Aida puzzled over Sue’s cryptic message, though all thoughts about it fled her mind as soon as she saw Ezra approach her the next morning.

Even if his small, gentle smile made her heart flutter, she had to admit there were unexpected inconveniences to being known as his girlfriend. For one thing, his fangirls had renewed their attention on her, and seemed determined to get underfoot any chance they got.

They weren’t even malicious, unfortunately; they seemed to view her as a mascot, some sort of dark horse success story who succeeded in landing a silver prince. So even though none of them were going out of their way to harass her, they completely encroached on her privacy, following her much more closely than they used to follow Ezra.

You’re a much more relatable target to them than Ezra. Aida wished they could be rude; it would be much easier to tell them off and demand her space back if they overstepped her boundaries.

As it was, Aida had no good reason to berate the girls who happened to follow her to the library, taking neighboring desks for their own studies; or the girls who trailed after her as she went down to the lake to do more mana and water manipulation exercises, lounging a fair distance away while still being within sight; or even the girls who gathered in the lounge area on the floor outside of her room, smiling and bowing meekly at her whenever she looked at them.

Ultimately, they were innocent. Annoying, but harmless. It was ironic that the only reprieve Aida got (when not in her own room) was when she was with Ezra. It seemed what made Aida appear approachable amplified his intimidating aura, all of her fans melting away as soon as they felt Ezra’s presence.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Despite being under more scrutiny than she was used to, Aida had to admit it was pleasant being in a relationship. Even if they were too busy to really spend more time than usual together, just knowing that they would see each other at least once before bed, knowing that there was someone who wanted to know she was doing well, bolstered her spirits and allowed her to smile blandly at Vega whenever they crossed paths.

The brief moments of reprieve they had together were undoubtedly the highlights of Aida’s days. A quarter hour before curfew, they would sit cross-legged on Ezra’s bed, facing each other and talking about their day. They never sat close enough to touch, but just being able to look at Ezra as he spoke, taking in the shapes his lips made, watching his eyes flutter closed as he recalled some minor detail…after Ezra walked her back to her room, Aida would always curl in her bed, committing every detail of every conversation to memory.

And of course, adhering to Ezra’s ground rules, they always hugged.

Ezra had been shy and awkward at first, despite being in the privacy of his room. Aida had been about to exit, but he leaned on the door, blushing furious, his arms slightly raised from his body as he tried to initiate the hug, teetering on the balls of his feet as he alternated between committing to the act and pulling back.

Aida, also blushing, had tried to follow his lead; though because of their indecisiveness, they had ended up in an awkward dance back and forth, chasing each other for a hug.

That was one of the memories Aida wished she didn’t remember, but it was the one that would surface most often, making Aida bury her face in her hands at the embarrassment.

She had also been nervous about how their friends would take the news that the two of them were dating now. After all, she remembered how awkward it had been in high school whenever her friends would bring their fresh relationships to the friend group; unrepentant flirting and physical affection, completely ignoring the rest of them. Rubbing their happiness in their faces.

It was a good thing, then, that they really didn’t have free time to all get together as a group. Whenever she ran into them individually, they all seemed happy for her; Caleb had even commented that she seemed much more relaxed, now.

“Really?” Aida asked, startled. She didn’t think she was doing anything different. She still kept her same routine of keeping to herself.

“Yeah, it’s only obvious after the fact. It’s not like you were sad or upset before, but it’s clear something has changed,” Caleb said, running his hand through his hair. He smiled wistfully. “I guess that’s what my mother means by love changing someone.”

Aida’s hands flew to her mouth as she looked at Caleb with wide eyes. “Did you - your mother - Sue—“

Caleb flushed a deep red. “N-No, not at all. We’re not—“ he stammered into oblivion, before finally excusing himself when some younger boys approached him. Aida looked after him, torn between the desire to interrogate him for details and respecting his and Sue's privacy, before finally heading to her own classes.

Sue was constantly on her case, keen on any developments that occurred.

“Have you held hands yet?”

“No, we’re still just talking.”

“Does he put his arm around you when you’re talking?”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“We hug each other goodnight…”

“How long is the hug?”

Aida crossed her arms, fixing Sue with a stern glare. “When are you and Caleb going to make it official?”

“It’s not - we’re busy—“ Sue whined, withering into a husk.

“What did you and the girls say?” Aida asked severely. “’You can’t wait for the boy to make a move if you want something’? So what’s your excuse?”

Flipping the script on Sue was enough to shut her down, but Aida had to admit she didn't mind being bombarded with questions about her love life. Shockingly, constantly being asked to talk about the thing that brought her so much joy was not annoying.

Levi was the only one who seemed too busy to even say hello to her. He would give her a nod in passing, always walking with one classmate or another. When she mentioned it offhandedly to Ezra, he merely nodded.

“He’s been a bit less friendly with me as well.”

Aida couldn’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort, but she was reluctant to voice her concern. But how could she have known he wasn’t joking? And what could she do if he really was jealous? She couldn’t just break up with Ezra - not that she wanted to.

Ezra sensed her inner turmoil, and reached out to grasp her hand gently. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” she said, forcing a smile on her face. “I’m fine. I know it’s irrational, but I can’t help but feel…”

“Guilty?”

Aida nodded, shamefaced. Ezra didn’t say anything, but instead moved over so that he was sitting next to her. Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he pressed her against him, tucking her head under his chin. He didn’t say anything else, just sat there quietly as his fingers traced gentle circles on her shoulder.

“I know I shouldn’t feel bad,” Aida said quietly, trying to work through her thoughts. “But…Levi’s been a very good friend to me, and I wonder…” she cut herself off, worried what Ezra would think of her next words.

“You wonder whether he really meant it when he gave you his jacket.”

Aida froze, her breath trapped in her chest. This was the first time they had alluded to the Old Moon Festival.

“Yes,” she finally whispered, when Ezra continued to calmly rub her shoulder. Her heart thudded as she wondered how he would react. What if he thinks I’m fickle, and that he can’t trust me?

“As much as I wish it wasn’t so, I do believe Levi has genuine feelings for you,” Ezra said reluctantly. “That was why I had originally decided not to interfere…but when nothing seemed to change between you two after the Festival, I just had to know what you were thinking.”

Aida nestled herself deeper into Ezra’s arms, embarrassed at his forthright words. “…I don’t know what to do.”

He tightened his grip on her, the first sign of his own tension.

“If he had presented his feelings to you before I did, what would you have done?”

Aida hesitated. “I…I don’t think I would have believed him.” Levi had forced his jacket on her, and then hid behind the excuse of looking out for her best interest - she had thought she was in the wrong for misunderstanding him, but if he had just been honest from the beginning, then—

She paused, confused. She was angry, of course, that Levi had woven such a robust web of confusion around his intentions - whatever he did, he had plausible deniability. But even if he really did like her, and had the best intentions for her…would she have agreed to date him?

He knows your secret, and he accepts you for it. A shudder ran through her, accompanying the pang in her heart. If only he wasn't such a playboy.

Because he had never really demonstrated any sort of commitment, she found it hard to trust anything he said when it came to expressing his own feelings. Ironically, it was less painful to consider their friendship as superficial - after all, friendships budded and languished, easily affected by changing circumstances. They had also reached an acceptable understanding between the two of them, when he offered to help her assimilate to Maglica life, for the sake of using her as a means to improve his relationship with Sue. That had been straightforward.

But if he wasn't a playboy, if he wasn't touchy-feely with any girl who giggled at his jokes...she probably would have said yes - because he would be trustworthy. Their relationship would be built on a foundation of honesty. As it was…now she had a sour view of their entire friendship. Even if he hadn’t done anything terrible to her, or put her into any awful situations, all of their interactions were now tainted by suspicion. His manipulative nature, refusal to commit to any firm principles, perfectly happy to live in a state of limbo, all so that he could snag a favor out of thin air if it suited him…she couldn’t see him as the easygoing, friendly ally anymore.

“Aida?”

Aida pulled back at Ezra’s concern. His lips were curled down, his brows gently furrowed. She reached up, poking his soft cheek with her finger. He might be cold on the outside, but once you get to know him it’s really obvious what he thinks.

“I’m okay. I was just…reevaluating my entire friendship with Levi.”

Ezra’s gaze softened, though his lips took on a more pronounced pout. “You’re not planning on promoting your friendship with him to something else?”

Aida couldn’t help but giggle. “How could I when you have your strict rules about standing too close to another boy?”

“Man,” he corrected automatically. “You can stand next to young children and I have no issue with that.” He reached up, gently curling his finger around hers. “What are you thinking now?”

Aida bit her lip, latching her finger around his as she lowered their hands into their laps. “I’m upset. That he’s so opaque. I thought we really were friends, but the way he operates…” she shook her head. “I don’t know if I can trust him.”

Ezra was silent, his thumb gently caressing her fingertip as he traced the outline of her nail. His fingers were warm, his touch firm; as if he was trying to reassure her he wouldn’t leave her. Trust me, his touch seemed to say.

Aida sighed, smiling at Ezra. She withdrew her finger from his touch and poked at his cheek again. “Thank you.”

He raised an eyebrow, this time letting her finger continue poking. Aida elaborated.

“Thank you for being you.”