I would warn about angst but what's one of my stories without a very sad depressing chapter? (I gave you all that kissing for the last two chapters, If I write anymore fluff I might throw up) 

-Rared

Keefe POV

Tam's golden shades of skin drained as he stared into space, the phone sliding out of his hands as he seemed to slip in and out of reality.

"Tam?" I ask, but no response. "Tam."

"Fuck...it." He groans and collapses softly onto the carpet floor.

"Tam!" I cry out as I run over and shake him a bit. "Tam, please wake up!"

"I'm not dead, asshole." he grunted, rolling over, and quietly added, "Not yet, anyways."

"Then why did you drop dead on the floor?" I scoffed as Tam sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Nothing...I'm just tired." He says, pressing his fingers against his temples like he was fending off a hurricane.

"You're lying, Tam."

"The Empath strikes again." He seems to sink to the floor, again.

"No, you're just bad at lying." I crossed my arms, "What did they say on the call?"

"Nothing. Everything's great." Tam nervously tapped his fingers on his knee.

"Does this have something to do with our match?" I could visibly see his face drop, the fib could only last for so long, and I could basically see right through him. I felt my insides churn and my lips forced the words that made me want to throw myself off a cliff out, "Tam, what did he say?"

He gently shook his head as he curled up into a ball, "Well, it wasn't much but it was along the lines of 'come here tomorrow and we'll see if i fucked up the match'"

My heart broke when I heard it, "we might not be soulmates?"

Tam looked up at me, his emotions like a wifi deadzone, "We might not be anything, Keefe."

. . . . . . .

Upon reentering the matchmaking building, a feeling of apathy generated from Tam's side. Mine? This was my worst nightmare coming true.

I thought before that it would be okay to date a boy if the MatchMaker's decreed it, but if that changes, me and Tam could be in a lot more trouble than we're worth (I say we, but I mean me. Tam shouldn't have to go through this just for me). Why is love so confusing and rigged? Only heteronormative/heterosexual pairs get to be in love in public, while the rest of us hide in the shadows, praying to God that they don't notice who they are.

I hated the waiting room. Last time, I had no idea I'd be matched with the boy I sat next to. This time, I had no idea whether I'd be in trouble for feeling what I felt for the boy I sat next to. Overall, the anticipation and the paranoia was killing me, and if Tam could tell, he was good at hiding it because he focused on his hands, fidgeting with them.

The only time he interacted with me while we were waiting was when he gently touched my wrist. I looked down and I was pinching my hand. I stopped immediately and thanked him quietly, and he said something in response that made holding back tears a lot harder than necessary:

"I'm sorry."

I wanted to say, don't be! Or we're in this together, Tam!

Or, what my heart was screaming: Why did we have to fall in love?

But really, I just wanted to go home.

"Keefe Cassius Sencen." The receptionist called. Same as before. Pink hair, daring eyes.

"That's me." I stood up, taking Tam's hand, and walking up to her desk.

"Good to see..." The two things clicked, and she looked sorrowful. But, because this happened all the time and she didn't want other patients to catch her stop, she continued, "It's good to see you again. And this is Tam Dai Song?"

"The one and only." My one and only, I thought in my head. God, I'm cheesy AND I'm hopeless?? This can only get worse.

"Alright. Follow me, gentlemen." She stood up, pushed in her white heart chair, and opened a door to the familiar looking hallway.

We walked in silence, still holding hands because we knew one of us might faint if we didn't feel the grip of the other, our quiet heartbeats felt but not acknowledged. The clicking of her heels, the plague hospital feeling, the rows and rows of pink doors...deja vu couldn't hit harder.

"This is it." She lingered at the door for a moment, her hand inches away from the doorknob. "You know, they all catch us somehow. It doesn't matter if they use a gun, a net, or a list. It's all the same." She turned to face us, "You really are a cute couple."

Then, gaining no response from us, she opened the door and turned on her heel, leaving us alone in Seebo's office. The place looked different. Everything was in boxes, no more posters of birds or the anatomy of love and matchmaking, and it felt so sad. Not a place you want to get your match made. Seebo looked just like the place. His eyes looked lost, his hair was in shambles, and was playing with his pencil and paper.

When he looked up at us, he had an "oh shit" face.

"Hello, Tam and Keefe." He sighed, and gestured to the seats at the desk, "I have some devastating news."

"I heard." Tam looked up at him, a scowl on his face, "A glitch?"

Seebo fumbled with his hands, "It happens a lot more than you'd expect, out of every seven matches there's one mismatch. Out of every seven paired matches, where two friends get their lists together, there's five mismatches." He dug in a lab coat pocket and fished out two pieces of folded up paper, "I crunched the numbers early this morning, and I got out the correct lists."

Early in the morning. He must mean he was up all night. He offered the lists, and we hesitated, but took them after a beat of silence. He seemed so tired and frustrated with the system, "I'm going to ask you something, and I think I know the answer, but I want to confirm: did this branch out into a serious relationship?"

"No." Tam answered before I could even process the question, "I have a crush on him, but he just wants to be friends. Right, Keefe?"

I nodded.

Seebo looked at us suspiciously, and said, "Well, in the bizarre scenario in which it did, the Council technically can't send you to Exile." My face lit up, "But, you would be ruled a bad match and all respect and honor would be stripped from you both, and you would be given no money, and be treated worse than Talentless. To buy a house would be near impossible. Adoption is always an option for having children, but it is pricey and comes with hidden rules. Surrogacy is illegal, but as Elvin Law states, the mother can give her newborn to whoever she deems fit, and the Council can't fuck with you for that. Your children, if gifted, would be able to go to Foxfire, but would be given a very difficult time there. You would have to rebuild your life from the scraps of what the Council gives you, and you cannot officially get married."

We sat there, dumbfounded, listening to him list the horrible things, one after the other.

"Well, this was helpful. Though me and Keefe aren't like that, I'm sure I'll use that information one day. Thank you, Seebo."

"Thank you as well."

Tam leaves, but I stay for a moment.

"Yes, Keefe?" He asks, smiling up at me.

"I have a question." I said, my throat sore from the tears that would come hours later.

"I probably have the answer." Seebo said.

I asked him, "How do you know if...if it's worth it?"

Seebo thought for a moment, "Today is my last day here. If you are openly dating someone of the same sex, you cannot work in Match Making. I will go through all of this with my boyfriend, and I am confident I can because I know he is the love of my life. He makes me laugh while I cry and cry while I laugh. I know we will get by, whether it's barely hanging on or living like kings, I am committed to finding myself happiness with that man. I don't know if it's worth it, and that's the scary part. Life is filled with scary parts and risky parts, but you kinda just have to know you'll find your happy somewhere, even if it's not here."

He shrugged, "That's my advice."

I thanked him shakily and walked outside to find Tam had left. I understood completely. He knew it was over. We're horrible liars and could never get away with it. We just need to go back to hating each other and ignoring each other. Good Ol' Square one isn't the same without the memories of advancement.