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“Ugh… why did we have to come here again? It feels like everyone else in this room is going crazy,” Takumi had his arms crossed, muttering to himself. Well, to himself and to Leo beside him.
“Well, we’re fighting a war against invisible soldiers in a kingdom that used to exist in our world but now floats, lifeless, in an alternate dimension which our sister can teleport us to with the help of her fish-dragon friend. Did you expect people to stay sane?” Leo returned with his own question, also leaning in for some conspiratorial whispering, “though I’m curious, why do you think so this time?”
“Just look at them!” Takumi would have waved his hand had he wanted to draw everyone’s attention to their table. Though if he was being honest, would that even matter? Typically at this time of night, after dinner but before Corrin had lit the large, communal campfire set up, the couples of the combined Nohrian and Hoshidan armies would disperse to their own corners of camp to do… whatever it was other couples did. Takumi and Leo, somewhat fresh into having expressed their emotions concerning the other, were still reliably able to be found in the library. Although they now shared space on one of the plush sofas in their reading nook.
Instead of the usual routine, it seemed tonight like every couple was being disgustingly cute inside of the mess hall, paired off to their own tables, staring at each other as if the rest of the world didn’t exist. Odin was recanting some story to Nyx, with which she listened to with maybe the softest expression Takumi was sure she could muster- a neutral one. Selena was being swooned by Tsubaki, likely with some Hoshidan poetry he had memorized for her- actually, knowing him, he probably wrote it himself. Keaton was pretending not to snuggle up to Camilla as she petted his hair, and Kaden was obviously enthralled with a similar action from Azura. It was just so…
“They’re all being so lovesick,” Takumi mumbled, ducking his head a little. Was it wrong that he and Leo weren’t being so…? Ugh…
“Well, tonight is the dinner Corrin planned for the festival of love. I think that’s a reasonable explanation for being ‘lovesick’,” Leo explained casually, as if there wasn’t a rosy scarlet blush now forming on his cheeks, “I’m sure Corrin wanted people to have a chance to take their mind off of things. It’s smart to keep morale high.”
Takumi caught Leo’s gaze, feeling that familiar, dizzying warmth in his chest just from holding his attention for too long. Takumi looked away, though he was then met with the surprising sight of Rinkah and Hinata holding hands. Gods, even she was being public about this sort of thing?
“I just didn’t expect everyone to be so open about things,” Takumi sighed. He felt tense, as if he was doing something wrong by not also being as outwardly affectionate as the other couples around them. It wasn’t his fault! He and Leo were both awkward people. It wasn’t even like they had planned to tell anyone they were courting yet! Corrin and her loud self had turned a corner just in time to see Takumi giving Leo a kiss goodnight and by the next morning, the entire army knew about their relationship.
“If you’d prefer, we could eat our dessert in the library,” Leo suggested. He looked so calm and collected, but Takumi had a feeling there was something brewing under that perfectly trained, passive look he carried. Leo was always so much better at hiding how he felt about, well, basically anything.
Worrying his lip a moment, Takumi let out a short breath and steeled his resolve, “I want to know what you’d prefer.” This was the nice thing a boyfriend was supposed to do, right? Set aside his own selfish emotional turmoil? Or maybe Leo would echo his sentiments entirely and decide to whisk Takumi away to their little sanctuary.
“You’ll be disappointed to hear, I’m finding it a bit fun to watch you squirm right now,” Leo admitted with a smirk, chuckling at the pouty frown Takumi suddenly shot back, “I can’t help it. It’s cute to see you so flustered~”
“You’re such an ass,” Takumi whined. He wanted to push Leo and go running off himself but he had to open his big mouth and act like he was being brave about all this.
Before Takumi could whine any further, the kitchen doors burst open and Elise appeared with a “tada~!” and a cart laden with different sweets and treats. Effie was following dutifully behind her, stoic as ever, and took the cart as Elise began bouncing to each table. Takumi could hear her twittering away to each couple before placing a dessert onto their table and flitting away to accost her next victims. Takumi was certain he was the only one here to think himself a ‘victim’.
“Woah big bro, I didn’t think you’d actually make it! Takumi, I’m so excited to see you here!” Elise’s eyes were wide and bright as she stood before their table, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Now that she was up close, Takumi saw the little heart ribbons decorating her pigtails and dress and the light, glittery makeup which covered her nose and the tops of her cheeks. If he had already dug a hole trying to be brave for Leo, Takumi knew his fate was sealed now. He couldn’t bring himself to let Elise down.
“Actually! I was gonna bring this to your tent if you two grumps decided not to show, but I’m glad I can give it to you now~!” Elise dipped to grab a dish from the lower level of the tray before bringing it up and placing it gingerly before Leo and Takumi. A decadent and rich slice of chocolate cake was plated neatly in the center, a large glob of fudgey icing slipping off to one side. On the other side were two scoops of pale, green ice cream- one smooth and matte while the other had little flecks of what appeared to be chocolate inside.
“Effie and I really had a blast making all these different ice creams. So, to go with your Lovely Chocolate Lava Cake, there is a side of mint and mat-cha ice cream! And Effie did a great job with the cake, so please tell her if you like it!” Effie put silverware onto the table, seemingly unphased by the clear compliments Elise was attempting to garner for her. Or maybe Takumi caught a bit of a blush on her face- he really had a hard time reading her emotions.
“We’ll be sure to, Elise,” Leo said, echoing Takumi’s earlier sentiments. If this had been any other day, he was sure Leo would be ripping into Elise’s childish decorations and demeanor, but maybe even Leo was willing to give his sister a break once a year.
“Thanks~! Enjoy your dessert~” Elise all but skipped off to the next table, bubbly describing whatever it was she had made for the next couple.
“That was nice of you, not teasing her about all of these theatrics,” Takumi said, looking over to Leo, “didn’t know you had it in you.”
“If I made her cry today I would be on the receiving end of no less than three sharp blades,” Leo said with a sigh, deflating a little, “so, even I have to be nice sometimes. Could you hand me a spoon? I have to admit, I would really like to try this mat-cha you’ve talked about.”
Takumi picked up the spoon they’d been given and passed it to Leo, frowning soon after, “Um… Leo?”
“Yes Takumi?” Leo was already dipping into the ice cream.
“I think she only gave us one spoon,” Takumi said with a frown.
“What a brat,” Leo muttered, “how childish of her. I should have known better.”
“So… we just have to share it? I’m sure that’s… fine,” Takumi said, looking at Leo, “or we could always ask for another-”
“If I know Elise, she’s trying to get us to be ‘romantic’. She will not be giving us another utensil,” Leo set the spoon back onto the dish, looking at Takumi after a moment of glancing around. He gestured with a little wave of his hand, “it's not just us who she skimped out on.”
Takumi took another look at the room, finding that Leo was right. It seemed like the other couples were also sharing their spoons, although the realization suddenly brought a flush to his cheeks. No, it wasn’t just that they were passing their spoon back and forth, but each couple was- they were-
“S-she expects us to feed each other?! That’s so-”
“Sappy? Childishly romantic? My thoughts exactly,” Leo finished for Takumi. He fidgeted a moment with the end of the spoon, betraying his thought process and the words that were about to follow, “but… I have to admit…”
“No- no, Leo you can’t be falling for this too,” Takumi whipped around, looking at his boyfriend. Leo looked uncharacteristically sheepish, avoiding Takumi’s eyes and playing with the spoon in the slowly melting ice cream, “it’s- I can’t-”
“Well… what if I gave you a bite first?” Leo offered.
“Even worse,” Takumi said, “humiliating, actually. I think I would die.” Takumi watched Leo crack a smile. Gods… Takumi had already dug his grave. How could he not cave just a little. Maybe… everyone was right to be a little crazy today. But he could only take things one step at a time.
“Gimme that,” Takumi muttered, plucking the spoon from Leo’s hand and scooping up a bit of matcha ice cream, “I suppose I could… do this for you. Just today, though-! Don’t get used to me being so sappy.” Takumi held up the spoon, looking at Leo.
“Do you think this is less humiliating for me because I suggested it-”
“Oh shut up, your ice cream is melting,” Takumi retorted, holding his hand under the spoon, “just open your mouth or else I’m going to eat it.”
Leo looked caught between a snicker and a grumble, which Takumi felt was often the case in their relationship now. All their bitter arguments turned to teasing, their competitions turned from making each other sneer to trying to get the other to smile first. Takumi felt his heart thumping loudly as Leo obediently opened his mouth. This felt so… intimate. It was such a simple little thing, putting a spoon into Leo’s mouth, but the atmosphere of this whole moment had him feeling so shaky and nervous. Takumi did his best not to simply shove the spoon and Leo’s mouth and leave it there, instead slowly pulling it back after Leo’s lips closed around the bite. Why did he feel like he was going to start shaking??
“Eugh, it tastes like grass,” Leo stuck out his tongue, immediately (thankfully) ruining the tense, choking feeling Takumi had felt rising in his throat, “you like this stuff?”
“I usually drink matcha as a tea,” Takumi all but tossed the spoon onto the table, “it would probably go better with the cake as well. Y-you should try it like that.”
“Oh, so I’ll be feeding myself then?” Leo asked, picking up the spoon. He did scoop a bite of the ice cream along with the tip of the slice of cake, eating it before Takumi could respond. He hummed, head tilting to the side, “I did like that a bit better. I don’t think matcha is quite my favorite flavor though. Would you like a bite?” Leo asked. He did not move to return the spoon to Takumi.
“I… Leo, are you really going to… do you have to…?”
“I think it’s only fair that I should feed you a bite, since you’ve fed me,” Leo sounded even in his response, as if the tips of his ears weren’t burning. Takumi looked at his boyfriend, feeling some of his nerves begin to unwind. If Leo would only show how nervous he was, maybe Takumi wouldn’t have gotten so worked up in the first place. Knowing he felt the same way, despite his “I’m too cool to be bothered attitude”...
“Fine, I’ll let you,” Takumi sighed, turning to face Leo a little more. Even so, he balled his fingers into his pants, trying to keep from looking like a nervous mess. If Leo could approach this calmly, Takumi would too… or at least he’d try. Takumi closed his eyes and opened his mouth, waiting for the spoonful of dessert from Leo. He heard a chuckle, as if Leo was about to make some comment, but he kept silent as he placed the spoon into Takumi’s mouth.
Okay, Elise was absolutely right. Effie had done an amazing job on this cake. Takumi already knew he had a soft spot for chocolate, but the fudgey texture of the lava cake brought out just how rich the icing was. It combined with the cold, slightly bitter flavor of the matcha ice cream, mixing and melting together in one quite delicious bite. Takumi let out a hum of approval, feeling his fingers loosening their deathgrip on his poor clothing.
“Did you enjoy that~?” Leo asked, a bit teasing. Takumi opening his eyes rewarded him with a blushing Leo, as if he was wrestling his own thumping heartbeat over such a soft and domestic gesture.
“I did,” Takumi had bit back a more sharp response, though he couldn’t keep staring at Leo, instead looking back at the cake, “your sister is good at this. The flavors went together quite well. I, um… I wouldn’t mind another bite. Since you don’t seem to like the matcha that much, I mean- I wouldn’t mind taking that bit.”
“I figured as much,” Leo hummed, scooping another spoonful, “although from that reaction, it looks like I’ll have to keep in charge of the spoon. I fear if I turned you loose you’d finish this slice of cake without offering me a second bite~”
“You’re such an ass,” Takumi grumbled, blushing again as Leo held the spoon to his mouth, offering another tasty bite. It didn’t matter that Leo may have been right. A part of Takumi did want to selfishly steal the cake all to himself. He allowed himself to be fed small bites, however, heart pounding all the while at just how domestically, disgustingly cute they probably looked. Then again, the other couples had already been wrapped up in their own little worlds before he and Leo had finally relented and followed suit. Maybe that thought helped set him a little more at ease.
“Ew- what was that? Mint?” it was Takumi’s turn to stick out his tongue, frowning at Leo as if he had snuck him something terrible.
“Yes, Elise said the other ice cream is mint flavored,” Leo said, putting down the next bite he had already prepared for Takumi.
“It tastes like toothpaste,” Takumi frowned, shaking his head, “I don’t think I want any of it. You try it.” When Leo raised the spoon, Takumi sat up, “w-wait- let me-”
“Oh, so you want to feed me now~?” Leo asked with a smirk, “I should feel lucky, hm? You were acting like such a spoiled prince about this earlier~”
“I’m going to choke you,” Takumi grumbled, taking the spoon from Leo and trying not to spill the ice cream, “just shut up and let me feed you. You don’t get to be the suave one all night.”
“You think I’m suave?” Leo didn’t get an answer as Takumi impatiently held the spoon up, slipping the bite into his mouth. When he didn’t immediately gag or stick out his tongue, Takumi’s brow furrowed.
“It is a bit strong,” Leo admitted, head nodding a bit, “but I don’t think it’s bad. Maybe you just don’t like mint and chocolate together. I’ve heard it can be a divisive flavor combination.”
“Well then, it’s your lucky day. You can have the rest of this,” Takumi was about to push the plate over to Leo before biting his lip, pulling it closer to him instead. He was finding, despite how much these little intimate acts made him feel like his heart would explode, that he kind of… liked doting on Leo like this. It was cute- especially the way he opened his mouth when waiting for a bite. “And… I’ll feed it to you.”
“That’s surprisingly kind of you, love~” Leo teased, shifting in his seat a little. The nickname had Takumi feeling like he was screaming in the back of his mind, “should I close my eyes and ask like a good boy~?”
“I’m absolutely going to fucking choke you,” Takumi got out, getting a bite of cake and ice cream together. When he turned back to Leo, who did indeed have his eyes closed and his mouth open patiently, Takumi did his best not to fulfill that promise. Leo once again delicately accepted the bite, his tongue peaking out to catch a little bit of icing on his lip, and Takumi immediately scooped together another bite. And another.
“Last one,” Takumi said softly, knowing Leo was watching him with an equally soft gaze. He scooped the rest of the icing from the plate; maybe it was a bit too big, but Takumi turned back to Leo, heart fluttering as he once more closed his eyes and opened his mouth, letting out a little “ah~” Takumi spooned the last bit in, seeing some miss and smear at the corner of Leo’s lip. Takumi watched Leo’s face intently, raising his hand to wipe off the little bit of mess. He just needed to wipe it off, that was all, but when Leo’s gentle gaze fell back on Takumi, he felt himself panic. His hand now gripping at Leo’s shoulder, Takumi leaned forward, licking the icing from Leo’s lips. Why did he do that?!
This time, Leo did almost choke, his face red as he turned and quickly finished chewing the last bite. All that yelling in Takumi’s own head felt like a roar now- gods he was too impulsive-
“What was that supposed to be? A kiss?” Leo’s face was probably as red as Takumi’s by this point.
“I- I don’t know, I was just going to get the icing off and then I-
“Licked me?” Leo wiped at the corners of his mouth with his thumb, cleaning off any remaining icing and wiping his hand on a napkin.
“I didn’t lick you! I’m not a dog!”
“If you wanted to kiss me, all you needed to do was ask,” Leo said, finally looking back at Takumi. “Maybe we should have taken this back to the tent. You could kiss me there all you want-”
“You’re going to give me a heart attack,” Takumi set the spoon back onto the plate with a groan, “it’s a miracle I didn’t actually kill you.”
“I didn’t expect you to make it past two bites,” Leo teased, “if anything, I think you may have enjoyed yourself, Takumi~”
“I think it’s time to stop talking,” Takumi muttered, turning away from Leo. He felt a hand rest on his thigh, Leo leaning in as if to tell a secret.
“Does that mean you’d like to go back to your tent? I wouldn’t mind another kiss or two tonight~”
Takumi grabbed Leo’s shirt, pressing their lips together in a rough kiss before he leaned back. His face was set, even if it felt as if it was burning.
“Does that answer your question?”
“Do you think this is like sex for them?” Niles asked, peering in from outside of the mess hall. He was rewarded by a punch in the side from Oboro.
“Can you stop ogling at them all the time? You’re being such a creep. Though I should expect as much from you,” Oboro may have responded, but when Niles looked over, she was just intently watching their master’s little display of sexual frustration.
“We wouldn’t need to ‘ogle’ them if they’d just get a room,” Niles sighed, casually leaning into Oboro himself, “which reminds me, I was able to set aside some time in the bath house, just the two of us~”
“Gross, get your mind out of the gutter,” Oboro stopped her staring, looking back at Niles with a scowl. Another beat passed and she let out a short sigh, “okay… when?”
“Twenty minutes, give or take,” Niles hummed, “or we could go now, if you’re done watching~” His response wasn’t given in words but of Oboro shoving him off of her before she turned on her heel, intently marching away from the mess hall and toward the bathhouse. Niles smiled, turning himself to follow.