As much as Sohal wanted to be happy for his sister, there was a part of him that resented her. She had always been the perfect child growing up. Even though she was a few years younger, she had been lucky with Fated and found someone worth marrying.

He stood at the door and checked his pockets. He had his phone, keys, wallet, and the gift he bought last minute. It seemed he had everything… but his confidence.

He took a few shaky breaths and tried to prepare himself. It was just a baby shower. It should be okay. As long as he kept his mind off Fated, he should be okay.

Sohal gently tapped the door and it immediately flew open. Nikita practically glowed, the smile so wide on her face that it might as well have been tattooed on. She wore a long flowing dress that showed off her baby bump and white slippers. 

“Sohal! You made it!” She moved her wavy dark hair out of her face. 

“Nikita, it’s been so long. I got you a gift.” He gestured to the tiny gift bag in his hands.

“Oh, just put it over on the table.” She pointed in the direction of a table already overcrowded with presents. “Come in, come in. We’re getting things set up in the backyard right now, but in the meantime, make yourself at home and eat.”

Before Sohal could ask his sister how she was doing, she walked away to greet another guest. She was even more of a social butterfly than he remembered.

Sohal decided to free his hands from the tiny bag he was holding. He approached the table and eyed the rest of the gifts. There was a spot that was just large enough to fit it. 

The boxes were fairly large and he wondered if his gift of a small baby onesie was really enough. Not like he could change it at this point. He was about to place down the present in the space when a pair of hands quickly plopped down a neatly wrapped box.

Startled, he looked to the person to see familiar eyes staring back at him. It was his first time seeing Rune outside of Vein. Rune looked more put-together than usual. His dark messy hair was slicked back and there were thin lines of silver eyeliner which made his dark brown eyes pop more. He even wore a dress shirt instead of casual baggy clothes.

“Rune? What are you doing here?” Sohal stared at him in confusion, a part of him wondering if Rune was really there or if he had imagined him into existence.

“I’m a friend of Lorenzo’s. I couldn’t miss a big day like this,” Rune glanced at Sohal. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here either. What brought you here?”

“Oh, well… Nikita is my sister.” Sohal tried not to gawk at the man. He couldn’t believe that Rune was there in front of him. Either one of them was psychic or it was a very strange coincidence.

“That’s cool. I bet your sister is glad to have you here,” Rune replied. “Are you excited to be an uncle?”

“Yeah.”

He wasn’t sure what else to say but he couldn’t talk about Vein while he was at a family event. He carefully placed his present on top of Rune’s and began to make his escape. The snack table was his destination, but his way there was cut short too fast.

“Sohal!”

His name boomed throughout the room and Sohal groaned. He tried making his way through the room in an attempt to avoid the owner of the eager voice. He didn’t want to talk to him today. He just wanted to see Nikita and maybe eat some snacks.

Sohal’s dad appeared which made his heart stop for a moment. “Did you bring a date with you? Nikita mentioned that you came alone.”

“O-oh, well, the person I am dating currently is… busy. Yeah, she was busy. I mean, she is busy. She wishes Nikita a happy and healthy baby though,” Sohal stammered.

“Maybe you’re not trying hard enough to woo her. You need to use the ol’ romance tricks I taught you,” his dad continued. “Girls love it when a man takes control.”

“Dad... I came here for a baby shower, not learning how to make a baby shower.”

"Carry on the Cox legacy and have some kids already. Back in my day, you got matched by Fated only once. Your mom didn’t seem too happy that she matched with me, but when she got into bed with me, she sang a different tune if you know what I mean.”

Sohal averted his gaze, glancing down at the ground just to avoid his father’s stare. He felt frozen like a deer in headlights whenever the topic of his dad’s sex life came up. All he had to do was ride it out until his father eventually got tired or bored.

"We'd be popping out more babies if it wasn't for your mom's health issues."

“Uh…”

Feet entered Sohal’s vision and he looked up to see Rune had approached him and his father. Rune glanced between Sohal and his father. “Hey, sorry for interrupting but Lorenzo asked Sohal for some help. Something about setting up the slideshow.”

“That’s not really…” Sohal began to say.

Rune gave a subtle glare to Sohal. “Can you help please?” 

“Uh, sure.” Sohal slowly nodded with his eyes locked on Rune’s.

Rune gave a curt nod to Sohal’s father. “If you’ll excuse us, sir.”

They quickly left the area and exited out of the backdoor.

〜

“So, where’s the slideshow?” Sohal scanned the area and couldn’t see anything that needed any technical assistance. There were rows of seats that faced the back of the garden with not a single guest in sight. His sister and Lorenzo were also missing.

Rune grabbed his arm and pulled him towards a bench under the awning. The two sat down. “I overheard what was going on, and it seemed like you needed an escape.”

“Ah… thanks. My dad, he… can get really… passionate sometimes.”

“Yeah, I understand. That kind of pressure can be tiring, especially when it comes from the people who are supposed to care about you.”

“I guess you could say that...” Sohal looked down at his feet. “I know he means well, but… you know…”

“If he corners you again, give me a shout,” Rune said. “Your dad seems like he’s the type of person that doesn’t stop unless you force them to.”

“Yeah, the only place that I don’t feel this type of pressure is... where I met you.”

“Felt like you fit in?”

“I guess. I don’t know. I still feel… out of place.”

“No need to rush anything. Just continue at your own pace and you’ll end up where you need to be.”

“Thanks again. I feel like I’ve been thanking you a lot recently.”

“Don’t sweat it.”

“I’ve been wondering… how exactly did you meet Lorenzo?”

“He’s actually a regular at… the place. We’ve hung out a few times.”

“What? Does Nikita know?”

“She’s there sometimes too. Fated doesn’t let people find more partners if they want. Having an open relationship isn’t easy with the way the app is structured. Even harder for bisexuals, too, that want to have a same-sex relationship.”

Sohal was at a loss for words. He never took Nikita to be the type to sneak around like that. She was supposed to be the golden child of the family yet she was keeping secrets. But if she wasn’t the image of perfection, then what was—

“You okay there?”

Rune’s words shook him out of the trance he fell into. Sohal refocused on Rune’s concerned face and he realized that he had been silent for some time.

“Yeah… I’m just… it shocks me. She’s my parents’ favorite child and yet she… I can’t believe it.” His hands started to shake. “How could she do this to us, to me?”

“Hey, hey,” Rune grabbed Sohal’s shoulder. “Her and Lorenzo seem to have a really good relationship. What they do together is consensual and healthy. No one is cheating and they’re doing what makes them happy.”

“But she goes to that place! What if she got arrested or our parents found out?”

“And you go there too. You had a good time there. She did too. Just take a deep breath and think. You and I can also face the same consequences as her. So, why are you worried for her? Shouldn’t you be worrying about yourself?”

Sohal took a deep breath. “I-I don’t know. I just… Sorry. It’s a lot to process.”

“Why don’t you tell me a bit more about what you do in your free time? Lorenzo mentioned that you’re a total fanboy for the VR game Geoborne.”

Talking became easier once the heavy topics were dropped but a part of Sohal felt a bit bad for judging his sister too harshly. He wasn’t sure if he should mention it again since the conversation had already moved on. Rune didn’t seem bothered by what Sohal said at least.

“Can I borrow your phone?” Rune asked, after the two spent more than enough time debating when the new update would be released.

“Hm? Uh, sure.” Sohal took his phone out of his pocket and handed it over to Rune.

Rune raised an eyebrow at him. “Could you unlock it for me please?”

“Right. Of course.” Sohal gave an awkward laugh and unlocked his phone before handing it back to him. “There you are.”

“Thanks.” Rune spent a few minutes typing something out on Sohal’s phone. When he was done, he handed it back to Sohal with a smile. “Alright, I put my number in so you can message me whenever you need to talk. VR games, family vents, advice, questions about why we exist on this planet. Anything.”

“Ha, don’t be surprised if I text you I need help with opening a jar.” Sohal pocketed his phone. “Actually… I have an embarrassing question to ask.”

Sohal quickly realized he wouldn’t get an answer when Lorenzo appeared in the backyard, drinks in his hand. “Rune! Sohal too, what a surprise!”

Sohal grimaced. Looking over, he noticed that Lorenzo had joined him and Rune. 

“How’s it going, boys? Slideshow ready yet?”

“We just finished up,” Rune said coolly. “Could really go for some drinks though.”

“You’re just in luck. I just got these straight out of the fridge.” Lorenzo turned his gaze to Sohal. “Would you like one too?”

“Oh, no, I’m driving today. I can’t.”

“Aw, too bad.”

Sohal frowned to himself, disappointed that his talk with Rune was interrupted. His thumb wiped the screen of his phone before he read over Rune’s contact information. At least Sohal didn’t have to wait very long for their next conversation.