Chapter Text
1: Serval
“Serval! Sit down, we have work to do!” She looked up to see a familiar face bound through her door, lifting up a piece of paper and a pencil. Her brother had picked up a new hobby, one he’d probably picked up from one of his friends at school. Gepard always came into her room once a week just to make her sit still while he drew her, where she usually started to squirm after 20 minutes. But it was her duty as an older sister, to protect her little brother and allow him to indulge a bit in some fun.
Serval grinned, reaching out with her hand to mess up Gepard’s hair. He pouted, batting his little hands at her arms, dropping his paper in the process. “Servallll,” he said. “Come on, I want to draw!”
“Only if I get to tie your hair how I want,” Serval said. Technically, she could do that anytime. Older sibling privileges. But she needed to get something out of this exchange. Hearing the offer, Gepard nodded impatiently, ready to start Serval’s portrait. Defeated by his determination, she sat down on her bed while Gepard sat at her desk, glancing over at her every now and then to examine her features. She giggled when seeing her brother’s focused face, clearly determined to make a good drawing.
Around 15 minutes later, just when Serval was getting impatient, Gepard put down his pencil to pick up the portrait. Serval leaned to one side, trying to look at what he had on the paper. Seeing this, Gepard quickly turned to face the back of the paper in Serval’s direction. Unfortunately for him, however, the sun was out and the paper was thin. She could clearly see whatever he’d drawn on the other side, and she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“What are you laughing at!” Gepard said indignantly. She clapped a hand over her mouth, determined to stop the giggles coming out of her mouth. Her brother had worked hard on this. The second he realized she was laughing at his picture, he’d start to cry and she’d have to calm him down if she didn’t want their father raging down the stairs, ready to yell at them for making such a commotion.
“Nothing, nothing. I got a tickle on my foot,” Serval lied. Gepard eyed her suspiciously, but didn’t think any further. He looked back at the drawing, adding in a few more details to his masterpiece before turning back to her.
“I’m finished,” he said. His face was positively beaming with pride over his drawing. “It’s my best one yet!”
Serval jumped off the bed to look at the drawing she’d already seen. She had to entertain her adorable little brother.
He turned the paper around to show her the portrait. Serval supposed she could see the head, the body, the arms and legs, although they were all awfully crooked. The face was a little blurry, like he tried to erase something but rubbed around the graphite instead. On top of the blur, her eyes were large dots, her mouth a little slit, and her nose nonexistent. While she was still observing, her brother’s face suddenly popped out to the side of the drawing, his smile a little toothy and his eyes so clear and adorable. “Do you like it?” he asked. Oh what would she do with her brother, so young and… and… adorable??
“It's the best thing I’ve ever seen,” Serval said. She wasn’t lying either. Gepard was the best thing she had in her life, the one person that made her day brighter when their father yelled at every mistake they made. He was the only reason she hadn’t run away yet. She had to protect him from everything, her sweet and utterly innocent little brother, until they were both old enough to break free of their family’s reigns. And she had to play with him, of course.
Gepard’s eyes widened, his face flushing with the compliment. “R-really?” he said, peering up at her, pressing the portrait to his mouth. “Of course,” she said, making him blush an even deeper red.
He suddenly tossed the paper into her arms before covering his face, unable to handle what she’d just said. “You have it!” he exclaimed before running out the room, his ears turning a rosy color.
Serval stared at the door where he’d just bounded out of for a few seconds before looking at the drawing. Not many would be able to tell it was supposed to be her, but she could. Every inch of the drawing was of her, the person only her brother was close enough to know.
She pulled the drawing close to her heart, vowing to keep it forever.
Gepard opened the door of his sister’s place, right on time as he’d said. Serval glanced at the back of the room, where the three trailblazers were hiding.
“G-Gepard! I didn’t think you’d be able to visit with things so tense on the front line, hehe…” she said. Hopefully she didn’t come off as too awkward.
“Things are manageable.” Gepard said.
He started talking about the monsters on the front line, how they were taking care of them, and the fugitives that just came into their city. She talked to him as normally as she could while her heart raced for the so-called “fugitives” right behind her counter.
“Oh, by the way, I left my Goethe Hotel limited-edition flask behind last time when I was here.” he said, beginning to walk to the back of the room. Shit , Serval thought. She had to say something, but what would be a good reason…
“Serval… is this my drawing from when I was 7?” Gepard said, who was looking at a picture hung up on the wall. She glanced over, remembering she’d framed the portrait and kept it this entire time. Bingo , she couldn’t help but think.
“Of course little Geppie. As if I’d throw out anything you gave me!” she said. Gepard started to blush the same way he did as a kid, starting with his cheeks and spreading to his ears.
“Ah… how many people have seen it?” Gepard said, rubbing his face in embarrassment. “Mm, almost everyone who comes in asks me! And of course, I tell them the truth~,” Serval said, grinning widely. He’d grown up well, with a job and face that would make everyone swoon for him. But she could see clearly that he hadn’t changed a bit, his blush being proof.
Gepard started to walk towards the door, clearly unable to handle looking at the drawing any longer. “U-Um, see you later!” he said, turning the doorknob. “I’ll bring the flask to you next time!” Serval said while he hurriedly left the room, finally allowing her to sigh in relief. “The coast is clear.”
The three trailblazers and Seele stepped out from their hiding place. But instead of looking relieved like she was, they were more interested in the framed picture on the wall.
“Aww, he drew this? What is this? A type of snow monster?” March 7th exclaimed.
“March. It’s obviously Serval. Who else would he draw at that age?” Dan Heng said, exasperated with her as always. Stelle just stared at the drawing, amusing herself by thinking of a 7-year-old Gepard trying his best at drawing. “Can’t imagine him drawing something so… childish,” Seele muttered, clearly thinking it was absolutely adorable.
Serval could only help but laugh. “He’s grown up since then. But he’s still my cute little brother.”