#gendered reader

Huh? Why the hell would you ask him that? All Leona did at first was raise an eyebrow at you, carefully scanning you with brilliant, emerald eyes. He couldn't tell what you wanted from your proposition, but it sounded like a lot more effort than he was willing to put forth.

Somehow, you convinced him. It was almost miraculous, really, like some kind of magic. You were surprised he didn't send you off to find and ask Ruggie, instead agreeing to your idea with a relative lack of struggle.

Calling Leona your boyfriend, whether it was real or not, was an instant shock to the rest of the student body. How did you manage to pull that off, they wondered, surprise evident on their faces.

Leona was a perfect actor, playing his role without fail. His expression was impassive and his acting immaculate. There was no telling if it was real or fake with him, so most instantly believed the story, even if it seemed rather sudden.

Eventually, however, the acting began to get muddled with reality. He found himself thinking you really were his girlfriend, slowly realizing that feelings began to take place in his heart, digging their roots in deep. Leona hated it.

When he held your hand for all to see, he wanted it to be real. He wanted to really be your boyfriend, the one getting to flaunt you in front of the students. He didn't want this stupid, fake ploy any longer. Why did he ever agree to this!?

He'd lean back in his chair, thinking about how he wanted to go about this. What could he say, what could he do? How would he even approach you about this? Just walk up to you and say "why not make it real?"

Eventually, Leona decided he had enough. His heart felt full to bursting when he looked at you and he wanted this to be real already!

So, with no pointless run around, he sat you down with him (in private, of course) and laid it all bare in front of you, telling you that he wanted this relationship to be genuine already. It was up to you to decide...

Agreeing to a deal with Azul always had risks. There was always collateral to be given, and he was a coy, coy man. He knew that if you wanted his help that badly, you would be willing to give him almost anything he wanted, so he played his cards wisely.

So, with his usual self-assured smile, secure in his dealings, he agreed to your request, thanking you for doing business with him.

This was a business deal, no more, no less. There were no strings attached and no hidden charges, a fair and square agreement to which the both of you signed your names. When Azul appeared before the rest of the student body beside you, claiming to be your boyfriend, he had every intention to hold up the deal as agreed on.

The rest of the student body couldn't tell it was a ploy, really? Very few could ever truly read Azul and were capable of seeing through his lies, but that minority didn't care enough to point it out. His acting was passible, accustoming to his new role rather easily.

He was always going a bit above and beyond. Call it a VIP benefit, and what lead to his eventual downfall, but he was always doing just a bit extra to really sell the act. Sliding his hand into yours when you sat together, sweetly dabbing at your lips with a napkin after you eat, whatever it took. He played his role well, acting like he truly was smitten with you.

Unfortunately for him, however, the deal changed. Soon, his heart cascaded into a waterfall of affection for you, developing intense romantic love for you before he could stop it.

This wasn't supposed to happen! He was supposed to play his role and get his payment and that was it! Not only was this a breach of contract, but this was also an extreme deviation from the plan! Completely unaccounted for! Azul never would have figured it would backfire this badly and, if he had, he would have asked for more payment upfront.

These annoying feelings for you swirling around his heart led to him sitting at his desk in his office, staring blankly as his head swam with thoughts of you.

He wanted to truly be your boyfriend. The one you showed off with a gleeful smile, no strings attached. The one you greeted with joy and delight every morning and loved dearly. He wanted to be the one you looked at with pride, the one you were happy to call yours.

It seemed it was time for the two of you to draw up a new deal...

You didn't even have to tell him the whole plan. He was already in, big smile and everything.

Kalim made it look easy. His arm was slung around you effortlessly and his booming voice echoed your praises up and down the halls. Only Jamil knew him well enough to know it was a ploy and, as long as it didn't bring him any extra work, he didn't care.

The rest of the student body, however? They had no clue. Kalim was so sweet and so honest that they had no reason to believe he'd participate in such a plot.

As far as the rest of the school viewed it, he was your boyfriend.

How could they be blamed? He did it so effortlessly. He draped himself on you in a casually sweet way, leaning up close against you every time the two of you sat together. He shared his food with you, shoving you as much as you could handle. Affection was his forte, and he was happy to indulge in as much as possible in order to sell your act.

Honestly, Kalim was one of the least upset when it came to realizing he fell for you. He wasn't that surprised, really, and a part of him always held a lot of love for you, even if it was purely platonic. Rather than viewing it like some kind of curse, he thought of it as a fun new experience the two of you could possibly venture on together. A new adventure unfolding right before your eyes!

He didn't take too long to confront you about it. Why would he? The sooner he did told you, the sooner the two of you could (hopefully) date!

Either way, whether you accepted his confession or not, he was delighted and honored to have been asked to be your fake boyfriend.

Now all he wanted was for you to be his real girlfriend.

You had to be kidding. Did the basketball club put you up to this? What about Jamil screamed that he would be willing to agree to some stupid ploy for your personal gain?

It was only when you showed him how this could benefit him too that he agreed. On one condition, of course. This would in no way, shape, or form hinder his duties or bring shame upon the Asim family.

Just like Leona, he played his part well with an unreadable expression. Lending you his hoodies, sitting beside you when able, he seemed like the perfect, princely, textbook boyfriend.

There was no way the simple fools the two of you attended school with would be able to sniff out the truth, not with his act.

Originally, Jamil approached this entire situation with careful trepidation. He had no intent to let anything more fester inside of his heart, keeping up his aloof act when the two of you were alone. There was no need to keep up the lie when it was just the two of you, so he didn't.

Nothing could ever go his way, could it? Whatever he wanted to happen the least, out of every single possible course of action, just had to happen. Before he knew it, his heart began softening. Softening just for you.

Jamil found himself genuinely worrying for your wellbeing, truly taking the extra care to pack you a wonderfully made lunch alongside Kalim's. What had happened to him? He hated doing extra work, so why was he subjecting himself to it so willingly?

The idea of falling in love with you was annoying, more obnoxious than all of Scarabia dorm during a party. This wasn't supposed to happen! What was the point of planning for things when things like this happened!

Eventually, Jamil decided to simply bite the bullet and confess to you. He reasoned that if you were able to look at his typically unapproachable self and decided to ask him to pretend to be your boyfriend, you had to at least view him favorably in comparison to the other students. A thought that warmed his heart a bit.

Perhaps... it didn't suck so much that this was how things turned out. Not if he walked away from this whole ordeal with you as his girlfriend.

Well, when looking to fake anything, it is always smart to have a trained actor on your side.

Getting Vil to agree to your request was a challenge itself. He had an image, you know, and if this escaped to anyone outside of campus, it could impact his career. People liked when celebrities were single, you know, and he'd hate for his name to make headlines simply for an alleged relationship over his beauty and talent.

Similar to Azul, Vil struck up a deal with you. Not a contract, thankfully, but a set of requirements he had for if the two of you were really going to go through with this. You were lucky he went this light on you and, before you knew it, the curtain rose on your performance together.

Vil was elegant and poised as the two of you pulled the wool over the other's eyes. His skill truly shone through now as he kept his manicured hand resting around your shoulders, assuring the astounded crowd that the two of you were truly a couple.

There was never any intent for this to be real. Any of it. It was an act, just simple practice for future roles. Unfortunately, things worked out differently.

The longer he acted out his role, the more it became the truth for him. He found himself really wanting you to be his girlfriend, even off stage. When the curtain fell at night, when the show came to a close, he wanted to be the one you held dearly in your heart.

He wanted to experience the soft moments with you. Practicing skincare, making healthy smoothies together, he wanted to do it all. He wanted you to be his.

Falling for you was... an experience. Not one Vil ever thought would happen to him, sure enough. Well, a true actor was always able to adapt to any abnormality during a performance, and he was an actor through and through.

Vil ended up deciding to simply approach you in private and tell you how he felt. Perhaps you'd like to be his costar...

What? Huh??? What kind of???? What were you asking him to do??????

Idia's face exploded into a million shades of red while his hair burned hotter than the school's fires. You had to be joking? Wait, that wouldn't be good either. Were you doing this just to mess with him? Did you want to bully him? Tease him? Laugh at him?

Idia refused. There was no way he was falling for this normie garbage! There was no doubt that you wanted to tease him, drag his name further through the dirt.

Your charm had to be a higher level to win him over, but you eventually wore him down.

It's not like the students would really know, anyway. He rarely made an appearance outside of his room, so you could have said anything about your relationship. To confirm it, however, Ortho trailed along sweetly behind you, nodding his head cheerfully when you revealed it. With his assurance, the students figured the two of you were truly dating and moved on.

Idia didn't. But it wasn't his fault. You took it so seriously, dropping by his room to leave him candy and snacks and texting him to ask about his games. No one had ever shown so much concern for him before, and you weren't even his real girlfriend.

This had to be some kind of plot, some villainous scheme to mess with him further and lure him into a false sense of confidence. He wouldn't fall for it!... were his famous last words. He didn't know what status ailment you afflicted him with, but it worked.

He found himself gnawing on his lip in the dark of his room, his thoughts circling only around you. Was there ever a chance of asking you out? Surely not, you'd just laugh at him. But... what if that chance really did exist?

Idia wasn't sure about taking that step yet. For now, he'd keep quiet, reveling in the attention you gave him and telling everyone he really was your boyfriend. Maybe, with time, he'd work up the courage to tell you what he really felt but, for now, he was satisfied playing this RPG with you.

Oh? Aren't you cute, child of man. What an interesting proposition, definitely not something Malleus would expect from anyone else. Only you were this brave. So, valiant one, your courage would be rewarded, as Malleus easily agreed to your request.

It was more on you than him to alert others of your "relationship", but that was fine. You asked for it anyway. You told other students with a brilliant smile, and Malleus felt a hint of pride in the way other's eyes glinted with awe and shock, almost as if they couldn't believe you had gotten with one of the most powerful Wizards known to man.

Lilia was amused. Sebek was outraged. What was going on?? Lilia thought it was funny, quickly seeing through the whole plot but keeping it to himself, finding it too humorous to spoil. He'd let you carry on for as long as you wanted. Sebek, on the other hand, was too blinded with shock to realize there was nothing behind the empty relationship. He was the first to be fooled, honestly.

But then things started to change. Child of man, Malleus always had a soft spot for you. Not only were you brave, approaching him to chat without fear of his terrifying might, but you were kind. You told him about your day and asked him about his, treating him like you would every other student. It was... something he never thought he'd get to experience.

Even while your ploy was in effect, you treated him sweetly. You treated him like you viewed him in such a sweet, romantic light. Treated him like an equal. Malleus was grateful.

Malleus was smitten. There were no other words for it. You were so lovely, so sweet, so kind. He couldn't be blamed for falling for you.

It wasn't evident to you, not at first. He made no obvious change during the act, not appearing around other students enough to act like a stereotypical "boyfriend", but the look in his eyes was soft. Soft enough where, when he did appear around the other students, they believed the fake dating lie.

Eventually, Malleus reasoned that he would have to step up and truly share his feelings with you, knowing that waiting for too long would only bring him heartbreak. Besides, you were so sweet to him, the first of your kind to ever be, so surely you had to have at least some kind of soft spot for him, right? Perhaps... he would have to see for himself.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀꜰᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ ᴏᴘᴇɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴋᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛᴇꜱ ᴀɴʏ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ

You hear your name being called out as you make your way down the corridor to your small apartment. When you turn, you see your neighbor Sugawara waving at you with a bright smile. 

He’s always so warm and welcoming. 

It’s a double edged sword. 

You want nothing more than to run to him, wrap around him, and never let go but you know he doesn’t see you that way. He’s friendly and open with everyone you’ve seen him interact with. He’s just a really nice guy, with a bit of a mischievous streak. 

But...you’re friends...just friends. 

You’ve made your peace with knowing that, as much as you can at least. 

It’s not the first time but it’s never felt more painful to have your fate sealed up this way. Usually you can just roll with it, you don’t expect anything romantic from anyone so it’s not wrong when you don’t get it. 

But fuck...FUCCKK you’ve wanted since the first day you met him. 

You didn’t understand it at first. You didn’t know why you were being drawn into him beyond the friendly smile and the ridiculous sense of humor. But it wasn’t long before the pieces fell into place and you weren’t just crushing, you were full blown in love, capital L, with him. 

“Hey Suga,” you say, once he catches up to you and pulls you out of your thoughts. 

It only takes those two small words for him to realize that something is different. 

“Hey, are you okay?” he asks, his hand gently finding the curve of your shoulder and giving it a little squeeze. 

“Yeah, man. I’m cool…” you say, shrugging it off. “Just tired.” 

“Oh well I’ll let you rest then,” he says, backing away. 

You miss the warmth of his hand immediately but you push ahead. “I’m not like, exhausted..just a long day..y’know? What’s up?” 

“I was actually wondering if you uh, wanted to watch the game and maybe order some pizza or something,” he says, and he seems oddly nervous given the fact that you guys hang out quite a bit so it’s nothing new. 

“What game?” you ask, because you didn’t really think he was the kind of guy that was into sports. 

“Oh the uh, volleyball game between MSBY Black Jackals and the Schweiden Adlers,” he says, there’s a pink tinge to his cheeks that’s adorable as hell but you fight off the bubbly feeling in your chest. 

“Sure man...sounds good. What time does it start?” you ask, and his smile is wider than you’ve ever seen it. 

“About thirty minutes from now?” he says, chuckling in the short space between you. It feels warm but you still miss the touch of his hand.

You laugh along and shake your head. “Yeah come on in...you can order the pizza while I change out of my work stuff.” 

“Thanks,” he says, strutting into your apartment completely at ease. 

Sometimes you wish you knew how that felt. 

If you didn’t have all these feelings building up inside you maybe you would. 

You quickly get into something a lot more comfortable and you take a few seconds to glance in the mirror before you head back out to the main room.

“We’ve got a little time before it starts, tell me about your day,” he says, clearly impatient about what’s bothering you. 

“It’s really nothing just...y’know it’s February...LOVERS AND LOVEY DOVEY DISPLAYS ARE EVERYWHERE,” you say, an empty laugh erupting unexpectedly from your chest. 

“Well you’ll find someone you like, I’m sure.” 

“I don’t think that stuff is for me…” you say, missing the way his smile drops and doesn’t quite reach his eyes anymore. 

“Oh? If it’s not too personal could I ask why?” 

“Well for starters, someone would have to actually like me back...like romantically,” you say, “I just don’t think that’s possible.” 

He sits quiet for a moment, the air isn’t uneasy but it’s not as comfortable as it was either. 

You start to feel a little nervous.

“I mean, I’m not trying to be self deprecating. I know I’m a really cool guy and I have personality for days but like...nobody looks and me goes, yeah...him...I want to kiss his face and hold his hand and like...other stuff,” you say, shaking your head. “I’m just not that guy, s’all.” 

You’ve been trying to pour the both of you a glass of something to drink but your hands have started to shake the longer you speak and you’re genuinely concerned you’re going to make a mess of things if you don’t hurry it up. 

You force yourself to take a deep breath and try to relax long enough to fill the cups. 

“That’s not true...that’s not true at all. I’m sure there are a lot of people who see you smile, watch you laugh, feel your soul wrap around them and think yeah...he’s special.” 

Your eyes pop up to meet his and you feel a rush of something in your gut that you can’t explain. 

“Nobody has ever thought that,” you say, unable to keep yourself from pushing. 

Don’t push...don’t push, he’s just going to talk about some hypothetical pers-

“I did. I do- I think that…” 

You feel your eyes go even wider and you nearly drop the pitcher you’re pouring from but instead you just freeze there, in shock. 

Sugawara stands up slowly, his eyes never leaving yours as he makes his way toward where you’re standing by the counter. 

He takes the pitcher in one hand and gently sets it down on the countertop so it doesn’t get dropped and break, and then he puts your face between his hands. 

From this close you see his eyes, the way his hair falls over his forehead. You feel the warmth of his hands all over again only this time against your bare skin and it’s even more amazing.

The words come out shaky and surprised but you say them all the same, “I must be dreaming…” 

“Not a dream, is it...is it okay if I kiss you?” 

“As long as you don’t disappear.” 

“I won’t disappear.” 

“Then yes.” 

Sugawara spends the next few minutes thoroughly convincing you that you are wanted. And, even though it’s still new and you’re not sure all the feelings you’ve been craving are there, he has no trouble making you feel cared for and loved.

Huh? Wasn't some snotty goody-two-shoes like you supposed to be at that other school? What was some pompous little herbivore princess doing here? You were just asking to get eaten up, you know.

At first, Leona mostly found you annoying. He hated suck-ups and, when speaking to Ruggie, that's how he described you. He felt your attitude simply had to be fake and it was disgusting to him. Prince or not, royals, whether in status or personality, pushed his buttons in a way other common folk didn't.

Luckily, you were persistent. Maybe that was just a part of your princessy self, but you nagged him enough to get him to tolerate being around him.

The first time you really got him was when you allowed him to use you as a pillow while he slept, your body rumbling softly as you hummed a quiet tune. It was a comfortable nap, one of the best he'd had in a long, long time. Your hand wove through his hair, carefully rubbing against his scalp in slow, soothing motions.

The next time you got him was when you smiled at him when he tried to tick you off by stealing some food directly off of your plate. You smiled kindly at him, telling him that if he wanted it, he could have it. You weren't supposed to react like that!

Your stupid, princess-like kindness kept wearing him down time and time again, reducing him to nothing more but a soft kitten at heart for you.

Outside of letting him have some of your food, you never gave in to his whims easily. You were kind, but no pushover. Maybe that was part of what got him.

Leona hated the way he softened up so much inside for you. He'd often find himself looking at you tenderly before snapping out of it, wishing he could smack himself for how sickeningly lovestruck he must have looked to everyone else.

But as you sat beside him in the Botanical Garden, weaving some flowers together into a crown, talking to him quietly while allowing him to doze lightly on your shoulder, he could hear his own heart beating. It picked up in pace when you reached to place the crown on top of his head before picking up once more at the way you looked at him when he moved to drop it on your head instead.

Your eyes were wide and your expression cute, a wonderous smile slowly blooming on your face before you giggled at the lion in front of you, getting to work on making a matching crown for him. As he murmured a soft "tch" in response, he couldn't help but think maybe a princess like you... wasn't so bad.

Princess are so easy to take advantage of, you know? In fact, the Sea Witch herself once bent one poor, unfortunate royal to her whims, and Azul had every intent to do the same. Sure, maybe you weren't really a princess, but you were so kind and naïve, virtually undistinguishable.

No matter how slippery and untrustworthy he seemed, however, you remained compassionate and kind, speaking to him like he hadn't just tried to rope you into his latest scheme. It was annoying, yes, but it also gave him hope that he could somehow pull one over on you.

It backfired terribly, though. Soon his scheming bubbled down to nothing more than flat out admiration. You were so wonderful, he couldn't help it. And he hated it. He hated the princessy type, always such pompous jerks.

His hated was soon eroded away too, however, leaving him gazing at you with hearts practically dancing in his eyes.

You were so sweet, coming to see him after a long day ended. Sometimes you'd drop by the Lounge after closing, not to buy something, but to listen and ask about Azul's day. He was hesitant to share at first but, finding you to eventually be a relatively trustworthy one, he slowly began telling you more and more about his day.

You complimented him. Oh, did you ever compliment him! Sugary sweet yet completely genuine words danced forth from you and cozied around him like a warm hug, making him feel like he was one in a million to you.

Always seeming to know exactly what he was worried about, you did everything in your power to help him sometimes. You knew his appearance was important to him, so, on occasion, you'd help him style his hair if it ever got mussed up, giving him a cheerful smile, never asking anything in return. What a foreign concept...

Truly, you had worked your way into the shining pearl that was Azul's heart. He viewed you in such a golden light, wanting nothing more than to link his arm with yours as you strolled through the halls, the one and only person you could call your boyfriend.

The two of you were such a sunshine duo. Kalim was almost always in relatively high spirits, as were you. Thankfully, however, you were a lot more reigned in, considerate enough to help keep the rowdy boy from making more trouble.

You both displayed incredible amounts of kindness, one of the things that Kalim immediately enjoyed about you. He liked kind people, after all, and you played off of each other well.

He love, love, loves dancing with you! You were incredibly good on your feet, swaying with him like you had done this a million times before, as if you were used to dancing in massive ballrooms.

Not to mention, you always seemed to know how to talk to animals, and they seemed to flock to you! Kalim had been good with animals since a young age, sympathizing with them and enjoying their company, so he appreciated your talent and the love they held for you.

If that wasn't enough for you, his affection matched yours perfectly. You loved to help fix his hair and retie his headband and he loved to pull you close in a tight hug and rest his arm around your shoulders.

Honestly, it didn't take long for him to fall for you. Kalim was always keen on you, the two of you taking to each other well, but you were so much more than just an overly kind person. You were sweet, yes, but you also helped him more than he could ever put into words. You were compassionate, but you'd often point out when he needed to step back and calm down, something that Jamil was incredibly thankful for.

Kalim was dead set on trying to become a better person and, with you by his side, he was certain he could! Not to mention, he enjoyed every single second he spent with you, and he never wanted your time together to end!

You were like a princess in the best way possible, and Kalim was your faithful prince. He was there for you in the same way you were for him, a naïve boy who is kind at heart. The tender moments in which the two of you shared were never something he expected himself to have, but something he treasured more than all the gold in his vault.

A princess? Your personality type already had his lip curling in a sneer. He had several poor experiences with someone like you and he wasn't keen on reliving those. Unfortunately for him, you were persistent.

You always complimented Vil. Perhaps that didn't seem like anything special, but it was. You didn't simply stop at the usual "you're so beautiful" that others gave him, nor did you go above to the extremes that Rook did. You always were able to pick out something so subtle yet delicate about his outfit, something he always appreciated.

Another wonderful aspect of you was your grace. Yes, you were careful on your feet, not to mention the way you held yourself. Your spine straight and your head held high, you looked just like a princess from one of the stories his father used to read him.

Within beauty there is both grace and severity. You were the former, perfectly balancing out Vil's harshness and desire. You were gorgeous like him, but so calm and so kind. You calmed him down when he got fed up with being in second, reminding him of the things unique to only him.

Not to be forgotten, however, was the care you put into your affections. You were so kind, not touching any part of him without his explicit permission, especially when he was wearing foundation on his face. When he did allow you to touch him, however, you remained gentle and kind, treating him like he was made of the most valuable glass in the world.

Vil always wanted to play the hero, and that was how you made him feel. Like he was the good guy in this tale, someone important to you. The way you looked at him, the way you spoke to him. Perhaps this was just how you were, a sweet, wonderful one indeed, but it made Vil feel so good.

It wasn't his intention to fall in love with you but he did and he fell hard. You were a princess to him but it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. You were genuine and sweet, never belittling him or making him feel like he was lesser than. That was something that was incredibly important to him, and he was completely crushing on you.

Ugh, he doesn't care. What, did he seem like some kind of unlikely hero traversing through various trials and tribulations to rescue you from the castle in which you, the beautiful princess, were ensnared? Well, this wasn't a video game and, even if you were, he didn't care!

You were so sweet it was sickening. Idia didn't appreciate it. It had to be out of pity, there was no way you'd spare so much time on someone like him.

It wasn't just him though, that's what was baffling. You were so sweet to Ortho as well, helping take care of him and always listening to him talk. You helped his little brother open up even more, which was something even Idia would have to admit he was grateful for.

You were affectionate to his little brother, too, but always toned it down on the rare occasions in which you actually saw Idia in person. You'd compliment him very lightly, not wanting to pressure him or make him uncomfortable.

But your affections weren't just in person. When you saw his tablet flying around, you'd always offer to wipe and polish the screen for him, looking into the camera with a big smile. That cursed smile... Idia hated it and loved it at the same time. Who let you be so charming? What kind of overpowered nonsense was this...

Understanding was a perfect adjective to describe you. You were fine with messaging him instead of calling him or talking to him in person if that was what he preferred, never seeming put out by his simple needs. No, in fact, you always seemed delighted to.

Idia hated the way his heart pumped faster at just the thought of you. This was stupid! Princess never affected him this badly, he thought, and he should know. He's played enough games with them, after all. But you were different! You were like... some extra special character with deeper lore, feeling way more realistic than the terrible writing he was used to seeing in 2D girls.

That's what got him to fall for you, honestly. You felt real despite your charms, something that completely surprised him. He was used to princesses but never like this. You were so much better, honestly, and he couldn't deny the serious crush tearing apart his heart any longer.

Oh, did he ever know princess. Yes, child of man, did you forget how much he's seen in his long, long life? You were not the first of your kind, nor would you be the last.

That didn't mean you weren't different, however. You were leagues above what the rest of these students were, genuinely seeking him out and yearning for his company. Your compassion was unparalleled, and it made Malleus feel incredible. You listened attentively, always wanting to know about his day and what he thought. It made his chest feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

He had never experienced such affection before. You'd fearlessly reach for his hand and sweetly ask if you could touch his horns. You'd grab his arm at night, linking them together while you strolled beside him under the starry sky.

Everything about you was different in the most wonderful way possible. You were so much more hardworking than other students, no, than other people he met in his life, which he admired. You gave everything your best effort, trying things again and again until you succeeded. Most humans tended to give up easily, which made you stand out even further.

You always seemed so saddened when you heard of how poorly your peers treated him, offering him your sympathy without request for repayment. Malleus was touched. Who would look at him, see him in all of his terrifying glory, and offer him comfort? Your compassion was a gift, one Malleus would hold dearly in his heart for as long as he could.

This lead to him offering to be around you as often as he could. It was a bit childish, maybe, but he wanted to spend as much time with you as he could, his heart lifting in joy every time he so much as spotted your beautiful face.

When the two of you did spend your time together, however, he would seem... lighter than usual. Even a small smile would play about his lips, completely brightening up his entire face. There was no sight like it, the great Malleus Draconia gazing at you so tenderly.

Someone like you deserved a crown, there was no argument about it. Luckily, he would soon have one to offer you alongside his confession (when he finally made it), a crown for his beloved princess.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀꜰᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ ᴏᴘᴇɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴋᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛᴇꜱ ᴀɴʏ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ

Leona hummed dismissively, turning his back and continuing on his way to the Botanical Garden. You followed him with a mischievous grin adorning your features. You weren't about to let him get away without that kiss.

He settled himself comfortably upon arrival, prepared to fall asleep, but his constant squirming gave away his inability to get really comfortable. His eye cracked upon and he peeked at you as you leaned down over him. He sighed, rolling onto his back to look fully up at you with half-lidded eyes.

"How long are you going to hover for?"

"'Till I get that kiss."

Leona sighed, pressing his forearm against his forehead. He wasn't that annoyed, really, he just wanted to go to sleep. "Come here," he grumbled, motioning for you to lay down next to him and rest for a moment. His arms wrapped around you and he held you against him in silence, his steady breathing the only sign of time passing at all.

"Why do you want a kiss so badly?" came from nowhere, startling you out of the peaceful state you had succumbed to in your boyfriend's arms.

"Because a princess always gets her kiss of true love from her prince!" you laughed, teasing him. You couldn't see the quick pace with which his tail began to repeatedly beat lightly against the ground and the way his ears flattened slightly against his head.

"Is that so?" he growled out lowly, fangs on display as he smiled a small, wicked little grin. A quick kiss was bestowed upon your forehead, barely long enough for you to actually register it.

"Hey! That doesn't count!"

"You said you wanted a kiss?"

"You know what I meant!"

Leona's chuckle was loud and gleeful as he laughed at your exasperation. He knew exactly what he was doing. It seems if you wanted the kiss you had to steal it yourself. And so, you did.

The look of shock mixed with entertainment on Leona's face was so worth it.

𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕗𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕤

A princess? Well, at least that means you know how to hold yourself.

During the first little bit of knowing Vil, he almost treats you at arm's length. He's not warm, but he doesn't shun you. He treats you like the royalty you are, but not a friend.

Eventually, however, you really wear down on him. You break your way past his walls and into the heart of the true Vil Schoenheit. You better be prepared for what that comes with.

Being the object of Vil's affection comes with more pros than cons, really. One of the things that could go either way, though, is the standard he holds you to. Not only is he determined to make sure you look and act your best as his crush, but you are also a princess! There can be no slacking when it comes to how you hold yourself!

Every now and then, his words may be a bit harsher when directed toward you. It's more of a tough-love thing, you see. He wants to help make sure you're always reaching your full potential, and it stems from the love he has for you. He always is sure to not cross any lines, though.

He's not surprised if you can get your hands on any well-known brands like Ténèbres. Rather than be jealous, he's proud of you for being able to get something so well-suited for someone of your position.

He delights in when you allow him to see them, though. In fact, he gets surprisingly excited if you allow him to see any of the more regal and expensive clothes you have. You'll let him style some outfits for you, won't you?

His smile is sincere as he assures you he will bring out only the finest beauty from you.

Vil crushing on you is quite the experience. There are things he's willing to do for you that he doesn't do for others. Are you struggling somewhat in Potions? Worry not your pretty little head, he's setting aside enough time as you need to sit down and work through it with you.

The amount of passion Vil has for just a crush is honestly surprising, but not out of character. He is a man who puts forth all his effort into everything he does, is he not? That includes his pursuit of you. He's determined to make sure you feel like you are important to him before he ever even considers really asking you out.

Overall, having Vil crush on you is perhaps one of the best things you could ask for. He's caring and thinks about you a lot, even if it's hard to tell behind his sometimes harsh words. He looks out for your well-being and always strives to help you do the best in every field possible. Together may you both blossom into beautiful queens one day.

𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕗𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕤

While Leona has issues taking care of Cheka, he's always been protective of you. Maybe it was because he related to you. Neither of you would ever take the throne, after all.

He was always looking out for you. You may have had the same strength women from the Afterglow Savannah do, but you were still a soft sweetie at heart. Uncaring as he may seem, he didn't want that part of you to be corrupted by the others in this world. He didn't want you to become bitter like him.

When you overblotted, Leona felt awful inside. He never wanted to see you suffering, and he knew first hand that there was nothing pleasant about going into that state. He just wanted to help you.

Leona fought against your overblotted form tooth and nail. He wanted you to be okay. For a guy normally seen as rough and tumble, he really just wanted to take care of his baby sister. He, like Riddle, lead the fight against you, just trying to tire you out as much as possible so you would finally snap out of it.

He waited for you to wake up again and it was probably the most frazzled you've ever seen him. There was so much worry raging inside of his eyes as he looked down at you. His ears were tilted in the way a sad cat's may be.

When you woke up, instead of making you get up quickly like he did after his overblot, he let you lay there for a moment. You needed the rest.

He asked you why. He sounded so sad. He cared so much about you and always wanted to protect you, but it seemed he completely failed. He let you down. He knows you're tough and he knows there's so much you can handle, but he never wanted you to feel on your own enough for so much negative magic to back up.

When he hears your fear, he laughs slightly. He wasn't mocking you, of course. He was just trying to lighten the mood a little.

"As if you could hurt me," he teased. He's your big brother, cut him some slack. But he's a bit right. He's strong and capable. You are too, but you're still his little sister, and he'll happily remind you of that.

He ruffles your hair slightly as he picks you up to carry you to the infirmary. You don't get a say in it, you ARE resting. At least, as he carries you carefully, you get to feel reassured in the fact that your older brother is always looking out for you.

Azul is incredibly protective of you. To the point where you sometimes get a little annoyed and remind your big brother that you're not some little guppy anymore.

Azul can't help it, really. He just wants to make sure you don't go through any of the pain he experienced. And if someone does try to do anything to you, there will be incredible hell to pay.

He almost freaks out when you go into overblot. No no no, not his precious little sister. Maybe some other poor unfortunate soul, but not you!

He was both worried and disappointed. Not in you, of course. He was disappointed in himself. He prides himself on his cunning and smarts, but he couldn't even notice the suffering of the one he tried so hard to protect. What kind of older brother was he?

Regardless, he now made it his mission to make sure you walked out of this okay. He fought against you with everything he and the Leech twins had. Perhaps it was mercy, perhaps it was the love he has for you. Either way, he just wanted to make this end already. He knows you're suffering.

Finally, it's over. You collapse to the ground in a heap of ink and he's rushing to your side. If this was some other time, Floyd may have joked it was the fastest he'd ever seen Azul move on land.

His hand was supporting you underneath your head. He asked you if you were alright and what had caused it. When you tearfully shared how you were so scared of hurting him, he felt awful. He wiped the tears from your eyes, assuring you he was alright.

There was no point in trying to reassure you of your fear anymore. The overblot had passed. It was over. Whatever you had feared could no longer hurt you, he assured.

He did his very best to instead show you that you hadn't hurt him. He was okay. There was nothing to worry about anymore.

Azul didn't know what caused your overblot, but he stayed by your side while you rested in the infirmary. He'd bring you drinks from Mostro Lounge, brushing the hair off of your forehead as you happily thanked your big brother for the drink.

He's learned that he can't do much to remedy the fears of the past. But he can help you as you now move toward trying to focus on bettering yourself and your own future.

Kalim doesn't know how to react anymore. He can't seem to see the suffering of anyone around him. He feels awful. He loves you, he loves all of his siblings, yet he wasn't able to see what was eating away at you until it was too late and there was ink covering everything.

For once, the usually optimistic boy deflated like a balloon. He felt bad enough when he missed the suffering Jamil was enduring - to think his own sibling was dealing with something similar!

At first, he wasn't able to fight back against you. He couldn't muster it. Not only did he not want to harm his beloved baby sister, but he was also so overridden with guilt. However, with everyone rallying around him, he found it in him to try to bring you back to your senses. One step at a time, just like what happened before.

He fights with everything he has in him. He wants to see you okay. He wants to see you be happy again. Kalim hates when people are upset. He just wants everyone to be happy, especially the family that means the world to him.

He cries when you tell him you were afraid of him. Not only was he so, so worried about you, terrified that he'd have lost you like he could have lost Jamil, but you were afraid of hurting him. Perhaps the Asims just have large hearts...

He holds you dearly, practically suffocating you as he shoves your face against him. The two of you sit there, crying into each other's necks for what felt like forever. Kalim doesn't want to let you out of his arms in fear he may slip up and drop you back into your suffering.

Kalim can't stop sobbing as he reassures you that he's okay while simultaneously asking if you're alright. He makes sure you get plenty of rest and has only the best food made for you. He wants your recovery to be speedy! For once, Kalim seems completely laser-focused as he watches over you.

Once more, he's steeled himself toward becoming a better person. He learned once more that he needs to pay more attention to how the people around him are truly feeling if he really wants everyone to feel happy. There are no excuses left. He's determined to be a better person; for Jamil, for his dorm, and for you.

Vil is a strict, no-nonsense older brother, but he's not cruel. He loves you very much and tries his best to remind you of that. Every now and then you'll find some expensive trinket from a shoot he received waiting for you when you get home, and other times he orders things specifically for you during his work.

Every now and then, Vil worries that he's a bit too overbearing. He's often heard the whispers of the students who are unsatisfied with his rough treatment. He does show you some leniency here and there, but other times, he holds you to a higher standard than the other students. He wants you to be your best self because he adores you so much more than the random potatoes around him.

He feels his heart shatter in two when your overblot takes over. Do you feel as ugly as he did? Did you, too, want to hide it away from the world? He doesn't know, but it eats away at him. He wanted the best for you but he never thought it'd come to this.

Vil is harsh as he commands everyone to fight against you with everything in his power. He's firing off spells left and right, for once uncaring about how undignified he looks. His hair is slipping from beneath his crown as he gives his absolute everything. His makeup is smudged as he tries to help you be okay again.

When you finally come to, it's to the sight of your worried older brother hovering above you. He's wiping the ink from across your face, making it easier to see the beauty you hold beneath.

The smile he gives you is tired but relieved. You're okay, he breathes out. He couldn't be happier, so he holds you in his arms like you're the most precious award he's ever won.

There's no question about it, you ARE resting in the infirmary. You're also going to be drinking every single protein shake he brings you and eating every single meal he sets out. Don't you dare talk back, young lady. Not until your energy has returned enough for you to even stand up properly when you tried to yell at him.

Ultimately, Vil holds the fears you share with him deep in his heart for a while. He can't get the way your voice cracked when you told him out of his head. He feels awful, once again like the ugly old hag instead of the beautiful queen. He didn't address them, keeping silent while you sobbed quietly.

There were no words for him to say. The ordeal was over, there was nothing for you to fear anymore. Instead, Vil would make sure you got stronger and stronger while making sure you knew he was always by your side. He wouldn't do it for you, no, that went against his morals, but he would make sure you always had the support to grow. It was what a big brother was meant to do.

One thing anyone could count on for Idia is his love for his siblings. You or Ortho, it didn't matter. You were a Shroud, you meant everything to him.

Maybe you were fed up with how stubborn he is. Just like with your little brother, he often ignored your wishes for him to go out and do more. Or perhaps he tried to make you stay inside away from everyone else like he does.

When you overblot, he doesn't know what to do. This isn't something he ever expected to happen and he hadn't collected data from the other overblots he knows happened on the school campus.

Idia's conflicted. The habitual part of him wants to just fall back on video game tropes and try to either have some superpowered takedown to help you get back to normal, or have some anime tear-jerking moment as the two of you have a heart to heart. But he's no idiot; he knows what he has to do.

With the same sort of regret as some tragic anime anti-hero, he fights against you with all the magic he has up his sleeves. Every single trick he knows.

Please, please, please be okay. He can't handle any more loss. He needs you to walk out of this okay. Please, you're too important to him. His most beloved baby sister, please wake up. He can't handle the idea of losing you...

He feels his heart shatter when you tell him you were terrified of hurting him, his heart breaking further as he looks at your tears. His smile is faulty and shaky as it threatens to fall right off his face.

You've always been able to see right through him, you knew him too well, so he doesn't bother to try to lie to you. He holds you tightly, sobbing against your still ink-covered form. He's so happy you're okay. He was so worried about you...

Idia's determined to not let you feel that kind of awful again. Overblotting is hell, true video game character pain. No, even if it means he actually has to leave his room a bit more, he wants to make you happy. You and Ortho. The two of you are his world, you know.

Malleus has always treated you gently. You're much, much younger than him, and he's determined to make your life so much better than his. As much as he possibly can.

He always gave you so many gifts. Some of them were just random things he found while out on walks - small stones, flowers, and trinkets he found on the paths - and some were expensive gifts he ordered first-hand from Sam's shop.

Ever the caring brother, his heart shattered when he saw you descending into your overblot. It hurt him so much to realize you were in so much pain, and there was an uncharacteristically shocked and upset expression scrawled across the entirety of his face.

Malleus didn't hesitate. He did every single thing in his power to bring you back to your senses. There was no way he was letting his nonsense go on for longer than it needed to.

When it was finally all over, he held your shaking form carefully in his arms. Shush now, all will be alright. Malleus is here.

You're still sobbing uncontrollably. You cry out how terrified you were of hurting him, shocking him for the second time in a row. Was that what you were truly afraid of, Little One?

Malleus practically coos at you like you're a baby again, looking down at your still inky form with a graceful and slightly amused smile. Aren't you a confident little thing, thinking you could ever hurt such a powerful magician. Yes, you were powerful in your own right, but you really didn't compare to his ability.

No matter, your fears are still important. Malleus reassures you that he and everyone else who helped take you down are quite alright.

He practically doesn't leave your side as you recover. Unfortunately, that means you're subject to Sebek's loud yelling for almost days on end with little break. Malleus has to tell him to shut up practically hourly.

He spends quite a lot of time reflecting. He didn't think he was a bad brother at all, but there was obviously something he was doing wrong if he couldn't see you suffering so much. He reflects on everything that'd happened in the past few weeks, trying to figure out what had been upsetting you so much. That would go on no longer! Your watchful, caring older brother is always there if you need to talk, and he loves you so much. He will always help take care of you, should you so like.

Jamil is a rather attentive older brother. His care is often subtle as he looks out from you from the shadows, always ready to step forward and help you carry whatever burdens you're dealing with. Whether it be school or social trouble, he was always there to lend you a comforting shoulder and a kind word of advice.

Perhaps he had been a bit too neglectful lately. So much had happened, especially after his own overblot. He was not only focusing on doing all he could to rebuild himself by serving Kalim at school, but he was also trying to deal with recognizing his own worth as a person for the first real time in his life. He was so preoccupied with realizing that his worth wasn't dependent on how well Kalim was faring that he forgot his sister may be suffering herself.

It feels like the world is crashing down around him as the ink swirls around you. He never wanted this to happen. He almost has to bite back tears. You shouldn't be suffering like this! No, he just wanted his family to be free! To be out of the shadows!

For now, all he could do was help you calm down. You're not the first overblot he's had to deal with and he puts his all into bringing you back down. You will be okay, you don't get a say in it!

He rushes to your side the second it's safe. You're still covered in ink as he holds you close to him, desperate to see if his dear little sister is okay.

You started sobbing, gripping onto his sweatshirt as everything you'd been holding in came pouring out. He rubbed your back as he listened quietly, feeling his own heart breaking the longer you went on.

The fear that had been eating you away during it all was the final straw. There were slight tears brimming in his eyes as he reassured you he was fine. He tried to have a cocky grin, almost joking that you could never hurt him - he was your tough older brother after all - but for once in his life, his emotions are completely overtaking him and bubbling up to the surface.

You receive VIP treatment over the next few days as you recover. He cooks you wondrously delicious food, packed to the brim with nutrients in order to help you regain your energy faster. He tried hard to make the meals look nice, too

Jamil's not good with words. He never has been. Despite that, as you sit there quietly under the night's watchful gaze, he reminds you how much you mean to him. He's sorry for not being there to help you when the world was too much for you, but your big brother always, always will love you. Just say the word and he will be there to help you with whatever you need, he promises.

𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕗𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕤