Time stood still for Gene, as his best friend, the one he had known for most of his life, kissed him. Gene didn't know if he should push him away or not, but he decided that it would be best if he didn't. He didn't want to upset Fred, because Gene knew that Fred would never forgive him if he did.
Once Fred had pulled away from the kiss, Gene could only stare up at him. His eyes were full of shock, and something else that seemed like regret. Fred turned away from Gene, and walked forward about five steps, before sighing. He stood with his back to Gene, and spoke up.
"I've been hiding it for so long, or at least trying to. It's been my biggest secret, and I was afraid of what you'd say or how you would react if I told you. That's why I waited for years, I believe it was about five or six years to be exact, until the day when I would be brave enough to tell you. You may have wondered why I seemed so open, why I always hugged you so much, why I always did things for you that I never did for others money-wise, and why I always pretended to be joking when I flirted with you", Fred explained, before turning around.
Gene just listened to Fred, and was amazed at how much he didn't know. He had a feeling that Fred had considered him to be more than a friend, as a possible love interest. Gene never had the heart to confront Fred about his suspicions, because he didn't want Fred to think that he was crazy. He then decided to ask Fred one of the questions he was dying to ask.
"Are you confessing your love for me?", he asked, sounding more curious than confused. He just wanted to hear the answer from Fred, so that all things would be put onto the table. After a moment of silence, Fred walked over and sat in the chair beside Gene.
"That's what I'm doing, that's what I've wanted to do for these many years. I didn't want to lose your friendship however, and I didn't want you to avoid me. Every time we've seen each other, you seemed like you'd rather of been somewhere else. These last few days when we were able to spend time with each other, I was glad to see that you were calm, and not pushing me away. I believe that was because you were bored however, and had nothing better to do", Fred replied. He didn't sound angry with Gene, but Gene could tell Fred was pretty upset over this in a sense.
Gene didn't know how to respond to what Fred had just said, so he remained silent. He looked down at the ground, and after a few minutes, Fred spoke up again. This time, his tone was more calm and collected.
"I'm sorry, that didn't really sound right, truth as it is. Let me elaborate further, so you get a better understanding. Remember the day when you told me you were going out on your own to find a job? That was the day I was going to tell you, the day I was going to tell everyone. But I saw how happy you were about living on your own that I decided not to tell you. I never told my parents I was in love with you either, otherwise they'd forbid me from seeing you ever again, and then disown me. Can you blame me though? Making the decision and accepting the decision that yes, I don't want relationships with women, and that I was deeply and truly in love with my best friend, my only true friend, when my parents expected that I'd be married to some woman I don't want anything to do with, and then have children with that woman? The thought of it sickens me in more ways than one. If I wasn't such a coward with my true feelings, and everything else, I'd have damned my family and broken that stupid tradition. Although, I guess I have broken that tradition after all", Fred explained, giving a small smile after he was finished.
Gene just sat in silence with his eyes closed, and took in everything he had just learned, and everything he had heard from Fred's mouth. My best friend is in love with me. I have a man in love with me, and the worst part about it is that it isn't a random stranger I can just push away and be scared out of my mind about it, it's my best friend, someone I've grown close with. It's too much...I don't know what to do, he thought to himself.
There was an uneasy silence between the two men then, and it lasted for about ten minutes. After those ten minutes were up, Gene looked up from the ground. He stood up, and stared ahead before speaking up.
"This is a lot of information for me to take in, and I'm glad you told me. It must feel a lot better to have this weight off of your shoulders. I can see how you'd think this would change our relationship as friends, but I'm going to stay true to my word. I don't care if you like men over women, because that is something you should be able to tell me of all people. But...knowing that it's me you're in love with, it's difficult for me to say anything. I don't know what to do, I don't want you to get hurt, especially by me. So I cannot give you my answer just yet, hell I don't even know if I have one. I thought about what to say to you right now however, and here it is", Gene confessed, looking down at Fred, who looked up at him.
Fred stared up at Gene, and his eyes seemed to tell that he was afraid of what Gene was about to say to him. He had looked this way every time Gene pushed him away when Fred got too close for comfort, and he didn't want Gene to tell him something horrible.
Gene placed a hand on Fred's cheek, and kept it there. "I'm not going to avoid you, but I need time to consider. I need to figure out how to make this work if I can, and I need to figure out how to do it without hurting either of us. Once I do that, I will come back and give you my answer. But you must promise me, that if it's something you don't want to hear, then you need to move on. You cannot waste away knowing that it may be impossible for us to be together", Gene continued. Fred gasped softly at hearing those words, and looked away. He fought back his urge to cry, and then looked up at Gene, with a smile that anyone could tell was fake.
"I understand, and I'm glad to hear this won't change anything. I'll give you my word that I will wait for your answer, no matter what it is. And I promise...that I'll move on if it's not going to work", Fred replied, feeling like someone just shot him in the chest after speaking those last few words.
Fred put a hand up to his heart, expecting to feel blood there. When he didn't, he knew the pain was his own. He had just told Gene he would give up on him if it wasn't going to work, and that was like offering up your own limbs because someone told you you didn't need them anymore. Gene then removed his hand from Fred's cheek, turning to walk away.
"I'm not going to leave Heifong just yet, so if it makes you feel better, just remember that I'm close by, even if I'm not in front of you", Gene reminded Fred, trying to make him feel better. Fred just nodded behind his back, and took a deep intake of breath as tears came to his eyes.
Gene clenched his fists as he heard Fred beginning to cry. Don't do this Fred, don't cry over me. It'll just make it harder on both of us if you do, he thought, before leaving the room and getting onto the elevator, going down. Once Gene was out of the room, Fred put his head down into his arms and sobbed.
As Gene left Fred's building, he reached up to place his hand against his lips, which were still slightly warm, and then wiped away a single tear that had fallen from his eye. He then walked onwards, heading back to the hotel.
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Everyone was already asleep by the time Gene had returned to the hotel, and Gene decided to just head into his room that he was going to share with Melfina. When he was at the door, it suddenly opened and Melfina stood there, then jumped a bit as she saw Gene standing there.
"Oh, I'm sorry, but I was going to check to see if you had come back. You startled me", Melfina said. Gene just smiled at her, and pulled her into a gentle hug. Melfina blinked, then smiled as she returned the hug. "Welcome back Gene", she whispered.
The next morning, Jim was the first to awaken. He checked the time to see that it was almost eleven o'clock, and decided to get out of bed and get dressed. Once he was all cleaned up and dressed, he came back out. On the way, he noticed the door to Gene and Melfina's room open, and peeked inside.
He noticed that Gene's bed was empty, and that it was made. "Did he not get back yet?", Jim asked himself softly, before walking onwards. When he walked into the kitchen, he happened to glance out the window and saw Gene standing on the balcony.
Jim headed out to the balcony then, but Gene didn't seem to notice he was there. Gene appeared to be lost in thought, or so Jim assumed. "Gene? It's not like you to be up so early", Jim commented. Gene didn't respond, nor did he move an inch.
"Gene? GENE!", Jim shouted, which finally snapped Gene out of his thoughts. Gene looked over at Jim then.
"Huh? What? Oh, it's you Jim. Sorry, I didn't hear you come out", Gene responded, earning a sigh out of Jim. Gene then looked back ahead, and stared into the distance.
"So, did you have a nice time at Fred's party?", Jim asked after a moment of silence. Once again, Gene didn't answer him. Jim then let out a sigh of frustration, and went up and tapped Gene on the arm. "Gene! I'm talking to you!", he added, snapping Gene out of his thoughts again.
"What? Oh, yeah it was a great party. Hey wait, how did you know about it?", Gene asked, looking at Jim in confusion.
"It's been all over the city. I saw flyers advertising it when we got here, and that's why I didn't say anything about it. But knowing you, I had a feeling you already knew and that's the reason you decided to come here", Jim replied, grinning a bit.
"Don't get the wrong idea, I couldn't turn down an offer to enjoy myself a bit. Besides, he's still my best friend and I couldn't just say no to him", Gene said. Jim nodded at this, then looked up at Gene again.
"Of course you couldn't. Now, let's go see if Melfina is awake, I'm starving", Jim said, walking back inside. Gene gave him a slight glare behind his back, before following him inside.
Gene sat at the table in silence as he ate breakfast with everyone, who were engaged in conversation. He then felt Jim nudging him, and Gene looked up to see everyone staring at him.
"So, what do you think?", Jim asked him. Gene blinked in confusion, and looked at Jim.
"About what?", Gene asked in return, causing Jim to sigh and shake his head. Jim got up and put his empty dish in the sink, and went back to the table.
"Haven't you been listening? We have to check out soon, so we were all thinking about exploring the city before heading to Starwind & Hawking's", Jim replied, looking at Gene.
"Oh yeah, I completely forgot. Yeah, we should definitely do that", Gene replied, grinning cheerfully. Jim just lowered his eyelids at Gene, and headed out of the kitchen to grab some things.
Once they were all checked out of the hotel, everyone waved good-bye as they headed out of the hotel.
------------------------------ANOTHER SCENE CHANGE---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The streets of the city were full of life, as people and cars filled the area. Gene and company headed down the sidewalks. Gene had his hands in his pockets, and wasn't really paying attention to anything.
They all stopped at certain stores to look around, but Gene didn't really bother to look, he just stood outside of the stores and leaned against the wall. The girls didn't bother to ask about it, but Jim knew something was up.
When everyone had their fill of shopping and wandering the streets, they found a spot near the park to sit and rest. Jim walked over and sat by Gene, who was looking at the ground as he was sitting.
Jim leaned in and spoke softly to Gene. "Something's up with you, and I want to know what it is. You've been like this all morning, and I'm starting to wonder. Did something happen last night that caused you to get like this?", Jim asked out of concern. Gene just looked at Jim a moment, then stood up.
"No, nothing happened. I have a lot on my mind right now, and I just need some time to straighten myself out", Gene replied, walking away from everyone. It was a small lie, but Gene didn't really want to talk about it. He came to a pole that had a sign on it advertising Fred's business, and Gene immediately turned away from it and walked away. He didn't want to think about Fred right now, it was still uneasy to do so.
After that incident, Jim and everyone else noticed that Gene seemed distant from everything. When they went to Starwind & Hawking's after their visit in the city, Gene went into his room and didn't come out the rest of the afternoon or night. He also didn't eat for three days that week.
On the fourth day of that week, Gene finally came out of his room, and was able to eat. He didn't talk much to anyone, so Jim just let him brood as long as he wished. Once the second week of Gene's silent phase came along, Gene started to lighten up, and actually enjoyed himself when everyone went out to go shopping or whatever.
By the third week, Gene appeared to have gotten a lot better, and actually participated in everyone's conversations. Everyone was relieved to see that Gene had gotten over whatever was bothering him, and decided to talk to each other about what could've been bothering Gene when he wasn't around to hear them. By the end of that week, Gene had brought home food for everyone as an apology for being so moody.
When Gene was lying in bed that night, he felt better knowing that he had gotten Fred out of his mind. He didn't want to think about anything that would bother him, so he felt relieved to have gotten everything out of his system, or so he thought. When he fell asleep, he had a nightmare he would never forget.
Gene found himself running down a street during a thunderstorm, knowing he had to be somewhere. He found himself calling out Fred's name as he saw Fred entering a dark house.
Fred didn't seem to hear Gene calling out to him, so he just went into the house. Gene followed him inside, brushing the rain out of his red hair. He looked around, hoping to see Fred somewhere, but all he saw was stairs, hallways, and doors.
He heard the sound of a door opening, and then closing, and Gene went up the stairs closest to the noise, and looked around. "Fred! Where are you? I need to talk to you, so please answer me!", he shouted, walking down the hallway and checking inside of rooms. The sound of thunder roared outside, and a bright flash of lightning filled the hallway.
Gene then heard the sound of crying coming from the end of the hallway, and made his way down it. He followed the sound, and entered the room it was coming from.
Inside, he found Fred standing on a balcony outside a window. The window was kept open, and Fred was being drenched by the heavy rain. "Fred! Please, let me talk to you", Gene called out, but Fred didn't respond.
After a few minutes, Fred spoke up. "I can't do it...I don't want to be miserable for the rest of my life. I love him so much, but we can't be together", Fred said aloud, not seeming to feel Gene's presence or hear his voice.
That's when Gene saw the object Fred stood clutching in his hand. It was a small pistol, and Gene put everything together and started to panic. "Fred no! Don't do it!", he yelled out, running to Fred.
Fred held up the pistol, and looked at it. "I love you Gene, I won't bother you anymore. So please, don't come looking for me", Fred said to himself, before holding the pistol up to his head.
Gene continued to run, shouting out to Fred, but then he heard the pistol go off, and saw Fred's body go over the balcony. He ran out to the balcony, reaching out to grab Fred. But it was too late, Fred's body had disappeared into the darkness.
Gene reached out into that darkness, and began to sob. "I love you Fred, so please, don't die on me! Don't leave me alone!", he called out.
Gene woke up from that nightmare with a start, and found that he actually was crying. He sat up in bed breathing heavily, then put his face in his hands as the tears fell from his eyes. "Why can't I forget you? Tell me why...", Gene said to himself softly.
Jim awoke during the night, feeling thirsty. He got up and went to get a drink of water, then headed back to bed. He then saw Gene's empty but unmade bed, and got nervous. He went and got dressed, and headed outside.
He looked around, and was about to call out to Gene, when he saw a familiar redhead sitting on the grass not too far off. Jim headed over to Gene, and sat beside him.
"You scared me for a second there. You don't seem too good, are you all right?", Jim asked, looking over at Gene. Gene looked up, but didn't look at Jim. After a moment, he spoke up.
"To tell you the truth, I'm not. I'm going to tell you something, but promise you won't tell the others, okay?", Gene replied, looking at Jim. Jim nodded to Gene, and Gene sighed. "That night, at Fred's party, something did happen. After everyone else was gone, and it was just me and Fred, Fred told me he had to tell me something. He told me to promise that I would still be his friend after he told me, and I made that promise. Then..he kissed me", Gene started, and Jim's eyes widened a bit as he heard Gene say that Fred kissed him.
"He then proceeded to confess his love for me, and told me some things that aren't easy on the mind. I told him to give me some time to think about it, and then I'd give him my answer", Gene finished, looking down. Jim just took in everything that Gene told him, then closed his eyes and crossed his arms.
"First of all, let me just tell you that you have got to be the most pathetically oblivious person I've ever known", Jim replied. Gene turned and glared at Jim then
"What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?!", Gene exclaimed, and Jim just waved him off.
"Gene, that guy has been giving you looks as long as I can remember. I've seen them when you're not looking, and they're looks that one gives the person he or she is deeply in love with. I also got the hint when Fred made all of those passes at you. I'm surprised you don't know flirting when it's being done to you instead of you doing it to others", Jim continued, looking at Gene now.
"You're really helping my mental state, thanks a lot", Gene replied sarcastically. Jim just shook his head, then looked up at the sky.
"All jokes and insults aside, here's what I think. I'm actually somewhat happy for you. Honestly, I'm glad it's you and not me, but that's not the point. The point is that it's not anyone's decision but yours about what you want to do. You have to take a good look inside of yourself and determine what is best for the both of you. And you have to think about yourself just as much as Fred. If you base your decision off of what you think is best for Fred, it'll seem wrong for YOU because it's not what YOU feel is best for yourself. All I can say to you is really think about it, and no matter what your decision is, I'll support you", Jim explained, smiling at Gene.
Gene stared at Jim a moment, then stood up, smiling. "You're right, I think I'll do just that. Thanks a lot, that makes me feel a lot better". He rubbed Jim's head, then headed away from Starwind and Hawking's.
"I'll be back in a bit, so go back to sleep", Gene called out, before continuing on his way. Jim just watched him go, before standing up.
Please make the right decision Gene, Jim thought to himself, before heading into the building to go back to bed.
Meanwhile, Gene walked on down the city sidewalks, glancing at the lights of the buildings as he passed them. He was thinking about what he should do about his situation. That nightmare, what does it mean? Why did I have it all of a sudden? It really hurts inside to think about it, he thought, sitting on a bench.
After a few minutes, he started to think some more. He has everything, yet I'm what he wants the most. Why is that? Why would he want me?, Gene continued, looking up. After a few minutes, he realized something.
"Money cannot buy true love. It has to come from inside, and it cannot be bought with all the money in the world. He's been alone all his life, even though he has everything he needs. Since I'm out of his life, he hasn't had anyone to love or to get close to. I have people I can call friends, and I thought that I could spend my life with Melfina like we wanted, but we've grown more apart than close. I hate to admit it, but I'm alone as well", Gene said to himself aloud but softly.
He stood up, and headed down the sidewalk some more. He came to the park Fred had brought him to that one night, and headed into it. Gene walked on, until he came across the fountain. He walked over to it, and peered at his reflection in the water.
I see now...he's been alone without me, and I've been alone. I shouldn't feel that way, but I too need to love someone as much as Fred loves me, Gene thought, and then thought about something that's been bothering him. Those dreams...are they a sign? A sign that I should be with Fred? Is it really possible, can I really make him happy?, Gene thought.
Finally, it hit him, and he realized something he hadn't before. I'm not lonely when I'm around Fred, he gives me a sense of security, a sense of warmth. I can't get that warmth from anyone else, even if I tried. I've had a difficult life, but it was Fred that came before me that made it all worth living. I've had a true friend, one that has grown so close to me and understands me so well, that he has fallen in love with me. I guess I don't blame him..., he thought, then smiled.
"Besides, he's breaking his sacred family tradition for me, what is there to lose now?", he asked himself softly, then heard the sound of water being splashed around. Gene looked up, and saw the face and body of the person he was just thinking about.
Fred was sitting at the fountain, moving his hand along in the water. He gave a slight sigh, and then saw Gene's reflection come up beside his, and gasped. He looked up, and saw Gene standing there, and stood up.
"G-Gene! You scared me...what are you doing out so late?", Fred asked. Gene just looked away from Fred and up at the sky, before looking back at Fred.
"I came to give you my answer", Gene replied, moving closer to Fred. Fred watched Gene, and his whole world lightened up as Gene pulled him against his body, and kissed him deeply. Fred then knew that things were about to get better from that day onward.
Gene and Fred's secret relationship went on for two months, in which they saw each other every other day or night to go out on dates. Some times it would be Gene sneaking out to go see Fred at night, other times it was Fred sneaking out to go see Gene.
Whenever they felt like going out on daytime dates, Fred decided that he'd better make himself blend in with the crowd by wearing sunglasses and "common people's clothes", as he jokingly called them. Gene would just chuckle at seeing Fred in different outfits, and they'd go out to eat or to see movies or whatnot.
The best dates that the two had was when they'd both find a place to sit under a tree or on a bench, away from everyone. Then they would spend the rest of the day making out until sunset, when it was time for them to return to their homes.
One particular date was their 30th one, in which it was a night date. Gene had told everyone that he was going out to buy some things, but Jim could tell by Gene's attitude what was REALLY going on.
Gene met up with Fred by a thrift store, so they wouldn't attract attention from any passing people. Then they proceeded to walk hand-in-hand down the sidewalk, and talked about their days. They exchanged occasional kisses when they were sure they were alone, and found their way to a beach, and sat in the sand with their shoes off, so they could feel the waves.
"It's really peaceful here, I always wanted to come here, but it's always so crowded", Fred said as he watched the waves of the ocean. Gene nodded in response, and took hold of Fred's hand.
"Well, now you get your wish. We're here, together", Gene replied, smiling at Fred. Fred returned the smile, and they were both quiet for a moment, before Fred spoke up again.
"You know...I believe this has been our 30th date since that day", Fred said, watching the waves some more.
"You mean I've been dating you 30 times? Damn, how boring can that be?", Gene teased, then grinned. Fred gave Gene a slight glare, then tackled him to the ground. Gene started laughing contentedly as he began to struggle playfully, but then Fred pinned him down, laughing the whole time.
When they finished laughing, Fred let go of Gene's arms and kissed him deeply. Gene returned the kiss, and put his arms around Fred. Once they broke off the kiss, Fred stared into Gene's eyes, and Gene stared right back.
"I love you Gene, so much", Fred said, smiling at Gene
"I love you too Fred, let's stay together for many years to come", Gene replied, before kissing Fred again.
But as we all know, not all good things can stay that way. There is always something or someone that just has to get in the way of other peoples' happiness.
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A/N: Another cliffhanger? Yes it is, DEAL WITH IT! XP. You got your sappy romance, now it's time for the DRAMA. Kudos to those who can guess what I'm talking about in that last line. This is my gift to my readers since I got accepted into the college I wanted . Of course, to any flamers, and I don't mean people like Fred, I have a nice M-rated fic here in waiting for you.