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Dedue isn't sure how he got caught up in this. The mood amongst the Blue Lions was light and giddy after their victory at the mock battle between the three houses. He left himself be carried by every one enthusiasm. And if his Highness participated, then he had no reasons to decline the invitation.
Now they are all seating in Annette's room, because it was the closest to where they were, he thinks. The owner of the room is seating in front of her bed, Mercedes at her left. They are both chatting happily, as they often do. On her right there is Ashe, who is occasionally adding to the two best friend's chatter, and on Ashe's right Dedue is only paying attention. On the other side of him there is Felix, then Sylvain, Ingrid, the three of them seeming to speak about something with the utmost concentration. Finally, between Ingrid and Mercedes is prince Dimitri, facing Dedue, observing curiously as well. No one thought of inviting the professor. Even though all the students love them, no one felt comfortable to invite their professor to a game like the one Sylvain proposed.
“Alright, the rules of 'spin the bottle' are simple.” Sylvain gathers everyone's attention to him. “Someone spin the bottle, and whoever it designs have to kiss them. No trick, no chickening out.” He declares solemnly, placing an empty vial of glass on the center of their circle.
“Erm... Sylvain, that is not a bottle.” Ingrid points out.
“Yeah well that's all I could find. And it will do the job just perfectly.”
“Great. We are not even started and it is already screwed up.” Felix snorts next to him. Sylvain punches his shoulder, pouting, even though none of them mean anything harmful.
“It will work just fine.” Mercedes says. “I only wonder how do we decide who spins next.”
“The one who got designated by the bottle has to spin it next.” Annette proposes.
“Still not a bottle.” Felix mutters, as Annette perfectly ignores him and continues.
“Now come on, let's start already.”
She is always an enthusiast girl, but Dedue doesn't recall seeing her so eager to do something. He begins to wonder if maybe there is more going on here than just a harmless game. Maybe Annette has someone she hopes to be able to kiss here tonight. That would be... unexpected. But then he wonders if it is possible to want to genuinely want to play that game with no underlying intention. It is Sylvain who proposed it, after all.
As for himself, he... Well he did not want to play in the first place so it definitely doesn't count. Definitely not. He only accompanied his Highness. N-Not that he wants to kiss his Highness. He feels his face growing hotter at the thought only. But he would not dream of it. Even though... Even though it is true he once or twice imagined it, it does not mean that he hopes that by some sort of miracle the bottle would design the both of them. And even if it did, it would not mean anything. There would be... a lot of kissing, tonight. So, maybe it rose the probability that, eventually, he would have to kiss his Highness, but...
“So who should begin?” Mercedes asks, pulling Dedue out of his thoughts.
“Why not our house leader?” Ingrid proposes, turning to her childhood friend sitting next to her with a glint in her eyes. Immediately, everyone seems on board with the idea and starts nodding, except for Dedue, realizing that, if he stays here, he might very well see his Highness kiss someone. With a chance that this someone is him.
“W... Who, me?” Dimitri stammers, his cheeks coloring red under the attention. “I think it would be best to... hum... let Mercedes start, since she asked.”
“Aw... Come on Dimitri. You are not honoring the spirit of the Blue Lion.” Sylvain complains, crossing his arms.
“What kind of spirit are you talking about exactly?” Felix raises a skeptical eyebrow.
“It's fine, I don't mind beginning.” Mercedes agrees, to the greatest relief of Dimitri. “Besides, even is his Highness declined now, he will not be allowed when he is designated by the hand of the Goddess.” She adds, her smile turning somewhat mischievous.
Dimitri watches Mercedes take the vial with a sudden apprehension. He was not expecting such a look on her usual caring face. And maybe he begins to question his decision to participate. But he convinces himself that it is only a harmless game between good friends. Even if it involves kissing each other. They are just harmless little kisses. Not a big deal. Not a big deal at all, unless if it involves a certain vassal of his...
Dedue is watching Mercedes with a neutral expression, as he often does. Then Dimitri thinks he can watch him all he wants. There are so few occasions like this one, when Dedue is not constantly looking in his direction, looking after him. When he does not risk being caught staring. Now, he can fully take in how handsome he really is. The clear color of his eyes, the shape of his face, with his marked cheekbones and his strong jawline, and most of all, the thing occupying his mind on this night. His lips. Always pulled in a concentrated frown. How often did he dream of kissing those lips? Tonight could be the closest he ever comes to.
When he looks at the empty glass vial and then at the young man seating across him, he hopes the goddess will be on his side tonight. He can not simply walk to the young man and ask him for a kiss during a normal day. He can only imagine the look he would be given. He would never dare. Tonight will be his best chance, if not his only chance to kiss Dedue. But this, no one has to know. And, well, what are the chances that it actually happens. He is only being foolish he knows. Foolishly enamored with the Duscur man.
“Alright, let's do this.” Mercedes declares, before spinning the bottle.
Everyone's eyes seem entirely focused on the movement. With a focus that could surpass the one used during professor Byleth's classes. The vial slows in it movement, as the possibility of being kissed by Mercedes begins to become much more real. Everyone, including Dedue, begins to imagine actually being kissed by Mercedes. Not a bad thought, maybe only a little bit weird. She is a caring and sweet friend, as would be a mother, or a big sister. Dedue feels, with a distant pain, that it would feel like receiving affection from a member of his family.
Eventually, the spinning stops, right in front of a certain redhead.
“The Goddess is on my side tonight.” Sylvain winks at Mercedes.
Mercedes smiles softly at him. She knows it is just the way Sylvain is. Of course he would make the most of the night. She also knows he doesn't think much of it. She stands up and takes the steps that separate them under the curious gazes of the other students. Dedue wonders if she is really going to kiss him, on the lips. It is the first of the game, after all. Maybe she will want to start things slowly, and hopefully things would keep on being under control. But he quickly understands that he is wrong. She puts her hands on Sylvain's shoulders and leans in. It's quick. Just a peck, but it is really on the lips.
"Your turn now." She manages to say before going back to sit on her knees next to her best friend, not seeming bothered at all.
Dedue knows he is being more shocked than her or Sylvain. She set the tone of the night. Dedue knows Sylvain said that there would be no tricking and no chickening out, but maybe a kiss on the cheek or any other part of the body could be possible. Not anymore, he thinks, beginning to feel nervous. Especially if the one who will now spin the bottle is Sylvain, still smiling happily from Mercedes's smile.
"Yep. But I'm warning every one. I give real kisses."
Before anyone can protest or retreat from the game, he give a quick impulse and the vial spins. The tension seems suddenly even more thick in the room. Maybe because getting a kiss from Sylvain is very different from one from Mercedes. Or because it is inevitable that the kisses will be actual real kisses. It ends its course a little bit off a clear angle, but mostly, it designates Ashe. The archer sputters, suddenly going red, as if he never imagined actually being kissing anyone tonight.
"I don't discriminate." Sylvain shrugs, before stepping toward the young man. "Someone beautiful is someone beautiful."
"W-wait! Sylvain ! I thought-"
Dedue can never know what Ashe thought. Sylvain puts a finger under his chin and lifts his face. He presses their lips together, hard. But at least, he has enough mercy on Ashe not to do more than that. He stands back up, smirking down at a completely red and stammering Ashe.
"Try to beat that." The knight says, taking back his place between Ingrid and Felix.
"Oh, it is on." Ingrid replies, a fierce determination in her eyes.
"As if I would loose to you." Felix ads.
"Ooooh it's going to be interesting!" Annette comments, visibly excited by the idea.
Next to her, Mercedes nods calmly, and a nervous but amused chuckle escape Dimitri's lips. Only Dedue and Ashe seem to be frozen in place, realizing that the night is not going to be what they were expecting at all.
"Come on Ashe, spin it. Spin it!" Annette begins to chant next to him, way too enthusiast to wash away Dedue's suspicions that she is up to something.
With trembling hands, Ashe take the vial and gives it a weak impulse. It barely even makes a whole turn, the end of it stopping right before a dark haired swordsman. He stays then petrified, as is he was unsure if he could actually stand up and go kiss Felix.
"Well” Felix smirks. “What are you waiting for."
Dedue thinks he can see when Ashe breaks, not even able to put two words together. But he thinks he sees resignation in his eyes. On trembling legs, he steps before Felix and doesn't even dare to touch him when he leans in. He kisses his cheek, as red as a tomato. The room falls silent for a moment, contemplating the first surrender of the night. Despite only kissing him on the cheek, Ashe is completely flustered. Dedue thinks he sees Felix's face becoming a little bit more red, too. But he isn't sure if it is because of the sweetness of the boy who just kissed him, or out of anger. Before Ashe can return to his seat, he grabs his arm.
"What was that. You want to make me loose? Kiss me on the lips you coward" Felix demands, raising himself to meet the young boy.
"Nope!" He is interrupted by Sylvain, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him back on the floor. "Too late! You have to do it during your turn!"
"Urgh, fine!" Felix finally lets go of Ashe's arm to grabs the vial and make it spin violently.
It spin with a wild speed, during what seems like entire minutes. During the time when Dedue thinks he can breath again for the first time since Mercedes's kiss. Ashe has left the game, sitting on Annette's bed, but he did open an escape for Dedue, in case things go out of control. He could be kissed somewhere else than on the mouth. That was... Good. Definitely good.
Until the bottle stops right in front of him. A little bit off angle, actually. A little bit too much on his left, but since Ashe seems to have quit... It is him, definitely. He slowly turns his face to Felix, who seems just as mortified as him.
Dimitri feels his heart leap in his chest, his eyes fixated on the bottle that is technically not a bottle. It stopped on Dedue, which means... The room falls silent as everyone comes to the realisation that Felix will have to kiss Dedue. Dimitri tries to think that it is fine, of course. He watches carefully his childhood friend, hoping that he is not going to lash out in anger. But no sound escapes his mouth. There is no protest. The rules are absolute. Dedue is designated and... It brings Dimitri closer to kiss him, in his turn. But before that, he will have to watch Felix, who never once showed any form of respect to the Duscur man, kiss him. He feels his nervousness rise inside him, as his heart beats faster. Then Dimitri thinks of an idea. Could he take his place? That is probably not in the rules, but if Felix isn't capable of holding his part, it would be a great excuse to take his place and kiss Dedue.
"Come on Felix! Are you chickening out because he is taller than you or something?" Sylvain cuts the silence, being obvious to the real problem on purpose. "You had zero complains against kissing Ashe..." He adds with a smirk, which makes the archer on the bed blush harder.
"S-shut up!" Felix says, but doesn't do anything to prove the contrary.
Dedue feels not at all comfortable under the attention of every one looking between him and Felix. He thinks he can feel the eyes of a particular blue shade watching him carefully, and it is a lot to bear. Furthermore, he has really no particular desire to get a kiss from the young man who has always been rude to him and his Highness.
"That is perfectly fine." He decides to come to Felix's rescue. "I can understand why someone would not want to kiss me."
Dimitri's noises of protest and indignation die in his throat, Sylvain much more thick than him to stand up and protest.
"Whaaat? What are you talking about Dedue! Anyone would be lucky to have a taste of those nice-looking lips of yours. There isn't a single soul who wouldn't want to, I am right everyone?"
Dimitri is furious blushing, feeling personally attacked. He never once talked about what he feels for Dedue, but Sylvain's words hit a little bit too close to home. Amongst the discarded nods, he nods too, quickly, hoping the movement would hide the redness of his cheeks.
Dedue feels his heart beat faster, watching his friends nod, some more enthusiastically than others. His eyes stop a moment on his Highness, as his breathing catches a second in his throat. He is nodding at Sylvain's words. Could his Highness really think this? Could it be that they share the same desires?
"I... I appreciate it. But I do not believe that-”
“you don't believe?! I'll show you! Would I do this if you weren't absolutely kissable?"
Before Dedue can share his confusion as to what Sylvain means, his face is suddenly much, much closer and he feels something against his mouth. Only when the chock is passed, he understands. Sylvain is kissing him. He has his hands on his cheeks, holding him in place, and he kisses him. Dedue can barely hear someone gasping in the room. He can only hear the frantic and panicked beating of his heart. Sylvain is still kissing him. For a long time. A too long time. The knight kisses... pretty well. As much as Dedue can judge a kiss. His lips move against his. Sylvain opens his lips against Dedue and takes his mouth. And Dedue suddenly feels as though he was suffocating.
“S-Syl...” Dimitri's voice is difficult to project. He can barely talk, as if he was hypnotized but the scene happening right before his eyes. He feels the need to say something, to stop his friend from assaulting Dedue, this way. His heart clenches as he watches the man he wanted to kiss being kissed by someone else. He wants Sylvain to stop. But he can not say it. He has no reasons to. Not a good one. He can not just say that he wants to be in his place, that he should be the one kissing Dedue. He can not admit it out loud, right in front of him... He can only watch with envy.
Dedue moves, his body finally reacting. Thank the gods. He puts his hands on Sylvain's shoulder and pushes him away. As far away as possible from his lips. His heart is still beating hard in his chest, and his lips are somewhat sore from his... friend's kisses. Numerous kisses. He rubs them with the back of his hands, trying to feel them again. He swears they are damp from Sylvain's saliva. The thought makes him blush, suddenly. He never imagined kissing him, and he doesn't want to do it again, but he has to admit that he is a good kisser. And he did prove his point.
“You... Did not have to...” Still, the embarrassment is hardly bearable. And in front of his Highness...
“My turn.”
Dedue doesn't have the time to recover from this experience. With only this declaration as a warning, Felix grabs his jaw and pulls him toward him. His kiss is not as long and thorough as Sylvain's. It is rough, demanding. And deep. He feels him trying to make his way pass his lips. But this time his body reacts more quickly than with the redhead. He pulls away, even more out of breath than before.
“I think I understand now, you didn't have to-”
“It was for the game. Nothing else.” Felix cuts him, wiping his lips with his sleeve. But he quickly looks sideways, and a satisfied smile tugs at the corner of his lips.
Confused, Dedue follows his gaze but sees only all of the students of the Blue Lions staring at them. They don't seem really shocked. Or maybe he is too shocked that, in comparison, they don't seem surprised at all. Except for his Highness. His Highness is staring directly at him, with resolve in his eyes. Resolve to what, Dedue has no ideas. But under his insistent gaze, he feels his face growing impossibly hotter. He thinks that he sees his prince's face a shade of red, too. What must he think of him now.
“Th... Then I-!” Ingrid steps up, ready to take on the challenge.
She is stopped by only a wave of Mercedes's hand. “How about we continue the game? It is Dedue's turn to spin the bottle.”
“Right!!” Annette shouts excitedly next to her.
This time Dedue thinks nothing of it. He can only think about the people who kissed him tonight, before his Highness's eyes, who weren't his Highness. And how his mind tries to convince him that he is blushing for some obscure reasons. Maybe he should have done like Ashe, and retreat without waiting. But at least this time it is his turn to play. He is the one who has to kiss someone. He will be on control of whether he wants to kiss them on the lips or not.
He spins the bottle, wishing for it to stop on... No one in particular. He doesn't think his heart could take it if it were hid Highness.
“What?” Ingrid complains, standing up and drawing all the attention to her. “And be the one to lose? I'm not going to give the victory so easily to Sylvain and Felix. Sylvain cheated. He kissed Dedue when it wasn't even his turn. I should be able to at least try to beat him.”
“I'm... Not sure there is a matter of wining or losing in this game, Ingrid.” Dimitri manages to say, staring at his childhood friend.
The competitive behavior of the trio is often entertaining, and he occasionally partake in their harmless games. But it is an entirely different thing when it concerns Dedue. When it is about kissing Dedue... He does not want to see anyone else kiss him tonight. No one except him. But with the bottle spinning... He meets Dedue's gaze, who appears grateful for his words which stopped Ingrid. He can only hope that his vassal will decide to be more chaste than his friends, and decide to settle for a kiss on the cheek of the next person who will be designated by this infernal empty glass vial.
“Woaaah!!! Dimitri!”
Dimitri is suddenly pulled from his thoughts by the only-slightly-exaggerated tone of his redhead friend. He notices that he was staring at Dedue, and Dedue was staring right back. He quickly pulls his gaze away, and onto the object at the center of everyone's attention.
Dedue spin the bottle, and it stopped on him.
He takes back everything he thought before that. Dedue shouldn't settle for his cheek.
Dedue's heart is beating so hard in his chest he thinks it might as well break his ribcage and run away. He thought of this moment. He thought of the possibility that it could be real, but not... Really real. There were so few chances. Too few. All the other student around them seem completely oblivious to the panic raising in him, the furious blush across his cheeks. When he gathers the courage to raises his eyes to his Highness, he is blushing, too. He can barely hold his gaze. He is feeling too hot, way too hot.
“Y-Your Highness... We don't have to... Not really.”
“What?” Sylvain is undignified. “I said no cheating no chickening out!”
“He... did say that.” Dimitri admits, his tone calm enough despite having the feeling that his heart is beating directly inside his throat.
Dedue shoots him a shocked look, his lips only slightly parted. His plump and reddened lips parted. It is the only thing that Dimitri can see then. He does not notice his classmates smiling to themselves and even giving each other discrete thumbs ups as he stands up. He walks to Dedue, and kneels before him. He takes a moment to catch his breath. Goddess, he is so much more handsome from this close. He wants to kiss this young man so much, and yet he seems to be unable to. Maybe because it is Dedue's turn. It is Dedue who has to initiate their kiss. Maybe because he cannot know... for sure.
“Is there something stopping you?” Dimitri asks with a low voice, almost whispering. He extends his hand before him, slowly. His fingertip grazes Dedue's warm lips. “Do you not find me kissable?”
“Your Highness...” Dedue murmurs, but he seems incapable of saying more.
His throat is too tight to speak. His face is too hot. His heart is beating to hard to hear anything else. Anything else than his Highness's words repeating in his mind. There is nothing stopping him. Not right now, at least. It would be so easy to reach out to him, caress the golden locks falling in front of his eyes away from his face, tenderly trying to hold them with the rest of his hair, and then slowly leaning in. Only when he feels the softness under his fingers, he registers that he is doing just so.
Dimitri finally, finally feels the press of Dedue's lips against his. As he awaited for so long. They are just as he ever imagined them. Warm and soft, wet and inviting. He feels feverish against his mouth, under the fingers in his hair. He suddenly feels as if it not enough. He wants more of his kisses but already, they are parting.
Dimitri reaches out again, chasing those lips he always wanted against his.
“Your Highness... Are you... Are you not spinning the bottle?” Dedue's voice is small, only because he is taken by surprise.
Dimitri registers distantly that they were indeed playing a game. This 'Spin the Bottle' Game. But he doesn't want to play anymore. He doesn't want to see anyone else kiss Dedue, and he definitely doesn't want to kiss someone that wouldn't be him. He reaches out behind him with his hand, until he touches the empty glass vial. He turns it in one motion, pointing it toward Dedue.
“There.” Dimitri says.
Dedue looks at the bottle, then at him, blushing but nodding slowly. Without wasting another second, Dimitri puts his arms around Dedue's neck and kisses him. He kisses him again. He kisses again and Dedue returns all his kisses, his hand making its way back in his hair.
“That's game over, then...” Ingrid sighs loudly. Too loudly not to be done with the intention of interrupting them.
It has the effect to stop them in their tracks. They put an end to their kisses. Dimitri is still kneeling in front of Dedue, his arms around his neck and supporting his weight on his shoulders, Dedue's hands in his hair. He grows conscious of his... Situation. Right in front of all his classmates. But it is not enough to make him want to pull away. He feels right, holding on to Dedue, and Dedue holding him back.
“Game over? You mean we aced it, yes!” Annette cheers, slapping energetically her hand down where Mercedes's is waiting.
Dedue looks at her, surprised of her reaction, until he remembers. Her impatience to begin the game, her excitation. But now that he thinks about it, it is not only her. It was also Ingrid proposing that their house leader initiates the game, and Sylvain's continuous teasing as if he was pushing him. And just everyone's mood, too connected with each other and on the board with the game. He chuckles. They have been had.
“Annette, did you use your wind magic during my turn?” Dedue asks, smiling, even though he perfectly knows the answer already.
“Only a little?” She tries, using a guilty tone, thought he can see no guilt in her eyes.
Dimitri laughs too, realizing. “I can not believe that really happened.”
“You guys were so obviously pining, none of us could bare it any longer.” Felix sighs.
“I'm not even sorry in the slightest.” Sylvain declares.
“Wait... All of you?” Dedue notices, turning his face to the young archer still recovering from the previous events.
“W... Yes... But no one told me I would be a collateral damage...”
“Sorry Ashe.” Ingrid says, looking really sorry for him.
“Yes, I apologize." Dimitri says, finally pulling back to sit correctly. His hands do not leave Dedue, running down his arms to take his hands. "Would we have been able to sort our feeling on our own...”
“Like I said. Game over. For you two.” Ingrid insists, suddenly standing up. “Come on, up! You get out if you can't play anymore.”
Dedue cannot argue with the questionable rules. He does not asks why they should leave, when Ashe could stay even though he surrendered. He doesn't asks why they should both be disqualified, when he assumes that they lost because Dimitri did not respect the rules by turning the bottle as he pleased. It would result in the same thing. If his Highness was not there, he would not either. But they are pushed on their feet and out of Annette's room, the door closing behind them.
The cold of the night caresses Dedue's skin, but he notices that his hand is not cold. Looking down, he sees his hand and Dimitri's hands locked together. He doesn't even recall holding it. But now that he has his hand in his, he does not want to let it go.
“So... you Do find me kissable.”
His prince's voice is shy, though teasing. Their eyes meet and a chuckle escape their lips at the same time, creating a puff of white smoke between them due to the warmth of their breath. The warmth of their lips. The warmth in their chest.
“I do. Very much.”