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Vil sat in his history of magic class, waiting for it to start, his back was straight, confident he was putting his best face forward, he always did after all. There was an air to the classroom however that he didn’t like, he couldn’t put his finger on it. Like everyone knew something he didn’t. He glanced around the room and could tell there were eyes on him. It was something he was used to. The life of a celebrity lead to gossip and rumors but his classmates had never been quite so…blatant about it. Nor did he know of anything that had happened to elicit such a response from them.
Vil was not in control, and he didn’t like it.
Another point was made in his assessment of the situation. One Cater Diamond, king of Gossip at Night Raven Academy was missing. His seat clearly empty across the room.
Something wasn’t right. Cater Diamond may have been boisterous and obnoxious. Pestering him with his fake flattering and overtures of love and affection in a vain hope of growing his own social media account, but he wasn’t a slacker. If for no other reason than his dorm lead would have his head.
It was only when Rook entered the room, the man’s class was across the school, did Vil truly know something was wrong. “Roi de Poison” the man bowed. To his credit Rook kept his composure as well as ever. “I am sorry for the intrusion but you need to come with me.”
Vil schooled his features and nodded. He wanted to ask why, but he knew that Rook wouldn’t dare pull him away from his studies for some trifling manner. It was just as his gut had told him. Something had happened, something involving him and he wasn’t aware of it.
In one motion Vil stood and glided across the room to the door, Rook following close behind him. As much as he wanted answers he knew it was best to wait and ask his questions until the two of them were verifiably alone.
He noticed the stares of the other students as he passed. It was much like the classroom. What in the Seven Kingdoms had happened?
It felt like an eternity before they were in the safety of his dorm room and Vil turned to Rook for an answer. But before he could ask it his door burst open with a furious-looking Epel gazing at him. “I knew you could be low Vil. But this, this is a new record even for you.” the boy screamed at him forgetting every bit of priority and poise that his Housewarden had tried to instill in him.
“Will someone kindly explain to me what is going on?” Vil spoke coldly.
“Monsieur Crabapple please.” Rook looked at the other boy pleading. “This is a rather delicate nature.”
“You’ve seen the videos right?” Epel growled out.
“What videos.” Vil returned the growl as he ripped his phone out of his pocket. He’d turned it on silent to attend the day's schoolwork. His eyes narrowed as he realized he had over one thousand notifications. The screen stating 999+ in a little red circle.
“That's what I had retrieved you for.” Rook’s face fell. “It was posted this morning on magicam by an anonymous account. “
Vil frowned as he pulled up Magicam and realizing most of his notifications were from tags on one specific post. Ignoring the comments as he nearly always did Vil, opened the video. To find camera phone quality footage of him speaking to Cater Diamond. Was this connected to why the boy wasn’t in class?
He remembered the conversation. It hadn’t been particularly meaningful or different. He wasn’t sure why it would have caused quite a stir. He was a bit unhappy to have been filmed without permission but Vil treated everything that happened outside his dorm room like it would end up on the internet so he wasn’t sure what the problem was.
Cater had offered him a gift. One of many the boy seemed to offer. This one had been a bottle with a note attached. “Cater I’m not up for your antics today. And I have nowhere to place such a silly thing. Keep your superficial compliments and over-dramatic confessions to yourself if you would please. If just for one day.“ he’d replied cursing the gift with his touch as it turned to ash.
Cater had laughed. “Yeah sorry. I didn’t think about that. I didn’t…I mean. I’m sorry“ he rubbed the back of his neck before shuffling off and Vil had gone on with his day.
It certainly hadn’t been the first time he’d destroyed a gift from a fan that was impractical to carry around. As much as he could tell it had been some cheap bottle of perfume. Liable to break in his pockets as he went about his day. He could have thrown it away but the end result was the same. Sure he’d been a bit rude, but that was nothing new. The world already saw him as a villain and it would hardly affect his standing anyway. He really had not had a good day yesterday and today seemed to be shaping up to be worse.
“I don’t understand.” Vil frowned. “This is hardly the most flattering piece of media of me out there, but it's nothing new or controversial.”
“Keep watching.” Rook replied as the video cut out.
The video cut out for a moment before more camera phone footage was displayed on the screen. Sitting on a ledge at the top of Heartslabyul’s dormitory was one Cater Diamond crying his eyes out. Next to him was his friend…Trey Clover Vil thought was his name, rubbing the boy's back as he sobbed uncontrollably. His own make up streaked and tear-stained. His signature red diamonds smeared. “I..I just… I don’t know what to do Trey. I spent months on that. I wanted to give him something real and meaningful because I knew he thought I was fake. Do you know how hard it is to get anything out of Jack, especially concerning the typed of flowers that grew in their hometown? He looked at me like I was crazy!” he choked out in hysterics. “I wanted…I wanted to make him something that reminded him of home. I grew the flowers myself because I thought it was better than just buying them. And then I asked professor Crewel to help with the formula. And I thought it was a perfect way to confess, really confess you know. Let him know that I really did feel that way.” Cater crumpled into himself.
“But then. He just …he just destroyed it. He didn’t even look at the note. Nothing. It was like all my work was nothing. I was nothing….and that's just it. I really will never be anything but nothing to him.” Cater let out what almost sounded like a manic laugh. “He’s right I am just a fake aren’t I?”
“Cater….” Trey tried to comfort him. “You’re not fake. You’re very real. And I know you care, you care about everyone so much. You want to make everyone happy. Your signature spell is literally making copies of yourself, driven by a need to help others and see them happy and content. If he can’t see that, he doesn’t deserve you.”
Cater shook his head as his shoulders slumped. “No, you’re wrong. I’m just an idiot who was too stupid to realize someone as beautiful and wonderful and amazing as Vil would want anything to do with a plastic fake attention seeker like me. Stupid to think any of our interactions actually meant anything. Vil’s a queen and I’m just the court jester.” he let out a hollow laugh to punctuate his words as the video cut off.
“You didn’t even…you didn’t even look at it! And I thought he was your friend!” Epel yelled but Vil didn’t hear a word of it as he stood staring transfixed at the screen where the video had been.
“He….” he finally breathed out. His mind running back through every interaction he’d ever had with the boisterous redhead. “It can’t be…” Vil closed his eyes as his voice was shaking.
Had he been so wrong? He’d written off Cater the moment they’d met as someone like the dozens of others he’d met in show business. You were as good to them as you were useful And he could see why someone like Cater Diamond would think he was useful. He was a budding social media star in his own right. He had a decent following but nothing near the millions Vil himself had garnered. Of course, associating himself with the celebrity was a smart plan. And Vil realized that he could at least have some use for the Heartslabyul student, He was close to their dorm leader. And he was attractive enough that his presence when curated correctly could be of some benefit to his own following.
But as he ran through things back in his mind, he realized Cater Diamond was nothing like the people he was used to dealing with in the movie industry.
Cater Diamond had real friends. Cater Diamond did things for them that didn’t garner him anything in return.
He’d stayed by Riddle Rosehearts after his own Overblot and helped him grapple with the ensuing fallout.
He’d taken the Potatoes under his wing and helped them out and showed them how to navigate life at Night Raven College when they’d been floundering in their first week.
And as lead settled in his stomach he realized as he dropped his phone, Cater Diamond was not fake. He’d never once heard him utter something untrue. Cater Diamond was a horrible liar.
Why had he assumed everything Cater said directed towards him was the exception to the rule?
Why had he destroyed that bottle? A bottle that possibly contained the most thoughtful present he’d ever received?
Why had he discarded what might be the best thing to ever happen to him?
Deep down he knew the answer. Deep down he knew he was an ugly vile person. Someone who had been willing to commit murder just to be number one. Someone who had stepped on and used nearly everyone in his life.
Deep down he knew no one could ever care for someone like him like that.
But looking back now on all their interactions all the times Cater had sought out his attention….
Vil crumpled to the floor as he brought his hands to his face. He’d never let himself believe that someone as beautiful and kind as Cater Diamond could really see anything at all in him. Easier to believe the comments were fake, than the possibility that anything in his life could be real.
Rook was kneeling down beside him. Someone else he knew he didn’t deserve. The man’s loyalty was something he’d always cherish. Even if he didn’t always appreciate his words, he knew that they were the truth and often what he needed to hear. “You need to speak with him My Beautiful Vil.”
“I don’t….I don’t think I have that right.” Vil’s voice wavered. At some point, Epel at least had, had enough sense to leave.
“That's the coward’s response and you know it.” Rook’s voice was strong and full of conviction as he spoke. “And My Queen is not a coward.”
“I suppose I do at least owe him an apology.” Vil acquiesced as he stood. Straightening his robes. “But not before I make myself presentable.”
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An hour later, found Vil walking through the Heartslabyul dormitory. It was almost painful when he realized he knew where Cater’s room was. They’d worked on a project before that had required spending time with each other after class.
Thankfully the dorm was empty of its students, all attending their classes. There was no one to question why he was here. Vil wasn’t sure he could have handled the disapproving looks of his classmates now that he knew why he’d garnered their attention.
However as he tapped on the door to Cater’s room, the door swung open to reveal not the man he was seeking but the dorm leader Riddle Rosehearts, shoving him back and shutting the door. The man was red in the face as he yelled at Vil. “You have some nerve showing up here.”
“I…I came to see Cater. To apologize….I..I didn’t know what his gift meant.” Vil stated earnestly as he held his hands in the air.
“You’re insane if you think I’m letting you near him,” Riddle stated pointing a finger at his fellow dorm lead, about ready to use his signature spell when the door opened once more.
“Riddle who are you yelling at I thought I heard….” Cater was now standing in the doorway staring at Vil with tears shimmering in his eyes.
It was clear the boy had had a rough night. His eyes were red and puffy, a clear sign of how much he’d been crying. His clothing, the same he’d been wearing in the video was disheveled and his hair was an unkempt mess.
“Cater…I…” Vil’s throat tightened. “Was just telling your friend I came to apologize.”
“What…” Cater trailed off a bit, as if the concept was foreign to him. But he gazed at Riddle. “It's ok. Thank you. But I’ll be alright.”
“Are you sure?” Riddle asked with a softness Vil didn’t think possible.
“I am.” Cater nodded as he wiped a few tears from himself.
“Okay…if you need me I’ll be down the hall in my room.” Riddle replied before he turned to Vil and his scowl returned. “If you hurt him again it's off with your head. Do you understand?” Riddle snapped, and for a moment Vil wondered how someone so short could be so intimidating.
“I understand. I have no intention to.” Vil replied.
“Good.” And with that, the Heartslabyul Dormleader stalked off down the hall.
Vil’s gaze quickly returned to the boy who looked so small and vulnerable standing in his door frame. “Would you like to come in? I’m sorry if it's a bit of a mess.” Cater stated meekly scratching at the back of his neck.
“I…yes I would like that,” Vil replied softly as the other stepped aside to let him in.
Cater went and threw himself back in his bed, as Vil took a seat in his desk chair. They sat like that for a moment as Vil tried to form the proper things to say. He had practiced his speech on the way here, but now faced with the boy he’d hurt….a preformed apology seemed…wrong. “Cater..I don’t even know where to begin. I’m so sorry. Not just for destroying your wonderful gift but for everything else too. I misjudged you the moment I met you. I grouped you in with the people who surrounded me in my line of work. Its… it's hard telling the difference between what's real and what's fake, I forget sometimes that I’m not dealing with the vultures who seek to use me, and cast me aside. I… know it's not any kind of justification for what I did but…I am sorry. You’re a wonderful, kind, and true person Cater, and I’m sorry I didn’t see it.”
The redhead had sat up as Vil spoke pulling his pillow closer to his chest, as tears returned to his eyes. “Vil….” he sniffled.
The blonde stood before reseating himself on the other’s bed. “I don’t deserve your affection. And I understand if you won't accept my apology especially after I destroyed your beautiful gift. But…I’d like to try again. To treat you like you deserve to be treated.”
Cater let out a small sob as he leaned on Vil’s shoulder, and the other almost instinctively ran his fingers through red locks to comfort him. “I love you Vil. I know that sounds silly. But I do.” he pleaded. “But I can’t…” his hands squeezed tight to the other’s robes. “I can’t keep doing this. I want to give you a chance, but I don’t…I don’t know if my heart can take it.”
Vil’s heart raced as he buried his face in red hair and breathed deeply. “I think….I think I love you too. I just…” his eyes fluttered shut as he took in the boy in his arms. “I just couldn’t believe someone could love me.”
Cater pulled away looking up at Vil in shock. “You…you love me?”
“I only figured it out on the way over here, as I went back over everything we’ve done together. I have a bad habit of putting up walls around myself for protection. I’m sorry that it caused me to hurt you so badly. But after what you’ve went through for me already. What I’ve put you through, I’m willing to let you in. To give this a shot. I can hardly ask you to be patient with me. You’ve already done that.” Vil admitted softly. He knew if he didn’t grab on to it here and now, he may lose and the thought was more painful than the idea of any other future heartbreak Cater may or may not cause him.
Vil’s heart fluttered as he was graced with the most genuine smile he’d ever seen in his life. It was bright and beautiful. How had he been denying himself this for so long? How had he not seen? Slowly he leaned down, letting his eyes flutter close as he pressed his lips to that beautiful smile. He felt something course through his body…a spark of fire that warmed him. He’d heard the tales of true love’s kiss. Stared in movies where it was a plot device. But he’d never really believed in it. That was until now. He threaded his fingers through Cater’s own. Deepening the kiss. It was wonderful and perfect, and everything all the fairytales had made it out to be.
It was over much too soon in Vil’s opinion as they pulled away for air, and he watched the other boy bring his fingers to his lips, wondering if it had been real. “Was…was that…” he spoke almost in awe.
“I think…it was,” Vil replied placing a hand on Cater’s face. “I love you. I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out.”
“I love you to Vil. And I don’t care now, I forgive you. I just..You’re here and with me and…I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.” Cater grinned leaning into the blonde’s side.
Vil found his fingers once more combing through red locks as he let out a content sigh. There were still voices nagging at him that he didn’t deserve this. But the kiss had chased most of those doubts away. Cater Diamond was his now, and like hell, he was going to give him up. As he leaned in to place another kiss
----------------------------------------------
“I think we can go now.” Epel squirmed as he looked two his two companions.
“Awe but it's just getting to the best part!” Ace cried as Deuce ripped the binoculars away from him.
“I still think this was a bad idea and a gross invasion of their privacy.” The blue-haired boy protested but he took a glance through the binoculars himself.
“Well I mean it's not like they’re gonna figure out we took that footage. Besides, I think they’d be grateful. They’d never gotten together otherwise. You saw Cater. He’d given up.” Ace protested as the trio stood.
“I still feel bad for yelling at Vil, I mean he was an ass, but…” Epel trailed off bringing his hands to his chest.
“Don’t he deserve it after what he did to Cater’s present.” Ace winked.
“If you say so.” Epel relented.
“I say…I see three students who should be in class and not sticking their nose into places where it doesn’t belong once again. OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!” Riddle screeched.
“Fuck” Ace swore as he felt the collar clench around his neck.