"Leave me alone."

"I'd prefer to read."

"I don't want to talk."

These words were common from your lips in your house and out, and so it was that you very frequently curled into a comfortable corner in the library and read. Just read stories for hours on end.

This evening was an exception, and to no surprise, you were not pleased.

Your family, in an attempt to get you to act as a proper noblewoman instead of a shut-in, was hosting a gathering to force you to associate with people. Their first trick had been just to take away your books, but the next thing they knew, they were looking for you frantically as you fled in search of a public library.

So, now came the second trick. Find a person you like to be around.

"Excuse me, my lady, might I have this dance?" a young gentleman asked of you, and you only walked away, back to the safety of the table of food. "Excuse me, lady?" The man said again, tapping your shoulder this time, most likely assuming you hadn't heard him the first time. You ignored him again. "This may come off a little rude, but are you deaf?" You rolled your eyes; let him think that. "My lady?"

"Geez, dontcha know how to take a hint?" the man beside you said, currently stuffing his face with what you assumed was pork. The man had golden blond hair, although the bottom half was oddly black. He wore glasses as well as a black suit and trousers. His tie, in contrast, was a startling yellow. "Lady doesn't wanna dance."

"Well, she didn't say anything so..."

"Aw, c'mon, can't you read a lady? She doesn't even look like she wants to be here, in't that right, F/N?" You glanced at the blond, unnerved. Granted, your first name and last name were open to anyone at this soiree, but it was odd that he knew who you were at first sight. That, and he didn't address you as 'Lady'. He called you one, but it was more in passing, like 'woman'.

"You are correct," you replied, finally turning towards the gentleman, your arms folded. "I would much rather be alone." The man looked at the one next to me, who had returned to eating, and then at me, seeming to want to say something before he turned on his heel and asked another woman.

"Wanna be alone, huh?" the man next to you asked, offering the last skewer of meat. "I sense a lie."

"You'd be wrong in you reading," you replied, taking the skewer nonetheless; you hadn't eaten anything for your midday meal, and you were starving. "But I'll thank you for getting the man away from me. What's your name?"

"Ronald," the blond replied with a grin, his green-yellow eyes gleaming behind his glasses. You gave him the echo of a smile before you went to a corner, about to eat the meat on the skewer when you noticed Ronald had followed you to said corner.

"What?" you asked.

"I wanted to say that your chef is amazing."

"I'll be sure to tell him that."

"Why do you want to be alone?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious."

"I don't like people."

"You don't like me?"

"I didn't say you specifically, I meant in general."

"So you do like me?"

"No."

"So you don't like me?"

"No."

"Which is it? You're confusing me."

"Neither; you're in a gray area." One of the pieces of meat had disappeared from your skewer, and you couldn't remember when it had.

"Why do you want to be alone?" Ronald asked again, and you saw his throat bob as he swallowed.

"People are a bore. I'd rather be reading."

"Why are they boring?"

"Why are you asking all these questions?"

"Because I'm curious." Ronald leaned against the wall, still smiling and looking satisfied with himself, and you realized you had circled back to the beginning.

"And you're so interested in, specifically me, also because you're curious?"

"No; I always like a challenge."

"I'm a game now, am I?"

"Yes; and an increasingly interesting one at that."

"I don't remember a 'Ronald' on our list of guests."

"Late invitation." You crossed your arms at him, making him laugh slightly to himself. "No, really. Completely last minute. There should be a guy named 'William T. Spears' missing. Said he wanted me to come instead since parties are my forte. Plus, there's this guy here he really ha—ow! What'd you do that for?" Ronald said, wincing as a flamboyant redhead walked into view, their hair bound up high. They also wore glasses, and they wore a scarlet dress.

"Oh, pardon me, it isn't like I've been looking all over for you, Ronald, and now I see you're flirting around with some kid. We have work to do."

"It's not like you to be so dutiful, Grell," Ronald said, just before you saw him glance at his watch and swear before he smiled at you apologetically. Grell was tapping their foot. "Sorry, F/N, gotta run. Hope I'll catch you sometime later tonight." Ronald winked and blew a kiss, making you raise an eyebrow as the two of them cut across the dancing men and women and disappeared out of sight.

What a weird guy.

<><><>

"Yo!" Ronald's voice sounded from behind you, and you flinched as he took you by the shoulder, not expecting the contact. "You been waiting for me?"

"No," you replied, reluctantly turning away from the comfort of the colorful sky. You left the party to the small balcony with the hope that it would be deserted, although it took at least five minutes for the couple that had been kissing to notice you were there, after which they left in a hurry, both of them embarrassed at having been caught. "But what exactly were you doing before, with that Grell person?"

"You wanna know?" Ronald asked, boyish mischief in his eyes, and you decided you really would prefer not to know.

"Not really, now," you replied. "How'd you know I was here?"

"Just a hunch. Y'know, the moonlight really compliments your face."

"What about it?"

"It makes you look absolutely gorgeous~"

"I'm not interested in a suitor," you replied. "You can stop with the phony compliments."

"What would make you believe that what I say is the truth, darling?"

"Go jump off the balcony then," you grumbled, not expecting him to actually step on top of the balustrade, grinning at you.

The next thing you knew, you were tightly holding onto his wrist for dear life, your body barely acting as enough of a counterweight to keep both of you from falling onto the distant ground below. "What the Hell is wrong with you?! Who would actually jump off to their death just to prove a point?!" you asked, trying to hold him with both hands.

"Me."

"You're a damn fool!" you shouted, your arms aching just with the effort of keeping him where he was.

"Yep!" he replied cheerfully. "But you might wanna swing back to let me grab hold of the ledge or just let go of me, or we'll both fall at this rate."

"Whose fault is that?" you grunted, though you refused to let go, gritting your teeth as you tried to use your weight to pull him up.

Mercifully, Ronald could just barely reach the ledge when you were at your limit, and you fell over, panting as Ronald deftly dropped next to you, having catapulted himself over the railing.

"Believe me now?"

"Yes, for god's sake!" you replied as you sat up. "Are you suicidal?!" Ronald only smiled wryly in amusement at some dark joke only known to himself as he offered a hand to you.

"Sorry; it was a bit far. But you did suggest it, and I was at a loss."

"Why would you do that just to say I'm beautiful?"

"Not just 'you're beautiful'. I wanted you to acknowledge me. I think I got my wish." He gave you a lopsided grin, and you sighed, brushing your dress off.

"You're really strange, Ronald."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!! LORD HENRY HAS BEEN KILLED! WHO COULD HAVE DONE THIS?!" someone screamed from inside the ballroom, and something in your mind drew you to Ronald. He didn't look harmful, but... there was just something about him.

"It wasn't me, I swear!"

"Prove it—without giving me a fucking heart attack."

"Hey, language, F/N; talk to your mother with that mouth?"

"Yes." Ronald pulled you flush against the wall, one hand beside your head.

"Well, I'm telling you I'm not involved with the murder itself. And it's a violation I'll probably need to apologize for, but the murderer isn't gonna kill anyone else tonight." Ronald looked at you straight in the eyes, and for a brief moment, you found yourself staring very intently at their unique coloration. "I'll promise by a moonlit kiss."

"You don't have to do th—" You were cut off as the blond straight up stole your first kiss.

But he was good at kissing, that much you had to admit.

"Believe me now?"

"No. But do that again and maybe I will."