-1 Guy walked into the large hotel room that he and Luke would share tonight, it being one of the ones that had two beds in it instead of one like the others on the other floor. Guy didn't like the idea of Luke sleeping alone, especially with Asch's ability to control him. Guy had retired early, mostly because he couldn't stand being outside because of the cold, and he couldn't just wander around the hotel because the female staff kept getting too close for his liking. He wished women would just leave him alone. He was just glad his best friend was Luke, who didn't mind sharing a room with Guy so he wasn't stuck with the girls in the party.
He was watching the snow fall lazily over Keterburg when he noticed Luke's journal on the table near him, open. He was just going to close it when he saw his name.
It couldn't hurt to read a little bit, he thought. He picked it up, a card falling out of it. He caught it, recognizing it as a poker card from the Casino. Flipping it over, he found an illustration of himself on it, the card being the Jack of Hearts. He didn't think much of it, maybe Luke just won a big hand with it or something.
He read the date on the journal, discovering it was from when Luke had been cooped up in the manor for a month, about when he left after reading their letters. Guy skipped down to the paragraph about him.
I've realized in the time that I've been here alone how much I need Guy. I really miss him now, all this time wondering what he's been doing. Apparently, walking Rappigs for Peony. I've spent most of my time when I wasn't training staring at the ceiling of my room, wishing Guy would show up in the window like he always used to.
Okay, nothing wrong with missing me. He tried to calm down, telling himself Luke liked Tear, not him.
Without him, I swear I would've gone crazy in this damn prison they call a manor. Lately, I've felt more than that though, ever since the incident with Asch I've felt differently. Out of all my companions, only Guy came back for me. Even though I was arrogant, too trusting, cruel, stupid, and tactless, he still cared enough to leave the real 'Luke' to find me. Even though he hated my father for killing his family, hated me for being a fon Fabre, he's always been there for me. Thanks to my inability to leave the manor this past month, I've had a great deal of time to sort out my feelings and I've realized how indispensable he is to me. He would always comfort me when I had nightmares, even on our journey when he needed the sleep; he would hold me when my knees got weak for the headaches, and sneak into my room to talk when he wasn't supposed to. I'm writing this in my journal because even though my emotions confuse me sometimes and my father, uncle and Natalia would never approve, I never want to forget something this important to me.
Guy knew he should stop reading but he just had to know if his best friend…wanted to be more than just friends. The next words were bold-faced, as if they had been traced over again and again by a certain redhead, and just begged to be read.
I love Gailardia Galan Gardios.
Guy legs turned to jelly as he read this last sentence, reading his proper name over again to make sure he hadn't imagined it. Luke chose that moment to walk into the room.
"Oh, hey Guy," he said, moving closer when Guy didn't answer.
What could be such good reading material that Guy would zone out while reading it? Luke started reading, eyes widening with shock and horror when he recognized his journal and which entry held Guy in thrall.
No, please no don't let him have read it, Luke thought fervently.
"G-Guy? Are you okay? You didn't…read it, did you?" Luke hoped.
"Do you really love me?" Guy asked, not taking his eyes off the last few words.
"I-I'll leave, you probably don't want me around. I hope you'll stay with this team though, we need you, I need you," Luke mumbled the last three words, trying to sound like he wasn't about to break down in tears as he turned and started to leave.
"You idiot," Guy said as he caught Luke's arm, "I love you too."
While he was attempting to process this last, startling piece of information, Guy expertly turned him around so Luke was facing him. Before Luke fon Fabre knew what hit him, Guy's hot lips were over his own.
Unable to comprehend that Guy actually loved him back and that at this very moment was kissing him, Luke brain simply shut down. Luke fainted in his lover's arms, leaving a very distraught Guy to carry him to his bed. Luke woke up ten minutes later to a very apologetic 6 foot, blue-eyed blonde next to his bed.
"Sorry Luke, I just thought I had to do something to convince you since you didn't seem like you believed me. I've wanted to do that for a long time but I guess it was a little too much too fast-mmmph!" The rest of whatever Guy was going to say was lost in Luke's mouth, the latter having pulled the former's head down so he could kiss him.
Jade Curtiss walked by, glancing into the half-open door. He stopped when he was met with a scene he had been expecting for some time now. He closed the door quietly on the two lip-locked young men. He chuckled as he went to the mayor's house for a quick visit.
"Nephry, may I ask a favor?" He asked his sister, the mayor of Keterburg.
"What kind of favor?" The blonde woman asked shortly but not unkindly.
"Seeing as you've taken the liberty of using our likenesses in the decks of cards for poker, I was hoping you could adjust the rules slightly for the sake of symbolism," Jade replied, red eyes humorous.
"What did you have in mind?"
The next day the group was wandering through the city, Anise wanting to see the sights, when they overheard two women talking.
"Have you heard? Nephry has made it so Jacks and the King of Hearts and the King of Diamonds are considered a pair in poker at the Casino."
Luke whirled on Jade, both he and Guy blushing profusely.
"Jade, did you have anything to do with this?" Luke accused, flustered.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, this is the first I've heard of it," he denied innocently.
"If you weren't trying to hold back laughter right now, I might believe you. You'd better not tell anyone about this," Guy warned.
"Of course not. I've been wondering when you two would finally get serious, it was rather noticeable," Jade answered.
"Serious about what?" Tear asked, curious as to what had Guy and Luke so red in the face.
"Training, serious about training," Luke said in one of his moments of genius, actually saying something that made enough sense that the others wouldn't get suspicious.
"Come on!" Anise hurried, not wanting to stand in the snow all day.
"You guys go on ahead, Luke and I want to practice for a while to warm up," Guy returned in his easygoing way.
"Okay, we'll meet up at the hotel at the end of the day," Natalia said as she followed Anise to the playground.
Luke and Guy wandered off behind Emperor Peony's old home where they could speak in peace without fear of being observed. Unbeknownst to them, Jade was in front of the house near where the alley to the back entrance where they stood was, keeping guard while seeming to be reminiscing about his childhood.
"I noticed you had the Jack of Hearts in you journal and couldn't help but wonder why you had a card that just happened to have a drawing of me on it with you," Guy commented.
"It's really cheesy, but I kind of thought Jack of Hearts was a good nickname for you, seeing as everyone seems to like you, especially me. Just something fluffy about you having stolen my heart," Luke replied awkwardly.
Guy grinned sheepishly.
"You're not the only guilty one," he admitted, reaching into the front of his coat, "I was going to tell you after I found the card in your journal but I was a little busy."
He produced a King of Hearts, which, like the King of Diamonds, had a drawing of Luke on it.
"Great minds think alike, eh?" Guy asked as he slipped the card back into its resting place, over his heart.
Luke didn't really care that he was wearing a short-sleeved midriff shirt, the heat from Guy's lips was enough to keep him warm as the snow slowly collected in their hair.