🍥 bunny 🍥

The theme you both land on is winter. After seeing that male's clothing is so lacking in the game (and that honestly girl's clothes are way better and more versatile), he halfheartedly starts picking what to wear with the default female model, listening to your indications and struggling his way himself.

Time runs out, leaving him with a questionable model. You give him credit since everyone's first run is kind of lacking, yet his outfit sorta makes sense (if we ignore that he has two hairstyles overlapping and he didn't have time to not be literally faceless). He managed to get his character a nice coat and pants, though it's obvious he didn't care much for the results.

When he really locks in, is when it's time to vote.

"...What is she even wearing?" Rin squints at his screen as if it would change what he's seeing, clearly dissaproving. "A skirt and no socks? She'd freeze in that. I'll give it zero stars if I can."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think? At least it's cute." You respond to annoy him. "She's wearing a coat and leg warmers, too."

"Tch. Cute will not save you from frostbite." Rin deadpans. "She has no gloves, and the leg warmers won't do anything when you're not even wearing thermal socks or some warm stockings. Wear pants next time. Zero."

Rin is very appalled when he can't actually do a zero.

The following reviews are interesting to listen to. Rin is surprisingly vocal when judging the players, though he remains straightforward as usual. You didn't expect to see him this engaged. However, he has something to say about everyone, and you can't help but giggle at his comments, all followed by his atrocious rating.

"Those socks are not thick enough." 2 stars. "That sweater looks too thin." 1 star. "Short skirt and short shirt. Zero." 1 star (by default). All said in a quiet, analytical tone.

There's two exceptions for this rule at best, him quietly awarding 4 stars at max to those that fit his impossible standards.

"You're pretty stingy with your stars, no?"

"They need to understand the assignment."

You are not the exception to Rin's criticism.

"You're not wearing gloves either, you'll freeze." He comments under his breath the moment your avatar walks in.

"Well sorry I didn't have time for that, fashion guru."

"You're also posing too much like everyone else."

"Don't you like anything about it?"

He huffs softly and stays quiet.

He awards you with four stars shortly after, not going for five to 'not display favoritism' despite it's blatantly obvious.

Rin's model is the last one to present.

Too busy being a critical asshole, he had honestly forgotten he was supposed to compete as well.

He remains completely still as his character enters the scene, ignoring your advice for him to make it pose.

"The outfit speaks by itself." He states once you question him, making you wonder if he's randomly gotten confident or if he's just rolling with it because he knows it's kinda bad.

When the results roll in, he looks for your avatar's faces first thing.

And the shock in his eyes when he sees the girl from the beginning win first place is something you want to remember forever.

"How the hell did she win? Did she buy out the votes? That outfit's ridiculous and a total crime." His head whips your way. "Did you vote for her? How many stars?"

"I mean... her coat's pattern is real cute."

That comment makes him glare at you like you orchestrated everything.

"Rin, she's wearing ski goggles and all, that's so winter themed!"

"That's skiing theme, then, not winter. It doesn't add any points whatsoever."

You have to hold back your laughter when you see him scroll through the full results. You got third place—he miraculously didn't argue—while he was far away in 9th or something.

"I can do better, I wasn't focused." He surprisingly locks in.

And that's how you play three more rounds of DTI, with Rin learning how to use patterns among other features, doing a duo run with you per your request, and spamming pose 28 on his last round as you taught him.

All until he ultimately rage quits, being 2nd to someone he considers had a trash outfit.

"Lukewarm game. terribly rigged." He complains, chugging down water as if he had been running drills in the field instead of dolling up a virtual doll.

So you look through more games swiftly, before he gets too fed up and ditches playing altogether.

You try to get him to play Steal a Brainrot, but three minutes in (constituted of you showing him your brainrot collection) and he's out.

You point at Fashion Famous, telling him all on how it was the big dress up game before DTI, but he's clearly had enough of fashion contests today.

You end up making him play Adopt Me, which he accepted after you told him about the owl pets. Not paying any mind to dressing up his character or buying stuff for his house, he let's you walk him through taking care of his starter egg. He's confused on how an egg can eat, drink, among other things, but he diligently pushes through while blatantly ignoring any other game notifications (he's likely annoyed at every party invite and trade request. Asks you where can he mute them 2 minutes in).

Imagine his dissapointment when his egg cracks and a random ass animal he didn't want comes out.

"Why did I get a mouse? Those don't even come from eggs. An owl does."

"You really wanted it, huh? They don't come out from starter eggs at all..."

"Then how can I get one? You said there were owls here."

"Well, it's actually a limited pet, so you can only get it by trading."

A moment of silence.

"...But there are more fun things to do in this game!"

Famous last words before you're searching through servers for someone with an owl.

When you find someone willing to trade it, Rin's few possessions don't appeal to this random twelve year old kid in the slightest. You offer up some of your pets too, but it only ends with the kid mocking you two for even trying.

You see Rin typing a concerningly long text in the chat, and you have to make him close the game before he gets banned.

"...Okay, that didn't go well. My mistake." Cue head scratch.

"You fooled me." Rin broods, hands twitching from all the things he couldn't get to say to that child.

"...I forgot the pet was limited," You murmur meekly.

"Whatever. I don't like these games at all. I'm leaving."

Your hand flies to his wrist, "Wait! I'll let you choose something this time."

Rin pauses in mild interest, deciding to humor you one last time for the night.

The absolute jumpscare that greets you when you open The Mimic makes you regret your recent choice.

"Is there no other game? There are many horror games in Roblox..." You ask hesitantly, getting no actual answer. You knew you'd have to dabble in horror games eventually, but you hoped you'd start with something calmer like maybe Piggy, 99 Nights in the Forest or even Doors, which you've beat before.

But he chooses the one with the eldritch abomination in its cover. And with how he's taking in the voice acting, lighting and visuals appreciatively you know there's no backing out.

"There's a horror movie with the same name as this. Is it inspired on it?" Rin comments curiously in a low tone, brimming with quiet interest.

"...I don't think so, Rin."

"This appears too much budget for a kids game. It better live up to it and be somewhat scary."

You ignore Rin's comment, hoping this one satisfies him and he doesn't go looking for something worse. Having picked the rage book, you explore the streets, eliminating threats and getting to the school's stage in little time. You steal glances at Rin's focused expression as he reads through the notes to know more about the yokai, and he appears to be fully in his element.

A shrill scream escapes your throat when you're both first killed, the jumpscare making your heart beat faster.

But Rin's annoyingly amused by it, if the quirk at the corner of his lip says anything.

"...Are you laughing at me? We both died!"

He shrugs. "I didn't scream."

"Rin!"

"Hush, we have to kill this thing."

It is incredibly vexating to you how locked in he is with the game, learning the ropes and figuring out what to do with surprising ease. As the a horror enjoyer he is, you shouldn't be surprised, but it's annoying to be unable to hold back your screams while Rin's worst reaction so far is him flinching slightly in his seat. If you fear spiders, Akari's stage is significantly worse for you, while this only makes Rin more invested. You decide you've had enough after finishing the book's chapter one, though Rin seemed to want to follow through with the second.

At last, you found something he seemed to enjoy from start to finish.

"...We should have played a game like this from the start. It's not so lukewarm as the other games on this site."

"My sore throat doesn't agree."

"Skill issue."

Despite your initial belief, you're the first to tap out fuly from your and Rin's roblox session.

You're definitely repeating it some other day, though. You already want to see his reaction when you make him play something ridiculous like Escape the Keyboard next.

You burst into laughter, watching as he grumbles in annoyance. "What kind of name is that?!"

He doesn't bother answering you, peeking at you from between his fingers. "Who told you?"

You press a finger to your lips, "It’s a secret!"

"Well, I can probably guess—"

"Don’t!"

Another groan from him follows, before you're laughing again. It isn't exactly that Onazi is ashamed of his name, rather that he knows the teasing menace that you are. You wouldn't be the first person to joke about it, but you're always the least likely to let him live anything down. And with that look in your face, it's clear you're ready to strike again.

"So…"

"Don’t."

You smile, "…I bet you've never hurt a fly in your life."

He crosses his arms, "Not funny."

"Have you?" You arch an eyebrow.

"…Probably?"

You beam, "That’s a no in my book!"

"I've done bad stuff!" He argues, arms crossed. But that chesire grin on your face just widens, ready to question him.

"Like?" You lean in, waiting.

"Well... I once didn't pass to one of my teammates when he was open."

You tilt your head, "Onazi, you're a striker. It's normal to keep the ball to yourself for a bit."

"Still..." He sighs.

"You're just proving my point you know? Your name does fit you. I'd also call you Innocent, if it was my duty to name you. I mean, look at that face⁓!" You coo playfully, pinching his cheek. Meanwhile, Onazi's trying hard not to let your gestures amuse him, lest he makes you tease him further.

"That's not all there is to me, you know?" He quips, trying to pry your hands away from his face, "I'm really strong and capable."

"Okay, Innocent."

"Don't sound so sarcastic!"

All that's heard from the room after is the resounding sound of your laughter, amused at every little thing that comes from the interaction.

And to Onazi's demise, this is just the beginning.

⭑ ๋࣭ ⭑ ๋࣭ ⭑ ๋

"Are you two going somewhere?" Kuso asks, spotting Onazi by the door and you picking up your bag.

"Yeah," the corner of your lip quirks, "...just picking up something to eat with Innocent."

The word barely registers. "Innocent…?"

Onazi's soul leaves his body for the second time this week.

♡ Exhibit A: Possessiveness !

Ness is not controlling with you. He lets you wear whatever you want, doesn't mind when you go out with friends, and besides some mild sulking, he doesn't even stop you from seeing male friends or teasing him about his jealousy.

You find it so adorable, how unsure he looks when someone he doesn't know well enters the picture. He may ask to accompany you, especially if you're going alone with that person (which doesn't surprise you because it's Ness, your clingy boy who asked if he could join girls night once.) But unless he really doesn't trust them, a few kisses and reassurance from you is enough to bribe him.

You think he's so attentive, with the way he texts to check on you and waits by the door for your arrival when he's free at home. That is, if you convince him not to go pick you up, which he defaults to.

He gets a bit shy when your friends tease him (just how much you talk about him?), but he lives to serve you.

Ness loves you so much, he can't help but worry about you. He's not controlling, right? So he's not possesive in the slightest.

But you don't see the way he tenses when someone's hand lingers on your waist for too long,

Or how his jaw clenches when you laugh a bit too loud at someone else's joke.

♡ possessive!ness will never make a scene, but he'll bury his face in the crook of your neck the moment he gets your attention, asking for your affection. A whimper escapes him every time you run your hand through his hair, soothingly rubbing his back with the other.

When he lifts his head slightly, he can't help but glare daggers at the back of whoever dared to make him feel threatened. Though he melts again when you cup his face and kiss it gently, making sure to make you laugh way louder soon to reclaim his place as the one made to make you happy.

♡ possessive!ness who again, is polite and never tells you what to do, but bites his lip until it bleeds whenever he sees you talk to Isagi. You know that he hates him, that bastard Yoichi has taken things away from him before. But you're also not in bad terms with him, so you don't hesitate to ask little, innocent questions when needed or to say hi out of politeness when you see him around. Which happens more often than it should, according to Ness.

You could be coming back from the bathroom on a festival date, accidentally bumping into the black-haired boy who just so happened to be attending as well. It's not an unlikely occurrence, but that doesn't mean Ness will like it. And with the way his eyebrows are pulled together and the vein on his neck looks like it's about to pop, it's clear it's taking a lot of restraint to remain calm at the interaction.

Ness relaxes immediately once you return to his side, your pretty eyes widening in surprise as you notice his bleeding lip. He stammers as he tries to explain, feeling shy under your attention. And as you gingerly touch his lower lip to check on him, he realizes that restraint sometimes is well rewarded.

He'll still keep staring at where Isagi touched your shoulder to steady you earlier, jaw twitching in annoyance. Slinging an arm around it and pulling you closer, he'll make sure you won't bump into anyone else for the rest of the day.

And to erase any trace of that boy's touch later, of course.

♡ possessive!ness who, despite his best efforts to channel his feelings, will litter hickeys across your skin when he feels particularly pent up—like after that stunt at the festival or when you come back from your outings with friends.

Your shoulder, neck, collarbone... all skin he can reach covered in his marks in mere minutes.

If he's to be called a loyal dog, can't he act like one? He's just marking his territory.

So while Ness could claim he's not possessive, your skin will bear the clearest proof of the opposite.

♡ Exhibit B: Mean Streak !

Your darling boyfriend is not mean. He's in fact the sweetest person you've ever met, at least to you.

Emphasis on that last part, as Ness has no qualms about being rude to people when they disrespect those he's loyal to.

Like when a group of teenagers slowly walked past you two, sneering and pointing at your outfit. Ness' head whipped in their direction, catching someone commenting something rude of your appearance.

You felt surprised for a moment, but were meaning to let it slide. At least until Ness turned around, immediately roasting the hell out of whoever trashtalked you.

You were positively in shock, your sweet Ness? You didn't expect it from him. And had you not pulled him closer and asked him not pay them any mind, he definitely would have continued.

He apologized quickly, fearing he might have bothered you, though you were quick to tell him you just found it funny.

And well, that was a slip, but that mild shock of yours was enough to make him want to be more careful.

So he started to train himself to not react so harshly to other's comments, prioritizing your comfort over everything.

Social media is a good example, a daily test for him. Ness is your number one cheerleader both irl and online, he likes, comments and shares your every post. He also posts you on his official account frequently, bragging about you every so often. You're his beautiful darling, how could he not want to show you off? It's practically his job, and he excels at it every time.

Now, the test comes when he reads your post's comments, which are not always as decent as he'd like them to be. He doesn't get jealous, no... or at least not anymore, as you've reassured him enough for him to know those pixels are not a threat.

He does sulk slightly when he sees gross comments, though, and grows enraged when they're blatantly disrespectful.

♡ mean!ness who knows you'll delete any comments that bother you, and he respects your atonomy by having enough self control to not diss out those accounts in the replies. That doesn't mean he won't do it in private, having several alt accounts to hunt them down and fill their dms with insults.

He doesn't care if it's incels insulting you, disrespectful oglers or fans of his who hate you for dating him. He hunts them all the same, and will proceed to do so with every single account until they get tired of blocking them all and accept to stop bothering you.

You don't know why the comments randomly go down before you delete them, or why there's significantly less of the usual hate in your posts as the months go by. You don't need to know, though, as Ness always takes care of you from the shadows. He doesn't want a single worry in your pretty little head, he'll do the hard work for you. As for payment? Don't worry, a few kisses will do.

♡ mean!ness who is never mean to you, in case that wasn't clear enough. You do like pushing his buttons, though, getting a kick out of your gentle boyfriend's reactions. He has his limits though, like every person. So one time you're teasing him for getting jealous over a waiter who batantly flirted with you in a restaurant, his patience begins running thin.

He does grow shy at first like usual, embarrased at his own insecurity. As he's giving you those sweet reactions you adore, you continue making teasing comments, poking him and nudging his feet under the table. Ness' thoughts begin derailing, annoyance overwhelming him as he overthinks the man's comments. And without thinking, he grabs your wrist when you reach to poke him again, trapping your hand between his.

His grip is gentle like always, but it's undeniably firm. His eyes are devoid of any amusement, yet not unkind. His thumb runs over your hand, a smile that doesn'tfully reach his eyes on his face. And then he whispers, "Can you stop making those comments, dear? It's not funny to me."

Your playfulness drops immediately, quietly conceding. Ness' smile grows bright as usual, keeping your hand right where it is. His mood only sours back when the waiter returns, mood flipping like a switch once again. He takes the lead of the interaction this time, definitely not wanting him to talk to you.

Ness' clenches his teeth the whole time, strugling to remain composed. You're watching from the side, still thinking about earlier and feeling strangely... flustered? instead of uncomfortable.

Once again, his expression goes considerately softer when the waiter leaves.

But maybe you'll have to ask him to speak to you like that again in other situations.

Anyway... you see? Ness is not a mean person. Or well, he's better at managing his mean streak than he was before.

Not only he never snaps at you rudely when your behavior bothers him, but he also doesn't attack anyone (...in public,) like he used to do.

...Not that mean!ness didn't trail after a man who catcalled you once the moment you were distracted, a forced, polite smile on his face as he threatened him to never speak to you like that again.

His grip on his wrist was strong, making the man feel like it'd snap for a second there. Saved by the bell, your voice reached Ness' ears, making him let go and return to you.

Said man apologized profusely to you seconds after, scurrying away as you stood there in confusion.

But considering there's no actual footage or evidence of what happened... Let's sweep that under the rug.

♡ Exhibit C: Fear of abandonment...?

Your Ness is clingy, okay? That's a fact.

You know it, and you love it. It's just part of what makes him himself.

You don't do nonchalantness or people who don't display interest, and he makes sure to always let you know how he feels about you.

It may be too much to others, but you take it gladly.

The only issue is when that desire to keep you in his life gets twisted by his fear of losing you, making him lose rationality.

Ness isn't just clingy, fear of loneliness and abandonment is deeply rooted in him. You're the best thing that's ever happened to him, one of the few people if not the only who actually sees him for who he is. You're special, his everything, he'd be damned if loses you. And he has no reservations, no, no control over showing it to you when he thinks you could be slipping away.

One heavy argument is enough to let it show. While Ness never holds grudges and is always open to make amends, sometimes situations escalate and can't be solved easily.

He tries to give you space, though it visibly kills him to do so. He'll check in on you every so often, swallowing his stress and retreating if you're still reluctant to speak with him. It's if you refuse to sleep with him that he'd break, tears streaming down his face in a split second.

Ness would cling to you like you'll dissapear if he doesn't, falling to his knees while gripping on your clothes. He'll sob into your stomach, asking, pleading for you to forgive him. If you're still mad now, will you still be tomorrow? Will your resentment grow, until you won't want anything to do with him? The thought terrifies him, so he'll cry and beg if he has to.

"Liebe, please, I'll do anything. You can't shut me out like this." He whines, sobs wracking his body. "If I did something, I won't do it again. If It's something of me you dislike, I'll change. I'll do anything, really. Anything you need."

"Ness... I just needed space," You try to explain, cupping his face gently to wipe his tears. He leans into your touch immediately, nuzzling against your palm desperately. "That's all I said."

"I know, I'm sorry," he sniffles wetly, "I just can't sleep when you're not there. I keep—keep thinking, that'll you'll walk out the door at any moment."

You're puzzled as to why he's reached to that conclusion, you never once threatened with leaving during the argument. Or ever, for that matter. Ness is the one reaching for your face now, your forehead touching his. His wide eyes reflect his panic, lurking into yours for reassurance.

"You won't leave me, right? You'll stay with me. I love you, liebling. You're all I need."

"...I won't leave you, Lex."

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"Can we stop fighting, please?"

"Sure. I'll come to bed with you."

His face breaks into a smile, arms wrapping around your body as he chants "I love you's" into your skin. He doesn't even realize his behavior could come off as manipulative, too focused on keeping you close to realize he's influencing you. He just wanted to be sure you'd keep him, is that so bad? He just needs to keep you close at all times.

So yeah, Ness does have a side to him that goes beyond his gentle treatment towards you. He's versatile, flawed, and loves way too deeply. But you love him anyways, and that's all that matters. So long you love all sides of him, he's alright.

Maybe Ness is no good. Maybe he'll get better as time goes on. Let go of his fears, love you innocently. Adore you freely, and not from a place of raw desperation.

But for now, keep him anyways.

Ness just wants to be loved by you ♡

First, you're too nice with everyone. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but people who are overly polite are often people pleasers or manipulators. Source? Common knowledge, or whatever. It's valid enough in his book.

Second, and more importantly, you're technically rivals. Ness has worked so hard to help keep Kaiser on top of everything in college, and academics are included in that scheme. The blond had a perfect reputation to build and maintain, and Ness was commited to help him achieve it. Enter you, transfering out of nowhere and challenging his throne by getting perfect marks and being a joy to be around. The threat to his mission was unacceptable, so now you're technically competing against each other (unknowingly by your side).

Kaiser and Ness were each other's day one, and that's something to be honored. That's what Ness thinks, at least, which is why this particular reason is circled in red in his notebook. Must not forget.

Third and last, is... literally whatever he comes up with in the day. Maybe you looked at him for a bit longer than usual, so he deemed you were plotting something against him. Or you explained how to solve a difficult equation unprompted, and he convinced himself you were trying to boast your knowledge.

He needs to write something new every day, something that can remind him that he cannot give in to your faux charm. So he rereads his reasons daily, determined to stay focused on besting you.

He really tries his hardest to tell himself you deserve his hate.

But perhaps it is because, deep down, he acknowledges you're too sweet for him to resist.

Ness has a hard time admitting it, but before kaiser could even feel threatened by your presence, even seeing you around brought him quiet comfort. It was bearable before, his heart beating faster in his chest whenever you two spoke, but now that he tries to repress it, things have gotten worse.

Maybe he avoids you because of the way your honeyed voice echoes in his head, making him feel lightheaded. Averts his gaze when you walk in to resist the urge to admire you. Grits his teeth when you lean close to distract himself from the scent of your perfume. Tells himself you're evil, due to the way you dominate his thoughts.

Maybe Ness doesn't know how Kaiser, his only friend, would react if he got closer to his rival, so he pulls away.

But oh, maybe it's too late and you've charmed your way into his heart for good.

And though he's pretending not to see the signs, the clock is ticking, and it's only a matter of time before he's forced to face them.

જ⁀➴

It happens on a day like any other.

You, Kaiser and Ness are at lecture, eyeing the results of the latest test. The three of you share most classes together, coinciding due to finding a way to always pick the best teachers. Kaiser approaches you with his confident smile, asking to compare scores as usual. And though you both had gotten the highest score, he notices you have a "plus two" neatly written in the corner or your test.

His nose scrunches, looking at you in confusion. You were technically neck to neck, but that extra score makes you stand out from him. Kaiser doesn't question it, congratulating you with a tight smile before walking off. But Ness knows he's bothered, so he does the research on his behalf.

"How did you get that?" He asks, turning to face you in a whim. Ness couldn't care less for the information himself, he just wants to be useful to Kaiser. He's content with the scores he gets, which are pretty good considering he's the one taking and reading his notes aloud to help the blond study. He doesn't want to stand out, but his friend lives for it. And the frustration from not understanding how you surpassed him is getting to him.

"Ah, I don't really know..." You scratch your neck sheepishly, making his irritation flare up slightly. You think for a bit before adding, "He might have liked the way I structured my responses. He pays closer attention to the sections of the exam that require you to elaborate, rather than the multiple choice ones."

Now, that makes little sense to him. How did your answers catch the teacher's attention while Kaiser's didn't? Having a way with words was his whole thing. Ness exhales heavily, annoyed at both you and himself. He'd like to think of you as the teacher's pet and say this is preferencial treatment, but he's seen how hard you work for your results (though he often willingly ignores that and chalks it up to luck).

Even while acknowledging that, he is also aware that he and Kaiser work hard, too. Admiration, irritation and other feelings he ignores twist in his chest uncomfortably as he overthinks the matter.

"How do you do it...?" He whispers unconciously, biting his lower lip.

And like the good little helper you like to be, you perk up.

"I just study like everyone else. You should try to pick techniques that adapt to you, as not all work the same for everyone."

"I know that," Ness grumbles, letting you know your advice isn't helping. You refuse to give up, speaking again.

"You know what helps me relax and remember before exams? Eating chocolate." He gives you and incredulous look, and you grin, "It sounds stupid, but I read it can help boost your focus. I started doing it, and I find I feel more relaxed during tests."

"Are you messing with me?" Ness mutters as he crosses his arms, feeling toyed with. But your expression only grows brighter, a breathy laugh leaving you as you shake your head.

"No! I promise. You can argue it's placebo effect if you want to, but I really think it has helped me!"

And as easy as that, you give yourself permission to ramble on.

"I usually bring dark chocolate in my bag for this, as it has a higher cacao concentration." ...He's barely listening, getting lost on the bare sound of your voice. "But actually, they're a bit too bitter for me, I prefer chocolate truffles. Caramel is my favorite! It has a richer taste. So even if they may not 'work' as well, at least it improves my mood. I keep a few in my bag too to cheer myself up."

Ness huffs, telling himself this conversation is ridiculous. You seem to catch this, taking it humorously.

"Do you not like chocolate?" You ask, propping your chin on your hands.

"I do... in cake, mostly. Sachertorte is my favorite." Ness muses softly at your question, pleasantly thinking of his favorite pastry. He's quick to catch himself reminiscing, cursing himself for lowering his guard with you. "I just don't see how it would work."

Ness actually thinks your idea is very whimsical, struggling to believe you're trying to deceive him. But while he brainwashes himself, you dig into your bag and place a neatly wrapped chocolate truffle on his desk, before taking another for yourself.

"Here, then, this one's for you. You don't have to try my technique if you don't want to, it's just a treat."

You stand up, his magenta eyes following you in shock. But before he can say anything, you squeeze his shoulder in a friendly manner and pick up your bag. "I have to go now. Don't give up, okay?"

Ness watches you leave, mouth agape and face flushed. The audacity to just leave after rendering him speechless, humming happily as you munch on sweets, no less! And what do you mean, 'don't give up'? You must be mocking him, acting all high and mighty like that!

Ness frowns at the chocolate you left, tearing his gaze away right after.

He still puts it in his bag, cheeks growing a darker shade of pink.

જ⁀➴

That little number of yours made Ness' state get worse.

He stares at the chocolate sitting on his nightstand for longer than needed, before popping it into his mouth to 'get rid' of it. The flavor explodes in his mouth, a hum of delight escaping him. Salted caramel, he notes. He can see why you prefer it over regular dark chocolate.

The taste lingers long after he swallows, and he begins regretting he even tried it. He flops around in his bed, before taking out his notebook.

His daily affirmations about you still there, waiting to be reread. Picking up a pen, he goes over them again.

You're probably faking your kindness.

You and him are literally rivals.

For empty number three, he fiddles with his pen for some before pressing it against the paper.

3. You give out gifts with ill intentions.

That's today's affimation. He closes the notebook and gets up, getting himself a glass of water. He can still taste the caramel in his mouth after, making him groan. Now he'll struggle even more to stop thinking about you. He wishes he truly believed you did it maliciously.

Ness returns to his room, checking his phone. a text from Kaiser sits in his notification bar, asking if he got any valuable info from his exchange with you. He denies it, knowing it would be better to keep quiet than describing everything you told him. He plops in his bed and sighs, glancing at the empty wrapper in the nightstand.

This is getting more difficult than he thought it'd be.

જ⁀➴

The next week, Ness arrives to the campus alone.

It's February 14th, meaning that Kaiser would be busy with other people's attention today.

He doesn't mind, it's to be expected. Actually, he thinks it's good, so the blond would get his mind out of his worries for a moment and bask on some well deserved praise (in his opinion).

Ness isn't as popular in these dates, mostly due to being overshadowed by Kaiser. But again, he's not bothered. A few people tend to walk up to him, anyway, kindly gifting him pieces of chocolate as it's customary. And for him, that's more than enough.

Ness is not needy to strangers, he doesn't need the extra attention.

Used to not standing out, he greets people normally and heads to lecture early as usual.

But he's forgotten one thing: You, the variable, are here this time around.

And though he fights it, his attention is turned to you the moment he steps in the classroom.

The first thing he notices is that you came early as well, and are being swarmed by the students already inside. While Kaiser was held back outside, you exchanged greetings and small gifts with those already in. He's sorta curious on who is more busy with people at the moment. But none of this out of the ordinary, so he makes a beeline to his seat and begin's reviewing the lecture's material.

He can ignore the idle chatter from the students surrounding you.

What he can't overlook is their choice of gift.

Most students are gifting you dark chocolate, probably because they've seen you eat it the most. And it's a really small detail, but after your conversation, he can't help but focus on it.

They don't know it's not actually your favorite, that it's only a practicality for you. They don't, yet he, the one supposed to hate your guts and actively plan your demise (dramatic, sure, but let him keep the mindset) does and is doing nothing with that information.

He finds it ironic. Shouldn't you have enough friends that could know that about you, given how popular you are? It's trivial information, so maybe you never mentioned it to anyone like with him, but still... someone should have asked you.

Isn't it just a bit sad? Getting misread so widely. Had he been your friend, he'd probably do something about it. It's pretty early, and the professor doesn't arrive exactly on time anyway. It would be perfectly plausible for him to go out of his way to boost your day with a kind action.

But Ness loathes you, remember. He's commited to keep his distance. So he shrugs and looks away, forgetting the issue.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Isn't it so peaceful?

જ⁀➴

Ness fucking hates his life right now.

He's weak, okay? He's weak.

He's feeble, helpless, frail, and defenseless when it comes to you and your tactics.

He's been writing evil evil evil evil evil evil evil evil over and over in his little notebook to remind himself that this a bad idea, but he's still stealing looks at you and your bag to know when it's a safe moment to drop you his gift.

Because yes, Ness found out where to get the chocolates from the exact brand of the ones you like, slipped out of class to get it and is now waiting for a chance to leave it for you.

This is bad! A true violation of loyalty to Kaiser. But he comforts himself by giving it to you in secret. It's an anonymous, benevolent gift, an one time thing that he can detach himself from. If nobody knows, it's as if it never happened. So when he's sure your back is to your open bag and that you won't turn around, he nimbly walks near and carefully drops it.

And how lucky he is that it falls in the open pocket.

Mission acomplished...?

જ⁀➴

If this was all casual, just a whim of his part, why is his heart beating so fast?

Lecture's over, a momentary distraction, but after catching a glimpse of you picking up your bag, his breath escapes him.

Kaiser, who came in after getting his dear dose of attention, is already standing up to leave. But Ness eyes are zeroed on you, watching the way you halt and squint at something inside your bag.

You find the truffle he left for you, confusion written across your face. He wishes he could get a closer look at your reaction... but his dissapointment doesn't last long, as you turn slightly in his direction.

To look right at him,

A knowing smile in your lips.

His face grows warm immediately, head ducking at the speed of light.

"Are you coming or not?" Kaiser barks in slight annoyance, making Ness spring and take the chance to leave the awkward situation.

His heart's still racing once outside, matching Kaiser's brisk pace. That look... you knew, right? That's all it could mean.

Ness takes a few deep breaths to calm down, he has no right to get flustered over this. You will probably just thank him later like with everyone else. He inhales and exhales until his nerves settle slightly, calming down.

...That's then when he realizes he forgot his own backpack in the classroom, due to leaving in such a rush. With a muttered curse, he excuses himself and walks back.

It's practically empty when he returns, no sight of you. He's relieved, he wouldn't know how to face you after what happened recently.

Distractedly, he makes his way to his usual desk. Slings his bag on his shoulder, prepares to return calmly.

But he catches something in the corner of his eye, making him pause. And just like that, his newfound peace shatters.

"Is that—" The words die on his throat as his fingers brush the transparent container on his desk. Though he can see the insides clearly, he opens it to double check, and his mouth goes dry.

It's sachertorte, his favorite. The pastry he mentioned offhandedly to you when you asked him if he liked chocolate. It didn't look store-bought, and the container itself looked like something you'd have at home. Yet what strikes him the most is the slip of paper beside it, your name written on it with your recognizable handwriting.

Did you two really pay such close attention to each other?

Ness is feeling lightheaded.

He closes the container with trembling hands, wondering if he should just eat it before going back to Kaiser or hide it in his bag. The slip of paper flies away from the movement, and he catches it mid-air.

When he looks at it again, he realizes something else was written in the other side. And as if he hadn't had enough, it had to be your number, his knees going weak at the little heart you drew beside it.

Ness sits back down, flustered face hidden in his palms.

You'll be the death of him, for sure.

At his blond, long lashes. The curve of jaw. The way his eyebrows rest on his face when he's not doing anything. The shocking calm reflected on his features in this state of vulnerability.

It's so weird for you to see him resting, it almost feels like you're looking at a different person. And you'd question it, if he still wasn't so him even in his sleep.

Like in the way his arm is thrown around your body, hand slightly curled at the back of your shirt like he'll pull you back in at any moment. Or how he shifts occasionally, not one to stay completely still even in his sleep. He even still has a leg thrown over you from where he must have draped his heavy limbs on you at some point in the night. And still, you find that you sleep even better with him here.

You lose track of time, watching him half-asleep. Counting his lashes like one would sheep, looking with interest at every twitch of his eyebrow. Wondering what's he's dreaming of, curiously thinking if he'd even remember. You can picture his animated voice in your head already, telling you whatever story played in his mind while asleep. And before you know it, light has gradually wormed its way into the room.

You are awaken from your reverie the moment he shifts his weight, a quiet groan escaping him. His brows furrow, conciousness fighting to take hold of his body already.

You feel a smile grace your lips as he mindlessly scoots closer, your nails soothingly scratching his scalp. And with a few brushes of your lips against his cheek, his lids finally open to meet your gaze.

"Morning," You greet in a whisper, staring back intently.

"Mornin', doll." He whispers, voice raspy, slow and heavy from sleep. "Someone's in a good mood, hm?"

"Yeah, you could say so." You answer with a laugh, your thumb gliding through his jaw and down his neck. And though your being extra clingy and sweet, he doesn't question it, smirking pleasantly at your affection as he pulls you even closer.

The next few minutes go on like that, the two of you cuddled close while you dote on him. Slow exhales and quiet rumbles are all that can be heard for a while, until he finally disentagles from your embrace.

You don't argue, (despite having the power to convince him to stay back some more), simply observing from where you're laying. He stretches his body languidly, the movement catching your eye.

He mumbles something you barely pay attention to, the sleep you missed claiming you from time to time as he does his morning routine. One would have loved to witness closely, but the peeks you take of him walking around the room and talking to himself while doing his hair and makeup are so domestic they keep you relaxed.

Your eyes only open when you feel a weight to the bed, a "boo!" embarrisingly startling you awake. Shidou's grinning widely, already looking like his usual self.

"Did I wake you, sleeping beauty? C'mon, can't sleep the day away."

You groan as he pulls you from your legs, effectively dragging you out of bed.

Shidou while asleep—and even half-concious—is a serene and different sight. You adored being able to witness it, but sleep has completely drained from his body and he's now full of energy as usual.

He's not having the mercy to let you sleep in today, not after you woke up first. Someone has to keep him in check anyway.

With a sigh, you let him drag you wherever you wants, quietly complaining about his disrespect to the concept of slow mornings.

Sleepy Shidou gone for the moment. Now go and keep an eye on your walking menace.

Ი𐑼 seishiro nagi

Ი𐑼 rensuke kunigami (the last two feel very wildcard don't we think 😕😕)

Ი𐑼 hyoma chigiri

Ი𐑼 oliver aiku

Ი𐑼 don lorenzo