Twst Trey Clover X Reader - Tumblr Posts
Been following you for quite a while, and I absolutely love your "How to win a heart of" series! Would you consider making for Trey as well?
No pressure though, and you can ignore if your req is not open, but I'd love to see what you come up with! Thank you for giving amazing contents
How to win a heart of Trey Clover?
a/n: Dear Anon, I hope you will like this one!
Dear Readers, for the plot enrichment, I gifted you with a (temporary) inability to bake. It might have highly affected the reader’s self-confidence, which is primarily pretty low, but grows with each sweet second when Trey is around. And then, the reader embraces the energy of positive chaos. And becomes chaotic.
1. Ask for help from pretty stranger from the desk next to yours.
To say that you aren’t nervous would be an utter lie.
Your knuckles already whitened from the unwitting pressure you put in tightening your fists into a nervous grip, and your shoulders felt sore, reasonably sore, after being tensed for so long. Throat goes dry again, and words die on your tongue, just like every time your eyes dart to a green-haired student.
...You really need to talk to him.
Trey Clover, the unfamous vice-dorm leader of Heartslabyul, is probably the greatest pastry chef in NRC’s history and the only person who can help you at the moment.
A baking club entry exam, that is.
...
The problem is, you suddenly forgot how to talk to people.
You could swear everything was alright just a moment ago when your friend casually complained about the lack of seasoning in the cafeteria’s food. A huff, an eye roll and a sarcastic comment were almost obligated.
Now you can’t remember how it felt to be relaxed.
Should you just say hi and casually tell him about your problem? Would almost strange classmate care? ...If he disagreed, it would be a bit embarrassing, and it’s not like you could avoid him when his desk is next to yours. Maybe you could ask any of your friends if they could introduce you... But does any of them know Trey?
You look up at Trey once again, as if it could help you find a solution, but quickly shift your gaze to your hands.
Maybe you should just read more culinary books... A theory might not be enough, but it will spare you from any embarrassment that might—and with your luck and undeniable skills: *will—*happen.
...
No. You need to be brave.
How will you go through life if you can’t talk to strangers? Trey seems like a kind person, so he might help you... or just reject your ask without putting up a show.
And all you need to do is to start talking.
All you need to do is—
“Hey, can I help you with something?” A voice, a really good sounding voice with the texture of melted chocolate startles you, and you look cautiously up. “I noticed you were watching me.”
...Of course, he did.
All courage you mustered up was now just a faint memory, untraceable and irretrievable. With sympathetic eyes in the colour of cinnamon and gold on yours, you swallow some saliva, hoping it will dissolve the stress that gripped your throat.
“I’m so... so, very sorry... I didn’t mean to stare.”
“No need to apologize,” he smiles warmly, which makes your gaze drop to the floor in silence. “You’re [Name] [Surname], right? I don’t believe we have talked before, but I heard—and saw, believe me—that you are a very lovely person.”
...
What? What?
“Thank you...?” You pull the words into your mouth because leaving the comment in silence would make you feel guilty. Also, it was a compliment! Sensing you want to ask him for something, he gives you a smile. So, before the rest of your courage has a chance to flag, you speak up. “I... Or rather if... If you have any time to spare me, could you help me- pass- my- baking- class?”
He almost grins at your question. ...Huh, was it funny?
“You are a member of a baking club, aren’t you? I’m honoured you reached out to me, haha!” He regards you with a warm look, and you feel almost happy that you’ve decided to talk. “And sure. I will help you. Just... don’t be so nervous around me? I don’t bite... but I sure can serve you something worth tasting.”
2. Share your thoughts.
There is that unnamed excitement hanging in the air.
You aren’t sure if it comes from the late hour when most school halls are abandoned and left only with some candles as the source of light, or is it Trey himself, who stands behind the kitchen counter with a cookbook loosely in his hands.
“So,” he starts, and the polite smile he wears seems to brighten up the whole room, “I might not be a member of the baking club—even if it sounds really fun, and I am, in fact, a little bit envious—but I heard about the criteria of the tests. They let you create a custom recipe, which you will have to re-do in a certain amount of time, under the eye of the club president... Is that right?”
You nod.
While you could, of course, learn a recipe from the most mysterious and unknown book that has barely seen sunlight, your club’s president has his ways to check if the work was plagiarized. So, your ‘quest impossible’ is to think of a pastry no one ever thought about.
It’s hard to believe every member of the club had to do the same.
“We need to start with a goal,” Trey guides you to take a pencil and puts an empty notebook on the counter. “And we need to get a little bit creative here.”
He stands where he was standing before, but he seems a little bit closer than before. You take a little step back at the sudden realization, and Trey chuckles softly as he sends you an apologetic smile and moves a bit away.
“So, to know what we want to do...” You aren’t sure if he stands that much away because you hear his voice well. Very well, every change in his tone is neatly observed and noted in your thoughts. “Tell me, what you dream of. Even the most impossible idea.”
He smiles encouragingly. You aren’t sure if you’d like to reveal any of your secrets to a stranger, but then Trey flips a recipe book and your eyes land on several images one of of the most enticing cakes you’ve ever seen.
Trey knows he has your attention. His finger slides from a cookbook to your blank notebook, where you will have to write down some ideas. “The best way to learn is to do something you want. And to do that, I need to know your preferences a little bit better.”\
3. Try your hand at pastries. Again.
‘00:36’
Your phone buzzes once again, and for the seventh time, you tap the screen to delay the alarm. It is a simple move, but it reminds you of hours you have spent in the kitchen.
You are tired, and at the moment, you wish nothing but to tuck yourself in the bed and be late for morning classes. It’s not really an affirmable desire, but a needed one.
“Should we put it in the fridge?” You ask, looking at the fresh-made cake. It is beautifully decorated, but, to make sure the cream is right, you will have to leave it somewhere cold overnight.
“This one?” Trey corrects his glasses. “Only if you wish for some other students to steal it for their breakfast.” He smiles faintly, the lost hours of sleep getting onto him as well. “And that is another rule to learn: do not trust anyone your baking goods unless you’re prepared for the loss or you have your ways to find the culprit.”
A wry, hesitant smile stretches your lips. “...Is that from experience?”
“You would be surprised how often it happens,” he sighs and your mouth quirks up. “How trustable are your dormmates?”
“I... think I wouldn’t like to test out.”
“Okay, yes. I understand, I would probably do the same,” Trey laughs at your response. “But, well, would you trust me with this cake, please? I will bring it on a lunch break when we will try it out and think about improvement.”
“Sure...” You look at him from under your lashes and smile. “I will give you a benefit of the doubt.”
“Thank you!” And another smile returned. A smile does really suit him. “I will not let you down.”
Then, he said his goodbyes and left, the only trace that he was here being the blush that slowly perfused your cheeks.
He is too kind...
4. Beware.
There are always some eyes on you, and that’s the thing you need to remember in NRC.
And because people here are very observant, just by watching a person for a while, you can get a nice grasp of someone’s personality, judging them by their words and actions.
It also makes some students cautious—aware of being observed, they put up a show of being someone they aren’t. They can look stronger than they are, to look respectable, or feel timider, to cover the abilities they would like to save for later.
Either way, you’re a really bad liar.
Trey notes that when he notices you talking with your friends. There are no feigned emotions across your face, the tone of your voice bewrays everything you’d like to hide. Even falling quiet tells him a lot, and he has no trouble with saying if the silence is a peaceful one or a distressed one.
He doesn’t know why his gaze always searches for you in a crowd. Well, he doesn’t know why he was helping you without getting paid back. You aren’t influential in this school, but maybe, your passed test will be a bargaining chip when the time comes.
...But was that a reason?
A pondering sigh escapes his lips.
When you catch him staring, you wave at him discreetly.
He nods his head at you, in greeting, and a soft smile blooms up your face.
...
Yeah. You’re wearing heart on your sleeve, but that’s a part of your charm.
5. Take a joke seriously.
Emptied bottles of oyster sauce lay on the table and you can’t contain the sigh when you glance at them.
You tried everything.
And it still didn’t taste good.
You don’t know how to add oyster sauce, the special ingredient Trey revealed to you in utter secret, to make... anything savour better, but you aren’t going to give up yet.
The cake gets too salty after adding it to the dough, so you figured out it would probably have to go with something either sour or refreshing. The vegetable paste would fit quite good if the dough was overbaken, but then you couldn’t really call it a cake.
Then, when you added it to the cream, the texture got soggy and tasted awful. There was nothing that you could cover a taste with.
And while you wanted to give up, it was Trey who trusted you with his baking secret! If you won’t master it, how will you ever progress?
“Oh, my...” You hear a disbelieved gasp and turn quickly to see Trey eyeing your baking experiment. Noticing the empty bottles of sauce, he immediately knows what’s going on. “[Name]! How could you take that joke?”
You blink slowly.
Oh.
...
“...Shame on me then, hah.” You shrug and smile awkwardly, but your feeling is mixed. Should you be happy that you didn’t do anything wrong, or cry, about the stress you’ve come through...?
“I am truly moved by your faith in me, even if it was misplaced this time,” Trey says and your mouth forms something between a pout and a grimace.“...But oyster sauce?”
“I know--!” You bring your hands to your face and hide from his gaze. “...It still hurts that I’ve spent so much time figuring out the ingredients! ...Now I know that I shouldn’t trust you with questionable recipes.”
You reposition some of your fingers on the face to glare at Trey.
Trey chuckles but also seems gullible.
“Sorry, I’m sorry, don’t be mad,” he reassures you, putting a hand on your shoulders. A sudden strike of electricity goes through your body, freezing you. “I need to say, that, nevertheless, it looks very appetizing.” Trey doesn’t seem to notice your tensing shoulders when he walks to the cake and digs a fork into a cake.
A pleasant crunch fills the air. “The texture is great,” he says with a smile on his face. It becomes a little bit forced when he takes it to his mouth. “But yeah, it’s still not so very edible. Your efforts, though, are paying off. If there wasn’t any oyster sauce, it would have a very rich flavour.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he confirms, and you can’t help but smile. Compliments from Trey are not uncommon but they can move your heart every time. “I will treat you with something if you help me. So, pay attention to me, alright?”
6. Make him a gift.
You’ve passed the baking test.
It’s hard to lock your excitement within your body, but the little stars in your eyes reveal the truth.
You’ve passed the test and you know that the strawberry shortcake is the result of hours spent in the company of the greatest pastry chef of Heartslabyul, if not NRC.
But not only that. You’ve gained a real... friend. And you could say that it was the real treasure, but it would sound too cliché, and a passed test is not something you could grumble at. But yeah, now Trey was in your life and you can sincerely say, that you enjoy your time with him.
“It’s for you.”
A thin, beautifully decorated box is in your hands as you say those words. Trey grins instantly and looks at you with surprise and joy in his eyes. When he opens it, mini-cakes are revealed. Really beautiful ones—the cake seems super light (probably also vanilla flavoured, he guesses), and the cream is rich in field berry. Candied flowers shine courteously in the sunlight, and Trey can’t help but feel proud of you.
You interpret the silence in the wrong way, letting your gaze down and making a wry face. “...If you don’t want it, I will take it.”
“No!” Trey immediately protests. “You can’t take back a present, [Name].”
“Then don’t make me regret giving you anything!”
Trey laughs and takes the box from you, with the grace of a dancer rather than a chef.
“Thank you for the cake. I will treasure it by eating when the time is right,” and he looks at you, weighing his words. He smiles mischievously. “But... Are you sure there isn’t any oyster sauce in there?”
“Trey!” You punch him lightly in the arm. And then you stop and take a box from him. “You know what, give me a bottle of that. There is never too late to add special ingredients, and now I want to poison you.”
“[Name], no-”
7. Endure teasings. (Warning: They come from every side)
Ace Trappola is a tease of a man, whose eyes could never miss the chance to make a comment that will either make the room laugh, sigh or smile hesitantly.
So when he sees you, you can’t expect that you will escape with an unscratched mood.
“Oh, you are the student who keeps our vice dorm leader away from us, huh!” Ace greets you with cheerfulness, and for a second you aren’t sure if he’s talking to you. When he confirms with a nod of his head, that he actually is, you look shocked. He has no qualms to stop teasing you when his voice rises again. “He is so often outside that the whole dorm started to miss him!”
“...Sorry?” You smile awkwardly, not sure how to respond.
“No, no, don’t be sorry, we have so many more treats every day,” Ace waves your words off, but winks at you. “...Unless you did something to be sorry for?”
“Of course not,” by the time he grins widely, you regain some of your lost calmness. “You know, most people would probably be happy when the person who checks if you follow the rules is out.”
“You picked the wrong person then, duh!” He sounds and looks pouty as he throws his half-complaint at you. “Riddle is in charge of everything... He probably has a sweet side, but I can’t really see him dating anyone.”
“Well... Trey and I aren’t dating.”
Ace sounds surprised. “You are not?”
Another voice sounds surprised. “We are not?”
“No!” You turn instantly to Trey, who smiles unapologetically at you. “Trey, you aren’t helping my case.”
He chuckles. Ace shoots you an unimpressed look as if your protest was a lie. You bite back a sigh.
“Sorry!” Trey says. “I couldn’t help but join this very interesting conversation.”
He looks at Ace and smiles slightly.
“But, yes, we aren’t dating,” and there comes the wink and a silent word, “yet.”
He hopes.
He hopes?
8. Laugh for him.
Laugh is made of sincerest smiles, and a smile is said to be a half of a kiss.
Your chuckle is surely enough to give him a heart attack.
And maybe because he craves it so much, he's a bit envious of the student you’re talking with...
He isn’t sure how he remained to hold up his composure. Maybe only Cater noticed that something was wrong—other students picked up on the questionable crush only because of the amount of time Trey spent in your presence—but Trey concluded his reactions were a little... delayed.
And thank goodness for that.
The solemn facade is still up when he walks to you and the boy you’re talking with, wide grins on your faces as you share some inside joke. A—nameless, for Trey—boy whispers something enthusiastically, and you burst out laughing.
You’re happy. Trey should be happy. But it’s hard not to feel a weight on his chest as he walks to your table. And he doesn’t want to say that he’s jealous, seeing you laugh your heart out with another dorm student, but... Well, something twists in him.
“Oh, hello Trey!” You notice him when he’s not so far away from you. The other boy just nods in greeting but looks a little bit distracted. “Would you believe that now people are asking me for baking tips?”
“Congratulations. It’s huge progress... especially after adding oyster sauce to the dough,” Trey teases, sitting next to you. Very, very close to you, but you’re too fed up with his comment to notice his proximity.
The boy that was sitting on your other side, somehow, takes this moment as an opportunity to leave.
Somehow, a delight floods Trey’s body.
“Don’t bring it up in every talk about my progress!” You cross your arms and your lips form a thin line. “It was your fault too, you know.”
“...Anyway, did you know that mayonnaise can make a cake moist and fluffy?”
You look at him cautiously. He grins, politely.
“...I will research it,” slowly, warily, you answer. “You see, what you’ve done to me? I have now trust issues!”
Trey chuckles. “Too bad then. I have so much more things to share with you.”
You laugh charmingly.
And his heart skips a beat.
9. Get invited to the Unbirthday Party.
“Is that an invitation?”
“Mhm.”
A beautiful letter is packed into a chequered pattern of paper that, by its function, resembled an envelope. It’s sealed with magic and wax, and as you break the stamp, the black and white squares shift from their places, to reveal handwritten words of invitation.
You read the whole thing twice, holding the letter lightly, too afraid to tear down the paper. Trey waits for your response, occupying his hands with a leaf that had fallen on the bench you were sitting on.
Finally, you take a breath and turn to Trey.
“Should I... bring anything?” You ask anxiously. A Heartslabyul party! Were you really invited to the famous event at your school? At the one of the grandest of the Unbirthday party, since the day of invitation was told to be a date of least people having a birthday? “Is there a dress code? Or, can I help you with preparing food?”
“No. You’re my guest and you need to take it easy,” Trey laughs your offer off. He shows you his appreciation with a light touch on your hand, but you do your best to not be distracted by that small (but purposeful, oh so very purposeful) gesture.
“But then you’re the one who bakes everything!” You protest. “Won’t you be tired after doing all desserts alone for such a grand event?”
“It’s all good. I need to keep my thoughts from something, so it’s a great thing to be occupied.”
When he looks at you, guilt twists your expression. You look at Trey sadly, but before you speak up, he doesn’t know what words caused you to have so heartbreaking emotion take over your appearance.
“’Thoughts from something’?” In a whisper, you repeat those words carefully. “Oh... Trey, do you have a problem? Can I be a help to you? I’m sorry I didn’t notice.”
“...Soon,” he licks his lips in a nervous gesture. Were they always this dry? His touch on your hand tightens, and soon he seems to be reassuring you more than you reassured him. Though, no, your appearance was always nothing short of comfort to him. “Soon, you will hopefully end my... problem.”
10. Recieve chocolates with love filling.
“Are you waiting for certain someone~?”
Trey rolls his eyes, but his heartbeat still drowns out more of Ace’s upcoming teasings. It gives him an answer he could hardly admit to himself.
He really was nervous.
“No...” He says, but, on second thought, he moulds his response again. “...Actually, yes. Have you seen [Name]?”
“Ha! I knew it!” Ace grins, his teasing eyes having Trey duck his head slightly. “But no, I don’t believe anyone had a chance to see [Name] before you knew.”
“It’s not as if—,” Trey’s breath suddenly frozen; no words could be spoken.
Because you entered.
Your outfit, you think, could be a little overdressed, but it was a grand event, and Hearslabyl dorm was very content with weird clothing, as long as they fit within the rules. A red fabric covers your body with elegance, and roses dipped in gold are neatly attached to your hair and belt.
There is only quiet rustling when your elegant shoes move through the grass.
“...Hello, [Name],” he greets you with a smile that blooms wider every step you’re closer to him. You grin in response. Before Ace can even greet you properly, Trey grabs your hand gently and guides you toward the gardens. “Let’s go. No need to bear with anyone.”
“Hey!” Ace’s way to greet you is blocked by Trey’s arm. “Trey, that’s called possessiveness, duh!”
But you two already walked away.
...
The talk you have is about everything and nothing. The party, though you escaped only after being there for two minutes, was the easiest topic to talk about, as the happy voices from afar reminded both of you of the event.
“The cakes at the party look marvellous,” you say, ready to get the recipe out of him. He smiles, but it’s not the teasing grin that you get from your words. He’s just happy you’re here with him. “Though, that’s expected from you... You know, it’s so random but, whoever will you be with in the future will be a very lucky person! Anyone can just look at-”
“...Would you like to be the one?”
“-you and tell that... you...”
...
What?
He just confessed.
Now you notice that there is a box of chocolates in his hand, decorated with some paper origami in the shape of little roses. Somehow, you can’t tear your gaze away from it.
He prepared to confess.
“I like you,” Trey breaks the silence. For the first time, you see him so clearly unsettled. “I like you a lot, [Name], but if you-”
“No, wait-” You stutter out a protest. The situation of what just happened got to your body and allowed you to take a proper breath. Checks heated up, and tears “I- Trey, I do like- I lov-”
“...Wait,” he stops you gently, and the surprise and confusion paint your face. He smiles, and the stress that was just overtaking his body feels to dissolve. “At first, let me court-... Seduce you properly.”
...
That charming bastard.
He knows your answer and now, secure from immediate rejection, decides to tease you.
You believe it’s to reduce your tension, but you don’t believe whatever he’s about to do, will take off the crimson blush from your cheeks.
Before you can say another word, his fingers are already intertwined with yours, firmly, confidently, so convincingly. He brings your hands to his face and lays several kisses in gentleman’s mannerism on your fingernails and though each feels very attentive, his golden eyes are focused solely on you.
Your heart beats loudly in a rhythmic begging that you’re sure Trey hears.
Only then, does he brings up a heart-shaped box of homemade chocolates; the love is written on the box, on his lips and eyes.
“[Name]...” He says with a low voice, as joy grips your throat and heart. “Will you accept these?”