perfectteatime | Victory Road Inbox

Listen, he can deal with strange. Especially when it comes in the form of someone accepting Shiro's own hangups, strangeness. The simple thank you has him all but glowing. The smile threatening to break his face.

And can't help the laugh. He almost feels like a stupid teenager again, sneaking off for an evening.

"'Like a lot'?" His forehead is pretty much resting against Byleth's. "You know... sure."

Oh yes. It's smooching time. To his credit, Byleth reigns his hedonistic ways in. Each kiss is soft and undemanding, the invitation of parted lips is there, but he doesn't insist on it. Interspersed with affectionate bumps of his nose and the occasional soft, amused hum. One hand staying to hold Shiro's and the other sliding back further to scratch gently at the short hair at the back of his head.

He breathes slow and easy. He wants this to be relaxing above all else. A retreat, not feeling like a test or some kind of trial to pass. He'll kiss Shiro as long as the man lets him. When he finally does pull back, a much bigger smile on his face.

"I hope... that I can offer you a place of rest with me. If ever you need a moment of solace. Which is to say- ahh. If you can bear my unusual relationship practices. I- well. Some in my mercenary company, before I came to be a teacher- they shared many partners. I tend toward the same... though I understand if it's not comfortable. I want you to be at ease, most of all." He clears his throat. "What I'm trying to ask is. Ah. That if you are okay with that kind of thing, I would like to try to be a good... partner. Boyfriend? I'd like to be your boyfriend."

His hand briefly squeezes Shiro's.

"You don't have to answer right now. And we can talk about it more if you'd like, whenever you like. But I really do like you a lot. You are gentle, kind, and mild. I want to be able to give you what happiness I can."

Smooching time is... very good. Extremely good. He can't stop smiling, through the whole while. He's more hesitant than Byleth, but not complaining. Not even a little bit. His free hand wraps around Byleth's shoulders, holding him in place - careful not to hold too tightly, even if he wants to cling onto this for ages. And not ever let go.

This feels really good. Really, really good. And not just the kissing. There's the closeness, the warmth. There's the smile on Byleth's face. He's missed this. Missed a connection with someone.

Frankly, he was about to say something stupid or thank him again, but Byleth's speech cuts him off. Probably for the best. His expression turns wide-eyed, the more the other man speaks. Whatever he was expecting here, that wasn't it. Shared partners doesn't surprise him nearly as much as the rest of the speech. He's just kind of staring, he realizes, belatedly.

"Boyfriend...?"

No, he needs to actually process the rest of it. But he's sure if he thinks about it longer, there's going to be tears in his eyes. Ah - no. There he goes. It's like Byleth just reached into his constant concerns, the loneliness of the last few years, and offered an answer. Take your time, we can talk - what reality did this man walk out of and is he even real?

"You - you really want that?"

"Well... yeah. If you'd have me, and you don't mind that I keep other partners. Of course, you would be free to as well. But ah... that aside. Yeah. I would like to be your boyfriend- oh!" He sees the tears well up in Shiro's eyes and moves to comfort him, gently swiping his thumb under to steal the wetness away.

"Ahh sorry. Maybe I should have waited until after the date... I hope it isn't too much to think about right now. I just- I got excited." Even though it's very hard to tell when he is, "Are you all right? Here-" He reaches in, pulling out his handkerchief, because he comes from a time at which those were a thing that people carried around.

"We can take things at whatever pace you want, even if you need some time or you decide it's too much."

"No - No, it's - I'm fine... I'm not upset."

How can he be? How could he be upset when there are hands to brush tears away? When someone is just so... blatantly upfront and careful with him. For pete's sake, the man carried a handkerchief and was offering it to him. How did you not get a little worked up over that?

"I'm not upset, I'm - " He pauses, accepting the handkerchief, and actually laughing a bit at himself. Despite the dampness in his eyes, he's smiling. "I'm really. Really touched."

He knows it's not an answer, just give him a second. He really should think about it a little more. But - Byleth is just so sincere and earnest and ...

"And I think... I think I'd like that. Very much."

Well now Byleth looks downright joyful. If you asked any of his students they'd tell you its' a momentous event! It's rare for him to crack a wide smile much less a grin like he has right now.

"Yes! Oh this is just- oh wow, my heart is like. Going! All crazy. But it feels nice." Shiro gets a tight hug, and a moment later, Byleth perks up again, looking to the sky.

"Ah-! Look at that... it's starting."

Oh that? That is a lovely smile. It makes Byleth look even more handsome, honestly. It probably shouldn't be legal to be this worked up over a smile, or have his heart feel like it wants to pop out of its chest.

Maybe he really is rusty.

The hug is returned, just as tightly. His face ends up buried in Byleth's shoulder for a moment, caught up in everything, enjoying this. Too happy to actually speak. Hopefully it comes across in the hug.

"Oh-!" He... does not actually let go. Just pulls back enough to look at the sky. The little streaks of light like rain. "Here's hoping there's a Minior up there!"

"Wow... this is. Amazing." As the shower picks up, Byleth is treated to the real thing for the first time in his life. He's transfixed for a while, gazing up at the little falling streaks.

"If there is, I hope it doesn't hurt when they fall."

Judging by the trajectory of some of them though, they are likely to be Pokemon. Some bright flashes as they land in the surrounding areas.

"They'll be fine, Byleth. They're tough little guys..."

He squeezes Byleth's hand. And then... tugs him up. Both of them up. Shiro hasn't stopped smiling for one moment, but now it seems like he's grinning even more.

"Let's go check the craters!"

He lets Shiro tug him to his feet. It feels nice, like he's a kid again almost. Shiro's excitement is contagious.

"All right!"

It does take some searching around to find them, but after a while they do start to find craters. Most are empty, but at the bottom of one is a small, round stone-looking thing. It trembles and shakes in it's impact spot.

"Is... that one?"

Frankly, Shiro looks like a kid on Christmas. No matter how many craters they check out, he's always sliding down into the depressions, then scrambling back up again. Always eager to check out the next one.

So, when they actually find one, he just looks ecstatic.

"I think so!" He squeezes Byleth's hand, nudges him forward a bit. "Go give it a hand."

Watching Shiro so excited and happy is honestly just. The best. The unbridled enthusiasm is so charming. When they do find one, and Shiro nudges him forward, he gives a determined nod before climbing down into the crater. Kneeling down to the trembling rock, he places a hand on it, quickly pulling away.

"It's hot..." Hm. Taking off his overcoat, he uses that to cover it so he can help pull it from where it seems to be stuck in the ground. With a few tugs, it pops loose, and Byleth falls back. The outer shell crumbling away to reveal a soft, pastel green Minior, peering and jiggling at him curiously. For a moment all he can do is stare before he remembers- ah. Right.

"Uh. Hey. I'm Byleth. Some people back at home used to call me the Fell Star, so I think we have something in common. I can't imagine that fall felt good, but if you'd like to, you can come with me and I'll take care of you. I'll give you lots of nice food, and you can play with a lot of other Pokemon. I won't make you do anything you don't want to, either. What do you say?" A moment of pause as it does seem to consider his offer, before wobbling and bobbing in affirmation happily.

He presents a pokeball in his open hand, and as if knowing exactly what it wants to do, it taps the button on the front, and is pulled inside. The ball doesn't shake, simply locks right away.

"Shiro! Shiro it wanted to come with me!" He scrambles up the side of the crater, now a bit dusted in dirt, but no worse for the wear as he presents the now occupied ball. "I can't believe it- It's so cute... I love it." He pauses, and then whispers to the ball, "I love you."

Oh no.

Oh no. This is... so cute. This is so endearing. If Shiro hadn't been shedding tears a moment ago, he would be right now. Watching Byleth so carefully scoop up the little Minior, seeing which color ends up appearing... it reminds him of the last time he'd been out during a Minior shower.

And, somehow, that hurt is only a dull ache. It doesn't stab him in the chest anymore. Instead, the closed-up feeling in his throat is only warmth. Because this is the sweetest thing he's ever seen.

He very nearly cheers when the pokeball closes.

"You... you are incredible," is all he can manage when Byleth clambers up to join him. "That - that was so sweet, I ... "

No, you know what, he's going to wrap an arm around Byleth's waist and pull him in for a smooch.

"Huh? It's how I get all of my pokem-" Oh. Okay kissing now. Good. He returns it, the closed pokeball still held in his hands between them. Ah. That was... very nice. It's been a good while since he felt this kind of warmth. When they part, he smiles, a bit more shy than before.

"Did... ah. Did you want to catch one, too?" It seemed unfair to go about this whole business just for him. Though getting to be with Shiro was plenty on it's own. He'd say the date is going very well now.

"I wonder what to name it..."

Maybe he should have waited until Byleth put the ball away, but, well. He's the type to get caught up in the moment and all. There's no hiding his own delighted expression, either, or the faint color to his cheeks.

"I've got one. Little purple guy... his name is Quasar."

Shiro's more than happy to spread the Minior love. Especially with someone like this. With a... with his boyfriend.

Wow.

"Quasar's a space term. You... could name it something like Nova? Comet?"

"A space term..."

He thinks for a moment. Oh is he thinking. Hold on a minute-

Yes!

"In my world, the things you call 'months', we call 'moons'. Each one has a unique name. I'm going to name it... Ethereal. After Ethereal Moon. That is what people here call 'December'. And December is when we met." A pause, as he looks up to the bright disk in the sky. "Ethereal Moon."

Hold on a minute is right.

"That's ... You're definitely one of the sweetest guys I've ever met."

The thoughtfulness. The care, the ... everything. He needs a minute here. Maybe it really has been too long since he'd been dating anyone, but this has just blown his heart up and out of the water.

"I'd - be honored if you named if after that."

"...I am?"

Head tilt. He just does as he likes, but it's nice to know that Shiro likes who he is. He supposes, that's the point of dating someone. You like them. Duh.

"So it shall be. Ethereal." Ah, Shiro sure is looking at him. In a way. It brings a bit of color to his face. "Do... you want to go back and maybe have something to eat? Warm up?"

"Yeah... you are. You really are."

It really warms his heart. In ways he was pretty sure it wouldn't be any more. It shouldn't be such a shock, but Byleth just keeps on surprising him. Deep breaths, don't get overwhelmed here, just because a lovely man is being even more lovely.

Okay. He's got this. "That sounds great. I'll buy. I know a coffee shop that stays open later."

Of course he does.

"Well. I could say the same for you, you know." Because he's not going down without Shiro on this.

"That sounds wonderful. Let's do it." Holding out his hand to take Shiro's, he feels optimistic about this. This... this will be good. For both of them, he thinks. His determination to look after this man and make him happy is stronger than ever.

( so yes wrap )

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