Chapter Text
Silver squints his eyes as he awakens, lifting his head from the table only to look right into the lights of the library. Except, as he clears his eyes and rises from the drowsy fog, he realizes those aren't light at all. They're a pair of eyes.
He flinches, unable to move or react as he sits up in shock. If that isn't a horrifying sight to wake up to, then he doesn't know what is. Because he's only inches away from the face that's staring him straight in the eyes. How does one withdrawal from such a situation as this? There's a brief moment where Silver wonders if he hadn't woken up at all, but rather, is in some strange dream.
What other explanation is there for the fact that he's currently locked eyes with Jade Leech? After all, that's far from the first person he would have expected to come find him, let alone stick around until he woke up. How... long has Jade been standing by, exactly?
"Ah! You are awake," Jade observes with a pleased smile. "I hope you are doing well?"
"I am... perfectly fine, thank you," Silver replies through a yawn, still very much dazed and confused. "What brings you here?"
"It is rather late for you to still be here. I happened across you on my way out, and I waited to see if you would wake up on your own. Before you ask, no, I have not been standing here longer than five minutes watching you."
Silver breathes a sigh of relief and feels more comfortable to move. "I was worried you were creeping on me."
Jade seems offended by this. "Perish the thought, Silver. How could I do such a thing?"
The Diasomnia sophomore yawns and rubs sleep from his eyes. "I'm... not sure. I just… suppose I had formed an opinion of you in my mind already without ever really knowing you personally. Not the best thing, huh..."
Jade is doubly offended now. "Well, there's time to change that yet, now isn't there? I shall walk you walk to your dorm, if that is perfectly all right with you. If we converse along the way, then so be it. If we do not, then so be it. All I wish is that you might be comfortable around me, rather than afraid. I do not intend to hurt you."
The way he emphasizes that last word sends a shiver down Silver's spine. He doesn't like the implications. At all. Jade might not desire to harm him, but that didn't mean he's harmless. That thought is what actually leaves Silver feeling slightly disturbed. It isn't himself he's worried for, no; he's sure he can hold his own against his classmate. It's everyone else who might end up on Jade's bad side that Silver is anxious about.
They end up walking in silence, an awkward silence that leaves a sick feeling in Silver's stomach. He starts to sway, being hit by a drowsy spell so soon after the one he had just had. That's when Jade offers him his shoulder, and Silver thinks nothing of it because by now, he's so used to others giving him this sort of assistance. He's totally unaware of the smile the eel gives him. He doesn't notice the glint of fondness in those mismatched eyes of gold. Beautiful eyes though they might be, they still strike fear in the hearts of many.
And Jade relishes in that fear, Silver knows that much. He isn't like Malleus, who sometimes (not all the time, since he too has his moments where he enjoys making people shriek and squirm under his intensive gaze) is hit with a pang of regret for being so naturally intimidating. Is Jade even capable of feeling such regret?
Dammit, there he goes again, painting his classmate as a monster rather than just a tall and imposing fellow. He can't do this. It isn't right to characterize Jade in such a way, when he's sure that the eel is already misunderstood as it is. There has to be more to him than he's aware of, a side to him that Jade doesn't show often, if at all.
Silver isn't sure what he expects to find when the two of them reach the Hall of Mirrors, but an angry Floyd isn't it. The other of the tweels shoots his brother a glare, which Jade must be very used to, because he hardly reacts.
"Oh, Floyd, now won't you relax just a little?" Jade sighs, weary of his brother and his moods. "I am fine, and my whereabouts are none of your concern. Besides, I thought you didn't care wherever I went in the first place?"
"I don't," Floyd agrees. "But you weren't around for closing time, and it pissed me off because I had to do double work when I wasn't in the mood to work in the first place! Azul ain't thrilled about your whole disappearing act, either, y'know, but I think that goes without saying."
Jade frowns, but not as deeply as Floyd does. The taller brother really is pissed off at him, and by unfortunate association, he also seems pissed off at Silver. But he hasn't addressed him yet, so he doesn't know that for sure.
"You ditched to hold hands and ogle at the jellyfish? Are you actually kidding me?! So you weren't even doing anything important?!"
Jade's face immediately burns a bright pink, and he tried to explain the situation as professionally as possible. But Floyd doesn't give him a chance. He's already made up his mind about what happened, and he won't hear anything else. Silver is equally as embarrassed, given what Floyd has assumed about the two of them. He doesn't realize how incorrect he is, and he doesn't want to realize it.
"We aren't even holding hands," Silver murmurs, mostly to himself, staring down at his hand compared to Jade's. His hand is wrapped around Jade's arm, so that he stays on his feet. But somehow Floyd is just choosing to be blind to that fact? Silver doesn't understand him.
"You missed out, by the way," Floyd carries on, a grin stretching across his face. "And you owe me some shit, because you lost our bet!"
Jade scowls. "That's enough of you. Go on through the mirror already, I'll join you in a second. Silver is unsteady on his feet at the moment, and it wouldn't do to leave him be and have him fall over. That would go rather against the spirit of benevolence we at Octavinelle boast about having."
Floyd grits his teeth and taps his foot impatiently. "Screw you. I'm gonna check if the sea angel left, or if he's still around. He's shown up again, you know, because firefly squid is a scaredy firefly squid and won't go himself to talk to Azul."
"That's just Idia's nature, and you know how willing his brother is to do what he tells him to."
Silver wants to stay awake and listen to this very interesting conversation, but he feels himself actually drifting off again. His tired head falls on Jade's shoulder, but the eel says and does nothing in response. He goes on bantering with his brother as though nothing had happened. Silver supposes he's grateful for it. It's embarrassing enough without even drawing attention to it.
"Uh, Jadeeee," Floyd calls to him. "Jellyfish is now sleepy fish. Just look at him."
"I'm aware, Floyd. Won't you move on while I help him, then? You've stalled me long enough with your pointless tirade. I've never met someone with quite the same effective technique as you."
Floyd is unimpressed, saying, "Screw you again. Go take your sweetheart back where he belongs, and I expect you to work after hours tomorrow to make up for today."
Jade heaves an exasperated sigh. "He is not my 'sweetheart', and I assure you, I will make up for lost time tomorrow. I could do without you further haranguing me."
"Whatever. Bye bye. And screw you threefold, just for good measure."
Finally, Floyd is gone, and Jade returns his attention to Silver, who is asleep on his shoulder. Sevens, he never noticed before, but Silver is the most beautiful person he has ever laid his eyes on… Jade feels his heart catch in his throat as he stares at him, so peaceful in his sleep… His lips quiver, his free arm shakes at his side. What he wouldn't do to lay him down, run his hand through his beautiful silver hair, his namesake, and kiss his forehead.
What is he thinking? That's weird... Goodness, what has come over him to evoke thoughts and desires such as those? Jade's head begins to reel, and he almost feels dizzy. But he promised to help Silver walk back to his dorm, and on his own life he was going to carry that out. Now that Floyd is no longer posing as an irritating distraction, he can walk toward the portal to Diasomnia.
But he finds himself just a bit reluctant to do so. Why? Why does he not want to let Silver go? Why does he want nothing more than to sit down and pull him even closer than he is? None of this makes any sense. It's all ridiculous. Maybe he's just really tired, and it's made him slightly loopy. Yes... That must be it. That's the explanation that Jade chooses to find solace in. Because the other explanation for his feelings is one he's less willing to admit, and who could blame him?
He hasn't fallen for Silver so quickly. It just isn't possible. Or... Is it, actually? This is very new to him. He has no idea. What he does know, however, is he needs to wake Silver up and urge him back to his dorm.
"You fell asleep again," he tells him calmly. "We're here. Farewell."
Silver blinks, then yawns in a way that makes Jade feel like his heart has melted into a puddle of mush in his chest. It's just a yawn, it's a basic human function when one is drowsy... So why am I reacting this way?
"I see... Thank you, Jade. I am very sorry to have inconvenienced you."
Jade shakes his head. "Far from it, I assure you. I am not inconvenienced at all. It makes me feel better to see you out safely."
Silver gives him a brief departing nod before disappearing through his dorm's mirror. Jade stands in place for a while before shaking his head again, this time to clear it, and returning to his own dorm. Without so much as a word or gesture of acknowledgement to his brother or Azul, he heads straight for his room and flops onto his bed. He feels rather unlike himself tonight. It's so unsettling that he hardly gets any sleep.
All he can think about... All that keeps him up... Is Silver, and why ever he makes Jade feel the way he does. The only thing that he can think of is that he is entranced by him. Absolutely enamored. A crush? Has he so quickly developed a crush on him? The boy is a force to be reckoned with if Jade has fallen for him so soon. Truly, the Octavinelle housewarden believes Silver could weaponize his beauty, but he would never think of it.
I want him to be mine... He will be mine, one way or another… I will have you, Silver…