Misgivings and Misconceptions

"You wanna bet?" Haru asked with a grin, catching David's fist and pinning it back to to the mat. "Is he vocal with you? He gets so loud my neighbors bang on the walls....."

After being thrown to the ground quite unexpectedly, Jean took a few seconds to get back up. After hearing everything both Haru and David had said, Jean was pissed at both of them for different reasons. And the first of his targets was Haru, for lying through his teeth and giving David all the wrong impressions on purpose. "You lying sack of shit!" Jean yelled, stomping across the ring and grabbing Haru by the back of his hair, yanking his head back and driving his fist into Haru's throat without remorse. He yanked Haru back harder to throw him on his back, and then turned to get in between his boyfriend and the asshole to break up the fight. Getting down to his knees, he tried to help David up.

"And you! First of all, I don't belong to you, and most of all not to him. If you'd just calm down and give me a second to explain everything..."

"Why explain anything Richards, it's all out in the open now, no need to string the loser along anymore" Haru coughed, getting back up to one knee. His throat was raw as hell now but he had a shit-eating grin on his face, damn he was one hell of a teacher.

Dave glared at Jean, "Don't touch me. You've done enough Jean! Just leave me alone."

Snatching his hand away, he stormed out of the gym, slamming the door on the way out, not stopping till he got home. After getting back, he slammed the door shut before giving a roar of anger and falling to the ground, all the pent up anguish in him now let loose as tears rolled down his face.

Never has he felt as much pain as he was feeling now....he sat there and let it all out, not caring who heard him through his walls.

Jean watched dumbfounded as David snarled at him and pushed him away, storming out of the gym on his own. Haru began to snicker, clearly quite pleased with his work here. Jean turned to glare at him, rage in his eyes. It was all his fault that whatever had just happened. If Haru had only shut his fucking mouth, if he had only told the truth....Grahhhh!

Jean ran at Haru fists clenched, but the Japanese wrestler simply ducked out of the ring before he could get to him.

"That's time Richards, same time next week?" Haru laughed, blowing Jean a fake kiss as he turned his back and began to leave. He wasn't afraid of the blonde coming after him, oh no, the sappy types like him would go running back to their significant other to try to smooth things over. This would probably settle his little crush too. Richards might be a hot little piece of ass but he wasn't Haru's type by a long shot.

Meanwhile, Jean sunk to his knees as Haru left. He was boiling over with rage and disbelief. How could something like this happen? Was his relationship with David really that weak that a few words from a snake like Haru could tear them apart? Everything was supposed to be a huge surprise for David, his secret cosplay project was going to make him so happy, and now it was breaking his heart. And Jean's too.

Finding his resolve, Jean picked himself up from the floor and grabbed his gym bag, running out the door. He had to make things clear to David, to get through to him and make things right.

Jean showed up on David's doorstep thirty minutes later, panting and sweating from running all the way there. In his haste leaving the gym he wasn't thinking straight enough to call a taxi or take the trains, he just wanted to get to David. Stepping up to the door, he tried his key but found that the second inner lock must have been locked from the inside. Jean knocked heavily three times on the door.

"David.....it's me.....it's Jean.....please open up....." he said in between big breaths, using the door to hold himself up. "Please David.....let me explain....it's not what you think!"

Dave's head snapped up at the voice, sitting against a wall and facing the door with bloodshot. Part of him was tempted to open it, but then all the memories of what happened came flooding back, and his anger overtook his judgement. He continued to remain silent, not going to answer his now ex-boyfriend.

'No...why don't you go flirt with the musclebound idiot and leave me alone. Hell you've been doing that for weeks.' he thought bitterly. If looks could kill, his eyes would burn holes through the door and into Jean's heart.

"David please......I know you're in there" Jean pleaded, knocking twice more just to see if David would relent. When he heard no answer, Jean sighed and set his back against the door, sliding to the floor. It was starting to feel hopeless, like he'd never get through to him, but Jean couldn't give up just yet.

"I know you think you've got it all figured out, that you know what you saw, but you're wrong. There's no anything between Haru and I, I swear! I'm dating you, David Blake, and it's you I want to come home to at the end of the day. I know I've been distant lately, but there's a good reason for it! I just.....I can't tell you right now.....just trust me Dave..."

"How can I trust you.... after what I saw" Dave asked him, stomping to the door but not opening it. His voice sounded hollow and broken. He hasn't felt like this since he was a helpless little kid who got beat up everyday...and that was a long time ago....and yet one little act inflicted more pain than a thousand of those beatings combined.

"If I'm wrong about what I saw, tell me what exactly I saw besides the two of you practically dry-fucking in the gym" he shot at him, Why did you react that way if you're not dating him, and most importantly: Why are you keeping secrets from me, when I have been so open with you!?" he grilled Jean, his voice building to a shout before slamming a fist against the door.

Jean's spirits lifted momentarily when he heard David coming to the door, but every accusation thereafter was like a stab to the heart. He jumped slightly when David slammed his fist against the door, he didn't know what to say, especially about Haru. Jean stood back up, pressing his forehead against the door.

"Dave...." Jean choked, trying to find the right words, the words that would solve this mess and make everything better. "I don't know why Haru said those things to you, why he fought back and....and you surprised me, that's all. I know we looked like we were....involved....but I swear we were sparring! He'd been tossing me around like it was nothing the whole time and insulting me at every turn, I just wanted to get back at him! I jumped on him to catch him by surprise but he trapped me in the corner and that's when you came in!"

"Jean...I may be a geek who obsesses over superheroes...but I'm not an idiot." Dave answered, trying to hold back tears, "Just...just go...you've done more than the bullies ever did to me."

"Damn it David!" Jean shouted, angrily pounding his fist against the door this time. He just wasn't listening to him, and Jean was getting overly frustrated. His thoughts were being ruled by emotion and passion, and he was definitely going to end up saying something he would regret later.

"You know what? FINE! Don't listen to me! Don't listen to reason! You know what? I'm glad Haru fucked things up for us, it let me see you for what you really are! I really dodged a bullet there, how could I ever have fallen for such a naive idiot of a man-child!" Jean yelled, kicking the door so hard he thought momentarily he might have broken his toe. He stomped away promptly, but made sure to angrily fish the spare key David had given him from his pocket. He threw it at the door as hard as he could and it bounced from the door to the ground with a loud metallic twang. And just like that, Jean was gone, just like their relationship.