dex drew back, heart pounding. wh-what are you doing?

& now fitz backed away, too. kissing you? i- what did you think i was-?

memories flashed through dex's mind, fast as a lightleap. fitz & sophie, kissing at the party. fitz, angry. fitz, actually opening up. fitz, kissing him. kissing him, & his lips were scratchy & they tasted like tangerines. fitz, resigned, surrounded by an invisible cloud of legacy, legacy. fitz & sophie, kissing through the spyball. fitz, crying. sophie, vulnerable, open. & now fitz, trying to kiss him again.

fuck you to infinity. that's what a part of dex wanted to say.

then there was the other part of him that wanted to kiss fitz back.

he took a step back, & then another, legs brushing against the forgotten bag still lying on the floor. fitz, i don't think- this-

an almost panicked look filled fitz's face. but i thought- i'm sorry-

dex took a deep breath. fitz.

d-dex.

you dated my cousin.

okay, except you kissed said cousin. i don't think this comparison-

dex straightened up, hands balling into fists by his sides. fitz. you literally just broke up with my cousin. this... the timing is terrible. & honestly? i know you're the whole trust-me-blah-blah guy, but i decidedly don't trust you right now. i kind of opposite-trust you, if i'm being honest. mistrust. whatever.

fitz looked at him, mouth twisting. dex. i promise you that i want to make up for my mistakes. all that legacy talk? that was-

shut up, fitz! dex could feel his voice getting louder, & he let it. that legacy talk was a part of you, like it or not. it's not going to just go away! you have to actually, actively change! &, guess what? you've been terrible at that so far!

that's not fair! now fitz was angry, but there was something sad in his gaze, too.

life's not fair! & you're not fair! why the hell should i be?

fitz let out a long sigh, almost as if he had been struck, before putting his head in his hands. this sucks.

i'm sorry.

no, i'm sorry. if i had just- ugh. he brought his hand to his hair, pushing it from his eyes. is this it? are we over? before... before we ever really happened?

& now dex couldn't look at him. i think so.

fitz gave out a small, harsh laugh. no second chances for us, i guess.

we both know we've had plenty of chances. you screwed them all up.

fitz gave a twisted smile. i guess i did. he looked around the room, then back at dex. i'm gonna come out. to my family. to the world.

you- you don't have to, fitz. if you think you'll be unsafe, or you're just not ready-

fitz nodded slowly. i mean... to biana, at least. i'll come out to biana.

that's a start.

yeah. he continued nodding, before turning & walking past dex, towards the door. yeah, it is. a pause. i think i'll go, dex. just- thank you. & i'm sorry. really, i am.

as fitz opened the door & began to step out, dex found himself opening his mouth. wait- fitz.

fitz turned.

i just... you should... his words felt small, bumbling, even as they came out of his mouth. he took a deep breath, then restarted. if you're actually serious about this coming-out thing. this redemption thing. this doesn't have to be it, fitz. if you prove yourself to me- actually, over time, not just in a moment. then maybe... we could be something. again. for real. but i need time & i need to know it's not going to go away the second i turn my back on you.

fitz gave a slow nod. dex could have been imagining things, but he thought he saw the outline of a half-smile trace his lips. i can live with that, i think.

& now dex was half-smiling, too, even in sort-of-sadness. okay. um. later, fitz.

later.

& then fitz really was gone, with only the click of the door to prove he'd ever been there.

& as dex stared at the spot where fitz had just been, he knew it wasn't the last he'd hear from fitzroy avery vacker.

a/n: i hAVE A PROTECC CLUB NOW IT WAS FOUNDED 10 MINUTES AGO SO Y'ALLSES ARE LEGALLY OBLIGED NOT TO MURDER MY LIL BACKSTABBING SHIP-KILLER ASS

I LOVE THIS SM AHAHAHAHAHHHAHHAHHAHAHA

OKAY UM WHAT DO YOU THINK? ARE YOU MAD? YOU'RE MAD AREN'T YOU~

I HATE KOTLC. BUT I LOVE THIS FIC SERIES? SO I'M NOT 100% SURE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH BOOK 4 (in which fedex will definitely be a suplot)

SPEAKING OF BOOK 4, GUESSES FOR THE TITLE? IT HAS THE WORD LEGACY AND A CURSE WORD IN IT, AND THE SHIP IS SOPHIE X MARELLA. GUESSER GETS A SHOUTOUT

THERE WILL BE 2 BONUS CHAPTERS COMING IN THE CONCEIVABLE FUTURE (ONE OF FITZ COMIN OUT TO BIANA SO STAY TUNED)

I'M FREAKING OUT OMG

BYEEEE -REF

(OH ALSO!! PLEASE LIKE ACTUALLY CHECK OUT MY BOOK COLLAB ALMOONS ON THE ACC _anothergoogleform! WE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO IT AND IT HASN'T GOTTEN THAT MUCH ATTENTION AS OF NOW? ALSO, YOU'LL SEE MORE OF MY WRITING HEHE ;))