I miss my old roommate!

Ping had kept running away from his new room, keeping himself from crying, keeping himself from scream from the frustration. His ankle kept hurting as hell, but it didn't stop him from running. Why? Of all those people, why SHan Yu? He wouldn't have shared the room with him, he just couldn't: he would have became his toy! He wasn't even thinking where he was going in that moment, it was late night and he had no idea of what to do: he just knew he had to escape... and he was so taken by his thoughts that he didn't even see Tulio walking in the other direction and bumped strictly into him, falling on the floor...

Tulio had walked with his hands in his pockets, and his eyes shut tightly, preventing himself from crying.
Why was she doing this to him? He was already missing his old ways, his old happy lifestyle. Why could he not have that back? Why had she stripped him of everything he was and everything he believed just to hurt him?
And even more so.. why could he not break free of this spell now that he wanted to?
He was just about to shed his first tear when Ping ran into him, making them both fall to the ground.
"Woah, easy there kid," he laughed weakly, but was immidiatly worried about the boy.
"Are you okay?" he asked, the concern clear on his face as he diverted all attention to Ping.

For a second he was really worried he had bumped in Shan Yu, but when he recognized Tulio he felt better: it was kinda funny how that afternoon being next to him had made her heart beat faster and now instead his presence was already making her calm down.
He opened the mouth to tell him that, yeah, he was fine... but he didn't feel to lie at him... after a few seconds he simply shrugged, and it was clear in his expression that he was feeling really upset... but so it was on Tulio's face... "And you?" he asked honestly interested in the friend

Normally Tulio would tell Ping everything, but not tonight. Or maybe later.
The desperate look on Ping's face told him that his own problems were minor compared to Ping's.
"What's up with you?" he asked again, not buckling before he got his answer.
After the... incident... Tulio wasn't that willing to let Ping out of sight without knowing of his problems.

What had he to reply now? That his new roommate was a problem? It wouldn't have ment a lot... and he couldn't say why it was a problem...
"It's... it's a l-long story..." he replied after a while, sighing. He couldn't explain to Tulio what was happening... his expression was exactly the one that he had the last time, and like the last time... he didn't seem really intentioned to talk...

"The last time you said that.." Tulio sighed, but stopped himself. Best not to talk about that time.
Instead he took a deep breath and looked directly into Ping's eyes, to know if he was telling the truth.
"Okay.. if you promise me you're okay," he said, still with the worried tone in his voice.

last time... yeah... the memory made him have a chill on his back...
at Tulio's last phrase he opened his mind to tell him that he was fine, just to stop the conversation, but... he needed to someone by his side, and he didn't want to lie to Tulio... he needed him in that moment even if he couldn't explain him... maybe he could try to tell him something... but... he sighed and put his gace in his hands hiding it
"I'm everything but fine..." he replied in the end honestly

Tulio didn't need him to say anything more than that before he quickly hugged him tightly.
Not too long, any long duration of a tight hug would seem out of place for a man-to-man relationship, but Tulio still wanted to reassure him he was there for Ping whenever he would need him.
"Want to tell me?" he asked, trying not to get his hopes up.

Even if it lasted only a bit, he appreacieted Tulio's hug and for a few seconds he hugged him back, and he needed it too much ad a friend in that moment to focus on anything else about Tulio.
At his question he sighed, torned...
"Yes..." he replied in the end... "but... it's... c-complex..."

"Then make it simple," he said and winked at Ping trying to make him feel better as he tried to stand up on the grass again, brushing grass off of his pants. This was the second time he had fallen down today and his back was still aching.
He stretched it and put a hand on it to help the aching, but didn't say a word about it to Ping.
He had problems enough as it was.

He tried to find a simple way to tell it... but his mind was so blurred and filled with horrible memories... when Tulio stretched a hand to help him he accepted the help, after all his ankle still hurted, even if he wasn't showing it... expecially not to Tulio, he thought: that could seem... weird...
after a few seconds, looking at the moon with an fosused expression that however couldn't hide his worry, he started to talk "I-it's... about m-my new roommate... is just... we have fought... kinda... a lot, since the arriving on the island... but... he's too strong, i can't defeat him and i-its seems like he likes hu-humiliate me..." he couldn't say more, and at that point he had already become red for anger and strustration... he lowered his glance...

Tulio rolled his eyes, having a feeling he knew exactly who Ping was talking about.
"Shan Yu huh?" he laughed and put an arm around Ping as they started walking around. Tulio needed some exercise for his backpain, and he felt like he needed to walk it off. "He seems to be the source of all our problems doesn't he?" he laughed.

That name made he have a new, evident chill on his back and he couldn't help but swallow. For a moment he was really tempted to just threw himself in Tulio's arms: he had never felt so safe as in his arms... but he couldn't do it and he kept himself from do it... at his last question he got the reason of the friend's upset: "Rose, uh?"

He sighed, but realized there was no point denying it.
"Yeah... she's been sneaking off with that guy," he mumbled bitterly.
"What does she see in that beast anyway?" he said, before calming himself down forcefully.
"I gave her everything..." he sighed with resentment. "And still..."

He listened to him and couldn't help but grin a bit when he called Shan Yu 'beast' as he did. Then, when he saw how resentment there was in him and listened his words, he felt bad for him... he didn't want to see Tulio sad...
"Maybe she just doesn't deserve you..." he replied, and in part he was actually honest: if she was going out with Shan Yu she surely didn't deserve Tulio... and also... well, if Eris wanted them separated, where was the problem in doing it?

He rubbed Ping's head playfully, messing up his hair once again as a crooked grin appeared on his face.
"But she's... perfect," he said dreamingly and laughed. How could someone like that not be worthy of anything she desired?
He smiled for a while more and sighed before glancing at Ping again.
"However..." he said, his mind wandering off..

she was... perfect... yeah... "But she's not even the only one" he replied shrugging with a smile "maybe you can meet someone else..." he didn't know if he was now exagerating: maybe Tulio didn't want to hear it... so he didn't continue...

Tulio looked at Ping, almost if he was searching him for something. Did he know...? He couldn't...
"I kissed someone.." Tulio admitted, realizing he couldn't keep a secret from Ping, specially not one so big.
"I have betrayed and been unfaithful on to the only lady I would dare call my wife.." he sighed, the regret showing deeply on his face. He needed to tell Rose, but he wasn't sure how. And there was something else that had bothered him about the kiss...
"But through my guilt and fear I... I liked it," he said flatly and looked to Ping to see his reaction.
"Maybe I am not meant for one girl," he sighed. "I was happy with my life before she enchanted me..."

He had to work hard to stay calm and not show his emotions, even if he felt his heart bumping strongly in his chest... he was talking about him... he felt guilty to hide who actually was the girl... bt he couldn't tell him... and... when he said that he liked it... he swallowed, keeping his calm attitude
"Maybe she's just not the right girl..." he smiled to him, reassuring "maybe... maybe you still have to find the right one... Rose can be good, but maybe... she's just not the one..." then, clearing his throat, he asked like he was just curious about it "SO, t-tell me... how was this other girl?"

Tulio couldn't help but laugh out loudly once he remembered his thoughts from earlier.
"She's just like you," he admitted, winking at the boy. "You would like her."
He smiled, but it slowly disappeared from his face, and another, softer smile took it's place as he shook his head.
"I can't leave Rose," he said softly, more to himself than to Ping. "I... love her," he spoke softly, as in a dreamy state.

He couldn't help but blush a bit at this point: luckily he hadn't get how much similar they were... bute then... when he continued... the blush disappeared til leave him pale... he loved her... he swallowed: maybe it was right in that way... and maybe Shan Yu was only a liar and Eris didn't actually want to separate them... "Then you shouldn't be here with me, but with her..." he replied with a forced smile, feeling something inside him breaking. But it was right in that way... he wanted him happy and... he couldn't make him happy...

He sighed, but smiled at Tulio, too blinded by his love and affection to see the boy was simply faking it once again.
"Thanks kid," he said before laughing softly. "What would I ever do without you huh?" he asked and bent down to pick up a flower. It was the same flower Tulio had given to Ping when he had first taught him the meaning of beauty.
Now he was about to give it to another girl while begging for forgivenes..
"Wish me luck, heh?" he asked as he winked at the boy and disappeared towards his and Rose's room.

Ping smiled to him, looking at him picking up the flower... he remember when he picked it for him... even if he didn't ment it in the same way he was doing it now...
"Good luck" he replied faking a new smile, but as soon as Tulio disappeared from his view, the smile disappeared as well and a silent tear crossed his cheeck, followed by another one, and another one, and another one... it seemed like nothing would have stopped her... he felt like something was actually broken inside him, a pain harder then a broke bone, stronger then when Shan Yu raped him...
he was horrible... he was still Meg's boyfriend, she had been so nice to him, so sweet, so gentle, and still... he had fallen for someone else... someone that would have never looked at him like he whished to... he remained there, crying silently hidden by the trees for a long time then, without carying about the darkness, he walked toward Eris's temple... he didn't know what to do, but he couldn't come back to his own room, and go to Meg in that moment seemed just wrong... in the temple, at least, Eris would have protected him... or so he wanted to believe...