A nice, nice day it is. It was perfect. So nice while Audrey leaned over and splashed his hands in the water. It was great, slightly warm from the sun heating it. Audrey set his things to the side like his light jacket and other items that shouldn't get wet over to the side while he rolled up his pants and stuck his feet in the water.

That -really- felt nice.

But Audrey felt -so- crappy.

He laid back, feet in the water, squinting green eyes against the sun. Surprisingly, the day had been over all quiet. He didn't hear too many murmurs of thoughts or anything really. Nothing even about the odd shirt he had on. How many wore a black shirt with a huge Mr.Bubble plastered on it? He didn't know.

Not that it mattered.

It was nice not to have the underlying buzz of thoughts. It's just.. weird when you grow used to it and you just don't hear a single thing. Oh well, he gets these days every once in awhile so he decided to go out and think. Somehow, it found him here.

To Audrey's current situation, he's been mending a broken heart. Well, learning how the one you -really- love and honestly know it, and they're straight. Absolutely straight. So was informed by the person-being-loved's sister. He had avoided Bran since then, still carrying the pain that worked into his chest, letting Bran the freedom he believed that 19-year-old wanted away from Audrey since he liked girls so much. He even blocked Bran from himself, feeling much alone though. He figured Bran wanted it that way, so he was just doing it.

As a result, he felt like he could cry forever, but a painful lump would form, he'd often retch, and his chest would hurt. Audrey was head over heels in love, and he was feeling rejected in the emotions he needed, and over all, he just needed to see and be touched by Bran, but he hasn't seen him since that day before the meeting with his sister. With each thoughts, it brought new tears cascading down and catching in his eye lashes like jewels.

He let one lonely, pained, sad, etc. to the spectrum 'Bran' flow out from his mind, lifting the barrier from blocking people just a moment before slamming down like the castle mote door.

Bran

He'd been flying around the city when it hit him out of nowhere. He could hear every emotion bouncing around in his head as if it were his own. But how was he supposed to find Audrey now? He called back as best he could, but it was a moot point. Branwen wasn't telepathic, he'd only been able to speak to Audrey if he initiated it first.

Where had it come from? Hell if he knew.

But he needed to find out. Bran really needed to speak with Audrey. Whether or not he was gay wasn't the issue, but whether or not they were friends was.

Damn it, where is he?

He flew to where he'd hidden his clothes and pulled them on. He'd stopped by Ea's place to check that things were fine while she was staying at his apartment. They were. She hadn't lived all that far away from the conservatory, so it was a quick walk.

Why was he going to the conservatory anyway?

Audrey rolled over on his side, sighing. He had been too long. And it sucked. 'Bran?' This time, the connection lingered. Well, sort of. It flashed on and off. He was confused if he should talk to him, but in the end, he left the connection together. If he was to get better, he'd have to talk to him.

He held on to it this time, thank God.

And then it made sense why he was going to the nature reserve. Audrey was there, no wonder.

Bran let himself begin walking after he passed through the gates.

Audrey? Are you..ok?

What else could he say? What more could he ask?

Bran kept walking.

Audrey was being honest. 'Physically, my health is just fine. Mentally, well, I don't know. I couldn't guarentee that I'm feeling above the weather, because, well, everything feels like I got hit with a ten ton brick.' He sighed, cushioning his head on his arm, looking through slitted eyes at the glittering water.

He was also being rather blunt. It was a nice way to greet someone who was concerned for his welfare, don't you think?

Needless to say, it didn't help Bran's heart at all. On the one hand, it only made him feel more responsible for making Audrey feel that way, on the other he was a little upset--angry--that he got a response like that. In the end, neither won out and he was left confused again.

Well...uhh...I talked to Ea...

He hoped that that would spark something, any form of halfway decent conversation. At the very least it got them on common ground.

His feet kept taking him where they wanted.

That left a really uncomfortable silence and a few bursts of pain for Audrey. He awkwardly tried to steer from that. He never wanted to relieve those moments again. EVER. That was one of the most painful things to have his heart ripped out and killed by his sister. '..How have you been? I've only checked up when you've been asleep and most of the times I'd get stuck in a dream.'

His hand went to his face and then fell back to his side again. He let out a sigh, knowing what Audrey was doing.

He played along.

Must explain why they've been so weird lately, he joked, attempting to make light of what was quickly becoming a depressing conversation.

His humor didn't do anything but make the entire thing seem absurd, the way they were dancing around the confrontation.

Things have been ok, he sighed again, Nothing much noteworthy.

His feet brought him to a tree. Bran put his back against it and leaned his head back with his eyes closed. This was going to get difficult.

'Yeah, You've been having some weird dreams. I miss it.' Audrey smiled a little, but it vanished soon as he closed his eyes. 'So your job has been going well? Mine has. Work, sleep, Work, sleep. Good way to go I would suppose. Keeps me busy.'

He fisted his hands and hit them against the treebark. What the hell was he supposed to say? Audrey was making stupid small talk while they had bigger fish to fry. His face screnched into a scowl while he tried to come up with something to say.

Why'd you block me, Audrey? And don't beat around the bush this time. What got you so rattled that you cut yourself off completely?

He tried to keep the frustration out of his thoughts, really he did. But that was the thing, they were his thoughts. Bran thought them before he could think about them...which is odd, if you think about it.

'What has me so rattled?' He frowned, bringing a leg up to his chest. 'If you really want to know. I wanted to be.. sort of traditional. I love you- told your sister that. Got my heart ripped out, and if it wasn't already ripped out then when I found out, then it was stomped on when she made it very blatant that there was, is, and never will be anything of a shred of a feeling.' Well, there it is in a nut shell. 'And if you don't mind, I couldn't deal with it right off the bat. It hurts.'

Well, perhaps if you'd gone to me first before you went off on your own you might have found something to alleviate your pain! Jeez, Audrey! Don't go off like that with only one side of a story! Yeah, she's my sister and she's known more about me for longer than anyone, but she's not me, damn it. Get your facts straight before you go ballistic.

Damn him and his runaway mouth, er--mind. But what else was there? Bran was like that. He got upset and wasn't afraid to show it until it was too late.

He pushed himself from the tree and started walking again, mercilessly stomping on underbrush and kicking things as he went.

Audrey was quiet for a pretty good time. 'Well, she spelled it out pretty plainly. What else should I have done? I'd still be a fool either way.' He sighed, throwing his arms over his head. 'A huge, huge, HUGE fool. Not good.' He sighed and grumbled a little while. 'Albeit, still miss you. ButI can't get attached, so I gotta keep distance.'

You're still my friend, Audrey, or have you forgotten that?

He stopped.

Audrey sat up straight. 'I've never forgotten that! Bran! I never did. What I have been thinking about is how awkward I'd make you. How much I'd want to tell you that I love you and how much I just couldn't. How wrong it'd be and how I'd just.. basically fuck everything up.'

He shook his head. Was Audrey blind?

I don't know what to tell you. But do you honestly think that I'd come out here looking for you if there wasn't some measure of care between us? Even if it's completely platonic, it's still love.

It's still... He shook his head again.

It's still something.

He idly threw a stone he'd been toying with.

'It is. I'm grateful for that. I just don't think.. I can face you. I probably look like shit- for that's what it has been these few days. Urgh, It's just not good Bran. I'd want a hug and it'd be like the story, 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' and he goes on to wanting something else and so on, back to the cookie.' Audrey puffed, laying down and covering himself with his arms.

Bran's eyes followed the stone's trajectory and it brought him to a clearing with a small river running through it. There lying next to the river was Audrey. Heh, of all the luck..

He quietly made his way into the clearing and sat against the trunk of a tree, all the while watching. He was tired and his face showed it as much as his mind did.

I'm sorry, Audrey, but what can I say that will make it better? I can't just change, things don't happen that way.

'Like I said Bran, I just can't face you. I just can't. I know you can't change, and I don't want you to. I'm sure there's some nice girl out there that would about kill herself for you.' He sighed, covering his face with his arms, squeezing them shut.

"Damn it, Audrey. Don't talk like that."

It had left his mouth before he realized it.

His body froze and so did his thoughts. He was as silent and still as a mouse, and probably just as scared as one. Heck, it wasn't just scared that he was there, he was -terrified-. Slowly, he peeked up, eyes as large as saucers, trying to determine if he was real of not.

Wow, this was awkward...he hadn't meant to actually say it.

"Hi.." Bran offered a weak smile and a wave.

Well, what Audrey did probably wasn't that much better. He got up and ran to Bran, flinging himself on Bran attached with a crushing hug. The waterworks just turned on and he was mumbling something incoherent. Some sorries could be heard, but the also "I shouldn't be doing this" and so on's. He was one confused telepath.

Despite the "I shouldn't be doing this"'s and the obvious wrinkle in their relationship, Bran did what he would do for anyone he was close to. He put an arm on Audrey's shoulders and let him cry.

Bran didn't bother with saying anything. He just occasionally gave Audrey a pat or two and time to let out what he needed.

Audrey used his shoulder for the past week's troubles. When he could muster words together, he did, but he did not once lift his face and show it to Bran. "I'm sorry. I should have told you first, but I didn't want -THIS- to happen. If anything at all, I'd still want to be friends. We're friends, but now it's so.. It's.. I messed it up!" And there went another round of water works. "I'm sorry, Bran. I tried so hard, but I still messed it all up."

Was there anything he could say that would stop Audrey from feeling like he'd just destroyed their friendship? Probably not.

He had no idea what else to do. After he let Audrey cry a few more minutes, Bran brought both of them up to stand.

"Come on, let's go. A nature reserve isn't really the best place to be discussing this, it closes at sundown," he put on a smile, "You don't want to get stuck here, do you?"

Now he felt like a child, wiping away his tears. He hugged Bran, murmuring a thanks- and ending up in more tears. Not sad ones, but actually grateful. 'Can't talk again. All choked up. No, I don't want to be stuck here, but where will we go? Can't go to your place, your sister obviously wouldn't be thrilled.' Audrey was now quite possibly afraid of Ea.

Bran just had to smile at that. Perhaps he'd never noticed it, but Ea could be just as bad as himself sometimes.

"What do you say to Diary Queen? You can get that Blizzard and I promise I won't take any this time."

He vaguely remembered where the exit to the park was. It was a good thing his feet remembered better than he did.

'No, I don't mind. We can steal each other's, after all, your's ended up on your short last.' Audrey took a hold of Bran's arm, hanging onto it as if that was his last life line. He felt that if he ever let go, Bran would disappear again and forever. 'Sucks. Cried like a baby right in front of you and I'm sure my eyes are red and puffy, making me look like a drug-addicted person in withdrawal.'