Dorian hadn’t really thought about the implications of the fact that he and Reina had both gone to the dance together and, after she leaned over his shoulder to whisper in his ear, had left for a bit and weren’t seen until much later. It wasn’t that the rumors he heard bugged him, but it was curious that he seemed not to care to refute anything. Even Reina seemed to be in on an unspoken inside joke, both of them laughing together at the questions they got and the incredibly vague answers they gave. She’d even suggested that, the day after the dance, that they should hold hands as they left the campus but not enough to confirm the rumors. Unfortunately, they didn’t really think about confusing their friends in the process.
They’d offered to get to their reserved room early on Halloween to kinda make sure that everything was in order, and they knew that they were going to be barraged with questions. Neither of them were really too concerned, though, and even took the time for people to take some pictures on the way...more so of Reina than of him. Even if he hadn’t made her bunny girl suit, or was thinking a few degenerate thoughts, he would’ve thought that she looked amazing. The classy formalness of her blazer, collar, bowtie, and heels mixing with the effects of the corset, fishnets, cottontail and the bunny-ear headband came together wonderfully...and that was even before Reina put it on. Dorian was very out of place beside her with his leather overcoat, boots, Victorian-looking clothes and tophat.
“Seems you’re a fan favorite,” he told her when they arrived.
“Everyone loves bunny girls,” she smiled. “You definitely deserve a ton of the credit, as usual.”
“A nice-looking costume is nothing without someone who can pull it off,” he countered. “And I couldn’t have asked for better.” Reina’s cheeks turned a faint pink and she looked at the ground. He wasn’t lying when he said that either...especially since it was his first time with this kind of design. “Anyway, we can save our back-and-forth comments and teasing for later. We’re still up for streaming tomorrow, yeah?”
About half an hour later, the others finally arrived with snacks and drinks, stopping for a moment as they walked in. Neither Dorian nor Reina would really have blamed them as they had taken one of the couches, Dorian laying with his head on Reina’s lap with his feet off the edge as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. Both of them looked over as their friends entered, holding back laughter at their expressions.
“You two are the most confusing individuals I think I’ve ever met,” Nina sighed, shaking her head.
“Hello to you too,” Dorian smirked, returning to a more relaxed position. “And what about us is confusing? We’re just friends, you know....”
“Forgive us, but even best friends aren’t as close as you two,” Analisse countered, setting down the drinks she’d brought. “I mean...look at you....”
“What?” Reina asked, not stopping her hands. “There’s nothing weird about this, is there?”
“So you two are dating?” Jean asked, visibly confused.
“Do you think we’re dating?” Dorian asked.
“And here you go with this shit again,” Wolfgang sighed. “Honestly, I feel like you two are just messing with everyone....” It was at that moment, understanding seemed dawn on all of them. “Holy shit...you two went so hard into this....” Dorian sat up, swinging his long legs off the couch and flipping his tophat back on. “You two suck, you know?”
Both Dorian and Reina shrugged, not really able to defend themselves against the accusation. They both agreed it would be funny to feed the rumors, so they did. It was just for a laugh and it wasn’t like anyone was really hurt from it.
“You two would make a cute couple, though,” Analisse offered. “And with how much time you two spend together....” There was a general mutter of agreement after she said that. It wouldn’t be strange, to anyone else, that Dorian and Reina would start dating, but Dorian wasn’t so sure about that. Not that he wouldn’t absolutely love it if she did...he just didn’t think he deserved her.
“Maybe later,” Reina replied, causing Dorian’s eyes to fly open and making him very thankful he was looking down. Her eye caught his with a cheeky little smirk on her face, leaving him hopeful but still questioning. “But enough about us. Correct me if I’m wrong, Jean, but didn’t I see you dancing with Abby?”
“You can thank Dorian for that,” she admitted, looking a little sheepish. “Though, I have to admit that it’s a tad jarring to be called a useless lesbian....” Dorian shrugged again and crossed his legs as he lounged back.
“Sometimes you just need the right kick to push you,” he offered. “And that was the kick I gave you...I suppose it turned out alright, in the end, didn’t it?” Sure his methods had been unorthodox, but he just needed her to get into the right headspace to go after who she wanted...something that Reina had apparently taken note of. “Anyway, we’re not here to interrogate each other about our love lives, right? Let’s have a little fun.” He pulled a couple of popsicle sticks from an inner pocket of his coat. “Any of you ever played the King Game?”
ns 18.68.41.146da2