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Jaune groaned and hung his head in defeat. On the screen, the game proudly displayed “Player Two Wins!” across the screen. Marrow whooped, waving his scroll in the air. He leaned back on one hand and grinned over at Jaune.
“I win. Again.”
“How are you so good at this?” Jaune asked as he slumped over, dropping his scroll on top of his bed.
“That’s a secret.” Marrow dropped his scroll next to Jaune’s and shook out his hands. After fifteen rounds of video games, Jaune’s hands were cramping a little, too, but if he got to see Marrow like this- happy, smiling, carefree- then it was worth it. Even if he’d only won a single round.
“Maybe we should do something else,” Jaune said. “My poor ego can only take so much bruising.”
Marrow looked over at him, his blue eyes suddenly very intense, and Jaune shifted a little in his spot. His head tilted to the side a little, not unlike a dog’s, and shit, that was adorable, but something in the way he was scrutinizing Jaune told him there was something he wanted to say.
“You know, I really missed having friends,” Marrow said finally. “The other Ace Ops are okay and all, but seeing you and your friends, well, you’re actually a team.”
Jaune reached out and placed his hand on top of Marrow’s.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think they appreciate you enough,” Jaune admitted. Before he can lose his courage, he forged on. “I think you’re smart, and funny, and you really truly care about people. And I think that is more valuable than experience.”
Marrow stared at him for several long seconds before a small smile crept across his face, his tail thumping against Jaune’s pillow behind him. He curled his fingers around Jaune’s, and Jaune felt his heart stutter a little, hyperaware of the warmth of Marrow’s hands, the callouses on his fingers from wielding Fetch, the way the light from the TV screen reflected in his pale blue eyes.
“Jaune Arc,” Marrow said, “You are genuinely one of the kindest souls I have ever met, and I am glad to have had the chance to meet you.”
“Dork,” Jaune said. He could feel his face starting to burn, and oh, gods, Marrow was going to realize exactly how he felt about him.
“You started it,” he pointed out. Before Jaune could reply, Marrow leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. He started to pull away, eyes wide. “Sorry, I just-" he started.
Jaune reached up and grabbed the collar of his shirt with his free hand, pulling him into another kiss. Marrow cupped the side of Jaune’s face with one hand, his tail wagging a mile a minute behind him. Jaune threaded his fingers through Marrow’s hair, out of its bun like it was when he was off-duty. Finally, they broke apart, both blushing and out of breath.
“Was that okay?” Jaune asked.
“It was more than okay,” Marrow said. He grinned cheekily, pulling Jaune back towards him. “I think we found something else to do.”