Alex swallowed hard. He really messed up yesterday, and he wants to tell his lover even if he has no idea how. He crept over to their room and knocked gently on the door just as the first blush of sunrise crept over the horizon, casting soft gold against the edges of the world. His breath caught in his throat as he waited, heart heavy with words he couldn't quite bring himself to say.

When the door creaked open and their eyes met, his voice trembled, barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry,” he said, eyes glistening but steady, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just... I need you to trust me, even if I can’t explain everything right now.” He hesitated, the silence between them thick with everything unsaid, and then added more softly, “I still love you. That hasn’t changed.."

He sighed. After literal hours, he still lingered in the doorway, his fingers curled tightly around the strap of the worn backpack slung over one shoulder, like it was the only thing tethering him to the ground. The cool morning air clung to his skin, but the chill in their silence cut deeper. “I wish I could stay,” he said, eyes flicking to the familiar curve of their cheek, the shadowed places he used to kiss good morning. “I wish I could tell you everything, but it’s not that simple. Not yet.” His voice cracked, and he looked down, ashamed of the way his truth kept slipping through his grasp like smoke. “Please, just... don’t think this is about us. Not really. It’s something I have to figure out on my own. I need to be whole before I can be what you deserve.” The light was creeping higher now, spilling warmth across their doorstep, but he felt further away than ever. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again, softer this time, and turned as if the goodbye had already been decided long ago.