✎❆ TAD Valentine's Day...?

Instructions

Valentine's? At the Academy? That was a first. The whole school was decorated with pink and red ribbons, heart-shaped cards and confetti spreaded through the floors generously. Everyone was enjoying the lovey-dovey day! Farris, though? They stuck themself deep in a corner of the library, constructing a nice white-feathered mechanical bird for Alyx. Their cheeks were dusted red--not from Valentine's, but from not trying to draw attention in a desperate manner. Alyx, on the other hand, was the epitome of Valentine’s chaos incarnate. He bounced through the halls, a bag of candy hearts in one hand, a small bouquet of wildflowers in the other, and a grin that stretched almost painfully wide. “FARRIS!” he shouted across the library, startling a very suspicious-looking owl. “HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!” Farris didn’t look up. They knew what this meant: sticky notes, confetti, unsolicited sugar, and possibly a heart-shaped balloon tied to their workbench. “…Alyx,” Farris muttered flatly, not lifting their eyes from the gears in front of them. “Do you have to—” “YES,” Alyx interrupted, plopping onto the floor beside them without warning. “Do you know how long I’ve been planning this?” He dumped the wildflowers beside Farris, sending a few petals fluttering onto the clockwork bird. “…Not that I planned to scare you. Much. Maybe just a little.” Farris pinched the bridge of their nose. “…You’re loud.” “…Am I?” Alyx beamed. “…Good! Because I wanted to make sure you had a Valentine!” He rummaged in his bag and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “…Well, it was supposed to be neat, but my hands shook. I wrote your name on it!” Farris, suspicious, finally looked at the paper. There, in slightly wobbly handwriting surrounded by tiny doodles of hearts and little stars, was: “Farris, will you be my Valentine? ♥ From Alyx” Farris blinked. “…You made this?” “…Yes!” Alyx said proudly. “I even drew a tiny clock to match your… um… thingy.” Farris felt their lips twitch into a frown. “…I...don’t usually do Valentine’s Day.” “…I know,” Alyx said, shrugging. “That’s why it’s extra special. You’re getting a Valentine anyway.” He grinned so wide that a flower fell into his hair, and he didn’t notice. “…Do you… like it?” Farris turned back to the clockwork bird, which had been partially buried in confetti. “…It’s… acceptable,” they said, a faint blush creeping up. Alyx flopped onto his back joyfully. “ACCEPTABLE?!” He flailed one arm toward the ceiling. “That’s the best reaction ever! Farris, I WIN!” Farris sighed. “…You’re ridiculous.” “…Yes!” Alyx shouted triumphantly. “…And I’m your Valentine! That counts for something, right?” Farris looked at him, carefully. “…It counts for… something, I guess.” Alyx’s grin softened, a little quieter now, as he crawled closer. “…I brought chocolate too. Well… mostly for me. But you can have some if you want.” He held up a slightly squished chocolate heart. Farris raised an eyebrow. “…I’ll take it.” Alyx’s face lit up as Farris accepted it with the faintest smile, and for a moment, the chaos of Valentine’s Day—the confetti, the ribbons, the sugar, the loud giggling—felt almost like a warm bubble that only existed for them two alone.