Work Text:
Crushes are stupid.
Seriously stupid.
Imagine wanting to kissy face some ultra rare SSR while you have the looks of a freebie R, that’s just sad. Especially when that SSR just so happens to be someone as persistent and annoying as Mr. Impossible-to-Please.
Yikes. Just the thought makes him cringe.
It’s not like the ideas of romance, love, and crushes are new to Idia, he has an entire list of 10/10 top tier ships, but jeez, this isn’t how he wanted his first experience to be. Admitting to himself that he has a crush on Riddle is like admitting he’s into masochism.
Seriously… did it have to be that uptight, stingy, tiny titan that made his heart go all ‘doki doki’ or whatever.
Everytime he’s near him, Idia swears down that his heart is trying to escape his feeble body, not like he can blame it. Seriously, it’s a good thing that the vast majority of their convos happen without being face to face.
He can get by without having to interact with Riddle much. Sure, the two of them being housewardens is a total pain, but at least it’s an easy boss battle. It’s a damn good job that he’s a whole year below Idia, Having classes with him would be a 1 hit ko to Idia’s heart.
Joint classes are stupid.
Seriously stupid.
The third years are going to be paired up with the second years??? What bullshit is that!
Well, at least Idia won’t be unlucky enough to be put with Riddle right...? Sure, he’s confident that the gods have a vendetta against him, but they don’t hate him that much right?!
…Right?
Jumping head first into the underworld sounds like a wonderful death right about now.
If anything, he feels like the epitome of it would be a nice new home.
First, Idia is unfortunately dragged onto a field on a uselessly hot day for flight, aka probably the worst class in the history of ever.
But secondly, to add to his pathetic misfortune, he sees Riddle approaching in the corner of his eye.
Seriously, someone take him already! It doesn’t matter what god it is, just do the damned job you sacred haters!
Vargas starts chatting to everyone about whatever their meaningless exercise is, but Idia isn’t really listening, the chatter of his fellow students becoming white noise in his ears.
“Ah, Idia. There you are. It seems that we were paired together.” Riddle’s voice rips through the cycle of torment that his thoughts were giving him.
What.
“I-Is that so.” Idia looks away almost instantly, regretting the words as they pass through his mouth. Curse him and his pathetic stuttering.
“You weren’t listening were you.” Riddle’s voice becomes more stern. Idia would be scared if his heart wasn’t singing to the fact he’s even looking at him.
“Well who can say… whee hee hee… heeeee…” Where’s the nearest gun.
“Just grab your broom and follow me.” Riddle’s stern voice breaks through the awkward silence that lasted way too long.
Idia silently does what he’s told like a lost puppy, his mind unable to do much except panic and explode.
“Since you weren’t listening…” Riddle gives Idia a quick glare before continuing. “…Basically, we’re practicing flying two people at a time on a broom.”
Wait what.
He can’t even fly by himself without face planting the floor, which he knows from experience tastes awful, and he has to do that while flying with his low-key crush?? What is this!
Idia can only imagine the gods laughing at his pathetic ass right now, what a way to make this day somehow even worse. Can’t these people have some remorse for otaku introverts please!
“S-seriously! I can’t even fly without someone else there!” Idia nervously grabs onto his hair as the words fumble out of his mouth.
Riddle places the broom into Idia’s hands before standing back and taking a glance at his stance, which only makes Idia’s non existent self confidence plummet for the 50th time.
“Show me what you can do first, and we’ll work from there.” Riddle’s voice is so… gentle and reassuring as he speaks, it’s a side to Riddle that Idia feels privileged to even know about… he could listen to it for hour-
No!
Bad Idia.
Stop daydreaming on the job.
After a few awkward seconds of doing absolutely nothing but gazing into the abyss known as Riddle, Idia suddenly leaps onto the broom and soars himself up high.
Maybe he doubted himself too hard, he’s particularly a natural!
“Idia, be careful!” Idia suddenly looks down as Riddle utters those words, which results in him accidentally face planting a tree… because of course he does.
His fall isn’t glamorous either, his arms flailing about as if he’s in every anime ever.
He’s not even making any noise, honestly he should have expected this to happen. He was paired with his crush and made to do something he’s notoriously terrible at, the odds were worse than getting a particular SSR in a banner that isn’t even theirs.
But weirdly enough, when his fall ends, he doesn’t feel the pain of the grassy field against his back, it’s as if- holy shit. Idia opens his eyes. He’s in Riddle’s arms!!
“Are you okay?” Riddle calmly asks, which majorly contrasts how Idia is feeling. How is he supposed to be okay in this situation?? He’s. In. Riddle’s. Arms. What.
“Y-Yaaaa” He really was winning in the ‘embarrass yourself in front of your crush’ competition, a competition he was unwillingly added into.
“I think it’s best if I take over for this exercise.”
And I think it’s best if you let me down.
“Agreed…” Idia quickly squeaks as he’s finally placed down by Riddle.
Riddle grabs the broom that had since fallen on the ground, and he holds it with much more control than Idia could ever dream of having.
“Alright, now get on.” Idia scurries over and sits on the back of the broom nervously, with Riddle taking a double check at him before blasting them both up.
As the two ascend to the air, Idia hugs Riddle at the sudden shift, before quickly scrambling his hands back off him. Oh wow. He seriously just felt Riddle’s chest, as a complete 100% accident, he’s not a weirdo, and it was amazing.
As the two twist and turn around the area, purely because of Riddle’s totally way better flying skills, Idia can’t help but look at him more than the scenery, not like that’s crazy considering it’s basically just grass.
Riddle has such an air of confidence to him that Idia could only dream of achieving, you can absolutely tell that Riddle’s been doing this for years. It’s such a nice look on him too, it’s not cocky or annoying like you’d see from other people at this hell, it’s like he’s sure that he won’t hurt himself or Idia.
Sure, Idia definitely hasn’t been the easiest on Riddle, and he’s annoyed him a lot, especially when he first became a housewarden, but he can appreciate how much better Riddle is than some of the other… trash here.
…Or maybe that’s the distorted crush taking. It’s like he’s gushing about his oshis, that definitely did no wrong, all over again. Just ignore the guys they killed, they deserved it. Ai-chan does no wrong.
Maybe in another universe, Idia would totally be a Riddle oishi.
Before long, the two boys swiftly land back onto the ground with far more grace than Idia’s earlier performance.
“It looks like we have some time left, why don’t I help you get better at flying” Riddle’s voice breaks through the day dream.
A private teaching session with his very real crush?? Now Idia is suddenly praying that he wakes up soon. Take back everything nice he ever thought about Riddle, it’s clear that he was made by the gods just to screw with him!
“I-I’d rather not…” The nice moment the two had has now officially burned in a hole as Riddle simply groans at Idia’s typical attitude, before leaving to help someone who called out to him.
That was probably for the best.