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Easy come, easy go, that's just how you live
Travis knew he was in love. He couldn't help himself. She just was so perfect. She always has been since he's met her in freshmen year. He could never get her out of his head. Just... everything about her was flawless. He couldn't think of anything wrong about her.
Yet, even Dante kept telling him he needed to back off her. Saying that she wasn't a good match for him. Saying that she just hurt him, just slapped him, just bounced him around and used him. But Travis didn't see what Dante was saying.
All he could see was how amazing she was. She was confident. She knew her boundaries and enforced them. But that just made her even better. Travis almost always consistently chased after they initially rejected him that were similar to her. He just couldn't help it. He loved a confident woman.
He was told so many times to leave her alone. Find someone new, but he didn't know who else to go for. It was so hard to meet new people for someone like him. Very little people would keep a conversation going with him. He needed to get better, change himself for people. Show them that he was worth people's time. Dante told him not to, but it might be his best bet.
Oh, take, take, take it all but you never give
Travis could tell that she enjoyed the attention, that she enjoyed the fact that someone was putting so much effort and time into her. Even if she didn't like how he went about it. That was fine. He could change himself if she asked her to.
Garroth told Travis that she always took advantage of Travis' attention and time. She would string him along, give him just a small amount of compliments. And that that was why he kept chasing after her. He got just enough of her attention and care that he kept coming back to give her his all.
Laurence told him that it wasn't healthy for anyone to treat him like that. But Travis kept ignoring him. He was just so smitten by her. There was nothing anyone could say that would stop him from going after her. Even if she kept rejecting and slapping and hitting and kicking him. There was nothing that could happen that would sway him away.
Sure, maybe he should get better at waiting between how long it took him to ask her out again after she rejected him. Maybe that would get him more of a chance of getting told yes. That was all he wanted, was to be told by her that he was the one who she wanted to be with for the rest of their lives. That was all he needed to be happy in life.
Should've known you was trouble from the first kiss
Travis still thought about their first kiss. She had done it to get him off her back for some time. And it worked. Travis was so smitten, so off in cloud nine, that he barely left the spot in his living room that it happened for a few hours. His heart was racing like no one's business, his stomach fluttered. It felt absolutely amazing.
From there, Travis raved on and on about her for days. It clearly got on everyone's nerves. She had gone out of town for some work thing. That meant that she wasn't there for his constant chatter, his constant bragging that she liked him enough to kiss him.
Irene, Travis felt so lucky that she kissed him. He was special enough to get her attention, to get her love. He hoped that he would get more of it soon. He wanted, he craved, more from her. He only hoped that she would give her more of it. He wanted her to give him more time than what she did.
She didn't give Travis a lot of time. Barely gave him any time of day. Most of the time when she did, she would rip him apart or find a way to physically hurt him. But there were times, the best moments, when she gave him compliments. She would give him praise.
And when she did, Travis was like a lovesick puppy for days. Even Aphmau told him that he shouldn't be going after her. But Travis wouldn't listen to anyone. Just his thoughts. And his thoughts always got so excited when she praised him, told him that he was handsome or perfect just the way he was.
Had your eyes open, why were they open?
Travis thought more about it. He started to realize whenever she kissed him, while he kept his eyes shut, he could feel her eyes open. That started to make him worried. Did she want to watch him? See how he was reacting? How he felt?
He asked Aaron about it, if he or Aphmau ever kept their eyes open while kissing. Aaron told him now. That it wasn't something people did when they truly liked someone back. That didn't reassure him. Travis just really hoped that it wasn't that, that she just wanted to see his red cheeks.
Gave you all I had, and you tossed it in the trash
Travis sat on his bed, hugging his knees. His cheek was red with a shoe print on it. His left eye was starting to swell up. It hurt that she had basically gave him a beating, well, he thought it was basically one. If anyone else had seen it, they would've definitely called it a beating.
He had curled up in on himself while it happened, trying really hard not to start crying. He didn't like getting hurt in such a way. His father had used to. But... it was different when it was with her. She cared about him. She just had to.
No one would hurt someone like that if they didn't truly care about the other. They wouldn't throw everything they were given from the other into the trash like that.
You tossed it in the trash, you did
Travis went to the kitchen and got himself a cup of water. Dante covered his mouth and asked him what happened. Travis didn't give him a straight answer, just leaning against the counter with a laugh. It wasn't a forced laugh, it wasn't a fake laugh. It was a genuine laugh, it was a truly pure laugh.
How it was so pure was a mystery. Not only had she ruined his face, she also broke some ribs. Of course, no one could see it because of his hoodie that he wore all of the time. It was only a few ribs, so Travis really didn't see the need to go to the hospital.
Dante looked at his best friend in concern. He didn't know what to tell Travis. Travis wasn't listening to what people were telling him, he wasn't listening to their warnings. Dante didn't want to sit back and watch this happen.
But what could he do to help?
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
Travis held out a beautiful white rose with a wide grin on his face. The black eye he had was at its darkest, but almost everything else she had done to him had healed. He still hadn't even bothered to get the ribs checked out and did a scarily good job at hiding his winces every time he took a deep breath or when he twisted himself.
She took one look at him then shut the door in his face. Travis' shoulders slumped as he let the flower fall from his hand. He walked back to his home, coughing into his elbow. He nearly fell to his knees but managed to keep himself upright.
It was a slow adventure back when it really should not have been. It felt like his lungs were on fire, his head felt lightheaded. Halfway through, he collapsed and knelt on his knees. He leaned forward and put his forehead against the ground.
To him, most of his pain came from the pain of being rejected yet again. But it really should be from the internal injury that she had given him.
'Cause what you don't understand is
Travis felt like he was about to cry, everything was just too much. He hated that he kept getting rejected, again and again. What was he doing wrong? Was it his hair, was it too short? Too long? Was it his eyes? What was it about him that he could change for her?
Someone put their hand on his back, causing him to whimper in pain. The person pulled their hand back and said something that Travis really couldn't make out. It hurt a lot when the person picked him up. When he cried out, he was set back down.
Whoever it was got up and called 911. Travis squeezed his eyes shut as he coughed violently. The other panicked and explained things faster to the 911 operator.
I'd catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis was lifted onto a stretcher and put into an ambulance pretty quickly.
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis shut his eyes, barely able hear the paramedic's voice. A breathing mask was put on his face. Why, he didn't know. The other person sat in the front of the ambulance while it rushed to the hospital.
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis woke up in a hospital room. Dante was asleep on the chair next to him, looking like he had been crying. That concerned Travis. He hated when Dante had cried. It was one of his least favorite things.
He moved to sit up, but he was hooked up to a breathing machine that made it hard to do so. Travis looked around the room and finally noticed what he was hooked up to. There was the breathing tube, obviously, an IV, a heart monitor, and a bag of blood. He looked back at Dante and let out a small whine.
Dante very quickly sat up and relaxed. He asked Travis why he didn't tell him about the broken rib.
I would go through all this pain
Travis answered honestly. That he didn't think it was important enough to tell. He hadn't realized that he was only making things worse. Which allowed it to break more and pierce though his lung.
Dante gently pulled him into a hug and cried into Travis' shoulder.
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Travis was finally checked out. Surprisingly, she was there to pick him up with Dante. Travis hadn't told anyone what happened. He didn't blame her, just himself. He thought he was the one to blame. He had annoyed her, he had pushed her to the edge.
There really was no one else to blame, in Travis' mind.
He would never, ever blame her for anything. Travis loved her so much. He was told that their love was toxic and one sided, but he so often disagreed. Her love was all that he really needed in his life. Her love was what got him through the day. What motivated him to get better and out of the hospital.
Yes, I would die for you, baby
Travis knew he would give his life for her. Travis knew that he would do anything in a heartbeat if she asked him to. There was no one else in his life that he could think of, other than maybe Dante, that he cared about to such a strong degree.
He did feel bad because he's known other people so much longer than he's known her, but they paled in comparison in how much he loved and cared for. Maybe it was a bad thing. Travis didn't think so. He would die for her. He really didn't see a problem with that.
But you won't do the same
Travis knew, deep down, that she would never die for him. But that was fine. He didn't want her to die for him. He wanted her to live a long, healthy life. If it came down to who had to die, he would make sure that it was him.
He was ashamed of how much he was watching TV, but he really didn't have the energy to do anything else. He did write a lot of love letters for her. Travis asked Dante to give them to her, to which the blue haired man hesitantly agreed to.
Dante did give them to her, but she usually crumpled them up and threw it into the trash. She barely even bothered to read them. Dante hated that she did that. He would occasionally read some of them. And, wow, Travis really knew his way with words.
Even though he knew they weren't for him, the letters still made Dante's heart flutter. Irene, he really wished they were for him. Travis was just such a sweet and loving guy. He has grown to really hate her. She didn't deserve Travis' love or attention at all. He wished that she would at least give him a chance.
Didn't she know how much he would do for her?
No, no, no, no
Travis was back at it again. He brought her flowers, chocolates. Just anything he knew she would like. He really just wanted her to love him back. It was just all he wanted. To have her love like she had his.
Uh
Travis was grinning ear to ear. She had agreed to a date! He could barely wait! This was exactly what he had been craving for so long. He ran around his room to gather up anything and everything he needed.
Then he got Dante to sit and help him pick out the perfect outfit. Dante seemed a little weird, but Travis just chalked it up to him being tired. It was almost midnight, after all. Travis was just lucky that Dante was even entertaining this since he knew Dante didn't 'approve' of their relationship.
Black, black, black and blue, beat me 'til I'm numb
Travis put his hand against his forehead, trying to blink back tears. She had stood him up. Again. This was the third time that she's done this. But he wasn't going to let that pull him down. He was going to let this experience be a learning one.
Maybe he had just picked the wrong place. Well, that's what Travis assumed that's what happened. The bouquet of flowers in his hand felt like they were on fire. Travis didn't know why, but he still didn't drop them. He just wanted to hold onto something that was meant for her.
Tell the devil I say "hey" when you get back to where you're from
Travis hated that Dante told him to tell her that. He felt like he could strangle Dante, but he didn't. He didn't want to hurt to Dante, not ever. Dante was his second, no, first favorite person. No, no. She was his favorite person. Not Dante.
He looked at Dante, who was just playing some video game. Travis didn't even care to learn what game it was. He found himself staring at Dante. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the older man. He was just so... pretty.
Wait, no. He wasn't pretty. He wasn't handsome. He was just Dante.
Mad woman, bad woman, that's just what you are
Travis held back a gasp as he realized something. Did he really like Dante as much and in the same way that he liked her? But... Dante was his best friend. He was supposed to be like a brother like Gene was, like Garroth and Laurence were. Why wasn't Dante like that?
He looked away from Dante, his cheeks burning. He didn't want this to happen. He couldn't like Dante like this. He couldn't do this. But... he wanted that to happen.
Yeah, you'll smile, then rip the brakes out my car
Travis stared at his car, his eyes wide. He covered his mouth. Why were his tires slashed? Why was his hood open and the wires ripped out? Who... why did this happen?
He turned around and went inside. He buried himself into some blankets and shut his eyes. Why were bad things happening to him? It was after he learned that he had feelings for Dante. Did she somehow know? Was she trying to show that she was the only one for him?
Dante sat next to him, pulling him into a gentle hug. Travis started crying as he explained what had happened to his car. Dante was silent, but Travis could feel the anger radiating off him. Was Dante mad at him?
Gave you all I had, and you tossed it in the trash
Travis sat next to her, trying to explain that he knew that what she had been doing after he figured out his feelings for Dante wasn't okay. He was trying to explain to her that he wouldn't stop going after her. That he wasn't going to go after Dante at all.
She patted his head then tugged on his hair a little before she got up and went to make some tea. Travis waited patiently, rubbing the top of his head. He wasn't a fan of when she tugged his hair, but he would never told her that.
You tossed it in the trash, yes you did
Travis leaned against the armrest on his couch, sniffling. He felt so sick. He wished that it was her that was nursing him back to health. He wasn't complaining at all that it was Dante, but Travis still wished that it was her so she could show him exactly how much she loved him back.
But he couldn't expect that of her. She was busy with work. That was understandable. He wasn't going to force her to take care of him just because he was sick. Travis was still grateful that he was getting taken care of.
Dante gently patted his forehead with a wet and warm cloth. The blue haired man smiled warmly and asked him how he was feeling. Travis just answered with a long groan while he shut his eyes. Dante simply nodded.
Once Dante had finished things up for now, he kissed Travis' forehead then went to make some soup for his sick best friend. He didn't even process what he had done.
To give me all your love I ever asked
Travis couldn't get that gentle forehead kiss out of his mind. The only thing that got it off his mind is when he and her were making out. She finally let him make out with him. And it was just as heavenly as he knew it would be.
She kissed down his neck, getting soft sounds from him. He shut his eyes and smiled. Travis loved these kinds of moments with her. It was just so magical, so perfect. Travis didn't want anything to change. He loved her so much.
'Cause what you don't understand is
Travis danced with her, spinning her around. He pulled her out then pulled her close. It was so amazing to dance with her forever. The music was just perfect. Everything was perfect. Travis almost felt like he needed to propose right there and then.
Dante watched the two dance. He could see the look on Travis' face. He knew right then and there that Travis was going to set himself up for heartbreak if he really did what Dante thought he was planning on doing. And he didn't want that. He didn't want to see Travis hurting just because she said no. Again.
I'd catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis smoothed his suit down and smiled to himself. He shoved the box into his pocket then made his way to Katelyn's house. He felt so giddy, he bounced with every step. He had practiced his speech over and over. He practiced it in the mirror, he practiced it to Dante.
Of course, Dante said yes every time. Which did make Travis' heart flutter, but he ignored that. He was so focused on her, that he couldn't focus on how quick Dante answered it. How after the first time, Dante would interrupt him with yes.
He knocked. Kawaii~Chan opened the door and let him in, shouting to her that Travis was there.
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis had to wait a long time. So long that they missed their reservation. But he really didn't mind. He understood that sometimes, it took a while for someone to get ready. He waited so patiently.
But Kawaii~Chan was worried. She could see how upset he was getting as time passed. She didn't ever come down. Kawaii~Chan decided to go upstairs and see what was happening, only to see that she wasn't even there.
That was hard to explain to Travis. And it broke Kawaii~Chan's heart to see how defeated he looked. So much so that the Meif'wa told him he could stay the night, and that she'll make him some cake to cheer him up.
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis kept trying, coming over every night. Yet it seemed like she was never home. Kawaii~Chan always helped him through this every night. She decided to tell Travis to stop coming over so often so he wouldn't get hurt so much.
He sat on the couch in his home. Dante held him close and let him just cry. It hurt Dante so much that Travis was still trying so much. Dante really wished that he stopped trying at all. It was just breaking his heart every night.
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis looked at her then back at his lap. He really didn't want to do this. He didn't want to end things with him. She was just so... everything what her wanted in his life. Why should he break up with her?
She wanted him, she's said so herself. She wanted to be in a relationship with him. He wanted to be with her. Why did Dante and Kawaii~Chan tell him that he needed to end things with her? They were so perfect together.
He pulled out the box and showed her to it. He decided to stop trying to go for a fancy proposal. This was far more personal. He opened the box and showed her the ring. It was so pretty, the golden ring had a blue diamond and a green emerald that formed a heart.
There was a long silence before she nodded. Travis' heart soared as he put the ring onto her finger. He gently kissed the back of her hand then pulled it close.
I would go through all this pain
Travis grinned at Dante as he told him the news. Dante looked a little disappointed, but Travis decided that it was because he had told Travis to break up with her, but instead, they had gotten engaged. Travis could see why he would be disappointed. It never even crossed his mind that it would be for anything else
Take a bullet straight through his brain
Travis gripped his arm, staring at her with tears in his eyes. Blood oozed from his arm. He felt lightheaded again. He fell down to his knees. She didn't even go after the person who had shot him. Why wasn't she going after them?
Yes, I would die for you, baby
Travis fell to his side. She must've called the police, right? That's why she was right here with him. He squeezed his eyes shut so he wouldn't cry. She would never let it go if she saw him cry. She saw crying as a weakness.
But you won't do the same
Travis could hear sirens ring loudly and he was picked up. He was put into an ambulance and zoomed off to a hospital.
If my body was on fire
Travis asked her a few days later why she didn't do anything. She gave him the blunt truth, that she didn't actually like him. That was completely soul crushing. Why would she act like she did if she didn't? Why would she take the time to string him along?
He sat on his bed and sobbed. He couldn't stop once it started. He made sure that he was alone. Travis didn't want anyone to see him like this. It was so embarrassing. He wasn't supposed to cry. She told him that. His father told him that.
Ooh, you'd watch me burn down in flames
Travis felt so numb for the next several days. He wouldn't talk to Dante, to Garroth, to anyone. He wouldn't even talk to himself like he used to. He just... felt empty. There was no emotions he really felt. His mind felt blank.
He didn't know what he was doing half the time. Travis just moved like a mindless husk. Unaware of anything, just doing things he needed to do to survive. He just did things without thought.
Dante watched his best friend just go through life like this. It hurt. He didn't know what to do. Travis wouldn't react to his touch. He would barely eat, he would barely do anything without thought. He just hated seeing Travis like this.
(Uh) But darlin', I'd still catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis found relief in his own blood. He held the knife his father had given him in his hand, staring at his arm in awe. His thick, dark red blood oozed from where he had made the first cut. He hasn't made any other cuts yet, but he knew he was going to make more.
All his numbness disappeared. He felt human again. It felt right to do it. It shouldn't, but it did. If Dante knew, Travis would be in some deep shit. That's why he'd take care of it before he left the room. He just needed this release.
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis would never admit it, but he still liked her. There were still such strong feelings. After he started to really feel again through daily cutting his arms up. The pain grounded him. She used to tell him that he deserved pain. His father would tell him that he deserved it too.
He came out of his room with a wide grin. If he couldn't have her, he could just... free himself. He didn't know how he was going to yet, there were so many options he could chose from.
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis could jump in front of a train, but that would make too big of a scene. Too many people would need to clean it up. So, that wasn't going to work. But how else could he do it? Drown himself? No, Dante would insist on going with him to the beach.
Dante loved going to the beach Travis. He said it was his favorite place to go with him. If Travis said that he was going to go anywhere with a body of water, Dante would immediately ask to join him. Which meant that it was out of the question.
You know I would I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Travis could hang himself. That was a good option. He already had rope in his closet, why, he couldn't remember anymore. Things from the past before her were so blurry.
I would go through all this pain
Travis stopped walking, but his grin didn't drop. After he started cutting, he almost constantly had a grin on his face. He didn't know if it was genuine anymore or not. He knew it unsettled everyone else, but he couldn't make it fall.
Not that he really wanted it to fall. This had to be better for them than the constant depressed mood, the numb Travis they had seen a few days before. This had to be better than what it was before. But they didn't know what caused the sudden mood change. It honestly scared Dante.
Dante found Travis and gently touched his shoulder.
Take a bullet straight through the brain
Travis looked at him and the grin finally fell. He sank to his knees, Dante following him down. The older pulled him into a hug and put his chin on the top of his head. He tried to reassure him that it was going to be okay, but Travis could barely hear him over his own sobs.
Dante didn't care that Travis was soaking his jacket with his tears. He was just so proud that Travis was showing something around him.
Yes, I would die for you, baby
Travis gripped onto Dante like he was a lifeline, which at this point, he basically was. Travis really didn't want to let go of him. Everything was crashing down. He was falling apart, it all hurt. Did he really want to end everything? Travis had Dante there with him.
But you won't do the same
Travis slowly stopped crying and pulled back a little. Dante looked at him with confusion and concern.
No, you won't do the same
Travis leaned up and pressed his lips onto Dante's. He couldn't believe that he was doing this, this felt like such a stupid idea. But...
You wouldn't do the same
Travis felt like this was so right. Just everything he needed. He didn't want to use Dante as a rebound. Dante was such an amazing person, and he wouldn't deserve that.
Ooh, you'd never do the same
Travis was so shocked and excited when Dante eagerly kissed back. All his fear of Dante feeling like he was being used melted away. It felt like the world would never be the same, and Travis didn't want it go back to how it was before. This was exactly what he needed to happen.
No, no, no, no
Travis broke the kiss then laughed. This was the most real he's felt in a long time. Dante started laughing with him. Which just lightened the mood even more. Maybe someday Travis would tell Dante about what he was doing to himself, what he was on the way to do this day, but for now, Travis just wanted to enjoy this moment.
"Irene, I love you," Travis giggled out.