Fandom: Kakumeiki Valvrave

Characters/Pairings: A-drei/L-elf, X-eins, H-neun, Q-vier

Words: 2,776

Summary: A-drei is assigned to sit in the back row during his first week at Karlstein.

—

notes: microfic meme that isn't even remotely micro anymore.

sorry for any parts that don't make sense, headcanons that will most likely be disproven (lol who am i kidding some of these are already wrong) in the coming episodes, being a disgrace to this fandom, etc etc.

—

1 (romance)

A-drei is assigned to sit in the back row during his first week at Karlstein.

He gets the seat next to the window, not that there's much to see outside in the first place—drab concrete buildings can only hold one's interest for so long, in A-drei's opinion. The boy that sits in front of him seems to think otherwise though, spending majority of his time looking outside.

"I'm not looking at anything in particular, really," the boy says, one day, as if reading A-drei's thoughts.

"Oh," A-drei says, surprised that the boy had spoken to him at all. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"I wasn't doing anything of importance," the boy says, turning to him. "Your Highness."

"Just 'A-drei' is fine," A-drei says, perhaps a bit too quickly. "And you?"

"L-elf," the boy replies.

"It's nice to meet you, then, L-elf," A-drei greets, the irony of this conversation coming in three weeks a little too late not entirely lost on him.

"Lunch. Ties. Ham and eggs."

"I… beg your pardon?" A-drei asks, wondering if he had heard that correctly, but L-elf has already gone back to looking outside the window.

No matter, A-drei supposes. He's found something to look at, too.

.

2 (ust)

A-drei sits with L-elf for lunch that day, as well as every other day after.

L-elf, A-drei discovers, sits in the quiet place in the corner, away from the other groups, next to the window. Idly, A-drei wonders, if L-elf had been really telling the truth about not looking at anything, but the look that L-elf gives him when he comes over, one that seems to say, I wouldn't let just anyone be here, makes A-drei think otherwise, pushing the matter away to the back of his mind.

The rest of the period passes by not much differently from all their other classes, A-drei finds; L-elf spends most of it looking outside, only focusing on his food, and, on occasion, A-drei, very rarely, if at all.

Had it been anyone else, A-drei thinks, he might have been offended; but as it is, he finds watching L-elf pick at his eggs and brood into space more than enough for him in terms of companionship. Some days, he wonders, what this says of him; most, he wonders, what L-elf is thinking.

"It's not polite to stare, you know," L-elf says, as if to answer his question.

"I wasn't staring," A-drei denies, busying himself with his share of salad.

"You were," L-elf says, though he doesn't sound like he minds. "And you will."

A-drei doesn't really do anything to prove him wrong.

.

3 (humor)

They get reassigned seats halfway through the year—L-elf to the front, a few seats away from the door, and A-drei to the side, near the middle.

It doesn't bother A-drei much, since it's not like he and L-elf talked much anyway. It does concern him though, mainly because he wonders what L-elf will do, now that he can no longer look out the window.

"Man, you're really hung up on him, huh?" the person to his left comments, sometime during the theory of space aerodynamics.

"I don't understand what you mean," A-drei says, registering the presence of his seatmate for the first time.

"L-elf," the boy says, gesturing his head—somehow blonde, and yet somehow not—to the front. "You stare at him, like, all the time."

"I do not stare," A-drei says.

"Uh huh," the boy says, lips twisting into a smirk. "You know, my room's, like, just two doors down from his. I could switch with you, if you want."

Yes, A-drei thinks. "That's not allowed," he says instead.

"I know," the boy says, chuckling, "but you still thought about it anyway."

L-elf thankfully doesn't ask why his cheeks are red during lunch later.

.

4 (crossover)

"I don't like my new seatmate," A-drei confesses, after a while, stabbing balefully at his carrots.

"H-neun?" L-elf asks, taking in a spoonful of yolk.

"You know him?" A-drei asks back, feeling betrayed, somehow.

"I know everyone," L-elf replies. "It's important to gather data."

"Oh," A-drei says, somewhat embarrassed at having assumed. So, "What do you know about him?"

"He comes from a family of pilots," L-elf answers, forking through his egg whites. "One was known as the 'Galactic Pretty Boy'."

"That is a ridiculous title," A-drei says. L-elf merely nods, turning to look outside the window once more. So, "What about you, L-elf?" A-drei asks. "Your family, I mean."

"Chess. Contracts. Power," L-elf replies. "The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed."

"I… see," A-drei says, by which, he really means, no, I don't.

.

5 (crack)

Simulation training begins at the start of their second year.

A-drei is put in the same group as L-elf, fortunately, as well as H-neun and two others—X-eins and Q-vier, as A-drei would later be introduced to—unfortunately.

The first mission they're tasked to accomplish is a fairly simple one of reconnaissance, or, at least, it should be, if everyone could finally decide on a plan of action.

"The fastest way is to let me go ahead," L-elf insists. "I'm perfectly capable of doing this on my own."

"I'm well aware of your reputation, L-elf," the one with glasses—X-eins—says, "but this is a team effort. We can't just let you go off on your own."

"Hey hey," the shorter one—Q-vier—says, tugging at X-eins' sleeve. "When do we get to kill people, huh? They didn't give us any weapons; does this mean we get to be creative?"

"You don't kill on reconnaissance," X-eins says, exasperated. "Besides, this is merely a simulation. The only enemies present are the AI. There are no people for you to kill."

"Well that's laaaame," Q-vier whines. H-neun laughs.

"Do you have any ideas, then?" X-eins asks, narrowing his eyes at the blonde, the light that catches at the edge of his glasses glinting menacingly.

"Split up?" H-neun shrugs. Then, at X-eins' disapproving glare, he clarifies, "L-elf wants to go on his own, right? At least this way everyone gets to do something?"

"I second H-neun's idea," L-elf says.

"I second building a bomb and blowing everything up," Q-vier says.

"Vetoed," X-eins says.

Screw this, A-drei thinks, walking away to finally get this over with.

.

6 (hurt/comfort)

The mission goes smoothly enough, if A-drei may say so himself. X-eins had given him an earful over the radio, but at least they're done.

"Yes, yes, I'll be back soon," A-drei sighs, as his communicator lights up again.

"Look behind you," not X-eins says.

"L-elf?" A-drei says, cut off by the wall behind him opening, revealing a pack of drones pointing their guns at him.

"What the—" A-drei thinks to say, but L-elf suddenly appears in front of him, grabbing his hand and pulling him away. "Wait, wait, L-elf," A-drei breathes, voice strained against the onslaught of bullets coming their way. "What—What's going on?"

"Q-vier accidentally triggered something while poking around for explosives," L-elf explains, once they'd found a place to stop at. "We're to avoid the drones for now. We don't know enough to disable them safely."

"I see," A-drei says, still catching his breath, frowning when he sees a spot of red on L-elf's sleeve. "You're bleeding."

"It's nothing," L-elf says, not even looking to inspect the damage.

"It's not nothing," A-drei scolds him, grabbing his arm a bit more forcefully than he intended. "Here," he says, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket. "Let me wrap it for you."

"I don't see the point," L-elf says, though he lets A-drei tie it around his arm anyway.

"Consider it a precaution," A-drei says, finishing his work with neat knot. "That was reckless of you, you know. What if they had shot you somewhere else?"

"A minor miscalculation," L-elf insists, finally prying his arm away from A-drei's hold.

"Still," A-drei says.

"What's done is done," L-elf says, final.

"Promise me you'll be more careful next time," A-drei tries.

"Only if you do the same," L-elf says, rounding the corner.

"I will," A-drei says. For you, he doesn't.

.

7 (angst)

The rest of their missions go flawlessly, after that, and in their third year, they're sent out.

The field, A-drei finds, is easier, in some ways—humans were quicker to dispose of than machines—and harder, in others—actual galactic combat had more variables unaccounted for compared to simulations. He adjusts to it, though, soon enough. He has to, he thinks, as the more time he spends with L-elf, watching him, like this, the faster, he seems, to slip away from A-drei's sight.

A-drei has long suspected, of course, the reason L-elf preferred to work alone. It isn't because of some arrogance, or pride, some belief that he is above them, in every way; it is a truth.

No matter how fast the five of them may move through the ranks, how many rumors of an elite team like any other float around, A-drei will always be sure: L-elf is in a league of his own.

That's why—

"I think we should go look for L-elf," A-drei announces.

"It's barely been five minutes," H-neun says.

"It's been five minutes and three seconds as of now," A-drei replies, hotly.

Here, X-eins spares both of them a glance, before putting his hand to his chin. "L-elf is taking longer than usual," he says, at last. "Especially considering that the pilot is just a student."

"We shouldn't have let him go by himself," A-drei says.

"He had the same crazy 'you don't split ham and eggs' look in his eyes from earlier though," H-neun shrugs.

"He was incredibly determined to finish this on his own," X-eins concedes. "Even more so than usual."

"I don't care," A-drei says. "I'm heading out."

—he wants to be by L-elf's side for as long as he can.

Because, deep down, A-drei knows, someday—

"You aren't Sakumori students [1]," one of the girls says.

Obviously, A-drei thinks, as "We're from Dorssia—" Q-vier announces merrily, interrupted by a sudden shot at his gun.

"L-elf?"

"Tch," A-drei hears H-neun mutter, as the students begin to scramble away.

"Let them," A-drei says, holding his arm out. There are far more important things at hand right now. Namely, "What is the meaning of this, L-elf?" A-drei asks, lowering his gun. "Why do you point your gun at us?"

There must be a reasonable explanation for all this, A-drei thinks, stepping closer. There must be. L-elf would never, would never do anything without a purpose, without some grand plan of some sort.

It's all just a misunderstanding, A-drei assures himself. After all, how else could he explain the way L-elf had looked at them—is looking at them—his hand on the trigger like—

"A-drei!"

—L-elf will leave them behind, and A-drei isn't sure if he'll ever come back.

.

8 (au)

A-drei is only certain of two things when he comes to: one, his left eye is perfectly fine, with no hint of any pain or harm done; and two, he has no idea where he is.

The amount of white and sterility the room radiates indicate it's a medical facility of some sort, but it's nothing like A-drei has seen in Dorssia, or even ARUS or JIOR.

What tools he can see from where he lay on the bed look hideously primitive, with not even one console or monitoring system at all present. There also seems to be a distinct lack of other people, patients and medical staff alike, leaving A-drei to question further why he's here in the first place.

"You're awake."

"L-elf?!"

"I see you've regained your energy," L-elf says, walking over and sitting on the stool beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling," A-drei repeats incredulously. "How am I feeling?" He feels furious, for one, hurt, and betrayed, among others, not to mention confused as to why and how the person who had just shot him and went on the run could just calmly come up to him, act like there's nothing wrong, and ask him, of all things, how he's feeling. "You should know perfectly well how I'm feeling, L-elf."

"You never did have a high tolerance for pain," L-elf replies, coolly, brushing A-drei's bangs from his face, tenderly. "It looks much better now, though."

"Don't—Don't you dare touch me," A-drei seethes, swatting away L-elf's hand and letting his hair fall haphazardly back into place. "Don't you have any idea what you've done?"

"I don't understand why you're getting so worked up over your hair," L-elf says.

"My hair," A-drei yells. "You think this is about my hair?!"

"Your forehead seems to have stopped swelling so I don't see what else it could be," L-elf replies.

"My forehead?" A-drei says, feeling for some indication of a wound.

"One of the middle schoolers accidentally hit the ball too far and it hit you on the head," L-elf explains. "You don't remember?"

You're the one that doesn't remember, A-drei thinks bitterly, stopping when L-elf looks at him, really looks at him, and A-drei realizes, technically, in this world, wherever it may be, L-elf didn't hurt him, didn't betray him, didn't leave him. He grips the bedsheet in his hands with an intensity he cannot place.

"Are you sure you're alright?" L-elf asks, moving closer.

"I think… I'm just confused, is all," A-drei answers, a moment later.

"About what?" L-elf asks.

"About…" everything, A-drei thinks, but that would hardly be useful. So, instead, he asks, "Where are we?"

"The infirmary," L-elf answers. "2nd floor, east wing of Die Wichtigste Akademie. [2]"

"Amazing as always," A-drei says, quietly, mulling the name over in his head. It certainly doesn't sound like any place he's heard of before. Unless, "What day is it?"

"January 7th, in the year 20XX. [3]"

"Of the True Calendar?" A-drei asks, frantic.

"No," L-elf says, narrowing his eyes, "of the Gregorian. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I," A-drei starts, debating with himself how the truth might sound. In the end, he decides, "I think I may be not fully awake yet."

"Would you like to go back to sleep?" L-elf asks.

"No," A-drei says, moving to get up. "I think some time outside would do some good." It would allow him a chance to process things, at least; and, if, "You're coming with me, of course."

If this means he could be by L-elf's side for a while longer, then A-drei could see no wrong in making the most out of it.

"Of course," L-elf says. A-drei smiles.

.

9 (fluff)

"Is there anything in particular you want to do?" L-elf asks.

"No, not really," A-drei says, taking a seat on one of the benches outside, looking to the sky.

It's strange, A-drei thinks, the sky. He'd seen it generated countless times before, all over the Dyson sphere, but something about the real thing, here on Earth, captivated you, in a certain way.

A part of him still can't believe it, really. Earth. He'd learned about it, of course, but to discover himself actually on it, centuries before space travel, before space inhabitation—it was a bit much to take in, all at once.

"Are you feeling better?" L-elf asks, sitting beside him.

"Things are a little clearer, yes," A-drei replies, the ring of a bell in the distance bringing forth a stream of students from the main entrance, making their way to exit through the front gates.

"Do you wish to stay here?" L-elf asks.

"Here is fine," A-drei says, slowly feeling the beginnings of sleep take him over, in tune with the setting sun. "Here is just fine," A-drei says, softer, this time, as L-elf pulls his head down to rest on his shoulder, fingers gently combing through his hair.

"Is there anything else?" L-elf whispers.

"Just one," A-drei says, delaying sleep for just a while longer. "Are we friends, L-elf?"

"Yes," L-elf says. "We're friends, A-drei."

A-drei doesn't think he's ever slept better in his entire life.

.

10 (drama)

"Welcome back," X-eins says.

"Enjoy your beauty sleep?" H-neun sneers.

"…ere's L-elf…?" A-drei breathes, wincing when the words rasp at his throat.

"Still a traitor!" Q-vier chirps.

"I… see…" A-drei says, fighting away the fatigue and attempting to sit up.

"Don't," X-eins says, pushing him back down. "Save it for later." For when you confront L-elf, implicitly understood.

"We'll come back for you at 1300," X-eins continues, sending a look to H-neun and Q-vier. "Just rest for now."

"Mm," A-drei nods, weakly, allowing X-eins to lower his head onto the pillow, watching as the three take their leave.

When he is alone, he lets his fingers graze the gauze over his left eye, and waits.

"Please surrender, L-elf. I don't want to kill you."

[1] credit for dialog from the episode goes to ggsubs

[2] i used google translate for this; please feel free to message me something more accurate/less awkward if it sounds off

[3] i debated with myself whether to include an actual date, but i decided to just leave it ambiguous so as not to tie this story to a particular year, but somehow still keep it around present day