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Rook could hear his heart beating in his ears as he stirred the thick potion he concocted, holding his breath as he waited for the chemicals to come together. Vil stood across from him, staring down the cauldron with piercing eyes. A moment of silence was quickly followed by the cauldron exploding, painting the walls of the potion classroom a sickly green. Vil groaned as Rook sheepishly laughed.
“It isn’t funny,” Vil said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The exam is in two days, we need to figure this out.”
“Do not fret, mi amor,” Rook said with a wave of his hand. “We’ll get it!”
“We’ve been at this all day. I think my eyes are starting to cross from staring at this textbook for so long.” Vil picked the book up and flipped through it absentmindedly. “Do you want to go get dinner and come back to this after?”
“Now doesn't seem like a good time to eat,” Rook said, shaking his head. “You might start to stress eat.”
“Nonsense,” Vil scoffed. “When has that ever happened? I’m one of the most disciplined people I know.”
“Really? Then when are you going back on your diet?” Rook asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Excuse me?” Vil asked in a hushed voice. “What do you mean?”
“Your jawline doesn't look as sharp today,” Rook said, clenching his teeth and looking Vil up and down with a disapproving glare, “And your waist looks at least three centimeters wider than it usually does.” He shook his head with a frown. Vil stared at him in disbelief before finally whispering, “What?” His eyes were wide as he slowly backed away from the potion cauldron. “That can't be possible.” Vil dropped his notebook and put his thumbs in the dimples of his back, bringing his hands over his waist and squeezing. “I haven't indulged in anything unhealthy, I have the same exercise routine as I always do, and I always eat the same basic foods…how could I possibly be gaining weight?”
“I don't know, Roi de Poison,” Rook said, putting a hand on Vil’s shoulder, “But if you wish to be the fairest, you mustn't ever let yourself go.”
“Yeah…” Vil’s words trailed off as his mind started racing and he shrugged Rook off of his shoulder. “I’m gonna go, you can clean this up on your own, yes?” Vil didn’t wait for a response. He shrugged off his lab coat and threw the goggles, leaving the gear in a pile by the door. He tossed his bag over his shoulder and kept his eyes glued to the black tile on the floor as he made his way back to the Pomefiore dorms. His breathing hitched every time another body passed him as he couldn't help but wonder, did they notice? Did he really look bigger than usual? Vil yanked his jacket over his body, hoping the force would yield more fabric to cover up his offensive appearance. He stormed into the Pomefiore longue and made his way up the staircase without answering the few scattered greetings from the students conversing on the couches. Vil didn’t stop moving until he reached the door to his room and he rammed the key inside, shoving it open and throwing his bag down. He kicked off his shoes and didn't even bother to put them in the closet before he pulled out his electric scale from under his vanity and took a deep breath. He stood on top, holding his breath as he squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the scale to alert him that it had finished sizing him up. He opened one eye ever so slightly, as if he was mustering up the courage to look at something utterly traumatic. Upon seeing the result, his face un-scrunched and his jaw slacked as he felt the familiar burn of shame and anxiety creep up into his throat.
“Oh my god,” He said, looking at the number that had so rudely spawned on the screen of his scale. He drew in his breath and swallowed hard, immediately regretting it as he wondered if the air he swallowed would bloat him even more. “This cannot be possible.” He stood there, immobilized, with his hands clapped over his mouth. How had he gained three and a half pounds? It was true that he hadn't weighed in for a few weeks, but everything had been so stressful and busy with first-term exam season in full swing. How was it this bad? Had other people already noticed? Vil shrugged off his uniform jacket and unbuttoned his vest, letting them both fall to the floor behind him. He wrapped his hands tight around his waist, bunching up his grey dress shirt in the process. His hands traveled from his torso to his jaw, up to his cheekbones, down to his hips. He grimaced at his reflection; honestly, he could see it. Rook was right. He was a hunter, after all; he’d notice such small details. Vil stood there in silence as time passed, staring down the reflection in the mirror and fighting back tears. Time passed as he stood there, checking every inch of his body meticulously. After a while, he went over to his desk and pulled out a tape measurer, immediately pulling it around his waist and biting his lip as he read the number in his head. He grabbed the first textbook his hand landed on and flipped open the cover, jotting down the number and bringing the tape measurer up to his neck. He went through the motions so naturally, threading the tape measurer around his back and between his legs and scribbling down a number that Vil would make sure to never, ever see again. With these numbers, his modeling agency would surely drop him in an instant, right? There was no doubt about it; he had to fix this, and quickly. Suddenly, Vil flinched as he heard his phone ring and his pencil jolted across the textbook page. He reached into his pocket and flipped it open, not bothering to see who was on the other end.
“What?” Vil barked, holding the tape measurer between his teeth.
“Oh, sorry, is something wrong?” The voice on the other end asked. Vil’s expression softened as he realized who was speaking.
“Trey?”
“Yeah,” Trey said with a chuckle. “I hope I didn’t interrupt you with something. I just wanted to check if we were still on for today.”
Vil raised an eyebrow and pondered the question for a moment, before gasping and darting his eyes towards the clock.
“Oh god, I’m so sorry. I’ll be there in a minute, okay?”
“No worries,” Trey said. “I’ll be here.”
Vil hung up the phone and swore under his breath as he grabbed his school bag off the ground and yanked his vest back over his body. How had he managed to waste an hour and a half obsessing over this? He shook his head as he grabbed the stack of textbooks off his desk.
“This is why you’re letting yourself go,” Vil muttered to himself as he stormed out of his room. “You’re much too complacent, sitting around feeling sorry for yourself instead of actually fixing the problem.” He rushed out of the dorm and made his way across campus to Heartslabyul, where he had agreed to meet Trey at 6:30. Inside the dorm longue sat Trey, who waved at Vil from a small study table. Vil pulled up a chair and sighed.
“Hi,” Vil said, grabbing the contents of his bag and dumping it out onto the table. Out poured a lipstick tube, a massive math textbook, two packs of gum, 4 notebooks, a pencil case, a few different colored hair ties, and a compact mirror. Trey smiled and raised an eyebrow as Vil scrambled through his notebooks and brushed a few stray eraser flakes off the pages until he found the notes he needed for their study session.
“Always your poised, professional self, huh?” Trey joked. Vil forced a smile and grabbed a pencil out of his pencil case.
“Sorry,” Vil said. He opened his textbook and pressed his pencil to the paper. “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Trey said, mirroring Vil and pulling out his own textbook. “I have nothing better to be doing. Everyone is so busy cramming that they’re leaving me alone for once.”
Vil nodded and the two started studying. As Trey talked through the equations, Vil listened. Or at least, he tried to. Vil stared down at his textbook, Trey’s voice passing through his ears. His eyes were fixated on an ‘8’ he had scribbled down. Vil wondered if that was the way his body was starting to look; just two massive circles on top of each other. His leg started bouncing under the table, causing Trey’s water to sway in its plastic bottle. Would moving his legs burn calories, even if he was sitting down? Surely it must burn some, it’s almost like riding a bike, right?
“So what did you get as the rate of change?” Trey asked, looking up from his paper. “Because I don’t think I did this equation right at all.”
Vil bit the inside of his lip as he switched which leg he was bouncing, wondering if Trey had noticed how much weight he had put on. He must have. Trey was the observant type, after all.
“Vil?”
“Hm?” Vil said, snapping out of his trance and turning towards Trey. “What’s wrong?”
“I was going to ask you that,” Trey said with a chuckle. “You’re spacey today.”
“Sorry,” Vil answered, straightening his posture and putting his pen back onto the paper. “I’m having trouble focusing, I guess.”
“You nervous about the test?” Trey asked. “Your legs are shaking.”
“Oh, I didn’t notice,” Vil said, silently damning Trey for calling him out and sabotaging his study session workout routine.
“Time for a break, then?” Trey asked with a smile.
“Already?”
“Well, we’ve been at it for an hour,” Trey said, reaching down under the table and pulling his bag onto his lap. “I need brain food.”
All of that time had passed already? Vil was almost embarrassed that he hadn’t heard a single thing Trey said that entire time. Reaching inside his bag, Trey grabbed a cardboard dessert box with a small, clear window. The aroma of fresh fruit and sweet buttercream was intoxicating as Trey opened the box, revealing a petite, round cake. “I made too many of these, so I figured I’d bring one along. It’s fresh, even though I just pulled it out of my backpack.”
“It’s beautiful,” Vil said, noticing the delicate, whipped decorations. “You really shoved such a pretty cake into that nasty bag of yours?”
“Do you want some?”
“Appreciate it, but no. I’m on a diet.”
“A diet?” Trey said as he took a fork out of his bag. “What for?”
“Why does anyone go on a diet?” Vil said with an eye roll. “To lose weight, obviously.”
“Well, I know that, but where are you storing this weight?” Trey asked. “In your big brain?”
“Funny,” Vil said, forcing a chuckle. “No. I need to get back on track before my agency drops me.”
“Is the modeling world really that cutthroat?” Trey asked with a mouthful of cake. “Aren't you, like, one of the biggest names out there right now?” He pointed his fork at Vil with a grin. “Surely you can be easier on yourself. You’ve already done the work to get to the top, why don't you actually enjoy it?”
“You can never enjoy success,” Vil said, putting his chin in his palm with a sigh. “Those who do will be surpassed. I can never stop aiming for perfection, or that gauche little clown will swipe all my achievements out from under me.”
“Who?”
“Nothing,” Vil said, adjusting his posture and scooting his chair in. “Sorry, it’s nothing. I’m gonna review my answers so we can compare them once you’re done.” Vil flipped back in his textbook, scrolling through the lesson they had been reviewing. Trey opened his mouth to retort, but stopped as his eyes caught a frantic mess of writing that occupied the top corner of a textbook page. He saw scattered numbers and metric measurements, and Trey’s eyes followed the scribblings as they were swept away with the other pages. He looked up at Vil, who was lost in whatever equation he was pretending to fix. Trey put his fork down and spun the cake towards Vil, who gave it an offensive side-eye. “Cake won’t hurt you, Vil.”
“I know that. I just don’t want it.” Vil stared at the dessert box, absolutely detesting every beautiful detail of the fruit-covered cake. The strawberry that sat at the edge of the cake was propped up by a throne of cream, raised high above the other berries. It was isolated at the top, performing its duty of drawing attention to the delicate dessert, destined to be the first piece plucked off in the end.
….
Summer break went by in a wave of heat and sunny days, each feeling longer than the next. But on this fresh, near-autumn day, Night Raven College was fully populated by students.
Vil’s first class of the day was Phys Ed, which normally, he really enjoyed. Today, however, it was the last thing he wanted to deal with. It was the first day back from break, and Vil had woken up with the worst headache. Sunlight spilled into Vil’s dorm room through the single large window and glinted off his vanity. Looking in the mirror, Vil cursed his own reflection as he noticed that his face looked worn out and tired. He had put on makeup as he usually did, but his skin looked duller and less alive. His skin was paler, drawing more attention to the bones in his face. His hands couldn't stop shaking as he brushed his hair and packed up his bag for the day. Before moving towards his bag, he stopped by his desk and grabbed the tape measure out of the top drawer. He slinked it around his body as he usually did, writing the numbers down on a sticky note. Clicking his tongue, Vil tossed the tape measure down and wrapped his hands around his waist. Only three inches down? Seriously? He was hoping for at least four. He swore under his breath and grabbed his usual gym clothes from the closet, tossing them into his bag. Wait…would these be too tight? Would they even fit at all? He bit his tongue and gave an irritated sigh. Under his bed, in a small plastic tub, he kept old clothes that he never wore anymore, let alone wore in public. Inside was a black sweatsuit, which Vil jammed into his bag next to his gym uniform. It wasn't attractive in the slightest, but he didn't care; at least it wouldn't draw any attention to his figure. He flew out of his dorm room with a huff and made his way outside into the harsh sunlight. Plenty of students already littered the walkways, marching to their classes like different groups of ants. As Vil came up on the sports field, Trey flagged him down. Vil swallowed and subconsciously inhaled hard as Trey came trotting over.
“Hey stranger,” Trey said with a smile. “You got gym right now, too?”
“You’re awfully chipper this morning,” Vil answered.
“Did you have a good break?” Trey asked, looking Vil up and down and frowning as he noticed that Vil’s school uniform didn’t look as tailored as it usually did.
“It was fine. Did a few shoots for a cologne commercial.”
“Really?” Trey smiled, trying his best not to stare as a cold pang of guilt hugged his chest. “That must have been fun.”
The two walked over to the field together, primarily in silence as Trey bit his tongue. Upon reaching the field, the groups of students became clear. Vil gave them a quick glance over: There were a few scattered Diasomnia students in a cluster, the Heartslabyul house warden along with a peppy ginger boy, and a blonde that was running straight towards him.
“Tres Magnifique!” Rook cried, cupping Vil’s cheeks in his hands and pressing their noses together. “You look more breathtaking than I remember, my poisonous beauty,” Rook said as a warm blush crept into his cheeks. “Your jawline has never looked so sharp!”
“Don’t put your dirty gloves on my skin,” Vil barked, swatting Rook away. “But…you think I look okay?”
“Marvellous!” Rook said as he clapped his hands together. “Absolutely stunning. You must have changed your diet from before.”
“I did,” Vil said, smirking to himself as he felt a rush of accomplishment tickle his spine. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stick of gum, putting it between his teeth. “I’m glad it’s noticeable.”
Trey turned and crossed his arms, looking at Vil in the corner of his eyes.
“Alright, class!” Coach Vargus called out, clapping his hands. “I know break was exciting, but it’s time to get back to work. Go on and change into your gym clothes. We’ll be doing the endurance run today.”
“Jesus,” Cater muttered as he walked by Vil and Rook. “First day back and we’re already being put to work.” As a wave of students made their way past to dawn their gym clothes, a smaller voice echoed through the crowd.
“Hey, guys!”
Vil turned his head and saw Epel trotting over.
“Good to see you,” Epel said with a smile. He had his school bag slung over his shoulder and a bright red, half-eaten apple in his hand. “I missed you guys.”
“You’re eating before you run?” Vil asked, eying the apple.
“I didn’t have time for breakfast,” Epel said with a chuckle, shining the apple on his jacket and bringing it up to his lips. “Plus my family had so many extra, they sent me back to school with crates of them. I don't want them to spoil.”
“Don’t,” Vil said, pushing the apple down and handing him a stick of gum. Epel raised an eyebrow as he looked at the gum.
“Am I supposed to eat that?” He asked, half joking.
“Chewing gum keeps your hunger at bay, and it doesn't have any of the carbs that apple has.”
“I think I'll take my chances with the apple,” Epel said, taking a bite. Vil scoffed, crossing his arms.
“Suit yourself.” He handed the stick to Rook, who took it without question.
“Chewing gum all day can’t be good for you,” Epel said, looking at the two with a concerned glance. “I mean, the sugar is probably bad for your teeth.”
“Sugar-free.” Vil snapped the gum under his tongue. “I’ll burn 11 calories after an hour of chewing gum, and the chewing helps work my jaw muscles so that they stay sharp.”
“My gorgeous poison apple,” Rook said, staring at Vil with hearts in his eyes. “I absolutely adore watching your commitment to beauty. It is truly something special.”
“Let’s just go change,” Vil said.
“Oh non non,” Rook tutted, suddenly stripping off his uniform to reveal his full set of gym clothes. “I am always prepared for the hunt, my love. Or, in this case, the chase.” Rook mimicked a runner as he trotted in place with a grin, waiting for Vil’s reaction.
“Yeah, whatever,” Vil muttered as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder. “I’m gonna change, so I’ll meet you out on the field.”
Rook galloped away and Vil rolled his eyes, making his way over to the locker rooms. He shrugged his way through the hoard of Nightraven students and slipped into one of the showers, sighing as he pulled the curtain closed and was finally met with privacy. He stripped off his uniform and started to put on his regular gym shirt, but instantly his heart sank.
‘You can completely see every inch of me’, Vil thought, pushing his thumbs into the dimples of his back and fanning his hands over his waist. There was scattered purple and blue bruising up his arms, which he hadn't even noticed until that moment. How did those get there? He felt sick. If he went out looking like this, everybody would see him. They'd see every inch of him; every inch that he detested. He looked into his bag and pulled out a jumbled pile of black fabric. Yanking the clothes over his body, Vil sighed as he smoothed out the black sweatsuit he had draped over himself. It was much too large for him, but it was perfect for today. The questions about why he wasn't in his usual gym uniform could be easily deflected: it was just summer break, after all. Maybe he had left it behind. Regardless, it would be easier than having to deal with every student staring at every inch of his body. He pulled back the shower curtain and put his foot up on one of the lock room benches to tighten up the laces of his sneakers. In the corner of his eye, he saw a massive clump of blue hair paired with a pale face, peering over at him with a curious look in his eye.
“You look bad,” The blue boy said, raising an eyebrow.
“Thank you,” Vil said with a sigh. “I can’t imagine why you're still single, Idia.”
“No, I mean, you look sick. You’re white.”
“The color I always am,” Vil huffed, yanking his shoelaces tighter and tying a bow at the top. “Another stellar observation.”
“You look different than usual. I’m not stupid.”
“How do I usually look, then?” Vil asked. “You stare at me often?”
“N-not more than anyone else does,” Idia stuttered, picking at his fingers. “And since when do you change in the shower? I’m the only one who does that.”
“I wasn’t,” Vil deflected.
“I literally just watched you come out of the shower.”
“Maybe all those energy drinks you consume are sending you into a pre-diabetic coma, and you can't see straight.” Vil stomped his foot on the locker room floor and roughly rammed his shoulder into Idias as he headed out to the field. “Now, move.”
Idia groaned as Vil shoved through him. The soles of Vil's sneakers slapped the ground as he made his way briskly outside, sighing once he felt the sun on his skin again.
Once Vil walked out onto the field, Rook and Epel’s faces twisted up in horror. They looked at each other and then back at Vil before speed walking over to him and each grabbing one of Vil’s arms, briskly dragging him away from the crowd.
“What are you morons doing?” Vil hissed under his breath as he tried to resist his two human restraints.
“Vil, keep your voice down,” Epel whispered. “I only think a few people saw.”
“We don’t want you to draw any more attention to this,” Rook said.
“ Me drawing attention?” Vil barked, struggling against the two’s grip, “You’re dragging me away on my heels!”
Rook abruptly stopped, causing Epel to almost trip over.
“Vil, are you aware of what's on your body right now?” Rook asked, his expression hard and serious.
“What are you even talking about?”
“You’re wearing sweatpants,” Rook said in a particularly disgusted tone. “No, even worse; it’s a sweatsuit.”
“So?”
“ So?! This is a fashion travesty!”
“Where'd you even get that?” Epel asked with a snort. “Did you get it from Coach Vargus?”
“Vargus is gigantic,” Vil muttered, yanking at the fabric of his sweatshirt.
“Well, yeah,” Epel said, letting his playful chuckle mellow out until he and Vil were just staring at each other. “That was the joke.”
“Yeah no, it was funny,” Vil said. “Can we just go and get on with the stretching, please?”
“With you looking like that?” Rook exaggerated.
“Oh my god, it’s just gym! I'm going to get disheveled anyways.”
“Vil, you’re getting crazier by the second,” Epel said, shaking his head.
“And you’re getting on my last nerve.” Vil shoved through the both of them and walked back over to the group of students. Rook and Epel reached out to their housewarden, but didn't follow. Vil strutted across the grass and came to a stop in front of Trey, crossing his arms.
“Do you want to partner up?”
“Little ol’ me?” Trey asked, putting a hand up to his mouth and pretending to gasp, “What about your groupies?”
“What about your boyfriend?” Vil snapped back.
“Who, Riddle?” Trey laughed and pointed behind him, where Riddle was being tormented by a tall boy with teal hair. “Taken already. That fish is fast, I’ll give him that.”
“Whatever,” Vil scoffed. “Do you want to or not?”
“Okay, okay.” Trey laughed as sat on the grass and motioned for Vil to come closer. “Let’s get on with it, then.”
Vil sighed and sat on the hot grass across from Trey, lining their feet up together. He reached out and grabbed Trey’s hands, pulling him forward in one quick motion.
“Woah-!” Trey said, sucking air through his teeth as Vil yanked him as far forward as he could go. “We’re stretching our muscles, not pulling them!”
“Sorry,” Vil said, loosening his grip as Trey sighed. “Epel and Rook soured my mood a bit.”
“You’re kidding,” Trey chuckled, pulling Vil towards him gently. “You seem so calm and collected.”
“I just wish everyone would leave me alone today,” Vil muttered. “It’s one thing after another.”
“That isnt like you. You normally like the attention, don’t you?”
“I like good attention,” Vil said. “I don’t like everyone nagging me about how terrible I look, as if I don’t already know that.”
“You don’t look terrible,” Trey said, getting on his knees and scooting towards Vil for the next set of stretches. “I don’t think you could make anything look terrible, let alone a sweatsuit.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Vil chuntered. He lay on his back as Trey put his hands on the back of Vil’s knee and gently pushed his leg forward. Vil looked down and immediately caught eyes with Trey, who, due to his position, was on all fours between his legs. Vil turned his head to the side and slammed his eyes shut as he felt his face warm up. “Don’t look at me while we’re doing this, you’re making it weird.”
“Where would you like me to look?” Trey asked, grinning. “Wouldn't it be weirder if I was looking at someone else?”
“Quiet,” Vil hissed, letting Trey cup his other leg and push it toward him. “Such a funny guy, aren't you?”
“Ladies!” Coach Vargus barked, clapping his meaty hands together. “Since we all want to talk instead of warming up, let’s start the run.” A collective groan rang through the field as everyone stood up. Trey held out his hand for Vil, who ignored it. Vil picked himself up off the grass and dusted a few stray blades off his sweatpants. Coach Vargus blew his whistle.
“Alright, line up! I want a good, clean run! Make your way around the perimeter of campus and come back here. If you aren't sweating by the time you come back, you can run another lap! I want those muscles burning!”
“It’s like a million degrees outside today,” Idia mumbled under his breath as he walked up to the starting line with the other students, looking over at Vil. “You’re gonna sweat like crazy.”
“Did you say something?” Vil hissed, shooting daggers at Idia as he pulled his blonde hair back into a ponytail.
“It just doesn't seem practical,” Idia continued with a shrug. “And it’s, like, ugly.”
“It’s really none of your business.” Vil snapped the ponytail holder hard against his head and glared. “Why are you even out here? Aren’t there discord kittens going wild somewhere without you?”
“Everyone has to do the endurance test,” Idia said, anxiously picking the skin by his fingernails. “Believe me, I plan on walking. Slowly.”
“I literally could not care less what you do,” Vil scoffed, turning away.
“If you think you’re gonna beat me again this year, you’re dead wrong.” Vil felt a chill run down as back as he heard Leona’s voice behind him. The dark-haired man was at his side in a second, lowering himself down into a ready position. “I’m taking the crown this time.”
“Where are you all coming from,” Vil muttered under his breath and gave a lazy glare towards Leona. “It’s not a race,” Vil said. “Maybe I always win because you’re too lazy to ever improve your stamina.”
“Why you-,” Leona bit his lip and growled, turning away from Vil and focusing on the ground in front of him. “Whatever. I’m putting you in your place this time, once and for all.”
“You wish you could,” Vil retorted. “Your place will be second, just like it always is.”
“Oho,” Leona spat, shaking his head. “You’re asking for it, Schoenheit.”
“Vil,” Trey said sternly, placing a hand on Vil’s shoulder. “Like you said, it’s not a race. Let’s just hang towards the back.” Vil shrugged his hand off and copied Leona’s stance narrowing his eyes.
“No, I’m fine. Worry about yourself.”
Coach Vargus’ whistle pierced through the air and the students were off, Leona and Vil burning gravel beneath them almost immediately. The two were off like a shot, darting through the air and pumping their arms, leaving everyone behind them in the dust. Vil kept his eyes on the road in front of him, careful to avoid the rocks and the grooves in the dirt that he had memorized by now, after running this course so many times. There would be a divot in the grass right over there, and a group of stones to the left. Leona growled as he started to fall behind. Vil could hear the other pick up speed and thrash his arms through the wind. Vil shook his head as he ran; why was Leona so obsessed with this, anyway? He jumped over another divet in the mud, one that Leona suddenly stumbled on. It wasn't enough to make the Savanaclaw fall, but it was enough to make him swear loudly. Vil chuckled as he took a quick look behind him. Maybe this wasn't so bad. He could prove that he was still the best in athletics, all while burning nearly 150 calories, and that was only if he did the lap once. Vil snapped his head back around and felt a sudden pulsing in his head, noticing that his vision was starting to blur. He cupped his eyes with his hands, blocking out the sun so that he could still see in front of him. That wasn't helping. He blinked hard and even more splotches showed up. Vil slowed down to a trot and grabbed at his chest as his breathing picked up and he realized he could see less and less. He opened his mouth to call out to someone, but his voice wasn't there. A cold, smooth chill ran from his feet through his spine and up past his head before his entire body went hot and the blotches in his vision turned to pure black. Vil dropped like a puppet being released from its strings. Leona skidded to a halt as soon as he couldn't hear Vil running behind him. He jogged over to him, approaching the scene with a raised eyebrow. Vil lay in the dirt like a corpse, dead pale and covered in sweat.
“Vil!” Trey called from the group of students as he ran forward. He threw himself down and skidded towards Vil on his knees, putting his hand on Vil’s cheek and tapping him gently. “Hey, come on, Vil! You okay? Get up!”
“Vil?” Rook and Epel came to a halt as they spotted their collapsed house warden. Trey shook Vil’s body over and over, the taps on his cheeks quickly growing harder as Trey’s chest began to tighter. “Come on, come on,” He said, his eyes darting from Vil’s face to his hands to his legs, desperately looking for any sign of movement. A few seconds later, Vil’s eyes scrunched hard before they fluttered open. Disoriented, he slowly looked up at Trey, who sighed with relief. “Hey,” Trey said, his hand still on Vil’s burning cheek. “You alright?”
“Yeah, sorry,” Vil said in a low voice through labored breathing. “I…I guess I tripped.”
“Oh please,” Trey whispered, brushing Vil’s muddy bangs out of his face.
“Classic,” Leona scoffed, “You’ll do anything for attention, won’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You really piss me off,” Leona said, shaking his head. “Cut the act. You realize you're gonna lose, so you fake some injury? Give me a break.”
“Shut up,” Vil said through clenched teeth.
“No, you’re just a sore loser,” Leona said with a snicker. “You couldn't even make it halfway. Maybe just accept that your body isnt what it used to be.”
“You think it’s funny?!” Vil’s voice cracked as he sat up straight. “Go on then everyone, laugh. All of you, who were just born beautiful and fit and talented, never having to work a day in your pathetic lives to achieve any of the things I’d kill for!” Vil picked himself up off the ground and wobbled as he tried to find his footing. He clutched his stomach and winced, crying out, “My looks are the only thing I have and I can’t even do that right anymore! I know what's wrong with me, so you can stop pointing it out!”
“Vil…?” Epel said in a hushed voice. He and Rook stood shocked, locking eyes with Vil.
Vil paused and felt his heart sink as he noticed that every pair of students' eyes were locked on him. The silence was deafening and rang in Vil’s ears. “It’s fine, I’m fine. Move.” Vil shoved through Rook and Epel and stormed off the field, out towards the river. Trey let out an irritated huff as he shoved through a few Heartslabyul freshmen and took off after Vil. Trey clenched his fists as he tailed the blonde, calling after him, “Where are you running off to?”
“Get away from me.”
“Vil, you have to-!”
“Get away from me!”
Vil slammed his heels into the ground and spun around, causing Trey to nearly slam straight into him. His violet eyes were full of fresh, fat tears that left wet streaks down his cheeks. His lip wobbled as he tried not to cry, looking at Trey through so many tears he could hardly make out his face. Vil choked back a sob and turned back around, walking away down the grassy fields that sloped gently into a glassy, glinting river. A pack of pines stood wilted around the water, with a thicket of pointed birches tucked not far behind. Twisted trees ran through the center of the garden, casting an array of claw-like shadows into the burnt grass. Vil plopped underneath a pine tree, holding his knees close to his chest. Trey watched him for a moment, the image of Vil’s crying face still frozen in his mind. He finally took a step forward, saying in a hushed voice, “Vil.”
“Please,” Vil said, whipping tears off his cheeks with the back of his hand. “Just leave me alone.”
“We have to talk about this.”
“Talk about what?!” Vil cried, slamming his hands into the ground. “I tripped, I’m sorry!”
“You didn’t trip. You fainted because you aren't eating.” Vil snapped his head back towards Trey and stared him down in silence, the only sound being the soft splash of the river.
“That’s a pretty bold claim,” Vil said finally. “What evidence do you have to support that?”
“I’m not an idiot, first of all.” Trey sighed and took a seat beside Vil, looking out at the glimmering water. “Second, I pay more attention to you than you may think.”
“Creepy,” Vil said, pulling his legs close to his chest. Trey sighed, picking a rock up off the ground and tossing it into the river. It skipped once, possibly just from the force, and then plunked down into the water. Trey said, “I saw what you wrote in your textbook, too.”
Vil gasped and turned his entire body towards Trey with horror in his eyes.
“I promise I’m not that big anymore,” Vil abruptly blurted out. “Which measurements did you see?”
“Vil,” Trey said sternly.
“I’m serious, I keep track of it every day, I don’t want you to think that I’m-!”
“Vil!” Trey hollered, grabbing the blonde by the wrists and staring him in the eyes. “There is something seriously wrong with you.”
“Oh shut up,” Vil retorted, yanking against Trey’s firm grip. “How do you know?”
“Because I’ve been next to Riddle for almost my entire life, and I can recognize obsessive behaviors.”
“Obsessive behaviors?” Vil sneered, rolling his eyes. “Do you even hear yourself? You sound crazy, I have no idea what-,”
“That won't work on me, either.”
Vil bit his lip and scowled at the man in front of him, finally pulling free of his grip.
“Fine,” Vil said bitterly.
“Fine, what?”
“You’re right. Are you proud of yourself?”
“Not at all,” Trey said, shaking his head. “I’m actually…really ashamed of myself. I had a bad feeling this was going on before we all left for summer break, but I didn't say anything. Maybe if I would have-,”
“Don’t start with the would've should've,” Vil sighed, turning back towards the water and bringing his knees back to his chest. “There’s no point. Nobody is to blame for this except me.”
“I’m not blaming you,” Trey said. “I’m worried about you.”
“You don’t need to be, I can take care of myself.”
“Clearly you can’t.” Trey shook his head. “Vil, you’re starving yourself. You’re going to end up seriously hurting your body.”
“I don’t care!” Vil cried, hugging his legs tighter. “God, do you know what it’s like when the only thing you have is your looks? If this kills me then so be it; at least I’ll die beautiful.”
“That’s…” Trey trailed off with a grimace. “That’s seriously messed up thinking.”
“I just want to look good, that’s it. If I look good, I feel good.”
“But you don’t look good.”
Vil dropped his expression and stared at Trey, his eyebrows raised as he waited for the green-haired man to stutter out a different response.
“Well, sorry, let me say it again. I mean, you don’t look like your normal tuned-up, pretty, model self. You look sick.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
“Everybody does.”
“And that’s just it,” Vil said. “If I’m not the most beautiful, I’m nothing. It’s the only thing I have and I can't even do it correctly anymore.”
“None of that is true.” Trey shook his head. “You’re beautiful, yes. You’re also thoughtful and sweet, athletic, intelligent, hard-working, and immensely talented. Don’t say that you're only good for your exterior.”
“That’s very nice of you,” Vil said, picking at the grass by his feet and avoiding Trey’s glance. “I’ve…never heard that from somebody before.”
“But if you keep this up, you won’t be any of those things anymore. You’ll be spaced out and angry all the time, you won’t be able to exercise or dance, and this will end up being the only thing you think about.” Trey scooted over closer to Vil, slowly trying to bridge the gap between them. “You’ll always look tired and sick, and we’ll never, ever get to eat cake together.”
Vil stared at Trey with wide eyes, and before Trey could comprehend what was happening, he felt Vil’s body pressed up against his chest. Vil had his arms wrapped around Trey, hugging him tightly with his face buried in the crook of his neck. Trey could feel his neck getting wet as he heard Vil’s breathing hitch before the blonde whispered, “I really wanted to eat the cake with you.” His voice was muffled with tears and the fabric of Trey’s t-shirt. Trey opened his mouth to retort, but he found his voice to be incredibly quiet when he inhaled the scent of the body that was pressed so close to him. Vil always smelled nice, but it was intoxicating now that he was so close. His scent was a warm, rich vanilla, heavy and comforting. Trey swallowed hard and held Vil tightly, wondering how it was possible for someone to smell so good when they looked like they had just been dragged through hell and back. Vil sniffed and picked his head up, groaning as he saw the damage he had done to Trey’s green gym shirt.
“I cried all over your shirt,” Vil said through tears.
“It’ll dry,” Trey said, placing his hand on the back of Vil’s head and gently guiding it back down to rest on his shoulder.
“I don’t want to act like this but…I don't know what’s happened to me. It’s like my mind is just out of control.”
“I know, and I’m here for you. I’ll help you out. We can even go to the school counselor together.”
“Thank you, Trey.” Vil gazed up from Trey’s shoulder with a small smile.
“You outta smile like that more often,” Trey said, playfully grabbing Vil’s chin.
“Like what?” Vil said, snapping upright and swatting Trey’s hand away.
“Like you mean it.”
“Oh please, I must look horrible right now.”
Vil’s face was coated in a thin layer of sweat and his cheeks radiated a burning pink hue. His hair was stuck down to his forehead with dirt and his lavender eyes were red with tears. Trey smiled, taking in the sight before him.
“You look better than you have in a while.”
Vil’s entire face went red as his eyes widened in shock. He could feel his pulse in his cheeks as he bit his lip and turned away.
“Don't be ridiculous,” Vil said. “God, you can be so crass sometimes.”
“I’m not being crass,” Trey said with a grin. Vil huffed with a pout and rolled his eyes as Trey chuckled at his reaction. Vil peeked over at him through the corner of his eyes. “Come on, let’s go inside. It’s too hot out here for either of us.” Trey went to stand up, but felt a hand grab him by the wrist.
“...Trey?”
Trey turned around and instinctively knelt down to listen to whatever Vil had to say, but his jaw slacked as he felt Vil’s lip suddenly touch his skin, right under the clover by his eye. His body was frozen as Vil pulled away with a smirk. Trey could feel the heat creeping into his cheeks as Vil giggled, covering his laugh with one of his perfectly manicured hands. The sunny rays cradled Vil’s face so gently, Trey swore the man had his own radiant glow.
“Come on, then. Help your Queen up off this dirt.”
“Oh, my Queen?” Trey said, outstretching his hand and gently hoisting Vil onto his feet. “Riddle isnt going to be too happy about that.”
“Well you can let him know he has competition,” Vil whispered, holding onto Trey’s arms as he got his footing.
“There is none,” Trey said, tensing up as he felt Vil’s hands begin to gently trail down his arms. “Uh, competition, I mean.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Vil said, dropping his hands and strutting off back towards the sports field. Trey watched him, nearly breathless, shaking his head with a smile.
“Hey," Trey called, "Don't go too far! You’re not leaving my sight for a long while, Schoenheit!”