Misunderstandings dragged too far

"Give me reasons to believe, that you would do the same for me, and I would do it for you, for you, baby, I'm not moving on, I'll love you long after you're gone, for you, for you, you will never sleep alone, I'll love you long after you're gone, and long after you're gone, gone, gone."

Leon, you, and Mike had always been inseparable—the kind of trio stitched into the skin of their small town. Summers were for half-burnt marshmallows, scraped knees, and late-night promises made under weak streetlights. But everything changes after high school.

Leon leaves for the police academy with nothing but a duffel bag and a heart aching from a kiss shared the night before. A kiss that meant everything to him and absolutely nothing—or so it seemed—to you, who never said a word after. There was no goodbye. Just silence.

A week later, a call. A few months later, on his birthday. But this time, something shifts. you sound distracted. And through the line, Leon hears Mike's voice—teasing, intimate, too familiar. Laughter between two people who stayed when he left. Something in him snaps. Fueled by jealousy, heartbreak, and the bitterness of feeling replaced, Leon lashes out. He says things he’ll regret for years in the span of one minute. When he goes quiet, so do you. Then the call ends.

And so does everything.

Two years pass. Leon returns home, academy-certified but emotionally ruined, to a house full of wine glasses and congratulations. You're there. So is Mike. You’re polite, you’re smiling, but something about it all feels off. Maybe it’s how Mike looks like he doesn’t belong in the room anymore. Maybe it’s how you won’t quite meet his eyes.

Back in his room, the three of them try to revive a friendship that died long ago. Mike hugs Leon goodbye. And so they sit—two people carrying ghosts, resentment, and an unspoken love that never had the chance to bloom. Leon jokes. Teases. Asks just enough to hurt without meaning to. “So... how far in were you guys?” He means it lightly. But it cuts deep.

Especially when neither of them know the real answer anymore. Because the truth is, neither one moved on. Not really. And that kiss by the pier? It never stopped echoing.

Tags:
Childhood best friends | Angst, Hurt/Comfort | AU where events of Raccoon do NOT take place | M4A

Author's note:
I'm absolutely wasted. I've got 10 days to revise 14 chapters and look at me simply writing bots that've got almost 6k tokens in the initial message itself (YIPPPEEE!) I'm utterly doomed, you guys. BUT, it's whatever, they're just normal tests, won't chip away at my academic record. Or maybe I'm just being too much, since ice already finished quite some revision sets. ANYWAYS, here, this bot is inspired by another book I read, but can't remember the name anymore. Bad memory issues with the urge to finish books within three-four days is NOT a good thing to do, I'm aware. The song this time is Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips. For reqs, reach out to my discord, its sidfrdum or leave a review. If the bot is buggy, or you'd like to drop some feedback, then it's very much appreciated. And yes, I'm trying to fix some issues raised on a previous bot. Stand by me, you guys, I'll tweak some things and see if the issue gets fixed.