All I See is You

In all the time that he and Keahi spent together, he had never seen her hesitate or show the uncertainty that he saw in her now as her steps faltered a bit and she struggled to answer his mostly joking statement about her avoiding him. He quickly began to question his original assumption that they had both simply been independently busy and he had just had his head too buried in his work to notice. He tried his best to keep the easy smile on his lips, but even that became a bit difficult as he naturally started trying to guess what it was that would have been so difficult for her to talk to him about. While their difference in age had been a frequent topic on his mind when they first started to meld into something that felt closer to a real relationship, it was something that Keahi had admittedly assured him wasn't an issue. Still, that's immediately where his mind began to shift as he tried to grasp at what could be bothering her or what could be driving her to avoid him.

A small twist of doubt and regret started to twist at his stomach as he managed to reply, "Oh... I see." His ears flicked a bit as he continued to match her pace while trying to prepare himself for her to tell him that she had found someone else or that they simply hadn't been as exclusive as he had imagined and that she had decided to focus her attentions on the other guy. He simply couldn't think of another reason for her to be avoiding him the way she had or anything that would be that difficult to talk about. Maybe she had decided to move away and not ask him to come with her. Maybe she had finally gotten sick of him constantly working and wanted someone who would spend more time on her. Whatever it was, not once did he assume it was anything about her–only that he must have fallen short somehow. "Well... Whoever he is I hope he's at least better looking than me," he joked after a moment with a bit of a laugh, attempting in some way to deflect with humor despite the gnawing defeat that was settling heavily on his shoulders. "You can just tell me, you know. It's certainly not the first time I've been dumped. I'm a big boy, I can take it."

"Ruga Amanto"