A/N: I'm not a dere tsun tsun dere I've got a jello heart I'm not that mean!! Uhm ok. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW TWILIGHT????
jade realizes he's in love with you long before anyone else notices. the problem is that he does absolutely nothing about it. at first, you are simply interesting. refreshingly so, actually. most people at NRC are predictable once jade spends enough time observing them, but you continue surprising him in small ways that keep his attention lingering longer than intended. your reactions amuse him, your habits intrigue him, and perhaps most importantly, you're one of the few people who eventually stop treating him with nervous caution after getting to know him properly. instead of avoiding him, you grow comfortable around him. trusting. relaxed. jade finds himself enjoying that far more than he probably should.
still, he tells himself it's harmless. you're merely someone pleasant to spend time with. except eventually, he starts rearranging parts of his day around seeing you without consciously deciding to. walks through campus somehow lead toward places you frequent. conversations stretch longer than necessary because jade keeps finding excuses to continue them. when he discovers something interesting during his hikes or mushroom expeditions, his first thought becomes whether you would enjoy hearing about it too. and perhaps most dangerously of all, jade begins seeking your company even when there's no particular reason to do so. which is unusual, because jade enjoys solitude naturally. he doesn't require constant companionship the way floyd does. most social interactions are deliberate choices for him, carefully controlled and measured. but around you, things become instinctive in ways he cannot entirely explain.
"you seem rather attached to the prefect lately." jade glances calmly toward azul without missing a beat. "do i?" "yes." "how fascinating." azul narrows his eyes immediately because that tone usually means jade is hiding something. unfortunately for him, jade has no intention of elaborating.
the truth is that jade notices the shift in himself early enough to understand exactly what is happening. he simply chooses not to acknowledge the full implications at first because that would require confronting how deeply rooted these feelings have already become. and he dislikes losing control of himself emotionally, especially when it happens this quietly. because nothing dramatic announces his feelings for you. instead, they settle slowly into the spaces between ordinary moments. he starts memorizing your preferences unconsciously, noticing your moods before you verbalize them, adjusting his behavior subtly to make you more comfortable without drawing attention to it. one evening he catches himself preparing your favorite drink automatically before you even arrive at the lounge. that realization unsettles him more than he expects.
physical affection becomes particularly dangerous after that. jade is naturally composed, usually very aware of both his own actions and the reactions they provoke. but with you, small touches begin affecting him more than they should. if your hand brushes his while passing him something, his thoughts linger there afterward. if you lean against his shoulder during conversations, he becomes distractingly aware of your warmth for the rest of the evening. one time you absentmindedly fixed his tie while talking and jade had to spend several moments afterward reorganizing his thoughts because his brain temporarily stopped functioning correctly. it's deeply inconvenient. especially because you remain blissfully unaware of what you are doing to him.
"jade?" "yes?" you tilt your head slightly while studying him. "you've been smiling at me for like five minutes." "...have i?" "it’s kinda creepy." jade laughs softly while you stare at him with increasing suspicion.
honestly, floyd notices before anyone else does, mostly because jade starts choosing your company over his more often, which apparently counts as a catastrophic behavioral shift in floyd's eyes. "jade likes shrimpyyyy~" "floyd." "jade and shrimpy sittin' in a tree~" "floyd—" meanwhile azul looks moments away from developing a stress-induced migraine.
jade ignores all of them gracefully while internally acknowledging the deeply unfortunate truth. he has become attached to you in a way that feels dangerously permanent. that's the part he struggles with most because jade understands himself very well. he knows that once he truly values something, he becomes quietly possessive over it. protective. attentive. and somewhere along the line, your happiness started mattering to him instinctively. your exhaustion worries him. your laughter lingers pleasantly in his chest long after conversations end. when something upsets you, jade feels irritation curl sharply beneath his calm exterior before he can suppress it. worse still, he genuinely enjoys being someone you rely on.
the realization itself happens during one of your usual walks together. the two of you are wandering through a quiet forest trail while jade points out different plants with that soft conversational tone he only really uses around people he likes. eventually you trip slightly over an exposed tree root, and before you can fully steady yourself, your hand grabs onto his instinctively. simple. automatic. trusting. and jade freezes internally.
because your fingers remain curled loosely around his hand afterward without hesitation, entirely comfortable with him, entirely secure in the expectation that he will keep you steady. and suddenly everything clicks together with startling clarity. every instinct pulling him toward you, every unnecessary moment spent seeking your company, every small adjustment made unconsciously just to see you smile more easily around him.
he looks down briefly at your hand still resting in his before lifting his gaze back toward your face. meanwhile you continue talking completely unaware that his entire internal world has just shifted slightly off balance. and honestly, that may be the moment he truly realizes he's doomed.
﹕✦ pairing - Riddle, Ruggie, Floyd, Jade, and Jamil
﹕✦ tags - fem!reader , headcannon, fluff, based on jaehyun’s song unconditional
꒰ RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS ꒱
﹕✦ shares study guides and notes. Riddle is constantly busy, between tackling everyday student responsibilities and his duties as housewarden, however he always reserves time for you. If your struggling in a certain class or topic he offers to tutor you privately in the library, and is not apprehensive to sharing his notes with you. In the beginning, you were a little embarrassed to seek out his help, but Riddle never makes you feel pressured or guilty for needing his assistance. In fact, it makes him feel good that he can help you with something, since he internally feels he struggles with showing affection. 
﹕✦ daily check ins. A way riddle shows his affection for you is by checking in on you throughout the day. Texts asking if you enjoyed lunch or how is your day going are his ways of showing his care verbally. Whenever you visit heartslabyul after a tiring day, he lets you rest in his room, just knowing by your face that you’re exhausted. Ever since his ovetblot, he really prioritizes your well being, not wanting to see you in danger.
﹕✦ soft gestures. Whenever the two of you are walking Riddle has a habit of extending his arm so you can link yours with his. It’s his way of keeping you close and safe in the swept of large crowds or overstimulating environments.
﹕✦ private tea parties. He loves to surprise you with private tea party dates, especially after exam week. He tries to really put an effort and bake most of the pastries himself. You can say he’s getting batter at baking, and knows not to use oyster sauce anymore for flavor.
﹕✦ his little rule breaker. Post overblot, Riddle has become a tad lenient while still maintaining order in Heartslabyul, but don’t let Ace find out that Riddle sneaks away strawberry tarts just for you, all to see your smile. He even has Trey bake your favorite dessert, and lets you have the first slice always.
꒰ RUGGIE BUCCHI ꒱
﹕✦ saved seats at work. Ruggie has had many part time jobs, especially during the summer. He mainly works at food places like or restaurants, and whenever you visit him for lunch during a shift he always tries to sit you at the same table. Whether you want to be in a corner away from others or near a window, he tries to accommodate that.
﹕✦ acts of service. If you’re looking for something Ruggie always seems to find it first, or if you’ve been wanting something Ruggie might surprise you with it if he can. A part of you feels bad because you know he already deals with so many responsibilities with Leona and always doing stuff for him, but Ruggie does things for you out of love and for a kiss in return. But don’t get things too twisted, he loves to be spoiled too, and you can’t say no to his toothy grin.
﹕✦ petting his ears. Ruggie does not let anyone touch his ears, and it’s pretty self explanatory why. For him his ears are a very sensitive part of him and he rather not have someone that close anyway. But you’re the exception, he’ll lay in your lap and let you play with his ears as he listens to you ramble about whatever. But this only happens in the comfort of your room or his, he doesn’t want to risk the embarrassment of getting caught by Leona.
﹕✦ small fixes. A few don’t notice but Ruggie can be quite touchy. Not just in an affectionate fine way but in an attentive one. If you have crumbs on your face he’ll dust it off with his fingers, if your school tie is crooked he’ll fix it like it’s nothing. It’s those casual touches that he does without thought.
꒰ FLOYD LEECH ꒱
﹕✦ letting you squeeze him back. Floyd squeezes everyone, and most of it is with menacing motives. However, you squeezing him back in return does make him always have a wide toothy grin on his face. The other students always looked puzzled and slightly concerned if they pass by and see you and Floyd squeezing each other and laughing with no intent of stopping.
﹕✦ gets serious when needed. Your relationship with Floyd is definitely filled with a lot of laughs and teasing but he doesn’t play about you. If he senses someone making you uncomfortable, his goofy smile drops and it’s replaced by his creepy toothed smile with menacing eyes. This doesn’t just extend to moments of protection, but even if you need to talk to him about something serious you two have a specific code word, so when you say it so he knows when to turn down the teasing and stay present.
﹕✦ surprise lifts. After dates if your feet are hurting from heels or just simply walking from long distances, Floyd will pick you with a laugh and carry you the rest of the way. He teases you for always wearing un comfy human clothes, but he gets to have you in his arms so it’s a win.
﹕✦ wearing his clothes. Floyd is very possessive over his own stuff, even though he leaves it almost everywhere with his messy habits. But even he can’t deny the cuteness he felt when you spent the night and put on one of his shirts. No one else can borrow his things, but if you ask he’ll let you after teasing you of course.
꒰ JADE LEECH ꒱
﹕✦ handcrafted gifts. From his hiking trips he’ll find all sorts of different flowers and he’ll make bouquets for you with them. Sometimes he’ll even brew you tea with a small note left for you, a quiet assurance of his affection.
﹕✦ gentle touches. Instead of walking with a quiet menace touch, Jade is softer with you. If you’re in his way, he’ll gently put his hand on his shoulder while he mutters a little excuse me. Or, when you approach him you notice his eyes turn softer upon seeing you, even if it’s masked with his polite persona.
﹕✦ subtle touches. Jade takes in every vulnerability you tell him seriously. If he can tell you’re feeling overwhelmed from being around others or noises, he calmly guides you with his arm to a more relaxed environment. Whether you want him to stay or go so you can be alone he’s there to ensure you’re away from unwanted stares.
꒰ JAMIL VIPER ꒱
﹕✦ braiding each others hair. Soft moments between the two of you when you and Jamil can both unwind and not answer to the commotion outside his room. Braiding your hair started off as a habit he did subconsciously, but now the two of you braid each other’s hair as you have deep talks or vents. It’s an intimate moment he wouldn’t share with anyone else, and it lets him to open his heart out to you.
﹕✦ cooking with you. Jamil loves to cook, that’s a fact and it’s usually a time where he can be in his element away from others. But it’s a space of his that he does share with you from time to time. When preparing for a banquet, he’ll ask if you would like to help him with a dish or if you want taste test a certain sauce or seasoning. Cooking to him is a way to show love so it’s like his extending part of his love to you. He’s not always the best with words but these small actions shine more as they are catered to you.
﹕✦ soft glances. Jamil’s eyes never leave you when you’re talking. Even if it’s something light and not as intense, he’s completely focused on you. To him he wants to provide his fully attention when he can, because he knows what it feels like to be present verbally and physically but not have others acknowledge that. He actively makes time to listen and hear your stories or even worries.
﹕✦ silent protection. During banquets Jamil ensures occasionally throughout the night that you’re okay. He won’t go up to you personally but he checks on you with quick glances and a small hand resting on your back. His main job is to be attentive to Kalim, but since Kalim has expressed wanting to be more independent, Jamil uses that to his advantage to be more attentive to you. It’s not all just about Kalim anymore, he can prioritize his partner and his other relationships too.
NAVIGATION.
swan’s notes - I was so focused when writing this and doing laundry at the same time lol. Listening to Jaehyun’s music just bursted my need for these headcannons, and I chose some of the second years since I tend to favor the third years more and I wanted something different.