Because it's you (Rei x Arlo)

22

Slight T:W, mentioned panic attack

Remi eyed her brother up and down. She made him a cup of hot chocolate, but he'd been sitting here for the past thirty minutes and hadn't touched it. He hadn't moved in the last thirty minutes for that matter. He just sat at the table, eyes glazed over, and body tense like a wound up spring. She sighed before coming around the table and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and she felt a few tears slip from her eyes when he didn't even react.

'What the hell happened?'

Remi hadn't tried contacting Arlo yet, too focused on trying to help her brother. All she knew was that Arlo had come out of Rei's room and abruptly excused himself before leaving and soon after they heard a crash and Rei screaming. She gulped softly running her hand through Rei's hair. She had been so scared, Rei never broke down like that. She always looked up to her brother, admired him for being so strong. But that look in his eyes when they busted open the bathroom door. Even their father, who never payed them much attention had been startled.

Their mother had immediately fallen to the floor and grabbed Rei by the shoulders pleading for him breathe, their father desperately trying to pull Rei's fingers away from his hair so he wouldn't hurt himself even further. Remi could only watch, horrified as her brother passed out and collapsed into their moms arms. 

And now here they were, Rei hadn't moved or spoken since he woke up and that sat him at the table. Remi figured him and Arlo had a fight or something like that. She knew how much Rei cared for Arlo, so a fight seemed like the only logical thing that could upset Rei like this. But they needed Rei to talk to them before they could ask Arlo about it. 

Remi looked up as her parents walked into the room. "Still nothing?" Her father asked. Se figured he was back to his usual dismissive self and merely shook her head receiving a hum in return. Her mother sniffed before resting a hand on Rei's shoulder. "Please baby, please just talk to us." She whispered, scared that if she spoke too loud she would startle him and he'd shut down even more. 

Remi sighed when her brother remained frozen though.

She pulled away and moved to hug her mother who was beginning to cry again. "I don't know how to help him." She whimpered. Remi glanced at her father when he moved forward and wrapped and arms around his son. "Rei I don't know what's going on, but I need you to talk to us."

Maybe it was the fact that their dad never payed them much attention, he usually acted like he didn't want anything to do with his kids. Or maybe it's because their dad expressed genuine care for once. Or maybe...it's because the last time Rei had been held by his dad was when he was a baby. Either way, that seemed to break him and he turned around and buried his face into his dads chest before sobbing.

Remi felt her mother let out a sigh of relief, while Remi stood there semi shocked. She couldn't remember their father ever hugging, let alone touching one of his kids. But she smiled, seeing how tight Rei's fingers were clutching the back of his fathers shirt and how their father was gently running a hand through his hair while he cried. Maybe he would be okay after all.

'Fuck' Arlo had gotten home that day and immediately threw himself on to his couch. 'Why the hell did I do that, why did I leave, I should've knocked on the door and told him it was okay!' Arlo growled balling his hands into fist. "Stupid stupid stupid!" He shouted pounded his fist against the couch. He groaned burying his face in his hands as he thought about the paper. "Why did I read that?" He mumbled. "It was clearly personal to Rei and I should've respected his privacy." 

Arlo sighed, Rei hadn't texted or called him since he left the house and it was starting to worry the blonde. Was Rei mad at him? Arlo didn't think he could handle Rei being mad at him. He sighed resting his chin on his hands, knowing he had made a major mistake. 

'Why does being so free mean so far away from me?'

Arlo still wanted to know what Rei meant when he wrote the song, and who it was written for. A part of him was jealous, it was clearly a love letter-song-thing, and Remi had claimed that Rei like him. But there was no way that the song was adressed to him, Rei would have brought it up with him right? Maybe that's why Rei never wanted to play for him or show him this song he had written, because it was for someone else.

Arlo grit his teeth before hitting the couch again. "Dammit..." He felt tears well up in his eyes. "Dammit Dammit!" If he even had a chance with Rei before, it was definitely gone. 

Rei would never be his...

and he hated that.