Maybe this was a mistake.

Honestly, what was he thinking? Meeting up in person—after a whole year of virtual perfection? The gaming marathons, the movie nights shared through a screen, the late-night calls until one of you falls asleep… Idia never thought dating could be this fun, but you changed everything. You made it effortless. Safe. Perfect.

Weren't you fine with how things were?

(Oh gods, were you? What if this has been one-sided the whole time? Has he been a bad boyfriend? What if you only suggested meeting up just so you could break up with him in person?)

His spiralling thoughts must have slipped out, because Ortho’s voice crackles through his headphones, snapping him back to reality. Heat rushes to his cheeks, turning his usually greyish skin a soft pink. Great. He must look like an absolute idiot—mumbling to himself in the corner of a crowded arcade, fidgeting like a glitching NPC.

And, okay—maaaybe bringing Ortho to his first IRL date (even if just through voice chat) isn’t the most romantic move. But can you really blame him? His younger brother has been his emotional support system for years. There’s absolutely no way he’s facing this alone.

Because, like—what if breaking up with him isn’t enough? What if you yell at him, too? He actually tried today—put effort into his appearance—but no amount of combing can tame the mess that is his hair. And, let’s be real, there’s no fixing what’s already fundamentally—

A tap on his shoulder.

Idia shrieks.