Title: A Candlelight Dinner for Two

Summary: Flavio and Fafnir found themselves locked in a room with candles and a diner table set for two. A matchmaking attempt? Probably. Will it work? Let's see…

Pairings: Fafnir/Flavio

AN: How many different ways can I write about these two confessing their undying love for each other? Apparently I'm trying to find out…Enjoy!

Despite his skills as a survivalist, Flavio wasn't necessarily a suspicious person by nature. He was cautious, some would say skittish, but he simply didn't eye off everything and everyone he encountered with a sense of suspicion.

But when Flavio walked into a room at the inn, prompted by none other than Quinoa, and saw that the room was filled with small, softly glowing candles around a table set for two in the middle of the room, he felt suspicious. As well as confused and, yes, maybe even a little bit of dread.

Flavio dragged his hands over his face as he thought back to how or why he ended up in this very room. It had been raining all day, a storm lingering off the coast, so he had spent the entirety of the day catching up on paperwork in his room. He was surprised when Quinoa visited him at the cusp of dusk and asked him to go get something important for her in a room down stairs, in the quiet, secluded part of the inn. Although he had been surprised by both the visit and the request, he was actually grateful for the interruption.

He just...didn't expect to find the room so...inviting and, yes, undoubtedly romantic.

But why was he asked to enter this room? Why was the room filled with the soft ambient and romantic glow of numerous candles? Why could he smell the tangy scent of curry? And why was there only one table with two chairs?

And, more importantly, if one chair was meant for him, who was meant for the other?

...They weren't doing what he feared they were doing, were they?

"Flavio?"

For some inexplicable reason, Flavio's heart leapt into his throat at the sound of Fafnir's voice and he spun around to see his childhood best friend walk into the room.

When Fafnir reached the centre of the room, he paused and looked around, his brow immediately furrowing into an expression of confusion. "What's all this?" he asked, not sounding suspicious or annoyed, just curious.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Flavio managed to reply in a calm and level manner, of which was completely at odds at the thundering of his heart and the butterflies in his stomach.

Fafnir nodded his head idly as he continued to look around the room, but before he could say anything else, the door was suddenly slammed shut behind them, causing them both to jump in surprise. They immediately turned to look dumbfounded at the door, listening as they heard the sound of a lock being engaged promptly followed by the sound of soft giggling.

As Fafnir ventured toward the door and tried the handle. Flavio's previous feeling of dread returned with a vengeance.

They were doing what he had feared they were doing, weren't they?

He could barely believe it…

Despite the rain gently tapping against the window, the low rumble of thunder far off in the distance, and the flickering candlelight giving the room a purely relaxing and romantic feel to it, Flavio felt nervous. Being in such a romantic setting was a threat to his restraint to keep his true feelings hidden from Fafnir. He had been in love with him for years. It wasn't news to him in any way, shape, or form. So he wasn't foolish enough to announce it to anyone, let alone Fafnir himself. He couldn't risk their friendship with an ill-timed confession, so he had stayed quiet all these years.

But the way the flickering candlelight was casting shadows across Fafnir's face, amplifying the deep ruby-red eyes and drawing attention to his lips, Flavio feared that he may not be able to hold himself back.

Matchmaking…they were actually attempting to push him and Fafnir together.

How or why, Flavio didn't know. And he honestly didn't know how he should feel about the whole thing. Whoever was behind it had good intentions he was sure and the thought of being able to spend a quiet, romantic moment with Fafnir so openly was appealing, but…no, he couldn't.

"What do you think they're up to?" Fafnir asked aloud as he turned to face Flavio again.

Flavio swallowed thickly, the room suddenly feeling smaller than it really was. "They're, ah, they s-seem to be playing matchmaker..." he muttered, feeling his cheeks heat up even further.

Fafnir's eyes widen for a moment, but his expression soon turned into that of dismissive acceptance. "Ok, fair enough."

"W-what?" Flavio found himself spluttering.

Making his way over to the table set intimately for two, Fafnir shrugged his shoulders in a way that was kinda infuriating at the moment. "Thought I smelt a rat when both Chloe and Quinoa asked me to come here."

He was…he was being so casual about the whole thing! That was totally not fair!

But did that…did that mean he was ok with the thought of them being pushed together? Or was he simply dismissing it as a harmless prank, one that had no merit to it so there was no point in feeling nervous or annoyed?

Fafnir sighed suddenly and folded his arms across his chest in a somewhat irritated manner. "As per usual, you're overthinking things and jumping to bleak conclusions."

Flavio felt his himself flush and bristle with indignity. "And as per usual, you're taking this so casually. How can you be so calm?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" Fafnir quickly countered. "I'm with you, after all."

That caught Flavio off guard for a moment and he found himself stuttering. "Yeah, but…I mean I'm…"

"What?"

"N-nothing."

Fafnir dipped his head to the side slightly. "Nothing?" he questioned as he dropped his arms from his chest and started to make his way toward Flavio.

"Yeah, nothing," Flavio said, feeling somewhat defensive and caged in. "Don't worry about it, ok? It's nothing."

Fafnir narrowed his eyes ever so slightly as he paused to stand directly in front of Flavio. "Nothing as in you're in love with me and you're worried about ruining our friendship with an ill-timed confession?"

Flavio's heart all but stopped beating in time with a loud crack of thunder from outside. "…N-no, that…"

"I'm a deadpan snark, not an oblivious idiot," Fafnir continued with a small shake of his head. "I've been dropping you hints to, you know? But your tendency to be a self-sacrificing martyr has led you to dismissing these hints as nothing more than displays of friendship."

T-that…that couldn't be true, could it?

Fafnir suddenly pulled Flavio into his arms and hugged him tightly against his chest as he rested his chin on his shoulder. At first, Flavio stiffened awkwardly from surprise and shock, but he soon found himself relaxing almost bonelessly in Fafnir's warm embrace, he, too, resting his chin comfortably upon his shoulder.

"Am I wrong?" Fafnir whispered into his ear.

Flavio sighed and wrapped his arms around Fafnir in return. "N-no, you're right," he said as his gaze fell upon the romantically set up table for two. "I'm sorry. I…"

"I know," Fafnir said. "You've always been like this."

"Sorry," Flavio murmured again as he nuzzled his face against the crook of Fafnir's neck.

How long Flavio stayed wrapped up in Fafnir's tight embrace, he did not know. Nor did he care very much. He had never felt so comfortable, so warm. It just felt so right. Yet it also felt as if it had been a long time coming, something that was meant to happen and should have happened a long time ago.

"This isn't so bad, now is it?" Fafnir asked him as he pulled back ever so slightly, only enough to allow them to stand face to face, there arms stilled holding each other tightly.

Flavio couldn't help but smile as he slipped his hands upon Fafnir's shoulders before leaning forward to wrap them comfortably around his neck. "No. It feels like…a natural progression for us, doesn't it?"

"Hm," Fafnir murmured simply as he leaned forward to gently…rest his forehead against Flavio's, his arms wounding themselves comfortably around Flavio's waist to keep him as close as possible.

As Flavio closed his eyes, relishing in the warmth, his smile softened into a tender warmth and he tilted his chin up a faction, causing their noses to brush against the other's in a soft display of affection. He subconsciously tightened his arms when he felt Fafnir's heated breath ghost across his lips, causing his own breath to hitch in his throat.

And when Fafnir's mouth finally closed over his, everything in Flavio's world became still. Nothing else mattered anymore. Nothing else existed but the two of them, their arms around each other, their lips gliding softly, slowly together.

Flavio couldn't help but muse, however, wondering why it took them this long to get to here. To the two of them like this. Together.

A loud crack of thunder from outside briefly startled them, drawing the two of them out of their loving reverie and they slowly pulled apart. Not very far, mind. And very reluctantly.

"Food's getting cold," Flavio whispered as he glanced over Fafnir's shoulder at the table set for two. He, however, made no attempt to remove his arms from around Fafnir's neck.

"It can wait for a little bit longer," Fafnir said before he suddenly readjusted his hold around Flavio, keeping on arm tightly around his slender waist as the other dropped down to the back of his knees.

Before Flavio could question what he was planning to do, Fafnir effortlessly picked him up off the floor, holding him up against his chest. Flavio uttered a sound of surprise as he gripped Fafnir's shoulders in order to steady himself. With Fafnir now holding him, he was looking down at him in shock, while Fafnir with his head tilted back slight was looking up at him with nothing but utter warmth in his gaze.

And Flavio soon felt his surprise give way to sheer happiness as well and he couldn't help but laugh softly. "What are you doing?"

"Just enjoying myself," Fafnir said simply.

Flavio gazed softly down upon Fafnir before lowering his head to rest his forehead against Fafnir's once more. "Who do you think is behind this?" he asked.

"Don't know," Fafnir replied. "But they'll soon regret it."

"How so?" Flavio asked as he draped one arm casually around Fafnir's shoulders as he toyed with his hair with his other hand.

Fafnir smirked. "They'll soon be complaining about how disgustingly affectionate we are."

Flavio laughed softly before he placed a chaste kiss to Fafnir's nose. "Let's give them hell."

"Absolutely."