My Legacy, My Decree, My Will (BNHA x AOT)

The rest of the school day passed in a blur for Aiden, though his thoughts frequently drifted to Toru. She had been oddly quiet since Celeste's dramatic entrance, and her usually bubbly energy seemed muted.

The lessons themselves weren't too challenging for him—he was used to absorbing information quickly—but the social dynamics of this new environment were proving to be far more complex.

By the time lunch rolled around, Aiden found himself swarmed by a few curious classmates. Mina, Kirishima, and Kaminari were eager to bombard him with questions about Celeste, while others whispered about the 'classy' vibe now permeating the classroom.

The classroom door slid open, and in walked Celeste, holding a neatly wrapped bento box in her hands. The room quieted for a moment as she approached Aiden's desk with a soft, knowing smile.

"My prince," Celeste's voice was teasing, yet held a certain warmth to it as she set the bento in front of him. "I took the liberty of making you lunch. All your favourites, of course."

The bento box was beautifully arranged, with carefully prepared dishes that Aiden recognised from his home. His mouth watered just from the sight of it—grilled meats, delicate rice balls, sautéed vegetables, and even a few sweet treats on the side.

Aiden raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a smirk. "You went all out, didn't you?"

Celeste grinned, folding her arms. "I couldn't let you suffer through school cafeteria food, now could I?"

The gesture, while kind, felt a bit too deliberate. It wasn't just about the food—it was Celeste's way of marking her presence, of showing off her connection to him in front of everyone.

Aiden sighed internally, knowing this was part of her playful nature. She loved to stir things up.

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Toru, sitting off to the side, her invisible form clearly withdrawn from the rest of the group. Her floating uniform was slouched, her usual bouncy energy notably absent.

She barely touched her own lunch, and her head was tilted downward, as if lost in thought.

Concern tugged at Aiden. Something wasn't right.

He turned back to Celeste briefly. "Thanks for the food," he said, his tone grateful but distracted. "I'll eat it later."

Celeste tilted her head, sensing something was off but choosing not to press. "Of course. Whenever you're ready."

As she walked away with the rest, Aiden stood up, leaving the bento behind for a moment. Ignoring the curious looks from his classmates, he made his way over to Toru.

"Toru?" Aiden called softly, pulling a chair to sit across from her.

Her floating uniform gave a little twitch, as if startled. She looked up—or at least her invisible form did, her gloves resting on her lap. "Oh, hey, Aiden," she replied, her voice quiet.

Aiden leaned in slightly, trying to catch her attention. "You've been kinda... out of it. Everything alright?"

Toru shrugged, trying to play it off. "Yeah, just thinking about some stuff. It's nothing."

But Aiden wasn't convinced. He'd noticed her earlier reactions to Celeste and had a good idea of what might be on her mind. He wasn't going to push her too hard, but he also didn't want her to feel ignored or overlooked.

"You know," Aiden started, his voice gentle, "I've noticed you've been quieter than usual. If something's bothering you, you can talk to me."

Toru fidgeted with her gloves, clearly uncomfortable but not wanting to admit what was really bothering her. After a moment, she finally sighed. "It's just... well, that girl—Celeste. She seems really close to you, like you've known each other forever."

Aiden tilted his head. "We do go way back, yeah. But..." He leaned in, lowering his voice. "That doesn't mean she's... you know... important in that way."

Toru's head snapped up, surprised by how blunt Aiden was being. "Really?"

Aiden nodded, his tone sincere. "Really. She's from my home, sure, and she's like family. But that's it. Nothing more."

Toru seemed to relax slightly, but the doubt still lingered in her voice. "It's just... no one's ever paid attention to me like you do. And when Celeste came in, I felt like maybe you wouldn't care about me anymore."

Aiden's eyes softened as he reached across the table, lightly tapping her gloved hand. "Toru, I asked you on a date, didn't I?"

Toru blushed, feeling a little foolish. "Yeah, you did..."

"And I meant it," Aiden said with a smile. "You're special to me, Toru. Don't think for a second that's going to change just because someone from my past showed up."

Toru smiled weakly, though there was still a glimmer of doubt in her voice. "You really mean that?"

Aiden gave her a soft grin, his eyes meeting where hers would be. "I do."

For the first time that day, Toru felt a little more at ease, though she still wasn't sure where things with Celeste would go. But hearing Aiden reassure her made a difference. Maybe, just maybe, things wouldn't be so complicated after all.

Aiden stood up, offering Toru his hand. "Come on, let's head to the cafeteria. The others left without us."

Toru took it, her heart feeling lighter as she walked beside him.

-

-

Aiden and Toru walked side by side, heading toward the cafeteria where their classmates had gathered. As they stepped through the doors, they immediately spotted the group sitting at a corner table.

Momo, Mina, Jiro, Ochako, and Celeste were all chatting away, but their conversation paused the moment they noticed Aiden and Toru approaching.

"There they are!" Mina waved them over, her bright smile welcoming. "We were starting to wonder if you two were skipping lunch together!"

Aiden rolled his eyes playfully. "Not quite. We just had some things to talk about."

As they sat down, Momo glanced at Toru with concern. "Toru, you've been awfully quiet today. Is everything alright?"

Toru hesitated for a second, but seeing everyone's friendly expressions, she realised there was no hiding how she'd been feeling. "Yeah, I was just... thinking about a few things."

Mina leaned in, resting her chin on her hands. "Like what? You can talk to us, you know. We're friends."

Jiro nodded in agreement, her eyes flicking between Toru and Aiden curiously. "You did seem a bit off during class. Something bugging you?"

Toru glanced at Aiden for a brief second, who gave her an encouraging smile. Taking a deep breath, she decided to be a little more open. "I guess... I was just feeling a little out of place today. Especially with Celeste showing up and all."

Celeste, who had been quietly sipping from her drink, raised an eyebrow and grinned playfully. "Out of place? Because of me?"

Toru nodded slowly, biting her lip. "I mean, you came in and made this big, dramatic entrance... and it's obvious you and Aiden have history. I guess it just made me feel like maybe I didn't belong as much."

The table went quiet for a moment, and Celeste set her cup down, looking more serious now. "Toru, I didn't mean to make you feel that way. Yeah, Aiden and I go way back, but trust me—our relationship is nothing more than just old friends. Well, I like to annoy him as much as possible, so maybe there's that." She gave a teasing grin in Aiden's direction, to which he responded with a groan.

"I can confirm the annoyance part," Aiden muttered, rolling his eyes, which got a few chuckles from the group.

Ochako tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "So, what's your story, then? How do you two know each other?"

Celeste leaned back in her chair, arms crossed as she began to explain. "We grew up together, more or less. Aiden's part of the royal family from Paradis, and I'm... well, you could say I'm part of the inner circle of people who serve the royal family. Our families have been close for generations."

Momo, ever the curious one, leaned forward. "But how did you end up transferring to UA? That's quite a distance from Paradis."

Celeste smiled mischievously. "Oh, let's just say I have my ways of getting what I want."

Aiden shook his head with a laugh. "That means she probably convinced my father to let her come here, claiming she needed to 'watch over me' or something."

"Exactly!" Celeste clapped her hands together, grinning. "Your dad was all too willing to let me 'supervise' his precious prince."

Toru, still feeling a bit unsure, glanced at Aiden. "So... she's basically your bodyguard?"

Aiden shook his head. "Not really. I mean, she's good in a fight, but Celeste isn't here to guard me. She just likes to hang around and cause trouble. And, of course, make sure I don't 'embarrass the royal family,'" he said, making air quotes around the last part.

"Not doing a great job of it, though," Jiro added with a smirk, clearly teasing him.

The table broke into light laughter, easing the tension that had been hanging over the group.

Mina, always the social butterfly, decided to steer the conversation back to something lighter. "So, Aiden, what's your favourite thing to do in Paradis? Like, is there some cool royal activity or something?"

Aiden leaned back in his seat, thinking. "Honestly? My favourite thing to do back home was sneaking out. Exploring the city, tinkering with stuff I wasn't supposed to. It's how I got into building and crafting things."

Celeste scoffed. "Sneaking out? Aiden, you were terrible at sneaking out. Half the time, we knew exactly where you were going."

"Maybe that was part of the plan," Aiden grinned.

Jiro raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you like tinkering with stuff? I didn't peg you for a builder."

Aiden nodded. "Yeah, I like to mess around with tech, invent things, or repair stuff. It's more of a hobby, though."

Ochako seemed impressed. "That's pretty cool. Maybe you could show us some of your inventions one day!"

"Maybe," Aiden replied with a smile.

As the conversation continued, Toru found herself gradually relaxing. The group's friendly banter helped soothe her earlier worries, and even Celeste's teasing wasn't as intimidating as she had initially thought.

But every now and then, she would catch Celeste throwing a playful glance her way, as if reminding her of the little rivalry they might have for Aiden's attention.

As lunch continued, the group chatted about everything from schoolwork to their personal lives, with Celeste still playfully trying to get under Aiden's skin.

Yet, despite the teasing, the air felt much clearer than it had before.

Toru glanced at Aiden, who was now laughing at something Mina said, and felt a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, things were going to be alright between them.

Maybe....

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[A/N: Frankly, this chapter tested my patience. Romance ain't for me]