Chapter Text
During the last few minutes of his class, Riddle was attentively listening to professor Trein, who was just about to wrap up class. He noticed, however, that none of his classmates were even remotely interested in what the professor had to say. They were all eagerly gazing at the hands of the clock that were ticking away the last few seconds before their freedom. Oblivious to the unrest in his classroom, Trein carried on with his lecture about the history of fire magic. That was, until the clock finally struck five o’clock.
In unison, students jumped out of their seats and started loudly cheering, startling both the professor and Riddle.
‘’Finally!’’ one of the boys cheered, ‘’Our last class is over! Now the holidays can start for real!’’
‘’I thought Christmas would never come. Time for food and presents and merry songs and… and food!!’’
Everyone was already rushing towards the door, paying no mind to the dumbstruck Trein. ‘’Right, but… Boys, don’t forget- Oh, never mind. Merry Christmas, everybody.’’ A rare, subtle smile crossed his usually stern face, which was Riddle’s cue to leave as well.
He happened to follow Jade out of the classroom, who turned around as soon as he noticed and offered a charismatic smile.
‘’Well, well. Everyone certainly is in high spirits,’’ he stated, which Riddle answered with a scoff.
‘’I doubt any of them were actively paying attention at all. Everyone was distracted from the moment our first class began.’’
‘’Indeed, although I cannot say I blame them. Christmas is such a magical time, wouldn’t you agree?’’
Riddle remained silent for a bit. Jade definitely noticed his reluctance to answer, but his odd-colored eyes persistently tried to pull an answer out of him. Riddle decided to shift the focus on him instead.
‘’Do you have any plans for Christmas this year?’’
‘’I certainly do. Usually the Coral Sea is frozen solid around this time of year, but Floyd stumbled upon a spot where the ice is weaker. We are quite eager to visit our home again, although I wish I could say the same for Azul… It will likely take some persuasion to get him to join us.’’
‘’I see,’’ Riddle responded, finally cracking a subtle smile of his own. ‘’Well, I’m sure your family will be pleased to see you after all this time.’’
‘’I do hope so.’’ Jade chuckled, but was quick to steer the conversation back to his original question. ‘’What about you, Riddle? Will you be visiting your parents? They must be ever so worried about your wellbeing as well.’’
Riddle noticeably clenched his jaw, feeling irritable already. This was not Jade just being nice to him. He somehow thrived on other people’s discomfort. He was well aware of Riddle’s situation, but the redhead decided to indulge him.
‘’I won’t be going home,’’ he told him directly. ‘’There is still far too much to catch up on. We did get homework assigned that is due right after the holidays, after all. And shortly after, we will have an important exam. Now is not the time to relax. Besides…’’ Riddle paused for a moment. ‘’My family is not too keen on Christmas celebrations. Whether I’m in my homeland or here at Night Raven College, I will be studying either way.’’
‘’My oh my. What an utter shame,’’ Jade stated with a noticeable lack of sincerity. ‘’I do admire your diligence, however. Your parents would undoubtedly be very proud of you.’’ Again, his statement was met with nothing but silence and a weak smile. ‘’Well, if you will be studying regardless of your environment, perhaps you would consider going home after all. Despite not having anything special planned, surely your parents would be pleased to see their son after such a long time.’’
Riddle lowered his gaze thoughtfully. The dread in his eyes was undeniable, but it was quickly overtaken by a look of guilt. His chest tightened at the thought of missing out on a family holiday for the first time ever, even if they didn’t have anything planned. Last year he also went back home for the holidays. It was… normal, he supposed. Just like any other day at House Rosehearts. He just didn’t know any better at this point.
‘’…I suppose it couldn’t hurt to stop by and say hello to my mother,’’ he concluded eventually. ‘’It would be a good opportunity to inform her about the progress I’ve been making in my studies.’’
‘’I’m sure she’d be delighted to hear that,’’ Jade encouraged him with a wide smile. ‘’Well then, I’ll be leaving now. I should go find Floyd and Azul. Have a merry Christmas, Riddle.’’
‘’And you, Jade.’’
And with that, the tall sophomore left the bustling hallway, making Riddle sigh deeply. He had already been dreading making this decision, but after talking to Jade about it, it only made him more anxious. The right thing to do was to go back home. Christmas was a family holiday after all. He just really, really didn’t want to… Studying was much easier and more enjoyable without someone watching you like a hawk.
‘’Riddle.’’
The boy turned around upon hearing a familiar voice calling his name. Trey approached him with a slight frown on his face. Riddle suddenly got a sneaking suspicion that Trey had been standing in the back for a while.
‘’Were you eavesdropping on us, Trey?’’
‘’I just happened to overhear what you were saying,’’ he answered truthfully. There was a noticeable hint of concern written all over his face. ‘’Look, you’ve been at the top of your class ever since you enrolled in this school. There’s no student as diligent as you. You deserve a break more than anyone else. Taking just one week off doesn’t mean that your grades will plummet all of a sudden.’’
Riddle was truly touched by his concern. Trey had always looked out for him, even in their younger years. Trey noticed the hesitance in his eyes and took the opportunity to pursue his case before Riddle could say anything. The handsome boy offered his younger friend a smile.
‘’Why don’t you celebrate Christmas at my house this year?’’
Riddle blinked in utter surprise. He did not expect him to offer that.
‘’Your house…?’’
‘’Yes. There’s plenty of room for one more person. There will be lots of food, including sweets from our bakery. We will be playing board games, watch classic Christmas movies, drink hot chocolate… It will be fun. And I know my parents would love to have you over.’’
It was undeniable that Trey made a very good case. Riddle was definitely tempted by all that he just mentioned. Naturally, his persistent fear of failing his classes was trying to force him to reject Trey’s invitation, but… it all sounded so nice, even though he didn’t understand half of it. Hot chocolate? He never even had that before. And what exactly were some of the classic Christmas movies? He didn’t have a clue, but he was all too curious to find out. Was it… really okay, though, to spend a few days having fun? Well, if at any point he feared for his grades, he could always decide to return to Night Raven College. Perhaps he should bring some books to Trey’s house just in case.
‘’…I wouldn’t want to impose on your family traditions,’’ Riddle tried to argue as he felt quite guilty about just accepting it. What if Trey was doing this out of pity?
‘’You’re not imposing. I’d like you to be a part of those traditions,’’ Trey replied genuinely, not a trace of doubt in his voice. ‘’What do you say, Riddle? Want to see how Clovers celebrate Christmas?’’
The cheeky grin on his face evoked a chuckle from Riddle’s lips. How could he possibly decline it if he put it that way?
‘’Well then, if you insist, I will graciously accept your offer. Thank you, Trey.’’
Trey seemed genuinely relieved by his response. Riddle couldn’t believe how eager Trey was to have him over. Then again, they hadn’t spend much time together since the time he got caught sneaking out to play with him and Che’nya… They did have a lot of fun before that time, though. Trey looked so worried when Riddle was dragged back to his house. He always seemed worried when Riddle talked about his mother, but he never expressed those concerns out of fear of Riddle’s reaction. She was still his mother, after all. He probably wouldn’t like people speaking ill of her. However, Riddle was very aware that his situation was uncommon in normal households. He couldn’t even begin to phantom what ‘normal’ looked like, but if all the things that Trey just described fit that description, then Riddle was delighted to be a part of it.
‘’Come to think of it,’’ Riddle then said, ‘’I’ve never met your family.’’
‘’I guess you haven’t,’’ Trey responded, seeming calm about it unlike Riddle. ‘’Don’t worry, they’re very warm and welcoming people.’’
‘’I see… What should I do to make a good first impression?’’
‘’Just be yourself. I’ve talked often enough about you. They’ve been eager to meet you for a while.’’
‘’Then, what is the dress code for this party?’’
‘’There isn’t one. Just wear whatever you feel comfortable in, whether it’s a tuxedo or sweatpants.’’
‘’Sweatpa-?! I’m not going to some barn, I’m meeting your family!’’
Trey chuckled at Riddle’s obviously rising nerves. The poor boy had never been out of the house before as a kid. In fact, Night Raven College was probably where he first learned some social skills. Yet it was still painfully obvious that Riddle did not fit in with most people his age.
‘’Riddle, you’re overthinking this, really. It’s really not that big of a deal, trust me. You’ll fit right in.’’
Riddle pouted his lips, having a hard time accepting that as the truth, but at the same time he knew he had to rely on Trey. He was his only trusted source about things like these. Riddle had no idea how to conduct himself in a situation like family Christmas party.
‘’…Very well. Then, let’s make the necessary preparations. I will pack what I think is necessary. And on our way there, I will buy a lemon pie for your parents.’’
Trey chuckled to himself. ‘’That’s kind, but not necessary-‘’
‘’It most certainly is!’’ Riddle immediately argued, a stern look on his face. ‘’Rule #538 states that, whenever one is invited to stay at the house of a friend or acquaintance, one must thank their hospitality with the offering of a lemon pie. …I’m just thankful it doesn’t specify whether it should be homemade. So I shall buy one on the way there.’’
Trey followed his anxious housewarden back to their dorm, where they would start packing for their stay. He could not be happier to have convinced Riddle to come with him. The idea that he would be celebrating this annual holiday with great joy and Riddle would be stuck just a few houses down the street, studying with no break… He didn’t wish that upon anybody. Not at this time of year. This week would proof to be an interesting one with Riddle present, but definitely a fun one as well.