I was writing earlier today, (1 am in the morning, an hour ago) due to Aphmau's post on Instagram. Yeah, my heart hurts.

This is an angsty fic, so I'm sorry if... you know what NO REGRETS

Here you go~

"This is what love meant after all: sacrifice and selflessness. It did not mean hearts and flowers and a happy ending,
but knowledge that another's well-being is more important than one's own."
-Melissa de La Cruz

"I'd love to go out again!" she giggled, hazel eyes sparkling. Her eyes.

"Great," he said as he flashed a dazzling smile. "Is it okay if I pick you up at six?" She nodded a yes and returned his smile before entwining her hand in his.

The blond chuckled bitterly under his breath. Why couldn't it have been him holding her hand? Why couldn't it have been him to be the one to exchange sweet smiles and loving glances?

Soon later, the raven-haired girl returned, this time alone with a grin stuck on her face. Her smile. Garroth quickly plastered on his own fake smile. It hurt.

"Hey," said Aphmau, unknowing to how much damage she'd caused to both Garroth and Laurance.

"Hi," he responded. "I-it's nice to see you."

A bubble of laughter erupted from her. "I saw you like, fifteen minutes ago." Her laugh.

"O-of course you did," Garroth said, stumbling on his words once more. "Since we're so close and all..." he did not mean that. The words didn't mean to slip out but they did and he--

"Yeah! Since you're my best friend and all." Her voice... her sweet, sugar-coated voice.

"I have to go," he said hurriedly, corners of his chapped lips wavering into almost a frown. Aphmau's face fell.

"Oh," was all she said. "G'bye, then!" She waved before tucking her hands behind her back and smiling her cutesy smile. Garroth waved back.

And he walked off.

Oh, how relieved he was to finally escape. Escape all the fake happiness and lying smiles and greetings and friendship. Laurance had given up, so why hadn't he? Heck, Laurance had his eyes on another girl and Garroth had girls drooling over him! Why couldn't he talk to one of them, or ask one of them out? But he knew the answer. He knew it all too well.

Because none of them were her.

None of them had her honey-like voice or silken black hair or glistening hazel-brown eyes. None of them were as kind or caring or funny as her. He... he was beginning to think she liked him back.

And then Aaron came along.

Aaron. The name left a bitter taste in his mouth. Sure, he respected the guy and everything... but there was just something about him that Garroth simply couldn't shake off.

He still had hopes, though. He was her first kiss. Everyone comes back to their first kiss, right? As his mother's words rang in his ears, his heart sank.

"My first kiss was actually with your father's sworn rival in high school!"

Of course it was. Soon they'd be exchanging kisses and showing public displays of affection, and then she'd be walking down the isle. The worst part of it was the probability of Garroth getting chosen for best man was extremely high.

"Garroth, you're doing it again." said the young brunette.

Garroth turned to him, "What?" His brother simply shook his head smiled.

"You've gotta get out of this funk." said Vylad as he passed his brother a tissue. At the same moment, Garroth noticed the dampness on his cheeks. He'd been crying. Again. "Try to calm down a bit. Just breathe."

Doing so, the blond relaxed a few tense muscles. "Thanks, baby brother."

"Anytime." Vylad rolled his eyes at his brother's name for him, although really it had grown on him. "Oh, and dad called. He's coming home early to take mom and the rest of us out for her birthday."

Garroth nodded. "I'll get ready then. Did he say what time he'd come?" His brother's green eyes narrowed for a minute before he said, "Six o' clock."

Garroth gave his brother a somewhat genuine smile before he exited and left him alone in his room. "Yeah," he said to himself. "I'll get ready, go to whatever fancy restaurant were going to and not think about the two of them at all."

"I'll be fine." he said.

What a lie that turned out to be. He wasn't 'fine'. He sat across from his mother at the table and meters behind her were Aaron and Aphmau. Oh, how his heart ached to be in Aaron's position. How his heart ached to hold her close in times of need, to exchange sweet pecks on the lips...

"Garroth?" said his mother's soprano voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, m'fine." he mumbled, in a tone that, unbeknownst to him, sounded rude.

Vylad jutted his elbow into Garroth's side. After that, it was silent eating with the occasional small talk, like "how's school?", or "when's the next baseball game?"

Just as the check was placed onto the table, Aphmau and her date had gotten up. They said a few words to each other, Aphmau blushing profoundly at one sentence. Before Garroth could blink, Aaron's arms were around her in an embrace.

His blue eyes were icy. Aphmau's face flushed as Aaron's drew near. His hand cupped her chin.

He leaned in.

"Mom, look behind you; it's Aphmau!" Garroth yelled in a frenzy.

"Aphmau?" screeched his mother as she turned. The two of them ripped apart as Garroth sighed heavily in relief.

He watched as Zianna and Aphmau talked for a bit, catching his name once or twice along with her mother's. It ended with a laugh and giggle from the both of them, and Mrs. Ro'Meave returned to the table where everyone was getting ready to go.

"Uh, mom?" asked Garroth moments after they exited the restaurant doors. "Can you give me a minute to talk to Aphmau?"

Her jade-green eyes sparked with hope. "Of course, Gar-Gar! Just don't take too long." Garroth said a barely audible thanks and headed off. Where could they be?

He finally found them after hearing her voice. Garroth stepped closer, finding that the two of them were together, and... they seemed to be having a moment.

He had barely said her name before their lips connected. His heart cracked. It was brief, but seemed to last forever in Garroth's mind. Or maybe it had lasted forever.

He couldn't've known. Because a split second later, he choked out a sob he'd been holding back for too long.

Aaron jumped back. Aphmau seemed to be frozen, but the moment she snapped out of her daze, her eyes met his. She met his cold blue stare, analyzing all the hurt and heartbreak. She exhaled, and tugged on Aaron's sleeve, her brown eyes flitting away nervously. "Let's go, Aaron."

Even as the sound of their footsteps became scarce, Garroth clamped a hand over his mouth to muffle the loud cries he emitted. He didn't let the tears fall. He could stay strong, right?

Wrong.

He could never get her out of his mind. From the moment the Ro'Meave family moved out of town to the moment when he received a text from Aphmau telling him that she was engaged.

'You are cordially invited to the wedding of Aphmau and Aaron.' Underneath the time and place, was a note written by all too familiar handwriting. 'Sorry I couldn't tell you earlier, but I want you to be our best man! I sent the invitation early so I could tell you. Hope you and your girlfriend are happy! -Aphmau'.

"Happy," he scoffed. "This is all business crap." Garroth looked to the picture of him and his 'girlfriend', her curly red hair tumbling down her shoulders and past her defined curves. Her cheesy smile and caked make-up. Then to him, with a somewhat sculpted body and shining blond hair... and his smile. His forced smile. His pained smile. He cursed loudly, not caring if Ivy was in the next room.

This was mean to happen from the start, he thought to himself. This was all destined to happen. All is fair in love and war, is it not? But this was not just love or war.

Not a child's crush or a teenager's forsaken love. Not the war of kids and their belongings or a military war.

This was a war between his heart and his actions. This was his undeniable love for Aphmau.

His broken love for Aphmau.

Author's Note:
Woah, I did not expect that many words. I just wrote this up in my notes in one sitting until I felt it was complete. Almost 1500 words...

But, this might be all for now. Not sure whether I'll continue this or not, so... yeah.

~Em