#cynthia is mentionned but technically she's not canon to the ast sooooo lol

[thal-ent]

( Bastien, Emerens and Kim belong to @hel-phoenyx , Tomyris belongs to @soupedepates , Kate belongs to my sibling who doesn't have tumblr)

"You're staring at him again."

Virgil turns around to say something to the boy next to him, anything that would convince the teenager that he is not staring. But the teen isn't even looking at him, his - no, Tachi had said she wanted to try out she/her today - her science book open on her lap. Something they both know she knows by heart and better than most people when she's barely sixteen.

He huffs, turning his head back where he was looking. They're sitting under a tree, its shade protecting Virgil from overheating in the japanese summer. And on the other side of the courtyard, Virgil's... Friend, that's still the best word for it, he thinks, Bastien. He doesn't do well under the sun either, with his pale skin, but he's sitting next to a wall, its shadow protecting him from the harsh sun.

"Again. How did he never take you for a freak exactly ?"

"I am not staring. He's just in my line of sight."

"Sure, and you're totally not making heart eyes at him, like the whole school knows you do." It's not true, Tachi's not been here long enough to know all the gossip in that school, not that she would usually try.

"I'm not- the whole school ?!"

"I'm joking 'Gil" she doesn't listen to the grumble that sounds like a "don't call me that" from her older friend and turns a page from her book. "I'm pretty sure only Van Heel and his clique know about it. You're not good at hiding your crush y'know ?"

"That's not what it is."

"Yes it is, I'm a teen, not an idiot." She sighs, putting a gloved hand to her cheek and turning to look at Virgil, his eyes switching to her as soon as he feels her look on him. "You like him. Idiot."

"Stop that." He gives her a flicker on her shoulder with his prosthetic hand, making her wince as well as laugh. "What would even make you think that."

"Well I could make a list but we'd still be here tomorrow and I'd probably forget some stuff because I've only known you for like two months but you know." She shrugs, looking at Bastien's figure now. "You dont let people look at you usually."

He doesn't awnser. It's a little embarrassing, truly, that it's the first thing Tachi says that make him unable to bite back. Because they both know it's true. Virgil was the first to explain to Tachi why.

Kill or be killed, look at it before you become its pray. That's how it works, back there.

No one just looks at Virgil without him looking right back at them. Or if he cannot look at multiple people, his hands are always tense, small head mouvements that show he hears you. If she listened to herself, Tachi would sometimes describe him as more of an animal than a human. Virgil never lets you take him by surprise, never lets you get in his back without being sure he can hurt you before you hurt him.

Yet he lets Bastien look.

Tachi saw the sketches on Bastien's sketchbook, a multitude of weird, exagerated faces from the people around them. But also Virgil, again and again, face soft and far from the caricature everyone else gets from Bastien. Sketches that had to be done during long minutes where Virgil allowed Bastien to just look.

"You know you can just tell him you like him."

"It's not that simple."

"Please not another "but we're both boys", if I can have my gender crisis in peace, you can have your sexuality one."

"Never make that voice again. And I know."

"What, about my gender crisis or...?"

"That-" he stops speaking, lips tight. "I wont speak of that with you."

"What, that's "religious talk" only ?" Virgil rolls his eyes and Tachi snorts. "Hey c'mon, it's not like I'm the only catholic you talk to. Or I think tall girl's gonna get sad."

"Tomyris knows things you dont, Tachi. Let it go, please."

And she does. Because Virgil never asks for things.

"I still think you should ask him out."

***

He knows someone is following him. They make too much noise, their gaze not even trying to hide from him. He looks at the girl walking head high up behind him in the windows' reflections, silently hopes she leaves him alone. He's not in the mood for sparring, the air even hotter than yesterday.

" Bluie !" The nickname makes him turn, annoyance already on his face. He almost starts walking again when Kate stops her walk in front of him. "I need to speak to you."

"Don't call me that. What do you need, St-Arnaud ?" Kate rolls her eyes, her face just as closed as Virgil's. They're not really friends. Classmates, yes, but not friends. They fight, sometimes, but that's to be expected of the Ultimate Duellist, and it gives Virgil an opportunity to train.

"Kim found a kitten in a tree and needs someone to take it back down, and Morgan's not here."

He sighs slightly. When did he become a cat rescuer, exactly ? Still, he follows Kate, taking out a glove to put on his prosthetic and avoid getting any cat hair in it. Sao Mai would probably kill him, their last check up was just a week ago.

It's not hard to get the small ball of fur out of the tree, really. He's used to it by now, and it's not like the purring animal didn't deserve some help. It did scratch his nose, but he'll get better soon enough.

"Playing rescue again ?" Virgil almost jumps hearing Bastien's voice from behind him, his friend towering over him.

"As you can see. I think they want to kill me from heat, that's the third this week alone."

"Oh poor you with your little slavic genes, dying of heat stroke in spring."

"It's already summer, Bas'"

"Barely. It's really not that warm."

"You're wearing the summer uniform, of course you'd say that."

"You're the only one wearing the winter one still, no one's going to bite you here, Virg'."

He wants to say something, but his mind blanks over an image, an idea that is so out of character for him. His cheeks get redder before he awnsers Bastien, turning his head away from the other man.

"I mean, there's an ultimate Vampire, you know ? She's in the new class."

It's weak, almost an afterthough. Thankfully, Bastien doesn't pursue the thought.

"She's in Tachi's class, right ? Did you talk to her ?"

"Not yet. I think she avoids me and I dont really look to have a chat either." He turns his head back and sees how Bastien's eyes are on him, partially hidden behind his glasses. "Bas' ? Is there a problem ?"

"No, no !" Bastien gets red, his eyes drifting away slightly. "I was just thinking it suits you, to have your hair like that."

Virgil stays silent a moment, not really thinking. But he smiles, softness hidden where Bastien's not looking. His hand goes to his low bun, feeling more nervous than the compliment should've made him.

"Thank you."

***

For a second, he considers just slamming the door shut in Emerens' face and go to class by climbing down the window. Then he remembers the last time he tried that, he almost fell because of a loose brick that is still missing today. So, for another second, he considers not going to class at all today. But he's already struggling enough with japanese as it is, and he needs the credits to pass the semester.

So he sighs and closes the door behind him, letting the tall blonde smile like he just won a prize at the lottery.

"What do you want. Be quick I have a class in ten minutes."

"Well, a certain friend of yours came to us absolutely desperate about your pining." He stops himself from groaning. More than a month passed since that... Talk, with Tachi and the youngest still managed to get involved in this. "So I came to help my good friend Virgil !~"

"We're not friends, Emerens. I help you with latin and you help me with english."

"Oh ! You hurt me !" The novellist puts a hand to his chest as he walks. "We'll talk about it later though. So, who is it ?"

"What, they didn't tell you ?"

"Oh they did, but that means you know too, at least. Better than most."

Virgil passes a hand on his face. Of course Emerens Van Heel, Ultimate Romance Writer, would be attentive to things like this. This man sees more than most people.

"So what, you're going to give me shitty advice like we're in one of your novels ?"

"My stories are better written than that. No, no, I know what's going on with Bastien too. Thibs' loosing his mind over it, so really I'm helping myself too by helping you."

"Wait why's Thibault-"

"Virgil please dont tell me you didn't see Bastien's massive crush on you."

There's only silence, and it doesn't take a genius to see despair taking over Emerens' face.

"We have work to do, Virgil."