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February 14, 1506 DR
Another year, another Valentine's Day. Asriel’s 15th Valentine’s Day. This day is about loved ones, friends… partners. But all Asriel felt in his stomach was a pit of dread. He had feelings he needed to confess and let them know that he liked liked them, but he was scared. Confessing to Pants ended his friendship with him, and Catty… The less said about his brief relationship with Catty, the better. But there was one… one other person Asriel knew he liked more than just a friend. Someone who came into their lives not too long ago. Someone with a strong sense of right and wrong. Someone who doesn't quite fit in. Someone he wouldn't mind sharing his home with. Clover Corvid. There was, of course, a gathering at the castle for the adults and their children. However, the Blood Crushers elected to go hang out at a local pizza spot for lunch and the rest of the day. Asriel wanted to confess to them before that. The entire day prior, he spent with Dess, trying to calm his nerves. She was always a soothing presence to be around before something major. She was always there for him. She supported him. And she wanted the best for him, and that meant getting the enby. So that's what he was going to do… with his rizzless game. Sporting a warm winter coat and trudging through the snowy pathways to the Corvid household, Asriel prepared for what was certainly about the most terrifying moment in his life. If things went south, he'd lose another friend. He couldn't stand that. Even if he was over Pants, losing him just as a friend really stung. It would be even worse with Clover.
Eventually, the quiet boy made it to the homestead of the Corvid house. It was a nice place. Large backyard, nice lawn, nice porch. Asriel could stay out here all day without getting bored. Hesitation was in every hint, every movement he made, and even his breathing… It's time to stop stalling. Forcing himself to act faster than he could stop himself, Asriel rang the doorbell and awaited his fate. What if he hates me? What if he abandons me? What if we stop being friends? I can't do it! I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. I—”
Opening the door was a bluebird lady, sporting glasses and a peach winter coat. “Oh, hello, Prince Asriel! What brings you here? I thought you and your friends were meeting up later?”
Asriel smiled and waved a friendly wave to the bird lady. “Howdy, Mrs. Corvid. N-No, we are, and sorry to be a bother, but… is Clover here?” He looked past the bird lady and saw Martlet snoring, sprawled out lazily on the couch, but no sign of her human sibling.
“I think they’re in their room. Let me call them.” Turning to the main hallway, Mrs. Corvid called out to their adoptive child, “Cole? Could you come out here, sweetie?”
“Be right there, Ma!” Out of their bedroom came rushing Clover, like a bat out of hell. “Alright, whatcha need, Ma—Oh! Howdy, Partner!” The gun-toting human locked eyes with their friend before going in for a hug.
“Howdy, Clover.” The quiet boy hugged back tightly, a normal occurrence between him and any of his friends. Didn't make it any less special.
After the two friends broke the hug, Mrs. Corvid gestured to the open doorway, inviting the prince of Ebott in with a smile. “Would you like some breakfast, my prince? I was about to make some for Martlet, Cole, and Berdy, but I could make some for you, too.”
“A-Actually…” Bashful as ever, Asriel retreated into the safety of his scarf, covering his quickly reddening face. “I—I’d like to take Clover out for b-breakfast. A Valentine's Day gift.”
A bit surprised, but happy nonetheless, Mrs. Corvid clapped her hands together and said, “Well now, that sounds like a nice treat! What do you think, Cole?”
Clover didn't even need time to think before, faster than their own quickdraws, responded, “Sounds like my kind of plan!”
…
Later, at QC’s, Asriel and Clover were laughing over some stories from the latter’s old home in the eastern desert of Ebott. One about how they needed to save Berdly from some small sand elementals by giving them coconuts. How they and Martlet built a few puzzle games for others. It was fun. However, the more and more they spoke, the more nervous Asriel got. The tapping of his feet against the floor, constantly shifting his jacket. Not to mention, him avoiding eye contact. And it didn't take long for Clover to realize it. “Ya doin’ okay Azzy? You’re lookin’… under the weather.”
Asriel froze like Dess did to bright lights being flashed in her face. Oh Angel, oh Angel, oh Angel. How the heck do I do this? Do I just—I don't know. “Y-Yeah… I'm just… Golly, uh… Clover, I've got something I want to say… uh… Golly, I can’t—”
“Hey, it’s alright, partner. I ain’t gonna shoot ya.” Clover leaned back into their seat, doing their best to get comfortable. They had a hunch this might take a bit, but that didn't mean they didn't want to hear it. “You can tell me whatever ya want to. I won't judge.”
The quiet boy’s breathing almost ceased entirely. He tried to breathe in, but it was nearly impossible, as if he was choking on something in his own throat. “Even if it’s… deeply personal? About… someone I like?”
Clover’s eyes widened a bit. “...What are you sayin’?”
Even after hours of preparation with Dess, he still wasn't ready for this, but it was happening here and now. No point in dancing around it. “Clover, I… I like you, like you, man. You’re chill, you’re funny, and you sure as hell have a powerful sense of justice.” The fear built up more and more as he spoke. Fear of rejection, fear of abandonment. Fear of losing his friends… again. “But, Clover… the last time I confessed that I liked someone was—”
“Pants. And the time you spent with Catty wasn't fun either.” Clover’s face immediately contorted to one of mild sadness. They were there for him in the fallout of that whole Pants debacle and the Catty incident.
With tears welling up in his eyes, it was getting harder and harder to speak. “I-I just… You m-make me happy to be around. I-I love you, Clover. And… Whether y-you like me or n-not, I’ll understand. I-I just… I-I don’t…”
The gun-toting human got up from their seat and walked to the side of the table, at a loss for words. How the hell were they supposed to go about this? After a minute of pure silence, Clover finally decided to speak. “I’m… I’m interested in ‘Nako, Azzy...”
“O-Oh…” The silence returned between the two. Palpable, heavy, palm-sweating silence. To top it off, an overwhelming sense of loss was already building up in the pit inside Asriel's stomach. Of course they don't love me. Who would? No one other than my family does. Faking a smile Asriel deceased to do his best to reasure Clover. “J-Just forget w-what I said. I-If you want to stop hanging o-out with me, I get it! I-I’ll be okay! Trust me I-”
“But that doesn't mean I don't love you, Partner.” Clover smiled reassuringly at his friend.
“W-What?”
“I love you the same way I love Martlet and Berdly. I just… Ain’t into you like you are, me. And I’m sorry about that, Azzy, but that ain’t meaning I don’t want you as my friend.”
“Y-You wanna keep… hanging out with me? K-Keep being friends?”
Clover looked away from Asriel, looking out the window to see the snowfall. “Of course I wanna keep hangin’ out with you, Azzy. You’re my best friend. You keep bein’ that for me, and I’ll keep bein’ that for you. What do ya say Azzy?” A small period of silence followed Clover’s question. Deeply concerned for their friend, they turned back to see if anything was wrong. “...Azzy?”
The moment Clover looked back to Asriel, they noticed the tears streaming down his face, his eyes red and puffy, and yet… he was smiling. A soft, weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. Clover had just opened the floodgates of his emotions. Sadness and longing, but also relief, and most prominent of all, happiness. Asriel grabbed Clover and hugged them as tightly as they possibly could, letting out a few quiet sobs. “T-Thank you…”
“Hey, it’s no problem. You’re a great friend… really.” Clover hugged them back, on the verge of tears themself. Happy they still had their friend.
“Yeah… I-I’ll be your best friend…”
The two friends stayed just that. Friends, but in truth that was more than Asriel expected to get out of this day. He expected abandonment once more, but he got the opposite. There was still longing in his heart, and his feelings for Clover certainly didn't fade that moment, or overnight, but at least he wasn't losing someone else.
…
The Valentine's Day lunch meetup went well. Everyone brought gifts for each other, mostly chocolates. Dess, the entire time, looked like she was waiting for something from Asriel. Likely the big reveal… but it never came. Once everyone was heading home, Dess called Rudy to ask if she could stay over at Asriel’s for the night to hang out, which was granted.
Asriel and Dess were in the middle of a smashing fighters game, with Asriel using Green Lizard and Dess using Green Knight. The two were neck and neck in their game, both down to one stock, both one combo away from losing… only for both to accidentally get demolished by a stage hazard and get blown off the stage simultaneously. “GAME!” With both having been knocked out at the same time, the game is considered a tie… and because it was a tie, it was time for “SUDDEN DEATH! GOOO!!!” Both were placed at a high percentage, and the stage rapidly shrank. Both only need one hit on the other to win. Of course, Dess with the more reliable range thanks to the green knight’s bow, struck first and won.
“Aaaaaaand that’s game! I get the last bag of chips!” Dess tossed her controller over to a pile of pillows, softly cushioning the device's landing, all the while she smirked looking over to Asriel.
Graciously, Asriel grabbed the last bag of chips from his box of snacks and presented it to Dess like it was a legendary artifact, waiting to be bestowed. “They are yours, my knight.”
The Rowdy Girl snatched the bag and opened it, shovelling its contents into her mouth. “Victory tastes like nacho cheese. Fa Ha Ha!” one she had CONSUMED the bag’s entire contents, Dess decided to, unlike a certain dog, address the elephant in the room. “So, why didn’t you say anything about you and Clover at the meetup? Didn’t you two get together?”
The quiet boy lived up to his name and didn't speak for a moment. He needed time to articulate what in the Angel’s name he was even going to say. “We… We decided to stay friends. It kind of hurt, but I get it. They don't have interest in me. They like Nako. I get it, but we didn't have any argument. I just confessed my feelings, and they decided it would be best if we just stayed friends, to which I agreed. Didn't think it would be important to bring up with others… but you're the one who coached me through this, so I should have told you earlier. Sorry, Dess.”
“Aw, Azzy. I’m sorry.” Dess put an arm around Asriel’s shoulder to pull him in closer. Dong her best to comfort her best friend.
“No, no, it’s fine. Don’t worry. Me and them are chill like.” Asriel chuckled as he did his best to reassure Dess that he was actually fine. A little disappointed but more relieved, if anything.
Dess smiled, happy knowing her best friend is okay mentally and not shattered. “I’m sure you’ll find someone eventually, Azzy. Besides, there's gotta be someone who makes you happy just to be around.”
“I know you mean romantically, but I’ll list everyone who does, even non-romantically.” Asriel looked up to the ceiling, trying to count everyone who does. “I mean a few people, obviously Clover and the rest of the Blood Crushers, Kris, Noelle, and you for a freaking fact.”
Dess scratched her head at the base of her newly unvelveted antlers before chuckling. “Not sure if Martlet would be interested, and Nako… Kanako’s weird. She's fun, but weird. Not sure what she likes.”
“True… She just doesn't seem like my type, you know? My type is strong, kind, and preferably muscly.” Asriel blushed a bit saying that last part. He liked being able to be so open with Dess.
Dess, of course, elbowed Asriel in the side, though only lightly, with a goofy grin on her face. “Ah yes, the illustrious tastes of the ‘God of Hyperdeath’... people who can beat him up.”
Asriel chuckled a bit at Dess’s comment. It was completely true. “What can I say, I know what I like.”
Stretching, Dess got onto her hooves and rushed for the door, her guitar pick necklace shining in the light of the TV. “Alright, I’ll be back. Gotta use the restroom. See ya in fuck knows when!”
“Try not to get lost!” Asriel waved as Dess left for the bathroom. These hangouts were always nice. She was always fun and reassuring to be around. She's helped Asriel through thick and thin, especially when it came to him discovering who exactly he liked, whether it was boys or some girls. She always found a way to make him laugh, and hell, she was strong as hell to boot, having killed a quasit at the age of seven. Whether as a guardian or just a friend, he wouldn’t mind if she stayed over more or came to live with—Wait… the quiet boy’s thought process came to a screeching halt, thinking about everything that had just run through his mind. Everything he's been doing, what he's currently doing. The more and more he thought, the more he recalled, and the more he realized his thoughts were always going to one thing. Even when around Pants, Catty, and, to some lesser extent, Clover… he was thinking of her. A smile slowly crept up on his face. Had these feelings been there all along? He still had feelings for Clover; that's true, but he felt like an imbecile for not realizing the burning flame of affection he had for the Rowdy Girl till this very moment. An affection somehow hidden under his nose for so long he didn't even realize he was smelling the embers.
“Sup, faggot.” Dess called out as she threw herself onto Asriel’s bed before rolling off of it. Somehow, Asriel got so lost in thought that Dess had gone to the restroom, spent several minutes in there, and come back, and he didn't realize until he heard her voice. “Your face lookin’ a little red there. You thinking of DI—”
“D-Don’t worry about it.” Asriel held his hands in and out in front of Dess as a gesture to get her to shut up.
“Eh, fair. Probably have a good idea.” The doe chuckled to herself as she scooted over to Asriel, grinning. She had no idea. “Wanna watch a movie?”
“Yeah!” Asriel responded with jubilation. For the rest of the night, the two watched cheesy slasher movies, one after the other. Both lying on the sleeping bags on the ground, covered by blankets. Laughs, jumps, a few tears—it was fun… It was with her. Despite being the same stuff they had been doing for years, in his heart, in his very SOUL, he finally realized how much it meant to him. How much she meant to him. He should have realized that fact since they basically became joined at the hip since the age of seven, or maybe when he gave her a diamond-embedded guitar pick at the age of eight. No one else got something that nice, not even pants. Dark and light, they were just like day and night. One never without the other. She made him happy. That's why he cared about her. It's only now that he realized that's why he loved her. That night, both fell asleep with smiles on their faces.