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How Rev had never run into Shane Mayle, with all the crap he gets into– He'd never know.
After Rev’s initial meeting with that decrepit suit of armor, with a voice as grating as the plates of metal scraping along his form, he never intended to talk to him or even blink in his direction unless he was forced to.
His plans had a witch-sized wrench thrown into them today, he huffed with discontent. He trudged behind Bella, who was finding her way to the cafeteria after their shared Potions class. Rev would have appreciated a nice, quiet stroll to lunch, but a few clinks and clanks and small talk later; Shane Mayle had joined their party of two.
“-Ah, well, I'm not sure if my potions would work on constructs like you, Shane…” Bella said lightly, and the suit’s eyes rounded into a sickening expression of earnestness, “Verily, Lady Bella, 'twould be a quest most worthy, should I gain greater knowledge of mine own soul through thy grace.” He rasped heartily.
Rev cringed. Then, he watched Bella's cheeks grow pink with embarrassment, “Aha… Shane… Um, I guess whenever I'm free, we could talk about it more?” She suggested, head tipped towards her shoulder. Rev's eyebrows furrowed in slight disbelief and another roiling feeling in his gut. She was really entertaining this drivel?
Shane blinked, his white eyes seemed to glow brighter from inside the darkness of his helm, “Truly? 'Tis the hour of midday feast; so… should it please thee, we could discuss further whilst thou partake of thy meal!” He said brightly.
Bella seemed to stiffen, and she threw a glance back at Rev, who caught her gaze with a hint of satisfaction. His shoulders relaxed. She wants to ask me first, he thought pleasantly.
Then, Bella, who saw Rev's eyes soften, turned to the armor and nodded with a polite smile, “.. I'd like that.”
His eyes widened, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT.
Bella kept her shoulders raised and tensed slightly as the knight continued to question and express fascination at her magical prowess. Rev scowled, and considered retreating to the clubroom so he could be spared from Shane's suck-uppery for the lunch period. But the feeling in his gut recoiled in anger, his brain buzzed with something unfamiliar and sour.
They arrived at the cafeteria soon after, and Rev sat down next to Sera with a graceless flump, scowl apparent on his features. At least Rev thought so. Unfortunately for him, a scowl was his resting expression, and no one saw any difference.
Mark was already tucking into a milk bun and a Capillary-sun, “Hi Bewwah, who’sh yo’ fwendsh?” He scarfed, and Bella giggled with a light-hearted grimace, “Swallow your food first, Mark. This, um, Shane! He was just asking about some potion stuff…”
Shane bowed dutifully, “Salutations! Though we have not met face to face, I prithee, accept my gratitude for thy gracious hospitality!” Then, he added, in an innocent, bashful way that made Rev's skin prickle, “I pray I do not trespass upon thy company.”
Keep praying, buddy, Rev scowled even harder, and all it got him was a weird glance from Sera. God damn it all.
“What have you been up to while we were in class?” Rev asked the Angel, trying to drown out the incessant yammering from where Shane sat across him, while keeping his attention split to listen for anything Bella could be saying. Sera chewed on a croissant, then swallowed, “Reading.” She said flatly, then when Rev raised his brow at her, she continued, “Cookbook. I'm learning how to. But the words are complicated.” Sera admitted.
He hummed, “Just search it up in a dictionary. Or ask me, if you really have to.”
The offer was genuine. And cooking was one of the things he actually kind of had respect for, even if he could only manage flipping patties and pouring hot water into a ramen cup.
Sera blinked gratefully and went back to his croissant.
His gaze returned to the other side of the table, where Mark had now joined Bella and Shane's discussion. They were talking about something like potion effects diminishing or whatever, but Rev's vision thinned at how Bella hadn't touched any of the fruit she brought to have for lunch.
Brazenly, he leaned over to the other side of the table, grabbed a green apple from Bella's lunch, and took a loud crunchy bite.
“Witch. You gonna eat those, or what?” Rev asked, gaze flicking from the fruit, to Bella's face, dark from him leaning over her side of the desk, eyes looking up at him with shock.
He turned to the side, and Shane looked like a startled paint can, before his voice grew with outrage, “You DARE?! ‘Tis be Lady Bella's LUNCH!”
“It could be Lady Bella's lunch, if you'd give her time to eat it.” Rev spat, and Shane recoiled, “Why, you–”
Bella interrupted, “Guys! I'll eat my lunch, I just got caught up. You're a very curious person, Shane.” The Witch said, nodding. She looked a little exasperated, and something in Rev prickled at that emotion being directed at him. It was the stupid armor that was getting in her way!
Shane backed down, “Mine intellect... failed to grasp such a thought. Forgive me; please, partake of thy meal, Lady Bella.” He relented, lowering his head.
Rev sat back down, chair screeching a little. Bella looked at him, cutting a red apple into smaller pieces, “You can eat that one, Rev.” She offered.
He raised the bitten fruit a bit, “You don't want it?”
Bella's voice raised a little, “N-No! You already bit into it!” Rev huffed, “Hmph. It's not like I sneezed all over it or something.”
Rev took another bite of the apple, gaze drifting over as the Witch popped a slice of her fruit into her mouth. The sharp, sour juices spread along his tongue as he chewed, he always preferred red apples to green ones. The unpleasant, roiling feeling in his chest didn't lessen, or go away.
He observed Mark, and Bella, and the Suit. The goddamn Suit, who was leaning his tin-can head on his tin-can hand and blinking dreamily at Bella while she ate. Rev preferred red apples to green ones, he thought again, watching another slice of fruit disappear between Bella's lips.
She caught his eye, and blinked twice, a pretty pink spreading light over her cheeks, before she looked away, chatting with Sera.
A smug satisfaction settled over him, he couldn't place the reason.
And as Rev continued to watch, gaze scanning softly over the Witch's blushing features, he confirmed, he preferred red apples to green ones.
Yes, he preferred her red over feeling green.