You hadn't slept much last night.

Between Scaramouche being weirdly honest on the rooftop and Mona calling you out like she had a PhD in romantic tension, your brain had basically gone into a full reboot.

You walked into homeroom half-awake, half-hoping that maybe today would just be boring. Like, painfully, dreadfully boring. Give you a pop quiz. Force you to diagram sentences. Anything but think about the way Scaramouche had looked at you like he was scared of saying too much and not enough all at once.

Unfortunately, boring wasn't on the menu.

"Dude, are you seeing this?" Childe hissed as you slid into your seat. "Heizou's wearing a leather jacket. In May."

You blinked. "Okay? Maybe he's cold."

"Maybe he's trying to seduce someone. This is a calculated fashion choice," Childe said, dead serious. "Like, who wears cologne before third period?"

You turned your head and there he was. Heizou. Cool jacket. Hair extra fluffy. Probably sprayed himself with something expensive that smelled like pine trees and danger.

He caught your eye. Smirked.

You immediately turned back to your desk like it owed you money.

"Oh my god," Childe gasped. "He was smirking. Are you— Is this a love triangle? Do I need to draw a diagram?"

You thwacked him with your notebook.

Before the situation could escalate into a full-on conspiracy theory, Scaramouche slid into the seat behind you. You didn't turn around, but you could feel it. The quiet presence. The pressure. The awareness that he heard everything.

Great. Amazing. Love this for you.

⸻

Lunch —

"I'm just saying," Mona started, pulling open a thermos full of something that smelled suspiciously like herbal regret, "Heizou's jacket had no business looking that good."

You shot her a glare. "Et tu, Mona?"

Scaramouche let out a noise between a scoff and a growl. "It looked like a knock-off movie costume."

"Jealousy doesn't suit you," she said sweetly.

"I'm not jealous."

You raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say the same thing yesterday?"

"I meant it yesterday. Today is a different situation."

"Ohhh," Childe said from where he was lying dramatically across a bench like some tragic poet. "So now you admit you're jealous."

"I admit nothing."

"Except your feelings," you muttered under your breath.

He glanced at you. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

He narrowed his eyes, but didn't press. Instead, he just sat down beside you, elbows resting on his knees, gaze drifting across the rooftop like it might save him from whatever existential crisis you were dragging him through.

Then, out of nowhere: "I meant what I said yesterday. About this being complicated."

You froze mid-bite of your sandwich.

"Oh," you said, super eloquently.

He continued, barely looking at you. "It's just... you're important. And I don't know how to not screw that up."

Your heart flipped like a gymnast on energy drinks.

"That's kind of the dumbest thing you've ever said," you replied softly.

He actually turned to look at you then, startled. "Excuse me?"

"Because not doing anything? That's what would screw it up," you said, swallowing the nerves like they were a piece of dry bread. "I don't need you to have all the answers. Just... be honest."

He looked at you for a long moment, face unreadable.

"I hate how you're always right."

You grinned. "No, you don't."

He gave the tiniest smirk, and it felt like a victory.

The rest of the group was having their own conversation, a terribly loud one at that and didn't pay attention to a word you two said. Something something puppies and cats.

⸻

You were grabbing books from your locker when Heizou reappeared like a side quest you hadn't finished.

"Hey," he said casually, leaning against the locker beside yours. "Didn't get a chance to say it earlier, but you looked really cute yesterday. That outfit was killer."

You blinked, surprised. "Oh. Uh, thanks?"

"I mean, you always look good, but something about that energy was different. Confidence suits you."

From behind you, someone cleared their throat loudly.

You didn't even have to turn around to know it was Scaramouche.

Heizou just raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

"Yeah," Scaramouche said smoothly, stepping beside you. His arm brushed yours, casual but not. "Y/N's already got someone making her feel confident. You can back off now."

Heizou smirked. "Touchy. You two official or something?"

Scaramouche didn't answer.

You did.

"Not yet," you said simply, meeting Heizou's gaze.

His eyes widened a bit, just a flicker, before he let out a low whistle. "Guess I'll take the hint."

He walked off without another word.

You turned to Scaramouche, who looked very, very pleased with himself.

"'Already got someone,' huh?" you teased.

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't make me regret it."

"You won't."