Osvald certainly had mixed feelings about returning to Montwise, given how terribly his last visit had gone. He did not want to stay away forever though, as the massive library held too many resources that could potentially be helpful for his future research. He was also very curious to see how Regulus' research was progressing, and the fact that he had summoned him made Osvald think that it was going well. It was hard to focus on that, though, for one major reason:
He had traveled here with Partitio, and only Partitio.
When he told his companions of the letter that he had received from Regulus, they had insisted that only he and Partitio go, as the rest of them wanted to make a pit stop in New Delsta to help Agnea shop for accessories to wear during her performance at the Grand Gala. Osvald had agreed to meet back up with them in Merry Hills in time to see her perform, and now he found himself in the Montwise library, searching for Regulus with Partitio by his side.
"Now let's see…" Partitio said, tipping his hat as he looked around, "Regulus should be 'round here, I reckon." He glanced at Osvald, watching as he crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, and Partitio felt his cheeks heat up. He had been mighty surprised when Osvald told him of Regulus' letter back in Clockbank, and he was even more surprised when their friends had insisted that just the two of them go and see him. It made him think that they had some ulterior motive that involved the confessing of his feelings for Osvald…
"Hm, I wonder if he completed his astronomical telescope."
"Hoo-ey! Let's stop in and have a drink with 'im!" Partitio's eyes sparkled as brightly as his smile, and Osvald rolled his eyes and sighed.
"I'm assuming you mean of the alcoholic kind?" Osvald said, raising an eyebrow, "Because this is an academic visit, you know. If we drink anything with Regulus, it should be coffee."
"Yeah, yeah, 'alcohol dulls the mind' and whatnot." Partitio slumped and stuck out his tongue. "You know, I take mine with plenty o' milk." Osvald pulled a face like Partitio had just said he enjoyed kicking puppies in his free time, and Partitio had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing. Osvald was always so serious about coffee of all things, and Partitio couldn't help but push Osvald's buttons a bit. After all, he looked so darn cute when his feathers were ruffled.
Osvald scoffed and threw his hands into the air. "That's absurd. Milk blunts the bitterness from the beans, the very bitterness that stimulates the mind!"
"You're being a bit dramatic there, partner." Partitio snickered as he jabbed his elbow into Osvald's side. "Not all of us are smarty-pants scholars, needin' their minds up to snuff all the time. Some of us just like our drinks to taste good."
"How…nonsensical." A deep frown crossed Osvald's face as his brow furrowed, and his eyes went wide when Partitio laughed and poked his forehead.
"If you're not careful, your face'll get stuck like that." Partitio winked as he turned to walk away. "Now, let's go find Regulus and say hello already."
Osvald reached up to touch the spot that Partitio had poked, and he felt his cheeks grow warm as he made to follow him. It was amazing how such a simple touch could affect Osvald like this, but he deduced that it was more due to the person doing the touching that actually caused the effect…
"Regulus!?"
Osvald watched as Partitio ran up to the collapsed scholar, and he sighed and rubbed at his temples when Regulus told the tale of how he had ended up like that. This man…Osvald was very surprised that Regulus hadn't gotten himself killed yet, and his difficulties handling money were abysmal to the point of absurdity.
"I cannot fathom why a researcher would hand over the fruits of his labor…" Osvald lamented when they stepped out of the library, and Partitio shrugged and flicked up the brim of his hat.
"Well, at least he's okay. That counts for somethin', don't it?"
Osvald sighed as he shook his head. "That sweetness of yours is impeding our progress." He tried to keep a straight face, but failed as his lips curled up into a small smile. Osvald wouldn't say it out loud, but it was that very sweetness that had a very big role in causing him to fall in love with Partitio.
"On the contrary…" Partitio tipped his hat and winked, before taking Osvald's hand in his, "A bit o' sweetness helps everythin' along, as in coffee, as in life, partner." His heart raced when Osvald's hand closed around his, and it leapt right into his throat when Osvald lifted his hand to his face and placed a kiss onto the back of it.
"I…suppose that I can agree with that." Partitio's eye twitched and jaw hung open as his brain tried to process what had just happened while also trying to calm his rapidly-beating heart. He almost fell over when Osvald had started walking, tugging him along, and Partitio quickly fell into step beside him.
What…What the heck was that? Partitio had kissed him on the hand when they had danced together in Clockbank, but he never in a million years would have expected Osvald to do the same out of the blue like this. Maybe…Osvald really did love him in return…
When Partitio recovered from his stunned state, he and Osvald decided to pay this loan shark of Regulus' a visit to hopefully get his telescope back. Partitio's eyes narrowed as he overheard what the thugs in front of the moneylender's mansion were talking about, and Osvald unsurprisingly cracked his knuckles beside him.
"Did you hear that?" Osvald growled, his voice low and threatening, and Partitio felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
"Clear as day." Partitio grit his teeth and pushed up his sleeves. "Seems our man Regulus has been duped." He shared a glance with Osvald, who gave him a slight nod, before they both approached the thugs.
"Who're you?" one of them said, and Osvald ignored him as he turned to Partitio.
"Just so I know the score, Partitio…" he said with a grin as he cracked his neck, "Do these cups of coffee need any milk or sugar?" Partitio shook his head and barked out a humorless laugh.
"Aw now see, it pays to be discernin'." He tipped his hat down to hide his face. "Coffee this bad doesn't need sweetenin'...It needs to be thrown out." He flicked the brim of his hat back up and cast a nasty glare at the thugs before them; Osvald's heart skipped a beat at the intensity of his gaze.
"I see…" Osvald pushed up his sleeves, his hands already sparking with lightning, which made the thugs cower. "The merchant's palate contains multitudes."
"W-Will someone shut these two up already?" one of the thugs yelled, and they made the terrible mistake of attacking the formidable scholar-merchant duo. All Osvald had to do was cast a meager lightning bolt to stun them, while Partitio finished them off with some masterful spear work.
They quickly made their way into the house to confront the moneylender, and Partitio's blood boiled as he listened to him brag about tricking Regulus out of his money and his precious invention. His talk of rewriting their agreement brought back some bitter memories, and Partitio clenched his jaw as he cracked his knuckles and took a step forward.
"Can I ask ya somethin'? D'ya like coffee?" Osvald took note of the anger that laced Partitio's tone.
"I adore coffee," the moneylender said nonchalantly, completely oblivious to the impending danger that he was in, "Nothing better than a good brew, black as night."
"That so?" Partitio let out a dark chuckle as he glanced at Osvald. "Then I reckon it's your lucky day, 'cause I've got a nice big ol' cup of the bitter stuff for ya!" Partitio lifted his fists and fell into a practiced battle stance, and Osvald held back this time, as Partitio seemed to have a personal investment in this.
"What he said. Prepare for a beating," Osvald said, and Partitio shot him a wink over his shoulder before he charged at the thugs, making quick work of them without Osvald's help. Osvald sat back and greatly enjoyed seeing the moneylender's face blanch as he watched his bodyguards get beaten to a pulp.
"C-Curse you…" The moneylender deflated as his guards fled, and Osvald placed his hand on Partitio's shoulder for a moment as he moved past him. Cracking his knuckles, he watched as the moneylender cowered before him. How pathetic…
"It's over. Give us the telescope," Osvald growled, and Partitio crossed his arms over his chest as the moneylender played dumb. Sighing, he reached into his coat to pull out his coin purse.
"C'mon now, no more dickerin'. I've got money-" Partitio was cut off when Osvald scoffed and stalked closer to the moneylender, who was trying his best to back away.
"This lowlife isn't worth paying." Osvald's arm quickly shot out and he grabbed the moneylender by the collar. "Just leave him to me."
Partitio decided that this wasn't a good time to tell Osvald how hot he sounded, so he just nodded as he tipped his hat. "I'll look the other way this once, partner."
"Hmph, I owe you one." Partitio winced when a sinister grin crossed Osvald's face as he pulled back his fist, and Partitio found himself almost feeling sorry for the moneylender.
Almost…
After Osvald's…very convincing negotiations had concluded, and they made sure that the moneylender would never bother Regulus again, he and Partitio returned to the flaky scholar with his astronomical telescope safely in hand. He expressed his gratitude at having his greatest achievement back, and when the sun had set, Osvald and Partitio found themselves out on top of the wall that surrounded the city to try the telescope out at Regulus' insistence.
"Well lookit that! What's that big round one?"
"Hehe…That would be the moon, no doubt closer than you've ever seen it before!"
Giddy excitement bubbled within Partitio as he pulled away from the telescope. Growing up in the small town of Oresrush, Partitio had never been exposed to anything quite like this. Seeing the stars up close was very…romantic, and Partitio felt his cheeks heat up when his eyes met Osvald's, and he quickly busied himself with looking through the telescope again.
"Well, it sure is lumpy…Looks like a big 'ol cookie, sittin' up there!" Partitio heard Osvald chuckle behind him, and his breath caught in his throat when Osvald's hand fell onto his shoulder.
"I'd…actually like to see that," he said, and Partitio grinned as he moved so that Osvald could have his turn. "...Fascinating."
Osvald let Partitio have another look, and he conversed with Regulus about his concerns with the nights getting longer. It was hard to concentrate, however, as his eyes kept wandering to Partitio, who looked like he was having the time of his life gazing at the stars. Every so often he would let out a gasp and smile, and Osvald found his transparent fascination to be rather…adorable.
"Ack! I should be writing these observations down! Oh, now where is my notebook…" Regulus shook his head and turned to Osvald. "I'll be right back, you two take care of my precious telescope while I'm gone, please?"
"We will." Osvald watched as the scatterbrained scholar ran back towards the library, and Osvald was suddenly keenly aware that he was now alone with Partitio. Logically, this would be the perfect time to confess his feelings, but as he thought about making a move, his throat dried up and a pit of worry lingered in his gut. How was he going to accomplish this daunting task?
"Ah, my hat!"
Osvald jerked his head up at Partitio's sudden outburst, and his reflexes acted just in time, allowing him to snap his hand out to catch his hat before the wind could carry it out of reach. Partitio let out a relieved sigh as he hurried over to Osvald.
"Whew, thanks partner!" he said, and the smile on his face took Osvald's breath away. He couldn't speak past the lump that had formed in his throat, so Osvald was silent when he placed Partitio's hat back on his head, and their eyes locked when he moved to pull his hand away.
Partitio's heart hammered hard within his chest, and time seemed to slow when Osvald started pulling his hand away. This was the chance that he needed, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let it pass him by. It was up to him to make the first move.
Osvald let out a surprised gasp when Partitio's hand suddenly shot out, his fingers slipping in between Osvald's and freezing him in place. It felt like time had stopped as Osvald stared down at Partitio, whose eyes were filled with the same admiration and longing that Osvald felt deep within his soul.
Osvald knew what he wanted - what his heart wanted - but his fingers twitched against Partitio's with hesitation. However, try as he might, he could not deny these feelings any longer, and Osvald's fingers slowly curled until they were fully entwined with Partitio's.
He tore his eyes from Partitio's and found a blinding smile waiting for him, and Osvald closed his eyes before letting out a deep sigh. It was a breathtaking sight, but one that Osvald felt was wasted on someone like him.
"Partitio…You deserve better than me."
Partitio laughed at that, giving Osvald's hand a squeeze as he shook his head. Osvald felt his face heat up as Partitio lifted his free hand up to cup his cheek, his fingers lightly brushing through his beard.
"Aw hells, I don't give a damn about what you think I deserve. 'Cause what I want - what my heart wants - is you, Osvald." Partitio said, and he could barely hear himself over the sound of his heartbeat roaring within his ears; he couldn't believe this was actually happening. He had waited so, so long for this very moment, and his heart skipped a beat when Osvald's hand moved to cover his own.
"...Even knowing how much blood I've spilled to achieve my goals, you would still have me?" Osvald's voice was quiet, unsure as he averted his gaze, but Partitio nodded as he gently nudged his cheek until Osvald looked him in the eye again.
"Well shoot, darlin', you may have busted some heads along the way, but nobody's perfect you know!"
Osvald chuckled as he moved a hand to Partitio's face, cupping his cheek, causing Partitio's breath to hitch. That was…a very Partitio thing to say, and Osvald hummed as he caressed Partitio's cheek with his thumb.
"It may be true that no one is perfect," Osvald whispered as he gazed down at Partitio with nothing short of absolute adoration, "but according to my calculations, you come pretty damn close, Partitio."
Partitio's heart swelled with happiness, and he couldn't stop a big, goofy grin from crossing his face as he leaned into Osvald's touch. He was now keenly aware of how close their faces had gotten, and he decided that it was now or never.
"Can I kiss you-" Partitio tried to ask, but he was cut off when Osvald's lips suddenly pressed against his, preemptively answering his question. He had spent a lot of time imagining what it was like to kiss Osvald, but he didn't account for how…fuzzy it would feel. Partitio giggled as Osvald's mustache tickled his nose, and he wrapped his arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. A happiness bubbled up within Partitio like nothing he had felt before. Finally kissing the man that he had harbored so much love for for long, it was truly an ethereal feeling.
Osvald wrapped his arms around Partitio, pulling their bodies flush against each other. He felt Partitio smile against his lips, and Osvald's heart raced as his eyes slipped shut. It had been a long, long time since Osvald had felt so happy, so complete. It was overwhelming, and maybe a bit too overwhelming…
Partitio's eyes shot open when he felt a salty wetness against his lips, and he broke the kiss to find that Osvald had started crying. His brow furrowed as he gently pushed Osvald's glasses up to rest on his head before moving his hands to Osvald's cheeks to brush away his tears with his thumbs. A wave of guilt coursed through him, and Partitio's heart sank. What if he had moved too fast and ended up hurting Osvald by dredging up bad memories? Oh, this was exactly what he had been afraid of…
"Osvald...What's wrong?" Partitio asked, wincing as he mentally prepared for a rejection, but Osvald shook his head and pressed his forehead against Partitio's.
"N-Nothing, it's just…" Osvald swallowed thickly and sniffed as a few more tears ran down his face, "I…never thought that I could feel this happy again."
Partitio's eyes went wide as Osvald caressed Partitio's cheek with the back of his fingers. "When Harvey took everything from me…It broke me completely, shattering my heart into pieces. I truly had forgotten what love was, with my heart consumed as it was by my lust for revenge. I told myself for years that nothing would change that. And then I met you, Partitio."
"You, with your unrelenting optimism, selfless drive to help those in need, and unwavering determination to achieve every single one of your goals, helped me to realize that there was more to my life besides getting my revenge on Harvey."
"You put your own life on the line in order to help me save my daughter, and you reminded me what it felt like to truly love someone." Partitio's eyes welled up with tears when Osvald stared into them as he cupped his cheek, and said those three little words that Partitio had been waiting to hear for a long, long time:
"I love you, Partitio."
Partitio couldn't stop the tears of joy from falling down his face, and he chuckled as he shook his head. "Shucks, now ya got me cryin'…'Cause, well, I love you too!" He beamed when a smile returned to Osvald's face, and Partitio turned his head slightly so that he could place a light kiss on the palm of Osvald's hand.
"I know that you've been through the worst kind of hell imaginable, and that you were buried under the weight of your need for revenge," Partitio said, "but still, I saw the kind of man you really were, when you offered to help me with my fire magic, or when you let Ochette nap against your hair when she was feeling homesick, or when you put your own life on the line for any one of us. It…really was pretty easy to fall in love with a man like you." A sly grin crossed his face and he shot Osvald a wink.
"And it certainly doesn't hurt that you're really, really handsome too!"
Partitio let out a startled gasp when Osvald barked out a laugh and pulled him into a tight hug, and his heart raced when Osvald whispered into his ear:
"Thank you, for loving me." Osvald meant that, from the bottom of his mended heart. He still thought that Partitio could do so much better than him, but he indeed loved him, and that was something that Osvald would never, ever take for granted.
Pressing his chin against Osvald's chest, Partitio sighed as he gazed up at him. "Like I said, sweetheart, you make it pretty damn easy."
They both laughed at that, and when their eyes locked, Partitio leaned up to kiss Osvald again, and Osvald smiled against his lips as he pulled him close. They continued their intimate embrace, with the full moon and countless stars as their witness…
"O-Oh dear, should I, um, come back later?"
…But not their only witness.
Partitio jumped away from Osvald when the voice hit his ears, and he saw Regulus shifting awkwardly on his feet and looking anywhere but at the two of them. Glancing at Osvald, Partitio stifled a laugh, as the look on his face told him that he was about two seconds away from launching a full-powered Ignis Ardere at the poor, scatterbrained Regulus.
"Er, hey Regulus!" Partitio said, his cheeks flushing as he grabbed Osvald's hand, which was very warm, telling him that he needed to get him out of here now before Regulus had a real chance of being burnt to a crisp.
"Um, w-we were just, uh, gonna head out for the night!" Partitio tugged Osvald along with him, and Osvald cleared his throat as he adjusted his glasses on his beet-red face.
"T-Thank you, Regulus, for letting us use your telescope," Osvald said, and Regulus laughed and shook his head.
"Oh, it was the least that I could do, given all that you two have done for me," he said, smiling as he waved the two of them off, "I shall pray to the stars for your continued safety and survival!"
"See ya, Regulus!" Partitio waved back with his free hand, and he smiled when he turned back to Osvald, giving his hand a squeeze as they walked. Osvald averted his gaze for a moment, before leaning over to kiss Partitio on the cheek. Partitio's face flushed and he pulled the brim of his hat down over his face; Gods, receiving this kinda public display of affection from Osvald was gonna take some getting used to. For now, however, Partitio was eager for something a little more…private.
"So…" Partitio said, a mischievous smile crossing his face as he threw his arm over Osvald's shoulders and winked, "Whaddya say we go back to the inn and get to know each other a bit more…intimate like?"
Partitio greatly enjoyed watching Osvald blush madly, and he cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at Partitio. "A brazen suggestion, don't you think? We've only just confessed our feelings."
"C'mon, sweetheart!" Partitio pouted as he dramatically placed his free hand on his forehead. "I've been holdin' back for quite a while here! Y'know how torturous it was to stare at that hot body of yours every time we had to bathe in the wilderness?"
"...You were staring at me?"
"Er, well…" Partitio let out a nervous chuckle when Osvald raised an eyebrow at him, and he rubbed at the back of his neck, "You can just say you don't want to, you know-" He was cut off when Osvald turned and grabbed his upper arms, pulling Partitio into a rough, heated kiss. His surprised noise was muffled as Osvald shoved his tongue into his mouth, and Partitio let a low moan slip as he gripped Osvald's shirt with both hands, as if he was hanging on for dear life.
"Oh, I want to," Osvald growled when he broke the kiss, his lips brushing Partitio's as he spoke, "I just couldn't pass on the opportunity to tease you a bit."
Partitio swallowed thickly, trying to clear away the lump that had formed in his throat, and he grinned as he entwined his fingers with Osvald's. "Hehe, well, you've certainly got me all kinds of teased now, partner." He leaned up to whisper into Osvald's ear:
"Let's get a move on now, before ya get me too riled up and I jump ya before we get to the inn."
Osvald's heartbeat roared in his ears when Partitio pulled away, looking at him with narrowed, hungry eyes, which ignited a stimulating heat deep within Osvald's gut. "Y-Yes, let's hurry."
Partitio laughed as their pace quickened, and Osvald's laughter swiftly joined his. As they made haste towards the inn, with hearts filled to burst with their love for one another, both were very much looking forward to the night ahead of them.