Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Griffith had never found himself fascinated with anyone before. He knew what it felt like to be at the end of someone else’s yearning, but he never felt a strong urge for anyone else. He was a second year in college, and still lacked any romantic feelings for anyone. He almost saw himself as too good for simple minded people. He spent hours every day planning ahead in life, knowing exactly where he wanted to go, and only bothering being around those who could potentially lift him up socially. He had gone to dances with rich, high profile girls, however lacking interest. He slept with men who had offered to pay his entire college tuition, and never enjoyed it.

He didn’t care about how he felt, as long as he was ten steps ahead of everyone else. Now, he was an English major, spending seventy-percent of his time reading as many books as possible, twenty-percent on his hobbies, and the other ten percent studying and working on homework in the library. When he was in the library, he felt truest to himself. The smell of used books, and the calm energy radiating from the entire building. He tended to spend nights there studying, as to avoid the possibility of loudness, and interruption from other, dumber students. He found that any time after 4 o’clock was the sweet spot, and Griffith would spend about 5 hours there just studying, even if it wasn’t for a class, he was always learning.

When he was a freshman, he would go during his break period, and constantly be bothered. Sweaty people are always sitting next to him, both women and men hitting on him. He couldn’t imagine taking time out of someone else’s day just to bother them with meaningless conversation. He always was polite, and would sit and listen. In the back of his mind it was nothing less than bothersome. He noticed every mistake in their speech, the way their hair would twist and curl from sweat. He noticed every pimple, and every scar. He noticed their fidgeting hands, and cracky voice. It was overwhelming how so many sweaty men would bother him, thinking he was a woman. He would sit, and smile at them, nodding along to any poor attempts at making an interesting conversation. The minute he spoke, he would watch as they flushed, and were taken aback by the fact that Griffith was a man. Most of the time, they would just politely say their goodbyes and walk away. However, some men had some choice words to call Griffith, even when they approached him in the first place. After a man threatened Griffith with violence, he decided to avoid the controversy and find a new time to go to the library.

That's where he is now, sitting and attempting to take notes on ‘Moby Dick’. He read this book in junior high, however his English college course required a 10 page essay on the students interpretation of the meaning, and what it meant to them. Usually, this would be the easiest thing in the world, and would take Griffith less than two hours to finish.

Tonight, however, his thinking is interrupted by the sounds of “music”. Unfortunately for Griffith, the library had a music room. He usually wouldn’t mind, but instead of a comforting piano, or a cello, it is a loud bass, mixed with drums and vocals that are nothing less than pure angered screaming. Griffith tries to keep to himself, and not to create any bad blood with the imbeciles on the campus; But his blood was burning. This was his time, and it was around 8 o’clock at this point. What crazy people could possibly be practicing this obscene music at this hour? He couldn’t take it, he had to confront them and ask them to be considerate of the others (that being himself). He stood up, straightening his button-up, and brushing out the strands of his long, cotton-white hair. He slowly approached the door, taking note that the band was no longer playing, and getting ready to take advantage of that for his confrontation. He peered through the window, trying to make out those that he’d be confronting. His eyes traced the room, before landing on a big figure in front of him. His eyes followed the man's anatomy, following the way his thighs flexed in his tight denim jeans, the lack of a shirt, the strong sweaty pecks, and best of all.. His face. His face was sculpted, his eyebrows were extreme, and his hair short and spikey. He couldn’t help but lick his lips at the sweat dripping off the man's chin, admiring him while he chugged a bottle of water. Who was he, and how had Griffith never noticed him? He decided, he no longer felt confrontational, he wanted to see this man in action..

Chapter Text

Guts had never been the type of guy to be open about what he enjoys. Beyond going to the gym, and eating enough protein, Guts absolutely loved to sing. He was always an angry child, often being ignored by his adoptive father after his mother had passed away. He was only ever taught that he needed to be strong, even after what happened to him, Guts never forgot that sentiment. After he separated from his adoptive father, Guts began studying, he wanted to get into a good college, and meet a nice girl; He was hoping that he could forget about everything that had happened to him.

As Guts went through high school, he picked up on how to play the guitar, as he was too embarrassed to sing. He enjoyed it, the vibration from the strings, the emotion that music made him feel.. All of it felt good to him. He struggled, however, being dyslexic and half-blind really lacked any perks. He didn’t mind, he thought he just had to keep pushing himself to be on the same level as everyone else. English was never his specialty, but he always loved health classes, and of course, he loved gym class as well. After graduating high-school, Guts had received a few scholarships, and made it into a school with a great physical education program. He knew he would struggle, but luckily as he grew up the world became a little more kind, and there was a lot more aid to those with disabilities. Although Guts never liked to ask for help, he frequented sections in the library where they had books that were dyslexia friendly.

He joined a music club, hoping to find some people that would be just as obsessed with making music as he was. As soon as Guts walked in, his eyes met with a dark-skinned woman, she had short black-brown hair, and was tuning her bass. He found her gorgeous, and found her bass even cooler. Right next to her, was a blonde boy, his hair was in a ponytail and he was carving what looked to be drumsticks. Guts was impressed by this, and awkwardly sat next to them, listening into their conversations. Casca was the girl's name, and Judeau was the blonde boy's name; They were arguing who was worse at singing.

“My issue is, my voice is too pretty. When I sing it makes people think they’re hearing some beautiful funeral music, that's not the type of voice for a rock band Judeau..” The bass-playing girl explained, her tone stern yet kind; She was clearly the leader.

“Yeah but girl singers are so cool.. I mean listen to Evanesence.. She is absolutely fantastic in that band..” The blonde boy seemed to zone out, thinking about the band. Guts’s ears perked up, as he knew and really enjoyed the album Fallen by the band. Was this his time?

“Amy Lee is great.. That's her name right?” Guts cuts in, slightly embarrassed but hoping that his question wouldn’t fall flat. Casca and Judeau both look at guts, they both admired his build, and the way that tight t-shirt fit his body..

“Oh uh.. Yeah! Amy Lee is totally awesome Casca..” He smiled, motioning for Guts to sit closer.

“I know she's awesome, but I do not sound anything like her.. I sound like a 12 year old boy who is forced to take choir classes..” Casca rolls her eyes, before staring directly as Guts. Guts blushes, admiring her dark black eyes.

“So big dude, what's your name?” Casca smiles, clearly looking the man up and down.

“Oh uh.. Guts, that's my name. You’re Casca, and you’re Judeau..” He looks away shyly, and the two smile. This was just the beginning of what was now a band, Guts was the lead singer/Guitarist, Casca was the bass player, and Judeau was on drums. Guts could’ve never imagined a cooler group of people to start a band with.

Now they’re practicing almost every night, and in the middle of writing their first song together. After a long session of singing and working hard to have their playing be on the same wavelength, they decided to take a break. Guts grabs his water bottle, taking a big gulp. Casca and Judeau were going over the song, discussing if they should switch around some things. Guts zones out here, he is best when he does what he is told.

As he's drinking, he feels a pair of eyes on him, it makes him a little nervous. He peers over, seeing blue-eyes looking through the tiny window in the door. He couldn’t quite tell if they were a boy or a girl. Guts decided that the best course of action is to ask if they need anything, they were staring so intensely that he had thought they might be angry. He starts towards the door, the person then pulling away, revealing their long white hair. Guts opens the door, leaning in the doorway. The white-haired person was slim, wearing a button down shirt with slacks; very overdressed in Guts’s opinion.

“Do ya need somethin’?” Guts stares intently, trying to avoid their strong blue eyes. He still was trying to figure out if they were a boy or a girl.. Or some weird third thing.

“Oh, forgive me for interrupting. I was just studying and heard.. Your music. Your voice is quite strong, as I can tell you are. Are you a band?” Griffith was more interested in the man himself than whatever the band had going on, but he wanted to keep talking. The man's deep voice made Griffith's heart bounce. The way he spoke was so aggressively masculine, especially compared to Griffith's androgynous tone. Guts takes note that he sounds like a man, and how the way he speaks reminds him of a British person faking an American accent, far too fancy for a young adult in the modern day.

“Nah, we're taking a break. Yeah we are a band, do you need somethin’ man?” He snarls, a little annoyed at how posh this man sounds, and it doesn’t help that Guts had to miss going to the gym today.

“Ah, no, no, my apologies. I was just interested. I suppose I'll see you around, yes?” Griffith smiled, this is the first time Griffith wanted to continue talking with someone, and the man's dominance even around Griffith made Griffith excited. He began to turn, he had something.. Someone else to pursue other than his future.

“Yeah man, whatever..” Guts slams the door, going back to Casca and Judeau. Casca explains that they should wrap up, she has a test in her criminology class, and Judeau had to finish up a painting that he was working on. Guts couldn’t get that white-haired man off his mind, the way he spoke so confidently was infuriating. The way he smiled at Guts made him feel small, even if he towered over the man. He really hoped that they would never have to interact again, people like that pissed Guts off.

Chapter Text

Guts said his goodbyes, walking Casca to her dorm. He usually did this, not because he felt she needed protection, but he just enjoyed talking to her. She was brilliant, and quick-whitted. You could get lost in her black eyes, and she always spoke with such strength. He truly did admire her for everything she did, he loved hearing her stories of beating people up for being rude, and listening to her rant about her teachers. Once he left her dorm, he decided that he would go straight to his place instead of the foodhall. He wanted to shower, and he really wasn’t that hungry late at night.

He still couldn’t get that man off his mind, his smirk, his annoyingly white hair, and the way that he was so pretty that he could pass off as a girl. He sighed, he knew that the person made sense, he was pretty, posh, and obnoxiously smart. He rubbed his eyes before slowly stripping off his tight black t-shirt, and his blue jeans. He began washing his face, following some routine casca recommended to him. It had been almost three months since school had started, and he finally felt a little more settled in.

The shower felt nice, it always does. This is Guts’s safe place, the hot water washes away the day, and any stress he feels is usually gone with it. However, today his shower wasn’t as peaceful. He couldn’t get the white haired boy off of his mind. He didn’t even get his name, and yet he can’t get that face out of his head. He probably had a pretty name, and he probably took hours in the shower, there is no way his hair would be that perfect without it. His body must be so small, and so pale when he's not wearing his fancy clothes. He wondered if the man liked working out, if he just looked small. He wondered what he smelt like up close, and bet that he wore women's perfume because it was more sophisticated.

Wait, why did he care? He never wanted to see this man again, he clearly saw himself as better than Guts, and he hated that. His face was good looking for sure, but that doesn’t change that he is probably a huge asshole. Guts finished his shower, stepping out and wrapping the too small towel around his waist. He was exhausted, and he didn’t want to think about that boy ever again. He laid down on his bed, grabbing his stuffed dog, the one he's cuddled with since childhood; He fell asleep almost immediately.

Griffith was feeling a little nervous after the encounter. He had never been around someone who made him feel so…hot and bothered. He quickly walked to his dorm, his thoughts were filled with nothing but the large man he saw. He thought about the man's thighs, the way his spiked hair perfectly fit his personality, his chest being larger than most women Griffith knew, it was all so much.

Griffith had never felt like this before, he needed to know more about this mysterious man. Once he got home, he began his typical shower routine. Griffith liked to be clean, he had the best skincare, the best toothbrush, and he always made sure his body was fully shaved. Once he got in the shower, his mind began to wander again. He needed that man, he knew it. He knew that this was the once person in his life that he needed to be constant. He imagined how rough his hands would be against Griffith's small, thin hands. He wondered what his lips tasted like. He knew he didn’t want this man as just a friend, he wanted to take him for all he was worth.

After a while, he realized he had been in the shower longer than thirty minutes. His face was bright red, he was breathing heavily, he was so… imperfect. This man made him feel so human, and he couldn’t tell if he loved it or hated it. He quickly finished his routine, before wrapping himself in his silk pajamas and reading until he fell asleep.

Guts was sweating in the library, a little panicked as he realized there was no dyslexic friendly copies of the book he needed. This was a worse case scenario for him; He even asked the librarians, he looked up and down the shelves and there was nothing. He could read the book without the assistance of a dyslexia friendly font, but it would take forever. He needed to finish this book within two weeks. The book didn’t even sound that interesting to him. Some book called “Moby Dick.” The name itself sounded like a sick innuendo, but he needed this class to graduate. The librarian was trying to be helpful, but just ended up giving him a normal copy of it anyways. He had no choice..

He sat in one of the uncomfortable library chairs, it was made out of wood and nothing else. He felt tears form as he got more frustrated, he kept having to reread pages, and the wording wasn’t helping at all. He tapped his foot, really trying to at least get through the first chapter. He felt so stupid, something so simple just didn’t work in his brain. That's when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder.

His immediate instinct was to turn around, and punch whoever it was. He hated when people touched him, but once he turned around he realized he recognized the face. It was that pretty boy from yesterday. God damn, this could not get any worse..

“Remember me?” The white haired boy giggled, smiling softly. Guts wasn’t having any of it. He was already frustrated, now this obnoxious scholar was going to be up his ass.

“Yeah, do you need something? I’m in the middle of somethin’ can’t ya see that?” He growled, wanting to get the man away as soon as possible.

“I’ve just been…around, watching you for a few minutes. Do you need any help?” He smiled, pulling out one of the chairs at the table and sitting down.

“The hell you watchin’ me for, go fuck off to some other area. I don’t need your help..” He felt the anger rising, he just wanted to rip their guy to shreds, he would probably fall apart easily..

“I mean no insult, no need for aggression. I have quite a bit of experience with that book, I could be of great assistance!” He smiled, slowly grabbing the copy of Moby Dick from the tall man's grasp.

“I don’t believe you, I don’t even know your name, what do you really want, man?” He rolled his eyes, but found it hard to not allow the man to take the book from his grasp. He really did need the help..

“Griffith is my name, and yours, I presume is Guts, yes?” He points at the student ID Guts was using as a bookmark. “What are you struggling with?” He continued his soft smile, this was his moment to get to know this Guts..

“Great, you can read… already ten steps ahead of me. I..” Guts looks away, trying to hide his embarrassment. Usually, he would turn down the help almost immediately, but Griffith had this allure to him that Guts couldn’t deny. He wanted to believe that Griffith's intentions were nothing but pure. “They didn’t have any copies of them… the dyslexic font books left for this book I need to read… I'm struggling to even make it through a chapter..” His face grew red, then he felt soft hands grab his.

“That's a failure on the school's end, not yours. No need for you to be embarrassed. Why don’t I read it to you? Would that help? I won’t interfere with your work, just think of me as your personal audiobook, although I may give some commentary along the way..” He couldn’t help but note how big Guts’s hands were, and how badly he wanted to intertwine their fingers. He loved seeing Guts flushed, such a strong man, yet he has such a soft side..

“I…I mean sure, if you have the time, that would probably be best.” Guts really didn’t have many other options, plus, Griffith may be able to help him if he misunderstands something important. He couldn’t help it, the way Griffith touched him made him feel safe, and the way he smelt felt almost nostalgic to Guts.

Griffith let go of the man's hands, and clasped them together. “Lovely! Truly lovely, Guts, we shall make it through this together. Unfortunately, I must leave now, but here is my phone number..” Griffith pulls a pre-written note out of his pockets, Guts takes note that he just has his phone number ready to hand out; He chooses to ignore it for now. “This is delightful, but I must head to the fencing club, but please send me a text and we can set up a time and date!” He smiles as he quickly walks off, his strides matching his personality perfectly. Guts can't help but admire his body, slim, yet mature. He felt kind of.. happy that someone so smart took interest in helping him. He couldn’t help but retrace the conversation, trying to figure out the meaning behind each word. The way Griffith spoke felt so intentional, and planned; He couldn’t help but admire him.

Chapter Text

Even in class, Guts couldn’t stop thinking about Griffith. He thumbed the small, lined paper in his hands, pondering what it all meant. What did Griffith intend when he gave this to Guts? The only time Guts had ever gotten a paper-written number was from girls who took an interest in him; Just because Griffith was feminine didn’t have to mean he was gay. That must be it, Guts’s confusion was because of how Griffith looked. Surely, Griffith is just a nice guy who wants to help another student out.

As Guts continued to stare at the tiny paper, he felt hands grab his shoulders. He then heard a loud, “Hey!” He immediately recognized the voice, it was his bandmate Casca. He didn’t flinch, as he recognized her coconut vanilla perfume from a mile away. As he tried to tuck away the note, she grabbed it.

“Wow Guts, you already collected some girls' numbers? Who's the lucky girl..” She took a second to read over the cursive writing. “No way, Griffith? He's that posh guy in my writing class, he's a cutie… but Guts I didn’t know you swung that way?” She smiled, handing back the note. Guts snarled a bit at the comment, he knew she was a lesbian, as she had come out to him awhile ago; Wouldn’t Guts have come out at the same time if he was?

“I’m not, he’s more like a tutor, I guess…” He felt his face get red, and he didn’t know why. “Anyway, he gave me his number to help me with my English class, that's all it is. I don’t even think Griffith swings that way anyways.” He didn’t get why he felt saddened to say that, he never had been attracted to men before. Griffith is just a pretty, woman-like guy is all, that's why Guts feels this way.

“I mean… I don’t think it's impossible. Listen, I don’t care for rumors, but people have said that he slept around with a lot of dudes in High School.” She sounds a lot more serious in her tone, like she was trying to prove something to Guts. It’s not like he cared anyways, Griffith was just a tutor, that’s all it’ll ever be.

Class was finally over, Guts sighed as he put his completely blank notebook in his backpack. Of course, he was too focused on Griffiths phone number to take any notes. He would have to try to borrow his classmate Serpico's notes. He was a reliable guy, always seemed smart and had helped Guts with notes when he missed some days in class.

Once Guts got back to his dorm, he pulled out his phone, considering whether or not he should text Griffith. He didn’t know why he was so nervous, so he shook it off, quickly typing in Griffith's number and sending a quick “Hey, It's Guts.”

He impatiently waited for any response, tapping his foot anxiously. Almost exactly a minute after Guts sent his first text, Griffith had responded.

Griffith: Well Hello, Guts. I am happy to see that you texted. I am very thrilled that you reached out, and I can’t wait to start studying together. Would you like to meet tomorrow at the Library? Any time after 4 o’clock works for me.

Guts was impressed at how fast Griffith responded, and with such a detailed text; It almost felt like he had prepared it beforehand. He sat for around five minutes, trying to decide what to say. He was free, but he was nervous. He wanted to sound just as well-put together as Griffith. After drafting multiple texts, he finally settled on one.

Guts<3: Yeah, sounds good. Let's meet at 4:30.

Griffith was anxiously awaiting the text, he had pre-written his text as soon as Guts accepted his offer. He reread his own text multiple times over as he awaited a response. He wondered if he had come off too strong. He was going to miss his chess tournament tomorrow, but he truly didn’t mind much, as long as he got to see Guts up-close and personal.

As soon as his phone lit up, he smiled, more than he ever had for a text. He read it quickly, and let out a soft, relieved chuckle. The text was so straight-forward, and yet he felt like he could see Guts typing it out. He laid down onto his silk sheets, his long white hair spreading across the pillow. He had never been this excited to tutor someone, but who could blame him?

He stared at the photo he had snuck of Guts earlier, while watching him eat lunch with the black haired girl, and the blonde pony-tailed boy. He felt a slight bit of jealousy, before eavesdropping on her and her “friend” talking. She liked girls, so she wouldn’t be a problem. He felt like his plan was going perfectly, after he found out Guts was dyslexic, through a mutual teacher they shared, he knew he just had to wait. He needed him to struggle, so that Griffith could swoop in and be his saving-grace. Luckily, the school's lack of disability aids was just perfect for his plan. He fell asleep with his phone still on the picture of the tall man, imagining that they were in bed together.

Chapter Text

Guts was a nervous wreck. He woke up, and immediately went to the gym. He felt his anxiety flaring a bit, and needed to get the stress out of his system. After about an hour, Guts went home and took a shower before heading to his first class. Part of him had the urge to text Griffith, to ask him how he was, and it was pissing him off. Why did he want to talk to Griffith so bad? Just two days ago he wanted the man's head on a platter, now he wants to see how his face lights up when he laughs.

He wanted to know more, all he knew was that Griffith was smart, and maybe had slept with a few men. He didn’t care about that last part, Guts never cared about that stuff. He had always been supportive as he had never seen anything wrong with it, he just wanted people to live their true lives. He just couldn’t stop thinking about it, why did he feel happy when he heard Griffith slept with men? Flashes of the white-haired boy's face appeared in Guts’s mind, and he felt himself getting warmer.

Then his teacher dismissed the class, fuck, he forgot to take notes again. His head was spinning, and Griffith was the cause. He just wanted to go grab lunch, and to try to forget about Griffith for a little while. As he walked out of his classroom, he saw the familiar white hair and blue eyes. Of course, Griffith was right there, talking to some larger football player. Guts found himself stuck, he wanted to know what was happening, so he trailed on a little bit longer. He followed the two, close enough to where he could hear them, but far enough that hopefully Griffith wouldn’t notice.

“Ha, I see. Well I think your idea is good… however it might be easier with your schedule if I just took charge of most of it.” Griffith had a soft smile on his face, but it was slightly different to the one that he would give to Guts. He was trying to understand the context. Was Griffith trying to take an entire project on his own? Of course Griffith would do that.

“Sounds suspicious, sure you ain’t gonna ask me for any weird ass favors?” The larger man growled. Guts straightened his back, readying himself up to pounce. He felt a little jealous, he didn’t get why, he didn’t care if Griffith did want to sleep with this guy.

“Oh my, don’t suggest such things. I have standards, and fortunately you don’t fit in there.” Griffith flipped his white curls, flaunting his confidence. The man looked angry, however. Why would this idiot think that Griffith would like him? He’s a mediocre looking football bro, whose build isn't even good. He probably just sits on the bench all game anyways.

“You fucking bitch! You think you can talk to me like that? I know what you are, and I know exactly what you do for your grades… fuckin queer!” The man grabs Griffith, shoving him against the wall. The crowd stops, and starts backing away from the chaos. Guts, however, begins to walk forward. The man lifts his fist, attempting a swing, before Griffith catches his hand. He swiftly lifts up his knee, hitting the guy right where it hurts. Guts backs off, watching the pathetic puddle of a man wince and fall to the ground. Fuckin’ awesome.

“I said fortunately…” Griffith giggled, his eyes finally meeting with Guts’s. His face becomes more serious, he wipes his shirt and smiles at Guts. A real smile this time. “Hi Guts, sorry you had to see that.” Guts is still stunned, amazed at how quickly Griffith brought himself together. He was a really cool person, even cooler than Guts thought he was…

“You kick ass, you know that?” Guts chuckles softly, he thought he would have to step in, but just like Casca, Griffith can hold his own. Guts really needed to stop underestimating people. “I don’t like to, it makes quite the fuss…plus he is my partner for a project, so this makes things complicated…” Griffith actually looked annoyed, not at Guts, but frustrated that this situation happened; Which made sense. “It would be much better if you were to jump in, could’ve been my knight.” He smiled at him, his eyes were intensely locked on Guts. He felt himself grow red at the thought of being Griffith’s protector. It felt so weird, he wanted Griffith to think he was cool.

“If I had, he probably wouldn’t be able to walk again, can’t believe people think it's okay to be so aggressive towards someone smaller than them..” Guts growled under his breath, then, Griffith started laughing. His laugh was loud, but quiet enough to where he still seemed proper. His smile was so warm, Guts felt his cooled heart warming. He really was beautiful, for a guy.

“Why don’t you come eat lunch with me today, Guts?” His hand softly rested on Guts’s. His hand was soft, especially in comparison to his own. He felt frozen, like he wanted to be in this moment forever; Hell, He wanted to be even closer. He quickly snapped out of it, Griffith’s feminine charm was making Guts feel all twisted inside. He shook Griffith’s hand off, before clearing his throat.

“Sorry, I told my friends that we could go to the practice room during our breaks. I’ll see you later, though.” Griffith frowned slightly, disappointed at the rejection. He had never been rejected before, and it made him irritated. He couldn’t let it show, however, so he quickly smiled.

“Ah, I see. That is fine, I will see you later, Guts.” Griffith turned, trying to hide his embarrassment. Not only did Guts pull away from his touch, but outright denied him. Was this going to work out at all?

Chapter Text

Guts was completely out of it, he couldn’t focus at all. He could tell that Casca was getting annoyed every time Guts’s voice cracked, or he hit the wrong string on his guitar. Shit, this wasn’t good. Why did Griffith have this effect on him? It was bad for the band, or maybe he was just bad for Guts. Every song Guts tried to sing reminded him of Griffith, and every time he thought about Griffith he froze, stuttered, or even tripped over himself.

“Hey, maybe we need five? I need to refill my water anyways!” Judeau smiled, and Casca scuffed, clearly disappointed. Guts liked that Casca didn’t hide when she was upset with him, Judeau always came at the right time though, right before Casca would get really mad. He liked that about Judeau, he was always aware, and always tried to fix things. Him and Casca had been friends since they were young, and although Judeau had a crush on Casca, he never did anything about it. He liked the idea of having a crush, more than pursuing her. He also respected her identity, and has never even thought to make a move. It may sound lame, but Guts found it quite manly. Casca shuffled to a corner, immediately going on her phone, probably to text her girlfriend. She began shoving a granola bar that Judeau gave her in her mouth.

“Come with me Guts, I think Casca needs some space.” His smile was always so nice, it was warm and brought Guts a lot of comfort. He knew that Judeau was gonna ask him about what was going on though. Guts followed Judeau out to the water fountain, tapping his foot while watching the water bottle fill up. “So, who's the lucky girl? I’m shocked that someone got the Guts to mess up an Evanescence song…” Guts blushed, wondering why they always assumed he liked someone, he didn’t. Griffith was just pretty. He was really pretty.

“Nah, no girl…There is just this guy, he’s helping me with a project…” He mumbled, Judeau’s eyes widening as the water over-filled in his bottle. “Ah, so your first boy crush? That's alright too, I’m glad you found someone!” Judeau was almost embarrassed at his ignorance, he really shouldn’t just assume Guts is straight because he’s a gym maniac, and looks super masculine; That was a bad assumption on his part.

“Crush?! That's not… I don’t know. It's not like that, he's just all I can think about, he's just special. I look up to him, I don’t think of him like that…” It’s definitely a crush, Judeau knows that. He’s not the type to push someone until they realize it, however. He supported Casca when she started realizing that she liked girls. Guts just needs time to figure it out for himself. He put his arm on Guts’s shoulder, time for some tough love.

“Casca is gonna start yellin’ at you if you don’t get it together man, let's just wrap up practice for now. Seriously though, you need to be focused next time, I can’t save ya from her all the time.” Guts appreciated Judeau's efforts, he just nodded and they walked back. After giving Casca the news, she rolled her eyes and gave Guts the same talk. He knew he needed to get it together before next practice. Now, however, he needed to go get ready to meet with Griffith.

He hit the gym, went to the foodhall, and showered. He was nervous, but he had to stay in his routine. He got ready earlier than he had planned, so he decided he would head to the library early to get some extra homework in.

Griffith was irritated, but luckily after lunch he had his fencing club. He loved this club because he was the best, and it was rough enough to where he could let out his frustrations. The only two who were compared to him were Farnese and Serpico. Farnese was clever, quick and strong. She was quite strict with the rules however, and that frustrated Griffith. She was such a stickler for the rules, so Griffith couldn’t do any of his fun tricks. Serpico was quiet, and he never did any fencing. He was really only there to watch Farnese. Griffith found out that they were half-siblings that were raised together their whole lives. He found it fascinating how much Serpico admired Farnese. He also knew that Farnese was very very close with Casca. He tried talking to Serpico a few times, he was kind, and mostly just listened, which Griffith hated. Him and Farnese never got along, so Griffith enjoyed fighting her.

He felt off today, though. Usually he looked forward to engaging in combat, but today he couldn’t stop thinking about Guts. Half of him was just excited that Guts was going to meet with him, but the other half was beginning to realize that Guts might not even like guys, let alone Griffith. Today was the worst, and now he had to go against Farnese again.

He began like he always did, on a faux defensive. Farnese knew this pattern by now, but today instead of preparing for Griffith’s attacks, she went on the offensive. Griffith was taken aback slightly, and began changing his footwork to avoid her attacks. However, he tripped over himself. Griffith, fell over his own foot, the Griffith that usually ran every single match just lost. As his head hit the floor, he just wanted to disappear. How could his mind become so cloudy? How does one man have such an intense effect on him? He turned over, tears almost brimming his eyes.

“Griffith! What happened?” Farnese outstretched her hand, her face filled with concern. Pity, Griffith fucking hated pity. He pushed up on his own, mentally shaking off his frustrations. A faux smile spread across his face. “I am alright, I must go, but good work Farnese.” The whole club was staring at him, their leader had fallen, even Serpico had a concerned look on his face. He wanted to cry, but he couldn’t show weakness. He just needed to go. He sped out of the clubroom, proceeding directly to his dorm. He tried to ignore what had happened, preparing to go meet with Guts. He let the hot water wash away all his failures. He wanted to see Guts, he wanted to feel relief.

As he finished drying his hair, he started ironing his clothes. He had to look perfect, he could always control what he looked like. He put on his black slacks, and his ruffled white button top. He slid on his black shoes, heading towards the library. He wanted to be there early, he wanted to be able to prepare to be the best version of himself for Guts.

He entered the library, his purse in hand. His eyes traveled across the library, wanting to make sure no one he knew well was around. He was nervous, which he rarely was. Guts had this effect on him, and what do you know…

The black-haired man sat at the table, looking down at his notebook. Fuck, he was perfect, he was effortlessly perfect. Guts looked up, giving Griffith a small wave, and a soft-ish smile. Griffith held himself together, but inside he wanted to pounce on the man. He was so effortlessly handsome and so adorable. Griffith quickly walked to the table Guts was sitting at.

“Well hello, Guts. I didn’t expect you to be here so early!” He sat, smiling. Guts had a slight pout on his face as he finished up a question on his homework, so cute…

“Just had time, thanks for this, Griffith. You look really, really nice.” He looked amazing, Griffith always did. His shirt had a slight v-cut, revealing the smaller man's pale chest. He was very happy that Griffith showed up, he wanted to see him again.

Griffith was crossing his legs, trying to avoid showing any signs of excitement. He noticed Guts’s wandering eyes, and it made him extremely excited. He had to stay calm, and keep his persona up. He felt so much better now that Guts was in front of him. This was going to be fun.

Chapter Text

When Griffith sat down, he scooted even closer to guts, their knees gliding against each other. Guts tried to ignore it, but it was hard, and it was hard to avoid staring at Griffith the entire time. For a few seconds, Guts completely blanked and just stared in Griffiths’ direction.

“Well Guts, would you like to pull out the book?” Griffith intervened with the staring, internally giggling over how distracted Guts seemed at his appearance. “Oh…yeah! My bad… uh…” Guts flushed almost immediately, he felt so silly. He quickly grabbed the giant book out of his bag, alongside a rubric that Guts had taken the liberty of printing out beforehand. He flattened the folded paper, and shimmied the book over to Griffith. Griffith grabbed the book, smiling the entire time. Guts couldn’t tell whether to be irritated or flustered, and he couldn’t tell if Griffith was being nice or condescending. Was Guts embarrassing himself?

“Okay, perfect! Why don’t we try reading it together? I can read it aloud, and you can try to read along with me, it might help declutter some words.” Griffith was so smart, he could definitely be a teacher one day. Guts nodded, before snapping back and realizing that it would be quite difficult to hold the book between the two of them. “What about the book? I don’t think they have any more copi-” Griffith interrupted, shaking his finger in Guts’s face. “Silly boy, why don’t we just share yours? We can each hold one side!” His thin fingers slowly cracked open the book, flipping through the preface of the book. Guts was a little stunned, but scooted next to Griffith, he was trying to avoid touching shoulders.

“Don’t be afraid, Guts, scoot closer…I don’t bite!” Griffith let out a soft, short laugh. Guts blushed again, muttering an okay… under his breath. He felt his arm press against Griffith’s lace sleeve. It felt like something that was too perfect to touch Guts, or maybe that's just how Griffith made him feel. He could smell the floral perfume that Griffith was wearing. It was mature, but also had a sugary youthful smell. Of course Griffith would smell good; It made Guts feel embarrassed at his overly masculine cologne. The mix of the two scents truly showed how different him and Griffith were. At that moment, however, Guts was just happy to be near him.

Griffith began reading, Guts following along. Guts was nervous at first, worried that he would get lost in the passage, worried that even with Griffith saying the words he would still misunderstand, but he was wrong. Griffith’s soft, yet clear voice made it so much easier to understand. Griffith would stop whenever Guts seemed confused at a word, not teasing, but clearly explaining what it meant, and what it implied within the context. When the two boys were rounding the end of the first chapter, a group of loud soon-to-be freshmen bursted into the library doors. Of course, their time was interrupted.

“Oh, I guess the tours for spring semester are today… that is quite inconvenient.” Guts could tell that Griffith was annoyed, even if he was trying to hide it. He felt like he understood Griffith quite well. “Oh shit, I’m sorry. I should’ve double checked dates or somethin’.” Guts sighed, feeling frustrated with himself. Griffith sat with no response, only then to turn to Guts and ask…

“Why don’t we take this to your place?” The question echoed in Guts’s mind, he couldn’t understand what Griffith meant. His place? Griffith wanted to be in Guts’s room? It isn’t that crazy of an ask, but with how close they were already, Guts couldn’t help but feel much more shy. “Oh sorry, I don’t want to intrude! Just thought it might be best to move our activities somewhere else.” Griffith smiled again, that damn smile… he sat dumbstruck, before shaking it off. “I mean, y-yeah that's fine…are you sure you’d want to come over?” Guts knew his room was clean, but he was worried it wasn’t cool enough to grab Griffith’s attention. He didn’t understand why he felt so worried, but he really wanted to impress him.

“I see no problem at all, Guts. Plus, I’d love to see what your room looks like. I think it would tell me a lot about you.” Griffith was excited, he knew that they would have to move studying somewhere else, as he planned the study date on the same day as the campus tours. He blurted out the idea of going to Guts’s room, but it worked out in the end. He hoped that this would be his time to get up close and personal with Guts. Guts began packing his things, and Griffith followed. Guts didn’t say a word until they had gotten to the dorm, he quickly turned to face Griffith at the door. “Just, give me a minute to make sure it is clean, okay?” “Yes Guts, I am sure it looks fine- but I appreciate your ambition.”

Guts ran inside, quickly organizing his desk, throwing a pair of dirty underwear into his hamper, and shoving his stuffed animal under his pillow. Perfect, thankfully he cleaned his room every Sunday, and he wasn’t a messy person anyways. He opened his door, backing up and allowing Griffith to come inside. “Wow, this is quite nice! Simple, but it fits you.” Guts didn’t know if he should be insulted or not, but he chose to not be. Guts then realized that he didn’t have another chair in his room. “Damn, I don’t have an extra chair for my desk, I-I’m sorry.” Guts racked his brain of possible things to do, and was worried that their study time would have to end shortly. He turned around to see Griffith sat on the bed, the red comforter contrasting his black slacks and white socks. Guts liked this view. What?

“Why not the bed? It has plenty of space, even for such a big man like you.” Griffith tapped the space next to him. Guts was flustered again, he felt like he was going to puke…out of excitement? He didn’t understand why Griffith made him feel this way at all. “Yeah, yeah that makes sense.” Guts took off his vans, and sat next to Griffith. Griffith scooted close, and they resumed the position they were in before. It felt much more intimate, instead of the hard wood chairs, it was Guts’s bed. He liked Griffiths' warmth next to him, but maybe he was just touch starved. He felt every time Griffith shifted to move a page, every time Griffith spoke his voice vibrated through his body. His breath was warm, and tickling Guts’s chin. Guts had completely lost focus at this point, and of course Griffith noticed.

“Is there something bothering you, Guts?” Griffith turned to make eye contact, leaving his hand behind Guts’s back. When he saw Guts’s face, it was flushed, which made his darker skin look quite red. He was sweating, and was also struggling in another area. He couldn’t believe how easy Guts was to toy with. He couldn’t say he wasn’t also excited to be this close, he was just much better at hiding. Guts didn’t respond, all he could do was breath. Griffith felt his warm breaths press against his lips, their faces inches apart. Guts couldn’t believe he was so hot and bothered over this. Was it just because someone was so kind and close to him? Especially when it was someone this beautiful. He wanted to know what Griffith was feeling, he wanted to make Griffith feel the same way that he did. He didn’t understand what this meant, or maybe he was just scared to admit it.

“Guts, are you feeling okay?” Griffiths soft hand pressed against Guts’s cheek, pretending to check his temperature. He knew what was wrong, and that made him want to tease him even more. Guts nuzzled against Griffiths hand, staring into Griffiths eyes longingly. Was this it? Was it this easy for Guts to fall for him? Griffith let out a soft smile, before leaning in slowly. Yes, this was it.

“Uh, would you look at the time? It’s almost curfew?” Guts jumped, seemingly gaining back his sanity. What was that? He had pulled away from Griffith, getting off the bed and putting the book on his desk. Griffith was stunned, what just happened? Griffith sat up, hoping that he didn’t just make a huge mistake. “Ah, well I hope we can meet again nonetheless. Sorry we got so off track!” Griffith tried to not let his frustrations shine through, but he was so close to getting what he wanted.

“Uhm, would you like me to walk you to your dorm?” Guts asked, even through the clear embarrassment. “No, I can handle myself, Thank you.” Griffith turned to leave, before he could however, Guts yelled something at him.

“Just text me what time works best, okay? I still want your help.” Griffith smiled, somehow, Guts knew exactly what he wanted to hear. It wasn’t over yet.

Chapter Text

What the hell even happened? Did Guts do the wrong thing? He felt so conflicted, and a little sick. He must’ve been stressed, or maybe he has a cold. He had never felt so hot and bothered over someone. He was embarrassed, frustrated, and a little scared. He laid in bed, feeling the warmth where Griffith once was. He didn’t know what to do, or why he panicked and stopped it. He didn’t think he liked men, but he wasn’t completely sure. He had never tried it, so how could he know? Why was Griffith so frightening at that moment? Why was the idea of being with another man so scary in his eyes? He knew he wanted to kiss Griffith, but he didn’t know what that meant. That was the scariest part to him.

Griffith ran all the way to his dorm, tears brimming his eyes. He felt humiliated. Why did Guts turn him down? Did he find Griffith gross? Was he not into men? That wouldn’t make sense, why else would Guts be so flustered by sitting next to Griffith. Guts didn’t hate him- that much was clear. He was upset, but maybe it was too much too fast. Not everyone was aggressively and obviously gay growing up. Griffith knew that he could be so selfish and self-serving at times. His urges to kiss, and touch Guts were strong, but he had to resist the temptation for Guts’s sake. He wanted Guts to make the move, he wanted to know that Guts wanted him. Once he arrived home, he tied his hair up and laid down. He was exhausted from a full day of performing, but felt just a little more fulfilled.

Guts woke up the next day, still red from the night previous. He wanted to see Griffith again, he knew that he needed to talk to him. Right now however, he needed to get ready for class. Maybe he should talk to Casca? She was gay, and maybe she could help him understand what it all meant. He slid out of bed, immediately hoping into the shower. The water felt so nice, but brought back a similar warmth that Griffith made him feel. He ended up zoning out for 30 minutes, but at this point he had accepted that he was going to be late. Flashes of Griffiths' soft face brewed in Guts’s mind. He knew that this wasn’t something he could ignore forever. He knew that things weren’t as simple as he wanted them to be.

Griffith woke up with a weight off his shoulders. After crying out his frustrations, he decided to look at it from a new perspective. There was progress, and Guts didn’t hate him. He wanted to wait until Guts approached him, he wanted to experience Guts’s yearning firsthand. There was something so beautiful about such a strong, masculine man melting around Griffith. He wanted to see Guts in many different ways, but in all ways he liked the idea of Guts being under his control. He was truly a beautiful man, and after yesterday his flustered face would be forever melted into Griffith’s mind.

Guts ended up skipping his first period, at this point he didn’t care. He needed to find Casca, he needed some confirmation on what he was feeling. He quickly tried to get through the halls, avoiding bumping into the other students. He failed however, bumping into another person. He looked down, only to see the familiar white hair, and small figure. Fuck.

“G-Griffith! Shit, I’m sorry…” He was flustered already, bending down to pick up the books that Griffith had dropped. “Oh it’s no trouble, Guts. I don’t mind bumping into you at all~” He voice was warm, it felt like honey on a sore throat. Guts needed to talk to him. He didn’t say another word, impulsively grabbing Griffith’s arm and running through the halls. Now the people were creating space for him, to avoid being hit by Guts’s strong stature. “Guts? What’s this?” His words seemed panicked, but his voice told the opposite. Guts enjoyed that about Griffith, he was so calm all the time, even when a large man was dragging him along.

Once he reached the outside alley, he looked at Griffith with an intense stare. “What is it, Guts? Did you bring me here to confess?” Griffith let out a warm chuckle, smiling at the large, bright red man. Guts fidgeted, trying to figure out what to say, he probably should’ve thought a little more before yanking Griffith out of the hall. He didn’t want to confess how he felt until he truly understood what it was he was feeling. If he wanted anything with Griffith, he wanted to be confident in it. “No confession, just a loud hallway is all.” He tried to keep his typical persona, stern, and sarcastic. “I wanted to say, why don’t you just come to my dorm for studyin’? I have lots of band practices coming up, so you can just slip in there and we can study when I get back.” What? Why did Guts say that? He probably sounded like a total idiot and Griffith was gonna get turned off, what a dumbass.

“Oh! Well that makes sense, I wouldn’t mind that at all!” Griffith smiled, trying to ignore his heart's rapid beats, and trying to force his face to keep calm. Guts was being so forward, and Griffith liked it. “Oh, g-great. My door will be unlocked, you can come in there and do whatever you want…I can put some snacks in there for you n shit…” He didn’t think Griffith would say yes to his odd ask, he felt like he was asking so much of Griffith, and he couldn’t even be honest about what he really had brought Griffith there for.

“That is so thoughtful, Guts. I should get going, unfortunately. But I will see you tonight?” He put his arm on Guts’s bicep, giving him a friendly smile. “Y-Yep!” He grabbed Griffith’s hand, pulling him forward and giving him a “bro-hug”. Why the fuck did he do that. He quickly ran away from Griffith, only turning back once and seeing his super confused face. What is he supposed to do now?

Chapter Text

Guts couldn’t find Casca anywhere. There hadn’t been any messages in the group chat about band practice being canceled, so he felt very confused. He mindlessly walked around the campus, not being able to tell if he was pacing around out of anxiety, or if was genuinely trying to find Casca. He decided to sit down, eat his lunch, and eventually text Casca and ask if she can talk. He had bought a burrito from the foodcourt, he just really needed to eat something to calm his nerves. The burrito is notoriously big, but compared to Guts it looked so small, like a cheap gas station burrito. As the flavors melted together in his mouth, he pondered on what he should do. He wanted to talk to Griffith, but didn’t want to scare him away. He wanted to ask Casca for help, but felt nervous to confess the possibility of him liking boys.

He didn’t understand his fear, his family wasn’t around long enough to teach him any of the “gay is bad” bullshit, and he never found it odd or bad. He didn’t associate gayness with lack of masculinity at all, so it couldn’t have possibly been some underlying homophobia. He knew himself, he knew that he never judged anyone unless they were a bad person, someone who gives up, someone who hurts others. He felt like his brain was unwinding, he was searching for some reason as to why he felt so disturbed by himself. Or maybe, he was just in love. Maybe the idea of love frightened Guts so much that he felt this disgust. He was worried that he would never be good enough for Griffith. Griffith was so intelligent, so kind, and was ahead of everyone. He was gorgeous, and Guts was sure that he had a line of girls and boys that wanted him.

Griffith felt a little giddy. Guts was falling for him, and he knew it. The “hug” he gave was a little weird, but just being able to smell Guts was enough to get him going. He was at the height of his brain power today, everything felt so simple. His brain was clear, and no one could ruin this for him. He just wanted to go to Guts’s room right now, he wanted to have access to every part of Guts. He needed it. He sat drinking his earl grey tea, slowly mowing through a garden salad. He couldn’t wait to see Guts tonight, he wanted to tease him more, to see his face grow bright red. He couldn’t wait till he could feel Guts’s lips against his, touch his skin freely, and feel the warmth between them. He had to stop thinking about Guts, it was going to get hard to hide how much Guts excited him.

After finishing the salad, he decided that he would go get ready. It was a bit preemptive, as he had four hours until he could head there without it being weird. He wanted to make sure his entire routine was perfectly done, so that Guts would struggle to hide his infatuation. He kept finding his mind wandering to the night before, the man was such a mess just at his touch. He couldn’t help himself, he needed to engage in some other activities beforehand, he couldn’t let Guts know that he had this effect on Griffith.

It was around 4pm now, which was the perfect time to find himself inside Guts’s room. The door was unlocked, part of him wanted to berate Guts for leaving his room unlocked, as it was a huge safety hazard, but he couldn’t complain. Now he had complete access to all of Guts’s things. He went through a few drawers, finding loose papers, underwear, and his jeans. He only owned black briefs, which Griffith found almost comical. His entire closet was filled with black shirts, and blue jeans. He had one or two random t-shirts, ones that he had probably gotten for free on campus, but otherwise it was about as dark as a cave in that closet.

His eyes slowly traveled over to the hamper, was he really this perverted? Yes, yes he was. He found the one hoodie that Guts had, it smelt just like him. He found himself rubbing his face against Guts’s scent-filled hoodie. He was getting excited again, shocked at the fact that Guts had this big of an impression on him. He slid his fancy button up off his shoulders, sliding into the giant black hoodie. He could indulge for a little bit, Guts would be out late. He slid off his slacks, deciding it might be nice to lay down for a while. He set an alarm for 30 minutes, wanting to make sure that he looked absolutely perfect when Guts got back. He laid down on the bed, feeling a slight bump under the pillow. He lifted the pillow up only to find a small stuffed dog. So adorable, of course such a giant man slept with a cute plush. Of course, it also smelled just like Guts. He held onto the plush, the scent making him feel so safe that his passed out within minutes.

Casca was at band practice, supposedly she had broken her phone the night before. She avoided explaining why, seeming flustered insisting that she and Farnese were just hanging out. Guts knew he should probably talk to her as soon as possible, but she had a fire in her eyes that showed Guts that she wasn’t messing around today. They practiced a song that Judeau had written, it was a love song, and it had a pretty heavy bassline. Guts loved it so far, the lyrics were a bit cheesy, but he really didn’t mind. He knew that with the gruffness in his voice intertwined with the strong bass and heavy drums would distract from the soft lyrics.

After two hours of screaming his heart out, they were finally done. He had hoped that Griffith took him up on his offer, he wanted to see him again. He pulled Casca aside, wanting to ask her to meet with him.

“Hey Cas, can we meet up tomorrow to talk about somethin’? I couldn’t find ya today, but I really need your advice with something…” Casca noticed how shy he seemed, so she decided to take him seriously. “Yeah sure, no need to look like a lost pup. Lets just meet at the ramen place on campus, I’ve been wanting to try their new spicy tofu ramen anyways.” Before Guts could give a response she turned away, speeding off. He knew that she definitely was meeting with Farnese, and it made him happy. He liked when Casca was passionate, and seeing her fall so fast warmed his heart. He was just glad that she was his friend.

Now he had to head back, he anxiously sped past all the groups of students chatting, avoiding them so he wouldn’t accidentally fall into a weird conversation. He just wanted to get back. He decided to pick up a pizza, not wanting to possibly come up empty handed. Griffith was probably hungry, and he would be a total dick since he hadn’t gone to the grocery store in a bit; There was no food in his dorm at all.

He opened the door, noting that the lights were off. Griffith wasn’t there, and he felt his heart drop. He put the pizza on his desk, looking up. Oh, Griffith was there. Guts felt himself warm up, seeing the pale legs, leading up to Griffith. He was wearing Guts’s hoodie. Griffith was also in his underwear, which Guts tried to avoid looking at. He didn’t know what to think. He decided he should go shower. He tucked Griffith in, placing the soft black blanket on top of his pale body. He practically ran to the bathroom, feeling embarrassed at how aroused he was. He definitely liked Griffith, and it was way more than just friends.

He quickly showered, hoping that Griffith would wake up before he got back out. He wrapped the towel around his waist, feeling stupid that he had forgotten to bring his underwear into the bathroom. He quickly slid out, and Griffith was still asleep. He opened his drawer, pulling out a pair of underwear and sliding them up his muscly legs.

“Wow, Guts, you have quite the body there~” Even Griffith’s groggy voice was smooth, and it scared the shit out of Guts. He swung around, staring wide eyed at Griffith. “Shit sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I can look away if you want to get dressed.” Guts shyly looked away feeling embarrassed at the fact that Griffith saw him, but Griffith complimented him. Griffith was looking. “No need, I slept way longer than I intended too. I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your hoodie, it was quite cold. Why don’t you come sit?” Guts couldn’t believe it. Things felt like they were moving far faster than they ever had before.

Guts couldn’t say no to Griffith, he shyly approached the bed and avoided eye contact. “So embarrassed Guts, I am sorry I make you so nervous.” He could tell Griffith was tired, and a little foggy. Griffith was never this honest, even when he clearly knew what Guts’s intentions were. Guts knew he had to do something, to say something to Griffith. It felt like every word was catching in his throat, he couldn’t say anything. He knew what he could do, he knew what he needed to do to express himself. He had wanted to talk to Casca, but tonight felt like it was crying out for him to make a move.

Guts looked up, Griffith already meeting his eyes and smiling. “What is it, Guts?” His warm voice, that voice that had been echoing for days on end. He wanted Griffith, he knew that now. Whatever that made him, he didn’t care. He had to, it was now or never. He took a deep breath, leaning in. He hoped that Griffith wanted the same, and he hoped that Griffith was leaning in as well.