Pomegranate Rule || Idia Shroud X Reader

Pomegranate Rule || Idia Shroud x Reader

Obligatory pair work with someone you like very much on a school project and have a chance to fall for each other more? - cliché.

The difference with Idia was that he kidnapped his project partner.

Idia leaned out from behind the column, whispering words of encouragement and summoning up the plan of this meeting he compiled at yesterday’s evening. He practised this conversation all night in front of the mirror, but as soon as he gained confidence, he forgot the text and desperately searched for the next line in the script.

There was a faint blush on his pale cheeks. Not from the sun, not from the fatigue, but nervousness. He hadn't left his room for someone in a long time, and what he was about to do required from him new social skills...

…to ask you to be his project partner, that’s it.

Ortho stood right next to Idia, leaning out from behind his older brother's silhouette and shifting his gaze once at the courtyard, once at him.

Idia cuffed his fingers on the sleeves of the sweatshirt.

Ortho's presence helped him a lot to keep on the promise he made to himself: today he will actually talk to you not on the phone, but face-to-face and suggest that you could do Sir Crewel’s project together.

He knew that you didn’t have a pair, since Grim went off where he could bug Adeuce combo, and even if he didn’t, you two would be counted as one student. But, to at least make some progress, you were picking up leaves you suspected to be just right for the experiment.

With each bush, you were getting closer and closer to the column behind which Idia was hiding, and he knew that if he won’t hurry with his proposal, someone will enter the square, dispatch the last pieces of Idia's courage and disperse you, and take you away.

For example someone like Epel and Jack, who have just entered the courtyard using the entrance on the opposite side.

This coincidence seemed to Idia to be as unfortunate as if all the forces of the world wanted to stop him from what he was planning and yet to validate his theory that it was not worth ever leave his room. On the other hand, since he was already here, and it took him a good few dozen attempts to motivate himself, he could not lose this unstarted game.

Idia, in an act of desperation, rushed towards you, hoping that the first-graders would not notice you.

You both keel over into the bushes as Jack and Epel headed towards you.

"Jack Howl, Epel Felmier!" Ortho greeted them, distracting all possible attention from the bushes that had just been approached by two people, both unaware of what was going on. "How is your project going? What topic did you choose?”

"Ortho-kun! What are you doing here?” Epel replied, coming closer to the young Shroud.

As Ortho distracted them with a conversation, Idia had an intimidating thought: what would happen if they saw your two in the bushes? He was madly blushing at the scenarios that created in his head. He put his hand on your lips—he was afraid that you would say anything that would attract unwanted attention—he slipped with you through the empty corridors to the dorm of Ignihyde.

…He forgot to explain what he was doing, and it likely looked like him committing a crime, but nothing will happen if he explains everything in his room, right...?

You were able to ask Idia what was he doing, once he closed the doors. Till then, on every question you asked he hissed “Sheesh! Do you want us to be found?!” and “P-please! Let us get to headquarters where I will… explain the mission…”.

Soon enough, you found yourself in his room; electronics was the main source of light, and the screens glowed bright blue around them. Although you didn't see any exposed windows or lamps lit to illuminate the room, everything was clearly visible.

There was a mess there, a mixture of the cardboard disorder that prevails after moving a house and the chaos of a man whose constantly working on something, desk always cluttered with papers, pens and documents.

You were sure you would stand on some lost Lego block or pin if you put your foot behind the bed where Idia has set you down.

“So, Idia,” you started. “…What exactly I am doing in your room?”

"Uh, well...” he stuttered, trying to remember the speech from yesterday's practices. “I wish I would know what you're doing here... I mean- I know why I brought you here. I wanted to ask you something. Ask, yes.”

"Ask? About what?” you didn't mention that you can ask outside of your own room, and you wasn’t going to correct that.

Idia tried to explain the whole situation. He skipped the preparation process, his speeches and ideas, he didn’t even mention the project, so all he said was hard-to-understand, abstract justification from the current situation.

He said, at least, that he came up with the idea to take you somewhere further away, where there were no people, as first-grades entered the courtyard.

“So I'm here by accident?" you asked after listening to Idia, slightly cocking your head at the side. “I don't understand…”

“It was an accident. A bit,” he wanted to loudly groan at his helplessness but finally bit his tongue. “I didn't want you here. I mean, I wanted to, but I didn't plan on it. I mean- Aah, it’s so hard to explain!”

You waited in silence, only nodding, letting him take his time.

"Sorry, I just... I feel weird talking to you...” Idia admitted, lowering his head.

The definition of Idia’s "weirdness" was different from yours.

When you heard that he was calling you strange, you felt a pang in your heart. Really? After so many months of acquaintance and quite frequent texting on the phone, when finally there was one of those few moments when you could talk face-to-face, he says it's awkward?

The "weirdness" of that feeling in Idia was something he could not explain easily: the joy of talking to you, anxiety that he would say something wrong, an uncertainty that you would change your mind and stop talking to him, excitement because he knew how interesting person you are and the frustration for every accurate, teasing comment…

"Oh, I see," you tried not to sound depressing. "So let me leave.”

"No, wait, that's not what I meant..!”

Oh, no. Idia’ plan went downhill again.

Idia jumped to a drawer and started looking for something in it, digging through notebooks, cables and lost items.

“...Don't worry, Idia, we can end this conversation on the phone... or something.”

“No, no, no, wait, please!” discreetly took out a round metal box before he dashed to you, blocking the only way out, heavy equipment surrounding you that now seemed to be an impassable wall.

"Uh?"

He took the hard candy from the container he took from the shelf, though he did it so subtly, forcing himself to stare at you and keep your gaze from tearing away from him, so you couldn’t notice candy in his hand.

They were pomegranate drops that had been presented to him as a funny joke from a student who knew that a box, just like its contents, was enchanted by Vil's unique magic: whoever tasted them will not be able to move more than twenty meters from the place the fruit drop was eaten.

Haha, because you know, the members of Ignihyde don't go outside and won't even notice they were cursed.

Idia was sure that even Vil did not know that the candies had fallen into his hands.

"Huh? What are you-“

As soon as you opened your mouth, Idia pressed fruit drop up to your lips and covered them with his hand, in case you tried to spit it out. His movements became very mechanical and heavy, probably most of his muscles were strained. Because of that, you also couldn't push him away.

He only stepped out of your way you once swallowed the candy.

And so you were bound by a spell that you discovered the moment Idia let you towards the door. You stopped more than a meter from them, unable to even grasp the doorknob.

You swung your hand a few times as if not believing that none of your movements was moving you forward.

“Idia. I know we should talk, but by cutting me off from the door?”

Surprise with this solution, Idia's embarrassed smile, dripping sweat from the stress he felt, and a sudden dose of delicious sugar made you burst into laughter.

“This. Is. Great.” You accented each word, becoming more and more amused with each one as if you had just heard the best joke of the era. “Is it the fault of those drops?”

Idia, surprised by your reaction, finally relaxed. Your sudden, inexplicable outburst, hearty laugh calmed him down a lot. He even came to the conclusion that he really likes the way you laugh.

Ortho soon entered the room. You two shortened the story and explained that you probably have to stay here for the night.

"Oh, so nii-san finally asked you to do a project with him?"

“Project...?” you repeated. Then you turned your head to Idia and smirked at him. “So that was what it was for?”

He answered you with a shrug as if last day Idia didn’t have any thoughts screaming “Project!” and that followed by “[Name]!”.

However, Ortho said it for him.

Idia, of course, tried to stop him, but Ortho knew how much time his brother spent just planning to talk to you. A wave of shame flooded Idia as you listened to Ortho's words with interest. And maybe with a pinch of delight spilling over your heart—Idia did so much for you! You could feel the flush on your face and a smile spread across your lips every time you heard about Idia's efforts.

Soon after, after the excitement of this conversation had died down and you thanked Idia for his planning efforts, a package of cookies and biscuits was opened. You couldn't go to the cafeteria to eat anything, and even ordinary snacks from school vending machines taste better in pleasant company, right?

“We haven't had many opportunities to talk like that, have we?"

You took a sip of the warm tea Idia had made—it was incredibly bitter but chilled enough not to burn your tongue—and watched the screen where Idia was working.

He pushed himself away from writing some codes with some slowness, but he didn't look at you.

“You're right...”

After a pause, he started speaking again, this time in a whisper, but you heard him very clearly.

"I've always admired you, [Name]-shi..." he said, pressing his knees against his chest. “Talking to so many different people and solving their problems... I often find it tedious and self-righteous to interfere in the affairs of others, however…. Everything you do always ends well. I-I couldn't do that.”

“I should be saying it!” You said after a moment of silence as if you were processing words you completely didn't suspect him of. “You deal with electronics like a professional. Wait, you are the professional! How many programming languages have you already mastered? How many devices have you already created? You have a wonderful talent and... even your brother little is proof of it.”

You both looked at Ortho connected to specialized equipment. "CHARGING" was displayed on the screen, and by minutes the numbers were close to 100%.

Idia didn't smile at your words—instead he seemed incredibly focused. With each passing second, he had a more and more sincere expression of pleasant frustration, which was also reflected in his long hair behind which he tried to hide his face.

He couldn't even answer and just nodded.

"And... I have to confess to something," you began after another minute of pleasant silence, which you felt sorry to interrupt. "If you previously seemed quite average to me, maybe even a little pale-faced, now I know that you are special."

These words were already his limit. He couldn't take his eyes off you, forgot how to breathe, forgot how to blink, and his lungs refused to cooperate.

His heart crashed for good after your next words.

"So... if you please," you got up and smiled at him. “Idia Shroud, will you do me this honour and become my project partner?”

"The curse already faded.”

You could reach the door and go to the farthest corners of the room. You could leave.

The project has been completed. With the light help of Ortho, who also wanted to contribute to the project, by two in the morning, you finished doing experiments, writing out data, conclusions and completing them with graphic documentation.

And then you played games for the next three hours; each game was digital and very engaging—it wasn't for Ortho, you and Idia wouldn't fall asleep even for a minute. Even when you went to bed—and there was a whole five-minute debate about where you were going to sleep—you talked in whispers about everything and nothing until one of you fell asleep.

Even if the attachment to Vil's magic was gone, you couldn't deny that you became attached to a certain blue-haired boy who followed the last lines of your conclusions with his golden eyes.

It was really fun.

He and Ortho probably would have done this project faster, but the collaboration of the three—you, Ortho and Idia—seemed so pleasant that if he could, he would do it once again. Even if that meant another research about hyper-difficult projects Crewel liked to torture his students with.

"I will come again," you said as suddenly as if you were reading his mind. He flinched at those words, and your tone of voice changed to a more biting tone. “You don't have to kidnap me this time.”

"I d-didn't..." he tried to deny but was stuck on the next words. “...Really? Will you really come here?”

“Your charm bound me more than candy, I can promise you,” you gave him one last smile before you closed the door behind you and rushed through the corridor with a strange, blissful feeling, looking forward to your next project.

So did he.

Hello hello!! I'm also the one who asked for Trey's and I wanna let you know that you can take your time, no rush!!! I greatly enjoy your works (the recent Azul's one is AMAZING I LOVE IT SO MUCH), I'd inhale any of your writings even if they're not my favs it's just that goood 😭💕

Hope you're doing great!!

Thank you!! You’re too kind! 😭❤️

*Saves a screenshot of this ask in a folder, to remember the reason why I write*

Your request is next on my list and I hope it will not disappoint you!

I wish you all the best!

How to win a heart of Riddle Rosehearts?

1. Fail an exam.

You stared in horror at the paper sir Train just handed to you.

The big, red mark was nothing but visible and disturbing, like the hard to swallow nut in a fluffy cheesecake. A low score like that could bring death to anyone who cared for their grades.

„Uh-oh,” Cater gasped slightly, shifting his gaze from the grade on your test to your frowning expression. Even he felt the distaste and pressure of getting only a few points, but the thing that terrified you both—and eachas the Hearslabyul's people—the most, was a dorm leader who was capable of murder; the harsh one in case of lowering Heartslabyul average. „So, what are you going to do about Riddle?”

You couldn't help but sigh at his question.

„I just need to get rid of the evidence,” you answered, squishing the test in your hands. Then you threw the paper into the trash—or at least you thought that you threw it correctly, not wanting to look at the test ever again—and quickly started to pack your books, ready to take your leave and stop thinking about the failed exam.

At the same moment, the infamous redhead walked into the room, catching the moment when you threw the paper away. He picked it up from the floor, sighing, and went to bin it properly. If it wasn't only for the Train's red marker, which caught Riddle's attention, maybe you would still be safe and sound.

Cater gave you a side nudge, with a slight but jerky movement of his head pointing towards the door. The look he gave you mirrored what happened behind you. You didn't have to turn around to know who is there, what are they doing and what will happen.

„He found you,” Cater whispered, halfly trying to make his voice dramatic. It didn't help to keep your breath calm, as Riddle slowly turned your way and started walking towards you.

Even without Cater's attempt, it was dramatic enough already.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

2. Survive one—hour lecture.

After giving you a lecture Riddle would give up... your last moments of freedom.

“[Name]!” his voice echoed through the halls, followed by the taps of his hills against the tiles. You could swear it sounded like the ticking of the clock, counting down to execution. Your execution. And the executioner was quicker than you imagined, despite you fastening your pace. “Wait, you! How dare you skip the preparations for the unbirthday party!?”

You halted, mentally scolding yourself for forgetting. You smiled awkwardly, maladroitly turning to the dorm leader. “Sorry... I... was studying for the exam. You know, dorm leader, your words really motivated me to study.”

Perhaps Riddle heard these words many times as an excuse because he looked even more irritated.

“Ha! Studying the same way you got your last grade?” he asked, his voice showing off something you could (poetically) describe as a 'cold amusement' that gave you a shiver. Before you could even reply, the annoyance in his gaze returned. “I am not letting you off this time, [Name]. You need to re-do that exam. And you can't neglect your duties.”

“Yes, yes, I understand,” you nodded at his words, something in your stomach started to twist. Now you felt nothing but discomfort when Riddle glanced at you.

So cold.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

3. Don't underestimate him.

“[Name], like, what can he do?” your classmate commented, taking another cookie from your plate. They were Scarabia student and were supposed to help you with revising your notes, however, when you put the cookies on the table, nothing and no one could get more attention from them than these sweets. “Only magic is making him scarier than he actually is.”

“Oh, stop,” you quieted them. “You know nothing about our dorm leader.”

They shrugged but tried to read your thoughts from your face. You winced playfully at that and got a loud 'tch' back. “Well, I know that he is giving you a hard time with keeping your grades high. Isn't he forcing you to study even if that was the only test you failed? Duh, you have great grades! You even helped me with retaking my test!”

You smiled softly at their words. It was kind of unfair. But you also knew that people much more consider other's flaws rather than flaws. In NRC everyone knew that and daily used that judging system.

“Hah...” you breathed out. “I know it is wrong, judging someone for just one thing. But, you know, even if I don't like studying when someone tells me to do so, maybe I will be able to improve my grades that way? Maybe dorm leader has good intentions... or something.”

“Keep telling yourself that, keep telling,” your friend laughed your response off, waving their hand at you.

That laugh, even if they were laughing at you more than with you, cheered you up somehow. Another mystery of Scarabia students: their laugh was infectious.

“Whatever. I am going to retake the exam and show Riddle that I am capable of writing my exam right. I will get a better grade than him!”

Little did you know that Riddle himself heard your declaration. It wasn't that hard to hear each conversation in an almost empty library.

He, just a bookshelf away, where there weren't any walls or soundproof barriers, could overhear the whole meeting. He couldn't help but smile. He also couldn't tell why. Something between amazement and proudness pierced his body.

Having a rival in a field he is excellent at? And increasing dorm status at the same time?

He couldn't wear the smile on his face off.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

4. Bribe him with strawberries 🍓

“Dorm leader, could I not participate in today's croquet?”

Riddle lifted his chin, tearing his gaze away from data, he got from Crowley at today's meeting. Some lines were already underlined with markers and completed with bright red notes Riddle scribbled.

“And why is that, [Name]?” he asked, shifting his whole attention to you. You could feel its weight on your muscles, which stiffened in few seconds. He used a type of tone that almost made you take back your question. Almost, since you bit the back of your cheek and loudly swallowed saliva before answering.

“My friend asked me for help and I already told them I will be there... I may bring some strawberries later,” your left hand wrapped around your wrist, and started playing with the sleeve's fabric. You fidgeted in the result. Oh lord, where you should put your hands? Were they always there?

Riddle looked at you carefully, and the silence between you two during a while that you almost didn't expect the answer from him.“...Is that a bribe? The part with strawberries.”

You widened your eyes at the question, but also a smile appeared on your face. You did your best not to show how his input lightened you up. However, your muscles relaxed visibly.

“Yeah, that's one of my tactics to take over the world,” you replied sarcastically, allowing yourself to make that joke. Riddle didn't question nor disapproved your answer but nodded in—false, you assumed from the too theatrical expression on his face—acknowledgement.

“Well then. You may go.”

“Thank you, dorm leader!” You bowed. It was hard to believe that it wasn't a dream and Riddle loosened. You could only suppose that the overblot event sometimes had its breakthrough points. Or Riddle was trying to master the modern humour. “I will bring you as many strawberries I can carry!”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

5. Remember few random rules.

“Don't you dare drink that!” Riddle warned you in a loud cautionary tone that made you spin around. You didn't even notice that he was in the kitchen until he spoke up. You also hoped for no one to notice you, preparing yourself a night snack. Now, you weren't sure what's worse—if your roommates nagged you to share your food with them or meeting the dorm leader here.

Cater, who was searching for popular drink recipes, while sitting next to you, was already one person too much in this kitchen.

“What?” you muttered the question, and the dorm leader gave you a lopsided look while pursing his lips and frowning.

“Rule 256 says you cannot drink lemonade honey past 8 pm,” he recited, accenting with devotion every word. He still gave you an unimpressed look. “And what are you holding in your hands? Lemonade.”

“And rule 622 says that you must drink something citrusy at the weekend,” you answered quickly, curious for Riddle's reaction. That Heartslabyl law was one of the few rules you remembered past the first hundred—at least you hoped you knew that much. One time you just browsed through the list of all rules. And you (accidentally) memorised that one. “And we still haven't drunk anything like that.”

Knowing the rules that included food was usually a life-saving knowledge if someone liked to eat. You did.

Riddle raised his eyebrow, as Cater for once lifted his eyes from the phone. A weak smile, forming as the surprise sank in, appeared on the dorm leader's mouth. “Oh? I am surprised you remember that rule.”

You struggled with a reply. “Of.. of course, I do. I am Hearslabyul student, am I not?”

Riddle only nodded silently. Once again he looked at you, at drinks, and Cater, before he turned his back to you and walked away, saying 'goodnight' to you two. After placing two cups of lemonade on the table, you finally sat down next to Cater.

He flashed you a grateful smile that quickly turned into a smug.

“You totally remember all the rules, [Name]-chan. With like 50 gaps between every one you remember,” he said after tasting his drink. It wasn't sweet at all. Much more, it was sour and refreshing and cold and that was the thing which lured Cater to pick that recipe.

You kicked him lightly under the table, receiving a small chuckle in return. “Sheesh, I tried to look good... Be thankful for having a lemonade.”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

6. Teach yourself how to brew tea.

“Dorm leader! Would you like some tea?”

Riddle stiffened for a second, his eyes aimed at you as his gaze travelled from you to the teapot. He was on his way to check the condition of the roses and didn't expect anyone to be here. It wasn't rare for to somebody having tea on their own when they feel like it, but, nevertheless, Riddle still was surprised. Pleasantly surprised.

“Can you brew it well?” There was some genuine curiosity in his voice as he walked to the table. “I haven't seen you making tea at all.”

“I practised it especially for you! And also, it will help me to stay awake... I hope!” You gestured to the pile of books and notes stacked next to you. Riddle recognized not only your handwriting; he guessed that you probably asked some people for their notes. That was a good tactic, since people while listening to lectures note different things. “You can see how hardworking student Hearslabyul has!”

Riddle only gave you a smile in response. He took an empty seat at your left, and you poured him a cup of black tea, which he didn't drink until it cooled. The pleasant silence interrupted by the occasional twitter of the birds and rustling in the bushes was stretching between you two before he lifted the teacup to his mouth and started speaking again.

“Hey, [Name]... Would you mind if I asked you to stop calling me by a title..?” That was a question that lingered in his mind for some weeks. And even with many good moments during these weeks, he chose the one when he took you by surprise. If you were drinking tea at the moment, you would surely choke on it.

You answered as quickly as the first shock sank in. “...So by name then? Wait, what was your name again, dorm leader...” You theatrically pressed your hand to a forehead, as if trying to recall his name. And perhaps you were a good actor because his whole body tensed. “I am joking, I swear!”

The sudden burst of steam from the kettle distracted your attention.

You refilled his cup. “Well, here is your tea, Riddle.”

“Thank you... [Name].”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

7. Feed flamingos while wearing pink.

Cater sometimes could be too harsh when it came to you wearing something “outdated”—out of actual trends that changed once a month—but if you ever needed any fashion tip or piece of clothing to complete your outfit, he would always be there.

“Isn't that Cater's jersey?” Riddle pointed out, seeing you in a very oversized, pink sweatshirt with dark, printed letters 'TWISTED AND WONDERFUL'. It was stylishly oversized for Cater, but on you, it just looked... too big. You had to pull your sleeves up once every three minutes, and you surely were frustrated, since feeding flamingos without making any mess was near impossible.

“It is,” you shrugged, dusting your hands off. “I couldn't find any of my pink clothes, so I borrowed them from him.”

Riddle nodded slightly, his slate grey eyes wandering to your hands, wet and with sticky animal food remnants. He reached into his pocket and took out the handkerchief he handed you. You welcomed it with gratitude and relief.

“Be careful not to dirty it, or he will be complaining all the day about it.”

You gave him a cheeky smile.

“Then next time you need to give me pink clothes,” you stated, watching as Riddle stands a little bit straighter. “Or will you grumble too?”

“I- I won't,” he replied quickly. If he was able to take his mind of thoughts of borrowing you his clothes, he would glare at you with a gaze that both electrified people and stuck them to the ground. But he wasn't able to look up at you, as he turned around to leave. “Anyway, don't be late for classes, [Name]..!”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

8. Play chess.

You re-did your exam. And after studying the notes and textbooks for so long, you were happy that you had the light feeling blooming in your chest when you exited the classroom.

And, as the feeling predicted, it was a great score. 98 points out of 100. Sadly, Riddle didn't make any mistake on that test, so you couldn't celebrate as much as you wish to.

“Checkmate,” Riddle moved his chess piece, white knight, and trapped your king without a way to escape. The dark king on your side magically keeled over, indicating Riddle's victory.

You sighed, as all pieces themselves started to return to their original places. The dorm leader's win wasn't a big surprise. He was known for being good at chess since some rules required him to practice it at weekends. Second, whenever you thought you made a good move with your piece, Riddle's move proved to you that you could have done better.

You sighed again, and Riddle didn't pay any attention. He got used to your sighing whenever it was his turn. “Don't you want to let me win sometimes?”

“No.”

“So cruel!”

“You are clever, [Name],” he said, his voice soft and thoughtful, even if he didn't look directly at you. “You can figure your tactic by yourself.”

“Thank you... but I hope I won't win anytime soon. I would be disappointed if I won against you, who is pride and joy of our Hearslabyul, just after starting to play chess.”

“Don't worry about that, it won't be that easy,” you got a little chuckle in response. This time your chess pieces were white and the honour of making the first move belonged to you. Riddle waited patiently for you to make up your mind, as he spoke again. “You've retaken your test already, right? Even though I adore your spirit, it won't make up the two points you lost to me.”

You let him continue, which you regretted a moment later.

Something sparkled in his eyes. As much as he was stern about most of the mistakes on every test, the one you made, amused him. You weren't sure if him being angry wouldn't be better. “Hm, wasn't one of them lost, because you forgot to sign your test? Should we practice writing your name?”

“Dorm leader-! Riddle, don't you dare start teasing!” You squealed. That made Riddle smile even more. “I can't take that!!”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

9. Try to bake and burn a cake.

“So, what were you doing with Trey?”

The aroma of strawberries and the sweetness of baked cake were filling the kitchen. There was also something bitter, ashy, but that scent seemed to be covered under other fragrances.

On the kitchen counter, there was a glass epergne with creamy cake on it. The dessert was beautiful and rich in every way as always; just by looking at it, you knew that it was a flavour bomb and decorations made by the experienced hand of a confectioner hid that sweet danger.

“A cake for unbirthday party,” you answered Riddle's question. It wasn't a lie, considering that you helped with the cake that soon will be on one of the party tables. But were there much more to this short answer? Of course.

Riddle winced, and you weren't sure if he raised his eyebrows or frowned.

“It took you so long? It always takes less time,” he noticed. His hand rested on his cheek as he was sitting next to you and idly browsing through the cookbook full of sticky notes with Trey's comments. Though his posture suggested he was uninterested, his voice was sounding opposite; it was slow, but as if he were analyzing your every word and saving in long-term memory.

“Well, I asked Trey to help me with something,” you replied wanting him to stop questions here. But somehow, he didn't stop asking. You were almost surprised that he needed such a specific description of what you were doing in a kitchen with Trey and few fellow students.

“Something like..?”

“Something that certainly isn't a cake that I wanted to give you tomorrow, but burned in the process.”

That finally caught his attention. His whole body shuddered before he became breathless. The thoughts were occupying him that much, that he couldn't function properly.

“Y-you... you wanted to bake a cake... for me?”

You hadn't noticed before, but now, when Riddle was surely flustered, and his cheeks reddened to the shade of red that resembles strawberries on the cake, he stuttered. You couldn't help, but think that was rather charming.

“I just said 'isn't'!” You protested, sounding offended, but there is a big, heartful smile on your face. “But, yes. I will ask him again to help me with it.”

There was some pause before Riddle asked another question. Not about the cake this time.

“May I help you with it this time?” He struggled with forming a sentence, but his voice sounded somehow steady. You couldn't tell the same about the face, cheeks still hot and red, eyes running on the floor, not knowing where to stop. “I know I am not as good baker as Trey... but we can make it together, following the recipe of your choice.”

“Okay... Okay, then!” You smiled at the question. Warm, fuzzy feeling exploded in your chest, leaving your face and ears in the cherry shade of red.“I look forward to my cooking class with you.”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

10. Break the rule.

“Where is [Name]?” Riddle asked Trey and Cater, his gaze shifting from one student to another. It was the third time he regarded each student that attended the party, and still, he couldn't find his favourite—in his mouth replaced by 'in need of attendant who will stop you from doing anything stupid'—student.

“I have no idea,” Cater looked around, and even considered calling you, before spotting your phone next to an empty plate, one seat from him. “Maybe they have sneaked out of unbirthday party or something. Should I go search for them?”

Riddle shook his head. “I will go. Trey, Cater, please look after students when I am not here.”

He got a nod from Trey before he headed further into the gardens. Going through the Rose Maze was the quickest and most discreet way to get to... just anywhere in Heartslabyul gardens. And not only, since some passages led just to NRC—no one knew why, but the portal was the most stable way to get there—it didn't mean that there weren't other ways.

“[Name]!” Riddle called you, as he recognised the similar silhouette. You turned around, “Why aren't you at the party?”

Panicked, you looked up at Riddle. Truth be told, you spent whole daydreaming and somehow starstruck. You didn't really know—you only had a suspicion. “S-sorry... But I have a great reason!”

...

You didn't have a good reason.

“Like?” Riddle asked, crossing his arms.

“Uh,” your gaze fell, sticking to the ground. “Like... like...” And you said the words that repeated in your mind for so long. They weren't supposed to be spoken here, but now you weren't thinking properly. “I... I love you?”

As much as Riddle reddened whenever you did something affectionate, now he was pale, not less than a sheet of paper. He looked as if he was too faint, and inexplicably the tears glimmered in his eyes.

“W-what? And... and it- is that a question?”

“Do you love me?” You asked, now really not knowing what to do. You quickly bring your hands to cover your mouth, before panicking again. “W-wait, no! Ahaha, please treat it as a joke. I... I am sick I guess. I will go to the party, right now. I am okay.”

You quickly turned on your heels, ready to run away from the scene. From Hearslabyul. From Riddle.

“W-wait-!” He cried out, grabbing your sleeve. He used his whole strength in arms, to draw you closer. “I- I do. I do love you.” He said it loudly and clearly but also panicking. After realizing what he said, his grasp loosened, but you weren't trying to escape anymore. “A-a-at least I think so.”

You opened your mouth, wanting to say something, but no sound came out. After a short while, you encouraged yourself to speak.

“O... Oh, great!” You imitated cheering, but you were still stunned. The only thing that sank in, was that Riddle didn't reject your sudden confession. Could your heart take that much happiness at once? “'Cause I wasn't joking about loving you. It was a lie when I said I... was joking.”

“Please don't lie about that,” he whispered so quietly, and you could only hear him because you were still closed in his tight embrace. You smiled lightly, your eyes filling with tears as well.

“I won't.”

I saw this post and I was wondering if you write Malleus' too, is okay for you to make that?

How to win a heart of Malleus Draconia?

a/n: I started posting my writings here because I want to improve my English — so I technically wouldn't make this request. But! Someone on Wattpad (where I take requests) asked for the same thing, so I rolled up my sleeves and wrote this guide today in both languages. Enjoy~

1. Don't be afraid of him.

It is said that the first impression is the most important.

So when you first saw this guy walking through the corridor of Diasomnia, it was hard for you to get rid of that view from your head.

Illuminated both by the green magic flames set in the lobby, as well as by the moon, which eventually managed to break through the dark clouds and with a bright glow appear in the windows of the dormitory, he seemed... lonely and beautiful.

You shuddered as you took a step down the hallway and the dark-haired man turned to you. He measured you with his emerald eyes. And then you recognized him; all the conversations about the mysterious and fearsome Malleus Draconia flew through your head.

Everything told you to rush towards the hallway and run as far as possible, but a piece of you found it inappropriate. Or rather, no one would want to chase everyone away from themself... right?

When you realized you were looking at him for a while, you took a deep breath and nod slightly.

"Good evening, Draconia-san," you said quickly. After a while you added, "The moon is beautiful today, don't you think?”

 2. Smile a lot.

Today was a really wonderful day: the test was postponed, your favorite dish was given in the canteen, and for some reason, the last two lessons were canceled – your class had to make just a quick note about a topic and it took less than fifteen minutes.

"Something happened?" Malleus asked, seeing how almost in the jumps you walk past him. When you looked at him, he added, "You smile a lot.”

"I can stop smiling if you want," you made a sad face, but after a while, the corners of your mouth began to tremble uncontrollably and twisted up again. "Oops, I can’t. Today... it was such a good day... that I think I'm slowly using my life's happiness.”

"I didn't say that smiling is bad," he said. "You look so much better when you smile.”

"Oh," you sighed with apparent surprise. "Is it a compliment?"

"It’s rather a fact..?"

 3. From time to time visit him during club activities.

"Is this a class of the ‘Gargoyle research society club’?” with a deaf knock you opened the door. Malleus turned to you, making a break from browsing through the materials gathered in the library about the history of each of the gargoyles on the school grounds. And there were a lot of them.

"Yes," he replied briefly, getting up. "Do you need something, [Name]?"

"Not at all, my club don’t have a meeting today," you said, closing the door behind you.

You looked around: the room was as clean as ever, except for one desk, where were laid several huge volumes about statues in NRC.

“Are you here alone?” You said before you thought. You lowered your eyes to see Malleus nodding unconcerned slightly. You blinked several times trying to think of what else you could say. "This room... could be a secret base," that was the first thing that came to your mind. Malleus turned his head to one side, uncertain of your response.

“A secret base..? Why?”

"I have no idea," you admitted quickly. "But the very existence of a mysterious point is interesting, isn't it? Doing normal things, such as watching movies or just talking, seems more interesting in places like this,” After a moment of silence, you sighed. "You know what, this idea with the base is stupid”

"We can try," he replied with serious tone. You raised your eyes to see how he looked around the room. "But you'll just have to explain this idea to me in more detail. We can also tell Lilia, Silver and Sebek about it...” he smiled as if seeing your five together in his thoughts was a pleasure. "It will be surely... fun.”

 4. Get yourself a Tamagotchi.

"Look!" you spin a new key chain on your finger. You finally stopped and showed it to Malleus. "Now they are matching!”

A small electronic toy, in a dark green screen that, when it flashed, showed a virtual, pixelated animal. You were impressed with how good quality it was made, especially since you only gave the Shroud brothers a sketch of a toy that Malleus owned.

Your keychain was exactly the same, just a different color and with another pet.

Malleus pulled out his own device and put it on the table. He pressed one of the buttons and a small pet appeared on the keychain – a dragon.

"They can now be friends," you brought your toy closer to so-called Gao-Gao Dragon-kun.

"Do you think so?" He asked in a very surprised tone, but it sounded as if in a moment he were about to burst out with an inexplicably joyful and surprised laugh.

"Of course. Everyone needs a decent friend, no?”

 5. Gain the trust of Lilia, Silver and Sebek.

Lilia, one of Malleus' closest people. It is much more likely that you will meet him before Malleus. He will be very proud when he learns that Malleus has found a friend. If you become a taster of Lilia, in terms of his pastries, he will 100% like you, and at 20% you will leave the kitchen alive and well.

Silver, who has mastered the art of sleeping in any conditions. It's easy to get him into your plans, although with the craziest ones he will hesitate. Rather well-disposed towards everyone, he can cover for you when you are not in class— but he usually inadvertently falls asleep and both of you often have penal assignments after school.

Sebek, faithful to Malleus, if he doesn't like you, you won't have too many opportunities to stay by Malleus's side without a thunderous glances at you. He will recognize you if you will listen carefully to his monologues about his master and as a sign of your friendship, he will teach you by heart of all the titles and achievements of Malleus so far.

With this trio by your side, you can get a lot further than you might have imagined...

 6. Be a master in hide and seek.

You’d give your right arm that your breath was too loud.

You pressed your hands to your mouth as you crouched in the corner of the room.

From whose voices you already heard, you knew that Lilia had already found Sebek. This meant that you or Silver would still be helping cook dinner since Malleus didn’t come at the start of the game.

This may seem silly, but the ability to play classic games was one of the elements of the art of survival in Diasomnia.

It was thanks to games like ‘stone-paper-scissors’, hide and seek or tag that household chores fell on the shoulders of the losers. Lilia loved the idea, and there was always a proud smile on his lips when he saw his beloved children play together.

You heard the steps behind you and shivered.

Very slowly you turned around and looked up to see Malleus standing over you and wondering what you were doing, crouching in the darkest corner of the room.

Puns were also included in the survival pack.

Fearing that Lilia would hear your whisper, you put your finger on your mouth, asking him not to say a word. You put a begging eye into it – all but not cooking with Lilia. Not again.

Malleus nodded, recognizing the gravity of the situation, although he smiled.

Really, no one would want Malleus to be an enemy.

Or at least in such a situation.

 7. Do not hesitate to ask him for help with learning.

"In theory, you should focus on the space around you," Malleus pulled a wand in front of him. It flashed, and almost at the same time, a thin but incredibly strong protective barrier was created around him. “Weaker spells can be reflected. In turn, the stronger ones are better to block”

You nodded understandingly.

Defensive magic was not something easy to understand. Most depended on the person against whom the counter spell was being prepared. And there are countless people who walk on this Earth and want to start fights.

"Unique spells block or avoid physically," he continued. You nodded at every subsequent sentence, slowly feeling like all the lessons are eventually gaining transparency. “Using unique magic against unique magic, the stronger will win, both will lead to explosions or completely reduce.

He looked at you when you wrote down the last sentence in your notebook.

"I sincerely hope that you will only need this information in class," he said with a sigh. "If you need help, call me. I will come. I promise.”

 8. Sometimes be persuaded to wear extravagant clothes.

"Do you really think it suits me?" you turned around, looking at yourself from every possible angle in the mirror.

You were going to the theater in a few classes to see some era-related play that you've been discussing now in history lessons. Everyone, respecting the reputation, actions and achievements of theatre, dressed in their best clothes.

Malleus stood next to you.

He was already wearing a black and white outfit with green accessories. They all worked so well together and fitted him like a glove that you were sure that the whole outfit was made especially for him.

"Yes," he replied. "Everything you put on today suited you very well.”

Once again, with critical eyesight, you looked at the outfit, face and hair, before you quickly turned off the lights in the room and closed the door behind you.

Then you smiled at Malleus.

"We can go now," you said. You made your way through the portal to the main NRC building. "And... thank you for your help.

"My pleasure," he said. Under no circumstances was it just a polite formula. He really loved looking at you.

 9. Invite him to your birthday/party.

"Another break from school soon, huh?" — you muttered, leaning against the railing.

You took a deep breath and let the fresh, pleasant air refresh you.

"Are you going to home, [Name]?" Malleus asked. Green lights were still flying around him, so you guessed he’d just appeared here.

"I haven't decided yet," you sighed. "It would be nice to go home, but the break won't be very long... Ah, that's right!” you straightened up and turned to him. "How about spending another break together? As soon as I can, I will contact my family... although I cannot promise anything.”

Though he did not show it, Malleus' heart beat a little faster.

Spend free time? With someone? With someone he likes?

"Of course," he sounded less calm than he thought. He wasn’t often invited anywhere, even for the things he should have been on, so there was a lot of excitement growing in his body. "I don't see anything against it.”

 10. From "The Great Malleus Draconia-sama" to "Love".

"Ah, The Great Malleus-sama!" you sighed theatrically, taking from him a box of chocolates with a joyful smile. You could promise that because of this dark-haired boy here, you slowly become pampered. "Thank you for your generosity!”

Malleus frowned.

"The Great Malleus-sama"..?” he pondered, putting his fingers to his chin. "Did Sebek told you again to call me with this title?"

"No," you laughed softly at his reaction. "I did it out of curiosity. Maybe I could call you some cute nickname, hmm?" you smiled mischievously.

"For example?"

"By adding ‘-chan’ to your name?” you turned on your phone and typed something related to the nicknames. You started reading suggestions and struggled to hold back from laughing. ” ’Sunshine’, ‘star’, ‘flower’, ‘sweetheart’, ‘love’...

"I like the last one," he said, and the invisible force stung you to the ground.

"Would you like me to call you like that? Out of curiosity or out of love?" You laughed, but your cheeks were all red with blushes.

He smiled sincerely at your reaction.

"Hmm, I wonder..?"

Hi! uhhh I don't really know if rqsts are open so you can just discard this if you want. n e wayssss can I get a oneshot of a dense fem!s/o who isn't really dense but she just pretends to be because she's scared of heartbreaks. make it a vil please! (btw she is so dense to the point where vil is almost making a fool of himself just to get a shred of affection from y/n) and again if the rqsts are closed please just dismiss this thanks!

a/n: Sorry for a month-long (??) delay!!

Vil Schoenheit x Pretending to be dense in terms of love! Reader

There were times when Vil thought you were doing that on purpose. You never got a hint. You never noticed that you always had his eyes follow your every move, orbs light up whenever you greeted him and darken with worry whenever you laughed your head off with another student. Vil couldn't really remember the times when he thought of you as a friend. Perhaps he never did so; in childhood times, when you were one of the kids that stuck to his side and without a complaint respected his limited time to play with other children, you were just an acquaintance and neither of you put any effort nor time to tighten the bond between you two. And three years ago, around the time when he entered Night Raven Collage walls, you two were almost inseparable. Messaging each other every day, getting fashion tips from him every morning and sincere compliments (or whining) from you in return. He supposes that you were already someone more than “acquaintance”, maybe even more than a “friend”. With his entrance, he promised himself that he will figure out his feelings by the day he graduates from NRC. Now he is in his third year, and still has no idea what the hell is going on in his mind. Why it's so hard to keep composure with you around? Is your heart so sensitive around him too, ready to jump out of your chest whenever he seems to care about you? Then, why do you never look interested in him? Should he just confess to you... and risk your relationship that he cherishes so much? Why is he the one that fell in love? It would have been easier if you were lovestruck. It is torture and Vil believes it will still be one. As much as obliviousness was a cute trait of yours—or so he thought, when he was still thinking of you only as an acquaintance—now it made him feel despondent. “What?” Vil recognizes your voice and halts. As much as he wants to just walk past the overhearing area, he can't bring himself to. He just stays quiet as you continue talking to Epel, who just spotted Vil next to you two. His muscles tense, and Epel seems like he wants to jump to you and stop you from sating anything more, but isn't fast enough. “I am not in love with Vil. Why would you think that?” Epel's eyes widen a bit, a concern fills his eyes that turn into a stormy-grey timbre. You use sudden diversity as a sign to turn around and look straight into Vil. …

He is the first one, who starts speaking. He thanks himself for his ability to control emotions. At least on the outside. Saying “disaster” would be an understatement of the turmoil tugging his heart. He just knew that there was no point in figuring these feelings anymore when they weren't going to be reciprocated. “...Good morning, potatoes,” he says after a pause, forcing himself to keep calm. “Why aren't you heading to the laboratory yet? If you will be late for classes, I will have to put you for extra etiquette lessons. No one wants that, no?” “Ah, yes,” Epel replies quickly, casting you a subtle glance. “I mean, we were planning to go there just now. [Name], hurry up, and let's go-!” “I- I think I just lied.” There is an almost visual hesitance in your voice. You tightly grip the hem of your uniform's shirt, almost poking holes in the white fabric. “About.. uh, my interest in Vil,” you continued, your voice quieted with each word. “I am not saying I am in love... and even if I am, I would like to keep such a... precious person like himself by my side even... even as friends.”

It doesn't take a long time before Vil speaks. “I think,” he says, his mind that filled with different thoughts, that he could as well have an empty space in his thoughts, “that Vil would be really happy if you risked your relationship with him. I can see him... almost struggling with confirming if your feelings are mutual. He does his best to see if he has a chance.” You look at him with surprise. “He does?” “I do,” Vil says, his smile lustres with gratitude and bliss. “And I assure you that I will use it properly when the time comes. You may expect it very soon... but this time not with a close audience.” He looks at Epel, who winces at his remark, somehow still overenthusiastic and stunned by the (half-)confession. “Am I at fault for just standing there?! You are the one who interrupted our very walk to the lab!” The ringing bell engulfs his last words, and Epel shifts uncomfortably as you dither if you must go to classes right now. Vil places his hand on your head, but in a way that doesn't mess up your hairstyle. “Try to focus on your classes today... And wait for me until I will ask for your heart officially.” With these words, he gracefully turns around, and you aren't sure if Crewell will be able to get your attention in a while.

How to win a heart of Jamil Viper?

1.   Don’t be a typical hero(ine).

Contrary to the popular romance trope, tripping over the air to land on a certain cool-looking boy, and dropping all carried things, wouldn’t make Jamil fall for you. Instead, just falling because of you and sharply crashing with a floor would make him rather cautious around you and keeping a distance whether he has anything in his hands.

Believe him or not, he doesn’t need another ditsy and erratic person around him—like a certain leader from a certain dorm, who happens to create a mess anytime, anywhere.

So, let someone else be the protagonist of the story.

In that situation, you may be a side character that gets its way through obstacles and classic borders of story scheme and is much more interesting than the main persona.

That’s how you get his attention.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

2.   Be a help.

Oh, a person that would help him with his chores means to him much more than gold. Sometimes.

“Can I help you anyhow?” you asked when Jamil was going to the kitchen after a daily training with the rest of the dorm. He lifted his eyebrow, waiting for further explanation. “I mean with cleaning or something.”

Jamil glanced at you, not sure about your intentions.

Who would like to do something to help without having something in return? With only your will? No, it doesn’t work well in the same sentence.

But some help would be great. So, he just needs to keep sure that he won’t fall into any trap for letting you help, yes?

“Sure,” he said casually, not letting his face nor voice reveal any of his thoughts he run into. “[Name], right? Could you bring and clean the dishes from longue?”

And you helped. You really helped him a lot, staying over two hours till everything was shimmering with cleanliness and your abrupt desire to clean something and be more useful, burned out.

“Thank you for your help,” Jamil said, after correcting the last cushion in the Scarabia’s longue. You flashed him a smile. “But why, if I can ask, did you offer it in the first place?”

He got a quick response in form of a shrug.

“I... don’t really know,” you admitted, glancing at him. “...But you don’t complain, no?”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

3.   Be his dish taster.

“The way to a one's heart is through his stomach.”

“Try it,” Jamil handed you a spoon filled with some kind of stew. You consentaneously your opened mouth and drank all content of the spoon. Your mouth filled with many flavours and you couldn’t be sure if you ever ate that good combination in your life. “How was that?”

“Excellent as always.”

You said it all sincerely and maybe would have asked for seconds, if not the fact that Jamil already turned his back to you and got back to pots. He took another spoon and tried the dish himself, clicked his tongue and added more salt.

Once again, he turned to you and handed you a spoon.

“And how was that now?”

“Excellent as always,” you chuckled as he frowned at you.

“Don’t you think that you should add more words to your dictionary? You say the same thing on every dish,” once he said that you finished drying the last plate and preparing silverware for today’s fiesta.

“Don’t you think that I won’t be able to eat anything at the party when I will eat enough of your cooking now to write a poem about each of your culinary masterpieces?” Jamil chuckled slightly at your words.

“So, you don’t want any more?” he teased, but inside he was really flushed. Praises or cajolery, it all makes his heart skip a beat.

Finally, there was someone who appreciated all work he’s done.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

4.   Distract Kalim from him.

“You really shouldn’t go there,” you said, your voice as serious as you could keep it. “I mean, what if there is a monster who wants to kidnap you?”

Kalim cocked his head a little, considering your words. After a while, he nodded, fully convinced by your argument.

“You’re right,” he said. “I will warn others about this..!”

Kalim turned on his heel and spotted some people returning from morning classes. He ran to them, greeting them and walking with them as he tried to introduce the situation.

Still not believing Kalim fall for your words, you were standing alone in the centre of the corridor, a bit dumbstruck to discover the excuse Jamil came up with work.

“...Are you sure, you don’t want to tell him that some student’s from other dorm are here?” you asked as if saying to yourself your thoughts aloud.

But there was someone, someone who was hiding behind a big potted palm. He only gave you thumbs up as a preventative measure if there was still a chance that Kalim didn’t just dash through the halls to talk with some dorm students.

Jamil only looked at you and mouthed “No. Party. Today.” and quietly shifted to the corner, where the wall hid him and he could finally get up.

Mission accomplished.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

5.   Get rid of bugs for him.

“[Name],” Jamil called out to you, bursting through the door to your room. He looked very pale and panic was staying still in his eyes. “Would you be so kind to... deal with an intruder?”

You frowned a little before biting back a sigh. At first, you were concerned. Even Kalim getting in a serious mess didn’t make him react that seriously. But then you remembered that there was one thing that could make Jamil call you out of nowhere, acting like in an emergency. Emergency only in eyes of few.

Bugs.

Jamil never admitted to you that he is scared of them, but every time you brought up the topis, he snapped his fingers at it, saying that insects just aren’t his favourite kind of animal.

“Hmm~ Maybe after I finish this chapter,” you said, conspicuously turning a page of the book you were reading and with all your will trying not to smile nor to look at the wincing expression Jamil was wearing.

“[Name],” he said, his voice shaking with anger or frustration. “Go there right now or I will make sure you won’t get today’s dinner.”

...No dinner?

“Yes, mum,” you said putting the textbook aside and getting up from the comfortable couch.

Of all people, Jamil is probably the only one—well, maybe also Trey—that could make those words sound dangerous. Like, no dinner made by the best chef in Scarabia? It would be pure agony.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

6.   Have competitions.

“Aren’t you a little too good in this game?” you asked, regretfully placing pieces of the game back to the initial places.

He gave you a smile that slowly turned into a smirk, as you groaned at the next round you have lost. You flopped on the big pillow, all your will to play destroyed, as you sank between really cosy material.

“I told you I won’t give you a head start,” Jamil said, his steady voice mixed with amusement. “You even told me that you don’t want me to go easy on you before the game started.”

“Too bad,” you clicked your tongue at his response. “I was sure that after watching you play with Kalim, I remembered your tactics.”

You’ve watched at least eight rounds of Jamil and Kalim playing this game, and when it was coming to end, you were almost sure you understood and remembered the technique he was using in certain situations.

But, to your disappointment, it looked like he – even without using any of his tricky cards in his sleeve – was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, because, after three moves, you knew that probably all three were wrong when the opponent was Jamil.

“You gained nothing by it. Of course, I lost to him or... there would be a trouble,” he exclaimed. “You are different.”

“Oh, thank you. I can lose but he can’t, huh?” you frowned at him as he almost choked on the surprise he felt by hearing your response.

“...Yeah, that’s it. Just it.”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

7.   Have study sessions together.

“One class had a test before us,” you said scrolling through your class chat group. “They said that there wasn’t any question about these dates.”

Jamil scribbled down years of the most important magic wars, from time to time looking at you who were listing some test exercises and feeling somehow unmotivated to even properly open a history book.

Your notebook was lying in front of you, today’s lesson topic on the top of the page and many detailed doodles on its margin.

Once again... what was the unit you are having an exam about?

“It doesn’t mean, we won’t get a question about that,” Jamil tried to convince you, sliding textbook your way. “Now, read that aloud, while I prepare notes.”

You blinked twice as if woken up from daydreaming. Were you daydreaming?

“Are you sure..? I mean, all I will do is reading. Wouldn’t you rather want us to read it silently and then share our notes after this?”

“Don’t think about it much. I really like your voice,” he said it so thoughtlessly you weren’t sure if said it as an unarguable fact or just his smooth talker abilities were showing off, “and gave me your notes for the last exam so we’re even. And you won’t do any good notes when you’re sulking over this exam like that.”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

8.   Remind him to take breaks.

“You won’t get out of here,” you exclaimed spreading your arms as shielding a door from him. “Not a chance.”

Jamil stood a feet next to you, grimace stretching on his lips as he knew what’s coming up.

“I have to go, [Name].”

He tried to get through you, lightly removing you of his way. He wasn’t a fan of using force on anyone, and he was a hater of using force on you.

Much more than a speakable argument, you were pushing each other closer or further from the door, having a staring contest and reciting all the things he had done in the past two days; except for his daily duties and with the upcoming birthday party of few students of Scarabia who happen to have a celebration in the same day, the number of tasks he was given was overwhelming.

“Stop it!” you protested, trying to push him back. “I am seriously worried about you! Please... take a break.”

Every time he was coming closer to the exit, you stepped back, blocking his way, bumping into him and having to try again.

“You know I have a lot of work to do,” he said, finally stepping back and giving you a break from trying to separate him from the door. “I can’t just give up all my duties, even if I would love a break.”

“I can do it for you,” you quickly offered. “But please, now, go to sleep and don’t you dare touch anything related to school or cleaning.”

...What a weird request.

When was the last time anyone told him to take a break?

He doesn’t remember.

But now, he can say it was recently, all thanks to you.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

9.   Promise.

It was really hard for him once all his hard work to keep a high position within the dorm students suddenly dropped after his overblot accident.

“[Name]...”

However, the thing he regretted the most was hurting you. Taking the whole dorm under his unique magic spell, the hypnosis also affected you, making you another servant of his. Even you weren’t the one he ordered a lot, you felt betrayed that even the friendship you two developed didn’t stop him from overblotting.

And if he knew that you would avoid him like fire after the accident, he would probably hesitate a lot.

His throat tightened as he saw you one day in the corridor, looking somehow lonely and tired. He dashed to you, beseeching you to talk to him.

“Sorry for asking, but, Jamil, you don’t hate me, right?” you asked with a pain in your voice. You couldn’t even look at his face, feeling the incomprehensible weight in your gaze. “I mean... Do you only act in front of me friendly? ...Like... with Kalim..?”

“No, no, no,” he protested quickly, making it almost sound like a plea. He gently grabbed your hands, praying that you won’t harshly jerk them back because of him. “I don’t hate you. I really like you. I mean every word I said to you.”

The feeling of release struck you like thunder, you took a big breath, your eyes watering. You slowly reached for his touch, finally ending in a hug.

Jamil ran his fingers through your hair, smelling a familiar, reassuring scent of yours. After a while, he whispered a question.

“So... could you please not avoid me anymore? I know it will be hard to bring up the same relationship we had, but... could you give me a second chance?”

“Okay. But under one condition,” you said, slightly backing off from him. Before he could wonder about the term you would require from him, you finished your thought. “You must be honest with me. I... don’t know what will I do if it all turned to be a play...”

“I will,” he replied, putting his whole heart in these two words. “I will always be honest with you. And won’t ever use my unique magic on you.”

You looked up at him, a small smile starting to rise and heart-throbbing more wilder with his words. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

10.            Make him confess.

“What are you doing this weekend?”

Jamil appeared in front of you, almost like popping out of nowhere, as you were done with today’s lessons and slowly heading to your dorm. He caught up with you, changing his pace to match yours.

“I have no plans. I will be probably sleeping or something,” you answered honestly, shrugging and reminding yourself that you should finally hang out with some people from your class to make sure your social life isn’t all over dead.

You were walking in quietly before Jamil broke silence and spoke up again.

“Would you like to go somewhere?” he asked his voice only giving a hint of nervousness—it was nothing compared to the stress he felt inside. It was just a “yes or no” question, he knew that he will meet in future many amazing people like you and shouldn’t be stressed, but having someone so dear to him being asked for a meeting where he will try to finally out find his feeling... it is stressful.

“Hehe~ what, are you asking me on the date?” you teased, but much more than mocking, you were hoping for an answer. For the honest answer, he promised you.

“...And what if I am?” he asked, his voice a bit hushed, but steady.

You felt how heat was coming all the way up to your cheeks, although you tried your best not to let anything more, as if a blush wasn’t obvious enough, know how excited and spellbound you are.

“Then, your wish is my command.”