3rd person pov
"[Y/N]," Hu Tao banged on [y/n]'s window. It was three in the morning, "[Y/N] YOU BETTER OPEN THIS DAMN THING OR I'LL BREAK IT,"
[y/n] groggily dragged herself out of her warm bed and cracked open the window, "What do you want, 'Tao?"
She laughed dryly as she slammed open the window and hopped into [y/n]'s room, "What do I want? WHAT DO I WANT??? [Y/N] ARE YOU REALLY THIS CLUELESS???"
Hu Tao threw her bag and shoes off and dramatically sat down on the bed, "I can't believe you'd hide such a thing from your bestest friend."
[y/n] literally had no idea what the hell was going on. "What am I even hiding??"
"YOU AND SCARAMOUCHE," She pulled out her phone and shoved the screen in [y/n]'s face, "YOU TWO ARE DATING,"
Hu Tao's phone revealed an entire discord server named, "scara x [y/n]" with over a hundred users inside.
[y/n] yanked the phone away from Hu Tao as she looked through it. There were too many text channels.
It ranged from photos of them standing remotely next to each other, to actual fanart that was made.
[y/n] turned to Hu Tao with a red face, "NO-NO I-IT'S DEFINITELY NOT LIKE THAT-,"
"[y/n]," Hu Tao's voice became a bit more serious, "You don't need to deny it anymore. You didn't have to cover up kissing him that first time by saying it was a way to get back at him! We're totally fine with you dating him."
[y/n] was about to deny it, but suddenly it all dawned on her. They kissed two times already. All the Fatui probably knows that he was trying to protect her. She goes to his house once a week, even if it's to tutor him. He had gone to her house and took care of her and her sisters. She had invited him to the beach for the weekend.
'All of this evidence... we are dating in everyone's eyes. Even if I deny it, no one will believe me because of how much contact we are forced with each other. Shit.'
But suddenly, something clicked in her head.
'Dating' him meant immunity from not just the Fatui, but everyone. Even small things like not having her erasers always stolen. 'Dating' meant going over to her house and taking care of her sisters for free would be a regular thing. 'Dating' him meant inviting him to the beach for the weekend would make sense.
'Dating' him meant... being near him... tracing her fingers down his light abs... combing her fingers through his soft hair... What the fuck? No. Shut up. No. That... definitely no.
But instead of giving Hu Tao an answer, [y/n] just laid back down on her bed.
"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???"
~~~
[y/n] went to school that day with a mission. She had to talk to that bastard about this issue.
But when she went out to yank him out of the lunch room, he was surrounded by a barrage of people.
She slipped into the crowd and stood off to the side to watch just what the hell was happening. It obviously wasn't crowded, but there was a ring of people four feet from him.
Scaramouche stood there with a half confused, half pissed facial expression. Suddenly, out of the ring of people around him, a girl had stood right in front of him.
"Tell me it isn't true," She sobbed as he made a grossed out face, "Tell me that you aren't dating that bitch, [y/n], and that you love me instead!"
Scaramouche stared at her like she was stupid, "What the hell are you talking about? I don't even know you-"
The girl cut him off by wailing and basically throwing herself on him, "Have you not picked up the obvious signs of my love for you?! And what about you? Last Saturday, at that restaurant, we made eye contact that connected us as soulmates!!"
He shoved her off, "Sorry to burst your bubble, lady, but I don't remover making eye contact with an ugly-ass bitch at the restaurant last Saturday. I didn't even know you existed until... this."
Suddenly, the controversy in the barrage spiked.
"I love you and you love me!! You're just trying to deny it because everyone is watching! You aren't dating that whore, because you love me!" She screamed.
Scaramouche awkwardly scanned his eyes through the crowd until-
His eyes slowly met hers. He stared at her as she awkwardly stood there staring at him.
Suddenly he reached into the crowd and yanked her to him. Everyone automatically quieted down as he interlocked fingers with hers and held her close to him.
"[y/n] is my lover. Sorry, psycho bitch, but I'm into someone else." He said in a firm voice.
[y/n] whipped her head to look at him in complete shock. What the fuck did he just say?
The girl scoffed as she pointed at him, "Oh yeah?! Prove it! You're just saying it to get away from-"
Scaramouche turned [y/n] towards him and gently put his hands on her waist. Almost instantly, he smashed his lips on hers.
This wasn't the one he gave her in the hallways. When it was just the two of them. This one felt staged.
He pulled back and looked at her with an annoyed face, "Alright there's your proof, we done?"
[y/n] couldn't even process what just happened before Scaramouche ran out of patience and just yanked the two of them away.
She tripped over her feet trying to keep up with him as he ran through the hallways. Finally, he came over to a stop in the hallway she ate lunch in everyday.
How strange. He remembered.
"Wh—" Before she could even finish the word she was about to say, he cut her off.
"I'm sure you're aware that someone at school spread a rumor that we were dating, and that spread throughout the school like a virus."
She nodded.
"I guess that lady thought I was into her or something and there was a shit ton of people on my ass for it and..." He did that thing.
That thing when he looked away from her slightly. Every time she caught him doing that she couldn't help but feel herself grow randomly nervous or embarrassed.
"...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you without your permission in front of so many others. I—"
"It's fine." She answered quickly, "But I guess we're dating now, huh?"
"Oh," Scaramouche blandly said, "I guess we are. Only problem is we kinda hate each other."
She scoffed, then chuckled, "Yeah no shit, smart-ass."
He paused as he stared at her laugh, before he chuckled with her.
"I mean, we could fake it," He said in a strangely calm voice. "Fake date, that is."
"Why do you wanna fake date... me?" She awkwardly pointed at herself, "No one has ever even wanted to real date me, and I'm almost 18."
Suddenly his eyes widened, "Wait deadass? No one has ever had a crush on you?" he scoffed, "You can't trick me that easily."
"Scara I wasn't lying," She looked at him with a serious expression, "This dude in my freshman year told me he'd rather shoot himself than have a crush on me,"
"The fuck? How could he say that..." Scaramouche looked away from her gaze, "Anyone would be damn blessed to have you. Your eyes and the way you kiss... any normal person would already be on their knees."
He realized what he had just said and cleared his throat, "Not me though."
"Remember hat time I kissed you and punched you in the stomach?" [y/n] said as he scoffed.
Scaramouche lifted up his shirt slightly to reveal a bruise on his abs, "Uh kinda."
"It was my first kiss,"
"What the fucking shit?" At this point, he looked flabbergasted.
"Is that really a surprise? I'm pretty sure the kiss sucked—"
"No, no, god no," He shook his head, "I almost thought you were a player by the way you kissed me... whoever made you think otherwise was fucking lying,"
"Well, my mom said I should try to get a boyfriend as soon as possible. Maybe fake dating can benefit me in that way?" [y/n] shrugged, "But I don't think I can fake marry you once she starts bringing that up,"
"Then... I can be your practice," He said, "For when you get a real boyfriend. I can teach you ways to make yourself more noticeable for other boys."
She sighed, "I feel like I'm gaining far too much from this. Why are you doing this?"
He paused, looking at her. "I..."
In the depths of Scaramouche's chest, he had an answer. He wasn't even aware of it, but his heart had already made an answer.
"I guess I could use 'having a girlfriend' as an excuse to be home less." He answered, "I mean, everyday I waste my time either in the Fatui or in my room. I'd rather help you so you can have a more relaxed lifestyle..."
[y/n]'s face felt hot as her breathing became heavier.
She hid her face behind her hand as she laughed, "Well then I hope you can look forward to wasting all your money on coconut milk!"
He laughed dryly as he punched her arm softly.
And for some odd, unknown reason, Scaramouche wasn't that annoying bully she recognized him for anymore. Maybe he was just acting differently around her, or maybe she was just getting used to him.
But whatever it was, that didn't matter. What matters is now they have to find a way to tell their family...