I stare at Fundy, trying desperately to hide my amalgamation of emotions. It feels like I've just been hit with a truck. My insides have been scrambled.

This isn't my first breakup. Not by any means. But it's certainly the first one that's taken me by complete surprise.

My grip tightens on Fundy's, suddenly aware that this might be the last time I can hold his hand.

"Can I ask why?" I say after a few seconds of swallowing the lump in my throat.

I can only think of one reason for such a sudden breakup, and that's my kiss with Dream. Did the bastard tell him when I wasn't looking? But Fundy doesn't strike me as a person to act on the spur of the moment. Surely he would have come to talk to me first before taking Dream's word.

Dream lies, after all.

"It's...not you. It's me." Fundy mumbles. He's refusing to look me in the eye.

I blink.

What? What does that mean? Is this not over the kiss? Is there some other fault I wasn't aware of in our relationship?

"That's not possible," I try to give a comforting smile, but it probably just looks pained. "You're nothing short of perfect, Fundy. How could the problem be you? If anything it's me-"

"No, it is me. I'm not right for you, Ares. It took me a while to realise it, but now that I've seen it, it's all I can think about. Ever since Schlatt..."

Schlatt? Wait, is he talking about the kiss with Schlatt?

"Are you talking about when I kissed Schlatt? Fundy, you know that wasn't romantic, right? It was just to get him to drink the potion."

His fingers squeezing mine have me fall quiet.

"I know, of course I know. But that didn't stop it from hurting any less. You didn't even hesitate, y'know? You were so caught up in making him better that you didn't even consider how I would feel seeing it. I'm not mad at you for doing it, I'm just mad at myself for wishing you didn't."

Fundy sighs sadly and my heart twinges with pain. This all feels so surreal. Are we really about to end this?

"I guess that what I'm trying to say is, even though we're the ones dating, I somehow feel like I'm a third wheel in your relationship with Schlatt. Isn't that weird?"

He chuckles awkwardly and rubs at his arm, slipping his hand from mine.

"No, I...I understand what you mean. My relationship with him isn't exactly a normal one. It's complicated and messy and painful. But it's one that I need to hang onto." I explain slowly, quietly. "Schlatt is the one person I can never let go of, even if I wanted to. I'm sorry that it's made you feel that way. Nobody should feel like an outsider in their own relationship."

He shakes his head, "no, I should have said something before now, but you've been so busy, and honestly, even if I did say something, it's not the sort of problem that can be fixed overnight. You're pretty devoted to him, you know that? He's lucky to have someone so loyal by his side. I guess I'm just foolish for hoping you would see me the same way you see him."

"No, don't say that," I state suddenly, grabbing Fundy's hands in mine. He starts at the unexpected action and the sudden hard gleam to my eyes. "Schlatt is not a man you want to be like, do you understand? You are exactly who you need to be, Fundy. You don't need anyone's recognition or attention to be happy. You just need to be happy with who you are; a kind, loving, sensitive person that has done nothing but bring me joy in the time that I've known you. So please never say you want to be someone else, especially Schlatt. We're all different and strange for a reason. Do you understand? Change is not always a good thing."

Fundy blinks, and then he gives a lop-sided smile, his eyebrows raising.

"You really do have a strange relationship with him, don't you?"

My voice drops to an embarrassed whisper as I let go of his hands, "yeah, I do. Maybe...it's a good thing that we are ending this now? You also deserve a devoted partner. A partner that apparently can't be me."

There's a thick wedge in my throat now that wasn't there before. Was breaking up always this painful? Or is it just because it's Fundy?

"Hey, this isn't us ending our friendship, okay?" He comforts me awkwardly, rubbing a clawed finger across my cheek.

I lean into his fuzzy touch and manage to force a smile. Our last intimate interaction.

"I'd like it if we could still be friends. Yeah." I agree. "Just so you know, I don't regret our time together at all. You really did make me feel special. Especially when you'd treat me like a fair princess, despite me being anything but. It was nice."

Fundy gives a short laugh which splutters into a sob right at the end.

"Fuck." He curses, rubbing at his eyes. "I told myself I wasn't going to cry. This is so uncool."

"Don't worry, I'm not looking," I muse, when really all I want to do is cry too. But I force myself to keep the tears in. To squash down the sadness billowing in my chest.

I won't cry. I refuse to.

"Liar," he sniffles.

Fundy wandered away shortly after that, claiming he needed somewhere quiet to clear his head and that he couldn't exactly return to the White House looking like someone had beat the shit out of him.

It's at this point, stood alone on the empty podium grounds, that I remember something Schlatt had said to me.

"Besides, it's not like you're going to form any serious bonds with anyone other than me. You know we're special, right? We share something deeper than simple affections. Something beyond the flesh. You remember, don't you?"

Schlatt was probably just gloating at the time, but it looks like his words held some truth to them. My bond with him really is deeper than I realised. Deep enough to make my own boyfriend feel like he couldn't compare. But I thought Fundy knew, going into this relationship, that I would always put Schlatt before everyone else, including myself. Not out of romantic love, but out of my own, selfish need to repay the man who I owe my every breath to.

Maybe we should have talked more.

Maybe I should have told him more about myself.

Maybe we'd still be together.

But, I suppose it's too late for that now. This was Fundy's decision, not mine. And his decision is one I will respect, because I respect him.

I guess there is one tiny detail I can be relieved about.

Dream kept the kiss a secret.

I end up following Fundy's example and don't immediately head for the White House. Instead I take a walk, meandering along Manburg's borders, my eyes to the sky.

Fundy and I weren't even together that long. Maybe a month? Though now that I think about it, that's probably the longest I've ever been in a relationship. Which is pretty sad to think about. Am I that difficult to date? We never even got the chance to share a bed. I was looking forward to snuggling under the covers with him. But that'll never happen now.

"Hey." A voice says off to my left.

I stop and close my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Hello, Dream."

The man hums and rests his chin in a palm. He's sat up in a tree, right at the country's edge. Technically not within the border, but still close enough to irk me.

"I've been thinking about you." He says.

"How nice."

He laughs and I frown, placing a hand on my hip.

"If you've come for another kiss, you're not getting it," I state sternly.

"You so sure about that? I can be pretty persuasive."

He hops down from the branches and walks right up to me, his hands clasped behind his back. I raise my trident, my eyes narrowed as I press it under his chin.

"That doesn't work, remember?" He smiles, "unless you intend to pin me down again? I wouldn't say no to that."

"I'm not in the mood."

The masked man hums, tilting his head, pushing the trident gently aside.

"No, you're really not, are you? Did something happen? Did Mr President finally kick you to the curb?"

"That's none of your concern, now please leave."

"No. I want to know what's wrong."

I glare up at him. I really don't feel like being around him right now. I don't want to explain my problems to him. Acting as if he actually cares. Why is he even wasting his time on me? Shouldn't he be helping the rebellion? Or has he grown bored of that already?

"I said I'm not in the mood."

We stand, staring each other down in silence.

And then Dream yanks my trident from my hand, crouches, and folds me cleanly over one of his shoulders.

I'm swept up before I even know what's happening, my mind reeling in shock.

"Put me down." I gasp, kicking my legs out as I try to worm out of his grasp. The gall of this man!

"Nope. You're coming with me, Bean Sprout, whether you like it or not. Because we are going on a date."

He pats me on the ass and my cheeks flush with indignation.

I try to summon my trident from his hand, but he resists its pull, keeping it clamped tightly in his fist. I begin to sway as he starts to walk off, heading beyond Manburg and into the bordering woodland. I eventually give up my struggles. When it comes to physical strength, he knows he has me beat.

I guess I'm going on a date?

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YOOOOOO

next chapter is the 500k Special :3