Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In Eden Academy, there isn’t a single person who has never heard the name ‘Loid Forger’.

Handsome, kind, smart, athletic, and an imperial scholar to boot, Loid Forger seemed to effortlessly top exam scores and consistently carry Eden’s football team to victory. The female students often whisper about him, all giggles and wide-eyed blushes concealed behind the covers of leather textbooks, while male students look at him with envy.

Personally, Loid himself doesn’t care much for being in the spotlight. The overwhelming attention is more of a nuisance for an introvert like himself, who prefers being away from people. He keeps his circle of friends small, much to his best friend Franky’s chagrin, who insists that he should ‘invite the ladies to have lunch with them’.

He probably just wants to use Loid as an opportunity to hit on girls. Some friend he is.

Besides Franky, Loid only ever spends his time with one other person - Sylvia Sherwood, another one of his best friends. An imperial scholar and a top student, Sylvia is well-known among the student body for her intelligence, piercing beauty, and sharp, commanding personality that simultaneously evokes awe and fear in others.

It goes without saying that despite knowing her for years, Loid still finds some parts of her terrifying at times. There are just some things you don’t say to the Sylvia Sherwood.

In all honesty, Sylvia is probably the only reason why the other students have never tried inviting themselves to sit with Loid and his friends - they’re too afraid of her, and rightfully so. Which is why now that Loid has to eat lunch alone, he’s in a bit of a predicament.

Loid sighs, staring at the cafeteria entrance longingly. Sylvia is busy with club activities, while Franky has been summoned by their housemaster for remedial lessons. That leaves just him, standing in the hallway with his emergency cheese and ham sandwich that he has specifically for situations like this, the cafeteria looming before him like a battlefield.

He knows that the moment he enters that room, his peaceful student life (for today, at least) will be over. He can already hear the chorus of “Loid, sit with me!”s echoing in his head.

Loid almost shudders at the thought. No, not today. He’ll find somewhere else to eat.

Technically, students aren’t allowed to eat anywhere else other than the cafeteria. It’s one of Eden’s many official school rules, enforced with the intention of instilling excellence in their students. Break it, and it’s an instant Tonitrus Bolt - only if someone catches you, that is. Lucky for Loid, his many years at Eden have led him to discover hidden routes and discrete places to hide.

He settles on having his lunch in one of the gardens, concealed deep within the academy grounds. It’s secluded, safe from prying eyes, and nobody ever goes here except the sweet old lady who tends to the flowers.

Finding shelter under one of the trees, Loid makes himself comfortable before finally unwrapping his sandwich from its plastic wrapping. It's gone cold by now, but he'll take eating a cold sandwich any day over having to plaster on fake smiles and exchange forced pleasantries with people he barely knows.

Finally. Peace.

But just before he can take a bite of his food, a rustling from above makes him pause, sandwich hovering a few inches away from his mouth. 

Huh. That was a… Very violent rustling of leaves indeed. Almost like someone thrashing about - it's certainly not the kind of sound a few birds would make. Could it be some other animal then?

“It may not seem like it, but Eden has a lot of wildlife. Monkeys too, if you believe me!” he recalls the old lady telling him once. Granted, she could have just been seeing things, what with her old age and all. Wild animals don't just randomly appear in cities after all, but it's not like he can completely rule out the possibility of them wandering in either.

Suddenly fearing for his sandwich, Loid clutches onto it for dear life. With bated breath, he stands, slowly inching away from the tree. He can still save the fate of his lunch if he's quiet enough -

Thump!

“What the He-” Loid’s sandwich almost goes flying out of his hands as something lands right beside him. A gust of wind breezes past his ears, nearly knocking him clean off his feet.

“OhmyGodI’msosorry!”

The world spins around him, and faintly, he hears muffled noises somewhere in the distance. 

“A-are you okay? I'm so sorry, I had no idea that someone else was here!”

It takes a while for him to register the noises as words being spoken to him, and even longer for the spinning to stop.

Loid blinks, his vision finally returning to normal as his eyes slowly adjust to his surroundings, and he’s met with the sight of -

A person. 

A very pretty one.

What Loid had expected to be a ravenous animal out for his lunch turns out to be another student instead - a girl, probably around his age, with eyes a striking color of red. She peers anxiously at him and he notices absentmindedly that there's a cat in her arms.

“I’m fine,” he manages to respond, still a little dazed from the sheer impact of her feet touching (decimating would be a better word) the ground. 

His mind buzzes with questions, like why she was in a tree to begin with, but the only thing that comes out of his mouth is a very breathless, “Is that a cat?” As if the cat in her arms is anything else but a cat.

Strangely enough, the girl doesn’t seem put off by his question in the slightest. Instead, she beams, eyes lighting up as she strokes the ginger cat in her arms. “Yes! His name is Machi. He usually hangs around here.”

Machi meows as if affirming her words, chest rumbling contentedly.

“I came to look for him earlier, but he wasn’t here. I panicked, only to find him stuck in a tree again,” she huffs, frowning down at said cat that’s still purring in her arms unsuspectingly. “This isn’t the first time he’s done this. He likes to climb trees and then completely forgets how to get down by himself.” 

She sets him down, still frowning disapprovingly as Machi, ever oblivious, winds himself around her legs.

“He really likes you,” Loid notes. 

She smiles wryly. “I hope so, after all the times I’ve saved him.”

“Is this what you do then? Saving cats from trees?”

Now that he can think clearly, he has to admit that he's intrigued. Even with his athletic abilities, the tree she (quite literally) jumped down from is massive, branches sprawling in all directions. A fall from a tree like that - no, even climbing the tree itself could probably lead to a few fractures for anyone else. 

“Kind of,” she says, crouching down to pat Machi. “There are other cats around here besides Machi, but they’re a little shy. Sometimes they get stuck in trees too, so I end up having to climb trees a lot.”

Her hand that was patting Machi stills. “Is that… Weird?” she mumbles, eyes flickering up to him. There’s a hint of self-depreciation in her tone, and Loid frowns. He finds her insecurity puzzling, to say the least. Here she is, doing something nobody else probably cares to, and finding herself strange for it. 

Sure, her situation is a little strange - it’s not every day you find someone in a tree, but not in a bad way. He thinks she's interesting; her kindness, her gentle way of speaking, and above all that, the impressive strength, balance, and stamina she must have to climb and jump off trees that easily. Loid would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious to know more about her.

Did someone say something mean to her? Irritation bubbles within him, not towards her, but towards whoever the perpetrators are.

“Of course not,” he immediately refutes. He crouches down beside her, sandwich long forgotten as he holds out his free hand for a very curious Machi who approaches him - only to sniff, turning his nose up at Loid before running back to the girl’s side. 

“Machi!” she gasps, offended at his rudeness.

Loid only laughs. “See? He trusts you, not me. That’s proof of the relationship you have with him. Without you, he could have stayed stuck in that tree with no one to help him. The same goes for the other cats. I don't see anything weird about the kindness you've shown them.”

“Loid…” Her eyes shine, clearly touched by his words. “Thank you.”

Seeing her expression lighten up, he feels himself calming down a little. There's still more he wants to ask her, like what (or who) made her feel that way, but he figures that he shouldn't pry.

“You know my name?”

“Oh!” Her hands fly up to her mouth, and she flushes slightly. “I-I'm not a stalker or anything, don't worry! It's just that… Well, everyone in Eden knows you and my friends talk about you often, so…”

She trails off, looking embarrassed. Oh. Right. He's still not used to being so well-known. It’s not like he's that interesting to be such a common topic of discussion, anyway.

“Well, since you know my name, I think it’s only fair that I know yours too, right?” 

Her head snaps up at his words, red eyes widening as she stares at him and points to herself. “You… Want to know my name?”

“Yes,” Loid responds simply. “Is that so weird?”

He leaves out the part about how there's a lot more he wants to know about her - he doesn't want to come off as overbearing, although he is curious.

The girl shakes her head vigorously. “No, of course not! I just didn’t think you’d be interested to know.” She pauses. “I’m Yor Briar, from Rose Hall. We're in the same year.”

“Loid Forger, from Cecile Hall. But you already know that,” Loid chuckles, offering her his hand. 

Yor hesitates for a moment, a look of uncertainty flashing across her features. But then, slowly, she takes his hand, palm gliding over his, and he’s unprepared for how small her hand feels in his.

They shake hands, and Yor giggles. “What are we doing?”

“A handshake for first introductions.”

She smiles at that, the corners of her lips raising gently in a way that makes her eyes soften and his stomach flutter in an odd way.

Somehow, he finds this comfortable; being in a quiet garden with a girl he’s just met, her hand in his, the only sounds being the serenading of birds nearby and their soft voices. It’s a strange situation he’s found himself in, but not unpleasant. Yor must think so as well, because she doesn't make any indication to move. 

“So-”

Machi’s meow breaks the moment, and they both laugh. “I think he wants you to pay attention to him.”

“Yes, yes, I hear you. Quiet down,” Yor chides fondly, withdrawing her hand from Loid’s to resume patting the feline. Machi purrs, rubbing his head against her hand.

“Do you want to see the other cats?” she asks hesitantly. There’s the slight scrunching of her eyebrows again, like when she asked him if her situation was weird earlier, and the way her voice goes quieter, as if afraid that he would say no. 

Loid isn't a cat person, not really. Despite that, he still finds himself telling her 'yes'. 

She brightens at his words instantaneously. “Right, follow me then!” 

Yor excitedly grabs his hand before proceeding to tug him behind a tree, seemingly unaware of Loid's reddening ears.

“Why are we behind a tree?” he coughs, trying not to focus too much on how she’s holding his hand or how his heart is beating rapidly for some reason. Thankfully, she lets go to point at something in the bushes before Loid could potentially pass out from the sudden unknown ailment plaguing him.

“So we don't scare them away,” comes Yor's reply. She looks so happy that he doesn't have the heart to tell her that the cats probably already know they're here from all the commotion they caused earlier. 

“The white, fluffy one in the bushes is Pudding. He’s the boss of this place,” she says in a stage whisper as Loid attentively listens. “The small, black one over there is Luna, and the calico beside her is Peaches. Oh, and that tabby in the corner is Leo.”

She rattles off a whole list of names, and Loid is dizzy by the end of it all.

“How do you remember all their names?” he asks, squinting at two white cats that he quite frankly can’t tell apart - ‘Diamond’ and ‘Pearl’, as she told him earlier.

“I help Mrs Klein to feed them sometimes, so I learned to tell them apart after a while. That, and the tree climbing,” she tells him. Mrs Klein must be the old lady, he assumes. 

“I didn't know that Eden has these many cats.”

“They’re usually hiding in places where there are no students.”

Loid nods. He can empathize with the cats on that. “Looks like they're just trying to find somewhere peaceful then.” 

Speaking of somewhere peaceful...

He glances down at his sandwich; now a sad, soggy sight in his left hand. Yor notices, too, if the horrified gasp she lets out is any indication.

“Oh no! Your sandwich! I'm sorry, this is all because I distracted you earlier!”

“Yor, it's fine,” he waves off her apologies with a reassuring smile. “I'm not that hungry anyway.”

That was a lie - he can feel his stomach grumbling in protest, but he doesn't want her to worry. It's not the first time he's skipped meals before, anyway. A few more hours wouldn't hurt.

“Actually, I should go,” he tells her almost regretfully. One glance at his watch shows that their break is almost over, and he doesn't want to risk getting a Tonitrus Bolt for being late, as tempting as it sounds to stay here.

“Me too,” Yor replies. She gives Machi one last pet before turning to him and pointing towards the buildings on their right. “My next class is that way.”

“Oh.” For some reason, he feels slightly disappointed that he won’t get to continue talking to her. “I’m going the other way. I’ll… See you around?”

Yor nods, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear - an action that strangely has his stomach fluttering again. “See you.”

She turns to leave, only to pause as if she suddenly remembered something. Yor abruptly whirls back around to face Loid, and he blinks in surprise. “And um… thank you.”

He doesn’t get to ask her what for, because she runs off faster than he can open his mouth to speak. 

Loid chuckles. Looks like he can also add 'impressive speed' to the list of abilities that Yor possesses. 

Yor Briar, the girl who saves cats. Apparently, life at Eden Academy can get interesting.

As he walks back to class, he wonders if he’ll get a chance to talk to her like this again - and if he’s hopeful that he does, well, that's nobody else's business but his.

[ That day, the students whispered about the uncharacteristic spring in his steps and the small smile on one Loid Forger’s face as he walked down the hallways. ]

He starts to notice her presence in Eden; in the hallways, trailing behind three other girls who he assumes are her friends, during lunch, when he sees her walking off to the gardens, presumably to save another cat, and sometimes during PE class, when both Rose Hall and Cecile Hall end up having their lessons in the gymnasium.

He doesn’t get the chance to talk to her, though, often crossing paths with her only when they’re on the way to a different class, or when either one of them is in a hurry. Still, she never fails to smile or wave at him each time they pass by each other.

Sometimes, he catches himself throwing fleeting glances at her retreating back, long after she’s walked past him. Part of him wants to talk to her again, but he can’t find a reason or time to.

Part of him also knows that he’s making up excuses for not just going up and talking to her - in all honesty, he doesn’t want to draw unwanted attention to Yor by spending too much time with her. The other students are bound to talk about them, and he doesn’t want Yor to get caught up in that.

And maybe if he were to be a little more truthful to himself, it’s also because he’s nervous. For what reason, he doesn’t know. All he knows is that seeing her smile makes his stomach twist into knots, and his heart catch in his throat for inexplicable reasons. 

Maybe he’s getting sick. 

He makes the mistake of waving at her once when he’s walking with Franky, an action that does not go unnoticed by him.

“Hey, who’s that?” Franky asks once Yor has disappeared down the other side of the hallway.

“A friend.”

Franky whistles. “Are you finally taking my advice? She’s a total babe!”

Loid turns his head so fast that he almost gets whiplash. “Don’t call Yor that,” he seethes. Franky immediately shrinks away from him, shielding his face for good measure in case Loid chose to swing at him. 

“Okay, okay! Calm down man! Geez...” 

Franky isn’t wrong. She’s pretty. He has eyes as much as anybody else, and he can’t deny the fact that she's attractive. The softness in her eyes, her kind smile, her long, black hair that cascades over her shoulders -

Okay, maybe he’s getting a little too off-topic. Either way, there’s no way he’ll let Franky talk about her like that, best friend or not. Where did he even learn to talk like a creep? 

“But Yor, huh? I’ve never seen you get so worked up over someone else before. You like her or something?”

“No,” he denies all too quickly with all the conviction of his five-year-old self telling his mother that, ‘no, he did not eat all the cookies’, with crumbs all over his face. Which isn’t much. 

Loid chooses to ignore the unimpressed look that Franky gives him. “It’s not like that. I barely know her.” It’s true after all, they’ve only talked once. That’s not enough time for him to develop feelings for her.

He just finds her interesting. And pretty. 

Which is very normal. Appreciating the aesthetics of beauty is just something the human heart is drawn to. 

“Ever heard of ‘love at first sight’?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

He tunes out the rest of what Franky has to say after that. He knows it’s just curiosity. Never mind the odd feeling in his chest when he sees her - he’s just curious about her, that’s all.

It seems like fate has something in store for the two of them, and for some odd reason, it involves trees, because the next time he gets to talk to her, it’s when she’s up in a tree again. 

Lessons have ended for the day, and Loid and the football club are practicing for their next tournament, set to be held here in Eden against a rival school. Unfortunately, one of his teammates had sent the ball flying up into the air and right across the field (a very impressive feat, actually), unceremoniously cutting their practice short.

After many frantic apologies from his very flustered teammate and repeated reassurances from the rest that It's fine, it's just a ball, Loid had volunteered to go search for it while his teammates took a break. And so, with the promise of retrieving the ball, Loid found himself digging through bushes all while getting scratched by the thorns of unknown plants. A very miserable sight for anyone who may happen to be watching from afar.

Now if he can only find the damn thing. Seriously, how far did he kick it?

“Loid, is that you?”

The sound of an all-too-familiar voice almost makes his heart stop. 

“...Yor?” Instinctively, he turns, looking around him for the source of the voice.

“Up here!” 

There's a faint rustling and Loid looks up to see Yor perched on top of a tree branch like it's the most normal thing ever, waving happily at him. He's happy to see her too, of course, but why is she in a tree again?

“Uh… Yor? What are you doing here?” he asks dumbly. He certainly had not been prepared to meet her when he ventured out for their ball (which happens to still be lost). His palms feel sweaty all of a sudden, and he hopes that Yor didn’t see him trip over his feet earlier and nearly receive a face full of thorns. These bushes should really be considered a safety hazard. 

“Helping the baseball team. Their ball got stuck in a tree and they couldn't get it down, so I offered to get it.” She holds up a white-and-red baseball ball for Loid to see, and he has to hold back an amused laugh because finding her in a tree because she was helping someone is just so Yor-like of her.

“So you don't just save cats, huh?”

She laughs at that, a melodic, tinkling sound that makes him feel warm inside. “I guess you can say that.”

“I actually found this too,” she continues, rifling around behind her to hold up another ball - the very same one Loid had been searching for. “Is this yours?”

“Yor, you’re a lifesaver,” he absolutely beams at the sight of the ball in her hands, his suffering finally being put to an end. How it even ended up in a tree is beyond him, but he decides it's better to not mull over it too much.

“I figured this was what you were looking for.”

Loid tilts his head in confusion. “How did you… Oh, right.” For someone who's had to escape hordes of students too many times to count, he always forgets about his own popularity. Of course Yor knows that he's in the football club - everyone else does. 

Yor giggles. “It must be hard being so popular.”

Loid grimaces, recounting all the unpleasant experiences he’s had the misfortune of going through. “You have no idea.”

“Hold on, I’ll come down so I can pass it to you.” Yor gives absolutely no other warning other than that before she jumps, landing gracefully beside him without so much of a scratch on her. For a moment, Loid is rendered speechless, blinking stupidly at her as she beams cheerfully and holds out the ball for him. “Here.”

Yor waits patiently even as he continues staring at her for a few beats before snapping out of it. Getting used to her inhuman capabilities is going to take a while.

“Thank you.”

His fingers brush hers as she hands him the ball, and Loid feels the tips of his ears burning the same instant her face turns red. He practically snatches his hands away from her, gripping tightly onto the poor ball. 

“S-sorry.”

“I-it’s okay! I’m glad I can be of help to yo- to someone!” Yor stutters out. 

Unlike the other time when she had grabbed his hand (probably without even realizing what she was doing), there are no cats for Loid to stare at and will the redness on his face to disappear. Yor isn’t doing any better, staring at the grass like it’s suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

He clears his throat, desperate for a change in subject when a distant yell breaks the awkward silence.

“Yor! Did you find it?”

As if answering his prayers, someone calls out for Yor, who lets out a squeak of surprise and fumbles with the ball in her hands, almost dropping it. 

“Y-yes! I’ll be over soon!” 

Yor’s eyes dart around frantically, looking anywhere else but at him. They land on Loid’s face for a short while, before she looks away instantly. “I have to go. I, um, it was nice meeting you- I mean, not meeting you, since we’ve met before, I meant seeing you again!” Yor babbles on. 

Loid is hardly listening, too focused on the pink in her cheeks that makes her look all the more prettier. “Y-yeah.”

He’s still barely listening to her as she says something and waves goodbye to him. It’s only when she starts moving away that he finds himself reaching out to her, fingers wrapping around her wrist. Yor’s eyes widen, and he scrambles for something to say.

“Um.” Say something, Loid. She’s staring at you. “I, uh…”

“Yes?” Yor breathes out quietly. Every second that passes seems to go on for much longer than it should. 

I want to see you again, the words lie unspoken on the tip of his tongue, even though he doesn’t quite understand his own reasons for thinking that way. Why does he want to see her again? Why does he feel like their time together is too short?

“Tell Machi I miss him,” he blurts out instead. He can’t bring himself to say what he was thinking, not when he doesn’t even understand why he feels that way.

“Oh.” A hint of something that looks like disappointment glazes over Yor’s eyes before she blinks, and it’s gone in the next instant. “I will.”

He nods, and silence falls over them before they both remember that they have places to be. 

“I’ll see you around,” he tells her, fingers loosening their hold on her wrist. She nods, offering him a smile as they part ways, but Loid can’t help but shake the feeling that it doesn’t feel quite as genuine this time.

Loid watches her leave, his own feet heavy as he makes his way back to his teammates. Now left to his own thoughts, he frowns.

That was weird. He’s never had such a reaction to accidentally making skin contact with anyone else before. Neither has the thought of wanting to see someone again ever crossed his mind. Somehow, being with Yor Briar throws him off more than usual.

What is wrong with him? Maybe he should ask Sylvia. 

As it turns out, asking Sylvia was a bad idea. Currently, she’s staring down at him like she’s just heard him say the stupidest thing ever - which is clearly an exaggeration. All he asked her was what kind of sickness could cause him to have all these symptoms he’s been facing when he’s around Yor.

“You like her.”

“I do not. There must be some other explanation.”

“There’s your explanation,” Sylvia replies, looking fed up with the conversation. Her eyes linger on the door leading to the hallway impatiently, as if silently begging Loid to find some other poor soul to bother instead.

“I keep telling you, I don’t.”

“You walked into the door when she smiled at you the other day,” Franky chimes in unhelpfully from the corner of the room, and Loid glares at him.

“I was just distracted-”

“Are you an idiot?” Sylvia hisses this time. Ouch. That was harsh. “‘Accelerated heart rate, knots in your stomach, distractibility, sweaty palms?’ Have you even liked someone before?”

Loid thinks about it for a while. Has he ever liked someone? He tries to recall if he has, but his mind comes up blank. “...I don't think so. Look, it must be some kind of weird illness.”

“For an imperial scholar, you’re pretty stupid,” Franky snickers, and Loid has to physically restrain himself from telling Franky how that's ironic, coming from someone who consistently scrapes by each exam because he's too busy watching Berlint in Love to study.

“I'm not explaining this to you,” Sylvia sighs, waving a hand in defeat. “Ask Yor yourself. You're hopeless.”

“Fine,” Loid concedes. He’s definitely not asking Yor. He doesn’t want to offend her because of his… Condition. It’s not her fault that he happens to have these symptoms in her presence. There’s probably just some other link he hasn’t figured out. All he has to do is monitor his symptoms and establish a correlation, possibly even a causality. 

Loid pulls out the notebook stashed in his pocket, already drafting out a map of potential links, when he realizes how silent the room is apart from his mumbling. He looks up to see Franky and Sylvia staring at him in a way that can only be described as pitiful. 

“What?”

“Nothing,” Franky echoes back nonchalantly, going back to the comic he was reading. Sylvia pats his shoulder in silence, barely concealing the sympathy on her face.

He knits his brows in confusion at his friends’ attitudes. Well, whatever. He has other things to worry about.

“I feel sorry for him,” Franky whispers to Sylvia as Loid sits at his desk, mumbling to himself about ‘Yor’s smile’ and ‘accelerated heart rate’.

“Give him some time. He'll figure it out eventually.”

It’s inevitable that the next time he talks to her, it’s when she’s in a tree again.

“We really need to stop running into each other like this,” Loid declares, half in amusement and half in awe at the sight of Yor precariously balancing herself on a tree branch as she stretches for something. She grunts in response, too focused on her task to give him a proper reply.

“What are you doing up there? Another cat?” Loid asks, craning his neck to get a better view. 

“Oh, no it’s um… Got it!” she lets out a triumphant cheer before leaping down from the tree. “Camilla’s handkerchief!”

“Camilla?”

He’s heard her name before. Blonde, preppy girl, pretty popular too. He recalls her as one of the girls he often sees Yor with. 

He also recalls her as one of the very same girls that was gossiping about Yor right behind her back during a PE class. He hadn’t meant to overhear their conversation, of course - not like it really mattered to them, given how loudly they were talking about her.

“Did you see the way she smashed that ball into pieces? What a showoff.”

“A freak, more like.” 

“No wonder everyone avoids her. What a weirdo.”

Loid still remembers how he had to physically bite his tongue and clench his fists into a painfully tight grip before he did something he might regret. Punching three other students (all girls, no less), no matter how vile they are, is sure to land him straight on the road to expulsion. Even if they deserve it.

He narrows his eyes. “A friend of yours?”

Yor hesitates at his question, fidgeting restlessly with the handkerchief in her hands. “Oh, she’s um… Yes, I suppose so.” There’s a quiet, distinct sadness in her tone, and Loid feels a twinge of sympathy and anger at the realization that she must already have heard them talking about her before. And yet, here she is, still choosing to help Camilla despite that. 

“Well, I’m glad you got it back for her,” he lies through his teeth. He has half a mind to grab the handkerchief and throw it into the trash, but he knows Yor would never allow him to do that. 

“Yes! I was lucky to spot it earlier. She was devastated when she lost it. It’s one of her favorites,” Yor remarks enthusiastically. The pure happiness that radiates from her from finding Camilla’s handkerchief does nothing but intensify his urge to bury that handkerchief six feet underground. Camilla doesn’t deserve her kindness. 

Neither does he, really. He absolutely does not deserve to receive the smiles she gives him; warm, rays of sunshine that brighten any room she’s in. 

“You’re amazing, Yor.”

“H-huh?” Yor stutters, her red eyes wide. A familiar rosy hue tints her cheeks, completely caught off-guard by his sudden compliment.

“I think it’s amazing how you’re always helping others without a second thought. You’re very kind.”

Yor shakes her head in protest, her cheeks progressively turning redder the more he speaks. “You think too highly of me. I’m just doing what anyone else would.”

“Really? Because I don’t think anyone else would go out of their way for others like you do. Every time I’ve found you up in a tree, it’s because you’re helping someone.”

Yor bites her lip, smiling bitterly. “That’s all I can do, really.” Her voice is soft as her eyes shift downwards. “Strength is all I have.”

“And I think that’s part of what makes you amazing,” he counters. “You use your strength and your abilities to help others, and I find that admirable. You’re strong, Yor - both in terms of your kindness and your physical strength.”

“You don’t think I’m weird?” Her eyes flutter upwards, brimming with unshed tears - tears of happiness, as she sniffles and tries her best to hide the wetness of her eyes behind her hands. 

“No, I don’t think you are. I want to get to know you better.”

“I-I’m not that interesting.”

He doesn’t know where his sudden burst of confidence comes from, but the words, “You are to me,” tumbles out of his mouth before he can even process what he’s saying. He didn’t think it was possible, but Yor flushes an even deeper shade of red. 

Contrary to how calm he appears on the surface, his heart feels like it might burst right out of his chest from how rapidly it’s beating. 

“Next Friday, after our match. Can I…” he clears his throat. “Can I talk to you again after that?”

Yor is quiet, and for a moment, he thinks she might turn him down - but then she breaks into a smile, one far happier than he’s ever seen. “Of course. I’ll be there to support you.”

“Promise?” He sticks out his pinky, as childish as it is. Franky would definitely laugh if he saw Loid like this - but right now, it’s Yor he’s with, not anyone else, and when he’s with her, he finds himself doing things or feeling sensations he normally wouldn’t.

Yor giggles, linking her pinky with his. “I promise.”

The following days come and go. Loid doesn’t see Yor much after that, too busy throwing himself into last-minute practice whenever he has the time. He’s confident that their team is more than prepared, but that doesn’t deter him from putting in extra hours whenever he can.

Maybe it’s because he knows that Yor will be there this time. Before, it didn’t matter to him who was in the crowd. Now, however, he feels nervous at the thought of Yor watching him. 

Eventually, Friday rolls around, and as he steps onto the field, he feels the familiar, telltale jitter of pre-match nerves - well, that, and the fact Yor is probably in the crowd.

The stadium is abuzz with cheers and excitement, and Loid’s ears ring from the noise. He can see a mixture of students from Eden Academy and their rival school in the crowd; a sea of contrasting black and red uniform colors melding into one another. His eyes sweep over countless unknown faces whose names he doesn’t know as he searches the crowd for Yor, an almost impossible task given how many people there are.

He feels slightly disappointed that he won’t get to see her before the game, but that’s when he spots it; that unmistakable smile of hers, bright and radiant as their eyes meet.

She’s here. Yor came, just like she said she would. 

Loid can barely control the uncharacteristically wide smile that spreads across his face upon seeing her. He waves, albeit a little too enthusiastically, and she waves back, mouthing a ‘good luck’. The smile she gives him does nothing to calm his nerves - in fact, they increase nearly tenfold as his heart thunders in his chest violently. Now that he knows that she’s here for sure, he has to win. 

Whatever expression he’s making right now must be worrying because Dominic, one of his teammates, nudges him with a concerned look. “You okay?”

Loid nods wordlessly, swallowing hard as he follows behind Dominic. With Yor’s smile ingrained into his mind, he steps into position with the rest of his team. 

“Yeah. Let’s do this.”

...

“Eden Academy are our champions!”

Roars of victory erupt from the crowd as the tweet of a whistle is sounded, signaling the end of the game. Loid struggles to breathe as his teammates surround him on all sides, catching him in a mess of tears, snot, and a jumble of arms. He can barely tell who is saying what, their cries of joy and part-disbelief at their victory blending together. Loid laughs in spite of himself, his mind just as dazed as theirs.

They did it. They won.

His eyes instantly find Yor's in the crowd and he flashes her a thumbs-up, grinning proudly. He wants nothing more than to go to her side, but climbing over the partition to join the crowd probably isn’t a good idea at the moment. Plus, there’s still the prize-giving ceremony afterwards that he has to attend.

He’ll get to talk to her later - for now, he settles for the quirk of her lips and the happiness blooming on her face; radiating an incandescent glow that’s better than any trophy or medal he could ever win.

...

Loid heads straight to their agreed meeting spot when he’s finally free to leave, having escaped the clutches of the journalism club that had stuck around to try to interview him despite his resistance.

His mind wanders to Yor. She must be waiting for him by now. Thinking of her lifts his mood, and all of a sudden, it’s as if the dull ache in his muscles and the cloud of exhaustion hanging over him has dissipated instantly. He quickens his pace, not wanting Yor to wait any longer. 

His destination looms into view, and he raises his hand, opening his mouth to greet her - only for his smile to falter and his voice to die in his throat when he realizes that there’s no one here. 

That’s odd. He’s definitely at the right place, but Yor is nowhere to be seen. 

Maybe she got caught up with something? An uncomfortable feeling settles in the pit of his stomach, but he decides to wait. 

She may still be on her way here, he tries to reassure himself. Left with nothing else to do but wait, he fidgets with the watch on his wrist, glancing up every now and then for any sight of her.

Three minutes. Nothing.

Six minutes. Still nothing.

Ten minutes, and it’s still just him and the sound of his heart threatening to shatter into pieces.

Fifteen minutes pass, and by then, it’s apparent that Yor isn’t showing up. 

Loid frowns. It isn’t like Yor to not turn up after she promised him that she would. Heck, she didn’t even hesitate to help Camilla of all people after all the vicious things she’s said about her - Yor is simply that kind. It doesn’t make sense for her to stand him up for no reason.

Anxiety gnaws at him as he heads back to the stadium. Maybe she’s still there, he tells himself.

She’s not. 

He asks around to see if anyone has seen Yor, but no one can give him an answer. Loid sighs, shoulders slumping in defeat as yet another person shakes their head, telling him they haven’t seen her. 

Where are you, Yor? 

The academy is considerably quieter by now, the excitement of their victory having died down after everyone else had gone home or retreated to their dormitories. The once-lively hallways are now empty, completely devoid of life and almost akin to a ghost town as Loid wanders around aimlessly in search of Yor.

No luck. At this point, he's more than inclined to believe that she may have just gone home too, but he refuses to give up.

“Did you see…?”

Hm? Is someone else here? The faint sound of voices floating nearby makes Loid pause. Maybe they know something. 

He follows the trail of voices, his ears picking up snippets of conversation that make little sense to him out of context.

“Who… think she is?”

“Yor… in over her head..”

Wait. Did one of them just say ‘Yor’? 

Loid exhales lowly. He has a sinking feeling that they aren't just having a friendly discussion about her. Suddenly, the anxiety that has been festering within his gut makes sense. 

Their conversation becomes clearer the closer he is, until eventually, he’s close enough to make out what they are saying.

“What's her relationship with Loid, anyway? He's always waving at her like they're friends. He was looking at her just now too, wasn't he?”

“He probably just feels bad that everyone else avoids her.”

“I'm glad Camilla told her off. Someone had to put her in her place.”

A flash of red-hot anger swirls within him as he puts two and two together. So that’s why she never showed up. 

The thought of Yor having to endure all the cruel things being said to her only causes the anger to rise further in his chest. All because he had selfishly asked her to come and support him, smiling at her in the crowd for the whole world to see.

Calm down, Loid, he tells himself, hands shaking as he tries his best to reign in his emotions. Closing his eyes, he swallows down his fury, even as words threaten to fly out of his mouth and his hands twitch, forming into those familiar, white-knuckled fists. 

He’ll deal with Camilla and the others later. Right now, Yor needs him. 

He just needs to find her first.

Think, Loid. The answer must be closer than you think. Loid chews on his lower lip, his mind racing with urgency. If I was Yor, where would I go? The dining hall? No, that's closed by now. Even if it was open, there’s too many people there. The classrooms? No, I checked those earlier. Somewhere else quiet, then?

“Somewhere quiet…” he mumbles to himself, repeating the words over and over in his head.

The library? Definitely not. Maybe the field? I wouldn't put it past her to be climbing another tree right now, helping someone, he thinks a little fondly to himself.

Wait. Climbing a tree?

All at once, it hits him - of course. Why didn't he think about that earlier? There's only one place that she can be.

His body moves on instinct before he can even fully process his thoughts, leading him to the garden where they first met - to Yor. Machi must have been expecting him, because he greets Loid the moment he arrives, meowing disapprovingly at him as if to say, “What took you so long?”

Machi is right. He’s kept her waiting long enough. 

“Sorry, buddy. I’m here now,” he crouches down, giving the feline a scratch behind his ears. Machi purrs, but he still glares at Loid from behind narrowed slits of eyes.

“Can you tell me where Yor is?”

As if responding to him, Machi meows, ears perking up at the mention of Yor’s name. He trots off, leading Loid to what he recognizes as the very same tree where he first encountered her. Tail swishing, Machi stares up at him expectantly, and Loid nods.

From below, his view of her is mostly obscured by the thick foliage of leaves, but it's hard not to miss the trembling of her shoulders, or her slender frame hunched in over herself. She looks… Fragile. Devoid of her usual cheerfulness and life.

Loid’s heart aches at the sight.

“Yor,” he calls out to her, her name slipping off his tongue easily. Shock ripples through her body at his voice, and when she looks at him, he sees the tears staining her cheeks. 

Yor had been crying. 

“Loid? What are you…” she trails off, scrubbing at her face. 

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles, her voice dipping into a whisper. Even now, she plasters a shaky smile on her face as if nothing is wrong. “I forgot where we were supposed to meet, so I waited for you here.”

Yor is a terrible liar. 

He doesn't know what compels him to, but he grabs onto the tree, hoisting himself up as best as he can - maybe it’s the tears in her eyes or the fact that she’s still trying to put up a strong front. Whatever it is, all he knows is that he needs to be by her side.

“L-Loid? You probably shouldn’t-”

“I’m joining you,” he insists through gritted teeth. His foot slips as he struggles to find his footing, and his hands sting from the roughness of the tree. How does Yor do this so easily?

He's almost at the first branch when he loses his grip, and, shit - 

He slips, crashing onto the ground below with a pained grunt. In a flash, Yor is beside him, jumping down from the tree like it's nothing. Yup, he’s still no match for her.

“Loid, I told you not to! Why did you do that!?” 

For the first time, Loid sees a different mix of emotions swirling in her eyes; concern, and anger. He’s never seen her angry before. Somehow, the disappointment on her face is almost as worse as the sadness he saw earlier.

Yor exhales, breathing out a shuddering sigh. “I’m sorry, I shouldn't be losing my temper. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” 

Loid shakes his head. Despite telling her that he’s fine, she insists on checking him over, silencing his protests with a glare that he finds more endearing rather than intimidating. 

He knows it’s not the right time, but he can’t help but relax at her touch. The dull pain in his body subsides to a barely-noticeable hum in the background as Yor meticulously inspects him, turning over his hands gently and leaving goosebumps along his skin.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Sorry,” Loid murmurs without a hint of remorse. “Your hands feel nice.”

She blushes, dropping his arm instantly. “It looks like you’re fine then.” 

With her worries put to ease, Yor sits beside him. A soft breeze blows, and Loid watches as she draws her knees to her chest and rests her chin on them. He has a feeling that she has something to say, so he stays quiet. 

It’s a while before she says anything, her voice soft. 

“I lied earlier, about why I didn’t show up. But I think you already know that.” 

“I do. I’m not angry, if that’s what you're worried about.” 

“You should be.” She lowers her gaze shamefully, arms tightening around her knees. “I didn’t keep my promise to you.”

“I don’t care about that. I care about you.”

He doesn’t have to look at her to see the surprise on her face - he can hear it from the quiet gasp she lets out, slipping out of her as unconsciously as the way she wears her heart on her sleeve. There’s a silence as Yor seemed to struggle with what to say next, her mouth closing at the very last second each time he thinks she’s about to say something.

“You shouldn’t waste your time with me, Loid,” she says finally, her eyes still trained on the soft blades of grass below.

“And lose the opportunity to talk to you? Not a chance,” he shuts her down without a second thought. Yor opens her mouth to protest, but he shakes his head, fixing her with a steady look that makes her bite back her words.

“Yor, listen,” he starts, his movements careful as he reaches his hand out to her. “I meant what I said, the other day. I want to get to know you better, and I still do. I like spending time with you. And I want to know more about you - about Yor Briar, the girl who’s so selflessly kind and strong.”

“They’ll talk about you too,” she whispers, her voice thick with tears, but she doesn’t stop him as he takes her hand.

“Let them talk.” 

He’s already planned to give everyone who has hurt Yor a piece of his mind, anyway. He doesn’t really care what they have to say about him.

“I just don’t want you to end up like me,” Yor argues. “It’s lonely.”

“With you? It could never be.”

Her breath hitches as he unfurls her enclosed palm and slips his fingers through hers, squeezing her hand reassuringly. The fight seeps out of Yor, and quietly, she leans her head on his shoulder, shutting her eyes and exhaling softly.

“Thank you, Loid.”

She doesn’t elaborate past that, but he understands, from the quiet serenity on her face, and the softening of her eyes as her body relaxes. She’s always just wanted this - someone to accept her for who she is.

Loid squeezes her hand again in response. Her hands, which are littered with rough edges and calluses. Her hands, that have helped so many others in her own odd little way. 

They will have to leave eventually, but for now, he allows himself to bask in the moment, his heart beating in synchrony with her quiet breathing. 

And, as she leans closer into his side, a quiet hum falling from her lips, he allows himself to admit that maybe he does like her. 

Just a little bit.

Chapter Text

Yor receives a cryptic note on her desk one day, hastily scribbled and with no signature or name on it.

‘Rose garden, 1 p.m.’ - that’s all the note says. Turning it over gives her no further clue as to who this mystery sender is; the back of the paper just as clean and crisp-white as the front.

Yor frowns. Could this be a prank? 

Who would even want to prank her, anyway? It can’t be one of her colleagues. At their age, it’s unlikely for them to resort to grade-school-level bullying. No, they’re more likely to highlight their animosity during one of the staff meetings through a good show of public humiliation.

It can’t be her students either. Getting into the teacher’s office without permission is extremely difficult, and besides, in Yor’s eyes, her students are angels who would never dare to attempt such a thing. 

She doesn’t recall doing anything as of late that may warrant a prank or any form of resentment towards her either. Yor has always had a very close-knit relationship with her students, something that she treasures more than anything. Her desk is one form of proof of that; lined with knick-knacks, letters, and other trinkets that her students have gifted her over the years. The other teachers have often told Yor that she’s sentimental to a fault, keeping even the most crudely drawn doodles on a crumpled piece of paper that a year one student had proudly handed to her once.

Yor would beg to differ - to her, every gift she’s ever received is a form of encouragement and a way for her to remember every student she’s ever had the privilege of teaching.

Which, at the end of it all, leaves her with the same question - if it’s not her colleagues, and definitely not her students, just who would go about such an odd way of calling out for her?

Well, whoever it is, it can’t hurt to take a look. It is almost 1 p.m. soon. Folding the note neatly into her pocket, Yor makes her way to the designated location. She doesn't know what (or who) she's expecting to see there, but to her surprise, when she arrives, it’s -

Empty. There’s no one here; just her, the flowers, and the thick blanket of silence hanging in the air.

Yor tilts her head in confusion, checking her watch to make sure it’s not broken. No, it’s definitely five minutes past the time written on the note. She's a little late, but there’s still no one here.

Just as Yor is debating what to do next, a familiar meow catches her attention. She looks down to see Machi approaching, the bell on his collar tinkling. Machi has finally been recognized for the many years he’s served at Eden Academy, and now, he has a collar to proudly show off his name.

Yor beams at the sight of her favorite cat. “Machi? What is it?”

Machi meows again, rather impatiently this time, and Yor bends down to pat him. Upon further observation, she spots a rolled-up piece of paper that has been inserted through the loop connecting the bell to his collar. With nimble fingers, Yor removes the paper and unfolds it, smoothing out the wrinkles.

Follow me, it says.

Yor gapes, her hands trembling as she slowly lowers the paper.

“M-Machi…? Did you write this?”

How did he even manage that with his paws!? Are cats even capable of understanding human speech? This is why she doesn’t teach Science!

Machi stares blankly back at her, and the realization that it was probably written by whoever that called her here sinks in.

“O-oh. Right. It’s probably them,” she breathes out a sigh of relief. Cats aren’t going to take over the world just yet. 

With a swish of his tail, Machi walks off, and Yor follows him. Whoever wrote the note must be someone deeply trusted by Machi - the ginger feline, now a proud senior cat that the students have fondly referred to as ‘Grandpa’ at times, has a little attitude of his own and doesn’t listen to just anyone. Now Yor is even more curious about their identity.

They walk deeper into the garden, past the flower beds and trails of ivy, until eventually, Machi stops, bringing her to a tree that Yor recognizes all too well. 

This brings back memories, she thinks fondly, recalling the heat rising to her face and the rapid drumming of her heartbeat brought on by an innocent crush in her youth.

“What do I do now?” Yor asks. Machi paws at the tree, and she frowns.

“You… Want me to climb this tree?”

Machi doesn’t respond, abandoning her to chase a butterfly that so happened to be flitting by. A very adorable sight indeed, but rather unfortunate for both Yor and the butterfly.

Well, guess I have no other choice. Good thing I haven’t changed out of my training suit.

Once she’s done pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Yor begins her ascent, easily scaling the tree like all the other times she’s done before. Even now, as a teacher, she regularly finds herself climbing trees for her students, whose small yet energetic bodies often mean getting some form of sports equipment stuck in branches from time to time. She's glad that her unorthodox talent is still useful till this day. 

Within seconds, she’s nearly at the peak of the tree, pulling herself up with a triumphant grin - she hasn't lost her edge despite no longer being a teenager - only to come face-to-face with a very familiar face, the shock causing her to nearly fall off the tree in the process with a very undignified squeak.

Luckily, Loid steadies her before she can fall, his strong (!) arms helping her up beside him.

“Loid? What are you doing here?” she asks once she’s caught her breath and not in any imminent danger of falling. She certainly hadn’t thought that the mystery sender behind the note would be Loid of all people.

“You got my note, then?” he replies, answering her question with a question of his own. She huffs, and his eyes twinkle with boyish mischief.

“Really, Loid? Climbing trees at our age?”

“We’re not that old yet,” he laughs, taking her hand in his and pressing a kiss to the pads of her fingers. Yor reddens slightly at the action, the press of his lips against her skin gentle and loving. Even after all their years together, his touch still causes her to squirm from embarrassment sometimes. It’s a little ridiculous how profoundly in love she is with this man. “I thought it would be nice to spend time with you here.”

“You couldn’t have walked into my office and asked me normally?”

“This is more romantic, don’t you think?” Loid replies, the corner of his lips pulling up into a teasing grin. Yor shakes her head, but there’s more of an amused fondness in her expression rather than disappointment. 

“When did you even learn to climb a tree?” she asks curiously. As far as she knows, he hasn’t so much as gone near a tree since the last time he had failed to climb one all those years ago. 

“Oh, you know.”

Something clicks in her mind.

“You lied about all those injuries you got from ‘playing dodgeball with your students’?” Yor laughs, amused. 

Needless to say, the sight of Loid shedding his clothes to reveal fresh bruises the other day had nearly caused Yor to faint from shock. Loid had always been a little reckless since their academy days, giving her one heart attack after another whenever he turned up in front of her with an easygoing smile while being absolutely covered in plasters.

(Yor suspects that he did that often just so that he could have an excuse for her to fuss over him and tend to his wounds, which, more often than not, involved her holding his hands and Loid turning an incredibly dark shade of red.)

It doesn’t come to her as much of a surprise now, then, that all those bruises he had were actually from learning how to climb a tree. Loid can be adorably stubborn when he has his heart set on doing something, even if it's something as silly as this.

“I wanted to surprise you,” Loid chuckles, kissing her knuckles tenderly. “Happy anniversary, darling.”

Right - that's today. She thought it had slipped his mind with how busy he had claimed to be this morning; barely having time to spare her a kiss before he had to rush off to class, his tie slightly askew. Trust Loid to have something up his sleeve. 

Their hands fit together easily as she leans in close, tilting her head and murmuring the words against his lips, “Happy anniversary.”

Here, under the soft glow of the afternoon sun with their hands clasped; their wedding bands glint in the sunlight.