Helloo, I'm Lina (she/her), And This Blog Is A Mixture Of A Wee Bit Of Writing And Mainly Freaking Out

Helloo, I'm Lina (she/her), and this blog is a mixture of a wee bit of writing and mainly freaking out over fictional men. Not as active as I'd like to be

○Rules and Fandoms I will write for can be found here

~Have a lovely time, and enjoy yourself~

Masterlists:

Twisted Wonderland

Tag Key:

reblogg :>‐ reblog

lina makes lines- art done by me

SHINJIDAI - HoneyWorks ft. Cater Diamond, Deuce Spade, Idia Shroud, and Silver

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Scarabia Masterlist

~Kalim Al-Asim

○ The Dorm Leaders With Crushes (Pt. 1)

~Jamil Viper

○ N/a

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HOT THINGS SEBEK ZIGVOLT DOES

SEBEK ZIGVOLT and verbal appreciation. it’s a whole thing. there’s not a single day that will go by that this man doesn’t let you know how much he appreciates every little thing you do for him. sometimes it’s loud and booming, making the other students and staff in the library flinch because of the sheer volume of his voice, but other times it’s silent and soft-spoken, the ghost of a kiss against your skin in the late hours of the night. he doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal, but it means so much to you that he’s so open about how truly grateful he is for you.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT is tall, so it’s more than likely that he’ll be towering over you most of the time. he’s big and strong, and there’s something attractive about that combined with the fact that he’s practically dedicated himself to being your guard alongside his official duties to malleus. it’s not uncommon to have him lingering behind you, ready to step forward the moment you need his help. the position also makes for very good back hugs, should you request them at the right place and time.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT has a tendency to touch up on your appearance without you asking. he’s used to looking after silver, making sure he looks nothing less than perfect (even though silver has that unfair advantage of always looking princely even if he fell asleep in a ditch), and that habit extends to you over time. he soundlessly reaches out to you to adjust the collar of your uniformm of the fringe your hair as if you have no personal space, leaning in close enough for his lips to accidentally brush against your skin. it’s a wonder that he doesn’t notice the way your breath hitches (or does he…?)

SEBEK ZIGVOLT takes a while to learn how to whisper, but when he does, you can’t help but feel like he’s using it against you in some way. he gets closer than necessary when he’s whispering in your ear, to the point that his lips are brushing against your skin every time he moves. you don’t want him to tell him to move away, especially since you’re not exactly uncomfortable by the sudden close proximity, so you’re just left to pray to whatever deities exist in the world of twisted wonderland that he doesn’t notice the way your ears are suddenly burning hot and you’ve somehow forgotten how to breathe.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT remembers the most trivial things about you, from the expression you make when you’re eating something you’re not particularly fond of to your body language when it’s too cold but you don’t want anyone to know that you’re freezing your ass off, even the way your gaze shifts around a crowded room when your social battery is depleting. one could say that he knows you better than you know yourself. he applies his knowledge very discreetly, so subtle that barely anyone notices. you do, of course, because you’re quite proud to say that you know sebek almost as well as he knows you. but you’re much too hesitant to point it out, afraid that if you were to do so, he’d stop. (a silly fear; sebek wouldn’t be able to stop caring for you even if he tried)

---

when you’re tired.

how they comfort you when you’re too tired to take care of yourself.

feat. kaedehara kazuha ; xiao ; scaramouche. wanderer ; albedo ; venti ; tighnari ; gn! reader.

cw: comfort. them being caring boyfriends. self indulgent. mentions of crying. mild blood and injury in xiao’s + albedo’s. use of the pet-name ‘princess’ in albedo’s. soft scara.

kaedehara kazuha

with droopy eyes, you stare at the piece of paper in front of you. the words written on it no longer make sense to you, feeling more like just swirling ink rather than symbols with meaning.

you rub your eyes for the nth time this evening.

when was the last time you ate or drank something?

you can’t remember.

with a sigh, you try to re-focus again.

all those annotations in your handwriting… did you write them? you must have done so, you guess, but the opaque clouds of your mind don’t let you access that piece of memory.

just as another yawn was leaving your lips, an airy voice pulls you out of your daze.

“someone’s tired.” kazuha chuckles.

“hey, kazuha.” you respond, rather unenthusiastically.

kazuha’s brow furrows at that. you’re usually brimming with excitement and running to him as soon as he gets home.

are you not feeling alright?

the next groan you let out and the way you keep furiously rubbing at your eyes let the samurai know that, you are, in fact, more than tired.

“dove, is everything alright?” kazuha asks. his arms wrap around your middle from behind, chin resting atop your shoulder. his warm eyes are akin to an autumn gale, wisps of worry and concern laced with the dark crimson of maple leaves.

and then, you start shaking.

“no, kazuha.” you sniffle. “nothing is alright.” your lower lip quivers, the tidal wave before the storm of your tears and sobs. “i can’t do this anymore… i’m tired, and work piles up, and i’m useless because i won’t be able to finish on time, and, and…”

a finger to your lips silences you.

“shhh, don’t say those things about yourself, my petal.” your lover’s bandaged hand interlaces with yours, his thumb tracing unspoken verses over the back of it.

it’s warm, you think.

i’ve got you, he means.

tenderly, akin to the flutter of bird wings, kazuha wipes away the tears streaming down your face.

after every gentle touch, his angel kisses follow, flowers blooming in the shape of a welcome warmth where cold rivers marked a path before.

your sobs fall silent, your tormenting rain halting before the bright sun that kaedehara kazuha is.

“close your eyes, my hummingbird.” he whispers, the sound of a comforting autumn breeze reaching your ears. “rest for a while, my love.” he finishes, butterfly kisses landing like cherry blossom petals over your visage.

kazuha’s arms hold you securely against his chest. his voice reciting the first poem he dedicated to you lulls you to sleep.

he looks at you, nuzzled against his torso, and a melancholic smile paints his face in hues of bittersweet.

kazuha wishes you could always smile. but when you cannot, he’ll make sure to shelter you from your inner tempests.

xiao

with a click, the door to yours and xiao’s room at wangshu inn opens.

a sensation of relief washes over the yaksha, restlessly pacing the space when he sees your face in the doorway.

you weren’t here when he arrived and he didn’t hear you call his name either. he is glad you are here now.

his eyes of amber widen when he meets yours, in happiness at first. but alas, as they say, nothing gold can stay. for, as soon as xiao sees the scratches on your hands and cheek, his candlelight gaze becomes almost glassy, a frown marring his pretty face.

“xiao, i’m hom-”

“who did this?” he questions, perhaps harsher than he intended.

you don’t know when he moved, but your adeptus now stands by your side, his gloved hand holding onto your scratched up wrist.

“oh this?” you ask, owlishly blinking at the shallow injuries tainting your skin. “huh, i hadn’t even realized.” you yawn. “must have gotten these during my commissions.”

xiao inhales, breath hitching. you seem more tired lately. he doesn’t like how, even so, you keep giving yourself for the sake of others: completing any mission that needs to be done, helping citizens fulfill their requests, taking any commissions available at the adventurers’ guild… and so on and so forth.

your jessamine-soft touch to his cheek pulls xiao out of his trance.

“xiao… i’m fine.” you smile, tiredly, the dark circles under your eyes becoming more prominent. you yawn again. “i just need to sleep for a bit now.” you mumble, cheek leaning against the vigilant yaksha’s chest.

xiao’s cheeks heat up at the contact, arms circling you, not knowing where to place them exactly. you’re injured, what if his karma makes it worse? you need to heal up too… he can’t let you go to bed without cleaning your wounds first.

“y-y-you… you need to… those wounds… you need to treat them first.” he stammers.

you chuckle, half amused at his cuteness, half to try to ease him.

“i will…” you reach to peck his cheek. “why don’t you help me, love?” you ask, gaze locking with his crimson lined one.

“ah-… yeah.” he manages.

with trembling hands, the yaksha delicately bandages up your cuts. it’s endearing, you think, how shy and gentle he is, despite claiming to only know how to deal in death and slaughter.

as his fingers ghost over the newly tied bandages, you get lost in him; in the intense molten gold of his sharp irises, in the scarlet that surrounds them; in the dark jade of his silky hair and how it frames his cheekbones and jaw so perfectly; in his porcelain skin and the pretty pink that dots his cheeks… in xiao, in him and all that he is.

setting the remaining gauze atop the bedside table, your yaksha sits in front of you, eyes averted, cheeks abloom in shades of intense spring.

chuckling, you scoot closer to him. you settle in between his legs, the side of your face and your hands over the heart he declared forever yours.

“xiao?”

“y-yes?” his arms awkwardly wrap around your waist, accommodating you comfortably against his torso.

“thank you.” your lids flutter closed.

moments with xiao really do erase every trace of exhaustion off of you.

scaramouche. wanderer

the plate slipping from between your fingers is the last straw. after the week you’ve had, seeing the pieces of china shattering before your eyes is the last thing you needed. it is like seeing your last remaining strength crumble to pieces, one by one.

your vision becomes blurry, big hot tears silently falling down your tired face. your grip on the kitchen counter is tight, knuckles white.

“hey, what’s all this ruckus?” a bothered voice questions.

you chide yourself internally. for being like this, especially in front of him. didn’t he despise human’s fragility?

your lips move but before you can reply, scaramouche beats you to it.

“you’re trembling…” the wanderer moves closer to where you are. why won’t you look at him? are you going to leave and betray him too? “hey, are you okay?”

still, you don’t move. hair hanging in front of your face, you are paralyzed. it seems all the stress and exhaustion from the past weeks has finally taken a toll on you.

the wanderer’s deep hyacinth eyes catch sight of the mess all around you: pieces of broken porcelain cluttering the sink and floor; a grotesque and mocking mirror of your current state.

“kuni…” you sob, not capable of keeping the tremor out of your voice. “i’m sorry… i’m so sorry… it’s all my fault…”

“what are you even apologizing for, dummy?” he cuts your rambling off.

with care, he takes ahold of your wrist, pulling you against his chest.

“i broke it…” you lean limp against your boyfriend. “the plate… it’s… it’s my fault. i’m sorry, i’m sorry i’m so tired.”

scaramouche sighs, exasperation lacing his huff.

“silly, what worries me is your state. have you even realized how utterly exhausted you look?” the lips of the almost god peck your brow, strands of starry midnight, a gentle tickle against your skin. “you need to rest. now.”

teary, you glance at the still uncooked ingredients lining the table.

“but i have to-”

“no you absolutely don’t.” your wanderer states, not leaving room for further discussion. his pristine hands cup your wet cheeks, stormy iris eyes lined in the color of roses fixed on yours. “dinner? i’ll take care of it. and it will be delicious.”

and with that, scaramouche guides you to your shared bedroom. tucking you in bed, he squeezes your hand before he leaves.

he hopes you have sweet dreams until dinner time.

albedo

the unforgiving cold of dragonspine definitely didn’t pair well with your drowsy state.

the days leading up to this weekend had been hard on you, worries and important decisions swirling around your mind in a spiral of confusion. fatigue and uncertainty seemed to rule your every thought.

and it is that, and the gelid winds of the mountains that led to your mishap.

despite your exhaustion, today you wanted to help your boyfriend with his research. with no hesitation, you braved the icy mountain’s cold to reach to his camp in dragonspine.

and if it wasn’t for the way albedo’s summer sky eyes visibly sparkled when he caught sight of you, you would have regretted the trip.

and somehow, there is a point when you regret it. when those same eyes look at you wide with concern, the sky beginning to cloud over, before the snow.

“[y/n]… [y/n]. [y/n]!” albedo calls you repeatedly, but you are like in a trance. the liquid you’re pouring into one of his flasks is already overflowing, yet you make no move to stop.

it is only when albedo’s hand snatches yours that you come to.

absentmindedly, you stare at your hand still holding the container with the substance you were pouring: it’s leaked onto the table, twisting swirls of smoke in ominous hues coming off the stain.

and then, when you process what albedo just prevented, you break down.

“did i… did i do that?” you ask, your voice so small albedo is afraid you might shatter, like a crystal figurine that clatters to the floor with just a mild breeze.

his free gloved hand takes the vase you were still holding and settles it on the desk. then, he holds both of your hands in his.

your skin is covered in goosebumps. you are shivering. and did your eyes always look so devoid of light and so tired?

“my princess,” he begins, cradling the back of your head against his chest. “have you not been sleeping lately?” he points out, fingers running through your hair.

tears form in the corners of your eyes. as much as you look pretty like this, your lashes akin to newly bloomed flowers in the morning dew, the alchemist hates to see you sad.

you sigh, palms resting against the chalk prince’s chest.

“to tell you the truth, no, i haven’t.” you close your eyes, icy tears rolling down your pretty face. “i couldn’t… these last few days…” you bring a hand to your temple. “it’s… it’s been complicated.”

albedo shrugs off his coat, draping it over your shoulders.

your eyes widen, warmth returning to your face. what if he gets cold because of you now?

but before you can speak, your lover silences you with his words.

“first, let’s get you all warm.” he tells you, your palm resting atop his. “then,” he leans in, leaving a sweet frosted kiss on the back of your hand. “you can tell me all about it of you wish.” he pulls you closer to his side, his fingers lacing with yours. “does a cup of hot chocolate sound good, my dearest?” albedo tucks a strand of hair behind your ear.

and how can you not smile? when your prince’s lips curve upwards, his golden hair and celeste eyes the picture perfect image of comfort against a background of ice and biting gales?

“that would be lovely, ‘bedo.” you murmur, basking in the warmth his embrace offers.

venti

the windborne bard’s aquamarine eyes lack their usual mischief today. not because he is unwell, but because the song of your heart is erratic. dissonant. a bell sounding, asking for help amidst the cold ocean in which you are drowning.

he’s noticed the way you carry yourself these days. a shadow of who you are, a truth you have built up, with stained glass depicting only the emotions you think others should see.

venti is aware of your exhaustion, of the emptiness that’s eating at you, a fairytale with a ripped out page, its happy ending torn to pieces.

he is a god, after all. the wind he rules over carries feelings and memories. notes and melodies telling the story of his people. and of course, yours too.

that is why, he decided today you will be taking the day off.

—

the sun rises, and with it, your meager rest comes to an end. commissions at the adventurer’s guild and citizens’ requests won’t complete themselves alone, as much as you’d like that.

the heaviness in your step subsides a little after talking to hertha. one of the requests involves a trip to windrise. it says to bring two apples and a bottle of dandelion wine. the requester, anonymous.

a pleased hum escapes you as you make your way to angel’s share to make the purchase.

windrise. that place brings happy memories. it’s yours and venti’s favorite place to go on dates.

vennessa’s tree. under which you and venti had your first kiss.

the thought alone is enough to put a smile on your lips and for your cheeks to rival the heat of the red that tints the apples’ peels.

with a newfound skip on your step, you start the trip to windrise.

but alas, your vitality is short lived. for when the shadow of vennessa’s tree casts a sun-splattered canopy over you, you deflate upon seeing no one around.

then, when you were ready to turn around and leave, a dandelion scented breeze blows by.

“missed me, my windblume?” a familiar voice asks.

there, perched atop one of the huge tree’s branches, is none other than your lover.

“venti!” you exclaim, a smile gracing your features.

“ehe” with agility, he soars down his perch, hovering upside down just inches from you.

“if i had known it was you, i would have dressed up more…” you trail off, averting your gaze to the side.

“ehh? but you always look gorgeous to me, my warrior.” venti tells you, turquoise-marine eyes earnest.

you fluster, wide eyes looking up at his cute face.

then, he’s kissing you. and you’re cupping his face. and kissing him back. and the basket with the apples and wine clatters to the ground. and neither of you care.

because what could be more important than each other?

when you pull away for air, venti lands in front of you. picking up the basket, he says:

“hm, but my request doesn’t end here, windblume.” he takes your hand in his free one, tugging you along towards the big tree.

“now you must join me and relax for the rest of the day, ‘mkay?” the anemo archon requests, kissing your heated cheek.

and how could you ever say no to your cute boyfriend?

you can’t. that is your weakness.

and your saving grace today.

tighnari

the clock is about to strike midnight. silence only broken by the stars’ static and the chirping of nocturnal insects has settled over avidya forest.

one by one, the lights on each cabin have been going out, leaving way to the moonlight to reign over the vast expanse of green.

there is one house, however, that remains alight. the person inside seems to be busy, relentlessly tackling multiple tasks and papers.

this image would go unnoticed my most passersby. a busy student, some would think. a night owl, others would judge.

there is someone, nevertheless, who knows the truth happening right now behind those windows. nothing escapes the head forest ranger’s sharp hearing, after all.

with serious eyes, tighnari heads towards the source of the light. when he reaches your house, he doesn’t even have to knock: it’s open.

not that knocking would have done any good, anyway: you’re fast asleep.

hastily scattered around the table lie several notebooks and papers. some of them are finished, others have just a few scribbles on them.

and on top of all of this mess is you. sleeping soundly, pen still in your hand.

it’s good that at least you are getting some rest, tighnari thinks. but he can’t leave you like this. in this posture, you’re definitely going to be sore the next morning.

as carefully as he can, your boyfriend hoists you up. you stir a little in his arms, but not enough to wake up.

tenderly, he lays you on your bed, tucking the covers snug around you.

but still, he feels bad leaving you by yourself. it hasn’t escaped him how tired you look lately.

so he stays.

tighnari places a chair by your bed, and just as he was going to sit on it, something catches on his tail.

“‘nari…” you mumble, bleary eyes staring up at him, one of your hands buried in the soft dark green fur of his tail. “what are you doing here?… wait… oh no!” you sit up, lifting the covers off of you, standing up so quickly you feel dizzy. you stumble, and if it weren’t for tighnari’s arms looping around your middle, you would have hit the floor. “i fell asleep! tighnari, why didn’t you wake me up? i have to go back to work now!…”

“no. absolutely not.” his tone, commanding.

“but…” you look up into his teal-hazel eyes. he levels you with a warning gaze. there is nothing to bargain for here, he seems to say.

“no. none of it.” the forest ranger holds you by the shoulders. “you are going to sleep now. and i’m going to stay with you. no buts.”

there is no use arguing with him on this one, is there? your work will have to wait.

releasing the tension you had been holding in with a long sigh, you get in bed, while your boyfriend takes the chair.

“what are you doing?” you ask him. “if you’re going to stay the night i’m not letting you sleep in a chair.”

the pink of zaytun peaches dyes tighnari’s skin prettily.

“no buts. no arguing.” you chuckle, tugging him by the hand. “now, come here.” you tell him, sweetly.

and the fennec fox obliges. for how could he not? when your touch and warmth are so addicting?

besides, you look so cute and comfortable, cuddled against his side like this.

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PLEASE, this is so amazing, there's not enough Silver content out there 😭

the trials and tribulations of a third wheel silver x reader (+ platonic! sebek x reader)

summary: sebek, your best friend, finds out that you have a crush on silver; he also finds out that silver has some interest in you. he does not know what he's signed up for when he ends up helping the both of you out

author's note: [see end for full notes] this is like half friendship fic, half romance, but fully written to just be filled with good vibes :> (no unrequited feelings here so no need to worry about that if it bothers you)

tags: gender neutral reader, sfw, fluff, friendship and romance, friends to lovers, attempt at humor, multiple POV, 8.5k+ words, not beta read

[ AO3 link to be added soon ]

I. YOU decide to spill a secret

You should have had the foresight to keep your hands slapped over Sebek’s mouth when you let him in on one of your secrets. Thankfully, it hadn’t been too late to do so and the boy was too surprised to even get mad about your insolence… or whatever fancy word he had in that big brain of his.

“Yeah, yeah, go get your screaming out right now,” you said in a placating manner, as if he was your kid or something, “I’ll let you talk in a bit when, you know, you won’t immediately spill my secrets to everyone outside of this room.”

“Excuse ME!” Sebek exclaimed—or, that was what it sounded like muffled—before getting tired of your behavior, pushing your hands away. To your credit, he could have totally pushed it off a minute ago, so he was at least indulging you… probably. “I’m FAR mature enough to not shout at you OR complain about your horrid taste in men—id est, Silver—to everyone else.”

“Horrid?!” you gasped despite not being surprised at all, “so we’re just gonna pretend you weren’t completely agreeing with everything I was saying about him?”

“That was because I THOUGHT you were talking about–” he stopped mid-hiss, lowering his volume before you could reprimand him yourself– “I thought you were talking about the Young Master! Or if not him, then Master Lilia.”

“I said princelike, not prince.”

“It’s not like he’s anything like the Young Master!... or even Leona Kingscholar, if we want to be generous with the descriptor.”

“And Lilia?”

“He’s majestic in his own right,” he claimed, which you supposed had some truth to it, though you personally saw the third year as someone more mischievous than majestic.

“Okay, fine, fine, my mistake for not clarifying immediately,” you said, not particularly sorry. General misunderstandings aside, there was something funny about watching your mint-haired friend do a spit take (fortunately with no actual drink to spit out). “So if I ended up being into one of them instead, what would you have said?” 

Because honestly, you couldn’t quite tell if he would smite you on the spot—friend or otherwise—or if he would have congratulated you for your efficient, working eyes.

Sebek frowned.

“It would have been weird and I wouldn’t offer to help you,” he admitted, “but I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“And now that you know who I actually like?”

“Even weirder. It’s like… having my friend and a sibling date,” Sebek said, which was his way of telling you that you were giving him the icks, “there could be… there are worse choices, but because it’s you and it’s because it’s him… ugh.”

You wondered which one of you he saw as the sibling and which one was the friend. Knowing Sebek, he would loathe to admit either of you were either one unless he was feeling particularly vulnerable or in an insanely good mood.

After a moment of silence—Sevens, it was just like Sebek to take seriously things that weren’t that big of a deal—and a  minute of staring you down he sighed, sinking into his seat as he slouched for once in his life.

“I don’t know what to do with this information,” he finally said, “am I supposed to give you approval before you start courting him? It would be better to ask his fa– Master Lilia, you know.”

“Why would I ask either one of you for approval? I just like him, I shouldn’t have to ask permission to like someone,” you huffed, “I just felt like telling you is all. Impulse decision.”

“So you don’t have any plans on telling him?”

“Not any time soon, which means you better not say a WORD about this to him either,” you said, only a semi-serious warning. You didn’t think he would, definitely not on purpose, but the idea of Silver having a clue made you nervous. “I know you’re loud as hell, but I trust you.”

Whatever retort or snippy remark Sebek planned to say had been bitten back; he had been unable to hide his smile at the compliment.

“Hmph! My lips are not as loose as you think! I can keep a secret just fine, thank you very much! He won’t even get an inkling of the fact that you carry feelings for him!”

“Alright,” you readily accepted his claim. Honestly, it felt nice to finally tell someone about this crush of yours, even though you wouldn’t have thought Sebek of all people would be the first to know.

“By the way… Not that I need your approval, but do you approve?”

The boy in front of you looks contemplative one second and constipated in another, as if he was holding back from saying something nice, too early in the day to be particularly honest.

“There are worse men to fall in love with than Silver,” he settled with.

“Oh, like who? Like yourself?”

A pillow hit you in the face but you could only laugh at how obvious the lack of strength he put into the throw was.

“Flattering yourself, typical of you. There are few people above you in league and I would be one of them,” he said and you’re unsure if he’s even aware of the praise he just provided. Backhanded, but praise is praise regardless. “Worse as in… my fellow first years.”

“Hah! Traitor behavior! It’s like you’re asking to get told on!” You hit him back with the same pillow, sticking your tongue out as he caught it with one hand.

“Then I’ll go tell Silver right now about this crush of yours!” And just by looking at his grin, you knew the ever serious Sebek had simply been joking. 

He’d shield your secret as best as he could.

II. SEBEK answers a dumb question

In Sebek’s defense, he’s doing the best he can in, for a lack of a more eloquent way to phrase it, shutting the hell up about your crush on his rival. His rival of all people! 

You should get your eyes checked, really, and if his father were an ophthalmologist instead of a dentist he would have taken you with him to Briar Valley already.

So no, maybe he wasn’t actively cheering you on, but you’re one of the few people he can actually rely on and call a friend, so he supposed he wasn’t going to judge you too harshly, even if he thought you could do better (not that there was much better in NRC anyway, so he guessed you already picked your cream of choice from the crop).

Silver would just have to pick up his slack. 

Sure, you told him you needed no help whatsoever, he would at least do his part in making sure his rival would be good for you… or something. He’s not too sure what he’s supposed to even do, really, other than putting his 105% in training instead of the usual 100.

Sebek only has one prevalent issue, that being that he’s having a bit of a hard time not interrogating his sparring partner about you. It’s so DIFFICULT when your secret would loop in his head each greeting Silver gave him in the mornings or when they passed in the hallways.

Difficulty aside, he’s PROUD to say that he’s been very successful in not even uttering your name to the second year, so clearly his good restraint has kept him as trustworthy as usual.

Then a second problem rose out of nowhere, a wrench thrown in his well-kept secrecy.

He had not anticipated that Silver would be the one to bring you up himself. Even more surprising was the way he brought you up—well, it was odd for him to bring you up midst spar, but the way he worded it was the true unusual part.

“Repeat that.”

“Are the two of you in a relationship?”

Would Lord Malleus be angry if he whacked Silver with his own baton? Would you… oh, why was he even questioning it, of course you would, but you wouldn’t have the chance to be mad if he never told you, right? He could keep a second secret.

“Are you joking?!” he asked in spite of Silver’s usual expression. The boy never had a particularly obvious sense of humor.

“It’s a serious question,” Silver replied, narrowly dodging a jab from Sebek, “I’ve never seen you so close to somebody before.”

He scoffed. Was it that unbelievable? 

“WELL–” he had meant to retort that he only spent a perfectly normal amount of time with you (had he been implying he was abandoning his duties?!), promptly followed by calling the notion disgusting (he couldn’t find it in himself to say such a thing), but he instead said– 

“Why does it matter? I’m allowed to be around anyone I want for as long as they mean no harm to the Young Master!”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Sebek. You need to untense,” his rival sighed and the first year had half the mind to hit him in the face (and not with a pillow). HE was the exasperated one, so why was Silver doing the sighing?!

“I was just curious about your friend, that’s all.”

Sebek furrowed his brows. 

“Why?”

While there were no right answers there were certainly a few wrong ones, so he listened carefully, clenching his fists. One demeaning word and he would—

“I was wondering if–”

III. SEBEK reports back to you

“–I hate him? Silver thinks I hate him?!” 

“He was wondering, it wasn’t definitive!” Sebek corrected, catching the piece of popcorn you threw at him. He promptly ate it, never one to waste food. “Hey! I told him you didn’t, so it’s not a big deal anymore.”

“But for a time he thought I didn’t like him,” you argued, “that’s worse than him thinking we were dating!”

Sebek gasped.

“I resent that!” 

“Please, I’m sure you beating him in yesterday’s spar was more than just your skill talking—you were probably appalled at the accusation,” you retorted, “and don’t think I forgot! I heard him talk about a bruise forming!”

“It’ll heal! And he could have dodged it if he was paying attention—he usually does!” he said, though now that you mentioned it, it was odd for Silver to not pay attention to training—usually Sebek was the conversationalist between the both of them. “It’s not like you can see it, so you don’t have to worry about me ruining his face or anything.”

“I’m sure he’s pretty even when injured,” you sniffled, and Sebek gagged. He’d have left you to your own devices already (he already sees Silver everyday, why should he listen to you rave about him?) if you hadn’t offered a nice variety of snacks for him to partake in while you talked.

“Okay, wait, back to the topic—why does he think I hate him?”

“He said that you act differently around him,” he said, placing the word in air quotation marks, “which is Silver speech for you being a weirdo. Did you do something?”

“Huh? Weird?! There’s no way I act weirder around him than I do around you!”

“THAT’S WHAT I WAS SAYING!” he agreed wholeheartedly. Well, he didn’t call you weird to Silver’s face—but that was the gist of what he was thinking, and there was no need to pretend to be polite about it to you. 

Sure you were kind, that much he would admit, but a little… a lot. You were a lot, a lot of the time.

Still, even considering your lack of shame around him he doubted Silver would have seen or heard anything too odd from you. 

“Although there’s always the chance that I’ve just become desensitized considering my unfortunate choices of company.”

“So, so rude,” you huffed, “I swear I’m normal around Silver. I don’t get many chances to talk to him in the first place.”

Sebek blinked. 

“You don’t?”

“I mean, maybe a few times a week?” you replied, suddenly looking embarrassed at the estimate, “I don’t see him everyday, but even if I did I don’t think I could actually say anything more than hello.”

There was a saying, if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say it at all, but if he’d never abided by that saying, nobody would expect him to start following it any time soon.

“So you really had no plan to make him like you back, huh.”

“Is that your way of saying I have no game?”

“I wouldn’t word it that way, but you really don’t!” he ignored your look of offense (he’s not the best at reading faces, but he doubted you were actually offended) in favor of giving some actual advice. “Maybe he thinks you act differently around him because you won’t even talk to him!”

He was on to something, he was sure of it, and by the look you had on your face he was sure you agreed.

“You’re probably right… but I was totally going for that cool and cute and mysterious vibe, you know,” you grumbled, “people always notice those types. I mean, Silver is literally an example of it. 

“I feel like if I actually talk to him about something other than school, he’s going to realize I’m lame.”

He rolled his eyes.

“You are, but that hasn’t stopped me from talking to you,” Sebek said with a shrug, like it wasn’t a big deal or anything, “so if I don’t care, obviously Silver isn’t going to.”

And then he gave you a pat on the head, because he’s not really sure of what else to do. 

“Do you want me to do anything?” Sebek offered, “I won’t say anything to him, but if you want to know his favorite food, or birthday, or weekly class schedule–”

“I feel like you went from zero to one hundred real quick,” you said with a laugh, patting him on the back in return, “but I don't need you to do anything. Some things I should probably find out for myself.”

“If you say so.”

IV. SEBEK stresses out for you

While you were content to not do anything about your crush (said crush didn’t think you hated him anymore so you lost all sense of urgency), Silver himself seemed to want to do something.

And Sebek had to be on the receiving end again. Never again can you call him a bad friend.

“I’m not telling you anything,” he said with a sliver of annoyance, “there’s nothing you can’t figure out for yourself.”

“I tried, but a few minutes into the conversation… I was left behind.”

“Ah…” 

YOU RAN AWAY FROM HIM?!

He cursed you in his head. What were you doing?! Did he not teach you ANYTHING? Well, okay, he technically didn’t because the thought of him giving advice on how to catch Silver’s attention… yeah. Still, you have to face your problems, run up at them! Why were you running away from them like a coward instead?!

“Try harder then,” Sebek said, because that was all he could really say without giving away too much… which, at this point, he was very tempted to do just so you and Silver could stop dragging him into things. 

More Silver than you, really, considering you mostly enjoyed talking over acting… unlike Silver, who preferred acting over talking, and Sebek, who liked talking and acting.

“What are you trying to do anyway?” he asked inquisitively, subconsciously taking on the role of the investigators and detectives he’s read about in those mystery novels. Sebek did not want to be questioned about you, but he was very much interested in questioning Silver on the same topic. It was not hypocrisy, it was a matter of privilege.

Privilege equating to you being his friend, resulting in him knowing things about you that he wasn’t just going to easily shell out without proper reason.

“Since when were you so interested in my friend? This doesn’t feel like you just being curious anymore!” 

He did not bother hiding his suspicion, his head conjuring up all sorts of theories on Silver’s sudden interest. 

Sebek was neither purely optimistic nor purely pessimistic, neither was he a realist either (though he liked to think he was). Thus, his theories ranged from wait what if Silver thinking you hated him was a form of projection as he was the one who hated you to perhaps Silver overheard you talking about some way to stay awake and he wanted to talk to you about it to Silver is in love with you but he’s just as much of a coward when it comes to acting on it.

“It wouldn’t be good if anyone was uncomfortable with me,” the second year replied, “I want to do something to fix it.”

“Huh,” he said, more an expression of his disbelief than an actual question. Sure, Silver could be considered nice, but something about the explanation was off. He’s really not sure why, but he just knows it’s far more personal—that it had to do with that someone being you as opposed to you being just anyone.

“Well, FINE! I’ll give you my assistance just this once, so DON’T put it to waste, Silver!”

V. SILVER gets to talk to you, finally

“Since when were you so interested in my friend?”

Since Silver had seen you with Sebek, if he had to be honest. He hadn’t been sure if that was an acceptable thing to tell someone so he hadn’t admitted it to the younger boy, but that was the truth.

It wasn’t that he had only been aware of you then—he knew you existed, had seen you around more than a few times on campus—but noticing you was inevitable when you chose to stick to a presence as loud as Sebek Zigvolt.

As for why he had taken an interest in you… there were a few reasons. 

The first would probably be curiosity—what kind of person could not only withstand the half-fae’s volume, but could also manage to pull him away from constantly following Malleus (without having to be dismissed in annoyance!)

The second was somewhat Sebek related, but also quite a general reason—it was your general disposition. There was just something heartwarming about the way you interacted with your friends (Sebek in particular—it was hard not to be in awe). Yes, he never made a habit of watching you, but seeing you from the corner of his eye, goofing around and spitting out jokes, never failed to liven up his mood.

The third was… something he couldn’t quite place about your attitude towards him. 

At first he had assumed you hated him, but Sebek in all of his bluntness had expressed exasperation at the idea, so he supposed that wasn’t the case. Silver then figured he was the problem and, well… considering you seemed to have a hard time holding a conversation with him, perhaps that was the case.

It shouldn’t have mattered—people were entitled to dislike whoever they liked—but the idea of you specifically not liking his presence, especially when he enjoyed your presence  on campus… It was quite the upsetting thought. 

He wasn’t asking to be close to you, but it would have been nice to have a few conversations with you in between classes.

Whatever the problem was, Sebek said he would try to help decrease the awkward tension, but… was making himself your chaperone the ideal way to do such a thing?

“SEBEK…!” 

Maybe not, considering you were (angrily? fiercely?) whispering a flurry of things to the mint-haired boy, who was (far more loudly) whispering back. Still, the context clues were not enough for him to figure out what the two of you were conversing about—other than that it was about him.

“Don’t you dare…”

“...push…helping…

“I don’t…I told you already…”

“...assuming…for you…Silver.”

In any other circumstance, he would have pointed out that it was rude of Sebek to be talking about him to someone while he was literally in front of him, but he figured that you would just use it as an excuse to, well, excuse yourself from the situation, so he kept his mouth shut.

At some point the both of you remembered that he was in earshot distance, the two of you owlishly looking at him.

Sebek nudges you, you nudge him right back, and not for the first time Silver wonders if he could ever achieve that level of comfort with you… which was an odd thing to think about, considering he should probably be aiming to at least complete a full conversation first and foremost.

“Hi Silver!” you greeted, as though you had just noticed him, as though he hadn’t been standing there for at least five minutes. 

At least you’re not walking away from him this time around.

“So… what are… Do you need Sebek for something?”

Sebek rolled his eyes but didn’t say a word for once, clearly expecting you or Silver to do most of the talking. Considering his fellow guard was always the more talkative one of the two… that was asking for a lot more than Sebek might have realized.

Right… What now? If Sebek had informed him of this beforehand he might have thought of something to say

Silver looked down at his wrist before realizing he wasn’t wearing a watch, then looked at yours to see if you were—you hadn’t been. He then fished his phone out of his pocket, only to find out that he had forgotten to charge it last night (had he passed out before doing so?), so he turned to Sebek, who only looked mildly disappointed at the silence.

“What time is it?”

“Half past four.”

“Do either of you have any classes left today?”

“We’re both done,” you responded, “why?”

“Maybe we should all get something to eat or drink then,” Silver said, “there’s a lot of tea in Diasomnia, but Mostro should have coffee if you prefer that.”

He’s heard you laugh a dozen times before but you’ve never done it in front of him and sure, you try to stifle it within seconds, but the idea that something about him humored you had him smiling in return.

Even though he wasn’t quite sure what was funny.

“Coffee? You could have just said you wanted Sebek to go away—I’d understand, really.”

“For your information! I can drink coffee as long as there’s milk in it!”

“Yeah right. Coffee with milk? More like milk with coffee.”

The conversation had returned to mostly being led by you and Sebek once more, with Silver responding whenever he felt it suited. Still, all three of you were heading to the same place, so he supposed there was always later in the afternoon to get closer to you.

He feels Sebek pat him on the back during the few seconds you look away to greet someone in passing, and he says,

“You did okay, I guess… but don’t expect me to help you anymore after this.”

He thinks it might just be a compliment, or some form of approval.

VI. SEBEK gives decent advice

“You talked to him just fine yesterday! What do you mean you’re too shy to talk to him again?!”

Things had been going well, hadn’t it? He had watched you interact with Silver and you were actually forming words instead of foaming at the mouth over your crush. You were having a laugh with Silver and discussing your respective hobbies with him, even letting him have a taste of your order! 

Sebek had been all proud of you too, even with the shared jokes about him (which were haha funny, he was so getting back at you later)! What happened?!

“That’s because you were there! I’m too nervous to go up to him on my own!”

“I can’t just be there to babysit you all the time, now can I?!”

He didn’t want to invalidate your feelings or anything of the sort—some conversations in the past with you have led him to realize that—but it was difficult for a partial-bystander, partial-participant like him to not feel frustrated at the situation. 

You’re his friend, and Silver is… Silver is the only other person his age from his hometown, so while he understands that he doesn’t actually have to get involved, he also feels this need to make sure things go well for the both of you. Not necessarily romantically, but anywhere you (and he SUPPOSED Silver) would feel happy would be good in his books.

He gives the both of you a few minutes to just… sit, for him to think with his head and not the stress hormones in his body. The cortisol levels needed to die down just a bit else his blood pressure rise or his digestive sytem weakens.

“Sorry–”

“Stupid,” Sebek interrupted, “don’t say sorry about things you shouldn’t be sorry about. You said what you felt, I replied with what I thought about it, and that’s that. I’m not sorry that I’m kind of annoyed with you sometimes, but you’re not obligated to follow my recommendations either. Be annoyed with me back, if you want to!”

You blinked at him for a few moments, taking your sweet time in having the words sink in your skull, then laughed as you called him stupid back. You probably agreed, or so he would like to think.

“Even if I didn’t want to, you're always annoying, Sebek.”

He ignored your rudeness in favor of returning the conversation back to what it was initially, albeit with some more delicacy on his end.

“Why are you so nervous around him?” Sebek asked, realizing he had never seriously discussed it with you before. He’d poke fun at it, but never really stopped to question why you froze up so easily around your crush. 

Maybe it was because he thought it was the natural thing to do around someone you liked, at least based on the stories he’s heard and read, but there had to be, if not a logical reason, a personal reason behind it.

“I get that you like him and all but he’s just… a regular human.”

“Easy for you to say! Not only have you known him since childhood, but you’re also not a regular human!” you interjected. Despite the jab you did seem to want to answer properly, so he let you collect your thoughts for a minute, figure out how to explain yourself.

“I don’t know. I guess I’ve always liked him from afar,” you admitted, “he was this… handsome and shining figure—quiet, but charming and diligent. He was just… so cool that I couldn’t help but admire him.”

Sebek would have pretended to gag at any other time, but upon listening to you he wondered what Silver would have felt had he heard the way you described him, how far it was from hatred.

“What do you think about him after talking to him yesterday?”

“He… he was so considerate even though I thought I was being a complete weirdo sometimes! So kind and helpful and occasionally funny. Was it possible for someone to be so…wow!” Despite the slew or praises leaving your lips, the irony of you sounding as if you were lamenting your feelings was not lost on him. 

“I think I like him more than I thought. It’s making me more nervous, just thinking about interacting with him and messing up somehow.”

It was then that Sebek had come to a realization, an actual finding as opposed to another hypothesis—the way you saw Silver, the way Silver saw you, the obstacles in your path that blocked you from being comfortable with the guy you liked so much.

“Silver’s just a guy.”

“He’s–”

“No, listen to me,” Sebek interrupted. He’s always had a voice that demanded to be listened to, booming like thunder, but when his voice was steady and firm it was like he was asking, maybe even begging. 

“I don’t mean it like it’s a bad thing. I’m just saying that no matter how perfect and amazing you think he is, he is just a normal guy,” he said, “so it’s okay if you mess up because he messes up too… a lot, actually.”

You wouldn’t say anything at first and he wondered if you perhaps didn’t believe him, or if he worded things a bit harshly. Should he try to lighten the mood? Should he double down and explain some more?

“I’m serious! I can list a whole bunch off the top of my head right this instant if you want!”

“No! No, not needed. I feel like I should hear that from Silver himself? Or Lilia? You spent your childhoods with him, right?”

Your laughter only stayed for a second or two, but the length didn’t matter much. As long as it was genuine.

“That… might actually be some really good advice,” you admitted; he was only able to detect a smidge of disbelief, “it’d be nice if you took… ah, nevermind.”

“You can say what you want to say.”

“I’ll save it for later,” you replied, shaking your head, “otherwise we’d be cooped up in my room until sunrise talking about all our issues.”

“You talk as if I haven’t been on the receiving end of that before.”

“Okay, point.”

A few minutes pass where neither of you do any talking and while it’s not uncomfortable Sebek does wonder if he should get up and leave, if you would prefer to be left to your own devices. Before he can do that, however, you ask one last question.

“Do you think I could ever be this comfortable with Silver? You know, where I can rant to him, or talk about any insecurities I have, or anything along those lines.”

He’s not really sure if the question was rhetorical, more you pondering and less expecting an answer out of him, but he replies with his thoughts anyway.

“Maybe start with your hobbies first, or his favorite food or something,” Sebek says, only half joking, “but if… once you get closer? I might have to start arguing with him about who knows you better!”

“Stupid…you already argue with him about everything anyway!”

VII. SILVER talks to you, the sequel

Sebek can’t chaperone you all the time. Friendship aside, he’s a busy first year with other people to follow around and other people to (excitedly) ask about their days, after all.

That’s what Sebek tells Silver, although the latter’s not sure why he’s suddenly become the replacement to keep you company, or why you need a replacement at all. 

The answer is probably that you don’t. You’ve escorted yourself from class to your room just fine before Sebek became your friend and it’s not like you’ve forgotten how to do it on your own. 

He’s well aware that Sebek’s trying to get him to do something and while he’s not sure what it could be, Silver had no plans to say no anyway. 

He’s been wanting to talk to you again—reasons difficult to describe but could at least be summed up as simply wanting to be around you—so for as long as his presence isn’t needed elsewhere he’ll take the chance to do so.

(Something in his gut tells him neither his father nor Sebek will try to call his cell phone anytime soon.)

He made his way from his last class to yours… but not before drinking the leftovers of his afternoon coffee—just in case. He’s sure you know of his predicament and he has no doubts you’ll be nice about it, but it’d be upsetting if a conversation with you was cut short.

You smile upon meeting his eyes and he can’t help himself from smiling back. It wasn’t that he was trying to stop himself from doing so, but more so that it was less a conscious choice and more a natural reaction. You actually seemed happy to see him this time, and the thought of you being happy because of that made him… glad. 

He’s not as verbose as… literally every fae (and half-fae, on that account) he knows, but the word seemed good enough to describe his present feelings.

“I feel like I should apologize on Sebek’s behalf,” you said, trailing after him as the both of you moved through the crowded hallways, “he’s… he means well, but he likes to meddle.”

He understands what you mean—Sebek at his very core is a well-meaning worrywart, but he doesn’t really get what that has to do with you. He simply assumed that this was Sebek going against his once-in-this-lifetime-assistance promise, but apparently you knew something about the first year’s motivations that he didn’t.

That or Sebek had ratted him out, which was just… awkward. Imagining himself explaining his thought process… He himself was having difficulties sorting it out, new reasons popping up one after another, so having to choose what reason to give you or worse, having to tell you everything… 

No thank you.

“That’s just how he is,” he shrugged, “but I don't mind. I enjoy talking to you.”

“Sorry?!” you sputtered, as though unable to fathom the thought of it. Before he could repeat himself or ask why you seemed shocked, you followed up with, “I… not that I don’t feel the same, but why?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” he asked, eyebrows furrowed, “does there have to be a reason?”

He does have his reasons, but all the same those reasons stemmed from him simply feeling that way, not exactly anything logical he could explain.

“I guess not, but we’ve only had a proper conversation… like, last time? All the other times I, uh, cut it off short,” you looked a bit sheepish at the admission. “Sorry about that by the way. I didn’t hate you or anything.”

Oh. Unless you were particularly good at reading his thoughts, Sebek did relay back to you about some things he asked about you. 

While he’s not as competitive as the younger boy, he’ll try to get back at him next training.

“That’s good,” he said, a small sense of relief filling him. Not that he thought Sebek was lying, but it was still nice to hear it from you. “It would be bad if you did, since…”

He thought about your question again—what could he possibly say to get you to understand without being too upfront, or vague, or confusing?

“Since?”

“Talking to you is a good way to relax after class,” Silver said, admittedly just saying the first reason he could think of, which was what he thought to be a decently-worded depiction of the truth. 

“Well, when you put it like that, I totally get what you–”

“Seeing you soothes me.”

Maybe Silver shouldn’t have said that last portion. However, what’s done is already done, and while you keep walking with him, you neither look at him nor speak to him. He wished he could understand what you were thinking, or that he could ask someone for advice at this moment without you knowing.

Realistically the silence lasts only for a minute or two, but by the time that you break it it feels like ten at the last, and it’s to the point that he inwardly sighs in relief that you don’t seem particularly upset or perturbed.

“I feel the same,” you replied, “similarly, I mean… maybe not the exact same, there’s probably some differences, but, you know.”

“Right,” he agreed, simply happy that his current feelings towards you were not seen as anything odd, that it was mutual. 

“So… Do you have to go back to your room immediately?” Silver asked, “I was wondering if you wanted to grab something to drink or eat again today.”

VIII. SEBEK tries to give love advice

“Silver, why are you in my room?!” 

That was the first question Sebek had asked Silver. The second was,

“Why are you asking me? Go ask Master Lilia!”

Normally Sebek would try to answer any question thrown at him, mostly because he found himself knowledgeable enough to at least be able to answer anything academic, but Silver’s questions were so far removed from the academic curriculum. It wasn’t even training or physical fitness related!

Books and (unsolicited) advice from his parents (and Silver’s father) aside, he’s NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP! NEVER BEEN, NO PLANS TO BE FOR A LONG TIME (note: while in Night Raven College), so just why did Silver think HE was the person to go for things like this!

He only put up with it because you’re a friend! What’s Silver’s excuse?

“But the two of you are best friends? So it would be better to ask you for advice, right?”

… Okay, maybe Silver had him there.

“Okay, FINE!” Sebek sighed, pulling out a chair—for himself, of course. The intruder could stand there all he wanted. “What’s the issue now?”

Seriously! It’s been, what, a month or two of the both of you talking normally (meaning without his help) and hanging out (again, finally without him trailing after to make sure neither one of you messed up somehow, or checking up on you every so often through text to make sure Silver hasn’t said anything to break your heart or whatever), but somehow neither one of you have made a move! What is going on?!

Again, he was too busy with academics and it’d be nice if everyone followed suit with that mentality, but if the feelings are already there? Might as well act on it! As long as Silver didn’t slack off in training, as long as you wouldn’t be too distracted with love to focus on your classes, wasn’t it alright?

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but I think I… no, I’m sure that I like…” Silver paused, as if rethinking his decision to tell Sebek after all. Honestly, Sebek already anticipated the question, so he really didn’t need to continue. Still, he admired his lack of cowardice and ability to actually speak your name.

“As you should,” he replied instantly, thanking the Great Seven that progress was finally being made! “I would be surprised if you didn’t.”

“Sebek, just to clarify, I don’t mean it in a purely platonic manner.”

If he was talking to you, he probably would find a more delicate, but still very much genuinely him way to word his upcoming statement. It’s Silver, though, so he speaks his truth unabashedly.

“Silver, I KNOW!” Sebek huffed, with neither the grace nor sensitivity he believed people typically wanted in situations like these. “Imagine! Someone tells you they think your friend’s laughter reminds them of the chirping of birds, that their smile is like the coming of springtime. Do you think me incapable of connecting the dots, Silver?”

Really, he was getting used to hearing the compliments from you, but hearing them from Silver made him want to grab one of the horses from the stable and simply get as far away as possible. It reminded him of his parents and their sickly sweet words to each other, except this was obviously worse because his parents were together, the both of you were not… yet!

“Hold on,” Silver said, and Sebek doesn’t get why he wouldn’t just spit it out already. Hold on to what? His patience? He was trying because you deserved a good confession straight from the source and not from a third party (otherwise known as him)!

“If you know, and you’ve known for a while now, then–”

“No, of course not! Do you think I possess the audacity to tell on you?” he huffed, honestly taking offense at the implication. Sure, he’s told on Silver here and there, and maybe a few other times once or twice because he deserved it, but CERTAINLY not with something as important as feelings!

“If anything, I’m upset that you’ve told me first! Should you not be acting on your feelings instead?”

“I came here to ask for advice, remember?”

Sebek frowned. Why do humans have to make things complicated?

“You don’t need advice! Just don’t break my friend’s heart and don’t confess half-heartedly! Is that not simple?”

Silver looked stunned by something for once, which honestly? Good! At least that meant the information was being absorbed into that brain of his.

“Huh. That might actually be decent advice, coming from you.”

Déjà vu aside, he huffed in reply.

“Don’t be surprised, of course I can give decent advice,” he said, “even if I don’t want to give any. So don’t ask me again.” Just please get together already so I can sleep peacefully at night without having to worry about this for once! 

Silver only smiles and says thank you, as though he knew Sebek would not be able to stop himself from providing his assistance anyway if either you or him needed it.

IX. YOU and SILVER finally talk about that 

Unbeknownst to each other, the both of you have thought about being the one to confess first. It’s partially motivated by Sebek, who genuinely seems to be positive that nothing will go wrong and that it is merely nervousness keeping the both of you from reaching some storybook happily ever after. Realistically the both of you know that reality can often be different from expectations, but his optimism is quite infectious.

The other motivator is simply the both of you not being able to help yourselves from spilling out phrases of praise for the other, not merely to Sebek but to your fellow peers as well. 

And, well, the idea that even if the feelings were not returned, the receiving party would at least be gentle with the rejection.

Plans aside, neither of you actually thought today would be the day, but Sebek had excused himself early (something to do with his Young Master Malleus, who Silver knew wasn’t actually requesting for his presence at all) and it did not look like he was coming back anytime soon.

“He’s been doing that lately,” you said, as used to it as Silver is, “leaving the both of us together.”

“So you’ve noticed it as well,” he replied, though it would be surprising if you hadn’t, “that time at the library–”

“And that time in the greenhouse–”

“When we left campus as well to roam around town, then he simply left us to join some of the other first years.”

There were so many chances even when your mutual friend wasn’t making them out of his own volition, but none of those times seemed particularly right to say anything, moreso just a chance to spend more time with each other, a chance both of you were eager to take. 

Something about this afternoon—or evening, or the time in between the both of them—was different from all the afternoons you’ve spent together, though.

Maybe it was because of the sky—the explosion of pinks and purples and blues as the dusk began to settle, a sky that reminded you of Silver’s eyes, not necessarily in hue but in its salience, a call to attention. 

Maybe it was because it was a quiet, peaceful time—a fair weather that Silver found himself prone to falling asleep to, and yet he felt no sense of drowsiness or tiredness whatsoever, merely contentment to be seated next to you.

“You know, I asked Sebek once, a few months ago, if he thought I could ever become close to you,” you admitted, with just enough courage to stare him straight in the face. “I know I already said sorry, but sorry about all those times I ran away from you. You made me nervous sometimes.”

“I asked him about something similar before, too.” Sort of, although he was far more straightforward when it came to questioning him about you. He can admit now that he’s glad that the boy kept his lips sealed quite tightly, a certain delight in learning things about you through you yourself.

“Is there a reason to be nervous around me, though? I’m having a tough time envisioning anything I’ve done to warrant that…”

You laughed, a tinge of embarrassment slipping out—perhaps directed at your past, perhaps because of the present, or how your next choice of words could affect the future. 

“Because I liked you.”

It’s silent for a few moments, the loudest sounds being that of the rustling leaves and the critters of a nearby forest, but strangely enough it’s not as scary as you thought it would be. At the very least, that’s what you will keep telling yourself—your affections are a secret begging to be spilled.

“Even though I never talked to you that much, I just enjoyed seeing you go about your day out of the corner of my eye. I like the way you carry yourself—you’re so cool and laidback and devoted that I thought I would embarrass myself if I even spoke a word to you,” you said, shaking your head at the memories, “I used to think you were so perfect compared to me.”

“I’m not–”

“I realized that eventually,” you intercepted. As brave as you found yourself at this moment, you were scared that if you were not to say your peace immediately, the conversation could be derailed, or that you would lose the courage to confess completely. “I’m glad I did. I don’t think I would have gotten to spend time with you like this otherwise.”

“Then… I’m glad you did, too,” Silver said in agreement, “because I was in a similar situation.”

“You were?!”

“Somewhat. It’s more in the sense that… Do you remember when I told you I thought your presence was soothing?” He waited for a second, continuing when you nodded your head. “That wasn’t a lie, but it was also a bit of an understatement. 

“For the longest time I’ve always enjoyed your presence, and it came to a point where I wanted to be around you more often and to get to know you instead of just being at the same time and place as you,” Silver said, “I think we just had different approaches to our feelings.”

“That sounds about right,” you replied, finding some humor in the situation, “I guess it’s a good thing that we found our way to becoming friends somehow.”

“It was.”

Neither you nor Silver follow up on that right away. It’s not that it’s not possible to say what either one of you have been leading up to anymore, but more so figuring out how to lead up to it. Was there a particular way the other wanted to hear it, and how could they combine that with their own words and feelings?

“You said you liked me,” Silver said, giving pause as if to allow you some time to correct him, or to clarify that you meant one way and not the other. 

The idea of you liking him had never occurred to him.

Well, no, that wouldn’t be right—he’s thought of it before, but it was always attached with the plan of him having to take you out on a date or two first, or at the very least asking to be given a chance to win you over. 

Still, he can’t find it in himself to mourn that he had not realized sooner. There was always a proper timing to these things, and if now was the perfect moment to strike, to act on it, then so be it.

“Do you still like me?”

“...That’s not a very fair question,” you said. It’s a half-hearted complaint at best, more of a request on your behalf than anything, but Silver heeded it regardless.

“Sorry, you’re right,” he replied, “then let me be the one to tell you first.”

Silver takes a deep breath, shakes off any nerves that could still be on him, and, for as much as you would allow, looks you straight in the eye as he conveys his confession.

“I like you. I’ve liked you for a while now, I hope it’s okay with you that I feel this way,” he says. He’s as serious as ever, but he says it in such a gentle, tender manner that the already tranquil mood lightens even further. 

Subconsciously, the both of you realize it then—if there were any odds against him, against you, none of them existed now. There could only be a happy ending written for the both of you.

“Being around you calms me, and yet I find myself staying awake for as long as possible just so I can listen to you. Even when I end up falling asleep I know I can trust you to wake me up, and when I do wake up, I find myself more rejuvenated than usual because your face is the first thing I see.

“I thank you for always gracing me with your presence, but all the same I want something more with you,” Silver trails off after, letting out a small huff of laughter as a sheepish grin settles on his face. “Is that too forward? I’ve been told that I could be quite…”

“Not at all.”

The tips of your fingers tap against his knuckles before enveloping his clenched fist with your hand. Any vulnerabilities, words and feelings never spoken until today, will be held carefully by you—and when he relaxes his body, his palm glides against yours, and he promises that he will carry your affections just as gently as you do his own.

X. SEBEK receives his well-deserved peace, somewhat (OUTTAKE)

Sebek was well-aware of his role in your relationship, so he was not the least bit surprised that you and Silver would (separately, and then once more together) not only make sure he was the first to find out, but to thank him for his services as well.

He alternated between rolling his eyes and pretending his help was no big deal and demanding that he be recognized for his efforts, all before eventually not being able to help himself from bursting into a grin and congratulating the both of you.

Mostly you, but he wasn’t sure he was able to hide his approval properly from Silver.

Sebek was genuinely happy for the both of you, of course, but he would not deny that a part of his delight stemmed from no longer having to be on the receiving end of whatever will-they-won’t-they trope the both of you were applying. Even when he wasn’t losing his mind listening to the both of you, he was losing it by watching the both of you interact (at a distance. What was he, a stalker? He had more important things to do than pay attention to a budding romance!)

For the most part, peace was achieved. You still invited him out frequently, sometimes with Silver and sometimes without, and nothing really changed between him and Silver either other than having another mutual person to protect.

What Sebek did not anticipate was to be on the receiving end of questions from the two he respected the most—one who was upset to be told of the recent developments later than he would have wanted, and another who was ready to pry any details his foster son neglected to tell him.

This was Silver’s fault, so why was he on the receiving end of the complaints all of a sudden?! Was this what he got for keeping his mouth shut?!

“Silver…!”

His rival better prepare—even if he was your significant other, he won’t be exempt from his wrath tomorrow morning.

end notes | masterlist of all my works

[1] The initial idea for the fic was pure humor and fluff with a bunch of clichés and Silver being jealous of protective BFF Sebek and reader. I kept the Sebek BFF dynamic because I love him, though his protectiveness is actually toned down to something more "I have my eye on you but you're free to get to know my friend just treat them well" than pure "Silver you are on my DNI list".

[2] I also mostly discarded the jealous Silver idea. Silver is less "I'm jealous that Sebek is your s/o even though he actually isn't" (made sure to have Sebek clarify it right away) and more "I'm jealous that he was able to form this genuine connection with you, and that other people can be in your presence. I want to be one of the people in your circle too." I don't mind the first type of jealousy, I think it's cute when played for laughs + good drama if executed well, but it's not what I was going for.

[3] I also tried to get the idea across immediately that Sebek does not have romantic feelings for the reader. I didn't want to use that trope. I don't want him to be sad. In the platonic sense, he loves reader and Silver (would rather die than admit it), so he's in this spot where he thinks it's "ew gross" but also "you're both good people so you should both be happy and i want to be supportive but why are both of you taking so long why are u stupid oh seven let this go well i will scream if this doesn't"

[4] Chemistry is one of the subjects I was weaker in back in high school so excuse my bare minimum research but Sebek feels like the type to go "MY CORTISOL CIRCULATION IS IN HIGH LEVELS RIGHT NOW DO NOT APPROACH OR I WILL YELL AT YOU" instead of "wow im fucking stressed!" like any other normie would lol

[5] Another thing I was a bit delicate with is Sebek's pushing, and that while he has his frustrations he doesn't completely diminish reader's insecurities or difficulty in talking with Silver specifically. I imagine that it happened in the past, but he's probably working to be more understanding of others, reader in particular bc friendship and favoritism lol.

[6] I was really stuck on what I think Silver would appreciate the most in a person and how he would fall in love with them. Of course all dynamics are fun and I want to use different personalities and types of readers in the future, but for this one I decided to have reader remind Silver of the pleasant and peaceful things in life. I liked the idea that they've both admired each other from a far, like a "this person really heals me…" but while Silver wants to get closer and tries to act on it, Reader instinctively wants to run away bc they like him so much. The pure romance trope, basically.

[7] I decided to not explore the whole "falling in love" process, like dates and stuff, mostly to allow the reader some flexibility in imagining what activities or conversations or whatnot Silver and reader have had. Compared to my other fics, that's not really the purpose of this one.

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