The contents of this chapter do not necessarily match Takumi's Description in Noire Jument, Blanc Cheval, as I never planned to write another fic in the series at the time of writing.

"C'mon," said Takumi. "The anticipation is killing me."

"For my sake, could you wait?" Leo tapped his pen against his paper. "I'd like to see your reaction without worrying about getting back to my studies."

Takumi sighed, then chuckled.

"Fine. Let's wait until you're done studying." He sat on his bed and opened his copy of Moby Dick. From the corner of his eye he stared at Leo.

Chewing his pen, Leo sat at his desk with a notebook laid out in front of him. His body was slightly turned, allowing Takumi to get a look at his side. He appeared to be studying something about the French Revolution. Takumi couldn't exactly make out what it was –something about the Jacobins?–, but it seemed extremely important regardless. He didn't want to focus on that; instead he noticed how Leo's eyebrows creased as he stared at his notebook. Once, long ago, Leo had wiggled those eyebrows. It made Takumi want to shriek out of both fear and excitement. It was just so uncharacteristic, so fake, that everyone witnessing such an action either stared or averted their gaze, hands over their eyes.

Takumi's gaze moved to Leo's lips. Leo ran his tongue along them, leaving a small, wet trail. His tongue continued to stick out the side of his mouth as he scrawled down some notes. It made Takumi want to kiss him, then hook his arms around his waist and lead him to the bed, where he would proceed to remove Leo's top and show him just how much he loved and wanted him. He wanted to gaze into Leo's eyes as he slowly moved his hand down into his partner's pants, gently fondling his assets and then pressing their lips together.

Suddenly he felt blood rushing to his groin. It seemed as if the blood had left his face and headed downward.

Think of something else! Takumi glanced at Leo's violet vest. For once, it wasn't inside-out. The phrase "I only swim free" was stitched onto the side.

Takumi burst into laughter.

Leo looked at Takumi and grimaced.

"Do you mind?"

"Sorry, sorry." Takumi snorted. "It's just…I never noticed that on the side of your vest before."

"I got it done recently," said Leo.

"Ah."

A knock sounded.

"Wonder who that could be." Takumi rose from the bed and went over to the door. Upon opening it, a body slammed into him; he fell to the ground.

"Happy birthday!" shouted a familiar male voice.

"Ugh…did you have to tackle me?" Pushing himself up, Takumi groaned. He then noticed Hinata standing in front of him, a toothy grin on his face. Oboro stood next to him, holding a medium-sized wrapped box.

"My bad! I'm just excited!" said Hinata.

"Happy birthday, Takumi!" said Oboro.

Takumi smiled.

"Thanks, Oboro." He smiled. "It's been a while since I last saw you both."

"It has," said Oboro. "Are you busy?"

"No, I'm not going to study today. Was there something you wanted?"

"We have a present for you!" said Hinata. "And we hoped you'd—"

"Keep your voice down!"

Takumi looked at Leo. He faced Takumi, arms crossed.

"Oh, he's studying?" asked Oboro.

"Yeah." Takumi glanced around. "How about we discuss this outside?"

"Sure," said Oboro. "It's a cold one, bring a coat!"

In order to give Leo some quiet time, Takumi decided to go to an off-campus diner with Oboro and Hinata. The two of them wondered if Takumi would spend some time with them after not seeing him for so long. Having nothing else he particularly needed to get to during the day, Takumi agreed to a visit. They complained about exams and discussed all the recent happenings in their lives.

Now they spoke about movies.

"I'm telling you, it's this big!" said Hinata, holding his arms out.

"No it isn't! It's this big." Oboro held her arms out like Hinata; a slightly smaller space was between her hands.

"Give it up, you two," said Takumi. "I'm sure it's sized decently enough."

"B-But you trust my guess more, right?" asked Oboro.

Takumi laughed. Oboro's eagerness to please Takumi had always made her the more bearable of his two friends.

"Of course."

Hinata's eyes went wide.

"Eh?! That's so unfair…"

A young woman approached the table and placed a cup of tea in front of Takumi. She winked.

"Sorry to intrude, but several replicas of the Falchion prop exist. They're of varying length, so both of you could be right. Marth had to use several different ones 'cause back when he was just starting out, Akaneia Productions was in its infancy. In order to save money, they made the film props themselves. Unfortunately they were quite crude, so many of them broke. In fact, there's even more replicas now that Chrom's following in his grandfather's footsteps."

"I thought that was a rumor. Is Chrom really that clumsy off stage?" asked Oboro.

"Indeed he is," said the woman. "Usually whatever Falchion is being used gets stuck in the ground. It usually snaps because he yanks on it, while it's in too deep to be taken out carefully."

Hinata's eyes widened as he smiled.

"Wow! You sure know a lot about the Falchion. Where'd you learn all that?"

"I've got my sources." The woman flicked her blonde hair and giggled as she walked away.

"I wish I could be an actor as cool as Marth," said Hinata.

Takumi ran a hand through his hair.

"Leo's a good actor. He looks like a blond version of Marth, too."

Oboro sighed.

"You bring this up every time we talk about actors, you know."

"Yeah? Well… those movies Chrom's in are ridiculous. He's like the George W. Bush of movies. I don't care that his lead role in The Awakening made him so desirable, he's ugly."

"Of course you don't find him attractive!" Hinata laughed. "You turn a blind eye to anybody who isn't Leo."

Takumi quickly looked away.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Oboro shook her head.

"Takumi. Don't bother denying it. We know it's true."

Takumi turned back to his friends and sighed.

"Fine. I'm only saying this because I want you to stop teasing me. Yes, I love Leo. Now don't ask again."

"Huh, that was easy," said Hinata. "Something happen between you two?"

Takumi tried his best to not look like something had. He was silent.

Hinata laughed.

"But hey, if Leo rejects you, I know someone else who'd be willing to go out with—"

"A-Anyway!" Oboro pulled out the present she held earlier and placed it in front of Takumi. It was a medium-sized box wrapped in red and green striped paper.

Takumi stripped the wrapping paper off, slowly revealing a metallic, ebony box. The front of the box said 'Premium Glass Chess Set', images of the board and pieces beneath the text.

"A chess set, huh…thanks."

"Y-You're welcome!" said Oboro. "That was my present!"

Hinata grinned.

"My gift to you is to buy you something!"

Takumi stared, dumbfounded.

"Shouldn't that go without saying? Anyhow, I'm surprised that you didn't get me anything." Takumi had received a comic book from Hinata during the previous year.

"What—no, no! I meant that I'll buy you something while I'm out with you!" said Hinata. "Like, say we went shopping at the comic book store, and you saw something you really wanted. I'd get it for you!"

Takumi nodded.

"I understand what you mean now. You can foot the bill for our meal now, then."

"E-Eh?! For all three of us?" Hinata blushed and looked away. "W-Well, I guess I could do that…"

"I'm sure you can afford it. I'm broke and I'm going to spend my money on ingredients for my dinner tonight anyway."

By the time Takumi finished brunch and shopping, the sun had begun its disgusting, late afternoon descent. The grocery bags he held sagged as he approached the dorm's door. He was barely able to afford the quantity of vegetables, meat, and cans of broth in the bags. The cold and weight he carried bit at his hands.

I hope it turns out well, thought Takumi. Pushing the door open, he noticed Leo sitting on his bed. Part of his comforter was wrapped around his shoulders. Suddenly Takumi noticed the room wasn't as warm as usual.

"Welcome back," said Leo. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"I'd say so. But man, it's cold out," said Takumi. He took a step forward—

One of the bags he held tore open, sending several cans of broth rolling. His chess set fell to the ground.

"Aw, shit." Takumi placed his bags down and went to pick one of the cans up.

"Quick, close the door!" said Leo. A look of concern was on his face as his eyes widened.

"Huh?" Takumi abandoned his pursuit and closed the door. "Is something wrong?"

"While you were gone…" Leo stood and walked over to the heater. He motioned to it. "…This stopped working."

Takumi shook his head as he collected the cans. "Damn it. I guess it was bound to happen at some point. Did Ike say when all the heaters would come back on?"

"It's on a room-by-room basis," said Leo. "Though a crew came and fixed all the heaters that went down a few weeks ago, that's not how it usually works. Normally you have to file an online request; I've already filled one out, and someone should be over tomorrow morning."

Takumi nodded.

"Ugh. I'm not looking forward to sleeping tonight." He moved to put the cans on a shelf. "Are you done studying?"

"Not quite. I'm taking a break," said Leo.

"That's good. You've been working hard this semester, haven't you?"

Leo's face reddened slightly; he took a slow step towards Takumi.

"I always work hard, and you know it, but…I'm glad you noticed."

Takumi felt his heart beat a little faster.

"How could I not notice? It's obvious."

"Of course it is," said Leo, taking another step.

For a room that had a broken heater, it sure was warm. Or was it just Takumi?

"Y-You are such an ass."

Leo was now inches away from Takumi.

"Takes one to know one. I don't care."

Leo was so close that Takumi could feel his breath on his face. Their eyes were now locked.

"Prove it."

Leo smirked.

"Just watch me." He walked past Takumi.

…H-Huh? Takumi felt a rapidly growing pain in his stomach. Was Leo trying to tease him, or…?

"Hey, is this what Oboro and Hinata gave you?"

Turning to look in Leo's direction, Takumi's stomach dropped. Leo stood at the door, holding the chess set that Oboro had given Takumi earlier; he'd completely forgotten that it landed on the floor.

"It was. Probably shattered into a thousand pieces when it fell out."

Leo opened the box and showed it to Takumi. The pieces were intact.

"Seems fine to me," said Leo. "Let's play it later."

So it didn't break after all. A fluttery feeling was in Takumi's stomach. It'd been a while since the two of them played a strategy game together.

"Y-Yeah…let's."

Placing the game on Takumi's bed, Leo went over to his own bed and reached under. He pulled out a rectangular object wrapped in violet paper.

"What's that?" asked Takumi.

"What do you think it is?" Leo smirked as he handed the gift to Takumi. "Happy birthday."

"Oh! Uh…" Takumi felt warmth enter his cheeks. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Leo's face was red once again. "It's…nothing too big. But I thought you'd like it."

He tore the paper off. A weighty, maroon book sat in his hands; sewn on the front was The Complete Poltergeist Guidebook. It was the same copy that he'd seen at the bookstore mere weeks ago. The price tag was gone, but Takumi remembered exactly how expensive it was.

"W-What do you think?" Leo was still. Was he actually anticipating Takumi's response? Didn't he know Takumi would approve?

"I love…" Takumi stopped. Confessing his feelings right here and now suddenly crossed his mind. This seemed like an opportune time. Could Leo be waiting for something? He sure looked the part. Do it. Do it. Do it. Takumi realized he was shaking; at that moment, his legs felt like they would collapse. He looked Leo in the eyes.

Leo stared with wide eyes, mouth curled into a half-smile, face blazing scarlet. He crossed his fingers together, holding them against his waist.

"I-I love…it." Fuck.

Leo's half-formed smile fell, eyes back to their usual state. His arms dropped as he weakly whispered, "Oh."

Takumi immediately regretted his decision at the sight of Leo's face. Could Leo tell that Takumi wanted to admit his feelings?

"I, uh, really appreciate it, Leo. That you would buy me this, despite the price and your own disbelief…"

Leo looked to his feet. "I'm…glad you like it. You were looking at it in the store, and…"

"I love it," Takumi repeated. "You don't look very happy. Did I upset you somehow?"

Leo shook his head. "…It's nothing."

Takumi shook his head as he placed his book down. He didn't want to deal with this, not right now. Gathering his groceries and taking a large stock pot, Takumi headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Leo, not looking at Takumi.

"Soup making. I'll be back in a bit," said Takumi as he opened the door.

Dropping several chopped peppers into the pot, Takumi began to stir his creation. A mixture of assorted vegetables and beef seemed to be an appropriate soup for the occasion, despite the prior situation. This was his birthday and he was going to enjoy himself regardless.

Even so, it was difficult to keep his mind off of Leo.

"What am I going to do…?" Takumi whispered to himself. He knew he ought to have confessed to Leo right there. But he couldn't help it. It felt…inappropriate to do so at the time, somehow.

He went through various cycles of stirring the soup, stopping, then stirring again; before long, the soup was ready. Takumi lifted his ladle and took a small sip.

"Good evening," a voice said.

Cringing, Takumi dropped the ladle. It landed back into the soup, sending splotches onto Takumi's face. The pot tipped slightly; some of the contents spilled and landed on the front of his shirt. "Shit!" His hands and chest felt like they were on fire as he quickly pushed the pot back upright. He ran to the sink and quickly splashed water on his hands and face.

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to see what you were up to." Ike wandered over to Takumi.

"W-When did you get here? I'm just cooking," said Takumi. "It's my birthday."

Ike nodded.

"I just got here. Happy birthday." He looked over at the pot. "It smells good …you've got quite a lot in that pot, don't you?"

"Yep," said Takumi, turning to face Ike. "I want to save most of it for tomorrow or some other time in the near future. It'll save having to go out in the cold to the cafeteria."

"Makes sense," said Ike. "Your shirt looks like it wants to stay in from the cold, too."

Takumi looked down at his shirt. It was covered in broth and vegetable chunks. "Damn it! This is my favourite shirt!" He pat the patch where the soup had spilled.

Ike shook his head.

"Unfortunately, it's going to have to stay like that for some time, unless you make your way to another residence. I returned from the laundry room not too long ago. Some students were doing an experiment in the laundry room earlier, and…well, three of the washing machines stopped working, and another one was completely destroyed. We won't be able to get repairs or a replacement until tomorrow."

"….You've gotta be kidding me," said Takumi. He leaned back against the counter. "Unbelievable. Broken heaters and broken washing machines. This place really is falling apart."

"That it is. I think I'm going to talk to someone about an upgrade sooner rather than later."

"I like that idea." Takumi touched his shirt once more and grimaced. "Whatever. I'll just wash and wring this out later in the bathroom."

The scent of boiling beef and onions lingered in the air as Takumi took the ladle to taste the soup again.

"You know, that soup smells like beef," said Ike.

"It is," said Takumi. He then remembered hearing about Ike's love of meat. There was a lot of soup... "Would you like some of it?"

Ike smiled. "Please."

Takumi scooped some of the soup into a nearby bowl. Taking a spoon, he placed it in the bowl and handed it to Ike.

"Thank you." Ike took a seat at a nearby table. He grinned after taking a sip. "This meal is like what I ate when I first took Soren out."

Soren? Wait a minute...Takumi knew Soren as one of Leo's rivals in DnD. He was one of Ike's closest companions, and they'd known each other for a long time. If Takumi remembered correctly, Soren was also Ike's boyfriend. He took a seat in front of Ike.

"Say, uh…I know this is sudden, but you are together with Soren, right?"

Ike put his spoon down and stared. "Yes. Did you forget?"

"No, no! I just…" Takumi noticed how sweaty his palms were. "I…I need some help. I've never confessed to a man before, and…"

Ike raised an eyebrow.

"You mean to tell me that you and Leo aren't together?"

Takumi brought a hand to his face. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because you might as well be together. I've noticed the way you look at each other during house meetings. I…thought I walked in on…that one time…"

Takumi knew his cheeks must've changed colour. "N-Nope, that was innocent."

Ike shot an incredulous look before taking another slurp of his soup.

Takumi hesitated before giving a quiet laugh. "Alright. You got me. It's Leo who I want to confess to, you see. I know you and Soren have been together for a long time, so…I was hoping you might have some advice for me…?"

"Oh…" Ike looked away, his face slightly pink. "If you're asking how Soren and I…got together, I don't think it'll work for you. I don't want to discuss that with you."

"O-Oh…" There goes that plan…

Ike dropped his spoon and stood.

"But I've got a suggestion. Just do it! Confess to him right there and then."

Takumi's attention snapped back to Ike. "H-Huh?"

"Just do it! Make your dreams come true!"

Takumi stood and took a step back. "N-Now hold on a moment…you don't even know what my situation is! You see, I had a picture I wanted to show, but…I-I mean, just doing it could work, considering that I'm fairly certain that he likes me back, but…well, um…"

"He likes you back? Where is your excuse, then?"

"But…I…" Takumi tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. It was true that Leo had hit on him in a drunken stupor and that Takumi was almost completely certain of Leo's feelings. But there was a tiny, tiny part of Takumi that still felt anxious. Leo was a man of action; why hadn't he confessed yet? And then there was the matter of Leo's exams. Takumi waited for an opportunity to tell him; yet, Leo still had one last exam in a few days. Admitting an attraction could either completely distract or help Leo in his study efforts.

The face Leo made after Takumi prevented himself from confessing reared into his mind. His stomach ached; it was unusual to see Leo act the way he did. It reminded Takumi of when Niles shoved Leo into him. And both times, there was something in that face Takumi couldn't quite figure out. Some sort of…expectation? Longing? Whatever it was, Takumi felt a tug in his chest. He didn't want to see that face again.

Not unless he could hold and kiss that face, anyway.

Confidence entered Takumi, coexisting with fear. There really was little room for doubt. Perhaps Ike's suggestion was worth a shot. The exam was still a few days away, anyhow.

"Well?"

Ike's voice brought Takumi back to reality.

"Er…yeah… Ike, I think you might be right. I should just do it." Damn, that was lame…

Ike smacked his fist into his palm. "Do it!"

Takumi put his hands on his hips and grinned. He looked Ike in the eye.

"I'm going to do it! Right now!"

Ike raised his hands and clenched his fists.

"Don't let your dreams be dreams!"

Takumi copied Ike. "Yeah! Thanks, Ike. I'm feeling a lot more confident now."

"Don't thank me, thank good old Shia," said Ike.

Takumi snorted as he walked over to the pot and put its lid on. He took the pot by its handles and stumbled backwards.

"Do you want a hand with that?" asked Ike.

"No, I got it," said Takumi, steadying himself and heading for the door. "I've done this many times before."

Ike went over and held the door open. "If you're sure. Good luck with Leo."

The door was unlocked, thankfully. Careful to place and pick up the pot again, Takumi entered the room.

Leo's back was turned. He was at his computer, the credits for an episode of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure on the screen. His notebook was open on the table next to him.

This was it. Leo only ever watched anime when he was taking a break. Takumi gently put the pot between the beds and moved towards Leo.

"Leo, I—"

"Shut the door." His tone was sharp.

Takumi groaned as he went over to the door and closed it. Hmm…so much for just doing it.

No response came from Leo.

Leaning against the door, Takumi signed. "You're awful moody tonight."

Leo took an earbud out of his ear. "Sorry, what?"

"H-How'd you notice me come in if you've got those in? I said, you're in a bad mood tonight!"

Still facing his computer, Leo rubbed his eyes. "I heard your voice, just not clearly. And…today's been kind of stressful for me. I don't think I'm going to study any more tonight, I can't focus."

Maybe waiting to confess was better after all. Fear now overcame confidence; it was time to think of something else.

"You're forgiven," said Takumi. "I, uh…hope you're hungry, 'cause I brought a lot of soup. I'll put some out on the table for you, if you'd like."

Leo nodded. "I would appreciate that."

"Got it."

Takumi went over to the cupboard and took out an ironing board, setting it up in front of the beds. Two bowls followed; Takumi filled both with soup and placed them on the board. He pulled a stool up to its side. "Okay, just wheel on over and it's ready."

Leo spun in his chair to face Takumi. His eyes were slightly red. "Thanks—hey, did you get some on your shirt?"

"I— damn." Takumi took his shirt off and threw it aside.

"…You've got quite the aim."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Takumi glanced at Leo; his shirt had landed on Leo's head. He put a hand over his mouth and began to snort. It didn't take long for Takumi to burst into laughter.

"Oh, come on! It's not that funny!" Leo's face was tomato-red as he took the shirt off his face.

Takumi continued to snicker as he went to take the shirt from Leo. Amused as he was, he recognized that doing so probably wouldn't earn him any favors. "Sorry. Let me get that for you."

"Unless, of course, you were aiming for me in the first place." Leo held the shirt out.

"Not this time," said Takumi. He shivered as he took the shirt; his fingers lightly brushed against Leo's hand.

"…Anyway." Leo scooted past Takumi in his chair and pulled up to the ironing board.

Before he went towards the board, Takumi noticed the notebook on Leo's desk. The pages appeared to be wet; small, slightly darker areas were all over the page, smudging some of the writing. In combination with those red eyes he noticed earlier…

Takumi's joy was instantly replaced with concern. Moving his stool, Takumi sat next to Leo. He placed his hand on Leo's shoulder. "You've been crying, haven't you? Tell me what's wrong."

Leo's eyes widened; he shook his head. "Nothing."

"Is this related to what happened earlier?"

Leo moved Takumi's hand. "I-I told you, it's nothing."

"You're lying. How many times have I seen you cry in the past year? Once, maybe twice? You only cry when there's a problem!"

"There isn't a problem." Leo's eyes narrowed slightly. "Leave it alone."

"Tell me!"

"N-No! Stop yelling!" cried Leo. He looked away. "There's no reason I should tell you. Not when you've failed to tell me about your issues lately."

"But Leo, I…you know I care about you, just like you care about me."

"Yeah? Well, tell me your problems, and I'll tell you mine! Why must you be like this, Takumi?"

"It's because I—" Takumi stopped himself. It was like déjà vu; once again Takumi was filled with the desire to confess to Leo on the spot. But it wasn't going to happen, not while they were arguing.

Leo looked Takumi in the eye. "What have you got to say for yourself?"

It physically pained Takumi to do so, but he decided not to press further.

"I…Fine. If that's how you feel, it can't be helped. I don't want to argue with you any more, Leo. " He took his stool and moved to the other side of the ironing board, sitting in front of his soup bowl.

"Good. I don't want to argue either." Leo rubbed his eyes again. "Now do you understand how I've felt these past few months?"

Takumi felt his stomach drop. Was this really how Leo felt?

"I…I think so. I'm sorry for upsetting you."

Leo pursed his lips. "…You don't have to apologize. Like I said, I'm stressed today. Let's eat."

They sat in silence as they ate. Takumi could hardly keep the soup down as he tried – and failed – to keep his mind off of what just happened. Why did it end up like this? Takumi wanted to enjoy the rest of his birthday; arguing with Leo was a step in the wrong direction.

Maybe Leo wouldn't be so upset the whole time. He moved his eyes to Leo's face. It was stony, hardly moving as he devoured his meal. It was such a deep concentration that, despite everything, Takumi felt himself smiling.

Leo stopped mid slurp and raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking about how you look when you're concentrating." He laughed weakly. "I like it."

"…Okay then." Leo finished his slurp.

"Uh…never mind that." Takumi felts his cheeks warm slightly. Searching for another topic, he remembered his chess set. "Hey, remember when you said we should play chess earlier? Let's play when we're done eating."

"…Sure," said Leo. He raised his spoon to his mouth. Stopping before putting it in his mouth, he gazed at Takumi. His face was slightly pink.

"Y-Your face…what's with it?" asked Takumi. Before he could stop himself he said, "Don't tell me…are you checking me out?"

"W-What? That's…if we're going to talk about embarrassing things, I think you forgot you weren't wearing a shirt. Why don't you put another shirt on?"

"Wha—" Takumi realized he was still shirtless. "…I don't feel like it. I'll put one on when I get cold."

Leo chuckled. "Alright then."

Takumi felt his chest warm. Leo hadn't exactly denied checking him out.

After they finished eating, Leo offered to wash the bowls out.

"Go for it," said Takumi. "I'll put the soup away, then get my chess and set it up. Are we playing on the table or the floor?"

Leo grinned as he pat the ironing board. "I think the floor would be good today. We really need to get a proper table at some point."

"Hey, it's served us well over the years, hasn't it? I'm broke; if you want something nicer, you should buy it yourself."

"I haven't got much more money than you do…I guess the board works fine," said Leo. He took the bowls and walked over to the bathroom.

"Alright, time to save this for later." Takumi lifted the pot and headed for the fridge.

Leo called from the washroom. "I'm glad there's still plenty of soup for later. It's going to be pretty cold for most of the week."

"Yeah— whoa!" Takumi stumbled over the stool, knocking the ironing board over in the process. Quickly maneuvering his body towards his bed, he let go of the pot. The sound of the pot opening and soup sloshing out made Takumi's heart stop. "Oh no…"

"Are you alright out there?" Leo left the washroom and helped Takumi up.

"I'm fine," said Takumi, averting his gaze from the bed. "But…look at my bed and tell me what you see. I don't want to look."

"It…looks like you've got some laundry to do," said Leo. "Guess we won't be eating any more soup in the next few days."

Takumi slowly looked at the bed. The pillows, sheets, and blankets were soaked in soup.

"God damn it!" Takumi shoved the pot to the side and yanked the sheets and blankets off his bed. He dragged them into the bathroom and threw them in the bathtub, running hot water over them. Wringing them with all his might, barely any of the soup was coming out. No matter how much he tried, there was too much to completely remove.

Leo came to his side.

"You've been in here for a few minutes. What are you doing? The bath's good for getting rid of some of the meat, but go throw them in the wash."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

Takumi explained what Ike told him earlier.

"Shoot. Of all the days…"

"You've got that right. I guess I'll have to wait." Takumi sighed as he threw his sheets over the shower railing. "It's too cold out. Not that I know anyone who'd be kind enough to let me in another residence anyway."

"Takumi…"

"I'll bet the mattress is soaked in soup too. I can't believe this." He sighed deeply. "This sucks."

"Hmm…" Leo wrapped his arm around Takumi's shoulder and led him back into the main room. "…You're going to hate this, but the best way to keep warm tonight is to sleep together. It's going to be even colder than it is now later. Regardless of whether the sheets are wet or not, sharing a bed is the best way to retain heat."

Takumi's heart began to beat faster. There was no way he would hate sharing a bed with Leo anymore, not after everything that had happened. Having wet sheets suddenly didn't seem so bad.

"I set our game up while you were in the bathroom, by the way."

"Ah…" Takumi took a seat on the ground, next to the chessboard. "Thanks for that."

"No worries." Leo wrapped his comforter around himself and took a seat on the other side.

"Black as usual, huh?"

"You sat by the white side. I had no choice in the matter." Leo winked.

Takumi smiled.

"True. Alright, let's get this started!" He moved one of his pawns forward by one space.

Leo responded by moving one of his knights out.

"You know, I think I was hungry," said Leo. "I feel a lot better now."

"I'm glad." So he is feeling better, huh…

"You've got quite the grin on your face right now," said Leo. He took his phone out of his pocket. The sound of a camera shutter went off.

"H-Huh?"

"Look."

Leo turned his phone around and showed Takumi the picture. His smile was wide and his face was red.

"Ew, delete that!"

"No way."

It was then that Takumi realized he still had the pictures Niles gave him. They were under his bed, sitting untouched for the past couple of weeks. Trying to keep his mind off of confessing to Leo during the exam period had caused Takumi to completely forget about them. Even when Ike gave his advice, they failed to cross his mind. He'd been too caught up in the moment, he supposed. It would be nice to use the picture, since he already had it.

Perhaps a confession could come at some point that night after all.

"Uh, Takumi? You look like you're just staring into space. It's your move."

"I'll do it!" shouted Takumi before registering what Leo said. "I mean, I'll make my move. Just a minute."

Throughout the game, Takumi considered the timing of his confession once again. Leo didn't seem as irritable as he was earlier, and there would be no more studying today. Confidence was overcoming fear yet again. Surely Leo wouldn't deny him the privilege to share beds afterwards, not when it was cold out. The best thing to do was to catch Leo while he was still feeling somewhat affable.

After the game would be a good choice, Takumi thought.

Leo moved his rook two horizontal spaces, placing it six spaces vertically from Takumi's king.

"Check."

Takumi moved one of his bishops directly in front of Leo's rook.

"Really, Takumi? Check." Leo tapped the bishop with his rook and took it off the board. "Unbelievable. You could've taken my rook out with your other bishop, you know."

"If I could've done that, then you failed to consider that yourself at first."

Leo blushed before shaking his head.

"I-It's been a while since I played chess! Anyway, you're way better than this. You seem, I don't know…distracted."

"D-Do I?" No, his feelings had to wait. While trying to think of an excuse, Takumi noticed how cool the air in the room had gotten. "Well, uh…I'll admit I'm feeling cold." He moved to get a shirt.

"Don't," said Leo.

Takumi stopped and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, don't? You're the one who said I should put another shirt on."

"T-That's true, but…I don't think it will keep you warm enough." Leo moved part of his comforter aside. "Come sit with me. Wrapping my blanket around yourself and being next to me will make you warm fast."

Takumi dashed to Leo's side and sat. He wrapped the comforter around himself and moved as close to Leo as he thought acceptable, brushing his knee against him.

"Wow," said Leo. "You acted rather quickly."

"W-Well…I really am cold. I want to warm up as soon as possible."

"…Are you sure you're cold? You feel extremely hot to me."

"H-Huh?" Takumi touched his leg; it was, in fact, quite warm. "I guess I'm cold on the inside."

"Oh, you're cold on the outside alright." Leo smirked. "Just not physically."

"Shut up," said Takumi.

They proceeded further into the game. Takumi continued to make poor mistakes in anticipation of finally – finally! – making a proper, calculated attempt at telling Leo how he felt. Being right next to him wasn't helping; though it was difficult to tell whether it was being with Leo or because of how intense the body heat was, Takumi felt extremely hot.

Soon, only a few pieces were left on the board; aside from their kings, Takumi's knight, bishop, and rook remained, along with Leo's queen.

"Despite all your follies, looks like I'm in a bit of a pinch here," said Leo. He moved his queen to Takumi's rook and took it off the board.

Takumi pat Leo's shoulder.

"It's time for the bishop's revenge!" He moved his remaining bishop and knocked Leo's queen over. "There's nowhere for your king to go! CheckMATE!"

Leo stared at the board. "Wow, Takumi. I wouldn't have expected this, given how you've been…"

"You're right," said Takumi. "I didn't do as well as I usually do this game. But Leo, you're a chess master…I find it hard to believe you'd let this happen.

"Well…" Leo blushed. "…If I said I wasn't giving it all I could, I'd be lying. I think I was a little distracted myself. Still, it was nice to play after not having done so in a while. Even if we screwed it up…good game, Takumi." His eyes met Takumi's as he smiled.

Takumi grinned back. With a face like that, there was no way he couldn't confess to Leo. For so long, Takumi had anticipated this moment. The game was over and Leo still appeared to be relaxed; it was time. He took a deep breath.

"Okay, Leo. I admit it. Something's been on my mind."

Leo's smile fell. Not into a frown, but into a look of interest. "Oh?"

"Yeah." He leaned over and stuck his hand beneath his bed, searching for Niles's pictures. Feeling the thin package, Takumi pulled the envelope out. "There's something I want to show you."

"What is it?" Leo reached for the envelope.

"Don't touch!" Takumi smacked Leo's hand away. "There's some things in here that you aren't allowed to see. Not yet, anyway."

Leo clicked his tongue. "What could possibly be in there that you don't want me to see…?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Takumi sifted through the pictures, ensuring that he didn't accidentally pull out the wrong one. Knowing that his naked selfie lay within, he searched with extreme caution.

Finally, the picture he was looking for showed itself.

Takumi handed Leo the picture. "Do you remember this picture?"

Leo's expression softened.

"Why wouldn't I? It's one of my favourites." Leo scratched his head. "But why are you showing this to me?"

One of his favourites. Perfect. Takumi put his hand on Leo's leg.

"I was…I was thinking about us. About how close we are. And how I want us to remain this close as long as possible."

Leo gave the picture back to Takumi. He looked away.

"…I wish it were possible, Takumi. I really do."

Uh oh.

"…What are you suggesting?"

"These days…" Leo swallowed. "They can't last forever."

"I-I didn't say forever." Takumi removed his hand from Leo. "B-But…"

"Then what do you mean?" Leo shook his head.

Takumi felt a familiar, crushing pain. It was like he'd been stabbed in the chest with an icicle. He felt like his heart was literally going to break. No. No. No. This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out.

"I feel like we've been fighting a lot lately. I don't want to fight anymore, Takumi. If we continue in this direction, our parting will probably be much sooner—"

"We can patch things up!"

"Sure we can, if there's a will. But we're going to have to drift apart eventually."

"Are you suggesting I have no will to reconcile?" Takumi crossed his arms. "I would love to reconcile, but you're not letting me! Don't talk about drifting apart so quickly, as if we only met months ago! You're not taking this seriously!"

"Believe me, I'm taking this quite seriously."

"No you're not!"

Leo balled his fists.

"Takumi, we're going to have full-time jobs eventually. Though similar, our career paths are different. The chances of us living near each other are highly unli—"

"So what? This is the age of the internet, we'll keep in contact!"

"Of course we'll keep in contact," said Leo. He threw the comforter, taking it off himself and Takumi. "You're my friend, Takumi. My best friend. You of all people should be supportive of me, wherever life takes me!"

"Of course I support you!" cried Takumi. "But I don't want to do it from afar, I want to do it by your side!"

"Then you're wasting your time." Leo stood and walked towards the door.

"I don't care, I want you close to me no matter what!"

"W-Why are you so insistent on being near me?" Leo leaned on the door.

"Because I love you!"

Staring at Takumi with wide eyes, Leo's mouth hung open. His face was the reddest Takumi had ever seen it.

"You what?"

It was Leo's face that made Takumi realize what he just said.

Oh…oh…no…Takumi gasped as he felt his heart stop; he put his hands over his mouth. After all this time, all this worry and planning, it slid right out; during an argument, no less! He wanted to run away as far as possible, to curl up and sob until he couldn't move anymore. Takumi's vision blurred as tears began to fall.

Pain shot through Takumi's body. Regardless of how he felt, there was no turning back now.

"I-I said, I l-love you!"

Leo moved away from the door. Taking slow steps towards Takumi, Leo closed his eyes. When he reached Takumi, they opened again. "You…love me…as a friend, right?"

Takumi brought himself to his feet and put his hands on Leo's shoulders.

"No! You don't understand! I'm in love with you! Being just friends isn't enough for me!"

Leo continued to stare. A tear rolled down his cheek as he looked away.

"B-But…why, Takumi? There are far better suitors out there than me."

"I don't believe that." Takumi moved one of his hands and touched Leo's cheek. "You're the only one for me, Leo!"

"But I'm an asshole," said Leo. "I used to harass you when we were younger. I'm a stuffy know-it-all. I'm a liar. I hang out with an undesirable crowd. I…I'm sure there's plenty of other reasons you wouldn't want me."

"Keep coming up with reasons as much as you want, Leo, but that's not going to change anything." Takumi ran his fingers through Leo's hair. "Nobody understands me like you do, and nobody understands you like I do! Isn't that reason enough? I want to be next to you for all these years to come!"

Leo brought his gaze to Takumi's. He looked as if he were about to burst into tears.

"Is this why you've been so unwilling to tell me some things lately?"

Takumi kissed Leo's forehead.

"Yes, Leo." Takumi found himself momentarily staring at Leo's lips before turning his attention to Leo's eyes. "All those things, from Niles doing something to my phone and beyond…were related to my feelings for you."

Leo began to sob.

"T-Takumi…" Leo pulled him close, into a hug. He stroked Takumi's still-shirtless back. "Oh, Takumi…I-I don't know how to say this, but…I love you too. I've loved you for as long as I can remember. To have these feelings reciprocated all this time…what have I done to deserve having someone like you in my life?"

"I could say the same thing," said Takumi. He held Leo even closer, hoping he could feel the love in his embrace. "God, Leo. I love you. I love you more than anyone else."

"Y-You don't seem all that surprised," said Leo. "Why…?"

Takumi pressed his hands into Leo's upper back.

"O-On Camilla's birthday…you told me you loved me. You were drunk, and…I couldn't bring myself to tell you how I felt. Exams were coming up, and…I didn't want to put any more stress on you than necessary."

Leo let Takumi go. A mortified look was on his face, though it was soon replaced with laughter. "Trust me, Takumi, telling me your feeling has lifted a huge burden off my shoulders. I wish I could've told you my feelings for the first time without being intoxicated, but…I guess there's no helping it."

"That reminds me," said Takumi. "I'm a bit surprised that you didn't try confessing to me first. While sober, I mean."

"Trust me, I had good reason for that." Leo embraced Takumi once more, burying his face into the crook of his neck. "Despite it all, you're still my best friend. I didn't want to lose that. To be perfectly honest…I picked up the signs of your attraction. But I wasn't certain. I was…afraid."

"But there's no reason to be afraid now," said Takumi. "Both of us know now. I've wanted to confess to you for a long time, Leo."

"Same to you." Leo raised his head and gazed into Takumi's eyes.

Takumi leaned up, lightly bringing his lips to Leo's. Leo pressed his mouth against Takumi's, forcing a harder kiss. Leo's lips were tender and soft; Takumi didn't want to stop feeling them any time soon. It didn't take long for him to slide his tongue into Leo's mouth.

Leo moaned as he responded with his own tongue.

The sensation of tongue against tongue caused Takumi to squeak.

Leo removed his lips and grinned.

"Ah, Takumi…how long has it been since I wanted to do that to you? I can't say."

"Mhmm." Takumi reached down and grabbed the envelope full of pictures. He took a seat on Leo's bed. "Would you like to look at these?"

"If there's any more of you, then absolutely." Leo sat next to Takumi, leaning against his shoulder.

The first picture Takumi pulled out was of Takumi showing off his bow.

"I can't believe I get to rub those muscles," said Leo.

Takumi laughed as he pulled another picture out. It was of Hinoka on her horse, Takumi falling off the back.

"…That's an embarrassing one," said Takumi.

"It's not too bad," said Leo. "But whatever you do, don't show Camilla that one."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because your sister is her type," said Leo. "If she saw that, she'd beg you to introduce her to her."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Hey, what's that picture poking out?"

Takumi looked at the envelope and noticed the corner of one picture sticking out above the others. He pulled it out and – lo and behold – it was the fucking naked selfie.

"Aw, geez!" Takumi cover his face with his hand. "Of all the pictures…I swear this picture is going to haunt me forever."

Leo kissed Takumi's cheek.

"I like it. If you don't want it, I think I'd like to keep it." He took the picture out of Takumi's hands and placed it to the side.

"Go ahead," said Takumi.

Leo began to stroke Takumi's hair.

"Say…I'd love to see you in that position."

"R-Really…?" Takumi felt the blood rush to his groin.

"Right now, preferably." Leo kissed Takumi and began to stroke the front of his pants.

Takumi felt his erection grow larger by the second. "D-Don't you want to remove my pants first?"

"More than anything. I wanted to ensure that you were okay with it first, though."

Takumi could've squealed with delight. To finally experience Leo's touch – and to allow Leo to do what he wanted to do that night at Camilla's party, except fully sober – aroused Takumi even further.

"Please," said Takumi. "I want you, Leo. I've never wanted anything more than this in my life."

Leo chuckled. "Prepare yourself."

Within moments, Takumi's pants and undergarments were on the floor. Takumi lay back, stretching his body out for Leo to get a full glimpse.

Leo smirked as he tapped the tip of Takumi's shaft. "You look tastier than a tomato," said Leo. He leaned down—

"Wait!" Takumi sat. "We need protection! Ike gave me some condoms at the start of the semester…I think they're under my bed."

"Right." Leo stood went over to Takumi's bed. He reached under and pulled a condom out. "You keep a lot of stuff under there, don't you?"

"Where else am I going to keep some of my stuff?"

Takumi waited as Leo unwrapped the condom. "I really hope it fits."

Leo slowly pulled the condom over Takumi's member. It didn't quite reach its base.

"A bit small, but big enough for me to do what I'd like."

Soon Leo's mouth was around Takumi's cock. As Leo's tongue moved up and down, Takumi's thoughts remained solely on Leo. It was hard to believe that this was actually happening. Yet, it was undeniable that it was. The sensations were far too real, too concrete. Within Leo's gentle movements, Takumi felt a true passion, an unbridled desire; the culmination of everything of Takumi wanted. Here was Leo, as in love with Takumi as ever and unafraid to show it.

First, Takumi felt himself arch. And then—the sweet release of climax. Waves of pleasure rolled through Takumi's body, causing him to breathe deeply.

The removal of the condom tickled.

"So, how was that?" asked Leo, holding the used condom.

Takumi sat and grinned.

"It was amazing. I felt…incredible."

"That's good."

A second later, Takumi noticed Leo's own erection. "Hey, do you want some help with that?"

Leo tossed the condom to the side and smirked. "Only if you take my pants off for me, as I did for you."

Takumi pulled Leo's pants off; he wore no underpants. His member was raring to go.

"Whoa," said Takumi. "It's beautiful."

"Of course it is. Only someone like me could have such an impressive girth."

Takumi continued to stare at Leo's erection. "What would you like me to do?"

"Touch me with your hands," said Leo. "If you stroke me…there won't be the need for a condom. Meaning we don't have to get up."

"Sounds good to me," said Takumi.

He brought his hand down to Leo's dick and began to rhymically stroke it. It didn't take long for Leo to come; his seed spilled onto the bed sheets.

"…Okay, either I'm really good or you were much hornier than I was," said Takumi.

"It was both, probably." Leo lay back on the bed. "Either way, I'm beat. Let's go to bed."

Takumi leaned over the bed and grabbed the comforter. He lay back and pulled it over himself and Leo.

Rolling onto his side, Takumi felt his chest warm. Knowing Leo for all those years, having experienced so many ups and downs…finally, there were no more secrets. With both a romantic and physical passion for each other, how could there be? Despite the transformation from mere friends to something further, Takumi had never felt more pleased to call Leo his closest friend.

Leo rolled over to face Takumi.

"Hey, Takumi…I hope you had a good birthday."

Takumi moved closer to Leo and kissed him.

"It was the best birthday I've ever had."

Leo kissed Takumi back.

"That's good. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Oh, Leo…" Takumi wrapped his arms around him. "Since you're my best friend, and now my lover…promise me you'll stay by my side, for as long as possible…"

"I promise, Takumi. I'm not going anywhere."