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Sitting cross-legged atop his bedsheets, Dimitri scrawled wispy shapes and lines across the time-worn pages of his notebook, the scratching of his pen providing the only form of sound in his otherwise silent room. After sketching out something hastily in the bottom corner, his dark blond brows drew together amidst deep concentration. His voice was low as he murmured something about the ineffectiveness of certain battle formations and fervently blackened out whatever he’d just drawn with angry strokes of ink. Just when he’d turned over a new page to continue his sketches, a barely audible knock sounded from behind his door. Expelling a breath of annoyance, he slipped his pen between the pages of his notebook, saving his place as he dragged himself to the heavy, wooden door.
“Who is it?”
“Guess.”
Dimitri clenched his teeth and screamed inwardly.
“Claude, do you have any idea what time it is?”
A laugh Dimitri knew all too well reached his ears, muffled by the thick door.
“How’d you know it was me?”
“How could I not? Now, what do you want?”
“Open the door first, and I’ll tell you.”
Growling swears too quiet for Claude to clearly discern, Dimitri reluctantly gripped the chilly, metallic doorknob and turned. As it pulled away from the doorframe, the warm, golden candlelight fell onto Claude, who stood proudly with either hand planted firmly on his hips. Dressed in the same loungewear as Dimitri, save for the color scheme favoring the signature Alliance hues, Claude beamed brightly at his fellow student. The prince’s ocean-colored eyes regarded Claude with obvious distrust.
“Aw, c’mon, your princeliness , don’t look at me like that. Can’t a friend visit another friend?”
“In the middle of the night? You’ve got something cooking in that impish mind of yours.”
Claude’s shoulders sagged as he sighed dramatically.
“Saw right through me, huh? Well, I do have something planned, and I want you in on it.”
“Me? Why?”
“Because I knew you’d react like this. I do love a challenge”
Eyes widening as he finally noticed the two towels hanging around Claude’s neck, Dimitri gestured towards them before neatly folding his arms across his chest.
“Why do you have those?”
“I’m so glad you asked. We’re going to sneak into the spa, my good man.”
Deafening silence.
“I take your lack of a response as absolute admiration of my proposal, and let me just say I’m flattered.”
“Quite the opposite! Are you crazy? They don’t let anyone in there, ever.”
A disheartening spark of mischief brought Claude’s emerald eyes to life.
“You’re right, they don’t let anyone in there. That’s why I brought this.”
The Alliance student held up a strange object that bore a faint resemblance to--
“A lockpick? Claude, you can’t be serious.”
“As a sword through the heart. Now, put some shoes on and follow me,” Claude said as he beckoned for Dimitri and strode away into the hall.
“Wait, no, Claude,” pleaded Dimitri in a sharp whisper, scrambling to kick on the nearest pair of slippers, “Claude, you can’t!”
The door clicked as the lock turned into place and the sound of hurried footsteps tapered off as the two teens half-jogged to the stairs. Dimitri kept close behind Claude as they followed the stairs to the ground level, still begging him to give up on his outlandish idea.
“We’re going to get caught! Please don’t do this!”
The blonde teen was forced to mimic his friend’s stealthy movements through the shadows and between buildings.
“If you keep blabbing, then yeah, we’re totally getting busted!” Claude shushed the prince with a frantic wave of his hand downward. Even though the monastery was sparsely populated at so late an hour, Dimitri felt that the very stone walls around him had eyes. They seemed to track him step for fearful step all the way to the side of the spa, somehow glaring intensely at him in disappointment at his weak-willed compliance in following Claude. Or was it poorly labeled curiosity?
Crouched like a predator stalking its prey, Claude approached the doors to the spa with his lockpick in hand. Thankful that the usual monks weren’t on guard around this part of the monastery, he went to work. Dimitri watched on in nearly unbearable anticipation, his gaze darting back and forth for any cause to abort their mission.
“Please, Claude, this is a bad idea, let’s just go.”
“Almost got it.”
“We’re going to get in trouble.”
“Almost...”
“I can’t do this, I’m leaving.”
“And miss out on all the fun? Take a look.”
The door to the spa... Was open?
“Hurry up! Stay low.” Claude urged as he tiptoed inside, holding the door open for Dimitri. Once inside, Claude shut and locked the door as he stretched in great relief, happy to not be hunched over a second longer. Dimitri stood stock-still in awe at his surroundings. Ethereal moonlight gave the ornate furnishings an unnervingly perfect aura, reflecting especially beautifully off the richly gilded tiles along the floor. There was only one pool that sat directly in the center, modestly sized but intricately decorated. Low stools were spaced evenly against each wall beside tiny buckets and what appeared to be racks for towels. Areas to rinse off, perhaps?
“I can’t believe this,” sighed Dimitri as he peered into the still waters of the central pool. The crest of Seiros was vibrantly rendered through millions of small mosaic pieces of every possible shade of gold against the stark, white stone along the bottom.
“Still want to leave?” asked Claude.
“I suppose not,” Dimitri admitted, sinking down to his knees to dip a tentative hand beneath the surface of the water.
“It’s warm,” he observed, “But I don’t see any steam...”
Claude shrugged, an act that had become second nature whether he realized it or not.
“Maybe it’s heated by magic. I wouldn’t put it past ‘em.”
Taking the edge of his muted yellow shirt in his hands, the darker-skinned teen tugged the fabric up and over his head before dropping it down beside his feet. His skin illuminated by lunar glow, Claude looked more like a statue depicting a warrior of legend rather than just another student of the Officer’s Academy. Enraptured, Dimitri held his gaze steady on his friend as he moved on to step out of his pants, leaving him in just a small pair of black, body-hugging shorts.
“You there, Dimitri? Don’t you want to get in?”
“What? Oh, yeah, sorry.”
“Sometimes I worry for you, seriously,” Claude teased with an easy chuckle. Taking his own clothes off soon became a trying ordeal for Dimitri as he first got tangled up in an attempt to remove his shirt and then clumsily stumbling to the ground in the middle of hopping out of his pants. Gently panting and slightly disoriented, Dimitri looked over at Claude, whose tightly pursed lips held back booming laughter that was sure to get them found out.
“Don’t you dare.”
Claude almost broke, instead letting out a snort before covering his mouth quickly.
“Did you forget how to get undressed?” Claude wondered as he crawled into the water.
“No, I did not,” Dimitri shot back, following suit. The water was oddly buoyant, lifting both students effortlessly. It was much deeper than they initially thought, but the lift created by the magically-infused water kept them safely suspended as they weaved their arms and legs back and forth leisurely.
“Pretty great, huh?”
“Sure... We can’t ever do this again, though.”
Claude used his open palm to push a wave of water straight into Dimitri’s face.
“Lighten up, will ya? Just enjoy the moment and have fun! You do know what fun is, right?”
All Claude received in response was a cold stare.
“What, Edelgard shoot you down for a date or something?”
In an instant, Dimitri cut the edge of his hand down into the water towards Claude, drenching him as well.
“It’s not like that!”
“Man, she’s done a number on you.”
Dimitri doused Claude in a blitz of rapid-fire splashes, only ceasing when he threatened to yell and blow their cover.
“What are you, five?” laughed Claude as he pushed his dripping hair back and away from his face. Dimitri’s throat felt uncomfortably dry as his eyes caught the descent of water droplets over the curves of Claude’s clavicle.
“I don’t have those kinds of feelings for her. I’m serious.”
“Alright, alright, I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“That being said... I’m curious if there’s a girl here that you do have feelings for.”
“I’m not having this conversation, Claude.”
“ Whaaaat ? This is the best kind of conversation, though. Plus it’s only me. Who am I gonna tell?”
Dimitri scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“Only every soul here.”
“You wound me, dear prince.”
Watching the tiny whirlpools he created with his hands, Dimitri’s smooth voice flowed quietly to Claude as he spoke.
“Promise not to tell?”
“Swear on my life.”
Not a hint of humor in his words, much to Dimitri’s relief.
“You know... You know how when you see a beautiful girl, and you just think how nice it would be if she smiled at you? Or even held you close?”
“Sure, I guess so.”
“Well, I actually do feel that way about someone here.”
Piqued interest raised Claude’s brows high, tugging the corners of his mouth into a smile.
“Yeah? Who’s the lucky lady?”
“You’d never believe me.”
The water rippled from Claude’s playful shove to Dimitri’s chest, twinkling under the moonlight.
“Just tell me! Let me guess, it’s Flayn. That’s why you’re so nervous. Seteth would have none of that.”
“It’s not Flayn.”
“Hmm. Alright, it’s Marianne then. I’m sure she’d send the Sun away in shame with her smile. If she does even smile...”
Dimitri huffed in exasperation, turning to cross his arms over the edge of the pool’s raised, golden edge. Resting his chin on his forearms, he mulled over the thoughts that tumbled about in his head like frail ships in a maelstrom.
“Wait, is it Marianne? I’ve gotta say, I didn’t expect that, but she’s quite the girl.”
“It’s not Marianne. It’s not Hilda, or Leonie, or Mercedes. It’s not any girl at all, actually.”
“You mean...?”
Dimitri’s silence confirmed Claude’s suspicions.
“Are you worried because it’s a guy?”
“I’m more worried about who the guy is.”
“Well, who is he?”
The blond teen’s heartbeat grew labored and heavy. Every inch of his body felt like it was being engulfed by furious flames. His lungs tightened, making his breaths shallow and taxing.
“Claude, I...”
“...It’s me, isn’t it?”
In his mind, the prince felt two feet tall and frightfully exposed. His heart was hammering away so forcefully in his chest he feared that Claude could hear as well. If only he could cease to exist at this very moment.
“Answer me, Dimitri. It’s me, right?”
Dimitri buried his face in his arms, releasing a deep breath.
“Mhmm.”
Death would be a more desirable fate than this, thought Dimitri.
“Why are you so scared?”
This time, Dimitri emerged from the shelter of his arms and leaned back against the pool’s edge, cobalt-blue eyes unsteady as he met his friend’s concerned gaze.
“I’m afraid things won’t be the same. That you’ll look at me strangely, or even think I’m disgusting.”
Claude chewed lightly on his lower lip, searching for the right words to say.
“Dimitri, I won’t do any of that. I just... I don’t know what to say. Are you sure it’s me you feel this way about?”
“I’m sure. I think...”
“So then you’re not sure?”
Dimitri wrung the back of his neck with his hand absently.
“I don’t know what to even call it, but I know that every time I’m with you, I feel something . I want to know what else I would feel if I held your hand, or touched your hair...”
“Or kissed me?”
An expression of shock plastered itself on Dimitri’s face.
“You’re like an open book. It’s cute.”
“Huh?”
Closing the space between them, Claude brought himself directly in front of Dimitri as the heated water flowed around him.
“You want to know how kissing me would feel, don’t you?”
“I do, but--”
“Should I leave then?”
“No!” Dimitri’s hand shot out to take hold of Claude’s firm bicep, which made him release it just as quickly once he realized what he’d done.
“Would you do it if I said I wanted to know too?” asked Claude softly. The lines of his face struck Dimitri a certain way as it caught the distant moon’s radiance.
“Only if you really meant it.”
Claude pressed his body up against Dimitri’s, clasping their hands together under the water.
“I do.”
With cautious ardor, Dimitri came mere centimeters from Claude’s mouth. Every single nerve ending was firing off as adrenaline pulsed rhythmically in tandem with his heartbeat. A little closer and their lips brushed along one another fleetingly. That sliver of contact was enough to melt away the wall of doubt inside Dimitri and all at once he gave himself up to the longing that had been hidden away for so long. He threw his arms around Claude’s neck, violently disturbing the water around them as he strived to deepen their hasty, fevered kiss. Giving back just as passionately, Claude let slip a small moan and held Dimitri as close to him as he could, burning everything he felt into his mind. When their lungs began to scream for air, they begrudgingly pulled away and pressed their foreheads together.
“How do you feel now?” Claude asked between heavy breaths.
“Like I wish we could do that forever.”
Flashing a smile that could put the whole world at ease, Claude laughed lightly.
“Whenever you want, I’m yours.”
The green-eyed teen let out a startled ‘Woah!’ as Dimitri suddenly lunged towards him, taking his lips once again into an eager kiss. Nothing else mattered. All Dimitri needed was right here, in his arms.