╰┈➤ ΛИD YᎾƱ’ŔƐ ṖƐŔFƐƇŦĿY ƓᎾᎾD, ṖŔᎾßΛßĿY ßƐŦŦƐŔ, ßƱŦ ṖĿƐΛSƐ DᎾИ’Ŧ ᏯΛSŦƐ YᎾƱŔ ṖŔƐŦŦY ŦĪMƐ ᎾИ MƐ, ‘ƇΛƱSƐ Ī ƇᎾƱĿD FΛĿĿ FᎾŔ YᎾƱ ĪF Ī ᏯΛИŦƐD ŦᎾ, ΛИD Ī ƇᎾƱĿD ƓƐŦ ΛŦŦΛƇĤƐD ΛИD ĿᎾ√Ɛ ŦĤƐ ĤƐĿĿ ᎾƱŦ ᎾF YᎾƱ, Ī ƇᎾƱĿD FΛĿĿ FᎾŔ YᎾƱ ĪF Ī ĿƐŦ MYSƐĿF, ßƱŦ Ī DᎾИ’Ŧ ŦĤĪИҠ Ī’M ŔƐΛDY ŦᎾ ĿᎾ√Ɛ SᎾMƐᎾИƐ ƐĿSƐ, ΛИD Ī ĤΛŦƐ ĤĪM FᎾŔ ИᎾŦ ĿƐŦŦĪИƓ MƐ FƐƐĿ ĿĪҠƐ Ī ƇΛИ FĪИΛĿĿY ßŔƐΛŦĤƐ, Ī ĤΛŦƐ ĪŦ, ΛИD Ī ҠИᎾᏯ YᎾƱ’ŔƐ ṖŔᎾßΛßĿY ßƐSŦ FᎾŔ MƐ, Ī SƐƐ ŦĤƐ ᏯΛY YᎾƱ ĿᎾᎾҠ ΛŦ MƐ ΛИD Ī ĤΛŦƐ ĪŦ, ‘ƇΛƱSƐ Ī ƇᎾƱĿD FΛĿĿ FᎾŔ YᎾƱ ĪF Ī ᏯΛИŦƐD ŦᎾ, ßƱŦ Ī ƇΛИ’Ŧ, YᎾƱ ҠИᎾᏯ ŦĤΛŦ Ī ᏯᎾƱĿD, YᎾƱ’ŔƐ SᎾ MƱƇĤ ßƐŦŦƐŔ, ßƱŦ ŦĤΛŦ’S ИᎾŦ ƐИᎾƱƓĤ, ĪF Ī ƇΛИ’Ŧ ƓƐŦ Ꮎ√ƐŔ, ŦĤƐ ᏯΛY ĤƐ ƱSƐD ŦᎾ ĿᎾᎾҠ ΛŦ MƐ, ΛИD ĤᎾᏯ ĤƐ ĿƐFŦ SᎾ ƐΛSĪĿY ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

Malachi Barton and Mekonnen Knife.

One, your lover, the other, the one that got away. Both names make you feel equal parts love and dread.

It was hard, pretending you were over the love of your life and that you'd moved on. With his friend, no less.

He was great. But he wasn't the one who made your chest feel funny when he entered the room. He wasn't the one who, when he walked into a room, all thoughts of literally anyone else disappeared.

Your thoughts stopped when he breathed a word that sounded like your name. If he was looking at you for more than a second, you'd contemplate leaving your lover for the whole night.

You'd explained this to him when he first asked you out. You knew that he should know. Maybe you could grow to love him, but you couldn't change the fact that he wasn't your number one. No matter how many gifts he got you or dates he took you on.

He took it in stride. His heart hurt, of course. The person he chose had chosen his best friend. But he knew what it was. Not only had you told him, but it was so painfully obvious that if you hadn't, he could see it anyway.

He couldn't miss the longing glances you casted towards his best friend, or the way you would tense up when he was near. No one could.

He had to make the call. It was the only way to heal the hurt.

"She won't choose me, M..." He mutters into his phone, pleading with his best friend. "Please, just... Just talk to her? I mean... Maybe I could move on if you two could patch things up, I-"

He's cut off by the door creaking open and you calling his name softly.