#kiridere

(First time writing a one-shot for The Freak Circus, I hope you'll like it ! Based on the Kiridere side of Jester, and the lack of fluff this man has !)

It had been a bit of time since your job led you to meet the leader of the Freak Circus of Horrors, the Storyteller, the Jester. You were meant to basically patrol the current grounds of the circus in your town in order to make sure nobody tried to sabotage the place nor disturb the performers, it was a fairly recent local regulation... And neither Jester nor Ticket Taker had been informed of it as a result before they had decided to temporarily settle there; they were on edge, having to make sure you wouldn't be seeing a thing.

At first they were annoyed, especially Jester. He didn't like to have a creature of your kind keeping an eye out for scoundrels as though they couldn't deal with it themselves, probably more efficiently as well, especially taking into account your size... Look, he knew they were fairly bigger than humans. But you ? Even by human standards, you were short, so to him and all the others, you were tiny.

And yet... It made him less annoyed with you when, despite what in his eyes was a handicap brought upon you by genetics and mother nature's whims, you still did your job. Better than he would have excpected, you were actually useful. Jester tried to convince himself that he wasn't getting rid of you because it would be suspicious, but he had to admit it to himself, you were hard-working. At times you'd come up to him after kicking out some unwelcome guests, and you'd ask him if everything was alright on his end, you had to look up quite a lot, sometimes he wondered whether it would have lasting effects on your neck. It was... Oddly endearing. Like a subject looking up at their King.

Little by little, Jester found out interesting little quirks about you, what you liked, words you'd often use... You managed to genuinely make him laugh even. He was a bit mad at himself when he realized how things were turning out. It wasn't mere attraction, or a need to release "frustration", no : he cared, he started to have feelings. So much for him telling Pierrot humans weren't trustworthy, that they couldn't feel love, now he was wondering how you felt about him. Not that he would let anyone know about it right now, not even his family.

At the end of the yesterday's shift, as you were talking about how the day had been, it was only the two of you, plus the heavy presence of a choice he had made as he handed you a small box, containing a purple pin... His signature pin.

"Consider this a token of thanks for your work... You can wear it if you want, or... Do anything with it, really." Jester had said, knowing you were observant enough, knowing you'd get the meaning behind the gesture. He could only hope for a favorable outcome, barely believing he had made the choice to invest himself in you.

You had looked surprised, you even asked him if that was okay, since you had heard of the "No gifting" rule, but he insisted it was different, after all, you weren't a mere guest, you were a useful little worker. When you slid the box in your pocket and headed home, he didn't know how to feel. The silence, the fact that you hadn't opened the box in front of him, he was getting ready for the sting of rejection.

But today, you showed up... A beautiful purple astroid-shaped pin attached to your top, in a spot that made it very hard to miss. Jester kept his composure, despite Ticker Taker and Harlequin both giving him a side-eye; the oldest member of the Freak Circus of Horrors looked intrigued and somewhat amused, while the youngest was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, clearly the leader was going to get questioned a lot later on during dinner.

"Bil, Harlequin, I think you both have performances to prepare, don't you ?" He asked with this noble, calm and collected demeanor of his. With the intonation of a man who had everything under control, his family left him alone with you, knowing he was the one in charge, they were loyal to him.

Truth was... Jester didn't have everything under control right now. His self-control was hanging by a thread that threatened to snap. "Do you even comprehend the weight of that gift, little stray ?" He asked, approaching you, his shadow towering your form, engulfing it.

"Yes, in fact I already figured out what you wanted to tell me without words yesterday, mister Jester. I know what I am doing, and that the love I feel for you isn't just a fleeting nor misplaced sense of attraction, unless you are having second thoughts ?" You asked him, looking up at him with your bright eyes; he lost it, the thin thread snapped. He pinched your cheeks very softly, careful with his claws, doting over you, showing you a side of him he'd never let anyone else witness willingly.

"I am not one to make decisions lightly, my dear little stray ! Just... Look at you ! Perhaps I could put you in my pocket ? This way I would always have you with me~."

"H-hey, I'm just below average-sized, I'm not a Hobbit !" You exclaimed with a laugh, making him melt even more. Adorable, making references to books he knew well, and now, you were reciprocating his feelings, accepting to be his. Still, as though he enjoyed proving you wrong in the tiniest way, he picked you up by both arms, and started planting kisses all over your face while whispering little sweet words of praise.

"Of course, of course, my dearest little stray- ...No... You no longer are a stray anymore, you found your place. And you are more than a pet, you are my dearest little Y/N." Jester corrected himself, enjoying how your name rolled off his tongue, and put you back down, wrapping his arms around you, getting you close to his chest, while you hugged his waist.