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"You... Need help making chocolates?" Trey blinked slowly. Was he seeing this right? Riddle Rosehearts, the ever-stoic housewarden of Heartslabyul dorm... was asking for help with a romantic gift? Time does fly, he thinks, and Riddle is probably all grown up now. He can't help but wonder who's the lucky person, though; he can only hope it's someone deserving of Riddle's time, someone supportive. "Well, I just finished making a few for Jade. I could help you with making another batch."
Riddle bowed. "Thank you so much, Trey. Your support is vital to me in this matter."
"Don't worry so much," he shook his head in reply, "I'm sure whoever you're making this for will love it. If anything, I'll make sure they do."
(He may or may not have been surprisingly overprotective of Riddle.)
"I also believe they will," a small smile tugged on his lips, "but I still must make sure my chocolates are perfect."
Ah, typical Riddle.
In making the chocolate, he was ever the perfectionist; when going up to Sam's store, he made sure the shortening he bought was vegetable-based and not fatty akin to lard; when melting it with vegetable oil, his measurings were precise and thorough. Trey couldn't help but sigh when, after adding the cocoa and vanilla and filling the heart-shaped silicone molds, Riddle almost slapped the edges thereof - kind of like the bass guitar trick Jade showed him once - instead of gently tapping the bubbles away.
Once they put the chocolates in the freezer to harden and sat down for afternoon tea, Trey's eyes lingered upon how gingerly he had bounced his leg beneath the table.
"Hey, whoever you're giving this to - I mean, it'll all be okay. Are you confessing?" He sipped his own tea, hearing Riddle choke on his. As the second-year coughed awkwardly, all his upperclassman could do was smile. "If they reject you, it's no big deal, but I'm sure you know it. And if they're being rude in doing so, I can help you teach them a few manners."
Honestly, Trey hated to admit it, but teasing Riddle was unbearably fun. It's a shame Chen'ya wasn't here to witness this.
"Trey, i-it's not like that, at all."
"Then how come you're asking me for help with making chocolates right before the Valentine's day party?"
He sputtered once more, nonetheless regaining composure quickly. It was surprisingly out of character, seeing the confident and uptight Riddle Rosehearts so flustered; but Trey knew better, and before him he remembered the shy little boy he used to play croquet with.
"I... May be romantically involved with someone. At the moment."
The third-year smiled, pushing his glasses up and nodding in approval. "Whoever it is, I hope they're taking good care of you."
"He... He is," Riddle blushed, for god's sake, it must be the end of the world, Trey thought. "I expect you will not judge me for my sexuality."
"Riddle, I'm a homosexual."
"O-oh." His eyes widened comically; the green-haired teen could only laugh quietly. "That makes two of us, I suppose. In that case, I am glad."
"I literally mentioned making chocolates for Jade. You do know that's implying we're dating, yeah?"
Rosehearts nodded, realization dawning upon him as his face slowly twisted up into one of pure shock. "Is something the matter, Riddle?"
"...no... Not really... But, Trey - would you allow me to accompany you to Mostro Lounge later tonight?"
Although his motives for the sudden request were unknown to Trey, he was mildly suspicious of the way Riddle had put his hair back with a hairclip and even coated his lips some convoluted lipstick-over-lip balm combo. He, however, decided not to pay it any mind; albeit Riddle trusted him greatly, there was a chance he'd end up on his Valentine's date with a heavy collar around his neck, one that Doodle Suit couldn't undo.
Mostro Lounge was all decorated and ready for Valentine's day; with pink roses all around, petals scattering from the gust of wind coming from the heater, various paraphernalia found themselves stuck onto the walls, glasses, and tables, in forms of little vases adorned with flowers within as well as pompous ribbons stuck onto different places.
"Hope you're enjoying the view," a voice had rasped out behind him, familiar hands resting on his waist. "My, my. I apologize if I've scared you."
"No such thing," Trey had replied, hand ghosting over his boyfriend's cheek. The two were so caught up in the rare moment of intimacy Riddle had to clear his throat - very loudly, at that, and multiple times, - in order to remind them they're not alone.
"I believe that expressions of public displays of affection are against the campus rules."
"I also believe that the Mostro Lounge is exempt from most campus regulations, including Article 549, regarding PDA," the younger twin shot back, arms still weaved around Trey's torso, and before Riddle opened his mouth for further questioning, answers, "as per last year's amendment number 36."
"Very studious, Jade," he nodded in approval, "your brother could learn a thing or two from you."
"Oh, my! How did your mind trace it back to Floyd?"
Trey knew that face of Jade's well; there was something mischievous in the glint of his gaze, something that the eye could not meet. The Heartslabyul vice-dorm leader cocked his eyebrow at the two.
"What do you mean, how? You literally share the same face," Riddle scuffed, "and all Floyd does is bring trouble."
"Is that so?"
Before the housewarden could shoot a judgmental look at the twin, his split copy - with droopier eyes and a lazier grin - had appeared out of a pink rose-adorned column. His suit was torn almost to shreds due to the flowers' thorns, and he still had some petals in his hair, but Trey wouldn't miss the way Riddle's eyes lit up for the world, no matter how much he seemed to try and look stoic.
"Li'l Goldfish! I got a present for you!"
"Wha- Floyd?!"
The older twin, whose hands were folded behind his back, presented his peer with a magnificent bouquet of red roses, all wrapped in a translucent cloth and tied together with a striped white and black ribbon in a manner that reminded Trey of the one Riddle donned as part of his uniform. "Ta-dah! Aren't I great, Goldfish?"
"At least it's not acacias this time," he mumbled, before regaining composure. "In any case, Floyd! This is unacceptable on public grounds! Besides, there's a white rose in the bouquet."
He pointed at the tiniest rosebud in the bunch, and Floyd, with a sheepish grin, took out his magic pen to try and cast a color-changing spell. Riddle, however, wrapped his gloved hand around Floyd's as to prevent him from proceeding. "Don't. I like it that way."
The gentleness in his voice, paired with the obvious crack in his façade and followed by a surprisingly composed and warm smile from the older Leech twin, had Trey's eyes widen. It all clicked.
"You two are dating, aren't you?"
Riddle jumped away from Floyd as though burnt, dusting off his jacket. "Trey, you've got it wrong..."
"He hasn't," Floyd grinned, free hand wrapping around the shorter teen, who, in turn, had concealed his face within the roses, flushed down to their exact hue. "Li'l Goldfish is mine, and mine forever! Right?"
Attempting to camouflage himself within the flowers, Riddle had dropped something from his hands; the box Trey had so delicately helped him wrap was now on the floor - it's a good thing they bothered to put a lid over it, he thought.
Floyd unwrapped his hand from Riddle's body to instead catch the box. "Eeeh? What's this?"
The housewarden scrambled to get the box away from his... apparent boyfriend, frowning, as the latter mirrored the motion. Trey saw Riddle straighten his back once more, inhaling deeply, and, once his eye caught a certain student within the hustling-and-bustling crowd of Mostro Lounge, he looked Floyd in the eye and bowed.
"Floyd Leech, I, Riddle Rosehearts, am proud to present you with this box of chocolates!" He yelled, effectively gaining the attention of all students present; amidst the heated whispers, one would assume that the student he had just called out for was about to get beheaded. "Please accept them as a sign of my feelings!"
The entire crowd gasped, a few forks and spoons tumbling to the ground. Trey made note to help Jade clean up later tonight.
Floyd's smile grew, showing off his pearly white and sharp teeth as he giggled sluggishly.
"Hehe! My Goldfish is the cutest!"
Riddle screamed as he was tackled to the ground, the bouquet and the box of chocolates tossed to the side, Floyd laughing in his increasingly reddening skin.
There was not much for Trey to think, say, or do; all he could muster was to take off his foggied glasses, brushing the stray tear away from his eyes. "Ah, they grow up so fast!"
Jade smiled, exasperatedly, tightening his grip on the vice-dorm leader's waist as he muttered. "It's a good thing Azul is out on a board game night with Idia... He'd never let anyone live this down."