Getting Steamy

Dimitri normally disliked any warm areas, but he supposed Dedue had a point: he did need to relax. He'd gotten even less sleep than normal recently, so anything that helped him rest was worth a try. It was with that suggestion that Dedue had talked him into taking a trip to the sauna.

There was a small room off to the side for changing into the thin shirts and short trousers worn in the sauna. Dimitri was already glad to be wearing something lighter than his uniform; the heat hit him as soon as they entered. There were a few other students inside, Dimitri noticed as they sat down. A few were idly talking to each other; some were alone. But all of them seemed to be enjoying themselves, relaxed posture (and occasional closed eyes) indicating that they were indeed having a much-needed break.

Dimitri took a deep breath as he shifted around in his seat. There were already beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Even with the lighter clothing, he was so warm...

Off to the side, the sauna boss stoked the coals, increasing the amount of steam in the room. Dimitri felt himself heating up quite rapidly. Could he ask for less steam? He glanced around. No one else seemed to mind it...

Dimitri glanced over at Dedue next, and he almost wished he hadn't. Dedue's face was as neutral as ever, but his eyes were currently closed. He exhaled slowly, probably trying to relax. If he was uncomfortable, he wasn't showing it as much as Dimitri was.

Still, a small bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face. Dimitri swallowed as he watched it trail down Dedue's neck and onto his shoulder. Dedue's shoulders were really quite broad, Dimitri was suddenly realizing. Very wide and sturdy, just like the rest of him. Why had he never noticed until now just how... large Dedue was?

Of course he'd noticed, but somehow it seemed more... striking than normal. With the short sleeves of their shirts, and the way Dedue's arms glistened slightly, his forearms looked very... strong and thick. His legs, too. Dimitri couldn't stop his eyes from trailing along the sharp lines of Dedue's body, highlighted by the way his shirt clung to him. It only stuck more as the heat continued to increase in the room. If Dimitri looked very closely at his chest, he thought he could see the outline of-

Dimitri closed his eyes and shook his head. What was he thinking? Why was he thinking that about Dedue? Why was he looking so... closely... at him all of a sudden? Dimitri had taken note of Dedue's appearance before, of course. But it had always been casually, or so he'd thought.

However, as the pressure of the heat bore down on him, everything about Dedue seemed more appealing than usual. Dimitri wanted to look at him, to see more, to... feel more. Maybe he'd always wanted to, and he was just looking for something to blame his thoughts on. Or maybe the heat really was getting to him - Dimitri wasn't sure.

But he squeezed his eyes more tightly closed. Dedue had brought him here to relax, and he was going to relax. It was getting difficult, though. It was so warm... So very warm...

The steam increased again, and Dimitri slowly toppled over to the side.

This wasn't bad, Dedue thought. He wasn't the fondest of heat, but sitting there in the sauna, with nothing but the occasional soft conversation in the background, was somehow relaxing. Dedue hoped it was going well for Dimitri, too.

He opened his eyes and curiously glanced over at the prince. Dimitri's own eyes were currently closed, but his breathing was oddly rapid. Clearly, he wasn't taking this as well as Dedue had hoped. Sweat dripped down his face; maybe they should've requested small towels for absorbing purposes.

Did the sauna have towels? Maybe Dimitri could've draped one over his shoulders for easy access. His shoulders that were, now that Dedue was thinking about them, surprisingly broad. Now that Dimitri was out of his uniform and in something more form-fitting, it was easier to tell. Had they always been that wide, or had Dimitri perhaps begun a small, late growth spurt?

Dedue's eyes trailed downwards before he could stop them. With how much Dimitri's shirt was clinging to him, it was easy to see that his waist was surprisingly narrow, especially in relation to his shoulders. It was... a nice contrast, Dedue thought. A very nice contrast.

He swallowed. No, those were inappropriate thoughts to be having about His Highness. Even with how much Dedue wished they could be closer, they could never be that kind of close. Could they? ...Did Dedue want them to be?

Fortunately, Dedue's thoughts were broken when Dimitri's head landed on his shoulder. For a second, Dedue froze. He couldn't touch Dimitri and move him aside, could he? It wasn't wrong if Dimitri was just dizzy and needed help, was it? Because he had to be just dizzy; he couldn't have done it on purpose.

There was faint giggling from the other students behind them as Dimitri shot back up. His eyes widened as he glanced around, face growing even redder than it already was as realization sank in. Dimitri stood up, legs wobbling slightly, and he was forced to sit back down.

"Your Highness," Dedue said, "are you ready to leave?"

"Y-yes," Dimitri replied, his voice oddly strained. "I think we should leave. I'm sorry, Dedue."

"No, it is fine. I should have thought before I suggested this. Do you... need help?"

"Please."

Dedue couldn't help noticing how Dimitri didn't quite meet his eyes as he helped him up, or the way he clung more tightly to his arm than he probably needed to. He tried to pretend like he didn't enjoy the sensation of Dimitri's hands against his skin, but Dedue knew he was lying to himself.

As they changed back into their uniforms, Dedue had to keep his eyes resolutely on the floor. Once they were back outside, Dimitri hastily excused himself to his room so he could lie down. Dedue watched him leave, wanting to help him back to his dorm but also not wanting to do anything too forward.

...It would probably never happen again, but Dedue found himself wishing that Dimitri would come back to the sauna with him again sometime. Maybe then he'd be able to get a closer look at...

No. Dedue shook his head and walked back to his own room. He'd already gone too far today, and yet... the thoughts wouldn't leave his mind.