just for tonight, try loving me

As soon as you arrived in Jabberwock, you began to second-guess your plan.

This is stupid, you thought, holding saplings and seed packets of oxeye daisies as you walked into the dorm, looking around and trying to spot Towa. Maybe I should’ve asked Haru for permission before I did this. I mean, daisies are invasive species in some areas, aren’t they...? What if Haru gets upset?

Before you could gather enough nervous energy to back out, though, a pair of arms embraced you warmly from behind, a melodic hum in your ear. “You’re here~!” Towa’s familiar voice came from behind, bright and affectionate. “And you brought flowers!”

Towa’s affection had a way of making you forget where you were every time you were on the receiving end of it. His clinging used to be daunting, but it became endearing quickly - no matter what mood you were in, you could count on Towa wanting to cling to your side and brighten your day. If you were in a bad mood, Towa spared no effort to put a smile on your face.

But it’s not only me he’s like that with, you thought, drawing in a deep breath, trying not to let his affection affect you too deeply. I might not be special to him at all. It’s really hard to tell.

Since you didn’t respond, Towa’s eyes went to the saplings in your hands, his light eyes widening with excitement. “Seedlings!” Towa exclaimed, his attention turning now to your arms. He pulled away from you, leaving you suddenly aching for him to return. “What are they? They haven’t bloomed yet, I want to know!”

You handed one of the packets of seeds to him, showing him the image on the front. “They’re daisies,” you smiled, trying now to have confidence in your idea now that it was too late to back down. “They’re some of my favorite flowers, but I’ve never seen them around Jabberwock before. I thought you might like them, too. But -”

“Daisies!” Towa exclaimed, cutting you off in your excitement as he took one of the packets, already ripping it open. “They’re the fortune-tellers!”

“Fortune tellers?” You tilted your head at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“You don’t know? They tell you how in love someone is with you,” Towa smiled, his eyes gentle as his focused locked onto you.

I wish that were true, you thought. I don’t know how you really feel about me. If a flower could really tell me that, I’d ask it.

All I want to know is if my feelings are returned.

He laughed in the next moment and turned to the large, open field in front of him. “I want to plant them everywhere! Can we do that?” Towa asked, glancing back at you. “We’ll spread them all over this hill! And then I can ask them all about love.”

“Well - well, I’m actually starting to wonder if we should ask Haru first!” You exclaimed, reaching forward to take Towa’s arm and possibly slow him down from already ripping the packet open and sending the seeds into the breeze. “I don’t want to accidentally cause a whole invasive species in here, and I’d feel guilty if it causes any problems for the anomalous flora or animals, so -”

Towa pouted and furrowed his brow with something akin to annoyance, crossing his arms as he pulled them away from you. “They’re my surprise from you, aren’t they?” Towa asked. “So I want to decide where to plant them! Haru isn’t going to take them away from me.”

You couldn’t argue with Towa. Not because his point was especially strong, but because it had the clinginess that you’d come to love. This gift was his. He wasn’t letting anything stop him from enjoying it.

“Can I ask you something, Towa?” You began, voice soft. “What did you want to ask the daisies about love?”

Towa grinned. “I wanted to ask them how much you love me,” he responded easily, as if the casual admission didn’t just make your heart leap.

“How much...” you began, trailing off as your chest clenched. “You wanted to know how much I love you?”

He nodded. “You don’t need a flower to know my feelings, if you wanted to know them,” Towa suggested. “You’re my soulmate. That’s the strongest love that I can have for you, isn’t it? I want to ask the flowers if I’m your soulmate, too!”

For a moment, you weren’t really sure how to process that information. This is beyond just affection. Can I finally take this as a sign my feelings are returned?

“You don’t need a flower for that, Towa,” you began, taking a step forward. The seedlings in your arms were gently set on the ground to free up your hands to take his. Towa’s hands were strong, soft, and big. His fingers intertwined with yours easily. “I’ll tell you the answer to that right now.” I should have told you before, anyway.

“Towa, I love you, too. If I’m your soulmate... you’re mine, too.”

Towa’s eyes widened for a moment. Then he pulled you in close, drowning you in an affectionate hug. “I knew it! From the start, I knew we were soulmates!” Towa exclaimed, lifting you off your feet to spin you through the air.

“Woah, Towa! Be careful!”

He laughed, pulling back just enough to meet your eyes. “I’m never letting you go.”

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When Subaru was told that Darkwick was allowing Hotarubi to hold the Lost Star festival for the first time since he was a first-year, a memory of the first one stirred.

Fresh on a hiatus from performing with his family’s troupe, Subaru had been unsure about performing at the Lost Stars festival. Of course, he wanted to contribute to his house, but... this had felt like a more difficult task than usual.

Especially when the role called for romance and touching... with his newly-acquired stigma, touching was the last thing he wanted to do with anybody. Yet, when his captain had essentially begged him to take the role, Subaru couldn’t bring himself to say no.

He spent time preparing for the reality of having to supress the effects of his stigma, the uncomfortable feeling of catching glimpses into someone’s mind. He’d have to focus more into his acting than usual - especially to avoid making his counterpart uncomfortable.

Acting while he was in love while he dreaded every touch sounded like a nightmarish task for the first-year ghoul... until he met you.

At the end of the first rehearsal, after the read-though and blocking of the first act, you had approached him. He remembered the evening well - practicing on a dock in Hotarubi, evening light making your eyes twinkle as you approached. “Kagami, can I ask you something?”

His first thought had been that he made a mistake. His orchid-colored eyes widened as he quickly bowed his head. “I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?” he asked, his tone apologetic. We only read through lines today. Did I already make them uncomfortable?

Quickly, you shook your head to reassure him that wasn’t the issue. “No, no, you didn’t do anything, but...” your voice trailed off, reaching around for the right word. “I know you hesitated agreeing to do this show. I wanted to know if there’s anything I can do to make you more comfortable. The audience will be able to tell if your hesitant, you know?”

Subaru knew that more than anyone. There was no place on the stage for fear or hesitation. He’d long trained his anxiety to melt away when he performed, but this felt like starting over from square one. He wanted to tell you no - that he would be fine - but he hesitated.

The sincerity of reaching out, of wanting to help him, created a crack in Subaru’s wall.

“I’m... a little unsure about being a love interest,” Subaru began, bringing one arm up to rub his shoulder - a nervous tick. “This role calls for a kiss, right? Touch is something I’m hesitant with.”

Subaru expected disappointment, or even imagined you asking why he’d even agree to do this role if touch was going to be an issue. Instead, though, you hummed and considered the limitation. Your eyes went down to his gloves. “Are you okay with touching while wearing those?”

He nodded. “It’s fine to touch through fabric. I just don’t like skin-to-skin contact.”

That was technically a lie. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it. In fact, ever since getting his stigma, he missed it. The warmth of having someone’s skin against his was something he hadn’t realized he took for granted until it was gone. Touching people now only made him feel discomfort - not always physically, but because he imagined people recoiling with disgust if they knew how his stigma really worked.

You nodded before bringing your hand to his, putting your palm flat against his gloved one. “So... this is okay then?”

He was a little surprised, but nodded. “Completely fine.”

“And so... this is fine, too?”

Before he knew it, you pulled his hand to your face, slowly urging him to cup your cheek. He stayed silent in surprise, but he felt a slight heat rise to his face. “Direct skin contact isn’t the only way for the audience to see intimacy,” you explained, letting go of his hand. It stayed against your cheek, though, and smooth fabric of his glove feeling smooth against your face. “If anything, keeping actual skin-to-skin contact scarce brings more tension to moments like this. It leaves them wanting more.”

It doesn’t just leave them wanting more, Subaru thought. He brought his other hand up, using one to cup their cheek as he used the back of his fingers with his other to trace your jaw. I want more, too. To actually feel your skin under mine.

There was tension in the moment, and after realizing how he hadn’t responded, Subaru quickly withdrew. “Sorry, I was being weird, wasn’t I?” he asked, smiling nervously. “I just... I wasn’t expecting you to take such a stance. I was worried I’d have to ignore any discomfort and continue.”

“I don’t want you to have to do that,” you assured him. “We’ll have to ask the director about this kiss too, but if your performance just now is anything to go off of... we’ll be fine.”

“My performance?” Subaru tilted his head. He hadn’t been acting.

“The way you were touching me... you were imagining one of our scenes, weren’t you?” You asked, confident about the scenario. “Your eyes looked so adoring. It reminided me of when you were reading your lines earlier - you have such passion in what you do. I think you could just as easily kiss me with your eyes than you could with your lips.”

The Actor sent you a playlist! Click here to listen~!

For the life of him, Kaito could not sit still at the library. He just kept fidgetting, his hands reaching for his phone, re-reading the messages he’d received over and over again. Every time he tore his eyes away from the screen, he convinced himself that he was making it up all over again.

Was I really asked out on a date?

It didn’t feel like it was really happening. What it felt like was panic - his heart racing in his chest, his eyes darting around Darkwick’s library looking for you. This was something out of his wildest dreams, the ones that felt so improbable that he’d wake up laughing at himself.

Each time he checked, though, it was real. He was really asked out on a date by his number one crush.

Nerves had brought him to the library early, but now that he was there, he wished that he hadn’t shown up half an hour before you did. It only put him on edge, as if he were expecting you to come in at any second, his heart jumping every time he saw movement at the entrance in the corner of his eyes.

He drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes. “Calm down Kaito, you’ve got this,” he spoke softly to himself, deciding a pep-talk was long overdue. “I mean, you were the one who was asked out, so it’s not like you can get rejected! The worst part is over! You just have to make sure you don’t make a fool out of yourself!”

That was much easier said than done, though. As he spoke, though, he felt himself starting to calm down. It helped that having his eyes closed combatted his urge to keep his eyes on the door or check his phone for the tenth time in a minute. “It’s going to be fine. You’re going to be smooth as...” he trailed off, searching for a word.

“Silk?” a familiar voice piped in, offering him a word during his hesitation.

“Yes! Silk! That’s exactly it!” Kaito grabbed onto the word before processing who it was that interjected. His eyes snapped open the moment he realized it, his gaze locking onto yours. Reflexively, he lurched back, his chair nearly tipping backward in the process. “I - I didn’t see you come in!”

Your hands reached out as his chair tipped, grabbing the back and pushing him forward to study him. “Of course you didn’t see me come in, your eyes were closed,” you teased him. “And be careful! I don’t want my study partner to send himself to the infirmary before we even get started!”

Study partner... not your date? Kaito thought, offering a light laugh and smile as he processed the statement. “Sorry, you just surprised me,” he excused, one hand going to the back of his neck to rub it nervously. “Should we get started, then? What did you have to work on?” Did I assume too much? The text said date, but... maybe that wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.

Despite his attempt to mask his disappointment, the shade of sadness lacing his tone was apparent. “Just a few things for Enigmaology... I’ve been having a hard time with the exams,” you responded, eyes narrowing on his expression. “Is something wrong?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing!” Kaito waved away the concern with a swatting hand. “I’m fine!” Of course the ‘date’ part wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.

He’s such a liar, you thought. “Next time... let’s see if we can get an R&R permit approved,” you suggested, suspecting you knew the reason behind his sudden melancholy. “We can go to a café and we’ll have a proper study date instead of improvising on campus. Okay?”

As if a flip had been switched, Kaito perked up again, sitting up in his chair. “You - you want to go on a real date?” Kaito asked, voice hopeful.

There was a shine in his eyes that was hard not to smile at. There was something undeniably cute about the archer when he grinned - he became as bright as sunshine whenever he was happy. The joy was infectious, and you couldn’t help but meet his hopeful tone with a smile of your own. “Of course. We’ll consider this practice for the real thing, okay?”

With renewed hope, Kaito nodded, his mind already racing to next time. “There’s this café I’ve heard some students talking about that’s not too far from campus, so we could go there if you really wanted to. It shouldn’t be too hard to get an R&R permit. I mean, it’s not like I have any missions coming up that I know of-”

“Woah, slow down,” you cut him off, clearing a place next to him and slamming down the full weight of your study materials, causing the table to shake. “Don’t get distracted. I really do need someone to study with me. If you get distracted, I will too, and we’ll have to do more studying than dating at that café.”

“Right! Sorry,” Kaito apologized, letting out a nervous laugh. “I was getting ahead of myself there, wasn’t I? I’ll bring it down a notch. That was probably embarrassing to watch.”

You hummed, considering the statement. “Just a little,” you teased him, leaning over to lightly bump his shoulder against yours. “But that’s okay. I like that about you.”

“I like that about you.” Kaito replayed the words in his mind. This had felt like a guessing game from the beginning - and he couldn’t decide if his prediction that this was a date was just wishful thinking.

Hearing you say that, though, gave the archer more hope than he’d ever allowed himself to have before.

“It’s more that I’m unfamiliar with them,” Seraph responded as they walked through the gates, eyes darting between the variety of rollercoasters and other thrill rides that were available.

Elias hummed, following their gaze, trying to settle on a place to start. “You’re not afraid of going on any of these, are you?” he asked, a somewhat teasing tone lacing his voice. “It’s okay to admit it if you are. I can hold your hand throughout all of them to reassure you.”

Heat rose to Seraph’s face, and they instinctively took a step back, shaking their head. “I’m not afraid,” they rushed to explain. “I’ll be fine going on them.”

“What a shame,” Elias reached into his pocket, pulling out a lollipop and unwrapping it. “I was looking forward to the excuse.”

Seraph tore their eyes away from him, eager to hide any rising flush on their face by looking for where to start. “How about a haunted house?” they asked, glancing shortly back to Elias. Though, after everything we’ve seen at Darkwick, I doubt there’s going to be anything in there that’s going to frighten us.

After sticking the unwrapped lollipop in his mouth, Elias nodded. “Lead the way.”

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

As suspected, the haunted house was underwhelming compared to what the pair was used to on missions - though one surprise scare at the end did nearly have Seraph jumping into Elias’ arms. The man had been amused by it, though had graciously kept himself from teasing the other. 

Now, in line for one of the roller coasters, Seraph watched as the cart quickly moved through skyscrapers, something that had surprised them, causing their jewel-toned eyes to widen at the sight. “It gets really close to the buildings…”

“Nervous?” Elias asked, looking over at them. “You don’t need to worry. In the long history of Yumeyashiki, there’s never been an incident with one of their rides.”

Seraph looked away from the coaster for a moment, turning back to face their companion. “How much do you know about the park’s history?”

Elias hummed in response, taking his lollipop out of his mouth for a moment and twirling it between his fingers as he thought. “Jo had a subscription to a magazine about different kinds of amusement and theme parks. He always said it was good to see what they were doing right so we could draw inspiration,” Elias began to explain, leaning back on the metal railing guiding the line. “None of his subscriptions were cancelled, so we still get his magazines delivered to Dionysia. Yumeyashiki had a spotlight this month - there was a whole spread on Japan’s Oldest Theme Park. It’s what made me think of bringing you.”

He saw it and thought of me? Seraph thought, looking away from him at the answer, unable to maintain eye contact with him after their mind had jumped to that conclusion. Before either one could say something more, the line was moving again, and they were urged into a cart together.

Part of Seraph was glad, at least, that the seats of the train weren’t narrow - in fact, there was a good amount of space left between them as the bar came down, locking them both into place. If they’d been any closer, Seraph could imagine their mind racing too much about the close contact to enjoy anything about the ride itself.

They weren’t really sure when it had happened, but it had felt like any contact with Elias made their heart start racing and a blush rise to their face. Shyness was something they’d always struggled with, but Elias had them flustered for other reasons.

Something about the man had always made Seraph feel like he could see directly into their heart. That, no matter what they said or what they tried to hide, Elias could see through any wall they put up as if it were made of glass.

When the ride began with a lurch, Seraph grabbed tight onto the bar as the coaster slowly climbed up the rails. With a higher vantage point on the park, it was easier to see the full bloom of spring - the cherry trees in a beautiful pink blossom, rows of brightly-colored flowers placed around the park in eye-catching arrangements, and the warm breeze that was finally inviting life back into the wilted winter plants.

While their eyes were on the beautiful vivid colors of spring decorating the park, though, Elias was stealing glances at Seraph. It was easier to admire the baku when they weren’t aware he was looking. In fact, it was one of the only times that he could do so - anytime Seraph met his gaze, they’d look away, as if holding eye contact with him was fatal.

At first, Elias had found the action disheartening. Now that he knew them better, he thought it was somewhat cute.

Once the coaster started rolling down, wind whipped around both of them, and they were each distracted as it looped and dashed between buildings, sometimes close enough to make it seem like they could reach out and touch a skyscraper.

Seraph kept their grip hard on the bar holding them in place until the ride came to a stop, taking a deep breath. Elias looked over at them, a soft laugh escaping him as he saw how the wind had tossed the fluff of Seraph’s mis-matched hair. Without thinking about it, he reached forward as the bars unlocked and lifted, taking it as a chance to move closer and attempt to smooth an unruly portion of their hair.

Instinctively, Seraph pulled back from him, iris eyes widening at him. “What are you doing?”

Elias smiled, pulling back for a moment. “Sorry. The wind blew some of your hair out of place. I was fixing it. Do you mind?”

After a moment, Seraph shook their head. “No… go ahead.”

Now with permission, Elias’ hand went to the side of their head, adjusting a tuft of dark hair back into its usual place. Seraph let themself focus on the feeling of Elias’ fingers carding through their hair, almost closing their eyes to fully focus on the sensation. They still had some sense of embarrassment, though, and the idea of letting Elias see how much they enjoyed the contact would have them riding back to Darkwick on the Galaxy Express as soon as possible.

“There we go,” Elias pulled back. “Back to normal.”

They missed his hand as soon as it was gone.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

“I didn’t think the merry-go-round would be so popular,” Seraph thought as they stepped forward in the line, a large group being escorted off of the small ride before another one was brought on.

“This is actually a carousel, not a merry-go-round,” Elias corrected in a light tone, a lollipop spinning in one hand as he spoke. “They’re subtly different. I wanted a carousel in Dionysia, but Mio told me I didn’t pay him enough for him to construct one.”

You don’t pay him at all, Seraph thought, a small smile on their face as they imagined the clockwork artisan complaining about Elias’ request. “What’s the difference?”

Before Elias could get into it, a bell rang and a gate opened at the front, signalling that the next group was allowed on. The two moved up and toward the large carousel, and up close, Seraph noted that they’d never seen one like it. There were two stories - one large rotating platform on the bottom and another smaller one up a short flight of stairs. “Let’s go to the top,” he pointed up. “There’s a hot air balloon up there.”

Having no particular opinion on where they sat, Seraph followed an eager Elias up the stairs. Most of the seats on the top were filled quickly, but the hot air balloon had been left empty - and one look at the narrow seat told Seraph exactly why. While it could seat two people, it clearly wasn’t meant to - and the idea of spending the entire ride hip-to-hip with Elias was enough to make them blush. They turned around to see another free seat, but for as far as they could see, each one was full.

As if not noticing Seraph’s darting eyes, Elias took a seat at the hot air balloon, offering a hand for Seraph to take and follow his lead. “You’re going to want to sit before the ride starts,” he urged. “I don’t want you to fall over.”

Below them, Seraph heard the conductor’s echoing voice. “Take your seats, everyone! The ride will begin in just a moment!”

Pushing away the last shred of their hesitation, Seraph reached forward and took Elias’ hand, letting him pull them down beside them. It had been just in time as well, the carousel’s music swelling as the ride began to turn. As Seraph had expected, the seat was barely enough for both of them, their hips pressed close together. Elias was the first one to start adjusting, moving his arm up. “Mind if I put an arm around you?” he asked. “Not much room for us both otherwise.”

He had to have known we’d be this close, Seraph thought. Part of them wanted to point that out to him, but instead they just nodded, granting him permission. It was easier to go along with him than tease him, and if they were being honest with themself, they were glad to see Elias making moves.

It didn’t make it any less flustering, though. As Elias’ arm wrapped around them and the ride began, Elias leaned closer to them. At first, Seraph didn’t know where he was going until he raised his free hand and pointed to one of the beautifully-painted horses. “See how that horse moves up and down in a galloping motion? That’s one of the differences between the two. Merry-go-rounds don’t often have that additional motion, usually only going around in circles.”

At his explanation, Seraph’s mind raced at their own predicament. Thank god this balloon isn’t moving. I think we’d fall over each other more if it was. “Do you prefer carousels, then?”

“I think they have a higher level of craftsmanship,” Elias nodded, looking over at Seraph as he answered. “With the amount of detail paid to them, you can tell that the people who made them crafted each detail with passion and love. That’s the kind of energy I wanted… want for Dionysia.”

Wanted, Seraph clung onto the past-tense. No one’s really sure if Dionysia will come back, but it doesn’t seem likely after what happened. Elias was really passionate about his dorm… he treated his fellow ghouls like family members…

A tap on Seraph’s nose snapped them out of their thoughts, and they looked over to Elias to see an easy smile on his face as he met their gaze. “You were thinking of something sad, weren’t you?” he asked teasingly. “This isn’t the time for that. We’re here for fun. I’d rather see a smile on your face than an expression like that.”

Elias’ warm words mixed with the arm that he had draped over Seraph’s shoulder was making this scenario feel more intimate by the second, and to attempt to cool down, Seraph looked away from him. “The park is beautiful from up here, isn’t it?” Seraph asked, eager to change the subject. “All the flowers are starting to bloom this time of year.”

“I think there’s a small section with a botanical garden,” Elias responded, looking out at the park with Seraph. He moved his hand, slightly pulling them closer to him in the process. “On that side of the park. Do you want to go to it?”

With every move that Elias made, it reminded Seraph how close they were, and when he pulled them closer it nearly rendered them speechless. Funny, they’d missed the physical contact before, and now they felt like this was almost too much. It was hard to think straight when he touched them like this. So, they simply nodded at him, half-aware of what they’d agreed to.

Is it really just this easy for him to get me under his sway?

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Somehow, the most crowded spot in the entire theme park that day ended up being the botanical garden.

Given the time of year, Seraph supposed it wasn’t that strange for it to be crowded - and the park was gracious enough to have a place for people to set up in the grass and enjoy a variety of food that was offered in small trucks around the large garden area.

They were positioned under one of the only shaded areas in the garden now, taking a moment to rest while Elias had wandered off in search of something to bring back. Traditional food wasn’t really a necessity for the baku, but unlike Edward, they could enjoy it to an extent. It wasn’t filling, but more of a treat.

Still, even if they weren’t planning on eating, the rest was indispensable. Walking around the park had started to become slightly exhausting, and as the afternoon started heading into evening, Seraph needed a break. They were grateful that Elias had asked them to find a place for the pair while he wandered, because the moment Seraph sat down in the grass, it felt as refreshing as a deep breath.

“Everything okay?” Elias’ voice grabbed their attention, and Seraph looked up to meet his eyes as he looked down at them, holding out a bottle of water.

Seraph reached forward, taking the water bottle from him and replying with a short nod. “Fine. Just a bit tired.”

“I thought so,” Elias nodded, taking a seat. Seraph noted that he’d come back empty-handed aside from the water bottle, but before they could ask about it, he pulled out a lollipop from his pocket and unwrapped it. “I hope you’re still having fun, though. You seemed… exhausted lately.”

He’s noticed that? Seraph thought, slowly opening their water bottle. I didn’t think anyone would really tell other than those in Obscuary… and it’s not like all of us go to all of our classes, anyway. “Is that why you asked me to come here with you?” Seraph asked, keeping their eyes away from him. Looking at him now felt too vulnerable.

Elias hummed in response, seeming confused. “I suppose it contributed to it… really, if anything, it only gave me an excuse,” he leaned closer to Seraph, trying to catch their eyes, but he could tell they were deliberately busying themself with the water bottle in their hands. “I’ve wanted to invite you somewhere for a while. Wanting to put a smile on your face when I could tell you were exhausted was just the inspiration for where we went.”

“You’ve wanted to invite me somewhere for a while? Why?” Seraph asked, trying to hide the hopefulness in their tone.

Before the Clash, before Dionysia had to disband, Seraph was somewhat of a regular at the mysterious circus. The acts were interesting, of course, but Elias was always the one that they’d been the most interested in. At first, it was simply pure admiration for his skills and the shows he’d help put on.

They weren’t sure when it had happened, but admiration and amazement had developed into a crush. They started visiting less when they realized that talking to Elias made all the shy parts of their personality push toward the surface, not wanting to make a spectacle of themself in front of their crush because of it.

After all, of course the perceptive ghoul had picked up on them coming to the show multiple times a week, occasionally coming up to them after bows and teasing them about it, even once inviting them backstage to see how it was all done. That offer was the first time they realized it was easy for Elias to convince them to follow his lead.

Then the Clash happened, Dionysia disbanded, and they thought their chance was gone. They didn’t expect Elias to continue to make an effort to talk to them after his house was gone and they weren’t an audience member anymore. Yet, here he was, admitting that he’d wanted to invite them out for a while.

Seraph wanted to be hopeful that his words meant that Elias felt the same way about them that they did about him. It had been something they dreamed about - Elias being the first one to admit his feelings, and then being able to do something with all the affection that they’d built up in their heart.

 Instead of answering their question, though, Elias just stood up from the grass and offered them a hand. “There’s one last ride I want to go on before we leave,” he told them, deliberately catching their gaze before smiling. “If you join me one last time, I’ll tell you. Okay?”

One more ride? Seraph thought. The theme park was getting darker, the sky slowly turning orange while the sun set. It made sense that they needed to start heading back to campus soon - the time restrictions on R&R permits were no joke.

Still, as they took Elias’ hand and he pulled them to their feet, Seraph could help but wish that they could stay there with him for much longer. That they didn’t have to go back to Darkwick, back to classes and back to missions.

They wanted to dream that they could stay in the garden under the setting sun with Elias for forever.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

As the sky above Yumeyashiki was painted into a soft gradient of blue and burnt orange, Elias led Seraph by the hand to the ride he’d wanted to go on from the beginning - the ferris wheel.

There was a sparkle in Elias’ eyes when they got in line, and despite themself, Seraph couldn’t stop sneaking glances at the smile on his face. He caught them as they both climbed into a colorful gondola, tilting his head at them. “Is there something on my face?”

Seraph swiftly averted their gaze, a wave of heat rising to their cheeks. “No! It’s just, well, you looked more excited to ride this than anything else.”

Elias sighed softly when Seraph looked away. He wished that they’d keep looking at him, that they’d keep their own eyes locked with his instead of looking away every time they got flustered. It was a selfish wish, but he couldn’t help it anyway - he wanted to be the center of their attention. He hid his disappointment, though, and looked forward as the ride started up again now that they were seated. “You know, the ferris wheel was always one of my favorite parts of Dionysia.”

“Really?” Seraph asked, tilting their head inquisitively as they glanced back over at him. The golden hour evening light suited him, bathing him in a soft light that made him glow.

He hummed, keeping his eyes ahead, aware that Seraph was looking at him now and wanting to keep it that way for as long as he could help it. “I would ride it alone all the time, sometimes just to clear my head. Even though Dionysia is closed, I sometimes go back just to sit in the gondolas. It doesn’t really work at the moment, though - without Mio, it’s unsafe to operate. If it breaks with me on it, I’d have to call someone over to rescue me.”

“I’d come to your rescue,” Seraph responded without thinking, the words leaving their mouth before they had a moment to second-guess themself. “I mean - if you called me, if you wanted me to.”

Unable to fight the urge any longer, Elias looked over, meeting their iris eyes and smiling. “I hope you would. You’re the first person I’d call.”

I doubt it… Haru is still around, and they were much closer, Seraph thought, gaze averting. This time, Elias outwardly sighed. “I wish you wouldn’t look away from me all the time,” he whispered, just barely loud enough for Seraph to hear. “You never used to look away from me when I was performing for you. Why is it different here?”

Seraph was surprised by the subject, turning back to Elias with a look of disbelief. “Of course it’s different. You were on a stage, tens of feet away from me, a spotlight in your eyes. I didn’t have any reason to think you could see me. It’s… different when you’re this close.”

“I suppose it’s different,” he hummed. “Still, I always loved the way you looked at me on stage. Knife throwing isn’t all that impressive compared to some of our other acts, but you always looked at me like it was the first time you’d seen me perform.”

It was slightly embarrassing to Seraph that Elias could not only see their face from the stage, but that he remembered how they looked while he performed. “Knife throwing is impressive,” was the only thing they managed to say, too flustered to address the rest of his statement.

“It’s even more so with an assistant,” Elias scooted as close to Seraph as he could without rocking the gondola, a playful glint in his mis-matched eyes. “Interested in volunteering? You can trust me. I won’t hurt you.” 

At a loss for words under the weight of Elias’ charm, Seraph shook their head, prompting a short, light laugh from him. “You asked me earlier why I’ve wanted to invite you somewhere, and the answer is simple. Ever since you started coming to our shows… I liked having your attention on me. I loved performing in front of you - how your eyes followed me, how you’d come to multiple shows… You were a constant in my life. One I missed from the moment Dionysia became defunct with me.”

“You… missed me?” Seraph asked softly. I didn’t think he thought of me outside of those moments in the circus, they thought. I figured I wasn’t anything more than a face in the crowd.

Elias raised one hand, stroking a thumb across Seraph’s cheek before cupping it. “I missed seeing you all the time. I don’t want to start missing you again. So, if it’s not too much trouble… Please, keep coming out with me like this.”

This was a scene Seraph had dreamed about. Them and Elias together, facing a future together. They almost weren’t sure what to do.

If I only ever dream, though, there’s never a time for them to come true.

Seraph raised their hand, putting it over his and returning the smile.