#character c

Character B: Why not?! He's- !

Character A: -Because he... he's my brother.

Character C: *gasp* The plot thickens!

Character A: Not biologically.

Character A: Realizes that their intense love for Character B is both unrequited but also just ignored and played off as just a casual relationship. Character A coming to some personal realizations that perhaps its not just their feelings that were unwanted, but also themselves as well. So they take that time to distance themselves, pulling away cracking that neatly defined loyalty in half, right from where they started.

Character B: Realizes several moments (years) too late that they miss Character A's crazy brand of loyalty (love), and now that they're being treated like a co-worker instead of whatever they used to be. They... don't know who they are anymore, and they have no idea how to handle it either. Before they know it, Char. A is gone, requesting a transfer to a different location or picking up a new job elsewhere without so much as a goodbye to them.

i know you thought it was just us

i didn’t think you’d fall in love

you’re just a warm body to hold

at night when i’m feelin’ all alone. — character a

you don’t need me

as much as i need you

as much as i need you

take it or leave it

‘cause you know that’s the truth

‘cause you know that’s the truth. — character b

apple cider

we both like apple cider [character a × character b]

but your hair be smelling like fruit punch [character c]

and i don’t even like you that much

Character B: Who, me? What did I do?

Character A: I don’t know. You’re the example. What do you do?

Character B: I mean… I mostly… stab things. And eat chips.

Character C: Sounds like a good example to me!

"What did you just call me? Ani lia? What the fuck does that mean?" B crossed their arms.

"Oh. Oh, would you like to know what that means? I'm sure you would! Good luck finding someone to translate it for you!" A threw up their arms. "Fuck you!" They turned on their heel and stormed out.

—

"I think I screwed up my chances with A." B told C over coffee a week later.

"How so? What happened? I really thought they liked you."

"We had a fight. They haven't talked to me since..." B looked down, adding quietly, "They called me ani lia... whatever the hell that means..."

C was silent for a moment. "... They called you ani lia?.. What do you think that means?"

"I don't know... it's probably an insult..."

"B. Ani lia isn't an insult. It's a declaration of love." C laughed. "In English, the closest translation would be something like 'my love'."

"My love..?"

"Yeah. Or maybe, dearest? My heart? Something like that. But it's... not really used in a sarcastic way normally. What exactly did they say to you?"

"Um... they said, 'ani lia, shut up'."

"Yeah, so in that instance, it was probably kind of like a 'please'. It's like when you say to a loved one, 'I love you. Please shut up, I don't want to be angry with you'."

'But they didn't say that! They just told me to shut up!"