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then  your  father.   i'm  a  guest  here,   i  should  be  thanking  them  somehow.   do  they  need  help  with  household  chores?  or  errand  running?  i  can't  stay  without  showing  my  appreciation.  (...)   ah.   a..   pleasure. 

@headsoff,                you don't have to! you really don't. mom told me about how polite you were to them, she even said that she doesn't mind if you come back in the future. she said she won't accept gifts, too — -            something about it already being a pleasure to have you stay?

@headsoff,                no, no — -            you wouldn't sleep on the floor. why would we make a guest sleep on the /floor/?! we have a guest room, and sleeping bags.. i mean, the room isn't the most extravagant. we're just hatters, haha.. but it's a good room. you've never been to a sleepover.. which is why you should start going to some! my parents will /love/ you, i promise. and you don't have to worry about gifts or anything. all you have to do is relax and have fun! it'll all be great.

i  believe  i've  recovered  /enough/  in  the  time  between  then  and  now,   and  even  if  you  are  adamant  i  haven't,   there  will be  other  students  staying  through  the  break  that  i'm  sure  would  keep  you  notified  of  my  condition.  (....)   staying..   with  you?   vincent,  that  is—-   really,  what  are  you  thinking?  perhaps  your  parents  wouldn't  mind,   but  i  wouldn't  know  how  to  act.  i  don't  have  a  thank  you  gift  for  them.   besides,  a..   sleepover..   i've  never  been  to  one.   i'm  not  sure  id  survive  sleeping  on  the  /floor/. 

@headsoff,                 you're.. staying? no, no.. that's just horrible. you /overblotted/ — -            you can't recover well if you stay here all the time. that won't do! why don't you come with me? if.. if you want to, of course. i'm not forcing you or anything.. but the offer's there, and i know my parents wouldn't mind.

@headsoff,              he's.. my responsibility now, isn't he? i gotta treat him well..          (  ...  )          oh, but he would need friends. do you think he could live with lady and clover? wait, wait.. huh? you would?             ⋆  the hatter's eyes widen with delight, excitedly throwing his arms around riddle.  ⋆             thank you, thank you!

you  seem..   very  dedicated,   vince. i've  no  doubt  you'll  treat  him  very  well  if  your  behavior  toward  lady  and  clover  are  any  indication.   i  would  be  willing  to  ..   help  you. 

@headsoff,                 really? REALLY? thank you, thank you thank you thank you!! i’ll take care of him, i’ll do it — -         i’ll feed him wash him put him to bed.. i can even bring him to class if i have to!

/   SOFT SOFT SOFT

/   SOFT ON RIDDLE RN

i  care  not  what  you  wear  as  long  as  you're  complying  with  the  dorm  rules.    ah,   wait,   i've  one  more  gift  for  you.   it  is  nothing  compared  to  the  hats  you  have  made,  but..   i  thought  you  may  like  it.   it  matches  your  outfit. 

@headsoff,                they do? ah, that’s — -            that’s good to know. this is all.. really elaborate. is it really okay for me to wear this?

@headsoff,                  ⋆  vincent's complexion quickly flushes, perhaps quite shocked. he'd certainly not expected that! but that stunned silence quickly disappears, as he hurriedly calls after her.  ⋆               .. no, wait. housew-     (no.)   r͟i͟d͟d͟l͟e͟ ,               ⋆  he gently takes hold of the queen's wrist, preventing her from leaving. fingers awkwardly scratch at his warming cheek, gaze briefly averting. he doesn't quite know what to say, to be honest.  ⋆                  that, i.. i didn't really mind it. it was.. pretty n͟i͟c͟e͟ , actually..

(     her  heart  pounds  against  his  chest,   in  her  ears,   and  the  apples  of  her  cheeks  are  dusted  in  the  faintest  red;   the  same  shade  as  his  hair,  or  the  rouge  that  stains  his  lips  and  now  the  hatter's  skin.   his  gaze  is  cast  elsewhere,  and  he  can  /feel/  that  embarrassment  eating  at  him.   )    ..   nothing.   nevermind.   i've  matters  to  take  care  of.  i'll be  off  now—-

@headsoff,                ⋆  for a moment, it's as if all time stops. vince stops — -            green eyes widened, all semblance of words crumbling even before they're formed. the gentle press of rouged lips against his cheek, the ghost of that feeling that remained even after riddle pulls away. vincent stares. and all he says afterwards is, a very intelligent..  ⋆             .. huh?