Work Text:
“You need to call Roi des Roses by more affectionate names, Rose Chevalier.” Rook squeaked out of nowhere, without warning, without a 'good morning, Trey, how are you? Everything okay? I'm glad.'
Trey just looked at him with narrowed eyes and mind half asleep for the endless history class ahead.
First period on a Monday and, still, Rook Hunt had energy to spare to opine on…
“Good morning to you too, Rook.”
“Good morning, Rose Chevalier !”
“The nickname…”
“Yeah, the nickname, indeed!” Rook sighed. “You just call him Riddle. His cold name. Not a ‘sweetheart,’ even. Not a ‘light of my eyes…’”
“Rook, in case you haven't noticed yet, I'm not one for nicknames. Pet names are really attached to that, it's just…” Trey could feel the cringe taking over his mind from just imagining it. “It gives me the creeps. I love Riddle dearly. Would I die for him? Undoubtedly. Calling him sweetie, though…”
“Cold. Like snow.” Trey closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat. When was that fantastic history class starting? “It feels like sinking into the deepest of waters, burying your rose under the winter cold… Hello, darling. Roi des Roses says to you, and what do you reply? A desolate and terrible…”
“Meoooow.”
Never had Trey been so glad to hear that old cat announce his arrival.
“… Riddle.” Finished Rook in a whisper.
Trey just gave him an awkward smile as he continued to try to rouse those brain cells to endure the day and the conversation. Trein's monotone didn't help at all. Maybe he should have had a double espresso.
As he was still half asleep, he pondered Rook's words. Which, while nosy, usually his friend, self-proclaimed hunter of love, used to have, well, love advice. Some, more ominous than others. That time, the answer was clear.
Was it so essential to call your partner affectionately? Riddle slowly began to introduce words like ‘dear’, or ‘love’ into his vocabulary. Curiously, coming from him, they provoked other kinds of brain stimuli away from the repulsion Rose Chevalier provoked. His boyfriend never expressed any specific interest in being called something else. Instead of responding with another, he would just omit it or use Riddle. Rarely did he use leader or dorm leader because it was… Cold. Okay, change of question: why had Rook brought it up? Dramatics were a touch that went along with his persona, but had he seen something in Riddle that he himself failed to?
Biting the inside of his cheek, he approached Rook as he continued to look straight ahead and nod.
“Are you saying that because of something in particular or because it's your ideology of love?” Trey whispered, knowing he would hear it anyway.
“Non, non.” He'd drop the bombshell and now refused to answer him. Trey raised an eyebrow in confusion. “That's up to you and Roi des Roses.”
Yeah, right, after he'd butted in.
…
Well, it was just like before. Well, not as before, worse. Now, because of him, Trey had those ideas in his head. Trey played with his fingers and leaned back again. Should he try it? Out of curiosity. Maybe even Riddle didn't like them or didn't care for them. Either way, he would talk it over with his boyfriend later.
Now, he had to study and get decent grades so said boyfriend wouldn't threaten to cut off his head affectionately.
Perhaps he didn't have another coffee, but with a full stomach after lunch, he saw life differently. Trey emerged from the bathroom with a refreshing feeling in his mouth and pulled out his phone. A message from Riddle popped up at precisely those moments over the picture of the two of them together that he had on his wallpaper. Courtesy of Cater, of course. He was the one who asked for them to pose while Trey kissed Riddle on the cheek. Whenever he saw it, he couldn't help but smile unconsciously. But, oh, yes, the message.
Riddle: Yes, I have some time off — Drop by anytime, my dear.
My dear.
Okay, he had to mentally prepare himself a second time for everything that would come next. Pet names, not nicknames, at least. Should it comfort him? They were, technically, the same thing — it just changed if the intent came from the heart or from the deepest-rooted limits of his patience (like he had with Rook).
In a matter of minutes, he was already in front of Riddle's door. Trey closed his eyes, took a breath and released it gently out of his mouth. For Riddle , he told himself. For him, he would do anything… short of calling him ridiculously.
With the step granted, Trey smiled immediately as he saw him sitting in front of his desk. Okay, there it went, “Good afternoon, my queen .” Queen had no ill effect on him. It was just that, technically , Riddle was the queen of hearts in the dorm, so it didn't count… The rest remained to be seen.
“Oh…” Riddle smiled at him as well though he seemed to react to the nickname. “Greetings, my king .” And back again, he also felt nothing but his bliss whenever Riddle was or was not in his presence.
Once close, arms automatically took their favourite place around his shoulders. Then Trey left a few kisses on his red hair, and there he left, his face buried as if underground. Now, in those moments, it could be said that they had become a strawberry. Trey's hair was the pedicle and the sepal, while Riddle was the fruit. If it were up to him, he would rather stay one with his dear boyfriend for a while longer. Maybe, since they were plants, he didn't have to wonder if he was a good match or not by not using pet names with him.
Which reminded him that he should try the second.
“The usual Monday plan, dear ?” Oh, okay, nothing happened either. But it was because Riddle had used it before… It couldn't quite count yet . One final, unequivocal challenge remained.
His strawberry dug out to seek his lips. Trey searched for a way to bring them together, despite being each on their side. “That's right.” Riddle kissed him a couple more times. “No change at the moment.” Another couple. “Well, except for you. Today, you're here. Weren't you two going to set up a science club project?” Now, Trey let the seconds pass a few more moments over his lips. When glasses slid down his nose, they both laughed softly. Luckily, Trey was able to press them back on in time.
“I have a little while before that. I wanted to spend it with my…” Phew, this next one would be painful. His throat was blocking it. His brain, begging him not to. Luckily, caresses over his cheekbones justified unnecessarily smoothing out the seconds. “Boyfriend, of course.” Coward.
“Will do.”
Riddle patted his forearms, and Trey took the hint. He released his grip, and Riddle rose from the wooden chair. Okay, straight to his bed. They didn't have to tell him twice, not even out loud. In a matter of seconds, they ended up curling on the sheets. With their faces at the same height on the pillow, it was easier to steal kisses from his lips. So distracted was he by them and their touch that he forgot he had yet to taste the ultimate pet name.
Perhaps, overwhelmed by the sweetness of his lips, it would be easier for him to say… That word. For the moment, his thumb traced a single step circularly over his waist as he had his other arm under the pillow. Riddle let his hand loose on his neck, fingers resting on his jaw. And Trey's mouth? Well, busy with giving Riddle's a little pampering, have some patience. This way, he wouldn't have to be afraid of blurting out an unfortunate pet name that would ruin any distraction Trey wanted to have regarding that.
Fingertips ascended his cheeks delicately in pursuit of removing his glasses. Trey saw poorly without them. Normally, he kept them on so he could appreciate Riddle's face from time to time while they had moments like that. However, as he felt his demanding tongue on his lips, he understood that better would not be ideal at such times. With these out of play, Trey drew Riddle closer and sought the opening of his lips. His beating, pulsing heart accompanied the blush on his cheeks. Every pore of his skin bristling and succumbed to his queen.
Previous worries evaporated from his mind as he licked Riddle's lips back. All at once, as he slid his tongue against his slowly. As it should be, in between their busy schedules, a moment of calm and indulgence so they could continue to endure the day ahead. There would be something to bring them back to reality. For the moment, Trey was most comfortable with Riddle in his arms.
Feeling Riddle's teeth settle over his lip, Trey felt his self-control go out the window. Pulling away gently, he checked somewhat blurrily to see that Riddle showed no remorse whatsoever. His Adam's apple came down hard as he swallowed. “If you do that again…” Trey mused, his voice somewhat hoarse.
“What?” Riddle smirked. “Those aren't ways my vice should behave. If you lose your composure that easily, Trey, I'm afraid I'll have to replace you. If something like this…” He left a short kiss and then threatened to repeat it. His teeth, sweet temptation, grazed his lips again but didn't dig in twice. “It's capable of putting you out of play, should ashame… !!! ” So Trey took it upon himself to run his tongue shamelessly across them, wrenching a noise of surprise from his lips. Perhaps not with the precision he would have liked, nor the dedication and attention he could devote to them. Just enough to smile at his boyfriend in the same sly manner.
“Forewarned is forearmed…”
Blushing and confused, Riddle snapped. “You…”
And, for threatening him like that, he deserved the awful nickname he had come up with earlier. “… Cupcake.” Trey's face changed completely to a resigned one upon hearing it out loud. Okay, no, it was horrible. Horrible. As cute as Riddle's name was, why couldn't he simply use it for the rest of his life?
“Cup…?” Okay, now Riddle had really brought a hand to Trey's forehead to check his temperature. “What's with all the nicknames today? I had understood you didn't like them.”
Trey elongated the sigh and pulled away from him a little. Now, he rested his head on his hand as he loosened the temples of his glasses and placed them on his nose. At last, there he was again, the clear Riddle he loved so dearly. Now, looking at him so flushed and worried.
“It's nothing — it's just that Rook has suggested that I should use them.”
“And why is that?”
“Well, that's what I wonder…” Trey sighed and stroked his cheek gently. “I've actually been thinking about it, and I don't know. It's true I only call you Riddle, but you do call me darling and stuff. It doesn't bother me about you. Admittedly, it does seem kind of cold. I don't know if you want me to start calling you something else.”
Riddle's expression changed to an understanding one as he nodded. “I don't have a preference for that. After all,” He smiled slightly again. “You show me in other ways how much you love me, you know.” A warmth ignited novelty in Trey's chest. “So no need to force yourself to use something different.”
“Oh, come on…it's no big deal,” Trey responded, blushing and giggling at his compliment. “But I think the ones I've been using right now are okay, you know? I haven't disliked them.” He stifled a laugh as he remembered the last one. “Well, cupcake was definitely the worst. It was between that one and cookie.”
“Cookie, hm?” Trey raised his eyebrows when Riddle didn't seem to concede his point. Wait, had he liked it? “Your queen and darling are perfect, but…” Riddle nodded. “Cookie is something only you could call me. Cupcake is… Too much.” That last, he uttered with a huff of resignation.
“Oh, undoubtedly. In private or?”
“In private .” Riddle nodded. Trey immediately sighed in relief. “But I don't care if you want to call me those in front of others. We're not hiding our relationship, so… It's fine, however you want to refer to me outside my name.”
Let's see, on the one hand, Riddle didn't care about this nickname thing. On the other, Trey wasn't particularly a fan. Still, it was something that symbolized affection between them, and he'd already found that one or the other didn't give him as much… Cringe. Maybe he was having trouble building the habit. In front of everyone, besides, it was even more embarrassing. Still, he already gave him the occasional kiss on the cheek or took his hand.
“However.” Riddle added. “No getting too mushy. I have a limit myself.”
“I assure you it won't happen, rest assured.” After a few seconds of consensus, Trey approached his lips tentatively. It was his fingers that hesitated with the glasses. In affectionate nose rubs, they both smiled. “So, can my dear cookie queen tell me if he feels like picking up where we left off?”
“Hmm.” Riddle pretended to think about it as he kept his glasses away. Perhaps he should consider calling him his beloved and dearest red spot when he got far enough away out of his vision. “Permission granted, my king.”
Although, closing his eyes, the spot nickname lost its meaning.
Tuesday, 8 a.m., no one jumping up and down about his relationship with Riddle as he walked into alchemy class. Should he be glad? Worried? Looking forward to a good few days? In any case, when he went to sit his ass down, Rook already jumped up. His absence was completely conspicuous in the science club the day before. More so on Trey's part. In the end, between one thing and another with Riddle, he didn't have the stamina to go. But, well, it was fine for one day.
“Good morning, Rose Chevalier!” At least he came back with the detail of greeting him first… With that damned nickname. All the progress of the previous day, out the window in a cringe run.
“Good morning, Rook.” At his sharp gaze and flawless smile, Trey sighed. “I already talked to Riddle about it. Be proud of me — I'm trying harder. Any other opinions I should know about?”
“Oh, yes, indeed! Très bien! Cookie pet name…” Wait a minute. “It's so adorable and appropriate for your dearest Roi des Roses. It almost brought tears to my eyes…”
“Rook.”
“From emotion because, oh, you don't know how much the love of the atmosphere shows when you are present. If you paid attention to your surroundings, you could hear a melody born only when you have each other so intimately…”
“How do you know about the cookie?”
“But Rose Chevalier, it's obvious the use of your nickname. Knowing you, you would have first tried using something like cupcake or little tooth. But no! Those don't measure up to your sweet Riddle. You needed something that would unite the two of you without overstepping the bounds your mind puts on the idea of something as simple as a nickname that comes from the heart. Therefore, the only more accurate choice is cookie, yes? I'm sure you're calling Roi des Roses that right now.”
Rook… Had he anticipated the absurd nickname he would give Riddle? Trey didn't know whether to be flattered that he knew him so well. Relieved that Rook hadn't been secretly spying on his intimate moments with Riddle. Horrified at everything his friend was blurting out to him. Disappointed that he was so predictable…
Anyway, another day…
“Puppies, page 142. Hunt.” Crewel whipped the board. “Start reading.”
Saved by the bell.