Welcome to hell

The roses are not red. Nor are they white. Instead, they’re a mismatch of different patterns, multicolored in varied hues of the rainbow. 

“Riddle, you’re sick,” You fretted, forcing him to sit down at the nearest garden table. The queen of roses had been looking pale all day, and his inability to cast spells that were easier than kindergarten-level (for him, at least) was extremely concerning. It reminded you of the time Cater caught a fever severe enough that his Magicam status remained inactive for at least three days. Or when Trey couldn’t even bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies without needing at least 10 minutes of rest between each step, and collapsed entirely when no one wanted to eat the cookies that were a byproduct of feverish fervor (thank god for Ruggie’s bottomless pit of a stomach, because you weren’t sure if Trey would’ve survived had they been tossed out). Just like a Cater without Magicam or a Trey without baking, a Riddle Rosehearts without his typical magic capabilities felt…wrong. “You need to rest. Get someone else to cover the Unbirthday Party preparations, or just reschedule it until you’re feeling better.”

Looking disheveled, the red-haired boy sighed shakily, wiping the sweat that dripped down the side of his face. “N…Nonsense. A rudimentary task like this…don’t under…” He heaved here, and though you moved quickly to stabilize him, he weakly shoved you away. “Don’t underestimate me…!” 

Gripping his magical wand, he gave a flimsy wave in the direction of a horde of white roses. In a blink of an eye, they shifted from white to…another kaleidoscopic blend of hues. You’re pretty sure he's managed to miscolor every rose in the garden. 

Both of you are silent as you stare at the field of prismatic roses flushed across the garden. 

“Yeah, I’m calling Cater.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Phew—” Cater clone #1 sighed, wiping away the sweat on his brow. “Our housewarden sure is stubborn.”

“Waaaay too stubborn,” Cater clone #2 fiddled with a strand of hair on the side of his face. “Like, I swear it wasn’t this bad the last time he got sick. He wasn’t this dedicated to the ‘typical, everything is a-okay’ bit then.”

Cater clone #3 grinned, a mischievous look painting his face. “Well, unlike the last few Unbirthday Parties, a certain prefect finally has some time on their schedule to be in attendance~!”

“Oh, you’re right! Of course, he must be excited to finally get some more time with them. What an unexpected romantic side! Major props, Riddle! I’m rooting for you!” Cater clone #4 clapped gleefully. 

“What are you guys talking about?” All but one Cater (the one holding the phone) disappeared in an explosion of cards the moment you entered the scene. He was swiping through Magicam liking posts, glancing up at you briefly and giving you a casual wave. 

“Oh, heya~! Thanks for texting me—he REALLY needed to get some rest,” Ignoring your question, he pocketed his phone. You could tell he was still toying with it despite the fact it was now out of sight. “It’s been a while since he’s gotten so sick, but that’s probably because of all the extra Unbirthday preparations he’s taking right now.”

You frowned. Definitely, the day you spent with Riddle was far from ordinary. He was typically a severe, law-abiding housewarden. You were used to seeing him carry himself with elegance and a rich lexicon more common in nobles twice his age. Not only would he dole out punishments swiftly and righteously, but also command those around him to act in orderly ways—and then afterwards, he would ask you gently if you would like to feed the hedgehogs with them, teaching you where they best like to be pet, and then invite you for tea afterwards. 

The Riddle you saw yesterday was far from elegant and verbose. Pallid, trembling, and struggling to speak, the boy appeared as though he was being worn by his own cape. While insisting upon wearing heels, he continued to stumble every other step, muttering quiet ‘curses’ under his breath. And despite the pleas you and the members of Heartslabyul made for him to rest, he refused to yield. “The Unbirthday party preparations will resume as normal.” You were worried about him, to say the least. So, while Cater carted him off to his room and Riddle got some sleep in, you made some soup and grabbed some medicine you had stored in your cabinet back at Ramshackle. 

“He’s definitely more intense than usual… I mean, you guys host Unbirthday parties pretty often, right? Is there something special about this one in particular…?” You couldn’t think of anything. After all, Unbirthday parties are just parties held on days without Heartslabian birthdays, so there couldn’t possibly be anything that was out of the ordinary with it, unless it happened to coincide with some big holiday that Riddle was interested in. 

Cater stopped fiddling with his phone, and instead started twirling hair around his finger. “Hmm~♪. Well, there’s nothing I can think of… but say, [Y/N]-chan, hasn’t it been a while since you’ve attended one of our Unbirthday parties? Maybe Riddle just wanted to try extra hard to make it a good one since we had a special guest.”

It was easy to tell what Cater was implying (you’ve spent enough time around the Heartslabyul members to know). And it’s not like you couldn’t believe what he was saying—you did notice that Riddle liked to invite you to Unbirthday parties, study sessions, and even invited you to do some Heartslabyul chores during your down time. Still, you shook your head. 

“Even if that’s the case… he really shouldn’t be working himself into a state where he can’t do basic spells. I mean… just look at all the roses,” You frowned. “They’re lovely, but I know he was aiming for red. I’d rather him take care of his health so that his magic doesn’t act up like that.”

Cater looked serious for a second, before smiling gently. “Aw, you’re so sweet. I’m glad that you’re so worried for our housewarden. That being said, I don’t think that’s the reason why the rose colors are off.” You tilted your head in confusion to this, before asking him what he meant. “Well, Cay-kun doesn’t know for sure—but usually magic like this depends on the imagination of the user! That sorta intuition doesn’t go away just cause you caught a cold or something. Anyways, you’re probably better off asking Riddle what’s going on with him~ and preferably before that soup goes cold!”

“Alright, let’s go, let’s go~!” Another Cater stepped in from the hallway. He urged you towards Riddle’s room from behind, patting your shoulders cheerfully. “Delivery for our Queen of Hearts~!” 

Always an extroverted whirlwind. “Woah, okay, okay! Geez, why are there so many of your clones around right now?”

“Well, we need extra hands for the Unbirthday preparations!” Original Cater called from the lounge sofa. “We can’t let all the hard work Riddle put in go to waste!” You wanted to question him more, but you were quickly whisked out of the room by Cater’s clone.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Alright, this is where we part ways~! See ya’ at the Unbirthday party tomorrow [Y/N]!” 

The man who led you here burst into cards. It’s here you realize that you could’ve been asking this Cater questions the whole time too, but now it’s far too late for that. You sighed before knocking on the door. “Um, hello…? Riddle, are you awake…?”

For a second, your only answer is silence. He must be asleep, you think, until you hear a muffled cough from behind the door. A weak, raspy sounding Riddle returned your question. “[Y/N]...? What on earth are you doing here…?”

“Um, delivery! I brought some soup, cough drops, and tea for your throat,” You listed. “May I come in to drop everything off?” 

“Are you wearing a mask of some sort?” You answer yes. “...Then, only briefly. I wouldn’t want you to fall ill because of me.”

The sight that greets you when you open the door relieves you. While he still looks and sounds quite sick, it is an improvement from yesterday. There was definitely some color that had returned to his skin, and he seemed to be struggling much less to get through his sentences. If anything, he only sort of looked a bit embarrassed, an unamused and bashful expression making its way onto his face. 

“You look better than before,” Handing him the thermos full of soup, you pull up a chair next to his bed (making sure not to sit too close). “How are you feeling?”

“...It’s an improvement from yesterday,” He mumbled, sipping slowly at the soup. “My apologies that you had to see me behaving in such an unbecoming way.”

“No, no! Don’t apologize. I was just worried, that’s all… I mean. I know you take the Unbirthday parties very seriously, and I love that you do. They’re always a blast when I get to attend. But your health should come before anything else.”

Riddle’s eyes widened in surprise, and you noticed (behind his already flushed face) that the tips of his ears were turning red. “...Thank you for being concerned about me. I…will keep that in mind for the future.”

The two of you fell into your typical comfortable silence, like during your tea parties or hedgehog care days. But this time, you were taking care of him and you were the one serving him tea. You set down a steaming mug of chamomile on his bedside table. “Ah, before I forget to ask. I was worried that the roses yesterday” (you notice him tense once you mention this, but continue anyways) “were turning out discolored because you weren’t feeling well, but Cater told me that might not be the case. So I was curious what that was all about.”

Riddle’s eyebrows furrowed. “Ugh, that Cater…! …It truly was a result of my poor health, in some regards…” He muttered the last part sort of quietly. Reaching out an unsteady hand, he held onto the mug and stared into the water, contemplating. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for him, and you liked to give him enough time to articulate his feelings when he wasn’t instantly jumping to defend himself. “I realized recently that I don’t know your favorite color. So, I was under the impression that if I were to test a variety of them, you might comment on the one that stood out to you the most, and I would be able to keep it in mind for the future.”

You blinked owlishly at him, before attempting to smother a smile. “You could… just ask?” 

“That reaction is precisely why Cater shouldn’t have said anything!” His anger flared up and was torn down quickly by his sickness, which had sent him into a coughing fit. “I am well aware that it was a poorly thought out plan, and that I was lacking the correct judgement due to my current affliction. I realize in hindsight that I could just ask, so I acknowledge that I was being quite foolish.”

You thought for a second. “You know, though, I think this applies to some other things as well. If you want to spend some time with me, you don’t need to make it like… a Ramshackle-Heartslabyul dorm meeting. I’m more than happy to just come and spend time with you.” 

The sick boy flushed an even deeper red, but then looked very grave. “Did… did Cater tell you? Or was it Trey?”

“Hm?”

“...One of them has betrayed me tonight.” 

He was starting to sound like a religious story from your own world. “What are you referring to…?”

“One of them must have divulged, intentionally or unintentionally, the fondness that I have for our time spent together. Otherwise, you would not be repeating their words so exactly! Whichever one it was, it’s off with their head—!”

“Riddle. I hate to break it to you, but the only one divulging any information is none other than yourself.” You watched as he stared at you blankly, before his face dropped into what you could only assume was despair of some kind. “That being said, you don’t really need to worry. I like spending time with you too.”

While he still held his head in hands (a pose you haven’t seen him pull before), you noticed his body had stiffened for a second. “...Pardon?” 

Your own face was beginning to burn and feel feverish, though you knew that it was no viral infection that had gotten to you. “I like you too.” 

There was a long pause in the conversation, and you suddenly felt bad for springing all this upon a sick and confused Riddle, whose unexplainable facial expression tells you that he’s attempting (and failing) to calculate the perfect response to give you. So, you speak once more. 

“Ah! Um, may…may I propose something…?”

“Propose?!”

“That’s too far of a jump. No… I just… next time we decide to spend some time together—instead of a meeting, or study session, or something else along the lines of the professional world… can we call it a date instead…?”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Omake (Cater and Trey)

“So, obviously Riddle likes [Y/N], and vice-versa! But when will they reveal that to each other? That’s the important question!”

“Cater,” Trey interrupted with a smirk, leaning his bodyweight on the sofa frame behind Heartslabyul’s skater boy. “Or, Caters. Aren’t you tired of gossiping amongst, well, yourself?”

“Trey! No eavesdropping on me, and me, and me!” Cater shooed his clones out of the room. “Back to work, guys!”

Cater grinned cheekily at Trey, who smiled and sat himself on the other end of the couch. Both of them had been invested in this for the past few months, finding Riddle’s oblivious and awkward attempts at communicating with his crush (who also obviously liked him in return) not only very cute, but also endlessly entertaining. 

“Well…I walked past Riddle’s room earlier and it seems like they’re still talking. I didn’t think it’d be right for me to listen to their conversation, but you know what I did see?” Trey asked, waiting for Cater to perk up. “Riddle was holding their hand.”

“Omg? OMG?” Cater gripped the sofa’s wood, thumping his hand against the padded backrest like a rabbit’s foot. “No way… that’s…sorta crazy.” 

Trey simply closed his eyes, a contented look on his face. “I get the feeling we’re going to see the Prefect around here a lot more often now.”

The next person to notice is Cater.

It wouldn’t be unusual for Riddle to be buried in a mountain of books or other academic work whenever Cater swung by, but what was unusual was the normally studious dorm leader appearing rather distracted by his phone. The redhead kept stealing glimpses at the blank phone screen or stepping away from his work every now and then to check his notifications, a habit that Cater was all too familiar with.

“Something on your mind, Riddle?” Cater feigns interest, stepping closer to Riddle with a disarming smile on his face. “You keep checking your phone. At this rate, you’ll be picking your phone up more than I do!”

“...I’m waiting for someone to contact me,” Riddle murmurs, his face tight-laced. 

Cater purses his lips together, tilting his head in intrigue. “Ooh, who?”

Riddle scowls. “It’s none of your business, Diamond. Don’t equate me with you.”

“Ouch! How unusual… Riddle-kun is sensitive, but never this much!” Cater pouts, but then a mischievous expression takes over. He grins from ear to ear, his voice taking a teasing lilt. “Does the dorm leader have a crush? Are you waiting for a text back?”

“Out! Out with you before it’s off with your head!” Riddle snaps, standing up abruptly and raising his voice to booming proportions. Cater laughs loudly before scurrying away. Riddle’s outburst is all it takes for Cater to piece together his handful of clues.

The final ones to notice are the ADeuce combi.

And unlike their perceptive upperclassmen who clue themselves into Riddle’s crush on you through observation, the unlucky first years witness it firsthand.

“-And then I totally whooped his ass on TwistedFortnite-,” Ace brags with a swagger to his step, not fully watching where he’s going while they amble through the courtyard. Deuce absentmindedly tunes him out before two familiar figures enter the periphery of his vision, and while Ace is in the middle of recounting his super awesome victory, Deuce grabs his roommate by his collar and yanks him behind a tree.

Ace audibly splutters and chokes, and he glares at Deuce. “Hey, what’s the big idea-?”

“Shh!” Deuce slaps a hand over Ace’s mouth, and he points to the distance. “Is that… the dorm leader? With someone?”

That finally gets Ace to shut up and join Deuce on his impromptu reconnaissance mission. Sure enough, Riddle is in the courtyard, sitting by one of the benches closest to the big fountain in the center of the courtyard, and he’s accompanied by none other than you. 

The typically austere dorm leader looks a little sheepish and nervous, and in his lap are two pristine strawberry tarts, one of which he shyly extends to you. You clap excitedly, flushed from head to toe in visible happiness.

“You got one for me? Riddle, you shouldn’t have! You spoil me too much, did you know that?” You gush, gingerly taking the sparkling pastry from him. “Ooh, it almost looks too good to eat… So pretty!”

“I wanted to do something special for you… And I know it can be a hassle to fight the lines in the cafeteria here. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt by those gluttonous hooligans,” Riddle remarks, a small but genuine smile painting his lips.

You return his smile with a radiant one of yours, and when Riddle picks his own tart up, you scoot closer to him. “Cheers! Bump your tart with mine!”

Like a scene straight out of a romcom movie, Riddle’s eyes widen at your statement before his face blooms into a brilliant shade of cherry red. He acquiesces to your request, moving his tart forward to press against yours, murmuring a bashful “cheers” to your unabashed delight.

“Oh my god…,” Ace mutters, a scowl overtaking his face. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dorm Leader Riddle acting like that.”

“Is he on a date…? He looks like he’s rather fond of (Y/n).” Deuce squints, trying to get a better glimpse. “I didn’t know the dorm leader was… capable of doing something like that.”

“I think I’m going to barf!” Ace pretends to hurl his stomach onto the grass beneath his feet. “If I start acting lovey-dovey like that with anyone, you have full permission to shoot me.”

“Oh quit being so dramatic.” Deuce rolls his eyes. "And do shut up. If we get caught, all hell will break loose. Do you want to spy on the dorm leader on his date or not?”

“Ugh, fine…”

Needless to say, it doesn’t take long before the entirety of Heartslabyul is in on Riddle’s very open secret.

Every student in Heartslabyul felt their soul leave their body in that very moment. No one could believe their eyes and ears. Did Riddle, like, THE Riddle just let you off with a simple warning? After you, quite literally, ruined the unbirthday party trying to catch your stupid little monster cat?

Cater immediately leaned over to Trey, who had been watching the situation play out with eyes wide as saucers.

"Did I hear that right?" Cater whispered, "Or did we just witness the laws of nature changing before our very eyes?"

Riddle straightened his posture, his defenses rising as he heard the whispers of everyone behind him breaking out.

"That will be enough gawking." He snapped, turning his head around to stare at his dorm members through narrowed eyes. "If you all have this much free time to waste, I have no issue assigning extra duties later tonight. Clean this mess up, now."

His sharp gaze landed onto the main culprits, giving them a warning look. Ace and Deuce visibly gulped, putting their hands up in surrender.

"You two will be having a discussion with me later. Consider yourselves lucky I have another important matter to attend to at the moment."

Riddle then made his way over to you with an extended hand, allowing you to grab it and pull yourself upwards. Cake fell off of your lap and onto the grass below, and you felt the shame rapidly creeping up on you.

"Riddle, I am so, so sorry about this. I'll be more careful next time. If you'd like me to make it up to you, I can–"

He waved his hand, his expression still irritated, but softening.

"Don't fret too hard over it. Just...be mindful next time. That's all we need to say about it." His voice was lower now, and though you could tell he was itching to say more, you appreciated that he seemed to hold back on you. "Let's get you changed. We can't continue the party with you looking like this."

Letting go of your hand, he turned on his heel and gestured for you to follow him back inside the dorm. To which you obliged, blissfully unaware of the eyes of half the dorm staring at you as if you had just been named the King of Hearts himself.

This was only the beginning. From that moment on, things got weirder. Much weirder.

Everyone knew that Riddle liked to stay on top of his strict, perfectly personalized schedules. This was a fact as widely known as how the sun rises and sets each day.

So when Trey caught a glimpse of Riddle's planner having your name written on it one day, slotted right in the middle, no bold or highlight– just there, as if you were a non-negotiable part of his days. It was safe to say he was becoming increasingly suspicious.

"Riddle. Listen, I'm not trying to pry into your business or anything," Trey started, taking a moment to make sure he worded the next part carefully. "But is there something going...you know...on between you and the Ramshakle prefect?"

Riddle raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding what Trey could possibly be getting at. He paused his studying, placing his pen down to bring his full attention onto Trey.

"Whatever are you talking about? There's no difference in my relationship with them than there is with anyone else." And that was that. Topic avoided and dismissed.

Trey blinked at him, staring him down like Riddle just told him the sky above was neon green. He awkwardly placed his hands in his pockets with a slow nod, debating on whether or not he should push the subject.

"Alright. Sure. Just forget I asked, then." Riddle's head tilted, looking genuinely puzzled.

Did he seriously not know why he was asking?!

"If you say so. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish these papers within the next fifteen minutes before the prefect arrives." He picked his pen back up and went straight back to writing away in his notebooks.

Trey opened his mouth, then closed it, turning himself right around and walking out the door before he said something that would end in a life altering revelation.

His stance was that Riddle should find out his increasingly obvious feelings for you on his own...though, as the days went on, it seemed their fellow dormmates didn't share the same sentiment.

You came around to the Heartslabyul dorm multiple times a week, not just for Riddle, but for your friends Ace, Deuce, and Cater.

The time you spent with them usually consisted of either helping them with their tasks that they always put off until last minute, namely Ace's tasks, or just hanging around to watch a movie and play random games.

These were not activities that the housewarden would usually partake in. He had more important things to take care of after all. Yet...something, or someone, must have changed his mind.

You hadn't even been inside of the dorm for more than five minutes before Riddle came walking out into the common room, casually taking a seat in a chair close in proximity to where you sat with a deck of cards in your hand.

Within seconds the game of uno was abandoned. Ace and Deuce practically dropped their jaws to the floor, and Cater wore a smile so large that his cheeks were already beginning to hurt. Cater pulled his phone out at the speed of light, snapping a picture of Riddle for his magicam account.

"Wow. Isn't it kinda wild how the housewarden just happens to come out whenever they're here?" Cater loudly announced, making both your's and Riddle's eyes widen.

Ace only added fuel to the fire.

"Yeah, seriously, what's up with that? Are you two together or something?"

"Not that we mind you joining us, housewarden!" Deuce made sure to chime in with a panicked expression. He didn't want Riddle to think he was unwelcomed or anything! "We're just surprised, is all."

Riddle looked taken aback. This was now the SECOND time someone has made such baseless accusations again you and him. Was it really so strange to want to be around you? In his eyes, you were one of the more tolerable people to spend time with. As frustrating as you could be with how often you got yourself into trouble, you were kind, you were intelligent, he always looked forward to having his daily tea while sitting by your side.

You waved your hands in defense, trying to deflect everyone's comments.

"Guy's it's really not like that, we're just good friends. Can we please just get back to the game now?" You quickly grabbed a few cards from the deck on the table, handing out a few to Riddle so he could join in on the next round.

And then it hit him.

Something about hearing you call him just your friend left a bitter taste in his mouth. Did that mean you saw him no differently than you saw the rest of the group in here now?

Which led him to asking himself the same thing. Did he...feel the same about you as he did the others?

.... Oh no. Oh no no.

He felt heat rise to his face, and when he looked up from the cards you handed him, he caught a glimpse of Cater giving him a smug, knowing smile.

Cater's phone camera flashed again, memoralizing the moment he realized that you in no way, shape, or form was just a friend to him.

Riddle was doomed.

Silver

It wasn't uncommon for Silver to not make it back to Diasomnia before curfew.

However, no one ever brought it up. Not seriously, at least. They'd notice his absence and shrug their shoulders. Either he was passed out somewhere, or he was out doing something of importance– at least, probably. Everyone had good faith placed in him.

Which is why it was no shock for Lilia to discover you laying peacefully in Silver's arms as you both slept under a great flowering dogwood tree, white petals gently falling onto the both of you with several little critters happily watching over your peaceful figures.

"Khee hee, isn't this just precious?" Lilia laughed to himself, bringing an oversized sleeve up to hide the smile spreading across his face.

While he would have loved to leave the two of you in peace, he couldn't allow you to spend the night outdoors. It was allergy season, after all. Too many hours out here and you'd wind up a sneezing mess from all of the pollen. As much as he'd love to cook up a warm bowl of healing soup, he'd rather see you and Silver stay healthy.

And so, his next best idea was carefully bringing you both back into the Diasomnia dorm, where he layed your sleeping forms ontop of the couch in the common room. This way he could continue to be a nosy old man and watch your reactions upon waking up in the morning. Perfect plan!

You woke up to a rather large audience.

An upside down figure smiling way too knowingly was the first thing within your line of sight as you blinked your eyes open. You jolted upwards, before realizing there was a suspiciously Silver shaped lump laying underneath you.

"What the–" you started, bringing your hands up to rub the sleep from your eyes. "Am I...in Diasomnia right now? How long was I out for?!"

"HUMAN." Sebek yelled from behind Lilia, coming towards you with a sharp glare and crossed arms. "EXPLAIN YOURSELF AT ONCE."

Lilia clapped his hands together, floating back down into a normal, upright position. He seemed to he having way too much fun with this situation.

"Finally someone here is making advancements. I was beginning to think that grandchildren were going to be completely out of the picture with you hopeless boys!" Your mouth gaped open. What the hell was he talking about right now?!

"Woah woah, slow your roll over here, Lilia! Silver and I aren't–"

You were cut off with the sight of Malleus stepping forward now with hands folded neatly behind his back, eyes practically glowing as he scanned the scene in front of him. He had an infuriatingly playful smirk on his face.

"If I may add, it appears the two of you must have grown even closer within the last few weeks. Care to explain just how you ended up here?"

Lilia lit up with a proud expression. "That would be my doing. If I had left them out there, they'd be sneezing themselves into oblivion by now. It gets chilly out at night, you know." He wagged his finger at you with a soft 'tsk tsk' sound, making your eye twitch. This whole situation was humiliating! And Silver was STILL asleep underneath you...!

"THIS IS HARDLY BECOMING OF ONE OF LORD MALLEUS'S RETAINERS! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IF YOU WISH TO BEGIN COURTING ANOTHER, YOU MUST FIRST START BY WRITING THEM SEVERAL HEARTFELT LETTERS–" before Sebek could finish his passionate rambling on how he was taught relationships should play out, Silver finally began to stir from his slumber.

His brows were furrowed, fingers that were still resting against your hip gently tightening around you instinctively. He let out a soft groan, slowly opening his eyes.

The first thing Silver noticed was you, sitting up on top of him. He gave you a small smile.

"...Good morning." His voice was still sleepy, but when you didn't greet him back, his eyes drifted past you.

Sebek, Lilia, and Malleus all stood silently in front of him, all with vastly different expressions on their faces. He...didn't like the look of any of them.

There was a long, painful silence. Naturally, Sebek was the first to ruin it.

"SILVER. WHY ARE YOU STILL HOLDING ONTO THEM?!" He exploded, and for the first time Silver noticed his hand on your hip. "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. ENTIRELY IMPROPER."

You practically jumped onto your feet, brushing any dirt and white petals off of your clothing from where you laid the night before under the flowering dogwood tree.

"Well, as fun as this is, I really need to get going now! Knowing Grim he's definitely either worrying himself sick or has dug himself into our entire food supply in my absence, leaving nothing left." You spoke quickly, clearly embarrassed. Your face felt hot, and you wanted nothing more than to sprint out of here and never be perceived again. Yep, it sure would be awesome if the carriage that brought you here would come back to run you over a second time. Maybe in the next alternate universe you'd be in a nice lovely void.

"Wait, hang on." Silver propped himself up on the couch, pushing off and going to stand beside you. He brought a hand up to your head, picking another stray petal from your hair. "I'll walk you to your dorm. It's a long way from here."

"Ah, I've raised such a gentleman! You two kids stay safe on your walk. And have fun! Not too much fun though." Lilia beamed as he watched you two interact. Silver shot him a warning glare. Knowing his father, the old bat was already planning the wedding and your vow renewals. This was even more mortifying for him than it was for you, he wanted to ensure you.

As the two of you headed out on your way to Ramshackle, you couldn't help the guilt that was bubbling in your chest. With a frown, you looked over to Silver, who seemed equally lost in his own thoughts.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of you family." You spoke softly, eyes darting to the ground immediately. Silver looked shocked at your apology, not expecting you to be the sorry one.

"You didn't embarrass me," he said gently, "Not even a little bit."

You blinked at this. "I...didn't? But your family–" he stopped you right there with a shake of his head and a fond smile playing on his lips.

"My family is just like that. Trust me, they meant no harm. If anything, I was worried I had embarrassed you." He admitted. You watched as the faint morning light began filtering through the trees, practically illuminating him like a real prince from a fairytale.

You felt something in your chest tighten, and you quickly looked away from him.

The rest of your walk was relatively silent, but not the uncomfortable kind. Neither of you knew what else to say on the subject, you were just enjoying the presence of each other's company before he had to return back to his own dorm.

By the time Ramshackle came into view, your mood only brightened.

"Silver, I know you'll need to leave soon, but would you like to–"

CRASH.

The familiar sound of a certain direbeast came into earshot. You heard a panicked scream from inside your dorm, and felt dread crawl up your body.

This is exactly why you can't leave that little monster by himself! If only you got a babysitter for him before leaving last night...!

"DON'T FALL, DON'T FALL!" You heard Grim yelling, making you and Silver break out into a sprint.

You practically slammed the door open, trying not to pay attention to the way you definitely broke one of the dusty old hinges in doing so. Of course, just as you suspected, Grim was hanging off of the pantry like he was doing some kind of horrific gymnastics sequence.

You looked around at what appeared to be a crime scene before you as Silver rushed over to pluck Grim off of the pantry.

Flour was spilled all over the floor, and several cans of food had busted everywhere. You hid your face in your hands, feeling your every last ounce of patience slowly fizzling away.

"I was just tryin to make breakfast for when you came back! And then the food just started attackin' me!" Grim attempted to defend himself, and you just gave him an unimpressed stare.

Silver placed Grim back down safely onto the floor, already moving to try and fix the pantry half hanging off the wall. Despite Silver having been Grim's literal savior, he seemed shocked once he finally noticed him.

"Huh? Why is he here?" He squinted, looking between you, who was already grabbing your trusty broom and dust pan, and Silver, who was really trying his best with putting that pantry back on the wall.

You let out a sigh. "I'd rather be the one asking the questions, Grim. What were you thinking?!"

It was too ambitious of you to hope that you could turn the conversation back around onto Grim, who looked way too immersed into his own conspiracy theories now, not paying your question any mind.

"Uhh, are you two like...a thing now?" Grim hopped onto one of the dusty dining room chairs, tail flicking from side to side as he squinted at Silver suspiciously. He didn't know if he liked the idea of someone dating his henchhuman. What if you didn't pay attention to him much anymore?

You and Silver rushed to answer his question at the same time.

"No!"

"...I don't think so."

Grim rolled his eyes. "Yeahhh, sure. Well then if you're not together, don't go leaving me in the dust next time! You didn't even tell me ya weren't comin home!" He scolded you, practically pouting now.

"I didn't expect to be out all night either, okay? Next time I wont leave you by yourself. Especially now that I see you just get into trouble." You scolded, sweeping more harshly now. Grim just gave you a nervous chuckle in response.

Silver glanced between you and Grim, before carefully interjecting to try and calm you both down.

"I don't mind coming here more often." He said simply "That way you wont have to handle all of this..." he looked to Grim, and then the complete mess of a dorm you lived in. "all by yourself..."

Grim perked up at that. "Are ya implying you'd do some chores around here?"

Silver nodded. "If that would help. I'd be more than happy to."

"He can stay!" Grim announced suddenly, his entire demeanor towards Silver changing just like that.

You let out a soft laugh at them both, the frustration you felt easing away.

Maybe you and Silver did act a little like a couple. You looked over at him with admiration as he continued to interact with Grim, your heart rate rising steadily in your chest.

You'd be okay with it if you did become one someday.

Dividers by priestboy

“Aether signal tracking successful.” Ortho announces. “We have arrived at the designated coordinates.”

You, Grim, Silver, Sebek, Ortho, Leona, Deuce, Cater, Ace, Trey and Idia’s tablet reach the next dream.

“Oh, but this was Trey's first dream-crossing. Is he okay?” Silver asks.

“Ahahahahahahahaha! I've never heard such pathetic squealing from you before, Trey!” Cater says amidst laughter. “That even beats the time you ran into a caterpillar bigger than us in the Heartslabyul maze when we were freshmen!”

“It's not that funny! I've never been a big thrill ride kinda guy, okay?”

Trey also ended up losing his glasses along the way, but luckily, Ace managed to catch them thanks to his dexterous hands.

“Anyway, with that handled, shall we play our queen a visit?” Cater asks.

“Yessir!” Deuce agrees. “So... Does anyone know where we are?”

You look around. It wasn't anywhere you knew, but it looked like a suburban street to you.

“Hm? Now that I've got my glasses on, I recognize where we are.” Trey says. “I'd know those yards and chimneys anywhere. This is Crimson City, the capital of the Queendom of Roses!”

“This area is a 99.7 percent match with Olympos Inc.'s map of the region.” Ortho confirms. “According to my map data, if we go 300 meters up this road and take a left... we'll reach a store called Patisserie Clover. Given that it shares your family name, does this store have some connection to you, Trey?”

“Yeah. It's the patisserie my parents run. And if you head this street in the opposite direction... you'll find Riddle's house on a small hill.”

“So Riddle's at home in his dream? Hoo boy...” Cater says, but he's not the only one worried about that after Trey told the others what happened when he, Riddle and Chenya were kids.

Despite the fear of coming face-to-face with Riddle's ultra-overbearing mother, you decide to go to his house since that would be the most likely place he would be. You all change into your school uniforms, but just as you're about to start walking, you hear a police car approaching.

“Ack, a police car! Are the cops coming after us?!” Deuce wonders, worried.

“Why would you jump to that conclusion? We haven't done anything wrong!” Ace argues.

“Did something happen up ahead?” Ortho questions.

The police car stops practically in front of you, on the other side of the street and tells two boys to get out of the car.

“Hey! Quit yanking me out by the arm, buddy!” That voice was familiar, but the words didn't seem to match the voice you thought it was.

“I'm not your buddy! Call me 'officer'! Yeesh... How many times have we been through this song and dance? This wouldn't happen if you'd just follow the same rules as everyone else!”

“Rules, schmules!” You finally see Riddle and he looks completely different; some of the hair is dyed black, the makeup is heavy and the clothes are extravagant. However, you couldn't stop thinking that he looked... amazing! “How is it a crime to sing on the streets? The onlookers were totally into it.” The dreamer's silver bird flies around his head.

“Wow, that's a certifiable QT!” Cater ends up agreeing with your thoughts. “Is he a singer or a Magicammer? ...Hey, wait a minute. Now that I'm getting a better look... I'm p. sure that's Riddle!” Both he and the others are shocked by this realization. “He's dyed a streak of his hair and has a whole mishmash of accessories, but that's definitely his face and voice, right?!”

“That has to be someone else!” Ace says. “Our housewarden would never dress so... punk.”

“And our housewarden would DEFINITELY never get in trouble with the cops!” Deuce claims.

“What you do goes way beyond pedestrians humming to themselves.” You hear the police officer say. “You're putting on street shows at full volume! Listen, if you want to hold a street performance, you need a street usage permit from the police. As we've told you time and time again!”

“Our queen's performances happen whenever he feels so inclined.” You see the other boy who got out of the car with Riddle, it was Chenya. “Right, Riddle?”

“Hmph, you're entirely correct. I sing when the mood strikes me.”

“You can't do that!” The police officer reiterates louder. “Sheesh, my car isn't a taxi cab. This is the last time I give you boys a ride home. Don't go breaking the rules again! You got that?!” He starts the car and drives away.”

“NYAH NYAH! Bamfruk! Graker!” Riddle complains. According to Trey these are dirty slang words in the Queendom of Roses.

“Riddle's 17. I guess it makes sense to want to be a rebel at that age.” Trey says.

“Hold up, Trey! Could you please stop talking like a dad?!” Cater says.

“Hm? Did someone say Trey?” Chenya heard him.

Chenya and Riddle look in your direction, at Trey and the two of them run to him.

“It's so good to see you, Trey!” Riddle hugs Trey and smiles without trying to hide his genuine excitement, very different from usual. “You should've messaged me on Magicam if you were in town!”

“Uh, yeah. I figured I could drop by home over a school holiday.”

As Trey was saying this, someone caught Riddle's eye: You. And it was as if the attention he was giving Trey completely shifted towards you

“(Y/N)!” Riddle exclaims with an even bigger smile than the one he gave Trey, and walks towards you ignoring everyone else. “I'm so glad the cops didn't catch you.” He hugs you and kisses your cheek with such uncharacteristic affection that you can't help but feel flustered. You felt like you were being hugged by a super fluffy blanket because of his fur coat. He noticed how flustered you were and laughed without breaking the hug. “Awww, Is my rose embarrassed because we are in public? Heh heh. How cute~”

“Hmm, sorry but...” Ace asks with wide eyes. “...are we missing something here?”

“Hm? Isn’t it obvious?” Riddle smirks, full of himself. “This stunning rose that accompanies you is my partner.”

“WHAAA?!” Everyone was shocked, which made Riddle laugh.

“Speaking of which... why are you with this group?” Riddle asks you, less satisfied, so much so that the smile disappeared. “And...” He breaks the hug and looks at your clothes, at your Night Raven College uniform. “What are those clothes?!” He questions you disapprovingly. But for the first time in that dream, he seemed like the Riddle you knew, at least the authoritarian side of him. “Why are you wearing the same clothes as them?!”

“Why wouldn't they?” Ace asks. “They are students of Night Raven Collage, just like us.”

“Not anymore!” Riddle retorted. “They are living here with me now!”

“Yeah, didn't Trey tell you the story?” Chenya asks and seeing the others confused, he ended up explaining. “Trey brought (Y/N) with him here on his last visit. When Riddle and (Y/N) met, they practically fell in love right away. They wanted to be together, so Riddle simply told (Y/N) to leave Night Raven College and stay here with him.”

“And it's not like (Y/N) is missing anything.” Riddle adds. “They can't even use magic, why would they need to be in a school like yours anyways?”

“W-well, maybe (Y/N)-chan just wanted to welcome us in uniform as a nice gesture.” Cater suggests. “You know, to show that they still remember their old friends.”

“What... was that with (Y/N)'s name?” Riddle questions, crossing his arms and looking displeased.

“Oh... d-do you mean the ‘-chan’ part?” Trey quickly realizes and smiles awkwardly. “Don't worry, Cater treats all younger students this way.”

“Y-yeah!” Cater quickly confirms. “I treat our freshmen the same way. Right, Ace-chan, Deuce-chan?”

The two hurriedly confirmed.

“So just a warning. Don't treat my (Y/N) like that! UNDERSTOOD?!”

“Yes house-! YES SIR!” Not only Cater but also Ace and Deuce responded, mainly due to force of habit, or even trauma.

“Hm, hey, Riddle. I heard something about street usage permits and full-volume street performances?” Trey says to change the subject.

Riddle tells that he and Chenya were singing in front of the station. A surprise concert. They say the crowd they drew was super into it, but their performance was rudely cut short by complaints of "breaking the rules". Apparently, Riddle and Chenya are a two-man band at the moment, Chenya on the bass and Riddle on vocals. Riddle also comments that everytime they bring on someone new, they whine about "creative differences" or something asinine like that and leave. And Chenya says he's always changing the songs and the style of music, of course not everyone could keep up.

After this, it was time for everyone else to introduce themselves to Riddle and Chenya. Riddle gives everyone a careful look.

“Hm? Is there something on our faces?” Silver asks seeing Riddle's smile.

“What would all of you say to joining our band?” Riddle asks, taking everyone by surprise. “We could use a guitarist, a drummer, and a keyboardist. We could also use dancers and composers. We'll take complete amateurs!”

Cater is the first to accept this offer, saying he can stay on guitar and even changes into his Pop Music Club stage outfit. Despite the earlier disagreement, Riddle loves the idea. Cater also manages to convince the others to join him in that idea. He even suggests that Leona could stay on the drums and that he change into his dorm uniform because the Savanaclaw uniform might please Riddle in this context. And he was right.

“You've been such a stick in the mud over the years, Trey, always refusing to join our band...” Chenya laments, seeing everyone else joining them. “If only you were as mewsically inclined as your friends here!”

“I was miserable even just putting on a holiday play in preschool.” Trey says. “But... why isn't (Y/N) in your band?”

“Because Riddle immediately vetoed that idea. Myahaha.” Chenya laughs.

“Hm? Why?”

Riddle crosses his arms, but doesn't respond, despite looking a little embarrassed.

“Because he knew he would be supurr jealous seeing so many people fawning over (Y/N). Myahaha.”

Riddle neither confirms nor denies, but he begin to blush.

“Anyway...” Riddle says, diverting back to the main subject. “Now that we have new members in the band, I say it's time for kickoff party.” He smiles “To my house!”

“Your house?!” Everyone was startled.

“Yes, it's the perfect place with how close it is.” Riddle says, casually. “And tea should be about ready, too.”

“Uh, hold on, Riddle.” Trey says worried. “Wouldn't it be bad to barge in with this many people without advance notice?”

“Yeah, huh? Couldn't we just hit up a local café?” Cater suggests.

“But  that would mean letting perfectly good tea go to waste.” Riddle counterargues. “The size of our group isn't a concern. I bring friends over for tea parties all the time anyway. That's why we have a grand coffee table in our living room.”

“That's not the issue.” Trey insists, visibly concerned. “Aren't Chenya and I banned from your house?”

There's a moment of silence before Chenya and Riddle burst out laughing.

“Where'd you get THAT idea? That's just silly!”

“But your mother...”

“What about her? It's been so long since we've seen you, I'm sure she'd love to have you over.”

“Definitely.” Chenya agrees. “I guarantee she'll dote all over you.”

“You have nothing to worry about.” Riddle guarantees. “Now come on!”

You all follow Riddle with your nerves on edge just thinking that you're going to be face to face with his mother and in her (lair) house. And in the meantime, Riddle approached you to intertwine his fingers with yours so you could walk hand in hand.

“All right, we're here.” Riddle announces. “Come on inside.”

“The great Riddle has returned!” He says as he enters.

“You sound like Grim.” You comment with a chuckle and Riddle chuckles back at you.

“Welcome home, Riddle dear!” You hear a sweet woman's voice respond from another room, something that gives you an uncanny feeling.

“I trust the tea is ready, Mom?” Riddle says with a cheerful smile. “I've brought a large group of friends today!”

“Oh, have you? How delightful it is to see you bringing friends by!” Riddle's mother says, sounding genuinely happy.

“Oh, and (Y/N) came too. Do you still have their favorite?”

“Of course I do! I would never dream of not having enough of our dear (Y/N)'s favorite tea and sweets at home. They are part of the family after all.” Even though she said it in a really sweet way, it only made the shiver down your spine even more intense. “Dear me, though... I've only made enough tea for the two of you. I'll have to put more on for your friends. I'll be busy for a bit. Would you mind showing them to the living room?”

“All right. I'll come in to help in a bit. This way, everyone!”

The living room has a classic decor. The carpets and curtains are red, with the walls and ceiling light brown, as is the wood on the floor and the various tables and chairs. But what draws most attention is the exuberant number of family portraits covering the walls almost in their entirety.

The only one who seems afraid to go in is Trey.

“Trey, what'cha doing stopping in the doorway?” Chenya asks.

“Oh, just...” You've never seen Trey try so hard to hide his nervousness, or could be it actual fear? “I guess this is the first time I've been in your living room, huh, Riddle?”

“The first time? That's not right... Oh, you must mean since we re-did the interior. We just didn't have enough room to fit everything on the walls, so we stowed some of the bigger pictures in trunks.”

“You do have a lot of pictures on your walls.” Ortho says.

“They're all family memories. Heh heh heh, aren't they nice?” Riddle says smugly.

At that moment, Chenya smells a sweet scent coming from the box Trey had with him, and he says it was the strawberry tart he brought.

“A strawberry tart?!” Riddle repeats, surprised.

“Okay, yeah, I knew it was a bad idea!” Trey panics. “I'll get ride of it right now!”

“You mean I will!” Grim offers to make it disappear with pleasure. “Gimme that tart!”

“DON'T YOU DAAARE!” Riddle shouts furiously and grab the tart before Grim. “That tart is intended for me, yes? That means it's mine now! Don't you DARE eat it without my permission!”

“Man, I was so ready to have one of Trey's tarts all to myself.” Grim just comments, after all, that was starting to look more like the Riddle you knew.

“MOOOM! Trey brought a strawberry tart!” Riddle tells her happily.

“Whoa, hey! Is it safe to tell her that?!”

“Oh, really? How lovely!” Riddle's mother responds with the same sympathy and calmness as before. “I know how much you love Patisserie Clover's strawberry tarts, Riddle dear.”

“Wait... You're all right letting Riddle eat tarts from my family's patisserie?”

“Certainly. I reserve one in the biggest size they offer every year for his birthday, and he eats practically the whole thing himself...” And later she even adds that even when it's not his birthday, Riddle still snacks on a slice of tart twice a week.

“I'll get Mom to cut it up for us. Be right back, just make yourselves at home.” Riddle says and leaves the room towards the kitchen.

After that, Trey sighs so heavily it's like he just came to the surface after holding his breath underwater for a long time.

“My heart was about to leap out of my chest! I was ready for his mom to start shrieking in outrage...”

You take a closer look at the framed photos on the wall and Ace realizes that Riddle is the only one in focus in all these pictures. His parents are both blurry. Chenya says that's how family pics are, the children are the center of attention and the parents come second. And then you see other pictures that look like they're from elementary school.

“Aww, look at how teeny and cute Riddle looks.” Cater says, and you can't help but agree.

While the others are looking at Riddle photos with Trey and Chenya when they were in school together, there's a picture frame across the room that catches your eye. A heart-shaped frame with two people in it.

You walk over and pick up the frame. It's you and Riddle, hugging each other and smiling at the camera. Your outfit matching Riddle's new and bold one.

Next to this was another, this one in a rectangular frame, taken at a slightly lower angle. The two of you posing looking at the camera like a power couple and giving a sense of superiority, especially with your smug smiles. Even though you liked Riddle's new outfit, you couldn't help but imagine what a photo of you and Riddle would look like, but in his housewarden uniform, as if you were a royal couple.

On the same table, behind one of the frames, well hidden was a white strip of paper. You pick it up and turn it over; it was one of those photo booth photos with three consecutive images. Once again, it was you and Riddle. In the first picture, you were hugging and smiling, in the second, you were kissing Riddle's cheek, and in the third, you were both kissing each other's lips. Quite passionately. So much so that you quickly put it back in place face down, and were more than willing to act as if you hadn't seen anything. You weren't going to let the others see that. You would just hope that no one would suspect from your face.

You return to the others and realize they were talking about their own family photos and what they looked like. However, both you and Cater notice Trey's discomfort.

“Uh, Trey? You're sweating an awful lot there.” Cater says. “Is the room to hot?”

“...It makes no sense.” Trey said perplexedly. “I don't remember a single one of the scenes in these photos. Riddle and I met right around my ninth birthday... But we only played together for one or two months, tops. Riddle always went to a private school... And Chenya and I went to public school. We've never all gone to the same school before. So we've never competed in the same field day. And we've never vacationed together.”

“So... All of these pictures...” Cater realizes. “These are nonexistent memories that Riddle conjured up from whole cloth?”

Just like the photos you saw before of the two of you.

“Tea's ready, everyone!” Riddle returns. “What's wrong? Why isn't anyone sitting down?”

“A lot of us are from the Queendom of Roses, so we were all admiring the pictures and chatting about old times.” Ace says.

“Heheheh! Aren't they all just perfect?” Riddle smiles. “But enough about that. It's teatime! We've got plenty of seating for everyone. Go on, make yourselves comfortable and drink up! Let's enjoy ourselves! Your cups of tea all have five sugar cubes and lots of milk and honey!”

Cater gets a little uncomfortable because he doesn't like sweets. And Leona comments among yourselves that throwing all that in without even asking if it's what the guests want isn't proper hosting behaviour. Riddle ads that you also have Trey's tart and some chiffon cake and butter cookies his mom backed.

While the others sit, Riddle looks at you and pulls out the chair next to his, waiting for you to sit in it. You sit down and he puts his elbows on the table, looking at you with his chin resting on his hands and a smirk. In front of you were two plates, each with a slice of Trey's tart. You looked at him and saw him opening his mouth. Then you realized he wanted you to feed him.

Flustered, you pick up a fork, take a piece of the tart slice, and bring it to his mouth. His cute smile makes your heart skip a beat. Ace, Deuce, and Grim look at the two of you sulking.

They taste the chiffon cake and realise it's kinda on the hard side and oddly dry. And the cookies weren't sweet at all, either. Sebek says, in a low voice as well, that it is rather mealy, with each bite sucking all the moisture right out of his mouth. Silver agrees, saying that It takes a lot of chewing and It seems like it would be very filling. Trey realizes that it is made with soy flour and okara powder, whatever sweetener it is isn't white sugar, either, and it's way below what a recipe would call for.

“How do you like my mom's cake?” Riddle asks with a friendly, genuine smile. “It's delicious and goes perfectly with the tea, wouldn't you agree? There's plenty more if you want.”

They smile awkwardly. Riddle had given you a slice of Trey's tart, so you didn't know how bad his mother's supposed sweets were. Curiosity gets the better of you and you pick up one of the cookies. You couldn't hide your facial expression well enough.

“What's wrong, babe? You love mom's cookies.”

Putting aside how weird and uncharacteristic it is for Riddle to call you 'babe', you try to come up with an excuse other than saying those cookies were awful.

“Oh... um... M-maybe it's because I was eating Trey's tart. Sometimes eating one thing right after another mixes the flavors in your mouth and can be a strange combination. R-right, Trey?”

“Yes, of course!” Trey helps you. “That's why there are palate cleansers.”

“I see, it makes sense.” Riddle says. “Oh, yes! You weren't kidding. This strawberry tart looked like a splattered tomato when I opened the box. What's you do, fall down a rabbit hole on your way here? Ahaha!”

“That bad, huh? Sorry... Haha.”

Riddle then asks Cater if they are all mages, since they all attend the same school. He also says he knows that mages use magic to play instruments and would like to see what it's like. And that's how you discover that Riddle is dreaming that he is as magicless as you. Trey immediately finds it strange because both of Riddle's parents are prominent medical mages, and that's why he has always been so dedicated to his studies.

“Me, the son of two medical mages? Dedicated to my studies? Ahahahahaha! That's as wild as claiming a raven is like a writing desk! My mom's a stay-at-home mom, and my dad's a novelist. Neither of them are mages, either.”

This makes them start talking among themselves, now not knowing how they could wake Riddle. They didn't even know how to approach the subject, it had never happened that anyone dreamed of a life so completely different from reality at that level. What could you do?

“CEASE YOUR WHISPERING!” Riddle orders, irritated. “No private side conversations at my tea parties! If you want to talk, speak loudly and clearly!”

“Ah, all right.” Silver replies respectfully. “Aham... You said you couldn't use magic, Riddle. Does that mean you go to a regular local school?”

“Huh? I don't go to school at all.”

Everyone is surprised, even you.

“I HAAATE school and studying!” Riddle continues. “School is so boring and stifling. Going there is such a waste of time!”

“THAT'S NOT TRUE!” Deuce retaliated instinctively.

He then apologizes for shouting, but shares his experience that he also hated school, but that was because of the difficulties he had in understanding the material. But that changed when he entered Night Raven College, not only because of the teachers, but also because of the tutoring of his Housewarden. Thanks to this, he started slowly getting a handle on the material and now he enjoys school.

However, Riddle argues that even so, if he spends all his time behind a desk, all the fun things to do in the world will pass him by. And that's the last thing he wants!

Eventually, the conversation reaches the point where the other Heartslabyul students share their views of their dorm and Housewarden. Cater talks about how good their Housewarden is at croquet, the best in the whole dorm. Cater also says that he's super stringent about rules, practically personifying the ideas of strictness and discipline. He doesn't seem to mean this in a bad way, but that's how Riddle interprets it. He is now sure that their housewarden is joyless and unpleasant as those rules.

“Ugh, I feel bad for you people having to live with someone like that.” Riddle says with pity.

“You know, speaking of our housewarden, there's one person I've always wanted to know what they thought of him.” Cater continues, and looks at you with that mischievous smile that you knew would get you into trouble. “(Y/N)... From what I gather, you've spent enough time at Night Raven College to know our housewarden. What do you think of him?”

“There’s no need!” Riddle cuts off. “I'm sure they find him as annoying as I do. I don't want to hear about someone so boring anymore. Let's change the subject.”

“No! That's not true.” You tell him.

“What?!” Riddle is surprised. You were being so complicit until now.

You say what you really think of the Housewarden of Heartslabyul. The qualities you admire in him despite his flaws. Knowing that you would anger Riddle because he didn't know you were actually talking about him.

“ABSURD! How can you like someone like that so much?! Someone so studious and obsessed with rules and order. None of that is fun at all! Didn't you like me? I am fun! This is much better than being stuck in a school! I am better than that stupid housewarden! That's why you're with me!”

“Did you think I didn't like you before?”

“What? What do you mean ‘before’?”

“I was talking about you, Riddle. That housewarden is you, and you know it, deep down. Despite everything, even your tantrums, I have always admired you in so many other ways.”

“My... MY TANTRUMS?!” He starts to turn red with anger.

“Yes, just like the one you are having right now.” You insist. “Despite all this, I liked you, I like you, but the real you, the disciplined and reliable student that both I and the others admire.”

“What are you saying?!”

“They're saying you're not good enough and that tyrant housewarden is better than you in every way.” Chenya twists your words with a carefree smile.

You are shocked and try to explain that it is nothing like that, but it is too late.

“YEEEAAARGH! HOW DARE YOU! I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS! ALL OF YOUR HEADS!”

“Oh, dear me oh my!” You hear Riddle's mother's voice coming from somewhere. “How evil of you to break my darling Riddle's heart like that!”

The floor of the room is covered in black sludge and dark smoke forms around you.

“All right, everyone. We're leaving.” Leona commands.

“You can't leave a tea party without finishing your tea!” Riddle's mother's voice says. “You won't escape!” Her voice and Riddle's own voice mix together.

“I'll have the head of anyone who tries to leave my house!”

Right after Riddle says this the colors of the room change. Only two colors remained: black and bright red, a truly disturbing sight. And you were all trapped in that. You were surrounded by darkness above, below, and on all sides. But you couldn't see it, because the darkness was the house itself.

Idia can't unlock the doors or windows and you notice that both Chenya and Riddle have disappeared. Silver suggests to check the kitchen, since that's where Riddle's mother was. But as soon as he opens the door, a stream of red tea begins to flood the room. It takes Silver, Sebek, Ace and Deuce to close the door with difficulty.

You all change into your dorm uniforms.

“Then this is both a trap designed to keep Riddle locked up and immersed in his dream...” Ortho summarizes after you realize that there never was a human NPC of Riddle's mother, that it was the house itself talking. “...and a vicious monster engineered to eliminate us since we're trying to wake him up?”

Suddenly, in the middle of the tea pool where you were already, something grabbed your legs.

“You won't escape...” Riddle's mother's creepy voice says. “My sweet Riddle's friends...!” and then, the voice spoke to Riddle, wherever he was. “It's okay, Riddle dear. You don't have to worry about a thing. Mommy will pick out the best friends for you! And the best partner!”

The arms that grabbed your legs were strong and pulled you all down with increasing force.

“There's plenty more tea to go around.” The woman's voice continues. “You can stay here for hours, or even days...”

The situation was critical and so the only solution you saw was to fight the darkness.

After you've braved the darkness and shaken off whatever was pulling you down as if it wanted to drown you in the tea, you hear humming.

“That sounds like...” Trey realizes. “Chenya! Where are you?”

“Heheheh... Where indeed?” Chenya's voice responds.

“It doesn't matter where, just get us outta here!” Ace says.

“The doors and windows are all locked!” Deuce adds. “We're trapped inside!”

“Of course you are.” Chenya’s head appears. “There's no way out for you.” And then the rest of his body. “This whole house belongs to the queen.”

“Are you talkin' about Riddle?” Leona says. “Where is he now?”

“Who knows? Maybe he's here, or maybe he's there.”

“Okay, you mouthy tabby cat... If that's how you're gonna play this, I'll just turn you and this whole house to sand!” And then a familiar black and red collar appeared around Leona's neck. “Hrgh?! I know this collar...!”

It was Riddle's signature spell, but where did that come from? Chenya reminds you that Riddle said he would have the head of anyone who tried to leave his house. This also meant that Riddle was still in that house somewhere, but while you were exchanging ideas about where he could be, the tea level began to rise.

You look around for a table or something to climb on, and you realize the table has become gigantic. Or rather... you've started to shrink. Probably because you drank the tea.

And then it also starts raining in the living room. There were bottles and cups floating in the tea, and you all choose one to get in. After you get into a bottle or teacup, you hear sobbing and crying.

“I want out of here... I want out...!”

You knew that voice, it was Riddle. But where was he?

“Where are you?!” Leona shouts. “Tell us and we'll get you out!”

“But there's no key...” Riddle keeps crying.

“Is this rain actually Riddle's tears?” Cater realizes. “C'mon, Riddle, don't cry! You're gonna drown us!”

“But I can't stop myself...” His sobs and crying intensify and more water was pouring in through the closed door.

“Chenya! Please, you have to let us see Riddle!” Trey tries to convince him to talk. “You know where he is, right?!”

“Hmmm. I don't NOT know... But I don't not Not know, either.”

After much debate among everyone, Chenya finally says:

“If you're a hundred purrcent determined to see our queen, you'll have to go waaay deeper into the dream. Want me to take you there? Meehehe...”

He does something and it was like he pulled a lid on the floor that created a tea whirlpool, and you were sucked down a drain.

You all land in the Rose Maze of the Heartslabyul Dorm. But it wasn't like what you remembered, it looked destroyed like when... Riddle overblotted. And there was another problem: Idia's tablet was turned off. For the first time, you lost all contact with him.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” You all hear Riddle shouting from afar. “According to rule 372... If a red-capped mushroom sprouts on a Monday morning, the roses in the garden must be white!” When you see him, he is wearing his housewarden uniform as expected. “How could you turn them red?! You've completely ruined the garden!”

As the students apologize to Riddle, you see black smoke forming around them. Darkness. Riddle tried to find out who was responsible for that, but with the students blaming each other he ran out of patience and simply “cut off” everyone's heads. After giving them a punishment of writing rules 300 to 400 he ordered the fake Ace and Deuce to take them away. The fake Trey and Cater were also with him, being his right and left arms. He gives a few more orders to the remaining card soldiers to organize themselves and continue their work.

“Heh heh... Yes, I wasn't wrong.” He smirks. “Ruling through discipline and fear is how order is upheld. Mother was right... I was right! Heh heh heh... AAAH HAH HAH HAH!”

Between you, Trey concluded that this seemed to be a world where he failed to overwrite Riddle's magic and he landed a clean hit on Ace and the others with it. However, they also conclude that Riddle didn't actually overblot in that world, but he's got a whole reign of terror thing going on. Pure tyranny.

“There you go.” A certain floating head appears in the middle of your group. “Just like how some youth was the one to slay the fearsome jabberwock. Well? What happens next?” The rest of Chenya's body is revealed.

“Good question.” Ace says. “Housewarden Riddle's full-on teapot tyrant mode, terrorizing the dorm into obeying him. Pretty sure this is as bad as it gets.” He sighs.

“Oho? You think so?” Chenya smiles slyly. “I could always make it worse.”

“Huh?! What are you doing?! Stay out of this! Deuce, grab him!”

But they couldn't do it and had to watch helplessly as he used Riddle's cape to flip him over in front of everyone. With his head on the ground, he could now see your feet hiding behind the hedges, and he blamed these people for making him fall.

“YOUR HEADS SHALL ALL ROLL!” He shouts, after getting up again with his face red with anger.

“Gah! Riddle blew away all the rose hedges simply by yelling!” Sebek says in astonishment.

“Wh... What's going on here?!” It's Riddle's turn to widen his eyes, he was seeing two Aces, Deuces, Treys and Caters. “Who are you people?! I also see Silver, Sebek, (Y/N) and Grim. As well as... Leona Kingscholar! What business does Savanaclaw's housewarden have with Heartslabyul?!”

Leona hated sorting through cryptic clues, and he was fed up with all the puzzles and riddles and nonsense logic games that played out in every Heartslabyul students dreams. So he got straight to the point.

“Everything here is a dream created by that crazy fae, Malleus Draconia.”

As expected, Riddle retorts that this is ridiculous and the fake Cater and Trey agree with him and tell him not to listen to Leona. The real Trey tries to convince Riddle too, confirming what Leona is saying. This causes the dream to begin to distort, but the darkness students manage to stabilize it again with their words. The real Ace and Leona were already getting back to the topic of proving to Riddle that it was all a dream when...

“It... makes me happy.” Riddle says, in a calm and complacent tone. “Even if this is all a dream... I'm happy. After all..." He smirks. "I've proven myself right. Everybody respects me. They genuinely fear me, and love me! It's fine if it's absurd. This is my ideal kingdom made manifest!”

“How can you say that?!” Sebek inquires. “You're always so strict with yourself!”

“Please, believe us!” Silver reiterates. “Your mind is under the darkness's influence...”

“SILEEENCE!” Riddle turned red with rage again. “OFF WITH THE IMPOSTORS' HEAAADS!”

A dark fog formed around you, you could feel the shadowy figures getting stronger. All students rush at you. The real Ace tries to help you escape, but without him or any of the others realizing in time, the fake Ace and Deuce catch you while everyone else runs away.

The ink-black-faced Ace and Deuce grab you by the arms and drag you to Riddle, forcing you to kneel in front of him.

“I will assume that feeling entitled to interfere in other people's affairs is a consequence of your pitiful education.” Riddle says, looking down at you. “This is not your dorm. The fact that you have friends here doesn't change the futility of your words and actions in trying to protect them. All who break the rules will be punished without exception!” He smirks. “And since you want to join us so much... maybe I should make an example of you! ...Put them on their feet!” He orders.

“Yes, Housewarden!” The fake Ace and Deuce lift you by the arms and make you stand, face to face with Riddle.

Riddle looks you in the eyes for a silent moment, as if he's pondering something. You decide to take the opportunity to speak.

“Riddle, please stop this. You don't have to do this. We just want to help you.”

“Silence!” He orders you, but in a softer voice than the one he uses with the students of Heartslabyul. “I am the one who decides what needs or needn't to be done!”

After that, you stayed silent because you realized he was looking at you as if he wanted to say something while analyzing your face.

“You are a strange one.” He says, his voice surprisingly soft and thoughtful. “The others fear me, but you aren't fazed in the least.” His own features changed, he seemed less tense, but a little confused about something. “Not even when I raise my voice... But your look isn't one of hatred either... What is it...?” He whispers to himself, before raising his voice again to his card soldiers. “Let them go!”

The fake Ace and Deuce release you, but your hope is cut short when Riddle makes a move to make the rose trees attack and tied you. However, he seems to refrain from doing so with the thorns.

“I assume there is no need to behead you.” Riddle continues. “After all, you are incapable of using magic. The only thing you need to do is behave yourself.” He smirks. “A simple enough rule to follow, correct?”

He then notices that the fake Ace and Deuce are still there, looking at that scene.

“What are you still doing here? GO FIND THE OTHER TRAITORS!”

“Y-yes, Housewarden!” The two say before running off back into the maze.

“Riddle, you already know this is a dream.” You say. “Why don't you want to wake up?”

“Why? I told you why. Because I'm happy here. As long as I stay here, I will always be right and everyone will be on my side. Including you!”

“I-Including me?”

“Yes. Here you love me, respect me, and do everything as I say.” He smiled, as if the fact that you were the real you didn't embarrass him. “Here I can have you right by my side... anytime I want...” He looks at his gloved palm, lost in thought. “And no matter what happens... you'll be smiling at me... as happy by my side as I am by yours... And even if I cry...” He says in a lower tone. “...you will still be there...”

"I would do that in real life too." You admit. Riddle falls into shocked silence. “But...” You continue. “Is that really what you want?”

“What?” He looks at you, upset that you were questioning him.

“Is that really what you want? Someone who doesn't question you? Someone who simply accepts everything you say?” You smirk. “Are you going to say you don't like it when I mess with you? When I try to make you bend some little rules just to see you happy and having fun? If you really fell in love with me, it certainly wasn't because I'm the type to blindly follow you.”

“Y-you...” He blushes a lot. “Those... those are just your flaws that should be corrected. What I like about you is the rest. If I could correct you then you will be...”

“Not myself anymore.” You finish his sentence, correcting him at the same time. “We are both our qualities and our flaws. Or what others consider to be flaws. Your temperament, for example.” You smile at him.

“ My temperament?!” He asks, starting to get irritated.

“Yes, even you know that that is a flaw, right? Maybe the biggest one you have. And the main reason for so many of your problems.” You felt he was getting angrier and angrier. “However... This is also one of your greatest characteristics. If it disappeared completely... you would no longer be the Riddle that I love so much.”

His expression changed drastically, his eyes widened, the red on his face became a softer shade, and his shoulders slumped.

“That you...” He began saying and it seemed like the world was going to start distorting when the fake Cater's voice is heard getting Riddle's attention.

You see some Caters and other students dragging other Carter and Silver. They try to say something that might bring Riddle to his senses, but the fake Cater manages to convince Riddle to ignore them and quickly shut them up. Riddle ties them to rose trees like he did to you. A dark fog forms, and this helps Riddle knock the real Cater and Silver unconscious.

“I'm surprised you didn't do the same with (Y/N), Riddle.” Fake Cater says.

“I simply see no need for it.” Riddle explains.

“Not to question your decisions, but are you sure (Y/N) is that harmless?”

“And what do you mean by that?”

“They want to wake you up, don't they? Just before I arrived, I could feel you starting to... sag a little.”

“Are you implying that my will will be shaken by mere words?” He looks at the fake Cater with his usual haughtiness.

“N-no, nothing like that. But you should be careful. The more you like someone, the more you are inclined to believe them. What if...” He whispers close to Riddle's ear. “They're lying just to wake you up?”

“RIDICULOUS!” Riddle retorts, outraged. “(Y/N) would never-”

“Do you really want to wake up to find out?” Fake Cater continues. “Remember what will happen when you go back to reality... you'll be all alone and hated again. You wouldn't want that, right?”

“What?!” You react and start saying that it's a lie, that nobody hates him, that you don't hate him.

But the darkness is stronger than you and the fake Cater keeps trying to convince Riddle that you are only going against his rules and his world for your own benefit.

“ENOUGH!” Riddle shouts, red with rage. "You..." He points at fake Cater. “Go back to the maze and find the others! NOW! I don't want to hear anything else from you!" He looks at you. "From none of you!”

He uses the dark fog around you to cast a spell that knocks you unconscious just like he did with Cater and Silver.

When you wake up, you see Carter, Silver, Leona, Sebek and Trey next to you, as if they had woken up from the same state of unconsciousness as you. Further away, you see Riddle, tired and dejected. In front of him were Ace, Deuce, and Ortho. Grim had already started running towards you to hug you and cry at seeing you okay. You knew Riddle had woken up. The feeling in the world around you changes when that happens. Trey and Cater run to hug Riddle (or at least Cater) happy and relieved that he woke up and is okay.

“Hey. Did a punch from a card soldier wake the queen up?” Leona says with a smug smile, approaching Riddle, and accompanied by Silver. “I'm hurting all over, and I'm running on fumes magic-wise. You really made me work for this.”

“Leona, Silver...” Riddle says with regret in his voice. “I fear you've seen me at my absolute worst.”

“Don't worry about it.” Silver says. “I know the real you well enough. I'm glad you're awake now, Riddle.”

While Grim and Sebek went to see if Ortho was okay and talk about what Ace and Deuce did to wake Riddle, you decide to approach him and show how happy you were that he had woken up.

“Ah.. uhh... (Y/N)...” Riddle tries to smile at you, but his conflicting feelings at the moment make it a hard task. “I...”

The ground begins to tremble, and the black goop returns to cover the ground and create a dark fog around all of you.

“What's this shaking? Aah!” Riddle begins to be pulled down by the darkness at his feet.

You instinctively grab his arm, and Ace and Deuce quickly come to his rescue as well.

“The freshmen defeated Riddle. His crown has been usurped, which can only mean one thing.” Leona says. “No more happy ending here.”

“The darkness is draggin' them farther down!” Grim says.

“(Y/N)! Ace! Deuce! Hurry and get over here!” Sebek shouts.

“Forget about me.” Riddle commands. “Get to Silver, now!”

But none of you do it. Instead, Ace asks Trey and Cater to help you, but Silver says there's no time.

“Trey, Cater, this is an order from your housewarden!” Riddle reiterates. “TAKE THEM AND GO!”

“...Yes, Housewarden!”

Trey grabs Ace and Cater grabs Deuce, but there's still you. Riddle places his hand on yours and looks into your eyes.

“Forgive my rudeness, but...” He grips your hand tightly, and you can see the pain in his eyes too. “DO AS I SAY!” He rips your hand off his arm and throws you back until you fall into Sebek's arms.

Before sinking into the darkness.

Unfortunately, you never had another opportunity to stop and talk until everything was over. When you discovered that Riddle was alright, he was on another map preparing for the battle against Malleus while you were in the Central Control room with Idia, Grim, Silver, and Sebek.

Did Riddle realize what you went through in his dream? Did he realize that you now knew that one of the things in his dream was his relationship with you? You didn't have to wait long to find out, as he knocked on Ramshackle Dorm's door the very next day after Malleus's situation was resolved.

When you open the door, Riddle seems to jump in surprise, as if until that moment he had been lost in thought. He was dressed in his Housewarden uniform.

“(Y/N)... I...” He was quite flushed. “How are you today? Did you get a good rest?”

You say yes, but notice that Riddle still has some scratches and bruises on his face, even a bandage on his cheek, and you ask if he shouldn't be resting.

“I... perhaps. But I asked the doctors for permission to come see you. I will return as soon as I resolve this matter.”

“What matter?” You ask.

“I... wanted to apologize for... what I did to you in my dream. I've already had the opportunity to apologize to my card soldiers and the others, but not to you. I feel so ashamed for what I did, I wasn't in my right mind.”

You tell him that you understand and that you forgive him. You also say that his dream wasn't the only complicated one you've faced. You understand and believe in his remorse, so you try to reassure him.

“I'm truly glad that you understand and forgive me, but...” His gaze begins to lose the courage to meet your face, and his cheeks gradually grow redder. “Unfortunately... with you... there's more to apologize for. The... dream before that...”

At first his embarrassment was cute, but now you realize he seems to be genuinely suffering because of it. So you decide to speak first, gently. You assure him that, just as his card soldiers haven't changed the way they see him, neither have you. No matter what you saw or didn't see in his dream, he's still the same Riddle you know.

“But can I sat one thing?” You ask. “That outfit was sooo cool!”

Your words seem to have had an effect, and he no longer appears to be so uncomfortable.

“D-do you really think so? Aham. Thank you, but I'm afraid that you'll never see them again.” He pauses to take a deep breath. “I know you're trying to lighten the mood in this conversation, but I really need to apologize for...” He pauses to think about the right words to say.

“For what? You treated me so well during that part of the dream.” You say with a playful smile, but that doesn't seem to work so well anymore.

“For forcing you to act like my partner!” He says, annoyed with himself and unwilling to continue changing the subject. “For acting as if I had your consent. For putting you in a position where if you didn't do what I wanted, I could hurt you. For putting you in danger. For being the danger.” His eyes begin to water, but he holds back. “I would never treat you like that. That's not what you mean to me.” His eyes stared at the ground, and the tears became even harder to hold back. “I never had the courage to talk to you because I didn't know what I was feeling. But I also didn't want you to find out this way. I... I don't care if you don't feel the same way, I just... don't want you to hate me...” Slowly, a couple of tears began to stream down his face.

You say that's nonsense, that of course you don't hate him. Quite the contrary, you admit that you like him too. You hold his hand and reveal what you truly feel for him. But you also need to reassure him that you're not saying that just to make him feel better. With him a little calmer, you might even admit how much you enjoy having him so close and affectionate with you.

When he finally looks at you, calmer, he wipes away one of his tears, but in a way that hurts him quite a bit because of his injuries. So you carefully and gently wipe away the other one.

You can finally do what you've always wanted to do the few times you've seen Riddle cry: hug him. You two stay like that for a long moment until he reluctantly breaks the hug.

“I'm sorry. I would love to stay with you like this longer, but I need to go back.” He brings his hands to your face and caresses your cheeks, gazing for a moment at your lips, before looking you in the eyes again. “The next Unbirthday party will be for you, with all your favorite desserts. You won't be absent, correct?”

He smirks, and his eyes wander over your lips once more. When you realize he's not going to take a bigger step than that, you decide to take it yourself. He's surprised when you kiss him, but he doesn't pull away. Quite the opposite, that was the permission he needed to pull you closer and return the kiss with an intensity that had been building up for a long time.

What he didn't account for was how embarrassing it was at first. Sitting there in the bathtub with you on the other end, looking at him as he gently runs shampoo through your hair. He tried to stay calm, but ended up more nervous by the second, and he didn't even know why. Maybe it was the quiet intimacy he had never thought about, or the trust you had in him to be so vulnerable with him. Whatever it was, he's not sure if he hates it or not, only that he's glad to know you trust him so.

He began to relax more as time passed, having never experienced the calming effects of a simple bath before. As his were always done quickly and with the most efficiency, he didn't think he had time to do something like this.

And a simple bath it was, there wasn't anything fancy about it at all; although the bathroom could be considered fancy to some, it didn't matter to either of you. You would have been just as happy to share this moment in a rundown tub filled with holes. What made this time so special was that you were sharing it with each other.

He had closed his eyes after a few minutes, resting his head slightly to the left and letting the water ease any tension in his muscles.

Riddle looked quite sweet when he wasn't stressing so much about every rule. And in these few quiet moments you spend together, you couldn't think of anything as beautiful as him when he lets himself relax fully.

But it was time to get out now, although ruining his only time of true relaxation was not something you wished to do.

So as to not disturb his peace, you got out first, drying yourself lightly at first, then moving on to your hair. Making sure to take your time so Riddle could relax in the bath just a little longer. As you were finishing wrapping the towel neatly around yourself, you heard a little splash behind you. Turning around, you saw Riddle getting out of the bathtub in slow movements.

You grabbed his towel from where it was hung on the wall and placed it on his shoulders with care. He looked into your eyes for a moment before hugging your waist lazily and burying his head into your shoulder. You could feel his body get heavier as you gently dried the parts of his body you could reach.

Once you finished, and had dried him the best you could, you gathered both of your nightwear and sat him down on a stool with the towel draped on his shoulders once again. Riddle looked tiredly up at you while you got dressed, rubbing his eyes once or twice to then get ready for bed himself.

Riddle would normally scold himself for letting him get too tired and relaxed when he still had other things to do before bed, but couldn't when he felt your arms cage around him, and sleep started claiming him for the night.

But... the past was now beyond his control, and more importantly, he had to focus on you. So here he was, sitting at his bedside, awkwardly but carefully spoon-feeding you the soup Trey had made to hasten your recovery. However…

“Bleh! Do I have to?” you whined, nose wrinkling as you shook your head weakly and turned to look away, refusing to acknowledge the spoon waiting patiently beside you.

Oh in the name of the Queen of Hearts, you were so, so lucky he loved you this much. Because Riddle couldn’t say the same for his own patience. Minutes had dragged on like hours; his patience was clearly wearing thin, his lips were pressed tight, and he could feel his eye twitch. And yet… for your sake, he would be as patient as he needed to be.

"Yes. Not like you have much of a choice anymore, do you?" Riddle remarked, and you swore you could hear a bit of amusement in his tone. But you only groaned and buried your head deeper into the pillow, pulling the blanket over your head.

With a sharp sigh, Riddle’s brow twitched as he set the spoon back into the bowl and placed it aside. Fine. You were stubborn—but so was he, and he had no intention of backing down.

"I see… well then, my rose, I do hope you're prepared for what I'm about to do," he said. His voice sounded oddly threatening and calming, enough to make you nervous beneath your blankets.(What in the world was he planning??)

"You're not about to put that soup in your mouth and kiss me... right?" you asked, your voice muffled. As much as you liked the idea, you certainly didn’t want Riddle catching the same illness as you.

"Nonsense." He replied, though tempting, the ex-tyrant knew better than to do that. He had no idea what kinds of novels you’d been reading, but that sort of action was entirely unethical.(But again... tempting, not like he'd admit it to you.)

With that, Riddle shifted closer, lowering himself onto the bed as the plush mattress sank under his weight and yanked the blankets off of you quickly before you could pull it back.

"Hey!" you protested, but a cough cut you off and you gave up quickly as Riddle patted your head. With his free hand, he carefully scooped up some soup, then used the hand resting on your head to squish your cheeks between his fingers. How cute.

With careful precision, Riddle brought the spoon to your lips, supporting you as he eased you upright just enough to make sure you could swallow without any difficulties whatsoever. After a few minutes, the tension in your body melted away, and a soft, surprised hum slipped from your lips.

Riddle smiled triumphantly as your expression eased into bliss. See? He couldn’t fathom why you’d fought him so stubbornly over the soup—least of all when it had been prepared by Trey of all people.

"See? I don’t know why you were so stubborn," Riddle sighed, continuing to spoon-feed you now that you were eating willingly. But of course, you didn't answer him as you continued eating the soup from the spoon with a happy smile.

Honestly, you were so stubborn to a fault, but he was just as stubborn if it meant you would get better, and he would always make sure of it.

The carefully manicured lawn of Heartslabyul's Croquet Tournament Court glistened in the late afternoon sun. Gentle rays of light slipped through holes in the thick cloud cover overhead. The rosebush leaves and newly formed buds glistened with the dew of a recent rain shower. The blades of grass beneath your heels sparkled, as much a beautiful sight as a warning to be careful, lest you accidentally slip and fall.

Your hedgehog snuffled, impatiently awaiting its turn, still dutifully curled into a ball. Trey’s hedgehog sat just a few inches away from yours, peacefully resting, having seemingly forgotten that it was in lying in the middle of a croquet warzone.

The fall afternoon air was refreshing, the temperature a pleasant median between the fading summertime heat and the approaching winter cold. Despite the earlier rain, Riddle declared that it was the perfect weather to host a small, impromptu, cutthroat* croquet tournament. Although your original plan was to hang out with Deuce and Ace, Riddle easily convinced you to join his game of croquet so as not to interrupt them during their weekend studies (no other reason).

The game was coming to a quick close - with Riddle so many points ahead, you'd given up on keeping track of your score. You had long since acknowledged the vast difference in yours and Riddle's croquet abilities, but you still enjoyed playing.

Riddle’s hedgehog squeaked as his red flamingo mallet made contact, sending the small creature hurtling through the last wicket. You and Trey clapped while Cater let out a long sigh. The housewarden’s hedgehog leaped to its feet and swiftly scurried over to sit beside him. For a hedgehog, he looked rather regal, save for the tufts of wet grass stuck to his spikes.

“No surprise there.” Trey chuckled. Cater shrugged. “T-B-H croquet is a losing battle with a pro like him. I’m pretty sure Riddle has only lost like, one game of croquet ever.”

“I am Housewarden after all.” Riddle swung his flamingo over his shoulder with a flourish, a small smile on his face. “To lose a game of croquet would be a disgrace to the Queen herself.”

"It's still impressive." You chimed in. "Given how hard it is to angle and hit a hedgehog. You manage to make it look effortless." You glimpsed the slightest blush creep across Riddle's face as his grey eyes shifted to avoid your gaze. Riddle cleared his throat, straightening himself.

“Now, the game’s not over yet.” Riddle gestured towards you and Trey. “Second place still has yet to be decided!”

Trey and Cater briefly shared a look, but you struggled to identify its meaning. Brushing it off, you brandished your purple flamingo (which blinked at you, an unsavory reminder that your mallet was ‘alive’) and strode over to your hedgehog, who now bristled with newfound enthusiasm.

Aiming for the wicket, you swung your flamingo and gently bonked the hedgehog, sending it flying (no doubt the work of your hedgehog's efforts to secure your victory) through the tiny metal arch. Trey and Cater took their turns, both hedgehogs missing the wicket.

You and your hedgehog eyed the last wicket. With one final well-aimed bunt, your hedgehog launched forward, tumbling right between the metal posts, victorious or, at the very least, better than Trey or Cater (although you had a looming suspicion that they purposefully missed their last shots).

"You have certainly honed your skills since the last time we played, Prefect." Riddle nodded, clapping alongside Trey and Cater.

The rest of the game passed in a blur; Trey beat Cater for third place and Cater momentarily sulked as he snapped some pictures of the picturesque garden for Magicam. Some students arrived to escort the flamingos and hedgehogs back to their respective habitats (as to where those are, you have no idea). You glanced at the time on your phone: 3:20. You only had 40 minutes left to shower and get ready before your server shift at the Mostro Lounge.

"Bye guys! I'll see you later, I need to get ready for my server shift." You grabbed your bag from the bench. "Thanks again for inviting me, Riddle!"

"Of course, it was my pleasure." Riddle bid you farewell. Cater waved, phone in hand. "See you tomorrow~".

As you turned to leave, Trey jogged over to you, an apologetic look on his face.

"Prefect, I should warn you that there's a dorm rule for second place winners in croquet tournaments. You have to serve Riddle tea the next day." The vice-housewarden placed a hand on your shoulder. "Otherwise, it'll be, you know..." Trey trailed off.

"Right - 'off with your head'." You made a mental note to ask Jade for some loose-leaf tea. "Thanks for the heads up."

You assumed the conversation was over, but he bit his lip as if he was mentally considering saying something else.

"Trey, is something bothering you?" Trey shook his head, releasing a nervous laugh.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to let you know he likes sweet things." Trey paused, a curious glint in his eyes as he regarded you. "Like honey."

You found Riddle studying in the common room, engrossed in a book as he wrote notes in that neat cursive of his, face bathed in the warm glow of a lamp. The lounge was surprisingly quiet, save for the rhythmic ticking of the many clocks that lined Heartslaybul's walls. Daylight was fading fast.

During your shift, you managed to convince Jade to spare you some high-quality chamomile tea (Rule 53: the only tea you may drink in the evenings is herbal tea) in return for an extra hour of work. Trey graciously offered you his teapot and tea set, as you lacked your own, and gave you some honey from the Heartslaybul kitchen.

So far, so good.

Hesitant to disturb him, you cleared your throat. Riddle's gaze lifted from his textbook. Dark bags sat beneath his grey eyes. Stress lined his features, his gaze dark with the burden of weary acceptance. Riddle's shoulders were stiff, as if he was fighting the urge to slump, to collapse beneath the omnipresent, suffocating weight of perfection he carried so proudly. A wave of familiar sadness washed over you.

Most likely, Crowley assigned Riddle another tedious task, some arduous project that the headmaster couldn't be bothered to trouble himself with.

It wasn't fair, but then again, it seemed like nothing in Riddle's life was.

"I brought you some herbal tea," You walked carefully towards him, gently setting the tea tray on the edge of the table, away from the stacks of notes and textbooks that seemed to tower over Riddle. Riddle looked up but his grey pupils seemed to look right through you, his mind still focused on the papers neatly stacked before him. His pupils were uncharacteristically hazy, as if you had just yanked him from the depths of a deep sleep.

"And honey." You added awkwardly, gesturing towards the small pot of honey on the tea tray. Riddle's lifeless expression vanished, replaced by a look you could only describe as bewilderment.

Riddle's mouth was agape in horror, lips upturned in shock, his eyes wide. In the past, you'd seen Riddle furious, embarrassed, irritated, delighted, but never this.

It seemed counterintuitive, even absurd, to feel relieved that he was angry with you. But anything, even rage, is better than seeing Riddle in that state.

"H-honey?" A dumbfounded Riddle stared at you, his voice cracking. His strained voice dragged you back to the present.

You hurriedly looked at the tea tray to see if something was missing or cracked.

Is chamomile not herbal? Did Trey or Jade set you up? Did you get the rules wrong?

Everything looked perfectly normal, no chips, no spills. The tea was steaming, the honey looked appetizing.

"Is honey not okay?" This time your voice cracked. Somehow, this just made Riddle even more flustered, his cheeks blushing a fiery red. You were at a complete loss.

"Are you allergic to it? Trey said you liked honey in your tea!" You gestured desperately at the tea tray. "Am I breaking some rule I don't even know exists?"

"No honey past 6 pm? Honey is banned in the common room on weekdays? Honey must be served in a cup by a dormouse?" You were rambling now, but you couldn't help it.

A look of realization suddenly dawned on Riddle's face, and he shifted to regard the honey sitting on the tea tray.

"Ah, yes. Honey. The sweet." Riddle spoke definitively, as if he was carefully choosing each word. His eyes remained transfixed on the sweetener.

"Uh, yeah, honey." Expecting some form of clarification, you looked at Riddle. Riddle looked at you. He said nothing, instead opting to snap his head in the opposite direction of you completely avoiding your gaze. The seconds dragged on. The bright pink blush on Riddle's cheeks wasn't going away - in fact, it only seemed to be getting worse with each passing second of silence. Oh. Ohhhh.

"Did you think I called you 'honey'?" You intended to phrase the question delicately, but you ended up blurting it out.

"OF COURSE NOT!" Riddle shouted, whipping around, his tone heavy with indignance. Realizing how loud he was, Riddle attempted to lower his voice, although you could hardly tell the difference.

"I was merely surprised that a non-Heartslaybul student such as yourself was aware of Rule 703!" Riddle audibly huffed.

You fought the urge to smile, but your lips involuntarily tugged upward, despite your protests. The only response you could offer without laughing was a noncommittal "Mm-hm."

"ExcUSE ME?" Riddle exclaimed, although you could tell by his tone that he wasn't angry. Just hopelessly embarrassed.

"I mean, yeah, that makes sense." Your factitious words (bordering on a giggle) did not appease Riddle, who just narrowed his eyes.

"I'm sorry Riddle, but you've got to admit it is kind of funny."

"I can assure you it is NOT." Riddle paused, "This is no laughing matter, Prefect." You couldn't hold it in anymore; you broke out into laughter. Your desperate efforts not to laugh only seemed to make the urge to laugh worse.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." You managed to apologize between giggles.

As you fought to control your laughter, Riddle's grumbles went unheard.

"I would have much preferred you to say such a thing under different circumstances." Riddle muttered the words under his breath without even realizing he said them. No matter, it's not as if they can hear them.

Regaining your composure, you sat down beside Riddle, who shifted to make room for you on the couch.

"Do you like chamomile tea?" You inquired.

"I do." Riddle moved the tea tray closer to him. "Your accordance with the house rules is appreciated, Prefect." His formality sounded forced, as it did when Riddle was trying to compose himself.

"Honestly," You leaned back into the couch as Riddle poured some tea into the teacup. "I'm just happy to visit you." Your own candidness caught you off guard. "And do at least something to make your life a bit easier."

Riddle's grip on the spoon tightened as he stirred the honey into the tea.

"I can always help you with whatever Crowley assigned you." You watched as Riddle delicately raised the teacup to his lips, slender fingers wrapping around the handle.

"Just don't-" you paused, weighing your words, considering what to say. Don't overwork yourself. Don't take on too much. Don't forget to ask for help.

"Thank you, Prefect." Riddle took a sip of the tea, a gentle smile appearing on his face, finishing your sentence for you.

Perhaps your thoughts were too loud and he heard them.

You bathed in the silence between you and him, embracing the company of another person on a cool fall evening.

"You are a strange one." Riddle voice was soft, as if he was speaking to himself rather than you. "The others fear me, but you aren't fazed in the least."

"Strange?" You tried to sound shocked, offended. Riddle's grey irises met yours and he let out a soft chuckle.

"Not that I'm rebuking you for it, mind you."

*Cutthroat croquet is a type of croquet where every player has a ball and participates in a croquet free-for-all without teams.

Divider made by @mfrgraphics <3

-> Masterlist