=As soon as Dex got home, he excused himself to his room. It wasn't her fault, but oh gnome, he felt like his heart had been diced and shoved down into his throat. He couldn't breathe. His eyes stung. After he closed the door of his bedroom behind him, he stumbled over to his bed, his hand clamped over his mouth, he couldn't let his family hear his agony, it would just be... weird to be comforted by one of them. He was always comforting them, not the other way around.

It wasn't her fault, but he felt betrayed. Dex had thought that Biana had liked him, well... he had a small kernal of hope, like all do when crushing on someone. Even so, it still hurt. She had been the one to help him get over Sophie, and now who would help him get over her? He hadn't felt this way before, like his heart was a balloon that she threw a dart in. Pop. Right out of existence. Mayday! Mayday! He was down. (Actually he had flopped face first into his bed, but the metaphor works well too.)

Sophie had broken his heart, but Biana had shattered it. He could feel it pounding in his chest, but when his soul reached for it, it passed through his fingers like air. That's what it was, an air decoy, made of his misery, thrumming with the tune of the whirlwind of his thoughts. The sound of her saying she had said yes pulsed through his nervous system, causing him to shake until the tears could finally fall from his eyes, and the lump to slide down the inside of his throat. Finally, he could breathe again. Quietly, he gasped for air, and his vision mixed with his tears.

Biana made him so happy. The way she talked, the way she laughed, the way she smiled, the way she looked after his siblings, the way she got excited to see him, the way she danced around his room when he played human music for her, the way she dressed, the way her eyebrows furrowed when she was concentrating , the way she focused on her studies, the way she made time for her passions, the way she made time for others, the way she asked about how soon her necklace would be finished so she could wear it, the way she asked if he was free, the way she cared about him... It was real, it was all real, but sometimes, reality hurts. This was one of those times.

Dex felt empty, like Biana had breathed a song into him, and it had ended. He didn't want it to end. He wanted to live and breathe and bask in the light she shone on the world, as someone who loved, as well as she we loved by her. He never felt for Sophie what he felt for Biana, and he didn't want to let that feeling go.

He didn't know how long he laid there, crying, wallowing, mourning, but he noticed that the sky outside his window was dark when he heard a faint knock at the door. He stifled a gasp and wiped his face of tears. Quickly, he covered the soaked spots of his mattress where he had buried his face into with a blanket, and asked who was there.

"Dex?" A soft little voice asked, "Can I come in?"

"Sure, Bex. What's up?"

Bex kept her head down as she walked into the room, closing the door behind her. A few seconds ticked by before she spoke.

"I'm sorry about Biana, I know you really liked her, and I know she likes you-"

Dex stopped her, "It's okay, I'm fine. That's for worrying, but-"

"But you were disappointed when she told you, you've been crying since we got home! Don't lie, Dex, and don't you dare give up!" Bex shouted passionately. "I don't know why she said yes to him when she clearly likes you. Maybe she was threatened or she was confused or something -I don't know what- but Dex, you can't give up, you just can't!"

"Bex," he smiled sadly, tears threatening to spill over his eyes again. "They're one another's number ones, I can't compete with that, I'm only her number 23."

"Is she on your list?"

"Yeah..." Dex looked away.

Bex huffed, and crossed her arms, annoyed, "So what? You're not going to tell me what number she was?"

A beat passed before he answered, "Three. She's my number three."

"You're pretty high up there, Dex! That's great-"

"No!" He cut her off, "Bex, you just don't get it, do you? She doesn't love me." The tears came back.

"Well, maybe not now, but in the future, after she gets over Keefe-"

"Bex, she doesn't love me. Just please... let it go," begged Dex, burying his face into his pillow. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but please... just go."

He couldn't see his sister, but he knew that she was hurt by his words. "Oh... okay," said Bex hesitantly, "I'm sorry. I'll see you later." The tension was so high in the room, he could almost feel her standing in the doorway, looking back at him, waiting for him to respond. He didn't, and then he heard the door click shut, signalling for the wave of emotions to crash back over him.

The next day at lunch, everyone was shocked to hear that Biana and Keefe were dating. Dex could see the strain on Sophie's face as she congratulated the two, and the flat out confusion on Fitz's. Keefe was all smiles, his arm wrapped around Biana since they showed up, and Biana was still wearing the same nervous smile. Dex didn't react, unlike everyone else, since he had already heard, and he had a change to just let his emotions go numb. His emotions were so conflicted that they just canceled out, and his shell was left to wander the world like a robot being controlled by his master, only, his master was his responsibilities. He gave up on giving out emotions, so much to the point that Keefe noticed.

"Dude," Keefe leaned towards him, not letting go of Biana, "You're not letting off any emotions. Have you been replaced by a robot or something?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny Keefe," he rolled his eyes slightly. "I've definitely been replaced by a robot."

"THAT'S AWESOME!" Keefe exclaimed, "Where is your real body?"

"Um..."

"Hey Dex, how are the triplets?" Biana asked, saving him. She looked pretty uncomfortable honestly, and Dex couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong.

"They're good I guess, but they won't stop asking when they'll see you next," Dex smiled a little, hoping to make her laugh.

She fulfilled his wish, smiling her movie star smile, and Keefe seemed to be jealous. Dex took satisfaction in the fact that she looked more comfortable and happy when talking to him. Maybe Bex was right after all. He had to see, maybe it wasn't over yet. "We should plan something soon, like... oh! I know! Your family should come to Everglen for dinner."

"Are you sure?" Dex asked, "They're pretty rambunctious."

"I'm sure they'll be absolutely lovely. I know that Lex likes ripplepuffs, but what do Bex and Rex like? What do you like?"

His defying heart fluttered. Not many people asked what he liked, or what he wanted. "Bex and Rex like mallow melt better, but I... I don't really have a preference. You really don't have to go through all that trouble."

Moving away from Keefe, who was starting to look annoyed, she winked, pointing her finger playfully, "I guess I'll have to enlist three sets of helping hands." She sent his heart racing suddenly, and Keefe's frown deepened.

"Oh man, you don't know how much they'd love that. I think even Rex would don an apron to be able to help you bake."

Her melodious laugh drifted to his ears on waves of angelic power. Gnome, what was this girl doing to him, even though she had broken his heart?

"You gonna bake something for me, babe?" Keefe asked, glancing at Dex like prey. Dex only smiled like nothing was wrong, because there wasn't.

"I guess, what would you like?" Biana asked, her eyes trained on the table in front of her, not looking her boyfriend in the eye like she had Dex.

Her boyfriend puckered his lips, "Hamalitar flombe?"

Biana frowned, "I don't even know what a flombe is."

Keefe didn't look happy, but then turned to Sophie, and changed the topic. "Hey, Foster, when'd you start wearing rings? Thumb rings no less. Are they an upgraded sucker punch? Because, I'd like the upgrade as well, except, not as thumb rings, they're not very... fashionable."

"They don't have to be fashionable," Sophie turned to Fitz, held her hands up, and before Dex could even blink, they were holding hands, fingers intertwined, a snapping sound acting more as an echo instead of a sound effect.

"Whoa..." Dex breathed in awe.

"Woo, you just held hands, big deal," Keefe rolled his eyes, but looked a little jealous.

Biana also seemed to notice this, and as Fitz coolly explained what cognate rings were for, started to tear up, her hand that had been resting on the table slid to hang at her side. Each time Dex glanced at her, he kept getting this feeling, like an itch, that he had to do something to help her. He almost didn't want to, for a split second, because she had chosen Keefe over him, but then decided that it didn't matter. Maybe he could wait, maybe he should wait. Without thinking, he leaned forward, and propped his head on his hand, elbow on the table. He crossed his other arm over his lap, and reached to poke Biana in the arm. Dex pretended to listen to what Fitz was saying as he saw Biana look down at his hand from the corner of his eye. He then opened it, palm up, a quiet question ringing between them. He couldn't help but blush at her answer.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her smile again, eyes free of tears, before returning his attention to the table in front of him, a faint blush splayed across his cheeks.

Maybe there was hope for him after all.

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  (I used a green background to keep the focus on Dex and Biana)