Autor's note: Yeah, just ... random fluff. The discord people keep saying I cannot write fluff, everything I touch turns angsty... so... I will have to prove them wrong. pairings were not my choice.
Also, fight me, the First Elder's name is Giovanni.
Crossposted likea month later from Ao3
„Is that Erik Satie?", the Third Elder asked casually as he entered the living room. Ah, he was always good for a surprise. Not just as the First Elder of the Union... but also as friend and lover. Speakers in the corners of the room spread the sound of the soft piano tunes. The tall blond man was sat on the couch, legs crossed as he leaned back in relaxation. A warm smile illuminated his features. When Third stepped closer, he finally got up and opened his arms.
"You came with empty hands?"
"- empty hands?" Third blinked for a moment, thrown off track.
With a laugh, First wrapped his arms around his torso. A brief kiss. "I fucking told you, you're working too much. You really forgot about Valentine's Day. If this were our anniversary, I'd flip a table!"
With a mischievous gleam in his eyes, he pulled away just slightly. His hands remained on his lover's waist. Should he bring up excuses? No. He knew that Gio was not the type to get worked up over arbitrary holidays.
"My... are you looking for excuses to be romantic?", Third teased instead. Gently, he placed one hand on First's upper arm.
"Always." Taking a step back, the taller man pulled his white-haired companion along. One step to the side. One back. One forward. Slowly, they danced to the soft tunes of Erik Satie's Gymnopédies. His favourite composer and his favourite person.
Gently, Seira had refused the roses offered to her by Rael – how many times had he forced her to express her lack of interest with more insistence than she would have liked to? She was perfectly aware of the cultural significance attributed to this day. The girls at school have been talking quite a lot about it and she wondered whether Frankenstein was correct about claiming 'love was in the air'. She felt no different.
Initially, her intention had been to spend it in quiet, as usual – yet a most interesting proposition had moved her to choose differently. With a polite nod, she moved past Rael and left behind the school's gates where someone was waiting for her already.
"You look most charming, Miss Seira," the blond man stated politely and she could recognize a drop of sweat forming on his forehead. Pushing up his glasses with his free hand, Yuri offered the bouquet of red roses to her. 7 of them.
"I look the same," she stated, accepting the flowers with a humble nod of acknowledgment. Her answer must have thrown him off track, she noted, not without a certain hint of amusement.
"... Shall we go, then?", he inquired, offering his arm to her in his most genteel fashion. With a graceful nod, Seira accepted and took his arm.
For just one afternoon, she would allow him to adore her.
This was... concerning, to see her leaving with... this modified human. In peace. Accepting flowers from him, too! And what was it with all those flowers and hearts, anyway? The 14th of February was just another day, after all. Strange, to arbitrarily attribute it such a special meaning.
Regis stared at the school's gates for solid four minutes before a gentle tap on his shoulder returned him to his immediate surroundings. Ikhan, clinging to one of his science books.
"Hey... Regis..." Ikhan seemed nervous, and for a moment, Regis worried whether something might have happened. You could not be certain about anything these days...
"Yes? Are you alright?"
"I just wanted to ask... are you doing anything? Since Seira is... uh... is she on a date?"
"... I think she might be. She got flowers."
"So... are you.. doing anything?"
"... I was going to go back to Chairman Lee's house and study for this Math Test. I promised my grandfather to learn everything."
"Oh... oh... I just thought.. you know..." Ikhan's cheeks reddened and Regis blinked a few times. Why was he...?
"... Are you alright?", he asked, once more. Something was weighing down on Ikhan's mind, clearly. Even he could see that.
"... Yes.. .just..." Ikhan drew a deep breath. "Doyoumaybewannahangoutwithmejustustwomaybeicecreamorsomethingyoudonthavetoit -"
"Wait. Wait. Take a breath. Do I what?!"
"Do you want to maybe go and eat icecream with me?!"
Why... why did Ikhan blush so much? Why was it so hard for him to ask him that? It was a perfectly innocent question.
"... Okay." It's not like he had something much better to do. Math was awful and he did not want to deal with it. At all. He would not be the first noble who did not know maths.
"I mean... like... as... uh.. a date?" Ikhan swallowed hard. "I... I think you're... really nice."
Regis blinked again, feeling his cheeks go red.
"... I... sure. Yes. I... think you're also really nice...?"
And when Ikhan touched the back of his hand wit his fingertips with this relieved, happy smile... That felt really nice too.
Oh, no way! Frustrated, Shinwoo kicked against the nearest trashcan. First, Seira waltzed off on what could only be a date, and then Ikhan had to run off as well! With Regis! He had spent the past three weeks breathless, nervous, sweatily trying to memorize the words he meant to say when trying to ask Seira out on a date. With Rai having disappeared right after class... What was he supposed to do?!
Shinwoo's moment of self pity was disrupted by the sight of one of the security guards looking quite distraught. Angrily, the blonde young man tossed a bouquet of roses into the trashcan Shinwoo had almost kicked over a moment ago.
"Hey, are you okay...?" That guy (Rael? If he remembered right...) really looked upset...
"Fine! Just fine!", the blonde spat. He probably was not much older than them, if one were to judge by looks.
"Ohw. You just got rejected? Bummer."
"That's none of your business!"
"Hey. Relax." Shinwoo raised his hands appeasingly. "I didn't even get to ask someone out! Like, did you see...?"
Rael grit his teeth. "I saw." The blonde clenched his fists angrily.
Shinwoo huffed in annoyment.
"hey. Rael. Do you wanna go and hang out? I don't wanna hang alone all day."
Rael blinked, looking at him with wide, genuinely confused eyes. Confusion turned into indignation.
"You! How dare you just -"
"Hey. It's cool. Come on. We could play some video games or something. No point in looking like seven days of rain. So? Whatcha say?"
Rael was thinking, clearly. Then, with an annoyed huff, he looked away.
"Fine. Let's go. But don't think I will let you win."
Shinwoo laughed. "I'll be the one who won't be letting you win."
His first visit into the human world fell on a special week, apparently. One that felt like it celebrated the Blersters and all they stood for: love. Curiously, Ludis crossed the courtyard of the school. So this was the place his fellow nobles loved and protected... He stopped when his attention fell to the brown haired girl he had seen with Sir Raizel and the other nobles a couple of times this week. She looked... sad. Though surely it would be rude to be indiscreet- Ludis still stepped closer. Softly, he harrumphed to gain her attention.
"Oh. Hello." A little smile that failed to hide a certain gleam of sadness in her eyes.
"Are you alright?", he asked awkwardly. Humans were strange to interact with. Hopefully she would not think of him as rude or intrusive for approaching her like that.
"... Yes. Just... Ah. I don't like Valentine's Day." She blushed slightly. "... I have seen you around a bit this week."
"I am Ludis." He lowered his head politely and the brunette girl chuckled.
"I am Yuna. Nice to meet you, Ludis."
"Nice to meet you too, Yuna," he said awkwardly, shuffling from one foot unto the other. "Why do you not like Valentine's Days?"
"... It sounds stupid but... not many boys ask me out. And all my friends seem to have gone on dates so..." She shrugged. "Guess I will just read."
Ludis glanced at the book she'd opened in her lap. "What are you reading?"
"The Color of Earth. It's... very nice." She shifted aside on the bench and, following up on that cue without prior thought, Ludis sat down.
And when she started talking about the tale of mother and daughter, of their life and growth, she did not look so sad anymore. It made him smile. When he would return to Lukedonia, he would take a copy of this book and read it too. Maybe they would meet again – and they could talk about it, then.
The house was rarely as quiet as this – everyone had gone out and Frankenstein would be a liar if he claimed he had no hand in it. Some seemed to have found something to do on their own, while others had been given a task or just some money and an afternoon off. Raizel looked up to him when Frankenstein set down the cup of freshly brewed tea in front of him.
"I know that nobles do not celebrate this day... But are you sure you wish to do nothing?" That was quite like his Master, was it not? To choose to just stay in and do... nothing. After all the time they had spent together, he should have seen it coming.
With a slight smile, Raizel patted the free space on the couch next to him and Frankenstein sat down. Softly, Rai shook his head and placed one hand over Frankenstein's and, with a sincere smile, he said: "It is just perfect as it is."