Sad-sie - Untitled

FUCK DISCOVERY HERE'S THE 4 SEASONS OF INFINITY TRAIN

go live !

summary. kenma is your best friend— and also your crush for two years. so when all your shots at confessing fail, his twitch stream viewers might be able to help.

about. kenma kozume | wc. 3.5k

warnings. kissing but it's not descriptive

note. for @kodzukoi bcz first, she wanted to reading some kita and kenma content so here we go and secondly bcz she helped me with one scene ( the first meet one ) wrote anything above 2k after so long please be nice :(

‘Would you join me in today’s stream?’ — seen.

Your heart is palpitating at an unimaginable pace and you’re not sure if it’s because of the presentation due tomorrow or because kenma asked you to join his stream for the very first time. You like to think it’s the latter— because how can you be so in love with someone? Is it possi—

“You’re blushing,” Kuroo’s words cut your trail of thoughts, which also reminds you to drink your coffee before it gets cold. “Let me guess, it’s kenma?”

You roll your eyes at the smirk that crept up his face. It’s annoying, really, to live with his never ending remarks. But no matter how much you deny, kuroo isn’t wrong. It’s not just kenma, it’s the Kenma Kozume— a hotshot gaming streamer, who happens to be your best friend for over two years, and who’s also your crush and he’s so oblivious about it, he doesn’t know your heart is on the palm of his hands, and he could shatter it into pieces at any given moment.

And it’s not only about accompanying him in a stream. It’s about sitting next to him, in front of millions of people, talking to him, and putting up an actual, functional conversation when you’re barely able to control your thoughts when he’s in front of you. In your defense, everyone liked kenma. You’ve seen people shouting messy confessions at him whenever he’s out, or giving you gifts / letters to pass on to the boy when they knew you both were friends. You’ve also seen him helping kids and old people cross the road, and they appreciate it so much that they want to introduce their daughters to him. You’ve seen Kenma donating thousands and millions to pet rescue centers and other charities, you’ve seen him being nothing but nice to people he just met.

It was bound to happen— your crush on him, it wasn’t avoidable.

“So are you going to say something or just stare at the phone screen?” Kuroo interrupts again, which you’re grateful for. All the kenma thoughts in your head needed to be put to rest, even if it was for a minor second.

You look at the boy in front of you with worry ridden eyes. “What should I do? Decline it? I don’t even know about that Zoo Crossi—”

“Animal Crossing.” He corrects.

“— whatever.” You retort. “Just tell me what I should do!”

Kuroo thinks you’re crazy. If it were him, he would accept his best friend’s offer without a second thought. Honestly, any other person in love would’ve done the same— except you. He thinks your brain works differently, is convinced that love has infected your brain so much, you’re unable to figure out what you should do and what you shouldn’t. On one hand, you talk about spending time with Kenma and on the other hand, you freak out about the same, thinking you’ll make a fool of yourself in front of him.

“Join him in the stream? Talk to him? I don’t know, maybe play along? It’s just a stream, y/n. It’s not that hard!”

“No, you don’t get it, Tetsu!” You shout in frustration. This whole situation makes you want to rip your hair out. And what’s even more frustrating is that the man in front of you, Kuroo Tetsuro, is doing anything but helping you out. “You’ve never had a crush, have you?”

“Now, now, y/n” He stops you cautiously. “I’ve also been in a relationship, if you’re forgetting.”

Oh, whatever. You roll your eyes again. Honestly, you don’t know what’s wrong. He’s right— it’s not that hard, but again, it is that hard. It’s confusing, you’re lost. You want to spend time with Kenma, but you’re afraid you’ll do something embarrassing and you’ll have to flee the country, change your identity, and whatnot. It doesn’t make sense, how indecisive can a person be? And the stream? Kenma never asked you to join his streams. He knows you fall down to figure zero when it comes to games.

Then why?

Does he want to make fun of you? Wait— what if he finds you annoying and he wants you out of his life? What if he has a secret love who’s insecure of your presence so he’s trying to push you away? What if—

“Stop thinking about all that crap!” He aims a pencil at you, making you flinch and curse under your breath as it hits your forehead. Right. He knows— after all he has known you since the college freshman year. “Are you sure you don’t hate him? How can you think such things about the person you like?!”

You lean back, sighing and frowning, proceeding to annotate the corners of your notebook with stars and moons and messy scribbles of question marks and circles, hoping that doodling on your notebook will give you a way out of this.

“I don’t think you can do this.” you look at him with your peripheral gaze as he continues. “Just give up.”

“Oh, shut up.” It’s not the first time Kuroo’s telling you to surrender, and it’s a joke every time it brings it up. You know you can’t give up, and he knows you won’t. And then a seemingly profitable plan hits your brain. “Okay, I’ll go, and then do whatever he wants me to do in the stream, and after it ends, I'll ask him on a date. How ‘bout that?”

You don’t know why Kuroo looks at you with concerned eyes.

“Y/n,” his hands rest on yours. “You think, like, twenty times before texting him. What makes you think you can ask him on a date?”

You jerk his hand away. “And there I thought you were giving me moral support!” But no matter how much you deny it, you know Kuroo’s right. It’s funny and embarrassing to think you’re so in love with your best friend, you can’t keep up a conversation without having your feet turn cold. It has to be stamped as one of the cringiest things, you think, sounds like those leads in a Shoujo Manga. “And what if I ask him out without messing up, huh?”

Kuroo smirks confidently, knowing you’re just making empty assumptions. “Lunch on me this whole month, but only if you ask him out. I’ll ask Kenma so don’t you dare lie about it.”

And so you’re here, four hours later, in Kenma’s room, waiting while he prepares coffee for the two of you. Your gaze runs all over his room. The two rows full of video games on his shelf catch your eyes. It’s surprising how there’s always a new bunch whenever you visit. Below it are a few books about accounting and business stacking beside mechanical engineering— wait, why does he study engineering? You don’t put much thought into it and follow your gaze to his desk adorned by a photo frame with his family, and a picture of him and Kuroo ( seemingly back from their middle school days ) with a cat they rescued from the local river. You’ve heard the rooster head brag about it so much that you can make it to the short stories section of a children’s magazine with it.

Then your eyes settle upon a certain polaroid peeking out of a stray notebook resting beside his monitor. It looks familiar, you think, and then you pull it out, only to place it on the table hastily as he enters the room. “Having fun?”

“I guess,” a smile climbs up his face voluntarily as he watches your lips curl into one too. “Didn’t know you still had this.”

“Of course. What kind of friend do you take me for?”

From that moment on, time seemed to flow like running water. You learn that he invited you an hour prior to the stream to spend time with you, and it does nothing but accelerate your heart infinitely. While he tells you about the stream— which was after numerous requests from you because he said it’s a secret and a surprise— you were busy admiring the way his eyes shone when talking about things he likes. ( and yet, everytime, you fail to realize that his eyes shine even brighter when talking about you )

Another thing you learn is that the whole point of today’s stream is to introduce you to his fans because they’ve been asking him to do so ever since you accidently walked past his monitor, not realizing the camera was on, which was exactly six months ago. You knew it was a mistake, but now it feels like a sin. What if they don’t like you? What if they start attacking you like what happened to the friend of another streamer a few weeks ago? What if—

You hate to have all those what ifs plaguing your mind. But then, you remember Kuroo saying that Kenma will defend you no matter what, so you decide to hang onto that single string for the rest of the day. “What are we going to do, though? I’m sure the introduction isn’t the only thing on today’s list, is it?” you ask.

“Actually— it is.” He pauses, taking a sip from his coffee before proceeding further. “I’m too tired to play so let’s just do whatever and have fun.” He could hear Kuroo calling him a liar for that one.

The next ten minutes pass away in preparations and by the time you take a seat next to him in front of his computer, assuring yourself that you’ll be fine, you realize that stream has already started and you can see the comments flooding in, yet daring not to read them. Kenma nudges you from the side, reckoning you to say something, a silly smile dancing on his face.

“Oh, right— I’m y/n,” You begin, fiddling your fingers out of nervousness. “And, I’m Kenma’s friend—” you’re about to speak further but words get stuck in your throat as you feel his hands intertwine with yours from under the table, a gesture to let you know that you’re doing great and there’s no need to be nervous.

And then he doesn’t let it go for the rest of the stream, until you roll back your chair to grab your cell phone from his bed, which was only a minute later ( but the whole thing felt so timeless to you ) A wide yet nervous smile makes its way to your face as soon as you face away from the camera. You wonder if anyone noticed that little gesture you and Kenma shared, and if someone did then what are their thoughts. Even though it was short lived, his warmth lingers on your skin like winter morning dew, pleasing and satisfying.

You roll back to the screen, a certain comment catches your attention.

‘You both look adorable together !!’

Kenma fails to notice it, or so you think, but those five words are enough to get the butterflies in your stomach excited. Actually, butterflies aren’t even half equivalent to what you’re feeling. A zoo would be a better term, and just one comment made all those animals go crazy in love.

And then, another comment holds your gaze.

‘Y/n do you know kenma talks about you a lot in his streams ?!?!?!’

Your heart feels as if it’s on fire. Turning your head towards him, you wonder if he noticed that comment, which he certainly did considering his fluttering gaze and red cheeks, wait— is he blushing ?!

“Uh, I mean y/n’s a close friend so it only makes sense for me to talk about her.” He clarifies nonchalantly, but from what you notice, he’s nervous. And he’s tapping his foot on the floor as if he’s writing college entrances again. It’s cute, and it makes you giggle like a toddler. Much to your surprise, Kenma's hand slides into yours again, and he’s pretending to not know, as if it’s unintentional, and as if his hand belongs to yours’. Even though you feel starstruck, and your heart feels like it’s going to stop any time soon, you relax into his little embrace, a shy smile flaunting on your face.

Kuroo was right, it’s not that hard.

The comments keep flooding in, this time faster than before. Half of them are asking if you both are dating ( and when you shake your head in denial, some of them say it’s a shame that you both aren’t a couple already ) Kenma doesn’t respond, and you wonder why. Instead, he sulks about how they’re supposed to be his friends, and not expose him in front of you, or how they all switched sides as soon as they saw you, which is why it took him six months to ask you if you wanted to join his stream. ( He can hear Kuroo calling him a liar, again )

You’re having a fun time watching the friendly banter between him and his fans, that is unless someone asks how you and Kenma met. And you realize it’s your time to carry the show. You take a look at Kenma who’s burying his face in his hand because your first meeting was utterly embarrassing, and you couldn’t wait to share it with around a million people.

“Y/n, no—”

“Y/n, yes!” You cut him off, mid sentence. That’s probably the first time you’ve been so excited this whole day, and as much as Kenma loves seeing that smile dangling on your face, he doesn’t want you to disclose that. “Kenma, do you know how long I’ve waited to tell your viewers about your stupid ass ?!”

He gasps dramatically, mumbling something along the lines of ‘how can you betray me’ as he pretends to get off his chair and leave the scene, only for you to pull his hand ( which was still laced in yours ) towards you and make him sit again. And the comments are going off with the ‘omg they were holding hands all this time???!!!’ and equivalent phrases but none of you seem to notice, for he was too busy getting away from the monitor while you grab his arm with both your hands, pinning him down to the chair before the air fills with your laughter.

“Y/n, really?” He deadpans, pulling his hands out of your grip. “After all the notes I've copied for you when you missed classes?”

You laugh at his silly actions, especially at the pout on his face that makes him look ten times prettier than he already is. You wonder if he knows the magic he casts on you, the way it makes you feel like a love struck cat. You almost forget the topic under discussion, your first meeting with him, but that’s until you see a comment loaded with pleases and words asking you to tell, no matter what.

“Alright, alright,” you lean back as if pleading for truce. And good for you because Kenma believes it a little too easily. “I won’t tell anyone that you almost spat water on me when we met for the first time.”

“Y/n what?!”

His expression is priceless. It’s the best day of your life— well everyday with Kenma is best but this one, specifically, is the best one of all. You inch towards the screen, reading the comments while Kenma covers his face with his hands, trying to hide his flushed face. ( You’re pretty sure he’s reading the comments either way )

But then Kenma looks at you with eyes glistening with mischief. And you realize what’s going to follow. “In my defense, they wore a chicken outfit for handing out some flyers!”

“Kenm—”

He leans away from you, one hand holding up the keyboard to prevent you from terminating the stream while the other rests on your forehead, stopping you from getting any closer. “That’s what you get for—” A pause. The whole room goes quiet as you both realize the proximity in between. You retract yourself away from him, an awkward atmosphere enveloping you both as your eyes settle on the computer screen.

‘Oh my god, just date already!’

‘You both are so cute aaaa!’

‘Kenma fight anemo hypostasis with Xiao and ask out y/n if you lose challenge.’

You can feel your heart pounding so furiously, you’re afraid he’ll hear it. Honestly, you wonder how he hasn’t taken a hint about your huge crush on him, considering everyone in your friend circle— and even some of Kuroo’s friends too— know about your excruciatingly painful and draughtful love life. ( And for some reason, even Lev texts you once in every few days to ask whether you confessed to Kenma or not )

When no one addresses the elephant in the room for another few seconds, you decide to take the initiative. “Uhm, how about I order a take out?”

Then Kenma’s words follow along. “Actually, I have all the baking stuff from the last time.” You sigh. What did you even expect, for the Kenma Kozume to bake for himself, when his favorite task is to annoy you while you’re busy baking him delicacies? Not possible. He would’ve said further, but his eyes follow yours to the computer screen.

‘WAIT YOU BOTH ARE GOING TO COOK TOGETHER?!!?!! CUTE!!’

“I think we should order a takeout.” He suggests shyly, a smile climbing up your face at his actions, one that morphs into a chuckle as you mutter, ‘you’re so cute’ as if your face isn’t looking like a tomato itself.

You grab your phone and browse through the menu until you receive a call, the ID revealing your friend's name. You excuse yourself out of the room while Kenma buries his face in his hands again, his face turning redder than before. Your faint voice reaches his ears from behind the closed door of his room; he’s left wondering if your voice always felt like a melody when listened to from a distance.

There’s a soft smile on his lips. He doesn’t realize how it got there, or since when it has been residing. All he knows is that his heart is beating swiftly and maybe this time, he wouldn’t deny it. His ears perk up as the sound of you opening the door pulls him out of his dreamlands, eyes wide open at the sight of his computer because he almost forgot about the stream.

“I’m back!” You chime in, sitting next to him as you wave at the viewers. You look better than almost any horse before, when you were literally sweating out of nervousness, and honestly, Kenma loves to see you getting comfortable with things he likes. “Wait, do you guys know that Kenma cries during disney movies.?”

And even if Kenma likes you seeing you getting comfortable around him, he doesn’t mean he appreciates you exposing his habits and secrets to a million people. “You say it as if you don’t hind behind me while watc— wait,” His eyes zoom in at a comment as he proceeds to read it. “Kenma can I take y/n— no?! They’re mine, go look for someone else?!”

And here comes the heart palpitations.

The amount of times your heart has raced today should be enough to give you multiple heart attacks. Your eyes settle on Kenma, who looks a little too passive aggressive for someone who’s responding to a comment that’s a joke, and then his hands slide into yours again. This time, with a firm grip. While it may feel good, you hope it’s real, and that he’s not doing it for clout ( even though you know he, out of all people, doesn’t need any clout ) You hope that all the butterflies he gave you today mean something, because you’re sure you can’t handle these empty fluttering touches anymore.

The stream is long forgotten, and so are the viewers.

His gaze settles upon you, and you feel your heart doing somersaults as you feel his eyes travel down to your lips. And in the next second, before you know it, his lips are on yours, while the world seems to pause.

You don’t give it much thought— you couldn’t. Your brain feels misty and all you remember is that you’re kissing Kenma, the boy you’ve been in love with for so long. Instead, you tilt your head, kissing him back as he deepens the kiss. It feels like a cold breeze by the beach, you think, or maybe a warm blanket in winters. While you know the moment has to end, you don’t want his lips to leave yours.

Call it a jinx, but your eyes shoot open as you travel back to reality, remembering about the stream as you push him away before turning towards the computer with your flustered face. “I think we should end the stream here,” and you exit off Twitch just as quickly as Kenma logged in earlier today.

Then your eyes meet his, and words begin to fall out of his mouth. “Y/n, I’m sor—”

“I hope you meant it, Kenma.” That’s all you say. Actually, that’s all you could say, because it’s the only thing you wish for. He doesn’t reply, and you think it’s time to leave.

But then he ghosts up your hand, proceeding to cup your cheeks before inching dangerously closer to your face. “Trust me, I’ve been meaning to do it for over a year now.” And he connects your lips with his again.

note two. if you read it i love you. also there was supposed to be more to this but like, i didn't know how to incorporate it so that's the end. might most a bonus drabble somewhere in future though <3

taglist in the reblogs !

CLUB STUPID [SMAU]

SYNOPSIS - Club Stupid, an anonymous podcast meant for the dumb and dumbest to send in unspoken and nonsensical thoughts about issues they face in their day to day lives and for Y/n to speak out and give her opinions and feelings. Normal feelings though, nothing romantic like how she thinks this lazy guy with questionable hair in the volleyball club is actually pretty cute.

PAIRING - SUNA x FEM!READER ft (inarizaki & shiratorizawa + other teams)

GENRE - crack + fluff and maybe some angst thrown in between

STATUS - completed!

A/N- I’m trying to forget about school leave me alone and enjoy some Suna 🙈

started [09.20.20]

ended [10.10.20]

[PLAYING: Club Stupid]

1 - country thots

2 - mysterious and alluring

3- fish have more sparkles in their eyes

4 - Goshiki, play “Califronia Girls”

5 - hoes think alike

6 - coming to you live

7 - true love in the making

8 - said too much

9 - ya-hoo

10 - gelato?

11 - is this what børns meant

12 - strawberry milk

13 - hair ties

14 - no one is safe

15 - a friend who happens to be a guy

16 - simp since first year

17 - feelings are stupid

18 - happy tendou day!

19 - the YN disease

20 - get her a body pillow

21 - tickle in my chest

22 - you are guac baby girl

23 - you called me rin

24 - yeah probably

25 - premarital hand holding

26 - keep her happy

27 - the L word

28 - epilogue

[THANK YOU FOR READING]

EXTRA - hair tie dilemma

EXTRA - there’s a pretty girl in our kitchen

you’re the sunflower, i think your love would be too much. // m.c.

a collection of spiderman!chifuyu hcs + drabble of you finding out about spiderman’s real identity

pairing. spiderman!chifuyu matsuno x reader

wc. 3.7k (hcs - 1.8k, drabble - 1.9k)

tags/cw. spiderman au, fluff, very very minor angst, mentions of injuries, implied violence, mentions of doubt and insecurities, mix of past + present tense for story telling purposes (hcs), a little ooc, not beta-ed (?) + please let me know if i missed anything !

a/n. second time writing bullet hcs !! it was definitely an experience and im definitely up for creating more short-format content im the future. this story was inspired mainly by @/_slvx0 spiderman!chifuyu fanart and my recent tasm obsession. PSA.chifuyu’s character was adapted to fit my vision of spiderman instead of fitting spiderman to who he is. this means his character might be ooc. bear mind that this is my first time writing for chifuyu and so im not a 100% with his characterization — i apologise for any ooc-ness in that regard.

m.list ˖ tags ˖ byi/dni

Keep reading

Pride & Prejudice: A TWSTed AU

The Rose Red Tyrant: R. Rosehearts

Introduction, or pick another route!

Riddle x GN Reader(they/them)

Warnings: Pride and Prejudice-level angst, Riddle-typical anger, Riddle insults you Darcy-style (he doesn’t mean it I promise <3)

———

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU THOUGHT THE VARNISH WAS PAINT?!”

Today was supposed to be an enjoyable unbirthday party. A party thrown for you, according to your tastes.

Riddle had triple and quadruple checked what your favorite desserts and pastries were, and relayed them to Trey. Cater was handling the table settings, and (despite his prior doubts) Ace and Deuce were taking care of the flamingos and hedgehogs for the croquet match. Everything was going to be perfect in accordance with the Queen’s and his standards. It was supposed to be splendid. Supposed to be.

And the roses were to be painted in (favorite color) and red. The richest, most vibrant (color) and the deepest ruby red, selfishly representing Riddle and You. This was supposed to be the unbirthday party that would charm you. But now?

Everything was perfect except the rose bushes, which were now in varying shades of pink and (color) after they’d dried from the varnish that the first years used. Wood varnish! That dried transparent! Not paint!

“We’re sorry Housewarden Rosehearts!” The first years yelled, hands clasped as they pleaded, “It was an accident!”

“THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!” At Riddle’s words, a sudden chill ran through everyone. Sure, there’d been a few times when the dorm leader snapped at everyone, and reminded them that even though he’d been changed for the better (and less angry), he was still himself. And sometimes, the angry Riddle pre-overblot made itself known.

But this time, it was as if the overblot never happened and he was still tyrannical as before.

“This,” he seethed, face deepening to scarlet and eyebrows pulling into a ‘v’ shape. “Is a disgrace. I instructed you to paint the roses red and (color). And what did you do?” His arm snapped up to point at the rose bushes, “YOU USED VARNISH! THEY’RE THE WRONG COLOR! THEY ARE RUINED!”

The first years shrank back. With all the yelling, it was impossible to not attract the attention of everyone around them, and Trey was all but running towards the scene when he finally overheard Riddle through the Heartslabyul kitchen walls.

Even you heard it, as you and Grim ambled on the path to Heartslabyul. “Hehe, I’ve been hungry since last week waitin’ for this party!” Grim cackled, “what do ya think Trey’s cooking? Strawberry tarts, chocolate cupcakes, crème brûlée?!” His voice went up in excitement, eyes lighting up. You laughed, “I guess we’ll see when we get there, Grim!” The two of you stopped when you heard yelling from within the rose maze. “Oh boy, is Riddle yellin’ again? I don’t wanna get collared,” Grim sulked, and you scooped him up to quiet him. “Hush, I want to see what’s happening,” you whispered and peeked around the corner.

“This unbirthday party is RUINED BECAUSE OF YOUR INSOLENCE! YOU’RE LUCKY THE PREFECT DIDN’T SEE THIS!” Riddle yelled, and you watched as Trey grabbed his arm from behind, “Riddle, it’s fine! The roses are fi-“ Riddle’s face was the darkest red you’d ever seen, and somehow his hair was standing up with rage? Riddle brandished his other arm, “OFF WITH YOUR-“

Grim squirmed in your arms and you lost your balance. You both tumbled into the open grass, right in front of Riddle, Trey, and the poor first years that looked like they were about to jump out of their skins. Riddle’s spell stopped, and his eyes widened when he met yours. “Prefect,” he said, uncharacteristically charming, given that he was about to behead about five students. “You’re here.”

He took a step towards you to help you up, but you picked Grim up and hugged him to your chest, scrambling upright. Something like hurt flashed in Riddle’s eyes. You looked around wildly, the tension becoming thick and unbearable. What the hell just happened?

You noted that the rose trees were…strangely more colorful than usual. Instead of the usual red and white, they were in varying shades of red, ranging from a light blush to a deep pink. They were also in (color), in all shades. They really did look pretty, but they don’t match the Queen’s rules, sadly. You could piece together why Riddle was mad now.

You cleared your throat uncomfortably, realizing everyone was staring at you now. “The- the roses look very pretty,” you wavered, forcing a smile on your face. Riddle’s face wasn’t as red now, and he seemed calmer at your words. “Yes, they’re lovely, aren’t they?” He replied, and the first years replied in unison “yes, sir!” Riddle shot them a look, and they fell silent. Then he turned back to you with a charming smile, smoothing his hair and holding out his other hand to you. “Now, shall we begin the party?”

———

As you headed back to Ramshackle, you thought about what happened earlier. Grim was as happy as a clam, holding the leftover (favorite dessert) that Trey allowed him to take back, but you were unsettled. It was safe to say that it was the weirdest unbirthday party you’d attended yet.

After you caught Riddle mid-collaring, everyone settled into a tense tea party. You were seated to the left of Riddle this time (unusual, since you’d normally sit with Ace and Deuce). The dorm leader himself even served you a slice of cherry tart, ears red. It was like his entire body was tense, and every once in a while, Trey had to mutter something reassuringly to him so he’d relax a bit.

But it kept happening every so often, from when Ace spilled brown tea over the pristine white tablecloth, to when Deuce put his whining hedgehog on the table to calm it down, to finally croquet time when the flamingos refused to stay still to hit the hedgehogs through the hoops.

Needless to say, if the tension wasn’t there, you would’ve thought it a normal, hectic, chaotic unbirthday party. As you and Grim headed into Ramshackle to wind down, you couldn’t shake off the way that everyone stared at you during the party. Odd to say the least, but hey, you got some of Trey’s pastries out of it. Win-win!

Back at Heartslabyul, Riddle crossed his arms at Trey and Cater, frowning. At least he isn’t yelling, Trey thought, adjusting his glasses. That’s good.

“I simply wanted the Prefect to have an enjoyable unbirthday party. There’s nothing wrong with me throwing a party in their honor and to their tastes,” Riddle said dismissively. “Well,” Trey began carefully, “it’s not every unbirthday party that you ensure their favorite desserts are there…”

Riddle tapped his foot impatiently. “Yes?”

“And seat them next to you.”

“And?”

Cater cut in, “the seat next to you goes to your second-in-command or the King of Hearts!” Trey stared at Cater without emotion. “What? Cay-cay reads the Queen’s rules when he feels like it!” To himself, he muttered “and it wasn’t like Riddle was gonna admit it, anyway…”

Riddle pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your point is?” Trey sighed. “You knew this, didn’t you? You wanted this unbirthday party to be different, right?”

Riddle grew quiet. So Trey did know. His vice dorm leader chuckled softly, fixing his glasses. “Well, since today didn’t go as… intended,” he said tactfully, Cater giving him a wide eyed look. “Perhaps you could… invite the Prefect out on a different outing?” “A date!” Cater said cheerfully as Riddle went pink in the face. Riddle thought aloud, “hmmm…”

———

“A… picnic?” You asked, frowning at Riddle, who fiddled with a basket bashfully. “This is a little sudden…”

You were back at Ramshackle alone. Earlier today, Grim was whisked off by Ace and Deuce, who wouldn’t give you a clear reason why they were taking Grim with them, and not you. “It’s ‘cause… Trey needs Grim to taste test his desserts!” Deuce said, picking Grim off the ground before he could protest. The cat monster wasn’t even bothered by this, “really?! Yes! Trey’s the best!”

When you tried to follow, Ace stopped you. “He just wanted Grim! Sorry, Prefect.” Ace suddenly grinned devilishly, “you won’t be lonely for too long, though!” The three of them slammed the door before you could react, and you slumped onto the dusty couch. Hey, at least if you were going to be alone, you could read that weird Prejudice and Pride book, which was surprisingly getting pretty good.

When you’d heard a knock on the front door about an hour later, you’d assumed that Grim was back, here to gloat and grin over his delicious pastry-tasting. You weren’t expecting an uncharacteristically shy Riddle holding a picnic basket, dressed casually in a red blazer and black button down, hair tucked behind one ear reminiscent of his groom-outfit from that time Eliza wanted to marry Idia. He looked so nice, and here you were, still decked out in your pajamas from last night.

Riddle cleared his throat awkwardly. “Yes. I found a clearing nearby, I thought we could both… hang out?” he tried to smile casually, the words feeling strange. Your brow furrowed, but you decided not to question it. He’s acting odd. Still, it’d be nice to get out of the dorm. “…Alright, just let me change.”

After changing into a nice, picnic-appropriate outfit that would make Crewel proud of your glow up, you walked with Riddle. To your surprise, a picnic blanket was already laid out, held down by a tri-candelabra. So Riddle planned this?

“What’s this for?” You asked suddenly as you both sat down. Riddle became tense, haltingly responding “is it strange to want to… do this?” He handed you a small plate, and passed a mini dessert onto it. “It’s nice, but…” You glanced at your dessert, “I thought Trey needed these?” Riddle looked confused. “What?”

“Ace and Deuce took Grim to taste-test stuff for Trey. Shouldn’t you be there? Since you’re the Housewarden and all.” Riddle fumbled his slice of tart. “…Trey can handle it without me. Now, is your dessert to your liking?”

The two of you chatted lightly, although it was still weird to you that Riddle wanted to have this picnic with just you. He seemed to constantly be on the verge of saying something, but holding it back, and instead asking you small things like how was your day? how has alchemy been? Once or twice, he repeated the same question, until finally you’d had enough of this little eggshell dance.

“Riddle, what is this all about?” By now you were on your seventh dessert. Riddle started at your suddenness, fork clattering onto the saucer, eyes wide. He hurriedly put it down and grabbed your hands urgently in his, eyes not quite meeting yours. He took a deep breath.

“You were a nuisance when we first met,” he began, clasping your hands. “And to be honest, you weren’t really anything impressive. You weren’t even sorted into a dorm, and you don’t have any magical talent at all, but I’m willing to overlook that now. And…” he looked you in the eye, grasping your hand delicately, rubbing his thumb over yours.

“You, Ace, and Deuce caused me quite the headache, but in the end, I grew to appreciate your opinion. You don’t have the same experience as anyone else here, and I… I grew to admire that about you,” he said matter-of-factly, becoming confident. “And I know your circumstances aren’t the best, given that you have no connections here, and-“

You blanked, tuning him out in shock. So this is what the picnic was all about. Was this Heartslabyul’s way of trying to get their Housewarden to warm up to you? To become used to your presence? Did Trey or your friends put Riddle up to this? You started laughing dryly, cutting Riddle off.

“…if I’m such a nuisance, then you probably didn’t even want to go on this stupid picnic.” You kicked the blanket edge with your foot, anger coursing in your heart. “And I guess I’m only ever going to be a trouble-causing magicless prefect. Who am I compared to the great Housewarden Rosehearts anyway?!” You scoffed, tears stinging your eyes.

His eyes widened, and he stood, face burning red with embarrassment. Unfortunately, you thought he was now angry at you. “With your temper and your arrogance, there’s no way we could work.”

“I-!” Riddle clenched his hands, steeling himself. He screwed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth in frustration. Then, he yelled “I’m asking your permission to court you!”

The silence was deafening. You stared at him, incredulous. Was this a joke? Did he just pity you or something? He just insulted you, and now he wants to ‘court’ you? “Is this your idea of a joke, Riddle?!”

You took a deep breath, eyes watery. “You are the last person I would date in this school, and I’m convinced that I’m the last person you could ever want.”

With that, you turned on your heel and marched yourself back to Ramshackle, bracing yourself for a loud off with your head!, but you were surprised that it never came.

If you’d looked back, you would’ve seen Riddle with a completely crushed expression.

Unknown to both of you, in a tree not too far behind, a pair of purple ears, golden eyes, and a tail curled, watching the scene unfold.

———

Heartslabyul was quiet. Too quiet.

The entire dorm felt tense each time Housewarden Rosehearts walked into the room, almost always accompanied by his Vice Housewarden who seemed to watch him like a hawk. Only him, Cater, Ace, and Deuce knew what had happened.

That day, after you stormed away from the picnic, he watched you leave, too shocked by what just happened. There weren’t many people who could shock him, both before and after his overblot. It seems you can still surprise him after all, he thought bitterly as he carried himself back to the dorm, in a foul mood. His eyes were watery, but he didn’t dare start crying. This was pointless, to cry would be pointless. He could hear his mother’s words already - “love is useless and beneath you. It will only weigh you down and distract you from your studies. No one is your equal match. No one is like you.” Still, he didn’t want anyone else, not when you were here.

Too wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn’t see the floating head bobbing next to him. “Nya~ what’s this?” Chen’ya leaned languidly next to Riddle, smiling. “What has our red queenie in such a bind?~” “Go away, Chen’ya,” Riddle grumbled, rubbing his eyes roughly with his sleeve. He could see the kitchen lights on through the window. He wasn’t ready to see Heartslabyul yet.

“Hmm?~” Chen’ya’s body materialized and he angled his head at Riddle. “You seem tense~ not the purrrrfect prosy rose you normally are~” He stared at Riddle. “I heard some mews from Trey that you had your own little rosie~ That little confession earlier didn’t go as planned, hm?”

Riddle flushed with embarrassment, frowning. “Keep your voice down!-“ “With all that yelling they’ll hear you, not meow~” Chen’ya regarded Riddle with a small mischievous look, “You kneow, your rosie may think you don’t like them with all those insults you said. Trey seemed worried about that~”

Riddle pouted, this is so unbecoming of a Housewarden. “The prefect didn’t believe me! Why would they not believe me! I wasn’t insulting them.” “Nya~ then make them believe you!” Chen’ya grinned at Riddle, giggling as he disappeared into thin air. Chen’ya’s still confusing as ever. But still, perhaps he has a point. By then, Trey had come outside to look for the rogue RSA student, starting when he saw Riddle. “How did it go?,” he asked, immediately regretting it when he saw Riddle considerably Prefect-less with a frown on his face.

Trey was surprised when Riddle seemed thoughtful, rather than upset. Perhaps the Prefect was right. Maybe Chen’ya was right, Riddle thought to himself. The Housewarden looked up at Trey, grey eyes steeling in determination. “Trey, I need to take care of a few things.”

———

A few weeks passed and both you and Riddle generally stayed out of each other’s orbit, except for Ace and Deuce, who tried to be a decent common ground. Still, the unbirthday parties seemed a bit less lively, but in any case Housewarden Rosehearts was back to the nicer ‘normal.’ No outbursts, no yelling, no anger - just a nice, pleasant party without the Prefect.

Your friends were pretty much as shocked as you were when you told them what happened. Your Heartslabyul friends reacted as well as you would’ve expected. “The Housewarden’s gonna kill us,” Ace lamented while Deuce just looked shell-shocked. “Planning that took forever, and Riddle kept asking us over and over what you liked, and you just said he never had a chance?! You basically killed him!”

You were exasperated by now. “Look, Riddle doesn’t respect me, he made that very clear! He literally said that I was a headache and talentless!” Still, they didn’t miss what you said after that when you went back to your food, “but I didn’t say he never had a chance.”

Ace and Deuce tried to invite you over to the unbirthday parties, but you resisted the sweet temptation of Trey’s pastries, Carter’s fun Magicam posts, and even Grim’s whines to go. It wasn’t like you were stopping Grim from going, but he just didn’t want to go without you. In any case, you found your days considerably off with your head! free, and no one around school seemed to bear a collar. You didn’t even notice it until Ace brought it up.

“Y’know Prefect, Riddle’s been a lot more relaxed lately,” he said slyly. You stopped eating your pasta, and gave him a suspicious look. “Ace, seriously? You agreed you wouldn’t bring it up,” Deuce frowned, glancing at you. You stopped and thought about it. You hadn’t seen too many collars around school lately. “Still, that doesn’t mean his temper’s gone,” you dismissed him.

Later that day, after club duties, you frowned, checking your phone texts. Seriously? No one’s seen Grim anywhere? It was getting late and you’d even asked the ghosts to help you search for him. Finally, you sighed and trudged over to the library, remembering that Grim had been struggling with yet another alchemy assignment. Maybe he’s found someone to tutor him or whatever.

You walked around the library, and then stopped in your tracks. What was Riddle doing there?

He was sitting down next to Grim, and quietly explaining the problems. Grim was frowning, clearly confused, and yet Riddle didn’t get frustrated at all, to your surprise. He’d just reexplain it, pointing at handmade drawings that you recognized were made by him, and ask Grim a few questions. Grim seemed to understand it better, and even looked relieved.

Color you surprised. This was…different than the Riddle you were used to. You supposed that even though Cater told you how Riddle helped him with learning spells, and Ace told you how Riddle was more patient, it was hard to believe. And yet now, it was right in front of you.

You moved to get closer to them, but your hand knocked over a stray book on the end of the shelf. You cringed and tried to grab it, but it loudly thudded against the floor. The two of them turned around, and you gave them a wide-eyed look. “Grim, I… I was looking for you.” The silence was so loud. Riddle stared at you while Grim grinned at you, looking proud. “Nya, henchhuman! Guess who’s going to get the highest grade in alchemy!” He cheered, while Riddle gently hushed him. Gently. You stared at him, unblinking. What?

Riddle met your eyes. “Prefect,” he greeted formally, hands together. “I found Grim in the library, and thought I’d help him. He seems to understand the material better.” Grim didn’t dispute that, so it must’ve been true. “…thank you, Riddle. It means a lot,” you said, and it did. You didn’t always have enough time to help Grim out with assignments, and more often than not, his test scores brought yours down.

Riddle looked carefully at you, and said quietly as Grim gathered his work, “if you’d like, Prefect, I could help you as well. Professor Crewel says you’re one of his most hardworking students, but Ace mentioned that Trein’s test is coming up. I know you’re not from here, but I could help you study for the history test.” He looked at you earnestly, “only if you want it.”

You looked back at him, weighing your options as Grim hopped off the chair. “Okay.”

———

So this was weird.

Over the next few weeks, you and Riddle sort of… coexisted after that day in the library. And the two of you were back to normal-ish terms.

Every week, Riddle would tutor you on any subject in the rose garden. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t look forward to it - it was peaceful, and the two of you would sip tea while discussing your classes. Grim even came every once in a while to study with you, and your friends certainly seemed less tense with you and their Housewarden in good spirits.

That was the other thing you’d noticed, you thought with surprise. Ace really wasn’t just saying that - Riddle did seem to be more patient and less… behead-y.

You were able to observe everyone in Heartslabyul during this time. And everyone seemed much more relaxed compared to before. Even the same students he’d yelled at during that one fateful unbirthday party seemed more relaxed. Though everyone still abided by his authority, it didn’t seem out of fear anymore - it was out of genuine respect. And try as you might, you found yourself warming up to him too.

If his overblot was anything to go by, you knew it was hard for Riddle to accept change, and yet here he was, attempting to change for himself and everyone. And as great as it was, it scared you. Because you found yourself thinking about him constantly, finding reminders of him when you were in class (Riddle taught that to me) or your tea (Riddle recommended this blend) and even Grim eating tuna (Riddle would reprimand him for eating so sloppy).

It became increasingly obvious. You could deny it no longer. You fell in love with him, but it didn’t repulse you as much as you thought it would have. It felt good. Which is why you kept beating yourself up over what you told him at the picnic - anyone in their right mind would stop liking someone if they said what you did.

Which is why when you went over to the rose maze for this week’s study session, you were horribly nervous. You had a hard time talking to Riddle, and at some point even dropped your teacup onto the grass. As Riddle poured you a new cup, you struggled not to notice how concentrated and gentle his grey eyes were, the gracefulness of his movements. Damn, he even smelled nice too, what cologne was that-

When Riddle looked at you questioningly, you dove into your textbook and scribbled something or other rapidly, hoping he wouldn’t speak to you. If you’d looked up, you would’ve seen the soft smile he gave you, leaning gently on his elbow and admiring you. The two of you stayed like this, until a drop fell onto your notebook. You looked up in time to get a raindrop directly into your eye. “It’s-!”

“Quickly, gather your things!” You grabbed your textbook and papers, and made to dash to the dorm when Riddle grabbed your arm. “The dorm is too far, there’s a gazebo nearby. The rain should pass soon!” The two of you ran, Riddle leading you through the winding maze, until finally you made it to a wooden gazebo with roses climbing the pillars. You sat down heavily, while Riddle peeled off his now-wet uniform blazer. The two of you were silent, until you spoke.

“…thanks, Riddle,” you felt a little awkward thanking him now of all times. He looked confused, “for what?”

“Tutoring me. Being…here. Thank you,” you licked your lips. “I…” you trailed off. Great, you made it awkward now.

You both stayed in silence while the rain pattered around you until Riddle said quietly, “you know, I never thought of you as a joke. Never.” Your eyes widened, but Riddle didn’t look at you, shutting his eyes tightly. “And I really did want to court you.” He coughed, “date you. And if-“ his voice faltered, but he continued softly. “If you still feel the same way you did before then… I’ll leave you be. But I enjoy everything - your company, your heart… you. My feelings haven’t changed. If anything, I’ve fallen even deeper in love with you, prefect.”

Your eyes shone, and Riddle peeked through his bangs to see your expression. You couldn’t contain yourself anymore, and you threw yourself at him. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, kissing his face over and over again while his eyes widened, and his arms went around your waist to stabilize you. You pulled back slightly, eyes glimmering, and a small smile grew on Riddle’s face as he moved to kiss you properly. Weeks and months of nervousness melted away from you both, and you stayed in each others arms, the sounds of murmuring and kissing each other breaking through the rain.

And as the sunlight began breaking through the clouds, you both knew that something new was just beginning. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

~END

—————

Notes: this took longer than I thought it would but after many days of overthinking, here’s the first part :D

Thanks for reading, lmk if anyone wants to be added to the taglist!~ Take care, shrimpies!!

Taglist: @cerisescherries, @eclecticprincecollector, @ars-tral, @thehollowwriter, @twst-eeps, @casperandcats, @ttokkisbee, @mitsuriswaifu, @parad-ice-lostandfound,

@sad-sie, @moyo5653,

(If your name is in bold, it means I wasn’t able to tag you properly 😅

Edit: idk what’s going on with the tags and why I can’t tag some users?? Is this normal????)

The most I read this part the funnier it gets 😭😭😭

Pride and Prejudice: A TWSTed AU

The Keeper of the Underworld: I. Shroud

Introduction, or Pick another route!

Idia x GN Reader (they/them)

Warnings: P&P-level angst and miscommunication, some cringe dialogue, parties, possibly ooc Idia, I wrote this before playing Book 6 so I apologize if there’s any inconsistencies

Notes: The level of overthinking I put into these fics is unreal 💀 First and foremost, thank you all for your patience!! Idia was hard to write, but I hope you enjoy, shrimpies~

———

Well this is certainly something, you thought. Of all the things you’d witnessed at NRC, (even overblots), you didn’t think you’d ever see Idia Shroud at one of Kalim’s parties.

You sipped on your drink when a shock of bright blue flames came in the corner of your eye, contrasting the orange-red of Scarabia. Kalim lead Idia into the dorm, bright and sunny, compared to the look on Idia’s face. Poor guy couldn’t even escape, because Cater and Rook ambled in behind him, chatting happily.

It was like the beginning of a joke: A sultan, a card soldier, a huntsman, and a blue flame-headed gamer walk into a room.

Kalim spotted you and grinned, grabbing Idia’s hoodie sleeve and dragging him over too. “Hey (name)! I’m glad you could make it!”

You smiled at the Scarabia Housewarden, “Thanks Kalim! I-“ At that moment, Jamil reached him to drag him away, mumbling exasperatedly to Kalim about being careful. Kalim laughed Jamil off, “sorry (name)! I’ll see you later, okay?” “Alright then…” you trailed off and turned to Idia, who looked like a deer in headlights.

“So…” you rocked on your heels. To be honest, you didn’t know how to approach him sometimes. Sure, you’d gamed with him a few times (with heavy insistence from Ortho) and you weren’t on his ‘avoid at all costs’ ranking list, but Idia did have his odd moments. Some days, you two would get along like a house on fire. Other times, it was like Idia hated you - avoiding you even in tablet-mode, and ghosting your chats.

You’d like to think that your more friendly moments were the ones that Idia counted, but sometimes it was hard to get a read on the guy.

“I didn’t know that you’d be at Kalim’s party today. I thought Ortho said there was an event in… um…?” You finished, cringing at your vagueness. You might not have known much about the game he played, even though he’d made you play it when you came over to Ignihyde, but you knew he probably didn’t want to be here of all places.

Idia’s hair flared a bit, and he looked resigned and moody. He pulled out his tablet. Ya, the event dropped today but I got mobbed by kalim + the extroverts. “That sucks,” you said, “I got dragged here by Ace. Still, it’s nice to see you.” In the oil lamp lighting, you could’ve sworn Idia’s hair turned a bit pink.

You were both silent, and you opened your mouth to speak when Lilia yelled out from the front, “let’s get this party started!” Kalim started drumming wildly, and then electric guitar swelled. Lilia began screaming heavy-metal-style into the mic. Around you, everyone started dancing, and even you found yourself moving to the rhythm.

You glanced at Idia every now and again, but he looked vaguely annoyed and tired despite the liveliness. He looks so over it, you thought. Probably since Kalim maybe dragged him here. You looked around, biting your lip when you noticed your friends having a grand old time on the dance floor, and kind of wanted to go too. Still, it wasn’t every day you saw Idia, and you wanted to do something with him. Especially since he was… well, here.

“So, Idia…” Idia’s eyes snapped to yours, dull. You rocked back on your feet, “do you dance?” Idia rolled his eyes, and you felt your heart sink, for some reason. Obvi not, id probs distract everyone anyway. And also id just rather not if I can help it. Your smile wavered, “c’mon Idia, anyone can dance, even if it’s not good!” Idia typed rapidly into the tablet, i mean ur not wrong. Like literally anyone can dance but ppl only do it bc its wat normies do.

You opened your mouth, then squared your shoulders, words failing you. Idia shoved a hand into his pockets and opened an app on the tablet, scrolling. You swayed for a bit, feeling awkward while Idia kept his eyes glued to the screen, a frown creasing his brows. Finally you shrugged your shoulders, trying to shake that sinking-feeling off.

You stepped into the crowd of dancing people, swaying to the music and trying not to look over at the blue flames swaying in the corner. Unknowing to you, Idia glanced up from his tablet every few minutes, trying to catch a glimpse of you, before trudging back to the cold chrome of Ignihyde, back to his dorm.

———

Ugh, could this get any worse?

Idia flopped onto his bed, shoving his headphones on and opening the mobile game on his phone. Not only did he get a late start on the game event, but he flubbed a chance to talk to you. Even if you did want to dance like all the other non-introverts at Scarabia. Thank Sevens Ortho didn’t know he missed his chance, otherwise the little robot would’ve torn Idia apart.

Idia shut his eyes and went over the details. Doing this IRL was trash-tier. Why couldn’t this just be a good-old-fashioned otome game, or romance anime? First you meet the love interest, then you find things they’re into, then you talk to them more. Then finally you confess, and cue the outro. He’d watched countless shojo and romance anime’s, and that was the basic outline. Eventually, the ethereal, gorgeous, smart, kind protagonist (aka you) would fall in love with their love interest (aka him) and it would all work out. Boom. Happily ever after.

Ah, yes. He could see it now.

Cherry blossom petals rained around both of you. Where are they coming from, this campus doesn’t grow cherry blossoms? Whatever, don’t question it. Anyway, the petals fluttered past your beautiful, sparkling eyes as you stared up at Idia with adoration and love. Idia stared down at you with full-rizz, kabedoning you against the wall.

“Oh, Idia-senpai!” You’d cry, eyes turning into hearts as sparkles and pink flower petals surround you both. “You’re so cool and not cringe at all! I could never want one of those normies! You’re the only one for me! Please date me!” And then Ortho would set off the heart-shaped fireworks and you two would finally kiss-kiss-fall-in-love, just like the popular anime Our High School Has A Host Club And The Leader Falls In Love With Me?!

“Whee hee hee…” Idia stared off into the distance, giggling ominously to himself and hair turning pink at the ends. His character on the screen went into idle mode, and he didn’t even hear when Ortho floated into the room. “Big brother?” Ortho gently tapped him on the shoulder, yanking him from his shojo daydream. Idia jumped, hair flaring. “AAAIIIIEEEE-“ Ortho jumped back, eyes wide but not detecting any signs of injury on Idia.

Idia breathed heavily, wide-eyed. “Ortho! Wh-when did-? I wasn’t-!” Ortho analyzed his heart beat, noting that Idia had traces of blush on his cheeks and his erratic behavior pointed to- “Were you thinking about (name) (last name)?” Ortho asked innocently, his theory proven when Idia flushed and went pinker. The younger boy suddenly got an idea.

“You know, (Name)’s heart rate goes up when they interact with you,” Ortho watched his brother’s eyes widen, “even when you’re not there, when you’re mentioned, their heart rate increases by 45% and they are more likely to be in a positive mood. 82% of the time, they regard you in a positive way.” His eyes lit up happily with realization, “If my calculations are correct, they have feelings for you!”

Idia sat there, thinking. What were the odds you would like him back? Sure, you made him happy, and more importantly made Ortho happy. And it was actually nice talking to you. And he never felt exhausted after interacting with you. And maybe you did enjoy the artificial light of Ignihyde to the spring sun above, and maybe you would like being with dreary, nerdy him.

Ortho could see his brother lost in thought, noting that Idia’s heart rate spiked when he mentioned you. “I also overheard them telling Grim about finding a partner,” he said casually, omitting that you’d been wanting a partner in Alchemy, and not necessarily a romantic partner.

That seemed to fire Idia up. Ortho could see the metaphorical cogs in Idia’s brain turning, an entire blueprint of a plan being made in his mind. At last, a wide cunning grin spread on his face, and he opened his arms, “well, who else but a genius could be partners with the MC?” He said arrogantly, “it’s not like just anybody can woo the protagonist!”

Ortho beamed, cheering, “all you need to do now is confess!” Idia immediately began sweating, freezing up. “H-huh?!”

——

You frowned at your textbook, rubbing your temples as you read through the alchemy procedure. Ugh, this couldn’t get any more confusing.

As you turned to begin writing, the door burst open. You flinched and immediately locked eyes with a frazzled Idia. His golden eyes were wide, and he was panting - he even looked sweaty. Somehow his blue fire hair seemed just as frazzled as him, looking pale-blue in shock. Could flames somehow look poofy?

“Prefect!” He squeaked. “Idia?” You questioned, what’s he doing here? It was odd that he’d be out of his room at six in the afternoon, not to mention he looked afraid of you. It wasn’t like you were a stranger, even though as of late, he treated you like one.

He stared at you from the door for an uncomfortable amount of time, then sped-walked to stand in front of you. You looked up at him from your seat, tapping your fingers. You awkwardly asked “do you wanna sit down?” He shook his head quickly, the ends of his hair were turning pink. You frowned, “…dude, are you okay?”

Idia flinched. He pivoted on his heel, “no, no, can’t do it, not today-“ he scuttled out of the room and slammed the door, screeching to himself and pulling his hood over his head. You stared at the door, vaguely hearing Idia freaking out to… was that Ortho? You heard the little robot boy’s voice through the door, probably calming Idia down, along with an odd spraying sound.

It went quiet and you assumed they’d left. Whatever, weirder things have happened at NRC. As you went back to writing, the door slammed open again. You jumped, heart beating wildly. Idia stormed over to you, hair blazing a trail behind him. He slammed his hands down on the desk, and your eyes watered with the scent of overpowering cologne bodyspray.

“Prefect! I need to tell you something!” Idia’s eyes steeled in determination, and he looked you dead in the eye. He was breathing heavily, and his flamed hair blazed and curled more than usual, turning deep pinkish-red near the ends. The last time you saw his hair similar to that, was when he was rage-playing during one of your gaming sessions. How pissed is he? You felt your heart leap into your throat.

“Idia,” you began, freaked out, “I think you should sit down-“ Idia blazed on, “this is honestly a horrible decision for you and definitely for me. I don’t even want to think about what Mother and Father would say, not to mention how this’d affect Styx.” He was tunnel visioning now. “Plus you don’t even have magic and this might not even work out anyway ‘cause I don’t see us working out TBH…” Slowly his hair began fizzling out, voice getting quieter and quieter as he mumbled to himself.

This was a terrible idea, Idia realized. After everything that had happened with Styx, not to mention everything you had to deal with personally, it wouldn’t be good to get involved with him. You could be in danger, especially as a non-magic user. No, it would be selfish of him to ask you to be with him. Why would you, anyway? There were other guys at NRC, not to mention the entire Sage’s Island, who would be a better fit for not. Especially ones who didn’t kidnap your friends and Grim. Especially someone like Idia.

No, he concluded. He shouldn’t have come.

You frowned deeply. “Idia, what…?” Your alchemy work definitely wasn’t done yet and Idia was making zero sense. He sighed, as if tired all of a sudden. “Nope, no… this isn’t going to work.” He stood abruptly and sped-walked out the door, brushing past Ortho. You overheard the boy try to get his brother to come back, but Idia didn’t stop. You could feel your heartbeat in your ears. So that’s what this is about? Idia didn’t want to be friends with you anymore? All because you weren’t… what? A tech whiz? Good at gaming? Magical? Your heart dropped. Because you were just too different from him? So you weren’t good enough to be even friends with him?

Your eyes stung at the thought. Fine. If Idia wanted to be that way, then fine. You shoved your books into you bag and headed back to Ramshackle. You doubted you’d be able to focus, anyway.

———

Poor Ortho was confused.

After running simulation after simulation, scouring the Internet for any clues, and piecing together what Idia said after running out of the classroom, he just couldn’t understand what happened. That was a first, considering it was Ortho.

Idia had ran out of the room in a hurry, mumbling incoherently. “Brother! What’s happening?” Ortho flew to him, scanning his vitals. Idia seemed to be ok, but his brother seemed… strangely melancholic. “Ortho, it won’t work out,” he said dejectedly, not wanting to talk about it.

Ortho called after him, trailing behind “What did (name) (last name) say? There was a high probability they’d accept your-” Idia sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. “It won’t work. I should’ve never left the dorm…” As Idia trudged back to Ignihyde, Ortho was left with more questions.

He hovered for a moment, before heading back to the alchemy room for you, only to not find you there. Ortho thought hard, thinking back to what Idia said. ‘It won’t work out,’ was what he said - not a flat-out rejection from you. So that meant…

He began floating back to Ignihyde, determined. I can still save this!

———

You were taking overthinking to a new level.

You bit your lip, staring at the game’s chatbox in front of you. Idia was online, and probably didn’t realize you were too. You leaned against the Heartslabyul common room couch (curse Ramshackle’s lack of internet!), and hit send.

Hey is everything ok??

You watched Idia’s game icon immediately switch to “online less than 1 minute ago,” and groaned.

Cater exited the kitchens, leaning over the couch back. “Hey~ what’s got my fave frosh so worked up?” He chirped, looking at your phone. “Ohh, isn’t that the popular game that’s been trending? Wait, didn’t you say Idia got you into it?” Cater immediately had his phone in hand, “that’s supes adorable, playing with friends is so fun-“

You cut him off, throwing your hands up, “that’s it! Idia just doesn’t want to talk to me! He- he just-!” You grabbed a throw pillow and smashed your face into it, groaning. Cater patted your shoulder sympathetically, “well, we’re playing at another one of Kalim’s parties tonight, you want in?” You sniffed dramatically, thinking. “Well, I guess. Sure, why not?”

Later that evening, you stepped into the Scarabia mirror. You and Cater made your way to the food table. As you both munched on Jamil’s cooking (damn, the guy made a good curry), you watched everyone dancing. “Y’know, it was weird seeing Idia at a party,” you commented, while Cater nodded. “Yeah! We decided to bring him along that day, it was fun seeing him.”

You sighed, “yeah, it was, but… it’s not really often that we can hang out in person. I kinda wanted to dance with him last time, but he sort of… blew me off? I guess maybe it wasn’t the best idea.” You winced, while Cater’s eyebrows rose. “You didn’t tell me that. So, he did that and also told you he didn’t want to be friends?” You nodded, frustration flooding back, “Yeah! And I just don’t understand how he can be so conceited about him being so high and smart, and not like me because I don’t-“

“Prefect,” Cater cleared his throat. You looked up mid-rant, meeting Ortho’s eyes, and jumped. He just snuck up on you both like it was nothing. Did he hear you? Hopefully he wouldn’t be mad. In your mind, Idia started it.

“Hello (name) (last name)!” Ortho said pleasantly, so you assumed he hadn’t heard you. Great. “I didn’t know you’d be here! What a coincidence!” That was a lie, Ortho overheard you and Cater talking about the party when you were walking to Scarabia. He absolutely knew. And he dragged Idia here because of it.

“Yep,” you smiled at Ortho, “it’s nice to see you.” Ortho mentally readied himself and remembered every bit of acting advice Vil gave him. “I almost forgot!” His eyes widened, while your eyes narrowed. Ortho was a robot. He didn’t forget shit. “Big brother is here, and he wanted to ask you to dance!” What? Your neck snapped around, looking for Idia’s bright blue hair. Cater elbowed you, bringing you back to reality.

“I-well, I- had not-“ you stammered, fumbling for an excuse. Ortho’s eyes shone at you like puppy eyes, and your anger at Idia cracked. “…yeah, sure,” you watched Ortho rise a bit in the air happily, “Yippee! I’ll go get him!” He zipped off, and you rubbed your temples. Cater twisted a strand of his hair, eyes wide. “Yikes…” “tell me about it,” you groaned.

A few minutes later, you both looked up when Kalim tapped the mic. You didn’t miss Ortho hovering a ways behind Kalim. “Hey everyone! Thanks for coming!” When the cheering died down, Kalim continued, “We’re gonna try something different! Everyone, find a partner and join the dance floor!”

Cater glanced at you, mischievous. “Welp, I can’t leave them hanging~ TTYL, Prefect!” And he left faster than you could say ‘Magicam.’ Sweet.

You hesitantly stepped to the dance floor, half expecting Ortho to float up to you and sheepishly tell you Idia left. Your mind drifted back to that day in the alchemy room. I guess it wouldn’t work, anyway.

To your surprise, a finger tapped your shoulder. You turned, seeing Idia with a with a flushed expression, wearing a casual-but-chic blazer. His hair looked a bit tamer than normal, and cascaded down his back in a low ponytail, bangs flickering over his forehead. Undoubtedly, this was the work of Ortho, who definitely got pointers from Vil.

You both stared at each other, unmoving, until slow music began playing. You averted your eyes. Idia gulped, eyes widening until waving caught his eye. Ortho was flying upwards a little ways away from the slowly-crowding dance floor, gesturing wildly at you. As if that wasn’t enough, he projected words above his head: DANCE WITH THEM!

Idia was lucky that everyone else was more interested in dancing with their partner than Ortho. His eyes snapped back to you, “s-so I guess you wanna-“ he swallowed thickly, eyes shifting to the dance floor. You shrugged, feigning nonchalance and looked ahead. Idia looked back at Ortho, who was pointing wildly at the words. He thought to himself, this is fine. It’s just the mandatory side quest. It’s not fighting the boss. It’s…

It’s charming the love interest. It’s solidifying your route!

Idia steeled himself and forced your hand into his. Your eyes shot to his in surprise, and he walked stiffly to the dance floor. Your hand clasped his, and you both swayed gently to the soft rock from the stage. Your brows furrowed, but Idia locked his gaze onto you, focusing only on you.

Yes, he thought. This is just the player’s pov on the screen, and he was only focusing on the love interest. The other waltzers didn’t exist. The party didn’t exist. It was just you and him.

Meanwhile, you were at a loss for words. While Idia seemed taciturn, you glanced up at the stage. Cater, Kalim, and Lilia were in their own little bubble jamming out, so that wasn’t a lifeline. After a little while of swaying with Idia, you hummed, “I haven’t seen you in a while. Since that day.” Idia’s hands felt clammy, and in the dimmed lights you saw a small pink dusting Idia’s cheeks. You saw him swallow heavily, but he didn’t say a word.

The tension grew between you two, and despite feeling hurt, you felt a little bad. Still, you wanted some answers out of Idia, after the incident in the alchemy room. “Y’know, you never used to be this… odd around me.” Was it the crowd that made him quiet, or… You felt a lump in your throat. Was it you?

Idia’s eyebrows shot up, thinking fast on what to say. Why can't conversations irl have ready-made dialogue?! “I… we c-can talk about wh-whatever you want? I guess?” He tried, kicking himself internally for leaving his tablet with Ortho. You bit the inside of your cheek as you stepped with him, that’ll do for now. “Scarabia parties are a little much, but they’re more pleasant than the Pomefiore mock balls,” you tried “wouldn’t you say?” After an uncomfortable pause, expecting a reply, you mumbled to yourself, “I guess we can stop talking now.”

“...is it like a rule for normies to chat while dancing? Isn’t the act of moving enough?” Idia mumbled in exasperation, hand tightening a little on your own. You bit your lip, your eyes burning. “No, I prefer to not talk to my friends at all and tell them we can’t be friends. It’s so much fun, right?” Idia’s eyes widened, and he scrambled for words, “I- I didn’t mean…” You stopped swaying abruptly, both of your clasped hands in the air. “Why are you here, Idia?”

A chill went through Idia. “T-To be honest, I didn’t even want to come to this stupid IRL dance,” he rushed out, “TBH Ortho had to make me come ‘cause he told me you’d be here-“ “You didn’t want…?” You cut Idia off, heart dropping. The other dancing couples swirled around you, but all the commotion around you felt like nothing more than idle chatter. Hurt flashed in your eyes, and Idia seemed shocked, which made you angry.

“I guess you wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who’s magicless, especially since you have STYX right?”

Idia’s eyes were wider than the Heartslabyul tea saucers. For once, he didn’t have a smart-ass reply. “Um, what? Obvi, I’m kind of stuck with STYX-” You let go of his hand and took a step back, almost bumping into a waltzing couple. “Yeah, wouldn’t want me to mess things up. Make any bad decisions and all that, right?” You felt your eyes water, despite yourself.

Furiously balling a fist and wiping your eyes, “Since you said we wouldnt work out n’stuff.” Idia suddenly remembered everything he’d muttered to himself, from the moment he’d stormed into the room to when he’d left dejectedly. When he’d made his choice and left before you could even get your word in.

Like a coward.

Idia’s heart pounded but shakingly, he reached a hand out to you. “P-prefect, I-I-!” You dodged the crowd, and ran out of Scarabia. You didn’t look back until you crashed through Ramshackle’s door, raced up the stairs, and fell onto your bed, Grim yelping in surprise as you tried your darndest to forget everything that just happened.

Back in Scarabia, Idia somehow stumbled off the dance floor, staggering to a table and breathing heavily. Mentally he replayed everything that just happened. Ortho floated over to him, “Brother? I don’t understand, why would (name) (last name) not accept your feelings?” Ortho went over the footage when he was observing you both dancing, and frowned.

“My senses indicate that based on their body language, they were upset with you. What happened?” Idia swallowed heavily, “I-I said it wouldn’t work out between us c-cuz they don’t have magic,” he stammered, eyes wide, “a-and STYX and-...” Ortho’s eyes widened, then narrowed, “That shouldn’t be a problem! You know that!”

“I meant for them, Ortho.” Idia sighed heavily, sinking into the chair. “I don’t want them to get hurt. Not when…” his mind wandered to Ortho, before NRC. He fell into deep thought. “In the end, I couldn’t even tell them...” He frowned deeply.

Ortho fell quiet, computing. Idia stared at the table, dejected, until Ortho spoke. “You know (Name) (lastname) doesn’t back down easily from a challenge.” That’s true. From playing games with Idia to taking down overblots, you weren’t someone who ran away when it mattered. Maybe that’s why Idia liked you - you were like the protagonists in animes, who found a way to make the world their own.

“You shouldn’t make (name) (last name)’s decision for them.” Idia looked up at his brother. Ortho continued, head angling to the side, Idia shook his head dejectedly, “it won’t work-”

“Your lil’ bro is right, y’know,” Cater walked over, shaking his hair out with his guitar slung over his shoulder. “Sry, I overheard you two,” Cater could piece together what happened. He did see you blow up at Idia (although he couldn’t hear you), and after spamming your phone with no reply after you ran out, now he had an idea of what was going on. “Y’know, if you didn’t tell them how you felt, then how could you know you were making the right choice?”

Idia looked down. Ortho piped up, “Cater Diamond is right.” Idia shut his eyes, then stood up, hands tightening into fists. Cater jumped back as Idia’s hair flared up bright blue, and the Ignihyde housewarden headed straight to the exit. Ortho called out, “thank you, Cater Diamond!” and floated after Idia, “Brother! Wait!”

“Lets go, Ortho,” Idia’s golden eyes steeled in determination, “I can fix this.”

—----

A knock on the door jolted you from your reading of Prejudice and Pride.

It was early morning. Somehow, even though it was the weekend and you’d stayed up all night, you still woke up at an ungodly early hour. After being unable to fall asleep (totally not because of Grim’s snoring and sleep-munching) you decided to go to your living room and read. You were sure that you didn’t have a guest coming, so why would…?

You got up and opened the door, expecting Ace or Deuce or something. The annoyed look on your face turned to shock when you saw Idia standing on your porch. In one hand, he held a bouquet of pomegranate-red roses and some flowers you recognized to be asphodel.

You both stared at each other, unwilling to move. “Idia,” you breathed, “why are you here?” Idia shuffled awkwardly, “I wanted to see you.” You crossed your arms, looking around. “Where’s Ortho?” You were sure the little robot boy made his brother come. Otherwise, why would Idia be here? Idia rubbed the back of his neck, “Ortho isn’t here. I… I wanted to see you,” he repeated.

Wordlessly, he thrust the flowers into your arms, and you wrapped your arm around it instinctively. “I- um,” you looked everywhere but Idia, who was staring at the Ramshackle doorway. “Idia,” you cleared your throat, “about what happened-” “Prefect, I… I wanted to apologize.” Your eyes widened, but Idia continued.

“I… I didn’t mean what I said that day.” Idia looked bashful, face turning pink and the ends of his hair turning a deep blush. He kept talking, rambling on and fighting he urge to grab his tablet and let the device speak for him. “I… really like being friends with you.” The words came out quietly from him, and even though he looked like he wanted to sink into his hoodie, Idia didn’t shirk away.

A lump rose in your throat as you didn’t make eye contact with him, instead playing with the flower bouquet, “I like being friends with you too,” you bit your lip, rubbing an asphodel petal, “I like you, Idia.”

Idia’s eyes widened and went rigid. Both his face and his hair went deep pink. Your own eyes widened at the color, and you felt your face grow hot. So that’s what it meant…? Not anger…?Wordlessly, without thinking, you dropped the bouquet. Your body moved on its own, and you flung yourself at Idia, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and squeezing your eyes shut.

Idia staggered back from the momentum with a squeak, but wrapped his arms around your torso with an iron grip. You gripped his hoodie tightly, finally understanding what had gone on for so long. Your cheek was pressed against his, and despite the early morning chill, you both felt warm.

High above, Ortho hovered in the distance over the tree canopies from afar. He zoomed in on you and Idia, and behind his face mask, he beamed. In midair, he did a heart-shaped loop-de-loop in happiness, and hovered back to Ignihyde.

After a few minutes, you leaned back in Idia’s arms, the both of you chuckling in happy disbelief. You looked up and saw a little blue streak leaving a smoke trail of a heart, and laughed to yourself. Idia turned around, seeing his brother above, a soft reminiscent look on his face.

“…guess Ortho was right.”

~END

——-

Fun fact: the beginning is inspired by idia’s school uniform vignette!!!

Me, while writing this: wow Idia and Cater’s dialogue are unique, they’d be hard to write

Also me: *puts both of them in this fic and suffers*

Writing Idia was SO HARD but I hope I managed to get him right-ish. Trying to balance his reactions with the dialogue was hard 😭

anyway thanks for reading~ please leave a comment/reblog!! <3

Taglist: @cerisescherries, @eclecticprincecollector, @ars-tral, @thehollowwriter, @twst-eeps, @casperandcats, @ttokkisbee, @mitsuriswaifu, @parad-ice-lostandfound, @sad-sie, @moyo5653

(If your user is in bold, I wasn’t able to tag you properly)

You feel a lot like love

summary: lovesick boys & living in their head rent-free... you have no idea what you do to them, or maybe you do. ft.Riddle, Leona, Azul, (Vil, Idia, and more later if this does well) tags: crushing, pre-established relationship & established relationship, off camera date/confessions, GN reader(you/your), lovesick boys 4 u, marriage mention, Azul gets insecure but the thought of you makes it better, no beta we overblot like men

wordcount: 1200+ | Masterlist & Taglist

• Riddle Roshearts

“Attention!” Riddle’s head snapped upwards, unaware that he had zoned out; thankfully so was the professor, who was calling out some other unfortunate student. As the red haired dormwarden went through the stages of shock, simply stunned and unable to process the realisation that he was not paying attention in class. However he quickly enough settled back into the regular plane of consciousness, taking note of his surroundings and re-checking his notes, eyes widening when he spots “[Name] Rosehearts”. Oh. Riddle gulped a silent, empty breath, staring at the string of words for what felt like the longest two seconds of his life. Oh, oh how was he supposed to confess to you? As his thoughts once again abandoned the class, deciding that you have become his favourite subject, Riddle silently agreed with his subconscious to give up on paying attention in class for one day; instead focusing on you. The smitten, heart adorned dormwarden slipped out a red notebook, a journal, opening an empty page, he started to write his heart and see if he could come up with a good confession, a well-phrased way to ask you out. He could beg his beating heart to stop running laps in his ribcage, yet his mind could not be further from it as he thought of you, his other half. The dorm of heartslabyul has never known greater paranoia. Ace was fully abiding by the rules, Cater has never been faster, Trey was mentally going through the list of possible scenarios. Why? It was quiet. Too quiet. Riddle was not around, he had ghosted Trey and Cater- even after they tried to report on rule breakers; something was clearly wrong, or at least upside down and slightly to the left. Deuce was studying diligently and holding his breath, almost as if Riddle was peering over his shoulder, hell that would at least prove the dormwarden was there! This, to the heartslabyul dorm, was the cruellest joke on earth. And then Riddle came back to the dorm, for the first time ever dressed in a more.. casual look. No way in hell was on campus, judging by the soft red cardigan and absence of the NRC uniform jacket, the button up replaced by a regular black shirt with a loose, circle collar that allowed his collarbone and neck to breathe. If anyone was to be honest, this did not look like Riddle at first glance. And then at second glance all hell silently broke loose, Trey’s glasses comically cracked, Cater dropped his phone, Deuce aced a test; Riddle was placing a kiss on your wrist, leading you slowly by the arm like a gentleman. He was on a date. Unmistakably so if the red roses you held as a bouquet were anything to go by. And once again, Riddle could not care or even try to pay attention to his surroundings; as if he would want to look elsewhere while he had you to focus on.

• Leona Kingscholar

“Wakey wa– Oh fuck n-o, never mind.” Ruggie closed the door back before he even properly opened it. Leona barely huffed, rolling over to better cover your body with his; like a weighted blanket, the rumbling in his chest far too relaxing for you to stir awake. ..And yet, he couldn’t fall back asleep. Far too awake to keep his eyes closed, yet not enough to get out of bed; alone with his thoughts as he idly held your sleeping form. Sometimes he wondered if these types of mornings would end, or if he could wake up with you for the rest of his days, and he wishes he could smack himself upside down on the head for these loud what-ifs. As if he could sleep it off, feelings like these never really worked like that; it only used to make him angry, frustrated and madly irritable in the past, but now he felt scared at the possibilities those thoughts encapsulated. The ones that were possible were worse, making him wish. Wish.. it felt ridiculous to say such a word for someone so seemingly void of even the faintest hint of sunshine, Leona was not cheerful, surely not. But he was hopeful, then not; it stayed like that for a long while, until you decided to take these matters into your own hands, your considerably smaller, slender hands, soft compared to his own. He, unaware of his own, took your hands in his idle ones, feeling your palms and fingers. Leona closed his eyes as he nuzzled onto the crown of your head, comforted by the scent of your hair. In the back of his mind, his hands memorised the feel of your fingers, wondering what kind of ring you’d like best. The grumpy lion beastman mentally laughed as his morning pondering comes full circle, thinking about how you had his heart in your gentle hands.He smiled at the thought. He could be hopeful.

• Azul Ashengrotto “Takoyaki!-” Azul’s eyes widened, looking at the idle pool of ink at the base of his quill. He clicked his tongue, expression shaping up to one of frustration, and near-disgust. Lifting up his hand, he made sure that the sleeves of his uniform were not ruined, carefully taking off the stained glove and leaving the office in oddly collected fashion. The feeling was.. off, making Floyd look down to try seeing his expression, albeit unsuccessful. Azul knew the eel twin would quickly put it together, putting more effort into his steps, walking faster with hopes of not running into you. He would cry if you discovered the power you held over him and his heart. The mere possibility had him gulp in hopes of swallowing his nerves, twisting the doorknob and locking himself in his room as the ever familiar and forever disgusting feeling of tears stung his eyes once again, and Azul half haphazardly hid himself under his blankets, ignoring all noise, blocking out his own thoughts, or at least trying to. And yet, the image of you in his mind is the exact thing that brings him comfort; he lays wondering what you’d think if he made a fool of himself in front of you, only to feel conflicted when he fails to imagine a negative reaction, he knows you wouldn’t berate him for a slip up. You never even call him out when he acts out of character, going as far as to cover up for him when he messes up big time, and you never ask for anything other than his time for it when you do. “Fair enough”, it was his response the first time, now he finds himself internally craving, damn-near begging for more; haa.. He would laugh had it been anyone else’s suffering, but he’s not sure if he can even feign dislike of the situation, only ever hoping for more chances to keep this silent arrangement going. He has always been quite greedy, capitalising your affection, time, attention. And forever caught off guard by you, it seems. He nearly jumps out of his own skin when his phone notifies him with a custom ring-tone, the one he set for you. Scrambling to grab his phone swiftly and reply fast, all he sees is “I’m going over to your dorm room. Floyd said something was up with you, are you ok?” -And before he can even start typing you send another; “I’m bringing some of your favourites do you want anything” Oh you really are simply wonderful. Azul knows he means every word, replying to your messages “Just you”.

Omi Abs🥰

ive never played an otome game in my life im just here for character designs