Untouchable

Disclaimer: Even if I owned it I couldn't make these boys gayer.

Naoji couldn't help but notice how Lui's pajamas were much like their owner. As he stood pouring the other man's nightly cup of tea, he allowed his gaze to stray over the dark purple fabric.

The silk material, much like Lui, was opulent and smooth, but created with handcrafted care for durability. The pajamas clearly said, "You can't afford me." Much like their wearer…

Everything about Lui's demeanor was noble and aristocratic, making him about as approachable as a porcupine. The only people to see him at his most personable were Camus and Naoji. And sometimes Naoji wondered if this was because Lui saw him the same as he saw Camus, someone in need of his protection. It galled him, as much as personality would allow, thinking that that's all he was to Lui.

Lui looked up from the book he was staring at. He wouldn't say reading because he'd be damned if he could even remember the book's title, let alone what it was about. He had felt the brunet's eyes on him off and on all evening, and even before tonight, and it was starting to get disconcerting.

"Naoji…" He said tersely, catching the other man's attention. Naoji looked up guiltily, a frown creasing his features.

"Yes, Lui?" He stood holding the teapot tightly.

"You've been pouring tea into that cup for the last minute and a half, over flowing the cup, the table, and the carpet…" Lui pointed out, with no small amount of amusement. In fact, the corners of his lips may have even twitched up slightly in what could have been the beginning of a smile.

Horrified, Naoji set down the pot and fled the room, only to return inconceivably quickly with a small stack of towels.

"I'm so sorry Ludwig-sama." He whispered as he sopped up the cooling liquid, unconsciously slipping into the more formal speech he had used upon first meeting Lui. He looked up only when gloved hands holding another towel joined his in absorbing the tea from what was probably a priceless rug. "Lui!"

Lui just stared impassively as he continued to help, despite Naoji's stuttered protests that he shouldn't.

When at last the mess was cleaned up and the wet towels were left in a hamper for the maids to collect, Naoji moved as if to fetch another pot of tea, as what was left of the first had long since gone cold.

"Naoji."

Once more Lui's voice rang out authoritatively, halting the other man's trek across the room.

As Naoji stopped, he wondered what it was about Lui that made him at the same time submissive and yet stronger than he was on his own. When he didn't speak, he heard Lui sigh almost inaudibly, a sound of impatience Naoji knew he made in front of no one else.

"Forget the tea, I don't care. Sit down." He paused for a moment before adding a softer, "Please…" taking the sting from his sharply spoken demand.

The brunet's jaw clenched slightly at the command, but relaxed at the attempt at civility. Lui was unused to not getting his way, but where Naoji was concerned, and Camus as well, he was usually a little more relaxed. Turning, he made his way back to the round table and sat down opposite Lui. However, he didn't raise his eyes, instead choosing to stare in seemingly deep contemplation at the tabletop.

Lui huffed once in annoyance, tugging at the cuffs of his sleeping gloves in a rare display of irritation. It was a habit that he was unaware of doing, although Naoji had seen it a few times - usually after an argument with Orpherus, and only if the long-haired man had 'lost' said argument.

"Why are you so distracted?" He finally asked, causing a small smile to lift Naoji's lips. Trust Lui to go straight for the kill. The only problem was that Naoji was reluctant to reveal the direction of his thoughts. At best the other man would laugh at him, and at worst he would be forced to leave the academy and be shipped back to Japan.

"I've been worried about the Headmaster," he replied, just as Lui was about to repeat his question. Technically what he said wasn't a lie, but while he was worried, selfishly, he had been thinking more lately about Lui than he had about the well-being of the school's former leader.

Almost as if Lui sensed that Naoji's answer was not the whole truth, he waited silently. It was a technique designed to make the other person uncomfortable and force them to speak more in order to fill the awkward silence that filled the air.

Fortunately for Naoji, and unfortunately for Lui, he was immune to this tactic, having witnessed Lui use it on many new potential Strahl candidates.

Eyes narrowing, Lui leaned forward, elbows resting on the table as he thought. He liked the other man, more than he probably should, and the only reason he could think of for Naoji's recent distraction – having been guilty of it himself – was that the other man was in love. The only other option was illness, and Lui was positive that Naoji would have said something had he been sick.

"Are you in love?" He asked, much more angrily than he had intended, as the jealousy he felt burned like bile in the back of his throat. When Naoji's head jerked up in surprise and twin spots of red graced his normally pale cheeks, anger bloomed in Lui's vision, wondering who had managed to catch his loyal friend's attention.

Naoji couldn't stop the heat that filled his face as Lui asked angrily. How could he have known? He had thought no one had noticed, with the exception of the inconveniently perceptive Ed, and the almost always knowing Camus. His throat worked convulsively as thoughts tumbled in his mind. What to say?

Taking Naoji's silence for assent, Lui's hands tightened reflexively. He had never been angrier, and it ate at him to think it was over something as trivial as love.

"Who is it?" The words slipped out of their own accord. He didn't want to know, and yet he did. Knowing would mean he'd have to see the person in class and everywhere else, and resist the urge to grab them and snarl, mine!

He was surprised to see the effect his question had on Naoji. The other man finally looked up, surprise painted his features, eyes wide.

Naoji could have almost wept with relief. He didn't know. Then why was he so angry? The new thought slammed into his brain suddenly. If Lui was not angry at the thought of another man being in love with him, then why? Could it be possible he was, of all things, jealous! There was only one way to find out. And as mean as it was, it would also give him a chance to play with the usually impossible-to-affect man. Suddenly nervous at what he was about to do, Naoji combed his fingers through his normally neatly contained hair, let down from its usual ponytail in preparation for sleep.

"Do I know her?" Lui asked, breaking through the silence, too impatient to wait for Naoji to speak.

"Him."

Lui blinked in surprise.

"And yes you do, quite well in fact." The brunet added to the stunned silence. The corners of his lips curved in a smile of amusement at the baffled look on Lui's face. His kingdom for a camera…

Lui's mind raced as he recalled their mutual acquaintances, sifting through interactions and wondering whose eyes Naoji had met for just a little too long, whom he had found more amusing than others, but he came up blank.

Enjoying himself now when he saw no rancor in Lui's manner at the fact that the person he loved was male, Naoji spoke again. "He's very eloquent, even when arguing, but he hates to lose. He's also quite popular."

Mentally crossing both Eduard and Camus off his list, as well as almost all the others, all that was left was---

"Orpherus!" He practically yelped, before coughing to hide his unplanned outburst. But seriously… That man? When it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he and Eduard were anything but 'just friends'.

Naoji's jaw practically dropped at the conclusion that Lui had leapt to, immediately dropping his game as he started to laugh helplessly, head tilted back and hands covering his face to muffle the noise.

By the time he had finished laughing, Lui was looking both confused and uncertain. After all, if Naoji wasn't in love with Orpherus, then who? There were very few students in this school that Lui knew well who fit the description Naoji had given him. In fact, besides Orpherus, the only other person Lui could think of… was him. His eyes widened, surely that wasn't the case. After all, Naoji had never shown any sort of emotional attachment to him… except maybe the constant companionship, and silent tolerance of his snobbery.

Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. All the looks, the small smiles that the brunet showed no one else, the comfort in his company… Naoji was in love with him And he was pretty sure that he was close to loving him back. After all, he did have an unhealthy measure of liking for the other man, and that was a start.

"… me?" He asked tentatively, not sure how he was planning to deal with the answer, but not wanting the silence that had filled the room to grow. This was probably the first time in his life that he had been anything but assertive, and it made him uncomfortable. He was used to knowing what he wanted and going after it. Instead he was adrift, being tossed between wanting this emotional attachment, and being disgusted with himself for being so weak.

Naoji's eyes slid closed as his mouth curved up in a happy smile. "And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one, Lui." He chided playfully, amused that for once he had the upper hand with the aristocratic man. It was something he planned on taking advantage of, because he wasn't sure that he would ever be in this position again.

Lui blushed slightly, mortified, and then blushed harder when he realized he was blushing. Coughing slightly to try and hide his discomfort, he asked the question that popped into his head "Why?"

Knowing what the other man was asking – after all, spend enough time around someone and you're usually bound to know the direction of their thoughts a great deal of the time, and right now Lui was as easy to read as a grade school primer – Naoji's smile widened. "Why am I in love with you?" He asked back, enjoying the way Lui squirmed at the word love. "I have no idea. After all, it's not like you're the kind of person who inspires that kind of emotion. You're as personable as an iron post on good days, and have enough attitude for an entire royal family. You rarely let anyone get close enough to see the real you, which by the way is very frustrating, and though it would have been easier to fall in love with someone else, my heart refused to love anyone but you. It was rather inconvenient."

By the end of Naoji's speech, Lui was feeling almost chastised, until he realized he wasn't sure what he was feeling chastised for. After all, it's not like he needed to apologize for his personality, since it apparently hadn't had an affect on the way the other man felt about him.

"And?" Lui gestured for Naoji to continue speaking, "Did you plan to go anywhere with this or did you just plan on telling me about your eternal love and devotion?" He squashed down on the part inside him that wanted to flail about at the thought of Naoji's eternal love and devotion. After all, he'd be the first person. His parents merely saw him as a means to an end, with an advantageous marriage and a scholarly position as a Strahl candidate. He was sure they might love him in their own way, and they had never been cruel, but they were not exactly openly emotional. Much like himself…

"Actually I hadn't planned on telling you at all." Naoji admitted candidly. After all, there was no point in lying.

Lui couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "So what happens now?"

The brunet just shrugged, "That's up to you. The ball is in your figurative court." He had laid his cards on the table, and it was up to Lui to make the next move. Nothing would stop him from loving the other man, but whether things progressed was purely up to the stubborn aristocrat. Naoji wouldn't force his hand.

Lui stared at his friend impassively, his features inscrutable as he thought. For once, Naoji had no idea what was going on behind those violet eyes, and he did his best not to move in his chair restlessly while he waited for Lui to speak.

When he finally did, there was a hint of laughter in his tone, a barely-there essence that few people would detect "If that blond bastard says anything, you have my permission to practice your archery on him. Now go to bed, it's late."

Naoji laughed, taking the statement for what it really was a statement of acquiescence to attempt what might be a relationship. Sliding his chair back, he stood, skirting around the edge of the table to Lui's side. Leaning down, he swiftly pressed his lips to Lui's before moving silently from the room.

Lui sat stunned, eyes wide, staring at the closing door. If anyone had looked in on him now, they would have been shocked to see the usually calm and unruffled man looking like he had been hit in the head with the back of his own sword. Of course, anyone looking to use that information against him would have to deal with not only Lui's formidable temper, but Naoji's accurate bow, which is why Orpherus just kept walking down the hall, a smirk on his face, and a new bedtime story to tell Ed.

-END-