Chapter Text
It all started with simple interest… and a hat.
Sethos wasn’t exactly sure when things started to change, but he soon found himself enraptured.
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He received an extremely warm welcome from the people of Sumeru City. Sethos found himself quickly making new acquaintances and friends that livened up his new life. He would spend hours retelling stories of his experiences to any person he happened to strike a conversation with.
Although there were many fresh and exciting things, something, or someone, rather, had sparked a flame within him.
“Hat Guy,” they called him. A reclusive, lofty student of the Akademiya who is shrouded in mystery. Even while actively avoiding public attention, Sethos soon discovered that Hat Guy had garnered quite the fan club throughout Sumeru. Whether it was because of his intelligence, rumors of his relationship with Lesser Lord Kusanali, or simply his divine appearance, the halls and streets of the city are filled with this moniker.
Sethos was curious, of course. He often saw tiny glimpses of this figure flying around Sumeru, delivering letters or some other errand. He thought they were kind of alike that way, known for speed and efficiency.
Maybe I’ll get to talk to him one day.
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“The errand-boy’s come running all the way to the Akademiya. Quite the busy little bee, aren’t you?”
Sethos looks up to find where the voice was coming from, and sure enough, gazes into gorgeous indigo eyes. The first thing his sight always drifts to is his big, exotic hat. He had never seen anything like it; it was huge and it somehow balanced on the guy’s head without a problem. His breath hitches slightly as he moves to other parts, eyes raking over porcelain skin, thick lashes, pink lips, and bangs that frame his face perfectly. He swallows, trying to contemplate what he’s feeling.
“I’m just here for lunch– someone gave me this. Want some?” It was a bold and thoughtless offer, spurred by his sudden impulse of wanting to talk to him longer. He dismissed the “weird” part of it; striking up conversation with new people wasn’t out of character for him.
So why is his throat burning?
“I’d say you’re no errand boy at all. You’ve got a more important role.”
f*ck. Sethos barely took in the implications of those words because oh my Archons, does he actually know about me? But he wasn’t an irrational person, Sethos knew there was more than meets the eye with this man. From his cadence to his beauty, it was obvious there was something different about him.
“I’d say that you’re no student either. You’ve got a more important role.”
He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but Sethos swore he saw a small smirk on Hat Guy’s face before he tugged his hat and vanished.
Once the shock of the encounter wore off, Sethos returned to his original goal: eating lunch. He found a quiet and secluded area with a nice view, happily munching on the fresh shawarma wraps one of the old ladies gave him. As he ate, his thoughts were filled with that sharp, jeering gaze. Sethos’s heart started racing, his cheeks soon flushed while his mind reran Hat Guy’s delicately raspy voice over and over.
He’d never had such a fascination with anyone before. He was intensely curious and desperately wanted to find out more about this elusive Hat Guy.
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“What the hell do you think you’re doing.”
Sethos was currently being glared at by his beloved. It wasn’t for anything bad! He just wanted to take a closer look at his hat. Every time he’d tried to do so, Hat Guy would quickly fly off in a flurry of leaves and wind. It seems he’s finally had enough of it.
“Sorry! You just have an awesome hat and I wanna take a closer look.” Hat Guy’s face visibly twitched, whether from amusem*nt or bewilderment or both, it was hard to tell. “Hmph, you’ve been trailing after me for weeks now, is my hat really that interesting?”
Yes, but it’s so much more than that.
“Come on, just let me play with it for a bit? It’s not like it’s nailed to your head, what’s the harm?” He was right, there wasn’t much defense to counter that point other than simply not wanting to, which is too childish to say.
Hat Guy sighed, “Fine, since you’re so desperate, I’ll entertain you. But only for five minutes.” He softened slightly as he saw the look of joy morph onto Sethos’s face, this little busy bee reminding him of a puppy dog getting a treat. He takes off his ginormous apparel, the dangles swinging and clinking a sweet sound.
Finally, Sethos thinks, all that pressure must’ve dwindled down his patience, heh.
He quickly grabs his prize, taking those precious five minutes to examine every inch of the hat. The material was solid, every speck of its design was clearly well thought out and made with love. The beautifully intricate lotus design stood out in shining gold, further capturing the grace of its wearer. Sethos glances up at the owner, noticing that a bird had landed on his shoulder.
He felt his heartbeat quicken as the imagery was so paradoxical it was almost funny. The bird was an adorable contrast to Hat Guy’s cold demeanor, and it softened the whole picture.
“What are you– hey! Stop–” Sethos snapped out of it, realizing much too late that he had reached out to stroke Hat Guy’s hair. His hand was immediately slapped away, the owner clearly indignant from being touched so unexpectedly. If not for Sethos’s honed senses, he would have missed the light blush that decorated Hat Guy’s cheeks. The hat in his hands was forcefully taken back, and in the next second, the man had disappeared.
“Aww, I was really enjoying the moment too….” Sethos’s mind flashed back to Hat Guy’s face, the sheer beauty of his pale skin spotted with red. I wonder what he’d look like when crying? He so badly wanted to see. Sethos knew of the multitude of fans Hat Guy had accumulated, but until now, he didn’t truly understand why.
It was so obvious now.
He was adorable. Sethos wanted to kiss his forehead, caress his face, take him out on dates, wrap his arms around his waist, unwrap him from his layers of clothes, color his smooth skin the markings of his teeth, and make him whine. He wanted to do so much more that, and if the rumors were true, Lesser Lord Kusanali might smite him. But who could blame him? He was just a man, a man who was given a morsel of Heaven’s taste and wanted more.
It was human nature to hunger for the unattainable, after all.
