Alternatively titled: Cleaning with Dorothea, except you're basically doing all of the work. 

Comment bait lmao: Who's your favorite character from each house? I really have too many to pick from each house XD 

Anyway, this chapter is going to be an interesting one! 

[This chapter contains heavy flirtatious undertones. It's Dorothea, what else do you expect? Also mentions of social anxiety.] 

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"Hey, Y/N? Want to partner up for this project? I really want to get to know you better," Dorothea casually walked up to you. Her gentle smile really could captivate anyone and you fit in the category of everyone. 

"Sure," you nodded softly. You were happy that Dorothea picked you. Everyone else in your class... They each embody chaos in your own unique way. You're not about that. You prefer low-key, relaxed environments and conversations that don't make you want to sneakily run away from your friends whenever you get overwhelmed. 

You enjoy Dorothea's presence. She's calmer than everyone else in your class. You appreciate her a lot. 

Before you knew it, you were at the door to... Her dorm room?!?! Um?!?! 

"It's alright, come inside!" Dorothea opened the door for you to let you in. Once your feet decided they are able to move again, you walked inside, carefully examining your surroundings. 

It looked like just about every other dorm room in the monastery. Except... 

It was downright filthy! There was dust everywhere. Books and clothes lay strewn on the floor. Her desk was covered with papers, completely unorganized. The bed wasn't made. Her blankets were falling off the bed onto the floor. You didn't expect this from her of all people. Caspar, yes. But not her. 

Dorothea seems so composed on the outside. Never one to show weakness but still vulnerable. Open and yet closed off. She's an open book and yet still an enigma. 

As is evidenced by her room. 

You stared at her in confusion, your eyes opened a bit wide. 

"Um, Dorothea? This... Doesn't seem like a productive place to work on our project..." You trailed off, trying to be as inoffensive as possible. She laughed at your mutterings, not out of hatred, but out of pure amusement. 

"Is it? I wouldn't have been able to tell!" The mirth in her voice was contagious as she joked with you, a small smile tugging at your lips as well. More so at the ridiculous situation you now found yourself in. 

"So... What's the plan?" You asked, looking around for a place to sit. The chair near her desk was also covered with clothes. 

"Now, I don't mean to take advantage of a gorgeous person like yourself but... It's so hard to study when there's filth everywhere. Would you be a dear and help me clean up?" She posed her question so innocently. Taking slow steps towards you until she was very close, you could feel the warmth of her body up against yours. You didn't realize she had taken your hands in hers, holding them close to her chest. You were too captivated by her smooth voice and stunning eyes to realize that she was holding your hands. 

You were under her spell. 

You nodded gently. Once she saw you agree to this, she let go of your hands and backed away a little bit. 

"Thank you so much, Y/N! You are a huge help!" Her smile grew and was more gleeful now. 

You barely registered that you agreed before a duster was shoved in your hands. 

"Would you mind helping me dust first? Then we can fold things and maybe even rearrange the things on my desk! Ooh, this is going to be so fun!" She pushed all of the clothes off of the chair at her desk and sat down in it. 

Realizing she isn't going to be much help, you got to work dusting. You're about the same height as her. You don't understand why she couldn't have done this herself. But this is fine, you suppose. 

You heard her humming a soft tune, almost like a motivator to keep you energized while you clean. It was working too. As you were dusting the top of her closet, you had more of a pep in your step compared to when you started cleaning. 

You started to make conversation, hoping you can get the project done even a little bit today. 

"You were in the... Mittlefrank Opera Company in the empire, correct?" She giggled a bit at the way you posed your question. 

"Yes! I was one of the divas in the company after Manuela retired a few years ago. I spent a couple years with them myself. Singing, taking the spotlight, basking in the appreciation and adoration from the audience," she sighed fondly. "That was the life. Eventually, I grew tired of it too. Once I heard that Manuela was a professor at the officers academy? Well, I knew I just had to make my way in somehow. Managed to butter up a noble then boom, I'm enrolled. Easy as that. Our reunion was bittersweet. I wished that I could've performed with her on stage just once, but that's just the way it happened. In the end, everything worked out and I get to see her again almost every day!" She finished her short monologue. She still hasn't moved an inch to help you with cleaning. You're resigned to the fact that she probably isn't going to help you at all. Once you finished dusting the closet, you moved to pick up some of the clothes off her floor and folded them. 

Trying to move on to another conversation topic, that's about all you could think of to ask. Not wanting to seem boring, though, you offered up some information of your own. 

"I'm from Enbarr, too. I never went to see the opera while I was there, though. My parents were too poor to afford it," you sighed, not wanting to recount too much into your past. Your past isn't something you're too comfortable sharing with anyone who isn't extremely close to you. You wouldn't consider Dorothea to be there yet, but she's someone you could trust. 

"Believe me, I understand that. I was only able to afford the opera once. That one time was all I needed to know that's a goal I had in my life. At the time, I thought it wasn't achievable at all. It only takes one noble hearing you sing to take you all the way to your goals and then some. Maybe it was fated to happen, maybe the goddess was smiling down on me that day. Who knows. All I know is it was part of my journey to get me to where I am today and where I am is here. That's what matters to me," she said with a small smile. 

You could hear a hint of sadness in her voice when she spoke. Her usual tone replaced by something a bit more somber. Seems her past was a bit of a sore spot for her too. At least you weren't alone in that notion. It's always nice to feel like you have someone on your side. 

"I understand. My family isn't of nobility so we weren't granted a lot of the same privileges those nobles in their fancy houses got," you mused with annoyance in your voice. "All those fancy nobles, with their fancy clothes and lavish parties and their entitled attitudes like the world owes you something." If you weren't careful you would've knocked something over. You were getting quite upset. 

"I feel you on that," you felt Dorotheas hand on your shoulder. The soft gesture made you turn around to face her. "But you know what? You and I and all the other common folk here, we worked hard to get where we are. To get into the academy, to earn our place in the world. It was our hard work that got us here. Not some fancy money, not some sweet talking parents. Our hard work alone." With the hand that wasn't grasping your shoulder, she grabbed your empty hand, her other arm pulling you closer to her for a hug. The arm that was around your shoulder found its way to your back, gently rubbing calming circles along your shoulder blades and spine. 

Dorothea always had this impeccable skill to relax you. 

While she was holding you, she placed her head on yours, humming a soft tune. Her calming voice and gentle motions helped erase the negative feelings from your mind. The tension in your body slowly dissipated and your mind was at ease. 

You barely even noticed that Dorothea had slowly grabbed your other hand in hers, slowly moving your bodies in a swaying motion, almost dancing. She rested her head on your chest, listening to your heart beat faster and faster as you realized the close proximity between you too. She was still humming and swaying back and forth. Back and forth. 

This dancing... This closeness... 

Is this a date? 

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1.5k words. 

This one took more than an hour because I was watching The Quarry (Played by RTGame ayooooo) and it's... a game indeed! 

Next chapter is an idea that I had that was approved of. Get ready for that one.