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Takumi slammed his empty glass onto the sturdy wooden table between Prince Leo and himself, causing the ice cubes to clink in protest. Despite the appearance of the rest of the castle, the other Prince’s room was actually furnished quite comfortably, with dark wooden details softening the usual stone and steel aesthetic that was Castle Krakenburg.
Takumi un-scrunched his eyes, throat still burning, to see Leo observing him smugly. “Prince Leo if I did not know better and if the war had not finished months ago, I would swear you were trying to poison me.” He punctuated his statement with a small sputtering cough.
Leo laughed lightly and poured them both another small glass of the amber liquid. “Do Hoshidans not partake in liquor?” Takumi looked suspiciously at the glass offered to him. “You don’t need to have another. Niceties are required only downstairs,” Leo added.
Takumi scoffed and took the offered glass, deciding to let it settle in front of him whilst he allowed the fire still burning in his stomach to die down.
This was the night of Xander’s official coronation, and all from Hoshido who’d helped during the war had been invited to attend. Needless to say, after 3 days of endless socializing and mingling Takumi was nearing his limit for festivities. After the official ceremony, which was to-the-point and formal, as per Nohrian custom, he had chosen to quietly sneak away before the eating, dancing and otherwise high-energy activities began.
His knowledge of the castle vague, his best option, he thought, was to hide away in the impressive library until an appropriate hour to hide back into his designated room, where, if anyone happened to notice his absence, would be the first place they’d look.
So it was with some degree of sheepishness when he turned down one of the isles, two books already tucked under his arm, and nearly ran into Prince Leo, also still in his best formal wear and with four thick volumes pressed against his chest.
“You--?”
“—I, um…”
They’d both stood there, appropriately awkward a few seconds longer before Takumi tried to salvage the situation.
“Xander’s coronation was lovely. I was there, by the way.” Takumi added, in case Leo thought he’d been completely rude and opted out of the entire day’s activities. “He will be a great King.”
Leo watched Takumi levelly a few moments longer before a small smirk appeared on his face and he placed a heavy hand on Takumi’s shoulder. “Prince Takumi, formality does not suit you well. I implore you, be more candid. As you can see,” he gestured with a nod of his head to the books still held towards his chest, “I, too, did not feel like an evening spent engaging in frivolity.” After a slight pause, Leo added more casually, “If you felt like playing hooky I wish you’d have at least thought to invite me…”
Takumi’s shoulders relaxed. Although it had been a few weeks since he and the other Prince had the opportunity to speak at length, he was glad to see they did not need to begin again as mere acquaintances. Especially since friendship with the man had been very hard fought.
Takumi returned the smirk. “And here I was worried you might throw me into Castle Krakenburg’s prisons for insulting his new Highness with my absence.”
“I can guarantee you, one of our cells would be a step up from some of the extra guest-rooms we had to open up to accommodate all these guests.” Takumi chuckled at that, thinking of his cold grey-stone room waiting for him on the third floor. Leo continued walking past. “Come, I know a place we can read in peace.”
And, bemused, that’s how Takumi ended up following his friend back to his bedroom, the evening already looking much more promising at the idea of spending it in the quiet company of his friend.
His swimming thoughts had him back at the present, sitting in one of Leo’s overstuffed armchairs by a crackling fire, the books they’d brought up with them lay open and half-read on the table.
“In Hoshido, we like to drink for pleasure. I am now only further convinced your people are all masochists.”
Leo hummed, as if agreeing sadly to the statement.
“Hoshidan alcohol is made from rice. Sake.”
“Sock-eh.” Leo seemed to consider the word, devastatingly pronounced, before finishing his glass of his own booze with a flourish and a surprisingly gentle clang on the table. Takumi would never admit it, but hearing Leo try pronouncing Hishidan’s words had become a favourite pastime of his, and he found himself casually dropping words just to hear Leo’s lips give birth to the abominations. “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if everything in Hoshido is secretly made of rice. If I were to untie your oh-bee I suspect thousands of grains of rice would pour out, and I would be devastated, finding out my Hoshidan friend was in fact just rice the entire time.”
While Leo chuckled at his own joke, Takumi’s mind was still stuck somewhere a few words back, with Leo untying his obi…
His cheeks grew hot. Was it the fire or the drink? “Ha. Rice. Right.” Although his response would suggest otherwise, Takumi thought now was a good time to finish his second, and hopefully last, drink. With less grace than the other man, he too managed to finish it off in one gulp.
He sputtered as his glass banged the table for the second time that evening. Leo waited for him to compose himself slightly before he spoke, “To be fair, I don’t think anyone in Nohr truly likes this stuff. My brother, ever thoughtful with gifts, gave me this bottle on my 18th birthday. As you can see, I had only bothered opening it now.”
“I’m humbled by the honour, Prince Leo.” Takumi bowed his head sarcastically, earning him another chuckle. Leo seemed to be in an uncharacteristically good mood this evening.
“Sadly, alcohol is just one of those experiences which doesn’t live up to the hype, wouldn’t you agree? Much like war, sex, foreign food…”
Takumi’s throat suddenly thought then was the best time to erupt in coughs, again, much to his dismay, as he wondered if his ears had deceived him.
“Ah. My apologies if I’ve embarrassed you.” To his credit, Leo did appear a little bit embarrassed himself as he watched his comrade recover.
“What? No! I’m fine!”
“I regret to say alcohol makes my tongue a touch slippery. Hoshidan food isn’t that bad, actually.”
Despite Leo’s apparently “slippery tongue” the only evidence the other prince was affected at all by their drinking was the slight pinkness on his otherwise pale cheeks.
Takumi allowed himself to lean back in the armchair, to ease his slightly spinning vision. He noticed Leo looking in his direction and forced a yawn as means of explanation.
“Would you like to lay down in my bed?”
“Come again?”
Leo put his hands up a little defensively. “Or not. I just meant –if you’re feeling tired I could try to help you to your own room. Although I don’t jump for joy at the thought of all those stairs…”
Takumi heard himself giggling. “Are you drunk, Le-Prince Leo?”
“I just feel a bit guilty for convincing you to help me drink this garbage with me… we probably should have just been content with our books and discussion.” Takumi’s eyes caught Leo glance momentarily at the chess board on a small table in the corner. Neither of them had thought to suggest it that evening, and now they might be too far-gone for a genuinely strategic match.
Takumi wasn’t actually feeling sleepy, but he wasn’t in a rush to admit to Leo he was feeling more than a little bit tipsy, even if Leo had implied he was feeling the same. He stood up regardless, swaying slightly, being open to suggestion. “Only if you’ll join me.” Leo raised his eyebrows. “I just mean it’s weird to lay in someone else’s bed alone.” Of course that makes sense.
Takumi stepped away from the armchair (banging his calves slightly on the table in the process) and took a few self-conscious steps towards Leo’s large bed. It was separated from the living quarters of the room by a large stone archway. The bed looked much like the one in his own spare room; four large wooden posts erected at each corner, the mattress itself tall and far from the ground. Forgetting manners, if there were even manners for such situations, he flopped face down at the foot, his slippered feet dangling from the edge.
He could hear Leo laughing at him as he walked over and joined him, opting to flop down on his back instead.
A thought occurred to him, and Takumi giggled a little bit.
“What is it, sleepyhead?”
Takumi snorted. “I was just thinking, what would my brother think, if he comes looking for me and finds me drunk and laying in your bed?”
Although Takumi expected Leo to find this equally funny, the other man’s face only became slightly more serious, a slight crease appearing near his brow and his lips held tight.
“…I was only joking.” He wished his brain would defog itself a little bit. “Ryouma is a terrible drinker. If he has more than two downstairs he won’t remember a thing.” He laughed a little bit to himself before sinking his cheek a little deeper into the duvet. The sheets smelled unmistakably of Leo. Takumi hadn’t considered the Leo had a smell before, but it was enough to mask some of the traces of alcohol he smelled on his own breath.
“You know, we probably should get you back to your room. Maybe I can risk fetching one of my retainers…”
Takumi ignored Leo’s comment. “What did you mean before? About sex being a disappointment?” Takumi should have been appalled that this question, which had been sitting at the back of his mind, decided to leave his lips. Such discussions were meant for taverns at best, and probably not among royalty.
There was an awkward silence then, the only sounds being the slight crackling of the fire and the faint thrumming of activities still going on downstairs. Leo propped himself up on his elbow and face him.
“Takumi, have you ever bedded another man?”
There was a second where he questioned if he should be insulted. He replied almost defensively, “I don’t understand how that pertains to the original question.” When Leo still didn’t say anything in response, Takumi gave a terse answer, “I have not.” He continued, albeit a bit awkwardly, “As you may have already guessed, I have not bedded a woman either.” It would appear Leo’s slippery tongue was contagious.
Leo looked from him back up to the ceiling, emitting a melancholic chuckle.
Suddenly, Takumi felt betrayed, angry at his own openness. He sat up. “What’s your problem? Just because I haven’t… bedded a woman doesn’t mean I'm…” his brain fizzled, trying to find a more appropriate word and failing. “…gay.”
Leo did not seemed phased by Takumi’s outburst. “And just because I have doesn’t mean I’m not.” It was said quietly enough his ears had to compete with the crackling fire to hear him.
“Oh.” Takumi averted his eyes from Leo’s face to look instead at the floor. He realized with dread what his outburst must have sounded like. His heart was hammering with, what, embarrassment? Shame? “Hey, sorry, I—“
Leo managed to interrupt him with a sigh. “No, I’m sorry. That was out of context. You didn’t need to know that.” He sighed again then stuck out his tongue momentarily, almost comically, although it didn’t reach his eyes. “Slippery tongue, remember?”
Takumi didn’t know how to respond.
Leo got up and walked over to a little table with a pitcher and a funny looking box with what looked like a horn coming out of it. Without turning around, he asked quietly, “Would you like some water, Prince Takumi? I don’t want you to get a headache in the morning.” Without waiting for a response (Takumi’s mouth didn’t seem to be working properly anyways) he watched the prince pour two glasses. He then fiddled with the funny box, turning a crank gently, and suddenly the room was filled with orchestral music.
Takumi took the glass offered to him. “What is that?” Something circular and flat appeared to be spinning, and sound seemed to be being amplified somehow from within the horn-looking piece.
“A better birthday present than the liquor, I think. Sometimes my brother comes up with good ideas. A gramophone. They’re pretty new here, but I suspect they’ll be popping up in Hoshido pretty soon.” The bed sank where Leo sat down again and didn’t say anymore.
Takumi sipped his water. “It’s nice. I like it.” The music was very Nohrian; harsh metal sounding instruments were playing with softer sounds from what Takumi believed was called a “violin”. The combination was surprisingly beautiful and delicate.
Leo didn’t respond.
Takumi finished his water. “Would you like to dance?”
Leo’s eyes snapped back in his direction, scowl appearing on his face. “You don’t need to make fun of me –“
“I’m not.”
Leo’s eyes scanned him for a moment, apparently trying to see if it was some sort of mockery. It wasn’t, and Takumi found it surprisingly easy to keep his face loose and soft with the help of the slight numbing effect of the alcohol and the lingering guilt at having lashed out.
Finally Leo’s face relaxed as well. He stood up and offered his hand. “Alright then.”
Takumi placed his empty glass on the floor and took the offered appendage. He was certain under any other conditions he would have felt extremely self-conscious, but now all he could think about was how softly Leo seemed to intertwine their fingers, and how nice the weight of his other hand felt on his waist. Takumi, under normal conditions, didn’t like dancing. That was, after all, part of the reason he was hiding out in Leo’s room in the first place. The irony.
Thankfully, Leo took the lead (Takumi was not familiar with how one would dance to such music), leading them in slow circles as well as in a small circular path in the open space between his bed and the archway leading to the other part of the room. Takumi was a little bit unsteady on his feet, but Leo compensated by being a surprisingly competent dancer.
The music seemed to fade out of his awareness slightly, as did any thought of coordinating his limbs properly (again, he had Leo to thank for that). Takumi only realized he’d had his eyes had focused on Leo’s the entire time when, after some time, Leo removed his hand from his hip and managed to get him to turn a quick little circle by adjusting the hold with his other hand, Leo’s room and the fire and the gramophone and Leo becoming momentarily a blur, before Leo somehow caught his hand at the right moment and adjusted them back to their original position.
Finally Leo smirked, probably at Takumi’s shocked expression even after returning to their original dancing position.
Takumi found himself smiling too, as Leo finally released him and the song ended, a weird scratching sound taking its place. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
Leo eyed him bemusedly, probably taking note of the out-of-character praise, as he adjusted his gramophone to stop the scratching. “That’s a secret… Takumi.”
“Leo,” Takumi said without thinking. It always went like this; when they first saw each other after periods apart, it was always “Prince Leo” this and “Prince Takumi” that, but after a few days they would eventually drop the formalities when just in each others' company. Until they separated again and the cycle would inevitably restart. On this evening though it felt particularly intimate.
They simply watched one another, ten seconds. Fifteen.
“If you find your shoes I’ll walk you back myself—“
Takumi plopped back down on the bed and scooted backwards towards the pillows defiantly. Leo frowned. “Takumi.”
“Leo,” he echoed. His heart started hammering in his chest again, as Leo, still ridiculously frowny, sauntered around to the side of the bed and eyed Takumi with his arms crossed. Takumi wasn’t actually sure what he was trying to accomplish by refusing to leave the bed.
“You know I hate stalemates.”
Is it because I acted like a jackass? Is that why you want me to leave? But what Takumi’s mouth said was, “Have you ever bedded another man?”
Leo’s frown became a little bit realer and for a moment Takumi thought he wouldn’t answer, but eventually he replied, “No.”
“Then how do you know?”
One of Leo’s hands found its way to his forehead and he closed his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve drank enough for this conversation. I would appreciate it if you just forgot I said anything.”
Takumi smiled slightly. “I don’t think I’ve drank enough for that.” Takumi patted the bed beside him. Leo rolled his eyes but joined him, although he sat on the furthest edge of the bed possible.
“Insufferable.”
“Scum.”
The atmosphere lightened, despite the fire in the next room dying down, the majority of the light now coming from just a small lamp on Takumi’s side of the bed.
“Because I hate how little I get to see you, and how we always need to build everything back up after being apart for so long. Because my heart gets erratic when I think of seeing you again. Because I spend too much time imaging what your hands feel like, or how your hair would look pulled out of its ties.” Leo sighed, looking pointedly anywhere but at Takumi. It took him a second to realize Leo was answering his earlier question “Because no woman has ever made me feel even close to the way you do. Even when we’re just talking. Or reading. Or just… existing. I’ve tried. There are very few things I feel passionate about Takumi. But I…” He bit his lip, seemingly unwilling to continue. “See what happened when you ask questions you might not be ready to hear the answers for?
With a dull realization, Takumi replied, “I also hate how it takes a few days for things to feel normal again! After you or I leave, I mean.“ He didn’t have anything to say in regards to the other comments, only the feeling of an intense blush which probably spread to the tips of his ears.
Without thinking, Takumi reached behind him and undid his hair tie, fingers fumbling. Leo looked at him, almost alarmed. Although he was pretty sure Leo felt his hands when they were dancing, he offered both to Leo, who looked at them confused. Instead, Takumi opted to grab Leo’s hand closest to him, lying lightly on the duvet, and sandwich it between both of his.
Leo’s face became almost predatory. Takumi’s heart hammered harder. “Why are you doing this?” he hissed.
Takumi moved Leo’s hand to his own beating heart. Leo’s eyes widened a bit. Takumi had never heard anyone talk about him the way Leo just had before. Unsurprisingly, he realized he was weak to praise. “I’m sort of working in autopilot right now,” was the best he could think to reply.
“A-alcohol?”
“Maybe, but I don’t think so.” They were impossibly close, Takumi could feel them fighting for the same air. At some point he must have moved because he was now hovering over Leo, knees on either side of his hips, but he still held Leo’s hand against his chest.
“Are you going to forget this in the morning?” He sounded almost scared, voice shaking.
“I hope not.”
Leo’s mouth was hot against his, Leo’s other hand grabbing his hip almost like they were dancing again, except Takumi wasn’t going to let him take control this time.
Takumi finally released Leo’s other hand, but only long enough to maneuver it above Leo’s head, against one of the overstuffed pillows. Someone was making sounds as they kissed, their lips meeting each other again and again until (oops, it was him making the noise) he opened his mouth to gasp and Leo’s slippery tongue was pressing against his and suddenly there wasn’t enough air in the universe.
Takumi was only vaguely aware of Leo’s hand moving from his hip up into his hair, where it slid fingers through the tresses. His lips now continued shyly to Leo's jaw and finally his neck, warm with the heat of the moment. Takumi was preoccupied enough that he only really took notice of the hand in his hair when it came up to his scalp and pulled slightly at the roots there.
Takumi couldn’t control the sound that he made in response. “Aaahhah...!” It left his whole head tingling, breathing hotly against Leo's neck, and he desperately hoped Leo would do it again.
Seeming to take advantage of Takumi’s momentary breathlessness, Leo sat up straighter, bending at the hip and rolled Takumi off of him and had them both lying on their sides. Takumi was slowly regaining the ability to breathe again, although his ability to think seemed to still be lagging behind.
“You taste like alcohol.” To Takumi’s credit, Leo sounded almost as out of breath as he did, his voice deep and dark but with a touch of something else. Sadness?
“No shit.” Takumi went to kiss him again but Leo shifted his head slightly, avoiding the contact. “Leo?”
Leo slowly shut his eyes. “This doesn’t seem right.”
Takumi, probably not helping the situation, started to laugh. There were so many reasons this wasn’t right, the taste of alcohol in his mouth seemed to be at the bottom of his own list.
“Takumi, what the fuck.”
Deciding this was the time to opt for whispering, he replied, “Sorry, sorry. I’m making out with my best friend during his brother’s coronation and you’re worried I might not be thinking clearly.”
Leo continued looking at him pointedly.
Admittedly, there were certainly reasons for Takumi to not be thinking clearly. Alcohol aside, something physical seemed to have awakened inside of him, and he was aching. It was probably for the best Leo had intervened; Takumi wasn’t used to the heat radiating from his core and wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to go on and still find the ability to stop. Leo’s formal-wear was not as loose-fitting as his own, and left less to the imagination. With a pulse of awareness, Takumi realized Leo must be feeling close to the same.
He sighed. “The one time you decide to act the gentleman…”
Leo scoffed. “I’m always a gentleman.”
“Fine. If it really makes you feel better, we’ll have this whole conversation again, when we’re both painfully sober and at least twice as awkward.”
“Good. I’ll have you know that I did most of the talking. I expect better participation from you in the morning.”
“Mmm,” was the best rebuttal Takumi had, as he felt his heartbeat finally begin to slow, leaving a surprising drowsiness in its place. He doubted he would have any regrets in the morning, except for perhaps not having the energy to walk back to his own room. As funny as it had been in vague concept, there would be a bunch of now half-truths to give in explanation to curious early-risers when he made his way back through the halls in the morning.He would leave the thoughts about what everything meant in the morning. There was too much to consider to bother thinking on it now.
His perception of time was a little bit off, but it was not long after they’d both stopped speaking that Takumi was aware of himself drifting off to sleep, a hand massaging gentle circles into his scalp.