Toris woke the next morning to Feliks curled against his chest. He breathed deeply, sloughing off sleep in the blessed stillness that pervaded the room before the alarm went off. Feliks' face was smooth and careless in sleep, body warm and twisted in his pink night gown.

The night gown had been the beginning. It had been a fixture since September, smuggled form home in Feliks' luggage. The night before school began in earnest, Toris had happily retired to the room that he was to share with Feliks, thrilled to be lucky enough to have gotten this dorm assignment, anxious to hold Feliks close after an entire summer apart.

"Like, close your eyes, Liet," Feliks had said as they were unpacking their things for bed. "I've got a totally awesome surprise for you." Despite the mischievous tone of his voice –which already signaled distinct trouble – his eyes were wary. And so Toris grew wary as well, and closing his eyes, he did as he was told. There was a rustle of fabric, a thumping noise followed by a flurry of Polish curses, then:

"'Kay, open them and tell me what you think."

He looked gorgeous, of course. The nightgown was sleeveless and sheer, a pale rose better associated with newborns. It draped from his lithe figure, slimming his shoulders and giving his hips a slight curve, stopping just above bare knees and smooth legs.

Toris had promised that he was gorgeous, and knew that it was not the end. It wasn't.

The change hadn't stopped there, nor had it stayed completely private. Toris caught glimpses of ribboned bobby socks under school trousers, the shine of nude lip gloss, clear nail polish on perfect nails.

And Toris accepted all of it, absorbed it, kept the secret because it was Feliks who kept his secrets.

So now… even now, when something had shifted – for good, completely – Toris only tightened his hold on Feliks' waist and breathed him in.

Bibibibibeep!

Bibibibibeep!

"Kurwa mać, budzik!"

The voice was muffled, grousing from somewhere near Toris' shoulder. He grinned ruefully, rolling over to tap the alarm clock off. Toris slipped out form under the covers, shivering in the wet, mid-October air.

"Up, Feliks, inspection is in an hour," Toris warned, grabbing the duvet and quickly wrenching it off of Feliks before he could get a hold on it – otherwise, the tug-of-war would last half the morning.

"Odejdź! Ja nie się obudzić!" Feliks whined, burying his head in his pillow.

"Feliks, if Yao comes in and finds you in my bed, we're gonna have trouble on our hands. Do you really wanna have to find a new roommate?"

"Yeah, one that doesn't hog all the blankets!"

"Feliks!"

But he was now pretending not to listen, right on schedule.

"Fine. But I'm going to take a shower first and use up all the hot water and… and… and pour all your conditioner down the toilet!"

That did it.

Feliks was up in a flash, slamming quickly into a drawer before snatching a towel from atop his dresser and streaking into the bathroom.

"Meanie!" he shrieked from safely behind the closed door. Toris just sighed. What a battle. He set about making his bed, tossing one of the pillows onto the other mattress in the room. That one never had to be made. It was never used.

There was steam issuing from under the door as the hot water was cranked on high. "He'd better leave me some hot water," Toris groaned under his breath, listening to the boy bang about in the bathroom, catching muffled sounds of wakefulness from the other rooms. Many in the midst of their own morning battles.

Ahh, school…

The sound of the hair dryer blazed from the bathroom as Toris picked up the teacup from the bedside table. The dregs left were ice-cold but still smelled faintly of valerian.

The hair dryer switched off.

"Hey, Liet?"

"Yeah, Feliks?"

"I totally had a good night's sleep last night, right? Didn't you?"

"Yeah, actually, I did."

"Cool. We'll have to thank Tino for the tea."

Even now, the way Feliks said "we" so casually, as if their relationship were just that natural, sent Toris' pulse racing.

"Yeah," he agreed quietly. "Are you done in there? I still need to take a shower."

There was no reply, but the handle clicked and Feliks strode out looking perfect, as usual. Toris blinked, strangely unused to the fact that he was wearing itrousers/i again. Of course, he still looked good, dressed in the light blue dress shirt and green sweater vest that was the oft-lamented uniform of St. Jeanne Academy for boys. He was wearing a silver charm bracelet half-hidden under his sleeve, which he claimed to have gotten from his cousin Elizaveta, who went to the sister school for girls across the river.

Feliks looked… well, actually, kinda beautiful.

Feliks noticed Toris staring, shifting his weight and nervously twirling a strand of hair in his fingers.

"…what…?" he mumbled. "I know I'm not wearing a sk- I mean… I'm not gonna… yet… I don't think I'm ready to 'come out' yet."

"Come out? A little late for that," Toris teased. "Most of the school already knows that we're together."

"Ugh, you totally know what I mean," groused Feliks, smiling. "Now hurry up and get in the shower already."

Toris kissed him on the cheek and did as he was told.