jester's privilege

“It’s not like he’s anything like the Young Master!... or even Leona Kingscholar, if we want to be generous with the descriptor.”

“And Lilia?”

“He’s majestic in his own right,” he claimed, which you supposed had some truth to it, though you personally saw the third year as someone more mischievous than majestic.

“Okay, fine, fine, my mistake for not clarifying immediately,” you said, not particularly sorry. General misunderstandings aside, there was something funny about watching your mint-haired friend do a spit take (fortunately with no actual drink to spit out). “So if I ended up being into one of them instead, what would you have said?” 

Because honestly, you couldn’t quite tell if he would smite you on the spot—friend or otherwise—or if he would have congratulated you for your efficient, working eyes.

Sebek frowned.

“It would have been weird and I wouldn’t offer to help you,” he admitted, “but I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“And now that you know who I actually like?”

“Even weirder. It’s like… having my friend and a sibling date,” Sebek said, which was his way of telling you that you were giving him the icks, “there could be… there are worse choices, but because it’s you and it’s because it’s him… ugh.”

You wondered which one of you he saw as the sibling and which one was the friend. Knowing Sebek, he would loathe to admit either of you were either one unless he was feeling particularly vulnerable or in an insanely good mood.

After a moment of silence—Sevens, it was just like Sebek to take seriously things that weren’t that big of a deal—and a  minute of staring you down he sighed, sinking into his seat as he slouched for once in his life.

“I don’t know what to do with this information,” he finally said, “am I supposed to give you approval before you start courting him? It would be better to ask his fa– Master Lilia, you know.”

“Why would I ask either one of you for approval? I just like him, I shouldn’t have to ask permission to like someone,” you huffed, “I just felt like telling you is all. Impulse decision.”

“So you don’t have any plans on telling him?”

“Not any time soon, which means you better not say a WORD about this to him either,” you said, only a semi-serious warning. You didn’t think he would, definitely not on purpose, but the idea of Silver having a clue made you nervous. “I know you’re loud as hell, but I trust you.”

Whatever retort or snippy remark Sebek planned to say had been bitten back; he had been unable to hide his smile at the compliment.

“Hmph! My lips are not as loose as you think! I can keep a secret just fine, thank you very much! He won’t even get an inkling of the fact that you carry feelings for him!”

“Alright,” you readily accepted his claim. Honestly, it felt nice to finally tell someone about this crush of yours, even though you wouldn’t have thought Sebek of all people would be the first to know.

“By the way… Not that I need your approval, but do you approve?”

The boy in front of you looks contemplative one second and constipated in another, as if he was holding back from saying something nice, too early in the day to be particularly honest.

“There are worse men to fall in love with than Silver,” he settled with.

“Oh, like who? Like yourself?”

A pillow hit you in the face but you could only laugh at how obvious the lack of strength he put into the throw was.

“Flattering yourself, typical of you. There are few people above you in league and I would be one of them,” he said and you’re unsure if he’s even aware of the praise he just provided. Backhanded, but praise is praise regardless. “Worse as in… my fellow first years.”

“Hah! Traitor behavior! It’s like you’re asking to get told on!” You hit him back with the same pillow, sticking your tongue out as he caught it with one hand.

“Then I’ll go tell Silver right now about this crush of yours!” And just by looking at his grin, you knew the ever serious Sebek had simply been joking. 

He’d shield your secret as best as he could.

II. SEBEK answers a dumb question

In Sebek’s defense, he’s doing the best he can in, for a lack of a more eloquent way to phrase it, shutting the hell up about your crush on his rival. His rival of all people! 

You should get your eyes checked, really, and if his father were an ophthalmologist instead of a dentist he would have taken you with him to Briar Valley already.

So no, maybe he wasn’t actively cheering you on, but you’re one of the few people he can actually rely on and call a friend, so he supposed he wasn’t going to judge you too harshly, even if he thought you could do better (not that there was much better in NRC anyway, so he guessed you already picked your cream of choice from the crop).

Silver would just have to pick up his slack. 

Sure, you told him you needed no help whatsoever, he would at least do his part in making sure his rival would be good for you… or something. He’s not too sure what he’s supposed to even do, really, other than putting his 105% in training instead of the usual 100.

Sebek only has one prevalent issue, that being that he’s having a bit of a hard time not interrogating his sparring partner about you. It’s so DIFFICULT when your secret would loop in his head each greeting Silver gave him in the mornings or when they passed in the hallways.

Difficulty aside, he’s PROUD to say that he’s been very successful in not even uttering your name to the second year, so clearly his good restraint has kept him as trustworthy as usual.

Then a second problem rose out of nowhere, a wrench thrown in his well-kept secrecy.

He had not anticipated that Silver would be the one to bring you up himself. Even more surprising was the way he brought you up—well, it was odd for him to bring you up midst spar, but the way he worded it was the true unusual part.

“Repeat that.”

“Are the two of you in a relationship?”

Would Lord Malleus be angry if he whacked Silver with his own baton? Would you… oh, why was he even questioning it, of course you would, but you wouldn’t have the chance to be mad if he never told you, right? He could keep a second secret.

“Are you joking?!” he asked in spite of Silver’s usual expression. The boy never had a particularly obvious sense of humor.

“It’s a serious question,” Silver replied, narrowly dodging a jab from Sebek, “I’ve never seen you so close to somebody before.”

He scoffed. Was it that unbelievable? 

“WELL–” he had meant to retort that he only spent a perfectly normal amount of time with you (had he been implying he was abandoning his duties?!), promptly followed by calling the notion disgusting (he couldn’t find it in himself to say such a thing), but he instead said– 

“Why does it matter? I’m allowed to be around anyone I want for as long as they mean no harm to the Young Master!”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Sebek. You need to untense,” his rival sighed and the first year had half the mind to hit him in the face (and not with a pillow). HE was the exasperated one, so why was Silver doing the sighing?!

“I was just curious about your friend, that’s all.”

Sebek furrowed his brows. 

“Why?”

While there were no right answers there were certainly a few wrong ones, so he listened carefully, clenching his fists. One demeaning word and he would—

“I was wondering if–”

III. SEBEK reports back to you

“–I hate him? Silver thinks I hate him?!” 

“He was wondering, it wasn’t definitive!” Sebek corrected, catching the piece of popcorn you threw at him. He promptly ate it, never one to waste food. “Hey! I told him you didn’t, so it’s not a big deal anymore.”

“But for a time he thought I didn’t like him,” you argued, “that’s worse than him thinking we were dating!”

Sebek gasped.

“I resent that!” 

“Please, I’m sure you beating him in yesterday’s spar was more than just your skill talking—you were probably appalled at the accusation,” you retorted, “and don’t think I forgot! I heard him talk about a bruise forming!”

“It’ll heal! And he could have dodged it if he was paying attention—he usually does!” he said, though now that you mentioned it, it was odd for Silver to not pay attention to training—usually Sebek was the conversationalist between the both of them. “It’s not like you can see it, so you don’t have to worry about me ruining his face or anything.”

“I’m sure he’s pretty even when injured,” you sniffled, and Sebek gagged. He’d have left you to your own devices already (he already sees Silver everyday, why should he listen to you rave about him?) if you hadn’t offered a nice variety of snacks for him to partake in while you talked.

“Okay, wait, back to the topic—why does he think I hate him?”

“He said that you act differently around him,” he said, placing the word in air quotation marks, “which is Silver speech for you being a weirdo. Did you do something?”

“Huh? Weird?! There’s no way I act weirder around him than I do around you!”

“THAT’S WHAT I WAS SAYING!” he agreed wholeheartedly. Well, he didn’t call you weird to Silver’s face—but that was the gist of what he was thinking, and there was no need to pretend to be polite about it to you. 

Sure you were kind, that much he would admit, but a little… a lot. You were a lot, a lot of the time.

Still, even considering your lack of shame around him he doubted Silver would have seen or heard anything too odd from you. 

“Although there’s always the chance that I’ve just become desensitized considering my unfortunate choices of company.”

“So, so rude,” you huffed, “I swear I’m normal around Silver. I don’t get many chances to talk to him in the first place.”

Sebek blinked. 

“You don’t?”

“I mean, maybe a few times a week?” you replied, suddenly looking embarrassed at the estimate, “I don’t see him everyday, but even if I did I don’t think I could actually say anything more than hello.”

There was a saying, if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say it at all, but if he’d never abided by that saying, nobody would expect him to start following it any time soon.

“So you really had no plan to make him like you back, huh.”

“Is that your way of saying I have no game?”

“I wouldn’t word it that way, but you really don’t!” he ignored your look of offense (he’s not the best at reading faces, but he doubted you were actually offended) in favor of giving some actual advice. “Maybe he thinks you act differently around him because you won’t even talk to him!”

He was on to something, he was sure of it, and by the look you had on your face he was sure you agreed.

“You’re probably right… but I was totally going for that cool and cute and mysterious vibe, you know,” you grumbled, “people always notice those types. I mean, Silver is literally an example of it. 

“I feel like if I actually talk to him about something other than school, he’s going to realize I’m lame.”

He rolled his eyes.

“You are, but that hasn’t stopped me from talking to you,” Sebek said with a shrug, like it wasn’t a big deal or anything, “so if I don’t care, obviously Silver isn’t going to.”

And then he gave you a pat on the head, because he’s not really sure of what else to do. 

“Do you want me to do anything?” Sebek offered, “I won’t say anything to him, but if you want to know his favorite food, or birthday, or weekly class schedule–”

“I feel like you went from zero to one hundred real quick,” you said with a laugh, patting him on the back in return, “but I don't need you to do anything. Some things I should probably find out for myself.”

“If you say so.”

IV. SEBEK stresses out for you

While you were content to not do anything about your crush (said crush didn’t think you hated him anymore so you lost all sense of urgency), Silver himself seemed to want to do something.

And Sebek had to be on the receiving end again. Never again can you call him a bad friend.

“I’m not telling you anything,” he said with a sliver of annoyance, “there’s nothing you can’t figure out for yourself.”

“I tried, but a few minutes into the conversation… I was left behind.”

“Ah…” 

YOU RAN AWAY FROM HIM?!

He cursed you in his head. What were you doing?! Did he not teach you ANYTHING? Well, okay, he technically didn’t because the thought of him giving advice on how to catch Silver’s attention… yeah. Still, you have to face your problems, run up at them! Why were you running away from them like a coward instead?!

“Try harder then,” Sebek said, because that was all he could really say without giving away too much… which, at this point, he was very tempted to do just so you and Silver could stop dragging him into things. 

More Silver than you, really, considering you mostly enjoyed talking over acting… unlike Silver, who preferred acting over talking, and Sebek, who liked talking and acting.

“What are you trying to do anyway?” he asked inquisitively, subconsciously taking on the role of the investigators and detectives he’s read about in those mystery novels. Sebek did not want to be questioned about you, but he was very much interested in questioning Silver on the same topic. It was not hypocrisy, it was a matter of privilege.

Privilege equating to you being his friend, resulting in him knowing things about you that he wasn’t just going to easily shell out without proper reason.

“Since when were you so interested in my friend? This doesn’t feel like you just being curious anymore!” 

He did not bother hiding his suspicion, his head conjuring up all sorts of theories on Silver’s sudden interest. 

Sebek was neither purely optimistic nor purely pessimistic, neither was he a realist either (though he liked to think he was). Thus, his theories ranged from wait what if Silver thinking you hated him was a form of projection as he was the one who hated you to perhaps Silver overheard you talking about some way to stay awake and he wanted to talk to you about it to Silver is in love with you but he’s just as much of a coward when it comes to acting on it.

“It wouldn’t be good if anyone was uncomfortable with me,” the second year replied, “I want to do something to fix it.”

“Huh,” he said, more an expression of his disbelief than an actual question. Sure, Silver could be considered nice, but something about the explanation was off. He’s really not sure why, but he just knows it’s far more personal—that it had to do with that someone being you as opposed to you being just anyone.

“Well, FINE! I’ll give you my assistance just this once, so DON’T put it to waste, Silver!”

V. SILVER gets to talk to you, finally

“Since when were you so interested in my friend?”

Since Silver had seen you with Sebek, if he had to be honest. He hadn’t been sure if that was an acceptable thing to tell someone so he hadn’t admitted it to the younger boy, but that was the truth.

It wasn’t that he had only been aware of you then—he knew you existed, had seen you around more than a few times on campus—but noticing you was inevitable when you chose to stick to a presence as loud as Sebek Zigvolt.

As for why he had taken an interest in you… there were a few reasons. 

The first would probably be curiosity—what kind of person could not only withstand the half-fae’s volume, but could also manage to pull him away from constantly following Malleus (without having to be dismissed in annoyance!)

The second was somewhat Sebek related, but also quite a general reason—it was your general disposition. There was just something heartwarming about the way you interacted with your friends (Sebek in particular—it was hard not to be in awe). Yes, he never made a habit of watching you, but seeing you from the corner of his eye, goofing around and spitting out jokes, never failed to liven up his mood.

The third was… something he couldn’t quite place about your attitude towards him. 

At first he had assumed you hated him, but Sebek in all of his bluntness had expressed exasperation at the idea, so he supposed that wasn’t the case. Silver then figured he was the problem and, well… considering you seemed to have a hard time holding a conversation with him, perhaps that was the case.

It shouldn’t have mattered—people were entitled to dislike whoever they liked—but the idea of you specifically not liking his presence, especially when he enjoyed your presence  on campus… It was quite the upsetting thought. 

He wasn’t asking to be close to you, but it would have been nice to have a few conversations with you in between classes.

Whatever the problem was, Sebek said he would try to help decrease the awkward tension, but… was making himself your chaperone the ideal way to do such a thing?

“SEBEK…!” 

Maybe not, considering you were (angrily? fiercely?) whispering a flurry of things to the mint-haired boy, who was (far more loudly) whispering back. Still, the context clues were not enough for him to figure out what the two of you were conversing about—other than that it was about him.

“Don’t you dare…”

“...push…helping…

“I don’t…I told you already…”

“...assuming…for you…Silver.”

In any other circumstance, he would have pointed out that it was rude of Sebek to be talking about him to someone while he was literally in front of him, but he figured that you would just use it as an excuse to, well, excuse yourself from the situation, so he kept his mouth shut.

At some point the both of you remembered that he was in earshot distance, the two of you owlishly looking at him.

Sebek nudges you, you nudge him right back, and not for the first time Silver wonders if he could ever achieve that level of comfort with you… which was an odd thing to think about, considering he should probably be aiming to at least complete a full conversation first and foremost.

“Hi Silver!” you greeted, as though you had just noticed him, as though he hadn’t been standing there for at least five minutes. 

At least you’re not walking away from him this time around.

“So… what are… Do you need Sebek for something?”

Sebek rolled his eyes but didn’t say a word for once, clearly expecting you or Silver to do most of the talking. Considering his fellow guard was always the more talkative one of the two… that was asking for a lot more than Sebek might have realized.

Right… What now? If Sebek had informed him of this beforehand he might have thought of something to say

Silver looked down at his wrist before realizing he wasn’t wearing a watch, then looked at yours to see if you were—you hadn’t been. He then fished his phone out of his pocket, only to find out that he had forgotten to charge it last night (had he passed out before doing so?), so he turned to Sebek, who only looked mildly disappointed at the silence.

“What time is it?”

“Half past four.”

“Do either of you have any classes left today?”

“We’re both done,” you responded, “why?”

“Maybe we should all get something to eat or drink then,” Silver said, “there’s a lot of tea in Diasomnia, but Mostro should have coffee if you prefer that.”

He’s heard you laugh a dozen times before but you’ve never done it in front of him and sure, you try to stifle it within seconds, but the idea that something about him humored you had him smiling in return.

Even though he wasn’t quite sure what was funny.

“Coffee? You could have just said you wanted Sebek to go away—I’d understand, really.”

“For your information! I can drink coffee as long as there’s milk in it!”

“Yeah right. Coffee with milk? More like milk with coffee.”

The conversation had returned to mostly being led by you and Sebek once more, with Silver responding whenever he felt it suited. Still, all three of you were heading to the same place, so he supposed there was always later in the afternoon to get closer to you.

He feels Sebek pat him on the back during the few seconds you look away to greet someone in passing, and he says,

“You did okay, I guess… but don’t expect me to help you anymore after this.”

He thinks it might just be a compliment, or some form of approval.

VI. SEBEK gives decent advice

“You talked to him just fine yesterday! What do you mean you’re too shy to talk to him again?!”

Things had been going well, hadn’t it? He had watched you interact with Silver and you were actually forming words instead of foaming at the mouth over your crush. You were having a laugh with Silver and discussing your respective hobbies with him, even letting him have a taste of your order! 

Sebek had been all proud of you too, even with the shared jokes about him (which were haha funny, he was so getting back at you later)! What happened?!

“That’s because you were there! I’m too nervous to go up to him on my own!”

“I can’t just be there to babysit you all the time, now can I?!”

He didn’t want to invalidate your feelings or anything of the sort—some conversations in the past with you have led him to realize that—but it was difficult for a partial-bystander, partial-participant like him to not feel frustrated at the situation. 

You’re his friend, and Silver is… Silver is the only other person his age from his hometown, so while he understands that he doesn’t actually have to get involved, he also feels this need to make sure things go well for the both of you. Not necessarily romantically, but anywhere you (and he SUPPOSED Silver) would feel happy would be good in his books.

He gives the both of you a few minutes to just… sit, for him to think with his head and not the stress hormones in his body. The cortisol levels needed to die down just a bit else his blood pressure rise or his digestive system weakens.

“Sorry–”

“Stupid,” Sebek interrupted, “don’t say sorry about things you shouldn’t be sorry about. You said what you felt, I replied with what I thought about it, and that’s that. I’m not sorry that I’m kind of annoyed with you sometimes, but you’re not obligated to follow my recommendations either. Be annoyed with me back, if you want to!”

You blinked at him for a few moments, taking your sweet time in having the words sink in your skull, then laughed as you called him stupid back. You probably agreed, or so he would like to think.

“Even if I didn’t want to, you're always annoying, Sebek.”

He ignored your rudeness in favor of returning the conversation back to what it was initially, albeit with some more delicacy on his end.

“Why are you so nervous around him?” Sebek asked, realizing he had never seriously discussed it with you before. He’d poke fun at it, but never really stopped to question why you froze up so easily around your crush. 

Maybe it was because he thought it was the natural thing to do around someone you liked, at least based on the stories he’s heard and read, but there had to be, if not a logical reason, a personal reason behind it.

“I get that you like him and all but he’s just… a regular human.”

“Easy for you to say! Not only have you known him since childhood, but you’re also not a regular human!” you interjected. Despite the jab you did seem to want to answer properly, so he let you collect your thoughts for a minute, figure out how to explain yourself.

“I don’t know. I guess I’ve always liked him from afar,” you admitted, “he was this… handsome and shining figure—quiet, but charming and diligent. He was just… so cool that I couldn’t help but admire him.”

Sebek would have pretended to gag at any other time, but upon listening to you he wondered what Silver would have felt had he heard the way you described him, how far it was from hatred.

“What do you think about him after talking to him yesterday?”

“He… he was so considerate even though I thought I was being a complete weirdo sometimes! So kind and helpful and occasionally funny. Was it possible for someone to be so…wow!” Despite the slew or praises leaving your lips, the irony of you sounding as if you were lamenting your feelings was not lost on him. 

“I think I like him more than I thought. It’s making me more nervous, just thinking about interacting with him and messing up somehow.”

It was then that Sebek had come to a realization, an actual finding as opposed to another hypothesis—the way you saw Silver, the way Silver saw you, the obstacles in your path that blocked you from being comfortable with the guy you liked so much.

“Silver’s just a guy.”

“He’s–”

“No, listen to me,” Sebek interrupted. He’s always had a voice that demanded to be listened to, booming like thunder, but when his voice was steady and firm it was like he was asking, maybe even begging. 

“I don’t mean it like it’s a bad thing. I’m just saying that no matter how perfect and amazing you think he is, he is just a normal guy,” he said, “so it’s okay if you mess up because he messes up too… a lot, actually.”

You wouldn’t say anything at first and he wondered if you perhaps didn’t believe him, or if he worded things a bit harshly. Should he try to lighten the mood? Should he double down and explain some more?

“I’m serious! I can list a whole bunch off the top of my head right this instant if you want!”

“No! No, not needed. I feel like I should hear that from Silver himself? Or Lilia? You spent your childhoods with him, right?”

Your laughter only stayed for a second or two, but the length didn’t matter much. As long as it was genuine.

“That… might actually be some really good advice,” you admitted; he was only able to detect a smidge of disbelief, “it’d be nice if you took… ah, nevermind.”

“You can say what you want to say.”

“I’ll save it for later,” you replied, shaking your head, “otherwise we’d be cooped up in my room until sunrise talking about all our issues.”

“You talk as if I haven’t been on the receiving end of that before.”

“Okay, point.”

A few minutes pass where neither of you do any talking and while it’s not uncomfortable Sebek does wonder if he should get up and leave, if you would prefer to be left to your own devices. Before he can do that, however, you ask one last question.

“Do you think I could ever be this comfortable with Silver? You know, where I can rant to him, or talk about any insecurities I have, or anything along those lines.”

He’s not really sure if the question was rhetorical, more you pondering and less expecting an answer out of him, but he replies with his thoughts anyway.

“Maybe start with your hobbies first, or his favorite food or something,” Sebek says, only half joking, “but if… once you get closer? I might have to start arguing with him about who knows you better!”

“Stupid…you already argue with him about everything anyway!”

VII. SILVER talks to you, the sequel

Sebek can’t chaperone you all the time. Friendship aside, he’s a busy first year with other people to follow around and other people to (excitedly) ask about their days, after all.

That’s what Sebek tells Silver, although the latter’s not sure why he’s suddenly become the replacement to keep you company, or why you need a replacement at all. 

The answer is probably that you don’t. You’ve escorted yourself from class to your room just fine before Sebek became your friend and it’s not like you’ve forgotten how to do it on your own. 

He’s well aware that Sebek’s trying to get him to do something and while he’s not sure what it could be, Silver had no plans to say no anyway. 

He’s been wanting to talk to you again—reasons difficult to describe but could at least be summed up as simply wanting to be around you—so for as long as his presence isn’t needed elsewhere he’ll take the chance to do so.

(Something in his gut tells him neither his father nor Sebek will try to call his cell phone anytime soon.)

He made his way from his last class to yours… but not before drinking the leftovers of his afternoon coffee—just in case. He’s sure you know of his predicament and he has no doubts you’ll be nice about it, but it’d be upsetting if a conversation with you was cut short.

You smile upon meeting his eyes and he can’t help himself from smiling back. It wasn’t that he was trying to stop himself from doing so, but more so that it was less a conscious choice and more a natural reaction. You actually seemed happy to see him this time, and the thought of you being happy because of that made him… glad. 

He’s not as verbose as… literally every fae (and half-fae, on that account) he knows, but the word seemed good enough to describe his present feelings.

“I feel like I should apologize on Sebek’s behalf,” you said, trailing after him as the both of you moved through the crowded hallways, “he’s… he means well, but he likes to meddle.”

He understands what you mean—Sebek at his very core is a well-meaning worrywart, but he doesn’t really get what that has to do with you. He simply assumed that this was Sebek going against his once-in-this-lifetime-assistance promise, but apparently you knew something about the first year’s motivations that he didn’t.

That or Sebek had ratted him out, which was just… awkward. Imagining himself explaining his thought process… He himself was having difficulties sorting it out, new reasons popping up one after another, so having to choose what reason to give you or worse, having to tell you everything… 

No thank you.

“That’s just how he is,” he shrugged, “but I don't mind. I enjoy talking to you.”

“Sorry?!” you sputtered, as though unable to fathom the thought of it. Before he could repeat himself or ask why you seemed shocked, you followed up with, “I… not that I don’t feel the same, but why?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” he asked, eyebrows furrowed, “does there have to be a reason?”

He does have his reasons, but all the same those reasons stemmed from him simply feeling that way, not exactly anything logical he could explain.

“I guess not, but we’ve only had a proper conversation… like, last time? All the other times I, uh, cut it off short,” you looked a bit sheepish at the admission. “Sorry about that by the way. I didn’t hate you or anything.”

Oh. Unless you were particularly good at reading his thoughts, Sebek did relay back to you about some things he asked about you. 

While he’s not as competitive as the younger boy, he’ll try to get back at him next training.

“That’s good,” he said, a small sense of relief filling him. Not that he thought Sebek was lying, but it was still nice to hear it from you. “It would be bad if you did, since…”

He thought about your question again—what could he possibly say to get you to understand without being too upfront, or vague, or confusing?

“Since?”

“Talking to you is a good way to relax after class,” Silver said, admittedly just saying the first reason he could think of, which was what he thought to be a decently-worded depiction of the truth. 

“Well, when you put it like that, I totally get what you–”

“Seeing you soothes me.”

Maybe Silver shouldn’t have said that last portion. However, what’s done is already done, and while you keep walking with him, you neither look at him nor speak to him. He wished he could understand what you were thinking, or that he could ask someone for advice at this moment without you knowing.

Realistically the silence lasts only for a minute or two, but by the time that you break it it feels like ten at the last, and it’s to the point that he inwardly sighs in relief that you don’t seem particularly upset or perturbed.

“I feel the same,” you replied, “similarly, I mean… maybe not the exact same, there’s probably some differences, but, you know.”

“Right,” he agreed, simply happy that his current feelings towards you were not seen as anything odd, that it was mutual. 

“So… Do you have to go back to your room immediately?” Silver asked, “I was wondering if you wanted to grab something to drink or eat again today.”

VIII. SEBEK tries to give love advice

“Silver, why are you in my room?!” 

That was the first question Sebek had asked Silver. The second was,

“Why are you asking me? Go ask Master Lilia!”

Normally Sebek would try to answer any question thrown at him, mostly because he found himself knowledgeable enough to at least be able to answer anything academic, but Silver’s questions were so far removed from the academic curriculum. It wasn’t even training or physical fitness related!

Books and (unsolicited) advice from his parents (and Silver’s father) aside, he’s NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP! NEVER BEEN, NO PLANS TO BE FOR A LONG TIME (note: while in Night Raven College), so just why did Silver think HE was the person to go for things like this!

He only put up with it because you’re a friend! What’s Silver’s excuse?

“But the two of you are best friends? So it would be better to ask you for advice, right?”

… Okay, maybe Silver had him there.

“Okay, FINE!” Sebek sighed, pulling out a chair—for himself, of course. The intruder could stand there all he wanted. “What’s the issue now?”

Seriously! It’s been, what, a month or two of the both of you talking normally (meaning without his help) and hanging out (again, finally without him trailing after to make sure neither one of you messed up somehow, or checking up on you every so often through text to make sure Silver hasn’t said anything to break your heart or whatever), but somehow neither one of you have made a move! What is going on?!

Again, he was too busy with academics and it’d be nice if everyone followed suit with that mentality, but if the feelings are already there? Might as well act on it! As long as Silver didn’t slack off in training, as long as you wouldn’t be too distracted with love to focus on your classes, wasn’t it alright?

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but I think I… no, I’m sure that I like…” Silver paused, as if rethinking his decision to tell Sebek after all. Honestly, Sebek already anticipated the question, so he really didn’t need to continue. Still, he admired his lack of cowardice and ability to actually speak your name.

“As you should,” he replied instantly, thanking the Great Seven that progress was finally being made! “I would be surprised if you didn’t.”

“Sebek, just to clarify, I don’t mean it in a purely platonic manner.”

If he was talking to you, he probably would find a more delicate, but still very much genuinely him way to word his upcoming statement. It’s Silver, though, so he speaks his truth unabashedly.

“Silver, I KNOW!” Sebek huffed, with neither the grace nor sensitivity he believed people typically wanted in situations like these. “Imagine! Someone tells you they think your friend’s laughter reminds them of the chirping of birds, that their smile is like the coming of springtime. Do you think me incapable of connecting the dots, Silver?”

Really, he was getting used to hearing the compliments from you, but hearing them from Silver made him want to grab one of the horses from the stable and simply get as far away as possible. It reminded him of his parents and their sickly sweet words to each other, except this was obviously worse because his parents were together, the both of you were not… yet!

“Hold on,” Silver said, and Sebek doesn’t get why he wouldn’t just spit it out already. Hold on to what? His patience? He was trying because you deserved a good confession straight from the source and not from a third party (otherwise known as him)!

“If you know, and you’ve known for a while now, then–”

“No, of course not! Do you think I possess the audacity to tell on you?” he huffed, honestly taking offense at the implication. Sure, he’s told on Silver here and there, and maybe a few other times once or twice because he deserved it, but CERTAINLY not with something as important as feelings!

“If anything, I’m upset that you’ve told me first! Should you not be acting on your feelings instead?”

“I came here to ask for advice, remember?”

Sebek frowned. Why do humans have to make things complicated?

“You don’t need advice! Just don’t break my friend’s heart and don’t confess half-heartedly! Is that not simple?”

Silver looked stunned by something for once, which honestly? Good! At least that meant the information was being absorbed into that brain of his.

“Huh. That might actually be decent advice, coming from you.”

Déjà vu aside, he huffed in reply.

“Don’t be surprised, of course I can give decent advice,” he said, “even if I don’t want to give any. So don’t ask me again.” Just please get together already so I can sleep peacefully at night without having to worry about this for once! 

Silver only smiles and says thank you, as though he knew Sebek would not be able to stop himself from providing his assistance anyway if either you or him needed it.

IX. YOU and SILVER finally talk about that 

Unbeknownst to each other, the both of you have thought about being the one to confess first. It’s partially motivated by Sebek, who genuinely seems to be positive that nothing will go wrong and that it is merely nervousness keeping the both of you from reaching some storybook happily ever after. Realistically the both of you know that reality can often be different from expectations, but his optimism is quite infectious.

The other motivator is simply the both of you not being able to help yourselves from spilling out phrases of praise for the other, not merely to Sebek but to your fellow peers as well. 

And, well, the idea that even if the feelings were not returned, the receiving party would at least be gentle with the rejection.

Plans aside, neither of you actually thought today would be the day, but Sebek had excused himself early (something to do with his Young Master Malleus, who Silver knew wasn’t actually requesting for his presence at all) and it did not look like he was coming back anytime soon.

“He’s been doing that lately,” you said, as used to it as Silver is, “leaving the both of us together.”

“So you’ve noticed it as well,” he replied, though it would be surprising if you hadn’t, “that time at the library–”

“And that time in the greenhouse–”

“When we left campus as well to roam around town, then he simply left us to join some of the other first years.”

There were so many chances even when your mutual friend wasn’t making them out of his own volition, but none of those times seemed particularly right to say anything, moreso just a chance to spend more time with each other, a chance both of you were eager to take. 

Something about this afternoon—or evening, or the time in between the both of them—was different from all the afternoons you’ve spent together, though.

Maybe it was because of the sky—the explosion of pinks and purples and blues as the dusk began to settle, a sky that reminded you of Silver’s eyes, not necessarily in hue but in its salience, a call to attention. 

Maybe it was because it was a quiet, peaceful time—a fair weather that Silver found himself prone to falling asleep to, and yet he felt no sense of drowsiness or tiredness whatsoever, merely contentment to be seated next to you.

“You know, I asked Sebek once, a few months ago, if he thought I could ever become close to you,” you admitted, with just enough courage to stare him straight in the face. “I know I already said sorry, but sorry about all those times I ran away from you. You made me nervous sometimes.”

“I asked him about something similar before, too.” Sort of, although he was far more straightforward when it came to questioning him about you. He can admit now that he’s glad that the boy kept his lips sealed quite tightly, a certain delight in learning things about you through you yourself.

“Is there a reason to be nervous around me, though? I’m having a tough time envisioning anything I’ve done to warrant that…”

You laughed, a tinge of embarrassment slipping out—perhaps directed at your past, perhaps because of the present, or how your next choice of words could affect the future. 

“Because I liked you.”

It’s silent for a few moments, the loudest sounds being that of the rustling leaves and the critters of a nearby forest, but strangely enough it’s not as scary as you thought it would be. At the very least, that’s what you will keep telling yourself—your affections are a secret begging to be spilled.

“Even though I never talked to you that much, I just enjoyed seeing you go about your day out of the corner of my eye. I like the way you carry yourself—you’re so cool and laidback and devoted that I thought I would embarrass myself if I even spoke a word to you,” you said, shaking your head at the memories, “I used to think you were so perfect compared to me.”

“I’m not–”

“I realized that eventually,” you intercepted. As brave as you found yourself at this moment, you were scared that if you were not to say your peace immediately, the conversation could be derailed, or that you would lose the courage to confess completely. “I’m glad I did. I don’t think I would have gotten to spend time with you like this otherwise.”

“Then… I’m glad you did, too,” Silver said in agreement, “because I was in a similar situation.”

“You were?!”

“Somewhat. It’s more in the sense that… Do you remember when I told you I thought your presence was soothing?” He waited for a second, continuing when you nodded your head. “That wasn’t a lie, but it was also a bit of an understatement. 

“For the longest time I’ve always enjoyed your presence, and it came to a point where I wanted to be around you more often and to get to know you instead of just being at the same time and place as you,” Silver said, “I think we just had different approaches to our feelings.”

“That sounds about right,” you replied, finding some humor in the situation, “I guess it’s a good thing that we found our way to becoming friends somehow.”

“It was.”

Neither you nor Silver follow up on that right away. It’s not that it’s not possible to say what either one of you have been leading up to anymore, but more so figuring out how to lead up to it. Was there a particular way the other wanted to hear it, and how could they combine that with their own words and feelings?

“You said you liked me,” Silver said, giving pause as if to allow you some time to correct him, or to clarify that you meant one way and not the other. 

The idea of you liking him had never occurred to him.

Well, no, that wouldn’t be right—he’s thought of it before, but it was always attached with the plan of him having to take you out on a date or two first, or at the very least asking to be given a chance to win you over. 

Still, he can’t find it in himself to mourn that he had not realized sooner. There was always a proper timing to these things, and if now was the perfect moment to strike, to act on it, then so be it.

“Do you still like me?”

“...That’s not a very fair question,” you said. It’s a half-hearted complaint at best, more of a request on your behalf than anything, but Silver heeded it regardless.

“Sorry, you’re right,” he replied, “then let me be the one to tell you first.”

Silver takes a deep breath, shakes off any nerves that could still be on him, and, for as much as you would allow, looks you straight in the eye as he conveys his confession.

“I like you. I’ve liked you for a while now, I hope it’s okay with you that I feel this way,” he says. He’s as serious as ever, but he says it in such a gentle, tender manner that the already tranquil mood lightens even further. 

Subconsciously, the both of you realize it then—if there were any odds against him, against you, none of them existed now. There could only be a happy ending written for the both of you.

“Being around you calms me, and yet I find myself staying awake for as long as possible just so I can listen to you. Even when I end up falling asleep I know I can trust you to wake me up, and when I do wake up, I find myself more rejuvenated than usual because your face is the first thing I see.

“I thank you for always gracing me with your presence, but all the same I want something more with you,” Silver trails off after, letting out a small huff of laughter as a sheepish grin settles on his face. “Is that too forward? I’ve been told that I could be quite…”

“Not at all.”

The tips of your fingers tap against his knuckles before enveloping his clenched fist with your hand. Any vulnerabilities, words and feelings never spoken until today, will be held carefully by you—and when he relaxes his body, his palm glides against yours, and he promises that he will carry your affections just as gently as you do his own.

X. SEBEK receives his well-deserved peace, somewhat (OUTTAKE)

Sebek was well-aware of his role in your relationship, so he was not the least bit surprised that you and Silver would (separately, and then once more together) not only make sure he was the first to find out, but to thank him for his services as well.

He alternated between rolling his eyes and pretending his help was no big deal and demanding that he be recognized for his efforts, all before eventually not being able to help himself from bursting into a grin and congratulating the both of you.

Mostly you, but he wasn’t sure he was able to hide his approval properly from Silver.

Sebek was genuinely happy for the both of you, of course, but he would not deny that a part of his delight stemmed from no longer having to be on the receiving end of whatever will-they-won’t-they trope the both of you were applying. Even when he wasn’t losing his mind listening to the both of you, he was losing it by watching the both of you interact (at a distance. What was he, a stalker? He had more important things to do than pay attention to a budding romance!)

For the most part, peace was achieved. You still invited him out frequently, sometimes with Silver and sometimes without, and nothing really changed between him and Silver either other than having another mutual person to protect.

What Sebek did not anticipate was to be on the receiving end of questions from the two he respected the most—one who was upset to be told of the recent developments later than he would have wanted, and another who was ready to pry any details his foster son neglected to tell him.

This was Silver’s fault, so why was he on the receiving end of the complaints all of a sudden?! Was this what he got for keeping his mouth shut?!

“Silver…!”

His rival better prepare—even if he was your significant other, he won’t be exempt from his wrath tomorrow morning.

end notes | masterlist of all my works

[1] The initial idea for the fic was pure humor and fluff with a bunch of clichés and Silver being jealous of protective BFF Sebek and reader. I kept the Sebek BFF dynamic because I love him, though his protectiveness is actually toned down to something more "I have my eye on you but you're free to get to know my friend just treat them well" than pure "Silver you are on my DNI list".

[2] I also mostly discarded the jealous Silver idea. Silver is less "I'm jealous that Sebek is your s/o even though he actually isn't" (made sure to have Sebek clarify it right away) and more "I'm jealous that he was able to form this genuine connection with you, and that other people can be in your presence. I want to be one of the people in your circle too." I don't mind the first type of jealousy, I think it's cute when played for laughs + good drama if executed well, but it's not what I was going for.

[3] I also tried to get the idea across immediately that Sebek does not have romantic feelings for the reader. I didn't want to use that trope. I don't want him to be sad. In the platonic sense, he loves reader and Silver (would rather die than admit it), so he's in this spot where he thinks it's "ew gross" but also "you're both good people so you should both be happy and i want to be supportive but why are both of you taking so long why are u stupid oh seven let this go well i will scream if this doesn't"

[4] Chemistry is one of the subjects I was weaker in back in high school so excuse my bare minimum research but Sebek feels like the type to go "MY CORTISOL CIRCULATION IS IN HIGH LEVELS RIGHT NOW DO NOT APPROACH OR I WILL YELL AT YOU" instead of "wow im fucking stressed!" like any other normie would lol

[5] Another thing I was a bit delicate with is Sebek's pushing, and that while he has his frustrations he doesn't completely diminish reader's insecurities or difficulty in talking with Silver specifically. I imagine that it happened in the past, but he's probably working to be more understanding of others, reader in particular bc friendship and favoritism lol.

[6] I was really stuck on what I think Silver would appreciate the most in a person and how he would fall in love with them. Of course all dynamics are fun and I want to use different personalities and types of readers in the future, but for this one I decided to have reader remind Silver of the pleasant and peaceful things in life. I liked the idea that they've both admired each other from a far, like a "this person really heals me…" but while Silver wants to get closer and tries to act on it, Reader instinctively wants to run away bc they like him so much. The pure romance trope, basically.

Ace:

Falls First: Ace ✧ Falls Harder: You

Ace really has no choice but to fall first--and he's obvious about it too. Did you really think all that flirting was just his personality? Sure, he can be a little flirtatious now and then, but he lays it on real thick for you.

Besides--with the way he insults Deuce and Grim, you have to know that you've gotten special treatment from the start. Heck, the whole reason he started taunting you on the first day of school was because he thought you were cute!

You've just made him fall more and more every day since. Your courage, your determination, your logic in times of fear--in his eyes, you were a warrior. He'd follow you anywhere.

It's only a little while later that you fall harder.

You start to notice this feeling during Riddle's overblot--the way Ace jumps in front of you to protect you, and the way his first instinct after the battle is to make sure you got out safe. The moment was so intense that it wouldn't surprise you if you were entirely forgotten about, but Ace never left your side, even when the battle got rough.

Then you notice how he's the first to defend you in any situation--not just physical fights, but verbal spats as well. If anyone gives you lip you're certain Ace is gonna mouth off right back, and he's practically an expert at making even the most confident people feel ashamed of themselves.

Aside from all of that, he's always there for you, emotionally and otherwise. He notices when you're upset or stressed or furious and he knows just what to do to help you feel better. He doesn't give up on you until he knows you're okay, and you've come to find he's the most reliable person you have.

It was when he told you he'd make sure to find you a way home that you finally gave in--you fell the hardest. Even though he didn't hide the fact that he wanted you to stay--that he wanted to keep you in Twisted Wonderland for as long as possible--he knew you had a life in your other world that you missed. Before his desire to keep you came your happiness, and so even if that meant losing you, you still had his services.

...of course, the situation would never come to that. If you managed to get to Twisted Wonderland once you'd be able to do it again, and there's no way you could completely forget about this world now. Sure, your old home has a place in your heart, but so do your friends here at NRC, and most importantly, so does Ace.

You two have each other's backs, and as far as you're both concerned, that relentless love was there to stay.

Deuce:

Falls First: Deuce ✧ Falls Harder: You

Oh, you know Deuce went through the whole 'I've fallen in love with my best friend!' arc in the most panicked way possible.

He realizes his feelings fast. Remember that chicken conversation? Where you told him even honors kids defended themselves? Where you supported him, even after learning his dark little secret? He's pretty sure that's when he fell... and it's his next conversation with his mom that causes it to dawn on him.

He was only trying to tell her about you--describing the way you've supported him, what you meant to him, and how smart and kind and bold and beautiful you were...

He spends every moment after trying to keep his feelings under wraps, but he just can't.

He looks out for you--he's tries to avoid picking fights, but he can't help it when it's you who's getting picked on.

He confides in you--it's just too easy for him to place his heart in your hands, and no matter what he tells you he knows you'll guard it with your heart.

You were just... perfect.

But oh, when you realize your feelings for Deuce?

His presence becomes a constant in your life before you know it--walking you safely back to Ramshackle every evening, studying for tests together, sharing food in the cafeteria--whether it's a month or a week or even a day, long times without seeing him just become too long.

He's so determined and so full of love. He's fiercely loyal to his friends, he has such a pure love for his mom, and he's always standing up for those in trouble. It doesn't matter if he knows them or not--if someone's getting picked on, he rushes in to save them.

And goodness, his smile? It's a constant in your life. Seeing the way he lights up when you enter the room melts your heart every time.

Of course, the list of reasons to fall in love with him is endless--what matters is that you realize it. It hits you when he left for Winter break, and it strikes again when he comes back, early, having left his time with his family to come check up on your safety. Even then, he never complained--he showed no regret in coming back, even when he knew you were safe.

The love you two share is something reliable, trustworthy and enduring--there's no doubt by you or anyone else that it will forever stand the test of time.

Riddle:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Riddle

It wasn't out of love that Riddle fussed over you, but that was probably the first thing that caused your heart to skip a beat.

Well, that was part of the reason anyways. The part of him that really caught your attention was his growth; after his overblot, he was truly a changed person. He was more understanding, more patient, more playful, and best of all--more open with his feelings.

He learned to open up and experience a world outside of the abusive shell he was raised in. He found joy in friendships with his dorm mates that once held nothing but fear and contempt for him. He learned to take criticism without entirely brushing it aside and claiming he was in the right, but he didn't lose his old self entirely either. He kept the charm.

He kept his diligence. He remained as hardworking as ever, and his academic prowess proved it. He was still a great leader, running a tight ship and bringing the best out of his dorm. He was just... incredible.

You found yourself treasuring every moment with him in your heart, and all those sweet memories shared between the two of you built up into what you could confidently say was love. A part of you knew you'd fallen too quickly for him though, and so while you enjoyed every interaction with him you held your feelings close to your heart and kept them there.

That is... until Riddle had fallen as well.

The first signs were through his actions. He had a tendency to fuss over you before, but now it was like you had your own personal spotlight--and not necessarily in a nagging way. Sure, he'd smooth out the tie of your uniform now and again, but what really caught everyone's attention was the way he'd fume if you visited Heartslabyul without being served tea, or the way he'd insist on walking you to dorms and classes incase someone tried to mess with you. He was just... doting, and protective, and all those other sweet things that caught his dormmates by surprise.

The next signs came after he realized his feelings--it just dawned on him one day, with the help of Trey and Cater spelling it out for him. After that, he could hardly look you in the eye and his face was always--always--red.

Still, the doting habits never left, so while he would blush and stutter he still always walked you to class, looked out for you and made you feel as welcome as possible whenever you'd drop by.

Once you two got together, it only got sweeter from there. Riddle and you have a supportive kind of love--you bring out the best in each other and encourage each other. You share dreams and aspirations and believe in each other's worth, and are always there to remind the other if they ever forget.

More concrete than any rule or law is the foundation of love the two of you share together--with Riddle, it was perfect.

Cater:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Cater

When you first met Cater, you got butterflies.

He was just so... charming. Charismatic. Brilliant. Even in a world you barely knew with disaster around every corner, you could have a single conversation with him and feel safe.

Of course, most of it's a ruse. Cater is not as chill as he seems--he hides his opinions and keeps his cards close to his chest, though with the way he acts you'd never know unless you bother to observe him.

Still... even if it's an act, you find it admirable. He's kind and funny and sensitive to the feelings of those around him, and so in your opinion it doesn't matter how 'fake' he probably thought it all is; he's a good guy, a guy with a good heart and great skill and an insane amount of charm. He would invite you to hang out with him, pull you closer for spontaneous selfies and always hype you up when you were at your lowest.

You wanted to get to know him more, so you did. You showed him the hidden parts of yourself in hopes that he would do the same, but even if he didn't, you still saw through the mask once in a while.

You loved every new thing you learned about him and, well, you loved him in general. He was your person, you were certain of it.

Initially Cater wasn't uneasy about your vulnerability, but he did feel guilty over it.

It was natural for people to open up to him--it was a side effect of his personality, he supposes. Being so extroverted and cheerful all the time caused him to accidentally lead people on, and make them think he was more fond of them than he genuinely felt.

Of course, he wished he could be that guy! He tries, but he just can't bring himself to feel the same way. He had people around every corner claiming him as their true love, their best friend, their partner in crime--and yet amongst dozens of supposed 'best friends', there wasn't a single one who seemed to care about the real him.

Well... except you.

You stuck around longer. You asked questions no one else bothered to. You complimented the parts of his personality that even he forgot about, the parts that weren't all about his charisma and enthusiasm--and despite how much he tried to keep up his usual self around you, he felt it start to crumble.

You were a really sweet person--that was his first thought, and at first he wished it would remain that way. You were just sweet--that was all there was too it. But then you became a friend. You became a person who could read when he wasn't feeling like his usual self. You became someone who could catch onto even the littlest hints he dropped, like the way Trey found out he doesn't like sweets. You became that person who--when he was uncomfortable, when he felt awful for leading people on, when he didn't have the energy to be so jovial--you would always slyly make excuses for him and help him escape those awful things.

Then you became his person.

You fell first, but Cater fell harder. Whoever said you can't love someone until you love yourself is wrong, because Cater was head-over-heels for you even before you helped him learn to love himself.

His behavior isn't so different--he still takes photos with you, drags you everywhere, and hypes you up any minute of the day. This time though, it's not an act--it's pure, smitten love.

Trey:

Falls First: Trey ✧ Falls Harder: You

At first, Trey admires your friendship.

He sees it every day: the way you care for Ace and Deuce, the way you care for Grim, the way you always seem to go the extra mile for them even when it seems unnecessary. He finds your crew to be incredibly lucky, because it doesn't take a genius to tell that you're full of love and loyalty for those lucky few you consider friends.

At first, Trey wants that friendship for himself.

He starts by inviting you to bake with him. He invites you to Unbirthday parties as well. He'll walk you through Heartslabyul traditions and rules, which not only pose as a way to bond with you but also get you in good graces with Riddle--which ultimately leads to you being invited to the Heartslabyul dorm even more.

You befriend him quickly, and Trey loves that you consider him a close friend... but there's still something missing, because when he's with you he still wants more. It takes him a while to identify it, but when he does, it all makes sense.

He fancies you.

No, that's not right--it's grown beyond a crush at this point. He's in love.

You don't fall for Trey because of the way he suddenly dotes on you more and more; it's more like you fell for him because he revealed himself more and more to you.

At first, it's easy to dismiss Trey as a cliche older brother type--too mellow and too well-behaved to catch your eye, which regrettably was your impression for quite a bit there.

After all, compared to the other chaotic students in Heartslabyul, Trey seemed to be the only one who wasn't entirely off his rocker. It made him stick out, but not in an interesting or exciting way.

Then you realized that, no, Trey wasn't just mellow and passive, nor was his head as attached to his body as it seems; he was playful and chaotic in his own way, but he was so smart about it that he could get away with almost anything.

...and when he was fond of you? He'd pretty much help you get away with anything too.

You caused quite a lot of chaos together under Riddle's nose. Trey would use his unique magic to pull subtle pranks, kidnap you from your dorm to bake the sweetest snacks, and teach you how to break rules without getting collared.

He'd make sarcastic or cynical jokes under his breath just for you to hear, propose rebellious ideas to you out of earshot, and teach you how to get revenge on those who mess with you in the sneakiest, funniest way. And, on top of that, he still has his responsible charm--he does well in school, is beloved by teachers and students alike and can solve any problem he's presented with. It's fascinating.

You'd never have predicted it, but you fell for Trey hard. Love with him is safe and trusting, but at the same time, it never loses its spark.

Leona:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Leona

You have no idea why you fell for him. He's arrogant and lazy and crass and... and...

And amazing, at literally everything he puts his mind to.

Your love starts out as admiration. You love his brain, his talent, his magical abilities, his athleticism, his wit, his charm, his audacity. He's confident in himself and he has every skill necessary to back it up. If he actually gave ambition a go, the world wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Eventually, you start to see the reality. He's lazy, insensitive and plays the role of the bitter prince. He acts like he doesn't care and then gets picky over the dumbest things. Your admiration turns into understanding, but the love hadn't developed yet.

You truly fell when he let you in.

Maybe it was the whole overblot thing, or maybe he started to respect you after that whole schtick with Azul, but Leona no longer acted like your presence was a bother--rather than kicking you out of his room, he'd greet you lazily and roll over on his bed, implicitly inviting you to join him for a nap. Whenever he did show up for lunch, he always sat next to you, not saying a word about it and only opening up when you initiated conversation. When he caught you in Savanaclaw--it happens quite a lot nowadays--he'd growl at those other students who harass you and welcome you to 'hang out wherever you want, as long as you don't cause a fuss'.

Romantic, right? Your heart seemed to think so. Leona's actions always spoke louder than his words.

Eventually, you were willing to admit you fell for him. While you didn't flirt outright--you weren't quite ready for him to tease you over your feelings--you started to show you cared for him in more platonic ways.

That was the catalyst to Leona falling for you.

What really won him over was the fact that you saw him. You recognized him as someone worthy of praise, and you saw value in all the qualities that people back at home would criticize.

You cherished his magic, telling him that not only was it powerful but that it had saved you at one point, during that whole thing with Azul. It was a wonderful unique magic, and he should treasure it.

You praised his intellect, his athleticism, his magic, his talents--you even told him you were impressed with how quickly he could fall asleep. His skills often went unrecognized, but you saw them all.

And... let's face it, you were amazing in general. He would have been impressed if you handled all those overblots with magic, but you've made it out of every one of those disasters magicless and still kickin’. Even though you were magicless in a school full of mages, you walked around with your head held high, like you could conquer them all; honestly, you probably could.

Sans Leona of course. He wouldn't be outdone by such a magicless little herbivore.

...but he did genuinely admire and respect you. That only made him love you more--you were his equal, his motivation, someone who gave him reason to try and someone who worked hard right along with him.

You were inspiring, and motivating, and... gosh, he loved you.

He doesn't verbalize it well, but he shows it--the love you two share is the kind of love that you can feel down to your bones, a love no lack of self esteem or anxiety could ever make you question. You could trust in Leona's love like you trusted the sun to shine in the sky each day; it was constant, powerful and simply wonderful.

Ruggie:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Ruggie

You have to fall for Ruggie first. It's the law.

See, Ruggie lets you know who he is right away. He treats himself like a walking resume, and thus every action, every word, every moment is used to show off who he is, what he can do, and how good he is at doing it.

His talents and work ethic aside, he's open about his personality and past too. He talks about the more vulnerable aspects of his life like he's talking about the latest episode of a TV show, and he's even honest about his more sneaky and underhanded nature--what are ya gonna do about it, stop him? He's too capable to be worried about that.

But you know, Ruggie tells you lots of things. He tells you about how he looks after the neighborhood kids back at home, about the struggles he's had to overcome growing up, about how and why he learned all the skills he did--sometimes they're funny stories, and sometimes they're so sad they make you wonder how someone like him can grin so brightly all the time.

You fall for him fast--even when he's pretty verbal about not being interested in anything besides spelldrive, food, and making money. You can't really help it.

...and when he starts to consider you a friend, telling you that you need to be a little more selfish and underhanded for your own sake, you fall more. Being one of those people Ruggie will put his selfishness aside for is a big deal, and it means a lot to you that he'd care for you in such a way.

Ruggie is slower to fall in love, but when it hits him, it hits like a brick.

At first, he thought you were naive--maybe a good person to steal food from, but no one worth bonding with. He'd let you follow him around since you seemed pretty fascinated by him, but he wasn't going to engage too much. You were a little freshman in a world you didn't know--you probably thought he'd help you out or something, but he wasn't going to be doing any favors for free.

You... never really asked him to help you out, though. Sure, you'd talk about your problems to him, but you were mostly making conversation. Your life at NRC was pretty exciting--well, if you consider constant fights, life-or-death situations and drama with nearly every big personality in the school 'exciting'. He didn't know how you could handle it all.

He respected you with the way you took all those challenges head-on. With you being around him so often, he saw the skills you brought with you from your own world and thought they were fantastic--what was even more interesting was how you used your own skillset to take on these situations. You weren't the most underhanded person (at least, compared to him) but you were competent.

He probably fell for you, though, because you weren't just around him for favors or entertainment. In fact, he's received more favors from you than he’s ever considered returning; you wouldn't accept any help he offered (whether it came with a price or not), but you were bossy and insistent when it came to being kind to him.

Take this moment for example--you had come to hang out in the stands during his spelldrive practice, and Ruggie stopped to say hi. You had snacks and Ruggie was hungry, so when he jokingly offered to 'owe you one' in exchange for something to eat you just... handed the food to him?? Like, with nothing in return? You just went, "You’re hungry, so take it. Why wouldn't I just give it to you?"

You were a strange one. A strange, wonderful one that Ruggie found himself treasuring more and more.

Eventually, it wasn't you following him around anymore--it was him that was dragging you into shenanigans, even popping by to spoil you himself. He's been pretty decided about his future since he was little--just himself with some grand job, but now he just couldn't picture it without you, however that would turn out.

Your love, contrary to his nature, is selfless. You look out for each other, spoil each other and don't seem complete without the other nearby; it was a love you didn't expect to find, but one that was always meant to be.

Jack:

Falls First: Jack ✧ Falls Harder: You

Just ask Ace and Deuce--watching a tsundere pine is like watching a house cat try to open a locked door. It's endearing to a degree, but also very hard to watch.

Jack has been pining for a while. No one can really tell for sure when it started--early on during the anemone fiasco perhaps, or maybe even earlier during the Spelldrive incidents.

After all, you didn't go about trying to cheat on your exams--even though you probably had more of an excuse than anyone, not being an actual mage and all. You didn't try to hide or fake any aspects about you--you were just genuine and kind and loyal and oh great seven he was in love.

You suppose you fell for Jack for a similar reason; he was principled and hardworking, talented and genuine, considerate and gosh--just the cutest guy ever, right??

I mean, he doesn't really consider himself the 'cute' type, but he's totally cute. Totally.

You did a lot of bonding during the whole Azul thing--by then Jack knew he was in love with you. You were a little slower, but let's be real--you didn't take too long to fall either. Going through a life-or-death situation like that got you two pretty familiar with each other pretty quickly.

Jack was just a big softie--and he was softest for you, just ask anyone. He’s protective and concerned for you, and no one can threaten you at this point without him glaring daggers over your shoulder. 'Scary dog privilege' isn’t just a joke with him--as soft as he is for you, he’s not above ripping someone's throat out.

For all his track meets, any game of spelldrive he'd play, pretty much any activity he partook in, you were in the stands cheering him on. You'd run up to him immediately afterwards and tell him how well he did, and his tail would wag every time.

You were painfully obvious about how much you loved each other, even before you were together. Ace and Deuce complained constantly because you were the type of people to make goo-goo eyes at lunch, totally unaware of how sappy you looked. Once you did get together, it wasn't just goo-goo eyes--you always ate lunch with Jack, he always tried to walk you to class, and Jack had an unofficial room in the Ramshackle dorm, which he frequented almost as much as you frequented Savanaclaw.

Jack lent you his shirts and hoodies, studied with you for every exam, and texted you goodnight before he went to bed each night; those texts were always sent almost exactly at 9:59pm, just before he goes to bed. He’s so rigid with his schedule—it’s endearing.

It’s the love you’ve always dreamed of having--the kind of love that makes single people cringe, but you know what, who cares? Wolves tend to mate for life, and it was obvious Jack had chosen you.

Azul:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Azul

It was a close call as to who fell first--just like with the contract thing though, you bested Azul by a narrow margin.

He was just so charming.

Sure, he had this suave businessman thing going on--and to be frank, you loved that part of him. You admired his charisma, his hard work, his sharp mind, his schemes. Your favorite part probably had to be his awkwardness though--that was the most charming thing about him.

It was a rare treat to see Azul truly awkward--he almost always had the self-control to present himself composed and competent, but on the rarest occasions he'd slip up and be a frazzled mess until he could flee to his office. Luckily, Jade and Floyd were more than happy to help you reduce Azul to such a state, and every time it happened it made your heart grow fonder.

After his overblot, you knew for certain you had fallen for him. Prior to, he'd been a huge source of anxiety; now that it was over, the way he turned his business around was just so... amazing. He still made deals and used his magic to his advantage, but he was more upfront about it, and the manipulation no longer became a concern.

Learning about why he did what he did made your heart bleed too. You cared for him deeply, and of course, you weren't shy about expressing it--after all, it let you see his cute flustered face even more.

Azul wasn't used to feeling so treasured by someone before.

Even Floyd and Jade were wild cards--they were loyal and good friends (despite acting like they'd ever drop him if they got bored), but you... you were certain about caring about him. You made it no secret that you thought he was smart and talented and charming and valuable and so many other wonderful compliments. At first, it almost felt like you were trying to get some sort of revenge on him, making him addicted to your presence or something.

The worst part? It was working.

Eventually, he gave in to what he wanted and started inviting you around more. He made Jade and Floyd notify him when you came to the Mostro Lounge, and when you did he always emerged from his office to serve you personally. He gave you free drinks and meals (which was not the Octavinelle way, but... don't think about it too much), let you hide out in his office with him, and offered his services whenever you struggled with school.

Jade and Floyd loved how hard Azul fell for you--there wasn't anything more entertaining in the world, because while you were always upfront about how you felt, Azul would dare try to play the denial game. Yes he was fond of you, but the L-word? Already? What... What are you talking about? Of course he wasn't... well....

And yet, his feelings always bled through anyways. He was clingy, but not in an unwelcome way--he just loved having you around and always let you know his door was open. He'd spoil you constantly, like he was trying to both show off his resources and express his lov--his fondness for you.

Eventually the awkward octo learns how to actually say the 'L-word' and when he does--boy, do you hear it often. Yes you fell first and you fell hard, but this once--just this once--Azul has you beat.

You're his heart's favorite. That's all there is to it. You're precious and lovely and great seven does he want a future with you...

...and despite you saying you weren't gonna make a deal with him again, that was one you could agree to.

Jade:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Jade

Jade is... interesting.

You're not the type to fall in love over a little intrigue of course, but it does help. From the moment you met him Jade caught your eye, and he obviously knew he did--for his own amusement, he let you follow him around. He even invited you to, in some cases.

Of course, there was the whole... Azul thing. That was a small rift in your developing affections, but even then, you got to know Jade better. You loved seeing him in the Coral Sea, seeing where he grew up, understanding the life he knew up until going to NRC. That picture Azul had you going after was really adorable too--the little Octo-trio kids were as cute as buttons, but Jade's smiling face had been your favorite amongst them.

Once Jade was no longer obligated to harass you as part of your contract with Azul, he was happy to have you around without implied hostility. When you visited the Mostro Lounge, he'd spend extra minutes at your table, talking with you and making coy remarks. When he went on excursions for his club, he'd invite you along and--hey, how could you refuse him when he was just so charming?

Jade wasn't someone you had to understand to love. He would always have an air of mystery around him--in your opinion, he was even less predictable than Floyd. After all, he posed the perfect gentleman, ever-loyal and ever-helpful, but at the same time he made mischief his right hand man. Every new thing you learned about him made you curiouser, made your heart pound more and--after just a short while--made you fall more in love.

As for Jade... he fell in love slowly. Agonizingly slow. Then again, once he fell, it was less than graceful--it was trademarked Leech chaos, to put it simply.

At first, he thought you were boring. Then, he thought you were interesting and charming, but in a quaint way. He was amused by you, but could've done with or without you for a while.

Then you became friends with him and his twin--that surprised him, because he was certain they'd have scared you away by now.

You weren't like the others. You didn't run from him--you had to be dragged away by your friends, and yet you kept coming back. You'd grown used to his mischief, and you knew how to handle the chaos he and Floyd caused without getting hurt. In fact, you were happy to indulge in chaos with them, much to Azul's chagrin.

Friendship turned into platonic devotion--an agonizing step, because he knew well enough at this point that you were in love with him. At this point, though, he didn't want to lose you, so he handled your feelings delicately and let you remain by his side. He was loyal, and doting, and would go through every effort to make you smile, which wasn't helping you suppress your feelings, not at all.

After all that, though, Jade fell--he realized when he heard you talking about your home world. He wasn't a part of the conversation, but you were talking in the Mostro Lounge and he always kept tabs on you while you were there--he was fond of you after all.

You were talking with Jack, a friend of yours that you'd bonded with because of the distress Jade and Floyd caused. You had been explaining to Jack that things were still so different here--so fascinating and new, and Jade listened as you gush and gush with curiosity and wonder about this new world around you.

That's right--you and Jade weren't so different after all. He'd never really thought about it before, but he had a similar experience coming from the Coral Sea. While he was getting used to the concepts of walking and flying you were getting used to the concepts of magic, which probably blew your mind just as much as having legs blew his.

And for you to be so curious? Well, he related to that part especially well.

His mind was suddenly filled with daydreams of exploring the world with you, and from that moment on his future didn't seem right without you in it. He wanted to keep you at his side, to learn more about you and the world around you and every other world you could travel to... and knowing you loved him in return, there was nothing that was going to stop him from trying to achieve that reality.

Your love was the kind of love that was constant no matter what was around you. In the sea, on land, in the sky, in worlds with magic and worlds without, you were hopelessly in love with each other, and with every challenge that came the two of you would always face it together.

Floyd:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Floyd

Look, you're not an idiot by any means, but... your heart had a little idiotic moment there, falling for Floyd. At least, that's what your brain told you; for the first time ever, your heart and brain were having a feud that they just wouldn't let go.

Loving Floyd wasn't logical--he was dangerous and chaotic, and he took great delight in messing with you. He was much more than that, though, and that's what gave you the courage to not run away and give bonding a shot... and great seven, was that a great decision.

Floyd decided you were friend material almost instantly. On top of his adorable nicknames, he was the type of guy to scream hi to you across the hall despite the dirty looks, the type of guy to invite you to join him for all his impulsive schemes, the type of guy who expressed affection in so many ways it made your head spin: hugs, silly little gifts, affectionate nicknames and greetings, adventuring together...

This guy who was once a source of anxiety for you became your place of peace. Even if his mood swings were sudden and not always easy to deal with, you made the effort to understand and accept him, mood swings and all; it got easier and easier as time went on. Floyd... he was so precious to you, he practically had your heart in his hands.

Floyd didn't like you as more than friends for a while though.

In fact, it took him a while to even realize you were a friend for life--his attention was hard to keep, but after you stuck around long enough he realized he just wasn't going to get bored of you. He could hear you repeat the same stories over and over again and he'd happily listen each time, so it was pretty decided at that point that he wanted you for the long run.

The love came a little bit later, but when it did he fell hard. Even Jade could tell you the moment Floyd knew he was in love, and that's because that precious moment had been in the Mostro Lounge.

"You're so thoughtful."

Imagine that--Floyd Leech and thoughtful, a pairing no one else in school would have even considered. Even Floyd thought it was ridiculous; he almost thought you were messing with him.

Floyd was impulsive... and chaotic, childish, the list goes on. He doesn't give boring people the time of day, lacks all the tact his twin has and wasn't always the most sensitive fish in the sea... so how on earth did you think he was thoughtful?

"You always look out for the people you care about," you continued. "Like the way you you'll bully me into eating enough and getting enough sleep, or the way you bring me little gifts when you think of me."

You lifted your wrist as you said it, showing off a clunky bracelet he'd made you during class out of boredom. It was really nothing more than knotted string with a few makeshift beads, but you had accepted the gift with stars in your eyes anyways.

"It's not just me of course. You do it with Jade and Azul too. Others too, like Riddle and Ace and Jamil... and you know everyone that you care about so well, it's sweet that you make such an effort to understand them the way you do. I just think... I don't know. I just wanted to say that, I guess."

His heart was beating so much he thought he was sick. You thought he was thoughtful? Maybe he was, but... no one really thought of him like that before. You made such an effort to understand him that you could say something like that?

...oh, he's in love.

The love you two share is something no one else seems to understand--they don't get how you could fall for him or how he could fall for you, but neither of you care what others think. Your love is certain and long-lasting, and great seven is it interesting, because with Floyd by your side there's no such thing as a dull moment.

Kalim:

Falls First: Kalim ✧ Falls Harder: You

Duh.

No matter what your opinion on 'love at first sight' is, Kalim is your classic fairy tale exception--you don't need a second interaction for him to know. He's bright and bubbly to even the most prickly of strangers, but he knows a real connection when he sees it. You and him... he could picture so many adventures with you already, and he's already planning several.

He’s just sweet enough that you'll go along with all those plans. Well, most of them. He is a little grand and gratuitous sometimes.

Still—every time you agree, Kalim lights up. He loves seeing you in all sorts of situations—he falls in love with the way you dance, the way you eat, the way you tell stories and the way you listen to them… he’s smitten so quick, and it just grows and grows with each new 'adventure' together.

You fall a little bit later, but you fall hard.

At first, Kalim just seems like a airheaded rich boy--the type oblivious to the feelings of those around him, but that was far from the truth.

You noticed it during one of the many parties he invited you to.

That day, you were feeling homesick--and not just a little ache in your heart, but full-blown devastation at the notion that you may never see your home again. You tried to hide it at the party, and in all honesty, you did it pretty well; No one had been onto you, not even your best friends noticed how you were a little more glum that day.

Kalim did.

He invited you to dance with him, and all it took was your slight hesitation to agree that let him know something was wrong. He pulled you away from the crowd, offered his listening ear, and spent the rest of the evening just the two of you. He let you cry into his shoulder, groan about your plight and get mad at Crowley's negligence, and he stayed through it all, helping you feel better to the best of his ability.

He spoils you rotten--with gifts, with attention, with compliments, with affection, you name it. He's an ever-flowing fountain of love, and the fact that he's given his heart to you makes you feel like the luckiest person alive.

He's someone you can love on as much as you want and never be made to feel unwanted, annoying or ridiculous. Loving him is the type of love where you can use the cheesiest pet names, hold hands wherever you go, write each other the most ooey-gooey love letters and just... be cheesy. It's sweet and silly and romantic, a precious and pure type of love that's as rare as it is beautiful.

Love with Kalim is cliche and deep. The 'I've found my other half' kind of cliche, the type that makes you believe in tales like the red string of fate and soulmates and all those other stories. He's your fairy tale, and to him, you're his happy ending.

Jamil:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Jamil

Jamil makes it a point to conceal several aspects of himself, and so getting to know him on a genuine level is a hard task for anyone.

Although the Scarabia incident was stressful, it did give you an opportunity to see the side of Jamil that he kept so hidden--the good and the bad, the impressive and the disappointing, the best and the worst. You had the opportunity to see Jamil realize he could show off his skill, he should speak up about how he felt and he should let himself be selfish. He traded in his polite smile for a snarky smirk, and even if his words became sharper and his hatred became visible he was still just... lovely.

What it took others a while to see, you saw right away. Jamil wasn't just some bitter servant--he was a beacon of talent, a disciplined worker, a thoughtful soul. He was wise and powerful and tactful and considerate and passionate and witty and clever and so many wonderful, beautiful things, each one a reason for you to fall for him harder and harder.

As hard as you fell for him, though, it was nothing compared to how hard he fell for you.

You were different--not by being some sort of golden-heart or eternal optimist, nor were you a renowned academic or athlete, but you caught his attention through the casual means through which you showed your support.

You offered your help with some of his responsibilities. You gave him casual compliments on his many talents--talents he had, at one point, done his best to hide. You didn't just give him space when he needed it, you created space for him as well--you offered up Ramshackle to him if he ever needed a place to get away, you would entertain Kalim for awhile so Jamil could rest easy, and you'd always find ways of directing the conversation so he could escape. He wasn't an idiot--you never did any of this outright, it was just subtle acts of kindness that filled his stomach with butterflies every time.

Jamil never lost his composure, never--at least, that's how it was before he fell for you. Something changed with his feelings for you, and suddenly he felt shaky and flustered and nervous whenever you came around. At the same time though, he was addicted to your presence; it was no longer Kalim who invited you to parties or welcomed you into their dorm, but Jamil.

Jamil, who brought you leftovers from meals and parties, just for an excuse to see you. Jamil, who would keep his eye out for clear skies and starry nights so he could invite you for sight-seeing. Jamil, who would shyly tell you when he had a basketball game coming up, because he knew he would see you in the stands every single time.

You were his weakness in the very best way. Love with him was soft and sweet--as sharp as he could be with others, you were his exception. Even in moments where he nagged you or teased you, there was a certain softness to his words that he reserved just for you.

You made him feel valuable--like he was the only person in the world, first place, a wonder, a treasure, a winner. He, of course, made you feel the very same; there was something precious about what the two of you had, a love you could trust would last forever.

Vil:

Falls First: Vil ✧ Falls Harder: You

A critical eye is still an admiring eye, just an eye that is more selective with where it finds beauty.

Vil was very critical, but that didn't mean he wasn't paying attention. He searched for beauty, polished or not, and he was not so haughty that he wouldn't recognize it when it was right in front of him. In fact, when he saw the potential for beauty, he seized it.

You were one of those beautiful things that caught his eye--not just physically, but everything about you: your determination, your hard work, your humor and wit and charm...

It frustrated him to know end that you didn't apply that hard work in the same way he did. You'd pour all your effort into your responsibilities and hobbies, and your appearance took a back seat to the things that you deemed more important. You became his personal mission--he'd lure you in with his own charm and wit, spoil you with products and clothes, and try to get you to follow in his footsteps, but another beautiful thing about you was that you weren't so easily influenced.

You did your own thing and didn't conform no matter what kind of pressure was on your shoulders.

It drove him crazy, but at the same time, he was falling for you more and more.

At first, Vil was annoying to you. You found him conceited and clownish, thinking he took his obsession with beauty way too far. It irritated you when he tried to pull you into his regimen, but you admittedly did understand his charm, and so you gave him a chance.

Vil had to work to soften you up. To the rest of Pomefiore, it was almost unbelievable that he'd become the chaser rather than the one being chased--but he did it, and you started to fall for him.

You saw him not for his makeup and poise, but for his heart. He was a hard worker--disciplined and detailed--and he had such immense amounts of talent. He was good with people, good with kids, good with sciences and arts and the list goes on...

He was also very funny. It wasn't something just anyone got to be privy to, but since he let you close to him, you got to hear it: those comments he'd utter under his breath, some of them about his rival Neige, others about the other dorm leaders, others about teachers and students and anyone else who crossed his path.

You two learned how to bond, and that's when you started to fall.

Vil would woo you with his humor--he'd sacrifice his perfect schedule to hang out with you in childish ways, ways that were whimsical and fun and quite different from the disciplined upbringing he had. You saw him let his guard down and enjoy things from your perspective, and in the same manner you'd lower your walls and try things out his way.

You guys were the definition of 'opposites attract'. You didn't have to share goals and interests for you to be in love--if anything, your differences made you better together. Once together, you guys became the epitome of a 'power couple', in school and elsewhere.

Your love was confident, and inspirational, and openly adoring. Vil Schoenheit didn't give praise where it wasn't due, but he had no shame in telling the world about his amazing partner... and of course, as the partner of Vil Schoenheit, how could you not brag yourself? You two were so proud of each other, so encouraging and supportive, that you'd never feel unloved for the rest of your life.

Rook:

Falls First: Rook ✧ Falls Harder: You

There's no question--Rook was quick to be smitten with you.

Imagine Rook the way he treats literally everyone, and then multiply that by thousands. He was everywhere--inviting you to spend time with him, complimenting everything from your test scores to your outfits to the shape of your nose, gifting you wildflowers and love letters and just about any sort of trinket you could think of.

He comes on strong--his restraint comes from not wanting to scare you away, but he's not the type to remain quiet when he likes something.

You know he's fallen for you long before you started to fall, because he keeps it no secret. When you don't return his feelings, he's respectful, but he doesn't change his tune or go back on his feelings--he loves you. That's how things were.

He comes on so strong you're a little wary of him at first. It takes some serious bonding--you start by adventuring with him in a crowd, often hanging out with him whilst Vil and perhaps even Epel were around. Then, you go on small excursions together--trips to the Mostro Lounge, watching the games and competitions your friends partook in, things like that.

Rook was sweet--he didn't care just for you, but for those people and things that were important to you as well. He tried to bond with Grim (who wasn't keen on bonding with a hunter), made efforts to get to know your friends and was willing to try out all your hobbies and traditions.

You severely misjudged him. He wasn't some flamboyant creep--he was a lover of beauty, and someone who wasn't scared into hiding his thoughts or feelings on the matter.

You spent even more time with him, falling for his humor, his wit, his beautiful words and the way he saw the world. All the while he treated you as someone precious to him, happy to spend time with you no matter how idle or strange the activities seemed. He was... peaceful, in a way.

He did have his moments, though--you suppose it was these less peaceful moments that really made you fall.

See, as a magicless student in a school of mages, you automatically get a target on your head for harassment. Your personality, quirks and involvement with drama wasn't helping the situation. Rook never struck you as the protective type (heck, you might've assumed he'd find some sort of 'beauty' in the situation), but he proved you wrong yet again.

He was fiercely loyal to you, and that included protecting you when he had the ability. Sure, you could handle yourself--even he acknowledged it, but he got a silly little joy out of playing knight for you once in a while. Besides, it gave him an excuse to show off in front of you, so why wouldn't he protect you?

He made you feel so, so loved, and you ended up loving him just as much. Your love was timeless and youthful, adventurous and freeing. As far as you were concerned, there was no one in both wide worlds that was a better match for you than Rook Hunt.

Epel:

Falls First: Epel ✧ Falls Harder: You

At first, Epel loves you as a friend--that's where all the best relationships start out.

You share food at lunch, gossip about dorm leaders and other drama-causers, slander your teachers and get into all sorts of shenanigans together. You'd pass notes in any classes you shared together, tease each other to bits and pieces, and basically live every moment with each other to its fullest.

You were already so close that Epel couldn't tell you when he fell in love with you, but once he recognized it, there was no denying it.

He was the type to be determined to win you over. He'd invite you to his spelldrive games just to show off, offer to carry your things to your classes, disrespectfully tell anyone who messed with you to back off, and basically tried to fulfill this image of 'prince charming' he concocted in his head.

You didn't want prince charming, though. You wanted someone else--someone you learned to be Epel all along.

You also had a hard time recognizing when exactly you fell for him--he was just such an important person to you already, to the point where everyone else around you just assumed you were together.

You started to hold hands more and more, convincing yourself that this was things friends did and there was no romance budding, none at all. Hugs became common too. Eventually, you two braved kissing each other on the cheek or forehead now and again, telling yourselves it was all for platonic affection, that you weren't craving anything more.

You obviously were, though.

Confessing your feelings was more like realizing your feelings out loud. Epel was delighted--he immediately insisted on being your official partner, talking excitedly about all the things he wanted to do with you now that you were together. Oh, and the best part? He's got a partner before Vil. Ha!

Together, you guys are very affectionate. Dates with each other are more about being with each other than about what you were doing, because whether you were on a walk together or curled up for a movie night, the world around you always seemed to disappear.

Epel's convinced you're his soulmate. He writes home about you, brags about you to anyone who will listen and automatically offers his home up to you after graduation, if that's something you would like. You're in this together, as far as he's concerned--even if that means going back to your world with you, a world without magic (as lame as he thought that sounded, he'd do it).

Congratulations! You had your very own 'friends to lovers' arc with Epel, a sweet and endearing love story that was worth bragging about. Love with Epel was strong, fiery, and exciting--there would never be a dull moment with your best friend at your side.

Idia:

Falls First: Idia ✧ Falls Harder: You

He knows immediately when he falls for you and he hates it.

He's such a huge grouch about it--and even though he won't tell you why, he gets cranky around you too. You're just too cute for your own good, you know that? At least, he thinks so.

Like, what is he supposed to do when you're sitting there all lovely and whatnot, and he wants to kiss you, but doesn't have half the courage he needs to make that sort of mood?

He doubts you'd ever fall for someone like him anyways, so while he still invites you to his room for games and movies and other fanboy things it grinds his gears that he just can't seem to level up your relationship.

Unbeknownst to him, you weren't far behind in falling for him.

Knowing Idia as well as you did was a rare luxury--almost no one could claim to have that same level of friendship as you had with him, and as a result you got to see many sides of him beyond his shut-in reputation. You loved seeing him get animated about something--whether it be an idol group, an anime, a game, cats, anything he might be interested in.

What was even more fun was spoiling him with affection. You were convinced this guy's never been properly hugged in his life, so of course you we're going to offer him that kind of affection on the daily. He flusters easily, but he also lets you know he's grateful for it, in his own grouchy way.

Your heart knew you were in love with him before your mind caught up, because realization came when you were on a call with him and ended it by saying "Love you". You weren't sure who ended the call then, because as far as you knew both of you we're wildly flustered at the admission.

Even though he fell, it took him a while to say it back--partially because he thought it was too good to be true, but partially because, well, it's his nature. He's just not used to the 'ooey-gooey normie nonsense' yet.

He's working on it.

Literally no one understands the two of you together; you're one of the school's biggest personalities, having dealt with overblots and Crowley's impulses time and time again, whereas Idia won't even bother to show up in person for classes. He's grouchy and catlike and doesn't seem like the type to ever warm up to you, and you're not the type to beg someone for the time of day, so in the minds of others the fact that you're together is frankly unbelievable.

Still, who cares what the normies think, right?

Love with Idia is different--it's refreshing, because neither of you go by the book. Every gesture comes from the heart, and every expression of love is in a language the two of you understand, regardless of how the rest of the world perceives it. Cosplaying characters together or staying up for gaming marathons might not be everyone's ideal date, but to Idia, it's further proof you're the one for him.

You both love each other dearly, and neither of you ever want to let the other go ♡

Malleus:

Falls First: Malleus ✧ Falls Harder: You

You know good and well when he's fallen for you. If your time at NRC was a TV show, he'd be in love within the first few episodes.

He's not the type to fall in love on a whim, though. He gives it very serious consideration, and so once he attaches the word 'love' to his feelings for you, he's certain about it.

He gets his dating advice from Lilia, so he's... old-fashioned, to say the least. Love letters are a personal favorite of his, and he always signs his letters with a playful 'Tsunotarou'. Flower bouquets and nighttime walks together are other tactics he frequently tries to bring to fruition.

You... you're a little to wrapped up in overblots and drama to give love any serious thought, but every time you get a break Malleus is there, waiting.

He always seems to be there when you need him. He's wise and doting, and it's hard not to fall for him too. He's so romantic it would make even the most straight-faced fellow blush, and he gives you such a sense of peace that you hate when you have to leave his side. It's like you belong together, physically and otherwise.

Sebek's protests in the matter almost make your love story more romantic. Forbidden love, anyone? Faes and humans, falling in love despite the wishes and opinions of those around them. How dreamy!

In fact, you two embrace each other's differences. Malleus tells you tales and tales of the fae world, wooing you with the most incredible traditions and stories. In return, you tell him stories from your own world, anything he might be curious about--the history, the culture, stories from your childhood, the list goes on.

You're his treasure. Malleus is protective of you and supportive of you, and if he were being honest, he never wants you to leave Twisted Wonderland--after all, as a prince, he can't easily follow after you to your own world, as much as he would like to. Still, he loves you so much that he'd never stop you; either way, you'll have his heart in your hands, and he's willing to try to make any situation work. He adores you that much.

Competitively, you tell him you love him more. He doesn't believe it, but that doesn't stop you from trying to prove it. In fact, with the stunning romantic gestures you two do, it wouldn't surprise anyone if it did turn out to be a competition. You're always one-upping each other, and as a result, your love never loses it's spark.

It's a love that makes you feel like you can conquer the world. Then again, what's the point of conquering the world when your world is standing by your side, talking about gargoyles?

Lilia:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Lilia

You fall first, and he knows right away. It's frustrating.

He doesn't tease you about it though--some part of him compels him to treat your feelings gently, and so even though you know he knows your feelings, he never brings it up. He teases you about the drama you get wrapped up in and the silly shenanigans you get up to with your friends, but never your feelings.

And that stupid consideration just makes you fall more.

You confront him about it too--he knows about your feelings anyways, so why not make a joke out of it? Coping mechanisms, everyone. Humor is your default.

So you complain to him sometimes, about him being "too cute" or "too witty" or "too beautiful". He'll snicker at the compliments, agreeing with you and telling you it comes with the job description. He's so freaking playful, how are you supposed to un-fall in love with this man?

Luckily, you don't have to. Instead, Lilia ends up falling for you.

Like Malleus, Lilia takes romance seriously, so he's not going to fall for you without caution. He can't help it, though--you're just so perfect, perfect for him anyways.

In the end, he starts to be the one complaining about his love for you.

"You're just gonna steal my heart like that, huh?"

Once you're together, the complaining continues. Well, it's beyond complaining at this point. Now it's just blatant flirting, the kind that's so cheesy that Ace and Deuce will make faces when they're in earshot.

"Can't believe you're gonna make me fall in love with you and then not come kiss me right now."

Lilia genuinely does not care about PDA. Dude makes it a point to gross other people out at this point. He's going to love you to the ends of the earth and he's gonna be a menace about it too.

In between moments of cheesy movie moments, though, he has his times of genuine, thoughtful romance. He's still quite old fashioned, and so he walks you to your dorm every evening and says goodbye with a kiss and makes sure to text you a 'good morning' or 'I love you' whenever he can.

Still, Lilia has both serious and playful moments, and so while one moment he's wooing you with love letters he could very well joke about you falling for a 'single dad' or 'batty old man' the next. As mentioned above--he's a menace.

Such a lovely menace though.

Congratulations, Shrimpy--you've wooed the mysterious fae-dad of the Diasomnia dorm. I hope you're willing to deal with the consequences ♡

Silver:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Silver

✨Silver✨

He's just so, so lovely, isn't he?

He doesn't hide his personality--he's pretty open to you from the start, in fact it's almost instant chemistry between the two of you.

Of course, his ethereal beauty and dreamy, sleepy presence wasn't all that won you over. He's devoted and serious and loyal, and his naivety is unexpectedly charming.

The falling in love part probably started with him becoming your go-to for when you were stressed out. Silver has the capacity to be chaotic if Malleus is threatened, but the majority of the time he exudes an almost sleepy sort of peacefulness from him, and he lets you join him for studying or napping or sometimes even training if you're up for it.

Silver understands you more than others at NRC, in a way--you were a nonmagical human in a world full of mages, and Silver was a human who grew up surrounded by powerful fae, so... there's some bonding to be had there? He sympathizes with your plight and lets you come to him for comfort whenever you need it, and there aren't many at NRC who will handle your feelings as gently as he would.

He became your comfort, your peace, and eventually, the love of your life. You didn't expect Silver to fall for you in return, but time told a different story.

See, Silver sometimes needed comfort too. He stressed himself out about his service to Malleus, constantly questioning whether he was being good enough, if he was too overprotective or underprotective or lazy or anything else. He found that you were a source of comfort for him as well, and being able to have that level of vulnerability around you fostered a fondness for you in his heart.

He likes a lot of things about you, actually--he admires your ability to conquer problems head-on, the way you're loyal and protective of your friends, the way you can bond with nearly anyone at NRC. You're so good at earning respect that even Sebek has learned to acknowledge you, which is a rare occurrence indeed.

It's not until Lilia spells it out that Silver realizes his feelings, and even then, he's a little slow. Love with him is slow and steady, but alluring and healing, like the feeling of laying down for a nap after a long day. You two long for each other like two halves of a whole, and it's only when you're by each other's side that you're complete.

It's a pure love, a gentle and devoted love. Even outsiders can tell that you two would do anything for each other, and best of all, the Diasomnia family has given the two of you their stamp of approval (even Sebek, only after he heard his Waka-Sama talking about how wonderful you were for each other).

In short, loving Silver was a dream come true.

Sebek:

Falls First: You ✧ Falls Harder: Sebek

You and Sebek started off... not so nicely with each other. In fact, it took a while for you to even become friends.

However, after dealing with so many overblots, surviving through so much chaos and showing off a huge range of skills, you seemed to impress him enough for him to stop boxing you in as some sophomoric human and call you by your actual name, or 'Prefect' if he was feeling particularly respectful.

It was a huge step in your relationship, because once he started treating you like you weren't an inferior, you quickly reevaluated your impression of him.

See, Sebek wasn't just some... bratty, screaming fae who only spent his time groveling at Malleus's feet; he was a hard worker, a half-fae of many talents, a rather kind and sweet boy once you got to know him. He was proud of himself and where he came from, he loved his mother and siblings dearly, and he gave great respect not just to Malleus, but anyone who earned it. He was extremely passionate, never cutting corners or slacking off in order to be the best knight he could be. He had hobbies and preferences just like anyone else, it just takes a little longer to learn about them because he loves what he does so much.

It's kind of... endearing.

Okay, it's a lot endearing. Not to mention, Sebek eventually goes out of his way to look out for you. If he sees you struggling he'll volunteer his services, arrogantly proclaiming his wide skillset and assuring you he was more than capable. Every time you thanked him or praised him, he'd get a stupid grin and puff out his chest and start to shyly agree, though he'd quickly hide his face n his hands so he could keep up is gratuitious self-confidence schtick. Your praise must have meant a lot to him though, because he made it a point to start impressing you. It worked, because you'd fallen for him first, and you fell hard.

Now Sebek... Sebek never saw himself falling for a human. In fact, once he started to question his feelings for you he'd get so worked up that even Lilia couldn't talk to him without him jumping ten feet in the air. It was almost.... scary for him. After all, it would be a complete negligence of duty, right? He shouldn't be chasing after some human anyways....

...and yet, that's what he found himself doing.

Begrudgingly, he gave into his feelings and started off by writing you a curt love letter. He was surprised when you replied, and upon reading all the love you filled your letter with... well, he craved more. It became a common exchange between you two, and as much as he denied it, he was the sentimental and romantic type of guy who kept all the letters you sent him. He remembered the things you wrote even better than you did sometimes.

Once he starts to let you in, he falls harder and harder. You're so different from what he expected; he finds himself admiring you, enough so that he starts studying and training with you, if you're open to it. He thinks your own passion and determination is admirable, not to mention how amicable you are with so much of the student body. He doesn't blame everyone else for being soft for you--after all, he's the softest.

Sebek is very romantic, and even the smallest gestures leave him a flustered mess. He's the type to write home about little things like hand-holding and pet names, so any grand gesture is sure to leave him stunned and stuttering. Still, he absolutely won't be outdone by you in the world of romance; every gesture from you is a challenge for him, and he constantly tries to one-up you, as if it's the only way to prove his love and devotion.

He's sworn loyalty to Malleus, so an insecure part of you tells you to not expect much--still, Sebek doesn't just settle for you being a side-part of his life. He wants you in it for the long haul, so if he has to constantly assure you he has every ability to protect you and look out for you and love on you while serving Lord Malleus, so be it.

Love with him is passionate and romantic and very loud, because he's not going to be with someone he'd ever be ashamed of. He's proud of you despite his initial prejudice against humans; he supposes his mom was onto something after all, falling for one.

He settles back down on the old couch and opens the book, catching Ace’s attention.

“Yo Grim, what’s up with the book?” He calls to the monster, making the other boys turn to look as well.

“It’s the humans diary or somethin, I wanna see if they’re sayin good things about me in here!”

“Grim, that’s a blatant invasion of privacy.” Jack reasons, but is ignored as Grim keeps turning the pages.

“Myahahah! Look what they said here! ‘Grim was super cute today! He was mad that I gave him a bath but he was so adorable and fluffy after I dried him!’ This thing is full’a them talkin about how cute I am!” He boasted, puffing his furry chest out.

“And here! ‘He looked so nice today, I just couldn’t stop... staring...? Hah? This ain’t about me! They’re talkin about some boy!” Grim scoffed, offended that his henchman was praising boys instead of him! And now the others are really paying attention.

“Seriously?! Who is it?” Ace leans in to read with him, while Jack makes to take the journal away from Grim. But before he can, Grim sees who his human is talking about! In surprise, he shouts out... 

➔ “Blegh! It’s Ace! Why would they like him?!” 

Ignoring the insult, Ace immediately snatches the journal out of Grim’s paws, scanning the pages for himself. When he reads his name, he’s fighting the urge to let out a girlish squeal. Of course he likes you too. Seriously, he had been flirting since the very start! He decides that he’s gonna kiss you when you get back.

➔ “Deuce?!” 

He’s flabbergasted. Just absolutely gobsmacked. You? Like him? Really?! There’s so much exited energy building up in him that has to take a lap. Even then he’s still jittery, and can’t stop smiling. He wants do this right you know! Ask you out on a proper date, and really sweep you off of your feet! He can hardly wait to tell his mom about you.

➔ “Myah! They like Jack!” 

He stops in his tracks. His ears are perked up, and his eyes are wide. After a brief pause he takes the journal from Grim and calmly takes it back to your room. Once he’s alone, his tail is wagging like crazy. It wasn’t the ideal way to find out, but he’s glad to know you feel the same way. When you return he’ll apologize on behalf the other idiots, but let you know he feels the same.

➔ “It’s Epel!” 

He yells. Basically throws himself at poor Grim to confirm what he heard. He’s jumping up and down in excitement because this is possibly the best day of his life! Immediately planning how he’ll confess. In his head, he’s super suave and cool about it, but he’s not sure if he can keep his composure in real life because he’s just that ecstatic.

➔ “No way! Sebek is the guy they like!” 

"W-what's up, Prefect-shi...?" Idia hoped his voice didn't betray his nerves as he spoke. It was hard to think straight when he was literally right in front of his c-cru...cru— oh Idia really didn't want to think about the c-word right now.

"I saw you leaving and I wanted to ask if you were okay," The warm smile they gave him had his heart doing somersaults and Idia could almost forget about the bad things that happened that evening. Such was the life of 'Idia the Simp', who was simply happy that the object of his affections cared about him. How sad and loser-like, was he right?

"I'm fine. I mean, aside from my legs literally turning into jelly from standing for so long," Idia mumbled before raising his voice. "That ghost must've been grinding his stats real hard to be able to fight like that."

"I guess so," They mused, falling into step beside him. "I'm really glad that the others made it in time."

"Ace-shi really came in clutch in this one! He was like a hero from some kind of action manga. Actually, weren't they all pretty hero-like?"

Idia continued to ramble excitedly. "I mean, the protagonist's friends arrived fashionably late— and they were all dressed to impress like princes in a dating sim! Riddle-shi being cool and unapproachable, yet shows his awkward and kind side to the protagonist. Epel-shi as the fragile character that you can't help but want to protect, yet also has a cool and alluring side. And finally Rook-shi, the prince of a neighboring country who secretly protects the main character, and instantly gains best boy status when it's revealed—!"

Idia realized just how excited he was getting over nothing— the tips of his hair turning bright orange— and he sighed deeply, "Augh, really, a loser like me could never compare to shiny princes like them..."

"Don't say that," They had stopped walking. The cool night air tickled the back of Idia's neck as he stood rooted in spot. There was quite a serious expression on their face and Idia wondered if he chose the wrong dialogue option somewhere along the line...

"If it counts for anything I think you look really cool— no, a better word would be absolutely dashing," Their nervousness showed in the way they shifted every few seconds, swallowing before continuing.

"Aren't you really prince-like too? The mysterious heir to the throne that no one ever sees who secretly helps the kingdom by masquerading as an inventor. He continues to provide the kingdom with advance technology whilst under the cover of the unlikeable hermit, and the main character is the first one to learn of his secret."

"Wow, that," This time it was Idia's turn to swallow, his own hair tinting a light pink. "T-that almost makes me sound like a good character to romance... You should become a dating sim writer."

They laughed lightly at that, "Thanks, but...what I really wanted to say was... That is..." They took a deep breath before starting again, "Because of tonight and what happened, I thought that life is short. And that I can't possibly control everything, so I should make sure to say what I want to say properly before it's too late. Idia-senpai. I...like you."

Idia could not believe his ears. Was he dreaming? Was this heaven? Did he dream up being saved by Ace and the others but actually he became a ghost and crossed to the other side? He didn't even remember paying the ferry to cross the river Styx!

"Eh?" was all that managed to leave his mouth, his hair fully turning as flushed as his face felt. The gears in his head were turning, but that didn't mean he wasn't losing braincells trying to figure out what was happening. In the first place, the genre of this day changed way too many times! From slice-of-life to survival horror to fighting game, and finally....a romantic visual novel?? Give him a break already!

"Actually. Just forget I said that." They turned around to quickly walk away but Idia grabbed onto their sleeve before they got too far. Oh Sevens, he really chose the most insanely noob-like dialogue option there was on the "Ranking of Things to Say if Someone Confesses to You" (made by Idia Shroud).

"W-wait, this is...way too much information for my brain to handle, I think I need to download extra gigabytes of RAM for this," Idia said under his breath before finally raising his gaze.

The pale moonlight washed everything in blue, and he couldn't help but think that they looked so...pretty even half-obscured in light. Their stare was pinned at the ground and he really needed to say something before they ran away and it was impossible for him to rewind the scene and fiz his mistakes.

"You..." Idia cleared his throat, the pink of his hair fluttering with the passing wind. "Could I p-please hear that dialogue option...once again? I-I promise to give a better answer this time! Or did I already raise a death flag for myself and hurtle myself towards the bad ending? Ah, Idia, this is why you aren't suited to be a otome game protag, you should just stick t—"

The breath was stolen from his lungs as warm palms urgently cradled his face, "Senpai... I don't like hearing the person that I like talking badly about himself all the time. Especially right after I told him how cool he is."

The words came out in a wheeze as he spoke again, "Y-you said 'like' just now? What k-kind of like is that?"

"The 'romantic' type of like," They said, a finger ghosting over his cheek. "The 'I want to play your route till the happy ending' type of like."

"Oh. In a positive way," He hastily added, his hair growing brighter by the second. "Y-you're really good at these...romantic words."

"Of course I am," They gave him a mischievous grin. "I learned from the best games on the market. So what do you say to my proposal?"

Aaaanddd Idia was back to feeling faint again, "T-that was a figure of speech right? I don't think I can handle another proposal so soon—"

"Senpai," They chided softly as Idia tugged at the ends of his hair. "A simple yes or no would suffice."

"Uhm. If you can't already tell by this," Idia pointed to his hair— which was now bright pink and flaming dangerously high. "I'd like to stay with you too. Till the happy ending."

"Till the happy ending," They echoed, smiling as they finally released his face. Idia found himself missing the touch a little....just a little though.

He didn't get the chance to wallow before his hand was being clasped in theirs, "C'mon! Let's get you out of those fancy clothes and play some games in your room already!"

"W-wait a second, Prefect-shi?" Idia flushed harder, if that was even physically possible. "Y-you're skipping too many chapters of the dating stage, you know? There's an order to things!!"

"I meant video games, senpai," They laughed as they skipped in front of him, Idia's own steps frantic to stay close to them. "Get your head out of the gutter."

"R-right," Idia nodded, absolutely mortified for the second— or was it third time?— that night. "I knew that."

And Idia was the subject of their teasings long after the night was over. He had to live through the embarrassment of them recounting the whole story to an all-too-curious Ortho. (Maybe he should've programmed him with less curiosity, but alas he can't go back on his own genius.)

But well, he really couldn't complain. Not when they held his hand so tightly as they watched his favorite movies with him. And especially not when they fell asleep on his shoulder— a cliché that was one of his favorites to date. Idia was sure of it now. No matter what hardships or trials would follow in the future, he would play this route till the happy end.

thank you for reading this very based idia take (pls help i've gamer-talked for too long bc of idia) if you did, please like, subscribe, and check out my masterlist for other works !!

[ mini idia dictionary bc pog ]

tokusatsu villain - tokusatsu refers to a genre of live-action shows that heavily use special effects. think ultraman or kamen rider.

death flag - an action or dialogue that foreshadows an untimely death for a certain character. raising one means to basically accelerate the death of a character, since you're adding more death flags to their roster.

bad ending/happy ending - referring to otome games, where there are multiple endings to different routes that are achievable by changing dialogue/actions throughout the story.

They hesitantly relinquished their blanket, throwing it over the sleeping lion. Maybe it would do them good to get some water...

A warm hand caught their wrist, causing them to jump slightly; turning around to see emerald eyes watching them, "Do you remember anything from last night?"

"Last...night?"

They felt a few memories flashing by. The dinner, the picture, and the fireworks. And then the kitchen, the refreshing taste of cold juice...that definitely wasn't just juice. That damn bird . They could feel the trace of Leona's hand on theirs in the dark. And then what? Their mind completely ground to a halt; the throbbing getting worse the more they tried to think about it.

"Headache?" Leona's voice was closer now, and he had stood up while they were thinking.

"Mm," They hummed as the beastman handed the blanket back to them.

"Who's taking care of who now..." Leona muttered as he walked into the hallway. "You stay there." Yuu nodded though he couldn't see them, opting to poke at the ashes of the fire to make it just a little warmer. They manage to lug over a log, letting the fire rekindle as Leona returned.

"Ugh, I'm going to throw up," Yuu grouched as they took small sips of the water he brought them.

"Wanna roast up that old bird when he comes back from his vacation?" Leona asked, his knee brushing against theirs as they sat.

Yuu gave him a side eye, "I'll start the fire, and you capture him?" Leona made a sound of agreement before a peaceful silence lapsed between them.

What exactly was it that Leona was asking about earlier? Did they perhaps throw up all over him? Or did they say something incriminating? They swallowed, hoping that nothing happened. Because if it did, and Leona knew about the feelings they tried to keep locked up inside...

Yuu stood up abruptly, grabbing their jacket and phone from where they left them behind. Maybe a walk would do them good. It would clear their head too. They could feel Leona's gaze on them as they messed around with their sleeves, opting to ignore him.

"And where are you going, servant?" Leona called out, just as they entered the foyer.

"This servant has to attend to their duties," Yuu picked up on the joke naturally. "There's plenty of leftovers in the fridge for all of you to eat, I'll take a walk and be back to Savanaclaw."

"You're leaving me alone with those two brats all morning?" Leona's head popped into the hallway in a way that was almost endearing. "What kind of service is that?"

"You can get the ghosts to help you," A smile toyed at their lips. "It wouldn't be a stretch for the great Leona-sama to order around some mere ghosts, right?"

"You..." Leona rolled his eyes before ambling up to them. "At least take some medicine before you go. I'm not about to go fish you out of the snow if you end up fainting."

They drank the medicine. Then they obediently waited as Leona fussed around them for a bit, complaining about how lightly dressed they were and wrapping a scarf around their neck. Before finally…finally they were deemed fit enough to leave.

Leona was being surprisingly...gentle. And that was weird, considering that they weren't hurt or injured, nor did they do something particularly nice for him. Rather, it was the opposite, with how he had to watch the two kids. A gentle Leona Kingscholar was fairly rare after all.

Not that Yuu disliked it. They buried their nose into the scarf as they walked, hiding their wide smile. It was nice. Suspicious, but nice all the same. They couldn't help the way the euphoria tumbled into the crevices of their lungs as they walked. There was just...something really enjoyable about spending time with the person they liked.

As Yuu finished up their morning tasks, they popped into the kitchen, grabbing a few ingredients to cook lunch with. They walked back to Savanaclaw with a skip in their step.

They knock on the door, traipsing into the room, "Your humble servant returns from their treacherous journey through snowy lands!"

"Yuu-tan! I thought you disappeared!" Cheka was already clinging onto their legs with genuine happiness. "Even though Grim-tan and Ojitan said you'd come back, I didn't know where you went..."

"Of course not," Yuu reached down, lifting the cub into the air. "I had a few little things to take care of. And I had to prep stuff for lunch."

"And?" Leona's voice sounded fatigued. "Did you make sure to bring enough meat, servant?"

"Of course!" They proclaimed, turning toward Leona with a smile. "I would never forget the mo—"

Leona's back was to his window, casting him in shadow. There was something oddly familiar in the languid way he sat, his eyes watching over them, just like...

Last night.

"You don't even like me," Leona's expression shifted into one of panic as they leaned into his space just a little bit more.

"I do like you," The feelings in their chest positively bursting as they held his hand tight. "'S why we're here together, right?"

….No way.

Yuu abruptly turned away, Cheka squealing at the sudden movement. The embarrassment made them burst into flames, heat singing their cheeks. No way did they actually do that last ni—

"Oi, are you ignoring me?" A sound of something being set down, and they had to stop him from coming up to them and seeing.

"N-no, I...I got a big cut of steak for you today," Yuu rushed out, pressing a finger against their lips towards Cheka.

Cheka, who was staring at them confused, "Yuu-tan's red. Is Yuu-tan sick?"

"No, no, I'm...fine," Yuu turned slightly. Seeing that Leona was focused again, they made their way to the couch right behind him. "What have you been doing while I was away?"

"Mm! I've been a good lion!" Cheka puffed out his chest. "Look! I drew lotsa drawings of what we did for Mama and Papa! And I drew some drawings for you and Ojitan too, ehe~"

"That's...so cute," Their hands grazed over the painstakingly crayoned drawings of their activities. "And Leona-sama? What has he been doing, young master Cheka."

"Hehe~ Are we playing again? Ahem!" Cheka cleared his throat before he continued talking in a mock serious manner. "Ojitan told me not to bother him, since he's doing his work. Before that we finished all the good food that was in the fridge with Grim-tan."

"Uwah, all of it?" Yuu would've said that it was impossible but...this was Leona Kingscholar. They also had to give Grim’s bottomless stomach some credit too. And Cheka did have his voracious appetites after playing a lot.

"Mmhm! We're lions, so we're very good at eating!" They patted him on the head, pulling out a few fresh sheets of paper for them to draw on. Yuu spun a pencil in their hands, drawing a few small doodles before taking another glance at Leona.

Was that why he was being so nice? That... incident? Yuu pressed a hand to their forehead for their absolute stupidity. It was yet another reminder not to drink or eat anything without inspecting it clearly here in Twisted Wonderland. Yuu never said anything incriminating, per se, but asking to kiss the Leona Kingscholar... Wasn't that just being really obvious?

"-ore. Oi, herbivore. Ignoring your master again?"

Their shoulders jumped, their pencil scattering away from them as they turned to Leona, "H-huh? Sorry, I was...distracted."

Leona doesn't say another word. Instead he pushed back his chair, picking up a handful of papers. He flopped into the empty space next to them, long legs crossing over theirs.

"You're heavy," Yuu blurted, frowning as Leona settled closer to them. "Is this payback for ignoring you?"

"Let's say it is," Leona waved the papers in front of their face. "Just check this."

"This is...?" Their eyes widened as they saw the papers. Each and every question was filled in with Leona's annoyingly impeccable writing. From the calculations for all the Applied Alchemy packets to the rest of the Magic History packets...

Their gaze shifted to Leona in amazement, “Okay, this is just plain impressive, how did you…?” The beastman was already staring at them, preening in their praise.

There was a dangerously familiar smirk on his face, "I finished everything early, right? I want a prize."

"A... prize? " Yuu's mind traitorously brought up last night's memory once more before they beat it back with a metaphorical stick. They swallowed as Leona's hand drifted to the back of their neck, idly toying at their hair. He didn't say anything as if deep in thought. 

"Hey," Leona's voice was low when he finally spoke to them. "I'm sleeping for the rest of the afternoon. And you're coming with me." A sigh of relief stuttered out of them, and they pressed a hand to their chest.

"What're you getting nervous over?" Leona's ears twitched as he yawned. He swung his legs off theirs. "Just hurry up and get to bed."

"Ooh! Can I join the nap?" Cheka chimed in, and Yuu fought not to flinch. They had almost forgotten that there was a child in the room.

"Of course you can," They gave Cheka a wobbly smile as they made their way to the side of the bed. Leona was already monopolizing half of it as his tail lifted in the air lazily.

He grunted as Cheka bounced on the bed excitedly and they awkwardly shuffled onto the bed. They didn’t know how to conduct themself now after everything. "Yuu-tan? You're not coming in the blankie?"

And now there were two lions staring at them. Great. They slipped under Leona's blanket, feeling Cheka's warm hands tugging them closer and closer to where Leona had himself propped up.

"Stop squirming, both of you," The beastman grumbled, using his hands to tuck the blanket around Cheka's shoulders. "We're napping, not rolling around in bed."

Cheka calmed down soon after that, rambling about how comfortable and soft the bed was. He fell asleep with his little fingers fisted in Leona's shirt. They patted the kid's head, smiling lightly at the sight.

"Herbivore," Leona's voice was awfully loud in the silence of the room, even if he was speaking barely above a whisper. "So you remember?" Those emerald greens held a demand in their depth, and Yuu felt like they were getting caught in that stare.

"I...don't know what you're talking about." It was dumb, really, since obviously, Leona remembered everything. And Leona was smart. He could put two and two together if he really wanted to. But there wasn't any harm in denying it a bit longer, was there? If only to shield themself from a broken heart.

"You remembered everything that happened last night just after you came back," There was a conviction in the way he said it; as if he was sure it was fact. "You've been avoiding my eyes every time you catch me staring."

Insistent fingers cradled their chin, tilting their face towards Leona's own, "Where's that smart mouth of yours now?"

Yuu pushed a hand against Leona's face, "Ugh. You...just leave me alone for a second..." They hid their face in their hands, their heartbeat getting faster and faster. They really did get caught.

"I'm a very patient hunter, but," Leona sounded like he was leaning in now. "It sure was fun to have to take care of my servant all night. Against my own will."

They directed a withering gaze at him then, "I'm sorry about that part okay! It wasn't like I planned for it to happen."

"And for the other part?" Leona urged; a touch of desperation in his question. "Are you going to apologize for that part too?"

Yuu bit their lip. They knew exactly what would happen. If they did apologize, Leona would think that they were lying. If they didn't apologize, then they would be admitting that they liked Leona in that way.

But Sevens, it was deeper than that wasn't it? Yuu felt it burrowing into them from the start of this whole upside-down contract. It just wasn't possible for them not to love Leona Kingscholar a little by now. They had fallen, a little too quickly and slowly; all at once. Like honey dripping down the side of the jar, the feelings made a sticky mess out of Yuu's heart in a way they couldn't erase.

And faced with him— that very object of their tortured affections— Yuu didn't know what to say. It would be easy to admit it. No, admitting it was never the problem. The problem was what came after they admitted it. The problem was how it was going to change how Leona saw them, and how they acted around each other. The problem was...they were just a little too sure that their affections wouldn't be returned.

Not by someone like Leona, who deserved someone better than a normal human like them. The Leona who was destined for greatness, if only the world would shine its merciful spotlight on him just one more time. The Leona whose embrace was a little too warm for someone like them that couldn't give him anything in return.

So they did the only thing that they could do.

Yuu averted their gaze, "Aren't we here to sleep...?"

They tried not to notice the way Leona's expression shifted, a frown marring his face, "So you'll avoid the question." Instead of sounding mad, Leona sounded...resigned. As if somewhere in that brilliant mind of his, he already thought of this possibility happening. Guilt clawed at Yuu's throat as they left the silence be.

"...Alright," Leona's hand landed on their head and the gesture made them feel like crying. "Just promise me this. Answer me truthfully next time I ask."

"As long as you aren't about to ask me the question again right after this," They willed an awkward smile on their face, and Leona's hand lifted from their head; followed by a huff.

"I wouldn't waste my chance," There was this expression on Leona's face; one that they haven't ever seen before, like his face didn't know what kind of expression to make either. And Yuu was sure it was mirrored on their face too.

It would be nice if they could continue this twisted dance of theirs, two steps forward and one step back; barely holding on to each other as they spun. Yuu thought that they would be the one tempted to take just one step closer, but it seemed that Leona was the one that had the courage. And if they never get their rhythm back again...?

"Sleep well," They managed to say before they turned around. "You've worked hard." Leona gave no answer. It was hard to fall asleep, and they thought they wouldn't have. But maybe it was the steadiness of the two sleeping right behind them that lulled them into slumber. And in sleep, they finally unfurled the hand that had been clenched right over the heart they were trying to protect.

[ omake : keeping secrets and treasures ]

Leona woke up with a frown. He could hear the annoying and incessant vibration of his phone; abandoned somewhere on his desk. He groaned, stretching out a hand to grab it. The sun looked like it would be setting soon as lidded eyes fixed themselves on his phone screen. Falena's name repeatedly flashed at him and Leona half-wanted to throw the phone out of his window.

A small noise of complaint drew his attention. The herbivore. Right. They were asleep right there, facing him this time. He poked their cheek lightly and, yup, with that frown that was definitely them. They were...sleeping on his arm. He couldn't feel it at all, but Leona didn't care. Cheka was also nuzzled into his chest, and Leona had to wonder: was he really that comfortable to sleep on?

He dragged his fingers across the screen, turning down the volume before answering. Falena's voice still made his ears flatten, "Younger brother! Is that you Leona? Or— Could it be? My dear mtoto was the one that answered?"

"Put away that tone," Leona hissed lowly. "What do you want? The brat's sleeping."

"Oh! Oh, sorry....can we do a video call? I want to see my mtoto." Leona could picture the way Falena's ears would probably droop slightly as he said those words.

Leona glanced at the herbivore again before sighing, "Fine. Give me a sec." He placed the phone down, grabbing the far end of the blanket and flinging it over the herbivore's figure; just enough so they weren't too visible.

He couldn't help but yawn as he opened the front camera, shoving it close to Cheka's face, "There. You satisfied? You're gonna see him tomorrow anyway."

"He looks so cute when he's sleeping," Falena cooed. "Malaika wangu! Look! I've got Leona on video call."

Leona watched as his Oneesama walked into frame, clearly in the middle of some sort of discussion with her attendants, "You're taking care of my child?"

"Of course. He's getting fed and he plays a lot," Leona said, though it was mostly the herbivore that was taking care of Cheka. But that was on his behalf, and he indulged in the both of them too often anyway...

Oneesama nodded, "I'll pick him up myself tomorrow."

"There's no need for tha—" A head rammed right into his jaw, causing him to growl.

"Papa! Mama!" Cheka's shrill voice made Leona's ears flatten for the second time that day. "Ohhh, I've missed you!" The cub waved enthusiastically, shifting so that he was sitting by Leona's head. He handed him the phone and the boy chattered happily to his parents.

Leona let his focus wander, his eyes drifting to the slightest peek of their head from under the blanket. He let out a sigh, the troublesome fondness filling his chest once more. He really needed them to tell him if they felt the same or not. Even if they were too good for him, couldn't Leona let himself be selfish for once?

He tugged them a little closer. Leona was so very close to being sure that they liked him too. Yet the shadow of doubt still lingered. Watching the conflict play out on their face earlier was almost painful. If only he knew what was going on in that mind of theirs. If only he could hold them like this when they were awake, and stop them from drifting away.

"Leona? Who are you looking at?" He dragged his eyes back to the screen, seeing that Cheka was looking at him too. "Don't tell me...is there someone else there?" His brother's eyes sparkled and his Oneesama looked far from disinterested. Shit.

Cheka beamed, "Ah, that's—"

"None of your business," Leona grabbed his phone, tilting it so that his pesky older brother couldn't see the herbivore. "Make sure to come on time tomorrow. And don't. Come. Here." He turned off the call and tossed his phone onto the bed somewhere, closing his eyes.

"How come you didn't tell Papa about Yuu-tan?" Right, the brat was still there. He wracked his brain for a suitable explanation before opening his eyes.

He held up a finger, "The herbivore's a secret between you and me, okay? Don't mention it to Fale— your Papa. Or else he wouldn't stop bothering me about it."

"Ooh, a secret!" Cheka nodded, an oddly serious expression on his face. "Since Yuu-tan's your best friend, you want to keep them a secret from Papa. I get it, it's like hiding your treasures."

Leona paused before conceding, "Yeah. They're my treasure, so I get to tell your Papa about them. Your job is to keep it a secret until then, alright?"

"Okay, hehe~" Cheka mimed zipping his lips. "I promise, I won't tell anyone." And with that, the chatterbox buried himself back between himself and the herbivore. He clicked his tongue, but he couldn't get mad. After all, the brat cared for the herbivore almost as much as he did. (Almost. Leona wouldn't lose in terms of affection for his herbivore.)

Cheka let out a giggle when Leona turned on his side. Leona shushed him before turning his contemplative stare onto the herbivore. Tomorrow marked the end of Cheka’s visit. With Cheka gone, they wouldn’t have any excuses to avoid him. Leona would be getting an answer out of them, one way or another.

sorry not sorry for the angsty chapter >:D the series is coming to an end soon and i feel like i didn't add enough angst to balance out the mutual pining so here it is jskdjsf

here's my masterlist and the rest of baby it's cold outside if you'd like to check out more <33

[ tiny swahili dictionary ]

mtoto means "child" in swahili ! it is an endearment for any younger child >:D

malaika wangu means "my queen" i hc falena as a corny man who loves to call his wife by affectionate nicknames sjdkfsjf (just like a certain someone huh...)

i chose swahili bc it's the national language of kenya, where lion king is supposedly set. so expect more swahili terms coming up soon hehe ^^