Sugar & Spice

(^ヮ^)/ I’m back!!! And thank you for being so patient with me! Life hit hard but you know what hit harder? Gacha games. Or well, more of them. They’re truly the enemy of my update schedule. I was honestly thinking of writing something for Sunday or Phainon before remembering I haven’t finished Octavinelle yet…but I resisted so I could finally do the third-ish part of the [To Have a Crush] series!

Warning(s): Gender-neutral reader, not proof-read, OOC

Notes: Guess who did, in fact, take longer to write this compared to the last two (three) parts?..Me…(╥_╥) Honey has no excuses except her procrastination got ahold of her.

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia | Special

Azul Ashengrotto

A deal forgone for the hope of love.

𐂠 Oh dear! Oh my! Another poor unfortunate soul has made their way into his lair. Now, what kind of miserable situation have you gone through to allow you to make your way to him? Really, he pities you. Tossed into an unknown world filled with foes with only a run-down dorm to your name and now having to deal with the troubles your own friends brought upon you? He really couldn’t help that a tiny corner of his heart became tinged with guilt…if only your misfortune had not benefited him so, he might’ve offered you a fairer deal. Standing before him with a pen in hand and a parchment in front, Azul smiled. How poor and unfortunate you are.

𐂠 That’s where your relationship should’ve ended.

𐂠 Sure, Azul expected you to come to him with a few more deals in mind. After all, once people taste something they like (or in this case, helps them) they can’t help but try it again. If that had been the case Azul would’ve happily offered you up another deal, though he would’ve been uncertain with what else you had aside from the dorm, but he would’ve been able to at least scrounge up something from you. But no, here he was before you revealing to you his most hideous state. An octopus merman whose only value to himself was his brain and whose only value to others was as their entertainment.

𐂠 Having been outwitted by you and your gaggle of friends, Azul despaired as the pieces of parchment holding his worth disappeared into the ocean’s embrace. And in that despair was rage, a rage that overtook him as he became a being that no one would laugh at. A hideous conglomeration of ink and desperation. And yet despite all his newly achieved power, Azul still feared the eyes of others. Fearing the scorn and laughter directed towards him on the surface of the eyes. Embarrassing, he’ll admit, but for a split second during his desperate attempt to retrieve his control, turned light fluorescent blue eyes met yours and a thought crossed his mind.

𐂠 Ah…how clear

𐂠 Those eyes that held nothing but him, no laughter, no scorn, not even a single bit of pity. Azul wanted to see those eyes again. Looking at your back passing him by in the college’s dark stone hallways, he reaches out his hand. Hoping to maybe, just maybe, meet your eyes once again.

𐂠 An employee and their employer, that was where your relationship with him began anew. Offering you a position part-time at Mostro Lounge (partly out of gratitude for snapping him back to his senses), it was clear to the more perceptive employees how differently he treated you compared to them. The soft glances he sent your way when he believed no one was looking, the quickness on fending off customers who got a little too close for comfort, and the occasional free drink on the house after a particularly tiring day all pointed towards something else. Jade, out of amusement you’re sure, pointed these facts out to you with Azul calmly denying those allegations. You would’ve believed it…if you had not caught the man giving a quick glare at his childhood friend and the encroaching redness on his ears.

𐂠 Please, just give him a little more time to prepare himself for you.

𐂠 As a businessman, Azul’s failed thoroughly in the management of his feelings for yet he can not help them from overflowing. The octopus merman loves you, that much is certain, and while he’s not too afraid to show it (he’s gathered some ire due to his past dealings after all) he still wants to clear out any misgivings before properly confessing. Yet, as the closing time of Mostro Lounge drew near so to with it came a particularly rowdy customer. Normally Azul would’ve let Floyd or Jade handle the annoyance, he was less efficient than them in dealing with physical troubles, yet as the rude disturbance raised their hand up in order to strike you on the cheek, he moved. His lavender-gray coat blocking your vision as Azul gripped the wrist of the person, leaning close to their ear and muttering a silent threat, his voice more cold than ever. The color drained from their face as they hurriedly released their wrist from Azul’s hand and scurried off.

𐂠 Turning to look at you, he reached his hand out towards your cheek before pausing and letting it land on your shoulder. Dusting off some invisible dust particles with a face so honest with worry and affection that anyone looking on would have to wonder if it was really Azul before you now. It was a face even he didn’t know he was capable of making, yet the purple-blue eyes usually veiled with a calculating look and a smile masked in modesty showed only a pure affection for you alone.

“W-well I didn’t expect you to get to it first but this is certainly a welcomed surpris—NO!…ahem! I mean, yes…yes…I accept your confession.”

Jade Leech

The love that shocked a cold heart.

𖦹 A passing piece of entertainment, that was your value to Jade from the moment he saw you in the Mirror Chamber. Even when you walked through the doors of Mostro Lounge with a confident, albeit worried, expression on your face. His opinion of you was merely that except now with the added bonus of pity. You’re quite unfortunate, you know that? Dragged by your friends into an unfair deal that could’ve been entirely avoided if only they hadn’t cheated (or perhaps worded their request a little more specifically?), your life certainly is worth the value he attached to it. It’d be quite unfortunate if you, who bravely barged into the Mostro Lounge and met his eyes with a fierce shine, became boring.

𖦹 And not once did you fail to meet his expectations.

𖦹 There were many times where Jade figured his interest in you would fade. After all, objectively, you’re nobody. Or to put it more lightly, if you were in a crowd of ordinary people, he wouldn’t have noticed you at all. But because you’re exceptionally normal amidst the abnormal, the eel merman’s interest was piqued. Though, now looking back at all that has happened, Jade feels like his initial assessment of you as ‘an ordinary human who’s occasionally fearless’ was wrong. After all, what kind of normal person would voluntarily commit a crime and face Azul’s tantrum all for the sake of their friends? The perpetrator may still be embarrassed about it but it’s given Jade a reason to approach you more closely for ‘apology’ purposes. But he’s certain you know by now that’s not why he keeps ‘bumping’ into you, hm?

𖦹 There’s very little that brings him greater joy than causing others discomfort. Many that attend Night Raven College can attest to this fact and yet somehow, the worst he’s ever done against you that has caused you direct or indirect problems or discomfort is stare at you for a second longer than usual. And with his friendly smile and courteous demeanor, he swiftly moves your attention away from that slip up for yet another casual conversation. As those conversations progress, you’ll come to realize you’ve spilled almost every last bit of information about you to him. Including your likes and dislikes, hobbies, friends, etc. Not like the eel merman didn’t already know it through dubious means but it’s worth the effort if it makes his actions later seem more acceptable in your eyes.

𖦹 So won’t you keep him company for a little while more?

𖦹 Excitement is not enough to describe the emotions you made him feel the more he got to witness your endeavors. Thrilling is too light for the rush that consumes his heart as you once again exceed where he thought you’d fail. Jade’s fallen for you, and he knows it well. What the merman figured would be a fleeting interest became something far more. He found himself staring at your back when you were taken away from him by your friends as they warily took a glance at him before hurrying away. He stares but does not reach out. His figure standing there amidst the hurried movement of other fellow students hoping to not be scolded by their professor for arriving late to class. And if you were to turn your head back to look, you’ll find him gone.

𖦹 The scheming eel is anything but morally righteous. It’s a fact he won’t deny. Jade’s certain your friends have warned you to not get close to him, to avoid him before it’s too late but…well, you’re too far deep now so might as well submerge yourself further down, no? The gifts he’s given you, the talks you’ve had, and all the time spent with him alone was all for his goal. With his eyes narrowed in delight that contrast the seemingly gentle smile he’s placed before you, Jade waits patiently for you to completely fall. Not like you’ll ever know how truly deep you’ve gone in the depths of his love.

“Oh my. I nearly lost my composure there for a moment. No, I’m quite alright. My excitement almost got the better of me but it’s fine now. Yes Perfect, I more than gratefully accept.”

Floyd Leech

Binding the heart in strings of love.

𓆙 Look! A shrimpy! Floyd’s impression of you was entirely just that, a shrimp. A poor shrimpy that lost its colony and now has to mingle with land, sky, and sea predators lurking around. One quick squeeze from him and you’d go pop! You’re pretty funny though, with those reactions of yours, so he’ll hold back from doing that for now. Unless he forgets then well, oops! Floyd doubts that’ll happen anytime soon though. Don’t got a clue on why he feels that way but, huh, looking at you as resilient yet weak as you are…well, you’re still a shrimpy. Facing him resolutely with your gaggle behind your back is one thing but you’re still nothing more than prey in a sea of predators. An interesting shrimpy but still just a poor shrimpy.

𓆙 A very interesting shrimpy.

𓆙 There’s not many people who can handle Floyd’s mood swings. The only ones who can could be counted on one hand and practically only consist of his family. You? You are the newest addition to that count. Congrats! Or maybe that’s a curse since it’ll damn you to a life where you’ll be dragged in to help calm Floyd down or direct his attention elsewhere before things go wrong. Most people pity you, Azul included, and it became more apparent when the businessman came to offer you five free coupon meals at the Mostro Lounge for “all the trouble Floyd will cause”. Jade only gave you a polite smile but you could swear you heard him chuckling after Floyd, once again, draped his entire body over you like he was a coat. You don’t really have a choice to move unless you want to drag Floyd with you as well so might as well accept your new life as a coat rack!

𓆙 If there’s a benefit of your newly assigned role, it’ll be that being with Floyd will never be boring. He rarely sticks to one thing for long and that shows in the activities he’ll drag you into participating with him. From watching him parkour on the rooftops of the college to being carried like a potato sack as he flees from his duties at Mostro Lounge, you can rest assured that your heart won’t stop pumping while you’re with him. It’s not like all days are like that though. Sometimes, when he’s feeling like it, you’ll find him sprawled on the grass complaining about his boredom. If you reach down your hand to help him up, the eel merman will pull you down and as you turn your head to the side to express your complaints or shock, you’ll find Floyd smiling and laughing as if he’s having the time of his life. Sprawled there on the ground with you as dirt and grass stick to both of your uniforms and hair.

𓆙 It’s so much fun whenever you’re around!

𓆙 Floyd likes you. He likes hanging around you. Teasing you about all the trouble you get yourself in. Dragging you into whatever he has in mind. You’re just the best! You’re still a shrimpy though. But upgraded even more to a super duper interesting shrimpy! Which is a big achievement considering it’s him of all people who thinks that. Sometimes though, whenever you’ve become a coat rack, you’ll catch a whiff of fresh laundry on him. As if he just cleaned his clothing despite it being only halfway through the school day. If asked, Floyd will simply grumble and complain that Jade made him do it. A few idiots haven’t learnt to keep their mouths shut about you so Floyd made sure they can. Not like you have to know. Just keep hanging out with him and everything will be just fine.

𓆙 Nothing’s off the table for moody eel when he decides it’s time to have fun. Not even you though he’s been scolded by Jade to be more ‘nice’ and ‘gentle’ about it. The like he had towards you had turned into love. Floyd’s not sure when it happened but it happened and that’s all that matters. So when he approaches you all of a sudden with no warning, don’t run away. Or well, if you do that’ll be pretty fun too but it’ll only delay the inevitable. With a joyful smile revealing his perfectly sharp teeth, he’ll confess his feelings for you plain and bare. No scheming and no planning, nothing but straightforward honesty. He loves you and that means there’s no chance of escape now that he’s got you in his clutches.

Warning(s): JP Spoilers, Gender-neutral reader, not proof-read, OOC

Notes: That moment when you’re casually just scrolling through Tumblr and then this guy shows up face first on your For You page. In other words, I got distracted and made this. Whoopsie. (٥⁀▽⁀ ) This is gonna be following a slightly different format from my other ones since there’s not much info on him but I hope it works!

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia | Special

I hope you have a good day and take care of yourself

EHHHH?? Really?! (ಡ‸ಡ) To be honest, I was pretty worried on how well I would be able to write them all since, like I’ve said before, it’s been a while. Plus, for the Heartslabyul one at least, it was my first attempt at writing for characters after…a year-ish I think? And even then I think I took two weeks in total trying to figure out what to write. Fluff was on my mind at the time I guess and well the [To Have a Crush] series was born!

(Did not expect to spend two months floating listlessly on Savanaclaw before I started writing again tho…it’s unlikely Octavinelle is gonna take that long too but who knows?)

Aw shucks anon! Compliments will get you everywhere with Honey (//ω//). As a present, here’s a little sneak peek of what I’m writing next:

UWAHHHH!!!!! (;´༎ຶٹ༎ຶ`) Thank you so much!!! I was a little worried whether or not it’d be good or not since it’s been a while since I’ve last written anything cause of…procrastination…but I’m so happy you liked it!

I should really start working on a master list/intro post at some point though considering I’m planning on taking on some requests after I finish either Pomefiore’s or Diasomnia’s [To Have a Crush] parts.

Warning(s): Gender-neutral reader, not proof-read, OOC

Notes: Procrastination hit me hard…also I did not expect to spend an hour finding decent enough emoticons for them. May just switch to regular bullet point style someday since I’m still trying to figure out what format I like(╥_╥). Never realized how hard it was to make a pretty format on tumblr until now. Also I’ve gotten pretty rusty too but my schedule has finally cleared up a bit so I’ll be able to be a little more active now!

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia | Special

Leona Kingscholar

𓄂 A crown of love that the king wears. A herbivore was all you were to him. Another nameless face in the faceless crowd of people who he couldn’t care less about in the grand scheme of things. That’s how it was supposed to stay…until it didn’t. The proud lion will never admit this (or at least not anytime soon) but that day where you, a weak and stupidly stubborn human, stood your ground among all the dust and debris was both one of the most frustrating experiences in his life and also the first time he ever thought of you as ‘strong’. Every so often he thinks back to that moment and sighs before pulling you towards him to lay on the grass.

𓄂 A king should always be accompanied by his retainers. However, he’s not king and you’re definitely not his retainer. Just a stubborn herbivore who happened to catch his eye, that’s all. You’re not that great as an errand runner either but it’s better than just one. A help that Ruggie greatly appreciates but occasionally complains about how you always take the lighter load. Don’t think much about it, he just doesn’t want you messin’ up or anythin’. Strangely, whenever you do run errands for him, there’s conviently always an extra that he gives to you. Reasoning to you that the King of Beasts would’ve done the same thing to those under his care. The proud lion knows this is a lie he can’t keep using to play off what he feels inside. Not when his own ears and tail betray him.

𓄂 Tch, well this is embarrassing.

𓄂 Maybe it was a good thing that Leona already knew. From the moment his tail unconsciously wrapped around you, he knew what his heart was telling him as it beat in his chest. There, with you and him napping underneath the shade of a tree, he realized he had fallen in love. He didn’t know whether he should’ve laughed or cursed the world so he chose to do neither instead. Gently brushing a stray leaf off that had fallen on your face, he chuckled. Guess something like love ain’t all that bad.

𓄂 A crownless lion who’s more hated than loved and a visitor from a place far from here. An interesting duo you two make as he pulls you yet again away from class to nap in the shade with him. His attempts at catching your heart aren’t too noticeable, only noticed by the keenest of eyes. He’ll never be the ideal partner, that he acknowledges despite his pride. But being sappy and overly romantic isn’t his style. That’s why, he’ll win your heart in his own way. A path perhaps not that of a king, but of a man in-love. The prideful lion may not bow his head to no one, but for you he’ll take a knee.

“Huh, well aren’t you gettin’ bolder? I didn’t think you’d beat me to it.”

Ruggie Bucchi

シ Hidden amidst the dirt and grime was love. It’s ingrained into Ruggie to look after people but he’s learnt to not let it be given without a price. Outside of his family and Leona, the latter of whom was more so to help his own skin, he didn’t exactly feel any desire or need to look after you. Sure he felt pity, after all you’re in a tighter spot than him in the world, but aside from that you were just an after thought. Nobody of note that could be beneficial to him in any way. That was until Leona overbloted and well…he’s somewhat grateful that you don’t have much of a survival instinct. You’re a real goody two-shoes aren’t you? Still, he’s thankful that you’re the way that you are. Hyenas never forget a debt and this one he owes to you alone.

シ It really just started off with it being to repay his debt to you. Sure it’s not much but he can’t really do anything fancy like paying you millions of madols or giving you land. That’s why, the hyena has chosen to pay it back his own way. Simple as it may be, it’s all he really has to offer. It’s not like watching your back is gonna cause him anymore work than he’s already got. Soon enough, he found himself doing more than what he intended to. Giving parts of his lunch to you, claiming he didn’t feel like it or there was extra. Stopping during his errands whenever he spotted you to have a quick chat before going off again with slightly more enthusiasm than before. Or heck, sparing you a few madols so you can get what you need. It’s kinda a loss but he just can’t seem to make himself stop. Not when you smile at him so brightly.

シ Wait a minute.

シ Nah…nahh he can’t seriously be in love with you or somethin’, right? Being close to you is just to pay off his debt, not cause he actually likes your company or anything, right?? But as his eyes catch his reflection on the window panes of the college, he can no longer deny the blush on his face or the rapid beating of his heart as the thought of you runs rampant in his mind once again. Well, guess there’s no point in fidgeting around anymore.

シ He’s not much, really he ain’t. Ruggie knows he won’t hold a candle to anyone else in the school in terms of magic or madol but what he does have is his smarts. In his own way, he’ll try and appeal to you. Sometimes he’s confident, other times he feels like he wants to die from how embarrassing it must’ve looked. Still, he tries and tries and tries. Hoping that maybe, just maybe, you’ll choose him buried underneath piles of trash.

“You-…you’re really choosing me?”

Jack Howl

ᴥ︎ Love that resounds throughout the night. A team up was all Jack figured it’d be. An agreement to right the wrongs and set things straight so that one day, once more, Savanaclaw would be able to say from the bottom of their hearts that they won. Nothing big enough to lead into the friendship that came to be between you and him. Well then things took a turn for the worse and then the better and well…he’s sure you get it. An accident, a friendship, a bond, whatever it is, the stubborn wolf has decided that he’ll have your back. No matter what and no matter where, he’ll help you out.

ᴥ︎ Respect was all it was. A respect towards a magicless human who proved their own strength by courageously standing in the face of death. Not everyone has a spirit like that and the wolf beastman couldn’t help but look at that and think ‘Ah, now that’s strength’. In doing so, he wanted to be respected by you too. That’s why, when he could, he’d wait outside Ramshackle and walk with you to your classes, carrying your books and providing an umbrella if it’s a rainy day. Need help on the homework? He won’t tell you the answers but he’ll help you figure it out at least. Like working out? Great! He’s more than willing to provide some tips and tricks to achieving the goal you want. Well it wasn’t until Ruggie teased him about how much more happy he seemed doing all that stuff for you that it finally clicked for him. This…isn’t good.

ᴥ︎ D-don’t misunderstand him!

ᴥ︎ Actually no, maybe you should— wait no you shouldn’t! Jack doesn’t know how to feel about…this now that he fully recognizes it. Well- he does, in a way, it’s just…complicated. To be honest, he did have a suspicion that his feelings of respect towards you had turned into something deeper. How fast his tail wagged whenever you were nearby, how he wanted to put even more effort into whatever he was doing when you were watching, how red his face turned whenever he took a ‘secret’ glance in your direction, it really was way too obvious looking back on it.

ᴥ︎ Wolf-type beastmen only have one partner for the rest of their lives. Dedicating themselves entirely to whoever their partner may be. Jack always dreamed of finding his one true partner, he just never expected it to happen so soon. Yes, a crush to him counts as his one true love as childish as it may be. With exactly zero romantic experience under his belt and only equipped with the knowledge of the multiple times his parents told him their love story, he attempts to appeal to you. Surprisingly, for a first timer in love, they’re all thought out and not embarrassing. Jack isn’t good at hiding how feels about you in front of you or anyone else, but it has a certain charm to it. The charm of an adolescent boy in love who cares for you quietly, unable to hide how he feels, as his heart and tail follow the same beat.

Warning(s): Gender-neutral reader, not proof-read

Notes: I’m pretty new to the writing side of the fandom and it’s been a while since I’ve last written something, or really anything for that matter, but I hope you’ll all enjoy! (>ᴗ•)

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia | Special

Riddle Rosehearts

❤︎︎ Slowly, steadily, and like a flower love bloomed. At first he simply thought of you as a good friend, someone who he had approached out of guilt for the incident that you were dragged into not of your own will. It started off with passing conversations in the hallway to tutoring sessions in the library to personally asking you to attend the Unbirthday Parties at Heartslabyul. Don’t worry, there’s no rules against inviting outsiders to the Unbirthday Parties, he guarantees it.

❤︎︎ He doesn’t know when he started counting the seconds that’ve passed by until you’ve arrived to the tea party. Or when he started giving you leniency for the rules you’ve broken. Or when his eyes started trailing your figure as you walked by him in the hallway. He doesn’t know, he didn’t know.

❤︎︎ Until he did.

❤︎︎ Due to a little nudging from Cater’s discerning eye, he started pinpointing down the cause of the fast beating of his heart as not due to the caffeine of the tea or the irritations Ace and Deuce caused him but rather..you. Simply you. Your smile, your voice, and even your mistakes. He couldn’t help but realize that everything about you made him red with love.

❤︎︎ Riddle’s not exactly good at hiding it either but people have learned not to point it out to him unless they wish to be collared. His ears that are tinted with the brightest shade of red every time he’s near you. The soft, gentle gaze he holds as he listens to whatever you have to say. If there was a rule against love…then he supposes he’ll have to break it.

“If you’re available…would you like to have tea with me today?”

Trey Clover

☘︎︎ A slow process to a passionate love. Trey is not someone who chases for love but rather waits for it to find him. Patiently he waited, with baked goods and nurturing care for those around him, but he never thought he’d find that love in NRC of all places. He thought it was just appreciation that he felt towards you and at first, it was. Gratitude for your help with Riddle’s Overblot and even more for your continuous help in the kitchen and everything else you’ve done. Oh, feel free to take some treats back with you, he’s baked too much you see?

☘︎︎ You were just like every other student in NRC, maybe a little special in regards to your situation, but Trey really had no other plans other than treating you like how he did everyone else. That equality…didn’t last for too long. Gently he chides you for touching a pan that was not done cooking off, kindly he offers to lend an ear to whatever troubles you were going through, and softly how he brushes aside that flour stain off your cheek did he realize he had fallen in love.

☘︎︎ Huh, this isn’t bad at all.

☘︎︎ This realization didn’t change much of your relationship with him. In fact, it only improved it with a few hints here and there that showed his interest in developing a more romantic relationship with you. With how he sought you out to give you a bag of baked goods that everyone in Heartslabyul knew from the smell that wafted in the kitchen that early morning he baked just for you. Or how his hand lingered on your head for a second too long after ruffling it like how any good ‘friend’ would do. He loves you, he loves you, he loves you.

☘︎︎ But he won’t say it aloud. Not until you do first. Forgive him but he’s always secretly wanted to know what it was like to be the one being chased. Patience is necessary to be a good baker but as a human, he wonders how much longer he can wait for until the sweet called love is ready to be eaten.

“Hm? You look like you have something to tell me.”

Cater Diamond

✧ A love that can barely be repressed by denial. Keeping you at arms length was the goal he had made for himself when he first met you. You were interesting sure, and a bit of an enigma to boot, but he genuinely didn’t think it would develop into anything like love. Well maybe he was just lying to himself in the first place but that didn’t matter, not when it’s better to just keep your friendship as it is.

✧ It hurts. Love hurts. Trusting another person hurts. That’s why he’ll cover himself with a smile and a phone to snap a pic, to pretend that everything is normal and the day can continue onwards like always. Does it mean something that you’re now always in his pictures? Do you think there’s anything when he’s constantly seeking you out for a friendly selfie or chatting you up on the latest trend? Isn’t that what friends are supposed to act like? The Diamond desperately wants to believe that or else..he’ll crack.

✧ But maybe that was fine too.

✧ Can you tell? That his eyes are always glancing at you in the pictures you two take? How his smiles appear more genuine when you’re around? How fast his heart beats whenever he’s near you that he feels like it might burst out at any moment? No, you shouldn’t. That’s why he’ll start maintaining a distance from you, take an inch away at a time and maybe this painful feeling will go away. It’s nothing really, he’s fine.

✧ Cater doesn’t want this. He doesn’t want to be apart from you. He didn’t want to fall for you. He…doesn’t want to lose you. Still, he maintains his distance hoping for a miracle that his feelings will fade when he knows deep inside that they won’t. The courage to face you and admit he’s fallen isn’t enough. The love he has towards you is fickle at best, that’s what he tells himself. Lies are the best protection against truths so why does he find himself drawn towards you still?

“Ahahaha! You caught me! Come on, let’s-Huh? Whaddya mean I look like I wanna say something else?”

Deuce Spade

♤ Hardships that create the bond called love. A reliable friend and someone he who will always have his back. He knows he’s not the best at…well anything really but he’s glad to have your support on his dreams of becoming an honor student. That’s why he didn’t think anything of it when he finds himself looking for you more. Ace teased him a lot for it, “like a duck looking for his parent”, is what he said but Deuce doesn’t really think that. He just enjoys your company so why wouldn’t he go and seek you out? Oh, and Mr. S’s shop has a sale on tuna today so maybe he can help you out on carrying the bags?

♤ The study sessions you two hold together have started becoming a little distracting for him though. With how often he finds himself looking away from the material and looking at you instead. How your eyes narrow in discontent at an explanation you don’t understand or how they light up when you’ve figured something out. Strangely, it’s actually improved his grades instead of diminishing it. He just couldn’t miss out on the smile you’d give him and the congratulations you’d say as he’s passed another test. It wasn’t until Ace pointed it out to him that he realized it.

♤ Oh…Oh.

♤ Smoke started coming off his head, at least that’s what it felt like, as the realization sunk in. Deuce could recognize it now for sure, that the rapid beating of his heart was something far more than friendship but rather love. A feeling that had been developing ever since you two met that day. He tries to treat you the same as always and horrifically fails with how bad he is at hiding his blush. Or his attempts at reaching out to hold your hand but pulling back last second out of embarrassment. He’ll just have to try again later.

♤ Getting advice from his mom was the last push he needed to fully go head first into appealing to you. His attempts at acting like a gentleman appear more like a young man fumbling his way through love but the effort is always nice to see. He’s doing his best to improve himself for you and while he knows he isn’t perfect, he hopes you’ll accept him anyways.

“Prefect! I have something to tell you.”

Ace Trappola

🂱 A blessing of love in disguise as friendship. Seriously, how did he find himself falling for you? You were just someone who attracted trouble and he happened to have been caught up in some and now he just can’t seem to leave you alone. Teasing you is an everyday occurrence and walking with you to the classes just comes naturally. Don’t think anything of it though, you’re just friends…unless you wanna be more? Alright alright, he’ll treat you to something in the cafeteria so smile okay?

🂱 Friends hang out with each other so that’s what he does too. They have sleepovers (in his case it’s more like a crash over but that’s besides that point) and talk about the weirdest stuff or maybe nothing at all. Maybe he’ll steal your blanket while he’s at it or maybe your bed if you’re kind enough. At some point he started leaving his own things at Ramshackle, more convenient than risking going back and suffering Riddle’s wrath you know? His toothbrush, a spare blanket, a pillow, and a couple snacks that he might be willing to share with you if he’s feeling like it. If you’re interested, he’ll even show you some card tricks to keep your attention focused solely on him.

🂱 Well crap.

🂱 Okay so maybe he does like your attention more than others but like, that’s just a friend thing right? People have best friends, you’re his! And sure he finds himself getting a little irritated when someone gets too close to you but you’re bros! He’s just looking out for his friend, trust him. Deuce thinks otherwise but what does he know about anything? He’s the one with relationship experience, even if it did fail on..his part, but ignoring that he knows so much more!

🂱 Like an adolescent boy who wants his crush to look at him, he lightly bullies you. Teasing you about the stray hair on your head and playing jokes on you like any would. He can’t help it, he wants your attention and he wants your love but can’t seem to admit it. Ace isn’t satisfied with just being friends, not anymore at least, but he doesn’t want to make it too obvious that he’s fallen. The light red tint on his ears and expectant expression on his face whenever he brags to you about something tells of a different story however.