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𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓…

SLEEPY N CLINGY SUNA ☆★ !!

this headcanon has been engraved into my mind n wanted to write abt it. his birthday was the 25th n i missed it i had to post this

he plops down on you, face immediately resting on your chest, damp hair from his shower tickling your throat. he picks up your hand laying at your side and lazily plays with your fingers. “tired?”

“‘m exhausted,” he mumbles out, “jus’ wanna sleep in your arms.” eyes drooping even more. you knead his sore biceps, a groan escaping his mouth. suna wraps his arms around you midsection, moving his body up yours to rest his head on your shoulder, his nose deep into your neck. you wrap your arms around his broad shoulders. you both stayed in the quiet atmosphere, rubbing his back. at one point he was so still you thought he was asleep and tried to get up to go to the bathroom, only for him to tighten his grip around your waist.

“where you going? don’t leave.” he mumbled. how could you say no to that? you both stayed like that a little while before the both of you fell asleep, embracing each other.

YOU FALL ASLEEP IN THE PASSENGER SEAT DURING A LONG DRIVE — HAIKYUU

feat — timeskip!atsumu, iwaizumi, sakusa, suna + osamu.

warnings — none just fluff !

note — this will always be held close to my heart <3

ఌ ATSUMU his fingers drum along to the beat of your favourite song as it plays quietly on the radio and he smiles softly at the way your head is resting to the side a bit, your hand loosely intertwined with his free one across the centre console. your sleepy grip only causes him to hold on tighter, while warmth blooms in his chest when he watches your nose twitches as the sun beams through the window. the car slows when he notices the red light and atsumu smiles when he finally turns to admire the sun against your skin, his features soft because your hand feels warm in his, and it’s similar to the feeling of the sun that warms his skin now. he sighs, a content sound before bringing your intertwined hands to his lips before he allows them to graze over your knuckles — a raspy “a love ya” spoken into the silence against your skin after, because everything that atsumu knew about love, felt exactly like the love he found in you.

ఌ IWAIZUMI his palm lay flat against your skin as he smoothes it over your thighs gently, smiling when he feels you nuzzle deeper into his broad bicep thats stretched over your figure in favour of you curling around it to rest against it. you always insisted you slept better when you had him, so when he watched you stifle a yawn it seemed natural for his arm to find its place — almost as natural as loving you felt. hajime slows as he nears a speed bump, his arm pressing against you lightly and he’s silently hoping you’re not jostled awake when the car jumps, your cheek smooshing a little against his muscle and even though he’s pretty sure there’s some drool on his shirt now, he still smiles because with you, the warmth in his chest still felt familiar. his hand on your thigh offering an affectionate squeeze at the realisation because he can only hope you feel the weight of his love tenfold, because it was still you.

ఌ SAKUSA the car slows at the red light and he looks at you for a moment, your soft breathing filling the peaceful silence that settles in the car and he doesn’t realise he’s smiling, because all he can focus on is the warmth in his heart and the way it seems to beat for you. a whine sounds from your lips as you begin to shake awake, but kiyoomi’s palm is quick to rest against your cheek, his voice gentle as his thumb smoothes over the skin to calm you — and a little pride swells in his chest when it soothes you back into your slumber, his hand resting there for a few seconds longer before the light turns back green, and he gives you one last glance before his eyes are back on the road. with a warmth in his heart and a smile on his lips because it was moments like this where kiyoomi knew, that despite the hours of driving he still had left, love with you made him feel like he’d already made it.

ఌ SUNA his chin rests against his forearms as they cross over the steering wheel infront of him, grumbling quietly at the queues of traffic infront even though it’s already a little past 11pm at night, but all annoyance immediately leaves his body when his head turns in favour of looking at you instead. your head is rested against the passenger side window, while your phone is still resting in your hand, and he feels himself smile at the warmth that blooms in his cheeks at the sight. suna’s head rising quietly from its place before his hand reaches towards you, pulling your phone from your hand in favour of replacing it with his own. your skin feels warm against his palm when he rests your hand in his lap, humming contently as his thumb brushes over your knuckles and he’s still smiling, because now he’s silently thanking the queues of traffic infront of him for allowing him to live in this moment, with you, for a little bit longer.

ఌ OSAMU his hand ran through his slightly messy, dark hair as he slumps against his seat, muscles heavy from a long day but when he glances over to your sleepy features in the passenger seat, his old onigiri miya sweater on your body and your eyelashes resting against your cheeks, he swears they feel weightless. osamu’s movements were always practiced, calculated—but there was something about the erratic beating of his heart that had began to feel familiar around you. his hand reaching out to rest against your thigh, holding you still with his broad bicep when he makes a particularly tight turn in the hopes to not wake you as he mumbles something soothing under his breath. “i’ve got ya, sweetheart.” he breathes, but his touch lingers there a little longer as he smiles at the feeling of your skin under his palm, because for once — he didn’t feel in control when he fell in love with you, but he finds himself smiling as the car slows to stop, his head finally turning as he gazes at you, because osamu wouldn’t have it any other way.

happily ever after.

premise. perhaps in your last life, you wished for an extraordinary romance; a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, a dashing prince to kiss your hand, and an eternal love that could only be found in fairy tales. now, as you acknowledge that this story is not yours, your greatest desire is to remain out of the limelight while you watch your dearest protagonist twirl in the ballroom with the man of her dreams.

and just like every other time, fate has other plans.

word count. 7.8k

note. i honestly thought i wouldn't be able to finish this, but here we are. i hope you enjoy!

“The duke of Marechaussee is looking for a bride!”

The news spread far and wide, each new piece of gossip shared through word of mouth more convoluted than the last. But the gist of it essentially remains true—the reputable head of the most prestigious duchy in Fontaine, Neuvillette, whose abstinence from marriage had nobles speculating his intentions to practice celibacy, has now unfounded those rumors.

For others, this is an opportunity. For you, this is a cause for a headache.

Let's have a brief recount of your second life thus far. Ten years ago, you found yourself in a body that was not yours, one that was far too dainty and sickly for your liking. You were born to a powerful aristocratic family, your father bearing the title of Marquess. It was your greatest joy to find this new family of yours was loving and affectionate, bursting into tears of relief upon your return to consciousness the very first time you opened your eyes in this world. You were told you had nearly fallen to disease, and your parents spared no effort in finding the most knowledgeable doctors across the continent. Their embrace was incredibly warm, hands clutching your small body so tightly as if once they let go, you would be lost to the winds.

And, well. As far as you’re concerned, it isn't the worst life to live in. Your eldest brother is almost overbearingly protective, but he’s beyond considerate and cared for you greatly. Your second brother isn't honest to a fault, and you heard he often played tricks on you before, but ever since your worst fit of sickness, he's been incredibly careful in his treatment around you.

Life passed peacefully like this, adored and doted on by your beloved family. To repay their kindness, you wish to aid your eldest brother in the future and pursue your studies, but your parents assure you you don't have to do anything you don't want—including being bound by marriage.

For any other aristocratic family, it is a daughter's duty to secure a beneficial relationship with other houses of similar prestige. But your family spoils you rotten, and they hold no greed; why would they wish for more power when they already have everything they could possibly want in the kingdom as a Marquess family?

It is for that reason you are able to avoid the biggest red flag that could potentially lead to your demise: the engagement with the House of Marechaussee.

With how much you used to read webtoons and played otome games with the “I died and woke up in the romance novel I used to read” premise, you aren't all that surprised to realize you found yourself in that very situation. What did surprise you is the lack of daddy issues, and how easy you have it as a villainess.

You woke up in the world of “My Royal Darling,” an otome game with a plot as creative as its title. Cliche as it is, you ate that shit up back in your previous life and knew the story like the back of your hand. Your character [Name] Silva mainly appeared in the duke's route, a villainess who loved him deeply for his kindness and gentleness beneath his cold facade. As far as villainesses went in this game, you are certainly not the worst; the girl in the prince's route actively schemed against the protagonist and received a befitting punishment as a result. The worst [Name] Silva did was beg her doting parents for an engagement with the duke and use her sick sob story to garner pity.

All you have to do is avoid the duke at all costs, and you won't be part of the drama at all.

...That was what you thought before you went ahead and befriended the protagonist. Goddamn it.

“The duke is searching for a bride-to-be. Can you believe it?” Lumine giggles in all her protagonist glory, twinkling laughter as pleasant as the song of birds. Her etiquette is impeccable as ever, starting from her straight posture down to the elegant curve of her fingers as she raises her cup to sip tea. Her dress is not nearly as intricate as yours, the difference between your status glaringly apparent, but it's easy to envision her as a perfect princess. It would soon come to reality, you realize.

“And because of that, just about every girl I know is flocking to tailor shops to prepare for the social season.” You grimace, picking up a chocolate cake from the cake tower laid before you. You are currently having tea with Lumine in your rose garden, a bi-monthly arrangement where you shared gossip and traded information. “I fear I will be ridiculed for not following the latest trends soon. All of the shops are probably too busy to accommodate my order.”

“You must be joking. Who would dare refuse you?” Lumine shakes her head. “And even if they dressed up to the nines for the duke, they couldn't possibly compare to you.”

“I'm not trying to gain his favor,” you counter, poking at a strawberry on your plate. “I simply want new additions to my wardrobe, and the banquet hosted by the imperial family is coming up soon. My parents indulge me, but even I can't skip out on it.”

To avoid the love interests as much as possible, you minimize the frequency you go out to parties. Using your weak constitution is enough of an excuse to decline the invitations that pour out in the mail each day. But refusing an invitation from the imperial family is equivalent to a death sentence to your social standing, and even the protectiveness of your older brothers couldn't spare you from that.

If you have it your way, you absolutely would not go. The royal ball is where the official story starts, the prologue to a fairytale romance. All the love interests will be present, and the routes will branch out according to who Lumine will choose to talk to. Though you have no idea who Lumine will pick and you’re certain you were already ruled out as a villainess character ever since you made yourself her close confidant, you don't want to take on any risks. Alas, reality is unkind. You suppose you'll just see it as an opportunity to see the drama up close.

“Forget me, do you already have something to wear?”

“That is...” Lumine appears to be forlorn. “I plan to wear a dress I've worn before. We deemed it more favorable than purchasing a new dress I'll only wear once in my life. Besides, I doubt anyone would remember me wearing it already.”

She places too much faith in people. Nobles thrive on gossip—they find every possible flaw in everyone to gain leverage over them, and you've seen them ridicule Lumine in the game enough times to know. As the daughter of a humble Baron, she's already being picked on by the upper ranking ladies. If she goes to the banquet hosted by the imperial family wearing a gown that's already fallen out of trend, you have no doubt she will be regarded with derision.

But you won't allow that to happen.

“Do you have time this afternoon?” You smile. Lumine tilts her head in confusion yet nods nonetheless. “Let's find you a dress in the commerce street. We'll test out that theory of yours that they won't refuse me.”

Immediately, her eyes widen. She knows what you're planning. This is far from the first time you would be treating her. “No, it's fine! We don't have to go there!”

“Oh, c'mon, Lumine. Your birthday is coming up. Just think of it as me giving you your birthday present a few weeks in advance.”

At that, her shoulders slump. This is not the first time, and so she knows well there's no arguing with you once you put your mind into something. “If you insist so much…” She tries for a grateful smile, but it looks more guilty. When will she accept that she deserves nice things like this and so much more?

Just like Lumine said, you shot up the priority list of the tailor shop without much of a fuss. You make her try on numerous dresses, forbidding the tailors from telling her how much they cost if she ever asks. You end up choosing a pale blue dress that accentuates her good figure and complements her skin, and you manage to grab a couple of matching jewelry when she isn't looking.

Hopefully soon, you think as you begin to scarf down what remains of the cake tower, eager to go shopping. If she goes with the prince route, he’ll give her an entire castle. I should probably tell her about that cage in the basement from the yandere bad ending, though.

Lumine looks good in everything anyway, so it isn't a very time-consuming affair. You even have some time left to check out the merchant stalls before curfew arrives and you have to send her to a carriage back home.

“I don't know about you, but I'm craving some donuts.” You're raring to go to the best bakery in town, and Lumine laughs at your eagerness. Your family never looked upon fried food kindly, and you only have a chance of eating them when you're not within their supervision.

“Aren't you full from the pastries we ate earlier?”

“Hardly.” You grab onto your inconveniently long dress, prepared to race. “Come on, Lumine, we better hurry up before they run out!”

In your haste however, you fail to notice a child walking towards the opposite direction as you. She crashes to your leg, the impact sending her to the ground. You gasp, wasting no time in crouching down to her eye level and helping her up, uncaring of how the hem of your dress slides against the dirty floor. “I'm terribly sorry! Are you hurt anywhere?”

You pat away the dirt on her skirt, searching for any sign of blood. “No, I'm okay! I'm sorry too, miss!” The girl does a little cute bow, one that would normally make you coo if only you didn't feel so guilty. When she gives you a reassuring toothy grin, eyes shining bright with innocence, you can't help but pat her on the head with your clean hand.

“Did you get lost? Where are your parents?” You bring out an embroidered handkerchief from your pocket, wiping her hands free of grime. Lumine scans the nearby area and notices a man running over.

“Mister!” The child exclaims happily, pointing at him. You look up at his direction, momentarily at ease, until you actually see who she's pointing to.

Apprehension pools at the pit of your stomach. The man is the very picture of someone that children should be taught to avoid. Draped in a dark cloak that conceals half of his face, his attire is practically the standard getup for kidnappers in an abduction scene, the type that says cheesy lines like “hand over the gold or I'll kill your girl right now” and ends up getting decked in the face by the prince that saves the heroine.

Before you can say anything, the little girl runs toward him, her arms outstretched for an embrace. The man is quick to lean down and cradle her in his arms, reprimanding the girl for his carelessness. The severity of his words is utterly lost when he's too busy scanning the child's body up and down in search of any injuries to be intimidating.

“Didn't I tell you not to run? You could get into an accident,” the man admonishes gently as he uses the napkin in the girl's hands to wipe away the remaining dirt on her palms. “Not everyone is as forgiving as this kind lady. Did you apologize to her?”

“No, it's fine, it was my fault,” you interject, doing a quick curtsy reflexively. “I got too excited about buying donuts that I wasn't paying enough attention to my surroundings.”

The man pauses when he gets a good look at you, making you shrink to yourself. You put on commoner clothes to blend with the crowd better, but you wonder if you have something incriminating of your status on you.

“Did you get hurt?”

You blink at the unexpected question. How could bumping into a tiny child cause you any injury? “...Not at all.”

His lips curl into a smile, still visible under the shadows of his robe. “Then that's a relief. We apologize for this incident. I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, but I'm afraid we have somewhere to be.”

“Oh, of course!” You laugh awkwardly, raising a hand to wave at the child. “Be safe on the way there.”

The older man bows his head and the little girl yells an endearing “farewell!” as she's carried away by her guardian, spinning on his heel to turn to their destination.

In doing so, you catch a glimpse of the ornate sword strapped to his waist. A silver dragon wraps around the hilt, its scales gleaming under the sun. The sapphires in its eyes are a deep blue, the color as vibrant as the sea, a contrast to the dull shade of its scabbard.

You swear you've seen that sword before.

“[Name], we should hurry. The sun will set soon.” Lumine snaps you out of your thoughts, reminding you of the direness of the situation.

“The lady was really pretty!” The little girl—Mamere—begins to ramble as she fiddles with the handkerchief you left her. She's walking on her own now, but the man makes sure to match her slower pace. “I thought she would get mad when I bumped into her, but her voice was so nice and soft. And she patted my head!”

“My donuts!”

“She was very kind,” the man agrees, remembering the genuine worry on your face when Mamere fell to the ground.

“But what do I do?” Mamere pouts, staring at the intricate embroidery on the napkin. “I don't know how to return this to her.”

Her companion hums. “I don't think she's expecting you to return it. Didn’t she give it to you?”

“But I feel bad…” Mamere admires the careful stitching, her fingers lightly tracing its shape. “It looks so beautiful… she must've worked hard in embroidering it, didn't she?” Suddenly, her eyes sparkle with realization, an idea popping into her mind. “Mister, if it's you, you can return it to her, right?”

The older man blinks. “I suppose so. However-”

The girl offers the handkerchief to him. “Please give this to her when you see her, Mister!”

Conflicted, he stares down at Mamere, but he eventually folds when she puts on her best puppy dog eyes. He takes the handkerchief from her hands, his thumb brushing over the meticulous embroidery.

Only a fool wouldn’t recognize the insignia of the Silva House.

A strong gust of wind pulls down the hood of his cloak, revealing long hair the color of moonlight. The golden hue of the sunset basks his pale skin in a bright glow, his eyes soft as he gazes upon the handkerchief.

“I have a good idea when I may see her next,” Neuvillette assures Mamere, causing her smile to brighten even more.

All too soon, the day of the imperial banquet arrives.

Though whether she wants to see me or not is a different matter.

Natully, your escort to the event is none other than your protective second brother, but you'd argue he's a better choice over the eldest who'd probably glare daggers at anyone who comes within five meters of your vicinity. It's not even like you have other men in your life aside from your family and the knights at your service.

You intend to appear as inconspicuous as possible, but the nobles' curious gazes still follow after your shadow. Consequences of your actions, you suppose. You managed to dodge that eventful first meeting with Duke Neuvillette since you knew you would bump into him at a social gathering, but you had to go through the extra mile to avoid attending every party you could skip because the game was so goddamn vague and only described the scene as “The lady of House Silva fell in love with the duke the moment her eyes landed upon him at a banquet.”

Thanks to that, you’re rarely seen by nobility and thus attained a ridiculous nickname along the lines of “the precious flower of Silva” for being thoroughly pampered by your family, hidden from the rest of the world. Embellished tales of your beauty spread across society, and you can only hope they weren't disappointed to see the real thing in the flesh.

Damn it, you think grimly, the downturn of your lips hidden beneath the intricate fan you've taken to using in order to hide your expression. It's hard to approach the buffet table when they're all staring at me like this.

Truthfully, you’re grateful all they're doing is staring. If not for your eldest brother’s protectiveness, you’re sure more than a crowd of men would be vying for your hand in marriage, flooding your house with mail and wedding offers. Your second brother is not so fortunate, pinned by pointed stares from all sides by unwed women waiting for the right moment to pounce on him.

He pinches the edge of your sleeve before you can attempt to sneak your way towards the buffet table. “And where exactly are you going?” Amazingly enough, his pleasing smile doesn't falter even as he grumbles out his admonishment, still as flawless as ever.

“To eat. The catering is wasted on you socialites, no one bothers to take a bite just to talk to other people.” You’ve learned a thing or two from your brothers, and so your own polite smile doesn't twist into something more fitting for the tone of your voice.

His mouth opens again, definitely some spiel about how you should try making other connections because as much as Lumine is pleasant company, she will not be of any help to your trading endeavors, but a girl adorned in frilly lace tries her luck in hitting on him and you slip away when he's not looking.

As expected, the feast on the buffet table is untouched. You help yourself to a few plates, searching for Lumine all the while. As per true protagonist fashion, she’ll arrive fashionably late at the banquet and bring attention to herself when the grand doors reveal her in a stunning dress. Had you not intervened, she would've gotten a pretty dress some way or another anyway—it’s bound by the law of the universe. In the original game, she helped an old lady cross the street and she turned out to be the owner of a high-end boutique.

But time goes by with no sight of familiar blond locks, and you’re getting pretty full from the steak served. You’re thinking about going to your brother to spare him from the women when someone approaches you, a series of footsteps gradually becoming more audible—from a respectable distance, of course, but near enough to know they came with a purpose. You stop yourself from sighing, taking a moment to collect yourself and school your expression into something more elegant.

Your efforts are rendered useless when your jaw immediately drops upon seeing the figure of the very person you were trying to avoid.

Are you fucking kidding me?!

Standing before you is Neuvillette himself, the crowd behind him parted like the Red Sea. He’s finely dressed, crisp suit accented with his House’s signature colors blue and gold, and his long hair is fashioned into a low ponytail that rests on the side of his chest. His intimidating air rivals that of the royal family, a commanding presence that drives people to bow to him at once. Yet this time, the crowd instead unashamedly stares at the spectacle the pair of you must make, both parties that are often absent in galas now crossing paths.

The etiquette lessons hammered into your body makes you curtsy in a show of respect, starkly contrasting the crude expletives roaring in your head as your eyes lock onto a vague figure behind him. It’s hard to meet his eyes. “Good evening, Your Grace. I believe this is our first encounter.” But I worked really hard to make it never happen, you know?!

In turn, Neuvillette bows his head in greeting. “Indeed. I’ve heard much about my lady, so I am glad I have the opportunity to meet you at last.”

The smile on your face twitches, the fabric between your fingers wrinkling under your tightening grip. “Pardon?”

“Your older brother is quite fond of you. He’s been telling me stories of your family whenever we have tea.”

Which brother is he talking about???

If it was your eldest brother, he would at least take care not to harm your clean reputation, but his gushing about his cute younger sister could be embarrassing. However, if it was your much more tactless, stupid brother who still holds a grudge over you eating the last tea cake given by foreign ambassadors from a neighboring country, he’d probably tell Neuvillette everything that would make your “precious flower of Silva” title entirely undeserving.

“A… haha… is that so…” you begin fanning yourself harder, trying to keep your nervous sweating at bay. Neuvillette turns his head, looking around your surroundings.

“I believe you were escorted by your brother. Is he preoccupied?”

The corner of your mouth curls into a slight smirk. “Certainly. Women have been trying to pique his interest since the banquet began.”

At that, Neuvillette’s smile turns wry. You’re sure he relates to that a little too much, the poor guy. Even at this very moment, there are countless women observing the situation, attempting to find the right chance to jump in the conversation and steal him away. Though you do feel bad for him, you’re also wishing to find a good opportunity to leave without looking rude. After all, in the possibility that Lumine happens to like him, you’d soon be acquainted with him as his significant other’s closest friend.

Just as you’re cheering on a lady that’s beginning to approach the duke, he starts speaking. “If that’s the case…” Bowing once more, he outstretches his arm gracefully, offering his hand. The sight looks like a sparkling CG, and you’re not sure if the flowers surrounding him are really there or if you're starting to hallucinate. “Would my lady mind if I escorted you for the time being?”

Your fanning hand comes to a sharp halt. “Pardon?” you say for a second time, sounding more disbelieved than the last.

“I happen to be in a similar predicament as your brother,” his voice lowers to a hushed tone. “Though we haven’t known each other for long, I hope you can lend me a hand.”

Why is this happening to me…

And as if his pleading tone isn’t enough, he tops it off with a charming smile truly befitting a love interest in a dating simulator. “I’d also like to take this opportunity to be closer to you, my lady.”

--

You bite back the urge to sigh, lest Neuvillette think you thought he was an utter bore as a dance partner. Really, he’s nothing like that–there’s no way getting to see that handsome face up close could ever be boring. He’s a nice partner, actually; he leads the dance in a way that makes you comfortable, and you’re no dance prodigy, but you feel like you can close your eyes and dance just as well as long as you follow his lead.

Another point of thrill is the incessant glares you can feel on your back. Truly, Neuvillette’s more ambitious fans are terrifying. As the one in charge of the territory covering the boundary between the kingdom and the land of monsters, Neuvillette must be used to frightening creatures, but lovesick women must be a whole ‘nother terror for him altogether for him to ask for your help to avoid them.

Still…

He’s the only person I’m trying to avoid at this place, and now I’m dancing with him. Haha. What am I even doing here?

You feel him squeeze your hand softly. “Is something on your mind?” Neuvillette’s voice breaks you out of your trance. You look up at him, noticing he looks worried.

“I apologize. I wasn’t paying attention.” You shake your head, giving him a small grin.

He frowns. “It’s not that. If you feel tired or unwell, please tell me.”

“I’m fine! Very much so!” You suddenly feel bad for cursing him, albeit indirectly, in your head. You understand why the original villainess liked him so much, but you should avoid interacting with him unless strictly necessary… once this dance ends. “I must say, Your Grace has quite the number of admirers. This is the first time I’ve been stared at so intensely by a crowd of women.”

He hums thoughtfully as you twirl away from him as part of the step sequence, and he catches your waist with ease when you return. “I could say the same for you. Gentlemen we pass by have been eyeing me with hostility ever since we started dancing.”

“What?” You look around the ballroom, making a sound of surprise when you see multiple nobles eyeing Neuvillette with some amount of envy and detestation. You’ve been so caught up with the attention Neuvillette’s been getting that you overlooked your share of trouble.

“The son of the viscount in particular seems to be the most eager to ask for a dance.” He averts his gaze to the man standing by the buffet table who’s been glaring at the pair of you pretty hard. Farthest thing from your type.

“I suppose I’ll have to find my brother when this song is over, then.”

Silence ensues in the remaining duration of the song, but it’s a comforting one. You’re not much of a talker anyway, and it’s hard to think of things to talk about when practically everyone in the audience is looking for a chance to steal both of you away from each other. Eventually, the last notes of the violin are played, and you finish the dance with bows of courtesy.

“Thank you for complying with my request.”

“It was nothing. I’m glad I could lend a hand.” Your eyes roam over the area, securing the shortest route to get to your brother. “Our encounter was brief, but you were truly pleasant company, Your Grace.”

You plan to leave it at that, the heel of your foot already spinning to turn in the opposite direction. Okay, good. That’s just an irregularity. It’s too bad I couldn’t completely avoid him, but as long as we don’t get too involved with each other, it should still be safe-

But then you feel a gentle hand wrap around the tips of your fingers. You turn back, the initial confusion wearing off to shock. Neuvillette is holding your hand. Neuvillette is holding your hand. Slowly, he brings it closer to his face, and for a moment, you think, Oh, his eyelashes are pretty long, before you feel him press a soft kiss on your knuckles.

You hear a gasp. Numerous, you correct yourself, on varying levels of shock. You hope that god-awful dramatic one didn’t come from you, but you aren’t too sure because the only things on your mind are Neuvillette’s hand around yours, his irresistible smile, and the words that leave his lips.

“If my lady doesn’t find my company disagreeable, would you consider meeting me on another occasion?”

In your time living as a noble, you’ve somewhat gotten used to speaking in formal language. In nobility terms, that’s basically Neuvillette asking you out on a date.

“...Pardon???”

Word spread quickly throughout the social network. That’s within expectations, knowing how nosy nobles can get. By the time the imperial banquet ended, everyone in attendance already heard that Neuvillette had taken interest in a woman, and that woman happened to be the daughter from the Silva family.

Objectively speaking, it isn’t a bad match. Both families have something to gain from a marriage union, which is why the original duke from the game agreed to the engagement in the first place.

Subjectively, however…

“I’ve gathered you all here today to have an important discussion.”

Presently, you are situated at the family dining table. As usual, there’s a heavenly feast spread out on the table, but all the food remains uneaten because there’s apparently a more pressing matter at hand.

“...The duke has spoken his intentions to court our [Name],” your eldest brother says grimly, hands locked together and placed under his chin.

“You’re overreacting, he just asked me if I wanted to meet him another time.” You rolled your eyes, reaching for the garlic bread appetizer. He promptly swats it away. “Hey!”

“That’s basically the same thing,” your second brother argues. “Not that I don’t like His Grace, but it’s so sudden. Nobody has caught his eye until now, and I find it hard to believe you’re the first one ever.”

“Now you’re just dissing me.”

“I don’t see why you’re all unhappy about this,” your mother cuts in, smiling pleasantly. “The duke is an honorable man, one of the few I think are deserving of our [Name]. If he shows his loyalty and dedication to her throughout the courtship, we’ll see how well he’ll treat her.”

“That is if [Name] likes him. If she doesn’t and he continues to bother her, I’ll have to step in, status aside.” Your ever protective father frowns as he slices the steak on his plate. “Do tell us if he’s making you uncomfortable, honey.”

“Uh, no, I wouldn’t go that far…”

The only issue you have with the duke is that he’s a love interest. In the original game, him and your character would have nothing to do with each other if it weren’t for the original you insisting on being engaged to him. You don’t know what happened to her in the bad endings, but the situation probably wasn’t ideal. You thought as long as you avoided him, you could steer clear of trouble…

But if he’s the one running after you, what are you supposed to do…?!

“At the very least, you don’t dislike him, do you?” Your second brother cocks up an eyebrow.

“Not really, no.”

“Then hypothetically, if he invited you for a boat ride in the town today, would you go?”

“Hold on a second!” Your eldest brother interrupts. “We still haven’t discussed whether or not he’s worthy of [Name] yet, have we?”

“I thought we were past that.”

“We need to discuss it in detail.”

“Discuss what? The duke’s abundant treasury, contributions to the war against the dragon lord, or his reputation of being a gentleman towards all women?”

“...There has to be something he lacks.”

“What he lacks is a wonderful, caring wife,” your mother says. “And if [Name] is interested in the duke, we shouldn’t get in their way. I know you’re worried, dear. [Name] has always been stuck in the house because she’s sickly, but if a man wants to take her out to have a fun excursion, you should let her. His Grace is also very considerate of the people around him. Surely, if he notices her feeling unwell, he’ll take care of her.”

I haven’t said anything about wanting to go on a date with him though?!

“Fine. I don’t disapprove of him, but…” Your brother eyes you warily. “You best be home before sundown.”

A day passes. You hear three knocks on your door. When you allow the servant to enter your room, a maid rushes to you in a hurry, a letter sealed with the insignia of the Marechaussee House in her hands.

“Brother, I haven’t even received an invitation yet…”

--

The cake tower in front of you is magnificent. The fresh fruits topped on whipped cream are vibrant pops of color, and the frosting is piped beautifully in intricate swirls and shapes. The cakes pair well with the tea served, too, and you’re already planning to bring Lumine here the next time you’re both free to talk about the imperial knight she ended up talking to at the banquet. That route is definitely your favorite and you can’t wait to hear about the details.

Damn it.

There’s nothing wrong with the food. This pastry shop has been making its rounds in the newspapers for its delectable new additions on the menu, and they didn’t disappoint your tastebuds.

Though you have to say they’d be a lot more enjoyable if you weren’t surrounded by women eavesdropping on your little meeting with Neuvillette.

“This strawberry shortcake is delicious,” Neuvillette notes. “I’m not too fond of sweets, but they taste great. You should give it a try.”

“Oh, yes, when I finish this one…” The mango cheesecake is to die for, but it’s kind of hard to swallow with the death stares pinpointed at your direction. You hope the pastry shop allows takeout. “Thank you for inviting me to come here, Your Grace.”

“I noticed you mostly ate desserts at the imperial banquet, so I thought you would enjoy trying the food here.” He’s smiling, but when he glances over at your unwanted audience, his eyes gloss over and appear colder. “I didn’t anticipate there would be many people today. I’m sorry for that.”

Some of the women visibly twitch. They weren’t exactly caught red-handed, but it does prove that they’re guilty. Someone probably saw us here and told everyone else… Gossipmongers are scary.

“This situation is out of your control, you don’t have to apologize. And, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something, so your invitation came at a good time.” You fiddle with the edges of your sleeve, plucking at the lace.

Sensing the mood, the duke places down his fork to give you his full attention. “What did you want to talk about?”

Well. Here goes nothing. “Um… your invitation back at the imperial banquet… are you referring to a friendly chat or…” It’s sorta hard to say “Do you want to date me?” straight to his face. In the small chance you’ve gotten the wrong idea, you’d hate to appear presumptuous, so self-absorbed to think the highly-praised Neuvillette fell for you of all people. Lumine, you’d understand–the girl has a knack for melting the coldness of your heart and taking down people’s walls, and it’s why you became friends with her despite the odds. You, though… Nothing specific comes to mind.

Unexpectedly, a soft chuckle reaches your ears. You raise your head, surprised to see Neuvillette laughing. It’s possibly the most beautiful sound you’ve ever heard in your life. When he catches you staring, he composes himself, but the dazzling smile remains on his face. “I was certain I made my intentions clear, but I suppose I’ll have to be more forward next time.”

A flush crawls up to your cheeks, burning hot. “No, I swear I know what you mean- just making sure, you know? I mean, I wouldn’t want to assume the duke is interested in me without knowing for certain-”

You stop yourself from rambling, feeling you’ve said too much. Fuck. Is it just you or is Neuvillette’s smile a bit wider now? You stuff your stupid mouth with the shortcake he placed on your plate. It’s good. Your acting is very much not.

He clears his throat, getting back to business. “I understand you don’t see me that way. I would like to court you, but if you tell me to stop now, I will.”

Isn’t he backing off too easily? I mean it’s great he respects my decision, but if I turn him down now, it’d probably be bad for his reputation…

“Before we… have that discussion, I still have more questions to ask.” You sip on your tea to wash down the sweet taste on your tongue. It’s silent once you put the cup on the table. Placing your hands on your lap, you look directly into Neuvillette’s eyes, searching for an answer. “May I ask Your Grace why you took an interest in me?”

The silence persists for a few seconds more. It doesn’t seem like he’s thinking of the perfect words to swoon you over; he’s thinking about how to verbalize what he truly thought of you.

He opens his mouth after careful consideration. “...It began as curiosity,” he starts, tapping rhythmically on the table. “I had my own reasons for turning down invitations to parties, so I wondered what were yours.”

You swallow. Officially, you turned those down using your health as an excuse. But your constitution has improved greatly compared to when you were young, and evidently, you’re almost just as healthy as any person. At the very least, you’re not at risk of passing out or losing breath in the middle of an event anymore. He must’ve picked up on that.

“I’ve heard about you from other people. According to their words, you were ‘the loveliest flower’ in the kingdom, with unparalleled gracefulness and beauty… but your elder brother’s stories suggested otherwise.”

I’m kicking his ass when I get back home.

“And yesterday, I met you myself. I thought you differed from how they described you.” He pauses, drinking his tea. “I’ve heard many say you were quite the stoic character, always hard to read. But you make a lot of interesting expressions behind your fan. You don’t hide your true thoughts when you speak, or perhaps you’re simply bad at hiding them. I previously found your brother’s stories unbelievable, but now I can see that the colorful personality he was talking about wasn’t very far off.”

??? “Colorful personality”?? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

“...I understand.” You really don’t, but you won’t bother asking him for more details. Everything he said thus far lowkey sounds like a diss. “Let me rephrase my question, then.”

It’s okay. This isn’t unfamiliar territory, and you’re not stupid. Obviously, if you do different things from the original, the story will derail from its original course. That’s what always happens in transmigration manhwas, after all. You noticed that early before the plot could truly change. If so, perhaps you can control the amount of change that will happen.

You sit up a little straighter, eyes laser-focused on his reaction to what you’re about to say. “What are you after, trying to get closer to me?”

You know these tropes. If you give him what he needs, you can separate soon, no strings attached.

Neuvillette makes an expression of confusion, his brows knitted. “Your hand in marriage,” he says it like it’s the obvious answer.

“Not that! Is there anything you need help with?”

“I did say I was having trouble with the women at the banquet, but that was more of an excuse to talk to you.”

You sputter, “W-well, you need someone to fake-date or fake-marry then?” Fake-dating often leads to them actually dating, but if you’re careful, you can probably keep that from happening, right?

The furrow in his brow deepens. “I don’t want to use you to stop women from chasing me. I want to marry you.”

Goddamn it. Does this guy have his own set of dialogue choices and he keeps on picking the one that raises affection? “…Okay, I get it! You need something from my family! What is it? We don’t need to be married for me to help you.” You cross your arms triumphantly. That should do it.

Instead of agreeing, Neuvillette looks forlorn. “Lady [Name], is it really that hard to believe I want to marry you without something else in mind?”

Now Neuvillette looks like a kicked puppy and you’re solely to blame for it. Fuck!

You sigh, rubbing circles on your temple. “I just… fail to see why Your Grace is interested in me.” You’re not talking yourself down, nor do you have low self-esteem. You simply don’t recall doing anything that would make him fall for you at all. Logically speaking, there’s just no reason behind his actions.

Your eyes widen when you have a moment of eureka.  Maybe talking yourself down is actually the way to get him off your trail?

“I’m sure Your Grace is aware, but I have a weak constitution…” you begin your pitiful tale, coughing softly to prove your point. “I can’t work very long, and I require plenty of rest to function in daily life. In the case that we marry, I might not be able to keep up with the tasks the lady of the house is expected to handle. Rather than support you as your wife, I might merely become a burden to you. And most importantly…”

A lot of what you just said aren’t complete lies, but you did exaggerate them greatly. Even if he isn’t convinced with those, you still have a hidden card up your sleeve, one that’s sure to discourage him.

“...With my feeble body, it would be difficult to sire you an heir for the duchy,” you state firmly, placing emphasis on this one point. Successors are absolutely a requirement for each family, because who else will inherit the title and everything that comes with it when the current head comes to pass? For this, you’re not even sure if you’re exaggerating anymore. The future of the original [Name] Silva was left unclear, so who knows if your body will improve or deteriorate with time?

Neuvillette’s face becomes stoic. This much is expected. Any moment now, he’ll take back his words…

…As you’re thinking that, you feel him touch your hand once more, not unlike the time at the banquet. You don’t know when you started fidgeting with the napkin on the table out of anxiety, but he’s rubbing a thumb over your knuckles to soothe you now, gentle touches that verge on ticklish.

“I’m prepared for that,” he says softly. “I won’t spare any expense on your treatment, of course, and in the case your condition worsens, I won’t stop finding ways to make you feel better. But I would never make you do anything to push you beyond your limits. I’ll take on everything you can’t do. Eventually, we’ll need to talk about successors, but I need you to know that I won’t force you or put you in any risk. If needed, I’ll talk to my relatives and figure out something from there.”

???!?!?!?!?!!!?! He wants to pass on the title to someone who’s not a direct descendant?!?!?

Your mouth is agape. You’re sure your jaw-dropped face doesn’t look very pleasant, but the affection in his gaze doesn’t dwindle. Heavy. Everything he just said is so heavy. The future is scary to think about, but when he says it like that, why does it feel like you can lean on him freely?! This is no time to be getting swept off your feet, [Name]! Focus!

“Are you still not convinced?” He moves his face closer, concern in his eyes.

“No, I get it! I get it already!” You take your hand back, but his warmth still lingers. You hold your fingers like they’re scorched, yet pain is the furthest thing from what you’re feeling, and your heart flutters traitorously in your beating chest. “You’re being unfair. If you go that far, there’s no way anyone could turn you down.”

The smile returns to his face as he takes his hand back as well. “I take it that you’ve given me permission to court you, then?”

!!! Sly! That’s what this person is, sly! He knew what he was doing!

You make a face. “Ugh… maybe persistent guys are too dangerous for me…”

“Lady [Name], you’re speaking your thoughts out loud again. Not that I dislike it, though.”

The duke of Marechaussee has found a potential bride.

“I-! Nevermind…”

That’s putting it lightly because everyone that has heard of them is certain that they’ll marry in the near future. With the amount of flirting the two have done (leaked by the eavesdropping jealous-admirers-turned-shippers), it’s a mystery why they haven’t made the announcements yet.

Notably, the pair of them frequented restaurants the most, visiting the shops highly regarded for their sweets. Chatting in slow boat rides seem to also be one of their most favored dates, and at one particularly disastrous time when the boat tipped over by accident, the duke had fretted over the lady while she merely laughed in joy, insisting she was fine and her partner was being too much of a worrywart. Both started to attend more gatherings, almost never spotted to be straying from each other, and it was more or less their indirect way of telling the public eye they were exclusive.

Their romantic dates are all common knowledge to anyone nosy by now, but there’s one thing they absolutely cannot spread.

“Don’t tell this to anyone,” a woman whispered to her loyal companion. “And I truly mean that this time. Don’t do it.”

“What is it? Is it something really bad? ‘Some high-ranking noble has a secret love child’ bad?”

“No!” This time, the woman took care to whisper her words even quieter, “I heard the duke requested a jeweler to craft an engagement ring…!”

Things I couldn’t fit into the fic:

Neuvillette already met you when you were younger. In one of the first gatherings you attended, you talked to each other because you were near in age. However, you collapsed due to your constitution and he was the one to alert the adults and carry you to a sick room. He used a handkerchief embroidered with his initials to wipe away the blood you threw up, and you hid it away in your bedside table after cleaning it in hopes of returning it (if he still wanted it back, soiled once and all) when you saw him again. Unfortunately, your family members were worried and didn’t let you outside for a long time to avoid having you perform strenuous activities, and you didn’t recognize him at a later gathering when he tried striking a conversation with you. He noted you were slowly getting better, but wondered why you weren’t attending parties if you were relatively well now.

You probably interacted with him when he was pretending to be a normal commoner several times already before your “first meeting.”

You didn’t fall for him immediately, but it was a slow progression until you forgot about the whole ‘I’m in an otome game world’ thing completely.

Based on actual events

fluff!!! little mentions to bakugou's past as a bully :/ but he's now very much in love with you <3

the best way to let bakugou katsuki know that you’re mad at him is by refusing to hold his hand. 

handholding is one of bakugou’s all time favourite affections. although subtle, it’s grounding. he likes to know that you’re safe by holding you close to him, and he has the chance to pull you away from danger the moment it happens. also, to know that you trust him to keep you safe is another bonus.

he is destruction’s incarnate and it is from his hands that danger is initiated: hands that have threatened and bullied many- good and bad alike. 

hands that have also pushed you into a corner when you were younger for defending a vulnerable midoriya from any more harm. 

hands that have sparked explosions in your face during many school festivals as he sparked threats to match.

hands that gradually, but surely, learnt how to chase after you longingly.

after months- years of maturing and apologising for his stupidity, bakugou thinks he is the luckiest man in the world to be able to hold you with the same hands that sparked fear during his youth. he thinks he is the luckiest man in the world because you have trusted him to protect your heart in his very hands. similarly, you openly cherish his with your two palms and despite how it bleeds with love for you, you have never once let it break.

he also thinks he is unfortunate that you’re not compassionate enough to be against torturing him when he fucks up.

and the best way to show that you still have not forgiven him is by revoking his hand holding privileges.

bakugou hates it when there’s tension between you two and despises it even more when you have to pretend like nothing is wrong when in fact, everything is wrong. you’re mad at him for some shit he said last night and now you don’t want to hold his hand, let alone look at him, and he wants to crumble. 

instead of finding a chance to talk, you both had to hang out with sero, kaminari, kirishima and mina as part of your obligatory monthly meetup and it was very obvious that something was off between you and bakugou. 

when a merciless gust of wind hits, bakugou sees this as his moment to react. as goosebumps emerge on your exposed skin and you audibly shiver from the cold, it earns you a fair share of concerned looks.

“you okay, y/n?” kirishima asks and you nod, shrugging up your shoulders as a futile attempt to shield yourself from the frostbite. from the corner of your eye, your boyfriend is already shrugging off his jacket, keeping his sassy muttering to a minimum. 

“just cold, thanks for asking,” you murmur, extending your palm to anyone in the group, “can someone hold my hand?” 

bakugo immediately reaches for you, grumbling an ‘i’ll hold your hand’ but you retract from him with a dirty glare before he could even touch you. his jaw drops and his crimson eyes become windows to how betrayed he’s feeling, and even more so when you utter the next words:

“can someone else hold my hand?” 

“but i’m your boyfriend?” he all but screams, earning a few snickers from your friends. they knew this dance all too well, sero and denki hissing ‘roasted’ at the blond. 

mina’s the only one brave enough to challenge bakugou, “i’ll hold your hand, y/n!”

she’s almost successful too if it weren’t for small explosions stopping just in front of her face as bakugou glares at her with the ugliest (affectionately) expression you have ever seen. no one can resist laughing when he yells out a ‘touch y/n and you die, racoon eyes!’ before snatching your hand into his; his grip far too tight for you to even try and wrestle out of it.

“yeah, laugh all you want extras! at least i get to hold y/n’s hand, dipshits!” 

“y/n’s got two hands though, can i hold your other one?” denki asks, feigning ignorance to the daggers bakugou was sending him and before you could giggle out a ‘sure!’, bakugou is lunging forward and shielding you from the electric blond. 

“none of you are worthy, go away morons!”

your stomach is cramping at this point, your throat is begging for you to stop laughing, and your cheeks are so very sore that it hurts. your laughter has been mixed with the rest of the groups- with the exception of bakugou who is pouting with irritation laced deeply in his expression, but so long as he gets to see you smiling at him rather than frowning, he doesn’t really mind.

“whatever, laugh all you want,” he mutters before stuffing your hands into his pockets, where he can keep them warm. the remainder of the squad continues forward, knowing to leave you two alone.

his thumb is soothingly rubbing circles on the back of your hand as he shares his warmth with you. when bakugou katsuki meets your eyes, all the tension from last night dwindles away as he visibly relaxes, relieved that you’re at least allowing him to hold your hand again. 

“we are okay, right?” he asks tentatively.

you shrug playfully, “i mean, i don’t really have any other choice than to say yes, do i?” 

his next comment is quick, passive, but heavy in its meaning, “you do.”

you soften at his vulnerability, squeezing his hand before reassuring him that “we’re okay, katsuki, and we will be for a long time.”

hello hello everyone!! thank you for reading, if you enjoyed the fic PLEASEEEE reblog!!! even if you don’t think it’ll do much, reblogs is how tumblr accounts function. you don’t even have to leave a message bc i appreciate every single interaction nonetheless.

hope you like my writing and i hope to see you around!!

- earth

HAIKYUU MASTERLIST

angst/hurt [a] ; fluff/comfort [f] ; crack/humor [c] ; suggestive [s] ♡ personal faves

[ BACK TO MAIN ]

# KARASUNO

# NEKOMA

# AOBA JOHSAI

# FUKURODANI

# SHIRATORIZAWA

# INARIZAKI

# OTHER

Genshin Boys As Your Knight

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Characters: Knight!Diluc, Kaeya, Childe, Zhongli, Xiao x gn!Noble!Reader

Type/Genre: Headcanons, fluff, hurt/comfort

Warnings: Mentions of violence/injuries, master is used as gender-neutral term, not proof-read  

A/N: self-indulgent headcanons of the genshin boys as your knight in shining armour <3

Keep reading

i think bakugou is the type of father to push his kids to be social as soon as they can walk and talk. he was blessed with a little boy that definitely isn’t the loudest or most outspoken, would rather cling to his leg and hide when faced with other people. he never thought his baby would be… well… such a baby. but one step at a time never hurt anybody.

so it’s after nursery and he’s just doing a quick shop, bending down to his little man to ask, “you know that lady over there, she works here.” he points a finger in the direction of a woman stacking shelves in a polo top. his son nods, eyes wide.

“i need you —politely with your big boy manners— to ask her where the protein powder is.”

now the wide eyes were directed to him, gripping onto two of katsuki’s big fingers as he rises to his full height.

“can you do that for me, little man? i’m not sure where it is.”

and his son stares at him stunned, the shape of his eyes are yours, with red ruby pupils like his. it looks like he just asked him to shoot a man and bakugou almost wants to laugh before he feels the grip on his fingers tighten. he feels his heart skip a beat.

so he bends down again. “d’you wanna practice?”

and his son nods timidly, placing his other little hand on katsuki’s knee to give his full attention. that’s when he can see himself in his son, maybe you too. the willingness to try even if he’s scared. so going through a few practice sentences, katsuki asks, “y’ready little man?” and a pursed lip nod returns, cheeks all puffed out like yours when you’re determined to do something.

his son practically drags katsuki by his two fingers to the lady crouched stacking shelves and then pauses like he was struck with oh i actually have to do it now.

katsuki nudges him, an upturn of his lip and a raise of his brow, “cmon. like how we practiced.”

with a deep breath, his kid lets go of his hand and splutters, “where’s da pwoteen powda?”

the lady jumps at the sound, turning to face his son whose cheeks are freckled and flushed, eyes glossy and playing with his own hands. he does, however, hold eye contact though. katsuki’s proud of that.

he still pokes his shoulder, “we didn’t practice that! try again.” and then with a half smile, a glimmer in his eye he whispers a sorry to the lady.

then robotically, his son mumbles, “hello, pwease can you tell me where da pwo-teen powda is? pwease?”

the lady chuckles, wiping their hands on their knees, “course i can. is the powder for you?”

katsuki’s son whips his head left to right. “no. for my papa. i’m not allowed it.”

when the lady starts walking to direct the pair to the aisle, katsuki ruffles his sons hair, “good job. proud of you.” and his son gives him the cutest smile, missing a few teeth with a crinkled nose and his chest all puffed out like he just saved the world.

it would also be cute when you go shopping with your son, genuinely wondering where an item is and your son says, “dat lady works here! i can ask dem!” and your eyebrows raise in surprise. “sure, if you wanna.”

and your son does ask, saying please twice and even tacking a grin at the end.

“who taught you that? papa?”

“yes papa did. then he gave me a chocolate cake slice after for being so good at it.”

you giggle, “huh. i see.”

𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕡 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕦𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 ℝ𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕝𝕖, 𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕒, 𝔸𝕫𝕦𝕝, 𝕍𝕚𝕝 & 𝕀𝕕𝕚𝕒

Pt.1 - having an argument with them

The reason why I took so long to post this, was partially because it was my intention to make the readers cool off a little bit, instead of immediately posting the two parts one after another so it would feel a little more like an actual argument. But then came some unexpected circumstances and the post was delayed for longer than I'd like ://

Tagging: @im-better-than-your-newborn @wubbabubbaboo @thelegendaryfluffypotato13 @oromaryzm @cheeriochat @editeed @honeyychoba @celestialbluebed @sakurarabbit18

@sno-leopards @joinmeforadoublesuicide you guys didn't ask for the tag, but you sounded so excited- Let me know if you wish it to be removed!

Content warning: WATCH ME BULLY LEONA BECAUSE I CAN it is also incredibly long

𝓡𝓲𝓭𝓭𝓵𝓮

~The following days were… stormy, to say lightly.

~Both of you suddenly developed a desire to prove to each other that you’re fine on your own.

~The problem was that you were not fine at all. 

~Riddle suddenly became much harsher on his dorm’s members. Especially when your absence was pointed out. And, well. It was pointed out way more often than he would have even expected. Turns out, everyone was so accustomed to you being by his side – even students he barely interacted with were bothered by your sudden disappearance. 

~After particularly bad tantrums he threw, some students half-seriously began calling him ‘The tyrant Rosehearts’ again. Which fueled his anger even more.

~But that was not the worst part. His fury was one thing, but the pain and loneliness your argument brought him were unbearable. At first, he even dared to think it was even better, because he had a burden off his shoulders. But that was only until an hour later when the reality of the situation finally sunk in.

~Not once, not twice, he caught himself automatically reaching for his phone and opening your contact, beginning to type a message before remembering what happened between you two, deleting it and turning his phone off. In those moments, the loneliness was what struck him the most and he almost ran to you to apologise.

~Despite the despair of his situation, Riddle would actually take his time before approaching you. Not because he doesn’t want to. But because of the sudden rush of insecurities every time he tries to - or even thought about approaching you. 

~Luckily, the Heartslabyul students had eyes and brains (mostly) so they quickly added 2+2 and realised the situation. 

~Obviously, they couldn’t just stand back and watch their dorm leader suffer (and going rampage), so they split into two groups. Plan A was for the first years to persuade you into talking things through with your lover, while the third years were doing the same with Riddle. In case the argument would turn out to be so bad, there would be no hope, they would seek another solution to ease their dorm leader’s anger. 

~It did take some time, but it was easier than they thought. Both groups had meetings to keep each other updated about the progress.

~But of course, something must have gone wrong – due to important call from the principal and other teachers, the teams missed a meeting and failed to inform themselves about the current plans and situation.

~So while Riddle went over to Ramshackle to apologise, you went to the Heartslabyul with the same intention, at the same time. Which resulted in the two of you missing each other. But that was not all! You both also decided to stay at each other’s dorms and wait for each other. But nobody came.

~In the end, tired and annoyed, you went back to your respective dorms, rethinking your willingness to make up. That was until you bumped into each other on your way and spent a good minute staring at each other wide-eyed and connecting the dots.

“...My rose,” Riddle was the first to break the silence. “I understand if you are still mad-”

“No, no, I… I went to your dorm to, well, apologise? But you weren’t there,” you stumbled on your words, unsure what to say, despite going through the plan in your head a dozen times. 

“I, I wish to apologise to you as well! I just wanted to tell you, I understood my mistakes and I am willing to improve and be a better boyfriend- If you still wish to, that is,” the last phrase sounded more like a question.

“Obviously! Look, I know what I said was painful and you only had the best intentions in mind. I was just overwhelmed with how little credit you give me, Riddle.” Your eyes softened. This time, when speaking, your words did not come out in angry shouts, but in delicate whispers. 

Afraid to break the magical atmosphere, and lost in your need for each other, you didn’t even want to say anything else and let your actions speak the unspoken words of promise, as you found yourselves in each other’s arms.

The evening was chilly, but his body was so warm. You basked in that warmth, doing your best to ignore the happy cheers of the two teams hiding in the bushes. You could almost feel your boyfriend’s growing annoyance. Wait, was that why his body felt so- Oh god, deep breaths Riddle. Deep breaths-!

𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐚

~Oh yes. Our very mature lion king had an argument with his s/o and is about to make it everyone’s problem. Skipping twice as many lessons, attempting to nap the whole day and growling at anyone who dares to walk up to him.

~Because every time he heard footsteps nearing him, he instinctively woke up with hope that you would be the one approaching. Only to see someone else and remember your argument. Then as they’re gone, he would just squeeze his eyes shut and try to ignore the bitter taste on his tongue for hours and hours to no end.

~For a brief second, he even managed to fool himself into convincing himself that he doesn’t need you and you were really just a fling of his. Well, not so fast. All it took was a distant smell of yours, carried through the wind to make him go insane once again. 

~Ruggie at first, did not dwell on the fact, having grown accustomed to his senior’s moody demeanour. Instead, he went to look for you, even going as far as making a trip to your dorm if that meant you’d handle his boss.

~What he certainly didn’t expect, was the “I don’t want to see him. Sorry, Ruggie,” he received after knocking on your door.

~The situation was painfully obvious, but if you weren’t there to take care of his dorm leader, he’d be the one having to do that! And so, the scheming began.

~Questioning Leona was out of question, as well as he didn’t want to scratch at your fresh wounds. Therefore, he opted to ask Grim, Ace and Deuce.

~Separately, they only knew shreds and scraps of what happened, but when put together, they provided a pretty clear picture of the situation. So clear Ruggie almost facepalmed.

~”Really, Leona? They literally told you what was wrong- pushed it into your face and you’re not even trying to improve the situation?” He did not even flinch at the angry growl he received in response. “Come on, everyone sees that you’re unhappy without each other!” 

“Be quiet.” 

~But the hyena was unwilling to back down, when he was finally getting to the lion.

~And of course, he had his way.

“I can’t fucking believe I’m doing this,” Ruggie could swear, that Leona was purposefully dragging his feet to stall for time.

“You want to get back with them or not?”

“Tsh, they should be the one coming to me to apologise. They were the one who started the mess.”

“You gave them the reason to, in the first place,” even though he was comfortable walking on soft grass, he could feel his life hanging on a thread.

“Whose side are you on?!” A poor attempt to mask the anticipation with annoyance was made.

“Besides, if they did, would you accept their apology and go back to dating them?”

The answer hung in the air unsaid, but obvious nonetheless.

Of course he would.

The trip to the Ramshackle dorm went quicker than ever. At the same time, he wanted the whole ordeal to last a million years so he could die in peace before even coming close to confronting you and just get things over with so he could hug you again.

So to say that he was agitated  when he spotted two brave idiots blocking the entrance to your dorm would be a misunderstanding.

“Why are you here outside, guys? Is y/n feeling better?” Ruggie eyed Ace and Deuce with a questioning gaze.

“Good afternoon Ruggie-seinpai. Y/n is resting at the moment. Do you have any business towards them?”

“Well, not exactly me, but him.” He pointed at his annoyed companion.

“Yeah, I gotta talk to ‘em so be good little herbivores and let me pass.” Leona could literally feel his patience growing thinner and thinner with each passing second.

“I’m afraid we cannot do that.”

“No one wants you here so just leave and don’t come back, yeah?

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

“The hell was that?!”  

Ruggie quickly got between his dorm leader and the two first years.

“Hol’ up! Why won’t you guys let him in? Did y/n specifically say they don’t want to see him?”

That made the two brave idiots visibly falter.

“Well… Not exactly but-!”

“If they didn’t then let me settle things with my s/o. You have no right to stop me anyway.”

And so, the battle began.

Your soldiers fought to their last breath, but failed miserably against the second prince of the Afterglow Savannah. Meanwhile his servant took a nap.

And as your ex-boyfriend was to strike the final blow to the fallen soldiers, when a shoe flew through your front yard and hit him right in the side of his head. 

Now he was so irked, he completely forgot the ADeuce and instead, his eyes went searching for the boomed soul he was about to tear into pieces - half expecting Grim - when instead, his eyes locked with yours. 

It was rather tough to read your expression in the slowly fading afternoon light, while you were standing a few good metres above him. Well, sure as hell you weren’t pleased judging by the growing dump on his head and the other shoe you were swinging carelessly on your fingers. 

A shiver ran down his spine for a brief second before he shook it off. But you spoke before he could even open his mouth.

“What could possibly be so urgent that his majesty dragged his ass all this way and graced my humble place with his presence? You snarked ironically. 

“Oi! Watch your mouth after I went all the way here to apologise!”

“You don’t look apologetic.”

“Get down here then so I can show you how damn apologetic I am!”

“Why would I? You don’t even have flowers.”

“Say what now?!” Your glare was able to silence him from further complaints even from your window.

“Last time I checked, a man apologising should dress up, come with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a personally chosen gift for his beloved. But not only you have none of those things, but you also storm here like a goddamn burglar throwing my friends out of your way and expecting me to run into your arms just like that?”

“They are kinda right though-”

“Quiet, Ruggie.”

“Seems like you learned nothing at all. If you really care so much, try again tomorrow.”

And with those words, his audience with you came to an end.

***

The next few days he spent as busy as ever, running around the whole campus. Attempting to buy back your favour through many different ways. He really felt like quitting sometimes, but then, he saw them. The little mischievous smiles he could sometimes catch a glimpse of after completing some tasks. 

Those little smiles were rare treats even back when you were dating. Those smiles made his day and were the reason why you could get away with everything. Those smiles reminded him of one of the many reasons why he was so obsessed with you.

It was a pain, but worth it in the end. He could finally hold you back in his arms, his grip stronger than ever.

You breathed in his strong, pleasant scent and basked in the embrace his hands had over your body.

Some braver  students who got accidentally caught in your crossfire even gave him some advice. Dating someone is not the end of fighting for them. You always fight for them and with each day, you find yourself falling in love again and again – each time a little bit more. That’s the recipe for the never ending love.

That’s a hassle, for sure. But if it’s for you, he doesn’t mind fighting for even a thousand years, if it means he gets to see you smile for him.

Also

Don’t worry, Ruggie wouldn’t let himself be forgotten. It barely took any effort at all for him to get Leona to lend him his wallet for a day when he was in a good mood. And everyone had their happy ending(?)

Ⓐⓩⓤⓛ

~For a week or so, he laid low.

~You never got the time to feel lonely though. The first years accompanied you everywhere. As well as some of your befriended second and third years would also drop by to say hi.

~In the midst of all the friendly faces, you barely had any time to miss Azul at all. Sometimes you even wondered if the two of you spent too little time together to get attached to each other.

~But then came the nightfall and the tossing around in bed thinking about him. Craving his company. Craving his touch.

~You couldn’t decide which one was more unbearable. The sleepless nights or the nights when you fell asleep to sweet, almost fever-like dreams about him.

~All those things were the reason why you felt so conflicted when gifts started appearing in front of your dorm. The first time it happened, you were with Grim, Sebek and Silver, watching a movie when your doorbell rang. You made your way through the eerily quiet corridors and opened the door only to find no one. 

~You looked around for a bit, before you noticed the stuff laying on the ground. It was evening already, so you couldn’t quite make out the details, but your eyes recognised some book, a cushion, some plants, a body sponge and some food decorated in tasteful wrappings.

~While you were standing and wondering what in the world were you supposed to do with those things, your friends came down to check up on you and see what was taking you so long.

~No explanations were necessary when they saw the packages by your door. The sender left no doubts as well by a short note attached to one of the presents. Your friends, who were no strangers to your affair with Azul, quickly got into an argument with each other. One side offered to throw the stuff away (Sebek) while the other part fought to keep the gift for themselves instead (Grim).

~Their bickering was only stopped when Silver woke up from his three minute nap and asked if you wish to make up with Azul or end that chapter of your life.

~You did not know how to answer that question. All you wanted was to just talk things through with him.

~For the next few days, the gifts flooded you from all sides. A mug here, a blanket there, homemade chocolates on your desk… 

~It wasn’t long before Jade and Floyd started appearing to give you the gifts personally. Always smiling so invitingly. But of course, no Azul in sight.

~One day you just got so fed up, the moment you were approached on a day before class, you just handed the two eels a note and asked them to hand it over to their dorm leader. They masked their surprise fairy well and wasted no time before visiting Azul in his office.

~He opened the paper so fast he almost tore it.

“Come meet me yourself you coward.”

~The message was short and painfully clear.

The next day, as you were leaving the campus and on the way to your dorm, you met no one else but him. With his hair propped back, dressed in a fine suit, holding the bouquet and the chocolates as his sword and shield. 

The moment he saw you, he almost flinched as his face went bright pink. 

“Angelfish, I-!”

You opened the door to your dorm and welcomed him in. Greatly flustered, he accepted the invitation, almost reluctantly handing over his last weapons in the fight he was meant to lose from the very beginning. 

Your eyes have always been so beautiful, he would surely get lost in their clever gaze had the moment been better. 

“Well,” your voice pulled him out of the trance,” since you’re not saying anything, I’ll start.”

You took a deep breath, before yelling the next words in his face.

“I’m obsessed with you!”

“H-huh?” Azul almost jumped at your sudded words, getting even redder than before. But you didn’t let him answer.

“I love everything about you. I love the way your hair shines when you’re working in Monstro Lounge. I love the mischievous glint in your eyes whenever you get a new deal. I love your smug, salesman grin, but I love your happy smile way more. I’d sell my soul to the devil a million times if that means seeing it again. I love your voice and I feel my heart flutter each time I hear it. I swear I could listen to you speak for days without break and never have enough of it. I love the way you dress and the way you walk. I love how intelligent and hard working you are. I love every second we spend together, “ you grabbed his hands and continued,” I just love you so much, there’s no man in the world who I could possibly exchange you for!”

By the time you were finished, you were out of breath and just as red as the man in front of you. 

But out of all the reactions you could expect, you surely did not expect tears to start streaming down his cheeks. 

You eyed your lover wide eyed and slowly panicked, as the man still standing in front of you began to sob.

“Wait, no! Hold on, I didn’t mean to-!” Your body acted on autopilot when you pulled him into a strong embrace and sat both of you on your dorm couch.

You stroked his back gently and let him get it all out, silently freaking out. ‘He was crying. Was that good or not? Well he didn’t really push you away, so maybe I didn’t screw up as bad as I thought, but he’s not stopping to cry. What am I supposed to do? Keep holding him? Give him some space? Maybe a glass of water? Man, I really gotta go to the toilet.’

And so, you wondered what you should do next. 

And you would have been wondering for a long time to come, had it not been for your boyfriend, who spoke up, suddenly. 

“Does that mean we're dating again?” His shockingly strong hands were gripping hard your back, as he was slowly calming down.

“Of course we are.”

***

A few days later, you were invited by your boyfriend to the Monstro Lounge. For what, you weren’t sure, so you threw on something comfortable and made your way over to his dorm. 

Once you arrived, you were led by grinning eels to the vip room where Azul was already waiting. You gave him a peck on the cheek before your attention shifted towards the monitor taking up the whole wall.

“Are we watching something?” 

“Well, you could put it this way. Now please, make yourself comfortable. The snacks and beverages are ready and waiting. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything.”

You were taken to the plush armchair you shared a certain fondness towards, with your lover joining soon after.

You didn’t even have the time to ask about the title of the thing you were going to watch, because the title screen answered your question quicker. 

100 Ways Why I Love Y/N The Most In The World

You chuckled awkwardly and shifted in your seat.

This was going to be a long evening.

𝓥𝓲𝓵

~Vil was restless. 

~He couldn’t even remember that much from your argument. It was so… Unlike him to lose his temper like that. 

~He couldn’t help it, but replay the last few weeks in his head, in search of any answers. How did it come to this? What caused the argument? How could have it been avoided?

~Naturally, Rook came to his dorm leader’s aid. Of course, he couldn’t leave him in misery!

~After a bit of asking and prodding from Vil’s side, he pointed out a few subtle changes in your behaviour he noticed. The other man listened to his words carefully and it came to clear sight that your “sudden outburst” was not in fact a sudden outburst, but rather something pretty much logical and expected.

~And the ever so helpful hunter of love, of course pointed out every single little mistake his friend made on his path of love, as if they were the most obvious things in the world.

~It made Vil a bit… Icky, to realise that Rook was there to witness each mistake of his. And then let them go uncorrected! But then he was reminded that his friend was in no place to interfere much between you two and no matter how much he disliked it, he had to accept that arguments are also a part of relationships.

~The whole issue was giving him a headache, therefore he decided that he was done with the issue for the day and opted to go to sleep.

~What he didn’t predict though, was that the issue was not quite done with him.

~The whole skincare routine of his was going painfully slow that evening. His thoughts kept spiralling mercilessly- he almost applied bath foam instead of cucumber lotion on his eyes. Then, after the Seven knows how long, when he thought he was nearing the end, it turned out he was barely reaching the half.

~But would his pride let him ditch the skincare and go straight to bed like he probably should? Nope! 

~That being said, not going to school the following day was not an option as well. He’ll crawl there if he has to, but he will prove to you and the whole world (but mostly just himself) that he’s fine on his own. 

~I suppose we could even say that he succeeded? He’s an experienced actor, after all. Surely, a slightly disturbed night’s rest will not affect his performance?

~Even if it did, no one noticed. Except for Rook, but we don’t talk about Rook

~Still, he caught himself scanning the crowd of potatoes, in search of the particular one more than once. 

~And when he did spot you, it took him every last bit of self-restraint he had, not to rush to you approach you like he usually would.

~You two truly were a match made in hell. Both held your pride in regard too high, to miss the next day of school. So of course, you made sure not to overdress, but still, subtly show off what the other one lost.

~Nothing to see here. Just two idiots too proud to apologise to the other one going on about their days, secretly waiting for the other one to approach first. Rook couldn’t decide whether it was purely comical or hysterically heartbreaking. 

~The thing dragged on for days and days. Vil could pretend all he wanted, but your absence by his side bothered him all the same. His thoughts always found a way to come back to you. When he was putting on makeup in the mornings, he caught himself wondering which eyeshadow you would appreciate the most, which lipstick shade would look the best on your lips after you kiss…

~Even when he’s arranging his schedule, the first priority in his mind is to get as much free time to spend with you as possible. It was surprisingly tough to get rid of the lingering thoughts in his head. What kind of spell did you put on him? 

~The loneliness soon became unbearable. While the dorm leader of Pomefiore took comfort in his friend, the dorm leader of Ramshackle took comfort in theirs. 

~And so, the unexpected hero became no one else but… Epel! i say unexpected, but he really had no other choice with his leader going twice as hard on him just because he was close to you As your mutual friend, he could hear out both sides of the conflict and take the role of something like a mediator, but with lots of plotting. Naturally, Rook and the rest of the first years were dragged in as well.

~What was the plan? Well, the rough idea was making you and Vil lose a bet or something which would result in you two having to fill a single wish of theirs. And then…

“Let me check if I understood correctly. What am I supposed to do is just stay in my room until sunrise and not leave the bed, unless it’s necessary?” Your past lover raised his eyebrows when he received an enthusiastic confirmation from his vice. He was just finishing the last activities before going to bed. 

“And am I not allowed to ask why you would ask me for that?”

“Non! Please remember your promise to fulfil one wish of mine, it cannot be taken back now.” The man chirped, and the other scoffed.

“Obviously, I won’t take my word back. Who do you take me for?” Vil sat up on his bed. He was getting more and more suspicious. 

“Très bien! Good night to you, Roi de Poison.”

“Good night to you as well.”

And just as his vice left his room, someone else was pushed inside. 

Your ex boyfriend almost gasped when he saw you standing in front of him, looking like you had just been forced to swallow your own pride by tiny, aeroplane spoons. 

“Remember our deal!” You heard the shout of your so-called “friends”.

“I think I’m having second thoughts.” You turned around and headed towards the exit when you were stopped by Ace.

“Oi, Prefect! It's not fair to make a promise and then take back your word. AND, don’t you owe us? Think about everything we’ve done for you so far. Isn’t it only right for you to pay us back now?”

“That’s manipulation!”

“Maybe! But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re bound by your word now.”

“My word? What does my word matter to you? You have it on paper?”

Ace scowled, “We knew you’d say that. That’s why…” 

He moved to occupy  your ear and whispered a few words, only audible to the two of you. You gasped.

“You wouldn’t dare!” You said so, but you knew damn well he would. “Besides, what do you even get out of this?”

“Epel paid me.”

“What?”

“Nothing!”

“Deuce!”

“This is for your own good, prefect!”

And then, they were gone.

You stood there for a minute analysing your situation while Vil, who was silently observing the whole thing  and putting the puzzles together until now, sent you a neutral glance. 

“I’m taking the floor.” You decided in the end, and sprawled down on your back, with your arms under your head and closed your eyes.

“There’s no way you are spending the night on the floor-” He announced sterny, stopping himself from adding ‘potato’ at the end of the sentence.

“Yes, there is. Goodnight.” You closed your eyes.

You could almost hear him exhaling an exasperated sigh.

Meanwhile he tried to think of ways to approach you. He remembered your words about him imposing his will on you. Dragging you on the bed - no matter how much he wished he could- was a bad solution, no matter how he thought of it. Persuading you to get on the bed would also probably be really time consuming.

At the same time, he genuinely didn’t want you to lay on the floor. 

But the situation still appeared delicate, so he simply stood up and turned off the light.

“...You are always welcome in my bed,” he only added, before laying down. The memories of when you spent nights together cuddled in his bed came flooding his mind and lulling him to sleep. He could only regret that he didn’t have you there with him anymore. 

Some time passed and he was almost sleeping at this point when he heard your voice. So faint that he could almost mistake it for an illusion.

“You said that I only gain any worth when I stand by your side. Did you mean it?”

At that moment, Vil really wished to drink poison so he could perhaps choke on his words. He took a deep, quiet breath.

“I did not. Not that, nor anything else.”

A few more moments of silence passed between the two of you. This time he didn’t allow himself to give in to the sleepiness. 

“...I didn’t mean the insults I said either. I was mad. I wanted to be your equal for once.”

“I never intended to make you feel like that. I never thought of you as anything less than my equal.”

“Now that I think about it, I really shouldn’t have bottled it up for so long.”

“I was also at fault for not seeing the signs.”

“The signs, huh?”

A few more minutes of silence.

Then he could feel you climbing into his bed. 

He felt as if a boulder was taken off his shoulders.

You fell asleep on distant sides of the bed, but woke up clinging to each other. 

Ｉｄｉａ

~Good thing Ortho wasn’t there when you were arguing. You didn’t even know where exactly he was – you could only vaguely recall Idia mentioning that he’s running an errand for him. 

~Soon after you left, the younger brother in question bursted into their room, alarmed by the sudden, drastic abnormalities in his brother’s vital functions.

~But when he found him, there was no panic, no screams and no tears. He was just sitting in front of his monitor playing the game, his fingers mechanically pressing the buttons. He stared blankly at the screen, but he didn’t register a thing. Not even Ortho’s arrival.

~The day after, in the very morning, the same precious adopted child of yours, appeared out of nowhere and started asking questions. You really wanted to tell him. You wanted to clarify the issue and ask how was Idia… But you felt drained.

~”Sorry Ortho, I just, I just need some time, ok?” He accepted your answer and didn’t pry any further, but a pang of guilt flashed through your chest at the silent worry in his voice. 

~Two hours haven’t passed since then, when you were hit by a wave of nausea. You knew it was going to come to this, eventually. You knew too damn well that you have been pushing yourself too hard for the past week and kept telling yourself that you would take a break soon.

~But there was always something getting in the way. A test approaching, an errand to run, a new in-game event… Man, no wonder you were feeling so under the weather lately. 

~Welp, it was Friday anyway. You decided to take a while off and prolong your weekend. Take your mind off some stuff (Idia) and just enjoy a bit of relaxation.

~It was all fine and dandy until the afternoon when you realised that you had run out of stuff to do. You took a nap already and ate something as well. You tried to think, what would you usually do when you had a free minute?

~Your brain immediately put on a neon sign in front of your eyes and it said Visit Idia. Whenever you had the time to, you would make your way over to Ignihyde, where you were always welcome for whatever you wished to do. A few weeks after you started dating, you stopped even bothering to text him to ask if you could come over, because the answer was always yes.

~The following days were quiet. Eerily so. Not a peep from him, not a world from you. 

~While you were picking up new hobbies to pass the time somehow, Idia was shutting himself off. All he did was game, but avoided the ones you two played together like fire. He wanted to push it off on you. He wanted to believe you were the one to blame. But there was always that bitterly persistent voice in his head, saying that it was all his fault.

~He kept instinctively glancing at his messages, hoping to receive one from you before remembering that there will be no more messages. Maybe except the one which approach he dreaded – Let’s break up.

~He was somehow convinced to attend the lessons, but he barely paid them any mind. His attention would only return when he’s “walking” through the corridors, the camera scanning the place for you, but averting his eyes the moment he’d spot you.

~He kept opening your messages to text you about some new anime releases or promising manga. Even almost sending the text several times. Each time ending up breaking him more and more. 

~Eventually, after his longing for you became unbearable, he started going through your texts. He laughed at your inside jokes and recalled the memes you sent each other. It lifted up his mood temporarily before crushing him all the way down, but it was still some kind of relief.

~But then there were texts that didn’t sit right with him. The ones where you seemed so excited for a new chapter release he almost shared your enthusiasm, but then, he saw his replies, where he just brushed it off and changed the subject. He could find a fair amount of texts like that, and now that he recalled them, they even irked him. What must you have felt?

~He wanted to run to you and beg for forgiveness. But at the same time, he wanted the earth to swallow him whole so you would never have to watch his pitiful self again.

~A few more days passed and he could swear, had it not been for Ortho, he would have gone insane. It was truly a miracle that his little brother was there to cheer him up and keep him company in his misery. 

~Except he would bring you up a bit too often for his liking. Suggesting that he could talk to you or sharing ideas about how to approach you. And he really wanted to! But the whole thing was stressing him out without any mercy at all. And one day, he just bursted it out without thinking.

“I’m fine, Ortho. I don’t want to talk- don’t want to see them. Not now, not ever!”

“Really?” The door to his room opened, revealing no one else but you.

At that very moment, all the alarm bells went off in his head. A spark of understanding jumped between you and Ortho. You stepped further inside as he left to give the two of you some privacy jk, he was watching on camera

Meanwhile Idia crawled to the furthest corner of his room in a futile attempt to escape, before his back hit the wall.

When his gaze met yours, he almost shrieked.

“Ca-can you go away? Please go away!”

“I will,” you sat down on his floor, cross legged, “but first, I want us to talk things through.” You took a deep breath. “When I left that time, I didn’t really explain anything to you. I just kind of- took out my frustration on you, instead of communicating what was wrong.”

You thought Idia couldn’t get any more wide eyed, but there he was. He listened to you with an expression as if you were speaking an alien language.

“I-went through our t,texts!” He bursted out suddenly.

You sent him a questioning look.

His hands started fondling the edges of his hoodie, but he kept talking.

“I saw it-! When you were so excited and just, I just shrugged it off like it didn’t matter. No wonder you were so mad. I just can’t do this stuff right! I wish I could just reset and reload,” the tips of his hair turned orange.

“I wished you’d notice me.”

And so, you talked things through. It was a slow process, but you were getting there.

It soon became clear that Idia would do anything for you to get back together. You were genuinely surprised to see the desperation in his eyes when he told you how much he missed you. It made you want to envelop him in a tight hug and never let go.

And you did. God, you missed his comforting warmth so much. And he probably missed you too, if how hard his hands were gripping you had anything to say about it. You could already feel the bruises forming, but it didn’t matter. You were just happy to have him back. (Ortho with his camera teared up)

The rest of the evening, and then night, the three of you spent gaming, but you didn’t do much gaming yourself, because your lover insisted you hold him. And how could you possibly refuse? 

But then everything went into ashes with a single question.

“Say, did you get some sleep this week?”

He was betrayed by his own little brother’s accusatory voice.

“He didn’t!”

Suddenly, the relaxed atmosphere became heavy and unbearable and your hold on his body had grown uncomfortable.

Idia could only tremble in fear of what was going to come next.

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