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It took everything Sebek possessed not to slam the door behind him, or at least, not to slam it harder than he had. He slumped back against the door, head reeling, and slid down until he was sitting on the floor with his knees pulled to his chest.Stupid Silver.Sebek pressed a hand to his face, taking deep, desperate breaths. This was shameful behavior. He was a guard of Malleus! He was a student of Master Lilia! He was…A mess, he supposed.Now that he’d put a name to his disgraceful behavior, Sebek was angry. With Silver, of course, but more with himself. Silver may have taken him by surprise, but Sebek was the one who hadfled called their training to an end.Which had been completely unnecessary, because Silver had waited until they were already done training, when they were both standing there, chests heaving with exertion. He’d taken Sebek by complete surprise, and then he’d had the nerve to look at Sebek, waiting for a response.Well, he'd gotten one.Silver hadn’t said anything more than those six incriminating words. What more could he have said? He’d already said more than enough. What had Silver been thinking? He hadn’t been, and that was almost worse.Almost.Six simple words, uttered with complete sincerity. Six little words that Silver should have kept to himself. Words that should never have crossed Silver’s mind in the first place. But then, Silver had plenty of human foibles. This was only one of them, but it was the most damaging. Silver’s utterance hadn’t been an incantation of unique magic, but it might as well have been. With those six words, Silver had forever altered their relationship. There would be no coming back from this. Sebek would simply do his best to pretend nothing had happened, pretend that Silver didn’t have feelings that had no place between them.Pretend that Silver hadn’t even tried to take the words back. That he’d looked relieved, had looked happy when he’d uttered them - happier than Sebek had seen him look in a while, even after Malleus had selected Silver to succeed him as housewarden!Sebek would do his best to pretend that, when he’d turned to leave, Silver hadn’t made a single move to stop him. He hadn’t even tried following Sebek. It didn’t matter that Sebek had needed space and distance between them. The point was that Silver didn’t understand the severity of what he’d done. He didn’t understand that with a single sentence, things between them would never be the same.Or, more damningly, he did, and it didn’t bother him in the least.For all that Sebek found Silver’s habits and mannerisms annoying, for all the times they’d argued over how to be the best retainers, Sebek had never hated Silver.He didn’t, he couldn’t, hate Silver, even now.Silver was everything that Sebek could ever want in a partner. He was strong, capable, and had stamina. His movements were sharp and powerful with his sword, yet fluid when they wrestled. His reflexes were swift, and he took criticism to heart instead of whining about it. Silver knew Sebek’s moves backwards and frontwards, and well enough not just to counter them, but to adapt quickly. It was what made their moves flawlessly in sync when they weren’t in competition with each other.Sparring together, training together, dueling each other - all of these things had given them a synergy they didn’t have with anyone else. After graduation, when the day came that Sebek joined the Royal Guard, he couldn’t picture himself with any partner but Silver.He wasn’t even sure when that had happened. It made sense, of course, because Silver was the only one who’d gone through the same grueling training. He was Master Lilia’s son, the only human that Grandfather had even a smidgen of respect for. Not even Sebek’s father had managed to win him over quite yet.And now, with a handful of words, Silver had irrevocably destroyed everything.A knock sounded at his door, and Sebek’s stomach twisted in knots. “Sebek,” Silver said. “I know you’re in there.”He didn’t. He couldn’t. With Silver’s inferior human hearing and subpar sense of smell, there was no way that he knew for certain that Sebek was in his room. It was, at best, an educated guess.“Sebek,” Silver sighed. “You can’t hide from me forever.” I’m not hiding, Sebek wanted to shout, but that would be a lie.He could picture the disappointed look on Silver’s face, but it wasn’t enough for him to answer the door. Silver had to learn that words had consequences. After a few more seconds, he could hear Silver’s footsteps retreat down the hall, toward his own room - the room that Malleus used to occupy. So much had changed this year, but Silver’s words had been the most jarring.Sebek hated himself for hiscowardice stubbornness. He could have demanded an apology. Silver would've given him one, too. He took very seriously the impact his actions had on others. It was one of the things that made him suitable for the role of Diasomnia’s housewarden.He should've extended that same concern to Sebek before opening his mouth and spewing nonsense.Sebek hated that Silver didn’t properly groom himself, especially now that he was representing all of Diasomnia! He hated that Silver used to allow Malleus to slip away far too often when he was supposed to be guarding him. He hated that Silver still bested him more often than not and that he sometimes chastised Sebek as if he were scolding a child. But he didn’t really hate that Silver treated him differently than he treated everyone else, he actually kind of liked it. He didn’t hate seeing the playful side of Silver. He didn’t hate Silver… And therein, lay the problem. “Silver?”Silver blinked open his eyes to see Riddle looking at him in concern.“Did I fall asleep again?” Silver asked. It felt so odd to be asking that question now, when he’d been doing so well combatting his drowsiness this year.Riddle frowned. “I hope you do not plan on sleeping in the saddle all afternoon.”Silver shook his head. “I don’t. I’m sorry.”Riddle was silent for a moment, and then he said, “I know you have a terrible habit of falling asleep during class, but it’s unusual for you to sleep during club activities.” He hesitated. “Is everything okay?” No, Silver wanted to say. It’s not, and I don’t know if it ever will be again. That was a bit of an exaggeration, of course. Despite Sebek’s obvious avoidance of him, Silver knew that he’d never allow Silver’s ill-timed confession to interfere with their training. It wasn’t why Silver had waited until after they’d finished to say what he did. In fact, Silver hadn’t planned on saying anything at all.He hadn’t even realized there was something to say, not until the words spilled out of his mouth, unbidden.Speaking from the heart, without considering his words first - that was more typical of Sebek than it was of Silver. But it had struck him, in the moment. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Sebek’s proud countenance - there was no question that Sebek was handsome, from his carefully styled hair to his eyebrows to his lips, lips that had curved into a smile that caught Silver’s breath. Sebek had genuinely complimented Silver on his victory instead of proclaiming he’d beat Silver the next time they fought.It was a side of Sebek he didn’t usually show, especially in front of those he viewed as inferior. Yet, for all of Sebek’s bluster, and the occasional reminders of Silver’s humanity, it was obvious that Sebek had never truly believed Silver was inferior. It was understandable to be frustrated when he lost - Silver felt the same way the few times Sebek was the victor - but it was never directed at Silver personally.And then, while Silver had still been reeling from the warmth of Sebek’s smile, a small baby rabbit had darted between them, stumbling when it saw Silver. Before Silver could act, Sebek crouched down, even as the rabbit trembled in fear. “Clumsy fool,” he chided, but in a soft, quiet voice. The rabbit had looked at Sebek, then at Silver. To their surprise, the rabbit had nuzzled Sebek’s hand - just for a second - before bounding away.When Sebek had gotten to his feet, he’d looked at Silver, doing his best to bite back a smile and failing. He’d looked so happy …And that’s when the words had tumbled out.The sound of thundering hooves caught Silver’s attention, and he and Riddle both turned to watch Sebek’s horse galloping past, his expression as intense as ever. “His rapport with Tempest has greatly improved since last year,” Riddle commented.Silver couldn’t help but smile. Sebek really had forged a bond with the horse, so much so that Silver thought of Tempest as Sebek’s just as much as he considered Vorpal to be Riddle’s.It was, in a way, like the way he and Sebek worked together, when Sebek wasn’t criticizing Silver for his appearance or reminding Silver that his grades reflected on the entire dorm. .Of course, Sebek was fussier than he needed to be, wanting to prove himself in his new position as vice housewarden, but Silver had always admired Sebek’s dedication. His fastidiousness was unnecessary - Silver found a rumpled, tousle-headed Sebek just as attractive as a neatly turned out Sebek - but Silver supposed he had a point about representing Malleus and Briar Valley.Silver’s smile disappeared, and he sighed. Out of the corner of his eye, Silver saw Riddle tip his head to the side.“Did something happen between you two?” Riddle inquired. ‘Yes’ would be the correct answer, but in a way, so would ‘no,’ since Sebek was most assiduously making sure that nothing was happening between them.While Silver considered how to answer truthfully, Riddle cleared his throat. “I’m heading to the library after dinner, if you find yourself in need of a study partner,” he said, and with that, he turned his horse toward the stables.Silver’s hands tightened on the reins. He’d never really considered the word ‘partner’ to refer to anyone else other than Sebek, but it would be rude not to take Riddle up on his offer. “No, I’m telling you, there’s something there. The housewarden has been super jumpy around him lately.”“Exams are coming up,” Deuce pointed out.“Have you ever seen our teapot tyrant nervous about exams?”“Well, no, but I don’t see why that has anything to do with Floyd.”Ace shook his head. “I am telling you. If anything about Heartslabyul comes up at basketball practice, Floyd perks right up and asks if ‘Goldfishie’ will be there. Riddle’s the damn housewarden, of course he’ll be there!”“Okay,” Deuce said. “But just because Floyd has a thing for Riddle, that doesn’t mean that Riddle feels the same way.”“I’m telling you,” Ace repeated. “He does.”“Maybe he just doesn’t know it yet?” Epel suggested.“That’s ridiculous!” Sebek said. “How can one have a ‘thing,’ as you call it, for someone and not realize it?”“Pot, meet kettle.”“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sebek demanded.“I don’t see it,” Jack said. “Neither do I! Riddle and Floyd have nothing in common. That is not a sound foundation for a solid relationship!”"And you'd know?" Ace retorted.“I agree with Jack and Sebek. Floyd is kinda the anti-Riddle, if you think about it,” Deuce mused.“I don’t know about that,” Epel said. When everyone looked at him in shock, he continued. “It’s just that… last year, during Beanfest, we were on the farmer team together. Floyd was teasing Riddle, and hanging on him, no matter how much Riddle told him to quit it. Plus Floyd …well, he said some things.”Sebek frowned. “What sort of ‘things?’”“Yeah, you can’t just leave it there,” Ace prodded.“Well, like... Okay. First, Floyd talked about how there was this guy in basketball club who played way better than Floyd did, looking smug the whole time.”Ace nodded. “Yeah, that perfectly describes Jamil. It’s why he’s captain this year. He’s good and he knows it.” “Anyway, Floyd said he was determined to pull off some cool moves of his own, so he practiced for two whole days until he could dunk. I mean, he also skipped class for those days, but still. He was super determined to master that move, so he put in the time and effort. Floyd can work hard, when he wants to.”“Yeah, but he doesn’t always want to,” Ace sighed. “It’s still a problem on the basketball court. Unless someone is there watching and he wants to show off. So…what else?”Epel blinked at him. “Whattya mean, ‘what else?’ I’m just saying, it’s not like they have nothing in common.”“I mean that you’re saying more than that. You said that Floyd said some things. That means there’s more than just that.”Epel looked more cautious. “Well, it’s just that our orientation wasn’t the only one that started off with an incident.” He looked around quickly, and then leaned forward. “Apparently Floyd said something to Riddle, and Riddle sent him flying across the room.”“And he’s been fascinated with Riddle ever since,” Ace finished.“Well, Vil called them a coupla live wires, sayin’ they’ve been like that with each other since orientation, so…”“Okay,” Jack said, “I can see why Floyd would be interested in Riddle, but what would Riddle even see in Floyd?” Jack asked.“Escape,” Ace said. “The housewarden’s always been obsessed with everything being just so, and Floyd knocks him off balance.”“Still sounds one-sided to me,” Jack argued.Ace sighed. “You’re all hopeless. I’m saying that Riddle is different after talking to Floyd.”“Ace Trappola is correct!” Ortho chimed in. “Last year, there was an incident in the Hall of Mirrors before winter break!”“Oh, yeah, I remember the housewarden sounded really down in the dumps,” Deuce said.“A review of my video footage indicates that Riddle Rosehearts was acting very despondent about returning home. But after speaking with Floyd Leech, he was very angry instead!”“That’s not the kind of ‘different’ I meant, but yeah,” Ace said.Deuce’s eyes widened in dismay. “Aren’t cameras prohibited from the Hall of Mirrors?” “Regardless, it is disrespectful to speak of my clubmate this way,” Sebek scolded, inserting himself back into the conversation with perfect timing.“Okay, then, if we can’t talk about the pot, then let’s focus on the kettle. What would you look for in an ideal partner?”Sebek scowled at him, but he had promised Master Lilia he would do better conversing with these humans this year.“I thought we had this conversation last year!”“No, last year we talked about how horrible you were at romancing that ghost bride.”“And I said that I had no time for such frivolous pursuits!”“I thought we'd been talking about our dating experience," Deuce muttered.“Which was zero for everyone except Ace!” Ortho added cheerfully.Ace caught Deuce’s gaze, then Epel's, and then tipped his head in Sebek's direction.“Oh!” Deuce said. “Right. You know, I’m kind of curious, too, about what Sebek would look for in a partner. Uh, hypothetically speaking!”“I sure could use some pointers, myself,” Epel said with a twinkle in his eye. “From someone respectable. Someone older.”Ace resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Sebek was barely two months older than Epel, but then, this was Sebek. Laying it on thick worked on a guy like him.“I would want someone who understands that my first priority is to my liege, of course!”“That right there is gonna limit your prospects,” Ace said.“Shut up, human!”“This is not in my database of ideal qualifications for a romantic partner,” Ortho said. “You are a very unique individual, Sebek Zigvolt!”“Of course I am,” Sebek replied, somewhat mollified. “I could be no less when representing Diasomnia!”“Do you have other specifications?” Ortho asked. Sebek looked around the table. Despite Ace’s disrespectful comment, they all seemed interested in the traits Sebek required in a suitable partner.“They would need to be strong, of course. When I am in the Royal Guard, I cannot guarantee the safety of my liege and my partner at the same time.”“I agree with Sebek!” Epel said. “You definitely want someone physically strong. Someone who won’t break when you hug ‘em!”“Epel Felmier is surprisingly strong!” Ortho said. “He is able to carry crates of apple juice and still maintain an acceptable heart rate.”“And Leona used to mention that Epel was, uh, is, a player who doesn’t quit,” Jack added.“Yeah, I’d hate to be with someone who throws in the towel when things get rough,” Deuce said.“Okay, but what if you’re the one who wants to bail?” Ace asked.“Based on the parameters of an ideal partner, the probability of that is very low.”“What about you, Sebek?” Deuce asked. “You’d want someone who doesn’t give up easily, right?”“What a ridiculous question! What good is a partner who lacks commitment and stamina? Who lacks loyalty?”There were murmurs of agreement around the table.“Okay, fine, you got us there, but what about their looks?” Ace asked.“Yeah!” Deuce jumped in. “Like, do you prefer blondes?”“What does hair color have to do with anything?”“Don’t mind Deucey over here,” Ace said. “He’s fascinated because he used to bleach his hair.”“I am not - and I don’t do it anymore!” Deuce protested.“What was the purpose of lightening your hair?” Sebek asked, startling Deuce. “If you wanted a change to your hair color, you should have made it as dark as night, just as my liege’s hair is!”“I didn’t even know who Malleus was before coming to Night Raven College,” Deuce whispered to Epel.“It’s because Deuce’s hair is already dark,” Ace said quickly, lest Deuce’s remark spin Sebek into a lecture on All Things Draconia. “If his hair was lighter, he probably would’ve gone with purple, like Epel’s, or maybe red.”“Red like Riddle’s hair, or like yours?” Deuce asked.“Riddle’s, obviously. His hair is red red. Mine’s more, uh…”“Terracotta,” Jack piped up. “Like a flower pot.”“Yeah, Ace’s hair does look kinda like a flower pot.”“And yours looks like a cauldron!” Ace snapped.“Ouch,” Epel said quietly.“Why are we even talking about hair color again?” Deuce asked, despite having been the one to bring it up in the first place.“That is my point!” Sebek boomed. “Hair color is unimportant!”“So…no preference, is what you’re saying.”“I - yes, that is what I’m saying.”Ace found that brief hesitation very interesting.“So let’s review. One, has to be strong,” Ace ticked off on his fingers. “Two, doesn’t give up easily. Three, is loyal. Four, is committed. Five, has stamina.” He continued with his other hand. “Six - very important, but not the most important - understands your Malleus worship.”“What do you mean? Understanding that my priority is my liege is the most important thing of all!”“Wrong,” Ace said. “Seven, is able to put up with you and your yelling.”Ortho, who had also been cataloging everything Sebek had said, chimed in.“Based on Sebek Zigvolt’s requirements, and with Ace Trappola’s addition, this most accurately describes Silver Vanrouge!”Deuce’s eyes widened. “Sebek wants someone just like Silver?”Ace nudged Deuce with his shoulder. “This is why you still struggle in history class so much.”“What’s that supposed to mean?”“It means you can’t read what’s right in front of you!”“You’re all talking nonsense!” Sebek bellowed.“I haven’t even said anything,” Jack protested.“Okay, Jack,” Ace said with a smirk. “What do you think? Did Sebek’s list of traits describe Silver as his ideal partner, to a T?”Jack looked at him warily. “Aren’t they already partners?”“Oooooh,” Deuce said. “Now I see. I thought we were talking about romantic partners.”Ace covered his face with his hand and shook his head.“I am partners with Silver because he is reasonably competent!” Sebek insisted. “And he has trained with Master Lilia. One cannot endure a more rigorous training than that!”The sound of an alarm clock began emitting from Ortho.“Five minute warning,” Ortho announced, letting everyone at the table know they had scant time to finish their lunch and make it to class on time. After shoving the last bite of food in his mouth Deuce grabbed his books - an honor student is on time, always! - but when he and Sebek were returning their trays, he hesitated.“Um, Sebek?”Sebek frowned at him. “Speak your mind, huma -” He caught himself. “Deuce.”“It’s just, um, you know…”No, Sebek didn’t know, and if Deuce wanted him to know before they were both late to class, he’d better spit it out.Deuce took a deep breath and said, very rapidly, “I think Silver’s a really good guy and after all you’ve been through together, you know. You really are great partners. And you never know, he might one day look at you in a different light.” A streak of gray flew past - that would be Grim racing down the hall on all fours - and Deuce’s expression turned from sympathetic to panicked. “Oh, shi-aah- crumbs, we’d better get moving!”That’s what Sebek had been intending to do before Deuce had stopped him! It was only because Deuce was on the track team and Sebek trained daily that neither of them was late to class.Even if Deuce meant well, he didn’t know what he was talking about. Sebek’s gut wasn’t clenched due to a short sprint down the hall.The words from the day before still echoed in his brain: “I’m so in love with you.” Riddle must have seen something in Deuce to have selected him as Trey Clover’s successor, but he was as wrong as any human could ever possibly get. The problem wasn’t that Silver might one day see Sebek in a different light.The problem was that Silver already did. When Silver got to the library that evening, he was surprised to see that Riddle wasn’t alone. He hadn’t expected a study group, but if two heads were better than one, then surely three heads would be better than two.He slid into one of the empty chairs and placed his magical history book on the table. The seat he’d taken left a vacant chair to his left - an ingrained habit from eating next to Sebek - and he felt an ache in his chest.“Hello, Floyd,” he said.“See, Goldfishie?” Floyd said. He tugged at a lock of Riddle’s hair and wound it around his finger. “Jellyfish doesn’t mind that I’m here.”“Why would I mind? This is the library.”“Exactly what I was tellin’ Goldfishie!”“Shhh!” Riddle shushed violently. “Keep your voice down. And stop calling me that!”Floyd frowned, but he didn’t let go of Riddle’s hair. “Then play with me later.”“Floyd, I am - we are -” Riddle gestured between himself and Silver, “here to study, not to indulge your whims.”“I wouldn’t want Jellyfish indulging them, anyway.” He sized up Silver. “Although it would be kinda fun to fight you sometime.”“I’d be happy to have you train with me and Sebek.”“Didn’t mention Croc,” Floyd said.That was true. It was just automatic to associate ‘training’ with ‘Sebek.’ He felt suddenly depressed.“You’re not here to study with us, Floyd?”“Ha, no.”“Silver and I are,” Riddle reminded him.Floyd uncoiled Riddle’s hair from his finger and leaned across the table, his mismatched eyes boring into Silver’s aurora colored ones. Finally, Floyd sat back with a grin.“Have fun hitting the books,” he said, thumping the stack of them. He stood up and stretched. “I’m late to basketball practice, anyway.”“You have practice?” sputtered Riddle. “Yep,” Floyd said, popping his P. He tapped Riddle’s nose with the tip of his finger. “If you’re so worried about our team, maybe you can stop by next time and watch.” Riddle smacked his hand away, and Floyd looked delighted.“See ya later, Goldfishieeeeee,” he said, waving as he left. Silver couldn't help asking, “did something happen between you two?”“No!” Riddle looked chagrined at how loudly he’d responded, and he repeated, much more quietly, “no. He just… Floyd just shows up sometimes.”That was true. Silver didn’t have class with either of them, but he did see Floyd walking with Riddle rather often in between classes. Sometimes, Riddle seemed more receptive to Floyd’s company, scolding Floyd lightly the way Silver often scolded Sebek. Other times, Riddle’s face was bright red, and he said little to nothing to Floyd.Their friendship was definitely an interesting one.Riddle didn’t seem inclined to say more, so Silver flipped through his history book until he found the section on geography. He felt a pang of guilt at the sight of the old map, the one that showed Briar Land as it used to be, before the humans had claimed much of the fae lands as their own. Silver had known of the history, but having seen the fighting first hand, even through Father’s dream, still weighed heavily on him. It didn’t matter that neither Malleus nor Father harbored no grudges. It didn’t even matter that Silver had taken on his father’s name. The knowledge was there, and it would always be something he carried with him.And Sebek… Sebek had been by his side through all of it. How could Silver not have fallen in love with him?Riddle coughed into his hand, and Silver looked up. “Are you falling ill, Riddle?”“No, but I could ask you the same.” Riddle folded his hands atop the table, looking uncomfortable with what he was about to say. “Silver, earlier, when I asked you to join me in studying, I wasn’t being completely honest.”“Did you need my help with something?” Silver asked. “I’d also be happy to have you train with me and Sebek, if you’re interested.”At least Riddle had the courtesy to not point out Silver’s inclusion of Sebek, once again.Riddle frowned. “No. I appreciate the offer, but I’m not asking to train with you.” He unlaced his fingers and pressed a hand to his chest. “I may have more stamina than Azul, but I could hardly keep up with either of you, physically speaking. My reason for asking you to meet me does concern Sebek, though.” Silver felt his stomach sink.“Your bouts of drowsiness have been far less frequent this year. For you to fall asleep in your saddle suggests illness or a lack of sleep, and trust me, I know exactly how many hours of sleep young men our age need.” A look of regret flashed across Riddle’s face. “You take your responsibilities as housewarden seriously, and therefore you wouldn’t spend your time gaming late into the night. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that something happened between you and Sebek. While I do think you could use some brushing up on your history,” he gestured to Silver’s textbook, “I am also offering to be a sympathetic ear, a…friend, if you find yourself in need of one.”“I didn’t realize I was that obvious,” Silver said. “You’re the second person who’s noticed. Kalim also offered to listen, if I wanted to talk about it.”“You aren’t,” Riddle said. “Honestly, I noticed something was off with Sebek before I realized that you weren’t yourself, either. But if you’d feel more comfortable speaking to Kalim, I understand.”“I came very close to telling him this afternoon,” Silver admitted. “He seemed rather worried, and Kalim has a way of making you feel like no matter what you tell him, he’ll still be your friend. But… I knew I couldn’t tell him what I'd said.”“Because Kalim isn’t the most discreet person at this school?”Silver gave him a tired smile. “Because I didn’t want to burden him with something so trivial, but that is also true. He means well, though.”“He’s not the only one,” Riddle said. “You realize that you’ve shown your cards by admitting that it was about something you said rather than something you did.” Silver’s eyes widened. “Oh. I am sorry, Riddle.”Riddle’s eyebrows furrowed. “There is nothing to apologize for. Not to me, at least. Whatever it was you said to Sebek, I’m sure it was also with the best of intentions.”“No,” Silver said. “I said what I said to him because it’s how I feel.”Riddle looked slightly uncomfortable. “I see,” he finally said. “Well, there is also merit in that.”“After Malleus’ overblot, the first dream I entered was Sebek’s,” Silver explained. “Landing in his dream hadn’t been much of a surprise; I’d accidentally found myself in his dreams numerous times since I discovered my unique magic. And in Sebek’s dream, the party at Diasomnia hadn’t been a farewell party for Lil- for Father. Instead, it was a celebration of Father and Malleus going on their internships, even down to their exact studies. And…” Silver swallowed, and Riddle nodded encouragingly.“In Sebek’s dream, Father was going to return to Briar Valley, and to our cottage. Sebek's happy dream… was also mine.” He looked Riddle straight in the eye. “I know Malleus had a hand in it, too, of course, and I am sorry for that.”“You are not to blame for your former housewarden’s tantrums,” Riddle said. “And although none of us appreciated Malleus’ tactics, he’s always been prone to overreacting. You may remember when Malleus summoned, rather than invited, the housewardens to Diasomnia for a meeting at his convenience, simply because we’d taken issue with his chronic absences.” Riddle took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I confess, I understand the depths one can sink to when drowning in sorrow and regret.” Riddle’s eyes looked a little watery. “And in self-pity, as well.”Silver nodded. “I, too, understand. Malleus is, of course, very powerful. And I was naturally very upset when Father had announced he was leaving, but Malleus was even more so. He’s known Father for decades longer than I have. Sometimes, I think back to that moment when I found Malleus near the statues of the Great Seven, and I wonder what part I might have played in tipping him over the edge.”“Malleus has no one to blame but himself,” Riddle said sternly.“I know,” Silver said. “And I promise, he feels the same. But I understand. I might have been just as lost to my own self-pity if Sebek hadn’t yelled at me to snap out of it.”He’d said a great deal more than that, but Silver didn’t think Sebek would appreciate it if Silver shared that part.“I suppose shouting is Sebek’s modus operandi.”“In Sebek’s dream, when Malleus realized I was awake, Sebek was very distraught about having to raise his weapon against him. It took some convincing, but Sebek trusted me. He listened to me. And he has been trying to make friends this year, although that is more thanks to Father’s advice than my admonishments. Sebek and I… we've gone through much together, and I realize that I cannot picture myself with anyone else by my side.”“That sounds…rather lovely,” Riddle said wistfully.“Riddle.”Riddle’s eyebrows furrowed at Silver's earnest tone. “Is something the matter?”“You offered to listen, and I didn't mean to take you up on that offer, as generous as it was. I came here to study. But…it helped, I think, talking about it. And if you ever want to talk about Floyd, I would be happy to lend an ear.”Riddle picked up his magical pen and passed it through his fingers, from thumb to pinky, then from pinky to thumb.“There is absolutely nothing to discuss when it comes to Floyd Leech,” he said firmly.“I understand,” Silver said.Riddle pulled Silver’s book to his side of the table and leafed through the pages until he reached the chapter he was looking for. “Now,” he said, tapping the page. “Let’s be sure that, before you leave, you also understand how the use of magic affected the trade routes between the Queendom of Roses and the Land of Dawning.”After two hours, Silver understood far more than that. He now possessed several index cards summarizing key points and several pages of his history book marked with little colored flags, and he'd acquired an appreciation for studying with someone who wasn’t Kalim. Kalim was a dear friend, but even he knew that he wasn’t the best “study buddy.”And Silver understood that Riddle was struggling. Not with academia, of course. Riddle continued to take top marks in every class, and while Heartslabyul as a whole might not do the same, still, Riddle and now Deuce took great pride in the fact that no one in their dorm had failed a class or had to repeat a year.It was guilt from his overblot. It was the odd interaction Silver had interrupted earlier. It was a realization that Riddle, in many ways, reminded Silver of Sebek.Of course, lately, everything reminded Silver of Sebek.Silver tightened the strap around the books, making sure the notecards tucked inside were firmly secured, thanked Riddle for his time, and left the library with his head awhirl with thoughts.Riddle watched him leave, as quietly as when he’d arrived, and mulled over their earlier conversation. “I understand,” Silver had said.Riddle believed him. The sad thing was that, when it came to Floyd Leech…Riddle didn’t. “Okay, Silver, spill,” Lilia said.Silver always looked forward to these video chats with his father, and especially now that he was looking hale and hearty again and was enjoying his internship to the fullest. Father's speed and reflexes weren't quite where they'd been last year, but he was by no means slow. To reassure Silver and Sebek of his good health, Father had challenged them to a sparring match and then trounced them soundly.Sebek had teared up afterwards, but Silver couldn’t fault him for that. He’d felt much the same. Of course, they’d both also devoted more time and energy to their training than ever before, but it was more challenging to get in extra training sessions now that they’d assumed the vacated positions of housewarden and vice housewarden.When Silver didn’t answer right away, Lilia sighed. “I told that boy to talk to you.”“You talked to Sebek?”“How do you know I meant Sebek? I might have told Malleus to video chat with you.”“I did not receive a video call from Malleus,” Silver said. “I hope I didn’t hurt his feelings by missing his call.”Lilia laughed. “I’m teasing, Silver. Of course I meant Sebek. He texted me several times, practically begging me to call him. When I finally received his messages and called, he made up some excuse about wanting to share the news that he’d made top marks in his class. Of course, I am very proud of him, but it was obvious he just wanted to check up on me.” Lilia sighed. “I’m not sure which of you is the bigger worrywart.”Normally, Silver would have said Sebek, but when it came to Father, he wasn’t so sure.“I asked how he was getting along with his friends, and he grunted and said he’d barely call them friends, but that Deuce was surprisingly reliable as a fellow vice housewarden, that Jack was exactly as he’d expected, that Ortho was exceedingly efficient and a welcome change for Ignihyde. He told me Epel was trying to transfer to Savanaclaw, Yuu regularly checks in via the Ramshackle mirror, Grim is much the same, and Ace thinks he knows everything.”Lilia laughed. “He certainly has opinions, but it was obvious he is growing rather fond of them.” His face grew serious. “And then I asked him how you were doing, and he said you were fine. Fine! Have you ever known Sebek to give single word answers?” Silver shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”Lilia sighed again. “That boy was so transparent, it’s amazing I couldn’t see his bones. But I told him to talk to you, because what good is a vice housewarden who's in conflict with the head of his dorm?”A knock sounded at Silver’s door, and Lilia grinned. “Better late than never,” he said, and with that, the call ended.Silver closed his laptop, and the knocking grew louder.“Silver!” Sebek shouted. “I know you’re in there!”Silver got to his feet and wiped his now sweaty hands on his pants. Sebek would have a fit if he’d witnessed that, but then, he was currently having one on the other side of the door. He opened the door all the way, a clear invitation for Sebek to enter, but Sebek stood in the hallway, looking uncertain.“Did you mean it?”Silver blinked at him. “Yes, of course I meant it.”“Good,” Sebek said, and then he cupped Silver’s cheek and kissed him.It was a short kiss, and when it ended, Sebek looked more surprised than Silver felt. It made Silver’s insides feel bubbly.He smiled and opened the door a little wider. “Would you like to come in?”Instead of answering, Sebek kissed him again, less cautiously this time. In response, Silver grabbed Sebek’s jacket with both hands and pulled Sebek into his room without breaking the kiss. Once Sebek had kicked the door closed behind them, Silver wrapped his arms around Sebek’s neck, drawing him in as close as he could.“I’m sorry,” Sebek said in between kisses. “Don’t be,” Silver breathed. “Just…don’t leave.”Sebek pulled back and tipped Silver’s chin up. His eyes were bright, but he looked as determined as he had when Silver had received his invitation to Night Raven College.“As if I could,” Sebek said hoarsely.Silver couldn’t help it. He started crying, causing Sebek to frame Silver’s face with his hands and frantically wipe at the tears with his thumbs. When that didn’t seem to help, Sebek tried kissing them away.“I love you,” he said, his lips grazing Silver’s cheekbone. “I love you,” he repeated, licking at the track of tears near Silver’s mouth. “I love you,” he said, pressing a kiss into Silver’s hair. “I love you,” he whispered against Silver’s lips. “Even if I hate that you’re always a step ahead of me.”“You always catch up,” Silver said.“Hmph. Of course, I do!” Despite his bravado, Sebek was blinking his eyes rapidly, as if Silver might not notice how desperately he was trying not to cry.Silver traced the back of his hand along Sebek’s jawline and curled his fingers around Sebek’s ear.“Just to be clear,” Silver said. “We are together now.”“Idiot. Of course we are.”The words weren’t said out loud, but they were there in Sebek’s eyes: And we always were. How could Silver not kiss him again? Riddle was in the Hall of Mirrors, standing in front of the one leading to Octavinelle. There was nothing strange, nothing out of the ordinary, for a student to stop by the Mostro Lounge for a bite to eat, not even for Riddle, who had finally conceded and had gone there at the beginning of the year with Trey and Cater to check out the Lounge’s apparently viral limited edition strawberry tart. When Cater had shown him the Mostro Lounge menu on Magicam, Riddle had started to ask why anyone would voluntarily subject themselves to something that would make them ill, but before he’d embarrassed himself, he’d made the connection between Magicam and the promotion. ‘Viral’ meant ‘popular online.’ Or perhaps it meant ‘widely shared online,’ which would make more sense with it being a virus.Regardless, he’d agreed to go, and he’d been both amazed and a little deflated that the strawberry tart rivaled those that Trey made. Perhaps even better; when Riddle had taken his first bite of the limited edition tart, it had reminded him of his first bite of his first ever strawberry tart.Perhaps it was just that it had been the first time since that fateful day - the day his mother had realized Riddle had been sneaking out to spend time with Trey and Che’nya - that Riddle had enjoyed a tart with friends without the responsibility for making sure an unbirthday party ran smoothly.It had been the first time in a long time that Riddle had eaten a strawberry tart purely for enjoyment.And maybe Riddle hadn’t stepped foot in the Mostro Lounge since then. Cater and Trey had departed for their internships, Deuce had accepted Riddle’s nomination as Heartslabyul’s new vice housewarden, and Riddle had found himself studying harder than ever to ensure he had the best chance at obtaining an internship in Briar Valley.He was probably making more of it than it needed to be. Riddle was in the mood for a strawberry tart that was actually edible - the current card soldiers tried, but the strawberry tart was a particular challenge for them - and it was completely acceptable to obtain one from the Mostro Lounge.He didn’t even need to eat it there; he could simply get one boxed and take it back to Heartslabyul to eat it as he studied.“Eyyyy? Is that Goldfishie?”Riddle’s hackles raised, and he forced himself into some semblance of calm before turning to face the most annoying student on the entire campus.Floyd gravitated toward Riddle, as usual, and he pinched two locks of Riddle’s hair, making them dance.“Why do you do that?” “Eh?”“My hair. You constantly touch my hair.”Floyd hummed. “It’s pretty,” he said. “We don’t see colors like this under water.”Riddle’s stomach churned. He hadn't felt this anxious since his mother had caught him with Trey and Che'nya, when she'd taken away Riddle's last bit of freedom. He pressed his hand to his stomach in an attempt to settle it.“Goldfishie?” Floyd asked. He released Riddle’s hair to press the back of his hand against Riddle’s forehead. Floyd’s fingers were blessedly cool, and when he started to withdraw his hand, Riddle grabbed his wrist, arresting his retreat. When he realized what he’d done, Riddle snatched his hand back and cradled it to his chest as if burned.“Hey,” Floyd said. He placed his fingers under Riddle’s chin and tipped his face up. “You’re not gettin’ all fiery and red.” His eyes searched Riddle’s. “Want me to take ya to the infirmary?”Without waiting for an answer, Floyd swept Riddle into his arms and started walking toward the exit. Riddle clutched Floyd’s shoulder. “I’m fine!” He swallowed. “I’m fine,” he repeated, more quietly.“Yeah?” Floyd asked. He slowly set Riddle back down, but his eyes were scanning Riddle’s body, as if expecting something to explode out of his skin.“Yes,” Riddle said. “I’m fine.”“You’re a terrible liar,” Floyd said. “But okay.”He looked genuinely worried. The last time he’d seemed this dismayed had been when Riddle and Azul had returned from the Island of Woe, when Riddle’s hair had lost all its color. Riddle wondered if Floyd had found the blinding white pretty, or if he’d found it boring. And then he wondered why he cared what Floyd had thought about his hair.“It’s pretty.” The words echoed in Riddle’s head, and he began massaging his temples.Floyd’s fingers wrapped around Riddle’s wrists, and he gently pulled them away from Riddle's head so he could take over. His long, strong fingers easily covered more area than Riddle could reach on his own.Riddle had never had a scalp massage before, but when Floyd’s fingers slid through his hair and moved in firm, circular motions, Riddle knew he’d been missing out. He took in a deep, shuddering breath, and Floyd’s fingers stopped moving.When Riddle pushed his head into Floyd’s hands, Floyd laughed - not the loud, abrasive guffaws Riddle was used to, but a shaky, breathy sound.“Gonna have to start calling you Catfishie, if you keep doin’ that,” Floyd said, but he continued massaging Riddle’s head until Riddle let out a contented sigh.He immediately covered his mouth with both hands, but Floyd had already heard the incriminating sound.“You don’t hate me,” Floyd said.“What? Of course I don’t!”“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I mean, you act like it sometimes, but I figured that was just your way of courtin’.”“You thought losing your head was some kind of courtship ritual?”“Well, I know now that I was wrong. Believe me, Jade had a long hard laugh at that. But then, I thought maybe you hated me. So I just kept making sure you knew that I still liked you, even if you didn’t feel the same.”“I don’t hate you,” Riddle said.“Yep,” Floyd said.“Floyd,” Riddle said. He grabbed Floyd’s arms, and his heart was in his throat when those mismatched eyes met his own. “I don’t hate you.”Floyd looked confused for a few seconds, and then a grin started to spread across his face. “Say it again,” he said.“I don’t hate you,” Riddle said. “I don’t.”“That’s all I needed to hear,” Floyd said, and then his hands were on the sides of Riddle’s face, and he gently, reverently, pressed his lips against Riddle’s. It lasted barely a second, and then Floyd touched his forehead to Riddle’s.“I don’t hate you either.” Floyd lifted his head, meeting Riddle’s gaze with his own. “Riddle.” “Say it again,” Riddle whispered.“I don’t hate you, either. Riddle.”“Again. Say it again.” This time, it was a demand.“Riddle.”Floyd had always been quick to catch on when he put his mind to it, where Riddle had to put the effort in to study, to memorize, to learn something backwards, frontwards, and inside out. And once Riddle learned something, he remembered it. It was how he’d managed to take top marks every year.He wasn’t exactly fluent in moray eel, especially in this particular moray dialect, but he’d never been one to shirk from a challenge.Riddle pinched the long, dark lock of hair on the right side of Floyd’s head and began winding it around his finger. He found himself enveloped in a sudden embrace. This wasn’t the one-armed or group hugs that he’d experienced in Heartslabyul. This was a real hug, one meant just for Riddle, and he gave Floyd’s hair one final tug before wrapping his arms around Floyd and squeezing.“Hey, Goldfishie.”“Mmm?” Riddle was comfortable in the circle of Floyd’s arms.“We’re in the middle of the Hall of Mirrors, ya know.”“Just one more minute,” Riddle mumbled against Floyd’s chest.“Sure, Goldfishie. You can have as many minutes as you want.”“One,” Riddle said firmly.“One,” Floyd agreed.By the time Riddle had stepped out of the hug, it had actually been closer to three, but Floyd wasn’t about to point that out. He’d been waiting for over two years, hoping for a chance.No way was he fucking it up now that he had one.