Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

At Starr Park, battle is everything. The superpowered Brawlers, mascots and employees of Starr Park, engage in constant battle for glory, trophies, gold, and fame. But it wasn't always this way.

Whatever Dynamike unearthed beneath the grounds changed this ordinary theme park forever. Glowing crystals that mutated inanimate objects, granted unimaginable power and immortality, and infused everything they touch with a special brand of madness. When the park closed in 1995 after this infamous incident, it took a few years for everything to fall back into place. The higher ups found out a way to profit off of this chaotic mess, discovering that the Brawlers could be calm and sane and understanding, as long as they got a daily scrap in, which conveniently also makes for a profitable attraction.

So in 2018, Starr Park reopened to the public, the Brawlers and their brawls now a gladiatorial show to be watched instead of a lawsuit waiting to happen.

-----

Which leads us to the protagonist of our story, a metal rocker named "Draco" and his dragon companion. He and his teammates are in a... Sticky situation.

"Flannnk.. Left!" Ruffs barked out, trotting his tiny little dog legs around the side of a wall. "Retreeeat!" The colonel immediately backed off, as a giant glob of sticky squeaky spit exploded from where he ran. "Draco! You need to get out there and tank some hits for me!"

"Isn't that risky? I'm carrying a lot of gems right now!" Draco was hugging the wall, listening to the sounds of clashing in the distance.

"Quit being a coward! Are you gonna let Private P control the front-lines all by himself? Now, flaaaank right!" Ruffs yelled out, pushing Draco out into the field.

"All right all right! Let's... ROCK OOOOONNNN!! YEAH!!" Draco called on his dragon, rushing forward with it to burn every brawler in sight! The enemy Squeak was too cocky, and quickly roasted. The enemy's Frank was busy fighting Mr. P and his army of penguin soldiers keeping the franken-titan at bay. Looks like this match is in the bag! Draco was carrying the 10 gems he needed to be victorious, and all was going according to plan as the timer ticked down. Oh, but who's that! Why, it's-

"Lumi!" Draco grinned from ear to ear as he saw Lumi running right at him. The metal drummer on his band, a Finnish woman with control over fire and ice, and a fellow resident of Mad-Evil Manor.

Oh, and Draco's crush.
'Oh Lumi..' He thought to himself. 'Everything about you is just so cool and cute! The way you style your hair, how you dress, and your voice! Oh what a sweet, sweet voice that could extinguish the fires of my heart... Even the way you swing a morning star at my face-'

WHACK!!

THUMP!!

Darkness for several minutes.. But what's this? His eyes are opening, bright white light, a silhouetted figure, and a voice.. It sounded like Lumi..
"Draco~..."
"Draaaacoo~~....."

"DRACO!" Wait, that sounds more like Col. Ruffs. "DRACO! Get up! Match's over!"
"Ahhh... Oh my head is ringing like a bell.. What happened? Did we win?" Draco shook his skull, the pain getting worse as the shock wore off.
"DID. WE. WIN??!?!?!?" Ruffs was furious, and Mr. P was Mr. Pissed. "You threw the entire battle! I saw you, you were staring off into space as you got beat into a pulp! We lost ALL the gems!"
"Ohh..." Draco scratched the back of his head. "I-I guess I'll see myself out."

Draco rode away from the battleground, head down and kicking his feet while his dragon carried him home to the Manor. "I don't know what happened, one minute we were winning, next minute I'm being yelled at." He talked to his dragon as if the inflatable could do anything but listen. "What went wrong? What changed?"

"Hey Draco!"
Draco's head lifted up, seeing Lumi standing there, her hair was ruffled by combat, yet looked as beautiful as ever. "How are you? I hope you're not too sore about losing, yeah?" Lumi was grinning and carrying a trophy in one hand.
Draco sweated buckets. "Ohh uhhhh... Hahaha, uhh... Y'know... Ummm... Huhhuhuh, I... You... Yeah." Nailed it.
Lumi stared blankly before smiling again. "Well.. Okay then! Be seeing you later Draco!" She skipped off back to Mad-Evil Manor, humming a tune as she headbanged.
"Buhh.... Bye.." Barely sputtering out a 'bye' left him disheartened.

Draco stood there for another 30 minutes, staring off in Lumi's direction.
...
"Oy." A rough Scottish voice spoke up from behind him, but Draco didn't even hear it.
...
"Oy."
"Oy!" Draco felt a brush tap against his leg, looking down to see Ash, the walking trash-can. "Get off de way. Ye been starin' at space fer too long laddie, and ye got litter under you."
Staring at space.. That's exactly what Ruffs said earlier. But Draco wasn't staring at space either time! He was staring at-

Lumi.

"Ahhhhhhh, It all makes sense now. I can't even be around Lumi for a moment without getting all dizzy and bubbly inside, but how do I control myself? I know! I need to confess my feelings to her!" Draco looked up with determination and a grin on his face.
...
...
"Oy, good fer yew laddie. Now git outta' de way before I smack ya." Ash poked Draco again. "Ope, sorry.." Draco trotted out of the way as Ash continued sweeping up rubbish.

Draco was left alone with his thoughts, thoughts about Lumi, his true feelings, what he should say, what he should do... Only to come up short. He was more of a musician than a lovebird, and he didn't even know anything about girls, having lived with three older brothers growing up. He needed advice, advice from any Brawler he could find!

And so.. The noble knight and his dragon, went on a quest to save himself from a princess.

Chapter Text

"Charles the mighty wizard, hurls a boulder at the hordes of goblins using his magic, squashing two of the goblins into fine paste."
"Meanwhile, the cunning rogue Ken cuts deep into the skin of their orc leader with one jab of his mighty blade."
"Drake the Dragonborn Warrior sits proud atop his drake steed, stabbing a lance into the nearby goblins."
"And next up... Colette, it's your turn."

Draco, Colette, Carl, and Kenji sit clumped around a table decorated with miniatures and covered in dice and paper. Sitting at the head of the table is the master tactician Meeple, impatiently waiting for Colette the cleric to act. "Hurry up, please..."

The Brawler-obsessed Brawler frantically flipped through a scrapbook, pictures of other Brawlers flying out of it before being swiftly shoved back in as she finally closed the book. "I... Can't find my spells." She sheepishly grins and chuckles. Meeple plants their face on the desk. "How exactly do you misplace something so important to the rules?!" They grumble out, before picking up . "Very well... We'll pause this game for now; but I want you all ready for tomorrow!" Meeple waved away the players, frustrated from having had their immersion ripped away in a very exciting game of "Wards & Wyrms".

Hours pass, the game had long wrapped up, but Draco was still around moping with Meeple, who looked up. "What's got YOU so upset?"'
Draco let out a long, drawn out, exhausted, pathetic, tired: "Siggggghhhhhhhhhhhh... Drummer troubles."
Meeple looked baffled, he was talking about Lumi, right? "Did something happen to her?"
The knight's face was awash with blush and sweat "Wha- No-no-no nothing happened to her... Nothing at all!"
A frustrated look started to rise in Meeple. "Then why is your face redder than your hair?! What's your deal?!!??!" Draco knew that look too well, Meeple was infamous for ragequitting with explosive and destructive results, he'd have to spit it out quick.

"I'm in love with her, Meeple!" Draco stood up from the table, facing his friend. "And because I can't talk to her, I thought I'd ask other Brawlers for help but I can't even get started on THAT! I'm pathetic..."

Meeple calmed down, their robotic heart at a resting pace, but now their face was at a default, smug expression. Oh boy. "Mmm, it all makes sense now, you've fallen head over heels for the fair Lady Lumi. Well fortunately for you, courting maidens isn't my game of choice. I have far more important matters than silly love songs."
Draco scratched his head. "Really? I've never seen you do something important." He could see an eye twitch, before hesitating to ask his friend: "...Have any advice?"
"I can't say I'm good with others in that way, but maybe you should invite her to a game of Wards & Wyrms?" Meeple took out a character sheet, and was already writing things down in it. Draco looked on, a bit concerned with how enthused Meeple seemed.
"Yes... She can be, Lumine! A paladin who was a... Former royal, fled the kingdom to adventure..." Seemed pretty good so far.

"-And then got married to Drake the Dragonborn Warrior!" Draco's eyes widened.
"Huh?"
"They now have two kids and a dog, and- Draco let me see your sheet." Meeple held out a hand, and in response Draco grabbed his character sheet and fled. "Okay thank you for the advice but no thank you and Igottagothanksbye-"

Maybe Meeple wasn't the best choice, if he ever went along with that plan, it'd set back a relationship for years to come. Draco shudders to even think how that would work out. Although... There was something Meeple said that gave him an idea, what was it?
"I have far more important matters than silly love songs."
"silly love songs."
"love songs."
A love song? Why hadn't Draco thought of that? The musical talent was already at his fingertips, he just had to harness it! With this idea, at least there's a lead to be had. Draco let loose a wicked powerchord into the sky, staring at the clouds. "I'll get that song to your ears, Lumi, I swear it!"

-

Standing outside a recording studio, Draco tapped on the door. Who should answer but Stu of Bad Randoms! "How can I-I-I Help-elp you-ou-ou-ou?"
"Hey Stu, I'm actually looking for the Good Randoms for a col-lab!" Draco raised a sign of the horns and stuck out his tongue, force of habit.
Stu nodded. "Be right ba-ba-ba-back." Shutting the door and reopening it in his Good Randoms attire after a few minutes. "Ba-ack."
Letting out a gasp, Draco's eyes widen. "GOOD RANDOMMMS! Finally! Just who I was looking for!"

Draco and Stu stepped/rolled into the writing room of the Randoms. Buzz, Poco, Janet, and Melodie all hanging around in sleek chic chairs.
"How much would it cost to get a small little song, just a teeny-tiny love song, like a minute at best?" Draco took out his dragon-piggy bank and rooted around in it.
"5000 gold per minute." Melodie stuck out a finger. "That's what you need, to get the best!"
Draco's heart sunk, and his piggy-bank sunk even further. "Did you say... Five thousand?"
"I'm afraid she's right, Draco. Sorry. Our financial advisor says it's the bare minimum to keep up with advertising costs." Janet sheepishly rubbed her neck. "Something like that."
Draco only had 2500 gold in the bank if he scraped it all together, he could pay for half, but that's it.
"By any chance, do any of you know where I can find a second job?" Draco grinned

"I've heard the gift shop is hiring." Poco added.

-

"Welcome to the Starr Park Gift Shop new hire!" Griff greeted Draco at the door. "Now... Where's your uniform."
Draco looked around. "What uniform?"
"The vest! The red vest! Also, take off your helmet, keep your dragon in the parking lot, and also also take off all your armor, you'll scare customers. Now, chop chop!"

Draco went into the bathroom to change, staring at the poster depicting a drained and soaked wallet with the caption: "Every drop is a penny lost! Conserve water."
"This is going to be hell..." Draco started amping himself up in the mirror. "But you can DO this, Draco! Who cares if you're no song writer, or broke, or surrounded by nerdy friends. You have someone to live for! Someone to fight for!"

"Who?" Colette barged in. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation accidentally on accident."-

- 5 Seconds earlier -
Colette has her ear pressed up against the wall listening to Draco in the bathroom.
- Present -

"Oh, uh... It's uh..." Draco blushed.
"Yeah? ..Yeah?" Colette had a pencil ready to write down the name.
"Maybe it's better you don't know, Colette." Draco sidestepped away from the fanatic, who was staring with that same old grin. "It's a bit personal." 'And you're a bit creepy.' Draco wanted to add.
"Okay..." Colette nodded. "That's fine..." She smiled. "I'll find out, someway... Somehow..." The girl slowly stepped backwards into one of the bathroom stalls. "Someday..." She giggled.

Walking back to the storefront, Draco takes up his new role: Stocking shelves full of knick-knacks.
"Hup!" Carrying a big heavy box of snow globes, Draco turns to the register. "Hey Edgar, where should I put these again?"
"I don't know, where should I care?" Edgar replied sarcastically, not looking up from his phone as he manned the cash register.
"I'll help you carry those Draco!" Colette came back from the bathroom, and grabbed hold of the other side of the box, carefully guiding it to the shelf full of snow globes.
"Thanks Colette!"
"You're very welcome! Now, who is it you 'live for'?! I need it for my scrapbook, pretty pretty please?!?!" Colette held the book in Draco's face. "Oh and if you could also sign this picture of you I took!"
Draco was getting frustrated with Colette's brash insistence. "I'm not telling you anything about that! You'd spill it all over Starr Park!"

"...Is that a picture of me SLEEPING?!"

Chapter Text

'Gotta save money. Gotta save money. Gotta save money.' Draco repeated the mantra on and on in his head. 'Gotta save five thousand gold. Gotta save money. Don't let the good deals get to you.' He scratched at his neck. 'But I could get more than that...' His hands scrambled at his wallet, but pushed it back in. 'No way... I can't afford all that! Gotta go for the cheaper approach.'

"Can I just have four pieces of egg custard sushi?" Draco pointed at the menu. "And some... Water." He'd been living off of cheap foods for about a week now, trying to conserve 5000 coins worth of funds to secure a heart-winning recording from Good Randoms. If he could just earn enough from the cheap money-grubbing Griff, he'd already have it by now!

"Will that be all?" The waitress waves a folding fan in front of her face, taking Draco's menu after a nod.
"Oh, and can you tell Kenji I want to chat with him?" Draco calls after her, and she nods back.

Minutes later, over a miniscule plate of sushi and a simple glass of water, Draco and his friend Kenji have their chat. Kenji sipped some tea, glad to have a peaceful business day this week. "You know, Draco-kun, if you are short on gold I can always pay for a meal or two."

Draco took a tiny bite of his food whilst moping. "It's not that, I just.. I need to save money for this song because of this one girl and.. Just doesn't feel right taking money out of your pocket."
"Well, I wish you best of luck on your love endeavours, may fate shine on you as it has me." Kenji clasped his hands together.
"Thanks Kenji, I-" Draco had to double-take, pausing before spitting out a bit of water. "You love someone?!" The guitarist never thought of Kenji as someone who took to that kind of relationship: very stern, serious, but a lover?
The waitress from earlier passed by the tables, Kenji nodded his head. "Indeed, this is my wife, Kaze."
Draco spit out even MORE water! "You have a WIFE?! When did that happen!?" … 'And why wasn't I invited to the wedding?'
"I believe I have mentioned her more than a few times, Draco-kun. You have always been spaced out, I suppose." Kenji finished his tea. "A terrible listener."
"Better late than never, but congrats! So, man to man... What's your secret?" Draco leaned forward, murmuring out of earshot of Kaze, at least he thought he was. "How'd you confess your love? What'd you do?"
Kenji was a tad bit thrown off by this. "You seek wisdom? From me? How unlike you." He leaned forward. "Tell her how you feel, and take her out somewhere nice."
Draco... Just stared. "Thanks. Could you be a bit more specific? My nerves always get the best of me, I can't even talk to her!"
"Well, you wanted advice. I would not know what could calm your 'nerves', my advice stands."
"But your so-called 'advice' is so generic and boring!!" Draco stood up and yelled in the middle of the near-barren restaurant, only Kaze seemed to look over. "Heh heh… No offense."
"If you can't accept it, then I do not know what to tell you." Kenji stood up as well. "Good day."
'Kenji just doesn't get it! If I wanted advice like that I could get it off the internet!' Draco churned with frustration, another day, another round of useless lecturing. 'Back to work, I guess.'

Soon after Draco left, Kenji looked over to his wife, rubbing his stubbled chin. "I am worried about Draco, he's never been this unsure of his own ability. Whoever he wishes to court must be stronger than he."
Kaze giggled. "Young love can be so silly from an outsider's perspective. What if he gets desperate enough to go to the Swamp of Love?"
The samurai shuddered. "Let's hope not, for his sake and hers."

-

Back to work indeed, Draco. A Friday night means only one thing, a stage performance at Mad-Evil Manor. Hanging out backstage, Draco didn't look up at Lumi while he frustratedly tuned his guitar. "Did you know Kenji has a wife? Crazy I'm just learning about this now!" Wiping sweat off his brow as he tightened another string and strummed a small chord.
"Oh wow, is it with that one girl with the makeup? What's her name again...?" Lumi knocked rhythmically on her head to a silent beat.
"Kaze. She is just so sickeningly sweet, too polite for my liking... COME. ON! Co-operate with me, strings!" Draco was about to smash his guitar, when Lumi took it into her hands. "Here, let me take a look at it."

The moment Draco's eyes looked up into Lumi's big gleaming eyes, but despite having had that earlier conversation, his words and legs melted into butter. "Uhhhuh... O-Okay."
"Here you go!" Lumi handed his guitar back. "...Draco?"
The guitarist was sprawled out on the floor, guitar in hand. "Let's... Let's go play... L-L-L-L-Lumiiii."

The two didn't seem to have any issue out on the stage, and were playing to their best. Draco even did a perfect knee-slide into guitar-riff with fire at his back, wowing the crowd!

A crowd which included Colette, ugh. The fangirl was taking pictures the entire performance, giggling to herself. Draco thought he made it very clear that he wanted her to leave him and his love life alone! After the performance, while signing autographs for his adoring public, Colette popped in.
"HIiii!" She prodded. "Wanna tell me who ya looooove?! I bet it's Lumiiiiii!~" She cackled, and Draco's face dropped into a stern frown.
"Haven't I told you to drop it a hundred times?" He clenched the pen tight, a little ink spilling out. "I won't tell you anything!"
"Okay okaaaaay, fiiiine. Oh right, here's your paycheck from the gift shop!" Colette snuck a paper into Draco's hands.

Two Thousand Gold, exactly what he needed.

"NO WAYYY!!" Draco yelled at the top of his lungs, flabbergasted. "This is... CRAZY big! 2000?! For real?!" He slipped it into his pocket.
"It's real!" Colette nodded quickly and swiftly. "Now you can go-" She covered her big mouth before it said anything more.
"Go what?" Draco was startled, Did Colette know about his-
"Ohhey whattya know I gottago bye!" She ran off into the streets of Starr Park.

-

Draco stomped into Good Randoms recording studio with his not-so-hard earned wealth, 5000 gold coins in all. "Here you go, all the money you need for a minutes worth of song! Now, let's get recordiiing!" He looked around at all the crew, who were still sitting in their fancy couches.

"Funny thing, the price recently got changed to about 6000 gold." Melodie taps her chin smugly. "No thanks to our financial advisor, but our songs aren't cheap."

Draco was about to crack, staring daggers at Melodie as she proposed a price worth another few weeks of work. "And where is your "Financial Advisor" right now?" Gritting his teeth, trying not to lose it.
Just then, Griff walked into the room, flicking a coin before stopping in his tracks. "Oh hey, funny seeing you here!"
"Sup." Draco stepped forward, metal boots clanking in the quiet room. "Boss. You wouldn't happen to know about this band's price increase, would you?"
"Oh... Haha, wouldn't you know it, I'm their financial advisor!" Griff held his piggy bank tightly behind him.
"Oh, you are! Then could you please knock down the price? For me?" Draco placed a hand on the short man's shoulder.
"...How about, 5500 gold?" Griff was grinning and chuckling.
Draco clenched his fists tightly, all that effort at the gift shop, just to be ripped off even MORE?!? He wouldn't accept it. "4900 and I don't tear up your shop and burn-"
"HEY YOU GOT YOURSELF A DEAL!" Griff immediately shook Draco's hand, wiping sweat from his palms onto his pants, then he turned back to the Good Randoms. "Now you guys help him out, you hear?"

-

Hours of recording, planning, playing, and writing, Draco stepped out into the cold night air carrying a CD most precious to him. The CD contained a minute's worth of Draco's most heartfelt feelings towards Lumi, in song-form, and accompanied by Good Randoms.

This was his moment.

Now was the time.

Chapter Text

Cold night wind ran through the valiant knight's flowing red hair, he rode his noble dragon steed to the base of the princess's tower, the moonlight reflecting on his boombox. "Hark, fairest Lumi!" He yells up to the window of the tower, "I only wish to confess my love, to you! Now, listen to my song!" The princess swings open her window, flowing hair swaying in the chill of the pale moon, and-

'Hmm... That would never work, I don't sound suave like that anyway.' Draco pondered, fading away from the depths of his imagination, and too caught up in his own story-telling to figure out what he wanted to say. He DID have a boombox though, borrowed from a friend, with the cd of his personal love song already locked and loaded. 'Think, think, think...' He tapped his foot against the stone foundations of Mad-Evil Manor. 'Is it really as simple as Kenji said?' He rubbed his neck, slumped against a wall. 'No... Maybe Meeple was right, this whole thing is silly. Although...' Draco tossed and turned in his head, and would be doing so for several hours.

In the meantime, let's get Lumi's side of the story.

//

Lumi spent the evening sitting at a bed-side desk, writing down in a journal her experiences at Starr Park under the light of a candle. "It has been many moons since I have been hired for this "Starr Park", and I have already met so many nice and kind people. One of the nicest is Draco, a guitarist in the band. You would expect a bandmate to be nice, but Draco and I are like two berries. Just today, he was smiling and enthusiastic the entire time we were playing and tuning up, you think he considers me a friend?" Lumi finished writing that last part, tapped the pencil on her desk in thought, then quickly erased the previous section and replaced it with "I hope to get to know him better, he barely says anything to me."

She closed the journal, sorting it away on a bookshelf. She then looked out into the hallway of the Mad-Evil Manor bedrooms, with Draco's room open and unoccupied. 'How odd.' Lumi tilted her head. 'He is usually asleep by now.' She wandered around the empty, dark manor, only a lantern to light her way. 'I guess I should check up on him.'

//

Draco finally decided to bite the bullet. 'It's worth a try, at least.' He tried to lift his boombox, seemed heavier than usual, and hefted it over his head. He saw this in a movie once. The music blared out of the boombox, the loudest thing around that night.

The song bumped with all the teen pop stylings of a Good Randoms song, with Draco and Poco as the major vocals.
"Boy oh boy, can't you see?! You're just in love with a girl named Lumiiiiiiiiii! Your heart is strong..."
"But my voice is weak! Can't we just wait before I start to freaaaak?!"
"No waayyyyy, you gotta let her know before your chance faaades!"

The song was halfway through, and no sign of attention at Lumi's window. Her light was on and everything.
"You're right, I'm wrong, guess I need to make my heart a-" "Your heart a-"
"SOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG!"
Nothing. Well, maybe the short Janet solo will-

"HALT."
"Huh?" Draco turned his head towards the loud robotic voice behind him.
Larry and Lawrie, the security robots of Starr Park, were standing there. "CEASE YOUR MUSIC IMMEDIATELY!" Lawrie said, followed by his brother Larry. "Follow the curfew rules! We've detected noise levels that exceed Starr Park standards, please comply!"
"A noise complaint?! Can I at least explain- HEY!" Draco was swiftly interrupted by Lawrie, who grabbed the boombox, turning off the music. "I AM CONFISCATING THIS!"
"Don't touch my stuff!" Draco tried to wrench the boombox away from Lawrie, and Larry placed a hand on Draco's shoulder "Please, if you could just settle down-" "Tell your FRIEND that!" The gripping match of tug-of-war escalated, Lawrie's grip tightening with mechanical might, until Draco's hands slip and-

SHATTER

The boombox fell on the hard stone flooring outside the Mad-Evil Manor, breaking several of its components. Draco stood there in silence, kneeling down and picking up the CD, then storing it in his pocket. Larry and Lawrie were arguing about what just happened, with Larry berating his authoritative brother for such rash behaviour. Draco felt alone, as if the world had orchestrated this entire debacle like it hated him.

//

Lumi looked around the many rooms of the manor, lantern hovering over seats, bathroom doors. 'He is nowhere to be found, is Draco really out at night? Not a lot to do this late, except maybe sing with that one karaoke guy.' She yawns, too tired from all this searching around. 'Maybe I am getting too worked up over this. I should be going to bed-'

SHATTER

"What was that?" Lumi jumped at the sound, racing to find the source of this jarring and deafening noise. She dropped the lantern, rushing through the darkened halls on pure instinct, morningstars in hand.

//

Draco looked over at Larry and Lawrie, he was stuck between crying in anger, crying out of sadness, or just crying. He chose anger, snapping out at the security team. "How DARE you butt in! You have NO IDEA what you just RUINED with your GRABBY LITTLE MITTS!!" He smacked his fists against the nearby wall, not wanting to hurt the robots, no matter how much his frustration boiled. So engrossed in fury he couldn't even hear the rushed steps coming his way.

"...Draco?" He turned his head around. Lumi was there, standing in her pyjamas with a confused and concerned look on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Uhhh... Ummm..." Draco was stammering again, what a situation to find himself in. "Ha...Hallo, Lumi!" Draco blubbered out.

Lumi was growing more concerned. "I... I want to know what is going on here. Why are you out so late? What is with that smashed... CD Player? Why are Larry and Lawrie here?"

Draco didn't respond.

"Well we're here because said CD Player was too loud for the curfew limits, and was considered a public disturbance under Rule 5525. Lawrie intervened, albeit dangerously, and damaged the music device." Larry nodded.

Draco didn't respond.

"Okay... That explains some things." Lumi looked over the shattered boombox and then at Lawrie and Draco. "But why were you playing that out so late Draco?" Lumi noted that it was right outside her window, but didn't think much of it.

Draco wanted to respond, but barely could. "Ah, well... I like... Music, I like it!" He nodded, that makes sense, doesn't it?

"...WHAT are you talking about?!" Lumi sighed in frustration. "Why won't you tell me anything? About this, about yourself?" Lumi put her hands on his shoulders, staring into his eyes. "Stop keeping secrets."

Time stood still, Draco tried not to look Lumi in her glistening eyes. 'Stop looking at her eyes, you'll fall limp. Now come on Draco, I guess you can explain yourself.' He debated inside his own head. 'But what if we lose her forever? She's already upset at me, telling the truth would just ruin the whole night, and all over some stupid tantrum... I'm the worst.' Draco felt around for the CD in his pocket. 'Maybe if I just break that cursed CD I'll wake up from this terrible nightmare.'

Draco saw something out of the corner of his eye, a ninja cloaked in the shadows. A ninja?! They were signalling something but Draco couldn't tell what it was. Just a bunch of random hand signals. It wasn't until they gave up and just started spelling out words with letters that he got the message: [TELL HER THE TRUTH] ...Well that could mean anything. [NOT ALL AT ONCE BUT DO IT]

Draco watched as the ninja disappeared into the night, weird, they looked familiar. Tell the truth, not all at once... That could work, or blow up in his face, worth a shot.

"Alright. Um... Sorry for not saying anything..." Draco rubbed his neck, still not maintaining any eye contact with Lumi. "I was playing a song on that boombox because... I wanted you to hear it."

"Me?" Lumi's grip on his shoulders loosened a bit.

"Yeah. I was up all night worrying about whether or not it was even worth doing." Draco, actually making a conscious conversation with Lumi? Someone call the news. "Then when Lawrie and I broke the boombox for it, I just got really upset." Sweat was starting to pour down his face, but not out of anxiety, perhaps out of relief?

"I think I get it now..." Lumi took her hands off of Draco's shoulders now, rubbing her chin in confusion. "But what about that music was so important?"

Draco's face was blush with red, he took the CD out of his pocket and stared at it. The title, "Heart Song" was written on the front, away from her view. Weeks of hard work was put into this track, grueling away at a gift shop, the embarrassment of it all, and the actual recording of it. He lost so much money on this, was it worth it?

Was he worth it?

"The CD is important because..."

Because it's worth a lot of gold?
Because he spent so many hours of work for it?
Because he sang on it?

"Because it's about how much I... L-like you."

//

Lumi's breath was caught. "Wh-what?" A blush ran across her face. She wasn't sure what to make of this. He wouldn't go through all that trouble just to say they're friends, no? Why had she not seen it, every time he literally fell head over heels at the mere sight of her, every time he stumbles over his words and makes a fool of himself, he had a crush on me for that long?

"So that song was... A love song? About me?" She took the CD into her hands, "Heart Song", what a funny name. "Can I have this? I want to listen to it later."

//

Draco was braced for the worst, every scenario he imagined in his head led to him being laughed at or mocked, he never expected acceptance. "You want it? Oh- Of course you can keep it! I... Yeah, I think it'd be a lot more impactful hearing it from your window, but y'know..." Draco was rubbing his neck till it ran red with embarrassment, relief rolling over him like a cold rain. Which, wouldn't you know it, it started to rain!

"Oh!"

//

Lumi felt the raindrops fall down, and didn't seem to budge from them. She was looking right into Draco's concerned face as he walked away from the rain, long red hair quickly becoming drenched by the stormy weather. If anyone had a crush on her, she was at least glad it was someone like Draco. "It is pretty late," Lumi looked up at the moon getting swallowed by clouds, "I guess I should get to bed too."

Draco walked side-by-side with Lumi, heart still pounding like a jackhammer. "So uh..." He dried off his hair, then thought about the truly helpful advice Kenji gave him, did he just follow it to a T accidentally? "Do you wanna go on a... Date, sometime? Get to know each other?" He could barely believe what his own mouth was saying, this was not like him at all, or maybe it was.

Lumi giggled at Draco shaking his hair like a dog. "I would love to go out, where do you want to go?"

…

"Where to... Go?" Draco audibly blinked.

…

His mind was a blank slate.

…

He didn't think he'd get that far.

Chapter Text

"It's like a minefield out here!" Draco rushed through the bushes in pursuit of his target, "Just sit still, dude!" Tick was running around behind walls, pestering the poor knight and dragon with tiny mines that battered at his armour like exploding raindrops.

"--, ; : Zztkr ]*!" Tick replied, tossing his head out like a homing bomb, heading right for Draco!

"Oh shit-"

THWACK

The head was cracked into pieces by a teammate behind him, an iconic pair of morning stars that could only mean one person, the same person who grabbed Draco's shoulders from behind.

"Oh hey Lumi! Nice save!" Draco leaned back into Lumi's hands, giggling and smiling.

"You were about to kick empty space back there, awfully dangerous dating spot, yes?" Lumi playfully pushed Draco aside, before running after Tick herself. Draco ran forward to catch up with her. "Heh... Still don't know where to go for that, mind's all busy." Draco banged on his helmet. It was true, he'd been thinking about the perfect first date spot to take Lumi for quite a while, it was all he could think about this last week.

"Well think about it quickerer, we're going on tour a week from now, or did you forget?" Lumi ran into the bushes, flinging her morning stars wildly at the Tick that was hiding away there.

"Of course I didn't forget! Hahaha! You know me, my mind's a steel trap!" Said Draco, only learning about this now. Alarms blared in Draco's head. If he didn't think this through fast, he'd have to wait until AFTER the tour to get a tried and true date done, and he already knows how busy those things get. "Alright, I'm gonna do some flanking, stay safe!" Draco yelled after Lumi as he ran away from the situation.

"Face me!" He heard a voice yell from the sky, and coming down upon the knight was Kenji, his katana clashing with Draco's lance.

"I'll face your steel alright, Kenji! HIYAH!" With a puff of flames to keep the samurai at bay, Draco and his dragon ran around the wall, readying his lance.

"A little ninja told me, that you and your crush have begun a relationship? I am happy for your invigorated confidence... OORRA!" Kenji dove around the wall and started to slash and cut towards the dragon rider. "Too bad you'll lose this fight, Draco."

"Hey, you know about that ninja? How?" Being pushed back from the barrage of cuts, Draco charges forward for a Last Stand, breathing fire with wanton abandon.

"You could say me and the ninja you speak of are well acquainted. Kaze?" Kenji disappeared into the bushes, and popping out of them was Kaze in her ninja attire. "With pleasure, Kenji." The ninja (as seen in the previous chapter) fires off shuriken's into the inflatable dragon, deflating it a tad as Draco goes into retreating mode.

"Wait a sec... Kaze's a ninja? Kenji's married to a ninja? So then Kaze- I mean you..." Draco ran all this new information through his brain, and Kaze just giggled, Draco's face being easy to read. "Indeed, and you are welcome."

-

Lumi knocked Tick out of the bushes, toppling the bomb-dropper over with a satisfying CLANK. "You just got drum-roll-ed!" She spit to the side. "Heittämällä." Moving further towards the action, Lumi was suddenly startled by her teammate who popped out of nowhere. "HiiIiii! You're Lumi, right? Can I have your autograph?" Colette was standing there, and would not get out of Lumi's way, much to Lumi's chagrin. "Umm... Fine, I guess." She took Colette's pen and quickly wrote her autograph in a very illegible fashion. "Now get out of my way!"

"O-Kay!" Colette hugged her newly signed scrapbook and followed Lumi as she pursued Lily from across the battlefield. Alsooooo... A friend of a friend of a friend wants to knooooow..." Colette briefly jumped in front of Lumi again before being shoved aside. "Ow- ...If you and Draco are a thing?" Colette was ready to write at the drop of a hat.

"Huh? Me and Draco?" Lumi reeaaaallly wanted to just keep on fighting and ignore this stranger, but if she didn't answer, this girl would just keep bothering her and bothering her the whole match. "Sure. Okay." Lumi nonchalantly responded and then went back on her war path.

Colette squee'd and cackled in the background, triumphant in intangible victory.

-

Draco just got done clashing and nearly being defeated by Kaze, but managed to eke out a victory over the ninja with the help of his good friends Gray and Spike! "Thanks for the assist!" Draco laughed as he shook hands with his teammates.

"...!" Gray exclaimed, pointing behind himself and posting up with a swaggered expression.

"..." Spike added, Gray nodded.

"You guys are the best! Say, where do you think I should take Lumi out to date?"

Spike and Gray pondered, before Gray mimed a camera rolling. "...?"

"Starr Theatre? Maybe, what about you, Spike?"

"...!"

"Ooooh the Snowtel? Sounds cool, but I think I'll pass, already in trouble enough for that one thing with the microwave." Draco, Gray, and Spike all shuddered. "I don't think I'll ever live that down."

"Well well well well well." A nasally and overall smug voice could be heard from behind the walls of the arena. "I hear you've had quite the adventure, my questing friend!"

"Meeple!" Draco exclaimed. "How's it-... How's it going?" Did even they know about all this Lumi business? Oh man....

"Just fine, thank you very much." The voice replied. "I overheard from a fangirl about your silly little love song. Personally, I think my idea would have been way better."

"Your idea was never all that great, Meeple."

Gasp!

"You wanted me to go way too fast and way too obsessive into a relationship that had barely even started! No offense, you're a great friend, but you were right that you don't know anything about girls!" Draco said, half mockingly and half matter-of-factly.

Meeple being told their ideas were garbage but also that they were right evened out to a slightly peeved but neutral attitude. "I was right, wasn't I?" Smug all the same. "But what's your next step? Surely you don't plan on just leaving it at some super-expensive CD!"

Draco's ego waned, rubbing his neck a bit. "Err... I still haven't thought of that yet..."

"Hah! I knew it. Well I won't interrupt your thoughts, friend Draco, and thus, bid you adieu!" Meeple ran away from their cover and back behind their team's lines... Then ran back and quickly added: "Oh, Draco, are you able to make it on Sunday for W&W?"

"Uh... Yeah, I think so."

"Alright, Ibidyouadieuagain!" Meeple then ran off, barely seen the rest of the match.

-

VICTORY!

Draco, Lumi, Colette, Spike, and Gray have won a most exciting and intrigue-filled Wipeout match! Despite being on the losing team, Kaze was the Star Player.

"I won! Yay! Can I go home now?"
"Turn it up to eleven!"
"Best moment of my life!"
"..."
"...Pew!"

-

With the sun setting over the horizon, and our Brawlers battle-hardened and tired, the combatants head home to their little personal abodes. Lumi and Draco are walking side by side, heading back to their beloved Mad-Evil Manor.

"What a blast!" Draco was still burning away his hype from the ordeal, grinning and fist pumping. "WOOOOOoooo!!"
Lumi stridden silently, smiling at Draco's expressiveness.
"Oh yeah! We taught them who's boss! Right? Right?" Draco looked over, finding himself staring into Lumi's eyes again, but not wavering or failing as he once would've.
Lumi gave a chuckle and nodded. "We certainly did." She slid a hand next to Draco's, fingers dancing at his knuckles.
Draco didn't even notice, as he clutched her hand while he continued to prance and celebrate.

And so, the Noble Knight and the Princess, walked with their hands entwined and into the sunset.

The End.

...

...

Oh wait, scratch that, Draco still needed to go on a date first. Drat. Ah well, save it for the sequel.