"Uh-huh, yeah I got it... Yup! Thanks for the heads-up, Sun. I'll tell Gladion about it too, next time I see him." Lillie told the male on the other line as she stopped at a crossing, waiting for the lights to turn red "Okay, you too! Bye."

She hung up and dropped her phone into her purse, letting out a sigh to release all tension in her muscles. As you may have guessed, that was Sun warning her about what he had heard Leven talking about. He told her about how the bluette was partially responsible for the stunt Sadie pulled, and how they were potentially working together for some sort of scam. Because of this Lillie was worried about her friend's wellbeing, and at this point she was even more worried her brother may become a victim to even more sexual assault. But what about her family's connection with the Garcìas? She couldn't toss that fact aside and backhand Sadie in the face; in the wealthy world connections were everything...

Beep beep beep.

She began to walk across the road with her head down, lips pursed together as she thought about her situation. Megan's heartbroken... Gladion's accused of cheating... and Sadie Garcìa was the root of the problem. If only she could cut that root without cutting ties with the rest of the Garcìa family... and of course there was Leven. And she was certain Natalie was still around, ready to strike like the ssssnake she was...

UGH! When did life get so irritating?! All she wanted to do was get through the first year of her college li--

She bumped into a broad chest, causing her to stumble back. A hand caught her arm to help her steady herself, which she was thankful for.

"I'm sorry--"

"Oh shoot, sorry--"

When the two strangers made eye contact, Lillie found familiarity in the other's ebony colour. The hair and piercings were familiar, too. Squinting her eyes, she said slowly "Rafe...?"

"Oh, Lillie!" The man blinked in surprise, letting go of the girl's arm "I almost didn't recognize you, how are you doing?"

Lillie laughed nervously. How was she doing? Yes, it was at the point where she herself didn't know "I'm..."

Luckily for her, a distraction was placed right next to the dark skinned male she was talking to. Her best friend.

Her injured best friend.

Must. Protect.

"Megan!" She gasped, grabbing the girl who was previously watching silently "What happened to you?! Why is your head patched up like that?!"

"I was attacked by a coffee mug..."

"What?!"

"There was a fight in the coffee shop she was in, and one of the customers threw a mug at an employee." Rafe explained in a more logical manner "Unfortunately it hit Megan instead, and she now has a very minor concussion."

"Omygosh! Are you okay?!" Lillie asked panickedly, causing her friend to roll her eyes.

"No, I'm dead."

"Don't give me that-- wait..." She glanced at Rafe, then at Megan, and then back at Rafe. Her eyebrows narrowed in confusion "Do you guys know each other?"

"Well, sort of..." Rafe responded, rubbing the back of his neck "We've known about each other, but we've really only met today."

"How?"

This time, Megan was the one to answer "You know that wrong number guy I told you about?"

"Yeah?"

She pointed to Rafe without even looking at him.

...

"WAIT," Lillie blurted, only to cover her mouth afterwards at the unintentional volume "So you mean to tell me that Phone Guy Rafe, is Sadie's brother Rafe?!"

"That's basically what I'm saying, yes."

"And you know they're siblings? And you're okay with it?!"

Megan shrugged "He's pretty cool, minus the fact he acts like an old man half the time."

"I do not!" Rafe snapped back, but seeing the side glances the two friends were giving each other he began to get rather concerned "I don't, right?"

"Ehhhh...."

.

.

.

"Anyways," the man coughed, trying to change the subject so the girls wouldn't end up calling him 'gramps' "I was just taking Megan home. Lillie, you wanna come with?"

The platinum blonde raised an eyebrow "You were what now?"

"Taking her home. You know, because she just had an injury and I don't want her to--"

"Yeah yeah, I know; you don't want her to collapse. But are you sure walking her home is a good idea? Maybe get a cab. I mean, she could get a dizzy spell, or walk into something--"

"Lillie."

"Or-- Hmm? What?"

Rafe pointed over her shoulder, a deadpan taking over his features as he spoke "My car's in the car park."

Lillie's head swung around to where he was pointing, only to see that his sleek black mercedes parked not too far away. She smacked her lips slightly "Ah... That makes more sense."

"You know, I really love how you guys are talking as if I'm not even here."

Shit.

"You know what," Lillie laughed nervously, hooking her arm around Megan's and dragging her towards the car park "I'd love to come; keep my bestie company!"

"Ew..."

"Luke won't mind, right?"

Megan shrugged, expression unchanged "His work just got a huge order in, so he's staying at his friend's house so he can get to and from work faster. He'll be gone for a couple of days, which means I have the house to myself. So no, I don't think he'll mind."

"Great! Then let's go! C'mon, Rafe!"

"Please stop tugging on my arm..."

Rafe followed behind the two girls, watching them interact like they were sisters. It was obvious that Lillie was trying so hard to cheer up her friend, which he found sweet. But Megan seemed rather stiff... maybe she was uneasy; he knew she hadn't told her friends about her relationship with Gladion. Or maybe it was the fact that Lillie and her ex was siblings... he didn't exactly know. But Lillie was making the effort, and maybe he should too.

Wait.

"Uhh, guys? You walked right past the car!"

Megan and Lillie stopped, turning back to see Rafe standing next to his car with a sheepish smile. Megan side glanced at her friend, eyes narrowed in a way that made the blonde shudder.

"I knew that!" Lillie yelled back, dragging her depressed anxty friend all the way back to Rafe and his car "Let's Go!"

---

"Oh my God..."

Megan stood awkwardly bin the doorway, in between her two friends who stared at her apartment with their jaws dropped down to the floor. Well...What was left of her apartment, anyway.

"Actually..." She chuckled sheepishly, trying to be subtle as she backed out of her apartment door "I think I remember that I have to go, uh...Study! So, I'm just gonna--"

Rafe and Lillie grabbed her arms without taking their eyes off the pigsty in front of them, and pulled her back in.

"You're not going anywhere." Rafe said in a tone Megan hated. The 'brotherly voice' she had heard Luke use so many times before "Not until we clean this mess up."

"Oh come on!"

"Rafe's right, we are not leaving your apartment like this." Lillie scolded as she pushed her friend towards the living area "How long has Luke left you?"

"'Bout two days."

"Jesus Christ, Megan!"

The girl held her hands up in defense "Hey I've never been a neat freak, okay? Don't worry I'll have it cleaned up before the brother gets back."

"No," Rafe objected as he rolled up his sleeve "You'll have it cleaned up before sunset."

"What?"

"We're not leaving you in this dumpster, so we'll help you clean." He continued, already beginning to pick scattered clothes off the floor "I mean seriously, what kind of heathen lives like this?"

"The one you're friends with, apparently."

"Less sass, more..." Lillie paused "Sweeping... couldn't think of anything that rhymed."

Ugh...It's like Luke never left.

"Alright, fine. But no Disney shit, kay?" Megan groaned, trudging over to the kitchen where the black bin bags were held. Lillie knew it was mostly aimed at her, and therefore smirked secretly from under the coffee table.

"Aye ma'am."

Megan grunted. Somehow, she didn't quite believe her best friend was being a hundred percent truthful.

.

.

.

"Whistle while you work~"

"LILLIE!"

Rafe hid a snort behind his hand as he did his best to stay on the other side of the apartment, not wanting to be a part of the 'Let's see how long it takes for Megan to slaughter someone' game Lilllie seemed to be starting.

If his calculations were correct; about ten minutes.

---

About two hours into cleaning, the three little workers decided to take a small break on the now clean(er) couch. Well, Megan was on the couch... sprawled out... asleep, while Lillie and Rafe sat on the floor sipping cans of coke Rafe went out to buy.

"Okay, so..." Rafe began, glancing behind him to make sure Megan was in fact asleep "What you're saying is that my sister forced herself onto Gladion, making it look like they were having a mutual kiss so Megan would think he was cheating on her so they'd break up. And that she's working with this 'Leven' guy and possibly Gladion's ex to bring Megan's mental state crashing down?"

The girl next to him nodded sadly as she glanced down at the can in her hand "I'm afraid so..."

The man let out a sigh and leaned his head back, resting it on what he thought was the pillow of the couch, but was actually Megan's knee "Honestly... I can't say I'm surprised. I love Sadie and all, but even I know what lengths she'd go to get what she wants... It's probably our mother's influence on her, or something like that, but--" He grunted, bringing his hands up to cover his face "God... I can't help but feel partially responsible."

"Why?"

"As the man of the house, I should be the one that looks out for Sadie. But I was too focussed on my studies. Perhaps it's my foolish workaholic nature that forced her to look up to our mother, instead..." Peering through his fingers at the ceiling, the man frowned "And now she's hurt more people than I think she realises. Megan, Gladion, you and your friends. Hell, even I'm stinging a little from this."

Lillie watched the man with sad eyes, not really sure how to respond. In a way, he was right. His father, Callum García was never home. He was always was out around the world, trying to promote his company and sell new merchandise; kind of like her family. Except while the family Mohn leaves behind is a loving open family... Rafe wasn't so lucky. Perhaps taking responsibility for his sister's actions wasn't exactly the right way to go, but maybe his would have been avoided if he had taken responsibility for 'father figure'. But then, would he be as successful and intelligent as he was now? Probably not.

No matter how she looked at it, there was always going to be outcomes; good and bad.

"You know..." Rafe began again, and this time his eyes had turned to Megan's sleeping form "She's an interesting girl, Megan I mean. Even after everything, she still has time for sarcastic and witty remarks she always gives when I'm on the phone with her. She's a tough cookie, even with all of her insecurities."

Lillie smiled "I know what you mean... If only she hadn't had so much heartbreak in her life, perhaps she wouldn't be so scared to share her problems."

"It's probably a matter of whether she's bothering you."

"I'd never be bothered by her!"

"Then, maybe you should go more out of your way to tell her that." Rafe suggested without glancing away from the sleeping female "I mean, you said it hurt when you found out about the relationship after it ended, so maybe you should put in the effort to make sure that doesn't happen again. You and your friends. Make sure she's not alone in this; both her and Gladion."

"Wow... You know, I might just do that." Lillie hummed "I think I can see why Megan refers to you as 'therapist', now."

"It's a gift. Or studying human nature, I dunno."

She snorted.

"But seriously..." Rafe began, his piercing between his teeth in an unsure manner "Do you think she and Gladion will get back together?"

"I... I don't know, I want them to. Megan makes my brother happy, and I'm almost certain he makes her happy, too." Lillie hugged her knees "It's just a matter of whether they can sort this out. It's not something I can jump into, they have to do it herself... But if they can't date again I at least want them to be friends, I can't stand either of them being miserable like this."

"I know the feeling..."

Megan stirred, which made Rafe realize where his head was. Embarrassed, he pulled away.

"Gla...di...on..." She seemed to murmur painfully in her sleep.

"Oh, Meg..." Lillie sighed before standing "I'll get her a blanket, can you watch over her?"

Rafe nodded.

When Lillie left the dark skinned male turned his attention back to the sleeping girl, only to see something rather concerning. Tears... she was crying in her sleep. Bunching up the sleeve of his hoodie, gently wiped the liquid from her eyes.

Though, seeing her all quiet and peaceful like that made him realise--

He slapped himself. Literally.

Don't go there, man. Don't go there.

He was actually being a little creepy right now by watching her sleep... he should probably stop.

"Okay I'm ba--"

"Lillie! Hi!" The man laughed nervously, shuffling away from Megan. Lillie raised an eyebrow.

"What were you doing?"

Pursing his lips together, he pointed to Megan "Well, she was crying so I thought I--"

"She's crying?!"

"Um, yes?"

Lillie rushed over to his side, blanket in hand as she knelt in front of the couch. Sure enough, the girl did have wet eyes and a tight grimace. The blonde felt a tightness in her chest as she draped the blanket over her friend "I didn't know she cried anymore..."

"How do you mean?"

"I haven't seen her cry since her f--" She stopped "Since she was 12..."

"That doesn't mean she doesn't cry." Rafe told her "You can't stop yourself from crying, you can just hold it in until you reach a breaking point. She's still a human, you know."

"I know, it's just... She's always put on a brave face, so seeing her vulnerable like this... It hurts, but it's also a bit of a relief."

"A relief?"

She nodded "Because I know she hasn't lost herself... Maybe I have my brother to thank for that."

"Why your brother?" Rafe asked, tilting his head.

"I think... ever since Megan met Gladion, both of them have been so much more in tune with their emotions... They've smiled more, laughed more, become more open with talking to people outside our group. And I know it's for a bad reason, but I'm seeing Megan cry for the first time in years..." She suddenly frowned "Rafe?"

"Yes?"

"I want to get her and my brother back together."

A/N: Damn... It feels like awhile before I uploaded. I actually started this about a day after I posted the last chapter, but then I started working on something else... A My Hero Acedamia AU oneshot. I don't even know what to do wit it, I even made costume designs and everything!

I dunno, should I post it on here? Like, as a oneshot?

It's a lot longer than any other oneshot I've written. Like, over 7000+ words. But, would it be something people would enjoy?

Well the offer's out there, soo yeah.

Well. As always thanks for reading, even with all this anxt going on.

And uh, yeah. Catch ya later, guys, gals and non binary pals.