BROTHERS BOUND BY BLOOD

Anakin gets back to his room. He collapses onto his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He isn't sleeping. He can't. His mind refuses to settle. Not because of the timer. Because of Melisa.

She was with him his whole life. No, not his entire life, but his whole life.

Through the worst nights, through the best days, through heartbreaks and celebrations, she was there. She was his anchor when he felt like he was drifting, and yet tonight, after everything, he let her down. Not in the way she thought. Not because he didn't love her back, but because he couldn't.

He sighs, rubbing his face. And as much as he tries to drown in thoughts of Melisa, his mind keeps shifting elsewhere. To someone else.

Another best friend.

A friend he betrayed.

The regret sits in his chest like a heavy stone, one he never talks about, one he refuses to acknowledge. But now, with his walls crumbling, he can't stop thinking about it.

He never regretted something more. But did he ever show it? No. Why? Ego.

That damn male expectation. Never back down. Never bow. Never kneel. Never show weakness.

Anakin fell for it. He wanted to be that kind of man. The kind who walks away first. The kind who doesn't flinch. The kind who doesn't care.

Now? He regrets it. He doesn't want to pretend anymore. He's exhausted. Pretending to be fine. Pretending to be indifferent. Pretending that losing Damien didn't matter.

But it did.

Once upon a time, they were inseparable. The kind of duo that teachers dreaded and classmates admired. The kind of friendship that people joked about being too close, calling them "boyfriends" or "secretly married." Not that they cared. They had too much fun to bother correcting anyone.

Anakin chuckles, thinking about how some people thought they were ruling the school. Nah. They weren't Gojo and Geto. They weren't untouchable. They were just two idiots who got into too much trouble together.

The memories come rushing in, one after the other.

Like the time they stole exam papers—not to sell them, not to cheat, but just for the thrill. Or the time they snuck into the girls' bathroom on a dare. Melisa never found out about that one. She would've killed them.

Anakin chuckles again, shaking his head.

Then there was that day—the day they showed up to school in matching Real Madrid jerseys. Anakin wore Sergio Ramos. Damien had Ronaldo. They thought they looked cool. They even made a cringy edit, a dramatic black-and-white video with slow-motion clips.

"They were brothers bound by blood."

Anakin visibly cringes at the memory.

Lmfao.

God, they were idiots.

He doesn't even realize when his chuckles turn into something else. Something sadder. Something heavier.

Anakin remembers the betrayal. Oh, how foolish he was that day. The face Damien made. It broke his heart. But his heart didn't break that day. No, it took years for the weight of his actions to settle in. Maybe being young is a curse to our emotions? Maybe, in our youth, we fail to value the things we should cherish the most?

Damien always had a crush on Lillian. The kind of girl who didn't give a damn about anyone. Cold, distant, self-assured. It was exactly that air of indifference that made Damien care. He was infatuated, obsessed even. Anakin remembers how Damien used to stalk her profiles, memorizing little details about her life that she probably didn't even remember herself. He skipped parties because she wasn't there, ignored plans because he was too busy scrolling through her social media, reading into every little post, every little like. Was it love? No. It was just a stupid, naive teenage crush. But Damien never saw it that way. To him, it was everything. The way he looked at her, it was like she held the stars in her hands.

Anakin never knew about it. Damien never told him. Maybe he was too ashamed. Maybe he didn't think Anakin would understand. But he told Melisa. Of course, it was Melisa. The heart of the group. The one who kept them all together even when they tried to tear themselves apart.

But one moment changed everything. Lillian proposed to Anakin. It came out of nowhere. One day she barely acknowledged him, the next day she was telling him she wanted to be with him. Why? Anakin never knew. Maybe it was just a whim. Maybe she saw something in him that even he didn't see. It didn't matter. She was hot, she was popular, and he didn't think twice before saying yes.

When Damien found out, he wasn't holding back.

"Are you fucking serious, Anakin?"

Anakin blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

Damien's jaw clenched, his hands shaking with restrained anger. "Are you really dating Lillian?"

Anakin hesitated, then shrugged. "Umm… yeah."

Damien exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair before asking again, his voice lower this time, more controlled. "Do you love her?"

Anakin faltered. "What?"

"Do. You. Love. Her?"

That question caught him completely off guard. Love? Did he love her? He barely knew her. But he couldn't admit that, not in front of Damien, not in front of the crowd gathering around them. His pride wouldn't let him.

"As of now, no. But I might love her soon."

Damien scoffed. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? 'Love her soon'?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Damien?" Anakin shot back, his tone defensive. "Why are you acting like you love her?"

Silence.

Melisa looked between them, her expression tightening. Damien was frozen, his lips slightly parted like he wanted to speak but couldn't force the words out. That's when it clicked.

Anakin's lips curled into a grin. "Now, I get it."

"Shut up," Damien snapped.

The realization hit Anakin like a slow-moving train, inch by inch until it was impossible to ignore. He grinned wider. "You love her."

"I said shut up, Anakin."

But Anakin didn't shut up. He laughed. Loud. Mocking. People around them started murmuring.

"You love my girlfriend, Damien? Really?"

Damien's hands balled into fists. "Shut the fuck up, Anakin."

"No, no, no, I won't shut the fuck up." Anakin sighed dramatically. "I fucking hate you."

Damien's body tensed, his face twisting with something between rage and heartbreak. But Anakin wasn't done. He leaned in, lowering his voice just enough for only Damien to hear. "Admit it, Damien. Admit it or accept that you're a pussy."

That was it. Damien lunged.

Anakin saw it coming. How couldn't he? They had known each other too long. Damien was predictable. Anakin dodged easily, his reflexes sharper, his body already moving before the punch could land. And then he struck back. One solid hit. Damien stumbled, collapsing into the arms of a few people who rushed to catch him. But he wasn't finished. He stood up, wiped his lip, and charged again.

Melisa reacted first. She stepped between them, pushing them apart with all her strength.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?!"

Anakin smirked, still high off the adrenaline, off the sheer amusement of it all. "I don't know, ask that simp."

Damien snapped. "What the fuck did you say?"

Melisa turned to him. "Damien, calm down."

"Tell that to him."

Melisa sighed, her expression softening as she turned to Anakin. "Anakin, talk this out."

But Anakin was too far gone. Too full of ego. Too caught up in his own performance. He wanted to make Damien feel small. He wanted to break him.

"Step aside, Melisa."

Melisa hesitated. "Anakin—"

"Step aside, Melisa," Anakin repeated, his tone sharper. "Should I sit silent when my best friend just admitted he loves my girlfriend?"

The murmurs grew louder. The crowd had heard everything now. Anakin had done the damage. With one sentence, he had destroyed Damien's entire reputation.

And at that moment, he didn't regret it.

Damien looked around, seeing the judgment in every pair of eyes. The disgust. The whispers. They weren't insulting him out loud, but their faces said enough.

Before turning away, Damien gave Anakin one last look. A look filled with something unspoken. A mix of anger, pain, and disappointment.

"Don't ever talk to me again."

Anakin just chuckled. A cruel, hollow laugh. "Like hell I would, loser."

Damien walked away.

Anakin didn't know it then, but that would be the last time they ever spoke.

Years later, the regret would settle in like a slow poison.

Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, Anakin thought back to that day. The day he had betrayed his best friend. The day he had mocked him, humiliated him, shattered him.

A single tear slid down his cheek.

He needed to fix this.

Now.