “..Why are you…? Did… Did something happen or…”
--
Troy’s smile dropped and he looked away, Gwyar bit his lip and went to apologize, to take back his question, to just be happy that Troy was here instead. Troy had already looked back up at him though. “I, uh… I wanted to see you. Wanted to apologize? I know we hadn’t left on good terms and… I don’t know.” Troy paused, bit his lip, and then forced a smile. “I get it though! You don’t wanna see me right now, or ever again, I get it. Really, I do. I’ll uh, I’ll leave.”
--
Troy stepped forward, presumably to head back downstairs and leave. And even with the slight flinching he’d given at the words, even with the tension in his stance, even as he knew in the back of his mind how bad of an idea this was… Gwyar clenched his hands, bit his lip, “No- No, you’re… Fine. I… I’m sorry. I didn’t… You’re fine. I was just… I wasn’t expecting to see you, is all.”
--
The blonde paused, stared at him, and that smile was right back. That smile that had always made Gwyar feel warmer. As if things would be okay, would be better than before. “Really? Ah- I’m glad you aren’t mad at me! I guess I jumped to conclusions there.”
--
Silence, the two just looking at each other. Gwyar shrugged slightly, worrying at his lip, “Do you… Want to come inside..?”
--
Troy grinned, eyes so bright they were like stars, “Definitely! I wanted to talk to you, and probably best that conversation happened inside, haha.”
--
He nodded, walked forward, and opened the door to his room in the complex. Troy went in first, and he walked in after, closing the door behind him. “What were you wanting to talk about..?”
--
Troy didn’t look over, too busy looking around the common area. “Nice and cozy place, huh?” He paused, and only then seemed to process what Gwyar had said. “Uh… Wanted to talk about… Us?”
--
Gwyar nodded, watching as Troy took a seat on the couch that came with the room. He made his own way over to the couch, took a seat. Silence overtook them, they hadn’t really ended on good terms, Troy hadn’t been lying about that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything I said to you, Troy…”
--
Troy looked over at him, Gwyar couldn’t force himself to meet his gaze though, staring at the ground instead. Troy smiled softly, so very softly. “What about all those times you said that you loved me? Did you not mean any of those either?”
--
Gwyar’s head snapped up, looking over immediately, not even thinking. “What? No- No. I meant those. Every single one. I swear. I– I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, is what I meant. I’m sorry… I… There’s no excuse for what I said to you…”
--
Troy was still smiling softly, eyes just as soft, just like wet grass after a bad storm. “Yeah… There isn’t. But, like, that’s all in the past, right? I… I’ve missed you. I want to try again. You know? We can try again. Get it right. Figure it out. Fix it. Nothing here is broken past repair, right? We can try again, at us.”
--
Tension bled into his frame, wincing at the words, looking away and down. But he looked back over at some point, into those green eyes and bright, soft smile. “…Can we?”
--
And Troy smiled even brighter, taking that as the answer. “Definitely. Always. There won’t ever be a time we can’t.” Gwyar chose to believe him, chose to ignore how those words basically promised more heartbreak, and the kiss they shared next was soft and bittersweet.
Fall 
Day 
