Going To Sleep After Saving Another 30+ Edits Of Anaxa, Goodnight Beautiful World

Ooh so I had a dream that Anaxa was my academic rival. He was relatively standoffish so I figured he disliked me since we only spoke when necessary. I didn’t mind since that meant i could do my introvert things and focus on research. But when we were forced to work together he slowly and methodically over time showed his true colours as a yearning yandere 😳 like he was obsessed but super cunning!

I’m excited to see what he’s like in game! Lol

Yandere!Anaxa x Reader

Scratch. Scratch.

The steady rhythm of pens against papers filled the research hall, a quiet symphony of intellect in motion. The air was thick with the weight of concentration, punctuated only by the occasional murmur of scholars trading theories, the rustle of turned pages.

And then, Anaxa sat down beside you.

You didn’t react immediately. He was always like this—silent, only engaging when necessary. If he had his way, the two of you would exchange no more than a few words, and that was fine with you.

Except this time, there was no avoiding him. Collaboration was mandatory.

“I don’t like group projects” he said.

“Then don’t slow me down.”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “If anything, you’d be the one struggling to keep up.”

“Then let’s not waste time.”

The first task was simple: gather the necessary data, record findings, and return for analysis. Simple in theory, at least.

You had expected this to be a tedious affair, given Anaxa’s usual standoffish nature. Instead, you found yourself standing slightly behind him, quill in hand, watching as he effortlessly extracted information from people as though it was second nature to him.

With scholars, he was sharp and direct, threading his questions in a way that made them eager to prove themselves. With common folk, he was almost… charming, casual yet undeniably persuasive. You had seen him argue in academic settings before—blunt, efficient, never wasting words—but this was different.

You, in contrast, played the role of a secretary, silently noting down everything while he worked.

“I can feel you staring.”

You scoffed and focused back on your notes. “I’m just writing.”

By the time you had gathered everything, the sky had long since darkened.

“Here,” you said, handing him the notes. “We can continue analyzing everything tomorrow.”

Anaxa took them without a word, his fingers brushing against yours.

“…See you tomorrow then”

The next day, Anaxa arrived as usual. But something felt… off.

The way he sat down, just a fraction slower than normal. The faint rigidity in his posture, as if he were forcing himself to act as though nothing was wrong. But you weren’t blind.

You turned slightly toward him, frowning. “You’re warm.”

“I didn’t realize you made a habit of checking my temperature.”

You ignored his teasing and pressed the back of your hand lightly against his forehead. The heat radiating from his skin was undeniable.

“You’re burning up” you muttered. “Why are you even here?”

“I can handle it,” he replied smoothly, pulling back from your touch. “We have work to do.”

You gave him a look but didn’t push further. If he wanted to be stubborn, fine. It wasn’t your problem.

So, you carried on.

At least, until he collapsed.

One moment, he was beside you, the next, his hand slipped, his quill clattering to the floor, and before you could react, he was tipping forward.

“Anaxa—”

Your body moved before your mind could catch up. He was burning. The room buzzed with hushed voices, but you barely registered them as you adjusted your hold on him.

“You idiot” you muttered under your breath, shifting your grip.

The school nurse didn’t seem particularly alarmed—apparently, scholars pushing themselves to the brink wasn’t uncommon. Still, she instructed you to stay with him until he woke, citing that you were his research partner and therefore the most convenient choice.

You sighed but didn’t argue. It wasn’t like you were going to waste time.

Settling into the chair beside the infirmary bed, you placed your research materials on your lap. If you had to stay, you might as well be productive.

Beside you, Anaxa stirred faintly in his fevered sleep.

You shook your head, refocusing on your work.

It wasn’t your problem. Right?

By the time Anaxa stirred awake, you had already finished reviewing and organizing the research data.

“…You stayed?”

“The teacher asked me to” you replied, stretching slightly from your prolonged stillness. “Lucky for you, I got everything sorted while waiting. You don’t have to worry about today’s work.”

“I see,” he muttered before sighing. “I’ll make it up to you. I don’t like leaving debts unpaid.”

“It’s fine. If it’s you, you would’ve finished it without needing my help anyway.”

He huffed a small laugh at that, shaking his head slightly. “Still. Let me repay you somehow.”

You didn’t bother arguing further. If Anaxa wanted to do something in return, he would, regardless of what you said.

The walk to his home was quiet, the evening air carrying a gentle chill. He insisted he was fine, but you weren’t about to let him wander off after collapsing just hours ago. At least not until he was behind his own door.

When you reached his residence, you stopped at the threshold, waiting for him to step inside.

“Go rest” you instructed simply.

Anaxa leaned against the doorway, tilting his head at you with something unreadable in his gaze.

“I will,” he said. “See you tomorrow.”

You turned, heading home without a second thought.

The moment the door shut behind him, Anaxa exhaled, letting his carefully constructed mask slip just enough for a glimmer of satisfaction to creep in.

His plan had succeeded.

A fever induced on purpose, a minor sacrifice to buy uninterrupted time with you. To measure your worth.

It had been worth every moment of discomfort.

He wasn’t fully recovered yet, but that didn’t matter. He felt good. Good enough to return tomorrow.

After all, there was still more to do.

The next day, Anaxa arrived in class looking perfectly fine. Or at least, that’s what you assumed.

As you went over the next steps of your research, he sat across from you, quill in hand, but his usual sharp attentiveness was… lacking. His gaze drifted, unfocused, as if his thoughts were miles away.

You frowned, tapping your fingers against the table. “Anaxa.”

“Yes?”

You squinted. “Were you even listening?”

His lips parted slightly as if to deny it, but judging by your unimpressed stare, he knew better than to lie.

“…Not entirely” he admitted.

You sighed, rubbing your temples. “Alright, I’ll explain it again. This time, try to keep up.”

Anaxa nodded, but as you began your explanation once more, his mind refused to cooperate.

Focus. That was all he needed to do. He was no stranger to deep concentration, to immersing himself in the pursuit of knowledge.

But right now, his mind was full of you.

The way you gestured slightly while explaining, the way your brows knitted in mild frustration, the way your lips moved with certainty,...

I should pull myself together. This research is more important. It’s an opportunity to prove myself, to push boundaries, to—

But then there was you. You, who sat right in front of him, completely unaware of how maddening you were.

His jaw tensed slightly. How frustrating.

By the end of the day, Anaxa had agreed with nearly everything you proposed, his input far less argumentative than usual.

You had chalked it up to discomfort. Maybe he was still feeling unwell, maybe he hadn’t fully recovered from the fever, maybe he was simply tired.

But the truth was far from that.

It wasn’t his discomfort that affected him—it was you.

---

Anaxa was absent the next day.

Instead, one of his acquaintances approached you between classes, delivering his message: “Anaxa said to come to his place for today’s work.”

“That’s it?”

“Pretty much.”

To his credit, working with Anaxa was nothing short of effective.

Most groups would still be figuring out the framework of their research, yet the two of you were already halfway done.

It was almost funny—should you be relieved that you had been paired with one of the top scholars, or irritated that it happened to be him, your long-standing rival?

Yet, oddly enough… these past few days hadn’t been unpleasant.

Maybe, just maybe, he was only unbearable when he was off on his own, doing things his own way. When he worked with you, the process was smooth, methodical, efficient.

After class, you made your way to his home as requested. Anaxa had the workspace neatly prepared, his focus unwavering as you both spent the evening finalizing key points. Hours passed without notice, the ticking of the clock drowned out by the steady rhythm of progress.

When you finally checked the time, you realized it was late.

You gathered your things, stretching slightly. “I should get going.”

Anaxa, who had been reviewing some notes, didn’t look up immediately. “It’s late,” he said, as if that was reason enough for you to stay.

“I can handle a walk home.”

“Stay the night. It’s safer.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but then—

The news broadcasting on the TV got your attention.

…Due to unforeseen incidents, residents are strongly advised to avoid traveling at this hour. Increased security presence will remain active throughout the night…

You frowned. Perfect timing.

“It seems you have no choice.”

“Alright, fine. Just for the night.”

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said, “I’ll get you something to drink.”

You narrowed your eyes at his unusual hospitality but didn’t comment. Instead, you took a slow glance around his home, properly observing the space for the first time.

It was… neat. Impeccably so.

Not surprising.

In the kitchen, out of your line of sight, Anaxa exhaled slowly.

He hadn’t expected his plan to work this perfectly. Sure, he had anticipated a high chance of you staying if he played his cards right—but to have the news itself provide the final push?

Fate must have been on his side tonight.

As he prepared your drink, his mind wandered—as it often did these days—back to you. The way you worked seamlessly alongside him. The way you challenged him without hesitation. The way your presence had become an unshakable fixation in his thoughts, leaving no room for anything else.

It was infuriating. It was intoxicating.

This night was an opportunity. A rare chance to further deepen the dynamic between you two.

By the time he returned to the living room, his expression was composed.

You glanced at him as he handed you the drink. “Thanks.”

“Of course.”

Despite the circumstances, the night carried on as usual. Research, discussions, debates—it was a cycle you had grown accustomed to. But tonight, something felt… different.

Every now and then, Anaxa’s hand would graze yours when reaching for a paper. His shoulder would brush against you as he leaned over to reference something. A brief touch at your wrist when handing you a pen.

You weren’t sure if it was intentional or simply a consequence of working so closely, but every time it happened, it sent a strange awareness through you.

“I’ll make something to eat.”

The meal was surprisingly good—not extravagant, but warm and filling. You finished quickly, eager to make more progress.

By the time you looked at the clock again, it was terribly late.

Too late to be working, really, but neither of you were the type to leave things unfinished.

It was only when exhaustion started creeping in that Anaxa finally spoke.

“You should sleep.”

“Yeah, I probably should. I’ll just—”

“I’ll take the floor. You can have the bed.”

“That’s unnecessary. It’s your bed.”

“You’re the guest.”

“That’s not—”

“Are we really arguing about this?”

You opened your mouth, then shut it, glaring slightly at the sheer stubbornness in his tone.

In the end, you reluctantly took the bed, if only because you knew Anaxa would not let this go otherwise.

Though the bed was comfortable, sleep didn’t come immediately.

You turned slightly, peeking over the edge to see Anaxa lying on a mattress on the floor. His eyes were still open, faintly illuminated by the dim light in the room.

“We should see the professor tomorrow,” he murmured, “Get their input on our progress.”

“Mm,” you hummed in acknowledgment.

“We’ve gotten further than expected. Not that I doubted it.”

Another hum.

Then silence.

He waited for you to respond again, but when nothing came, he tilted his head slightly—only to find you already fast asleep.

For a long moment, he simply watched.

The even rise and fall of your breathing. The way your features softened in sleep.

This—this was rare.

With one last glance, he closed his eyes.

Tonight, at least, he could rest easy.

----

You should’ve known nothing would go in your favor forever.

When you received the professor’s feedback, the document was marked with more corrections than you anticipated. Whole sections needed restructuring, some data needed refinement, and a few parts—ones you were sure were solid—had to be completely rewritten.

Your fingers tightened around the papers as you skimmed through them again. This wasn’t bad per se—you still had plenty of time to make adjustments—but the sheer volume of work made your mood plummet.

Anaxa, on the other hand, remained unreadable as he flipped through the notes.

“You look like someone just told you the world was ending”

You shot him a glare. “Forgive me for being disappointed that we basically have to rewrite half of our research.”

“We have time. Figuring these out now is better than later.”

You sighed, pressing your fingers against your temple. He wasn’t wrong. You just weren’t in the mood to hear it from him.

Before you could dive back into overanalyzing the feedback, Anaxa leaned back in his seat, regarding you with a slightly tilted head.

“You need a break.”

“What?”

“Let’s go somewhere else. Relax your mind.”

You gave him an incredulous look. “Relax? With someone like you?”

“Why not?”

“You don’t exactly scream ‘relaxation’”

“I’m not a machine, you know.”

Debatable.

But still, as much as you hated to admit it, maybe a distraction wouldn’t be the worst idea. You had been staring at research papers for hours, and your frustration would only make it harder to focus.

“…Fine,” you muttered, standing up. “Where did you have in mind?”

Anaxa smirked. “The park.”

The idea was simple: a quiet walk, fresh air, a moment away from academic stress.

The unfortunate reality?

The sky had other plans.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a full downpour.

You and Anaxa were still several minutes away from any proper shelter when the rain came crashing down. Neither of you had thought to bring an umbrella, and within moments, you were both completely soaked.

“Great,” you muttered, shaking off excess water from your sleeves. “Just great.”

Anaxa, to his credit, seemed unbothered, running a hand through his now-drenched hair before nodding towards a nearby structure—an old, empty bus stop.

“Come on.”

You didn’t hesitate, dashing under the small roof, though the wind still sent cold droplets clinging to your skin. You shivered slightly, rubbing your arms for warmth.

Anaxa glanced at you, his own clothes dripping, before casually undoing the top buttons of his soaked shirt.

You looked away. “You couldn’t have checked the weather before suggesting this?”

“Oh? Now it’s my fault?”

You huffed, exasperated. “Yes. Absolutely.”

Despite the misfortune, there was something almost ridiculous about the situation. Just you and your rival, stuck in a downpour, drenched to the bone, forced to wait it out together.

“How long do you think this will last?”

Anaxa leaned against the cold metal pole of the bus stop, his eyes glinting in amusement as he smirked.

“I suppose we’ll have to find out.”

The rain didn’t let up for nearly half an hour.

Eventually, when the skies finally cleared, he walked you home.

You were tired, cold, and utterly done with the day—but what you didn’t expect was that this little misadventure would come back to bite you.

You should have known.

Between being drenched in the rain and already being exhausted from research, it was inevitable. By the next morning, you were miserable.

Your body ached, your throat was scratchy, and just lifting your head felt like a monumental effort.

With no choice but to stay in bed, you barely had the energy to process the fact that someone was knocking at your door.

You dragged yourself up, shuffled to the entrance, and opened it—only to see Anaxa standing there, holding a neatly compiled stack of papers.

“…I see you caught it” he mused, stepping inside uninvited.

You groaned. “You—this is your fault.”

“Perhaps. But don’t worry—I’ll take responsibility.”

You weren’t sure what he meant by that until he set down the papers, rolled up his sleeves, and immediately started doing everything in your place.

He cleaned up, cooked a warm meal, fed you, and before you could protest, tucked you into bed like it was the most natural thing in the world.

You wanted to argue. You really did.

But the warmth of the blanket, combined with exhaustion, made it impossible to resist sleep.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, you stirred.

Your fever had gone down slightly, enough for you to shift around without feeling like your limbs weighed a ton. But as you turned, you noticed something… off.

Anaxa was lying next to you.

For a moment, you thought you were imagining things. But no—he was actually there, asleep beside you.

You had no memory of this happening. Did he stay to keep watch? Did he lie down and accidentally fall asleep?

You sat up carefully, intending to move him to a proper bed, but—he was heavy.

Before you could figure out what to do, he stirred.

“…What are you doing?”

“I was going to—uh, move you.”

Anaxa exhaled softly, closing his eyes again. “Too late for that.”

“…Fine.”

Resigned, you gave up and lay back down.

When you woke up, there was no alarm. No rush to get up.

It was a day off.

For once, you had the luxury of sleeping in.

But as you stirred, you realized something far more shocking.

Your head was resting against Anaxa’s chest.

Your mind went blank for a second before you carefully, very carefully, tried to move away.

“…Going somewhere?”

Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest.

----

The next week flew by in a blur.

You and Anaxa polished your research, made the necessary revisions, and finally handed it in.

The results came back excellent. High marks. Praise from the professor. A complete success.

This meant one thing: no more group work.

You were relieved. No more Anaxa. No more of his annoyingly efficient work ethic, no more subtle brushes of contact, no more unexpected moments of domestic care.

You were fine with it.

Anaxa, however, was not.

The moment the research project ended, Anaxa felt a strange, suffocating emptiness.

No more long nights of working together. No more excuses to linger at your place. No more seeing your little expressions of focus, frustration, or amusement at his dry remarks.

It was unacceptable.

You might have been fine with moving on, but he wasn’t.

Which meant—he would have to change that.

He needed a reason for you to come back to him. A reason you couldn't ignore.

A few days later, you received an urgent message from a faculty assistant.

The professor wanted to see you.

You went to their office, only to be met with a look of concern.

"I need to speak with you about your research paper" the professor said.

"Is something wrong?"

"There's been an issue. A section of your research was flagged—it seems there's a discrepancy in the data. Anaxa was the one who noticed it and reported it. He suggested reviewing the findings together."

A discrepancy? But that didn’t make sense! You had double-checked everything. Hadn’t you?

"Since you two worked on it together, I’d like you to resolve this matter with him before we take further action," the professor continued. "He's already waiting for you in the library."

With no other choice, you left the office and made your way to the library.

When you arrived, Anaxa was already seated, flipping through your research.

"Finally here?"

You sat down, exhaling sharply. "I heard you found a mistake."

He tilted his head slightly, tapping the paper with his fingers. "It’s subtle, but yes. A slight inconsistency. I figured we should fix it together before the professor takes further action."

You frowned, leaning over to read where he was pointing.

By the time you were finished, there were no remaining "errors" in your research. The professor thanked both of you, and that should have been the end of it.

Except it wasn’t.

If anything, Anaxa had wormed his way deeper into your life.

You started noticing it in class—the way you kept running into him more often than before.

He always sat near you now. Always seemed to already be there whenever you arrived. You just noticed the way he casually pulled out a chair beside him and glanced at you, as if it were already decided you’d sit there. The way he always had an extra copy of the day’s notes, ready in hand before you even asked. The way he spoke about things he shouldn’t know about—little details about your schedule, your habits, things you were sure you hadn’t told him.

It was as if he had memorized your life without you realizing it.

One evening, you were packing up after class when Anaxa leaned against your desk.

"You’re free this weekend, aren’t you?"

"Why?"

"Because," he said smoothly, "we’re going out."

"Since when?"

"Since now," he replied. "I already planned it."

"You didn't even ask if I wanted to."

"You would’ve said no. I’m not giving you a choice," he added, tilting his head slightly. "Not when you spend so much time avoiding me these days."

"I don’t—"

"You do."

"I’ve been generous so far," he murmured. "Letting things happen naturally. But I think I’ve waited long enough."

You weren’t going to agree. That was your initial instinct—to push back, to tell Anaxa you had better things to do.

But he had already anticipated that.

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice just enough to make it sound like a secret only for you.

"Come on," he murmured, "You owe me."

"For what?"

"For catching your mistake in our research. You wouldn’t want an academic scandal, would you?"

"That’s a low move, even for you."

Anaxa just smiled, "Is it?" he said, "Or is it just a reasonable exchange?"

You scowled, but before you could say anything, he continued.

"Besides," he added, "you’ve been stressed lately. I can see it."

"You barely take breaks," he continued, "Always pushing yourself, overworking, barely sleeping. It’s a wonder you haven’t collapsed yet."

"I’m just looking out for you," he murmured. "A little outing won’t kill you."

You hesitated.

Logically, you knew he was playing you. He was twisting the situation to make you feel obligated.

But… was he wrong?

You sighed.

"Fine..."

----

Anaxa left the classroom that day with a sense of satisfaction coiling deep in his chest.

That was too easy.

A little pressure, a well-placed guilt trip, a carefully crafted excuse—and you caved.

You always acted so guarded, so wary. But all he had to do was find the right buttons to push.

And he did.

It was just one step closer.

One step closer to making sure you’d never pull away from him again.

It started with one mistake.

At first, you thought nothing of it—just a lapse in focus, a careless slip. Everyone had bad days. Perhaps you had been tired, overworked, or maybe distracted. It was bound to happen.

But then it happened again.

And again.

Your academic performance began to plummet.

It made no sense. You were always meticulous, always double-checking your work. But now—now your answers weren’t what you remembered writing. Numbers and formulas were off. Essays you swore were polished came back with errors you had no recollection of making.

You frowned at your latest assignment, your hands tightening around the graded paper. A sinking feeling settled in your gut as you stared at the corrections—mistakes that didn’t feel like yours.

This… this wasn’t just random errors.

Something was wrong.

And yet, you couldn’t pinpoint what.

The frustration began to eat away at you, leaving you restless, anxious, and second-guessing yourself.

Your fingers trembled slightly as you placed your assignment on the desk in front of you. Another disappointing grade.

“You’re overthinking again.”

You flinched slightly at the familiar voice.

“I don’t get it,” you muttered, shaking your head. “I checked everything. How did I mess up?”

“Maybe you’re just tired,” he said. “You’ve been pushing yourself too hard.”

That had crossed your mind before, but… something still felt off.

“Can you check it for me?”

“Of course”

The more you struggled, the more you needed him.

At first, it was small things—him offering advice, fixing your mistakes, guiding your hand. But over time, it became more than that.

He was always there, always soothing you when frustration built up. Reassuring you when doubt clouded your mind.

"You can’t keep going like this," he murmured one evening, after yet another failed attempt at solving a problem. "Let me take care of it."

It was easier to rely on him.

You didn’t notice at first, but others gradually became distant.

The subtle way he redirected conversations, the way your interactions with classmates grew shorter and less meaningful. Like he had woven an invisible web around you—one that no one else could penetrate.

And by the time you realized it, it was already too late.

One evening, as you sat together reviewing notes, Anaxa spoke casually.

"Everyone else is unnecessary," he said, flipping a page with ease. "Only we matter."

----

One evening, while Anaxa was out, you found his notebook.

At first, you assumed it was just another research journal. But as you flipped through the pages, your blood ran cold.

Every page was about you.

Your schedule, your habits—things he shouldn’t have known.

What time you usually woke up. What days you skipped meals. What places you went to alone.

And then— How long you stared at him when you thought he wasn’t looking.

Every detail was written in precise, calculated handwriting.

Your hands shook as you clutched the book, realization slamming into you like a tidal wave.

You needed to leave.

Now.

"Going somewhere?"

"I—I need to—"

"You look pale," he interrupted, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"I—I’m fine...I just…"

Before you could finish, a sharp prick bloomed against your skin.

"You’re just exhausted. You need rest."

When you woke up, the notebook was gone.

Anaxa sat beside you, his expression calm, almost concerned.

"You were having a nightmare" he murmured, brushing a hand over your forehead.

"You were muttering in your sleep," he continued, "Tossing and turning. It must have been… unsettling."

The notebook. The pages. The proof—

But there was nothing.

"Don’t worry" Anaxa whispered, "It was just a dream."

That’s all it was.

oh are we making aromantic trend? hell yeah reblog if you're aromantic or if you want to beat everyone who says 'you'll find someone eventually' to death with hammers. in solidarity.

the funniest thing is I changed their design 3 days after posting this

Is this a safe place to share my hsr oc

guys would we fw reverie x columbina bc I miss my angel wife

You dont understand how much I miss her

’Confess your sins’

I think carrots and peanut butter is yummy 😓

okay I actually see the vision.. I have to try this

Anaxa fic part 2!

Take this as a Valentine's day gift!

As part of Aglaea's plan to slowly but surely get you two together was to get the help of the other Chrysos heirs, not only with the intentions of finally appease (or try to) Anaxagoras's jealousy, but also because with their combined efforts it would be way more easy to start trying to close the distance between you two without forcing you to be alone with him. It was perfect, or at least, at the time of just think about the plan, it was.

------

Phainon swears he is doing his best, because he is! He is doing his best so you and Anaxa can have a good time together.

The original plan was for him to be the third wheel, only using his presence so you could feel more comfortable with Anaxa, but Phainon forgot how even if his fellow Chrysos heir is a sage and has incredible wisdom in his hands, he is definitely not good when it comes to dates or have interactions not related to his job. And it's so painfully obvious that every time you try to make things more natural it ends up with you looking down, only to rise your gaze to look out at Phainon with pitiful puppy eyes asking for help.

And Phainon is trying, really hard, but it seems that you end up accidentally talking more with him rather with Anaxa, and the sage is definitely not having it. He knows it's not his fault, and Anaxa does too, but since he got feelings for you his jealousy seems to have grown and rose out of the sky and his logic and reason is down in the core of the earth when it comes to you.

And that's how we got here, with poor innocent Phainon between the two of you with in his right a girl lost and uncomfortable and on his left a man with a gaze so lethal he could kill a Titan by just looking at them.

He thought Anaxa's gazes were deadly before but it seems that somehow they got even worse, and he swears that if it wasn't because of you Anaxa's gun would be already on his head threatening to shoot.

Phainon it's internally crying, he just wants to help.

So in a desperate attempt to got you two to exchange more than a few words he decides to let you two alone, making up any excuse to leave for at least a few minutes.

He is glad that the death glare has lightly softened but in exchange he nows has to face the pure panic and desperate look in your eyes, begging him to not let you two alone.

"I'm sorry, my friend, this is for the best... " He thinks to himself before walking away.

-----

"Finally, some time alone. " Anaxa thinks to himself as he looks at Phainon's back. Then, his gaze goes back to you and how your eyes go back and forth between your hands and him.

He doesn't blame you for being nervous, until then he did nothing but put walls between you two and was also an absolute asshole to you, he is actually surprised you aren't openly rude to him as well. It's one thing that he likes about you, thought, he hopes you are not such a pushover to other people who are rude to you.

"I'll make sure she is treated well, if not, well... " His expression hardens lightly at the thought of people mistreating you, and it's already thinking of ways of how to get rid of those people who dared to even raise their voice at you.

After a short moment of silence he decides to start a conversation, it feels a little robotic and it's not the most friendly and extroverted one, but you are now looking at him and lucky he will get you to give him more than two whole sentences at once. Maybe, you would get comfortable enough to get you to make those jokes of yours again. He might not be the type of people who laughs loudly or makes excessive amounts of jokes, he is not a jester, but he would like you to be that comfortable with him so you can smile in his presence more often.

------

Phainon let's out a sight of relief when he sees the two of you finally have a proper conversation and finds himself smiling at the sight. It is not the most intimate or friendliest of conversations, but it's such an amazing improvement compared to previous attempts and it's definitely a good step to the right direction.

He can't wait to tell to the others what he is just witnessing, even though he knows that soon or later he has to go back and face Anaxa's cold gaze for interrupting his precious time with his beloved puppy.

------

Castorice is more than willing to help Anaxa on his attempts if winning her sister's heart. She isn't experienced in love at all, her power's don't slow her to be that close to someone and she has a hard time talking to people two. The only approach she had to love is thanks to the romance novels she read and thanks to her beloved friend, but she will still do her best to help.

So, to help Anaxa, she tells him every little thing she knows about you, what food you liked your favorite color, favorite book... There's not a single detail about you that Castorice doesn't hold dear to her heart, and Anaxa is taking notes. He is listening every single word out of her mouth, making sure he knows everything he would need to get closer to you.

He is already making strategies and making plans of how he could make his next move, studying Castorice's information in the same way he does his research, with a expression of pure focus and concentration. Castorice smiles at the sight, she is glad someone finally wants to make a move on you and making so much effort.

Of course she is aware of your and Anaxa's situation. As your closest confident, she was the first person to know the details and how it made you feel, but she believes people can change, she is seeing with her own two eyes how hard Anaxa is trying his best and even Aglaea is helping, so it surely can end well despite the rough start.

It might not be a perfect fairytale of romance or a perfect story like some books she read, but it's real and genuine, and that's what makes it special.

She hopes you can both be happy and have your happy ever after.

-------

Anaxa notices how you slowly start to deliver messages to him again. He knows it's Aglaea's, after all, you can't refuse her. It only takes a smile and her gentle tone to persuade you to do her a favor. And he also knows that, in your eyes, it would be worth it when you go back to receive her gratitude and softness. It makes him narrow his eyes in jealousy how you act like a child, eager to make their parents proud when it comes to her. Though, he must admit, the mental image of your happy smile at receiving such reward makes his lips want to curl.

It's thanks to this small opportunities that she gives him that he can put into use all of Castorice's information, and also a way to test his hypothesis and theories of how to act around you and his plans to win your heart. He has a whole note for all the things he had planed and he has even more notes of how you react with each interaction you have, pages after pages of details of how you react, every little gesture, improvement or dislike he notices.

If someone saw it, they would think he is actually making an experiment instead of courting his crush, but it's just the way he is, not even when it comes to love he stops being a scholar.

Is with each little interaction that he slowly starts to master his skills when it comes to your interactions, and with each passing day he is starting to learn how to distract you and make you slowly lose yourself into your conversations, successfully distracting you from the reason you came in the first place.

And he hopes soon enough you'll start visiting him on your own.

Love is new to him and even thought the way he approaches it it's too similar to of how a researcher investigates a new species, it doesn't make it less genuine, he can't give you an out of a fantasy love story but he can give you his heart and the most genuine of efforts. At his own unique and particular way of doing so.

--------

As usual, you find yourself walking towards Aglaea's place to meet her for a tea party, you make sure to do so every now and then, mostly for to check on each other and make sure the other is okay. And as usual, it started well, nothing out of the ordinary, until...

"Lover's day is nearing. " she comments with a calm smile. Of course you know it, couples all over the city are already planning what to do, meanwhile, single people cry out of loneliness.

You always bake some sweets for your friends, but Aglaea already knows it, so you just look at her lightly confused as you agree.

"Your sweets are lovely, I look forward for them every year.... " she starts with her gentle tone, and you can't help but smile too.

"Have you thought about giving Anaxagoras some? " she says calmly as she takes a slip of her tea, you almost choke with yours.

After a few moments of recovery you look at her confused, and before you can even form your questions, she continues.

"I know he might not look like the kind of person that would enjoy or care about this kind of celebration, nevertheless, if it's you who gifts him such a sign of appreciation, he won't refuse. " Sensing your doubt, she places a hand above yours.

"I'm sure you've noticed how much he had improved over months. " She gives your hand a reassuring squeeze. "Please, dear friend, give him a chance, you can't know how it will turn out if you don't try. " Her tone and smile are gentle as she softly let's go of your hand.

Aglaea tries to convince you a little more before changing of topic, going back to your usual themes of conversation.

Times goes by and you find yourself walking out of the residence as you say goodbye to Aglaea, but before you can close the door she calls you once more.

"Please, consider what we talked earlier. " She gently pats your head. "Don't worry, my child. Trust me, you know I would never suggest something that could cause you any harm. " And with that, you walk to your home, thinking about your earlier conversation.

Doubt lingers on the back in your mind, but with a sight you decide to take her suggestion.

The worse it could happen is if the chocolates turn out to not be of his liking.

--------

Later on the same day, moments after you leave, Anaxa knocks Aglaea's door.

The conversation is fairly similar to what she had with you, it started casual, with regular and not so important topics before bringing the real focus of the day.

"Lover's day is around the corner, have you already thought about what are you going to gift to your beloved, Anaxagoras? " She notices how his body tenses at the mention of such date.

Of course he knows it's near, he even is aware if the seconds and minutes that are left for said date to arrive. In facts he had been preparing his gift for a whole month, meticulously looking out for the perfect recepie, choosing your favorite flavor, your favorite type of chocolate, how would you like the shape to look like, your favourite type of packaging. He also will buy the same day a bouquet of flowers, also carefully and deliberately chosen to express his intentions with you and a plush of your favorite animal. Castorice herself helped him to make sure everything is perfect for the important day, but he won't tell Aglaea all of that, so he just nods.

She decides to not ask more questions and keep the conversation light, satisfied to know that he did something. She already knows he didn't just pick anything and go with it, he is too perfectionist for that and wants your love so badly it's impossible for him to not do something worth of you.

She can't wait for the day to finally arrive.

---------

The first one to receive our gift is obviously Castorice, you woke up early to greet her and give her her sweets, followed by your dear Aglaea, Phainon and Mydei, followed by some other important people. That lives you with only one box of chocolates to give... Anaxagoras's.

All the Chrysos heirs asked about it, after thanking you properly for your gesture, of course. You have all the same exact response, telling them how you haven't seen him yet and that you'd look out for him. Truth to be told, you have been intentionally avoiding him.

It's not like you are scared if him, not the way you did before anyways. It's not like it's the first time you find yourself in this situation, it was exactly like this the first time you gifted something to anyone for the first time, and to this day you still cringe when remembering it. You just hope it won't be as painfully awkward as when you first gave one gift to Mydei, you wouldn't handle it.

It's not like you didn't put effort or anything, actually, you tried so hard to make it perfect that you forgot to sleep and eat.

Everything is handmade, from the chocolates to the box, everything made carefully with Anaxa's likings on mind, but still, your nerves are killing you.

You really hope he likes it, you think as you finally start looking out for him.

-----

Anaxa has been looking out for you everywhere.

He asked everyone he knew and they were equally confused as him. According to them, you were looking out for him, but he was also doing the same so there could be two options, or you two are having terrible bad luck (he doesn't believe in luck) or you are avoiding him. The last option makes his heart hurt, but he still is determined to find you, soon or later.

------

You take deep breaths to steady your nerves, but it doesn't help. Every second feels like torture and you can't do anything about it. You can't hide forever, he will find you, and if not him, Aglaea will and you don't want to go throughout that embarrassment. So you use the little bit if strength you have and look out for him.

It doesn't take too much for you to find him, and even less for him to notice you. It almost scares you how quickly he was aware that you were approaching him, but you decide to ignore it and before he can open his mouth, you hand him his gift.

You somehow find the courage to look at his eye and his surprise surprises you, but it quickly transforms into anxiety as he inspects the box. It is of his favourite colors, elegant and sophisticated. He can notice the handmade nature of the box as he sees the small imperfections in it. He also sees the rests if your effort on your fingers as you okay with them, the pain clearly visible around your hand.

The chocolates are also good, they have leaf shapes and are bitter, as he likes. He can't stop the way his lips curl ever so lightly and how his gaze seems to soften.

"Thank you. " his voice lacks his usual coldness and arrogance, and you never heard it before, it takes you a little to process before he hand you your gifts.

A plush, some chocolates and flowers, it's obvious it was picked for you, because it all has your favourite things all over it, and you can't help but be stunned. You don't know what's more impressive, the fact that he gave you something at all, or how much he did to make it so you'd love it.

You give him the biggest smile you could and your tone is nothing but grateful and happy as you thank him. He still looks at you with the same almost unnoticeable softness as you admire your gifts and he wishes you could always be like this around him.

You talk a little before heading to your respective houses before his voice calls you out.

"You don't have to call me Anaxagoras, just Anaxa is fine. "He calmly comments, but you are completely flabbergasted. He hates being called Anaxa, he made sure to make it clear and you did your best to avoid calling him that, so it was a shook to hear him saying that, especially since he didn't say a reason why you could.

Still, after recovering from the recent surprise, you nod and oblige, and you can almost see a smile before you two part ways.

The day didn't have a confession, some wild drama or anything extravagant, but you two were content, and that's all that matters. This was your story, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

-----------

Aglaea smiles to herself as she looks at the scene, glad that everything worked out at the end and that the two lover birds are happy and satisfied. So she walks away like the other two, ready to keep sketching more ideas for your wedding dress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author note: poor baby Phainon, he has to deal with Anaxa's jealousy :( anyways, this is not the final part, idk how much more there will be BDNDNDN

Also, we all need an aglaea in our lives

I was thinking about naming this fics 'Amphoreus worse romcom' but what would you think? Anyways, see ya

omg Thank you💔💔🫂🫂

Imagine Anaxa as an exam invigilator, standing by your side the WHOLE time, with his gun in hand and everything ☠️

self shipping is like the biggest act of self love. it genuinely feels so healing. like yes I deserve love. yes I deserve a happy and fulfilling relationship. yes this 300 year old cryptid would smooch me.

finally feeling like myself again

ig many of you know me by my castorice theme but Thats actually just a ritual I do for characters I want😭😭 I make their theme in every social media I have

Other than that its always Furina, I dont just kin her she’s ME, I am HER

so I would love to be known as both THE furina fan/kin and THE Anaxa simp thanks😋😋