dirt cheap, all sweet

Regardless, she had honored it by wearing a neat white jumpsuit with golden accessories. He had done his hair to the side, falling over his shoulders—the length of it now hitting past them.

Sometimes he still wasn't used to it. She had started growing it out sometime after her fourth year at NRC. A...much needed change after events he didn't care to remember. Even if it had happened in, what feels like, long ago now. Vil was now 26... and yet the pain of back then still felt fresh sometimes...

'Don't think about that now.' He thinks to herself.

What had he been reflecting on again...? Ah, right.

The date had gone fine. And, she would even go as far as to say she had fun. But, that's pretty much all she had. There wasn't a spark, there wasn't that romantic pull. She hadn't even invited him inside when he had dropped her off. By the time they had returned to their car to leave, Vil had already slipped off her heels and placed them at the side of the front door to properly put them away later.

He decided right then and there that he wasn't going to ask for a second date. That, once again, it felt like things were destined for more platonic intentions. And, now-a-days, Vil isn't quite sure if it was the people he was dating or because of...well...himself.

And as she sits on the couch in her living room, a soft lamp illuminating the space around her as the soft sound of rain on the window pattered away—Vil recounted the date to Rook via text message. Who, as always, sensationalized Vil being wrapped in 'cupid's quest'. A statement that wasn't false but wasn't particularly true either. The truth of the matter is that Vil hadn’t really been looking for a relationship for…a while now. Every date has been initiated by someone else. 

‘I’m married to my career.’ A common statement uttered out of his mouth quite often. In conversations, in interviews… She’s basically made herself the poster child for all who were overworked. A fact she’d like to think didn’t actually apply to her but, the last several years of packed scheduling between photoshoots, auditions and acting gigs proved otherwise. Working had truly been all he knew. Much to the dismay of, not only his friends, but of her father as well. 

Every other phone call consisted of his father telling him on and on about how he should give himself a break. How there’s a life to live and that she needs to go out there and live it. To which she’d remind him that a lot of her roles lead her all over Twisted Wonderland. So, there was a lot of ‘life’ she was seeing.

Rook Hunt: He is right, though, mon cher.

Vil Schoenheit: I do not need a lecture from you as well, Rook.

Rook Hunt: Lecture you? I would never dream of it. 

Vil couldn’t help the breath of a laugh, he can read the sarcasm seeping from the hunter’s words from miles away. He may not do it traditionally, but Rook was not above letting Vil know when he thinks she ought to do things differently.

Rook Hunt: Will you not see this man again, then?

Vil Schoenheit: No. Not for a second date, at least. We’d obviously still have to see each other for work.

Vil Schoenheit: He was nice. But…

Rook Hunt: He did not stir your heart?

Vil Schoenheit: Not at all.

Rook Hunt: Beauté! Your heart continues to be difficult to win over. How long has it been now since your last relationship?

Vil Schoenheit: We do not need to count the days! 

Or the years…

Vil Schoenheit: In fact, don’t you have other things you should be attending to? A certain lazy prince?

Rook Hunt: Roi des Lions? I am simply passing the time… he seems to be finding a hiding place for me~

Rook Hunt: Any moment now our game will begin.

Vil Schoenheit: Ah. You two are…truly something else.

Vil Schoenheit: I’ll leave you to it then. Go have your fun. Goodnight.

Vil places his phone down, letting out a sigh before lifting herself off the couch. Tomorrow was a day off but she still had her routine. If she wanted to be rested enough for her 5 AM jog, then she’d need to start her nightly skin care now—

The soft knock on the door would’ve gone entirely unnoticed if it weren’t so silent. And Vil would’ve thought it was a trick of the mind, until a louder knock follows.

Who was that at this hour? And during this rain too?

She’s frozen for a moment. Vil had been in a horror movie once and, as ridiculous of a thought it was, he knew how those things started. Exactly like this, during a vulnerable night in one of her best jumpsuits. Vil should ignore it right? Where was her Magipen…?

Vil moves carefully, stepping closer to the door. There wasn’t another knock but she thinks she hears…mumbling?

“This was stupid…Probably not here…Creepy…” Creepy?! Who in the Seven was out there?! Vil shouldn’t check. But…he ought to get a look, right? For the authorities, of course! In case he had to report a potential stalker!

She carefully walks over to her door, moving the cover of the peephole and taking a look to see.

Bright flaming blue hair. 

“Don’t give up yet, Niichan!” A voice says through some sort of communication device. “Knock again!”

“I-I can’t, Ortho! I should just go home…” 

“No!” 

Vil’s heart pounds in his chest. On the other side of this door was a person Vil has not seen in seven years. Not since the day they decided to break his heart. The day he declared that his business with S.T.YX. and Vil’s own responsibilities were just…too much for their relationship to handle. 

Vil’s last relationship. And her last love.

‘I can’t tie you to this life, Vil! I hold you back—’

“Ortho, I’m leaving!” Idia says. 

Vil’s body moves before she realizes it. Unlocking the door and basically throwing it open. The breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, comes out all at once as Idia yelps. 

Blue flames are lively around them as Vil looks on with wide eyes. The silence between both of them gives away the unfortunate truth that neither of them knew what to say. Though, in this silence, Vil is able to see the changes seven years has done to him.

Idia’s hair is shorter. It’s held back in a ponytail and it just barely reaches the middle of their back. The bangs are relatively unchanged, but Vil can see an undercut. The hairdo exposes the piercings on Idia’s ears. A style Vil could only describe as punk. 

A sort of style she had seen in very small bursts in Idia’s closet during their school days, hidden away from the world. What had pushed him over the edge to finally do it? 

On his face sat sleek glasses, the sort of frame that were thin and nearly made the illusion of no glasses at all. The dark metal of the glasses’ temples and bridge being the sole giveaways. On their right nostril sat a single round silver nose stud. 

Despite those changes, the clothing style was very distinctively Idia. Though things felt more…polished. The hoodie was not swallowing them, the pants weren’t baggy at all and…was that a belt?! Time has changed Idia Shroud.

Appearances, at least. The way they looked entirely terrified as they gripped onto their umbrella, as if hoping that the world would swallow him whole, was entirely classic Idia. 

“Niichan?” Ortho’s voice comes from the watch on Idia’s wrist. “Are you still there?”

“I-I’ll call you back…” They answer before cutting the connection. 

The silence, unfortunately, is deafening. But, this time, Vil can not handle it.

“What are you doing here?” She asks. Which somehow managed to make Idia jump. And it’s entirely unfair the way it managed to endear him a little—but it’s only so long until Vil’s shock will melt away. And that pain and anger will settle. 

Idia’s still got a few more seconds. 

“I…” He starts, eyes looking around as if they’re searching for the answer. Oh, those seconds are ticking…! “...I wanted t-to…to see you.”

Vil blinks. And it becomes very clear to the other that that wasn’t the answer she wanted.

“I…” He gulps. “I…missed…” Another swallow. “I missed you…!” They push out their answer. And…there goes those seconds.

Vil’s face twists in confusion, mouth slightly agape. Idia was here because they…missed her? Missed her? The hand on the door grips tighter in bewildered annoyance.

“You showed up to my house at 11 PM out of the blue after seven years because you missed me?” Ah, the annoyance in his tone was rising by the second. “What?! How—How did you figure out where I lived?! How in the Seven—!” 

“—Ortho found it!” Idia rushes to answer. And then, as Vil looks prepared to give them more of a mouthful, they continue to speak. “I—I didn’t t—tell him to do that! He did it on his own! I swear!”

That very well answers the how, but it does very little to answer the why. And Vil is about to tell them that but he’s stopped by a flashing light. Oh no… that meant it was going to—

Crash! 

Vil jumps at the noise. He didn’t see that a thunderstorm was coming and the juvenile anxiety regarding that was starting to rise to his throat. For as fearless as she was… there was one thing that did manage to get him on edge.

“Vil, let’s go inside.” Idia speaks, chin tipping as he motioned to the inside of Vil’s home. “You don’t like thunder.”

Ah. Idia remembered. 

No! He can’t be softened by that! 

…But he didn’t want to be out here to see or hear anymore of this storm. So, despite himself, he opens the door wider and makes room for the other to enter too. He’s met with a brief hesitation from Idia before ultimately shuffling in.

She notes now that Idia is a little fuller than he once was. And Vil wonders if he had been taking care of himself. It was a constant battle in their younger years, trying to get Idia to eat properly. He wonders what was the straw that broke the camel’s back regarding this. 

Moving around Idia, Vil motions toward the umbrella stand next to the door. “You can leave that there. There’s slippers in the shoe rack.”

Idia was different but, also, exactly the same in their own way. Their posture was still horrible, hunched and timid as they closed their umbrella to place next to Vil’s. He then moves to the slippers, kicking his shoes off carefully before slipping into the house shoes Vil typically has for guests. 

He still can’t believe that Idia is standing in his doorway. Vil still doesn’t speak as Idia’s eyes scan the immediate area around them, eyes landing on heels for a few seconds before looking up and over at Vil once more. In response, Vil crosses her arms at her chest.

“You…” Idia starts, swallowing before continuing. “...You look nice…”

Surprise lights up Vil’s face for a moment, not having expected that at all. To compliment so freely? …Well, perhaps it wasn’t all that different. But, it was fitting of the relationship they had prior to their separation. To say that now? It was quite ballsy of him. Still, Vil’s eyes run down Idia’s form.

“You’re eating better.” She settles with. “That’s good to see. Really.” 

Idia lifts a hand to scratch at the back of their neck, a bashfulness showing itself. “Y-yeah…” Their eyes fall to the ground and over to the side. “Guess I do eat better now. I, uh…I-I’ve been keeping track of that… Well, Ortho has been but—” His sentence abruptly stops. 

Vil can only blink as Idia stares down at…something. Slowly the hand on his neck slides off and falls to his side. Confusion falls on Vil’s face, following his line of vision to find that he was staring at… his heels? 

“What are you—”

“—Y-You were on a date?” Idia cuts through, pointing at the heels before pointing to Vil. 

“...What?” Vil’s arms tense for a moment. Painted lips open, sputtering a bit and she has to wonder: why was she feeling guilty? It’s idiotic! And entirely unexpected! His body will have to get with the program—there isn’t anything attaching them together anymore, there hadn’t been for a while. There’s no need to be saddled with unnecessary…feelings. 

“I was.” She says. “Hold it. How did you know?”

Idia’s shoulders are tense. The person before him was always so transparent with his emotions. Even if maybe, they didn’t want to be. Idia wears disappointment familiarly—Vil had always hated seeing it. She finds herself feeling the very same even now.

“...Your shoes.” They say, giving a bit of a shrug. “You uh, wear these types…when you go on a date.”

Vil looks down at her shoes—Idia was right. They’re comfy, but quite tall. In truth, they aren’t made for much walking but absolutely stunning for outings that have a lot of sitting. This is why they aren’t the sort of heels Vil wears everyday, but they aren’t event shoes either. They’d probably make it to an awards show, but Vil’s outfit tonight was definitely not award show ready.

Either way, he isn’t sure how to feel about Idia remembering this about him. So, he turns instead, walking further into his living room. 

What the hell was Idia doing here? What the hell was he doing remembering these things? And why the hell did he decide to turn up now? Vil’s head is swimming and his heart has just barely started to calm down. 

“Would you like… water…?” Vil speaks, trailing off when he turns and sees that Idia is still at the doorway. Hands wringing together, tips of their hair nearly black. 

She can see the indecision from here. And, well, she really can’t help the small feeling of… amusement? Enamorment? As Idia slouches, bangs covering his face. They looked just like they did when they were in NRC. That timid Housewarden; unsure, scared Idia Shroud. Despite her initial feeling, she didn’t actually like to see him upset.

Vil shifts his weight between his feet, hip poking out as he crosses his arms. It’s clear as day, Idia’s looking for a way out.

“It didn’t go well.” Idia’s head snaps up, their eyes wide. “It was rather disappointing, really. He wasn’t a bad guy or anything but, there was a lack of spark. Hardly worth pursuing anything other than friendship.”

Idia looks like a fish out of water, mouth opening and closing as they digest the information. Vil chooses to wait it out. She’s fighting back some sort of smirk. There’s no way to hide it, really. 

“S-So you’re single?!” The question rushes out of Idia like he nearly chokes on it. Vil isn’t sure what made her jump more—the volume the question is asked in or the fact that Idia rushed closer while saying it. They’re still not close, but they’re finally away from the door. 

“Yes, Idia. I’m single.” Now she lets the smirk free. “So you can stop sulking.”

At that, the blacktips finally left Idia’s hair. But, it was replaced by a faint pink—embarrassment. Back then, he would do anything to see that gorgeous pink color engulf his hair entirely. How problematic for Vil, that it appears that the sight of the pink still made his own chest feel tight. They always looked so good in pink.

Vil clears his throat as Idia’s clutching the end of their ponytail, trying to hide the pink they also realize has surfaced. 

“So, that water…?” Vil asks. 

“Oh uh…” Idia seems to be thinking their decision through. After a few seconds, they give a nod. “Yeah.”

“Very well. Take a seat wherever you’d like.” Vil says as he turns to the kitchen. 

In the privacy of the kitchen, Vil allows himself a moment to come to terms with what was currently happening. Placing his elbows on the island, he holds his head in his hands for a few seconds before his fingers slide into his own hair. 

Vil was playing it well for now, but her heart hadn’t stopped pounding since that first knock. With every look, every word—all she could think about was their past. Seven, Vil always looked at the future! There was no looking back! And yet, they were the one thing he could never move on from. 

It was embarrassing! To be caught up in a relationship from seven years ago?! It was juvenile! They were teenagers! Vil met new interesting people all the time. He’d meet actors, musicians, models, production crew, camera-people… but none of them could keep her interest. Maybe he didn’t want them to, deep down. But it was something to work on. It was something Vil was actively working on, in fact…! So it was truly unfair for Idia to suddenly show up on a rainy night!

After all, what was this? Some sort of romantic comedy? She had entertained the idea of trying to be in one, but Vil hadn’t bet on it becoming real life.

“Okay…” Vil whispers to the air around him, getting a glass before walking over to the fridge. He figured he’ll just hear Idia out on all of this… Vil wasn’t an idiot, she knew why he was here. But why now? Why tonight? Why—

Crash! A loud rumble fills the sky, a flash of light following closely behind. Vil jumps, managing to bite back a yell, but he couldn’t say the same about keeping a solid grip on the glass. It shatters on the floor and that manages to get a yelp out of Vil.

“Vil…?!” Idia calls out from the living room, concern in his tone. 

“I’m fine!” Vil calls back, ducking down to quickly try and pick up the bigger pieces of glass. He feels a sort of anxiety to clean this up before Idia could get in. He doesn’t know where it comes from. 

“Vil?” He hears Idia call out again. She’s ducked down behind the island, she doesn’t see him. “Where uh, where are you?”

“Wait, Idia. Don’t come over here. I dropped the cup—Fuck!” Vil drops all the pieces he had picked up, looking as blood started to bead on his pointer finger. “Shit.”

Idia rushes around the island, eyes wide as he slows himself down by gripping his hands on the surface of the counter and island. He examines the mess around Vil before his eyes land on her hand. 

“You’re bleeding!” He squeaks out.

“Yeah, I know!” Vil snaps, making Idia recoil back. An action she immediately regrets. “I’m sorry… I just… behind you there’s a first aid kit.” She says, pointing to a drawer behind Idia. 

Despite the earlier reaction, they still whip around to fetch it. Though, they ignore Vil’s outstretched hand as they reach for the bleeding one instead. 

“I can handle it—”

“I know you can.” Idia speaks, bringing the finger up and close to his eyes. He examines it carefully. “But, I…I want to help… and I’m checking to see if any glass is stuck in your wound.”

Well. She couldn’t stop him now, could she?

Idia examines it carefully for a few seconds more, before they turn to the first aid kit. Flipping it open, they pull out alcohol wipes and a bandage. 

Like this, Vil can really appreciate how much Idia has changed. There’s a maturity that wasn’t there before… perhaps it came with age. Or from working at S.T.Y.X. She decides she quite likes their new look. Really liked it, actually. The sleek glasses sit on them nicely and the undercut gives just that touch of edginess Idia liked. And the piercing? Vil hadn’t thought Idia would ever indulge in that change. And, just as he had predicted back then, it suit Idia. 

This wasn’t the same petrified teenager battling demons that still pained Vil to this day. And, dammit, she felt pride blossom in her. 

“Sorry, this might hurt.” Idia mumbles before passing the alcohol wipe over the cut. Vil sucks in a sharp breath at the sting. 

The silence between them stays as Idia continues to clean the wound. Inspecting it again, they seem to be satisfied when they don’t see any glass. 

“How deep is it?” Vil asks.

“It isn’t. What were you doing trying to pick up glass with your hands?!” He asks, now turning to unwrap the bandaid before lining it up with the wound. 

A small blush of embarrassment colors Vil’s cheeks. “I—There’s thunder outside. I can hardly make any sound decisions when I’m so riled up.” And then, softer, she says, “not to mention the unexpected guest.”

It was Idia’s turn to blush. This time, though, it didn’t reach their hair.

“...I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” Idia trails off, finishing sticking the bandaid on. “...Ah, ugh…” Idia lets go of Vil’s hand, getting up abruptly before turning away from Vil. “This was stupid, wasn’t it? A-At the very least, it’s rude! Who do I think I am? Some SSR normie protagonist in some visual novel?! I-I’m more of a level one NPC! Or, or the… the creep!”

Vil stands up now. “So, you do still ramble?”

“E-Eh?” Idia says. Ah, good, Vil’s successfully stopped their inevitable downward spiral.

“Idia…” Vil looks behind them, glass still all over the floor. He lets out a sigh before taking their wrist and hiding them on the opposite side of the island. She tries her best to ignore the way her hand tingles once she pulls away, it was so familiar. 

“Why did you come here?” Vil asked. 

“Because…!” Idia swallows, lifting his hands up to his chest. They start to rub the wrist Vil had been holding seconds ago. “...Because I-I miss you, Vil. I know it’s pathetic but, I miss you—”

“—You’re the one who broke up with me.” A momentary silence fills the air between them. Where Vil keeps his eyes on Idia, Idia turns his head away for a moment. Slowly, Vil can see the tips of their hair grow that dark color. 

“...I didn’t want to hold you back.” They say, frowning deeply. “My destiny was always chosen for me. I was always going to end up at S.T.Y.X. a-and I didn’t want to trap you like… like Mom was.”

She remembered this reasoning. Idia had said it then too. Vil can feel that old anger sizzling at her core. It was the same one he had felt back then, before the devastation. Seven! And Idia had been so…. so cowardly back then! Breaking up on the day they were going to go back to S.T.Y.X. All they had left was an hour! It was… entirely selfish!

“Right.” Vil spoke, eyes rolling before he crossed his arms. “You didn’t even try. I told you I was willing to work something out between us.”

“It was impossible back then!” Idia says, turning back to look at Vil. “That’s just fact!”

Vil scoffs. “Fact? No. You were just always too scared to stand up against the status quo. You never liked doing anything that was too hard! Not to mention, your complete inability to see past the negative. You didn’t even let us try.”

Vil can see the mixture of pain and offense on Idia’s face. Their eyebrows furrow, their mouth opening.

“Vil—”

“—You devastated me, Idia!” Vil nearly yelled, causing Idia to jump. Their mouth hangs, opening and closing like a fish out of water. This doesn’t deter Vil. This was the first time he would be able to give Idia a piece of his mind and he wasn’t going to waste it. 

“I wasn’t blind to your future, Idia! Nor was I idiotic enough to think it was going to be easy! But, I just thought that… that we would find a way to still be together. Because we… ugh, because we loved each other. We were in love and it’s stupid to have such a fairytale thought but I was prepared for the fight. I was willing to do anything I could to try and be together.”

Hands push through Vil’s hair, he hated that he could feel his eyes welling up. No. Vil was not going to cry tonight. “Never did I think you would just break up with me. Seven, Idia, you didn’t even give me a warning!”

“I… I wanted to use up every second I had…” Idia speaks softly. 

“Of course. You were always selfish.” Vil says, head shaking. “And I wanted you to be selfish about me. I wanted you to want me enough to work through the hardship.”

The black now fully consumed Idia’s tips. They hunch into themselves for a moment before they bring up both of their hands and aggressively rub at their face, hands going under the glasses. 

“I regret it.” He finally speaks, albeit a bit muffled by the hands. Vil can hear nonetheless. “I regretted it every day of my life. I knew I would but… I… I-I’m an idiot, Vil! You’re right! I’m the useless one in the party, you might as well leave me at camp! My stats suck!”

Vil couldn’t believe that after all this time, she could still understand what Idia was trying to say. 

“You are an idiot. A massive one.” Vil says. Idia’s shoulders slump. 

“...This…this isn’t how I-I thought it would go…”

“Really? I don’t know how you didn’t. Did you think I was going to accept you with open arms?” Vil scoffs, nose to the air.

“I knew you wouldn’t. It’s what I love…ah, um…. loved about you. That you stand your ground…” Idia says, finally allowing his hands to fall at his sides. “But, I meant us. For a moment after everything with Ortho and my… my overblot, I thought my lack of involvement would become my new normal. I had thought we would be together and I’d get to live this life with you I hadn’t thought I’d be able to before.” Idia scoffs, a humorless laugh poking through. “How naive… That all came crashing down when my parents called me days before graduation to see how I was. And to check if I was ready to be a fulltime S.T.Y.X. employee.”

Vil softens at that. “...I didn’t know that.”

“I didn’t want you to know. I-I sort of wanted you to hate me.” They say. “I wanted you to think I was a horrible person so the break up would be, I-I don’t know… easier for you, I guess…?”

“Easier for—” Vil cuts himself off with a scoff of his own. He shakes his head as he pushes his tongue against the inside of his bottom lip. “Please, Idia, I could never hate you. Even now, I don’t hate you.”

“You should.” 

“But I don’t.” She shrugs, head shaking again. “It was so hard for me. My heart broke that day. All I could do was replay that moment over and over. Trust me, I wanted to hate you. I wanted to think about all the ways I would curse you or poison you if I could. But, all I did was miss you.”

Vil sighs. “All I do is miss you.” She admits. At that, Idia’s eyes widen like saucers. Stiffened there for a moment, Vil waits with anxious anticipation as Idia gets their bearings. 

“W-What?” They finally choke out. 

“That’s why the date didn’t work out tonight.” Vil says, pink blush dusting her cheeks. If her heart could pound any harder, it would burst right out of her chest. “That’s why any date never worked out. I… pathetically… would put them up against you and against what we had.”

“I knew it was wrong to do so. But, I just… I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t ready to fall out of love.”

With each word, Vil could see Idia attempting to soak it all in. In truth, Vil was just as stunned. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to admit all of this, now that he was. But, that’s how they had been before. Unafraid to tell each other their feelings.

“...I…” Idia closes his eyes tightly, hands gripping the end of his ponytail. “I never stopped….!” He exclaims now, wringing his hair. 

His eyes were still closed, which was a shame because Vil wanted to search into them to see if this was real. And he wonders, for the first time, if this was some sort of dream. That maybe, he’d wake up on the couch and would be just as alone as he had been. But the cut, the blush on his cheeks, his heart pounding so loud in his ears—this was real. This was happening. 

Pink started to grow in Idia’s hair, finally replacing that horrible black color. 

“I never stopped either.” She finally speaks.

Idia’s eyes fly open. And suddenly, all at once, his hair engulfs in pink. 

“You… you….” Idia speaks softly at first. “....Eh?!”

“Come on, Idia. Don’t you think I would’ve kicked you out? No, actually. You wouldn’t have ever passed the front door.” Vil can’t help the quirk of her lips, a ghost of a smile. “I wouldn’t have indulged in any of this if I wasn’t.”

All Idia could do was blink. And it becomes very apparent to Vil that Idia hadn’t expected this to happen. In fact, she could bet that they probably thought Vil was going to kick her out.

“But… what difference does it make?” Vil asks. “You’re still in S.T.Y.X., right? Why… Idia, why did you show up today? Now? Why not several months ago? Or years?”

At that question, Idia seems to lighten up. 

“Since going back, I’ve been trying to find a way to be able to limit my attendance! At first, I had thought it would be way more of a challenge, but because of my brothers’ interference during my overblot, I was able to get into the system more than ever before! Don’t get me wrong, it was still tricky. S.T.Y.X. technology is packed with security measures, not to mention restrictions in nearly all software and documents.”

“But, Ortho helped me! And uh, if you can believe it, even mom and dad. And together we were able to find a way to be able to ah—” Idia stops, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. “These terms are going to fly by you…. uh TL;DR: I’m able to remote in from anywhere without needing to be within S.T.Y.X. and with heavy, heavy encryption. But, mwehehe, who’s even smart enough to hack me? But ah, I’ll still have to go in from time to time… probably once or twice a week… Depends, really…” 

“Wait…” Vil starts. “Wait, wait… so… you don’t have to live there?”

Finger scratches at his cheek. “No.” Idia says. “I don’t have to live there.”

Vil blinks, mouth agape as all he could do was stare. What? Was this… How… The amount of times Vil had hoped for this…!

“...And that took seven years?” She asks incredulously.

“Yeah, can you believe it? Ortho and I ran the numbers and we thought it would take way longer because of the sheer amount of data. But, mwehehe, we only took that as a challenge! Seven years is pretty impressive, right?!” 

Vil still couldn’t believe it. It’s like the information wasn’t sinking and yet? It was totally, absolutely resonating with her. Did this mean… but they shouldn’t… No. No, Vil needed to be realistic! What? She couldn’t just jump into his arms! Right? Right! Of course… right?

“So… that means…?” She says, stepping forward. Eyes focus between Idia’s right and left. It’s like she’s searching for something, anything, to put a damper in this moment. Or, maybe, to bring her back to reality!

That doesn’t seem to happen.

“Vil. I want to try again.” Idia says slowly, wanting to make sure they wouldn’t stutter. “I love you.” 

Vil feels absolutely breathless. What…was this? What is happening right now? Not once… not ever did he think this would happen. She was so sure, positive, that Idia had moved on. That it was only she who had been stuck. 

Vil couldn’t remember a time Idia had ever pulled such a move like this. 

Even before, Vil had been the initiator of a lot of their firsts. If it hadn’t been her persistence, they probably wouldn’t have gotten together. Eventually, once they were more comfortable, Idia would initiate but Vil always made the first move. 

Now Idia was making that first move. Now Idia was fighting for Vil. 

“...Idia…I…” She breathes out. Hands grip his own arms. They want to reach out for the other. “This… hah… Idia, I must sit down.”

They move on their own, pulling a stool over for her. Goodness, they move like they know this home. Like they belong here… what was happening?!

“Y-You don’t have to give me an answer…! Now or uh, ever…. i-if you don’t want to!” Idia speaks. She can see it, the beginning of their insecurity starting to eat at them. “This isn’t fair of me to do to you. I know.”

Vil sits slowly, taking those seconds to breathe. Just… breathe. 

“I’m still in love with you too.” He says, the words cascading out like a waterfall. He thinks it isn’t much of a secret, he had already implied it, didn’t he? Still, that seems to affect Idia. Pink hair now comes to life; the flames dance.

“R-Really?!” They ask, leaning forward. 

“Yes. I never stopped, I practically admitted this already.” Vil says. They’re not blind to the small smile starting to grow on Idia’s face. And it’s something she absolutely needed to put a stop to this instant. If he actually smiles completely? Fully and beautifully? Vil might very well let them get away with murder. 

“I-I know, but to hear you say it so openly—” 

“But,” she cuts in, raising a finger to also create some distance between them. And it works, Idia pulls back to avoid it altogether. “I have my reservations. There will be rules… no. They will be laws.”

Idia nods quickly. “The walkthrough…. Got it.”

“We have to start over. I’m not foolish enough to say we have to ignore the past—remembering it is how we save ourselves from making the same mistakes. But, I want to be taken out on a first date. We’ve been out of each other’s lives for so long. We’re different people now.” He says, before the finger he’s held up is joined by the middle finger next to it.

“Second, you have to promise me you’ll communicate—especially if it involves something that will, eventually, involve me too! I want to be able to help you if you need it, but I also want to be prepared if things get difficult or otherwise.”

Idia nods quickly again. “O-Okay… that’s fair.”

A third finger joins in. “...This is your second and your last strike, Idia. I don’t believe in giving someone more than two chances.” She shakes her head at them. “I don’t want to go through that pain again.”

“I promise,” Idia starts. “I won’t mess up this time. I-I won’t let myself lose you again…!”

“Please, Idia. Don’t lose me.” He speaks candidly and vulnerably. He really, really wanted Idia to get it right this time. “And I’ll promise not to mess up either.”

Idia scoffs. “You never messed up, Vil.”

“Still.” She shrugs. “I still want to promise it.”

Idia blinks for a moment, the ghost of a smile starting to pull at the corner of his lips. Vil watches as they massage the bridge of their nose, right where the glasses sit, before he looks up at the ceiling. She can see now that the smile has grown more. And then, suddenly, Idia’s excited laugh bursts through. 

“I…I can’t believe it!” They say, looking back at Vil now. “I’ll have to thank Ortho when I get back…! I—c-can I hug you…?!” 

Again, as always, Idia proves that they are not as predictable as Vil thinks they are. It startles a laugh out of her before she gets up. Vil’s consent comes in the form of hugging Idia first, but it doesn’t take long for the other to reciprocate. With Vil’s arms going around their neck, their own go around Vil’s waist. 

And it… it feels like home. Seven, it feels so much like home. He knew he missed this feeling but he didn’t realize it was this intense. Vil absolutely melts into it. A deep inhale gives Vil the pleasant realization that Idia still used the same detergent. All at once, the emotion makes his heart burst. 

This was where he was meant to be. Always. 

They stay like that for minutes. Hours? Vil doesn’t really know, but when they finally started to pull back, she had this strange feeling like it wasn’t enough. The disappointment settles in her stomach. She just wasn’t ready to pull away yet. 

And as they do, each of them pulling back just enough to look the other in the eyes, the tension and air between them is thick. The emotion was sparking off of them and the other was soaking it up. 

Vil isn’t sure who made that first move, but her eyes flutter close as she feels Idia’s forehead press into hers. Thank Seven, each and every one of them, for bringing them back to him. 

Vil’s eyes open at a half-lid and he can’t help it when they fall onto Idia’s lips. They should go slow. Vil had just said they needed to start over. But, words couldn’t really hold up against history sometimes. History and strong feelings. 

Again, Vil wasn’t sure who started moving first. Hell, he hadn’t even realized Idia’s eyes were open too. All he felt was lips, slightly chapped, pressed against his. 

And this? Oh… oh, this was like a desert traveler’s first sip of water. She was so damn parched. Idia’s kiss is a lifeline. The kiss deepens quickly. The taste of Idia is familiar and yet exciting and new. Vil missed this. Seven, Vil loved this. Loves this. 

Vil is so in love with Idia. 

When they part, both of them needing air, they don’t untangle from each other right away. In fact, it seems they’re both content with staying right here. 

“...You don’t have to leave right away, do you?” She asks in a whisper. They’re so close, there’s no need to speak any louder. 

“No.” Idia answers. “Even if I had to… I-I wouldn’t go. I can’t now.”

Vil smiles before a small laugh pushes past her lips. She bites her bottom lip for a moment before placing her head into his neck. 

“Stay with me tonight, then.” It sounds like a demand more than a request. 

So, it's quite a surprise when Vil finds himself just... sitting on Idia's bed. Alone. He's flipping idly through a magazine filled with anime and manga news, all in a language he can't understand, keeping himself mildly busy as Idia begged to just play a little bit of Last Fantasies XIV. He had gone on about some sort of event going on... "raids" was a word used a few times, "limited edition armor"...?

He wasn't really sure. But what he was sure of was that he was unequivocally bored. Vil contemplated demanding Idia turn the game off, but... he knew he couldn't do it. Looking at his flame haired boyfriend, there was just so much sadness in his life... in the way he moved... Vil found it increasingly difficult to snuff out his happiness.

Fine. He's gone soft, but only for Idia. Something he does his best to hide when he's around others. But, in the privacy of Idia's room, Vil doesn't feel the need to put up a front.

At the end of the day, he just wanted to keep that genuine smile going for as long as he could. That's what he gets, he supposed, for playing the hero.

Eh, this wasn't a bad "consequence". If it even was one.

Closing the magazine, he turns until he's resting on his knees in the other's direction. "Idia." Vil called out, but his dear boyfriend had his headphones on. With a sigh, he calls out again. "Idia!"

"H-Huh?!" Idia pulls one side of his headphone away from his ear, eyes wide as he looks over at Vil.

"You know, it's incredibly rude to have your boyfriend over and then proceed to ignore him!" Vil starts. And this seems to make Idia cower just a bit in his seat, an apologetic look on his face.

"Ah, S-Sorry..." He pulls his headphones down to hang around his neck. "It's just this event is loaded with quality loot! I mean, my character is already pretty OP but it never hurts to add more stats, hehehe."

Idia sits up straighter, excitement leaking through his voice. "Usually, I hate playing with newbies, but this time I'm joining every open party I find! And if they're too slow to find the chests in time, that's on them! I'm teaching them a valuable lesson about the MMORPG world!"

All of that flew right over Vil's head, but he finds himself smiling somewhat anyways. He could tell that Idia wasn't being the nicest player around, but he wasn't going to chastise him for that. It was just a game, after all. And, anyways, shouldn't one do everything they can to better themselves?

Vil looks at the holographic screen, seeing Idia's character obediently standing there. He can also see people whizzing by to and fro, chat bubbles on the edge of the screen and the clearing they all seemed to be in.

"I'd like to try." Vil says, looking back at Idia. But he was surprised with what he was met with. "What's with that face?!"

"That face" was Idia staring at Vil, controller gripped tightly as Idia's eyes widen. His mouth was agape... Vil wasn't sure if he was breathing...?

"You..." Idia sounded almost breathless. "...You want to try out the game with me?"

"Yes...?"

There's more silence between them as Idia clearly takes time to process this. "...Seriously?"

Vil doesn't even have the ability to feel annoyed, Idia's reaction was quite humorous. A bit of a laugh leaves him as he moves to stand up, making his way to Idia. "Yes, Idia! Seriously!"

And that seemed to do the trick! Idia starts shuffling in his seat, finally fixing his god awful hunched posture as he reached a hand to his headphones to turn off the Bluetooth function. And just like that, Vil can hear the audio of the game fill up the room. He continues to watch as Idia finally seems to settle. Surprisingly, blue tips turn a soft pink as Idia clearly seems to be mulling something over.

Timidly, and after a swallow, a hand motions to the spot between his legs. "You um... you can sit here. The chair's pretty roomy so..." The sentence trails off.

Vil smiles, bending over to give Idia a quick kiss on the cheek. This makes the pink tips that much more brighter. Good, that's what he wanted.

Carefully, Vil takes the spot Idia offered and settles back into his boyfriend. He wasn't the type to admit it, but, he likes being held. And Idia seemed to like doing the holding. Vil takes a moment to admire the way the blues and pinks of Idia's hair seem to engulf him as well. It was gorgeous, Vil never shied away from reminding Idia of that. Fingers reach for a strand, twirling it momentarily, before he felt Idia's nose brush up against the side of his face.

"Mm, I can get used to this." Vil speaks. He feels Idia nod. Idia brings the controller over and in front of Vil, motioning for Vil to take a hold of it. When he does, Idia places his hands over his.

"So, this is Last Fantasies XIV. TLDR: you wake up in Lindow, one of the three villages that take up the continent of Erostey. The last thing you remember is fighting a hooded figure. Currently, we still don't know who these hooded figures are. The developers update the game about every few months and with each update we get more and more of the story." Idia starts, before using his thumb to make Vil move the character over to a large sign post.

"For the time being, you need money and XP. So you join the Explorers Guild and start to do things like Quests, Raids and Tasks. Quests pertain to things that effect the story of the game, Raids are basically for grinding and Tasks help you gain coin. This sign post is basically how you trigger them."

Vil nods, eyebrows furrowing a bit. "Okay..." He says. "So... I'm assuming these hooded figures are the bad guys?"

"Yeah. At least, that's what the forums think." Idia uses his fingers to move Vil around again, taking him towards the village square. "They attack you and your party randomly during Raids. Noobs go down pretty quickly because of them. But I can handle a whole group of them all by myself." Idia's unique, conceited laugh bubbles out again.

Prior to getting with Idia, If you had told Vil that one day he would find someone bragging about their little virtual character in a game attractive, he wouldn't have believed you. But things are different now. He adored when Idia oozed confidence. And it helped that his snarky comments weren't directed at him half as much as they used to be.

"Oh! Uh, sorry, you... do you want to create your own character? We'll have to make you a new account—"

"Wait." Vil started, looking over his shoulder at Idia the best he could. "You made this character?"

"Um, yes...? You usually do for MMORPGs." A small breath of a laugh. "How could I expect a normie like you to know that..."

Vil lets that one slide. For now, at least. Idia knew for every "normie" he threw at Vil, Vil adds another "face mask night" in the proverbial jar.

"Can I see them more up close?"

He suddenly feels Idia tense up behind him. "Uh..." Another nervous noise. Which... actually isn't something that's too out of the ordinary for Idia. But, the context of the situation did raise a bit of questions in Vil. "Don't you want to just get in to playing? My character is pretty strong, so it should be easy for you."

"Okay? But, I want to get a look first." Vil turns his head back towards the screen, stepping the character more into the open. "I haven't played many video games, but creating a character has always been my favorite part. I want to see what you did."

Now, if he remembered correctly, he believed... yes the right analog stick moves the camera around! And now to zoom in all he needed to do was tip it forward and... oh!

What stood in front of him was a beautiful elven-like man. Blonde shoulder length hair framed a sharp face, features carefully placed and entirely modelesque. Piercing violet eyes looked back at him, the color much more vibrant against the soft purple eye shadow and sharp liner. Lips were delicately painted with a dark lipstick, his neutral face alone could strike down anyone.

Vil blinked as he realized he was looking at... himself?!

His lips were already starting to quirk up. "Idia... is this supposed to be..."

He didn't even have to finish his sentence as pink suddenly engulfed him. Idia's hands retract to cover his face, a groan escaping him. "Y-You weren't supposed to see that...!"

The smile finally graces Vil's face before a light laugh escapes. "Are you embarrassed? There's hardly any reason to be." He turns, sitting sideways on his lap to get a look at him. "This is very flattering. And... Seven, really really endearing."

Slender fingers separate as topaz colored eyes are seen between them. "Y-You're just saying that! It's... it's totally creepy!"

"Oh, come now! What did I say about putting words in my mouth?" He leans over, kissing the back of Idia's hand. He's met with Idia's surprised gaze. "I meant what I said. I am sincerely flattered."

Idia slowly lowers his hands, the pout still on his face as his cheeks and hair remained a soft pink. Like this, Vil takes the opportunity to lean over to give him a proper kiss. Quick but sweet.

"How did you do it?" Vil asks.

This somehow seems to fluster Idia all over again, who reaches over to pull his hood over his head. Thankfully, not enough to hide his face completely.

"...U-Using the... the selfies you sent me." He says, voice shaky and small. "It took me about an hour. I um, have a folder of your selfies on the cloud, so I was basically looking through them all..."

Vil's eyes light up. "You have a folder of my selfies?" That's... ugh, can Idia get any more... cute?! He made him feel like a silly little middle school boy, warm fluttery insides and happy heart skips.

He's already reaching over for Idia's secondary holographic screen, having gotten comfortable with understanding how to maneuver it. Of course, only at a basic level. The right level to know how to look through files.

"V-Vil!? Hey! W-What are you doing?" Idia's already attempting to take control of the screen himself.

"I'm looking for this folder, of course! Now, do you have it saved under my name? Or have you decided to use a pet name for it instead?" Vil asks, letting out a small laugh when Idia finally manages to swat the screen away from Vil.

"T-That isn't—Didn't you want to try my game?!" Idia's tone is nearly desperate, but Vil can see a smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "Let's focus on that!"

Well... Vil supposed he had to accept defeat, didn't he? For now, at least. "Okay, fine, fine." He shuffles until they're back to their previous position. This time, Vil takes one of Idia's hands and attempts to guide it over so Idia could be holding him. Thankfully, Idia got the message loud and clear, as he wraps both arms around Vil's middle.

He drops his forehead onto Vil's shoulder, letting out a slow breath. Vil could see his hair steadily going back to normal.

"You're going to be the death of me one day...!" Idia says.

"But what a lovely way to go, isn't it?"

He could hear the smile in Idia's tone as he says, "if the Seven decide to be in my favor for once."