Fyodor had never been a violent person, but the punch in the gut he felt when he saw Sigma talking to Gogol made him want to return the favor, but to Sigma's face.

He felt foolish, angry, and distraught. On one hand, he wanted to grab Sigma by the arm and shout all the insults he knew in the seven languages he could speak, and on the other, he wanted to curl up and cry because life was unfair.

Life? No, not life.

Sigma.

He should be ashamed, after all they had been through together, after so many years of being friends. Didn't that mean anything to him? How could he dare to take the boy he liked away from him?

He had always had a special attraction to rats, but seeing that his friend had become one of them filled him with immediate revulsion.

He didn't have the courage to interrupt their date, but the next day, the first thing he did was take Sigma by the arm and drag him away where no one could hear their conversation. It was something private, between the two of them.

"But what the hell is wrong with you?" Sigma exclaimed once he had freed himself from his grip.

"You're a rat!" he accused angrily. "That's what's wrong with me!"

The bicolor-haired one was left dumbfounded.

"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

"I saw you. You were very happy yesterday afternoon, eating tacos with Nikolai."

He blushed.

"Oh, that... It's not what you think..."

"Does it make you very happy to take over my life?"

"What? No! Fyodor, listen to me..."

"No, you listen to me!" The Russian dangerously approached him and pointed a finger at his chest. "I didn't want to see it because I thought you wouldn't be capable of it. I wanted to trust you, and that our friendship meant something to you, but it's clear that I was wrong!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Sigma cried out desperately. Fyodor pushed him.

"You like Nikolai!" he spat out, and Sigma went pale. "From the beginning, you've been sabotaging me to keep him for yourself! You never wanted to help me!"

"N-no, that's not... Fyodor..."

"Don't tell me 'Fyodor'! I thought we were friends!"

"We are!"

"Then why did you ask Shibusawa to keep me away from Nikolai while you had a date with him?!"

"Who told you that?!"

"Shibusawa did!"

Sigma stood still for a moment and clenched his fists.

"Shibusawa told you that?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Yes."

He didn't have time to react before Sigma approached with long strides and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"And were you stupid enough to believe him?!" he shouted and pushed him so hard it almost sent him to the ground. "Yes, I like damn Nikolai! And I've liked him long before you even knew he existed! But I wouldn't be stupid enough to betray my BEST FRIEND for someone I barely know! Because I'd rather be without a boyfriend a thousand times over than lose you!"

Fyodor stammered.

"B-but, Shibusawa..."

"Shibusawa what? He's a complete idiot, and that idiot likes you! When I told him everything, he asked me to set up a date with you so I could go out with Nikolai, but I refused! That's the reason we're fighting!"

"But you still had a date with him!"

"It wasn't a date! You didn't talk to him all day, you didn't tell him anything about what we agreed on! And since you weren't anywhere to be found, I told him. And I did it for you!" He pushed him again, and Dostoyevski had to step back. "I spoke well of you! I told him you were mortified by the last time you went out, and that you wanted to make amends! I invited him to go out with you today, after school, to play at the arcade in the mall! And I did all of that for you because I felt guilty! Guilty for considering my stupid brother's deal! Because you deserve Nikolai more than I do!"

With one final shove, Fyodor fell to the ground on his butt and let out a groan. When he looked up, he saw Sigma crying.

"Sigma..."

"Sigma nothing!" he snapped. "I'm never doing you a favor again in my life!"

He turned around and walked away quickly while wiping away his tears with his hands. Fyodor stayed on the ground until the bell rang, and he had to hurry to get to class on time.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned his head and saw Gogol staring at him.

"Nikolai!" he exclaimed. "You startled me!"

He smiled.

"Sorry," he apologized. "You were so focused, and I didn't want to distract you. What were you thinking about so much?"

About Sigma.

"Nothing in particular," he lied.

"So, are we going out today?" the albino asked.

"What?"

"Well, Sigma told me that you couldn't tell me yesterday, but that you wanted us to go to the arcade today, right?"

His stomach churned. He wanted to say no and resolve things with Sigma, but on the other hand, maybe he wouldn't get another chance. He forced a small smile.

"Of course, sorry. I forgot."

Gogol laughed.

"You're very forgetful, aren't you?"

He blushed.

"Just a little."

Class began, and they had to remain silent to avoid getting scolded.

•

[♤♡◇♧]

•

When classes ended, Sigma quickly headed to the library, where he knew Chuuya could help him deal with everything on his mind.

He was surprised not to see Dazai there.

"And your boyfriend?" he asked as he approached the redhead.

"Oh, he's in the hospital," he answered as if it were nothing. "He got pneumonia from jumping into the river, but he's fine. He'll be out in a couple of days."

Sigma asked him for a hug, and Chuuya obliged. They had known each other for a couple of years, and he had grown quite fond of him. To Chuuya, Sigma was like a child who needed a lot of love, and he was always ready to pamper him and give him affection whenever he needed it, especially when his social battery was running low.

"Did something happen, Sig?" he asked.

"Shibusawa told Fyodor that I like Nikolai, and, well... We fought."

He clenched his teeth tightly, feeling like he could break them.

"I feel really bad, but I'm so angry! I wish..."

"You want to hit something?" Nakahara suggested. "I can take you to a place to vent."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I go there often. Do you want to go now?"

Sigma took a deep breath. He needed to hit something. Preferably, his brother, but if Chuuya knew a place where he could release all the anger he had inside, even if it didn't involve hitting Shibusawa, he would accept it.

They held hands and left the library together.