Chapter Text
“Riiiiiddle! Yuu!” A voice cried out, awakening you both from your slumbers. As you fluttered your eyes open, you realized you were still trapped underneath Riddle, who awkwardly moved to lay beside you, allowing you space. You both gasped aloud upon being roused.
Looking down at you were Cater, Trey, Crowley, Deuce, Ace and Grim, as Riddle stared at the bespectacled boy in shock. “Trey…” He muttered, suddenly earning a grin from Ace. “They’re awake!” He exclaimed, causing you to suddenly cough out as you looked up.
Cater let out a sigh of relief. “About time. We were losing our heads thinking you might never wake up…” Riddle rubbed his head in confusion, sweat glistening down his bruised face. “What… Was I…?” Glancing over at the headmage, he smiled at you both. “Oh, excellent. I see you both have regained consciousness.”
Your eyes suddenly widened, remembering your mirror and the fight that had occurred. However, they were nowhere in sight. Noticing Crowley glance over your way, you ultimately decided to act a fool. Then, suddenly, Riddle spoke up besides you. “The truth is, I… I really wanted to eat that chestnut tart.”
“What?” Ace asked, his mouth agape as the red-haired boy went on, covering his eyes with one hand. “I don’t care if the roses are white, or if the flamingos are pink. And I prefer to sweeten my tea with honey rather than sugar cubes, and I like milk tea better than lemon tea anyhow.” You sat up, staring at him alongside everyone in disbelief, and some other feeling you couldn’t quite put your finger on.
The boy’s voice faltered as he continued, wavering ever so slightly. “And after a meal, I want to be the one sitting around talking with everyone…” Trey looked at him, shocked. “Riddle…?” However, the housewarden slowly broke down, eventually completely sobbing. “And I really wanted to play with you and Che’nya more, Trey.”
He cried loudly, tears glistening down his cheeks as snot oozed out of his nose. He was such an ugly crier, yet also somehow beautiful at the same time. You scooched closer to the boy, grabbing his hand and squeezing it lightly in yours, causing him to halt and stare at you. Feeling your own cheeks dampen, you looked at the boy with a smile, bringing your other hand to wipe away his tears threatening to fall.
Then, you broke down sobbing alongside him, the two of you practically throwing a tantrum fit for a small child. Everyone watched, absolutely stunned by the scene before them. “Riddle Rosehearts and Yuu in tears… #WOW.” Cater muttered as Ace glared at you both. “Oh, come on! You think a few crocodile tears will you get you off the hook?!”
Deuce frowned, nudging him with a disapproving look. “Give the guy a break, Ace.” Meanwhile, Trey stared down at him, genuine sorry in his eyes as he crouched down by you both. “I’m sorry, too. I knew you were suffering, but I just kept looking the other way. So I’m going to say what I should have said all along.” He paused, leaving everyone in suspense as you halted your weeping.
“Riddle, your way of doing things was wrong. You owe everyone an apology.” There was a silence as Riddle sniffled, sitting up. “I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…!” He cried out, tears still streaming down his face. You could all tell he meant it, the genuinity of his voice bringing you back to tears.
Ace let out a sigh, smiling at the boy. “You know… There’s something I was planning to say to you when you finally apologized for all your nonsense…” His expression suddenly changed as he leered down at the boy, pointing an accusatory finger. “One stupid ‘I’m sorry’ isn’t going to cut it! I will never, EVER let you live this down!” Everyone then startled at Ace’s sudden outburst.
“DUDE! Way to be a capital-J Jerk!” Cater exclaimed, the boy scoffing in response as he continued. “And proud of it! Have you forgotten how he made a total fool outta me?! Have you forgotten how he just threw away that chestnut tart we worked so hard on?! That ain’t something you can make go away with a few tears and a flimsy ‘I’m sorry!’” Even Grim was shocked at his reaction. “Wow. I ain’t never met anyone who was better at holdin’ grudges than I am.”
Riddle looked up at him, gaping, tears still filling his eyes. “Then… Then what do you want me to do?!” Ace paused, pondering it before answering Riddle’s inquiry. “Well… I don’t have a birthday coming up for a while.” You grinned slightly, realizing what he was hinting to.
“Huh? What does that have to do with–” Deuce asked, only to be cut off as Ace crossed his arms, going on. “So I demand a do-over for the unbirthday party! Except this time, we ain’t gonna do squat. This time, YOU’RE the one who brings the tart! And no getting Trey to make it for you! Do that, and then things are square between us.” He said with a huff, earning a look from Riddle. That same look he had when he met Che’nya and Trey for the first time.
You wiped a tear from an eye, cracking a laugh. “Ace, did you not have assistance in baking your own tart?” He glared at you, placing a finger over his mouth, effectively shutting you up, but not without a snort. “Quiet from the peanut gallery! What do you say, Riddle? We clear?”
“Yes… We’re clear.” Riddle responded with a nod, earning a gleeful smile from Crowley. “Ah, yes. Compromise is a beautiful thing. I believe that concludes this matter. Ah! And Yuu, about that little display you did… We shall discuss that later.” Gulping, you nodded uneasily. It appears your friends had returned to the mirror anyhow.
Cater smiled, exhaling deeply, looking towards the ruin of the garden. “Welp, looks like we got some cleaning up to do. All that work making the garden Magicam-worthy, and now it’s a total tire fire. Laaame.” Trey clutched his fedora, offering to be of assistance. “I’ll help out.”
However, Cater waved him off, gesturing to their drained housewarden. “No, why don’t you get Riddle to the nurse’s office. That was a full-bown case of overblot. We need to make absolutely sure he’s okay.” Crowley nodded, helping support the boy alongside Trey. “Mr. Diamond is correct. I will go along with you.” As Trey thanked him, you sweatdropped as they walked off, letting out a relieved sigh.
Besides you, Grim’s stomach grumbled as the cat loudly groaned. “Man, am I STARVED after usin’ so much magic! Hm? That smells like…” He paused, sniffing, before darting off and digging out another of the black magestones. “Ta-da! It’s another black magestone, just like the one we found at the Dwarfs’ Mine!”
You frowned at his exclamation, urging the cat to leave it be. “I greatly advise you to refrain from consuming such–” Unfortunately, he immediately brought it to his mouth, crunching on the stone greedily. His eyes sparkled, sighing happily as Cater shook his head. “Oh, Grimmy… Have some self-respect, honey! That was literally trash.”
However, Grim smiled, prancing in the garden’s patchy grass with such glee. “Ahhhh! Rich and sweet, but with a complex hint of bitterness in the aftertaste. Equally delicious, but with quite a different mouthfeel from that last one I ate.” You frowned, worrying for the cat, yet deciding against saying anything.
Ace scratched his head, sighing at the cat’s antics. “As a monster, maybe his stomach works differently than ours?” Deuce shrugged in response. “Even still, eating trash can’t be good for anyone.” Grim suddenly grinned, shoving mouthfuls of flora into his mouth at once, exclaiming excitedly. “Oooh! I just tried the grass, and the flavor was surprisingly pleasant! Crisp, even!”
Deuce’s mouth went agape as he picked up the cat, stopping him from further consumption. “That’s our lawn! Don’t eat that!” Cater let out a sigh, flashing his usual toothy grin. “Uh, AFK while I go throw up…” His voice lowered, his smile falling slightly, to one you found more genuine. “But… seriously, guys. Thanks.”
“Did you say something?” Ace and Deuce turned to him, not quite catching what the boy muttered beneath his breath. “Hm? Nope. Nothing at all.” You grinned as he walked over to you, nudging his side slightly as you whispered in his ear. “It appears there’s more underneath that mask you wear…” He glanced at you, eyebrows immediately shooting up. However, you were already walking off with the others, the ginger shooting you all complaints as he caught up.
-
Back at the Ramshackle Dorm, it was ever so early in the morning as you stood in the bathroom, blood dripping down your wrists and thighs. Gripping your dagger, holding it to your red-stained leg. A small sting forms as the blade meets your skin, however, not nearly as much as before, for it eventually began numbing out the more you did so. The next cut is deeper, for blood gushes out in larger amounts the more you cut.
Staring at your reflection in your mirror, you let out a shaky sigh. How much longer could you endure being here? It had barely been a week and you already relapsed. It made no sense. Why were you forced to be here? It was utterly unfair, for both you and others. You nearly lost Riddle, nearly lost Ace, Deuce, and Grim. You couldn’t save them the same way you were unable to save him.
You sniffed, wiping your tear-filled eyes. Such a crybaby. Why couldn’t you do anything? Why couldn’t you be of use? Pulling at your hair, your expression hardened. “I… I promise that this time… I’ll be of use. I won’t lose anyone.”
-
By now, It’d been a few days since Riddle’s overblot, and the day of the unbirthday party had finally arrived. You stood beside Ace and Deuce, Grim atop your shoulder. Suddenly, the garden doors creaked open. “Presenting our leader! The resplendent ruler in red! All raise for Housewarden Riddle!”
The crowd erupted into applause as Riddle walked in, staff in hand as he gave you a grin. He scanned the party, humming happily. “Hm. The garden roses are red, the tablecloths are white… This seems a proper unbirthday indeed. Is there a dormouse asleep in the teapo- Er, well, I suppose it’s fine either way.” He shook his head, causing you to smile softly.
Besides him, Trey spoke up. “Not everything has to change completely, you know. Like, maybe spread the jam on your scones, instead of on the dormouse this time? Let’s try to set the bar at ‘it’s great if it’s this way,’ not ‘it absolutely has to be this way.’” Your smile widened at his advice, that of which you greatly approved of. As Trey placed a scone before the housewarden, the boy grinned with a nod. “Yes. That’s a good idea.”
Meanwhile, amongst the others, Ace was complaining as usual, sighing loudly. “I can’t believe we got roped into cleaning up and prepping the garden again.” Deuce smiled, giving him a response. “Well, at least the housewarden recovered from his overblot without any complications.” You nodded at that, also glad of his speedy recovery.
“And the garden is Magicam-worthy once again! #Nofilter on this gorgeousness!" Cater exclaimed, earning a groan from Grim, who was drooling at the pastries before him at the table. “Can’t we just eat already?! We didn’t get a chance to eat anything last time, after all.” Nodding, Cater grinned, holding up his teacup. “Okey-dokey! Then we’ll start with a toast…”
However, Riddle immediately stood up, his table shaking at the sudden movement. “WAIT A MINUTE!” He screamed out, eyes wide, pointing directly at a rosebush behind the ginger. “Why are those roses white?” Around you, everyone murmured, terror setting in. “Urk! We missed some?!” Ace and Deuce exclaimed.
Cater began fretting, sweat running down his forehead. “Who was in charge of painting the roses?! I told you to paint every one of them!” However, you remained calm, having faith in the boy. “Riddle, please–” Trey stood up to stop him, the housewarden approaching the rosebush, going completely silent as the other students winced in fear of losing their heads.
However, holding out his staff, Riddle changed the entire bush of roses to red with a simple spell, awing the crowd as you smiled. Grim’s eyes sparkled as rose petals came flying down, Trey gripping his fedora as Riddle gave you all a happy grin. “I’m not going to punish anyone over one or two missed roses anymore.” Cater pressed his hands together, squealing in delight. “Really?! That’s so magnanimous of you, Riddle!”
After everyone had toasted, Ace turned to Riddle. “So what happened to that tart, Housewarden?” The boy nodded, handing the first year the box with an adorable pout. “I made it for you, as promised I would. Here: one strawberry tart, crafted by yours truly.” Opening it up, the sight sent nearly everyone into shock, for it was rather deformed.
Grim gulped, looking at it in dismay as Cater snapped a photo of it with a smirk. However, Trey gave Riddle a nod, acknowledging his attempt. “You even took the time to glaze the strawberries and make them really shine. For a first try, I’d say you did a great job.” Ace sighed, shaking his head at Trey’s compliment. “Oh, puh-leeze. You never miss a chance to coddle this guy. Forget that– Let’s see how this baby tastes.”
You gave him a glare, deciding to compliment the tart yourself. “How insensitive! I can tell you put much effort into this pastry, Riddle. I look forward to trying it.” Smiling at the boy, you earned a scoff from Ace as he rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Yuu! Now, let’s dig in!”
All of you took a piece, bringing your forks to your mouth, everyone pausing upon tasting the tart. Then, all but you and Trey recoiled, exclaiming loudly. “SO SALTY!” Riddle watched in shock, yelling out confusedly. “What?!” Ace stuck his tongue out, a bitter look on his face. “How is it SO salty?! What did you put in to make it taste that bad? Blegh…”
Riddle frowned, thinking back to when he made the tart. “I measured the ingredients precisely and followed the instructions exactly. There should be nothing wrong… Oh! Unless.. Maybe it was the oyster sauce?” He gasped, Deuce muttering out a response, looking on the verge of throwing up. “You don’t mean the Walrus-brand oyster sauce Trey joked about?”
“Yes, I remember him telling me how it’s used as a secret ingredient in all the best tarts, even though it’s not in the recipes.” Riddle responded, causing Ace to shout out loudly, a pissed expression on his face. “YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT?! If you’d thought about it for two seconds, you’d have known that’s not a thing!” You glanced at him, humming. “Did you not fall for it as well, Ace?”
The boy glared at you in response as Cater sweated. “Either way, secret ingredients are supposed to be subtle. How much did you use?” Riddle flustered, stuttering out a response. “I-It’s an unlisted ingredient! How could I measure it if he wouldn’t tell me how much to put in?!” You snickered, finding his reaction cute. Riddle was just like the average tsundere route in an otome game!
Suddenly, Trey snorted, then breaking into laughter, grinning widely. “I can’t believe anyone actually fell for that. You really put oyster sauce in a tart…” Then, Riddle smiled back at him, laughing with the boy. “Aha. Yes, indeed. I am such a fool.” Despite his words, the boys both giggled together so happily, warming your heart further.
Grim and you continued eating the tart, the cat speaking up between munches. “You know, in its own weird way, I think it’s actually kinda good!” You nodded, chewing as well with a straight face. “Indeed so. It’s rather enticing… A different approach, but a welcome one.”
“...I totally get what you’re saying, Yuu! It really isn’t half as bad as you’d think.” Cater said, beaming happily as Deuce stared at the boy in shock. “I’m starting to question your taste as much as Grim’s, Cater!” In response, he feigned hurt. “Wow, hurtful!”
Behind him, Trey spoke up. “You like the tart because it’s not sweet, right? You’ve never liked sweets, after all.” There was a pause before Cater turned around, an anguished expression on his face despite his smile. “HUH?! Trey?! How did you know?”
The green-haired boy brought a finger to his chin, giving him a response. “You always CASUALLY bring up my painting the roses spell just in time for me to change the flavor of your desserts. You hide it really well… But I always kind of suspected that maybe you’re not a big fan of sweets.”
Cater’s face flushed bright red, the boy covering his cheeks slightly with his fist. “You… You ALWAYS suspected…? My secret is out…” You chuckled out his whining, musing. “Mm. A spectacular observation on your part, Trey. And worry not, Cater, I happen to enjoy spicier food myself.”
He sighed at your comment, nudging Trey with a glare. “Not you too, Yuu… Hey, you know, Trey… This was the problem with Riddle, too. You had this habit of keeping your thoughts to yourself, and I don’t think it’s such a great idea.” The bespectacled boy laughed aloud. “How about I cook up a quiche for the next unbirthday party?”
Cater, still blushing, narrowed his eyes, his smile never vanishing. “Thanks a lot. Just make sure it’s at least as cammable as all these tarts.” You grinned, playfully poking the boy’s cheek. “You know, Cater, you’re rather adorable when flustered.” You were suddenly cut off, a piece of cake being shoved in your mouth as you let out a muffled gasp.
“I’d prefer it if you’d compliment me instead!~” Removing the fork, the familiar purple-haired catboy hummed in delight as he stabbed a slice, bringing it to his lips. “Mmmmm… Your baked goods are always so delightful, Trey. Although, I wouldn’t mind eating the treat in front of me, ehe~”
This time, it was your turn to blush as Riddle exclaimed loudly, shocked by the sight of the boy. “Che’nya?!” The cat floated over to Riddle, smirking. “Hm? I’m just here to celebrate my unbirthday, that’s all. A very merry unbirthday to you, Riddle.”
“The unbirthday party is a Heartslabyul House tradition. It is not meant for you.” The housewarden shooed him away, causing the boy to float back over to you straddling comfortably in your lap. “Mmm.. You’re no fun, Riddle!~” He exclaimed, pouting as he fed you more of his plate of cake.
Grim glanced over at you two, shocked. “Hey! It’s that weird disappearing-reappearing cat guy! What dorm is he from, anyway? I guess he’s not from this one.” Trey adjusted his glasses, giving Grim an answer to his question. “Che’nya doesn’t even go to our school. He’s a student at Royal Sword Academy. They’ve been Night Raven College’s rival arcane academy for you.” You hummed, remembering the headmage’s introduction to the rivalling colleges on your arrival.
“What? He goes to a different school?!” Grim exclaimed, eyes wide. Suddenly, a group of Heartslabyul students approached, glaring. “Did somebody say Royal Sword Academy?” However, Che’nya smirked, shrugging in your lap. “Whoops. Well, I’ve finished my tart, so I think I’ll see myself out.”
He paused, giving you a sly grin as he leaned closer, voice lowering as he whispered into your ear. “Before I forget… Hong Lu says hello from RSA, ehe!~” He giggles, your face freezing. While you were still trying to process this newfound information, Che’nya moves his mouth to your lips, where a bit of frosting remained, licking it off swiftly, the others going still at the sight.
But alas, he wasn’t done just yet, for the scheming catboy then brought his lips to your neck, biting lightly, just enough to leave a mark as his canines into your soft skin, then running off as the students rushed after him. Bringing a hand to your neck, your mouth went agape. This boy never failed to surprise you, which only made him even more interesting.
Grim watched as the Heartslabyul group stomped off, sweating. “Whoa, they all got angry real quick…” Riddle, clearing his throat, looking rather annoyed, then responded. “...The vast majority of students here see Royal Sword Academy as the enemy.” Trey nodded, adding on. “That’s what happens when they’ve beaten you in every competition for the last hundred years…”
Suddenly, Trey grabbed the three of your shoulders, bringing you into a tight squeeze. “All right, enough! You’re harshing the vibe on our day of celebration! Can’t we all just enjoy everyone’s unbirthday?” You cleared your throat, gesturing to the now eaten tart from Riddle. “Ah, may I have another slice of your tart? It’s rather appetizing.”
Trey scoffed, laughing aloud. “Another slice of an oyster sauce tart. You really ARE a strange guy, Yuu. Sure, adorable at times, but strange.” Ace narrowed his eyes at his last comment as Riddle smiled, stepping closer to you. “From the day you arrived here, you’ve been a bit of a wonderment. And ever since orientation… You’ve been at the center of every disturbance. It’s a difficult thing to overlook.”
You scratched the back of your head, giving him an apologetic look as he continued. “However… You are the one who saved me, and treated me with respect since the very beginning.” Letting out a laugh, you shook your head, smiling at him. “You give me too much credit. It was all you, after all, you could have easily given up, yet still continued on. I am truly glad to have met you, Riddle.”
The boy’s eyes widened in shock as you grabbed his gloved hand, bringing it to your lips. “You’re so adorable, little prince–” You yanked your hand back, for Grim suddenly dashed between the two of you, pastry in his mouth as Deuce screamed. “Get back here, you little monster! Give me back that chestnut tart!”
“You should've kept a closer eye on it!” Smirking, Grim taunted the two, dashing off as Deuce chased after him. “I’m gonna eat until my stomach explodes! Nyaha!” Ace glared back at you, gesturing to the two. “Hey, Yuu! It’s your job to keep him in line!”
Muttering out an apology, you turned back to Riddle, who was now giggling, a warm blush on his face. Joining him, you snickered as well, grabbing his hand, pointing to Deuce and Ace chasing the cat. “Shall we?” He ceased his laughter, giving you a genuine, happy smile. “Yes, let’s go!”
-
Deep down, Riddle couldn’t help but feel regret and guilt eating away at him. “I… I know your heart is already occupied, but still… I must admit, as selfish as it is, I cannot help but wish it were I whom you loved.”