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"Octavius?" Jedediah asked, making his way to the diorama of ancient Rome.
Octavius immediately smiled, making Jedediah feel horrible.
"Hello, dear Jedediah!" he exclaimed, joyously.
Jedediah loved seeing Octavius so happy. It made him feel great that he made him so happy. Tonight, however, it made him feel like absolute garbage. He wished so desperately that things could be different.
"Hi," he said, softly.
Octavius' smile weakened.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
He didn't want to do this, but he knew he had no choice.
"We're breaking up."
"What?" Octavius asked.
Octavius looked confused more than anything.
"It's for the best," Jedediah said, just before running away.
"I- uh-" he heard him say as he ran away.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Larry?" Octavius asked.
Larry turned to him.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I need to ask you something important," he stated.
"Uh, okay. Sure."
Larry bent down and put his hand out for Octavius to step onto. He did, and he lifted him up.
"What's wrong?" the night guard asked.
He immediately knew that something was wrong as soon as he got a closer look at his face.
"I know you and Jedediah talk a lot, has he expressed any discomfort or dissatisfaction in our relationship?" he questioned.
"What? What are you talking about?" Larry asked.
"Please, just, answer the question," he begged.
"He's happy with you," Larry told him.
"Then why did he leave me?" Octavius asked, so, so sad.
Larry had to stop himself from falling after hearing that.
"Wha- what? Really? I- What?" he stumbled over his words.
"What happened?" Larry finally asked.
"I don't know. Everything was fine yesterday, or at least I thought it was, but then he just… ended things," Octavius explained.
Larry could hear the pain in his voice.
"You had to have misinterpreted something. He wouldn't say that," Larry said, in disbelief.
"I don't think there are very many ways to interpret 'we're breaking up'," he told him.
"What?! Why would he- what the hell? He loves you, I know he does. Wait here. I'm gonna go talk to him. Something has to be up."
He found Jedediah laying on the ground, a look of devastation in his eyes.
"Jed, hi," he said.
"Shut up," Jedediah replied.
"Is everything okay?" Larry asked.
"No."
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I had to break up with him," said Jed.
"How come?" Larry questioned.
Jedediah began to laugh.
"I don't think I need to tell you, Gigantor. You know it. So does he. I just wish things could be different, ya know?"
"I'm confused," said Larry, confused.
"I'm… me," he said.
"Okay, what?"
"Go away, Gigantor."
He sighed.
"Okay, I'm gonna get Octavius, and you guys are gonna talk about whatever the hell is going on here because clearly, something is going on here that needs to be worked out," Larry said.
Larry left and a minute later came back with Octavius. Before either could protest, he was set down next to Jedediah. Larry started walking away, and Jedediah stood up to do the same.
"Jedediah," Octavius said.
Jedediah stopped. He didn't bother to face Octavius.
"Leave me alone," he told him.
"Please, Jedediah, just look at me," the roman requested.
After a moment of hesitation, Jed turned toward him. As soon as he saw him, he could only think of one thing.
"Can I hug you one last time?" he asked, softly.
He was so upset that he could barely speak.
"Of course, my lo- Of course," Octavius responded.
Jedediah threw himself onto him. He was in so much pain. He wanted things to be different.
"This hurts me more than it hurts you," he choked out.
He felt so safe in Octavius' arms.
"I don't understand, why are you leaving?" Octavius asked.
"It's obvious, Ockie. I can only hope and pray that one day you'll realize," Jedediah said, burying his head in the side of Octavius' neck.
"Jedediah, please, please talk to me," Octavius begged.
Jedediah let go of Octavius and stepped back.
"You deserve more," he stated.
Octavius tilted his head to the side.
"What?"
"I'm not good enough for you. For anyone," Jed told him.
He couldn't make eye contact. He was so ashamed. He felt so much shame just for being him.
"Jedediah! How could you think that about yourself?" Octavius asked.
Jedediah looked at his feet.
"It's true," he said, shamefully.
"It's far from true. You're more than good enough, my dear."
Octavius gently grabbed Jedediah's chin and lifted his head up.
"You look so sad…" Octavius murmured.
"Of course I'm sad! You're making this so hard. Why do ya have to be like this, Octavius?" he exclaimed.
"Be like what?" asked Octavius.
"Want me? When I'm not enough? Literally anyone else would be more qualified to date you. I'm so… below everyone," he said.
It was impossible to tell who was sadder.
"How could you possibly think that? Who told you that?!"
Jedediah almost expected to see fire in Octavius' eyes.
"No one needed to tell me," Jed said.
"Jedediah… you are good enough. You're more than good enough. If anything, you're better than everyone else," Octavius told him.
"That ain't-"
Octavius put a finger on Jedediah's lips, making Jed blush.
"Hush, now. I don't want you speaking lies, Jedediah."
They stayed that way for a few seconds. It was such an intimate moment, him putting his pointer finger on his lips to shut him up. Honestly, Jedediah was a bit disappointed when he finally put his hand down.
"Y- Ya really think so?" Jed asked.
His voice was shaking.
"Thet you're far, far beyond just 'good enough?" he asked. "I know so."
"No, no. It can't be true. It doesn't make sense," he said, taking a few steps back.
He turned away partially.
"It does if you let it," Octavius stated, stepping toward Jedediah.
Jed wasn't sure what to say.
"Jedediah, you're amazing," Octavius said.
Jedediah turned back around.
"You trust me, don't you?" Octavius asked.
"You saved my life," Jed reminded him.
"Then trust me on this," Octavius begged.
"It's hard, Octavius. I do trust you, but it's just so hard to believe you when you say that," he explained.
"I understand, and I just hope that one day you'll see yourself the way we see you. You're fun, you're innovative, you're more courageous than you realize, you aren't afraid to fight for what you believe in, you're caring, you're kind, you're as overly dramatic as I am."
Octavius stopped to chuckle.
"Am not!" Jed protested.
Octavius shushed him.
"And I love you. For all that you are, all that you have been, and I'll keep loving you for all that you will be. Because you. Are. Enough," he stated.
Jed was nearly tearing up.
"Ockie…" he whispered.
"I mean it," Octavius told him.
He had known Octavius for over fifty years, and he saw no signs of insincerity.
"If you truly do not wish to be with me I can not and would not force you to, because there is one thing I want more than you as my lover, and that's for you to be happy," said Octavius.
Jedediah knew what he wanted.
"I wanna be with you, Ockie. For the rest of my life," Jed told him.
Octavius grinned and put his hand in Jedediah’s.
"Boyfriends?" Octavius asked.
"Boyfriends."