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Out of everyone at this school, Sky was probably the most tolerable.
The brown hair bastard was a chronic flirt, annoying, annoying, and worst of all, royalty; but tolerable. Riven found that he barely even minded following the man's orders. It was weird to say the least, but not like he is was going to bitch about someone being likable.
He however hated Brandon. The blonde-haired bitch always had something to say.
Riven really wished he'd fall off a cliff...or get fired. Whichever was more convenient.
Despite being Sky's bodyguard he was somehow utterly shit at protecting, and preferred being the central fighter. It was with great pleasure that he made sure to inform Brandon at every opportunity that he was a pity hire.
It was probably Riven's fault that Brandon was now obnoxious about the fact that he was in the guardian track, but he can't bring himself to regret it.
They were doing a training exercise, which was more a test of patience than anything else.
"We should take them head-on," Riven said when they finally found the base camp of the group they were meant to attack. When Riven got accepted to the most prestigious school for the non and less magical, he wasn't expecting to play capture the flag like in his middle school gym class, but whatever. "This is a physical exercise, after all. That would probably net us a better grade."
"Huh..." Brandon said absentmindedly. "I thought someone like you would go for something more..sneaky?"
Riven's shoulders rose and his whole body tensed. Everything, everything that came out of that fucker's mouth was some kind of slight again Riven that Brandon just expected him to take like some sort of dog.
No one has ever knocked the shit out of Brandon for saying some dumb shit and Riven was very happy to do the honors.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Riven growled as loud as he could.
"You picked the survivalist track!" Brandon said throwing his hands up. "That whole track specializes in avoiding head-on battles! Why are you getting so mad at me?"
"Oh you think you're so fucking slick, don't you?" Riven hissed at the blonde jackass. "I'm not fucking stupid Brandon, I know what the fuck you were implying!"
Brandon sputters, clearly unhappy to be caught in his obvious lie. "I wasn't implying anything!"
Riven grit his teeth and clenched his fists. First the fucker would insult him, then instead of just apologizing or dropping it, he'd pretend like he didn't mean the obvious thing he meant.
Brandon had a very straight nose, Riven was sure he could fix that.
Sky sighed loudly, momentarily distracting Riven from his mission.
"Can either of you manage a conversation without sniping at each other?" He asked weight on one leg, looking utterly exhausted at their most recent fight.
Riven couldn't help being embarrassed, Sky's disproving stare being uncomfortably dead.
"What? I didn't say anything bad!" Brandon protested like a sniveling coward.
"You wanna fucking fight?" Riven snapped. "I'm not just gonna fucking sit here and—"
"Can't wait to fail this exercise because you two were too busy fighting to finish the exercise." Sky said, still looking vaguely bored.
"But—" Brandon started up again. The man's sense of entitlement knew no bounds.
"I'll explain later," Sky, said rather smoothly.
Promising that they were both going to get a "but have you considered it this way?" conversation later in the day. "I just want to get a good grade on this."
"I have an idea." Timmy quickly inserted himself into the conversation before either Brandon or Riven could make another comment at each other. Sky smiled at Timmy, and somehow that made Riven want to kick himself for yelling at that man's closet friend...again.
Not that Brandon didn't deserve it, but still.
~~
Riven really wished he could punch this idiot.
He wouldn't because he wasn't going to even consider the idea of doing something that would get him kicked out of the only place that keep him off the streets and away from his family, but—
"Someone like you shouldn't even be in a prestigious school like this?" The other student all but spits at him.
It was still very tempting though.
Riven grit his teeth so hard that his jaw aches. Riven could say a lot of things about Brandon. He wasn't a fucking snitch, and Riven could at least have respect for that.
These pampered assholes, however, were absolutely snitches. Which meant not turning them a pretty shade of purple... If they even had red blood that is...Riven really should have paid attention in his dimensional geography class.
"What?" The man from a planet that Riven couldn't place said, getting unfortunately close. "Nothing to say?"
"Your breath smells like shit," Riven responded instead of tackling the jackass like he oh so desperately wanted to.
The prince or noble, or second cousin of someone important's face twisted up in indignation.
Riven couldn't stop the wide smirk that graced his face as the man wrenched his hand back to attack him. Once it could be clearly established that he was doing this out of self-defense, beating the dog shit out of the man wouldn't end up on his record. Which was always amazing news.
"Jareth of Dolona, was it?" A very familiar voice called out from across the room. "You do realize that bullying is against the rules right?"
Riven looked over the man's, Jareth's, shoulder to see a deeply annoyed-looking Sky. Absent was his usual disappointed expression when he and Brandon were caught arguing, his face was turned into the closet Riven had ever seen it get to a snarl.
"Prince Sky," Jareth said, backing up like a good little political dog.
Riven smirked just a little bit at the man being forced to coward before a bigger fish.
The benefits of being the prince of one of the dimension's superpowers we're great it seems.
"This is a school for the skilled Jareth. I don't know if you were aware, but Riven ranks higher than you on the school leaderboard." Sky's voice dripping with condescension. "If he doesn't deserve to be here, then what does that say about you?"
A deathly silence fell over the room, and it took all the self-control in Riven's body to not start gloating.
"I didn't mean—" Jareth began, clearly trying to save his political career in Eraklyon.
"I'd recommend leaving, Jareth." Sky said, voice cold as ice, and the idiot quickly fled. Tail between his legs.
Riven watched in delight as Sky glared at him till he left the room.
"Shame you stopped me from teaching him a lesson," Riven said, with what was approaching a genuine smile. "But I have to admit, your good at that."
Instead of smiling back like Riven expected, Sky frowned deeply.
"You shouldn't have to do that in the first place." Sky said, sounding more sad than angry. "He shouldn't just assume his status allowed him to talk like that to you."
Riven leaned on his back foot uncomfortably.
Sure he agreed with Sky, he obviously agreed with him, but the new mood of the room made his hair stand on end.
"Yeah, duh," Riven said, turning away from Sky's mournful expression. "Cannot wait to see him get a cliff notes lesson on respect when he fucks with the wrong guy."
Sky stayed silent for a beat too long and Riven turned back around to face him.
He was looking at Riven with a peculiar expression that Riven couldn't place for the life of him. He hated it.
"I have class," Riven said, blatantly lying instead of demanding what Sky was staring at him for. "See you later." Without waiting for a response, he left.
~~
Riven was lounging on the couch, watching whatever shit happened to be on Tv at the time. Sky, Timmy, and Brandon were planning on going who fucking knows where, and Riven wanted to turn his brain into static.
Horrible day all around but thankfully Brandon will be out of the dorm for multiple hours, which was always fun.
Sky peeked his head through the doorway, which Riven caught out of the corner of his eye.
"What?" Riven asked as dryly as possible.
Sky's asymmetrical hair was off his face, and it was kind of weird seeing what he looked like without his brown hair slightly covering the side of his face.
Apparently, he had a mole near his ear.
Why the fuck did he notice that.
"Aren't you going to get ready?" Sky asked, still looking confused, and wait.
"I'm sorry?" Riven asked, sitting up. "Get ready?"
"Aren't you coming with us?" Sky asked.
Riven didn't know how to respond to that. Why would they want him to come along? It's not like he and Timmy got along well, and when left alone with Brandon too long they got at each other's throats.
"I didn't know I was invited," Riven responded, with a hint of venom in his voice.
He liked Sky.
He would really hate if this all turned out to be particularly cruel hazing.
"Of course you are man," Sky responded without a moment's hesitation. "I like having you around, keeps things from getting boring." A playful smirk danced on Sky's face, and Riven blinked.
Sky...like him being around?
Sky genuinely wanted to hang out with him?
"I suppose I can go," Riven responded, still slightly dazed.
Friends. Is that what they were now? Friends?
Riven pushed people away, he knew he did that. Not like most people could be trusted anyways. Everyone had an ulterior motive, but he couldn't think up a single reason why Sky would offer this if not to genuinely spend time with him.
"Great!" Sky said with a wide smile that made Riven's breath stutter for just a moment. "I'll see you there man!" Sky left and...and...shit.
~~
If someone told him a year ago he'd spend his summer following around a princess, he'd laugh at them.
If they then told him that he'd respect that princess, he'd laugh harder.
Princess Stella of Solaria was a walking force of nature that did what she wanted when she wanted if she wanted to do it, and great dragon help anyone who got in her way.
Her father required her to have a guard when she went out of designated areas while she was in Magix, and she loathed the group of men she had following her. Somehow she managed to convince her father to let her pick her own guard from Red fountain, and she ended up selecting their squad of first years.
Riven didn't understand her line of logic, he didn't even get why she even need a guard. Solaria wasn't a hated planet in the slightest, and Solarian royalty didn't even hold political power. But the position paid really well, and he wanted to move out after college, so he urged his squad to accept and they did.
A group of idiots did try to take Stella hostage during an outing, and Riven suddenly understood why she'd pick a group of first years. Stella was an amazingly well-practiced and powerful fairy. She could protect herself very easily. She probably found the group of armed guards demeaning.
It was weird fighting next to a fairy, but he had gotten surprisingly good at using his rope to catch her scepter when it was knocked out of her hands and throwing it back to her.
That was already enough for Riven to slightly respect her, not many fairies specialized in combat, but on top of that, she was also weirdly nice.
Like now when she was offering to buy them all clothes so they could occupancy her to an event without sticking out like a sore thumb.
She didn't make a single mention of how he probably couldn't afford to buy anything in the store they were in, and she never singled him out like Brandon would.
She was nice.
Out of all the princesses in the world, he was pretty happy he was being paid to follow this one around.
Not that he'd ever admit that out loud.
Riven looked at himself in the mirror and smiled.
The dark red shirt he was wearing was exceptionally soft and shiny looking. Riven couldn't name the type of fabric it was but he liked it. All around he thought he looked good, sharp. He couldn't help smiling at his reflection. He looked nice, and he finally had something to wear to the formal event at the beginning of each school year.
Last time he rented a suit. He really didn't want to do that again.
"Riven stop trying to eye fuck yourself and come out here to show the outfit!" Sky yelled from outfit the dressing room, and Riven's smile instantly dropped.
Sky was royalty, which meant he probably had opinions on "good fashion".
Sure Stella said the outfit was good when he showed her what he grabbed, but that didn't mean anything.
Stella would the most obnoxious outfits when the mood hit her, and the only thing she disliked in fashion was the color black and goths.
Riven sighed. Can't put it off forever.
Riven exited the dressing room to a very well-dressed Sky lounging on the couch, alone.
"Tada," Riven said sarcastically, instead of asking where the others were.
Stella probably selected Sky or Timmy to be her fashion victim of the day, and the other went to save them.
Riven felt no sympathy.
Sky wolf-whistled jokingly and a blush rose to Riven's face that he desperately tried to ignore.
He did not like Sky and his stupid brown hair, and shiny brown eyes.
He did not.
"You look amazing man!" Sky complimented and the blush grew stronger.
"Thanks." Was all Riven could manage to say.
Stupid bisexual heart. The moment anyone was nice to him—
"You look so handsome that I'm sad I can't kiss you." Sky said breezily.
What.
What the fuck.
Riven's face was probably bright red as he stood slack-jawed, but he couldn't care less.
"The fuck did you just say?" Riven asked incredulously.
"I'm sensing some biphobia in the air today," Sky said sagely, and holy fucking shit he wasn't joking was he?
He actually meant that.
Or did he?
Riven's heart rate somehow got higher as he stared into Sky's pretty brown eyes, and oh no—
"Whatever jackass." Riven said, pointedly ignoring Sky's non-answer.
"I'm gonna go find Stella," Riven began speed walking to the door before Sky could get another goddamn word in with his stupid gorgeous face.
Oh, he was really in deep, wasn't he?
Riven slammed the door behind him, ignoring Sky's hearty chuckles.
~~
The place on his shoulder where Darcy last touched burned.
He felt unclean.
Riven barely knew how he was alive.
"You jumped?" Brandon asked, face twisted in concern, clearly still looking him over for injuries.
"Yeah," Riven responded, a cold numb dread settled in his chest.
Stella, Bloom, and Sky were a ways away, talking amongst themselves with the troll Darcy kept.
Riven couldn't place how he was feeling.
Apparently his emotions we're being fucked with this whole time, so maybe that was just a given.
That's what he would become if he actually let his emotions consume him.
Darcy had to be lying when she said that he was already going down that path.
He wouldn't have made those decisions if he wasn't lied to, if he could think straight.
She hadn't actually taken over his mind...just influenced him...he still had his free will.
She had to be lying, she had—
"How'd you know you'd survive?" Brandon asked, cutting through his thoughts.
"I didn't," Riven replied quietly. "I couldn't let her get her hands on me."
Despite thinking Darcy's name multiple times, the idea of uttering it made Riven's gut twist.
That's how he contacted her through their link, by calling her name.
Fuck is the link even broken?
"I was going to wait to tell you this until you we're—" Brandon cut himself off and waved his hand in a vague gesture. "Calmer? Less attached to your less than healthy idea of masculinity, but...I like you too."
Riven snapped his head up.
That certainly caught his attention.
"I'm sorry?" Riven asked, head slightly spinning.
"It kinda sucks when your crush nearly dies before you can say anything," Brandon said with an uncomfortable laugh.
Crush, like you too. The fucker knew the whole time?!
"When this is over," Brandon said, shutting down any reply that Riven had. "I don't know if you'd be comfortable with me asking you out so I won't, but I'll take you on a date if you ask."
Riven blushed, and hard.
He could barely think about Darcy for the rest of the day, thoughts always straying back to Brandon.
~~
Riven was uncomfortable.
His heart was banging against his ribcage, and if there was anything he most resented Darcy for leaving him with it was probably the anxiety disorder.
He was going on a date, with his friend, to a location, where people could see a judge them.
His father's opinions were known deep in Riven's bones. No one back home would be ok with this.
He didn't even understand why Brandon liked him back, not to mention why the fuck he'd want to take Riven somewhere with him after what happened last time.
Hopefully, there were no evil witches at...he didn't even know where Brandon was taking him. His breathing quickened and—
"You ok?" Brandon's voice said from behind him, and Riven whirled around to face him.
"Wow..." Riven said without even thinking. Brandon looked good, like really good. His shirt was a hair too tight, and his hair looked especially soft.
"So, you like my new outfit?" Brandon asked with a teasing grin, and Riven's whole body tensed. There wasn't a hint of malice in Brandon's eyes.
"Um..yeah?" Riven replied very eloquently.
Is this what he was like in a real relationship? Painfully awkward?
"I think you look good as well," Brandon said, thankfully not commenting on his stutter. "Ready to go?" He asked with a bright grin.
"Yeah, I am," Riven responded with his own lopsided and clumsy smile.
~~