Requested by a friend from Wattpad
"It's not good-bye forever, Oliver. I will be back, I promise."
Those words lingered in his mind as he recalled the day before yesterday—he and Fukase parted at the airport. He remembered how the sorrow had put him at a loss of words as he watched his partner board the plane. Oliver wistfully sighed as he rolled over, effectively avoiding the glare of the rays of light that penetrated through the curtains; the empty space on the bed beside him served as a bitter reminder that Fukase was away.
Reluctantly, he left the bed and got himself ready for the day and made breakfast. He realized that he had inadvertently cooked enough for two even though he was alone. Oliver dismissed this mistake and told himself made more simply because he wanted to wake up a few minutes late tomorrow; he denied that he hadn't adjusted his habits yet.
The days before, this was part of his routine—since Oliver started his day sooner than Fukase, he always made an extra portion for him. But now, that was unnecessary. He solemnly wrapped up the remaining portion and placed it into the refrigerator.
When Oliver was about to leave for work, he stifled his habit of shouting across the house to announce his departure. On the days before, he would get a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he left. With a heavy sigh, he gazed upon the emptiness of his home and locked the door.
As always, Oliver had quite a long distance to travel by train. Instinctively, he took out his phone and was about to text Fukase—as he usually did on his commute—but halted at the lock screen. The blond shook his head in disappointment for his inattention to the situation at present.
Fukase was back in Japan—on the other side of the world—due to his family circumstances. It was night time for him, and Oliver mentally scolded himself for nearly being a bother. During the days before, time zone differences weren't a problem.
No, I'm just bored. There's nothing to be lonely about. He tried to reassure himself.
At work, Oliver focused intently on his responsibilities and time flew by rapidly. Before he knew it, it was time for him to return home. For once, he wasn't too thrilled about this and preferred to keep himself busy just to not let his thoughts wander again. Nevertheless, he unenthusiastically gathered his belongings for the trip home. The days before, this was the time of the day he looked forward to.
There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just tired. A good night's rest is all I need.
The ride home was slightly less excruciating as Oliver had dozed off a bit, shaving off some idle time. Upon his arrival at home, he was just glad to have a more comfortable place to take a nap in.
"I'm home—" Oliver instinctively shouted into the lifeless home as he opened the door. His blank expression quickly turned into a frown in response to the deafening silence. A subtle twinge coursed through his chest; he wasn't quite accustomed to the loneliness.
He sighed with exasperation. There was still plenty of time before he had to turn in for the night. Oliver wasn't particularly hungry nor was he in the mood to cook, so he decided to skip dinner. He took a quick shower, changed into comfortable clothes, and went to lay down on the bed. He glanced at his phone expectantly for a few moments.
No, Oliver. You can't. You'll just be a bother and worry him. He berated himself and set down his phone on the bedside.
The sun had started to set, which brought about a deep red-orange glow to the room. Oliver turned his head slightly towards the window and watched as the sky—slowly, but surely—transitioned to darker hues.
Oliver rolled back a bit onto the cold, empty spot on the bed. He clutched the unused pillow as streams of tears trickled down his cheeks; he attempted to hold back from crying more, but his efforts were futile. He recalled the moment he had to say good-bye to his beloved—how Fukase's voice wavered with uneasiness and how the warmth from the touch of his hand lingered. Oliver hugged the pillow tighter as the sorrowful memories invaded his mind.
For some time, he continued to just let his tears flow. Gradually, the crying had lessened and the heaviness from his eyelids compelled him into a deep sleep. It had been a long, uneventful day, and he finally tired himself from exhaustion.
Oliver was abruptly awakened in the dead of the night as a blaring sound permeated throughout the room. He fumbled about in the darkness and reached for the phone on the table beside his bed.
Without checking who the caller was, he put the phone to his ear. "Hello…?" A yawned escaped from Oliver's mouth as he answered.
「Ah, sorry Oliver. Did I wake you up? 」A familiar voice asked.
Eyes widened with surprise, Oliver jolted from his lethargic state. His dull, empty eye brightened with hope. "F-Fukase? No, it's okay. I'm glad you called."
Fukase chuckled. 「I just wanted to check up on you a bit. Is everything alright? 」
Unsure of how to answer, Oliver paused for a moment. He didn't want to cause excessive worry for the other, but he also didn't want to feign contentment. "I miss you, but really, I'm okay. When do you think you'll come home?"
There was a faint, worrisome sigh. 「I miss you too. And I wish I could give you an answer on that, but not even I know. Everything will be okay though—I promise. 」
"I'm sorry for worrying you all the time," Oliver said, fidgeting with the bedsheets. "Come back soon, okay?"
「I'll come back as soon as I can. Don't you worry! 」 Fukase's tone of voice lightened with optimism. 「Well, I should let you go back to sleep now. I wouldn't want you to be tired at work tomorrow. 」
Oliver's heart ached slightly at the short-lived conversation. "You should call earlier next time. Good night—err…good day for you I guess?"
「I'll definitely call you at a better time tomorrow. Good night, Ollie. 」
With the conversation ended, Oliver set his phone back onto the table and laid down again. He let his hand caress the unoccupied space next to him. He yearned for Fukase's presence, but he tried to not let his sorrow eat away at his thoughts anymore. Just hearing his voice was enough to comfort him.