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The fetch's words still echoed in his mind. Jeremiah was, in all honesty, afraid of just what it had done. He had an idea of it and if it was that-

It made his stomach sick.

Still, not facing him, not talking to Aleksy about it, was doing him a far greater disservice. Not that he really expected 'I'm sorry, it was an evil doppelganger and not me' would really make it all better. Jeremiah was going to work up to it but the first step was heading to pocket full of posies when he thought that Aleksy was not working. The silver-haired man was carrying a potted plant, one with long green leaves and clearly not in blossom, as he came into the shop.

He just needed to talk to whomever was working and leave it for Aleksy along with a note that he wanted to talk with him.

... as he could not even bring himself to text him without his stomach lurching.

The bell jingled as he entered.

For ******** sake.

Jeremiah froze on the spot, not quite ready to be getting that look from Aleksy or having actually ran into him.

(Some part of him wished he had just decided to play online instead of come here but his recent MMO addiction was neither here nor there.)

Taking a deep breath, he stepped further into the shop and set the pot on the counter before he went to follow Aleksy into freezer.

Which was terrible for him, he was cold enough as it was. Aleksy knew this.

His hands slipped behind his back after he stepped into the freezer, the door clicking shut,and he watched the redhead as he was putting up the bouquets.

"Aleksy," his voice was even, "can we talk a moment?" That-

That was literally the worst opening ever. Way to go, Jeremiah.

Jeremiah flinched, as much as he was like to. His eyes sliding shut briefly and a breath escaping. It did not mist in the air, he was already cold.

He backed up a step, the freezer door pushed open just a crack. An avenue of escaping, not at all trying to corner.

Then, he proceeded to do something he rarely did. "Please?" Another breath. "Just for a couple of minutes? Then I'll go and stay away, alright?"

"I'm not going to touch you," he said insistently, "I'm not- <********>." His stomach rolled because that was-

Safe word. Repeated usage of. It had been hard to not leave when he said it the first time but now-

"It wasn't me," Jeremiah said weakly. It had- the fetch had- "I'm sorry."

He couldn't stay, he wouldn't stay, not when Aleksy wanted him away. The freezer door was opened and he was going out it.

The sound of Aleksy starting to slide down the wall had him turning, Jeremiah watching as he crumpled to the floor.

It hurt.

This was the exact kind of thing he fixed, not that he caused (and he was the cause right now, not the thing that had worn his face and had his memories and knew just what it was breaking).

Jeremiah couldn't-

He walked over to Aleksy, kept a careful distance from him, and crouched."Aleksy ... please come out of here. I'm going to leave, I promise," and promises were rare things, "because you said no and I have to listen to that, alright? ... but staying in here isn't good."

Jeremiah was gone before Aleksy even said 'I said no!'

He wouldn't be back.

The potted plant remained on the front counter was the only thing that showed he had been there because otherwise he had disappeared into thin air. It was one of the orchids he had saved from his garden. One of two that had survived the rains, something he had planted years ago for Aleksy.