Shine Bright Like a Diamond

For you? Of course.

Want me to go get him?

Yes, please. [Mason said quietly, reluctantly sitting back up and pulling his legs up onto the couch.]

Okay. I'll... I'll be right back, okay? Promise.

Oh... [Nova bit his lip.]

...Maybe we should tell Schuy tonight then. Better safe than sorry.

Mm, yeah. I guess you're right. Do you think he'd come back here? I don't want the loudness right now.

For you? Of course.

Want me to go get him?

...Are you worried about Vitya retaliating? Is that why you want to tell Schuy, too? [Nova asked gently.]

I suppose. Maybe. A little.

Oh... [Nova bit his lip.]

...Maybe we should tell Schuy tonight then. Better safe than sorry.

I love you, too, Mae.

[Nova nodded solemnly.] That... unfortunately, that sounds about right... [He had to admit.]

[Mason sighed, finding one of Nova's hands to hold onto.] I should probably tell Schuy what's going on too. So he's... aware. Vitya might not be too happy with me if he finds out about me telling them.

...Are you worried about Vitya retaliating? Is that why you want to tell Schuy, too? [Nova asked gently.]

That might be closer to reality, [Nova conceded.] And that's okay.

[He sucked in a deep breath. This was definitely... starting to remind him of something. But he was doing his best to keep that buried down as deep as he could. Things weren't about him right now.]

...It's not right... and it's definitely not fair... but... I think sometimes people fall in love with the idea of being with a certain person more than they fall in love with the actual person...

[Mason turned so he could look up at Nova properly. He brought a hand to his chest.] That's what I said! I love you. You get me.

Unfortunately, that just made him really extra mad and I had to call for help. Which... definitely means we were right.

I love you, too, Mae.

[Nova nodded solemnly.] That... unfortunately, that sounds about right... [He had to admit.]

You're not broken at all, [Nova was quick to say.]

And... I feel like that's a reasonable hope. They clearly care deeply for each other.

Well, everything around me is breaking.

They do. And Cee did so wonderful tonight. Vitya was ignoring everyone so hard he didn't even know the performance happened. Including Lemon. I didn't even see him talk to her tonight. Why hold onto someone so hard that you don't even want to be around?

That might be closer to reality, [Nova conceded.] And that's okay.

[He sucked in a deep breath. This was definitely... starting to remind him of something. But he was doing his best to keep that buried down as deep as he could. Things weren't about him right now.]

...It's not right... and it's definitely not fair... but... I think sometimes people fall in love with the idea of being with a certain person more than they fall in love with the actual person...

I get that, [Nova conceded.] It's always good to try to find the good when there is some. But at the same time... I don't think it's the end of the world if, sometimes, there just... isn't anything good about a situation. Admitting that isn't always a bad thing.

I do... still hope there's some good for Cee and Lemon eventually. So maybe I'm not totally broken yet.

You're not broken at all, [Nova was quick to say.]

And... I feel like that's a reasonable hope. They clearly care deeply for each other.

Who said you had to find the good in everything? [Nova asked gently.]

I don't know. I guess I've always tried. [Mason said quietly.] Cheerleader mindset, I guess. Or, you know... coping mechanism.

I get that, [Nova conceded.] It's always good to try to find the good when there is some. But at the same time... I don't think it's the end of the world if, sometimes, there just... isn't anything good about a situation. Admitting that isn't always a bad thing.

Of course, King. [Nova took a second to slip his bookmark into his book and set it aside before turning his full attention to Mason.]

Come here. Close your eyes and try to relax, [He whispered as he ran his hand through his boyfriend's hair.]

[Mason hummed at the comforting, familiar feeling.] It's getting harder to find the good in everything.

Who said you had to find the good in everything? [Nova asked gently.]

[Nova nodded slowly.] You can take a day or two. If it's already gone on this long, a day or two won't make that big of a difference in the grand scheme of things.

[Mason moved himself so he could lay his head in Nova's lap and looked up with sad puppy eyes.] Hair pets, please?

Of course, King. [Nova took a second to slip his bookmark into his book and set it aside before turning his full attention to Mason.]

Come here. Close your eyes and try to relax, [He whispered as he ran his hand through his boyfriend's hair.]

I wish I knew, Mae. I really do.

[Nova bit his lip and paused to really consider Mason's question for a long moment.] I can't tell you what to do in a situation like this, Mae. But... but I would tell them, yeah... [He decided cautiously.]

Because I know I'd want my friends to tell me if I were the one in that situation...

[Mason nodded slowly.] I know.

...which you never will be, by the way. [he said with a look Nova's way.] Can I at least until tomorrow? I'm so tired.

[Nova nodded slowly.] You can take a day or two. If it's already gone on this long, a day or two won't make that big of a difference in the grand scheme of things.

You do not suck, Mae. [Nova insisted.] You were clear from the beginning about what you felt was right. Past that, you can't force someone to make the right choices. Although I know that hearing that probably doesn't help it feel any less defeating.

[He slowly rubbed Mason's back.] Things have been really difficult the last couple months. It's completely normal for this to have been put on the backburner for a while.

[Mason sighed.] Why can't people just stop acting awful?

But... I have to tell them, don't I? He was pretty clear on not having any plans to and I can't just let them go on like that.

I wish I knew, Mae. I really do.

[Nova bit his lip and paused to really consider Mason's question for a long moment.] I can't tell you what to do in a situation like this, Mae. But... but I would tell them, yeah... [He decided cautiously.]

Because I know I'd want my friends to tell me if I were the one in that situation...

[Nova had to manually clench his jaw to prevent it from dropping. Much like he promised, he was in no way upset or angry with Mason over any of this, but that didn't stop him from being completely taken aback by what Vitya was doing here.] ...How much time has passed? [He found himself asking before he could help himself.

But quickly, he shook his head and held up the hand that wasn't currently holding Mason against him.] Sorry. You don't have to answer that id you don't want to. I just--... God, Mae, I am so sorry.

[Mason shook his head though.] It's okay, I already suck. I guess it's... been at least 6 weeks or so. I would've tried to talk to him again before this, I just got caught up in Jax and Schuy and Mads and... trying to stay sane through all of it. I sorta stopped thinking about it until Cee came to me with her whole plan.

You do not suck, Mae. [Nova insisted.] You were clear from the beginning about what you felt was right. Past that, you can't force someone to make the right choices. Although I know that hearing that probably doesn't help it feel any less defeating.

[He slowly rubbed Mason's back.] Things have been really difficult the last couple months. It's completely normal for this to have been put on the backburner for a while.

What?

[Nova softened as he met Mason's eyes.] Mae, I would never get mad at you. Especially over something like a secret you kept for a friend.

I talked to him awhile back and he told me he'd run into his ex-boyfriend. Who is also Schuy's ex-boyfriend, but that's not part of the story. And Vitya told me he realized he was still in love with him, but also in love with Lemon. And obviously I encouraged him to reflect and make a choice before anyone got hurt.

Except time has passed... and he's definitely still seeing them both. And... sleeping with them both. And honestly, I'm pretty sure he already was when he talked to me. [Mason stared down at his hands, still feeling terrible about the whole thing.]

And then I started helping Cee with this whole thing and it was so obvious how much she actually loves Lemon and how much she was hurting. And then she tells me she's staying with Lemon cause Vitya hasn't even been coming home lately. And I was just tired of seeing everyone hurting, so I went to talk to him and tell him this needs to stop.

...he didn't care for that.

[Nova had to manually clench his jaw to prevent it from dropping. Much like he promised, he was in no way upset or angry with Mason over any of this, but that didn't stop him from being completely taken aback by what Vitya was doing here.] ...How much time has passed? [He found himself asking before he could help himself.

But quickly, he shook his head and held up the hand that wasn't currently holding Mason against him.] Sorry. You don't have to answer that id you don't want to. I just--... God, Mae, I am so sorry.

Vitya yelled at you and Henri? Why? [Nova asked.] Do you need me to talk to him? I can talk go talk to him.

[Mason shook his head.] He left. After telling me I should lose his number.

[He lifted his head so he could meet Nova's eyes.] Promise you won't get mad, but I've sort of been keeping a secret. It's Vitya's secret and it doesn't have anything to do with us, but I still feel bad.

What?

[Nova softened as he met Mason's eyes.] Mae, I would never get mad at you. Especially over something like a secret you kept for a friend.