But I ain't no madman.

[whitetwoguns]

"Sorry I missed your call. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Have a nice day."

PHONE CALLS
VOICEMAIL
TEXT
EMAIL
ACTION

Comments

[orangetoughguy]

[Oof, he almost stumbles from the yank. The smell is no deterrent, he's fucking used to it. The proximity isn't brand new either except when they're this close it's usually on good terms. Very very good terms. Right now these are near violent terms and yet somehow it just makes Freddy want to kiss him. Don't do it, Newendyke. He swallows, hand coming up to grip Larry by the wrist.]

Let go.

[whitetwoguns]

I can't.

[Even though his hands are slipping away. Grip is not what he's talking about.]

I can't just be okay with this, not this time.

[They've really fucked up. And what makes the old bear feel the worst is that he's fucked up just being himself. If he wasn't an addict then Freddy would have worked it on out. If he wasn't a loose cannon under the collar maybe he wouldn't have taken that fatal swing. Except he is. He did. Nothing will change that.]

[orangetoughguy]

[He can't be okay with it, well no shit, Newendyke. He doesn't want Larry to be okay with it and he feels like an awful weak man for it. He doesn't want Larry to stop loving him but he insists on leaving him. What's wrong? What broke down here? Is it the way the old man loves him? Is it the way Freddy just can't quit him? What if the real problem is Freddy Newendyke is too much of a pussy to commit. Larry deserves better than that.

No. Stop it. He's in the wrong too, don't let him get off so fast just because you thrive on his attention. Don't do it. Freddy tries to push Larry's hand away from him.]

I need to finish packin'.

[Mr. Orange, Freddy Newendyke, the kid, is so awful he can't even look the old man in the eye.]

[whitetwoguns]

Go on. Go ahead. Take all the time you want. All the fucking room.

[Now who is stomping away. He has to or else he'll grab at Freddy again. Then who knows what'll happen, he'll try to hurt him again. Or even worse, try to pull whatever shreds of love he can before all the others that'll love him and be sweet on him the way he deserves.]

Take all night.

[In his own room now to grab a coat.]

[orangetoughguy]

......

[Freddy wants to say something but he bites his tongue. God would he like nothing more than to crawl after Larry and hug him around the waist begging for forgiveness. Now who's the one who wants to wish everything away and just go back to being a pair of guys who love each other, fuck each other, and share tacos. The kid swallows, body stiff, insides aching. He's frozen in place in the doorway.]

[whitetwoguns]

Send a message when you've got all your things. I'll deal until then.

[Yeah. That's how he'll leave it. No, it doesn't make any sense because he still has clothes here, food and his girls hanging on the wall. Dash it all right now. He can't stand to be here one more second like this knowing that it's all over.

Stomping back down the stairs.]

[orangetoughguy]

[Whatever you're waiting for, Lawrence Dimick, it isn't coming. Freddy goes back to packing his bag just as he said he would, though his movements are slower, less steady. His hands are shaking.]

[whitetwoguns]

[Coat on. Keys in hand. He remembers his beer and decides to drain it.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Fuck. He said he was leaving, if he pussies out that would be giving ground he doesn't want to give away. More a show of weakness. He already admitted a fraction of the hurt.]

Fuck you too, asshole!

[Stomping into the kitchen. The bottle shatters when he throws it into the garbage can.]

[orangetoughguy]

[The sound of glass shattering makes him wince, less so because of the destructive nature, more so because the very act seems symbolic of everything else breaking apart. But he doesn't do a single thing to stop Larry. Maybe unknown to Freddy he's killing to old man with his silence.]

[whitetwoguns]

[Stomping to the door. Not a word, not a fucking peep. That's how it's gonna be, then. He's huffing and puffing like he's finished a run even though he's just started a massive retreat of his own. Don't cave. Not yet. A final look around at some semblance of how the place used to be. It'll never look the same way again.

His final noisy statement is the slamming of the door. Swallowing now, again and again. Brown eyes are burning. Good thing he's got shades.

This wasn't how he wanted to start looking at fifty. Not at all.]