Chapter Text
Hex stood by the window of his office as he looked over the file of the most recent student council member who had seen him that day. The blinds were drawn, so there was no cause for alarm of a possible leak of confidentiality. Then someone came flying through his window, crashing through the glass and into his office, letting in the light of day Hex was trying to avoid. Quickly closing the file and stashing it in one of his desk compartments, Hex examined the uninvited guest as he slowly approached them. They sat lounging on his couch Hex had up against the opposing wall to the window, completely unscathed, and seeming more bothered than scared, worried, or literally anything else the sage of grief would have expected of someone who had just broken through a window like a shuttlecock.
“Are you alright?” he asked because what else is he going to say!?
And they looked at him for a good long while, before replying with a pout, “I’m fine.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Hex asked, already shifting back to counselor mode.
They scoffed, replying, “Aren’t you going to ask me who I am?”
Switching back to Hex Haywire mode, Hex rephrased, “Right, who are you?”
“My name is Aster Arcadia, and I’m a second year at Iluna,” Aster replied as he sat properly with his feet on the ground.
Hex didn’t know how, but somehow, their discussion became hostile. Sensing it becoming too much for himself to handle, he went to the student president’s office. He knows the kaichou’s schedule tends to be overbooked, but the other members of the student council were unavailable: Doppio set out to clean up the school campus as Hex suggested him to, so he could be anywhere on the school grounds; Kotoka was absent from her office since she needed to tend to some matters with the headmaster in Ver’s stead, so she was off-campus; and Meloco was… somewhere. For all Hex knows, she could be anywhere. At least he knew he could always reliably find the kaichou in his office. As he opened the doors, much as he expected, Ver was sitting at his desk, hand pressed against his forehead, as he signed off on papers. He gave his usual greeting, but when Hex remained silent as he dragged in Aster with him, Ver looked up, shocked to see what stood in front of him.
With the smaller’s hand tangled in his hair so tight he had to lean towards him, Hex requested the student president, “Please help.”
Ver jumped out of his seat immediately, clearing his throat as he stood up from his chair and rounded his desk. As he approached them, he asked, “And who might this be?”
“Aster Arcadia, second year at Iluna, and a celestial,” Hex informed as Aster warily watched the kaichou.
Ver sighed before suggesting, “On the count of three, I want each of you to let go of the other, is that fine?”
“He started it,” Aster remarked, and Hex just kept his mouth shut because he’s not going to be bothered to argue with this man again.
The kaichou counted down, and sure enough, they both let go of the other, Hex lifting his hand free from the locks he had wrapped around his fist that he could have very well pulled out, if he wanted to. Without a word, he dismissed himself, leaving the troublemaker with the student president. While it may have been more appropriate to wait for Ver to dismiss him, Hex would rather have him save his breath than deliver the obvious. Besides, another second spent with the man he had only been trying to help, but had decided violence, was a second he could be putting to better use.
Ver didn’t watch Hex leave. Couldn’t, since now he had a new problem to solve before he could get back to signing papers. He waited for the lowerclassman to finish fixing his hair, and then he cleared his throat, catching the celestial’s attention again.
“Will you be able to get back on your own?” he asked with a warm smile.
Aster nodded, replying, “I can, but don’t wanna.”
Ver was in disbelief, but he only showed it briefly, quick to recompose himself. Rather than ask the obvious, he instead asked, “What will you do in the meantime?”
Aster looked around, deciding to make himself comfortable on the chair in front of Ver’s desk. Ver didn’t move from where he stood, and Aster eventually noticed, then asking, “You don’t mind, do you?”
On one hand, Aster was a student from the competing school. Who knows what they could be planning, and it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to believe they sent him as some kind of spy. After all, he was a very pretty man, Ver could admit that. On the other hand, not five minutes ago was said man in a quarrel with his student counselor. A quarrel he had to resolve, and when he did, the sage of grief left without another word, which clearly indicates to him one thing. Returning to his seat, Ver excused, “No, you can stay.”
It had been an hour since Ver returned to his papers and, much as he expected, Aster had no interest in what he was doing. Instead, the celestial seemed to be more concerned with making himself comfortable, but being unable to. Figures, the chair he was sitting in was really only meant for sitting. Ver then looked at his own chair. A grand, luxurious armchair you’d expect company CEOs to sit in. It wasn’t very spacious, by any means, but there had been more than one occasion where Ver found himself waking up from a nap in it. Question was: did he want to give it up?
He thought long and hard, but when he saw the rivaling second year slumping in his chair, Ver was reminded of something Hex often tells him when he finds him hunched over his desk. Standing from his chair, and with Aster’s eyes quickly set on him, Ver suggested as he stepped aside, “Sit here. It’s comfier, and you can rest your back a little. I don’t-”
He was cut off as he watched his guest move to make himself comfortable, quick to settle himself half draped over Ver’s desk and tush pushed out. For his own well being, Ver didn’t wait for any words of gratitude before settling himself in Aster’s seat, finding it unusually warm. Hot, even. He tried not to question it as he situated his new workspace. It didn’t take long for him to return to his usual rhythm.
One hour in. Two hours in. Ver looked up from his task to give his eyes a break when he saw the celestial asleep on his desk, breath shallow but steady, as his back rose and fell. He thinks he’s cute, with the way his hair falls into his face, and he considers reaching out to ruffle it. Then he stops all further thinking because he can’t believe what he’s hearing from himself. Shaking his head, he pinches the bridge of his nose, and he considers maybe pacing around his office. Seeing that as his only option so far, Ver stands up from his desk. As he does so, someone breaks through his office window, and with the speed of light, hauls Aster out of his seat and stands him on his own two feet as they hold him by the collar.
“Aster, when were you coming back!?” they shouted as they shook him. They stopped eventually, and slowly, Aster woke up, seeming more calmed down than the last time he was awake.
When he saw who was holding him though, he drooped his head to the side and closed his eyes, casually requesting, “Aia, I’m tired~. Please put me back to sleep?”
“Oh I’ll put you back to sleep alright,” Aia grumbled as she shook Aster again, and Ver was beginning to worry that maybe he might just become a witness to murder.
Rather wishing to have the crime committed away from him and off the premises of Xsoleil, Ver inquired, “Excuse me. Aia, was it? What are you doing?”
Aia shot Ver a look, and he gave up reasoning after that. Fortunately, he wouldn’t need to do anything else, as Aia huffed and threw Aster over her shoulder, turning to Ver and excusing, “Sorry about that. We’ll be off now.”
And like that, they were gone, Aia breaking another window on her way out. As Ver looked at the shattered glass, he made a mental note to write to Iluna, billing them for his broken windows. When he got around to doing that, Hex had come by his office, and when Ver told him the story, he told Ver of the broken window in his office, so Ver added that expense to his letter. It did make him wonder though… what the fuck is going on at Iluna?