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"Oh..." Iceburg sank back against the dormitory door "…you scared me."
"Well, well, why am I not surprised it's you? He's already gone, little baby." Iva leaned back and smirked.
"He's gone?" His heart sank.
"He went right out the window." Iva threw their head back and laughed.
Though the revelation was an unhappy one he still found joy in the way they spoke, how they over-stressed everything they said. He somehow hadn't realized they had an accent when he briefly met them before though it was one much different than Dylin's; the wide range of accents he'd heard since coming to Water 7 astounded him.
"The window?" Iceburg sighed. "Oh my…he's a bit extreme sometimes, isn't he?"
"Extreme? Well, that's one way we can put it. He can be difficult to handle at times that's for sure. Oh but he can't handle you at all, can he? Did I actually hear him apologize before he came through? My, my, my…" Iva leered at the young teen.
"Hello, by the way, Ivankov." Iceburg drifted to the window; frowned as his eyes fell on the dark figure retreating towards town. "It's nice to see you again."
"Hello! Oh but I'm embarrassed to say you know my name but I can't recall yours at all…though I'm sure I've heard him say it quite a few times now." They shrugged a leather coat from their shoulders.
"Well to be fair I don't believe we were ever formally introduced."
"Hm…that's right, isn't it?" They pondered on it then spoke with a sly tone in their voice "Let me think. Was it Julius?"
"No, it's Iceburg." He said it a little more firmly than he meant to – he tried to fix it with a quick laugh. "Where on earth did you get Julius!?"
"Oh, that's right. Very well then. That must've been the other one." A crafty smile spread across their painted lips.
"The other one?" He cocked his head.
"Ohhh, you know." They casually indicated to one of the empty bunks "That one."
"I do not know…" Iceburg crossed his arms as an uneasy feeling slipped up his spine.
"That's right. You haven't been around very long at all have you?" They rolled their eyes at the vacant spot "Well never mind then. Wonderful to meet you, formally, Iceburg." They hopped to their feet. "What a fabulous name!"
"The pleasures mine, I'm sure." He held out his hand.
"Call me Iva by the way, darling." They gingerly took his hand and squeezed it. "Ivankov is too formal!"
"Iva. Okay! I'll remember that." He beamed.
"And I'll remember you now, Ice-boy. I said we'd be seeing more of each other, didn't I?"
"I believe you did! Um…did Dylin say anything to you about when he'd be back?"
"Oh goodness no! He just muttered something about not wanting to put up with the both of us and took right off." They stifled a laugh with a well-manicured hand "So I'm going to go over everything with you by myself it seems! If you don't mind."
"I don't mind!" Iva's presence was somehow comforting to him so he truly didn't mind being alone with them. "But…I'm not sure what it is we're supposed to be going over."
"Oh? Didn't you know?" Iva raised a thinly drawn brow.
"No. I don't think so. What's going on?" Iceburg was curious but his usual anxiety had taken leave of him; he wondered if the serenity he felt was due to something like the auras Dylin had mentioned earlier.
Of course that's not it. It must just be trust. They helped me, after all. They didn't hurt me when I was vulnerable. I trust them.
"So you didn't ask him for this? You really don't know? The cheeky thing must've been keeping it a surprise. I didn't know he had it in him... He's quite smitten with you isn't he?" Iva's brown eyes were bright with curiosity "What spell do you have him under?"
"I-I don't know what you mean."
"Mero Mero no Mi, perhaps?" They flashed another devious grin.
"Pardon me?" Iceburg cocked his head.
"Hm…never mind for now. Let's get started."
"Okay." He gave another dreary glance out the window and scanned the horizon.
"Don't worry. He'll come skulking back at some point soon, I'm sure." They waved a hand back as they strode up to Dylin's armoire.
"H-how did you know I was thinking about him!?" Iceburg couldn't stop the awkward laugh that tripped out of his mouth.
"Well…" Iva put their hands on their hips "Wouldn't you know he stares off just like that whenever he's thinking of you...and he does think of you a lot, doesn't he?" With a quick wink they pulled open the cabinet doors.
Iceburg looked away.
"That's ridiculous." He felt that familiar embarrassment intruding on his face.
"It is, isn't it?" Iva scoffed "He gets so distracted at the most inopportune moments! He's going to get himself hurt… daydreaming all the time the way he does." Their voluminous coils of hair bounced as they shook their head.
"So, do you work at the shipyards too then?" Iceburg couldn't help but wonder what their connection was; he'd never put much thought into it until then but he found himself unbearably curious about how such an eccentric person like Iva and a reserved person like Dylin ever came to know each other.
Iva made a face back at him.
"Oh, yes, of course I work at the shipyards. Wouldn't you know, these are my work clothes." They indicated at their purple corset, cutoff denim shorts and fishnets then cackled loudly "Goodness no! I absolutely don't! What a strange thing to ask! Could you imagine!?"
"You're strange!" Iceburg burst out laughing.
"Hmm, yes, but I get the feeling you're a little strange too. Aren't you?" Iva gave a smile as he pulled out a glass jar.
"I don't know. Maybe. It turns out I have no idea what normal is though." Iceburg pouted.
"Then I'll let you in on a little secret…" they ruffled his hair "there's no such thing. Just like beauty, normalcy is in the eye of the beholder! What's normal to one is insanity to the next. So it doesn't matter at all; everyone is strange."
"Well, that's a really good way to look at it! Thank you!" He found himself grinning again. "I like you, Iva!"
"Oh, aren't you adorable! Just the sweetest baby! You're welcome, Ice-boy." They tossed him the jar with a light giggle.
"What's this?" He peered closely at the gel inside; he thought of what he'd seen Dylin use to comb through his dark locks from time to time. "Is it for hair?"
Iva muffled another laugh.
"Well I suppose you could kind of look at it like that, considering…but no, it's not hair gel. The little scoundrel told me that you were interested in starting testosterone treatments as soon as possible. Would that be the case?"
"That would be the case," he pouted "I'm still not sure though."
"Well you only hesitate because of the injections, right? He mentioned you weren't keen on needles."
"Yes. He told you I was afraid of them?" Iceburg sounded betrayed.
"No, not exactly. He said you were opposed to them, not afraid. He is afraid though."
"He's afraid? What do you mean?"
"Ohh," Iva sighed "he knew you were hesitant and was worried you'd wait too long to start. It scares the hell out of him to think of you feeling the way he's felt all these years. He begged me to figure out a treatment for you that didn't involve pain, needles or pills. Pills aren't an option with testosterone anyways, so, topical it was! This gel should do very well for you."
"So what you're telling me is…" Iceburg's heart was heavy for how he'd acted in the hallway as he glanced from the bottle back to Iva "this is really testosterone and I wouldn't have to inject it?"
"You'll want to apply it to your skin every morning. Every morning. Let it dry completely before you do anything! Completely! Don't let it touch anything! It can transfer to other people so be extra cautious." They pointed a finger at him "That part is very important! It could take a long while to dry. Hours, maybe."
"I won't forget. I…I just don't know how to thank you for this." he turned the bottle over and over in his hands.
"Then don't. I really wouldn't have done it if not for him and it's not like I did it for free. Thank him again instead."
"I will." he took a deep breath. "I wish I could do it right now..."
"He just needs a bit of time. I can't imagine he'll stay away very long." Iva pinched his cheek.
"Hey!" Iceburg smacked at his hand with a bright laugh.
"He's trying so hard for you, in case you didn't know that. Take it from someone who's known him the longest." They patted his head then looked away, arms crossed.
Iceburg felt a sharp pang of jealousy but resisted asking about their relationship.
"So this is going to make me change too?"
"Yes. Gradually. This way will likely take much longer to see results than injections though."
"So it'll take me a long time to be more like him then? How much longer do you think?" He glanced back towards the window, hopeful to see him climbing back through the way he always did.
"Do you want to be like him?" Iva smirked and put their hands on their hips.
"Well, I don't want to look like a girl anymore." He hung his head.
"You listen here, little baby…" they grabbed his chin, pushed his head up high and stared sternly into his eyes "you don't look like a girl at all. You look like you."
"Like me?" Iceburg blinked up at them a few times before tears rimmed his eyes.
"There's no one way for anyone to look! Girls and boys…it's all just made up!" They held their arms out and laughed. "Everyone is unique and that's what makes the world so beautiful, Ice-boy. What testosterone will do for you could be worlds different than what it's done for Dylin!"
"Really?" He wiped his eyes.
"Mhm. You may have noticed that, like some other men, he hasn't grown a speck of facial hair and by this point likely never will…but you very well might grow a full beard! It's genes, baby, that's all. Your voice will get deeper, your body will change – but there's never a guarantee of how drastically these things will change. Does that make sense?"
Iceburg pondered it.
"Of course that makes sense." He considered asking about the powers Dylin had mentioned they had - being able to change people so quickly - but kept those questions to himself; he was still pretty sure he'd been messing around about it and didn't want to get laughed at. "I do remember him mentioning that genetics were a factor. We never really ended up talking much more about it like we were supposed to though."
"He has a hard time discussing these things, sometimes. He's really quite shy despite his hard attitude! I think that's why he asked me to be here to go over everything with you…questions about certain things might embarrass him."
"Embarrass him? Oh…" Iceburg blushed. "Right. You mean, um…the…the-"
"The sex organs?" Iva grinned wickedly.
"Y-Yes." His face felt as if it'd burnt to a crisp.
"Oh so you're as shy as he is, are you? Well, sorry to say but I'm a bit blunt about these things."
"Well…I do have some questions, so I don't mind you being blunt."
"Oh. What would you like to know?" Iva looked impressed.
His memories of their first night were muddled from the drinking but one thing that remained clear as ever was Dylin's muscular body as it glowed against the firelight; the water as it glistened like tiny stars and slid down his pale skin. He glared down at himself.
"Does testosterone really change any of that? Obviously it can't take away what I was born with…but Dylin, well…" he shied his eyes away "his body doesn't look much like mine, especially down there. His is more like other boys. Will I change like that too or is that his genetics?"
"Oh you'll certainly see changes in that sense too, and don't you dare think of applying the gel directly there, but yes, as I mentioned before how much change will be very dependent on-" Iva choked up; their pointed jaw and calm demeanor dropped "W-Wait just a minute! Are you saying you've already seen him naked, young man!?"
"Eh?" Iceburg blinked. The sudden change in them nearly knocked him senseless.
"In all my years! I thought you two weren't an item!? He's insisted time and time again that you weren't!" they sneered, tossed their hair back "Well, anyways, I wouldn't care in the least what you two do with each other but I don't take kindly to being lied to!"
For a long stretch Iceburg could only stand and stare with wide eyes before he finally replied.
"What!? No! We're not! I mean, yes I have seen him naked but it wasn't like that…" he looked down, sure that he was more red in the face than ever. "He'd never think of me like that. Don't be silly."
"Oh really!? Well! I suppose we'll just have to see about that, won't we?"
"He doesn't! We haven't done anything! It's not allowed! We're only friends, and I'm grateful enough just for that!" Even as Iceburg shouted it out loud he felt something tugging at him, nagging.
Then why does it hurt so much to say that?
"Adorable." They laughed.
"What!?" Iceburg was exasperated by their flippancy.
"So how would you know what other boys look like naked anyways, hmm!?" They raised a brow "Aren't you a little young to be worrying about any of that!?"
The words crashed into him and brought on the flashbacks. They hit him again and again like tidal waves; weathered him down.
"I…" he winced.
There it was again – the voice that still lingered in the darkest recesses of his mind; tortured him. He wondered if he'd ever go at least one day without being haunted by Giroux and the things he'd done.
After taking a deep breath he snapped his gaze up to Iva.
"Well, it's not like I wanted to know! I wish I didn't know at all! I wish I'd never met any human men before Dylin!"
The rage that surfaced in his voice and drowned out the sorrow stunned Iva. They leaned down so they were eye to eye.
"Would you please forgive my rudeness? I was well out of line." They looked on with an earnest gaze.
"It's okay. I'm fine. Thank you." It was far from the truth but he just wanted to move on from it all.
"Now, now…it's absolutely not okay." Iva threw their arms around him and squeezed him tight; their heartbeat welcomed him in. "I'm sorry for opening that wound so carelessly."
"I think it's always open." Iceburg found himself crying against their soft skin.
"Some wounds are like that, Ice-boy, and even if they do close they're far too easy to rip open again…" they stroked his hair. "…just try not to let the past hold you back from living your life. Loving your life. You're in good company now, don't forget…so you should lean on your friends when you need to. Dylin's an idiot but he is your friend. You can trust him."
"Thank you. I know that. You both are, aren't you?" Iceburg sniffled.
"What, idiots? Of course we are." They chuckled.
"No," Iceburg smiled shyly "I mean my friends. Even if you're doing all this for Dylin, you're still kind to me and I feel very safe with you. I'd like to be friends, anyways."
"Yes, we're friends, you silly thing. I like you."
Iceburg mopped the tears from his face with his sleeve.
"I was so alone when I first arrived here on Water 7 but I have more friends than ever now! Thank you - for everything!
"Oh you are such a little darling." Iva rocked him about. "Now…if you do want to start your treatments make sure you apply your first dose in the morning, first thing; then every day following."
Iceburg nodded.
"Do you have any questions at all about it?"
"I don't think so. Basically I just have to wait and see how it works?"
"Basically. One thing to keep in mind as you grow though is that you'll likely deal with a lot of unexpected urges and even worse, the mood swings - just like with any puberty. Don't let it consume you."
"Oh…that must've been what he meant when he said it wasn't all good."
"Well, he'd be one to know. After all I'm sure you've noticed that he doesn't have the greatest control of his temper."
"I don't exactly have the best grip as it is…should I really take something like this?"
"That's for you to decide." Iva shrugged "I'm no doctor. I'm just passing this along."
Iceburg sighed. He could tell by the way his heart raced that it was something he was eager to do, but he couldn't help but feel trapped.
"Well think of it this way, Ice-boy…if you're struggling anyways, wouldn't it make more sense to struggle towards your goal rather than struggle while growing into a body you aren't interested in?" Iva set a hand on his shoulder. "It's your decision and your body in the end, so take time to think about it."
"I will." He glanced out the window before he turned away.
Iva took a moment to look off out at the cityscape as well.
"You won't have to go through it alone, whatever way you choose. He'll stick by you, as long as you stick by him."
"You really think so? Even if I decided I didn't want to go through with it?"
"Oh, I'm quite sure."
"I hope you're right." Iceburg held the jar tight to his chest.
"Well," Iva sighed and slid back up to the armoire "I am. you'll see. He doesn't pay much mind to how you present your gender if he likes who you are."
"Are we talking about the same person?" Iceburg laughed with a shake of his head "You should hear some of the things he's said…"
"Oh, I'm sure I can imagine. I never said he wasn't complicated." After a moment of rummaging they glanced back with a pout. "There's absolutely nothing here!? That devil better be bringing something back! No snacks, no drinks, nothing to smoke…what a disaster he is!" They shook their head "I can not believe he had the gall to call me here without even-"
"What? Horumonyaki not good enough for you?"
Both Iva and Iceburg startled at the sound of the deep voice from the windowsill. Dylin leaned against the frame with a cocky smirk and a bag thrown over his shoulder.
"You didn't!" Iva put a hand to their heart.
Dylin produced a white box from the bag and handed it to them wordlessly.
"Oh my sweet candy-boy!" They threw themselves against him and squeezed; he looked distressed by the way their ample breasts pushed against his face. Iceburg looked away, feeling like he was intruding. "You remembered my favourite? You absolute angel! Oh, if only we had a little something to drink to celebrate this lovely evening with..."
Dylin shoved them off with a grunt and made a face.
"Angel? Don't act like you weren't trash talking me three seconds ago." He snorted and shook his head. "Anyways, I did bring some wine too. As thanks."
"Thanks!?" Iva stumbled backwards and made a show of falling against the wall. "You just keep shocking me! Now do you have any fancy cups? We need some fancy cups to have a proper toast."
"Nothing's ever enough for you, is it?" He rolled his eyes, swept past them and handed off the bottle on his way by before he went to Iceburg. He stood rigidly before him with a doleful expression.
"I…I'm sorry." He stared into his eyes "I really am. I know I'm not the most-"
"Don't be sorry!" Iceburg burst out then sobbed into the crook of his arm. "Please don't be sorry! I'm the one who should be apologizing to you!"
"Hey…what's these tears, eh?" He held out his arms in a lighthearted shrug but the tenderness in his voice coaxed Iceburg in; he fell against him.
"Thank you so much!" He clutched his jacket and curled into him. "For everything! I'm sorry I was so nasty to you! I really don't know what's wrong with me!"
Dylin stood frozen with his arms still at his sides. He blinked a few times before he wrapped him up with a warm embrace.
"Shh…no, no, no…Not a single thing is wrong with you, please don't cry." it only served to make him cry harder so Dylin stooped down to pull him closer. "Didn't I tell you not to apologize to me for your bold little mouth?"
Iva watched with narrowed eyes over loaded chopsticks.
"I have to apologize!" he sniffled "I don't want to be mean to the people I care about the most…"
"Well…" he spoke against his ear; tried not to show how much the heartfelt words affected him. "I don't want you to hold back on me. Say what you feel. Be mean. Life's too short to keep poisoning yourself. It was childish of me to take off like that instead of talking things through..."
"He's right, you know. Be mean to him.." Iva's voice was muffled by the food. "You should always say how you feel. So much easier to just be honest." They threw a rude look at Dylin; he tried to ignore it.
"Now, how about we get you something to eat too? Eh? You must be so hungry..." Dylin untied his silken cravat and leaned over to wipe the younger boys eyes "I brought something for you. I didn't know what you'd like so I just got this." He looked shy as he held a container and spoon out to him.
Iceburg took it in his hands, speechless. The smell was warm and familiar; it brought him back to his very first night on Water 7 when he was taken in from the cold ship.
"It's curry; Paneer Makhani. I thought something without any meat would be best for you tonight." He nearly whispered it.
"You got something for me too?" His voice wavered as he opened the little carton of curry.
"Of course…I hope you like it."
"I know I will!" He hadn't realized how hungry he was until his stomach growled at the inviting scent "Thank you!"
"You're welcome." Dylin led him to sit on the edge of the bottom bunk.
"It's so good!" The first bite was nearly intoxicating with fluffy rice, mild spice and chewy cheese; it wasn't quite as good as Kokoro's curry but it was delicious.
"Good." Dylin's relieved smile filled him more than the food ever could.
"What about you?" Iceburg pouted up at him when he noticed he didn't have anything else with him.
"Hm?"
"Aren't you hungry? Where's your food?"
"Heh. I'll just have a few glasses of wine tonight." He ruffled his hair.
Iceburg grabbed his wrist and yanked him down. He tumbled down beside him with a gasp.
"Wh-what!?" He stuttered, suddenly unable to make himself move.
Iceburg nudged him until he sat.
"I couldn't forgive myself if you drank that on an empty stomach and got yourself sick. Why don't we share? We can enjoy the wine together after we eat. If that's okay with you…"
Dylin stared, shocked, as Iceburg reddened and held out a spoonful to him.
"He wants to feed you, Dylin. You wouldn't turn him down, would you?" Iva's voice was flat yet demanding as he stared the two of them down.
He straightened up and locked his steely eyes on Iva's.
"Turn him down?" He threw a fond gaze to Iceburg before he scowled back at them "No. I wouldn't."
"Well…" Iceburg giggled and edged the spoon closer to his lips until he gingerly accepted the bite; he watched eagerly as he took his time to enjoy it. "What do you think?"
"I love it." He tried to hide his smile.
"You do!?" Iceburg was too eager to shove another bite at him.
When he finished he plucked it away with a low chuckle and spooned out more from the dish in Iceburg's lap.
"I bought it for you, marmocchio! Make sure you eat enough too..." He hesitated before he shakily slipped it into his mouth.
They both flinched as Iva stamped the bottle down on the table.
"Shall we have a toast then!?" They pried the cork off with their unsettlingly jagged nails "A toast: to fresh starts."
"Yes, let's." Dylin threw the spoon down into the container and stood with dignified rigidity. "Nothing would make me happier."
"I think I saw a few cups in the washroom cabinet! They're not the fanciest but I'll clean them and we can use them for a proper toast!" Iceburg jumped to his feet and flew through the door.
A heavy silence fell on the room and Dylin forced himself to meet the intense eye of Iva that he knew had been burning into him.
"What?" He crossed his arms and leered at their sussing face.
"It's absolutely eerie. All these years I've hardly heard the word 'love' leave your lips unless you were scorning it and now you're just sitting here, using it so casually? What's really going on?" They waltzed up to him and trailed a hand across his chest; he sneered as they slid around behind "Don't hold back now."
"I don't know what the hell you mean, Iva."
"Hm? Don't you?" They ground up against him with a sly laugh "I don't believe that one bit, you little troublemaker."
"There's nothing going on." He grimaced and wriggled away from their touch. "I'd have told you by now if there was, like you asked me to..."
"So you both keep saying, and yet…" Iva snatched his collar and yanked him in. "Oh, you love it."
"It was just curry. Why are you always so fucking outrageous!?" He snarled as they draped over his shoulders and started to unbutton his shirt.
"You have been a naughty boy, haven't you?" Their heavy breasts squished down on his shoulders as they lightly dug their nails into him. "I wonder what you two have done alone in this room all these nights, hm?"
"We haven't done a thing! Stop, would you?" He tried to pull away but Iva laughed and squeezed him harder.
"Why would I? It seems like you need a little reminder not to take me so lightly. If you can't tell…" they narrowed their eyes. "I'm absolutely livid with you, Candy-boy. If I had any idea I was coming here to sit in on your little date, I'd have politely declined. I'm hurt."
"What is your crazy ass on about now, eh!?" He palmed himself in the face. "Date!? Come on…you know that's not true."
"Well the last I checked…" they poked his side and put on a grumpy pout "I was the only one allowed to take care of you.Feed you."
"He's my friend. I want him to join my crew... That's all. Can't I have friends again?" He glowered away from them.
"Oh, friends!? Please. You've been acting like a lovesick schoolgirl since day one." Their follow-up laugh set him off like nothing else could.
"Fucking bitch!" Infuriated by the choice of words he tried to pull away again but froze in horror when their nails pushed into his skin. "Go get fucked, you insufferable whore!"
"Oh, are you offering? And here I thought you'd grown tired of me." They leaned into him; he leaned away.
"I'm not offering a damn thing to you!"
"Well that's okay, because you owe me anyways." They smirked and ripped open the remaining buttons of his shirt. Several scattered across the room.
With a gasp he finally broke away and desperately tried to close the shirt to cover himself; his bindings. His lip trembled while he hastily did up the buttons that remained.
"Bastard!" he spat out the words "Now is not the time…"
"Oh? Any time is the time, silly boy. You might recall the latest change to our agreement – you were so desperate to save our little Iceburg that you retracted your conditions. So, you're mine..." They shrugged. "…whenever."
"You said we were done tonight though!" He tore his anguished gaze to the washroom door. "All I had to do was get those damn papers for you, you said!"
"Changed my mind. So…what has he got on you then? Why are you so weak against him?" They followed his gaze.
He held his shirt closed tight and backed away with a furious scowl.
"Has it occurred to you that maybe he hasn't 'got' anything on me? Is it so wild to think that maybe someone could like me for who I am and not what they can take from me!?" He tried to keep his voice down but he could feel the heat rising in him; it wouldn't be long until his wrath boiled over.
Iva wrapped their arms back around his neck and smirked.
"You sound a little stressed, Candy-boy. I've never heard you complain about our little arrangements until recently…we can call it quits if you'd like. Is that what you'd like?" They tickled his chin when he tried to flinch away.
"No!" he ran a hand through his hair and sighed, his eyes locked on their nails. "No…"
"No? Good…" They nipped at his neck.
"Oi!" He pushed them off again but they grabbed his waist and pulled him close.
"What's wrong, baby? Afraid he might see?" They threw a glance towards a clatter from the washroom and raised a brow. "You mean, he doesn't know about us?"
"Us!?" Exasperated, he tried to pry their arms off him "I've never seen an 'us'! I've seen you using me however you see fit, but never an us!" He growled and wrenched himself away.
"Excuse me!?" Iva put a hand to their mouth "Using you!? Who's been the one asking me for all these favours all this time, hm? And now for some boy you hardly know? You're lucky I decided I like him too… or I might hold it against you; lying to me so I'd help him! You are turning out to be quite the pirate after all, aren't you?"
Dylin stared at him with a desperate sort of incredulity.
"I haven't lied about anything! What are you talking about?"
"You claim he has no interest in you and won't admit your interest in him…but do you really think I'm that stupid?"
"Apparently you are! Interest or no interest, there's nothing!"
"Dylinae... Why bother denying how much you care for each other?"
"Fuck you! It's not Dylinae anymore! Dylin only; or better yet call me nothing!" He balled his fists at his sides. "I care for him, of course I care for him! Would I ask you to do any of this if I didn't!? There's still nothing though! Do you honestly think I'd do anything that would put him in a position where he'd end up like Julius!?"
"Yes." The answer was so simple and so ready on their lips it was as if it'd been awaiting the perfect chance to escape.
"What!?" Dylin's voice boomed, he clenched his fist and cocked back, ready to swing.
"Julius was a damn fool and so are you." Unbothered, Iva shrugged and turned their back on him. "You're better off without that junky now anyways - your new little toy seems wonderful."
"Ivankov! You bastard!" Dylin started after them but a small hand on his waist stopped him short. He whipped around with a fierce scowl burning but it was extinguished by Iceburg's bright eyes.
"Bambino..." He exhaled slowly.
Iva glanced back and raised a brow.
"The glasses are ready!" He held them up and did his best to sound cheery and pretend he hadn't heard them arguing.
"Wonderful. You two enjoy then. Good luck with it all, Ice-boy. I'm sure your transition will go as smoothly as possible." Iva kept on.
"You're leaving?" Iceburg frowned as he watched them duck out the window. "What about the toast?"
"I should really let you two have some time alone." They laughed and waved haphazardly before they dropped out of sight. Dylin turned away with a scoff and shook his head. After a short silence Iceburg tugged on his sleeve.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
"I don't know. Probably. Maybe." He grabbed the bottle and flopped down on the floor. With a long, exasperated groan he laid against the bottom bunk. "That stupid bitch is gonna be the death of me."
"What happened anyways? You looked like you were really gonna hit them…" Iceburg frowned.
"Ah, it's nothing for you to concern yourself with. I'll worry about it later." He took a long drink.
"You say that a lot."
"Heh. Yeah. I do." He tried to smile as brightly as possible "Well. No point worrying now while I could be enjoying our time."
Iceburg abandoned the glasses and sank down beside him. He kept the rest of his questions hot on his tongue and instead grabbed up their curry and took a bite. After a moment of quiet he laid against his shoulder and sighed. Dylin flicked his gaze down to him, taken off guard by the closeness, but didn't resist.
"You know, this is really nice. Thank you." Iceburg shuffled a little closer against him then raised the spoon up to his mouth; he accepted it with a chuckle.
"Oh, think nothing of it. Anytime; I'm glad you like it. Next time you'll pick the food though." He threw his arm over his shoulder and ushered him in. "We'll go out together and get whatever you want. There's so much out there beyond these walls..."
"Well," he took a bite then gazed up at him. "I'd love to take you up on that offer. But…I wasn't actually talking about the food."
Dylin could only stammer as it sank in - his voice was lost to the bubbling emotions inside him. Iceburg grabbed the bottle and stole a few sips before handing it back. With a quiet laugh he nuzzled against him and watched as his expression shifted from one of stress and exhaustion to a bashful, boyish smile. After he took some time to relish the moment he set about dishing the rest of the curry out between them.
