#idia x reader

The fluorescent lights of S.T.Y.X. Headquarters didn’t hum; they vibrated at a frequency that felt specifically engineered to drill directly into the center of your skull.

For the past two weeks, this monochrome, high-tech fortress of isolation had been your entire world. Ever since the catastrophic events of the Overblot—since the skies over Night Raven College had split wide open and the Ferrymen had dragged you, along with the other Overblot victims, down into the deepest recesses of the Island of Woe—time had lost all meaning.

The Phantom threat had subsided. The blot had been drained, filtered, and cataloged. The world outside had apparently resumed its normal rotation, and the school had graciously granted you and the Acting Director a period of "mandatory administrative leave" to recover.

But "recovery" in S.T.Y.X. didn't involve sunshine, therapy, or peaceful reflection. It involved being cooped up in a subterranean labyrinth with Idia Shroud.

And to put it bluntly, Idia had been a massive, unmitigated asshole.

It wasn’t a secret that Idia didn't know how to handle human interaction. Before all of this, his default setting was either absolute silence from behind a tablet screen or high-pitched, rapid-fire stuttering when cornered. But something had fundamentally shifted after his Overblot.

The terrifying, god-like entity that had floatingly declared its intent to rewrite the laws of life and death had been forced back down into the shell of a lanky, pale, chronically online young man. Yet, a trace of that tyrannical, absolute arrogance remained, clinging to him like the faint scent of ozone after a lightning strike.

He had kidnapped you. During the height of his madness, when his hair had blazed with the crimson fire of a dying star and his eyes had held nothing but chilling, localized nihilism, his Magitech-infused hands had snatched you away from everyone else. He had claimed you were his "irreplaceable save data." He had claimed you belonged in his underworld.

And now? Now he was trying to be a boyfriend.

Keyword: trying.

"Are you actually serious right now, Idia?”

Your voice echoed off the sleek, metallic walls of his personal workshop—a chaotic disaster zone of disassembled Ortho parts, exposed motherboard wiring, and empty neon-colored energy drink cans.

Idia didn't even look up from his holographic terminal. The faint blue glow of his hair flickered sluggishly, a visual representation of his sour mood. His long, bony fingers flew across the digital keyboard with terrifying speed, the clack-clack-clack sounding like a swarm of angry locusts.

"I’m literally in the middle of a critical system optimization patch, Prefect," he drawled, his tone dripping with an aggressive, defensive condescension that made your eye twitch. "If I don't re-calibrate the magical particle dampeners in this sector, the entire grid goes into a thermal runaway. But sure, go off. Please, disrupt the only person keeping this entire facility from turning into a pile of slag because your normie brain needs entertainment."

"I don't need entertainment, I need you to act like a human being for five minutes!" you snapped, crossing your arms tightly over your chest. "You invited me to stay in this section of the living quarters instead of the guest cells. You're the one who told me we were... that we were together now. But you haven't said a single decent thing to me in three days!"

"Uh, excuse me? Fact-check alert," Idia scoffed, his shoulders hunching as he finally spun his floating gaming chair around to face you. His golden eyes, shadowed by heavy, dark circles, glared at you through his messy blue bangs. "I literally ordered that limited-edition strawberry shortcake paraded all the way from the West Sector yesterday. I had a high-spec drone deliver it directly to your room. That’s a literal SSR-tier romance option action. What more do you want? An achievement unlocked banner to pop up over my head?"

"You had a drone drop it on my bed while I was sleeping, and the note attached to it just said 'Consumable item: +50 HP, stop sighing so loud through the vents'!" you yelled, your frustration finally boiling over. "You didn't even come see me! You've been ignoring everyone, shouting at the staff, treating Ortho like an annoying bug report, and treating me like an NPC you forced into your party!"

"Because you are disrupting my gameplay loop!" Idia suddenly stood up, his towering, lanky frame casting a long, intimidating shadow under the harsh LED lights. His hair flared a slightly brighter shade of azure, sparks flying from the tips of his ethereal locks. "Do you have any idea how much pressure I'm under? The Board of Directors is breathing down my neck, the magical energy readings in Tartarus are fluctuating, and I have to somehow manage a high-maintenance, normie girlfriend who doesn't understand that an introverted gamer needs space to recharge his MP bar!"

"Oh, so I'm a chore now? A high-maintenance hindrance?!"

"If the shoe fits, equip it!" he barked back, his voice rising to that screechy, agitated pitch he got whenever he was losing an argument online. "You’ve been hovering around my workspace all morning! You’re getting in the way of my pathing! Just... go back to your room and let me cook!"

That was the breaking point. Something inside you snapped. You had endured the kidnapping, the terror of the Overblot, the cold isolation of this high-tech tomb, and his insufferable, prickly attitude for weeks. You weren't going to just sit there and take it anymore.

If he wanted to treat you like a disruptive element in his perfect little digital sandbox, you were going to show him exactly what a glitch looked like.

Instead of storming out, you took a deliberate step forward, marching straight into his personal radius.

"Oh, I'm getting in your pathing?" you challenged, your voice dripping with sweet, venomous sarcasm. "Let me help you optimize it then."

Before Idia could process what you were doing, you reached out and grabbed a stack of heavy Magitech blueprints from his desk, slamming them down onto a completely different shelf across the room.

"What—hey! Don't touch that! That's sorted by chronological archive index!" Idia shrieked, his hands flying to his head as if you had just physically struck him.

"Not anymore it's not," you retorted fiercely. You grabbed a basket of specialized tools—plasma calibrators, hyper-conductive screwdrivers—and deliberately shoved them to the far corner of the workbench, completely disrupting his meticulously chaotic layout. "Look at that. I'm changing the UI. I'm reorganizing where things go. What are you gonna do about it, Director?"

Idia’s jaw dropped. His eyes widened in absolute, unadulterated horror as you stepped directly between him and his main holographic terminal, physically blocking his view of the code. You leaned against the edge of the console, glaring up at him, your chest heaving with angry breaths.

"Move," Idia hissed, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous register. The temperature in the room instantly began to plummet, a telltale sign that his unique magic was reacting to his spiking emotional state. "Prefect. I am warning you. Step away from the terminal. You are pushing your luck. You are playing on Maximum Difficulty with zero revives left."

"Make me," you defied him, your chin tilted up. "All you do is hide behind your screens and your insults. You're a coward, Idia. You drag me down here, you call me yours, and then you treat me like garbage because you're too afraid to actually face a real relationship!"

"I AM NOT A COWARD!"

The shout tore from his throat, a raw, booming sound that rattled the metal plating beneath your feet.

In an instant, the blue fire of his hair completely vanished—replaced by a sudden, violent eruption of blazing, blood-red flames. The crimson hue of his Overblot state flickered fiercely to life, casting an eerie, apocalyptic glow over the entire workshop. His shadow stretched long and monstrous against the wall, the faint outline of his mechanical, multi-armed Overblot specter shimmering in the air behind him for a terrifying fraction of a second.

"You think this is easy?!" Idia screamed, stepping right into your space, his face inches from yours. The heat radiating from his red hair was intense, making your skin tingle. "You think I wanted to be like this?! I am a monster! I am the Warden of Tartarus! I almost destroyed the world, and yet... and yet I'm trying! I'm trying to be a decent boyfriend to a normie who doesn't belong in my world! I bought the stupid cake! I cleared out a section of my private server for you! I'm trying to get into your good graces, you ungrateful, broken-AI NPC!"

"You call throwing food at me and locking yourself in a room trying?!" you screamed back, refusing to back down even as the terrifying aura of his magic pressed against you. "You're a tyrant, Idia! A mean, selfish pervert who thinks he can just claim people and—"

"SHUT UP!"

Idia flicked his wrist with a sharp, violent motion.

He didn't draw his magical pen. He didn't need to. The raw, unfiltered magic of his agitated state surged through the room. On the floor, a massive coil of heavy-duty, carbon-fiber Magitech wires—thick, glowing with pulsing blue and silver data lines—suddenly came alive like a nest of awakened vipers.

With a loud thwip-snap!, the cables whipped through the air. Before you could even gasp, they wrapped around your wrists, binding them tightly together in front of your chest. Another coil snaked around your waist, pinning your arms to your sides, while a third strand secured itself around your ankles, completely freezing you in place.

With a sharp pull of Idia's magical current, the wires tightened, pulling you back against a heavy metal structural pillar in the center of the room.

Clank.

You were completely, utterly restrained. Bound from your shoulders to your knees by glowing, high-tech cables that pulsed with the faint, warm hum of his own magical energy.

"There!" Idia panted, his chest heaving as he stared at you with wide, frantic golden eyes, his red hair waving wildly like a crown of literal hellfire. "Now you can’t move! Now you can’t touch my stuff! Now you have to listen to me!"

You opened your mouth to scream at him, to call him every foul name in the book—but the words died instantly in your throat.

The wires were tight. Not enough to cut off your circulation, but enough to exert a firm, unyielding pressure against your body. They were warm—infused with his magic—and the sensation of being completely helpless, physically pinned to a pillar by the direct manifestation of Idia's power, did something entirely unexpected to your brain.

A sudden, violent wave of heat rushed up your neck, flooding your cheeks with a deep, burning crimson. Your breath hitched, turning into a small, pathetic gasp. Your heart, which had been beating with anger, suddenly shifted gears into a frantic, fluttering panic that had absolutely nothing to do with fear.

Oh no, a frantic voice whispered in the back of your mind. Oh, nononono. This is... why am I feeling like this?

Idia didn't notice. He was too far gone in his own spiraling meltdown. He turned away from you, aggressively pacing the length of the workshop floor, his long boots clicking sharply against the metal. He ran his claw-like hands through his blazing red hair, muttering wildly to himself.

"I knew it. I knew this was a mistake," he ranted, his voice a frantic, low murmur that carried perfectly in the enclosed space. "An SSR pull like you... a perfect, high-tier unit ending up in a trash-game setup like my life? It’s completely unbalanced. The devs messed up the drop rates. I knew I didn't deserve it. But I've been trying! I've been putting in the hours, doing the daily grinds, trying to level up my affection points! And what do I get? Constant debuffs! Back-talking! Glitched pathing!"

You couldn't say anything. Your mouth was slightly open, your chest rising and falling rapidly against the constricting wires. The physical sensation of his magical restraint was making your knees weak, and you were intensely grateful the cables were holding you upright, because your legs felt like jelly. You bit your lower lip, trying desperately to look angry, but the sheer intensity of the blush consuming your face was impossible to hide.

Idia paced back and forth for another full two minutes, his hands gesturing wildly to the empty air as he completed a full, neurotic breakdown.

"I mean, the audacity!" he yelled at the ceiling. "The literal nerve of this player character! Coming into my domain and criticizing my management style! I am the final boss! I am—"

Suddenly, Idia stopped tracking. He froze in mid-stride, realizing the room had been entirely silent for too long. He hadn't received a single counter-argument. No insults, no screaming, no threats to tell Headmage Crowley.

Nothing.

He slowly turned his head, his fiery red hair whipping around his shoulders. His golden eyes were narrowed, blazing with a lingering, defensive fury as he prepared to demand a response.

"What, nothing to say now?!" he screamed, taking a heavy step toward you. "Are you finally out of dialogue options? At least speak to me, you—"

Idia froze.

The words died in his throat, evaporating into a pathetic, high-pitched squeak.

The red fire of his hair instantly sputtered, transitioning through a violent shade of purple before snapping back into a bright, shocked, luminous blue.

He stared at you. Really stared at you.

You were pinned against the metallic column, your wrists bound, your body tightly wrapped in glowing, pulsing data cables. Your head was tilted down, but your eyes were looking up at him through your eyelashes—glassy, wide, and completely overwhelmed. Your cheeks were burning a vibrant, undeniable pink, and your chest was heaving, pushing against the restrictive wires in a way that highlighted every single curve of your frame.

The silence in the room stretched, heavy and thick, broken only by the rapid, shallow sound of your breathing.

Idia’s eyes traveled down the length of the wires, taking in the way they wrapped snugly around your waist, the way your hands were trapped, and the absolute, devastating vulnerability of your posture. It was an image ripped directly from a highly specific, late-night, restricted-access subgenre of media.

It looked exactly like a scene from one of his prized, hidden-away adult manga volumes.

"Uh..." Idia uttered, his brain completely short-circuiting. The blue fire of his hair began to violently spark, turning a deep, embarrassed shade of neon pink at the tips. "Uh. Oh. Oh."

A slow, terrifying realization dawned across his pale face. The shocked expression gradually morphed, his eyebrows arching upward as a wide, sharp, incredibly wicked grin began to stretch across his lips.

He didn't look like an awkward, stuttering shut-in anymore. He looked like the malicious, all-powerful Director of S.T.Y.X. who had just discovered a massive, game-breaking exploit in the system.

Idia let out a low, raspy chuckle. It built slowly, bubbling up from his chest until he was openly cackling, a sharp, borderline unhinged sound that echoed off the cold walls.

"Wow. Wow, okay. Holy crap," Idia laughed, clapping a hand over his face, though his shining golden eyes peered through his fingers, locking onto yours with predatory intensity. "This is peak irony. This is a literal certified hood classic. The absolute hipocrisy is sending me into orbit, Prefect."

"I-Idia, let me go," you whimpered, your voice betraying you by coming out incredibly soft and completely devoid of its previous anger.

"Let you go? Why would I do that when we're finally reaching the good part of the visual novel?" Idia sneered, taking a slow, deliberate step toward you. The sheer, overwhelming confidence returning to his posture was terrifying. "The entire time we've been down here, you've been calling me a pervert. A mean, bad, scary boss monster. You've been lecturing me about boundaries and acting like a normal person."

He stopped right in front of you, looming over your helpless form. He tilted his head, his blue hair cascading around his shoulders like a curtain of cool light.

"And here you are," he whispered, his voice dripping with absolute, teasing malice. "Getting completely flustered at the mere notion of being tied up by some scrap wires in my workshop. Look at you. You’re practically radiating heat. Your heart rate is literally ticking up on my environmental sensors."

To prove his point, Idia gave a lazy, subtle flick of his fingers.

The Magitech wires reacted instantly to his command, constricting just a fraction of an inch tighter around your waist and wrists. The sudden, firm squeeze sent a violent jolt of electricity straight down your spine. You let out a soft, involuntary whine, your eyes widening as you tried to shrink back against the pillar, but there was nowhere to run.

"Ah, see? There it is," Idia purred, his grin widening until his sharp, shark-like teeth were fully visible. "You like it. You absolute closet degenerate. You're enjoying this."

You bit your lip so hard it hurt, tears of sheer embarrassment prickling at the corners of your eyes. Your conscience was screaming at you, a heavy weight of guilt settling into your stomach. You shouldn't like this. He kidnapped you. He's an asshole. He's a tyrant. But looking up at him—seeing him so entirely in control, so dominant and completely stripped of his usual social anxiety—sent a thrill through you that you couldn't deny. You were glassy-eyed, trapped, and completely at his mercy.

Idia raised his right hand. His long, pale fingers, tipped with black-painted nails, hovered over your face for a agonizing second before he leaned in.

He caught your face in his palm.

His grip was firm, his large hand easily wrapping around the lower half of your face. With a decisive squeeze of his fingers, he ruthlessly squished your cheeks together.

The pressure forced your lips to purse outward, your mouth forming a helpless, perfect, exaggerated pout—the exact "cute way" he always secretly stared at whenever you were brooding or mad at him.

You looked completely ridiculous, entirely subdued, and utterly adorable.

Idia leaned down further, his face mere inches from yours, his golden eyes burning into your soul as he looked down his nose at you with absolute, tyrannical satisfaction.

"Man... to think all I had to do to get my SSR pull to quiet down was restrict her movement utility," Idia murmured, his thumb lazily tracing the flushed skin of your cheekbone, his voice dropping into a dark, possessive hum. "Maybe standard romance dialogue trees are just a waste of time for a final boss like me. Maybe there’s a much better, much more... efficient way to make my Player Two become compliant."

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The heavy scent of ozone and scorched circuitry clung to the air as the Overblot’s glow bled through the walls of Idia’s hidden lab. Wires of crackling blue magic coiled like living serpents around your wrists and ankles, hoisting you several feet off the floor until your toes barely brushed the cold tile. Your body hung suspended, legs spread wide by the glowing restraints, every inch of you exposed to the flickering monitors and the towering, flame-wreathed figure of Overblot Idia.

He circled you slowly, hair burning brighter than usual, eyes glowing with that eerie, pixelated light. "Look at you," he drawled, voice layered with static and something darker. "All strung up like a cheap hentai heroine. Bet you never thought your favorite shut-in would turn into this, huh?"

You shook your head, lips parting on a shaky breath. "N-no… Idia, this isn’t—"

A thick strand of magic wire slid between your thighs without warning, the glowing tip pressing flush against your clit before it vibrated hard. Your back arched instantly, a broken moan tearing from your throat. The wire didn’t stop; it pressed firmer, circling, teasing, then plunged lower to slide between your folds and push inside in one smooth thrust.

Idia’s smirk widened. "There it is. That little twitch. You’re dripping already and I haven’t even touched you with my hands yet."

Another wire wrapped around your waist, yanking you forward so your hips tilted at the perfect angle. The first wire inside you thickened, stretching you open while a second, thinner strand snaked up to rub directly against that spongy spot inside. Every thrust hit your g-spot dead-on, the tip curling just right to make your vision spark white. A third wire pressed higher, nudging insistently at your cervix with each deep push.

You sobbed, tears already slipping down your cheeks. "Ah—! Too much—Idia, please—"

"Please what?" He stepped closer, one clawed hand gripping your chin hard enough to make your lips purse. "Please stop? Or please fuck you harder until you can’t think? Because your body’s screaming the second option, player two."

The wires picked up speed. The one inside you pistoned in short, brutal strokes that hammered your g-spot and cervix in tandem. Your thighs trembled in the restraints, slick dripping down the glowing strands and onto the floor below. Every time the tip kissed your cervix you cried out louder, babbling nonsense between gasps.

"N-not a pervert—! I’m not—ahh—!"

Idia laughed, the sound crackling like corrupted audio. "Liar. You’re clenching around my wires like you were made for this. Getting off on Overblot me tying you up and using you like a toy. Admit it—you’re soaked because I’m mad. Because I’m not the pathetic shut-in anymore."

He squeezed your cheeks harder, forcing your mouth open. A thick strand of spit landed on your tongue before he leaned in and kissed you deep, tongue pushing the mess further back. The kiss was messy, teeth clicking, his flames licking dangerously close to your skin. When he pulled away a string of saliva connected your lips.

"Swallow," he ordered.

You did, eyes glassy, and he rewarded you by making the wires inside you swell thicker. The stretch burned so good it made fresh tears spill. Your walls fluttered around the glowing intrusions, orgasm building fast and sharp.

"Gonna cum already?" Idia taunted, voice low and mean. "From getting your cervix bullied by magic wires while I call you a pervert? Pathetic. Cute, though."

The wires changed angle again, one curling hard against your g-spot while the other hammered your cervix in rapid little jabs. Your vision whited out. You came with a broken wail, body jerking in the restraints, slick squirting around the glowing strands and splattering the floor. The wires didn’t stop; they fucked you straight through it, drawing the orgasm out until you were shaking and sobbing.

Idia’s breathing had gone ragged. His free hand fisted around his own cock, stroking in time with the wires’ thrusts. "Fuck—look at you. Taking it so well. My perfect little data save."

He stepped between your spread legs, lining himself up. The wires pulled you down just enough for the head of his cock to press against your entrance alongside the glowing strands still inside you. With one hard thrust he buried himself to the hilt, the stretch obscene. The wires adjusted, wrapping tighter around your thighs to hold you steady as he started fucking you in earnest.

Every snap of his hips drove the wires deeper too, the combined sensation making you babble again. "Too full—! Idia—please—can’t—"

"You can," he growled, one hand gripping your hip while the other stayed on your face, thumb pressing into your cheek. "You’re gonna take every inch until I fill you up. Until you’re leaking my cum and still begging for more."

He set a brutal pace, hips slapping wetly against you. The wires inside you pulsed in counter-rhythm, one rubbing your g-spot while the other kept nudging your cervix. Your second orgasm crashed over you without warning, walls clamping down hard around both cock and wires. You screamed his name, tears streaming freely now.

Idia’s rhythm faltered. His flames flared brighter as he slammed in deep one last time and came with a guttural groan. Hot pulses flooded your insides, mixing with the slick already coating everything. The sensation of being pumped full pushed you over again, a smaller, weaker climax making your thighs twitch.

For a moment the only sounds were your combined panting and the low hum of the magic wires. Idia’s knees actually buckled; he caught himself on the edge of a console, chest heaving. When he finally looked up at you, his eyes widened.

You had gone completely limp in the restraints, head lolling forward, eyes closed.

"Shit—player two?!" Panic cracked through the static in his voice. The wires lowered you instantly, gentle now, cradling your body as they deposited you into his waiting arms. He sank to the floor with you, pulling you onto his lap so your back rested against his chest. One trembling hand brushed sweaty hair from your face while the other checked your pulse.

"Hey… hey, come on. Don’t do this to me. I didn’t mean to—fuck, I went too far again." His voice dropped to a whisper, flames dimming to a soft blue glow. "I’m sorry. I’ll do better. I swear I’ll be better. Just for you. You’re my player two… my only save file. I’m not letting this SSR pull slip away from my save data. Not ever."

He rocked you gently, pressing soft kisses to your temple and the top of your head. A warm cloth appeared from somewhere—probably summoned by a quick flick of magic—and he cleaned between your legs with careful strokes, murmuring apologies every time you twitched. When he was satisfied he wrapped you in one of his oversized hoodies, the fabric swallowing your smaller frame.

Idia kept you on his lap as he turned back to his monitors, one arm banded securely around your waist. His free hand resumed typing, but every few seconds he glanced down to make sure you were still breathing easy. The Overblot flames had faded completely, leaving only the familiar blue fire of his hair.

"Rest," he whispered against your ear. "I’ve got you. When you wake up we’ll talk about limits… and maybe I’ll let you tie me up next time. Fair’s fair, right?"

Your breathing stayed slow and even. Idia exhaled shakily, pressing one last kiss to your shoulder before returning to his work, the quiet click of keys filling the lab while he held you close like the most precious save file he’d ever backed up.

Thank you so much for reading! Ive gotten so much attention in the past 6 days and I'm so happy for all the love I've received!

Also, I've always seen so many fics of Idia and they always make him so uwu-soft boy and stuttering every sentence (ESPECIALLY IN YANDERE FICS), when we have seen MULTIPLE TIMES that our favorite shut in can lock tf in have main character energy ToT. So, I decided to make our boy not only lock in but a dom (because my guy can definitely top someone).

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..”