milliesmo

[milliesmo]

Despite the tears she was wiping away, the actress smiled as Morty’s hand rested over hers. Both his actions and his words reminded Millie that no matter what, even through heartbreak, she could never lose him as a best friend. They were too intertwined, connected and bonded since they were young — Morty would forever hold a special place in her heart. 

Her smile grew wider as she saw his tattoo. “Ride or die,” she nodded in agreement, turning her wrist in his direction to show her matching tattoo. She gave him a soft, playful push as he called her an old childhood nickname, one she’d almost forgotten about. It was definitely better than Milliepede. Suddenly reminded of his injuries though after lightly pushing him, Millie straightened her posture, eyeing him carefully as if making sure she hadn’t hurt him by mistake. “Sorry, I almost forgot…” she trailed off, her smile fading a bit.

“Do you need anything at all?” Millie asked, wanting to be helpful if she could in any way. She’d never seen Morty like this before, and despite that they just talked things out, she was still distraught by the sight of him. “How can I help?”

Reaching up to place his good hand over hers where it laid on his shoulder, Morty watched Millie wipe her tears away and wished he could do more to comfort her. It was a different kind of heartache than he was used to—to want to console a best friend but being unable because he was the very cause of her tears. And not in a way where he could just apologize for hurting her and make it all better, forgive and forget, but a way that was going to stick around. For a while, at least. A wound like this was going to hurt for a while. There was nothing he could do to fix it, and nothing he could have done to avoid it in the first place…Right? Was it worse to think that this was all inevitable, or that it was preventable and he had actively chosen the path that led them here?

Perhaps Millie wouldn’t be crying right now if they had never dated to begin with, or if he and Bubbles hadn’t gone out and broken up first; maybe he’d have been able to give his heart completely to Millie and they would have felt right together. Would they still have ended up like this if they had gotten a different start? There was no guarantee, so it was pointless to speculate and stay caught up in the guilt of it. He just hoped that when Millie found someone else to fall even deeper in love with—someone who was nothing like that Rowdyruff boy—they would take better care of her heart than he had.

He took a deep breath and answered her question, “We’re okay. There’s nothing you could do to change that, okay? You’re always going to be one of my best friends.” He squeezed her hand before letting it go to show the tattoo on his wrist. “Ride or die, Millie-Moo.” The use of a childhood nickname he hadn’t called her in years harkened back to the bond they had shared before their dynamic was ever colored by romance, the implication being that they’d overcome this hurdle and their friendship would remain as strong as ever, because it was deeper than falling in and out of love.

[milliesmo]

Despite her hurt by the news of Bubbles and Morty, it was surprisingly easy to agree to spend time with her best friend and attempt to move forward. Perhaps it was the loneliness Millie had been feeling — between losing Morty and screwing up with Boomer, along with her twin sister being out of town for her career, Millie had been spending a lot of time to herself and reflecting, which may very well start to drive her insane if she kept it up. Sure, she had her own work to focus on, but it felt like she had no social life otherwise. Falling back into her friendship with Bubbles and trying to feel normal again felt like the right thing to do to keep herself out of trouble. 

Millie nodded as Bubbles considered grabbing her own stuff or not. “We can stop at the store by my place then if that’s easier,” she agreed with a smile. “Between Melody and I, we have plenty of clothes you can borrow. I know she wouldn’t mind,” she reassured the blonde. She could always shoot Melody a quick text letting her know Bubbles would be borrowing some clothes while staying over, realizing she hadn’t been talking to her twin as much as she should have been lately between all the chaos. “I do need my nails touched up,” Millie agreed as she glanced at her hands, the gel nail polish she’d had on for a few weeks now starting to chip away and looking less glamorous than the day she got them done. Bubbles then took her hand and Millie gave it a squeeze. “Let’s! Where to first?”

She may have been pushing it a little by also suggesting for the two to have a sleepover on top of making the rest of the day a girls day between them, but Bubbles wasn’t lying when she said it has been a while since they had a sleepover together. And she felt like that was her fault for that too. The blonde couldn’t deny that ever since getting back together with Morty, she’s been spending so much of her time with him—including late night ones—and during the moments where she wasn’t spending it with her boyfriend, the Powerpuff was either practicing new music with her sisters or dealing with some kind of crime with them or just generally hanging out with her sisters. That gave Bubbles little to no time to spend it with Millie, and while sure her best friend has been busy with her own things too that also interfered with the two of them hanging out, the blonde still felt like it was on her to make it up. They should be having more one-on-one quality best friend time together!

So when Millie agreed to them having a sleepover, the blonde once again squealed. “Yay! We’re going to have so much fun!” She claimed, already starting to imagine everything that the two of them could do while they hang out over her friends place. They should totally play their favorite movies or maybe start a show! And they totally should paint each other’s nails! Losing herself a bit within her excitement, Bubbles almost didn’t hear Millie when she asked if she needed to stop at home. The Powerpuff shook her head. “Besides maybe needing a toothbrush, I don’t need to stop at home. But that I can easily get if we stop by the store on the way to your house.” She replied, beaming even more at the prospect of them sharing clothes. When was the last time the two of them has even done that? “…..Unless, you really don’t mind me borrowing from you?” The blonde then asked, wanting to make sure that her friend really was okay with it. If not, the Powerpuff could always zoom back home to get any of her stuff and be back before she could even be missed. “Ooh, and we should totally do our nails while we’re trying on the face masks too. I have a specific color in mind that I would love to try on you!” Bubbles added, now more than ready to start off their sleepover. Taking Millie’s hand, the blonde once again smiled. “Shall we go?” 

[milliesmo]

Millie was glad that despite the obvious shock of all this news, her sister was still there to love and support her. It must’ve been a lot for her to process after being gone for her modeling career, but her twin seemed to return just in time to ensure she was okay. Which, obviously she wasn’t as tears poured from her eyes, but eventually she would be. She just needed more time to grieve what she’d lost. The kiss Melody gave her and the tightened grip on her hug did help Millie to feel better just a little bit, the flow of her tears finally slowing down.

They both seemed to be at a loss of words for a moment, instead just taking in the comfort and processing everything together. Now that her sister was back home, Millie mentally promised to make sure she didn’t keep anything from Melody anymore; no matter what, they needed to be transparent with each other, otherwise it would lead to more moments like this. There was too much to catch her up on and now she was overwhelmed with the craziness of it all. Thankfully her sister was still there for her regardless. “You don’t have to apologize for focusing on your work,” Millie sniffled sadly, though it was comforting to know that her twin wasn’t planning on leaving again anytime soon. “But I’m so glad you’re finally back…” Finally, Millie slowly lifted her head to meet her sister’s gaze. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

The news of Morty and Bubbles came as a complete shock to Melody considering the extensive history Morty had with her twin. Since they were young, Millie had developed feelings for the eldest of the Fields twins. The Mo girls and the Fields boys growing up so close and tight nit to one another all due to their aunt Minnie being married to the boys uncle Mickey. The four of them even went to the same schools as one another, so it made sense that with the closeness they each had with one another, that at some point one or two of them would potentially develop romantic feelings for one another. It certainly hadn’t been her or Ferdie, bespectacled twin being the one between the two whom Melody was the most closes with yet he wasn’t attracted or romantically interested in girls at all. She never viewed him in a romantic light anyways. But Millie on the other hand? Even before her twin confessed to her about the romantic feelings she harbored for Morty, the younger always saw how fond and enamored for him her sister was. And so, Melody had always hoped that one day the two of them would get together so her sister could be happy. And a moment there, that seemed to be exactly where things were heading when years later, she and their other friends learned that the two were dating.

As Millie hid her face against her shoulder and wrapped her arms tightly around her, it was no shock to anyone when her twin began to fall into tears about this revelation. The sight alone caused Melody’s own heart to break, clutching the older close as she continued to run her fingers through her long hair in attempts to sooth her. “I know, Mimi. I know.” Melody replied, still loss for words on what to say. Morty and Bubbles. She knew the blonde was equally as close to Morty as her sister was—in fact, all three of them were quite the tight nit circle of their own, square even when counting Dewey—but certainly that would mean Bubbles had known all along how Millie felt for Morty? Then again, it wasn’t like the two hadn’t broken up many times throughout the years, her sister being the one to break things off whenever she and Morty would get into a bad disagreement with each other. They’ve even dated other people (Boomer being a very clear example of this despite the irrelevance of their relationship to Millie), but then the two of them would find themselves reconnecting and getting back together again. The entire time, her twins love for him never once wavering. It came to a point where for as much as Melody didn’t agree with how frequent their on again and off again relationship status had been, she had also hoped that one day the two of them would find a point where they only wanted to be together again. Which is why she had thought Morty was the one Millie cheated on Boomer with. He was the only person she could imagine her sister doing such a thing with, so to also know it wasn’t Morty at all but rather a sibling of Boomer’s? Was Morty and Bubbles together at the time Millie had been dating Boomer, is that why? No, that wouldn’t make sense with everything the model knew. At the very least, her twin would surely have mentioned that to her even if it broke her heart in having to admit to this kind of reality. 

“Its okay, I understand completely on why you didn’t.” Melody replied, pressing a gentle kiss against the crown of her sisters head. Was she happy to have found out about all of this now? Of course not, but she gets it. “I’m sorry it took me this long to get back home to you. I’m sure you needed me around after learning the two of them were together, and yet I was so far away from you.” As she made her own apology, the younger of the two tighten her hold. “But I’m here now, and I’m not planning on leaving you anytime soon, okay?” 

[milliesmo]

Millie loved catching up with her Aunt Minnie, especially when it came to her work. It was hard to believe that Heathers was already wrapped up and over with, a bittersweet end to an exciting chapter in her career. She smiled as her aunt complimented her despite having yet to see any photos. “Lots of pictures!” She answered as if that should have been obvious. Millie didn’t hesitate to pull out her phone to pull up her camera roll, scrolling to the photos from the evening and facing the screen toward Minnie. “Here’s the whole cast and crew… Here’s the cast,” she began describing as she swiped through each photo. The next photo was a picture of her and Morty, a sad sort of smile forming. Despite how much time had passed, she still had her moments of missing him. She didn’t need to explain her and Morty’s photo, Minnie already knowing him of course. “But you see what I mean with the outfits?” She continued with a laugh, playing off her moment of silence to not draw attention. “We look ridiculous. But it was still fun!”

@milliesmo said: “All the outfits were terrible.”

Minnie smiled at her niece’s diss towards the attendees of the event she was describing, a wrap party for the Heathers musical film she was the star of, naturally themed around the decade the story was set in. As a child of the 80’s herself, Minnie had some fondness for the decade’s fashions herself, but she could understand why they wouldn’t be suited to Millie’s modern tastes. “I know you looked good, so not all the outfits were terrible,” she answered smoothly. “As long as you all had fun, that’s what matters! Did you take any pictures?”

[milliesmo]

Millie nodded in understanding at her apology, though she didn’t express out loud that it was okay. Bubbles’ apology for not saying something sooner felt … almost fake, and not in a sense that she didn’t believe her. Millie just knew deep down that sooner should have been a long, long time ago. There was a secret history between Morty and Bubbles that Millie has always suspected deep down, and Bubbles only just now revealing anything, as if it randomly just happened, almost rubbed salt in the wound. She wanted her to be more honest, but she also knew Bubbles was probably just trying to spare her feelings... Millie had a lot of conflicting emotions as she processed all of this. 

Despite feeling conflicted, it went without saying that a girl's day was much needed for both of them. Millie’s smile returned as Bubbles squealed in excitement. A sleepover was an unexpected offer, but Millie easily agreed without question. She could use the company, a pick me up after everything she'd been going through. “I’d love that,” Millie confirmed, though her enthusiasm didn’t completely match Bubbles'. “Did you need to stop at home and grab some stuff? You can always just borrow stuff from me if you want,” she continued, more than willing to share with her if needed. Maybe a part of her worried her feelings would change if Bubbles left and came back. “We can rent a movie, have some snacks…" Despite the hurt deep down, it was easy to move forward with how much she missed her best friend and spending time with her. She hoped that once they did spend time together again, it would make things easier and not more difficult instead. "Oh, I even have some new face masks we can try out together!"

Bubbles wouldn’t know what she would’ve done if Millie hadn’t accepted her relationship with Morty. For as much as she didn’t want to hurt her best friends feelings by getting together again with their shared ex, the blonde had to admit that she was selfish enough to not let this opportunity to be with Morty again go. He had given her a second chance— a chance in which she never thought would ever come to be because of how dumb she was for thinking that they could date in secret and still have a happy and healthy relationship. There was no way she could pass that up, even for her best friends sake. But as selfish of her as that was, the Powerpuff was also equally as selfish in wanting Millie’s approval. 

She’s always known of how deeply the other girl felt for her boyfriend. It had always been obvious back then when they were all younger, even before Morty had first confessed to her. In fact, Millie’s affections for him had been so apparent, Bubbles had been convinced that he felt the same for her in return and that it would only be due time before the two started dating. And back then, the blonde would’ve been so happy for the two—she was happy when they finally did start dating despite how much it had hurt—so it came as a surprise when it had been her he had confessed his romantic feelings for. And maybe it was selfish of her to accept his confession and agree to date him while being aware of how her best friend had felt, but she couldn’t find it in herself to regret ever doing so. Even while knowing that at some point that meant Millie would find out the truth about them, it had been a risk she was glad she had taken.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” The blonde apologized, meaning it. She should’ve known that her best friend would be understanding enough to know that they both happened to fall for the same guy, and that none of this was because either of them wanted to hurt her. But she meant it, Bubbles was sorry for not saying anything sooner and the fact that there was so much else she has to say? Gosh, she didn’t even know where to start! But a girls day between the two of them sounded like a good place and the Powerpuff smiled at the suggested. “Yes! I would love that!” Bubbles squealed. The thought of them having a sleepover right after came to mind, it being so long since she stayed over at Millie’s or vice versa with how busy the two of them has been. “I’ll even shoot a quick text to my sisters and say I’m staying the night, if you’re okay with that? It has been so long since we’ve had a sleepover!” 

[milliesmo]

Mortified, Millie hoped that the worst of this conversation was out of the way now. She continued to avoid his gaze, embarrassed by the entire situation and even more embarrassed that she was crying. Though deep down she was comfortable enough with Morty to be vulnerable like this, it was still unnerving to be transparent about her mistakes and own up to them. Just as her sister was understanding though, so was her ex. His attempt to reassure her initially caused her to shake her head, but she heard him out anyway.

Acknowledging that he broke her heart was unexpected, Millie’s eyes meeting his softly with tears still welling in them. She didn’t blame Morty for anything — he couldn’t help who he did or didn’t love. Perhaps he was right… She sniffled, a small “Thanks,” escaping her lips as he handed her a box of tissues. She certainly needed it, using a tissue to wipe her tears and (hopefully) any makeup that might have run down her cheeks. She tried to match his smile, but it didn’t quite reach the same. Regardless, he did help to reassure her. She stayed silent as he continued, placing the tissue box beside her in case she may need it again. 

“You don’t need to apologize..” Millie attempted at first, watching as his gaze left hers. Her heart sank again, gently putting a hand on his shoulder despite the sadness she was feeling — at this point, they both needed some comforting. “It’s okay… I mean, I can’t say that any of this has been easy,” she confessed, her free hand wiping her tears with the tissue again. “... but you didn’t know better. I should’ve … I should’ve been more transparent.” She was always trying to come off strong and composed, as if difficult things could easily slide off her and remain unbothered. She almost always left the sadness and anger to come out behind closed doors. Maybe the truth was that if Millie really did love Morty, she would’ve been able to be honest with him in the first place. Perhaps, in some ways, he had been right in their previous conversation. Ever since she learned about Morty and Bubbles, it was difficult not to question past feelings. “I’m sorry too..” She repeated back, keeping her hand on his shoulder and attempting another smile. Despite all the heartache and the mess of everything, Morty was still an important person in her life. She hoped he knew that. “... So you and I are still okay?”

Millie’s shamed reaction to hearing Morty relay what Boomer had called her was exactly why he had struggled so much to get the word out. She looked mortified, hiding her face from him, and it honestly made him wish he had gotten at least another punch in before Boomer took him down. Even without yet knowing the full story, Morty still felt more protective over Millie than suspicious of why Boomer was calling her out—though when she shook her head and said she was sorry, his heart sank wondering if that itself was the answer to his inquiry. She assuaged that doubt shortly, confirming that the two had been broken up when she and Morty had slept together last September, but the tears in her eyes didn’t help to make him feel any better about the situation. Nor did her explanation that she had in fact cheated on Boomer with someone else, and confessed to him that she hadn’t been over Morty when they broke up. That painted their discussion after that last hook-up in a completely different light, and made him feel awful.

While learning that Millie had cheated on her ex was unexpected—for whatever faults she may have had, Morty had never thought of her as disloyal—it couldn’t completely change the way he saw her. He had enough faith in her to recognize how remorseful she felt over everything, so there was no use making her feel even worse than she already did. All he could tell her was, “It’s not your fault.” Well, the cheating was, but…Much like Bubbles had done in the aftermath of the fight, Millie was blaming herself for how it had all gone down, but neither of them were responsible for anybody’s actions but their own. Sure, the Rowdyruff boy might never have picked a fight with him if things had happened differently in the past, but it was still entirely his choice to provoke Morty—and Morty himself was responsible for rising to the bait. Neither of their mutual exes were at fault for this altercation just because they’d broken Boomer’s heart. As a matter of fact…

“If you’re to blame for breaking his heart, then I’m to blame for breaking yours, huh? That’s his reasoning for provoking me—I don’t like it. So unless you think it’s my fault, then it’s not yours either. Okay?” He reached for the tissue box on the end table to pass to Millie so she could dry her tears, offering a wry smile along with it to indicate that this wasn’t all too serious. Of course it was serious, but it could still be fixed. He wanted her to feel that. And he hated seeing her cry, though he feared her tears might keep coming as they continued the conversation; there was still more he had to say, as uncomfortable as it would be. “I’m sorry, too, for what it’s worth…” he started, avoiding eye contact again partially so she didn’t feel observed while crying, but also partially because he felt guilty. “Mills, I wanted us to be honest with each other, but I didn’t really give you a chance to say how you were feeling, did I? I just decided what I thought we both felt.” The hardest part to say aloud was that even though he was sorry for not hearing her out first, it wouldn’t have changed anything if he had. Knowing that she still had feelings for him wouldn’t have convinced him that they were right for each other. “I’m sorry.”

[milliesmo]

Melody always knew how to soothe Millie. It had felt like so long since she last was so close to her, able to be completely real with her and still have each other's backs. The older twin really meant it when she said she didn't feel like herself when the other was away for too long. Melody's fingers continued raking through Millie's hair until she revealed Boomer's brother's involvement. Millie avoided her sister's gaze, but she could hear the shock in her voice as she trailed off. Melody was obviously at a loss for words, so Millie took the opportunity to fill her in on Morty next.

Her sister's soothing fingers returned to their previous movement in her hair as Millie grew visibly more upset. The twin nodded in confirmation despite Melody's disbelief, remembering all too clearly what Morty had said that day. By the time her sister processed it all, tears were trickling down her cheeks. Millie's head fell onto her sister's shoulder as she finally let it all out, arms wrapping tightly around her as she cried. "It's been so hard, Melly.." She confessed between tears, not letting go of Melody. Watching two people she loved, one platonically and one romantically, love each other after all their shared history was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions — happy that they were happy, but also heartbroken at the thought of them together, jealous even. She'd done her best thus far to be supportive of the couple, even having a friendly sleepover with Bubbles and catching up after hearing the news, but deep down she was still hurt, still processing and moving on. "I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner," she mumbled sadly into Melody's shoulder, still unable to pull herself together. It was emotionally exhausting for Millie to put on the mask for her loved ones since hearing the news, to put her feelings aside so Bubbles and Morty could be happy, but right now she didn't have to. There was no one around she needed to pretend for; Millie was safe to cry in her sister's arms.

Melody could tell that Millie was sorry for what she did. It could very well be her bias as her twin sister, but just by the tone of her sister’s voice when she expressed how awful she felt about everything, the model could tell she was being truthful. Did that mean what she had done hadn’t been wrong? Obviously not, Melody may not be judging her twin but that still did not negate the fact that Millie had cheated on someone, nor does it change the fact that cheating was wrong— but she was her sister, and if there was one thing she’ll do is always be there for her.

Continuing to run her fingers through her sister’s hair, the model had to admit, she was curious to know who it was Millie had cheated on Boomer with. Morty had been the obvious conclusion with the history her twin has with him, hence why she questioned if it had been with him. It would not surprise her if Millie fell back into old habits with him despite already being with someone at the time due to how strongly she felt for Morty. After all, for as long as Melody can remember, she's known that Millie was in love with Morty.  

So, hearing Millie confirm that it wasn’t with Morty, Melody blinked. However, it was what her sister said after that had her pausing for a moment—trying to make sure she had heard her correctly. It was with Boomer’s brother whom she had cheated on him with? Her twin had covered her face with her hands, but a moment after, she allowed her hands to fall away, and with the evident shame she had on her face, the model’s eyes widen. “Millie….” Melody began, yet her words trailed off as she didn’t know what to say. Oh if cheating alone was bad, cheating with someone who was directly related to the person she had been dating was even worst. There were more questions that came to mind with that revelation, such as why didn’t she date Boomer’s brother if she had been more interested in him instead? Or even, did his brother know she had been dating Boomer before they had hooked up? But  instead of asking any of those questions, the younger watched as her sister suddenly became even more emotional as Morty was brought up again. Resuming back with running her fingers through her twin’s hair, she listened as Millie told her what Morty had said to her recently. “He told you that?!” Melody questioned with an incredulous tone. “That doesn’t sound right. You two are each others first relationships— how can he not be in love with you?” As soon as she voiced that, the final reveal was made and turns out Morty was dating Bubbles now. “He’s dating Bubbles?!” She immediately gathered Millie into her arms. “Oh Mimi, I’m so sorry! It must have been so painful when you found out.” 

[milliesmo]

At least she managed to get a small laugh out of him, Millie's body relaxing too despite knowing that the conversation wouldn't be easy moving forward. She had to remember that this was Morty, her first love and the one person she always felt so comfortable around. Even if she was ashamed to tell him what really happened between her and Boomer, just as she had been with Melody, she had to trust that it wouldn't change things between them. She had to face the music whether she liked it or not.

The first thing he said was sadly true, and Millie managed to keep her expression neutral, waiting to hear the rest. Though she couldn't speak on behalf of her best friend, it all seemed to add up now that Bubbles and Morty were officially together. As he hesitantly continued, Millie's expression shifted, the word slut sounding so strange coming from him. Millie was humiliated upon hearing this, instinctively bringing her legs up on the couch so she could hug her knees in shame. "Oh god..." she muttered, hiding her face from him like she had with her sister. Obviously, Morty had little context to work with, which seemed to be Boomer's thing — he'd also left out details when running into Melody, leaving her to conclude the same that Millie cheated with Morty. What was even worse was that this was the reason for the fight. It was sweet of Morty to defend her, but all she could think about was how this was her fault. She felt like a monster.

Finally, though not yet meeting his gaze, the brunette shook her head. She had intended to keep herself together, but already she was fighting tears — angry tears because she was mad at herself, and sad tears because she felt awful by what came of it all. How could her love for Morty crash and burn so terribly like this? She never meant for anyone to get hurt. "I'm so sorry Morty," she finally forced out, followed by a shaky breath.

Millie slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze, and her eyes welled with tears. "We were broken up the last time," she reassured him as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "But ... I did cheat on Boomer, with someone else." His brother. Her gaze dropped to the floor, knowing that probably left Morty more confused. Millie hated that she had to keep going, but he deserved the details after defending her. "... When we broke up, it did come up that I still wasn't over you... If I had known he would hold a grudge and come after you, I never would've told him —" Millie shook her head, stopping as she realized that tears were falling down her cheeks. She quickly brought a hand up to wipe them away. "I'm sorry. I should've told you the truth before, but..." I didn't want you to think I was a slut too. She didn't say that aloud, sniffling as she quietly wiped her tears again.

Morty frowned at the comment about Millie struggling to shake Boomer, tempted to ask whether he had been bothering her too lately, but that line of questioning was best saved for after he got out of the way the hard part of the conversation he had already steeled himself to dive into—he didn’t want to get off track and lose the nerve now. When she lightened the tension with a little joke, he exhaled a small huff of laughter and relaxed a little. If she was still able to joke about it, things couldn’t truly be that bad. But that Boomer wasn’t a fan was an understatement; he seemed to be exceptionally bitter towards Millie even if his misplaced anger with Morty revolved around both of their mutual ex girlfriends. Maybe it was just because he hadn’t let the guy finish running his mouth, but it wasn’t Bubbles he had spoken the worst of, even if he was probably pissed that he and Bubbles were dating now. Millie looked reluctant to hear the answer even as she asked the question, and Morty was no more excited to have to say it aloud—but they were both ready enough and it had to be done.

“He said something about how Bubbles and you weren’t over me when you went out with him, which is one thing, but then he said…he wouldn’t have realized you were…” Morty didn’t want to repeat what Boomer had said, but it was important to the context of the story. “He called you a slut. And he said he wouldn’t have known that if it wasn’t for me.” He paused another moment before continuing, gesturing to his bruised face with his sprained hand to say, “Obviously I didn’t let him get another word in after that. But…it just got me wondering…I mean, you were broken up with him the last time, right?” It felt so harsh to even ask—assuming bad motives on Millie, like she would have lied to him about her and her ex being split up and cheated on the dude when Morty took her word for it. But he didn’t know what else Boomer could have meant by that, how he could have had a role in all of that breakdown.

Then again, Boomer was probably just talking out of his ass, making up whatever he could as a reason to lay the blame on Morty for his exes dumping him so he didn’t have to take accountability for anything. Oh boy, Morty was the worst for letting him get into his head and believing a shred of what he said over the girl he’d known their whole lives…Still. Boomer wasn’t wrong about Bubbles not having been over him, and had known that since before they got back together and Morty knew it himself. If it turned out Millie hadn’t been honest about her feelings when they broke up, would it be such a stretch? But why the name-calling for her only, and not both of the girls? It was awkward, but he just needed to ask, needed to hear Millie’s answer so he could stop worrying about it.

[milliesmo]

One reason that Millie was ashamed to admit everything to Melody was exactly how her twin was looking at her right now — the pity. Millie didn't want people to feel bad for her because she did something stupid, stupidly caused by her obvious feelings that she couldn't erase for the guy who didn't love her back. Millie's stomach churned at the thought.

As Melody slid closer to her sister, Millie heard her twin's sigh and she closed her eyes. She knew her sister would be honest and straightforward with her response, and she was ready to hear it from her. Millie sighed next. "I know ... I didn't realize how sensitive he was," she confessed further. Not that it was a bad thing — the Rowdyruff boys just had a reputation of being bad and tough, but Boomer never really fit that description from Millie's perspective. "I still feel so awful about everything.."

With her sister's fingers soothingly raking through her hair, Millie was relieved that Melody hadn't been scared off yet. It was irrational to think she could scare her twin off at all, the girls would always be loyal to each other no matter what, but Millie couldn't help her fears. Besides, they hadn't even gotten into the worst of it yet. Melody seemed to read her mind as she continued, explaining how Boomer had only given some of the details of their breakup ... He saved the worst of it for Millie to confess. As soon as she asked if it was with Morty, Millie covered her face with her hands again. "No..." She mumbled against her palms, the sadness obvious in her voice. Morty was another part of the conversation that she could address after this, dropping her hands again as she revealed, "... It was with his brother." Her hands now resting in her lap, she looked down at her palms in shame. It was the first time she had to admit that out loud to anyone. "It was really bad, and ... Since you mentioned Morty.." She sighed again, this time heavier. "We decided to just stay friends not long after all this... He said—" We keep doing this because it's easy. It's comfortable. "— He said he's not in love with me..." Millie was fighting the tears threatening to fall from her eyes, her heart aching at the reminder. It only hurt more as she revealed the final update, the cherry on top of her hurt. Her voice cracked as she forced out, ".... And now Morty's with Bubbles."

The main thing that hurt Melody in not being told sooner about this relationship Millie had, was how it made her feel like she wasn’t significant enough to be told about it. Of course, she knew that was all in her head, her twin could be many things—a drama queen especially—but one thing she knew always rang true was that Millie always trusted her with anything and everything. There was hardly ever a secret untold between the two of them, the girls always so trusting in one another to the point where even when they’re aware of doing something wrong, they trusted in their own twin to not judge them for it. Melody herself has been rather open about many things she’s been ashamed to confine her sister for—things in which she still was ashamed for doing. Which is why finding out about Boomer from his own mouth rather than Millie’s? The model couldn’t help but feel hurt.

Rather than verbally responding to her sister’s statement, Melody only nodded, showing that she was still willing to hear her out despite wishing she had been told about all of this sooner. From what Boomer had told her, the younger was aware that their relationship hadn’t ended on good terms. On the contrary, her twin had cheated on him which had resulted in their breakup— another fact in which she wasn’t happy to hear about. But knowing her sister, the only reason Millie had done that would have to have been because she never was as into their relationship as her ex-boyfriend was. He didn’t exactly look like the type of guy Millie would go for, but it has been so long since she last been around, Melody assumed that maybe Millie decided to give other guys a chance. But now knowing that tidbit, it’s no wonder she hadn’t heard anything about this until now, because otherwise Millie would have told her about Boomer sooner.

Watching as Millie slouched back, the younger already began to feel sorry for her twin. She could see that this wasn’t how she wanted her to find out about any of this. Maybe her sister had hoped that she wouldn’t have to tell her about any of this in the first place, for hearing her confess that she didn’t think their relationship was that serious and all she wanted was a fling while she and Morty had been on break, the younger of the two sighed. “Mimi,” The model began, sliding closer towards her sister. As the older rested her head against her shoulder, the remorse and shame for her actions evident within the tone of the older’s voice, the brunette sighed once again. “I won’t sugarcoat it— you did lead him on because Boomer looked very hurt when he thought he was talking to you. He must’ve genuinely really liked you, which may be why he wasn’t aware that you only wanted things to be casual between you two.” Or perhaps he had been aware, but fell for her sister anyways. Millie was very charming and had a way of hooking people to her. Which is why she was such an amazing actress, but also a trait of her twin in which Melody sometimes felt jealous over.  “Aww, I missed you too Mimi! I really wished I could have came home sooner.” She ranked her fingers gently down her sisters hair, glad to be next to her. “And I understand why you didn’t tell me sooner, but, you know I wouldn’t judge if you were only dating Boomer because you and Morty weren’t at the time. Which—” Now, the model began hesitating. “That something really, really stupid….Boomer, he— he had mentioned to me how you two broke up. But he never told me with who, was it... with Morty?”  

[milliesmo]

[milliesmo]

It didn't surprise her that Morty still managed to smile even in the worst of times. Millie returned it with a sad smile, glad he was okay but still distressed by the sight of him; she couldn't help but feel that she was partially at fault. Morty's attempt at a joke didn't exactly ease her concern, but she appreciated his efforts, keeping a hand lightly on his back as he led her to the couch. Glancing down at his broken hand as they both sat, Millie frowned, listening anxiously as she waited for the other shoe to drop. Whatever Boomer was really being an asshole about, whether it was Morty and Bubbles being together or him still feeling hurt from Millie's actions, there was a good chance that Boomer had told Morty what she did. "Yeah, I've been struggling to shake him myself," Millie commented, the thought of him confronting Melody thinking it was her popping in her head yet again. Melody didn't seem to think he was an asshole like Morty did, but obviously they had very different impressions to go by.

Talking shit could have meant numerous things, which made Millie's stomach churn in worry. Once again, Morty was being so much more serious than Millie was used to, but this was far different than their last serious conversation. Despite the heaviness that came with the two of them cutting off anything romantic or intimate together, Morty still managed to be so sweet, and now ... it wasn't that he wasn't being sweet, but he was obviously avoiding something, unlike last time where he was comfortable enough being completely real with her. Despite that he didn't go into detail yet, Millie already had some ideas of what Boomer may have said. She watched as he struggled to meet her gaze, so she attempted to lighten the mood at first. "... I'm guessing he's not a fan?" She sighed a moment later, shaking her own head as she mentally prepared to really tell him the truth, to put her guard down and lay out her mistakes embarrassingly on display. The weight of that thought felt almost heavier this time — when she thought he really did love her still, even when they had been on and off, there was a comfort that Morty might still be able to love her despite her flaws and mistakes, but now .. What if he saw who she truly was and was scared away for good? When he promised We'll always be us, he had no idea what Millie had done to Boomer and how much she hurt him. Would he blame her for getting hurt once he knew everything? Would he truly be able to accept her when she did finally stop pretending? But before she could even explain herself, she needed to know what exactly Morty knew, first. Although she was nervous to hear the answer, she asked anyway, "... What did he say, exactly?"

Morty had never been so glad to be between roles as he was right now, having time to recover from his Rowdyruff-induced injuries without worrying about either trying to perform in this condition or leaving a production early (though of course that was what standbys were for.) Heathers didn’t start filming until February, which gave him some time to heal up, and which he expressed his relief for in a text to Millie when she brought the movie musical up over text. He gave only a short explanation of how he’d gotten into a fight with her and Bubbles’ other shared ex, Boomer, inviting her over to talk in person—because there were things he wanted to ask her about that were better suited for a face to face conversation than text messages. When she arrived, he opened the door to find her with a familiar expression of distress. He kept getting that since the fight. He definitely looked like shit, but he felt…pretty crappy, too. He still offered Millie a smile to greet her and show her that he was alright despite his appearance, hugging her back with his left hand before closing the door and leading her to the living room sofa.

“You think this is bad? You should see the other guy. He…doesn’t have a scratch on him,” Morty said, going for a joke to ease his friend’s worries. If he still had his sense of humor intact, he couldn’t be in too bad of a state. “Not for lack of trying. I did punch him. But—” He held up his right hand in its splint as evidence of how that worked out for him. “I’m alright, really. That guy just…I didn’t realize how much of an asshole he is!” He shook his head slowly (very slowly, conscious of his concussion.) Although there must have been something redeeming about Boomer Jojo for both Bubbles and Millie to have given him a chance, he’d be hard-pressed to see it, and he wasn’t going to sugarcoat his opinion now. “Long story short, we ran into each other and he started talking shit, so I swung on him. He, uh…” Morty glanced between the ground and Millie’s face, knowing where he had to lead the conversation, but hesitating. He hadn’t even hesitated before a physical confrontation, but an emotional one? There were some bridges they’d already crossed—it almost felt like a bad sign to go back over them. But their friendship had to be honest. Last time, had she really stopped pretending? “He said some stuff about you…”

[milliesmo]

Millie's smile fell a bit once she and Bubbles were hugging, listening to the blonde express her relief as she held her there for a moment. Millie knew it was going to be hard now, but she hoped it wouldn't always be. Eventually, she could really be okay with the idea of Morty and Bubbles together, and it wouldn't feel like an act. Millie had already been more than selfish in the past year, between Boomer and Brick and Morty — now, she could quit being selfish and put her hurt aside for two people she loved.

Bubbles sounded so happy, and Millie gave her a light squeeze before they pulled away from each other. "Please, I'm just glad you're being honest. And you don't have to worry — Morty and I are just friends." More so now than ever before, Millie suddenly realized... She let her smile return, a hand still resting gently on Bubbles' arm. Knowing that there was secretly history between her best friend and her ex long before this, it was strange to hear the blonde explain that things suddenly happened. Aware that she didn't actually know much about their past besides her own speculations, Millie wondered how much more there was to the story than Bubbles was telling.

"I love you too," the brunette returned the sentiment, giving Bubbles' arm a small squeeze before dropping her hand back to her side. "I can't promise that things won't be awkward at first, but .. I promise I'm not going anywhere," she continued, genuinely meaning that. She wondered if Bubbles wanted to give Millie more details about their relationship as a friend, but she held back instead because of the obvious history. Part of her was curious to hear more, but Millie didn't go out of her way to press for details, at least not in an obvious way. Instead, she continued trying to be a supportive friend. "Why don't we have a girls' day together, just us two? We can go shopping and you can catch me up on everything?"

Staring back at her best friend with hopeful earnest, Bubbles also couldn’t help the breath she held as she waited for Millie’s response. There, the truth about her and Morty officially dating was finally out in the open now. That is, her confirming that they were dating was out in the open, for anyone with eyes can see that the two of them were together with how even more attached they’ve became since the night of the ball. 

But this was the first time where she was admitting to it to Millie, the Powerpuff wanting to be the one to tell her best friend first hand about her being with Morty considering the history they’ve both had with him. The fact that Boomer wasn’t the only guy they’ve both dated during different times of their lives, but Morty also being a former boyfriend of them both as well. Only difference was that whereas Bubbles knew about Millie being together with him—she knew of all times the two has gotten together throughout the years of them being on-and-off—Millie on the other hand, didn’t know about the first time Bubbles and Morty dated. Not many did, they had dated in secret, and considering how it was the blonde herself that kept their relationship a secret in the first place, of course her best friend wouldn’t know. For all she was aware, this was the first time Bubbles was dating Morty and that was why she wanted to be the one to tell Millie about them. She wanted to make sure that dating him wouldn’t make things awkward between them, the musician finding herself releasing the breath she was holding when Millie confirmed that them being friends mattered the most. “Thank goodness, I’m so happy you understand!” Bubbles claimed, reaching over and pulling Millie in for a hug. “I was so scared of telling you the truth because I know how you feel about him, but I really like him too and he felt the same way, then things suddenly happened and—” The reality was that Bubbles was in love with Morty, and she wanted to tell her best friend that but at the same time, she didn’t want to rub her newly reconnected relationship with him onto her best friends face and so she toned the way she felt down just for now. “I love you Millie,” the blonde said instead pulling back. “I really don’t want anything to change because of this.” 

[milliesmo]

Even in a moment like this, Morty managed to be a charmer with his words. Millie's heart swelled, glad that he took her hand to pull her close for a hug. She held him there tight, even tilted her head to place a loving kiss on his cheek. She would miss what used to be of course, the intimacy and the passion and everything in between, but their overall relationship was too special to ever really be heartbroken about what couldn't be. He was too special, and she'd never want to lose him entirely over her own feelings that she couldn't brush aside. As she held him there, she knew it would take time to adjust and move on, but that was okay. His words and his comforting hug reassured her of that.

-time skip-

What began as a simple text to Morty about Heathers, which had been inspired by Melody talking with Millie about Boomer and Morty and Bubbles, turned into Millie rushing to her ex's place to check in on him in person. Hearing he got in a fight with her and Bubbles' ex immediately had her stomach in knots. She really couldn't shake this guy off, between the Rowdyruff meeting her sister and now being violent with Morty. Millie's mind was racing, thinking about how there was a good chance she was going to have to lay out her dirty laundry to Morty (if Boomer hadn't already done so himself!). It was already difficult revealing to Melody how Millie had cheated on Boomer, but now Morty too... She took a deep breath as she pulled up to his place, hurrying to the door to not waste any time. She was anxious to see him, anxious for the interaction that was to follow as she knocked a few times. Millie didn't have to wait long for Morty to open the door, and as soon as she saw the damage .. her heart sunk into her stomach. "Oh my god, Morty.." She wanted to pull him into a tight embrace, but she was scared to hurt him. She stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around him. She was in complete shock, trying to fathom how things could have spiraled like this. "... What the hell happened? Are you okay?"

Morty’s heart clenched at the bittersweet sentiment she expressed. He wished he could return it, but it would have been a lie to say that Millie had been his first love. Even if he’d never told her that he and Bubbles had dated, she knew he’d been with someone before her; that was as honest as he could be with her at the time they’d first gotten together while also respecting his ex’s wish to keep their former relationship secret. Millie had respected that, never pressing him to tell, and carved her own space in his heart. It had surprised him when she first kissed him, Morty having never realized she had those feelings with the way she always teased him and guarded herself, but it had been easy to fall for her after that. And it had been so easy to be with her, getting to date openly with their families’ and friends’ encouragement, showing public displays of affection, not having to hide their feelings or monitor their behavior around others. In the best times of their relationship, they’d been so proud to show each other off…Millie wasn’t the first girl he’d loved, but she was the first girl who had made him feel loved, and that was something special in its own right. Maybe she was the first one he had reciprocated love with. It was just sad that that wasn’t enough.

“Forever,” he agreed to her simple offer of friends, matching her smile. “We’ll always be us.” He took her hand so as to seal the deal, but only used it to pull her closer so he could give her a hug. A handshake was too cold and distant for what they meant to each other. Morty almost wanted to kiss her, just one more time for memory before they never did again—only because they hadn’t known their last kiss had been the last, and that thought was tinged with a subtle melancholy, a slight lack of closure—but it would have been inappropriate to do that now. Millie had offered a handshake and he had already taken a hug. Besides, even if she completely understood and agreed with his feelings about where they stood, it just sent the wrong signal to say you were done hooking up with someone for good, and then kiss them again. They had committed to quitting. So Morty just held her tight, making sure she could feel through the embrace that they would always be friends, that there would always be a place in his heart just for her, even if it changed shape or meant something different than it used to.

[milliesmo]

Millie suddenly felt sick to her stomach with guilt as she watched her twin's reaction, guilty of being a terrible sister. Melody was completely right — if she had really wanted to tell her sister about her summer fling gone wrong, she would have found a way to squeeze it into conversation. She visibly cringed again as she heard Morty's name, still moving on about the news of him and Bubbles getting together after they ended things for good; Melody bringing him up was a reminder that the brunette was going to have to suck it up and get over it for good starting in a few weeks for filming, for she'd be seeing a lot more of him real soon. She had so much to fill her sister in on, including where she and Morty were currently at. Millie sighed in defeat. "Would you believe me if I said these were sort of things that were better to discuss in person?"

She met her twin's gaze, giving her a look that silently said I don't think you're ready to hear all of this. What she said was true, it was better to unpack everything face-to-face, but she also didn't want to disappoint her sister, avoiding dumping all of her problems on her and expecting her to clean them up like she always used to. Yet, Melody still returned to a great huge mess that Millie made. A mess that was bigger than Millie had even expected, as Melody revealed what exactly Boomer had said to her. The twin literally covered her face with her hands in embarrassment as she mumbled, "Oh god," against her palms. How completely embarrassing! What was wrong with this Boomer guy, seriously?

In the process of hearing this, Millie slouched back against the back of the couch, finally bringing her palms away from her face. Meeting her sister's horrified expression, the guilt returned, and Millie took in a deep breath. The sisters had been apart for so long recently, that Millie almost forgot that it was okay to bring down her walls with her sister. She performed for everyone else around her, but she could always be real with Melody. No matter how many messes her sister cleaned up for her, she always came back at the end of the day. So, she finally came clean — "I didn't tell you about Boomer in between Morty because I didn't think it was that serious. I just .. wanted a summer fling because I was bored and Morty and I were on a break, and Boomer showered me with attention all the time and was the perfect distraction—" She could never turn down attention at the end of the day, but Boomer was clearly not her type, which Melody probably recognized too. "— but I accidentally lead him on and did something really, really stupid." It was only the tip of the iceberg, but she didn't want to overwhelm her sister, gauging Melody's reaction so far as she added, "Oh Melly, I'm so glad you're back." Her head fell on her sister's shoulder. "Sometimes I don't feel like myself when you're away for too long."

Mirroring her twin with widen eyes, only her’s was mixed with disbelief at what her sister had just said Melody then scoffed. “Millie, we both know that isn’t completely true! There has been more than one occasion where we’ve had the chance to speak for at least an hour with each other, and you could’ve mentioned that you were dating someone— who wasn’t Morty, during one of those moments if you wanted to!” The younger claimed, now staring at Millie with a point look. While it was true that for the most part, their schedules conflicted and so there truly wasn’t much time for them to talk, that still didn’t negate the fact that her sister could’ve mentioned in seeing someone new. Even if that meant Melody had to wait with anticipation for the next opportunity for the sisters to talk in learning on who he was, she would’ve rather find out about Boomer that way rather than the way she had when she met him earlier. “Yes, I met Boomer.” the younger confirmed. “Or more like, he met me, because he assumed that I was you while spouting something about wanting you to be 'the one' for him.” 

[milliesmo]

Morty sounded so serious, probably more so than she’d ever heard him before. Millie was still able to control her expression well enough, hiding the sadness that she knew was probably coming. His smile relaxed her for a moment, and she smiled back despite that she was bracing herself for what was about to follow. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe what Millie did to Boomer was the last straw — her punishment being that Morty was ready to let this go for good. Things changed and people grew up; Millie had no choice but to adapt, nodding her head and letting him take the lead. 

We keep doing this because it’s easy. Was that how he saw Millie too, as easy? Did everyone? She had been caught up on those words for a moment, though everything else he said was entirely true. Maybe she was easy for him in some sense — easy to catch, but not easy to hold onto. Millie liked to think that in other circumstances, her and Morty could be everything for each other. For some reason, they were just never able to completely align to be enough for one another. Though this wasn’t quite a breakup, they weren’t actually together right now, it still was a serious conversation. An important one that was going to change things between them, and Morty was being so sweet about it .. her heart ached, but she stayed strong. She wasn’t going to be the odd one out, the one who couldn’t let go. 

“You’ll always be my first love,” Millie smiled sort-of sadly. It was hard to agree with him completely, though it was interesting hearing his perspective so openly. Millie always thought it was her that was the problem, that she was too difficult for their relationships to last, but what he said proved her wrong. We’re not in love with each other... Millie suddenly wondered if she even understood love at all. Still, she understood the point he was trying to get across. She understood that it was time. “I'd hate for us to hold each other back..” she admitted. If Morty had to find happiness with someone else, Millie would have to accept that. As for her? It was tempting to jump into something new as a way of distraction, but that was part of the problem. Millie hadn’t had a single era in a long while, so maybe this was a sign. A sign to break the cycle. She met his gaze again, longing for things to be normal between them, even as just friends. She wanted to give him a hug but also didn’t want to push it — so, she went for a handshake, a playful smile surprisingly forming as she wondered if he’d go for a hug, anyway. Even if she had to give up on the idea of a real future with Morty, at least she wouldn't completely lose him. He'd still be around. With her hand reached out toward him, Millie asked, “Friends?”

“We’re not,” he agreed. “So let’s be real about what we’re doing here.” He sounded so serious to his own ears, giving her a small smile to offset the tone of the conversation. This was going to be the one to change the dynamics of their on-and-off romance for good; it had to be earnest and decisive, but not cold. Morty thought Millie was equally ready to lay down the boundary—there was no reason they shouldn’t finish things here with a feeling of warm closure. They’d just had a last hurrah to all their good times together, but could agree now to let those experiences remain memories, instead of digging it all up (the bad stuff included) and reburying it every time they got back together and broke up again. The cycle didn’t serve either of them, and they had both been pretending for too long that it was a viable way to live. When in reality—

“We keep doing this because it’s easy, not because it’s what we really want. Every time we try dating, we break up…If we really wanted to stay together deep down, by now we just would. I think it’s...” He paused, taking a moment to think of how he wanted to say this. “It’s always safe to get back together, because we know we love each other. It's comfortable. But we never last, because we’re not in love with each other.” They could remain friends during the in-betweens because friends were what they were to each other at heart. There was obviously attraction there, and of course the depth of caring for each other like family, but in the end there wasn’t a future where their romantic potential overcame the reasons for them to stay platonic. Petty dramas and pointless disagreements broke them up too easily as a couple—as friends they were stronger.

And ultimately, another truth that he wasn’t going to mention and rub in here was that there was somebody else who Morty had given his heart away to before he and Millie had ever been together, and the largest part of it still belonged to her. She was the reason he still couldn’t fall completely in love with anyone else. If he had ever had time to get over Bubbles, maybe things would be different now, but life hadn’t given him that opportunity. Morty watched Millie carefully, wanting to gauge her reaction to what he said. He felt fairly sure he’d hit the nail on the head even without explaining his secret reason, but if she had a different take about what was going on between them, she now had the floor to speak to how she was feeling.

[milliesmo]

Millie watched her twin with narrowed brows, trying to read Melody's demeanor and understand what had her spooked upon coming home. Little did she know that past mistakes were coming back to haunt her. Though it was good to have her sister back, always missing her when she was gone, it felt like so much had happened during her time away; they still had lots of lost time to make up for. As soon as Melody mentioned dating, Millie's eyes widened in surprise, sitting beside her on the couch. "Well.." she began, thinking on it. "Our completely opposite schedules didn't make it easy to fill you in on everything.." Which was true. They had their quick calls to catch up and check in on each other, but besides that? It had been difficult to find time to share the latest dating drama that Millie had faced in-between Morty. Not to mention, she wasn't exactly thrilled to share how she cheated on Boomer Jojo with his brother. Oops. The thought of Melody meeting this said ex, with no context on the situation, made Millie visibly cringe, scared to ask but needing to know if this ghost was who she thought it was. "Don't tell me .. You met Boomer?"

“You look like you just saw a ghost” -Millie ( @milliesmo )

“Because I have!” The younger of the two claimed as she took a seat on the couch. Melody didn’t even bother to greet her twin, feeling rather drained from the encounter she just had back at the cafe she had been at. Who would have thought that of all the people she would end up meeting and running into after coming back home from her months long shoot and her having a day out for herself, it was Millie’s ex-boyfriend. Melody hadn’t even realized Millie was dating anyone during the time she was gone! Last she knew, her sister had been so consumed with her on-again-off-again relationship with Morty, and whenever she had the time to chat with her twin on the phone before and she were to mention going on a date, Melody assumed it had all been with Morty. So imagine her surprised that she not only encountered her twins ex, but apparently she was even informed of how the two had broken up. Hence, why Melody felt as drained as she did at the moment. After releasing a small sigh, the younger gazed up at her sister. “How come you hadn’t told me you were dating someone before?” 

[milliesmo]

"Just because Morty and I are dating doesn’t mean things between us are going to change." -@bubblsu

Millie wanted so badly to disagree. She wanted to call Bubbles a fake friend for hiding her feelings for Morty all of this time, call her out for harboring feelings behind her back. Even if no one ever told her explicitly about Morty and Bubbles past, she was smart enough to figure it out. Hearing that the two were now together only solidified her suspicions.

No matter how much she wanted to be angry about this, Millie also knew she had no right to be, especially after dating Boomer. No matter how much it hurt, the girls were still best friends, so much so that they clearly had similar taste in guys. Her stomach twisted at how conflicting all of this was — she cared about both Morty and Bubbles so much. It was sickening that a part of Millie hoped for them to work out, for their own happiness and well being (and to hopefully avoid future boyfriend-shuffles between the two best friends), but at the expense of her own feelings. Then, the other, more awful part of her hoped they didn't work out. Even if her and Morty had agreed that they were done falling back to each other time and time again, Millie couldn't help how she felt about him still. She could already imagine the future jealousy she would feel once she saw them together in person, but there was nothing she could do about it. She had to suck it up and put on her movie-star smile, which is exactly what she did to Bubbles. This time, her smile didn't quite shine like it normally did. "You're right," Millie nodded. Her and Bubbles stayed civil when it came to Boomer, so she'd do the same for Morty. "We're all still friends, and that's what matters most."