#ensalada

The two of you were currently standing off to the side, watching the students dance together with no restraint nor formation. Despite the attack Rollo Flamme, the host of the event, had enacted towards the magic students residing there, many of them still had energy. Even those of Night Raven College, the ones who helped stop Rollo, had vigor.

With slumped shoulders, Idia clicked his tongue and shook his head. His form perfectly encapsulates how strenuous the past hour was. "It's like everyone is back on max HP and stamina but me!" His hair flickered slightly as he whined under his breath.

He turns to you, a frown tugging on his blue lips and his eyes slightly narrowed. "...Are you like them too? Don't leave me here with negative stamina! My body isn't replenishing!!"

Idia's gloved hands held onto yours with a tight grip. His voice, high and nearly at 2x speed, was fortunately only heard by nearby students who merely turned their bodies away.

Idia let out a small 'ghk!', instantly cringing at himself. His body tenses and his mouth clamps shut before releasing his hold on you, hugging his arm. "I mean... if you want to go dance, go dance... idc." His tone went back to his usual quiet and somber tone, his eyes casting off to the side.

"I'm not, y'know, those types of boyfriends who'll not let you do stuff. Like those... alpha gym rat ones."

You roll your eyes with a small smile, a laugh barely contained. "You are an idiot," you said with a light tone. "...Everyone has dance partners already and my stamina is negative too." You shrug, a hint of exhaustion on your face as well.

Idia perks up, relief on his face that he wasn't alone from being exhausted. And a tiny bit happy about the fact everyone already has a dance partner. A small grin creeps on his face, unable to hold it back.

The two of you continue to stand in silence for a little longer. Your gaze sticks onto those who dance at the center of the room.

Enchanting, smooth, and utterly graceful.

Idia notices. He always does.

With the same amount of concentration he would have when analyzing stats for characters to roll for and equipping weapons on his games.

He freezes once he realizes.

'OMG... are they... wanting to dance?!' Idia thought, his gloved hands clenching in fear.

'No... they're probs admiring everyone's costume... yeah...'

Idia can feel himself sweating. He tries to shake off the guilt of not wanting to dance but it begins to fester, nagging him. 'C'mon Idia... Dancing isn't for you, you don't even have skill points in that category!'

He frowns to himself, the wall he attempted to build up immediately crumbling once he sees you beginning to sway to the classical music.

He watches you for a moment, looks around the area, and looks back. Mentally, he already began going through the pros and cons of dancing with you.

Obviously, his mind conjured up a whole bunch of cons such as: tripping and falling in the center, stepping on someone's foot, and the grand chandelier falling on just him. It's a large range but Idia cannot spare to leave any possibilities out.

But on the pro side... It's you. And that right away clears all the cons.

"You're too OP..." Idia mutters under his breath.

The classical music ceases for a moment, applause filling the room. Idia strikes.

"Hey, um..." He starts, his quiet tone all the same despite the fact that you both are together. "...when the music starts again, do you want to dance.. with me?" He trails off at the end, feeling the tips of his hair (that is visible) turning pink.

You had to stop and stare for a moment, eyes slightly wide mostly from shock instead of flattery. The Idia Shroud, asking to do something even when he muttered 'this is normie stuff' and 'I wish there was a skip button IRL' a million times throughout the event?

You're like a fish out of water with your lips opening and closing for a moment.

Idia immediately backtracks once you didn't respond in the five seconds he gave you. His hands flail around and his face downright flushes red. It didn't help that he's so pale.

"Nope, nope! Nevermind, uh, wow, the drink stand looks really refreshing! I think that'll help me. I'mgonnagetsomeBRB."

The flame-haired boy dips, nearly bumping into students from other schools.

You jolt in surprise, watching your boyfriend actually dash into the crowd despite how he clung to the wall the entirety of the ball.

"Uh-? Idia!" You exclaimed and began speed walking after him. "You're not even going to the drink stand!"

You kept your eyes on his top hat, chasing after him through the crowd. Idia, of course, hears your remark and squeaks as all he could do was hurry off to the other side of the room. 

"This is too much...! Ahh my stats are too low, I might haveta take the L on this one…” The boy grumbles under his breath. Even he’s unsure of where he’s actually going. He notes to himself that all of this scattering around was pointless, that he should turn back around and just repeat what he said.

But, cauldron, the way his stomach twists into knots is enough for him to abandon that idea. 

Idia glances around hurriedly and catches sight of a hallway with barely anyone there. His heart jumps with relief and he’s already moving that way. ‘I bet I already look omega-sus coming over here…’ He couldn’t help but think to himself, nudging himself a bit farther away from the students in the hallway. He leans against the wall and lets out a large sigh.

He knows you know where he is. And that knowing brings a mix of comfort and adrenaline into his system. Idia quietly takes off the mask around his face and begins to fidget with it, staring at the round top stained glass windows across from him.

They all share the common person who they learned was ‘the judge.’ Idia rolls his eyes. “Wonder if this guy made sure he was shown in all of these windows before whatever happened to him,” he whispers to no one. 

The quiet is broken by the sound of rushing feet clicking against the marbled floor. 

“Idia?” You called out, slowing down your pace. “There you are…” 

The said boy tensed up and nearly crushed his mask in his hands. “[Name]! I didn’t even see you…” His voice trails off and the urge to somehow get the floor to swallow him whole increases tenfold.

You linger next to him, pressing your back against the wall beside him. Tugging off your mask also, you glance at him.

Distressed, awkward, …most definitely sweating from everything.

“...You didn’t even give me a chance to answer you.” Your tone is light, not trying to make your boyfriend jump out of his skin.

Idia stays silent, hugging his arm yet again. “I freaked out.” 

For once, his voice is steady and fully audible. It didn’t trail off or begin in the usual mumble or hastiness he tends to speak in.

Your brows lightly furrow, concern seeping into your expression. “Why would you freak out? It’s me that you asked to dance with,” you questioned softly. Idia responded with a purse of his lips and a turn of his head, gazing away from you.

“That’s the issue, you… it’s you that I’m asking,” he begins with a shake of his voice. “Sure, y’know, you’re my girlfriend–” the word is foreign on his tongue, it’s obvious he’s still grappling with the fact that you’re with him “–but I’m still… I guess I’m still adjusting to this whole relationship thing.”

Idia continues fidgeting with his mask again by twirling it between his fingers. “I’ve always been drowning myself in fake realities to… get away from things in this one.” His voice is back to quiet but is not as obscured.

“...So there are times where I feel like this…” He gestures between the two of you “...is just something I made up and I get confused which reality is which.”

The boy avoids your gaze, expression slightly distressed through how his brows and eyes twitch along with how his lips are more pointed downwards.

You stare at him, analyzing the side of his face with slightly parted lips. It’s the most Idia has ever really opened up in the length you’ve known him and you already had your assumptions of what road blocks there may be along the way.

“Ask me again,” you said after a moment of tense silence and turned your body to face him.

Idia snaps his gaze back to you, a confused expression overcoming his features. “What?”

You move closer to the boy and nudge your hand against his. “I said… ‘ask me again’.”

His lips pursed for a moment, that same embarrassed feeling that made him run away in the first place now recrawling up his neck. For a moment he’s glad his outfit extends to his nape though he can feel the sweltering heat there.

Idia’s eyes cast sideways towards the dim hall. There are only a few stragglers there which gives the boy some comfort.

“...You’re putting too much pressure on me, y’know,” Idia manages to squeak out. “My stressometer is already at one hundred. I will literally die if it goes up by one or even point five.”

Your eyes narrow at him for a second. But that was enough to make Idia feel like he was going to explode.

“OKAY! Okay!” He nearly flailed his arms around, voice nearly at a pitch to make glass crack. “J-Just, just…! Give me a moment!” Idia points his back towards you and you can just make out some breathy mutters. 

You roll your eyes. Half playfully and half annoyed. Mostly on the annoyed side.

A minute has gone by and the boy’s muttering suddenly ceased.

Your gaze instinctively looks back towards him and widens to find he’s already facing you.

“You’re like an SSR character with the way you deal so much damage per interaction,” Idia says in a surprisingly steady tone.

Your brows raise somewhat before the boy sighs.

“...You make me not rely on my escapism so much,” he continues. His eyes try its best to stay locked onto yours but ultimately falters and settles onto his gloved hands.

The pale boy sighs again. “You mean a lot to me.”

And while those words were so simple to say, Idia felt like running off again. Or better yet, just pass out right there. “That is a little cringy,” he mutters under his breath.

Your eyes flutter in shock and a small smile begins to form on your lips. “I don’t think it’s that cringy,” you respond, voice matching his volume.

For once, your boyfriend doesn’t jump in his skin from his small comments being heard. Instead his eyes meet yours, hesitant and obviously shy, but still manages.

His blue lips part, the tips of his shark-like teeth peeking out before he shuts them again. His jaw clenches.

You don’t make a move. Not yet at least. Your gaze remains on him, subtly encouraging him to continue.

‘I’m literally gonna combust,’ Idia thought to himself. ‘Am I about to die from attempting to ask my girlfriend to dance with me?! I don’t want to take the L so quickly!’

A shaky exhale leaves him and in a slight haste, his gloved hands grasp yours. Thank the cauldron they are gloved, he knew he had sweaty palms. 

“O-Only extroverts do this type of stuff but…” Idia began to fidget with your palms before steeling himself.

“[Name], would you do me the honor of this dance?”

Your lips part and, quickly remembering how your reaction made him run away, your lips spread into a smile. 

A small laugh escapes you. “You’re very formal with it,” you said with a light tone– Idia letting out a small ‘grk!’ in reaction– before squeezing his hands.

“I’d love to dance with you… if you gave me a chance earlier, I would’ve said ‘yes’ either way,” you continue with a raise of your brows.

Idia tsk’d to himself. “I gave you five seconds, that should’ve been enough..”