Awsten couldn't stop crying. He tried his hardest to push back the tears but they refused to leave.

The same pain Awsten felt resonated in Geoff's chest but for another reason. He hated seeing the small boy in pain.

Gut wrenching sobs forced tears to surface from the brunette's eyes. Subconsciously, Geoff moved from the doorway to his roomate.

Awsten cried harder and clung to the arms that held so much security and love.

The plain silver frame shook in unsteady hands as it was decorated with fresh, hot tears.

Only two words could be made out from the tirade of mangled up cries.

"He's gone." The two words were repeated over and over until Geoff's heart was in the same condition as Awsten's.

Who knew that all it took was one ball, one car and one minute for Gee to be gone forever.

-

Two weeks later and still Awsten hadn't left the house. After many arguments, many more tears and many thrown cushions Geoff was close to giving up.

All he wanted was the blue haired boy to go outside for more than five minutes at least.

"Please Aws. Just come with me to see Otto. We don't have to be there long but you need to go outside. It's been two wee-"

"And it's not long enough!" Awsten's yell interrupted Geoff's pleas causing silence to fall over the two men. Even Jet was grieving. She hadn't moved since Awsten broke down. It was almost as if their moods fuelled each other's.

"Please Awsten," Geoff's voice had dropped down to a whisper, close to cracking. "Just a couple of hours. That's all and then we can come back and you can sit back in this little hole you've created for as long as you want. I honestly don't care anymore."

For a while neither of them spoke a word. Awsten seemed to curl in on himself; then Geoff spoke again.

"All I want is to see you smile."

-

"Hold on, hold on I'm coming. Babe can you get Geoffrey and Lily?" Grace closed the bedroom door behind her and rushed downstairs to answer the door.

She smiled warmly at their visitors but her face quickly fell when she noticed their somber expressions.

Silent conversations passed between Grace and Geoff. From the look on Awsten's face it soon became clear he wasn't ok. She held the door open wider to invite them in which Geoff understood.

Awsten, however, stood swaying in the breeze with a far away stare.

"Awsten?" Grace's voice seemed to startle him and bring him back down to Earth. He nodded and walked inside, the door closing behind him.

From somewhere upstairs another door could be heard opening and closing. Soon another familiar face joined the trio. Otto could feel the mood in the hallway from the top of the stairs.

Wordlessly, he ushered the group into the living room and sat opposite the two seemingly broken men.

"What's going on?" Immediately Otto regretted asking the stupid question.

"Gee passed away two weeks ago." Geoff murmered, his fingers laced through Awsten's in a comforting gesture. More tears sprung to the young man's eyes. He gripped Geoff's hand tightly and avoided eye contact.

A small whimper escaped Grace's mouth and she curled into Otto's side. He held her while she cried, letting the tears soak through his shirt.

From above them tiny paws pattered on the wooden floor and the comforting noises of two dogs communicating, drifted through.

For one moment Awsten's head shot up and his heart filled with hope. But just as soon as it arrived, it vanished and he was left with the throbbing pain of reality.

"I can't do this." He managed to choke out, before sprinting out of the house. His legs carried him to the field where he collapsed beneath a leafy canopy.

Clouds swarmed above the house and darkened like his heart. As the first few raindrops fell, Geoff darted from the house towards the sobbing man cowering under a tree.

"Hey, hey calm down." Geoff crouched down to hug him but Awsten jerked away.

"Don't fucking touch me! Don't fucking tell me to calm down and don't you dare say it's gonna be ok because you don't know shit! You can't promise anything!" Awsten spat.

"Can't I? Do I not know what I'm saying? It wasn't just your dog who died, he was mine too. Our dog died." He saw Awsten flinch which pushed him further over the edge.

"Don't look at me like that because it's true. You have to learn to say it because our dog died! HE FUCKING DIED AND YOU CAN'T JUST CRY AND PRETEND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AND JUST NOT SAY THE WORDS BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HOW LIFE FUCKING WORKS! IF THAT'S HOW LIFE WENT THEN WE WOULD NEVER HAVE TO FACE EVERYTHING AND WE WOULD KEEP EVERYTHING INSIDE AND NEVER BE HAPPY AGAIN!" Geoff exploded into a tirade of pent up anger and frustration. For two whole weeks Awsten had been moping around and he was sick of it.

"Losing a dog is hard. Losing anyone or anything is hard. Pain is pain and no matter how little or small it is doesn't mean it doesn't compare to someone else's because it hurts. I've lost my Mom and you've lost a dog. It's a different kind of pain but still fucking hurts so cry and get over it. This is life now, Awsten and it fucking sucks but get used to it."

Red faced, the brunette turned around and pressed his forehead to the ground, shaking with anger and pain.

Awsten timidly reached for his arms and pulled them over himself, forcing Geoff to hug him tightly until his grip loosened with a lack of emotion.

Awsten turned round in Geoff's arms to hide his face in the older's chest.

"I know."

Geoff let out a shaky breath and kissed the top of Awsten's head.

"I know this is hard and I know this hurts. It hurts me too but I've been through this pain before and I can honestly tell you that it gets better. It really does. Words can't help, hugs can't help but we can get through this I promise. You're gonna be ok Awsten." Geoff lifted his chin and locked his blues eyes with Awsten's. "I'm not leaving you to get through this alone."

There were no words that could fix a broken heart. Only time. Not even the strongest love could glue the pieces back together.

But it could try.