valentine's day. [part two] (Patreon)

synopsis: part two of a collection of very short drabbles surrounding the event of valentine's day.

K de Vries.

K doesn't understand the point of Valentine's Day. To them, it is merely another mundane holiday, an excuse to dress up and shower your loved ones with gifts. It's a flimsy excuse, if you ask them. It's preposterous that humans need an excuse to show their significant other affection. In their eyes, it should happen without being prompted.

On top of that, why is everything pink? The colour scheme just about melts their eyes, searing itself at the back of their eyelids so much that even when sleeping, they're haunted by the shades of red. They only manage to get rid of the horrid colours when February is over.

It's only when they see you so excited about it do they start to think differently.

When Rylan told them to meet at a restaurant, they were prepared for a dumb celebration. Some cheesy cake with a cheesy song to pair with the cheesy outfit that Rylan will inevitably wear. They were prepared to complain, to feign food poisoning to leave early, but then they saw you.

You, dressed not in red or pink or white but in an outfit that compliments your eyes. You, smiling at the balloons strung around the place. You, with a flush on your cheeks from excitement—one that deepens the moment you catch K's gaze.

Their heart skips a beat.

"[surname]."

"K."

K situates themself next to you and smooths out a non-existent wrinkle. "I should have known you'd be the type to enjoy this holiday. It's nothing more than society trying to suck money out of you."

Your laughter is bright. "Maybe, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun. I used to think Valentine's Day was less fun when you're single, but now—" you shrug "—I don't think it really matters. It's fun spending time with all of you. Makes things less lonely."

K drags their gaze around the restaurant. It's filled with couples, pairs of people giggling across from each other and beaming like the entire world is in their view. They forget how it feels to be in love. They never wonder about the feeling, but right now, they find themself doing just that.

"Really," K responds. "You're saying looking at this doesn't make you lonelier?"

You shoot K a smile. "Not when I'm with all of you."

Ah. That's unfair, they think. K has always been an eloquent speaker, but when it comes to things like this, they're always lost for words. They've never been good with emotions, never been good with expressing how they feel, but right now, they think it's easy.

It's always easy with you.

Rylan Villanueva.

Rylan can't say they enjoy Valentine's Day, but unlike K, they've never been opposed to it. There are years where they find the mere sight of a couple sickening, and others where they are enamoured by the thought of it. This year, they're somewhere in between.

"They love me, they love me not," Rylan hums. "They love me, they love me not. They lov—"

"Rylan?"

They stop in their tracks, glancing up as their fingers pick the stray petal that they'd been counting. Your eyes meet and Rylan feels their heart skip a beat at the sight of you. They could blame it on them nearly tripping in surprise, of course, but even they know better.

Wretched thing.

"Hunter! Long time no see."

"You saw me yesterday."

"Exactly," Rylan counters. The grin comes to their face easily, though unlike most of their smiles, this one is genuine. They pick two more petals off the rose as you stare at them.

They love me, they love me not.

You nod at the bouquet in their arm. "Gift from someone?"

"If you're suggesting that you want to take credit for it, I'll look away." Rylan laughs when you roll your eyes. "No, not a gift. I found it laying on the side of the street, a gift tossed by someone else. Thought I'd give the flowers a little more use than sidewalk décor."

"Is that why you're tearing it apart?"

Rylan shrugs. "I'm playing a game."

"For who, exactly?" you ask.

Rylan pauses. They'd begun with K, asking the flowers whether the warlock actually cared for Rylan (the answer was yes). From there, they moved on to members of their old clan, their foster mother (the answer was no)—nearly everyone in their past life. Eventually, though, they played long enough that dismissed choosing people completely, playing for fun rather than answers.

They love me, they love me not. They love me, they love me not.

It's only now that they realize that each time they landed on 'they love me', a small part of them wanted to associate it with you. They feel their heart skip another beat at the revelation. They've never been more glad that between the two of you, they're the one that can hear heartbeats, not you.

"Rylan?"

They blink, realizing then that they hadn't answered your question. Their eyes dart around the street, landing on a stray couple in the window of a nearby café. They wave their hand haphazardly. "For strangers. Trying to see if couples truly like each other or if this will be their last Valentine's together."

"That's horrible."

"I never said it wasn't. Want to play?"

You shake your head. "I'll leave it to you."

Rylan can't deny their disappointment at that, but when they realize you're not leaving them, their mood brightens. They ramble all the way back to your place, pointing at random couples and picking petals for them until the rose has given an answer. You look mortified at each proclamation that a couple won't last, but Rylan is too busy basking in the tranquillity of your presence to really care.