Someone keeps leaving a pink carnation on your desk everyday, and you have your suspicions on who it could be.
A single carnation would normally lay delicately on your keyboard, its petals a beautiful light pink, but not today. For about a month, someone has come in early enough to leave it for you. It shocked you when you first received it. You had looked around the office for clues for a while until your boss told you to get back to work. You didnât do much about it at first except for taking it home and putting it in a vase. But after a few weeks, you decided you would properly investigate this matter more thoroughly. You were curious who kept doing this and why. Firstly, you looked up the meanings of it all; the meaning of a carnation, the meaning of the color, anything that could lead you to whoâs been doing this.
After researching, you learned enough to guess that this could be a romantic gesture. A carnation is a flower of romance and symbolizes fascination and distinction. The color pink can symbolize romance and compassion, as well as shyness and timidness. Perhaps the person who left these flowers knew all this and wanted to express these meanings to you. It seems that theyâre shy since they couldn't exchange these face to face. But what if these meanings meant nothing? Maybe they just knew you liked the color pink. Maybe they just picked a random flower from a store and just stuck with it.
But you doubt that it's that simple. Leaving a flower at someone's desk everyday seems pretty romantic, at least to you, and the gesture fits the meaning of the flower and its color. Itâs too coincidental! And thereâs one person you know who works in your office who would go through the effort of it all to do this. His name is Rouxls Kaard, heâs the secretary of your boss and he just so happens to work a few desks away from you. You two talk quite often, and youâd even consider him a friend at this point. Heâd be the only one to do something this tedious and yet so, heartwarming.
I mean it just adds up! He often uses flowery words and sometimes flattery when talking with you. He also tends to delve into the deeper meaning of random things that most people wouldnât care for or even know of. And knows you like these types of cute gestures. Like the time one of your co-workers left a motivating sticky note on your desk and you couldnât stop gushing over it to him. Maybe he knows that you like him, and had been wanting to ask him out for a while but couldnât. Now thinking back, maybe he picked the color pink because he knew youâre too shy to ask him; and not the other way around? Thatâd be quite embarrassing. It could be your own selfishness and wishful thinking, but it must be him. If itâs not, your plan is about to be a lot more disappointing.
You came in extra early today. You told your boss ahead of time that you wanted some time to work on emails. Gleefully he gave you a spare key and thanked you for wanting to put in some hard work, you assume he must not get this often. Although, there might have been a flaw in your plan. You came in about an hour before Rouxls does, which is an hour before you normally come in. Do you perhaps see what weâre getting at? You had to wake up two hours before you regularly wake up and you still have an hour till Rouxls shows up. Basically, itâs very five in the morning and youâre really fucking tired.
Was this a good idea? No, probably not. You should have come thirty minutes early instead of an hour. You donât even have emails to write! You lied! You very much lied!!!! But you had no other excuse at the time. So now youâre sitting at your desk waiting for Rouxls without anything to do. Your computer screen shines brightly, lighting up the dim room around you. You only turned on some of the lights because it felt weird for them all to be on this early. Glancing at the time on your computer you realize only ten minutes have passed since you got here, and seven of those minutes were wasted when you started contemplating your choices. You sigh aloud and open your emails to look like you're doing something. Even though no one is here to see that⌠Maybe if you rest on your desk for a bit, time will pass by quicker. Honestly you feel as if itâs your only choice, so you scoot your keyboard closer to the monitor and lay gently on your arms.
Even though it felt like only a few minutes had passed, the creak of the door opening meant you fell asleep. Did you really? Just sleep? At your desk? For almost fifty minutes?? ⌠yeah. The sound of footsteps sounds towards you, where youâre currently trying to look like you werenât sleeping. âY/n? What is thou doingst here so early, doesnât thou comest at seventh?â You donât even have to look to know itâs Rouxls speaking, his voice so unique itâs hard to mistake it. âOh uhm, you know⌠emailsâŚâ Maybe if you were more awake, youâd be able to sound more convincing. âAh, so thou was working onst emails with thoust eyes closed?â Shit. He saw you sleeping. Your face heats up as you struggle to explain yourself. âUh well⌠I was but.. uhâŚâ You have to come clean, âOkay well to tell the truth, I was waiting to find someone. They leave a pink carnation at my desk everyday, and I was hoping if I got here early enough Iâd find out who they are. But waking up early kicked my ass and I fell asleep instead, heh.â You glance at Rouxlsâ face, a suprised look plasters it. Either itâs him or heâs shocked at your dedication.
âAh? That maketh senseâŚâ A moment of silence envelopes you both and if silence could kill, youâd be on the floor dead. You take another glance at Rouxls, and notice he seems to be holding something behind his back. âWhat's that you're hiding behind your back?â You question, and he squeaks in surprise. He shuffles a little farther away from you, âOh, it ti-tis nothingst! Eh-heh..â You give a questioning look and stand up from your chair and walk towards him, in response he shuffles away a little more. âYouâre hiding something! What is it?â You try to look behind him, âWhat is it!â You both awkwardly walk around the office. You can't help but giggle as he struggles to hide whatever is in his hands. âAlright! I willeth showeth thou, since thou is so persistenth.â Halting your actions, you stand in front of him. Slowly he reveals the one thing you had hoped itâd be, a single pink carnation. Even though itâs what you were hoping for, you canât help but let out a little gasp in surprise.
âIâm sorry if it had upseteth thou. I hadst just wanted to expresseth how I feel but was unsure how to, there art a few meanings behind itâŚâ He hands you the flower and you canât help but smile softly. âItâs quite alright. I understand the meaning of it actually.â His eyes widen in surprise, âYou do?â. âYes, after a few weeks I researched the meaning of a carnation and the meaning of its color because I had a weird feeling it was significant..â You canât help but look away and ask, âIf what I read is true, does that mean you like me?â
Looking at him again, you see his face flush a dark shade. It seems words canât speak for him, but he nods his head. Nervously he looks at you, waiting for your response. âI feel the same.â Another pause of silence surrounds you, but this time itâs more comforting. A moment passes and Rouxls smiles, although a little nervously, and leans down closer to your face and says;
âMay I kiss you?â
(Originally posted on AO3 1-8-23, 1,358 words.)
(So this is actually my least favorite of my works so far that I've posted. Its just a silly concept and I dislike it tbh. But I'm finally reposting it on here so enjoy ig.)
(Fluff, Gender-Neutral Reader, Not Canon AU idk, Y/n used)
Your sibling Kris forces you to join them with their friends and Rouxls to go to the Amusement Park. Chaos, failed flirting attempts, jealousy, and disaster oh my!
You awake early on this Saturday morning to grey clouds covering the city, and cold air nipping at the people outside. A morning like this called for a warm beverage and a pile of blankets. Settling for hot cocoa, you feel excited thinking about everything you wonât have to do today. You stir the packet of Cocoa mix into a warm glass of water. No college, no chores, no work, and no terrible coworkers. Itâs only 10am, so you still have a lot of time to waste indulging in doing nothing. Itâs perfect for the first day of Winter Break. Of course, until Kris had decided to text you.
âY/n. come to the amusement park with us.â So unspecific, per usual of your texts with Kris. They seemed to have a knack for never telling you the full details while at the same time also leaving you on read. Sipping on the steaming cocoa, you write back a response; â1. Lol. why? 2. Who is going? 3. Why??â Kris is always a handful for you, but you love them to death. When you had decided to move out, you chose to not move far so that you could still see them easily. You're glad that you had chosen to do that considering after you moved out, Asriel soon did as well. Asriel is sadly much farther away than you, so Kris began taking the bus to see you. You appreciate it a lot more than youâd ever admit. You both werenât really close when you were younger, so itâs nice that youâre closer nowadays.
âRalsei, Susie, Noelle, Berdly, Lancer, me. The usual. Rouxls is gonna be there too. Meet us at 11.â You sigh, Kris didnât even give you an option to not go. And now if you donât show up youâll look like an asshole. Damn it, theyâve got you cornered.
On the flip side, Rouxls will be there. Your feelings for him are⌠complicated. Heâs annoying, obnoxious, and quite frankly outright irritating. But these traits are why youâre madly in love with him. If you look past the three previously named traits, heâs genuinely sweet and caring. Especially towards his adopted son Lancer, aka his lesser son. You donât really know the story between them because you've never asked; it seemed too personal when you first met him and now it seems like itâs too late in the friendship to ask. Rouxls certainly is an interesting character, you canât tell if he likes you or not. He always calls you a puny small worme or a peon, or other names along those lines.
You drink the last of your cocoa, wash the mug, and think of the pros and cons of going. Cons; Being in a crowded Amusement park, scary rollercoaster rides, tons of people, and annoying kids. Pros; The Fun Gang, hanging around Kris, an opportunity to romance RouxlsâŚâŚ.
âIâll get ready, see ya soon.â
Your face feels hot, this could actually work out if you play your kaards right. The amusement park is the perfect place for you two to get closer. It almost makes you giddy thinking about it. Correction, it actually does make you giddy. You smile as you go to shower and tidy yourself up.
Showering is easy but picking out an outfit is hard. You want to impress Rouxls by looking your best, but not too overdressed. You want to be comfy, but not under dressed... Itâs an overly complicated process, but eventually you pick something to your liking. You pack a bag with a thin blanket, so you all can sit in the grass at lunch of course, and your wallet. Soon enough, you drive over to the amusement park, planning your âdeviousâ plan.
The local amusement park isnât far from the city you live in, but itâs a little farther to get to from where Kris lives. Your parents, Toriel and Asgore of course, used to take the family during the Winter and Spring a lot. Asriel always wanted to play the games to earn prizes but Kris wanted to ride all the rides. So you guys always did both. Kris won all the prizes, but got forced to share against their will. Asriel would get sick from Roller Coasters, but still went on them so as to not ruin the fun. You never werenât much into games at the time and were too scared to go on the rides. What you enjoyed the most was the atmosphere; sitting in the grass, enjoying your family's presence, and watching the sunset at night. But besides that, you liked cheering both of your siblings on! The good old days of youth. One thing thatâs definitely changed is that you would totally play the games now.
Soon enough you arrive at the amusement park and you already feel your anxiety kick in. Thereâs a lot of people, scary rides, and Rouxls Kaard here. Thatâs a lot of things that are scary. âWhere r u? I'm hereâ You send Kris the text, and try to gain the balls to go out. You take a deep breath and get out with your bag and head toward the entrance. You feel a buzz in your pocket and pull out your phone to read what Kris said while you stand in line. âAlready got entrance tickets, trying to buy tickets for rides and games atm.â You smile, itâs been a bit since youâve seen Kris. They honestly brighten your day when you see them.
Going up to the entrance to buy tickets, you see a skeleton snoring at the ticket booth. âUhm⌠excuse me..â You say, hoping to get their attention. The skeleton stirs and looks up to you, but keeps their head in their arms. âOh, hey-o. Wanna ticket or somethinâ?â His voice was monotone yet he kept a tight grin on his face, a bit friendly but a bit unnerving at the same. You hope heâs actually an employee, but his attire wasn't exactly a uniform.
Blindly trusting the suspicious guy, you nod your head. You were similar to Kris, not one for conversation but more in a socially awkward way. You pull out your money and put it on the counter. You focus your gaze into the park while the worker, if he even is a worker at all, gets your ticket. There's a chance you just gave your money to a scammer. You look past the gates and there in the distance you can see the Fun Squad!
⌠Oh no.
The scene before you plays out like this; Kris and Susie are shaking the ticket machine, Ralsei is frantically trying to stop them, Berdly is standing a couple feet away trying to act like he doesnât know them, Noelle is at a different ticket machine, Lancer is hanging onto the machine gleefully, and Rouxls defeatedly sitting on the ground with his head in his hands. Oh boy, today is gonna be a long day. âKnow 'em?â The worker at the ticket booth asks you. You make a face, knowing the fate in store for you when you walk in, "Yeah." He hands you your ticket and you thank him before going in.
âGuys donât go breaking the ticket machine please... We just got here, we can't get kicked out yet!â You say, walking up to the group. âAh! Finally, the assistance has arivedetheth.â Rouxls stands up and exclaims exasperatedly; it seems like he already tried to stop Kris and Susie. Kris and Susie stop shaking the machine and Kris runs up to you, giving you the biggest hug. Smiling, you hug back and ask, âSo, whatâs the issue with the ticket machine?â
Susie rolls her eyes and walks over to you. âWe thought if we shook it hard enough the tickets would come flying out and we would save our money.â You canât help but laugh a little because that makes sense now. "Don't worry, I got enough tickets for everyone while you guys were... doing what you did." Noelle says, tickets in hand. Seems like she was the only one with a brain. She hands out tickets to everyone, what a saint she is. As the Fun Gang begins to move towards the rides they desire, you fall a little back to walk with Rouxls. For no particular reason of course. âSo, what made you want to tag along Rouxls?â You imagine the reason was probably that he wanted to watch Lancer, but you still ask regardless just so you have something to talk about. âWell, I wasnât planning on attending, but I heardeth thou were going to be here and decidetheth to join along to so thou shall not be watching these little worms alone.â You donât know whether to feel flattered that he cares for your well-being or offended for calling them worms. It makes you wonder whether Kris asked Rouxls to come by pretending you were already going, and vice-versa for yourself. What a trickster they are, if it was purposeful. âAw, thatâs sweet of you to tag along for me. Thank you, I appreciate it. The kids arenât worms though.â You giggle, looking at your feet instead of him. He chuckles in response and you both walk in silence.
Soon enough the kids found the first roller coaster they wanted to ride on. The start of your master plan began to set in motion, or so you were hoping. You wanted to pull a few super smooth moves on Rouxls, but you were, conveniently, inconvenienced every time you tried. The first inconvenience was when you tried to ask Rouxls to get on the rollercoaster in the same cart as you. But he declined, saying something along the lines of rollercoasters was for worms and that he would never. The look on his face gave it away though, he was scared of them. So you were you so it was kind of a good thing. Instead you decided to join him watching the kids ride their rollercoaster. You were excited to get alone time with Rouxls until your second inconvenience happened. Ralsei wasn't able to handle the roller coaster and the poor little guy got sick, so he sat with you both for the rest of the rides. It reminded you of when Asriel got sick from roller coasters all the time when you were kids. You did feel bad for Ralsei, but you were also secretly cursing him for accidentally ruining your alone time.
After the last ride ends and everyone gets off the ride, you ask, âOkay everyone, are we getting hungry?â You get a collection of answers such as, âHell yeah!â and, âYes please.â Pretty obvious who those two answers came from. Kris takes the lead and shows everyone the way to the food and snack portion of the park. The stands around you smell delicious and the food looks great, but you can only think of one thing. Cotton candy. Itâs been years since youâve had authentic amusement park cotton candy, and it was the only food on your mind.
Seeing the stand in the distance, you start to veer away from the group with it being the only thing on your mind. âHuh? Y/n, where are you going?â Noelle's voice calls out from behind you, and you point at the booth. Heading over to it, you notice the man running the stand is the previous man from the entrance ticket booth.
âI thought you worked at the ticket booth?â You ask him when you get to the front of the line. The guy looks up and his grin seemingly gets wider. âHa, I sâpose I multitask. Itâs a skele-ton of work though.â He winks, and you canât help but laugh a little at the pun but also cringe at it. âOh I bet, sounds like you get worked down to the bone.â He snorts at equally cringey pun while you hand him the money, and he starts making your cotton candy. âDidn't read you as the type to like puns.â You look at him a bit confused. âAre you a professional at knowing whether someone likes puns or not?â He chuckles, "Perhaps." You roll your eyes and laugh. He hands you your cotton candy and you turn to walk back to the group.
After you turn around, you notice all the kids are playing tag on an empty grass hill nearby. Rouxls is standing nearby but instead of watching them, he's watching you. When your gaze meets his, he turns and watches the kids. You could imagine it but it seemed weird that he was watching you, his face looks a bit angry too. Was he mad that... you got cotton candy? Maybe he wanted some too. Putting that aside, you walk back to the group. The kids are all playing a seemingly intense game of tag, but it looks like they got themselves some snacks and put it in a pile nearby. You walk toward Rouxls and say, âSorry about that, it took a little bit. Iâve got a blanket for us all to sit on.â He doesn't say anything, but you set your bag down and grab the blanket you packed and lay it on the ground. Rouxls sits on one end while you sit on the other, eating a bit of your cotton candy. Awkward silence ensues.
âŚ
âSo, did thou know the man at that stand? Thee both seemedeth.. uhm.. quiteth friendly.â The question broke the silence but didn't make any sense. âOh, no not really. He was also the guy running the ticket stand. Kinda weird to be running both areas right? He was also making some cheesy puns.â Rouxls makes a hm sound in reply, leaving you with more questions than answers. Rouxls' weird attitude made it seemed like he could be jealous of the way you acted with the ticker stand slash food stand worker. But that's too cliche to be true, right?
You want to break the tension but youâre not sure how to with the way he's shut your previous conversation down. Staring at the yummy sugary treat you hold in your hand, an idea sparks to life in that brain of yours. Slowly, and hopefully not noticeably, you scoot your way closer to Rouxls. In a matter of seconds youâre so close that the both of you are almost touching arms. He doesnât seem to notice thankfully, heâs staring at the kids but it seems like heâs actually spacing out. âHave you ever had cotton candy before, Rouxls?â You ask, finally breaking the silence. He jumps at your voice and turns to you in a surprised manner. He was definitely spacing out based on the slightly shocked expression he holds. âA-Ah, I didnât realize you- thou got so.. close. No, I hath never had whatever thou speak of. He almost broke his façade but he picked it back up quickly... you always knew he probably exaggerated or faked his way of speaking. You smile and push the cotton candy close to his face and say, âItâs called âcotton candyâ, and you should try some! Iâm sure youâll enjoy it, basically itâs sugar that gets heated up into liquid and then spun into this like uh, soft cloud threads? Iâm not sure how to describe it but you should try it.â
His cheeks flush a dark blue in a way that makes it seem like he could be blushing, but youâre not sure. âAre you sure? Isnât it yours?â You nod your head, and he hesitates for a second but then he takes a surprisingly good sized bite out of the cotton candy and his eyes light up in delight. âMm, tch-at is pretty, mm, good.â He mumbles, mouth full of cotton candy. You canât help but giggle at his cute behavior. He glares at you, but it seems playful enough that you donât mind. You pull the cotton candy back to you and take a bite, then bring it back to him to eat. From an outside perspective it probably seems like you two are a couple. You donât mind at all, you hope he doesnât mind either.
The kids finally tire out and join you both on the blanket to eat their lunch. You all share some laughs, and before long lunch passes by and the real fun begins. Susie suggests you go to the arcade, and of course you all agree. When you get there, Berdly loudly exclaims, "We should do a competition to see who is the best overall gamer! I know you all know I am undoubtedly the best, but I'm sure you're all eager to try to beat me." Ignoring his gloating for a second, that actually sounds pretty fun. "Sure, can I go against you first?" You ask him, you can't wait to kick this kid's ass. Berdly smirks and picks out some random shooter game. The others begin to pick out their competition and go to other games. While you get ready to start your epic match against Berdly, Rouxls walks over to you. "I am admittedethly not good with video games, so I wisheth thee luck on winning. I have no doubth that thou shall win." Even though you were sure he was just being nice, your heart can't help but flutter that he went out of his way to wish you luck. You played against Berdly a few times, and let's just say you won by a long shot. Even though Rouxls said he wasn't good at video games, you managed to get him to play a couple of games with you. He did pretty well for his first time, only struggling every once in a while. Then Kris joined in and basically annihilated everyone. They always did have a knack for games, always winning while barely putting in effort to it. These events have led up to now, where youâre all surrounding Kris and Susie, the last competitor against Kris. Theyâre playing Dance Dance Revolution and both of them are trying their hardest to win. Who knew Susie was this good at dancing, she was really holding out against Kris. Everyone was cheering for who they thought was going to win. You could hear Noelle cheering for Susie the loudest though, how cute.
The song was just about to end with Susie winning when suddenly she missed a note. The game flashed with a finish sign and showed their scores. Kris won by barely a smidge of points. âGODDAMN IT KRIS, I WAS ABOUT TO WIN!â Susie exclaims and in a fit of rage punched the screen, smashing it. Everyone stands in shock and you hear someone shout, âHey! What do you think you're doing!â Looking to where you heard the shout, you see a guy who looks to be the manager and a couple security guards running towards you all quickly. In a rush of panic you yell, âRUN AND HIDE!!â
You all run out of the arcade, scrambling in different directions to hide on various attractions. You pause in the middle of a crowd outside the arcade unsure where to go, when a hand grabs yours and drags you along with them. Startled, you look and see Rouxls is the one who grabbed you. You both run towards the nearest ride to hide, the Ferris wheel. The worker, obviously clueless to the previous arcade incident, lets you into the box and starts the ride up. You take a seat to catch your breath.
Rouxls sits next to you, in the same state as you. âThat was quiteth⌠hah.. an exciting and scary predicamenteth.â You nod your head feverishly in agreement. Pulling out your phone, you send a quick text to Kris informing them that Rouxls and you escaped to the Ferris wheel and that everyone should meet up in 10-15 minutes at the front. You know it's a bit annoying that you all have to hide out for that long, but it's better safe than sorry in case the guards go to the gate now. They don't text back yet, and you hope they're okay along with everyone else.
Suddenly, realization hits you in the face. Rouxls and you are alone. In a Ferris wheel. By yourselves. Alone. Did you mention alone? Your face warms up and your body starts to feel uncomfortably sweaty. Even though you were trying to woo him from the start and this is the perfect place. But now that it's happening with no interruptions this time, it's making your body feel like it wants to collapse and yet always throw yourself out of the window. You feel too scared to make a move so instead you decide to look out the window. You didnât realize how long you all were playing arcade games until you looked, the sun is already setting behind the clouds. It was beautiful, it had already passed the orangey stage and was now in the darker stages. Dark purples, pinks, and light blues painted the sky. Some stars even started showing up.
âRouxls! Look at the sunset, itâs beautiful right now.â You lean back into your seat to allow Rouxls to see the sunset from your window. Instead of looking from where he was sitting next to you, he scoots closer and leans over you to see the sunset. He stretches out his arm putting his hand on your thigh and his other hand on your shoulder to steady himself. His face lights up looking at the sky, and he smiles peacefully. You blush and oh my god do you want to kiss him right there and then, but you donât want to interrupt the moment. He looks absolutely stunning in the lighting, the sun dimly reflecting against him, enhancing his features perfectly and making his hair look angelic. You try not to stare but you canât help it.
Rouxls turns his head away from the sunset and instead looks at you. Your eyes meet and slowly Rouxls leans closer to you. Heâs so close you can feel his shaky breaths against your face. To say you were freaking out in your head was an understatement, your thoughts were running a million miles a minute. Youâve been wanting to kiss him for months now, and it felt like it was about to happen. You want to make the move, but you feel frozen staring into his eyes. Rouxls makes the first move, and finally seals the gap and kisses you. It takes a moment, but you reciprocate the kiss and put your arms around his neck while he moves his hand from your shoulder up to hold your face. His lips feel soft and taste sweet, the flavor of cotton candy still lingering on his lips even after all this time. You both pull apart and you feel a little winded. âI apl- aplogizeth for not asking to kiss thou.. I couldnâth help myself.â Rouxls trips up a little on his words, but you understood what he said. âItâs okay, Iâve been wanting to kiss you for months- I mean itâs okay yeah donât worry. Don't think about what I just said.â You accidentally overshare that little tidbit of info and try to laugh it off nervously. Rouxls smiles and kisses your cheek, which reassures you that he didnât mind.
A minute or two passes, and Ferris wheel finally brings you both to the bottom to get off. Rouxls stands up and holds out his hand gentlemanly for you. You take his hand and hold it tightly, and he leads you off the Ferris wheel. With your free hand, you take out your phone and see Kris has texted a few times updating the situation.
âOkay, I got stuck in a ball pit. A security guard is near me.â (8:21pm) âThe security guard just walked past me.â (8:28pm) âTHE SECURITY GUARD ALMOST SAW MEâ (8:34pm) âIM RUNING RNW OMG HE IS RUNIGB AFTER ME I WILL HAVE TOâ (8:35pm) âSorry for the typos and not finishing my sentence. Iâm safe now, weâre all here at the entrance except Rouxls and you.â (8:39pm) âWeâre leaving without you two with mom. If I see that you're both in the news for getting arrested, we arenât gonna bail you out lol. And I'll print out your mugshot and hang it up in the house.â (8:45pm).
You canât help but laugh at the series of texts Kris sent. You update them that youâre okay and that Rouxls and you got stuck on the Ferris wheel. You shiver, now that the adrenaline is gone you realize how cold the night has gotten. Rouxls looks at you at you concerned and you say, "Sorry, don't worry. I'm just a little cold." He smiles and replies, "Ah, I see. It does seemeth to have gotten quite cold from when we hadth first arrivedeth. If you are cold dear, then taketh my coat." Rouxls lets go of your hand and takes off his coat, handing it to you. Although flustered, you take it gratefully and put it on. The coat is warm since he had been just wearing it, and is stops you're shivers in a matter of seconds, the jacket was a bit big on you but you didnât care. You grab his hand again, already missing the feeling of it. âThank you for the jacket, youâre never getting it back ever again. The kids left with my mom, so itâs just you and me. We better get to the parking lot quickly before security recognizes us.â You tell him and the both of you speed walk and get to the parking lot quickly. As you approach your car Rouxls suddenly stops. âAre you okay? Whatâs up?â You ask concerned, still holding his hand. âUhm.. I just realizedth that thy mother took me here with Lancer, it was convenienth at the time to not take two cars...â
âŚ
âOh.â
âLuckily Lancer is with them. I think theyâre all going to have a sleepover, I heard them mention it earlier at lunch.â You say and Rouxls sighs in relief that Lancer will be okay. While wondering how Rouxls will get home, a thought crosses your mind. You tug on his hand to get his attention, âHey, wanna have a sleepover of our own? You can stay at my apartment for the night and then in the morning I can take you to pick up Lancer and take you both home.â Your face heats up, while your offer is meant to be innocent, your thoughts canât help but imagine some not so innocent scenarios.
Rouxls looks surprised by your offer and you hope you didnât over step. âI mean of- of course you don't have to, I can just take you home instead and then you can do your own things. I donât want to make you uncomfortable-â Rouxls cuts off your rambling by squeezing your hand reassuringly. You stop and look at him, and he leans down to kiss your cheek. âDonât fret dear, I would love to stayeth over at thy home.â You smile, happy that he wasnât offended and happy that he actually accepted your offer. You turn toward your car and you pull him close, walking hand in hand together.
âAlright then, letâs go!â
(Orginally posted on AO3 9-12-22, 4551 words)
(Based off of a dream I had January 2022. In the dream I had, instead of sharing cotton candy it was a bowl of white rice and I was feeding it to Rouxls. Just plain white rice. Not on a grassy hill, no no no we were just below the Ferris wheel on the concrete for no reason. Then Kris, Susie, and Ralsei come over and get all mad that we were sitting and eating because we were supposed to be in the arcade playing games. So yeah that dream inspired this lol)
(Fluff, Gender Neutral Reader, Not Canon AU thingy.. idk, Y/n used)
Your constant struggle to sleep leads you to the balcony late at night, where a certain Duke suggests poetry to help your problem.
  During the late hours of the night, most could find you awake in your room. Itâs not like you chose to be up in the late hours of night, youâd love to sleep peacefully like your friends, but the problem was you simply couldnât. You couldnât quite pin it down to insomnia, it was more so that it became a habit from your teenage days. But now that youâre a young adult, youâve found that this is quite annoying.Â
  Youâre tried everything to fall asleep at a decent time; Melatonin, peaceful music, Youtube videos, playing a game to exhaust yourself, and various other things. Nothing seemed to work, youâd always be up till 3am or later trying to sleep.Â
  Recently, your sibling Kris and their friend Susie accidentally brought you into this place called the Dark World. You enjoy the place a lot and you've been staying down here even when Kris and Susie arenât around. You stay for a few reasons, the main being that you have been studying the place since youâve arrived. Youâve always been an explorer at heart, and the Dark World was beautiful. It always provided mystery along with amazing scenery and people.
  Another reason that had you staying was a certain Duke, Rouxls Kaard. It might be crazy, but he really stuck out to you. His devotion to puzzles had your heart thumping. Sure they werenât very good in terms of being difficult, but itâs clear that he puts his heart and soul into them; and thatâs what really makes them special to you. Ever since arriving, youâve been more and more interested in him. Of course as the clichĂŠ goes, you would never ever admit it to him. The only person youâve ever admitted about your so-called âcrushâ on Rouxls to was your sibling. They had a knack at figuring out your secrets, it was irritating at times but honestly you donât mind for the most part.
  Back to the present time at hand, it was currently two in the morning in Dark World time. Kris and their various friends were also staying in the Dark World, they had lied to their parents that they were at Krisâ for the night for a sleepover and you were watching them. Technically, yes, they were having a sleepover, just not where their parents thought. You were also technically watching over them too, just not at where their parents thought either...
  Ralsei was nice enough to make everyone a room, including yourself. It suited your tastes so perfectly it made you question how the hell Ralsei could know. Maybe from the adventures youâd been on with the group, you suppose, but not this down to the nitty gritty.
  At the moment, you lay face down in your bed. Youâre frustrated with your lack of sleep, and at this point you canât be bothered with actually laying the correct way. You sigh, deciding that maybe a walk around the palace could help. Maybe youâll stop in the kitchen for some water and snacks, since youâll be up for another hour or so.
  Practically rolling yourself off the bed and onto your feet, you go to open your door. You try to open it as quietly as possible, but the door doesnât bend to your will and instead creaks loudly. Hoping no one woke up from that, you hold still and wait for someone to investigate. After a minute with no one seeming to have woken up, you walk out into the hallway. Still trying to be quiet, you tiptoe your way out to the balcony for some fresh air.
  The sky in the Dark World was very unlike the sky in the normal world. The best way to describe the way it looks is to picture that one edible glitter powder you put in sodas thatâs probably just a bunch of micro plastics. Thatâs basically what the sky looks like, though itâs much better than the edible glitter.Â
  For the second time tonight you sigh, looking up to the sky. Your thoughts wander to your previous adventures from the last month or so. Who knew saving the world and making friends within a strange world would ever be a part of your agenda. And falling in love as well⌠it makes your head spin honestly. Who knew a man with the strangest way of speaking and easy puzzles could whoo your heart so easily without even trying.
  âAh Y/n? What is thou doing outh here at thine hour?â You jump at the voice that suddenly appeared behind you. Speak of the devil, you turn around and see the one whoâs stolen your heart. âAh Rouxls, I couldnât sleep so I decided to get some fresh air. But I could ask you the same thing.â Rouxls chuckles, making your heart pitter patter in the most cheesy way ever. He walks to stand next to you by the balcony, âEh-he, ah so thine wisheth to knoweth why? Well thou shall see, I was sleeping quiteth peacefully but thenth I heard a loud sound that startledst thyself out of mine slumber. So thenth I decidededth to investigate the sound.â
  You can feel yourself cringe, what luck it was that you happened to wake him up and cause him inconvenience. âOh I'm sorry! That was me opening my door, Iâm so sorry for bothering you.â Heat rises to your face and ears in embarrassment as you try not to make eye contact. âOh no I did not mean- Do not worriesth dear, it was quite not a problemth, do not fret.â Rouxls seemingly stumbled on his words, clearly sensing your distress, and waved around his hands a bit. You smile and giggle at his behavior.
  Minutes pass of silence, luckily it's only a little awkward. You were staring out at the sky when Rouxls breaks the silence. âSo, Y/n, do thou often haveth troublest sleeping?â You shift yourself to lean against the balcony and turn your head toward him. âYeah actually, it usually takes me till three am or later to sleep. Itâs a habit I suppose, hehe..â You laugh a little at the end of your sentence to try not to seem so glum. Rouxls mimics your movements and leans against the railing, âIâve tried what feels like everything to fall asleep but it seems like nothing works.â The sentence comes out quieter than you meant.Â
  Rouxls hums in response, you look at him and it seems like heâs thinking about something. After what feels like minutes, Rouxls snaps his fingers and says, âHaveth you tried poetry?â You raise a brow and tilt your head. Of course you havenât, because why would anyone in their right mind try poetry to fall asleep... You keep that thought to yourself, realizing it sounds pretty mean, and instead just shake your head. âAh, I knoweth it may seemth strange. But maybe your lacketh of sleep mayst be from stress. I writeth poems to tryth to ease mine stress.âÂ
  Now that he put it that way, it did make more sense. Maybe it was stress, not sure from what but stress can be caused from lots of things. âThat actually makes a lot of sense. But I donât really know how to make poemsâŚâ You trail off, thinking for a moment about your past English class poetry failures. EmbarrassingâŚÂ
  Rouxls chuckles, âWellth than I may teacheth you, thy is the best after allst. Letâs go to mine room.â He begins to ramble on about how heâs the best at poetry, while leading you to his room. You space out a bit not really listening. Normally you would listen to his narcissistic-esc rants, you find it annoyingly cute, but not at two in the morning. But before you know it, youâve walked right into his room.
  âHmm.. taketh a seat upon mine bed, as it shall be the most comfortablest place to writeth poetry.â Rouxls whispers as to not wake the others sleeping in a room nearby. You sit on his bed and look around his room. It really fit him perfectly, the room had an elegant look with a color scheme of blues, blacks, and whites.Â
  Rouxls comes over to you and hands you some papers and pens. You assume he doesn't have pencils since it doesnât really fit his style. He sits down next to you and explains how to write a basic poem. âNow you writeth a poem and I shall writeth one aswell, and hopefully it shallth make you tiredst.â You nod and begin to think about an idea. You try to think about your family or the scenery of the Dark World, but all you could think about was how close Rouxls was next to you. He was already writing down something on his paper, his eyebrows scrunched up a bit as he concentrated. You feel your face grow hot, and your thoughts flood with him. Without even realizing it, you start writing a poem about him;
  âThe wind of the night calls out your name,
As moon shines light upon your frame,
I stand beside you admiring your elegant grace,
A feeling of warmth clings to my face,
I can only hope it goes unnoticed,
As you talk and I try to stay focused,
But my longing for you cannot subdue,
My heart cannot help but intrude.â
  Admittedly it wasnât your best work, nor was it your worst, but it worked. Your eyelids begin to droop a bit and you know you should get up to go to your own room. But you donât want to interrupt Rouxls, who is still focusing on his own poem. Without much thought you instead just lay down across his bed, practically falling asleep as soon as you hit the soft mattress.
  When you wake up, you assume you only slept for maybe a few minutes. But the rays of sun shining on your face from the window say otherwise. Panic sets in as you look around and realize you never left Rouxlsâ room. You were also not laying horizontal on the bed, instead you were now tucked into the blankets comfortably. You shift yourself up with your elbows and peer around.
  Rouxls is nowhere to be found. Now worry is set in your heart, where did he go? Did you falling asleep scare him off? The sound of the door opening pulls you out of your thoughts, and in comes Rouxls with a cup of coffee. âOh, you are awaketh. Good morning.â He smiles a bit, a little bit sheepishly but youâre not sure why. âGoodmorning, sorry about falling asleep in your room. I didnât think I would pass out like thatâŚâ Your face becomes hot again, which has been happening a lot more than youâd like. Rouxls chuckles and sips his coffee, âIt is no problemth, I am glad I couldeth help you could get some sleepth.â You get out of his bed and stretch. You thank him and begin to leave before realization sets in.Â
  âOh uhm uh by the way, did you read the poem I made?â You turn and look at him, his face notably shades in a slight dark blue tint. He definitely did. He totally did. âOh my god Iâm sorry bye!â You manage an apology and then with that you quickly exit and rush to your room. Your heart beats fast and your face heats up, this time out of absolute embarrassment, and you close your door. Jumping into bed face first, you whisper scream into your pillow. âI cannot believe this why am I like this oh my god why did I write about him and then fall asleep like it was nothing what did I think would happen..âŚâ You shake your legs up and down, hitting your bed out of frustration. This is definitely in your top three most embarrassing moments.
  A knock breaks your thoughts and you can only think the worst. It could be Rouxls here to reject you or it could either be Kris or one of their friends here to question you on why you were running down the hall; if they even saw you. Nervously you get up and open the door a bit. Of course it was Rouxls, why wouldnât it be!
  âAhem uhm Y/n, I apologizeth for reading your poem withoutst your permission. I could noth but help to readth it, and I also cannot help but ask if perhaps.. it couldeth be about me..?â God. Why. You wanted to die on the spot honestly. You nod your head hesitantly and start to mutter apologies but he interrupts abruptly. âI seeth, do noth apologize. You see IâŚ. feelth the same way. Ahem, and well I was wondering if maybeth you wouldst like to go outh on a date..â Rouxls cheeks were dusted dark blue in blush, his eyes avoiding your own and his hands behind his back in an almost polite, but awkward manner. âOf course! I would love to actually that would be amazing. When are you thinking?â Your heart was beating louding in your ears, you felt like he might be able to actually hear it, and your face was hot like it was on fire; which was actually becoming quite annoying and repetitive. âTonighth at six? I haveth the perfect restaurant that I thinketh you might enjoy.âÂ
  The two of you make plans for dinner that night and he wishes you a farewell and heads off to his own room. When you close your door you feel like you might collapse. Correction, you actually do collapse. Luckily not in a bad way, just out of excitement and adrenaline. After a few minutes of processing you stand up and get ready for the day. Anticipation fills your body as for the first time ever, you canât wait for the night to come quicker. Who knew a poem could solve not only your sleep problems, if even for a night, but also your love problems.
