Leon could not help but stare at the male who sat across from him. His silver hair, violet orbs, and pale skin were captivating. Sometimes he found himself staring for minutes on end and would not realize until the other began to stare back.

When their eyes met, it became hard for either male to look away. A faint blush would appear on Leon's face and the other male would become even more flustered. Two hearts would begin to race faster as their gaze continued.

Eventually, their gaze would break but small smiles would appear on their face. Leon has been doing this same routine for weeks and each time, his feelings towards the other would become stronger. He wanted to tell the other how he felt, but he feared rejection. Sure both males were close friends, best friends actually, but Leon still feared that his friend did not feel the same towards him.

When the bell rung, the students began to race out of the classroom leaving Leon and Emil alone. Their eyes met once again causing their hearts to race once more. Heartfelt smiles were exchanged and Emil stood up from his desk as he walked toward his friend.

"Ready for next period?" He asks, his voice pure as the snow from his homeland. Leon looked up, allowing his golden eyes to peak through his dark brown locks.

"Yeah, though I rather skip." He said bluntly as he stood up from his desk and grabbed his belongings before following his friend out the empty classroom. Leon did not notice the taller male roll his eyes at his response, "You forgot to do your homework again, didn't you?"

A laugh escaped from the Asian as he wrapped one arm around Emil. You know me so well, Icey~" He teased, as he brought the other male closer so their shoulders touched. Both males went quiet when they touched.

"Yeah, well, you are my friend. So, of course, I am fully aware of your behavior." Emil moved his gaze to the side as they continued to walk towards their next class. Another light laugh escaped from Leon.

"You make it sound like I am a delinquent. That hurts Icey." Leon gave his friend a fake pout hoping it would catch his attention, but no reaction came from the other male.

Once again, there was silence between both of them. Leon looked down and saw Emil's right hand. Looking at the empty hand urged him to take it with his own.

"Would he mind if I held his hand? Would he think of me differently" He thought to himself as he continued to keep his gaze at the small hand. Taking a short breath, he removed his arm from around the other's shoulder and slowly took his right hand instead.

A warm hand held a cold one causing friction between both males. Fingers intertwined sending heat to both males cheeks. This caused Leon to get a response from Emil. Looking down at his hand, Emil saw that it was being held by none other than his friend.

Yet, he did not hate this feeling nor did he want to let go. Their hands remained together until they reached their next class. Letting go, they walked to their perspective desks not forgetting about the moment they shared together.

Although Emil paid attention to what the instructor was saying, he was thinking about Leon and how warm it felt to hold his hand. Leon, on the other hand, was unable to focus on the schoolwork. All he could think about was his crush and how much he wanted to confess his feelings for him.

He wanted to hold his hand more and whisper sweet nothings to him as he watched him become flustered. Oh, how he just wanted to bring the other in close and hold onto him tightly allowing their scent to become one. Place a kiss on his forehead and caress his back as the other buried his face in his chest. Then the two males would lean in and share a passionate kiss. A perfect moment between two people who were in love, but for Leon, he believed that his fantasy would never come true. For he believed that his friend was interested in someone else.

A sigh escaped from his thin lips as he rested his head on the desk letting any noise happening around him to slowly fade out. When the speaker came on, Leon did not budge.

"Attention students! It is that time of year again for the annual Winter Formal. The theme for this year is Masquerade. Tickets are now on sale and will remain on sale for two weeks only! So buy your tickets before they sell out. Also, since we had an incident last year, there will be extra security around the facility. Anyone who tries to pull a stunt will be removed from the dance and suspended for three weeks. We want this year to be safe, but fun! That is all for now, more announcements about the event will be announced later this week."

After the announcement had finished, the students began to talk amongst each other about their plans for the dance. Hearing about the dance, Leon thought of an idea on how he could win the heart of his beloved. Although he had a feeling that Emil was not interested in attending any dance. The introvert from Iceland preferred to stay indoors and read a book rather than going outside or socialize with teenagers around his age.

The Asian glanced over at his friend, who just so happened to be staring down at his lap lost in his thoughts. "I wonder what he is thinking about?" He thought to himself as he rested his elbow on the desk and leaned his palm against his cheek.

The teacher tried to calm the class down but was unsuccessful and gave up allowing the rest of the class period to be free for the students to do as they pleased.

Leon wanted to get out of his seat and ask his friend out to the Winter Formal, but at the same time, he wanted it to be somewhat special. So, he decided that he would wait to ask out his friend.

The class eventually ended causing awes to come from the students. As students began exiting the classroom, Leon stood up from his seat and walked over to his friend offering a hand.

Emil took the hand in his own and followed the other to the cafeteria to have lunch. Both males stayed rather close to one another as they walked hand-in-hand to the cafeteria.

Once they reached the lunch room and grabbed a plate of food, they took their normal seat at a table surrounded by other friends. Well, they were considered as relatives to Leon, but they enjoyed hanging around the Icelander.

As the two teens walked to their seat, they received quite a few stares from their friends. When they sat down, they let go of one another but still remained close.

The began to eat their meal but was not able to get too far when they felt the stares continue. Setting his fork down, he looked at his siblings with a questionable look.

"Guys, like, what do you want? I know I am attractive, but there is no need to stare. There is plenty of me to go around~" He teased but received a light punch in the arm.

"You are so full of yourself," Emil said as he rolled his eyes, but he was not expecting an arm to wrap around his waist. Being pulled close to the Cantonese male, his cheeks turned to a light shade of pink.

"I still only have eyes for you, Icey~" Leon purred as he kept a tight grip around Emil. At this point, the pair not only had the eyes of those at their table on them, but a few students around them also began to stare.

When Im Yong Soo let out a rather uncomfortable cough, Leon was pulled from his thoughts and pulled away immediately feeling flustered, but not as much as Emil, who looked like a tomato.

The rest of the lunch period went by slow and quiet. A few stares were exchanged between Im Yong Soo, Mei, and Lien. The three of them could tell that their younger sibling was in love with his best friend. Even if Leon did not say it physically, he obviously had feelings for Emil.

When the lunch bell rang, students began to leave the cafeteria and go towards their next class. Leon and Emil got up to dispose of their plate, and just as Emil was about to say his farewell, Leon grabbed his hand pulling him along behind him.

Walking at a fast pace to avoid running into any teacher that would stop them from skipping, Leon was able to escape the school halls with ease. When the two were by the front gate trying to catch their breath, Emil glanced at the brunette before he spoke, "Li? What was that for? We are going to be late for class." Emil was about to walk back into the building until he felt his wrist being grabbed. Looking back, his violet orbs met with a honey pair.

"I want to, like, ask you something Ice. Not here though, somewhere more appropriate." His gaze softened as he loosed his grip on the other's wrist. "Will you trust me on this?" Eyes shined and almost made the Icelander's knees go weak.

Without hesitation, Emil nodded and allowed his friend to properly hold his hand as they walked to a park. Reaching the park, they saw only a few mothers with their young children. Nothing to worry about or to be concerned about. Walking over to the swing set, they sat in the two swings that were side-by-side. Swinging at a slow rate allowed them to still have their fingers interwind.

It was quiet and only the occasional laughter from children could be heard. Emil was the one who interrupted the bitter silence. "So why did you bring me here, Li?"His eyes stayed glued to the ground afraid that whatever was going to happen would affect their relationship.

Leon opened his mouth, but no words escaped. He became speechless and was unable to speak what was on his mind. How come earlier he knew exactly what he wanted to ask of his friend, yet now he was unable to get the words out?

When Leon continued to remain quiet, Emil became slightly worried. "Li? Is something bothering you? You can tell me what is on your mind.." His voice was soft and pure, just like it always had been. When Leon looked into those eyes, he could tell that he was being sincere.

Letting out a heavy sigh and squeezing the cold hand, he finally gained the courage to speak up. "Will you go to the Winter Formal with me?

Violet orbs widened at the sudden request. A heart raced quickly causing Emil to clinch his shirt with his free hand. He was lost for words. Usually, the silver-haired male avoided school dances or extracurricular activities.

When Leon received no answer from the other male, his smile faded away. "Oh, I understand. You probably do not like want to go to a dance with your best friend." Letting go of the hand he held ever so tightly, his gaze darkened as it looked down at the ground.

"N-no, that is not it. I just do not like dances much less know how to dance." Emil moves his hands to his lap and fiddled with his fingers as he tried to put his words together. "Although, it would not hurt to attend at least one dance. So, yes I would love to go with you to the dance." His heart began to race as Emil began to imagine going to a dance with his crush. He may not know how to dance and may even make a fool of himself, but being with the one he had feelings for was worth it.

Butterflies filled inside him as he heard the confirmation to his request. He wanted to get up from his seat and pick up the Icelander as he spun him around in his arms. Holding his excitement in, he allowed his imagination to run free.

After about an hour of swinging and talking about the little things, both males parted ways to their own homes.

The next morning when Emil woke up, he prepared himself for the school day. Wearing his signature grey over-sized sweater and jeans, he grabbed his phone and school bag before walking out the door.

Leon, on the other hand, woke up earlier that morning ready to take on the day. Sure it was unusual for him to wake up early and usually, his older brother would have to be his wake up call. However, today was different. Slipping out from under the soft covers, he skipped to the bathroom to get ready for school. After brushing his teeth and fixing his hair, he slipped on a band t-shirt and black ripped jeans. Slipping on a pair of converse, he grabbed his belongings before leaving his room to meet his friend at the corner of the street.

A grin remained on his face as he was happy that he would be attending the Winter Formal with his best friend. It was something he only dreamed about. Well, he never dreamed of attending a dance with Emil, but going on a date was certainly on his list. Then it hit Leon.

Going to a dance with his best friend is basically the same as going on a date. His smile widened at the thought as he continued about his way to the street corner.

Reaching the bus stop, Leon was captivated by the Icelander who seemed to wear his usual attire. An oversized sweater which fit around his figure in all the right ways. Skinny jeans that fit just perfectly. He could not help but continue to stare. Violet orbs were pulling him in almost like they were inviting him to bring the male in for a kiss.

Leon knew he had to hold back at least for now. A first kiss should be saved for a special occasion. Emil deserved to have his first kiss to be memorable, well that is what Leon believed.

Taking the small hand into his own, both men walked towards the school. No words were exchanged, but occasionally one caught the other staring.

The day went by quicker than they imagined, but Leon was able to steal a few quick glances at his beloved and hold his hand for the majority of the school hours. During lunch, he bought two tickets to the dance and folded them neatly into his pocket.

That weekend both males went shopping, separately, for their formalwear. Nothing too fancy, but something nice to catch their crush's attention.

When the dance came two weeks later, both males became a mess. Emil was panicking about the littlest things. For starters, he kept double checking himself in the mirror thinking something was not right. Then he kept checking his phone to make sure he had not missed the dance. He had not even thought about if he was a good dancer or not. That would not become a problem until later on that night.

Leon, on the other hand, was in a worse state. Not only did he take his tux to the dry cleaners twice, but he took multiple showers to ensure that he looked his best for his date. Adjusting his hair in different styles only made matters worse. One different hairstyle after another led him back to his original hairstyle. He was so busy with trying to make himself look perfect that he had skipped out on eating that day. Cursing to himself, he quickly ate a few peach buns before he made a few last minute adjustments.

When he was ready, he took one last glance in the mirror. He had hoped that he looked decent enough to impress his date. Yet, he still worried that he would mess up at some point during the night.

What if he made a fool of himself as he slowed danced with Emil? What if when he leaned in to capture those lips with his own he accidentally bit his lip? He began to worry that if he confessed his feelings that they would not be returned. Shaking the negative thoughts away, he took one last glance at his appearance before walking out of the bathroom.

Walking into his room, he quickly grabbed his cell phone before checking the time. He had finished getting ready right on time. Sliding his phone into his back pocket, he walked out of his room and made his way to the living room where his older brother, Cheng Wang, was waiting for him.

A tall male in his late twenties adjusted his glasses as he noticed his younger sibling walk up to him. "Are you ready, Leon?" The male asked with a smile, although he was able to tell that something was off. Examining the attire Leon was wearing, he noticed that the most important accessory was missing.

"Leon, aren't you forgetting something?" Leon quickly looked around but found nothing to be missing. "Nope, I think everything is there."

Cheng shook his head allowing a sigh to escape from his lips. Luckily he had the missing piece to his younger brother's outfit. On the small table nearby, he grabbed a small black mask with crimson Oriental designs along the side.

It took the young Asian a moment to think as he glanced down at the mask. Then it donned on him. He had completely forgotten about his mask. One cannot attend a masquerade without a mask to hide their identity. Taking the mask from the other, he slipped it on shielding part of his face.

Once the two males walked to the limousine, which was parked outside, they climbed in and drove to the first destination.

A heart began to race as the vehicle got closer and closer to Emil's home. He began to wonder what he was wearing for the dance and how it would bring out his beautiful complexion. Surely no matter what the silver-haired male wore would look amazing on him. The way his silver hair fell perfectly on both sides of his face was only one of the features Leon took note of. When the older male would become flustered, his cheeks would become a light shade of pink. Cheeks stained with red only brought out the sparkle in those violet hues. He had become so lost in his own thoughts, that he began to drift away. Not aware that the limousine had come to a halt.

When he felt his shoulder being shaken, he was taken out of his thoughts. Looking around, he noticed that he had arrived at Emil's house. Getting out of the vehicle, he slowly walked to the front door of the two-story house. Legs almost turned to jelly as he got closer to the front steps. His heart rate never decreased and when he made it to the front step, he knocked on the door without thinking. He had not even thought of what he was going to say. What was he going to say?

"Hey, I am here to, like, pick up Emil?" or "Hey, I am Emil's date to the dance." Both seemed to bland and lacking real emotion. When the door opened, he was startled by a soft voice. "Oh, hey Leon."

Looking forward, Leon became even more lost for words. He had his breath taken away by the person standing before him. Dressed in all black and white, with the exception of the silver designs on his mask, was none other than his crush. A blush crept on both of their faces as they made eye contact.

"You look great, Ice." He said a bit taken back by the view. Offering his arm for the other, he guided the slightly taller male down the steps. "Thanks, you look handsome as well," Emil said shyly as he pushed a stray piece of hair behind his ear. His comment caused heat to go straight to his ears as he had not meant to be so straightforward with his compliment.

Taking a glance back, Leon noticed his friend's face. A light laugh escaped from him and he went with the light flirtatious comment. "Well, if I am handsome, then I guess that makes you, like, good looking."

That comment made both males react in the same way. Pink cheeks and dead silence.

Leading his date to the limousine, the Asian opened the door allowing the other male to get in first. Then he allowed himself to follow soon after. The same silence remained until they arrived at the dance. When they came to a stop, Leon got out and offered his hand for Emil to take. As Emil stepped out of the long vehicle, he was soon pulled close to something soft.

"Ready to go, Icey~?" The brunette teased as he winked at the other. Receiving a nod, Leon grabbed a hold of the other's hand, holding it tightly within his own as the two walked inside the building.

Decorations were everywhere and there was no space that was not covered in some sort of cheap piece of plastic or paper. White, blue, and silver balloons were attached to the chairs that were scattered around the large room. Tables covered in a white silk tablecloth had vases holding artificial indigo roses. Needless to say, it looked somewhat decent for a Winter Formal. Nothing too fancy, but still could have more effort put into the choice of decorations.

Many couples had already started dancing to whatever song was playing at the moment. Bodies moving to the beat of the music. It was almost beautiful seeing all the couples standing so close to one another, but the only thing on Leon's mind was having the first dance with Emil.

When he felt pressure against his hand, the Asian looked to his side where his best friend stood. "Is there something wrong, Ice?" He asked slightly worried that Emil was thinking about backing out. The feeling of being rejected or left at the dance did not settle with him. Although Emil did not let go of the hand nor did he show any signs of discomfort. Smiling at the fact that the introvert was starting to come out of his shell and getting out of his comfort zone made Leon very happy.

Just as they were about to take a seat at a table further away from the others, a slow song started to play. Taking the opportunity, he carefully pulled the Icelander to the dancefloor. Arms wrapped around the tiny waist pulling him in close. Fragile arms began to wrap around the other's neck. Golden orbs met with a pair of violet and not once did either male look away. Slowly, Leon took the lead and Emil soon followed trying his hardest not to step on his own two feet.

As both males danced, the other couples seemed to disappear from existence. The song in the background tuned out and it became just the two of them. In this exact moment, it was just two males happily lost in each other's eyes. Two hearts raced at the same pace and innocent smiles were plastered on their faces. Nothing could compare to this moment that they were sharing. It was a perfect moment that would be cherished for years to come.

The song changed four times, but neither male had known this. Time began to stand still and nothing else seemed to matter. Both males were completely lost in each other's gaze and were unable to speak. Although, both of them wanted to spill out their feelings. They were terrified that their feelings would go unnoticed. Little did they know, they had shared the same feelings for the other.

The longer they stayed in the same position, the more Leon wanted to just spill out his feelings. He slowly brought the other male closer until their bodies touched. Never breaking contact, Leon slowly started to lean in and Emil soon followed.

Lips had touched. A kiss full of passion and love was all it took for them to figure out that this was meant to be. The kiss may have ended shortly, but it still made both of their hearts flutter.

Pulling away from each other, they broke eye contact, but only for a moment. Silence remained except for the song that played in the background.

That was until Emil decided to break the silence.

"L-Leon." His voice was a little shaky from the kiss. The Icelander glanced towards the side, waiting for the other to respond.

"Yeah, what is it, Em?" A voice that was usually full of energy, was now soft and calm. Almost soothing to Emil's ears.

Taking a quick glance at the other, he took a deep breath before saying those three special words.

"I love you."

Leon's heart raced upon hearing those three words he wanted to hear for the past few months. Tears formed in his eyes showing that he was overjoyed. Pulling Emil closer, he repeated the same words in return.

"I love you, too. I have always loved you, and will love you forever." Tears streamed down his face and Emil wiped them away before planting a gentle kiss on his stained cheek.

Leaning in, they shared another kiss. However, this one was more passionate and lasted longer. When the two pulled away, Leon kept his arms wrapped around the silver-haired male's waist before popping the important question.

"Will you go out with me?"

"I would be honored to go out with you."