. . .

At first Sphintus didn't recognize him. If not for Aladdin's "Titus!" or Marga's "Welcome back!", the heliohaptian would have ended up thinking he was going crazy.

Well- not that you could blame the guy.

Titus were dead, his body found near little Marga's by no one but him. How could someone come back from death? Sphintus didn't have a clue and still doesn't right now, while watching the little girl being fed with childish noises on the other side of the caravan bound for Sindria. Not that he actually cared for it. Titus was alive, and that's all that mattered to him.

"Swissh! Open your mouth to the will of my magic wand, Marga!" Titus demands and the little girl obbeys. Few giggles and an open mounth later, she takes the food with a little "Aam".

The new Reim Empire's Magi smiles brightly and turns to look at Sphintus like a very proud parent expecting everyone to admires his daughter's doing. So, when the blondie realizes he's the only one with a cheerful expression on his face, he stands up, walks over Sphintus and waves his free-from-spoon- hand right in front of the boy's face.

"Real world to Sphintus, you there?".

"Uh?" goes the Heliohaptian and flinches when Titus answers him with a little laugh that makes his heart goes knock-knock.

"Lost in your thoughts? I'ts not the first time since we left Magnostadt".

Sphintus shrugs "Sorry, Mr. Always-In-a-Good-Mood".

The look that Titus gives him hurts as he replies with just a "Shouldn't I be happy then?" and Sphintus thinks that yes, of course he should be, actually he needs and deserves to and he has no rights to jump in and destroy his feelings now that he's finally able to live freely how he wants. So, of course, he does the bravest thing- he looks away and to Marga.

Titus falls silent after awhile and so does Sphintus, and everyone knows silence brings thoughts with it and Sphintus lets himself to get lost once again in his memories of the past days- actually the happiest of his life. He thinks about Titus, of course, and Aladdin and Marga and all the people they left behind in Magnostadt. Most of the time it was the four of them just helping the citiziens rebuild the town, sometimes it was just him staying awake even after midnight, watching over the sleeping-figures of his friends. Once it was just him and Titus and a starry night in the little square in front of their house, and that was really everything he needed to master his courage and finally say it.

"I like you" he spat and Titus turned just to smile and break his heart.

"I like you too", he said, and that's it. The end.

Worst confession ever.

Sphintus was pretty sure it was only his own fault and him to blame, but damn Titus's being completely oblivious of his feelings -well, overall feelings of the mankind- was making it rough.

"She fell asleep" Titus says as Marga begins to snore under the huge blanket of her makeshift bed on the other side of the caravan.

"After a meal comes a nap" replies Sphintus and when the other boy simply smiles he has to thanks the horses and the damn hummock caught under the wheels if they doesn't end up in silence once again.

"Whoops" goes Titus when he barely manages to stop his falling on Sphintu's lap as the boy thinks that well, he really doesn't mind if only Titus wasn't still holding the spoon and he doesn't wish for a soiled coat right now.

"Clumsy" he eventually replies, trying to think about everything but Titus' blonde long hairs tickling against his skin and god, if he's cute.

"You are one to talk!" Titus fires back "Mind to remind me why you stopped smoking on the carovan?".

Sphintus wrinkles his nose and holds up his hands defensively "I don't want to threaten my life more than being your healer does. Really not a wise idea smoking with all the sand pits and dune in the ground".

"Not indeed" Titus smiles and leans back on the carovan's walls.

That's the moment, he decides.

"Hey" he calls and prays for everything to go smooth just this time.

"What is?".

Now or never, Sphintus thinks, and that's when he says the three magical words for the second time.

"I like you".

He is serious, even Marga with being a child and all could tell, but maybe that's what Magi are not good at because Titus smiles and goes "I like you too" again and Sphintus really feel the urge to pin him down on the floor and kiss him and make him realize what he is trying to say from days with his body.

But- of course he can't. So he simple tries again.

"You know, the Old You would have kicked my ass".

"The New Me knows what's important in life now".

"I don't think so".

Titus scowls and looks at him as if he was an idiot.

"Why you always want to argue, Sphintus? It's been days that-".

"I don't want to argue!".

"Yes you do! You didn't talk to me for hours after the meeting with the magicians in our kodor!".

Sphintus really wants to point out the hugs and kisses on the cheek and- well, all the kinds of things Titus got from his fellow magicians at the meeting, but then he realizes he would make a fool of himself and death would come first before he goes ad admits he's jealous.

"Fine then, I've got a question for you, lordling. How much do you like me?".

Titus widens his eyes at him, in panic, and Sphintus grins at how he made the new magi confused.

"What's that supposed to mean?".

"Oh, man" he fakes a gasp "You still have to realize, don't you?".

Titus leans closer at his words, furrowed-brow and a bad word on his lips ready to smack him in the face at the wrong reply and Sphintus just couldn't help but smirk as he's really glad Marga is sleeping right now and Titus' pouting face is just his to see.

"Realize what?" the blondie eventually asks.

"Relationships in this world are like an agenda" Sphintus says in a very obvious way "You have to put people in some kind of order, you know? you can't like everyone in the same way".

"How can I know in which order..."

"It's up to you to decide." Sphintus sighs because really, this isn't going to get him anywhere "Let me help you. Aladdin or Alibaba. Pick one."

Titus gives him the look. The one that's just for him to see, the one that means are you an idiot, Sphintus?

"Aladdin, of course."

"Right, then you like Aladdin more than Alibaba. It's not that difficult, now, is it?".

Titus nods, but looks thoughtful. "But between Aladdin and Marga..." he says blandly and Sphintus rolls his eyes, realizing that well- duh. The boy didn't understand at all.

"You can't choose in this istance".

Titus arches his eyebrows."Why not?".

"Marga is only a child. Well, Aladdin is younger than both of us as well, but that's another story".

"You are confusing me".

Sphintus gives him a sarcastic look "Sounds new to me".

"What about you" puts in Titus "Aladdin or Alibaba?".

"I don't even know Alibaba that well".

"And between Aladdin and Kukulcan?".

Sphintus barks out a laugh because - really? are they going there?.

"What's with this question? Nonsense".

Titus giggles and there's a noise coming from the other side of the caravan as Marga rolls in her bed. Sphintus has to shush the other boy to let the little girl sleep.

"Sorry" murmurs the new magi still with a smile on his lips and the Heliohaptian has to nod at his cuteness.

After awhile, when the silence and the little sounds coming from Marga are the only presence aside from them in the caravan, Sphintus sighs.

"I choose Kukulcan. No risk of starving to death with him, but I can't say the same for Aladdin".

Titus holds up his hands and covers his mouth, preventing a little laugh to escape.

"Aladdin or me, then?" he adds, in a more nosy voice, and Sphintus looks back at him with wide eyes because the question is mind-boggling and not really one you would expect from Titus, but hey- if it can help him realize his feelings, why not?.

"I choose you" he says and Titus smiles, smug.

"No death from starving with me as well, duh?".

Sphintus rolls his eyes, but manages to answer half-laughing "No, dumbass-lordly. I would always choose you".

The smiles that follows is one of the heart-melting mind-goes-blank kind and Sphintus doesn't have to think about what or why because he just knows. He just knows he's so fond of Titus to the verge of being pathethic and so who cares? he leans closer and Titus' face is just the lenght of a kiss away from him when he murmurs "I choose you over everyone".

The younger boy stiffens defensively under him, completely lost as if trying to really understand what the other has just said.

Finally, Titus bites his lip and goes "Why you...?".

"'Cause I like you, as I told you before."

"You mean... like as the same like between a man and a woman before having a baby?".

Sphintus' mind just goes What?.

"Uh-oh, well...yeah?" he replies and damn Scheherazade and her "talk" with Titus about that because now it's her fault if that's the second worst confession ever and he claims both the places on the podium. "Geez, stupid lordly, I'm head over heels for you".

Titus looks up at the ceiling and god, awkward.

"Sphintus...all this liking-thing, that works for everything, right? not only for people?".

"I...guess so".

If not for the blush on the tips of Titus' ears, the Heliohaptian would have thought the other boy was joking with him.

"Can I try something?" he asks then and doesn't even give him enough time to answer because here he is- sitting on his knees, hands clutching the fabric of Sphintus' clothes and mouths touching, chest pleated together in what was supposed to be a hug but is much more to them than that.

Titus' lips are soft and warm and he tastes of peach, fresh air and happy thoughts and Sphintus really wonder how is that even possible but it is and Titus' little noises as the kiss goes on are so rousing he feels lost when they break up for air and really- why do they need to breath? cause Sphintus can't think of anything else he nees in his life now more than Titus, not even oxygen.

"F-Fine." Titus says after clearing his throat "I was confused, but I think I've made up my mind."

"About what?" Sphintus finds himself asking and he's surprised he still remembers how to speak.

"Kissing you or Punching you in the face?" it's the reply that come with a little amused smirk "I guess the first one comes first in my agenda."