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“Traitor.”
Idia had said the words many times that evening, a large scowl on his face as he turned away from Azul, harumphing and sulking quietly, facing toward the hallway walls. Idia had agreed to walk Azul back to Octavinelle, but at the same time, he hadn’t agreed to make conversation with him, especially not after what Azul had done a few hours before.
Azul scoffed. “I really did try to rescue you.”
“And you failed. Miserably.”
“Idia, I admit it was a shameful mistake on my part and I do not wish to recall it, so will you please kindly not speak of it?”
“Can’t say I will.”
The two had been going back and forth like this for a while now, and Azul was obviously getting sick of it, based on the way his foot tapped against the floor quicker and quicker, and the way he frowned with his beauty mark moving along with his downturned lips. But Idia didn’t care, moping as always, still disappointed that Azul, his boyfriend, hadn’t seemed to care at all when he was on his way to his deathbed, about to marry a woman that wasn’t even alive—she was a ghost for Hades’ sake! Even 2-D waifus were better than that!
What he’d wished to see were two things: 1) a certain Azul Ashengrotto under the wedding veil, smiling charmingly at him as he muttered the words ‘I do’ to the priest, or 2) Azul rushing in to rescue him, boldly declaring his love like all the mushy MCs in those light novels and mangas, crashing the wedding and taking Idia for his own.
Of course, neither of that had happened. Azul came in declaring that he’d be the ‘perfect prince’ for the ghost that literally kidnapped Idia and then proceeded to get slapped in the face, immobilized, and rendered completely useless.
Yeah, obviously the sweetest boyfriend he could ever ask for.
Maybe he was holding his hopes too high. IRL stuff wasn’t nearly as magical as fiction. He knew it, and yet he’d fallen for the octopus anyway, because despite all the lies he told and all the terrifying things he’d done, Azul was Azul, and he liked Azul.
Which was why it hurt so much more than Azul sometimes didn’t seem to like him back, even after they’d started dating.
Of course, Idia never voiced those thoughts. How could he? He was just as bad as Azul, far from the perfect boyfriend. He had no right to criticize Azul when he himself was already a mess of a human being, to begin with.
“What exactly are you thinking, Idia?” Azul asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Idia just shrugged, unwilling to compromise even for the smallest of things. He really was a petty person.
Azul sighed. “I can’t read your mind, Idia. If you want me to do something, you must tell me what you want. I can do almost anything, you know. How about we strike a deal? Come to an agreement? If you pay the price, I can get it for you—”
“I don’t want anything from you, Azul.”
Azul stopped, pushing up his glasses with irritation. “Surely there must be something.”
“Hah, well, not everyone’s an idiot obsessed with material goods like you—”
“Idia. Will you please tell me why you’re mad? Is it because I failed to woo Eliza?”
Hades’ flaming fucking hair, how can someone be so dense yet so sharp at the same time… Idia shook his head. “Will you quit talking about the ghost NPC? This has nothing to do with her.”
“Oh, but it does. You’ve been acting strange since it all happened. She must’ve had something to do with it.”
“It really doesn’t, but okay…”
Azul ignored him. “Don’t tell me you actually fell for her? Do you like her better than me? Were you sorry she had to leave so soon? Sorry that she rejected you?”
“She didn’t reject me! Ugh, why does everyone keep assuming that!”
“Then…? You didn’t deny that you liked her… do you perhaps want to break up?”
“NO. No, Azul, I don’t. But if you wanna break up, if you wanna start spouting nonsense about being the perfect partner for some ghost waifu, then go ahead. Abandon me. Leave me to die alone, or whatever.”
Azul stopped, expression darkening as he grabbed Idia’s hand, preventing the third-year from walking forward before him. “Idia.”
“What is it.”
“Do you seriously think I was about to abandon you for someone who already died? ”
“I mean, that kinda sounds like if she were living, you’d go for her—”
“I wouldn’t. Idia, look at me.”
Idia’s yellow eyes locked onto the gray one’s of Azul, begrudgingly and still fed up with the situation. They soon closed on reaction, however, as he felt a sharp pain on his left cheek, his face swinging to the right as he groaned, rubbing his cheek angrily.
“Azul, what was that for—!?” His words died on his tongue, voice trailing off as he saw the small tears glossing over the surface of Azul’s eyes, threatening to explode and trigger the waterfall of emotions swimming beneath them.
He really fucked up, didn’t he?
“Idia,” Azul said calmly, albeit his voice was slightly shaking. “That was what Eliza did to me. Do you think I’d fall for her after all that? After she kidnapped you, the love of my life, as well as Jade and Floyd and all the rest of my peers?”
Idia was stunned, unable to say anything at the moment, wondering if he should really say something. The answer was ‘no,’ as Azul continued without a care, spilling his thoughts to the third-year, irritation bubbling out of him for the first time that day. “If you still think I’d chase after her, after I already have you, then… then… you must be extremely foolish, Idia… How would I ever want to abandon you for some ghost lady I barely even know…”
“…Sorry.”
“…Took you long enough.” Azul sniffed. “I also… apologize. I apologize if I came off as genuinely trying to woo her. I really wasn’t. I thought you’d known that with how I usually am. Just some shady businessman, that’s all.”
A weak laugh spilled out from Idia’s mouth, slightly turned upward from the joke. “First time I’ve ever heard you admit it.”
“You tend to wrench the most humiliating things out of me, Idia…”
“Idia,” Idia corrected. “Just… call me that please?”
“Yes, of course, Idia.”
“…Thanks, Azul.”
The mer smiled. “You’re very welcome, Idia.”
That simple act, just a smile from Azul, was enough to send Idia reeling, absolutely over the moon as he smiled back, snickering at how stupid he’d been to ever doubt Azul, and how stupid they’d both been to get irritated over the stupidest and most annoying ghost bride he’d ever come across.
But then again, it all worked out in the end, hadn’t it?
Linking hands with Azul, Idia mumbled under his breath. “Maybe I should start reading more light novels…”
“Hah?? Where did that come from?”
“Heheh. Nothing, it’s nothing.”