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If Riddle had to count on the fingers of one hand how many times he and Trey had intertwined theirs—or simply held each other’s—he’d be short by quite a few. Yes, that’s how their friendship began, right? With Rosehearts taking Clover’s hand. Then, they had plenty of opportunities over the months they spent together. At Night Raven College, it was nothing more than mere accidental brushes. At least, there was nothing solid until Trey pulled him out of the overblot. After that, Riddle had let those previous ones—which had repelled them so much—flip the pole to an attractive magnet. They were rarely apart now. However, he could find few excuses for it to happen naturally, and besides… All of the above were done as friends.
Now they were a couple. Not for long, but they were. A couple, yes. Without straying from the deck of cards, his three of clubs had turned into the King of Hearts. Although, well, many would argue that Trey had always been the second card. Always by his side, even despite the barriers in place. Now, in fact, without them. Able to touch each other.
And the thing is, couples did physical contact. Cuddled. Spent time together. Gave gifts and did things for one another. They even exchanged words of affection. Of the five love languages he’d read about, the one Riddle struggled with most was physical touch. He could shower Trey with compliments, enjoy his company, help him, and give him useful things. But… It wasn’t as easy to feel comfortable with his touch as it had been when they were children.
Trey possessed a patient warmth that managed to penetrate even the thickest layers of ice in which Riddle had been trapped. No matter how much Riddle welcomed it and wanted to break free, he couldn’t force the speed at which he himself was melting. Rosehearts couldn’t depend on his love forever to make it happen; it had to be one-sided. If Trey received only coldness in return, it wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Besides… It wasn’t a matter of wanting to but of being able to. Longing to be in his arms without the remnants of his past freezing him and making him tense.
And, since he found no experience in books, he decided to ask one of those whom Riddle believed could be of use. Far more than Ace and his failed girlfriend. More than Deuce and his supposed flings from times he’d rather forget. Not that Cater seemed to have had anything serious either. Truly, was there no decorum left in his dorm? Where had all the stable couples gone? Now, more than ever, Riddle felt he had to set an example.
“Hold his hand?” Cater asked, looking up from his phone. His lips curved into a playful smile. “Come on, Riddle-kun, I thought you’d ask for advice on how to kiss him.”
“Kiss him!?” Riddle retorted, blushing and frowning. “We just started dating! That’s way too far ahead in the guide. Page forty: ‘How to Kiss.’”
“Are you reading a guide?”
“Of course.”
“Eeer...” And, playing with his lock, he replied. “Typical of Riddle-kun!”
“But I don’t think it’s enough; hence why you’re here. Besides, you’re one of the few who knows about our relationship.”
“And I love the #couple you two make! I wish I could post you on Magicam—you’d be a movie-worthy romance that would gimme me a bunch of likes.”
“No Magicam,” Riddle reminded him. If his mother found out, they’d be finished.
Although they were in a corner, he looked both ways. “And we’d better keep our voices down,” Riddle continued. There were a few students in the lounge, after all. Though none of them were looking at them.
“Yep, I know there’s trouble with Mrs. Rosehearts, right?” Cater’s tone dropped. “Brr, Trey-kun told me about what she said to his family for hours and right in front of you guys. There’s no way I’d do somethin’ like that to you.”
At the memory, Riddle pursed his lips. For a long time, he’d seen it as the consequence of his actions. What would happen if he broke the rules. Warnings ignored. It wasn’t Trey’s fault, since he was the one who took his hand. He should’ve known better. Memories bathed in layers of fear that emphasized what was right.
This, however, was a new beginning with Trey. What he now considered right. That’s why it wasn’t so easy. Loving him was. Everything happening around him—from being leader and vice leader to those spared his mother’s resentment—was just storms trying to rock his boat. Though now, however, there were two sides to the same coin. They could focus on the bad and the obstacles, as Trey told him. On the consequences that getting back together could bring. But they were already friends, right? They had already crossed that line since freshman year. Riddle let Trey get as close as he could. Riddle broke the rules again about eating sweets. About talking to him. About being close. On the other side, they had a thousand excuses to spend time together, as much time as they wanted to devote to each other, going back and forth to Night Raven College if they wanted to with the headmaster’s permission, going on dates, and making the most of this year. They lived together, so to speak. This opportunity was fleeting. Just until the semester ended. How could he not take his hand? In fact, that was why Riddle, deep down, had set aside so many rules and turned to Cater—so he could do just that: make the first move himself.
“Heartslabyul to Riddle-kun, Heartslabyul to Riddle-kun.” Riddle blinked at Cater’s hand.
“Sorry, Cater.”
“What, thinking about how to kiss him?”
“I-I already told you that’ll be later!”
He was still mentally preparing himself for how to handle holding his hand!
“Well, you’re talking to the right guy! But let me tell you, the order of what you’re reading isn’t necessarily the one you should follow. Couples just go with the flow and stuff.”
With his fist clenched, Riddle sighed indignantly. “That. That’s exactly what the guide said. How am I supposed to improvise or know when the right moment is?”
“Hummm, yYou’ll know when it happens! It’s hard to explain, y'know? Just be alone with Trey-kun and initiate contact—it’s very important that you initiate it. And it’ll be weird at first, awkward, everything, but you have to make it your own. See?” Cater placed a hand on his shoulder, and Riddle tensed. “Now we wait.” Confused, Riddle waited. For what? He didn’t know, but Cater opened his mouth again. “See? You’re already more relaxed.” Opening his eyes, Riddle realized that was true. “If you don’t perceive me as a threat, you’ll perceive Trey-kun even less so. It’s true he’s not very affectionate either, but I don’t think it’s like you—it’s just that he has a hard time making the first move. So! If you go for it, for example, I don’t think he’ll let you go. He lacks initiative for real.”
“Wait a minute. Slow down.” When he saw him pull out a notebook, Cater snatched it from his hands. “Hey!”
“Nope. No. Improvise, improvise, Riddle-kun!” And he turned him around, using his grip on his shoulders to push him toward the kitchen. “Go in there and show me what you’ve learned.”
“I haven’t learned anything!” But there he was, being led.
“Because you learn through practice. Isn’t that why you came to me?”
Riddle shut his mouth as soon as he opened it. Cater was right. If he’d gone to him, it was for practice. Practice, then. He was abandoned at the kitchen door like a stray puppy. Anyway, get your head in the game, Rosehearts! Holding your boyfriend’s hand didn’t have to be that hard. It was a necessary step and a challenge to overcome if they wanted to ki—Damn Cater.
Anyway, inside. Locking the door, too, just in case.
A blush spread across his cheeks when he saw Trey's back, focused on his work. His sweet scent filled the air, sending a shiver down his spine. Always smelled delicious. And then, Trey smelled like everything he baked, appetizing enough to eat in one bite. But that was already on page 144—no skipping steps! Ah, no, improvising. But not improvising that much.
“Hi, Riddle.” Riddle raised a brow and looked up. What…? “If you’re not Riddle, why did you lock the door…? See? You were.” Now he was facing him. Besides, his hands were clean, since he was holding a brush dipped in something Riddle had little idea about.
“Your observational skills are exemplary, Trey.” Riddle conceded first. Then, his gaze softened as he smiled unconsciously. “Hello.”
“Did the sweets lure you here?” The gray of his eyes turned to liquid silver when he saw what he was baking. “Let’s see if you’re not the only one with a sixth sense.”
“Strawberry tarts.” No further reason was needed to approach his baker. “I adore you. You’re the best.”
“Heh, so many compliments for something I make you every week?”
“You make them perfect every week. What else could I say?”
“Perfect?”
“Don’t argue with me about my taste for your sweets. I won’t allow it.” Ah, finally, Trey’s hand was free. No! Come back—he lifted his glasses. Good! Down again. “What are you doing to them now? Painting the strawberries red?” And he positioned himself beside him.
“I’d never serve you unripe strawberries. Only the best for you.” Trey kept brushing. “I’m glazing them so they look juicier. It’s sugar, water, and a touch of lemon; you can try it if you want.”
“Okay.”
Alright, so while he was painting with his left hand, he could try to take his hand with his right.
“Oh, aren’t you right-handed?”
There went his plan.
“...I am.” Unfortunately, he switched the brush to his other hand.
“Oh, no, you can use your left; I just thought it was curious. You use your right to paint the roses and everything else.”
And what excuse was he going to give him? Trey, paying as much attention to details as he did. Oh well. Now, if he switched sides, then he’d give himself away too much. No, keep going! Improvise, just like Cater had told him to. He’d take his hand no matter what.
“You’re right, I got distracted.”
“Anything you want to tell me?”
Of course Trey had noticed how unusual his absent-mindedness was.
“Let’s get back to the tarts…” If only he could resist eating them. “So,”
“Dip it, give it a few taps, and gently spread the mixture over the strawberries.”
“Okay, here we go…”
As if it were a paintbrush for painting roses, just as Trey had said earlier, he dipped it gently into the mixture, then tapped it lightly on the plate and, with intense focus, brushed the first strawberry.
“Like this?”
“Yeah, yeah…” Deep in concentration, he kept brushing it. So absorbed in it that he didn’t even notice his hand was being guided. “See? If you go over this side…” Wait a minute.
Being guided.
Riddle stopped painting and stared at the hand covering his, then looked down. Another one on his waist. And stroking him subtly, too! Like a hedgehog, he bristled, or rather, the tension in his shoulders eased. Had Trey just…? Was Trey…? Breaking through the barrier he’d worked so hard to build up for!?
“…Riddle?” When Trey made a move to pull his hands away, Riddle didn’t hesitate to grab them and leave them exactly where they were. “Is something wrong?”
“How dare you? You… Get down right now.” He ordered, frowning. “Now.”
“Okay, what’s going on?” Trey rested his head on his shoulder, almost.
So, Riddle skipped to page forty and kissed his beloved’s jawline. Improvising. Cater better be proud of him.
“That’s for stealing the chance to hold your hand first.” No, not the lips yet. The cheek was kissed instead. “And that’s for grabbing my waist.”
After a few seconds of blushing, Trey burst into soft laughter. “Is that why you were so pensive? I’m sorry I didn’t make a move until now; I was trying to give you some time to get used to it.”
“Your apologies won’t do any good.” And another kiss. When you weren’t thinking about it, it was true that everything flowed more easily. “Your tarts, however…”
“Oh, really?” And Trey pulled him toward him shamelessly. Enough so that Riddle was surprised by his vice’s audacity. His heart fluttered at the proximity of their faces. “Well, just so you know, all of these are yours.”
Riddle exhaled nervously at that revelation. “...All six?”
“All six.” And Trey kissed his nose. “But don’t eat them all at once.” Seeing Riddle pout, he laughed again. “I don’t want your tummy to hurt.”
“Well, three this afternoon and the others tomorrow for breakfast.” Riddle didn’t even notice he was being hugged. His body hadn’t perceived it as anything negative as he feared. “Or two this afternoon, so I’ll have two for breakfast tomorrow and another two in the afternoon again…”
With his head resting on Riddle’s, Trey replied softly. “Space them out however you like. Don’t worry—there’ll be more sweets tomorrow anyway.”
When it finally sank in, Riddle’s eyes widened, and after a few seconds, he wrapped his arms around Trey again. Warm, smelling of sweets, and filling him with pleasant sensations. This was, without a doubt, the only thing that had been missing in their relationship until now. Besides, it was so comfortable to hold him. Riddle didn’t know that hugs could feel… so good. The same went for being in a relationship.
But if it was Trey, everything was fine, right? The hundreds of pages he’d read now faded into the background so he could enjoy his company the way he’d wanted to for longer than he’d care to admit. Instead, he embraced those right moments and improvisations to keep cuddling him. Practice over theory. What he actually wanted over what should be.
And now, Riddle just wanted to stay there a little while longer.