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Since the first time Northdin met the new literature teacher, he hated him.
Maybe it was the smirk that seemed to be constantly stuck on his face, his hair that had way too much wax in it, his tacky yellow clothes... or maybe it was from the fact that Ydan slapped his ass shortly after Northdin introduced himself.
And as a respectable history teacher, Northdin had to be polite to this degenerate. A fake smile here, a conversation about the weather there... Northdin was doing his best to be polite despite everything! But for some reason, all he received was unreadable looks and contemplative silence from the inappropriate literature professor. And, well, what the fuck? What kind of reaction was that??
He didn't remember having outraged the man with questionable fashion taste in any way? Not that he cared what the weird man thought of him, but still.
While Northdin seemed to question the reason for existence after the one called Ydan had slapped his ass, the latter was still introducing himself to his future colleagues without missing a beat - just what the heck - and with a disconcerting ease at that.
The blond man with that constant smirk that Northdin had known for five minutes or less but had already decided he loathed it. The blond man now spoke with a frank but easy tone, he seemed the sociable type pretty obviously. But Northdin – may or may not have – no he'll never tell - spent almost his entire life analyzing how people behaved and their body language in order to fit in, and especially to imitate those who seemed to have good manners and be respected. He could maybe notice… a kind of strange distance with how Ydan was interactig with the others.
Almost like a huge wall, strong, yet invisible.
But there was another thing that shocked Northdin to his core more than anything else.
Ydan hadn't hit any other ass.
Which was! Completely absurd!! Especially in the context that he was talking right now face to face with Draus, aka the math teacher, aka the most charming, hot, kind, and owner of the most slammable ass in the entire room! Probably in the entire world actually!!
It just made no sense!
As if the man- as if Ydan had sensed his turmoil, he turned his head quickly enough to make Northdin jump in surprise.
Northdin's confused eyes met an unreadable gaze.
Then Ydan just freaking winked at him then turned around to continue the conversation as if nothing had happened. Again!!
Northdin was so taken aback by the man's lack of shame that the blood rushed to his cheeks in outrage at how inappropriate the man's gesture was.
Yes! That could only be the only reason!
Despite the fact that Northdin deserved at least two months of paid vacation after meeting such a outrageous and shocking individual, the universe was not so kind and, to be honest - kind of a bitch.
Someone might think that with such a bad first impression, their relationship could surely only go up! Because if it was already on the ground, it couldn't go any lower, right?
Right?!
But with each new interaction, Ydan had somehow managed to find a shovel and dig himself to the center of the earth. So far that he often reminded Northdin of the expression, "The bar was so low it was a tripping hazard in hell, yet here you are, limbo dancing with the devil."
This man was far worse than anything Northdin could have imagined, and boy he had imagined!!
He was so irritating that sometimes Northdin had trouble falling asleep because in addition to constantly squatting the coffee machine, he also had to squat in his dreams at that! Even though this is private property! Get out of here!!
The only thing that could make him feel better was that, at the very least, his feelings were mutual.
Because Ydan hated his guts.
Why else would this bastard wake up so early even when Northdin knew he didn't have any classes - he had memorized Ydan's schedule so he could better avoid him (but mostly so he would finally have a chance to get to the coffee machine first) - just to greet Northdin and spent unnecessarily time in his company ; Or after learning through Draus that Northdin had a sweet tooth and then proceed to give him his desserts as gifts ; Or to show him the most ridiculous mistake one of his student had made on the latest test; Or to constantly tell him bad and unsavory jokes (the fact that Northdin was laughing at those – or if the yellow menace seemed more eager to make jokes when Northdin was laughing - were totally irrelevant.)
So, why else would he take so much time and pay so much attention to Northdin in particular just to annoy him and tell him jokes that were beyond inappropriate?
Hate! Of course!
Northdin had talked about his rather unusual relationship with Ydan, a relationship of mutual hatred without passive-aggressiveness as he complained about the man with a tacky suit during the lunch break.
Draus had been silent for most of the conversation but wore a mixed look of pity and hesitation as he slowly ate his sandwich for a reason that completely escaped him.
Was he feeling pity because Northdin had to suffer the yellow demon's desires all day? Hm, that must be it. Ah, his friend was just way too nice sometimes!
But no matter whatever was going on with the lewd bastard, there was a reason why Northdin was taking his lunch break with Draus.
There was a reason why he had tried to take all his lunch breaks with Draus for the past three years.
There was a reason why he had always tried to act like the perfect gentleman and ‘ boyfriend material ’ as the youngs said these days.
There was a reason why he was closer to the math teacher more than with any of his other colleagues.
He had a strategy.
And nothing on earth - especially not the arrival of Ydan - would destroy his plan!
Ydan's arrival destroyed his plan.
Just. Completely, destroyed.
Northdin didn't even want to think about it anymore. That cursed day. Those sleepless nights thinking and thinking and no , he definitely wasn't overthinking! Spending sixty eight hours on a plan on how to ask his crush to go ‘supervise’ the prom with him was completely normal and totally reasonable!
Because yes, even if Prom was an event dedicated to the students, the teachers would go too, at least to supervise, before leaving and letting the youngs do whatever youngs do. Which, based on the student he had when he used to be a private teacher - consisted of hiding celery absoletely everywhere for their friend to find as a sign of friendship.
Which, was, well, a thing he guessed.
And no matter how childish the gesture might seem, Northdin was convinced that Draus would get the message and finally, it would be as if his feelings had a chance to be returned, or if Draus would make the choice to metaphorically dumb Northdin's heart down the same way he would with a basket ball. And dunked into a trash can.
And so the ultimate day arrived. This day had nothing special to its name, but it was the day he had chosen - after much, but still very reasonable research on which day would be the most appropriate, neither too far nor too close to Prom day - to entrust his heart into Draus' hands. To know he was going to use it as a soccer ball or not.
Northdin had planned everything - the date - the place - Draus' schedule and his own.
He had not planned for Ydan's intervention.
He had every reason to be confident! The fact that he wanted to throw up a little and to throw himself out the window when he thought about actually asking him was just a coincidence! A coincidence that had come back every time this thought came. How strange, huh? But that was coincidences for you!
So Northdin had walked with a decided step, his limbs trembled slightly, but not from nervousness of course, but from the cold, despite the fact that they were still in summer and that Northdin never was bothered in the slightest by cold weather, yes.
As he approached the meeting point that he had given to Draus, for him as one of their usual lunch meeting, but for Northdin, as the date of his final judgment.
Upon approaching his (potential) execution place, he saw not one but two silhouettes.
Hmm, that was strange but not that unusual, it was probably another teacher talking with Draus, unless Draluc had once again snuck into the teacher's lounge even though he had no right to do so since he was now a student, especially not in order to steal the snacks he knew were Northdin's favorites and leave a Lupin the third-like card with usually written on it: "I'll take that! Hope you won't mind shitty mustache!" followed by a doodle that he was pretty sure was supposed to represent a simplified version of Draluc wearing a smug grin.
Unless it was a zebra.
It was hard to tell sometimes.
Anyway, Northdin's plan wouldn't fall apart for so little! He had spent so much time on this and - that... if…
Uh...?
Oh shit.
Oooooooooooh fuck.
Northdin stopped in front of his crush chatting with the most insufferable man he had the displeasure to met in his life.
"Hi Northy!" greeted Ydan.
"Oh hi North. I invited Ydan to join lunch with us!"
"… Ah," dit Northdin, puis, "Oh yeah, of course that's okay," he replied politely with a smile. Trying his best not to show ay signs that he was hiding a rose behind his back with one of his hands.
Fuck!
His plan!!
He pulled a chair from another table with one hand and made a place for himself at Draus and Ydan's table, making sure to keep his back hidden during the whole procedure.
Well okay. Shit. Okay.
So, Ydan was there.
That presence was... unexpected. For sure. But he could work with that! Ydan would simply become a spectator of Northdin's incredible victory! Or his greatest downfall!
Surely, the smirking idiot wasn't evil enough to make fun of Northdin after whichever result.
...
He wasn't too sure about this plan anymore, actually.
But he was in too deep to back down! It was now or never!
He was pulled out of his thoughts by Draus' sweet voice, "So, what were you talking about again, Ydan?"
"Oh yeah! Do you want to go to prom with me Draussy?" Ydan casually asked.
...Wh- What.
Huh?
HUH?????
A sudden emotion that Northdin didn't recognize filled him with a force that Northdin felt as if a truck hit him at full speed, and this truck had Ydan’s smirking annoying face as a massive logo on it. A multitude of thoughts went through his mind, but the loudest of all was:
"YDAN WHAT THE HECK?!!"
Draus gave a gentle chuckle before saying tenderly, "Oh you."
What do uou MEAN ' Oh you' ??? Draus???????????
It's all fine and well if you have you have eye on someone else, but at least tell me! Please!!
And it's Ydan ?? You can do better than that!
"So it's a yes?" asked Ydan innocently.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
"Oh Ydan, I think you already know the answer."
Draus, you're going to kill him! You're going to kill you're best friend here! What kind of blurry-ass answer was that?? Have mercy on him!
Northin was this close to finding the closest cushion and yelling all his turmoil into it into the poor inanimate object. But unfortunately for him, that kind of undignified and shameless act could only remain a fantasy.
So he took the adult approach to this childish urge and remained in his seat without moving an inch, appearing neutral and expressionless on the outside, perhaps even attentive. But he was absolutely internally screaming.
"Of course, I won't go to prom with you silly," Draus' voice had the same effect as if someone had physically slapped Northdin. Hard.
Huh...?
"...What?" he muttered out loud without meaning to, barely loud enough to be heard by the other.
"Aww, why?" Ydan asked with a falsely sad andplaintive tone while Northdin's brain was still trying – and failing – to register what he just heard.
"Because! You mean ‘got to prom’ as ‘supervise it’ right? I think I heard somewhere that some teachers proposed like that."
Northdin wonders from who Draus heard it from. It definitely wasn’t one step in his lan to avoid any misunderstanding. Yup.
Draus continued, "If someone were to offer me to go to tak me to prom with them, I’d prefer that he takes it at least a little more seriously! I wouldn't want him to ask me so suddenly or with chocolates, roses or something." Draus finished with a chuckle, oblivious to the fact that Northdin had frozen on the spot and to his feelings. Not for the first time.
"Umm, that's fair that's fair. But you know, I wouldn't be half as demanding as you, a rose would suit me wel- Oh! The coffee machine is finally free! I’ll be back in a sec!" Ydan exclaimed as the biology teacher came out of the room the size of a closet that almost looked like a kitchen, if you squint.
And so, he and Draus were alone.
Call it intrusive thought but Northdin had a question in his mind, and he knew he had to ask it before he could go back to step one of his upcoming new plan after being done with an existancial crisis about what was wrong with his plan and how the heck it ended up like that.
"Hey Draus..."
"Hm? Yes?"
"If Ydan had proposed you, well, more seriously... Would you have accepted?"
"Oh my, of course not," Draus replied, amused but firm.
A tension that Northdin hadn't noticed builded up in his shoulders suddenly disappeared.
Oh thank god.
Though he didn't know if he was more relieved that Draus wasn't interested in Ydan or the fact that Ydan didn't have a chance with Draus. Both were the same thing anyway, isn’t it?
"Either way, I knew very well that he wasn't serious about this at all, he probably did it to tease me. How cute is that, haha!"
Northdin wasn't sure if " cute " was a good word for that weird yellow bastard of a literature professor, but he didn’t had it in him to correct Draus.
More importantly...
"How did you know he wasn't serious?"
"Oh, I just know, that he already has someone he’d probably like to ask to dance wi- MRPH-! "
A bagel suddenly found itself shoved into Draus' open mouth, strapped to it was one arm in a tacky yellow checkered jacket that belonged, carrying a still-steaming cup of coffee in one hand and still holding the oversized bagel halfway into Draus' mouth.
But what surprised him most about this situation was the expression that Ydan wore, it was extremely different from his constant smirking that he was doing all day. It almost looked like...
Blushed...?
Now Northdin's curiosity had piqued.
The literature professor released his grip on the bagel and sat pretty awkwardly in his chair before doing what looked like the worst impression of his usual smirk he had ever seen before saying: "Haha, what were you guys talking about? Not me I hope, haha- hahaha, ah..."
Dude.
As Draus was too busy imitating a hamster while chewing happily on his free bagel, Northdin replied, "Oh don't worry. I learned nothing, alsolutely nothing."
Northdin then took a sip from his cup – all the while without breaking eye contact - or at least tried to because he didn’t realize that his cup was now empty, so he pretended it was still full and taking a sip while hoping that Ydan wouldn't notice for the sake of theater and of the I'm-just-messing-with-my-friend spirit.
Not that he would call Ydan a friend. His tongue slipped is all. His mind-tongue.
Fortunately, the literature professor looked too shocked by the ' spoiler ' Draus had just said to notice the scam. Nice.
"Haha, anyway, I have - I have to go now," Ydan stood up in a rush.
"Mn - already? But we haven't eaten yet?" asked Draus between two mouthfuls.
"Yeah, I just- have copies to, um, prints- Bye!"
And the man ran off to the exit.
"Aww, what a shame."
"Foor sure," replied Northdin.
He had learned three extremely important things in the last fifteen minutes.
1- Draus was not interested in Ydan, and Ydan not in Draus.
2- Ydan was surprisingly physically capable of another expression other than a-' small smirk ' and b-' big-almost-constant smirk '.
3- Most important of all, Ydan had a crush on someone.
For a second, he wondered what Ydan’s looked like when he made other expressions - and what his blushing face would look like if he had a better angle on - But this information was completely useless! Completely and utterly useless!!!
Scratch that, he learnt two important things!! Only two!
Northdin did his best to cross it off his mental list and try to focus on his next goal.
He took another sip of nothing by reflex and made a note to himself to go fill his cup first.
Northdin slammed his hands on the table in front of the biology teacher.
"If you do me a favor, I'll personally go and fill all your coffee cups until the end of the year," he began the conversation.
"Go on," said Dick without missing a beat while taking another sip of coffee, "But I’ve got to say, I didn't think you were so bold Northdin. So? What do you want from me? Depending on how fun it seems, I might ask my wife if she wants to be involved~"
Dick had a curious and mysterious glint in his eye. But Northdin, knowing exactly what kind of lewd mind he was dealing with, proceeded to blush much more strongly than Ydan did earlie- NO! He couldn't afford to be distracted now! He was going to think about that expression in his dreams the next time Ydan decided to hijack one of his dreams anyway!
Dick chuckled gently at how flutered Northdin goy because of what was implied.
Northdin awkwardly cleared his throat and said, "No, no, I need an information, and I think you're the only one who might know the answer."
A lie. But not a big one.
He had earlier asked, and almost begged Draus to tell him who on earth Ydan had a crush on. But despite all his attempts, he had refused him any kind of answer. Respecting his answer, he devided to go to someone whose tongue might be more inclined to tell him.
If Northdin's best friend, Draus, knew something so personal about Ydan who never ever talked about himself, then this lewd dude's best friend, the other maybe even lewder dude, surely knew it too!
"Oh,aAn information? An advice perhaps?" Dick frowned slightly in confusion, seeming a little disappointed.
"Not an advice. I know Ydan has a crush on someone, who is it?"
"Oooooooooh, so you don't know."
"Don't know what? Their name? No I don't and that's why I'm here."
"Hm, oh my~ wouldn't you like to know. But unfortunately my dear colleague, I can't tell you their name."
Northdin was taken aback for a second. Dick was the most frank with his thoughts and the most honest, even unfortunately honest sometimes, "Why?" he could only ask, doing his best to keep the confusion and perhaps disappointment out of his voice.
"Because I'm a good friend!" Dick replied with a smile, as if it was a totally normal thing to say. Before unexpectedly metaphoringly stabbing Northdin, "And if I never told Draus that you were interested in him, then I why would I say anything about Ydan?"
"You knew?! How? "
"Oh please~ I can always tell when a person is watching someone else with lewd eyes."
"I never looked at Draus that way though."
Dick paused. Then looked up at him with a knowing smile and a raised eyebrow. Damn he was too good.
Northdin sighed, "I guess you won't tell me who else could know this information then."
"You guessed right! But I wish you the best of luck with your whole situation! If you ever want to ask me a favor in exchange for a bribe like you proposed earlier, you know where to find me!" He says playfully with an amused chuckle.
"No thanks Dick, but thank you for... proposing?"
"Heh, you're welcome my lewd friend."
"Wait, I'm not like that. Ydan is lewd, I'm not."
"You know," Dick put down his mug on the table, "you two have... a lot more in common than you think."
This was complete nonsense . So Northdin cut the conversation short, "Hm, well, thank you for your time," Northdin's mood was sour but it was no excuse to be unpleasant.
"Bye~ Come back anytime!"
That night, and because of the one of the facts he had noticed during this fifteen-minute-life-changing conversation, Ydan reappeared in his dreams but this time not as an annoying side character.
For this one he was wearing the same flushed expression he had caught on his face earlier today, as well as a serious lack of clothing.
Northdin wanted to ask his subconscious "what the fuck man" , but his mind being a mind, he never could do anything else but blame himself for his wild imagination.
And it would probably just shrug with a "that's not on me bro, go ask the dream department." But Northdin couldn't accept that.
If Ydan kept appearing in his dreams so frequently, Northdin was seriously start reading books about how to have lucid dreams in order to make this bastard start paying taxes!!
Anyway, after that day, his "Ask Draus to Prom draft 146" plan fell, Northdin had spent most of his time thinking and not overthinking, thank you very much, about what was wrong in that plan.
Wasn't his definition of gallant the same as Draus? Was it not flamboyant enough? Should he ask a band to play in the background the next time he was hoing to ask his question?
Northdin was so desperate for an answer - any answer really - that he even asked Ydan for advice once. Out of all people!
He did so without revealing his objective and also behind a clever disguising wording, of course.
"Well, I don't know who your 'friiiiiend'is Northy ," Ydan gave him an unreadable look, ", but I personnaly wouldn't mind any kind of proposition as long as they're from the right person."
"Wow. Thanks for nothing," Northdin said, very unimpressed.
"Ah, so cold! So cold! But you know, I don't mind cold Northy~"
Recalling this interaction, what was he even trying to say anyway? That Northdin was having cold chicken nuggets for lunch and he wanted some or something? Urg. This person was just far too incomprehensible.
And so, Northdin post-tuned the date of the ask again and again. He didn't know what was wrong with the plan yet, what else could he do!
But it was no big deal. There’s still plenty of time! The only thing that mattered was the fact was asking Drau-
Northdin never asked him.
To the shock of no one, really.
The temptation to lie down face first on the floor and become one with the universe in a moment of meditation and dismay was of great strength, but tameable.
So he did the next best thing and leaned his back against the gymnasium’s wall where loud music was coming from the inside, and he sighed defeatedly a defeated sigh that only defeated people that didn’t manage to get their perfect plan together in time made while accepting their defeat.
"Aww, what's up big guy? Sad because you don't have a date?" Northdin didn't even bother to move his gaze to the annoying man he knew to be Ydan.
"Shut."
"Haha, come on. If you want to... I could be your date, you know?"
Northdin spared him a glance, "You don't mean that."
Huh? There was something in Ydan’s eyes, almost like a spark that-
"Oh, there you are! Hi guys!" The new voice gained his attention.
"Oh hey Draus," Northdin replied.
"Oh, erm, I mean- Hi Draussy!"
"Ah, there’s still one of us missing, when they’ll come we’ll go inside together!" Draus announced. Ah why the long face North?"
He was from the corner of his eye Ydan making some wild gestures with his hands at Draus, but he didn’t care enough to look at whatever the yellow bastard was doing.
"Well hey, you don't have to be so sad anyway Northdin, because none of us have any sort of dates! Isn't it Draussy?" Ydan said suddenly.
'Draussy' suddenly looked sheepy, fidgeting with his hands and looking at the floor, a sort of shy yet helpless smile on his face.
"...isn't it Draussy?" Ydan repeated, confused.
"Well... Someone offered me to go to the prom with them so... Yeah."
And oh , in both his voice and his sofly flushed face, the happiness of it all was so obvious .
Thump.
"Huh? North? Why are your knees and hands on the floor? Won't you get your clothes dirty like that?" Draus asked, confusion clear in his voice.
"There were mosquitoes."
"With your... knees?
" Yes. "
"Oh, okay then... Oh I can see the last teacher coming, I'll go great them! Please wait for us guys!"
"Yup, we will," replied Ydan as Northdin was too preoccupied with questioning the meaning of his existence to answer. And what if he actually was overthinking about this all this time?
Ydan took advantage of the fact that Northdin was too preoccupied with being a sad hump on the ground to approach him and gently patted his back in comfort. And oh, that's the last thing he needed! Even Ydan felt sorry for him now. Ydan! Even the person who considered himself Northdin’s worst enemy was trying (albeit in an very awakard way) to comfort him!
He sunk so low that he wasn’t at the pottom of the pool, but close to the center of the earth at this point!
He’s sure he would take mocking comments much easier than… whatever this is .
Northdin showed no signs of trying to stop looking at the ground as if it refused to merge with him and Northdin took it on a personal level. Ydan seemed like ha was going to say something, but was distracted and apparently rendered speechless by what he saw.
Still depressed but also curious, Northdin stood up, no longer looking like a lump on the ground, but more like a lump standing up now and saw-
…
………………………………………………
Wh-
What.
" Holy shit . Is that really the director?!" muttered Ydan, probably more to himself than to his fellow lump.
The director. And. Draus. Was- Were-
Hand holding. And Draus’ blushing had become way stronger now.
"Hello. I apologize for being late," Mira said in a suave but to the point tone.
"Ah, no. It's – erm - nothing," replied Northdin, still in shock.
"...Did you two fuck?"
"YDAN WHAT THE HELL?!" shouted the lump having regained all its vitality due to the shock of learning that his crush’s girlfriend was their BOSS - in case he had forgotten – as well as because of the pure indecency of the literature teacher.
"We have a son," Mira replied directly.
Ydan made a long impressed whistle before doing lewd eyebrow movements in the direction of a already blushing Draus whose reaction was to blush somehow even more while Northdin had lost touch with reality.
"Soooooo, what are you guys kinks-"
"Ydan, I will punch you! In the face!! " Northdin interrupted the shameless man.
"With your month I hope."
"What?"
"What?"
Urg. Even after learning such monumental news, Ydan still continued messing with him. But at least for once, Ydan's cheeks blushed with shame at having made such a displaced joke in a moment important enough that it should be marked in history books, with date and all.
Northdin was a history teacher. He could teach it among the other important dates. Maybe.
At least he couldn't be mad about this joke because it was so rare that Ydan felt embarrassed about his actions. Actually... It was probably the first time it happened.
What...?
But Northdin couldn't dwell on this thought any longer as a sudden movement from Mira pulled his attention away. And with a fell swoop, Mira was now holding an enamored and totally entranced Draus in her arms in a princess carry - without any real reason behind it - except to show off, maybe. Or because she wanted to see the amorous look Draus was giving her as suggested by a sparkle in her eyes and an almost imperceptive smile but whose mere thought seemed to soften her entire face altogether, and oh fuck - while Ydan muttered "Oh they fuckin alright." and Northdin didn’t manage to not chuckle at this one, he did try to hide it as a cough afterwards.
And with no more explanation than, "We'll be going first then. You go figure out your things here and join us when you're ready," from their boss.
And she could as well have said something like, " Sorry fuckers, I'm going to fuck Draus and treat him right as a partner and make him happy because I'm a good match for him and you know that very well, okay now, bye losers!" Because Northdin couldn't find any difference. Fuck.
And with that, the two entered the gym simultaneously. Mira, having both hands busy and not being able to care less about opening the door like the simple normal person she was not, Mira kicked the door open mightily and opened it with a Bang .
From the outside, the two old mans heard several voices exclaiming in reaction to the couple's majestic and totally unnecessary flamboyant entrance, two of the loudest were:
"Oh! The principal got herself a simp trophy-husband! Good for them!"
And:
" DAD?!!! "
Before the doors closed behind the couple, muffling the voices and the sound of the music along with them again.
No longer in the range or visual field of these two surely future historical figures and only in the company of an annoying yellow blob that had no business looking at him with ill-concealed concern. Northdin was not made of ice! Thank you very much! Now if you'll finally just let him be then he could finally go proceed to be nothing worth more than a piece of moss on the sidewalk, he's busy!
He waited a few seconds to give Ydan the time to come up with an excuse like "Oh I left... the stove on, ah and my house burnt so… assurance stuff, haha yeah, gotta-go-bYE!" before running the way Northdin knew could be almost impressively fast.
But he stayed.
Because of course he did!
That asshole.
And without being able to hold back any longer and knowing that Ydan was one of the very few people who didn't hold him in high esteem, Northdin leaned his back against the wall of the gym and let himself slide pathetically to the ground, then hid his head in his hands to proceed to be pathetic.
"Hey."
" ... "
"Northy."
He had half the mind of mumbling, " Not talking to you. " but the comeback was far too childish for his tastes so he held back.
His curiosity would surely kill him one day, but the closeness of the despicable man with an even more despicable tacky suit’s voice made him open his fingers just enough to see without being seen that his colleague had knelt down in front of him.
Northdin didn't risk trying to see Ydan’s face. He wanted to be discreet, that's all!
And, maybe he didn't want to see whatever expression the usual merry man had right now.
Northdin closed his hands as soon as he heard Ydan speak again, "Northy, hey, did you really love him?"
"Maybe." Northdin reluctantly confessed. If his dear hated colleague dared to remind Northdin of how vulnerable he was being right now later, he was going to punch him in the face! And then punch himself in the face for saying such thingd in the first place!!
" Maybe? "
"...I wanted to make him happy."
" I want to make you happy, " Ydan said without missing a beat.
" ... "
Huh?
What???
"That's a friend thing you know!" Ydan hurried to continue, his voice much louder than it was a second earlier, and only now Northdin realized that the yellow menace's voice had been impossibly soft during their conversation so far, "Friends, and just people you care about in general, you want them happy you know? That's normal! That's what I meant!"
"We're not friends," Northdin said coldly and matter of factly.
"... Aren't we?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Why do you care anayway? Why are you staying here? I know you hate me!"
No matter how many times he had told Ydan to shut up, where they had almost gotten into a fight, if not for Draus' intervention and not for Elder encouraging them to fight and wanting to make bets on when the history teacher would finally punch Ydan in the seemingly very punchable face of his. And even in these situations, the blond man had never stopped talking. Not even once.
But for the first time in his life, Northdin had managed to stunned the smaller man to complete silence.
And he discovered he didn't like that feeling at all.
Unable to bear the silence any longer, Northdin moved his hands away from his face and came face to face with the shocked face of Ydan.
After more inspection, he looked almost... insulted? Why?
"What am I to you. A foe?" Ydan asked.
"Yes, exactly."
Ydan's face was twisted into an expression of extreme confusion that reminded him of one of those weird images his students showed each other with their phone instead of listening to his lectures.
He had noticed that Ydan, besides being extremely curious about the personal lives of others despite the fact that he remained extremely secretive and never said anything about his own, had only two - maybe three - expressions that he casually wore, almost like masks. Northdin had often wondered - out of curiosity and pure curiosity, mind you - if there was even at least one of Ydan's smiles that was real.
It was hard to tell.
Now he was face to face with the most raw expression he had ever seen Ydan make. Every line of his face crumpled in pure confusion that reminded that the man was no longer young anymore. Under any other circumstances, he would probably have found this ridiculous expression hilarious.
Finally, Ydan seemed to have collected his thoughts, took a deep breath, and said, "Northy - Northdin. Why... on earth , do you think I hate you?"
The blond looked at him with the same mixture of seriousness and confusion that Draus used whan he was looking at a computer or a modern phone, like something they couldn't understand for the life of them, and also kinda wanted to trow them out of the window in frustration but never did.
Northdin sneered, "What a silly question, you follow me everywhere, you always give me more attention than to the others, you try to make me laugh at inappropriate jokes, you go out of your way to seek me just to mess with me. Of course you hate me!" He declared with the tone of a person who had chosen their hill to die on.
"Northdin..." Ydan said in an unusually soft voice, "I can prove you that I don't hate you."
"Heh. Then prove it."
Assuming that Ydan just wanted to continue with his tasteless teasing, he flinched when he felt a cold hand against his cheek. Despite the coldness of the hand, it felt also impossibly soft, and it was almost... trembling? As if the slightest movement of Northdin - even the most subtle one - was going to scare it away.
Northdin did not move.
And then, Ydan positioned his head dangerously close to his, holding that position for a few seconds as he looked into Northdin's eyes as if looking for... something...?
As if a thunderclap had fallen on him, Northdin suddenly understood what was happening.
He still didn't move.
And then, lips on his own. So soft, you'd think a butterfly would be more aggressive than that.
The hand that cupped his cheek moved to caress the back of Northdin’s head and Ydan moved as gently as physically possible in an attempt to deepen their kiss and Northdin let him and also felt his brain short-circuit.
Not feeling the kiss being shared, the blond left Northdin's lips but didn't have time to say anything before the history teacher took Ydan's head, squishing his cheeks in a ridiculous way before colliding his own face with his and punched his lips against Ydan's in a way that was the complete opposite of proper, but Northdin couldn't care less right now.
They stayed like this for what seemed like ages and nearly not long enough before they parted.
"Hey Northy, I like you. Listen, you know I like you right?"
Northdin had practiced so much, had imagined so many different scenarios so that this moment, this very moment, would be nothing less than perfect. This was the moment! He had to say something cool and noble and appropriate!
Instead, still baffled, he said, "...Holy fuck, you love me!"
Ydan chuckled happily, and yup, a smile definitely looked better on that face, way better than the worried frown from earlier, "I do! I've been flirting with you for so long, what the heck Northy, heh!"
That really came out of nowhere, he's gotta say.
"And do you? Love me?" Ydan asked, "I fear I already know the answer though. You don't have to say it if you don't want to, I can just ignore everything that just happened and-"
"No, I- I think I do."
"Eh?"
Ydan was surprised, yes, but no more than Northdin himself!!
"I think I do love you. You make me laugh, I miss your presence every time you're not here, I dream of you-"
"Wait. You dream of me?"
"Yeah an-"
"Wet dreams I hope."
"And- I'm trying to make a confession here Ydan!"
And yhe merry man laughed and Northdin let himself laugh with him a little. Who cares if they were two old teachers laughing when they were sitting on the floor behind a gym on prom day. Northdin had never had the pressure to pretend to be someone classy with Ydan. Mostly because he thought he didn't have to prove anything to someone so unprofessional in the first place, but the reason couldn't have changed more.
After they had calmed down, Ydan said, "We should really go inside now, or else Draussy will start to worry. He'll think we're having a fist fight behind the school or something."
"Hm. You're right," He stood up, holding out a hand to help Ydan up.
Northdin saw for a split second a sly and unfortunately familiar face appearring on Ydan. But he didn't have the time to react as he felt the ground give way under him and the man in yellow catch him in his arms in a princess-like style. Wait, could that be considered as plagiarism? In a weird way?
"Oh fuck, you're heavy! " was the first thing Ydan said, "Okay. Alright. Okay. I wasn't expecting that," Ydan said as he did his best to try - and fail - to carry his colleague in a carry similar to the one Mira had done before completely effortlessly.
" You- Get me down! I can walk!"
"But I wanna hold you Northy~ Just- wait a little bit- urg - longer!"
And after much complaining and trying and trying again , judging that all of Ydan's muscle mass was apparently placed in his legs, they miraculously arrived at the door.
"Hey, imagine the look on Draussy’s face when he’ll saw us," Ydan said, clearly out of breath from the weight he was carrying. Northdin would almost feel insulted if he hadn't just given up on a one-sided love without hope and realized that maybe his weird feelings about the annoying but honnest man and dreaming about the same person almost every night whose dreams were more than... indecent couldn't be waved on the side by a hand with a "no homo though."
"I'm ready," Northdin replied with a nod as he desperately tried to look cool despite the fact that he was being carried by a smaller man with little muscle, and as a result he had to have his arms folded in on themselves, and with the middle of his body hanging down too much as Ydan desperately tried not to let go.
But as strange as it may seem. Northdin had rarely been so happy in his life than at this moment.
Ydan didn't need any more confirmation for him to decide to use the only part of his body that had muscle, and kick the unfortunate door open with much more force than necessary, causing many people's attention to shift to them.
"Hello students and teachers! Guess who's got himself a hot boyfriend?!" Ydan declared as loudly as he could get, which is very, very loud.
"WHA- NOT THE BLUE BASTARD MUSTACHE WITH THE COOL TEACHER! WHY?! HUH?? WHY? " a voice came booing.
"Nice to know we have your support Draluc," Northdin said without seeing the kid directly from how many people was in there.
"You have it! But I thought my favorite teacher had better taste than that!!" Draluc replied, sounding seriously disturbed at the idea that the teacher he loved the most was in a romantic relationship with his former personal teacher, out of all people .
"I'm... I’m not your favorite teacher?" said Draus, insecure.
"What? No. Of course not, sorry dad."
And as Mira patted Draus' back in support, and the kid had an existance crisis - or was in denial - maybe both. Camera flashes fell on them by the student with the camera- Kameya , whose camera Northdin had to confiscate so many times in class, and then Ydan tried to bring Northdin back to the ground without dropping him with excessive tenderness.
And Northdin felt truly, truly happy.
He hoped that Ydan felt the same.
But judging by his smile ressembling more of a full smile than a constant smirk, maybe he felt the same way.
With a gesture that had become familiar to him in his past but that he now used with a new meaning, Northdin took one of Ydan's hands in his and lowered himself in order to put a kiss on it with such an exaggerated dramatic act that Ydan laughed, ans then he asked in a over dramatic way:
"Ydan, will you give me your first dance?"