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"Just admit it already, Sebek. You're in love with Silver-senpai."
Sebek was eating an after-school snack in Jack and Epel's classroom, with the usual group of first years he ended up hanging out with. The group was mostly made of humans and he didn’t really consider them his "friends", yet somehow they always dragged him along with them, and before he noticed the five of them were eating or studying together.
It was a cold autumn day and the air in the classroom was chill, yet despite that Sebek could feel his face burning, after Ace released this remark from his rude little mouth.
How did they even start talking about Silver? Sebek tried to recall. He probably was the one who brought up his name, complaining about one thing or another the older boy did that managed to anger Sebek. Recently, it seemed like everything Silver did got on his nerves. He was always on the edge thanks to that, and of course his fellow first years noticed his changing behavior. But Sebek couldn’t possibly comprehend how they concluded that he… had feelings for Silver.
He had some feelings towards Silver, oh he certainly did, but they in no way were the romantic kind. He was feeling anger, for example, whenever he found Silver slacking, napping in some quiet corner of the school like some stray cat. He was feeling frustrated, whenever Silver beat him in their mock sword fights, his heavy blows numbing Sebek's arms and hands. Which in turn gave place to slight jealousy. As he sat defeated on the ground, Silver's gorgeous lavender eyes staring down at him, he wondered how come a mere human was so much stronger than him.
Whether he liked it or not, Sebek knew Silver better than anyone. They've been together since before they could barely talk or walk after all. And because he knew Silver so well, Sebek was confident there was no chance he loved the human. Ace was simply over-using his foolish human brain once again.
"There is nothing to admit." Sebek finally said, trying to regain his composure, "Silver is simply a fellow guard."
"Yeah, a fellow guard you've known since you were a baby." Ace shot back.
"And your point is?" Sebek asked, "Period of acquaintanceship doesn’t equal to the level of intimacy. Not for us anyway. Not with him."
The four other first years looked at each other worriedly, as though they all could see something only he wasn’t able to.
"What is it!?" Sebek raised his voice, even though they often complained about how loud it was and told him off about it all the time.
"Look, Sebek." Jack started, scratching one of his pointy ears, "I don’t know how to say this, but…"
"It's no use, Jack. You can't go beating around the bush with Sebek." Ace shook his head. "You gotta be straight with him. Only problem he won't listen to me!"
"Of course, I won't listen to the senseless words of a human!" Sebek declared.
"Let me try." Epel spoke up, and Sebek turned to look at the short boy, his curiosity taking over him, "I think you don’t realize it, Sebek-kun, but ever since we entered the classroom, you've talked about nothing but Silver-senpai."
"Well, Silver is a handful to deal with, even I have to get it off my chest!"
"But it's not just today, Sebek." Deuce joined the attack, "You do it every time we meet."
"And you're not just complaining," Epel continued, "You sometimes also… compliment him."
"I do what?" Sebek stood up, almost knocking his chair down to the floor. He felt dizzy, and the room was slightly spinning as he tried to balance himself on his feet.
"Don't tell me you didn’t realize." Jack said, looking as though he was close to losing all hope.
"The situation is even worse than we thought guys." Ace said gravely, then pointed at Sebek, "Less than ten minutes ago you were all about how strong he is and how striking he looks even when he sleeps and-"
"There is no way I said all that!!" Sebek was yelling at this point, not willing to hear any more of this nonsense. He didn't want to believe Ace, and he wouldn't have believed him if not for the other three nodding, affirming everything the redhead said. If it was just Ace he could've waved it off as a prank – Ace often tried to trick him – but he found the other three trustworthy.
And still, Sebek found it hard to accept. Why would he compliment Silver's atrocious behavior? The fact that he wasn’t even aware to that was worrisome as well. However - he tried to think rationally - even if he did say those things, it still didn’t necessarily mean he… L word Silver. Yes, it didn’t mean anything. After all, it wasn't so strange to find your loathsome childhood friend attractive, right?
"I think we broke Sebek." Deuce whispered.
"Give him time, it must be hard to take in." Ace nodded in solidarity.
"I'm fine, and you're wrong!" Sebek packed his stuff and turned to leave the classroom.
"Wait, Sebek!" Jack called after him, but Sebek has already left, his legs carrying him past the door in a hurry.
He was sure he has won this round. He was able to keep his cool, to a degree, and he could find rational explanations to all of their arguments. He didn’t know what they tried to achieve by bringing up this topic, but he wouldn't fall for their traps again! Because Sebek Zigvolt absolutely, without a doubt, wasn’t in love with Silver.
*****
The next day, Sebek wasn't so sure of his victory anymore. The more he tried not to think of their conversation from the day before, the more he thought about it, so much that he couldn't fall asleep at night. The words the fellow first-year students told him occupied every free space in his brain, to the point he couldn’t bring himself to look Silver in the eye, scared of what he might find in them. It was so bad that Silver noticed something was off, but Sebek ignored all his attempts to start a conversation, a thing that made it all even more awkward.
Later, when he met with the usual gang in the same classroom, they all noticed something must have happened.
"It's your fault, and I forbid you of talking to me about it!" Sebek screamed at them when they tried to ask what was on his mind, causing Jack's ears to flinch.
"Now now Sebek, we just want to help." Ace said, but Sebek couldn't be sure he wasn't making fun of him, "You realized we were right, didn't you?"
"You're not in any position to-" Sebek started, but stopped himself. Why is he even getting so worked up for? Him losing his cool easily wasn’t something unusual, but he didn’t want to give them that. Because if he did, it would look like they were on the right.
"I know it doesn’t sound reliable coming from Ace, but we really want to help." Deuce said.
"We think you would feel better if you come to terms with your feelings." Jack continued, visibly feeling uncomfortable to talk about that topic.
"Right, and we will be freed from your endless rambling about Silver-senpai." Ace whispered, but it was strong enough for Sebek to hear.
"Fine! I understand that you want to help." Sebek sighed, crossing his arms on his chest, "But you're wasting your time, because you're wrong!"
"Then how about we give it a try?" Epel suggested. His eyes were shining somewhat mischievously, and Sebek didn’t like that.
*****
Sebek didn't know how he ended up in this situation, but there he was, hiding behind a big apple tree along with the other first years. Lilia has always told him he was easy to influence and that he should be careful, so how could he mess up like that? He should be ashamed as Lilia's apprentice and Malleus' servant, but his mind was somewhere else. To be precise, it was entirely focused on the three humans that sat on the grass just across them.
Sebek found himself looking at Silver, who sat on the grass along with two Scarabia students. Sebek recognized them as Kalim and Jamil. They were talking cheerfully about something he couldn't hear, and Silver was trying to keep up with the conversation, fighting the dizziness that overcame him every few seconds. Sebek glared at the silver-haired boy and the silly face he made as he was trying his hardest to stay awake.
Sebek shook his head. How could they possibly think he might feel anything but one big inconvenience toward Silver? It was ludicrous, and he would prove that to them now.
"So, you remember the plan?" Ace whispered, "You go up to Silver-senpai, ask him some random question, then come back here to report."
"Fine, and after I'm done you will leave me alone!" Sebek said in his normal voice, not even trying to be secretive, which caused the others to shot a series of fretful "shhh!" at him. It was a miracle their target didn’t spot them.
Sebek took a deep breath, fixing his already fixed necktie. His heart was moving funny in his chest, but he did his best to ignore it. He stepped out from his hiding place behind the tree and approached the second-years.
"Is it really okay to approach upperclassmen so casually?" Jack asked worriedly.
"Ah… it's Sebek we're talking about, so I guess it's okay." Ace answered. And in any case, it was too late to doubt their plan, since Sebek already was near the grass, towering over the second-years.
"Silver!" Sebek's voice thundered in the courtyard, "About guarding duty today-"
"Oh, it's Sebek!" Kalim cut Sebek's speech, "We were just talking about you!"
That caught Sebek by surprise, "Y-You were?"
"I asked them to." Silver said, and Sebek turned to look at him. It appeared like his sleepiness got somewhat better for now, because he looked wide awake for a change, and he scanned Sebek from head to toe, dwelling on his face. It took everything Sebek had to look back at Silver, and he felt his throat gradually growing dry.
"You were acting strange yesterday. I was worried so I consulted with Kalim and Jamil about it. But looks like everything is alright now."
As he said that, Silver's expression got softer, and he was actually smiling at Sebek, a smile that touched even his usually cold eyes, making the hues of blue and purple in them shimmer. And that was too much for Sebek to take, and he had to avert his eyes. Why was it so unbelievably hard to look at Silver? Why was he feeling so nauseous just by standing close to him?
Sebek knew Silver better than anyone. It wasn’t like he was trying to brag about it, it was simply a fact. But he didn’t know Silver could smile like that. When was even the last time he saw Silver's smile? He couldn’t remember, or rather, he tried to forget. Because this smile made his insides crunch and his skin heat up in a way he didn’t want to acknowledge. Out of nowhere, Ace's words echoed in his mind, "Just admit it already, Sebek…"
"Sebek? Are you alright?" Silver asked, worried, "You look sick."
Yes, he was sick, and he couldn’t stay there any longer. He bolted out of there, leaving the gang behind the apple tree, their expressions a mix of confusion and satisfaction.
"What now?" Epel asked as they watched Sebek running away.
"Now we move to the next stage." Ace smirked
*****
"My plan worked! Are you convinced now?"
Later that evening, the five of them met again in the same classroom, just before it was time for Sebek's guard duty to begin. At this point they started to think of that classroom as their base of operations, and they wanted to decide how to proceed from here.
After what happened earlier that day, Sebek couldn't turn a blind eye to the facts anymore. Not after the way he reacted in front of Silver. Recalling it made Sebek so embarrassed he felt like burying himself somewhere. He had no idea how he was going to face Silver when they meet later for guard duty.
"Fine, you were all correct." Sebek groaned, "Are you satisfied? Can I take my leave now? I cannot keep the Young Master waiting!"
"What's the rush? You that eager to meet your crush?" Ace snickered.
"Wha-!!" Sebek was so stunned words refused to leave his mouth. How dare this human make a fool of him!
"Ignore him, Sebek." Jack put a powerful hand on Sebek's shoulder, as though trying to prevent him from charging at Ace. "I know it's no joking matter for some of us. My people settle for one single partner for the rest of their life, so we don't take courting lightly."
"Exactly! That’s why we want to be of help to you!" Epel said.
"We know Silver-senpai is important to you, so we want to support you!" Deuce continued.
"H-He isn't really important to me…" Sebek started, but stopped. There was no use denying it anymore. The faster he faced the truth, the better for him. But he truly had no idea how to proceed from their current situation. He has never wished to see Silver as anything more than someone he had to surpass. How was he supposed to look at him as a love interest out of the blue? And worse, Sebek suspected the others expected them to start dating. To become a couple. The mere thought made Sebek quiver uncontrollably. He? With Silver? He shook his head wildly, as though trying to make reality disappear, and the others present in the room took a step back from him, startled.
Sebek's emotions were a mess. He honestly didn’t know how he should act in front of Silver, at least in the upcoming days, until his emotion settled a bit. Despite himself, he had to admit that maybe he needed the humans to give him some advice.
*****
A few days later, Sebek was close to mastering acting like his usual self near Silver. He still was overly conscious whenever he and Silver were left alone (though he tried to avoid situations like that as much as possible), and his heart threatened to break out of his chest whenever he had to look at Silver's face, but aside from that he managed to not make a fool out of himself.
He didn’t know that the difficult part was still ahead of him.
"Confessing!?" Sebek exclaimed, his voice echoing in their base operation classroom. "I absolutely cannot confess to Silver!!"
"The difficulty might be too high after all…" Epel said, looking dejected.
"What other choice do we have? The way those two are acting our boy Sebek's love would stay unrequited forever." Ace said, clearly trying to provoke Sebek, who managed to stay calm only thanks to Jack restraining him.
"Then how about you make Silver-senpai fall for you? And then maybe he would make the first move!" Deuce suggested confidently.
"Ugh… I don't know…" Sebek said. He and Silver never had a "love talk", and both of them never showed interest in romance and the likes, so he couldn't even imagine the kind of person Silver would fall in love with. In the first place, Silver was a simple guy, he probably wouldn't mind anyone as long as he could keep sleeping and training peacefully – and despite himself, Sebek realized now that this was the reason he felt attracted to Silver. The way the older boy was straightforward with his needs and wishes, tackling them head-on, was admirable, and though Sebek often complained about it, he found them charming in their own way.
"Why? I mean Silver-senpai knows you well, he puts up with you even though you're loud and exhausting to be wit-" Ace stopped for a second when Deuce elbowed him, seeing the death-glare Sebek sent his way, then he coughed a little and continued, "What I'm trying to say is, he already knows all your flaws and still sticks with you, so you just need to show him more of your good sides!"
"Right! You always compliment him when you're with us, so you should tell it all directly to him!" Epel tried to encourage Sebek.
"No, I-" Sebek tried to reject, but seemed like the others were quite intrigued by Epel idea and didn’t hear anything Sebek said.
"Alright! Then let me teach you some surefire tricks to get someone to fall head over heels for you."
Sebek left their strategic meeting that day with a huge headache. His head felt like it weighed a ton, filled to the brim with new information, though he was pretty sure he didn’t remember half the things they taught him. He didn’t feel comfortable with their little plan, but the thing was, he started to feel bad – they went out of their way to help him, and he hated to admit, but he didn’t want to disappoint them.
So he decided to swallow his pride and try to apply their teaching. Who knew, maybe it would actually work and Silver would… Sebek's mind short-circuited at this point. His imagination wasn't strong enough to envision what would happen past that.
In the following days, Sebek tried to give it a shot, he really did. One day, for example, as they sat down to eat lunch in the cafeteria, he thought it was a good chance to try it out. The fact that the first years sat at a nearby table and sent him aggressive signs, pointing at Silver, certainly served as an efficient driving force too.
Sebek was sitting with the other Diasomnia Dorm members, and Silver sat right in front of him, biting his food in a slow way that irritated Sebek. He somehow managed to ignore that, and turned to recall his friends', particularly Ace's, teachings.
He was having a blackout. He never had a blackout before, not even when facing Professor Trein's monstrous History tests. But there he was, unable to recall some simple sentences he was taught, and he was pretty sure they were indeed simple and not very sophisticated. But his mind was blank, totally empty.
"Sebek? Is everything okay?" Someone asked, and Sebek returned to reality. Silver was looking at him, a questioning look in his eyes, and Sebek realized he was probably staring at him blankly all this time. He felt his face heating up. He had to find a way to get himself out of this situation, and… one of Ace's silly lines might come in handy about now. Sebek still couldn't recall them fully, but he was sure some of them had to do with eyes. He thought it was fitting, considering he found Silver's eyes mesmerizing, and they were staring at him from across the table, so close Sebek feared he might drown in them. He took a deep breath.
"Of course I'm okay, Silver! I was just thinking that… well… your eyes? They… I wish they were a map, because I keep getting lost!"
As soon as he spoke, he understood he definitely got it wrong. The words didn’t make sense even to him, and the mournful sighs and face-palming from the first-years gang served as another proof he failed. From the corner of his eye, Sebek could see Lilia trying his hardest to hold his laughter, a few chuckles escaping his mouth anyway.
"Excuse me, what?" Silver said, utterly confused.
"I- I just meant to say…" Sebek was sweating, he looked at the first years, who sat just behind Silver, seeking help from them. Ace was saying something, mouthing each word carefully so Sebek could read his lips. However, perhaps because he was nervous, he couldn’t fully catch what Ace was trying to say, so he had no choice but to go with what he got (which wasn't much).
"S-Someone stole your eyes and put them in the stars!" For a second Sebek thought he nailed it, but the grieving faces of his friends told a different story.
Lilia apparently couldn’t hold back anymore and he was laughing so hard tears formed in his eyes, "What is it, Sebek? Are you trying to pick a fight with Silver?" He managed to say through waves of laughter.
Sebek could do nothing but sit silently, so embarrassed he felt like disappearing, for the rest of the meal. And even after this ordeal, it didn’t look like Silver got the hint, and he just kept eating normally, not thinking much about what just happened.
On a different occasion, when the two of them were working with the horses as part of their club activities, Sebek decided to give it a try again. It was just the two of them, and he thought that maybe without the pressure of the others watching he might be able to do it properly. Silver was busy brushing one of the horses' hairs, and Sebek cleared his throat to get his attention. Silver looked at him impatiently, his hands not stopping their brushing motions even for a second.
"Silver! Y-You know, something is wrong with my eyes, because I can't take them off y-"
"What? Something is wrong with your eyes?" Silver finally stopped working, "Then how about you call it a day? Don't worry, I'll tell Riddle."
"Listen to me until the end!" Sebek yelled, frustrated.
"What is it?" Silver asked, but it was all over. Sebek lost his momentum. Silver waited for a few more seconds for Sebek to go on, and when he didn't, Silver instead said, "You've been acting funny lately. How about you get some rest?"
And just like that, the pick-up lines operation ended in a huge failure. Sebek was certain the others would give up after he made a big fool out of himself, but looked like they were still eager to continue. On their following meeting they discussed their next plans. A few ideas were thrown into the room, but one of them stood out especially.
"Everyone looks up to strong, powerful men." Epel said decisively.
"I agree, in my tribe the stronger you are the higher your status." Jack nodded, "I guess it's true for every species, right?"
"Power isn't everything, but I agree it can take you places." Deuce said, clenching his fists.
"I know! How about we create a situation where Sebek has to protect Silver-senpai? He would have no choice but to fall for you then!"
Ace told them his plan down to the fine details. Sebek had to admit, it wasn't bad, certainly better than the previous one, and something he was definitely capable of doing. If there was one thing he had confidence in, it was his strength. This could actually work. He found himself looking forward to trying it out later tonight.
*****
Silver and Sebek were patrolling the campus. That night they weren't guarding Malleus directly – there was a Dorm Heads meeting, and Malleus was invited to it for a change. He tried to hide it, but all the Diasomnia students could tell he was excited to go, and they all sent him off with a smile. Instead, the two guards secured the school grounds, and patrolled it to check there wasn’t anything suspicious that could possibly put their King in danger.
They were getting close to the courtyard, the place the merry gang chose for their plan. It was dark and it had many trees, so it was perfect for what they had in mind. Sebek's heart was beating so strongly he could feel it in his ears and head. If their plan worked, Silver might actually…
They reached the courtyard. Sebek scanned the place, trying to find the spot they decided on earlier. He found it, a thick patch of trees that grew close to the road. From their current location, there seemed to be nothing abnormal about that spot, but Jack, and the others should already be there, watching from a safe distance. Now he just had to act normally and wait patiently until their patrol course brought them there.
In a few steps, they would take a light turn to the right, and they would be just in front of the infamous group of trees. Sebek glanced at Silver, who wore a serious expression, completely focused on their mission. Sebek wanted to make sure Silver didn’t suspect anything. But also, ever since Sebek became aware of his feelings for Silver, he noticed some things he never noticed before, or more precisely, noticed but repressed, buried deep in his unconscious. For example, how handsome he looked wearing the Diasomnia Dorm uniform, which highlighted his muscles and more. Or his shining, silver hair that fell messily around his shoulders. Sebek always accused Silver of looking messy, but now he found the way his hair bounced at the bottom… cute. Something really might be wrong with his eyes.
They turned right. Sebek could see a big shadow behind the trees. They were in the right position, and it was time for his own personal mission to begin. He halted in his place. Silver continued to walk a few more steps, before he realized Sebek wasn't following him anymore, and he stopped as well.
"What's wrong, Sebek?"
"I think I saw something." Sebek said, just like he practiced a million times in his head. Silver rejoined him, and they both stared deep into the trees. It was dark, but there was indeed a huge, black shadow hiding between the trees. Any other day, Sebek would've rushed to check it, but that night, he knew exactly what, or rather who, it was.
The owner of the big shadow was no other than Jack, transformed into his white wolf form. Sebek was surprised Jack agreed to cooperate with their plan, going out of his way to use his treasured Unique Magic just for that. Sebek thought it must be a sign that Jack was cheering him on in all seriousness, and it flattered Sebek. He was grateful to Jack, and the best way to repay him would be to make this mission a success. Sebek braced himself.
"Stand still, Silver!" Sebek said brashly. He put himself between the grove of trees and Silver, stretching his right hand, as though shielding Silver. His left hand landed on his Magical Pen, signaling he was ready to enter combat any moment.
"I… I'll protect you." Sebek said. His voice came out of his mouth a lot smaller than he meant to, and he suspected it was slightly shaking. But he thought his acting was pretty believable, if he said so himself. And yet, he was scared to check Silver's reaction, scared Silver would discover the plan, and more importantly, scared he would find out Silver thought nothing of his actions.
There was the crunchy sound of dead leaves and branches breaking against the ground. The two boys moved their heads to the location the sound came from, and saw the shadow moving swiftly between the trees. It looked like it moved towards them, but it was just a show. According to the script, Sebek should shoot a spell (without actually aiming at Jack, of course) thus driving the entity away. But as they learned the hard way, things not always went the way you planned.
"Watch out, Sebek!" Silver suddenly raised his voice, and pulled Sebek backward. Sebek bumped into Silver, and he wasn't sure if Silver pulled them down or they just lost balance, but they both fell to the ground. Sebek found himself lying with his back to the brick road, and Silver on top of him, his palms on each side of Sebek's head. The older boy was looking at the forest, but the shadow has already disappeared.
Sebek was pretty sure he was about to pass out. It was dark and Silver was bent over him, his erratic breath warm on his skin. His hair smelled like freshly cut grass and his skin had a light scent of soap and Sebek wanted to push him off but he couldn't move a muscle. Their plan was a failure again. And worse, it turned out as though Silver was the one protecting Sebek, and not the other way around. Somehow, Silver always ended messing up Sebek's rhythm.
"Sebek, are you alright?" Silver asked and stood up. He reached his hand out to Sebek, and Sebek absentmindedly took it and let Silver help him up on his legs. He was that shaken up.
"It's gone now," Silver continued, "What was that thing?"
"…Probably just an animal." Sebek said, hoping it didn’t take him too long to speak the words.
"Probably. We should report it to father though, just in case."
Sebek nodded. He was still feeling ruffled, and disappointed, but he was also relieved it was all over without Silver finding out they set him up. Sebek still secretly hoped Silver would somehow acknowledge his attempt to protect him. A thank you would be nice, or maybe some words of praise.
But Silver didn’t say a single word for the rest of the night.
*****
Sebek lied on the bed of his dimly lit dorm room, his head buried in the pillow. He never thought he would ever feel dejected over Silver not talking to him, but life was full of surprises. He was so confident about that plan, was certain he could pull it off, but he ended up being on the receiving end.
And he hated to admit it, but the worst feeling was letting down his friends – he started to acknowledge them as such unconsciously. In the strategic meeting they held after the patrol incident, they tried to cheer him up and get him to move on to the next plan. Sebek was amazed they were still willing to lend him a hand after his grand failures. But honestly, Sebek has run out of steam.
Maybe… maybe he and Silver just weren’t meant to be together, in that way. Whether they liked it or not, they have many more years ahead of them to spend together, considering they were both going to be sworn knights of Malleus. And maybe that was simply it, they were simply fellow guards. Sebek didn’t regret finding out his feelings for Silver – he thought that acknowledging them would eventually help him face himself and his relationship with Silver better. But maybe it wasn’t meant to be mutual. Maybe Silver would never see Sebek as a romantic interest. It was inevitable, considering Sebek's attitude toward Silver the past few years. And maybe it was fine that way.
No, it's not fine, a voice said in Sebek's head. The part of him that was a sore loser refused to accept his fate. He sat up in his bed, and his eyes wandered to his writing desk, which was covered with books and papers. He remembered a piece of love advice he got from Lilia, probably the first love advice he has ever gotten in his life – if you love someone, write them a letter.
Sebek left his bed and sat by his writing-table. He laid out a blank paper on top of it, took a quill in his hand, and poured all his feelings into the whiteness. With the help of his friends he tried his hardest and got this far, and this letter would be his last attempt. At the very least, he would make Silver realize how he felt. He would deal with whatever came after this, but for now, he just needed Silver to know.
"I know you…" Sebek mumbled out the opening words of the letter as he wrote them down, and he continued to write until rays of early morning sun knocked on the window, making the room just a little bit brighter.
*****
When Silver came to find Sebek in the few-minutes break they had between classes, Sebek knew he must have found the letter, which Sebek managed to hide between Silver's school books. He felt all brave when he wrote the letter yesterday, but now that Silver was dragging him by his wrist to some quiet spot they could use to talk, he felt like running away. His screams for Silver to let go of him didn’t help.
Silver let go of him only when they reached a rarely used corridor, and then he took Sebek's letter out of his pocket.
"What's the meaning of this?" He asked, holding the letter up high.
"Didn’t Lilia-sama teach you you should reply to a letter with one of your own!?" Sebek demanded. Silver's ridiculous behavior made him forget his nervousness for the time being.
"You know I'm not good with words." Silver said, then he looked straight into Sebek's eyes, "Is it true?"
Sebek didn’t answer for a while. Should he just wave it all off as a joke? Tell Silver to forget about it? He longed to know Silver's answer, but the fear of being rejected was suddenly unbearable.
Silver sighed and put the letter back in his pocket, and Sebek's heart missed a beat. Silver officially gave up on him. Sebek had only himself to blame, for not being able to face the boy he liked until the very last moment. It was no wonder Silver got tired of him.
But Silver stepped closer to Sebek and wrapped his arms around his body, then rested his head on Sebek's chest, pressing his ear to Sebek's necktie. Which was bad news, because Silver would definitely hear how fast his heart was beating and-
"Let go of me, Silver!" Sebek put his hands on Silver's shoulders and pushed, trying to get away from Silver's mighty hold, but Silver's strong arms refused to let go. And Sebek knew better than anyone Silver was unbeatable when it came to arm strength.
"Then answer me." Silver's arms closed on Sebek's body so powerfully he felt like his bones might break, "Do you like me?"
Sebek inhaled, "You read the letter, right!? Or did sleeping too much made you illiterate!?"
"I read it." Silver nodded against Sebek's chest.
"Then you know the answer!!"
Silver let go. Sebek coughed a bit and though his vision was blurry and his face was burning he turned to look at Silver. And Silver was smiling victoriously, his grin a mix of relief and naughtiness.
"W-What are you smiling for?"
"Remember that day you saw me talking with Kalim and Jamil?" Silver asked, and Sebek hummed in response, "I told you I was consulting with them about you because you were acting funny. The day before, you were ignoring me, and… I found out I didn’t like that. When I talked to them, they helped me realize my feelings."
Sebek covered his mouth with his hand. It was mutual. All this time.
"…I was acting 'funny' because my friends told me… I might have feelings for you."
"You have friends? Father would be rejoiced to hear that."
"That's not the point!!" Sebek stomped on the floor, irritated. Why did he love this guy again? "In any case… they helped me realize my feelings. They also gave me some advice."
Even though none of their ideas actually worked. On the other hand, thanks to them bringing Sebek's attention to his behavior toward Silver, he became conscious of him, and like a strange chain reaction it made Silver realize his feelings too. So indirectly, they really did help. He and Silver were in sync, just like always, but they kept missing each other. Lilia's teaching helped them meet halfway. As expected from the great Lilia, his teachings never fail!
"Wait, don't tell me you acting extra strange the past few days was your friends' idea? All those incoherent stuff you were saying?"
"W-What do you mean extra strange!?"
"And that night in the courtyard, it was something you planned, right?"
"…It was." Sebek admitted, somewhat ashamed.
"I thought there was something suspicious about it all but… I had no idea." Silver looked awed, "I think you weren't trying hard enough to hit on me."
"Hey, I was doing my best!" Sebek yelled. "You're just an airhead to a fault!"
Silver chuckled, a sound that was like soft wind chimes in Sebek's ears, melting his heart. The taller boy was beaming with joy now, and though he wasn't aware to that, Silver saw right through him. That joy was contagious, and Silver found himself enjoying the situation. Enjoying them, together. Now that all the misunderstandings were past them, he found himself yearning for Sebek.
Silver looked around, and when he made sure there was no one to see them, he sneaked a tiny kiss on the surprised Sebek's lips. And when they turned to head back, he took Sebek's hand in his, not planning on letting go anytime soon.
*****
Ace and Deuce rushed out of their classroom, not willing to spend even an extra second in that space that reeked of homework and exams. They were waiting for Epel and Jack to come out and join them from the neighboring classroom, and shortly enough they did. They were talking for a few minutes, waiting for Sebek to join them too, and when he didn’t they made their way to his classroom, walking through dozens of other students who have just finished their classes too.
Soon enough they spotted him, his height making him easy to find in the crowd. Deuce was about to call him, but he managed to make only a tiny sound before Jack stopped him, covering his mouth with his big hand. Jack tilted his head, urging the others to look closer. So they did.
They noticed now that Sebek was talking with someone, and that someone was no other than Silver. At first glance, everything appeared to be normal – Silver and Sebek talking with each other wasn't a rare scene, after all. But the air about them was different somehow – softer, warmer. And then, the first years saw it – they were holding hands. Or more precisely, fingers – Silver's index finger was folded around Sebek's, and he was pulling on it playfully every few seconds. When they were done talking and Silver turned to walk away, he pulled Sebek down to a secretive kiss that ended in a flash, and then left just like that, leaving a crimson-colored Sebek behind.
The four first years looked at each other, and a few moments later they were all smirking knowingly. They had no idea how and when, but their boy Sebek's love didn't end up being unrequited after all.
"Sebek!" They all shouted simultaneously. They were fully intended on teasing him. And also congratulate him, of course… but mostly tease him, at least for the next few days.