A/N: This will be the last new fic that I'm posting on FF. Incomplete fics that were posted here will still be updated, but from now on my stories will be posted on AO3 (archiveofourown) under the name Seren_Maris. Hope to see you over there. :)

Brave

Love was a game, and Ian considered himself an expert player.

He knew the moves. He understood the rules, the timing, the vocabulary. He knew when to lunge, and when to parry. It was almost second nature to him.

His fingers flew over the phone keyboard. The words almost wrote themselves. Of course, beautiful. Always. Thinking of you, and so forth. The conversation went on, often multiple conversations at once. Pretty words, but meaningless. That was the mutual understanding between him and his dates. It was a fun game, but just a game.

Nothing serious. Nothing risky.

Ian felt eyes on his back. He turned around to find Souji staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"One of your girlfriends?"

Ah, the fake casual question. Ian knew it well, and Souji was far was too inexperienced to sound convincing.

Ian grinned. "Boy... are you jealous?" He was rewarded by seeing the taciturn swordsman blush. It was cute. Adorable, actually. He wanted to see it again.

"No," Souji huffed, and looked away. The wall of the Spirit Base was all of a sudden fascinating. "I just wonder how you keep them straight."

Feint. Riposte. Ian didn't take offense. Instead he asked, "so how is Rin these days?"

"My father..." Souji trailed off. "My father wants me to date a girl like her. Get married, and carry on the Rippukan line. But..."

"Souji-kun." This may have been the first time Ian called him by name. Souji met his eyes, startled. "What do you want?"

Souji frowned. Ian was watching his lips. "I don't know."

"You're not very honest." Ian put down the phone and stalked over to Souji, who retreated until his back hit the wall. They were inches away now. "Do you know what I think?"

Souji's breathing hitched. "No?"

He caught Souji's chin in his his hands, caressing the soft line beneath his ear. Souji trembled. This was not part of the plan. Not at all. But what was life without a little danger? "I think you're scared."

"Aren't you?" Souji asked, so quiet he barely heard the words.

"Of course not," Ian lied. He bent in for the kiss. "We're brave."