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“What the fuck do you mean?” Taako’s hand was trembling as it held his phone up to his ear. The other was scrunched tightly into a fist, resting anxiously on the table in front of him.
“I just don’t think it’s working out, Taako. I think… You’re not taking this seriously enough. I do too much for you, and frankly, I’m fucking done. ” A familiar voice was spoken in a harsh tone that burned like a hot knife.
He sunk down into his chair, the reality of the situation beginning to set in. Anger subsided into dejection. Taako sat wordlessly for several moments, searching for the something to say that perfectly conveyed the right ratio of rage and sorrow. He couldn’t find it in time.
“Taako, listen, I’m sorry, but this is over. We’re over. For good this time.”
“S-Sazed, wait, don’t--” Taako began, but the call had ended before he could get a single word in. After a few long minutes of shock that kept him paralyzed, he pulled the phone away from his face and began to dial, panicked, hands still trembling. Tears started forming in his eyes as he listened to the phone ring seemingly endlessly, desperately waiting for an answer that he knew would never come. Again and again, he tried to reach his boyfriend - his ex boyfriend, to no avail. Eventually, when it went straight to voicemail, he gave up. Hearing Sazed’s prerecorded message, chipper and bubbly as always, cut deep into Taako’s heart.
He very calmly sent identical texts to Lup and Magnus, saying nothing aside from ‘bring booze and ice cream and be here fucking asap’ and, a few moments later, ‘chocolate ice cream preferably’.
Lup knew all too well what chocolate ice cream meant. Bringing Barry along tonight would be a bad idea.
They had started the night with shots of tequila, salt and limes included - Taako’s favorite. After a few more drinks, Magnus was deemed the keeper of the cell phones for the evening, ensuring that the twins weren’t tempted to send drunken, angry messages to Sazed.
He didn’t want to talk about it, and his friends understood that. They didn’t pry. Taako just wanted to get blackout drunk and forget his problems, but the alcohol only served to make it harder to think about anything else. As he watched Lup and Magnus do an awful karaoke duet of You’re The One That I Want, Taako began to cry. He clutched the blanket he was nestled under and tried to hold back his tears by staring intently at the bowl of ice cream in his hands, but the floodgates had already been opened.
Lup noticed immediately. She always does. “Oh, Koko, babe, are you okay?” The music was hushed abruptly and both of them were already by Taako’s side before he could try to answer. His sister took the bowl from his hands and placed it on the coffee table before snuggling up next to him.
“Can you talk right now, Taako?” Magnus whispered gently, taking his position on the other side of his friend. Taako shook his head. He often couldn’t find the strength to speak when something was seriously wrong. He buried his face in his hands and let his best friend and sister envelope him in a half hug and half cuddle, attempting to steady his breathing and regain his composure.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he spoke.
“He said… that he doesn’t think I was taking the relationship seriously. Not enough for him. Nothing I ever did was enough.” His composure fell apart again before he could continue, hair falling onto his face as he looked down to avoid eye contact. Magnus reached to push the strands of hair back and rested his hand on the back of Taako’s neck, bringing his friend’s head closer to rest underneath his own.
He kissed Taako on the forehead and whispered quietly, muffled by the elf’s golden locks. “Don’t ever let someone tell you that you aren’t enough. I don’t care who he is. You are enough for us, Taako.”
“I’ll kill him. Do you want me to kill him, Koko? I will. Don’t underestimate me.” Lup’s words were spoken quickly and angrily, but with a sarcastic grin on her face. Taako chuckled softly through his tears, pulling away from his friend’s chest enough to shoot an eyeroll at his sister.
“You’d have to get to him before I do,” Magnus added, adopting Lup’s jokingly threatening tone. “I won’t kill him, but don’t worry, I will make him regret it. ” He shook his fist in the air. “No one fucks with our Taako.”
“No one ever fucks with our Taako.” Lup repeated, shaking her fist in a similar manner.
“Listen guys, I appreciate it, but sometimes ya boy wants to get fucked with,” Taako said speaking through a cheesy grin. “If you catch my drift.”
“Fuckin gross. I don’t need to know,” Lup said as she squeezed her brother tightly in a hug before standing up again. “Your ice cream melted, bro. You want some more? Because I definitely want some more.”
“Yeah babe fuck me up. I need to replenish all the moisture in my body I lost from crying with that sweet sweet frozen tit liquid.” Taako, feeling like himself again, leaned back into the couch and moved his feet to rest on the coffee table.
Magnus copied his friend’s movements, leaning back in an exaggerated relaxed position. “I would also enjoy some very cold boob juice!”
“Why are you two fucking like this?” Lup asked from the kitchen, faking exasperation as she dramatically scooped ice cream into three bowls.
Magnus chuckled and put his arm back around Taako. “You love us.” Lup ignored him, but those words, as joking as they were, hit Taako like a truck.
He didn’t need that asshole. He had two perfectly good assholes right here. And they loved him more than Sazed ever did.