Tobi ignored calls from Mattias for two days, not wanting to talk about the breakup. The calls came frequently and he declined every one until Mattias became excessively persistent, calling every five minutes. Tobi turned his notifications off.

Apparently, Mattias was worried and not just curious about what happened. Or, at least, this is what he said when he showed up at Tobi's apartment.

Tobi hadn't been expecting guests and answered the knock at the door out of curiousity.

As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.

Mattias immediately launched into a rant about how when Tobi stopped declining his calls, he began to worry that Tobi had taken his life.

"Please," Tobi scoffed. "I'm not that dramatic." He ignored the pointed look he received from Mattias in response.

"Still, I was worried about you. You need to talk about what happened because bottling your feelings isn't good for you and I need to know," Mattias continued. "I've been your wingman from the beginning."

Tobi was slightly surprised Mattias even cared. They spoke because Mattias was interested in his relationship, but now that that was out of the picture, shouldn't Mattias be, too?

"Why did you two break up? Mattias asked, snapping Tobi from his train of thought.

"He wants to know so many things that he shouldn't," Tobi mumbled. "He wants to know about my scar, and that room, and my dreams, and my past, but it's too much. Too much."

Mattias nodded, encouraging him to continue, but he didn't. Seeing that Tobi wasn't going to add anything, he suggested, "Why don't you just tell him?"

"Would you stay after learning about all of that? If he's going to leave anyways, isn't it better to protect him?"

Mattias frowned, trying to think of something to rebut Tobi's point. He didn't have time to respond, however, because Tobi continued with his self-deprecating tangent.

"I was right from the beginning. I'm not cut out for relationships. I'm too broken. We're all too fucking broken. Father holed us up in the church for a reason. I—"

Mattias cut him off. "It was Emilio who wanted to try in the first place. And maybe you're wrong, Tobi. Maybe he can handle everything." Tobi gave a miserable sigh in response. "He loves you, doesn't he?" Mattias prompted.

Tobi shrugged. "He never said. It was only a few months."

"Do you love him?"

"I—"

Tobi faltered. Did he? Would it hurt so much if he didn't? Was it too soon to admit he was in love with Emilio? It seemed naive to fall in love so quickly. Maybe it was because Emilio was the first. They say first love hits hard.

"What does it matter?" Tobi dismissed, not ready to come to terms with his feelings. "It's over now."

Mattias gave him a pitying look. "It doesn't have to be. If you talk it out..."

"We haven't spoken since we broke up. I don't even know if he would want to fix everything," Tobi admitted.

"You should still try. You want him back, don't you?"

"Of course I do! I just..." Tobi sighed. "I have to think about things."

It was quiet for a while before Mattias said, "So what happened? What was said?"

"I asked him to take back what he said to Father because I'm not ready to be out to everyone yet. We started arguing and I brought up the research he did about us. He said if I didn't trust him we should break up."

"So you don't trust him."

"I do, but he's better off not knowing."

"If you're so sure," Mattias sighed.

Tobi nodded resolutely and tried desperately to ignore how his heart ached.

Emilio tried to be upbeat and happy for Vanessa's sake. He didn't want to bring the mood down.

Despite his efforts, however, Vanessa seemed to notice.

"Is something wrong, Emilio?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm okay," he lied, not wanting to drag his younger sister into his problems. He hadn't told her about the breakup. He wasn't sure how to even bring it up.

"You don't seem okay," she insisted.

Emilio sighed. Now was as good a time as any to tell her. "Tobias and I broke up."

Vanessa frowned. "What? Why? What happened?" she asked.

"A lot happened. I made some very stupid mistakes."

He slightly expected Vanessa to scold him. She had told him not to mess it up.

Instead, she climbed onto the couch next to him and hugged him.

"Are you guys friends?"

"I don't know," Emilio admitted.

"But you don't like him like that anymore?"

"I do. I still have feelings for him."

Vanessa smiled. "So you can just tell him that you don't want to be broken up anymore!"

Emilio sighed. "It doesn't really work like that."

She tipped her head in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because it's more complicated that that, Vanessa. He doesn't trust me. He won't let me in."

Vanessa sat in thought for a moment. "But if you talk to him—"

"I don't think he wants to talk to me. Not right now."

"When?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't know. Maybe never."

At this, Vanessa looked distressed. "But what if he does want to talk to you, but he thinks you don't want to talk to him, so you guys never talk again?"

Emilio gave a small chuckle. "I'll tell you what: I'll text him in a few weeks and we'll talk if he wants to talk. We both need to cool down from the breakup. But I don't know if he'll want to talk, let alone get back together."

"You have to get back together," Vanessa insisted. "You guys are gonna get married."

Emilio couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips. "I hope you're right," he told her. He watched as Vanessa stood from the couch and walked to the kitchen. "Vanessa, what are you doing?" She didn't reply. Emilio heard drawers being opened and silverware clattering.

She returned with a tub of ice cream and two spoons. Emilio laughed.

"Ice cream is good for when you're sad," Vanessa said, handing him a spoon and the tub of ice cream. She sat down next to Emilio and grabbed the remote, turning on a Disney movie. Then she reached over and took a large scoop of ice cream, shoveling it into her mouth.

"Don't tell Mom and Dad. They'd kill me if they knew I was getting you all sugared up," Emilio said, taking a smaller spoonful of ice cream.

Vanessa mimed locking her mouth shut and giggled.

A/N Happy Wednesday! I hope you're all doing well. I've been volunteering at a theater camp and some of the things these kids have done is crazy. What is wrong with seven-year-olds these days? Title from "Thnks fr th Mmrs" by Fall Out Boy. That title is iconic. They told them to shorten their song titles so they took the vowels out. Leave a vote and comment!