The Heartslabyul kitchen was filled with the soft hum of magic and the warm scent of sugar and butter. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching on clouds of flour as Trey Clover wiped his hands clean on his apron.
He was the picture of calm — steady, polite, always one step ahead of chaos. Whenever Riddle’s rules went too far or Ace and Deuce caused trouble, Trey was the one who smoothed everything over.
But there was one thing that even he couldn’t quite manage to keep under control these days — his heart whenever you were around.
You were the only female student in Night Raven College — sharp, kind, and unafraid to speak your mind. Trey admired that. More than he’d ever admit aloud.
He told himself it was harmless. Just a little admiration. But lately, he found himself baking just a little more often when you stopped by…
Today, you had wandered into the kitchen just as he was pulling a tray of tarts from the oven.
“They smell amazing,” you said, stepping closer. “Are these for tea time?”
Trey turned, smiling softly beneath his glasses. “Ah, yeah. I thought everyone could use something sweet after Riddle’s extra-long study session. You want to try one?”
You blinked. “Won’t Riddle get mad if I eat before the official tea?”
Trey chuckled, his voice warm and low. “You let me worry about Riddle. I’ll cover for you.”
He offered you one, holding the tart out gently — and for a second, your fingers brushed his. His breath hitched, almost too quietly to notice.
But someone did notice.
“Whoa, whoa, what’s this~?” Cater Diamond’s voice sing-songed from the doorway, phone in hand. “Treyyy, are you giving out special desserts now? Should I snap a pic of this cute little scene?”
You jumped slightly, cheeks pink. “Cater!”
Behind him, Ace and Deuce peeked in, snickering.
“Man, I knew something was up,” Ace whispered. “Trey’s been acting all weird lately. Extra nice to her.”
Deuce frowned thoughtfully. “He’s always nice, Ace.”
“Yeah, but not this nice,” Ace teased. “Look at him! He’s smiling like he just won the lottery.”
Riddle appeared a moment later, looking mildly exasperated. “What’s with all this noise in my dorm’s kitchen? Trey, you—” He stopped short, narrowing his eyes. “You’re blushing.”
Trey blinked in surprise. “I—what?”
Cater grinned mischievously. “Oh, Riddle, he totally is~! Our calm, collected Vice Housewarden’s got a crush!”
Riddle’s brow furrowed. “A crush? On—” His gaze shifted to you. “...Oh.”
Trey sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as laughter filled the kitchen. “You guys really don’t know when to quit, do you?”
You giggled softly, stepping closer. “Guess your secret’s out.”
He glanced at you, smiling faintly — and this time, it wasn’t the composed, mentor-like smile everyone was used to. It was warmer. Real.
“Well,” he said gently, “guess I’ll just have to make more tarts so no one feels left out.”
Cater smirked. “Smooth, Trey~ Real smooth.”
Riddle huffed, muttering something about “keeping decorum in the dorm,” but even he couldn’t hide the faint hint of amusement tugging at his lips.
And as laughter filled the kitchen, Trey glanced your way one more time — heart quietly racing behind that easy, steady smile.