Chapter 7

The dance was coming up soon, and Matthew felt more nervous as it got closer. He continued to stare at Cain from afar, one hand holding up his head as he stared, with a look of happiness on his face. How he desperately wished to ask the redhead out to the dance, but he noticed how Cain looked over a girl in their class the same way Matthew looked at him... It hurt a bit, and by this point, the teen had accepted he wasn't going with Cain.

One day, during their training- the test had been done by this point, and even though Matthew knew it'd probably be his final straw in the class, it hadn't been decided yet, and he and Cain still trained together to spend time together. During one of their breaks, he sat down next to Cain, before glancing over at his friend. "So... Any luck on getting a date for the dance?"

Cain was feeling confident after his physical exam; he'd really gotten the chance to show Oswin how much he'd improved, and was very pleased with his progress. The academic exam... not so much. He studied enough to pass, but that clearly wasn't his main objective. Even after the training classes were let out for the winter break, Cain kept up his own personal training, including those extra sessions with Matthew. He'd grown to enjoy the time he spent with the other teen. During a break, he raised a water bottle to his lips; even in the cold, crisp air, the cool liquid felt nice sliding down his parched throat. He smacked his lips with a satisfied ahh and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, then looked over towards Matthew. "Well..." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was thinking about asking someone."

"Oh... really?" Matthew did his best to not sound disappointed. He knew Cain wasn't talking about him when he said 'someone.' "Is it that girl you're always making goo goo eyes at?" He snickered, giving Cain a light punch in the arm. "Don't tell me you can go through rigorous training and be afraid to talk to a girl."

"Heyy," Cain whined, overdramatically rubbing the shoulder that Matthew punched. "I don't make goo goo eyes at anyone. That kind of lovey-dovey stuff isn't for me." He scoffed and rolled his eyes, but then a silly smile formed on his face. "... Do you think she likes me?" It was obvious in his voice that he was head over heels in naive puppy love.

Matthew sighed out as he looked up at the sky, pretending he didn't look the same way at Cain when his back was turned. Something churned in his stomach. "I don't see why not. You're not the unlikeable," he said with a soft laugh. "You... You should go for it."

"She'll probably go with her sisters like she does every year." Cain sighed heavily, but seemed to chipper up a bit. "Maybe I'll try anyway. Hey, you can be my wingman," he joked, nudging Matthew on the shoulder. "What about you? Got anyone lined up?"

"I wouldn't count on it. I'm not really the best at that kind of stuff." He replied back, managing a smile. When the other asked, a light cluster appeared on Matthew's face. "Huh? Well, I..." he didn't know how to answer. "I guess there is... someone I like. But, I don't think I'm gonna go for it. She, uh... She likes someone else."

"Oh?" Cain seemed interested, and he scooted a bit closer to Matthew. "Who is it? Who is it?" He asked twice before Matthew could even answer the first time. "C'mon, I promise not to tell!" He nudged the other teen on the shoulder again.

The fluster on Matthew's face grew a little bit as he desperate tried to find a way to get out of this. "I-it doesn't really matter. I'm not asking her and I'm not gonna go to the dance, either. This is the same guy who fell over during his physical exam- twice. It's not like people are lining up to date me."

Cain stuck out his lower lip in a pout when Matthew refused to tell him, though he couldn't say that he was surprised. Still, his expression faded into a smile that he tried to hide when the other teen mentioned how he'd fallen over during the physical exam; it was kind of amusing. "Wait a minute, you still should go," he insisted. "It's a lot of fun, with or without a date. Besides..." He paused for a second, then offered a knowing smile. "I kind of got the feeling that you don't really like girls, anyway."

Matthew blushed a bit more furiously when the other said his last comment. Was he that obvious?! "Wh-Whatever," Matthew said as he stood up once more. "I'll think about it. Can we get back to training? I'm freezing my ass off." Anything to get out of that conversation.

This made Cain burst out laughing, and he almost fell back in the snow-dusted grass. He was still trying to catch his breath as he stood, the laughter still bubbling over in small spurts, getting worse every time he imagined Matthew's furiously blushing cheeks. "Alright, alright... You are actually going to the dance though, right?"

Matthew huffed as the other kept laughing at him, but he couldn't help but crack a smile as well. Cain's happiness was contagious, especially for him. "Well, if you end up dateless and want a loser like me there, then sure." It was probably the closest he'd get to being asked out.

"Hey, stop talkin' so bad about yourself." Cain tried to cheer Matthew up, and smacked him gently on the back. "If worst comes to worst, you'll be my date, right?" He grinned, though his words were clearly a joke. He reached out and jabbed Matthew in the stomach with the wooden sword.

Matthew offered another small smile as Cain gave him a light smack in the back; for a moment he wondered if Cain was inviting only him along, or if all his other friends were going too. At Cain's question, he bit back an ecstatic 'of course!'. "Sure... I don't see why not," he said, smiling and trying to hold in the fact he'd be going to his first dance with Cain.

...

Well, the day of the dance had come, and it looked like Cain was going dateless after all; if not for Matthew, he might have gone completely alone. Abel had taken his chances with Palla, who had happily accepted. Cain did decide to ask Catria, but she turned him down in favor of keeping her little sister Est company at her first real dance. Of course, Draug was with Norne, and poor Gordin couldn't go at all, stuck babysitting his little brother.

Cain rapped his knuckles on the door to Matthew's room, then used the other to straighten up his corsage. The outfits were a little stuffier than he liked, but it was nice to dress up every once in awhile. "You ready to go? I think we're already fashionably late." The dance had started a few minutes prior, but nobody who was anybody actually got there exactly when it started.

Well, the day of the dance had come, and Matthew still wasn't sure how he felt about all this. Getting dressed up so fancily to go to a dance where he wasn't even sure he fully knew how to dance was daunting, if not intimidating. This was all ignoring the fact he was going with Cain, which was the biggest nerve wracking thing about it. Being a teenager away from home, he hadn't exactly packed a tuxedo to bring with him, so he found whatever he could find that he deemed better than 'fine.' Matthew sighed to himself as he slipped on his shoes. Its fine. Just act like you're having a normal hang out, he told himself. "Yeah, I'm coming," he called out, and soon enough, he opened the door to be met with Cain in fancier clothing. The teen couldn't stop a light blush to rise on his cheeks. "Heh... you weren't kidding about being fashionable."

Cain grinned as Matthew opened the door, and glanced down; the redhead was in nicer clothing, obviously more prepared for the occasion, but he did think that Matthew looked rather nice. "Well look at you, handsome," he teased back, pretending to brush a bit of dust off of Matthew's shoulder. "Shall we be off?" He gestured for the other teen to go ahead.

Ah, the Winter Formal, held in a beautifully decorated ballroom, full of pubescent teenagers trying not to embarrass themselves. A couple instructors were there to oversee things, but for the most part they left the kids to their own devices. Cain held the door open for Matthew and welcomed his 'date' inside; the lights were dimmed and the music was loud. He couldn't help but laugh when the other teen gave him a look that basically said now what?, and he practically dragged Matthew out towards the floor. "Now," he grinned, "you grab whoever's closest and start dancing!" For him, that happened to be Abel and Palla, a pair that was making their way through the center.

Cain cut in between them and stole Abel away; Palla laughed and allowed him, giving Abel a quick kiss on the cheek before finding a new partner. "Would you like to dance?" She smiled at Matthew and extended her hand.

Matthew wasn't a big fan of the many people and the loud music, and he was hoping he could just silently stick close to Cain through the night, but that wasn't how it was going to happen, it seemed. Next thing he knew, Cain had dragged him towards the dancefloor and left him there to find a new partner. If Palla hadn't offered, Matthew didn't think he'd even find another. He managed a smile at her, nodding his head. "It'd be my honor, though, I'd watch your feet if I were you." With that, he took her hand and was whisked deeper into the dancing crowd.

Palla laughed as Matthew took her hand, and led him further into the crowd before they began. The music was upbeat and lively, and the dancing matched. Cain had switched partners again, and was now dancing with Norne; her pink hair was put up in a loose bun, and her face lit up when she smiled. It was a surprise that Draug had let her go long enough to dance with someone else, and he watched her from afar with infatuated smiles as he sipped on a drink.

Palla twirled as she danced with Matthew, her long green hair looking as soft as silk. She giggled lightly as she moved, enjoying herself, but nevertheless the pair was cut in by a third face. It was Oujay, and he stole Matthew away from Palla; she laughed and bid him goodbye, off to find another partner. "Matthew, you made it!" Oujay smiled. "I didn't think you'd come."

Matthew allowed himself to dance around, finding the dancing to be fun. Surprisingly, he started to enjoy himself and laughed softly as he continued to move with Palla. Upon trading off to Oujay, however, a familiar smile appeared on his face. "Hey!" He greeted with a smile as they started dancing. "Honestly? I can't believe I'm here either."

Oujay laughed as he danced with Matthew. "Did I see you walking in with you know who?" He winked. He seemed much more open and talkative than his usual reserved self; the dance was a nice place to let loose. "A word of advice... You may want to find him again. They'll be playing the slow music soon." With a grin, he let go of Matthew; Gwendolyn had appeared nearby and she snatched Oujay up as her own partner, to which he went willingly.

Meanwhile, Norne had migrated her way back to Draug, and Abel back to Palla. For the moment, it seemed Cain was without a partner...

Matthew didn't have time to reply to his friend, only giving a scoff as he watched his friend be snatched off. How did everyone know him so well? It was embarrassing. He spotted the redhead, alone in a group of dancers, and he made his way over to the other, smiling to himself. Once he got close to the other, he reached out and gave Cain a light punch in the shoulder. "That's for throwing me in without warning."

Cain was looking around, trying to find someone he hadn't already danced with, when he felt a punch on his shoulder. He turned around, and there was Matthew- come to think of it, there was someone he hadn't danced with yet, and it was the person he'd come with in the first place. He grinned as he grabbed Matthew and began to move. "Heh, sorry," he laughed, not looking the least bit sorry. "You're having fun though, right?" For now, the music was still upbeat, but the current song was coming to a close.

"For a dance I wasn't even planning to come to, I am, surprisingly, having a good time," he replied with a soft laugh as he was able to finally get a dance with Cain. "Even if I don't even know some of my dance partners." They moved to the upbeat music, having fun with it until it ended. He managed a smile. "You mind having another dance with me?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Cain grinned and nodded, more than happy to continue dancing with Matthew. He waited for the next song to start, and when it did, his eyes widened a bit; there was always a portion of the dance where a few slower songs were played, and he hadn't kept track of the time; it looked like he'd be slow dancing with Matthew or sitting this one out. Well... He offered a smile as he put a hand on Matthew's waist. The other teen wasn't bad looking... Maybe it would be fun.

The only reason Matthew knew it was a slow song was because of Oujay; he would have been as surprised as Cain otherwise. He held his breath as the first notes of the song played. A part of him doubted Cain would want to dance to a slow song with him, so he was a bit surprised to feel the other place a hand on his waist. Blushing lightly and managing a smile, he put one hand on the redhead's shoulder as he moved a bit closer to the other. It was about the closest they have ever been; well, when they weren't swinging swords at each other. As the two started dancing, Matthew found that he almost couldn't keep his gaze away from his partner, and he only managed to do so by forcefully tearing his eyes away.

Cain looked down at Matthew with a smile that made creases in his rounded cheeks. "What's the matter?" He chuckled as Matthew looked away, and he lifted his hand to turn the other teen's chin back towards him. "Is there something on my face?" He swayed lightly in place, in rhythm with Matthew. For all his worry, it seemed Matthew was a pretty good dancer after all... and had his eyes always been such a lovely shade of brown? Cain hadn't noticed until the light flashed over them, illuminating Matthew's face in his view.

From over Cain's shoulder, Oujay was still dancing with Gwendolyn, but he kept an eye on Matthew and Cain. When he caught Matthew's eye, he grinned and gave a thumbs up, as if to say go for it!

Matthew had seen Oujay giving him a thumbs up from across the room, but could only manage a small huff before his attention went back to Cain. When his chin was tilted back up towards the other, he had simply started staring again, managing a low chuckle. "No, no... I've just... Never done this before is all," he replied back. Whereas Cain was just now noticing Matthew's lovely hazel eyes, the teen had already happily taken in all of Cain's features. The smile that created adorable outlines on his face, his red eyes that looked back at him... Yes, Matthew was way ahead indeed. "Cain?" he murmured out suddenly. "Can I tell you something?"

Cain held Matthew's hand in one of his, and had his other on Matthew's waist. He led the dance, stepping slowly and patiently as his partner followed suit. The soft music echoed in the room, but he could still hear Matthew's voice; had it always been so gentle? His hands, so soft? His lips, so pink? Cain found himself staring, but he blinked and looked up to the teen's eyes when Matthew spoke. "Hm...? Of course," he said with a smile. "You know you can tell me anything."

Matthew managed a smile as well as they continued to move in rhythm. He then went quiet for a moment, looking a bit troubled as he fumbled with what to say. This was all very new to him, until he finally took a deep breath. "Well, the truth is... You were the one I wanted to ask to the dance, not some girl," he said as his eyes averted.

Cain tilted his head to the side, his red eyes curious. "Me? But... we did come to the dance together." He didn't seem to be following what Matthew was trying to tell him. It didn't help that he was getting more and more distracted as he noticed their close proximity.

"No, I meant..." he sighed out. Why was it so hard to speak to Cain, when it was so easy to earlier? He went quiet for a moment more before finally clearing his throat. "I meant... that I really like you. Like like." He spoke quietly, face fully flustered.

"I like you too," Cain said simply, but then... Matthew clarified. Cain's cheeks suddenly felt warm. "Oh. Oh." He stopped moving, but he didn't let go of Matthew. The music was still echoing in the room, but even that faded away along with the presence of everyone else; for the moment, it seemed he was in his own little world with Matthew. He hadn't realized it before, but hearing the other teen say it, he understood. He liked Matthew too. Liked liked him. He didn't know what to say, but... He'd always been more of a man of action, anyway. Slowly, he started to lean in, and he tilted his head while his eyes started to flutter closed; a moment later, he'd pressed his lips against Matthew's.

Matthew looked a bit worried when Cain stopped dancing, averting his gaze once more. The teen had started to pull away from the other, not wanting to ruin the night for Cain- or even the dance. He began to say something before the redhead had leaned in, getting closer... and their lips touched. Matthew froze up, taking a moment to process the redhead's warm lips up against his own, the fact everything seemed to go dark except for both him and Cain. Soon, his muscles relaxed and he leaned forward, enjoying the kiss he never thought he'd get. The moment seemed to last forever before Cain finally pulled away, and Matthew let out a short breath, the feeling of warmth against his lips still there. "Cain..." He gasped out softly.

Cain held the kiss for a few moments longer before pulling away; his cheeks were a bit flushed as well, though it was hard to tell in the dim light. His hold on Matthew was gentle, but still strong enough to keep the other from pulling out of his grasp. When his eyes fluttered open again, he smiled, and let out a soft chuckle. "Heh... I knew there was something special about you."

Matthew let out a soft chuckle as he looked up at Cain, an expression of gushy love on his face. "Special? I'm not sure about that..." He muttered, suddenly aware that the music was still playing around them. The teen took one step closer to Cain. "We still have time to get in more dancing..."

Cain grinned, and then he leaned in for another kiss; this one was quicker, and much more comfortable than the first. "Of course we do," he laughed, starting to move again. "That's what we're here for!" It seemed the slow music had ended, and the band was picking up again with the lively songs; Cain was more than happy to stick with one partner for the rest of the night.