Chapter Text
“Awe! It’s a Little Riddle!”
Kalim whisper-squealed as Riddle slept on the couch of Kalim’s room, all tucked up in a blanket.
They did in fact spend a good chunk of time gushing over Riddle sleeping and taking a ton of photos, even Jamil didnt seem to mind it too much.
Jamil had came in with some food and set it on the table, sitting down with Kalim as they ate and looked curiously at Riddle.
“I know of the accident but how’d he get into your hands?”
“Riddle came to us- well- Leona, but even when the Heartslabyul students tried to get him he didn’t wanna go.”
Ruggie looked behind him at Riddle, bringing a hand up to give Riddle a small shake, only getting a small noise in return before he slowly opened his eyes, looking between Kalim and Jamil.
Riddle sat up and rubbed his eyes, yawning, letting Ruggie reach up and place him in his lap, giving him a small shake to wake him up.
“Little boss, this is Kalim and this is Jamil, they’re your friends when you’re a grown up.”
“Hello…”
“You’re sooo cute!”
Kalim gushed, motioning for Riddle to come to him, once Riddle got confirmation from Ruggie that he was allowed he climbed over into his lap.
Kalim complimented Riddle a bit more that made him a bit embarrassed and looked at the food on the table curiously, his hand coming up to poke at the food.
“Woah, you can’t eat this, Riddle, it’s probably too spicy, how about I make you something else, okay?”
Jamil said before Riddle could put anything his mouth, standing up, about to leave before Riddle suddenly climbed out Kalim’s lap, despite Kalim’s pout, and stood up, walking behind Jamil.
“Uh- no… you can’t come-“
“Oh it’s fine! You can show him how to make this stuff!”
Kalim smiled and Jamil sighed, opening the door for Riddle and leaning down to hold his hand, to which Riddle held Jamil’s finger and they made their way to the kitchen.
Once they got there, Jamil lifted Riddle up on a counter top, grabbing the ingredients.
Jamil felt a bit important when he started to explain everything he was grabbing and Riddle watched him with his full attention.
“Do you want to help me with something?”
“Mhm.”
“Great, come here.”
Jamil pulled a chair out near the counter and Riddle took the initiative in standing on it, Jamil placed down a bowl filled with all sorts of ingredients and he handed him a spoon.
“Stir this for me, yeah?”
“Okay…”
Riddle nodded and gently started to stir it and Jamil briefly stopped to show him exactly to stir it and Riddle followed suit.
Jamil trusted Riddle enough to stir that and went back to the stove, surprisingly enough Riddle didn’t even make a mess and he quickly finished the little lunch for him.
Jamil had assumed Riddle would be able to get down on his own but he stayed there, looking down at the ground with almost shaky legs.
“Are you scared of heights?”
“No! I just….”
Riddle let out a small whine and looked down at the floor, gripping the counter and Jamil sighed, placing the food on the counter and went to pick up Riddle and he saw what Riddle was looking at.
A bug.
A giant roach on the floor, it wasn’t ever moving like it KNEW.
Riddle looked up at Jamil incredulously when he suddenly ricocheted backwards from where Riddle was, letting out a scream.
Normally he’d run like no tomorrow but there was an actual child here watching him act like a damn coward!
“Um… shit... this is okay- it’s all okay… oh my Seven it moved! AH!”
The cockroach did a small skitter not even a step but that was enough to make Jamil want to run but Riddle stayed silent, probably more shocked at Jamil’s reaction.
Riddle swallowed and looked down at it, taking in a shaky breath before he slowly stepped down, looking at it for a while before he grabbed the cockroach that only enticed a louder scream.
It looked like Riddle hadn’t exactly thought of what to do and immediately started to panic at Jamil’s panicking, holding it between his hands looking around for somewhere to put it.
“Throw it out- wait! No! Kill it! Do something! Get rid of it- NO NOT THAT!”
Jamil shouted, looking in absolute horror when Riddle, who couldn’t reach a window with his height, too weak to crush it, and was currently being screamed at, he remembered one thing about all the reading his might had him do.
In all technically, they had pretty good nutrition.
“I think I’m gonna puke…”
Riddle shoved it in his mouth and took a huge bite, immediately regretting it and throwing up on the floor.
At least it was dead…
After Jamil gave Riddle some mouthwash to get the taste out without eating any of the cockroach and some juice to fully take off the taste they made their way back.
Thankfully neither Kalim nor Ruggie asked why Jamil looked like he was about to die.
Riddle sat down next to Jamil and he used his fork to take a bite and Kalim looked at Riddle with a small smile.
“Do you like it?”
“Mhm.”
“Good! Jamil is a very good cook! He makes everything! If you need-“
“Do I have E. Coli now?”
“… what?”
Kalim tilted his head but Riddle didn’t say anything else and continue to eat the food until he finished it completely.
“I ate a cockroach but I remember how household ones can have E. Coli and salmonella.”
Riddle looked down at his hands, like he was checking it for rashes that the thing might’ve placed on him.
“Uh… should we go to the doctor?”
“No… I mean… he should fine, you didn’t swallow it or anything.”
Jamil shook his head at Kalim’s concern, patting Riddle’s head, deciding to clear up the plates, Riddle had nodded at Jamil’s words, holding the cup of water to drink from it.
This probably went as well as it could’ve.
.
.
.
The rest of the day went pretty well considering nothing much could top the worry of Jamil maybe accidentally giving Riddle a deadly disease in his panic.
They decided to not tell Leona…
Riddle definitely seemed to not trust Ruggie as much after that stunt with how quickly he ran into Leona’s arms once they got back.
By the next day Leona once again got Riddle all dressed and ready but this time Riddle was rather confused when Ruggie came out in his school uniform and lifted him up.
“Ready to go to school, little boss?”
Ruggie smiled and gave him a small shake that Riddle only looked more confused and looked at Leona with a concerned look.
“Ruggie’s taking you to his classes because he has Crewel at the end of the day and Crewel would then take care of you while making the potion.”
“Don’t be too worried! I’m sure everyone will like you, it’s like regular school but with people my age!”
Riddle didn’t look too convinced by either words but he didn’t exactly scramble out of his grip and try to run away, only staring at Leona sadly, even reaching out that made Leona’s heart clench just a bit.
Ruggie walked through the hall that Riddle looked around from, occasionally adjusting his grip on Riddle before he walked into Trein’s class.
“Bucchi, for once you are remarkably ear…ly…”
“Hi, professor! Indeed I am and I brought a tiny souvenir with me!”
Ruggie smiled and placed Riddle in his lap once he sat down in his char but once Riddle laid his eyes on Trein he immediately started to squirm to try and get out.
After Riddle let out a whine Ruggie finally let him go and he immediately ran over to Trein, doing grabby hands that he indulged.
“Hello, Rose.”
“Hello.”
“You two know each other????”
Ruggie looked between the two as Riddle leaned on Trein, his hands coming out to pet Lucius when the cat came over to him.
The place started to get a bit full and immediately started to question the baby Riddle in Trein’s grasp that he only sighed softly at.
“When I taught Crewel, he babysat Rosehearts and quite often took him straight from his home to class, quite often forgot about him too and left him, I’m more surprised he recognized me since I don’t look how I did over a decade ago, Lucius was a mere kitten back then.”
Trein explained, Ruggie could’ve even sworn he saw a small smile appear on Trein’s face once he recalled it but soon he immediately started to scold the students who had arrived late once the bell rung.
He stood and set Riddle in his chair, Lucius immediately jumping up into his lap for more pets that Riddle gladly gave as Trein started to teach the class.
Somewhere between the class he had asked a question that was only met of silence and sighed almost frustratedly and looked back at Riddle.
“Rose, do tell me when this mage war happened.”
“1845 to 1850.”
“Correct, see? If a 5 year old is able to answer it then you hold be able too as well.”
“That- that’s no fair!”
“Oh? How so?”
“I- ugh…”
The student that had objected immediately slumped back into his seat muttering ‘never mind’ and he went back to teaching.
Ruggie knew how it felt to be Crewel’s class 13 years ago…
In fact Ruggie almost pulled an old Crewel in how quickly he tried to rush out of class before he remembered Riddle and Trein looked almost disappointed in his remembrance until Ruggie had an idea.
“Sooooo… uh, would you mind if I just… left him here until I can pick him up to bring him to Crewel??”
“I… wouldn’t oppose it, if that is what you’re asking.”
“Great! Bye!!!!!”
Ruggie bowed deeply and quickly got the hell out of there and Trein turned his attention back to Riddle, sighing and patting his head.
Trein used to have a tiny chair beside him for 3 years because of Riddle but he had long threw that out so now there wasn’t a chair beside him for Riddle to sit in anymore.
And Riddle looked so comfortable in that chair with Lucius in his lap…
Well, Trein needed more leg exercise anyways.
“Is that…”
Trein looked back to see Trey pointing at Riddle and just slowly sat down.
“You’re watching him now?”
“Yes, until Ruggie comes back to bring him to Crewel.”
“I have him next period, I can bring him-“
“There’s no need, he is quite content to wait.”
Trein gave Trey a curt answer, quickly cutting him off and waited as the rest of the class came in and Lilia, rarely for once, showed up and immediately looked at Riddle.
“Oh? Is this the baby Riddle Cater told me about?”
“Hello.”
Riddle gave him a small wave that Lilia waved too as well and he took his own seat and Trein decided to explain this.
“To explain, Rosehearts here will be here the entire class due to his… disability, however I wouldn’t recommend overlooking him since he probably knows more than you.”
Trein announced and it was very quickly brought to light to why Trein had said that…
“And that’s why it happened.”
“Not to interfere with your little speech but from what I know of you are a bit wrong.”
Lilia said once Riddle answered Trein’s question, looking amusingly at Riddle, who pouted just a bit.
“I heard you didn’t come by this class often so how would you know?”
“Maybe I don’t know much but I’m sure I know when you are wrong.”
“I was in there when he taught it.”
“I was THERE when it happened!”
“Enough you two! Vanrogue, quit fighting with the 5 year old.”
“You look 3.”
“And you look 10, guess neither of us belong here and it’s not because both of us are too young.”
“Crewel sure did babysit you..”
Trein sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as Lilia fondly bickered with Riddle, though he couldn’t deny that it wasn’t at least a little bit funny.
He continue the lesson through the bickering and by the end the class slowly filed out but Trey trailed behind before he left when he figured Riddle was more content with Lucius.
Throughout most of the day Riddle was content sitting down or walking around to stretch out his legs and sitting in other areas that the students don’t seem to mind.
Riddle stayed far away from Kalim and Jamil when their classes came by for some reason, and occasionally he let himself be held, it really did have Trein reminiscing when Riddle was actually this age.
While doing an independent study, where most just talked, Trein was able to actually sit down and focus on paperwork as Riddle had left, coming up to Vil, who looked down at him with a small smile.
“Hello, Rosehearts.”
“Hi…”
Riddle and Vil had a small stare off before he made grabby hands and Vil’s smile got a tiny bit wider and he reached down, picking up the boy and setting him in his lap.
Vil’s hands went to his hair and he paused, going into his pocket to pull out a comb and started to brush through it.
“You have very pretty hair, you know.”
“Really?”
“Mhm, it’s very nice to play with.”
Vil nodded as he placed the comb down and started to play with the boy’s hair and start to braid it.
He wouldn’t deny that he wasn’t at least a tiny bit curious about Riddle’s hair, he made it a point to not touch Riddle’s little heart that was still on his head since he had seen the visceral reaction he has when Floyd touches them, but other than that his hair was remarkably smooth and pretty thick to the touch.
Leona was clearly taking quite good care of Riddle’s hair and Vil actually found himself to be a bit disappointed when he thought about how Riddle cut off this hair but his bed head suddenly made a lot more sense with how his hair felt.
“You have very pretty hair too.”
“Thank you!”
“Is it dyed?”
“…”
Vil didn’t answer that question.
Vil simply continue to braid his long hair and aside from that frankly absurd question Riddle was quite silent, petting Lucius, who had followed behind Riddle when he had came over, and let Vil do his hair.
Vil looked up as Ruggie came bursting in as the class wrapped up and paused when he saw Riddle sitting in Vil’s lap, walking over to them.
“Oh, you really seem content here, little boss.”
“Mhm…”
“Riddle is quite the obedient child.”
“Would you mind… like… bringing him to Crewel, if you have him later?”
“I have him later in the day, I can bring him there.”
Vil nodded and Ruggie took a sigh and nodded, leaving as got up to head off to lunch, looking down at Riddle.
“Come on, we are heading to my lunch.”
“Oh… okay… bye bye, Trein…”
“Goodbye, Rosehearts.”