Work Text:
It starts the beginning of their fifth year. Well, to be exact, it starts the exact moment a Hogwarts owl delivers the crisp, clean envelope sealed with a blood red drop of wax to Leo the summer before their fifth year. And not to Takumi. Maybe that's why he couldn't stop sneezing that one day in July. The more he thinks about it, the more it solidifies his belief that Leo getting that letter in the sweltering heat of summer, probably still in one of those pretentious knit sweaters of his, was the cause of his cold in the middle of July.
"You're ridiculous," Oboro says before she smacks him. She attacks her food with equal enthusiasm, chewing with such intensity that Takumi wonders how her teeth haven't been grounded to dust yet.
"Wasn't that the day after we were playing Quidditch in the woods?" Hinata asks around a mouthful of dessert. "And then it rained but we decided to go on a hike afterwards?"
Oboro raises an eyebrow, smirking as she lifts the next bite to her mouth. The Headmaster steps to the front of the Hall, holding up his staff. Silence rolls over the room in waves.
"You're supposed to be on my side," Takumi mutters darkly.
He rests his cheek on the rough wood of the Great Hall as the Headmaster begins. It's the typical Leaving Feast speech; most of the upperclassmen already look as if they can't wait to get out of here. Some of the seventh years are whispering underneath their breath. At the Slytherin table, Severa's face is drawn into a dark scowl as she spins the fork between her fingers. Even Azura looks like she’d rather be elsewhere.
Beside Hinata there's already a small puddle of drool. Takumi fights the urge to close his eyes. As he scans the Great Hall, his eyes make their way over to the Ravenclaw table. They land on a mop of blond hair. Leo listens to the Headmaster drone with rapt attention. Straight back, neat clothes, and not a strand out of hair out of place even with that dumb headband. Takumi spots the badge pinned to the front of Leo's robe. His stomach burns at the blue and gold. The hairs on the back of his neck rise.
Leo turns, as if he can sense that someone is staring at him. His eyes lock with Takumi's. Takumi grips his robes as he tries not to shake. There's no emotion in Leo's eyes as he continues to stare at Takumi. Eventually, Leo turns back towards the Headmaster. His lips quirk upwards into a thin smile as he smooths out the wrinkles in his robes, hands running past the silver badge.
"Did you see that?" Takumi hisses. Ryoma silences him with a stern look. The gold glean from the badge pinned to Ryoma’s chest glares at him.
His cheeks flush as he turns back towards the front. Takumi's whole chest burns and he clutches his robes even tighter.
Takumi keeps his lips shut even after the speech ends and they're walking back to the dorms. He refuses to look up as storms past Leo ushering the first-year Ravenclaws back towards the dorms so they can finish packing. He can feel Leo's eyes trained on the back of his head, imagining the smug smile he's wearing complete with his new, shiny Prefect badge. By the time he's back in his room with Hinata, the insides of his mouth are raw and ruined.
Sixth year, Takumi comes back to Hogwarts ready and determined, Prefect business buried in the dark corners of his mind. He's set on turning Gryffindor's past two wins into a streak now that Ryoma's graduated. His brother started on his Auror training immediately upon graduation. Takumi tries not to think about the practically guaranteed position he has underneath one of the Department heads already.
"Dude." The door swings open and Hinata strolls in, hair sticking up in every possible direction. "Can we go yet? I'm starving."
Takumi huffs as he straightens his robes in front of the mirror. "Just another minute." He tugs on the red hair tie, making sure his hair is held in place. If Oboro could see him right now, she'd laugh.
"You look fine." Hinata tugs Takumi out the door by the sleeves of his robe.
"Wait," Takumi sputters as he wrenches his arm free. He smooths out the crinkles in his sleeve, running his hands over his hair and the rest of his robes.
Hinata looks on, unamused. "C'mon, we are not getting seats near Headmaster Sage and Frederick just because you needed to fix your clothes. Besides, who do you have to impress anyway? You aren't dating anyone."
The portraits behind him titter with laughter. Takumi resists the urge to rip them off the wall. That would be unprecedented; Ryoma would not approve.
"I can dress nicely if I want to," Takumi scowls as they run down the stairs.
The Great Hall is already packed by the time they arrive; there's the dull roar of friends talking and people scurrying back and forth between tables to see friends they haven't seen in months. Takumi elbows his way past a few of the second and third years as they make their way towards the Gryffindor Table. He spots Sakura sitting quietly next to an enthusiastic blonde with pigtails, but there's a small smile on her faces as the other girl waves her hands back and forth. He's following Hinata as he continues to observe Sakura, walking forward without any heed to the people he bumps into.
"Watch where you're going," a dry voice says.
Takumi looks up to see blond hair and brown eyes. He scowls immediately, "Or what? You're going to dock points from us?" The silver badge pinned to Leo's chest shimmers underneath the thousands of candlelights. Takumi's scowl deepens.
"No," Leo replies. He looks down at his hands. "I just don't want you to run over any of the first years before the school year begins."
Takumi stands there, fists clenched at his side, as he watches Leo leave to sit next to Miriel and Robin. Ahead, nearly at the Gryffindor table, Hinata sends him a worried look. Bile rises in his throat as he makes his way towards the Gryffindor table. His cheeks are on fire as he slips in the seat next to Oboro. There's a heavy lump growing in his chest as he looks at the food set on the table. Around him, the conversation continues.
"What took you two so long?" Oboro asks.
"Nothing," Takumi spits out. He stabs the steak with more force than necessary. Oboro says nothing, but he still catches the side glance she sends Hinata when silence begins to fall over the Great Hall. He spends the rest of the Great Feast glaring at the ceramic plate, trying to shake the strange feeling on the back of his head.
With the start of the school year comes the beginning of Quidditch season. Chrom holds an unofficial practice the second day for old team members so they can "get back in the swing of things." (Takumi's sure this is highly illegal. But, he's not going to voice any complaints if it's what wins them the Quidditch Cup this year.)
Chrom’s last-minute practice means that Takumi has to sprint from Hufflepuff Commons to the locker rooms because he was checking up on Sakura and her new roommates. He pants as he races through the hallway, past the entrance to the Ravenclaw stairwell. There's a horde of first years staring at the moving portraits in wide eyes taking up the entirety of the hall.
"'Scuse me!" Takumi grits his teeth as he knocks into one of the glass-eyed first years. "Sorry," he apologizes, looking backwards at the stumbling first years. The thought of Chrom's push up punishment propels him forward.
He comes to an abrupt stop when he ends up crashing into a thin frame rounding the corner. "I thought I told you not to run over any first years," Leo remarks, looking utterly unphased as he dusts his sleeves.
Inwardly, Takumi groans. Just his luck.
"Sorry," he clenches his teeth.
"Ten points," Leo says. "For running in the halls."
"What?" Takumi exclaims. "You can't do this to me like you did last year!" Leo meets him with a cool stare. "This is so unfair." He's running late and Chrom's going to give him extra drills, and now Gryffindor is behind in the House Cup. Again. Because a certain Ravenclaw prefect loves docking points from them.
Takumi fights the bubbling anger in his chest. “Asshole,” he mutters. He refuses to meet Leo's eyes as he storms off, speed-walking until he's sure Leo’s out of sight, and then breaks out into a run.
"Kaden already assigned us a paper," Hinata grumbles after practice. "On the history of kitsune too. Can you believe it? Hinoka didn't get any essays in Care of Magical Creatures last year. "
Takumi groans as he slips out of his Quidditch uniform. His uniform is damp with sweat, stained with streaks of brown. "We have a lot of charms homework too," he wrinkles his nose before shoving it into his bag. Oboro always helps them get grass stains and dirt stains out anyway.
"So much for an easy N.E.W.T class." Hinata mumbles.
They pass by Chrom on their way out of the locker room. He's already in his school robes, smile on his face and not a hair out of place. "Great job today," he applauds. His Head Boy pin digs into Takumi's chest as he pulls him in, clapping him on the back. The damn bastard doesn't even smell like sweat. And he did the punishment push ups with Takumi.
Hinata moans as soon as they're out of Chrom's sight. Takumi pats his back sympathetically. He's already dreading the soreness he knows he'll feel tomorrow.
His coursework picks up with an alarming speed. Takumi goes from playing Gobstones with Oboro and Hinata in the common room every day, to hunching over scrolls spread out beside the fireplace next to Hinata and Oboro late at night. The stack of Muggle books Mozu lent him last week is slowly gaining dust. Takumi can't even wheedle Hinata and Oboro into playing wizard's chess with him in their spare time. (Oboro has been adamantly refusing to participate since fourth year.)
Between classes and somewhat illegal Quidditch practices, Kaden also wants Takumi to prepare a lesson on archery for his third years before they go into the Forbidden Forest. He spends his spare time figuring that out, when he's not in classes or practice.
So, Takumi does what he always does when he’s too wound up. He waits until most of the underclassmen have gone back to their rooms and the only people in the common room are sixth and seventh years. Hinata and Oboro have just left to do some last minute book-hunting for Oboro's Muggle Studies paper next week. He packs his books quickly; Owain doesn't even look up despite the ruckus when he comes back out of his room with his broom.
Takumi is careful to stick to the shadows as he leaves the castle. Thank god for hanging out with Kaze back as a second year. As soon as Takumi's out of the castle, the chilly October air fills his lungs. He sprints across the field before jumping onto his broom so he can soar towards the stars.
Takumi huffs as he rotates on his broomstick so he's hanging upside-down. The Bludger hisses as it flies past his ear. The adrenaline flows through his veins. He smirks as he returns to an upright position, inhaling the cold air. Takumi likes the way his lungs are short of breath as he zips across the field. He likes the rough feeling of wood underneath his hands as he grips the broomstick handle even more tightly.
It's the one Ryoma bought him. They passed by Broomstix as they were present-hunting for Sakura and Takumi was entranced by the sleek design. The next month, on Takumi's fourteenth birthday, there was a large, broom-sized package in his room.
Takumi lets out a small laugh as the other Bludger cuts through his hair. He does a few flips as he weaves in and out the beams supporting the stand. It's a race: him against himself. The Bludgers whistle past his face.
He rises in altitude, towards the twinkling stars. Higher up, the air burns his lungs. Ryoma used to scold him and Hinoka for flying up so high, but up here, where Takumi can make out the queer, scintillating lights from the Forbidden Forest, where he can almost touch the dark blues in the black sky, he feels at peace. Up here, there's nothing holding him down. It's the same feeling he gets when he sneaks into the Forbidden Forest with Oboro and Hinata. It's the same thrill he gets as he releases an arrow from the bow and it hits its target with a resounding thud.
Takumi closes his eyes as he sits on his broom, high above the Quidditch field. He lets the wind ruffle his hair, the moonlight shine on his face. Takumi grins. It's the first time he's felt free in weeks.
When he opens his eyes, he spots two figures exiting the castle. They make their way across the Quidditch field, stopping underneath the goal posts. The air stings his face as he plunges downwards.
"Thought we'd find you here," Oboro remarks, hand on her hip. Besides her, Hinata shivers as he pulls the scarf tighter around his neck.
He feels light when he hops off the broom. "Did you manage find the book you needed?" Takumi asks, breathless. The cold air still burns in his lungs; his cheeks are numb and raw.
"Yeah, took us awhile." Small puffs of white float out of Oboro's mouth. The moonlight makes the shadows under her eyes even more pronounced.
"One of the books almost bit off my hand," Hinata complains once they’re inside the castle. The empty hallway, combined with Hinata's booming voice, cause the sound to bounce off the walls.
"Shut up," Takumi hisses.
The torches along the wall flare in response. Underneath the crackling flames of the torches, there's another sound. The sharp clicking of something hard hitting stone.
"Wait," Takumi whispers, throwing up his hand.
Oboro and Hinata pause. "Wait what?" Hinata asks, loudly. This time, his voice carries even further. Takumi winces. The footsteps grow louder. Oboro throws Hinata a nasty glare. The three of them stand in place, waiting in anticipation. There's no small alcove to duck into, no staircase to hide behind. Takumi prays that Hinoka isn't doing rounds tonight. He holds his breath as the footsteps round the corner. His heart pounds against his ribcage.
The person rounds the corner, face fully illuminated by the torches.
"Fuck," Takumi swears.
Leo looks unfazed as he approaches them. "Well, look who's still up," he remarks dryly. Takumi curses his luck, they should have taken the other side entrance closer to Gryffindor Commons. He's not going to be able to get out of this one.
"We were just coming back from the library," Hinata laughs nervously, scratching the back of his neck.
Leo doesn't even bat an eyelid. "And you guys came back with a broomstick." Takumi buries his face in his hands. Hinoka would have been a thousand times better.
Oboro steps in, smiling painfully as she grits out, "What Hinata meant to say was that we were checking up on Quidditch equipment for practice tomorrow."
"So, if I were to go and ask Chrom right now, he would tell me that he guys sent you three to check the Quidditch equipment. At two AM."
"Yes?" Hinata offers.
"Three hundred points. For breaking curfew and unruly conduct." Leo's robe swishes as he turns on his heels.
Takumi's hands shake at his side. "Why do you always have to be such an asshole about everything?" he demands. Leo pauses, turning to meet Takumi's eyes. His lips are pressed into a thin line.
"What ever do you mean? You guys are the ones out past curfew."
"Yeah, but you, urgh," Takumi bristles, unable to contain his anger any longer. He marches up to Leo, pointing the broom at the other boy's chest, "You wouldn't dock that many points if you caught three Ravenclaws out after curfew. Hell, you wouldn't dock that many points if it were anyone else."
"Careful," Leo says, "I might just take away another fifty for threatening a Prefect." There's a bright gleam in his eyes. Takumi grips Leo's collar even tighter. All Takumi can see is red. All he can think about is the empty spot on his desk the entire summer before fifth year; the summer nights full with crickets singing but lacking the flapping of wings.
"Fuck you," Takumi snarls. He releases one hand from Leo's collar; the free hand whips his wand out of his robe. Leo only smirks. He doesn't even draw upon his wand.
"Boys," a booming voice comes from the end of the hall. "What is the meaning of this?"
It's Frederick. Takumi is even more screwed. He drops Leo's collar, stuffing his wand back into his robe. Oboro and Hinata give him their standard I-tried-to-tell-you-but-you-were-too-stubborn look. Frederick reaches them in three short strides. Up close, he looks even more stern. Still, Takumi's fist grips his wand tightly inside his robe.
"Three hundred points from Gryffindor and two hundred from Ravenclaw for unruly conduct and breaking curfew." Frederick says.
"What?" Takumi sputters. Even Leo looks pissed.
"You're right, it should be worse," Frederick remarks. "Detention. For the two of you until winter break. Three times a week. Eight o'clock sharp. I heard that Tiki needs help reorganizing the rooms on the third floor. Hopefully some hard work will improve your character. Leo, you're on probation as a prefect for the next two weeks." Frederick's voice leaves no room for argument. He nods at them, eyebrows furrowed, looking satisfied with himself; his footsteps resound loudly as he leaves.
"Fuck," Takumi mutters. "Chrom is going to kill me." Their first game is in less than two weeks. Takumi’s face twists when he glances at Leo, who's straightening the collar of his robe.
Leo scowls when he meets Takumi's eyes. "Told you it was a hundred points for breaking curfew." With that, he leaves Takumi, Oboro, and Hinata standing underneath the flickering torches.
"You what." Chrom repeats.
"I got detention," Takumi grits out, "For being out after curfew." Chrom doesn't even look mad; he just visibly deflates which makes it all the worse. For a brief second, it's Ryoma's face staring down at him instead. The guilt swells inside his chest, threatening to spill out.
"Well, at least it's not during practice," Chrom sighs. "Just make sure it doesn't interfere with your school work. You're our seeker so we're depending on you."
"Yes." Takumi ducks his head as he exits the locker room.
The tip of his ears burn in the cool air of the castle. Shame fills him as he continues up the steps. Owain waves to him as he passes by with Inigo, but Takumi ignores him as he runs up the steps. He can't meet any of his teammate's eyes right now; he can't handle them knowing that he's let the team down right before their upcoming game.
They're all going to hold him accountable if they don't win this game. It'll be Takumi pulling them back during practices; he's going to be the one that ruins the streak Ryoma's set for them.
Takumi storms past the portraits along the wall, ignoring their catcalls and jeers. He pushes Tiki's door, glowering as it slams against the wall. He's greeted with the sight of Leo's back and TIki's unwavering face. Takumi huffs, slipping down into the seat next to Leo. Leo doesn't say a word.
"You two can start with cataloging all the classroom supplies," Tiki explains. She places two stacks in front of them, one filled with tiny, looping curls and the other blank. Takumi winces. "I first want them alphabetized by category and the expiration date written by the side if any. Also keep note of any supplies that are running low so I can restock them the next Hogsmeade trip."
Takumi grimaces as he reaches for a quill on Tiki's desk. "And how long are we supposed to be here for?" he asks.
"Until ten thirty," Tiki answers.
"Until ten thirty?" Takumi's mouth falls open in shock. He watches as Tiki makes her way across the room to leave. He still has Charms homework he hasn't even started on yet because of Quidditch practice.
"I can make it eleven if you wish," Tiki responds.
Takumi shakes his head glumly. And with that, Tiki is gone leaving only him and Leo in the room. He turns back to the blank parchment in front of them and just stares. His sleeping schedule is going to be forever fucked.
Besides him, disdain radiates off of Leo's entire body. He leans over the table, snatching the empty parchment right from Takumi's nose. He leans over to take the quill from Takumi's hand. "Well?" Cold amber eyes, and an even colder voice.
"Okay, what's your issue?" Takumi demands. His chair scrapes the hardwood floor with an earsplitting screech. Takumi grips the wood until his knuckles are white.
Leo swallows, setting his jaw square. "We should start with the first two items on Professor Tiki's list. That'll be more efficient and that will increase the possibilities of our detention being shortened."
His lack of response causes Takumi to bristle as he makes his way to the nearest cupboard. Asshole, Takumi scowls but he can't disagree. The sooner they finish with Tiki's tasks, the likelihood that Frederick will believe their "character has been improved" increases. Takumi doesn't respond to Leo, he's still pissed that the other boy didn't respond to his question.
"Wouldn't it be more efficient if we started from opposite ends of the list?" he argues. Leo glares at him behind an armful of Astrology charts. Takumi flashes Leo his most pleasant smile as Leo dumps them across the table.
"That would more efficient," Leo acquiesces. "You can start from the end." The Astrology charts roll across the table and onto the floor.
Takumi grabs an empty sheet of parchment and moves so he's in the furthest possible corner of the room from Leo. He relishes the small feeling of victory that fills his chest. It makes stooping down and dusting off the thousands of decks of tarot cards that much more bearable for the rest of the night. Takumi sneezes when the dust kicks up as he reaches through the cobwebs for another deck of tarot cards. Why Tiki has this many tarot cards, Takumi can't possibly fathom. The room is completely silent for the rest of the night save for the small sounds of their quills scratching against parchment and the occasional sound of a cupboard closing. He almost forgets that he's serving detention with Leo.
By the end of the night, Takumi's neck is stiff from hunching over and his hand is cramped from writing everything down. Leo doesn't say anything when they leave; he doesn't even give him the briefest of nods. One moment he's in the room, and in the next he's running down the stairs with his robes flared out behind him.
"How was it?" Hinata looks up when Takumi finally returns to the Gryffindor Commons.
"Terrible. Leo’s a smug, self-entitled asshole. I spent the whole night sorting through tarot cards older than this castle." Takumi moans into the couch cushion. He lets out a muffled shriek.
Hinata pats his head comfortingly. "It's okay. I’m sure he can’t be that mad."
Takumi would like to disagree. “I completely disagree. Also, there are so many spiders in the Divination room. What the fuck.”
"Boohoo," Oboro scoffs, shutting her books close. Takumi hates his friends.
"Where are you going?" he inquires, rolling onto his back.
"To sleep," Oboro answers, "because some of us don't have detention."
Amendment, Takumi really hates his friends. "Where's the justice?" he mutters as he pushes himself into an upright position. The thought of all his Charms homework makes him nauseous. More writing, just what he needs.
"Good night, let me know if you need help with anything tomorrow." Oboro says.
Takumi mumbles an acknowledgement. "You too?" he queries, pained, when he sees Hinata stuffing his books into his bags.
Hinata looks like a deer caught in headlights. He offers Takumi a sheepish shrug. "Sorry bro but got to get those eight hours of sleep."
"Since when you ever gotten eight hours of sleep?" Takumi grumbles to himself. He sighs as he resigns himself to another lonely night of homework in the common room.
"Takumi," a voice says besides his ear. Takumi groans, turning onto his side. He pulls the covers over his head.
"It's too early," he whines as he kicks the mattress. "Just let me sleep."
There's static silence. Takumi sighs in content as he buries his head further into his pillow. It's nice and soft, completely unlike the dream he was just having. That was terrifying. All he can remember are bits and flashes– Ryoma looking down upon with him a stern gaze and, for some reason, the Headmaster beating him with his wooden staff.
The voice nearby clears their throat. "Takumi, you have to get up. It's almost time for class."
With that, Takumi blinks wide awake. He throws his covers off the bed, straight into Kaze's arms. Kaze doesn't blink; he just starts folding up Takumi's blanket for him. "What?" Takumi shrieks as he digs into his wardrobe, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" His head pounds as he shrugs into a wrinkled shirt.
"That's what I was trying to say," Kaze coughs. He smooths out Takumi's bed sheets and places his blanket on top.
"What time is it?" Takumi demands as he furiously brushes his hair.
"Eight fifty-seven," Kaze responds.
Takumi's hairbrush gets stucks in a particularly nasty knot. He grits his teeth as he yanks the hairbrush down. He catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror; half his hair is standing up and the back is a total mess. He starts brushing even faster. He has Charms first, and Orochi would totally give him detention just to mess with him if he were a minute late. She's done it before. Takumi can't afford any more detentions. Who knows how many laps of punishment runs Chrom will give him.
"Hinata told me that we should let you sleep in," Kaze explains, handing Takumi his bookbag.
"Doesn't matter," Takumi hollers. He chucks the hairbrush across the room, snatching the red ribbon on his nightstand as he rushes out the door. There's no resounding crash, so Kaze must have caught it.
Takumi huffs as he jumps down a whole flight of stairs while trying to tie up his hair. He sprints past the sixth and seventh years who don't have 9AMs that have just begun wandering down to the Great Hall. Takumi's lungs burn as he skids into the classroom, just on time. Orochi looks up from her desk, amused.
His usual seat next to Sumia has been taken by Henry. In fact, all the seats in the front row are filled. Takumi scowls as he makes his way to the only empty seat. He throws his bag onto the floor, slipping into the seat with a grimace.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," an all too familiar voice says snidely.
What the fuck. "What the fuck?" Takumi says. "Since when were you in this class?"
"Most people usually say 'Good Morning' or something along those lines," Leo responds.
Takumi's lips curl. There's no escape from this smug asshole, is there? He hadn't even known that Leo was taking N.E.W.T level charms, let alone in the same class as him. Takumi's head throbs in agreement. He wonders just how shitty his luck can get.
"At least my sweater isn't inside out," he mutters underneath his breath. Leo's hands fly to his chest and his face slowly turns a light pink as he looks down to see that indeed, his sweater is inside out. This time, it's Takumi's turn to smirk at him when Leo glares.
They lose the first game of the season by a mere ten points.
Takumi storms into the locker room, anger hotter than a thousand suns. He and Niles were neck to neck for the Snitch the moment Takumi spotted it. By the end of the game, the Snitch was less than a hair width away from Takumi's grasp. He would have gotten it. He could have gotten it.
"I can't fucking believe it," he hisses as he slams his fist into the locker.
Besides him, Owain jumps. The rest of the team slowly begins to filter in. There's a livid sheen to Oboro's eyes as she enters with Hinata. She looks positively enraged. Chrom comes in last. His jaw is set square as he approaches Takumi.
"Are you alright?" He places his hand on Takumi's shoulder. "You took quite a tumble there."
Takumi shakes. The rest of the team watches with wide eyes. The whole locker room thrums in anticipation. He should have gotten the Snitch. It was almost his. It had only been a second away.
"Of course he's not!" Oboro snaps, "Severa knocked him off his broom and he almost plummeted onto the field."
"I agree what happened wasn't entirely ideal," Chrom begins, "The most important thing is that Takumi isn't injured. Thank god Oboro and Hinata went after you."
"I would have been fine," Takumi spits out. "They scored on us when Oboro wasn't there to guard."
"What they did wasn't the most tasteful–," Chrom admits.
"We would have won if I got the Snitch earlier on," he hisses.
If he were better, he would have been able to shake off Niles when he spotted the Snitch. If he were as good as Ryoma, he wouldn't have anyone following his every movement across the field the whole game. Ryoma wouldn't have gotten knocked off his broom because of a Bludger. He would have held on; he wouldn't have weighed down his teammates.
He shrugs Chrom's hand off his shoulder with a scowl. Takumi can feel the eyes of the whole team on his back as he exits the locker room. Their disappoint suffocates Takumi. He can't breathe in that room, he can't look Chrom in the eye, he can't look his teammates in their eyes knowing he was the cause of their loss.
Outside Takumi's chest doesn't feel as tight. He takes deep breaths as he kneels over. If only he was a better Seeker. Every practice since the detentions his movements have been more sluggish than usual. He's barely been able to keep his eyes open during Charms; last night he had to stay up late to finish the Potions homework just because of the game today.
When Takumi looks up, it's to the sight of Niles leaning against the castle wall in his Quidditch robes talking to someone. That very someone is Leo. The Ravenclaw Prefect has several books hugged to his chest, shiny silver "P" pinned right next to them. Takumi feels nauseous. Niles catches his eyes and his lips spread into a smug smile. There's something absolutely lewd about the way he winks as Takumi turns on his heels.
Takumi crouches down as he pulls open another cabinet full of tarot cards. He still hasn't finished cataloging Tiki's extremely expansive collection of cards, some that are probably as old as Naga. He's become accustomed to working in silence each detention; sometimes he even forgets that Leo's there. So, when Leo draws a sharp inhale one Wednesday night Takumi automatically whips his head around.
"What is it?" he demands.
Leo's stack of parchment lies to the side. There's an old chess set on the table in front of him, covered in layers of cobwebs. "It's a chess set," Leo mumbles a spell and the cobwebs slowly peel back strand by strand and float away. He looks at it with a kind of reverence that Takumi's never seen before.
Takumi admires the intricacy of the woodwork. "Do you think it still works?"
"Only one way to find out. Pawn to d4." The pawn slowly creaks to life as it hops two squares over and lands with a resounding thud. "Do you play?" Leo raises his chin.
"Of course," Takumi scoffs, swinging a nearby chair in front of the table. He rests his hands on top of the chair frame in front of him as he contemplates his first move. He studies the board carefully, then looks up to gauge Leo's expression.
He eventually settles for moving his knight to Nf6. The horse leaps over his front line with an elegance that reminds Takumi of the hippogriff Hinoka is fond of. The knight opens its gnarled mouth to roar. Leo's brows furrow as he studies the board carefully. Takumi holds his breath as he waits in anticipation for his next move.
Half an hour later and they're still nowhere near done with the game. Takumi's lost half his pawns, a bishop, and both his knights. Leo's lost an equal amount of pieces. Takumi narrows his eyebrows in concentration as he debates on his next move.
"It's already ten-thirty." Leo's voice pulls Takumi out of his spell like a bucket of ice water.
"Huh." It's almost eleven. Takumi looks back down at the chessboard forlornly. They're nowhere near finished.
Leo watches him carefully. "We could continue the game. Tomorrow night."
Takumi blinks. "Okay," he agrees. There's a flash of surprise across Leo's face, but when Takumi blinks again it's gone. Takumi studies the chessboard again. He'll figure out a way to win this game yet.
"We can keep the game here," Leo says. He clears a space in the cupboard of teacups and tea leaves. That's the section Takumi's supposed to catalog next, but he highly doubts he'll even start within the next week.
They walk out of the classroom in silence. For once, Leo doesn't speed walk away and vanish to some dark depths of the castle. The tension between them grows as they continue back towards the dormitories. The hallways are empty at this point; there's no one Takumi can call out to in hopes of alleviating the tension.
Leo stops in front of the bottom of the Ravenclaw Tower. "See you tomorrow night then."
Takumi coughs to clear his throat. "Yeah, see you." Takumi gives Leo an awkward half-wave as the other boy begins to climb the spiral staircase. He trudges towards the Gryffindor Common Room with a strange feeling in his chest that resides for the rest of the night.
Takumi sits, hunched over the chessboard in front of them. Their quills and lists have long been discarded to the side. He holds his breath as Leo's bishop races across the board, tossing his pawn off to the side. He winces when it hits the table with a clang.
"Checkmate," Leo says. He leans back in satisfaction. The corners of his eyes crinkle up as does the corner of his mouth.
Takumi stares at the board. "Good game," he mumbles. "I didn't know you could play so well." He's thoroughly impressed; he's rarely been beaten in chess. Hinoka and Sakura have never had any interest and Ryoma only takes it up as an occasional pastime. It's one of the few things he's better than Ryoma at.
"Xander taught me," Leo begins putting the pieces back with swift movements. "Guess it stuck after that. It was one of the few things my father encouraged."
His voice sounds tight and his eyes have lost the gleam that was there minutes before. Takumi's heard about Leo's father, everyone has; how he dabbled in the Dark Arts and lost his way. Eventually, he was completely consumed by things he couldn't control. Even the Dark Arts cults, mostly comprised of Slytherins, are hesitant to speak about Garon.
"I played a lot with Ryoma. We used to play shogi too."
He misses those days. They stopped as soon as their father passed away. One moment Ryoma was there to play Quidditch with him and Hinoka, teach him wizard's chess, and read books to Sakura. The next he was always out of the house and had duties to take care of. It only got worse after Mikoto passed away.
"Is that where you learned such terrible counters to a classic opening?" There's a small smile on Leo's face, but his face is not unkind.
Takumi's face burns. "I was trying for Albin's countergambit," he admits. He thought it would be a quick and easy win with a few careless mistakes from Leo.
Leo scoffs. "You should have gone for something more subtle. Not everything has to be faced head-on."
"But sometimes the best strategies are the boldest," Takumi argues. "Sometimes it's best to take initiative to get the upper hand."
Leo makes a small noise of disagreement. "Yeah but being too bold and too brash can get you killed. It's best to wait and understand the other side's thought process before you make a move. Then you can quickly and efficiently eliminate them."
"But then you're just playing defense on every move! And what if you understand the enemy's tactics too late? Then you'll never be able to get the upper hand."
Takumi glares at Leo and he glares right back. "A true tactician can always think of an alternative," Leo responds haughtily. The other boy crosses his arms. Brown eyes glitter with challenge.
Takumi bites down his retort. He's never met someone so obviously wrong and obstinate. He begins cleaning up instead and Leo joins in. It's almost time for them to leave; he hasn't started on the Charms homework yet and he also needs to find books for the DADA paper. Looks like it's going to be another sleepless night.
The two of them leave the Divinations classroom together. Silence fills the gap between them, but this time it's not awkward. It doesn't crackle with underlying tension even with their debate earlier. This time, Takumi takes a right towards the library instead of a left. Leo continues to walk beside him.
"Wait, where are you going?" he inquires when they're halfway up the stairs.
The torches flicker, causing shadows to dance across Leo's face. "I usually head this way," the Ravenclaw deadpans.
"Oh," Takumi says. He always assumed that Leo had Prefect duties afterwards, or something important like that.
"What are you going to the library for?"
"DADA paper," Takumi grumbles. "I also have to finish my Charms homework."
"Try the Invisibility Section. There are some very interesting books that may help." Leo holds the door open for Takumi as they enter the library. Takumi blinks as he sets his bag down across from Leo's. The day keeps getting stranger and stranger.
It becomes routine. They catalog classroom supplies during the first half of detention. The second half, Leo gingerly removes the tea leaves and teacups to take out the chessboard. They're usually able to finish a game per week. Sometimes, if they're stuck in a particularly bad draw the day before they'll spend the next detention finishing up their game.
Takumi finds himself slowly coming to enjoy the two and a half hours in Tiki's room. He likes playing chess against Leo, likes their heated conversations as they play even more. They no longer work in silence as they catalog the Divinations' Room endless inventory. He's not sure when the shift happens but one night they're in a intense argument about medieval wizard battle tactics across the room from one another, the next they're debating about the best dueling tactics side by side.
He slowly learns that Leo has read most of the books on chess tactics. His second favorite section in the library is the dragon section. Leo has a tendency to wear his sweaters inside out and leave his shirt collars sticking up. It's not because he's tired; it's just because he forgets to check. His little sister is in Hufflepuff, the same year as Sakura. Takumi slowly garners from small bits here and there that Leo was the first in his family to not be sorted into Slytherin.
("Because I didn't want to be in Slytherin. You can choose, you know." Leo presses his lips into a thin line. And that's the end of the conversation. He remains tight-lipped for rest of the night. Takumi would be offended if he didn't get it.)
Takumi doesn't process the changes until he's tossing his books into his backpack from the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Where are you going?" Oboro watches him with hawk eyes. Hinata looks up from the couch; he's been working nonstop on an essay he has to hand in for Transfiguration tomorrow that he only started this morning.
"To the library," Takumi responds, stuffing one of the Muggle books Mozu lent him into his bag. Leo had mentioned interest in it last night over their chess game.
"To...?" Oboro prompts.
Takumi swings his bag over his shoulder. "Study. Leo and I are working on the Charms homework together. And then we're playing chess afterward."
Hinata squints. "Is that why you're always out these days? You almost never come back after detention anymore."
"That's because I go to the library," Takumi rolls his eyes.
"I thought you hated him," Oboro frowns.
"He's still an insufferable asshole half the time," Takumi miffs, "but he plays chess with me."
Hinata snorts, turning back to his paper. Oboro doesn't say anything. There's still a frown on her face as Takumi tries his best to not sprint out the common room.
"You're surprisingly good at Charms," Leo comments, looking up from the table. He sets his quill to the side, brushing his bangs out of his eyes.
"Thanks," Takumi remarks dryly.
He wrings his hands, sneaking a look as Leo begins tidying up the desk. There's a slight curve to Leo's lips that Takumi's come to learn that it means Leo's amused.
Takumi pulls out a stack of thin books from his bag. His heart hammers against his chest as he clears his throat. "Eichmann in Jerusalem, The Art of War, or The Critique of Pure Reason?"
Leo examines the backs of the books. Takumi drums his fingers against the table. "Apparently these are classics in the Muggle world," he elaborates, "Mozu says they've just been lying around in her house since forever so you're welcome to keep one if you like."
"Have you ever heard of Nietzche? I don't often read philosophy but I think his views are rather interesting." Leo thumbs through the pages of the book. "We have a few copies of his books in our library at home."
"I prefer reading war tactics to philosophy," Takumi responds.
He hadn't known that Leo liked philosophy. He's not quite sure what to do with that thought. He knows that Leo's library at home is massive; most of the books are on some ancient historic wizard duel, even more are on the Dark Arts. There's a small bookshelf dedicated to holding his sister's old bedtime stories. (Leo had promised him that Takumi would thoroughly enjoy exploring his library one day).There's so much he still doesn't know about the other boy. There's a small lapse in silence. Not entirely unawkward, but not uncomfortable.
Takumi clears his throat. "We have a Quidditch match against Hufflepuff in two weeks." Leo looks up from the book. "I was wondering if you'd like to come."
The book snaps shut. The sound echoes. "I'll come," Leo says, "I should be free then."
When Takumi looks up, there's a small smile dancing across Leo's face. Takumi's heart soars.
The thing is that Takumi's wanted to be an Auror since he was young. He wants to help make the world a better place. He loves the sense of thrill and danger lurking on the corner. Ryoma was going always going to be an Auror, so there was no reason for Takumi to become one too. After all, Ryoma is smart, capable, and talented in almost every way.
But Takumi isn't. He's the lacking sibling, the black sheep. He's not intelligent and strong like Ryoma; he doesn't possess Ryoma's natural charisma or his ability to guide and help others. Takumi isn't like Hinoka either; he's not good with the hippogriffs and his brashness doesn't yield positive results. He doesn't have Sakura's endless compassion or her innate ability to bring a smile to everyone's face.
Takumi doesn't have any of that. He's not like his siblings; he has no special talents. Instead, he's horrendous at Potions and only half-decent in his other subjects. And so, he's been struggling his way ever since to follow Ryoma's footsteps. He's barely scraping by in Potions. It's the biggest obstacle between him and becoming proving to others that he's just as good.
So, Takumi is more than pissed when he gets his latest Potions test back. He shoves the papers into his bag. He pushes his way past his classmates as he storms out. Sumia lets out a small squeak as Takumi rounds the corner but all sounds fade into distance.
Leo doesn't even look up when Takumi's bag hits the ground with a thud. Takumi scowls, falling back into the seat.
"Fuck this," Takumi hisses. He glowers at the wide-eyed first year passing by.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," Leo says wryly.
"Well sorry we can't all wake up and be as perfect as you." Takumi retorts. "Not all of us have everything else in life."
Something flickers across Leo's face. "Now, whoever said my life was perfect?"
Takumi scoffs. "You have Outstandings in all your subjects and you're a Prefect."
A pregnant moment of silence. Leo looks down and when he looks back up there's steel in his eyes. "Don't pretend to know me, Takumi. I was going to offer to help you on the next exam, but clearly you don't need it."
Leo stands up, pushing the chair into the table. His shoulders are stiff and mouth drawn into a thin line as he looks down.
"Yeah well, I didn't want your help anyway." Takumi makes a point of glaring at the bookshelf next to him. He can't handle looking into Leo's eyes right now. Not when there's that blank, cold shine staring back at him.
"I'm sure you don't need it," Leo replies, voice tense. The same disdainful half-smirk from the beginning of the year is plastered onto the other boy's face. He turns around, leaving Takumi all alone in the library without so much a glance back.
It doesn't quite hit how just how much time he's started spending with Leo until there's no Leo to spend it with anymore. Thankfully, Oboro and Hinata are kind enough not to mention it. ("You're actually in the common room tonight?" Hinata asks, that very same night, around to reading his book without a single response.)
He's switched seats in Charms, back to his original spot next to Sumia. Takumi still passes by Leo in the halls. It's always with Niles, whose presence makes Takumi shudder. Leo doesn't even lift his head in acknowledgement. Takumi pretends not to notice him either. It works. Somewhat.
The entire week Takumi's sleep is more than lacking. Kaze has to shake him awake more than once; he's dead on his feet during Quidditch practices. Takumi can feel Chrom's uneasiness and the constant concern radiating from Oboro and Hinata. By the time Saturday morning finally rolls around, Takumi feels as though a million and one years have passed.
"You don't look so great, man," Hinata comments in the locker room. Takumi can hear the screams and chants just outside.
"It's been a rough week," he mutters. Normally, he'd be pacing the room back and forth in nervousness. There'd be pregame adrenaline coursing through his veins. This time, there's something heavy in his chest holding him back.
Chrom gathers them all into a circle as he gives the standard locker room speech. (Takumi, Oboro, and Hinata used to count how many times victory and irreplaceable bonds would come up in his pep talks.) They break off with a team cheer, but Takumi only shouts halfheartedly.
As he makes his way onto the Quidditch field, Chrom claps him on the back. "Hey," he says, looking straight into Takumi's eye. "You got this."
Takumi gives Chrom a half-smile before he's encompassed by everyone's shouts. He squints his eyes underneath the harsh light, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. When he opens them, his heart has slowed down (it's still skipping every other beat).
And with that, Takumi takes off to the air.
He spends the first quarter of the game narrowly dodging Stahl's Bludgers. More than once Takumi nearly crashes into his teammates as he attempts to outfly the Bludgers. It leaves Takumi gritting his teeth as makes sharp turn after sharp turn to avoid getting pummeled to death.
"You okay?" Oboro shouts as Takumi points his broom upwards, urging his broom to go faster.
"Just peachy," he yells back. The air stings his face as pulls downwards. The Bludger hisses behind him.
It doesn't happen until Takumi's fifth time circling the stadium. Stahl has redirected his Bludgers towards Chrom. Gaius has been in the same area for the past twenty minutes, which is rather suspicious. He pauses, scanning the skies for any shimmer of gold. Instead, what he spots is pale hair illuminated by the sunlight and a black headband holding hair back.
Takumi's breath hitches. Leo turns his head, agonizingly slow before finally locking eyes with him. A surge of electricity travels down Takumi's spine; right now, his chest feels the same way it does whenever he rises in altitude too quickly.
"Duck!" Owain hollers behind him.
Takumi presses his torso to his broomstick. The Bludger grazes the top of his head as it whistles past. From the corner of his eye, he can spot Stahl's small cheer. This time, when Takumi looks back up there's a glimmer of gold near the Ravenclaw seats.
He glances up. Gaius still hasn't noticed. Takumi speeds forward, the Snitch flutters in front of him as Takumi follows it through the sky. Not too long after, he can hear Gaius’ broom speeding through the wind behind him as Takumi chases the Snitch. The ginger Seeker is unrelenting.
He pushes his broom to go even faster. A quick glance behind and Gaius is much further than he was mere seconds ago. The Snitch is almost within Takumi's grasp; he reaches forwards as he wills his broom to go even faster. With an extra surge of energy, his broom jumps forward. Takumi's hand closes around the cool metal.
The stadium erupts in a collective roar. Hinata speeds towards Takumi, laughing as they hug, spinning round and round. As soon as Takumi's feet touches the ground, his teammates swarm around him. Chrom gives his shoulder a firm shake. Oboro grins before jumping up to hug Takumi as well. His whole body feels warm, despite the cooling air around them. Takumi can't help but grin as his teammates cheer. They hoist him up onto their shoulders. A pleasant warmth spreads through Takumi’s body as they all laugh and shout.
As they move towards the locker room, Owain's loud bellows filling the air, Takumi strains his neck to see if he can still spot the tuft of pale blond hair in the stands. He’s nowhere to be seen.
He ends up ducking out halfway through the afterparty. The atmosphere is too stuffy, too suffocating. Takumi quietly slinks off as Owain challenges Chrom to a drinking game. The rest of the team cheers in favor; Hinata eggs Chrom on in the background. Their shouts soon fade into nothingness.
Outside, the air is much more breathable. He enjoys the way the cold nips at his nose and stings his cheeks ever so slightly. Takumi matches his breathing with the hippogriffs. It's a trick Hinoka taught him.
"Everyone's looking for you, you know." A voice says. Hinoka steps next to Takumi. She extends her hand into the pen and Izana, the white hippogriff, comes up to nuzzle it. "They're all wondering where you went. Last I heard Hinata was retelling the story of how you caught the Snitch out of nowhere."
"How'd you know I was here?" Takumi mutters, throwing more feed into the pen. Izana ignores him in favor of pruning his feathers. Typical.
Hinoka laughs, sunlight dancing across her face. "I'm your older sister. Of course I know where you'd go when you're upset. 'Sides, this is where I usually come too."
"Who said I was upset?" Takumi scowls.
"You just won Gryffindor the Quidditch game that'll take them to finals. Yet, here you are spending time with the hippogriffs instead of enjoying the afterparty. So tell me, what's up?"
Takumi plops down, pulling on the grass. He watches the thin green strands float to the ground. "Nothing." He answers.
"You know we're proud of you, right?"
"For winning the game? That was something that I should have done."
Hinoka scoffs, rolling her eyes. "I wasn't referring to you winning the game. Although that was pretty amazing. Ryoma would be impressed."
Takumi hugs his knees to his chest. Izana begins strutting around the pen, flapping his shiny white wings so they'll catch the sunlight. "Then what do you mean?"
"I mean that we're proud of you. Ryoma and I." Hinoka glances at him, biting down on her lip. "Mom and dad would be too," she adds, much softer.
There's a smile on her face, but the hint of another emotion in her eyes. Takumi looks back down before his eyes become glassy like Hinoka. The wind picks up around them. It sends Takumi's hair flying, and with it his emotions are caught in a whirlwind of their own. It threatens to spill out of his mouth, exposing his deepest feelings and most safeguarded thoughts. Takumi's chest aches the more he thinks about Hinoka's words.
"There's a boy," he admits after a long period of silence. "I think I like him. But I kind of messed things up." The statement rolls off his tongue with surprising ease. It feels natural to say; and Takumi isn't shocked at the acknowledgement. Looking back, it was the only bound to occur.
Hinoka's eyes glitter. She laughs into the crook of her elbow. "Of course you did." This time, Takumi doesn't even feel a twinge of anger deep within at the playful jab. Hinoka raises an eyebrow, inviting.
"I don't know how to fix it," Takumi says.
"Apologizing is always a good start," Hinoka tells him. "Sakura looks up to you a lot, you know."
"I'm sorry," Takumi says.
Hinoka looks up at the sky. "I'm sorry too." Thousands of unspoken words over the course of years packed into one small phrase. Takumi watches the hippogriffs with Hinoka, heart as free as the soaring clouds.
The true difficulty lies not in apologizing Leo but tracking him down and getting him to stay longer than five seconds in Takumi's vicinity. Takumi only realizes that Leo has been intentionally avoiding him when he catches the brief flash of panic on Leo's face when he spots Takumi in the hallway without Niles for the first time in the week. Before Takumi can even say anything, Leo is gone.
Luckily, Takumi is a man full of plans. He manages to persuade Chrom to ask Robin to give him Leo's hall duty schedule. (Robin is much more mischievous than he looks.) Everything after that comes easily. And so, this is why Takumi finds himself hidden behind an empty suit of armor on a Wednesday night even with a Charms exam tomorrow. Never let it be said that Takumi lacks initiative.
He holds his breath as footsteps echo down the hall. His palms are gross and sweaty; Takumi doesn't get nervous. Not unless there's someone looking. The footsteps increase in loudness. Takumi wipes his hands on his robes, sucking in one last breath before he steps out.
"Hey," he greets. His arm freezes mid-air. Takumi forces his lips to move upwards.
Leo does not look particularly impressed. "It's past curfew." He says, shoulders stiff. Three short words hang in the air between them. The tension becomes palpable.
"I can explain," Takumi says quickly. His palms are sweaty again.
Leo surveys Takumi with his arms crossed and eyes hardened. "You have thirty seconds."
"Okay," Takumi exhales with relief, "I can do this." He almost lets out a small laugh. Some things have changed, but Leo's prickliness still hasn't.
"Twenty-five," Leo interjects.
"I'm sorry." Two simple words. Leo's eyes widen, but he quickly regains his composure. "I'm sorry for being such an asshole about Potions that one day," he continues. He bites down on his lip, gathering all the courage he has for the next part. "Ryoma did well in Potions. In all his classes. He was also Prefect and Head Boy."
Saying that aloud, Takumi feels more vulnerable than he's ever been. It's the first time he's exposed so many layers to someone and admitted his darkest secrets It's the first time he hasn't gone charging into a situation with his head held tall with a pride that only masked his insecurities.He can only hope that Leo discerns the underlying meaning. Takumi sucks in a small breath. The emptiness thrums underneath the rapid pounding of his heartbeat.
"Never thought I'd live to see the day where you'd admit to being an asshole," Leo says. When Takumi looks up, there's a smile on his face and a familiar glimmer in the deep brown eyes he's come to love. "It's okay. I understand."
Takumi looks at Leo. Really looks at the boy in front of him. There are small hairs flying out underneath Leo's headband. His Prefect badge is crooked, robes wrinkled. His face looks thinner than Takumi last remembers. Takumi's heart aches.
"I never asked to be Prefect," Leo murmurs. And somehow, Takumi understands.
He reaches for Takumi's hand, drawing him into his chest. Takumi's heartbeat quickens. This time for very different reasons. Leo is warm and comforting. His hand burns where it touches Takumi's shoulder. He closes his eyes, relishing the intimacy while he can. It may be his first and only chance.
"Now I just need you to admit that you're also an asshole," Takumi quips when they pull apart, falling back to familiar territory.
"Only so many miracles can happen in a day," Leo deadpans. His hand is still in Takumi's.
Takumi reaches for Leo's other hand before the other boy can move. He holds Leo at arm's length. "I missed you," he whispers. The words echo down the hall, bouncing across the walls and suits of armors. The flame from the torches roar in silence. Simultaneously, Takumi's blood roars in his ears. He hopes Leo can't hear his heart pound the same way he can.
"I missed you too. I thought you hated me all along. You're a good friend, Takumi."
"I don't just mean as a friend," Takumi adds quietly.
Leo blinks once. Twice. "Oh?" There's a small crack in his voice. "Then what do you mean?"
He still hasn't pulled his hands out of Takumi's grip. Takumi prays to all his past ancestors that he's been reading the signal correctly before closing his eyes and leaning in.
Leo inhales sharply just before Takumi's lips meet his. Leo's lips are soft and smooth; Takumi enjoys the feeling of them against his. Leo removes one of his hand's from Takumi's. He first places on Takumi's shoulder, and then on the nape of his neck.Takumi wonders why he hasn't done this sooner.
When they pull apart, their fingers are linked together. Takumi feels giddy, body light and heart racing in the sky; if anyone passed by right now they'd be certain to stare at the loopy smile on his face.
Leo lets out a small laugh. "That was a good answer."
Takumi grins, burying his face into Leo's neck. "Just to be clear, I don't hate you."
Leo's shoulders shake with laughter. "I would hope not, otherwise it might make this a bit difficult." He holds up their interlaced hand underneath the warm torchlight.
"Hate sex?" Takumi offers.
Leo snorts. He presses a quick kiss onto Takumi's cheek. Takumi’s whole body burns. "I like you too, Takumi." He runs his free hand over Takumi's knuckles. For the first time in a long time, Takumi feels content.
Takumi comes back to his seventh and final year of Hogwarts with butterflies in his stomach but a large grin on his face. There's a lot to be done, and even more to look forward to. He still needs to finalize Gryffindor's training schedule for the next month and run some new ideas for drills with Hinata before he implements them this season. There's still all the luggage he hasn't unpacked piled in the corner of their room.
Still, after the Great Feast, Takumi finds himself slipping away from Oboro and Hinata. He ends up taking a longer route to the Ravenclaw Tower, but it's worth the few amount of people he encounters.
Once he's knocked on the door and solved the puzzle, Takumi sprints up the stairs towards Leo's dorm. There's no one in the Ravenclaw Commons. He grins to himself as he takes the steps two at a time.
Outside of Leo's dorm, Takumi slows down. He knocks on the door twice before pushing it open. Leo is squatting next to a trunk in the back corner. A pile of books is stacked next to him. Takumi smiles; he wraps Leo in his arms and presses a kiss to the back of his neck.
"Hey," Leo turns around with two books in his hand. "Missed you."
"It's been too long," Takumi agrees as he leans in for another kiss. An entire summer. They wrote, weekly, but aside from the two times they met up at Hogsmeade Takumi hasn't seen Leo.
Leo places the books to the side, placing a hand in Takumi's hair instead. He tugs on the ribbon, letting Takumi's hair fall loose. Takumi grips Leo's robes with one hand, running his other hand across Leo's chest. There's something missing. He gives Leo's robes another firm tug before they pull apart.
"What's wrong?" Leo asks.
"No badge?" Takumi inquires.
"I never wanted to be Head Boy," Leo shrugs, "That was always more of Xander's thing. I asked them to choose a different Head Boy and make someone else Prefect."
"I'll miss your Prefect privileges," Takumi mourns, patting the empty spot on Leo's chest. "Sneaking into the bathroom, pulling you away from night patrols."
"Well, we can still use the bathroom," Leo remarks. "You know Elise thinks I've gone soft now? She asked me to bring half her books from home just so she could show Sakura."
"How terrible," Takumi laughs, pulling Leo in towards his chest. Leo makes a sound of discontent.
"What ever will we do?" Leo sighs. Takumi hums in agreement. He still has responsibilities he hasn't taken care of; the whole year lies ahead and then there are the years to come, beyond Hogwarts, that he's only begun thinking about. But for now, he's content to be here, lying with Leo in his arms, before he faces the world one step at a time.