As the ice came down around her, Ezra and Aida’s hands fell forward, meeting in the middle. Their fingers interlocked, clutching each other tightly.

Aida took a deep breath of fresh air, holding it in as she looked up into Ezra’s eyes. He met her gaze steadily, not pulling away, not dropping her hands, not releasing her. His grip on her remained steadfast, his heat permeating through her chilled fingers.

“Really?” Aida whispered, her breath coming out in a puff of air in the sudden cold. Ezra’s fingers tightened around hers.

“Yes.” Ezra pulled her out of the slush, holding her hands tightly so that she didn’t slip in the muddy snow of her own making.

Once they were on firmer ground, Ezra quickly dropped her hands, stuffing them into his pockets with a faint blush on his face. He glanced around them, nominally to make sure there was no one around, but he seemed embarrassed to meet her eyes.

Aida looked at him, conflicted. He seemed like a typical shy teenager who was confronted with a crush knowing his feelings; completely at odds with the refined, mature Ezra she knew.

“I know it must have been a shocking thing to hear,” Ezra murmured, keeping his eyes on her sandals. “I understand if you need some time to think about it…”

“No - I mean, yes,” Aida admitted reluctantly. “I thought…you’re a good friend…” she cringed at her own words, seeing how her words battered at Ezra’s dignified bearing. “I just—“ she took a deep breath, before forcing out the most obvious reason. “I never dared to think about the possibility, because you’re a Riolt. And I’m a Loreh. I’m not even in Class 1 - I’m only in Class 2…”

“I don’t care about the difference between our status,” Ezra said firmly. “I don’t like you because of your ranking. I like you because of who you are - your strength and fortitude, your optimism—“

Aida squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head vigorously as Ezra listed out all the qualities he found admirable in her, with examples. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but she certainly didn’t expect Ezra to double down on his reasons for liking her. It battered against her willpower to stay strong, skeptical…to protect her heart.

Could she actually date Ezra without opening her heart? It was sure to end in disaster - despite what Ezra said about not caring about their differences. She wasn’t so naive as to expect there wouldn’t be external pressure on them due to the drastic imbalance between them. The higher up the totem pole, the more judgment there is…

The logical, survival-focused part of her wanted her to take that risk, say yes to Ezra so she could leverage his reputation against whatever discrimination Vega represented, but the emotional part of her feared the consequences of committing to the bit.

She wasn’t like Levi; she didn’t have the mental capacity to share her affections easily with many others. If she agreed to date someone…

She grasped at the thread of foreign emotion that flicked through her chest at the thought of actually dating Ezra.

It wasn’t…an upsetting feeling. But it was strong. Not anger. Maybe a little bit of stress, a little bit of anxiety, some tension in considering how their interactions would change.

He’d probably expect her to eat dinner with him every day. Spend their free time together. Those activities would be fine, it would be an excuse to actually hang out, instead of having to seek him out and feel like she was bothering him whenever she had to ask for advice.

Would he expect them to….Aida flushed, refusing to complete the thought. That definitely wouldn’t be right - he was years younger than her, they were both still students, and she had no idea about any contraceptives in this world. But he didn’t seem to be the physically affectionate type, so he might not be expecting that too quickly.

“If you need time to think about it, then you can have it,” Ezra said softly. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides as he awaited her verdict.

“N-no, I don’t…” Aida hesitated, unsure what to say to assuage his anguish.

I do like you. The thought surged to the front of her mind, stampeding through all her rationalizations and leaving her thunderstruck at the realization.

It was so simple. So pure. So true.

“I see,” Ezra said softly, forcing himself to relax his hands. They flexed, balling back into fists. He dipped his head. “I’m sorry for bothering you.” He slowly lowered his head, his mana congealing around him again. When he straightened, his eyes were hooded. “I’ll head back first then.”

“Wait!” Aida cried, latching onto his arm. Her heart was hammering in her throat, and she felt tears start collecting in her eyes.

Now that she was able to name the feeling, she felt a sense of relief. Everything was so easy now, in contrast with all of the logical mental hoops she had been deftly jumping through to keep her feelings from getting entangled in these complications.

Even though getting emotionally involved would inevitably lead to other complications, it still gave the clarity that came from simplicity. Denying the existence of her feelings, though admittedly the practical thing to do so she could focus on establishing her career, painted a grim picture of her future ahead of her.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

While Annie’s family would never turn down an opportunity for more money and better financial security, she was fairly certain the only reason they even strove for better living conditions was so they could share the happiness together. Their strength and mental fortitude, pushing through tough times and constant stress, was because they knew they could go home to a loving and supportive family at the end of their shifts.

Since Aida didn’t have that core family here…she had to build her own.

She looked up at Ezra, blinking the tears away. He was watching her intently, body stiff, as if he was afraid to move and startle a timid bird.

“I do like you,” Aida said emphatically. Her admission was freeing. She started laughing, the tears that were balanced on the corners of her eyes rolling down her cheeks. “I like you!”

“Then - then why are you crying?” Ezra asked, bewildered.

“Because I’ve been so silly!” Aida continued laughing, releasing his arm so she could wipe her eyes. “I never let myself think I could be with anyone. Or that anyone would like me for who I was, with no other expectations.”

“I understand the sentiment,” Ezra said softly. “I…have always been wary of people who approach me because I’m a Riolt. They see me as only a member of the Riolt family, and not as my own person.”

Aida tilted her head up at him, her tears finally under control. He was looking at her with an odd mixture of gentleness and gratification…he smiled at her in understanding. “You were the only one who treated me like my family name didn’t matter.”

She laughed, embarrassed as she hiccuped. “My motives aren’t as pure as you make it out to be…I needed help on improving my abilities, and I figured you were the best person to help.” She clapped her hands to her mouth, mortified. Is it okay to say that out loud?

Ezra laughed quietly. “Every relationship is transactional, when you cut down to the core of it. Even the most innocent of friendships wouldn’t grow without some sort of motive. Children who grow up together…they are friends because the other person is more interesting than being alone.” Ezra’s lips tightened briefly before he gave her a small smile. “I suppose what I am saying is that I do not mind being the one who helps you improve on your abilities. It makes me feel…valued for my own skillset and knowledge, instead of being valued for something I have no control over.”

Aida nodded slowly. Ezra made a good point; it might be annoying being the one that everyone went to for answers, but it was infinitely better than being someone that everyone tried to butter up because they were hoping to be blessed with some opportunity they didn’t deserve. Like customers who thought complimenting Annie’s big box store buttonups would get her to sneak them some secret benefits or something…while the moment the doctor stepped out to receive them, they would drop any false pretenses and speak to the doctor with genuine respect.

At least being known as the specialist meant there was some degree of respect for the work and effort Ezra put in, while just being known as a Riolt meant people would only see him as an extension of the family, simply a puppet, and not a real person with his own feelings and interests.

“This is a most fortuitous event,” Aida proclaimed with a wicked smirk. “I accidentally secured the affections of the youngest son of the Riolt family, in my pursuit of mastering mana. Two birds with one stone, I say. I should capitalize on this experience to mentor other young girls hoping to secure their futures with such desirable bachelors.” Aida curtsied to invisible crowds around her, as if receiving the praise and clamors of Ezra’s fangirls with grace.

Ezra sighed despondently. “I suppose I have no choice but to suffer in order to keep you happy. Speaking of which…” He reached out, his fingers lightly brushing her shoulders to stop her from continuing her aimless curtsying. “…are we in agreement that we both share the same feelings?”

Aida nodded, trying to pinch her lips into a serious line. Even though she found her own confession freeing, having to say it again to his face was still embarrassing. Ezra’s hands were comfortingly warm on her shoulders. Firm. Real.

“Then if that is the case, I suppose we will have to set some ground rules.” Ezra lifted one finger. “First: you can’t stand too close to another man.”

Aida raised her eyebrow, amused. “How close is ‘too close’?”

“If he can put his arms around you, that is too close,” Ezra replied promptly. He lifted a second finger. “Second: you can’t eat anything from another man’s hand.”

Aida raised her other eyebrow. “That’s very specific.”

“That is the rule.” Ezra gave her a deadpan look. Aida shrugged, acquiescing. Ezra raised a third finger. “Finally: if you have to leave the school, or any other safe place, you must tell me.”

Aida stared at him, the familiar feeling of dread settling heavily in her stomach, popping the buoyant little bubble that had been inflating her mood just now. The first two rules Ezra laid down had a humorous air to them, as if Ezra was inviting her to poke fun at them. The last rule carried an ominous tone, and Ezra’s grim expression belied his seriousness about that last rule.

“All right, I promise,” Aida said quietly.

Ezra didn’t put his hand down. “One last rule.”

Aida glanced at him inquisitively. The blush that had receded during his list of rules colored back in, and he was glancing off to the side. He mumbled something, making Aida blink. “I beg your pardon?”

Ezra cleared his throat. “We have to hug each other goodnight every night before bed,” he mumbled.

After a pregnant pause, Aida giggled, unable to help herself. “I’m breaking that rule now!”

Ezra whipped his head towards her, cheeks bright red. “This is not negotiable—“

Before he could do more than shoot her a humiliated look, Aida slipped her arms around his torso, squeezing him tightly. Her cheek was pressed against his chest, and she could feel his heart thud against her ear as she snuggled against him. After a moment, Ezra relaxed, his arms wrapping hesitantly around her. She felt his chin rest gently on her head.

“I’m breaking that rule because I didn’t want to wait until night time to hug you,” Aida said, her voice muffled against his chest.

“I suppose my rule was too strict,” Ezra admitted quietly, his breath making her hair flutter. His voice was much more resonant now that she was pressed against him, and she could feel the vibrations run through her as he spoke. She burrowed against him, enjoying the warmth.

She stiffened, pulling back. “But…do we tell everyone else?”

Ezra shrugged. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t.”

“What if they treat us differently?” Aida asked hesitantly.

“What if they do? We have each other, do we not?”

“Huh.” Aida considered. Things sure were simple from a boy’s perspective. “I just mean…it might cause some complications, because—“ her eyes widened. “Oh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well,” Aida laughed awkwardly, disengaging from Ezra. Even though he was still right in front of her, only a hand’s breadth away, she already felt like she was missing something. “It has to do with who you are…”