The light in the bathroom had burned out, so Luciola cracked open the window to let in the morning sun as he took a shower. The water was lukewarm, and he sighed. The only thing I miss from the Guild was the hot water.

As he bathed—making a mental note to buy more soap; they were almost out—he found his thoughts wandering to yesterday's conversation with Dio. I know he was blatantly…what's that phrase? Fishing for compliments? I couldn't have lied to him. He told me that I'm attractive, that I have a nice smile. I would have told him he is beautiful… He felt his face grow hot. I can't. It's not my place.

He stretched, trying to rid himself of a twinge in his back. It doesn't help that he keeps acting so suggestively. It makes me nervous, but at the same time, I can't help but wonder… He shook his head, scattering droplets of water off his hair. No. There must be some other reason; maybe he's just teasing me more than he used to. He can't possibly think of me in that way.

The towel he used to dry himself off had once been white and fluffy, but repeated washing had turned it a dingy gray. He glanced in the mirror as he reached for his clothes. This face…well, it isn't hideously ugly, but I'm surprised it appeals to Lord Dio. He ran a hand through his hair. All the bleach had long since vanished, and his dark brown hair had grown just long enough to require him to actually comb it. I should get Daphne to cut my hair again.

On his way out, he brushed past Dio; his fingers grazed the younger boy's wrist for a moment too long. Time seemed to slow as the touch sent a jolt though his body; Dio flashed him a quick smile. Then they moved past each other, and the moment was gone.

He was left alone in the hall. Lord Dio… He shivered and looked down at his hands. Why is this? Every time we touch…I don't want to pull away. I'm only supposed to be his servant, nothing more…but he calls me his friend and has quite obviously flirted with me on more than a few occasions. This is…I don't know what's appropriate for this situation.

The rest of the morning and most of the afternoon passed in a haze until he went into the garden. Dio was already there, weeding the potatoes. For a moment, Luciola stood in the doorway, watching him. Even like this, kneeling in the dirt…he is beautiful. Finally, he found his voice. "My lord, allow me to help."

Dio turned around, beaming at him. "Glad you're here." He waved a hand at the far end of the row. "Could you start working from there?"

Luciola worked slowly. For a while, he would focus utterly on his task, but then a crick in his neck or an ache in his back would force him to lift his head and catch sight of Dio, distracting him as he saw how the afternoon sunlight sank into the boy's skin.

As they worked their way in from opposite ends of the row, they drew closer and closer. Luciola flinched as Dio's voice sounded close to his ear. "Could you help me with this? This weed's stubborn."

He was wrestling with a deep-rooted plant that refused to be shifted. Luciola sighed and dug around the base of the stem, hoping to loosen the root system. When this effort proved futile, he unthinkingly wrapped his hands around Dio's own, lending him his strength in order to wrench it out. It fell from their joined hands with a soft thud, but Luciola found he could not release Dio's fingers.

What am I doing? I should let go now…but I can't. His grip tightened. No, I could, but…I don't want to. I want to touch him.

Dio was smiling at him. "Your hands are shaking."

He jerked his hands away as though Dio's skin had burned him. "Forgive me; I was…" He trailed off; Dio was still smiling. "My lord?"

"Nothing. Let's finish up here; I'm hungry."

They finished their work in silence.

&

Dio sighed and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Could you hand me that screwdriver?"

Luciola was bent over the maintenance hatch of Daphne's vanship, fiddling with a loose wire. Without looking, he pulled a screwdriver from his toolkit and handed it to Dio. "Here."

He tapped it idly on the hull. There wasn't really much for him to do, but looking productive couldn't hurt. He stole a glance at Luciola out of the corner of his eye. Damn, he looks good. Except for that smudge of grease on his forehead. He grinned. "Hey, Luciola?" Can't have him going around looking like that all day.

As Luciola glanced up, Dio leaned over the hull and wiped off the mark with his thumb. "You had grease…" He forgot the rest of his sentence. Lunging forward had put his face perilously close to Luciola's, and he found he couldn't tear his eyes away from him. Wow. His eyes…he looks like he did the other day, when he took my hand. So intense.

Dio slid his fingers over the side of his face, feeling Luciola's skin heat up as he blushed. "Dio…" His voice was shaking.

He leaned just a bit closer. He said my name. My name, without any titles. "Yes?"

Luciola laid his hand over Dio's other hand and leaned forward. He was licking his lips nervously.

The door to the vanship shed opened with a bang as Claus and Lavie entered. Dio pulled his hand away with a groan. Every single time it looks like I might finally be getting somewhere… "Whatever you were going to say…you can tell me later, alright?"

Luciola swallowed hard. "Yes, of course. Have you made any progress on that roll linkage yet?"

Oh, that's right…I was supposed to be checking that. "It's getting there."

As he stopped pretending to work and actually started the long and boring process of basic maintenance on Daphne's vanship, Dio shivered. That's the first time he's ever said my name without calling me "my lord." If Immelmann and Lavie hadn't walked in…he was going to do something. What? He snorted. Oh, I'm getting all worked up over nothing. He's so deep in denial, he probably didn't realize….I'll have to put more effort into this.

&

Luciola blinked and stretched sleepily in the morning light. For once, he was alone; Dio had already gotten up. He reached for his shirt. All his others were hanging out to dry on the clothesline, which left him with one option—the button-down shirt with the itchy collar he had worn on the day he found Dio. He fumbled with the buttons. I dislike this shirt. Then again, since I was wearing it when I found Lord Dio again…maybe it's lucky?

He did up the last button. Ridiculous. There's no such thing as luck. Although I suppose it might be called fortunate that Claus and Lavie walked in yesterday. He felt his face heat up. I don't know what came over me; Dio touched me, and suddenly…I wanted to kiss him. But that's just stupid; he wouldn't be wasting time flirting with me if he was really interested.

Dio strolled into the room. "Hey, you're up! Excellent; breakfast's on the table. Let's eat; Dunya made toast, and there's coffee and everything." His gaze swept Luciola from top to bottom, making him squirm.

Dio frowned. "You missed a button. Here, let me fix it."

Luciola stood still, trembling as Dio's hands flitted over his chest, making short work of the first five buttons. "My lord…" He gasped as Dio slid his fingers over his collarbone. "Dio."

A tremor seemed to go through Dio as he began to trace intricate patterns over his shoulders and chest, making Luciola shiver in response. "Mmm? What's the matter? You don't like it?" Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, he started to do up the buttons again, making sure to brush his fingers against his flat stomach.

Suddenly, Luciola was angry. Even now, he keeps toying with me. He grabbed Dio's wrists, stopping him with his fingers clenched in the fabric of his shirt. "Lord Dio, why are you doing this?"

Dio released his shirt. "What do you mean?" His voice was light and innocent, but his eyes glittered in a way that made Luciola slightly uncomfortable.

"My lord—"With effort, Luciola loosened his hold on Dio's wrists. I have to calm down; this isn't worth getting angry over. But he found he couldn't keep a note of frustration out of his voice. "I know very well that you are not stupid. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Why do you keep touching me like this?"

Strangely, Dio grinned. "I may not be stupid, but it seems you're denser than I took you for. You really don't know? Or…you just don't want to admit that you know. You wouldn't be so upset if you thought I was doing all this innocently."

Luciola let go of his wrists entirely, taking a step back. If he's not—if he's doing all this to purposely get my attention, then… "You are…" No. I know he flirts and touches me, and he certainly seems interested, but…he can't mean it. He shivered.

"Hey, are you guys going to eat or what? Your food's getting cold here." Irena stood in the doorway, impatiently tapping her foot.

"Oh, yes. Of course." Luciola walked out of the room without a backward glance, not even hearing Dio's sigh of frustration.

&

So close. I was so close, but…he just wouldn't see it. At least I know he gets it, but… Dio scrubbed viciously at the plate he was holding. I think the knowledge may have overwhelmed him a bit.

Alvis looked up from the cutlery she was wiping. "Dio? Are you okay?"

He forced himself to smile at her. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking about things, that's all."

"Oh. I think that plate's clean now."

He blinked at it. She was right. He reached for the next one, moving a dishrag against it absentmindedly as he stared out the window. Luciola was practicing with his knives in the road. I know he loves me. If he didn't, he definitely wouldn't have come back from the dead for me. And I know that his feelings for me must include lust, or he wouldn't get so flustered when I touch him. Dio started to hum quietly, smiling to himself. If the knight won't move, I'll have to move for him.

Alvis blinked at him. "What happened? You look happy all of a sudden."

Dio beamed at her. "It's nothing you need to worry about. I'm just in a good mood today, that's all." Soon. Now that my feelings are clear to him, I can move faster. Since it's pretty clear Luciola won't make the first move, I'll just have to push him until he does.

&

By the time Luciola reentered the house, the sun was going down. Dinner was on the table; he ate quickly, ignoring Dio's attempts to catch his eye. When he finished, he went to his room, nearly collapsing on his bed. His head hurt.

Lord Dio… He stared unblinking up at the ceiling. I love him. I've always loved him, since the very day we met. But lust? Vivid memories flooded his mind: Dio greeting him with hugs that sent jolts through his body, even when they had only been separated for a few hours; Dio eating his birthday cake on the Silvana and demanding Luciola try some; Dio running his hands over his bare skin on the pretense of finding out what his new body was like. He shivered, feeling heat suffuse his body. I shouldn't be thinking about him like this. But then… He thought of Dio, slowly sucking on that damned popsicle. He seems to be encouraging it.

Dio pushed open the door and stepped in quietly. "Hey, there. Are you okay? You hardly ate."

He sat up, unable to meet Dio's gaze. "I'm fine."

Even then, tired to the bone with knife practice, his heart skipped a beat as Dio smirked at him. "Are you sure? You look a little…flushed."

"I said I'm fine." Next time, I think I'll have to use a less strenuous practice routine—my heart is still racing.

Luciola ignored the soft creak of bedsprings as Dio sat down next to him, but flinched away when he laid a hand on his arm. "Are you still thinking about this morning?"

"N-no. Of course not. Why would you think that?"

Dio let go of his hand in favor of sliding his fingers delicately over his leg. "Hmm. Well…maybe because you still won't look at me. Or maybe it's because your face is going all red the more I do this. Or…it just might be because your feelings for me aren't as platonic as you'd like to think." Dio's hand moved higher.

Luciola got to his feet, wrenching himself away from him. "Why? Why do you affect me like this?"

Dio followed him, grabbing his hand. "I really don't see what the problem is. You like me, don't you? So why is it so hard to accept that your interest runs deeper than that? Are you scared?"

Scared? I—no. "My lord, it would not be right."

Almost casually, Dio reached up and began to toy with his collar. As his hands moved to undo the first button, Luciola's eyes widened. In this position, there was no way to avoid eye contact with Dio; the boy's eyes were alight with mischief, and he felt something squirm inside him as they stared into his. "'My lord?'" The second button was gone. "'Right?'" And the third and fourth. "We aren't in the Guild anymore, Luciola." All the buttons were undone; Dio carelessly pushed the garment off Luciola's shoulders. "So what's holding you back?" He ran his fingers lightly down Luciola's chest.

Luciola choked on his words. He's right. There is no Guild anymore, so… But what should I do? I want to… "All my life, I have been trained to do what is appropriate in every situation."

"…And?" Dio drew closer, until Luciola could feel his breath on his face. "That shouldn't matter anymore. Tell me, Luciola. What do you want to do? I've seen how you react to me. Don't you want to touch me? Your face yesterday… Were you going to kiss me?"

He swallowed nervously. I wanted to. I did, but… Then again, if he asks me to… "I…in order to serve you, I have to maintain control over my emotions at all times."

Dio smirked and slid his hands down to the waistband of his pants, making Luciola gasp. "Oh? And what if I said I wanted you to lose control? What if I said I wanted you to make me feel the same way you must be feeling now? What if…" His voice dropped to a purr that reverberated throughout Luciola's body. "I said I was yours, to do with as you please?"

Mine. I call him my lord, but I've never really considered what that meant until now. If he is not my lord, then…he is still mine. And he told me to do what I want. He trembled, acutely aware of Dio pressing himself against him. What I want…is him.

"Well?" Dio's eyes had never left his. He smiled wickedly. "Are you going to do anything? Or are you just going to stand here all hot and bothered?"

Luciola only had to lean forwards slightly to kiss him. And so he did. This…this is what I want.

Dio's mouth was sweet and tasted faintly of peppermint; he made a faint sound of delight as Luciola's mouth descended on his. Luciola made an inarticulate noise in the back of his throat as he deepened the kiss.

Eventually, they broke for air. Dio was grinning. "Did I ever tell you I love you?"

Luciola smiled back at him. "You never needed to. I know, just as you must know my feelings for you."

Dio kissed him again, long and slow, before pulling away. "I do. But it would be nice to hear you say it."

"I love you…Dio." It feels strange not to call him 'lord' anymore, but…it feels nice, too. Luciola lowered his head and kissed him hard, pinning him back against the wall with a thud. As he slid his hands slowly under Dio's shirt, the boy moaned into his mouth. Then Dio broke the kiss to trail warm lips over his neck and collarbone. Oh, that feels good… Luciola shuddered and groaned with the sensation.

"Hey! Do you two mind keeping it down? The rest of the house is trying to sleep here!" It was Lavie's voice; from her tone, she had just been woken up. She banged on the wall for emphasis.

Luciola pulled away, his face scarlet. "Ah, Dio…maybe we should listen to her?"

"I don't want to. But…" Dio sighed dramatically. "I've lived here longer than you have, and I know what she's like when she's mad. Not to mention…" He winced. "Alvis is sleeping in the other room. If she hears…I don't think either of us wants to be the one to have to explain what we're doing. So…" He trailed off; with a shock, Luciola realized he actually looked slightly embarrassed.

"Do you want to just go to bed?" Luciola knew it was ridiculous, but he felt his face heat up again. After all, a bed implies… He banished that thought from his mind.

"…Okay. I am pretty tired. You must be too, after all that exercise you did today."

He was, but he didn't realize it until he collapsed into bed with Dio's arms around him. This is perfect. Everything is perfect. Dio yawned, resting his head on his chest. Lord Dio…no, just Dio now. He loves me. And I…love him.

He was still smiling as he drifted off to sleep.